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In NZ and love the varia - this place also largely hates cyclists... The main benefit is "seeing" how many cars are coming up behind you - rather than hearing a car approaching but not knowing how many cars without looking over your shoulder. Also if you ride a TT bike they are life changing as looking over your shoulder in the aero position sucks.
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Feb 27, 2023 19:27
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TobinHatesYou posted:What’s so hard to understand? The fact that it’s normal for you to move out of the way of cars, off the road, rather than have them wait and move out to pass is what’s hard to understand. Whether I hear a car behind or not I’m not moving anywhere.
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Feb 27, 2023 19:57
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I don't think that's universally true in the US. Normally I move to the center of the lane when I notice a car behind me (whether with Varia or not), so that I can only let them past when it's safe for me to do so.
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Feb 27, 2023 19:58
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Vagina Jones posted:In NZ and love the varia - this place also largely hates cyclists... Whereabouts? I've found in the countryside people are pretty good but the richer and more populated the area you're in the worse the assholes are. I had someone scream at me and another random guy for cycling in the cycle lane in quay street in Auckland lol
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Feb 27, 2023 20:17
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wooger posted:The fact that it’s normal for you to move out of the way of cars, off the road, rather than have them wait and move out to pass is what’s hard to understand. Did you not read what I wrote? I’m saying I like to ride the middle of the lane even when there is a bike lane or shoulder…it’s cleaner road. I move over to the bike lane when the Radar beeps. On a road with no shoulder or bike lane, I stay in the lane…unless it’s an angry beep and the screen lights up red, in which case I GTFO.
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Feb 27, 2023 20:19
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ThePopeOfFun posted:Looking at buying a couple bikes for me and my partner. Trails around me are combo of pavement and crushed limestone. Does that put us in the cyclocross territory as stated by the OP? Most people I’ve talked to here are into Hybrids. Looking to spend $700. Looks like cyclocross are out of my pricerange and probably more than I need? Maybe a road bike with some extra room for tires that can handle crushed rock?
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Feb 27, 2023 20:23
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ThePopeOfFun posted:Looks like cyclocross are out of my pricerange and probably more than I need? Maybe a road bike with some extra room for tires that can handle crushed rock? At the $700 price range, hybrids seem like a reasonable bet. It's a good versatile bike to get started with. If you end up riding a ton, by the time you outgrow a hybrid you'll have a better sense of what you want next.
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Feb 27, 2023 20:34
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ThePopeOfFun posted:Looks like cyclocross are out of my pricerange and probably more than I need? Maybe a road bike with some extra room for tires that can handle crushed rock? Also cyclocross bikes are not comfortable for long rides, so if you're planning on doing one of those you'll want to look at a comfort gravel bike. My LBS guy had to talk me out of a cyclocross bike when I went there in 2020 and sent me home with a Giant Contend AR, and I was glad he did.
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Feb 27, 2023 20:43
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"cyclocross" is kind of a pretty specific type of bike for racing cyclocross where previously it was basically the only option if you wanted a drop bar/road style bike with big tires. well, that wasn't a touring bike I suppose. But now there's kind of a wide range from road bikes that fit big tires like a trek domane to something like a kona sutra ltd which comes with mountain bike tires. "gravel' bike has become the more popular term now. compared to a CX bike a gravel bike will have bigger tires, more provisions for mounting fenders and racks and carrying things, maybe a little more comfortable and stable geometry but there's a lot of overlap on the last point. Anyway, 700-1000 does get you into the entry "gravel" bike range, things like the state all road that I think was posted a page or two back, kona rove AL, etc. Bike shops are starting to have a lot more inventory now and even are putting bikes on sale again so it's probably worth stopping by a few to trying riding some different kinds of bikes around. Like maybe you'll end up with a hybrid of some sort, or will like a gravel bike better. jamal fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Feb 27, 2023 |
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Feb 27, 2023 20:50
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OP could probably stand to be updated to edit the phrasing around cyclocross bikes. Barely any exist nowadays.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:14
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I've been riding in the oncoming lane for the past few years and I move when I see traffic in front, but that's on a mountain bike so I can just move off into the grass if needed.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:17
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Glad I asked because there’s a big gravel community around here. I bet there’s more than a few used bikes on the market.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:18
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brand engager posted:I've been riding in the oncoming lane for the past few years and I move when I see traffic in front, but that's on a mountain bike so I can just move off into the grass if needed. This would be incredibly unsafe around anywhere I ride, but there's lots of different situations out there so I guess I'm glad you found a thing that works for you.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:27
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bicievino posted:OP could probably stand to be updated to edit the phrasing around cyclocross bikes. Barely any exist nowadays. Yeah a pure CX bike is effectively dead, especially in North America. Belgs and such have more options.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:30
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TobinHatesYou posted:Did you not read what I wrote? I’m saying I like to ride the middle of the lane even when there is a bike lane or shoulder…it’s cleaner road. I move over to the bike lane when the Radar beeps. On a road with no shoulder or bike lane, I stay in the lane…unless it’s an angry beep and the screen lights up red, in which case I GTFO. I don't think many places in the world have rural roads with a shoulder, let alone a bike lane so that's probably where the confusion is coming from. e: for reference, when I think 'rural road' I'm more thinking of this than the wide straight US country roads (van for scale): 
Vando fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Feb 27, 2023 |
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Feb 27, 2023 21:36
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For what it's worth I can't quite understand the appeal either, I can hear cars coming up behind me just fine And as mentioned I'm not getting out the way of them anyway, that's very much their job If it makes people feel safer great, but it really just seems like an expensive toy to me 🤷
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Feb 27, 2023 21:48
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Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:Yeah a pure CX bike is effectively dead, especially in North America. Belgs and such have more options. Boone, R5-CX, that ugly Pinarello thing...what else? That might be it.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:52
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Skarsnik posted:
This is literally everyone until they break down and try it. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Feb 27, 2023 |
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Feb 27, 2023 21:53
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TobinHatesYou posted:Boone, R5-CX, that ugly Pinarello thing...what else? That might be it. Don't they sell the Canyon one in the US?
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Feb 27, 2023 21:57
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There's the Giant TCX Advanced but I don't see an updated 2023 page for it so they probably discontinued it.
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Feb 27, 2023 21:59
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Crockett, supersix cx, bianchi zolder, whatever the blue and ridley CX bikes are called, ritchey still does the swiss cross?, felt makes one I think, colnago has one and there's the crux but is that still a cross bike? Kinda sad Kona stopped making the Jake. Turns out I got the last one they sold as a complete bike.
jamal fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Feb 27, 2023 |
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Feb 27, 2023 22:05
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i'm here to settle the varia debate once and for all. they're good. won't ride without one
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Feb 27, 2023 22:37
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Sphyre posted:i'm here to settle the varia debate once and for all. they're good. won't ride without one What's great if you do group rides and aren't sure about how useful they are...just add someone else's radar ANT+ ID to your head unit and get a sense of what riding with one is like.
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Feb 27, 2023 23:03
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TobinHatesYou posted:What's great if you do group rides and aren't sure about how useful they are...just add someone else's radar ANT+ ID to your head unit and get a sense of what riding with one is like. Theres always one guy on our rides with his and its really quite useful in a group. He yells single file before anyones usually heard the car. Didn't think about doing this though.
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Feb 27, 2023 23:08
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One thing I think I'm missing out on by not being in a proper cycling group or crew or club or whatever is the whole yelling out of stuff like "single file!" When I did an organized ride for the first time last year, a bunch of clubs (or veterans of clubs, at least) were participating, and I liked all the standard communication. They had shouts for runners, dog walkers, pedestrians with or without kids, and my favorite, bollards. I couldn't understand what they were saying when they started using that one at road crossings; I figured out what they were talking about, but bollards are one of those things like aglets or the Valsalva maneuver where I knew what they were, but not what they were called... or that they even had a name. My wife and I were having fun doing this a couple weekends ago, when she came out to ride with me on a freakishly warm (for winter) weekend. Bollards and literally everything else--it was a farce. "Kiosk!" because there are informational kiosks. Bench! Pebble! I've come up with my own, but it's stupid and serious riders would make fun of me if I said it in person. But, it's pertinent in my area in certain times of the year, and I'm really quite proud of it, so I'll share it here. I live in an area that has a lot of crab apple trees in some spots. And those little death balls are really rough if you've got skinny tires and you don't or can't avoid them, especially if you don't even see them coming. So, to myself or with my wife, I chant, "CRAB AP-PLE, CRAB AP-PLE" like they do "crab people" in that old episode of South Park.
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Feb 27, 2023 23:32
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TobinHatesYou posted:This is literally everyone until they break down and try it. 100% agree
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Feb 27, 2023 23:35
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bicievino posted:I treat it like blindspot indicators. It's an extra piece of information that promotes situational awareness, but doesn't replace checking over my shoulder to actually confirm what's going on. I appreciate this post because my one-track mind could not fathom a proper use case for city riding because in my head when aren’t there cars behind me, right? Answer: When I’m crossing lanes and check over my shoulder 10 times as I wait for a succession of cars to blast past.
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Feb 28, 2023 00:28
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go full fred mode
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Feb 28, 2023 00:39
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numberoneposter posted:go full fred mode I made level 55 on Zwerf last week. That earned my a glasses mirror.
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Feb 28, 2023 00:54
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osker posted:I appreciate this post because my one-track mind could not fathom a proper use case for city riding because in my head when aren’t there cars behind me, right? I do turn off the beep though. Fuckin lol it won't shut up. Still useful. Seriously, for anyone doubting, give it a try and return it if you dont like it. I'm a very confident cyclist and thought it was dumb tech wankery. Got one as a gift, tried it, and I won't ever go back.
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Feb 28, 2023 01:03
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numberoneposter posted:go full fred mode I love my evt mirror soooooooooooooo much
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Feb 28, 2023 04:30
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numberoneposter posted:go full fred mode I want one where the mirror is positioned back along the side of my helmet until I move my head a certain way or say a really cool phrase, then the mirror swings around and into position. Maybe it slides back and forth using a rack-and-pinion setup, and the mirror flips from flat to perpendicular to the axis of the rack when it hits full extension.
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Feb 28, 2023 05:21
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Oh and I do have a CX bike instead of a "gravel" bike and like it that way. The purest form  winter road bike  going to the sun road  top of volcano  gravel and trails in the forest  in conclusion, get a bike and go ride it jamal fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Feb 28, 2023 |
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Feb 28, 2023 06:51
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jamal posted:
I did the first part but got covid too,  my lungs right now
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Feb 28, 2023 07:07
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Hey me too... I had my first ride in two weeks after another ACL setback (speedplay cleats on a wooden floor, went down like bambi on ice). BPM was 20-30 higher than normal so I thought my fitness took a bigger hit than I'd hoped, turned out to be covid. Irrationally enough it's kind of a relief
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Feb 28, 2023 08:48
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Had a great weekend of riding in Tucson. The state of the road quality was pretty bad, lots of cracks and potholes. And there were a bunch of protected bike lanes, filled with glass and poo poo. Not riding in that, which then pisses off motorists. But, the weather and scenery were great.    wooger posted:Whether I hear a car behind or not I’m not moving anywhere. This. Though, I guess maybe the edge case is while descending. Going to be taking the whole lane as long as I'm going the speed limit+. But, still could be potentially holding up a car that I can't hear due to the wind noise. EDIT: I guess I do occasionally ride side by side with someone else on the road. To chat. Knowing when a car is coming, to get into single file line, would be helpful. Still, not worth buying a radar thing and having it constantly beeping at me. Someone had one in the group ride the other day and that fucker drove me nuts. dema fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Feb 28, 2023 |
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Feb 28, 2023 18:39
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Friend of mine is interested in getting a gravel bike, what's the best option for around 1500-1700 and hopefully includes grx or 105 spec components
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Feb 28, 2023 18:45
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OBAMNA PHONE posted:Friend of mine is interested in getting a gravel bike, what's the best option for around 1500-1700 and hopefully includes grx or 105 spec components Canyon Grail AL
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Feb 28, 2023 20:17
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OBAMNA PHONE posted:Friend of mine is interested in getting a gravel bike, what's the best option for around 1500-1700 and hopefully includes grx or 105 spec components In that price range, I'm not finding 105 anywhere... but then again, I'm looking at steel. If it exists, someone here will point it out. On that note... I'm really leaning toward the State All Road* for a steel bike with mild gravel capabilities. I dig the option of being able to swap out wheels for a different experience or rougher route, and the 1×11 gear setup should suffice for my intended purpose, which is casual, medium-distance, steel cycling on less-than-ideal pavement and light gravel trails/roads. It also ships with 700-38's, and/or a 2.1" 650B. My Escape has 700C-38's, so I'm familiar with how these act on the few rough areas I ride on occasionally, which is to say it's much better than the 32's on my Contend AR. On the 700C side, the spec says it can accommodate tires up to 45mm, which is nice and chunky. (That's what my Cypress has, actually.) I was also looking at the Marin Four Corners, but I'm not going touring anytime soon. I can barely get my wife to even go tent camping, and that's with all the amenities for camping we can carry in our cars. But, they offer the Nicasio (700C) and Nicasio+ (650B), which looked nice. The former has more gear selection than the State, but it lacks the 1:1 ratio which the State has, not that 1:1 is great for climbing. That's not my use case, but still. It also comes with tires that are 2mm skinnier than my Contend AR. The Nicasio+ includes at least one granny gear in its 1×9 setup, but it only comes with 650B wheels, which I am reading here and everywhere else is going to be less ideal (though not bad) for most, but not all, of my riding. If you're still reading, then I do have a question, and you know what they say about Tarlibone: "He's dumb!" Anyway, if I had a bike like the State All Road, how hard would it be, and what tools would I need, if I wanted to swap the crank gear out for something smaller to reduce the gearing? I'm assuming some special tools are needed, and I'm decently handy with tools and mechanics in general. * I also love their 4130 Road's super-vintage vibe, but the 8 down-tube, friction-shifted gears with no 1:1 isn't quite what I'm after, even if I do see the appeal--these were the standard road bikes when I was a kid riding BMX bikes to school every day.
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Feb 28, 2023 20:40
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amenenema posted:Canyon Grail AL Friend of mine got one in that price range and really likes it. Grail 6 it looks like. She did toss some Hunt wheels on it pretty quickly. Supposedly made a big difference. She's mostly doing fast gravel group rides and races.
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Feb 28, 2023 20:52
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