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Bicycle ERA |OT| This Is Why
- Thread starter Jill Sandwich
- Start date
Hey all, in May I came in here looking for advice on whether to buy a cheap bike just to get into it. Everyone said not to. So I kinda did some research, then blew it off all summer. THEN, just a couple of weeks ago I happened to mention it to my brother who's an avid cyclist and he gave me a bike he wasn't using! It's a Specialized Crossroads from the mid 00's. It's in pretty good shape and I've taken it out three times now (about 12 miles each time). I'll post a picture of it later. Anyway, I just joined the Strava, and I'm pretty excited! There's a really nice trail near my neighborhood that winds through some woods and runs parallel to our area's medium sized creek which is full of waterfalls and stuff.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1799454593
Already posted to the strava group but finished my first century in two years. (I was going to do one last year but after 25 miles it was raining so hard we just turned around and went home)
I think I did real well this year. I has my fastest average speed of any ride I've done this year an while my legs were a bit sore I was no worse for wear
Already posted to the strava group but finished my first century in two years. (I was going to do one last year but after 25 miles it was raining so hard we just turned around and went home)
I think I did real well this year. I has my fastest average speed of any ride I've done this year an while my legs were a bit sore I was no worse for wear
You guys see Ben King's Strava with power from yesterday? Crazytown.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1803622527
https://www.strava.com/activities/1803622527
Ha, nice. I could do that power output for probably an hour and a half max. We're similar weights too.
A photographer/cyclist I follow on IG is like this, but he's a purely independent photographer which affords him the opportunities to ride like that.
Bought a Vanmoof Smart S this weekend. Was planning to wait for the electric version at the end of the year but decided to skip it and burn the extra calories. Mostly using using it to get the gym and about town when I don't want to drive. Looks very dutch, love the clean design, rides well, and has some cool "smart" features:
- GPS tracking
- Bluetooth connection to automatically unlock/lock the bike
- Built-in speakers for the bell and alarm (makes a weird sci-fi noise if someone touches the bike when it's locked)
- Integrated LED lights
My bike got nicked from Strasbourg during our summer holiday, insurance basically not paying out much, so getting a new one on cycle to work scheme.
Got about £1000 to spend, looking for a CX / Adventure / Gravel bike (would love a pure road bike, but need to go on canal paths etc for rides with the kids)
Anyone got any suggestions / ideas of what to look out for?
Got about £1000 to spend, looking for a CX / Adventure / Gravel bike (would love a pure road bike, but need to go on canal paths etc for rides with the kids)
Anyone got any suggestions / ideas of what to look out for?
So, I got a studio apartment a few minutes from campus, and I'm bringing my bike along with me for school to take to classes on not shitty days. I have a few choices on how to store it, wondering if I can get some opinions.
1) Bring the bike up with me to my third story room and store it on the balcony. I feel this is gonna be a hassle.
2) Find a corner near the apartment where I can lock the bike up and take the front tire off every night/day and bring the tire with me or store it in my car.
3) Put the entire bike in the car (removing the front tire so it fits). I feel this too will be a major hassle as my trunk isn't big enough to hold it if I ever, you know, need the trunk for something else.
4) Something I haven't thought of.
1) Bring the bike up with me to my third story room and store it on the balcony. I feel this is gonna be a hassle.
2) Find a corner near the apartment where I can lock the bike up and take the front tire off every night/day and bring the tire with me or store it in my car.
3) Put the entire bike in the car (removing the front tire so it fits). I feel this too will be a major hassle as my trunk isn't big enough to hold it if I ever, you know, need the trunk for something else.
4) Something I haven't thought of.
I took my MTB to university back in the day (PSU main campus, similarly few minutes off campus apartment) and can count on one hand the number of times I rode it to class. It just wasn't worth the hassle of finding an open spot on a rack, hoping someone didn't mangle it into someone else's bike when getting theirs out, hoping your seat/wheel/etc. didn't get nicked if you left it there late, or vandalised/thrown up on, etc. We had a rack in the basement which could only be accessed via shared key, so it wasn't even that inconvenient either.
Boardmans (as sold in Halfords and Cycle Republic) have a good rep and tend to be well-specced for the price. I have a £500 Boardman hybrid from a couple of years ago and it's a really solid bike. They do a nice-looking adventure bike at £1,000 but I'm on my phone now so can't link you, I'm afraid.
I had the broadman CX (the cheaper one).. that's the one that was nicked!
It was ok, gears and breaks let it down though
Don't leave it in public eye if it will be for an extended time. The first sign to a thief is how long the bike has stayed in one spot
If you're swapping a saddle how do you do it? I bought a non-cut out version of the one I'm using, but it's got a longer nose. In the past I used to just measure to the end of the saddle, or try to line up the "sit area".
Kinda already committed to it considering I already got the bike back from the shop for a quick tune up and got my helmet and lock.
The campus is pretty decent in terms of bike rack space, and most of the classes are the middle of the day, and I don't plan on riding it at night, so I think theft on campus won't be much of an issue.
Hopefully storing the bike on my balcony isn't too much of a pain, I guess worst case I just send it back home if it ends up being a bust.
Some bike fit status updates after a solid month:
100mm stem helped, but I still felt like I was fighting things
110mm has been a changer. My hips are rolling much more forward and I'm now feeling like I'm in a good road/cross riding position
The Ergon SR (woman's saddle) has been quite nice. i think the wide might be a smidge too wide though as I got some uncomfortable spots. So I ordered the smaller size & SRX3
SRX3 feels much flatter than the SR, but I am noticing I'm missing the relief channel. I may give it one more go and see since it took a ride to get it figured out (it's longer so it doesn't match 1:1 to the SR)
100mm stem helped, but I still felt like I was fighting things
110mm has been a changer. My hips are rolling much more forward and I'm now feeling like I'm in a good road/cross riding position
The Ergon SR (woman's saddle) has been quite nice. i think the wide might be a smidge too wide though as I got some uncomfortable spots. So I ordered the smaller size & SRX3
SRX3 feels much flatter than the SR, but I am noticing I'm missing the relief channel. I may give it one more go and see since it took a ride to get it figured out (it's longer so it doesn't match 1:1 to the SR)
On my way to Italy... Forgot a bunch of shit as I left in a rush.
Also, despite a time consuming bleed, my rear brake is pulling to the bar. Yay.
Also, despite a time consuming bleed, my rear brake is pulling to the bar. Yay.
Went and jumped on an indigogo for an ebike that I was following for quite some time, will be my first.
I like to bike fast. Being able to go even faster by increasing endurance with electrical assistance sounds great.
Dutch cycling roads will get a new dimension when you have basically unlimited endurance, so many clean and flat strips of road waiting for me.
I like to bike fast. Being able to go even faster by increasing endurance with electrical assistance sounds great.
Dutch cycling roads will get a new dimension when you have basically unlimited endurance, so many clean and flat strips of road waiting for me.
Its illegal in the Netherlands to have your front windows tinted (partly for this reason).
Riding in Los Angeles I just assume that every driver can't see me, yet they are also somehow trying to actively murder me with their vehicle. Cycling is so great out here.
Just did a quick race against a guy on the bike team
He and some others on the team just spotted me riding around, so one of them chased me down
The guy beat me though, he was good. I recognized him, and I knew he was very fast
This is the rival I've been looking for since freshman year
He and some others on the team just spotted me riding around, so one of them chased me down
The guy beat me though, he was good. I recognized him, and I knew he was very fast
This is the rival I've been looking for since freshman year
New tire day. :D
The centerline rib tread on my Stumpy's rear Rat Trap has worn bald, meaning the tire is probably more than halfway through its life. It'll be a while before I need to replace it, but I might as well have the tire ready for when the time comes.
I was surprised that the 2" rocks we rode through on the last gravel ride didn't cut these things. Scuffed the sidewalls a bit, but didn't cut the casing. One guy on skinnier Gravelking SKs got a little sidewall gash, we had to seal it with superglue.
The two skinny tires are for a bike that doesn't exist quite yet...
The centerline rib tread on my Stumpy's rear Rat Trap has worn bald, meaning the tire is probably more than halfway through its life. It'll be a while before I need to replace it, but I might as well have the tire ready for when the time comes.
I was surprised that the 2" rocks we rode through on the last gravel ride didn't cut these things. Scuffed the sidewalls a bit, but didn't cut the casing. One guy on skinnier Gravelking SKs got a little sidewall gash, we had to seal it with superglue.
The two skinny tires are for a bike that doesn't exist quite yet...
I live in a multi unit building and currently store mine on the balcony. I take my bike up and down the stairs to the 2nd floor every time, it's pretty easy and isn't tiring at all. I don't see why going up an extra level would be a problem for you. Just let people pass you first if you encounter people along the way and if you use the elevator, allow people to go ahead and wait for the next one if you all can't fit.
Guys, I did my first 100km ride yesterday. I feel so fucking happy about it. It was a slow pace and I stopped a few times for breakfast and just to chill, but it's a starting point!
Next challenge 100 miles and a 100km cycle in the hills around me. Also trying to improve my time on this route!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1811652426
Next challenge 100 miles and a 100km cycle in the hills around me. Also trying to improve my time on this route!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1811652426
This is just a suggestion, but have you thought about getting a fixed gear bicycle? It's a cheap way to get a light bike which makes it easier to lug up flights of stairs.
This Cycling Podcast interview with Rick Delaney on their stage 7 podcast about the demise of Aqua Blue Sport is insane. Such chicanery and unprofessionalism from the UCI and some of the financial backers. Of course it's all rather he-said/she-said I imagine but what a mess.
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It's not an issue normally.
But, after running/jogging a few miles at the gym and riding back to my place (Which is uphill), it's... pretty tiring lol
Yea, I was thinking about it, only reason I didn't was because I don't have a fixed gear, this bike was in the basement for years and is in really good shape
Most likely, I'll do the renters program from the school where I can rent a fixed gear bike for like 70 bucks a semester next year.
I should also add that you can also get a singlespeed, not just fixed gear.
Cycled down the coast yesterday with the plan to camp half way, ended up just returning home instead. My wife was not in the mood. Still a nice 40 mile ride down and up the SoCal coast. :)
Anyone have experience with Tervail tires?
Ehhh good luck with those Compass tires. Might be the most hit or miss tire brand out there. I and a few friends had them blow off rims during set up. Ive read a bunch about people having side wall problems necayrbsyre so supple.
New tire day. :D
The centerline rib tread on my Stumpy's rear Rat Trap has worn bald, meaning the tire is probably more than halfway through its life. It'll be a while before I need to replace it, but I might as well have the tire ready for when the time comes.
I was surprised that the 2" rocks we rode through on the last gravel ride didn't cut these things. Scuffed the sidewalls a bit, but didn't cut the casing. One guy on skinnier Gravelking SKs got a little sidewall gash, we had to seal it with superglue.
The two skinny tires are for a bike that doesn't exist quite yet...
Ehhh good luck with those Compass tires. Might be the most hit or miss tire brand out there. I and a few friends had them blow off rims during set up. Ive read a bunch about people having side wall problems necayrbsyre so supple.
I'm not worried about tubeless setup issues, since I don't plan on setting them up tubeless any time soon. Using RTPs for gravel is erring fairly wide, so pinch risk isn't that high, and I don't plan on putting the BJPs through very heavy off-pavement use.
Do you know what the particular cause was in your case?
Heine appears to think that the most likely cause for a Compass tire blow-off is the tire bead expected a higher bead seat shoulder, i.e. needing extra rim tape layer(s).
The sidewalls are paper-thin and fairly permeable, so they can be prone to sealant oozing through. Compass themselves have acknowledged this, recommending using Orange Seal as the first round of sealant to minimize it.
Obviously they're also very thin and have no protection. That's part of why I'm fine erring wide: less sidewall exposure.
They blew off Stan's rims and another rim type, I don't know the brand. I will say the 650b set ups seem to work much better than the 700 set ups. I know they work great when set up right, but for me the "babying" of them ealry on is not worth it. Especially when you can just get the regular Panaracer version which is still supple but easier to mount up.
I do feel like I have terrible luck with tires though, ha. I've put two big gashes into Schwalbe All-Rounds, 3 huge gashes into Panaracer GravelKing slicks, blew a Compass of the rim during set up. All this within 18 months.
About this new bike I'm building.
Thus far, I've stuck a tire on a wheel, so I think I'm most of the way finished with putting the bike together. I still need some minor components, such as a frameset.
The tire cost me almost 3 times as much as I spent on the wheel, which seems like a pretty good and completely reasonable ratio.
Thus far, I've stuck a tire on a wheel, so I think I'm most of the way finished with putting the bike together. I still need some minor components, such as a frameset.
The tire cost me almost 3 times as much as I spent on the wheel, which seems like a pretty good and completely reasonable ratio.
Boom! Congrats on the ride man!
Upward and onward from here (literally).
I had a nice ride as well yesterday. Beautiful ride to the Amerongse Berg (it's a small hill :P) Even climbed 300 meters (amazing in the Netherlands, I know!)
Sunday Ride
About this new bike I'm building.
Thus far, I've stuck a tire on a wheel, so I think I'm most of the way finished with putting the bike together. I still need some minor components, such as a frameset.
The tire cost me almost 3 times as much as I spent on the wheel, which seems like a pretty good and completely reasonable ratio.
So what am I looking at here? Is this going to be the ultimate commuter?
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Any opinions on Orbea bikes? I'm looking for a new bike that will mainly be for biking 20 minutes to work, but I'll also be biking around 10 miles on roads/trails on the weekends.
Also: I had some cheap bikes before that kept getting stolen. Like, multiple bikes stolen in the span in of a week, each with expensive locks that were locked in very public areas. Any advice around this? I can park it inside my office for now, but at some point I'll need to lock it outside.
Also: I had some cheap bikes before that kept getting stolen. Like, multiple bikes stolen in the span in of a week, each with expensive locks that were locked in very public areas. Any advice around this? I can park it inside my office for now, but at some point I'll need to lock it outside.
Rode a mountain bike park for the first time ever, on a hard tail. That was fun but damn is it FAST.
Rode a double suspension bike for the first time last weekend. It was fucking amazing blasting down some admittedly fairly tame single track and feeling less than I do on my road bike on smooth tarmac. They are a proper marvel. Fucking shit for going up steep climbs though. Almost made me want a mountain bike
Well I decided to pull the trigger on this guy!
https://www.jensonusa.com/Orbea-Alma-29-H50-18-Bike-2018
This is my first "nice" bike, since I usually spend around $300. Excited and nervous about this purchase! Also still looking for security tips since people literally steal bikes as their full time job here in Austin.
https://www.jensonusa.com/Orbea-Alma-29-H50-18-Bike-2018
This is my first "nice" bike, since I usually spend around $300. Excited and nervous about this purchase! Also still looking for security tips since people literally steal bikes as their full time job here in Austin.
Well I decided to pull the trigger on this guy!
https://www.jensonusa.com/Orbea-Alma-29-H50-18-Bike-2018
This is my first "nice" bike, since I usually spend around $300. Excited and nervous about this purchase! Also still looking for security tips since people literally steal bikes as their full time job here in Austin.
Grats on your purchase!
Kryptonite locks are absolute beasts. I've managed to keep my fixie from being stolen in Amsterdam with one.
I used a U frame lock in combination with a cable lock. That way I could always secure the frame to something.
Kryptonite
I've had a couple Kryptonite locks get chopped up. I'm beginning to think that having bikes locked outside for more than a few minutes is just an impossible thing.
With a decent battery operated grinder, any kind of bike lock is useless.
That's the sad truth unfortunately.
That's the sad truth unfortunately.
I just got a dark brown b17 narrow for my commuter.
Man, the packaging itself is so pretty, I hate to take the saddle out.
Man, the packaging itself is so pretty, I hate to take the saddle out.
Sweet, I once again have a fixed gear bike. I bought a used Dodici Gara from a friend. Feels like a really solid bike, although I need to replace the crankset tomorrow.