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I'm now in the bicycle life phase of trailer towing and unfortunately my tried and true steel road bike can't accommodate the ball adapter for a trailer (Thule Chariot). I've got it on my Giant Defy Advanced for now but that's not really the ideal bike for where I want to be towing the kids. I more or less want a bike with drop bars, space for 35+mm tires and a low gear ratio for pulling a 50-80lbs trailer up some decent grade hills. Oh, obviously it needs to be able to accept a trailer but I feel like that's pretty standard with more modern bikes. I figure a gravel bike like the Revolt 1 should fit the bill, but I haven't gone bike shopping since 2016 and figure our stable of n+1ers might have some fresh recommendations. I'd like to keep it under $2500 CAD but might up my budget slightly if I could do something cool like a stage 1 ebike. I feel like there used to be a bike buying thread but I checked a few pages and didn't see one. Sorry if I am making GBS threads up the thread and TIA
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Aug 28, 2022 17:54
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| # ? May 21, 2024 02:43 |
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Math You posted:I'm now in the bicycle life phase of trailer towing and unfortunately my tried and true steel road bike can't accommodate the ball adapter for a trailer (Thule Chariot). If you’re attaching a trailer or other luggage definitely stay with a steel or alloy frame with mounting bosses. Some gravel bikes will be fine, others are more racy. For any stock bike, to get appropriately low gearing while still having usefully high gearing for riding without luggage/ trailer / on-road you’ll probably want to go 2x and get smaller chainrings like 30-46. That means a chainring swap. Even 3x is still popular for loaded touring bikes that match your requirements perfectly other than being an eBike.
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Aug 28, 2022 18:44
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Rear forkend was bent from some old damage:  The quick release axle was bent too, and it was hard to remove from the hub:  I first measured how much off the forkends are, and decided I need to bend left fork by 3mm and right by 5mm to get 8mm more.  I had wooden blocks, drilled with holes, split in half, with clamps to keep the bridges in place... I bent the frame with 1,5m long (5ft) 2x4" lumber. Slowly. Result: 
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Aug 30, 2022 19:14
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 Did a quick nostalgia build on my Brodie, got the fork, brakes, and wheelset cheap from one seller, and the (freshly rebuilt) DHX Air from another. Flipped the rear link and long-shocked it to gain some travel, did a full tuneup, and I'll be ready for my first time back at Whistler since 2011.
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Aug 30, 2022 21:01
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klezmer life yo posted:
 Let me know if you need some spare tyres.
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Aug 30, 2022 21:30
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klezmer life yo posted:
hell yes
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Aug 30, 2022 21:49
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Math You posted:I'm now in the bicycle life phase of trailer towing and unfortunately my tried and true steel road bike can't accommodate the ball adapter for a trailer (Thule Chariot). What is it that won't work with the adapter? I've been able to swap mine between a few different bikes but it took some creativity a couple times and experimenting with skewers.
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Aug 30, 2022 23:29
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:What is it that won't work with the adapter? I've been able to swap mine between a few different bikes but it took some creativity a couple times and experimenting with skewers. The dropouts are really recessed into the stays and the area is smaller than on most bikes I've seen. Can't get the eyelet on the adapter to lineup with the dropouts, causing the wheel to mount insecurely or on an angle. I suppose it would be possible to grind down the adapter so that it fits, but I don't have the tools nor am I confident that's something I want to be shaving a significant amount of material off of. Edit: I suppose it would be possible to install a spacer between the hitch cup and the dropout. Thanks for big brain inspiration 2nd edit: Robert Axle Project has an adapter that replaces the QR nut, looks like it should work. Maybe I was just looking for an excuse to 
Math You fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Aug 31, 2022 |
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Aug 31, 2022 02:47
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what do you guys use to secure things to your rear rack? I just use bungie cords
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Aug 31, 2022 03:20
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GreenBuckanneer posted:what do you guys use to secure things to your rear rack? I just use bungie cords I have two trunks. One, a discontinued Cannondale with fold-out panniers, has hook-and-loop straps that I weave into the rear rack to hold it tight. My other is a Topeak that locks into its rack. That rack also has this neat spring-loaded section that can clamp down on stuff. Bungee cords are something I see used a lot for people who aren't using trunks, or who are strapping a few things to their trunks. Whatever works, works.
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Aug 31, 2022 03:30
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I like rok straps. Feel like i can get things more nicely secured than with bungies.
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Aug 31, 2022 03:31
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On this latest bike tour, I was having trouble with bungees securing a rolled up tarp over the top of my rear rack. Basically, the tension range they needed required I hook them to a part of the rack that didn't offer a place to latch into. I brought two Voile straps and these were the ticket. Weaved them under the top rails of the rack, so the tarp roll couldn't slide around much over the top of the rack. These were a great application of the Voiles, which I find have two limitations to be aware of: - they don't stretch as much as bungees, for the same desired tension/tightness - if you do them too loose, the strap hole can easily pop off of the buckle latch In this case, I benefited from the roll being compressed smaller, so pulling the straps really tight was good.
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Aug 31, 2022 15:01
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GreenBuckanneer posted:what do you guys use to secure things to your rear rack? I just use bungie cords just regular bungies or cargo nets? Last camping trip I just cargo netted the tent, pad, and sleeping bag to the rear rack in a rainproof cover to avoid the extra weight of a bag https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/324-CARGO-NET
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Aug 31, 2022 15:28
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Do they make down-scaled ratchet straps for bikes? A bike cargo rack is kinda small for a regular-size one, but the Crappy Old Long Bed guy that I used to be had fond memories of those super-versitile straps.
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Aug 31, 2022 15:50
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You can get small cam-style ones, ie the kind you pull tight without a ratchet. https://velo-orange.com/collections/rack-hardware-and-accessories/products/austere-manufacturing-straps Kind of expensive because bike things
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Aug 31, 2022 17:30
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Not bad. I think I could sell a "Bike Things" kit for anyone who sells bike things. The kit is a set of sticker sheets. Say, 50 sheets. Each sheet has two stickers. One says "FOR BICYCLES". The other is just a little sticker with a "1" on it. You use this kit to convert things sold to anyone into things sold to bicyclists. Place the first sticker on the package under the product name. Place the second sticker in front of the first digit of the original price tag. Voila! It's a bike thing now, and what a deal!! Edit: OK, I hope this doesn't backfire on me, but I signed up for a 150 Mile September St. Jude Challenge of Bicycles, or something like that. And I'll get a bunch of those miles Sunday. Hope I'm healed up enough! tarlibone fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Aug 31, 2022 |
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Aug 31, 2022 17:35
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tarlibone posted:Do they make down-scaled ratchet straps for bikes? A bike cargo rack is kinda small for a regular-size one, but the Crappy Old Long Bed guy that I used to be had fond memories of those super-versitile straps. These are Rok straps. They don't ratchet, but they're incredibly versatile.
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Aug 31, 2022 19:19
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Praise Jesus, I think they're going to be able to transfer/sell me the bike I want from across the country. 
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Aug 31, 2022 21:39
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e: woops
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Aug 31, 2022 22:03
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*big tour post sorry in advance* Buddy and I did a slightly different version of our coast tour from last year, this time taking a train up from LA to SLO before riding through Big Sur up to Aptos, then bombing back down. ~550mi in 6 days or so all told. I didn't train for this ride like the one I did last year, and truthfully my volume has been in the shitter for the past few months as I get into running and climbing, so I was a bit nervous about being able to keep up, but after a few days you kind of slip into that groove where you feel invincible. I didn't bring a full sleep system in the name of trying to save weight, and predictably it created issues. I figured I could get away with shorts and a woobie at night, but alas when that mist sops into your poo poo at night along the coast, it gets cold fast. We had a final supply stop in Cambria - a place who's combination of apothecaries and punisher skull pickups kind of make it feel like the last redoubt of conservative wiccan PTA mom thought.  The coast was as beautiful as ever - with mottled greys, rust and jade tones all fighting for dominance over the lazy, diffused sun. The area is nothing if not dreamlike, and lends itself well to the sort of voyage within that usually presents itself on bike tours as the hours and miles march on. We stopped at a favorite nameless blackstone beach and found a huge piece of abalone, a vertebrae from what I'm assuming is some kind of sea mammal, and a washed up DJI Mavic drone that had clearly drowned and been in the ocean for quite some time. We extracted it's corroded SD card because it felt dangerous.   The ride up through Big Sur flew by with relatively few stops, covering the 197mi from San Louis Abispo to Aptos in 2 days. We were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in the agricultural corridor between Monterey and Santa Cruz - watercolors spilling out of the sun bathing the endless crop fields in a surreal glow.   I pushed myself probably harder than I ever have on a bicycle before over the last 20 miles to get to a pizzeria before they closed, judiciously destroying an entire pie on my own like a true gluttonous dirtbag. Day 3 had us mostly running errands on the way back from Aptos to Monterey, staging us for the next two days back down the coat through Big Sur, with our notable stop being perhaps the most overwhelmingly Central-Californian surplus store possible.   We eventually settled on nabbing a hiker biker spot in Veteran's Memorial Park in Monterey, where our sleep was interrupted by a tweaker couple having an argument in the campground next to us that was largely unintelligible outside of when the woman gruffly raised her voice and said "well the only reason I'm even here is because I fell off them steps, you know that!", a phrase who's true meaning shall haunt me til the end of my days. The fog rolled in thick at night but I was still able to get some fun night timelapses going. https://i.imgur.com/GgcAK6h.mp4 We dropped down through 17mi drive, which is slightly out of the way but adds a beautiful (if soggy) coastal run to the morning that ultimately gets you to Carmel. It seems like a shame that some rear end in a top hat saw this incredible stretch of coastline and then was allowed to build a golf course over most of it.   Our next big deviation off Hwy 1 would be taking Coast Road where it intersects at Bixby Bridge, which proved to be a tour highlight. It's a good amount of climbing on reasonable condition dirt that winds its way through some absolutely gorgeous old-growth red woods and Bay Trees, and it offered a welcome reprieve to the long boring stretch of the 1 where its open and flat between Carmel and Andrew Molerra. Excellent atmosphere for goblin-ing.    Our climb ultimately spat us out at a vista at the apex of the valley as clouds from the coast rolled straight up the draw. The descent got a little sketchy in places, with a few rock gardens making for a more technical descent than I'm used to, but it wasn't anything unmanageable, and we ultimately reconnected with the 1 about 30 miles above Kirk Creek - our target for the night.   Refuled after a food stop in Gorda, we raced along the 1's cliffsides to get to camp before the sun sank into the sea.  https://i.imgur.com/HzjCuMZ.mp4 We stupidly didn't lock our food that night, and racoons raided our poo poo - thankfully only really destroying our supply of tortillas and not causing any actual damage to our framebags, but it meant that we were without food for our planned morning climb up Ferguson Nacimiento, right across the street from Kirk Creek. Another pretty steep climb over ~7 miles with lots of debris that's probably super fun descending if you're comfortable smashing out down dangerous routes, but I kept it relatively chill in the name of safety after eating poo poo hard at the beginning of the year. Still some pretty views even if the fog bank blocked what's supposed to be sightlines of the coast on the descent.  Necrobike looking ratchet as gently caress:    We shot down to Moro Bay for another very wet evening, and had another long boring day across more open agricultural land between MB and Gaviota beach the following day, staging us for a final 30mi run to Santa Barbara and the train home on day 6. What struck me the most about the entire journey was how much "bigger" the meditative state of touring feels after beginning to cultivate an actual mindfulness meditation practice since my first tour this time last year. It feels very tangibly like the ability to accept suffering in the saddle on very long days is a gateway to an orientation of consciousness that feels expansive, and I get a lot of really good thinking done in that space. It's nice to see the fruits of the gardens we cultivate, or whatever, and I'd love to talk to anyone that's in a similar position. Some real neat stuff happens there.
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Aug 31, 2022 23:10
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That's rad. So what was on the sketchy ocean SD card?
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Sep 1, 2022 00:42
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Objurium posted:The coast was as beautiful as ever - with mottled greys, rust and jade tones all fighting for dominance over the lazy, diffused sun. The area is nothing if not dreamlike, and lends itself well to the sort of voyage within 
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Sep 1, 2022 01:49
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goddamn that’s top tier posting
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Sep 1, 2022 05:02
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Would it be okay to post/quote that in the bike touring thread? Looks like a fun time.
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Sep 1, 2022 05:17
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Objurium posted:I pushed myself probably harder than I ever have on a bicycle before over the last 20 miles to get to a pizzeria before they closed, judiciously destroying an entire pie on my own like a true gluttonous dirtbag. This is a completely non-cycling related and probably stupid question, but this has confused me for a while. Are pizzas in America always gigantic or do they consist of only oil or something? People often say they ate an entire pizza in a way that makes it sound monstrous and absurd, but in my experience that's how you eat pizza. I can't remember the last time I ate pizza in a different quantity than one. Like, when you go to a pizzeria (in literally every country I ever ordered a pizza in), everyone orders exactly one pizza and that's how much you eat. Are American pizzas always so huge that you have to be in a group of people to order one? Are there no individual-sized pizzas in the US? (Great post though!)
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Sep 1, 2022 07:50
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Peggotty posted:This is a completely non-cycling related and probably stupid question, but this has confused me for a while. Are pizzas in America always gigantic or do they consist of only oil or something? People often say they ate an entire pizza in a way that makes it sound monstrous and absurd, but in my experience that's how you eat pizza. I can't remember the last time I ate pizza in a different quantity than one. Like, when you go to a pizzeria (in literally every country I ever ordered a pizza in), everyone orders exactly one pizza and that's how much you eat. Are American pizzas always so huge that you have to be in a group of people to order one? Are there no individual-sized pizzas in the US? 
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Sep 1, 2022 07:54
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Peggotty posted:This is a completely non-cycling related and probably stupid question, but this has confused me for a while. Are pizzas in America always gigantic or do they consist of only oil or something? People often say they ate an entire pizza in a way that makes it sound monstrous and absurd, but in my experience that's how you eat pizza. I can't remember the last time I ate pizza in a different quantity than one. Like, when you go to a pizzeria (in literally every country I ever ordered a pizza in), everyone orders exactly one pizza and that's how much you eat. Are American pizzas always so huge that you have to be in a group of people to order one? Are there no individual-sized pizzas in the US?  A regular Neapolitan pizza is around 12 inch, so about 2.2 normal european pizzas have the same total area as one regular New York style pizza. Besides that, Italian pizzas normally have some dots of fresh mozzarella as the cheese layer, while New York pizzas are completely covered in a layer of dried mozzarella. This is a shitton of extra cheese, which leads to the pools of fat on top/people actually removing some of it with napkins before eating (don't do this lol).
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Sep 1, 2022 08:01
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Objurium posted:*big tour post sorry in advance* Incredible post/pictures Why is the small pizza more pies?!? Heliosicle fucked around with this message at 11:04 on Sep 1, 2022 |
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Sep 1, 2022 11:02
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5.1 small pies equals 1 large!
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Sep 1, 2022 11:30
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Sadly I had to abandon the LEL due to a foot injury, so what better thing to do once I've just about recovered than cycle a little over 250 miles to go visit my mum? Split the trip into two days - 150 something miles of very very flat (~800m of elevation gain total) and then 110 miles of less flat (~1250m elevation gain) but still pretty serene. The first day was horrendous. The most exciting scenery looked like this:  and on top of that there was a strong headwind the whole day which made the whole thing just kinda miserable. Day two, despite the same headwind (now cross head as I was heading west as well as north), was a thousand times more fun simply due to the scenery and the terrain. Cycling into a headwind feels sapping, cycling up a hill feels like you've actually earned the going slowly. On top of that, the hills tended to have more interesting buildings than the miles and miles of farmland:  and in general were a lot prettier to look at.  Up here is a lot more hilly. Did a 15k ride to shake off the legs this morning and it had about 1/4 of the climbing of the 255k ride from Monday. Tour of Britain comes through in five days time and it should be fun watching pros go up the climbs that absolutely brutalise me (tbf, Chapel Fell despite being quite short in pro cycling terms might brutalise a few pros as well, 15%+ for the last km of the climb)
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Sep 1, 2022 15:31
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I hired a Brompton in London last week and it was great. Only £5 / day, charged whenever you return it to the locker. Tip: set up the mobile app before hand because the verification process could take a couple hours if you don't have a non-UK id doc like a driving license.  The bike was pretty new, no issues at all. Objurium posted:*big tour post sorry in advance* God drat, that is premium biek content. Nice one.
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Sep 1, 2022 15:55
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I just noticed that Sierra Trading Post has some Swift Industries stuff with okay to really good discounts right now https://www.sierra.com/swift-industries~b~41056/
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Sep 1, 2022 18:41
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Dog Case posted:I just noticed that Sierra Trading Post has some Swift Industries stuff with okay to really good discounts right now These are great deals off the old prices, but keep in mind that this isn't made in Seattle anymore e: some of it, at least
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Sep 1, 2022 18:58
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HAIL eSATA-n posted:These are great deals off the old prices, but keep in mind that this isn't made in Seattle anymore I grabbed the catalyst bag which is listed as Indonesia. If it really is then i can compare it to my Seattle zeitgeist. I'm suspicious that any of the overseas stuff has been around long enough to end up on a clearance site like this though. They may have just grabbed the current info to paste onto the site. I know I've seen stuff with inaccurate info on there before.
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Sep 1, 2022 19:12
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Samopsa posted:5.1 small pies equals 1 large! (2 pie *18"^2)/2 pie*8"^2)=5.06 Math checks
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Sep 1, 2022 19:59
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Cat rear end Trophy posted:(2 pie *18"^2)/2 pie*8"^2)=5.06 Then the small should be 1 pie 
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Sep 1, 2022 20:55
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I did it differently. A = pi × r^2 (pi × 81) ÷ (pi × 16) = ( = 5.0625 Same result, though.
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Sep 1, 2022 21:16
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Sometimes I think the couple of leftover slices I stick in the fridge are nicer cold the next day than the rest of the pizza was hot Makes u think
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Sep 1, 2022 23:05
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Ate poo poo on my bike not just last week but today as well, panicked front breaker while on a downhill and ate poo poo with my bike flipping 180 degrees both times. Last time was just a bruise on my arm, this week I was easily several times faster and a minivan cut me off, I think onlookers who stopped by to help me up described it as my bike sailing over my head. My gym trainer happened to be driving by as we were heading to the gym for today's session so I got lucky and she helped drive me and my bike home. An ambulance checked me out and nothing seems broken but ill likely be in huge amounts of pain tomorrow. Gotta get used to rear breaking instead I think. But it's the "slow" break which is why I was more used to front breaking. I hope my shoulder isn't like injured injured. drat you cogswain you foreshadowed this!  I remember the lady who stayed with me saying on the phone "he still has his sense of humour" because I described it as like experiencing the 'to be continued' screen from jojo, that was funny.
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Sep 1, 2022 23:14
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| # ? May 21, 2024 02:43 |
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Raenir Salazar posted:Ate poo poo on my bike not just last week but today as well, panicked front breaker while on a downhill and ate poo poo with my bike flipping 180 degrees both times. Last time was just a bruise on my arm, this week I was easily several times faster and a minivan cut me off, I think onlookers who stopped by to help me up described it as my bike sailing over my head. Panic breaking is a bit of a skill...you can definitely brake hard with the front brake and not endo (in fact you'll stop faster than if you rely more on the rear brake...which will just skid sooner and you'll lose braking power and control). when I have to panic break I always think "low and back". Shift my center of gravity lower and weight back so that I'm pushing into the front of the bike (the front wheel where the braking force is happening) rather than up and over the top of the front wheel (which will send you flying). A bit more of a mountain bike thing but imagining "heels down" does a lot to get your weight moving in the proper direction (ie: not over the top of your wheel and flying over the bars). Heels down, weight pushing down through the pedals, and you'll have a much safer time braking hard with the front brake Also, learn to squeeze rather than grab the front brake. Slamming it on as hard as you can immediately can be bad news, but a fast firm pull can get you stopped quickly and safely.
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Sep 2, 2022 00:02
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