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I recently bought a second hand Specialized Hotrock in what I believe is a size 10 (it has a sticker that reads 10 on the downtube right above the crankshaft). It has the following issues I would like to address but need some help with: The back wheel 1) has a slow flat, and 2) does not look to be the original tire (it looks much narrower than the front tire and does not read Specialized on the sidewall like the front does), and the shifter looks to be broken:   How do I figure out what inner tube I need to buy and what tire I need to buy to replace the back tire? How do I figure out what replacement shifter to buy?
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Oct 2, 2022 21:14
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| # ? Jun 7, 2024 11:39 |
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Jose Cuervo posted:I recently bought a second hand Specialized Hotrock in what I believe is a size 10 (it has a sticker that reads 10 on the downtube right above the crankshaft). On the shifter, how many gears do you have?
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Oct 2, 2022 21:35
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That brake lever barrel adjuster might be damaged. It's not catastrophic but it should be looked at. Do others agree?
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Oct 2, 2022 21:40
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Jose Cuervo posted:2) does not look to be the original tire (it looks much narrower than the front tire and does not read Specialized on the sidewall like the front does), Unless the tire is obviously torn, has a major puncture, or had dry rot, you don't necessarily have to replace it. There is some handling difference in having different tires and tread designs front and back, but it most normal riding cases, it won't matter. You might not be about to buy a new one that's a match for the Specialized up front, anyways.
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Oct 2, 2022 23:16
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That shifter is missing the cover. You don't exactly need it, but the cable is routed wrong. Try twisting the shifter forward all the way then laying the cable down in the channel that follows this path. You probably will need to adjust the shifting after that because kids bikes get abused.
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Oct 3, 2022 03:12
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man in the eyeball hat posted:I have a friend in Maryville I visited at the start of the summer and we rode some of these rail trails. They're awesome, and I wish I got to explore them more. Looks like a good ride! Thanks! As I've gotten more into cycling, I'm discovering that by living in Madison County in Illinois, I happen to be pretty lucky. There are cities and towns here and there that are more bike-friendly than others, but the fairly robust system of rail-trails I enjoy in this particular corner of Illinois just isn't as common as it really should be. And more's the pity, because there are a lot of abandoned rail lines around, and they are perfect for turning into MUP's. They're generally fairly flat, they are on land that can be acquired without eminent domain action, there is infrastructure available in the form of bridges and tunnels, and... well, I mean, it's perfect. Most of the rail-trails here were electric trolleys and other light rail that ran between St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois--which apparently was a super-important thing back in the day. Well, also, we produced a lot of coal here, so there were a lot more railroads than one might expect. I've known about some of these trails for a while. The one going from Alton to Grafton isn't a part of this system, but it's one I've known about since I was a kid, and I always wanted to ride it, but never could because I had poopy bikes and lived too far away. The others I would see as I drove around, and it took the pandemic to get me out on them. It's not challenging riding, by and large, but it's just so immensely pleasurable. Schoolhouse Trail, which goes by that park in Maryville, is one of the prettier ones, actually. Especially that area near Horseshoe Lake State Park. Having ridden all of them this year, I'd say that my favorite is Goshen, with Heritage and Schoolhouse tied second, and Confluence as my dark horse Honorable Mention, because even with five miles of hellgravel, I just love riding along the Mighty Mississip. Nickel Plate is the Microcosm Ride: it's got urban areas, small towns, agricultural/rural areas, industrial areas, paved areas, unpaved areas... it's 56 miles end to end and back, but fun. If any Gooncyclists find themselves here, and if you think you can suffer me, let me know. I'll ride any of these trails.
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Oct 3, 2022 03:40
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Planet X posted:Marylanders love that flag. I'm going to do an overnight trip from DC to Sky Meadows along the C&O for most of the ride with a friend who couldn't make the summer trip. Really pretty primitive campgrounds in VA that you have to hike/bike in, so there's no car noise
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Oct 3, 2022 17:12
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Not sure if this is the trainer thread, but it looks like the Zwift hub is finally available/for sale. I need a new trainer for the winter and I think I'm going to keep an eye out for the previous gen Kickr v5 to go on sale. They were down to $600-700 on sale previously I think.
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Oct 3, 2022 17:27
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Residency Evil posted:Not sure if this is the trainer thread, but it looks like the Zwift hub is finally available/for sale. Edit: Ok, it's not on sale at this immediate moment. It's worth keeping an eye open for the sales though. Crumps Brother fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Oct 3, 2022 |
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Oct 3, 2022 17:33
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Crumps Brother posted:H3s have been getting cleared out for ultra cheap on Saris' website. I think in prep for an H4 launch or something? I thought I got mine for a pretty solid deal, but they're going even cheaper now. I thought they went bust? https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2022/06/29/saris-cycling-group-victim-covid-whiplash-restructures-sale I already have an H3 though and it’s been decent. I suspect they’ll be rescued and continue supporting it.
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Oct 3, 2022 19:45
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 Definitely not a new concept but what’s the aversion to holes in helmets by casual riders, and why would they rather look like an equestrian? Everyone should be wearing a Catlike Whisper tryptophobia hat imo
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Oct 3, 2022 20:14
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I like the holes in my helmet. Keeps the ol' noggin better ventilated. My head sweats a lot, so the more air I get up there, the better off my eyes are.
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Oct 3, 2022 20:16
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:
What somebody wearing this will look like: 
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Oct 3, 2022 20:23
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:
It seems like more and more people are getting extremely worked up over the aesthetics of cycling and do everything they can to avoild looking like a "lycra guy."
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Oct 3, 2022 20:28
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My wife just got one of those Thousand helmets. She likes it. It's got a built in light. I want all the ventilation I can get, and a visor since I'm fair skinned. For me it's a Kali mtb helmet everywhere I go. I'm the only person on a roadie ride with a visor.
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Oct 3, 2022 20:59
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I don't mind the vents, but I gotta wear a little cap underneath to keep the sun off my shiny bald head 
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Oct 3, 2022 21:53
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:
I mean most commuters/recreational cyclists are busting out like 60 watts, so it makes sense that cooling drops in priority vs style.
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Oct 3, 2022 22:46
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:
Strong electric scooter vibes
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Oct 3, 2022 23:03
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I know it isn't correct but I am unable to shake the impression that you're supposed to look out through the slit
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Oct 3, 2022 23:33
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Clark Nova posted:I know it isn't correct but I am unable to shake the impression that you're supposed to look out through the slit Now I'm disappointed that it doesn't make you look like some sort of sleek techno android xenomorph with a red pulsating vision-port
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Oct 3, 2022 23:37
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Residency Evil posted:Not sure if this is the trainer thread, but it looks like the Zwift hub is finally available/for sale. Reviews are saying it does everything you expect, though accuracy on the power meter might be off by a few. I can live with that, especially considering the price. Apparently they were sold out before the in stock emails went out, even.
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Oct 4, 2022 00:17
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spf3million posted:Look on the side of the tire. It should say 24x1.8 20x2.0 something like that. The first number is the diameter of the wheel, the second number is the width of the tire. Determining this is the first step. Got it. It is a 20 x 2.125 Specialized Roller tire, so I can find the inner tube and the tire online with that information. The shifter has 6 gears. kimbo305 posted:Unless the tire is obviously torn, has a major puncture, or had dry rot, you don't necessarily have to replace it. There is some handling difference in having different tires and tread designs front and back, but it most normal riding cases, it won't matter. You might not be about to buy a new one that's a match for the Specialized up front, anyways. The front tire is fine but the back tire does have some pretty bad dry rot which I did not notice when I was purchasing the bike. CopperHound posted:That shifter is missing the cover. You don't exactly need it, but the cable is routed wrong. Try twisting the shifter forward all the way then laying the cable down in the channel that follows this path. I see what you mean now that I looked closely. I will work on routing the cable correctly tomorrow and see if it shifts properly once that is done.
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Oct 4, 2022 01:00
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NYC area straight skipped autumn and I have to think about getting winter gear. I’m specifically looking at boots and gloves. I am eyeballing 45NRTH Ragnaroks and Shimano MW5/7s. I have not found a local shop with these in stock and will probably have to play the REI shop/return game. Recommendations would be appreciated, even if they are an older model. I love eBay hunting.
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Oct 4, 2022 15:43
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Northwave has a wide selection of real winter shoes from roadie to backcountry. Worth a look. I have one of the two bolt road shoes with a silly name like raptor. No vents, thick sole.
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Oct 4, 2022 16:29
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ilkhan posted:Snagged one this morning to try and rebuild my cycling life over winter. I think I'm going to get either a Kickr core refurb or a Kickr v5/v6. It'd be nice to find a gently used one, but people seem to be asking silly money for them on FB/CL. What's fair for a used V5/V6?
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Oct 4, 2022 16:34
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I like my MW7s. They do have the "volume +" last so if you've worn a shimano road or xc shoe the same size is going to be bigger. It has to be pretty cold for me to wear them though- like around freezing or below. If it's high 30s/low 40s I just use shoe covers. And they're kind of expensive. I haven't tried the 45nrths but they seem like they might be a little less bulky and useful for those cold but not really cold days. And yeah water getting into the shoe from the top and staying there can be a problem. Especially if you're tall and your leg warmers/tights don't go down far enough to cover the cuffs. I got some velotoze things that seal their shoe covers but they aren't quite tall enough to fit over the cuffs and under my tights so I need to come up with something better. jamal fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Oct 4, 2022 |
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Oct 4, 2022 16:46
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osker posted:NYC area straight skipped autumn and I have to think about getting winter gear. I’m specifically looking at boots and gloves. I’ve got the Ragnarok and the Wolvhammer from 45Nrth. Both are quite good. The Ragnaroks are good for all day riding down to around freezing for me. I used them in CX even for cold days with the toe spikes. If you’re going to get wet a lot be aware that they’re more water resistant than water proof. The cuff material can get waterlogged and it’ll seep down into the shoe. They also hold water really well so if they get soaked you’d probably want a boot drier. I’d go with over the cuff pants rather than tights tucked into the shoe for that reason. I’d say that 45Nrth shoes runs smaller so go with the larger size if you’re in between, especially if you’re going to wear thicker socks. What size are you? For ones I’d avoid: Fizik Arctica R5/X5. The zipper is a pain in the rear end, super tight to zip up. The tightening string system shifts around and always winds up in the worst spot in the shoe against your ankle. I also broke a zipper in one season and although Fizik hooked me up with better shoes since these were out of stock, feels like it’s just a matter of time with how tight the zipper is stressed.
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Oct 4, 2022 16:47
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Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:I’ve got the Ragnarok and the Wolvhammer from 45Nrth. Both are quite good. The Ragnaroks are good for all day riding down to around freezing for me. I used them in CX even for cold days with the toe spikes. If you’re going to get wet a lot be aware that they’re more water resistant than water proof. The cuff material can get waterlogged and it’ll seep down into the shoe. They also hold water really well so if they get soaked you’d probably want a boot drier. I’d go with over the cuff pants rather than tights tucked into the shoe for that reason. I am a US 9.5 which has me super twisted about shimanos because I have never tried their shoes on and they seem to size their shoes on a logarithmic scale. Size 44 shimano = US 9.7 for some reason. The next size up goes to US10.5. I am not going to be commuting, so if it rains it means I made a bad call and I am gonna have to sit there and take it. I currently have Adidas 2-bolts which work well with shoe covers, but the the SPD cleat becomes a wild heat sink and the ball of my foot goes numb about an hour in when it is in the 40's. osker fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Oct 4, 2022 |
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Oct 4, 2022 17:41
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Jose Cuervo posted:Got it. It is a 20 x 2.125 Specialized Roller tire, so I can find the inner tube and the tire online with that information. So I routed the cable along the track as suggested but shifting gears is incredibly difficult even for me, and impossible for my 6 year old. I have been doing some research and the Shimano Tourney TX-30 Trigger Shifter seems to be the suggested replacement to make it easier for a kid to use. The rear derailleur is also Shimano SIS, so am I correct in saying this 6 speed shifter will work with the components I have? Any considerations to make with the brake lever that is on the bike (i.e., do I need to replace that as well to work with the new shifter)?
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Oct 4, 2022 22:15
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We do have a bike maintenance thread for more detailed questions: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933901&pagenumber=69&perpage=40 But to answer you: that shifter is compatible and you can use it with your current brake lever. When you remove the grip shifter, you are going to be left with just a half grip on that side though. Since you said the grip shifter was hard to twist, I would guess there is a lot of friction in the cables. The inner and outer should be replaced. The replacement shifter might come with the inner wire.
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Oct 4, 2022 22:52
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Finally have come to the end of the road for my 2008 Cannondale six13. I need a bike that can handle fenders and racks + the constant rain of Portland winters. It got me through summer but winter is coming. What I don’t like about my current ride: It’s slightly too big for me (54cm), as it’s an annoying reach to the hoods, which makes me lean forward too much and this puts pressure on my privates and hands. The aluminum frame and carbon fork is rough on the poo poo roads and I go over train tracks on the regular. What I like about the bike is it’s so drat responsive and it WANTS to go fast. It just feels zippy and fun. It doesn’t take long to get up to speed and can feel immediate power transfer. Also the ~memories~. The tiagra shifting has done me right for so long. So I’m eyeing the All City Space Horse, Fuji Absolute, and a Kona Dew. Any others I should try out at a LBS? My price range is around $1500 but I’m fairly flexible for the right bike as this is my only transport and I obviously stick with a bike for a while. Also understand I won’t be as fast with the extra weight. I’m a long legged girl, short torso. I mostly just go to my studio and the grocery store, but I’d like to get into longer touring style rides. The PNW is too pretty to not explore by bike.
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Oct 5, 2022 06:07
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cheese eats mouse posted:So I’m eyeing the All City Space Horse, Fuji Absolute, and a Kona Dew. Any others I should try out at a LBS? My price range is around $1500 but I’m fairly flexible for the right bike as this is my only transport and I obviously stick with a bike for a while. Also understand I won’t be as fast with the extra weight. I’m a long legged girl, short torso. I mostly just go to my studio and the grocery store, but I’d like to get into longer touring style rides. The PNW is too pretty to not explore by bike. Of those bikes you're looking at, the Dew Delux looks like the best value for a good all around bike. It comes with mudguards, great tires, decent brakes and shifters. Hell, it even comes with a sturdy looking kickstand. All those little bits add up when buying them separately. Also, it has better front rack mounting options than the Fuji. Since you did note that ride quality is important to you, please try to test ride something before buying. I can tell you first hand how disappointing it is to get a bike that looks great on paper, but just isn't that fun to ride. E: I am just looking at MSRP. Idk how much they actually cost you. CopperHound fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Oct 5, 2022 |
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Oct 5, 2022 07:54
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Two of those options look vaguely like my Escape, a bike I could take on rides of a little over 50 miles with pretty much no problem. They put you in a comfortable riding position somewhere between a comfort hybrid (largely upright) and a standard road bike, and the larger tires smooth out the ride quite a bit. Even with my new road bike in the garage, I still bust out the Escape for rides around town, or when my wife wants to ride and she promises not to wear me out trying to keep up with her e-bike. This style of hybrid makes a great all-arounder, in this newbie's opinion. They'll be great for grocery runs and the like, and are capable of longer rides. That steel road bike is really nice, though, and I've heard that steel frames have a comfortable feel on the road that's hard to beat.
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Oct 5, 2022 14:44
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The Escape is a perfectly fine bike but moving from an Escape to a Contend AR 1 is such a huge change that I couldn't imagine going back to riding the Escape regularly, or any other flat bar bike with a more upright posture.
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Oct 5, 2022 14:54
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The one thing that's been a bit of a pain for me is finding rear racks that fit disc brakes. I've got one that's specifically designed to go outward from the dropout eyelets, but recently I needed one that was 1) silver and 2) minimalist and lightweight because I don't plan to put much on it. I found one that fits both, but I'm waiting to get it in to see whether I'm going to have to get some additional hardware bits to make it work.
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Oct 5, 2022 14:57
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Pittsburgh Fentanyl Cloud posted:The Escape is a perfectly fine bike but moving from an Escape to a Contend AR 1 is such a huge change that I couldn't imagine going back to riding the Escape regularly, or any other flat bar bike with a more upright posture. Well, it's an AR 3, but I get what you're saying. The Escape feels way more upright than it did before. I don't know if I'd say I ride it regularly. More like, there are a couple of situations where I prefer it for practical reasons. If I'm riding around on my town's hilly-rear end (and sometimes poorly maintained) side streets, being more upright helps me watch for stop signs, traffic, and road hazards much more easily. The bigger tires help with bad pavement, to. And if speed and distance aren't issues at all (riding around a campground, cruising with my wife, etc.), I will grab it because it's more comfortable out to a certain distance. I am not taking it on any of my longer rides ever again, though. Fifty miles on it was much harder than sixty-five on the Contend. tarlibone fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Oct 5, 2022 |
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Oct 5, 2022 15:20
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Mauser posted:I found one that fits both, but I'm waiting to get it in to see whether I'm going to have to get some additional hardware bits to make it work. Tubus Fly Evo in silver? That's what I happen to use on my disc bike but can't remember off the top of my head how it mounts at the axle.
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Oct 5, 2022 17:11
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kimbo305 posted:Tubus Fly Evo in silver? That's what I happen to use on my disc bike but can't remember off the top of my head how it mounts at the axle. I was thinking about that one but didn't think it would fit around the disc brake caliper without the additional hardware, but ended up going with velo orange constructeur, which is much easier to find available (and still probably requires adapter bits) Edit: just came in the mail and it looks like the constructeur is going to fit with a little bit of bending to give the rear caliper a little breathing room. Mauser fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Oct 5, 2022 |
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Oct 5, 2022 17:59
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This may be a silly question, but are winter tires primarily meant for snow or are they usually meant for ice too? I know there's wider tires which are usually used for sand and snow but that isn't as much of a concern for me as ice.
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Oct 6, 2022 03:31
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| # ? Jun 7, 2024 11:39 |
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Winter tires are usually studded and meant for ice more than snow tbh.
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Oct 6, 2022 04:09
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