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Could I get thoughts on these bikes? I've been looking at bikes on Bikes Direct since that was in the OP. My main constraint is that I need like a 61 cm frame, ideally 62 cm but that's a bit of a pipe dream. I was looking at local bike sellers, but they have few to none in my size at a reasonable price -- e.g. they had some options if I went up to like $3k, but I was really trying to spend more like $1-1.5k on a bike. I had been just sitting on Craigslist for a few months, but failed to find anything in the right size. Anyway these are the two bikes which were in my price range and which had a 61+cm frame available: The Fantom Cross Comp http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantomcrosscomp-flatbar-disc.htm Vent Noir http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/ventnoir_xii.htm I sort of like the idea of the gravel bike just so I have the option of going on to trails, but I really have no idea how to evaluate if that's a good deal. The one other bike was the Gran Premio, but some reviews mentioned its brakes were not good. Any help would be appreciated! For context, I used to bike a bunch, but haven't had one for awhile and want to get back into it.
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# ¿ Apr 25, 2022 00:47 |
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# ¿ May 17, 2024 16:56 |
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bicievino posted:If you want a flat-bar gravel bike, that's a reasonable price for the spec. Ohhhhh- that’s really helpful! I’ll have to spend some more time figuring these sizes out relative to the geometry of the ones I’ve been able to try in person. Maybe an argument for waiting longer and doing it in person after all, ty!
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# ¿ Apr 25, 2022 06:52 |
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wooger posted:You sound inexperienced, but also very sure you need a 61 or 62cm frame. Just to check, are you 6’5”+ with long legs and short body/arms? Yeah I'm very tall- this was the sizing which worked best when I went to local bike shops/matches up with what size guides say. Unfortunately the specific models I was able to try were all too expensive, and they didn't have those sizes available in anything cheaper. It has been a pretty discouraging experience so far. If there are things I should be looking for beyond frame size which hint that bikes might fit I'd be interested! TobinHatesYou posted:Unless a seatpost min insertion limit isn't met, long legs + short torso = lean toward the smaller of two sizes. Short legs + long torso = lean towards larger sizes. People with the first kind of body morphology have shorter reach, and reach is a much bigger concern than standover. E.g. I haven't thought about this really- maybe there is something I should be looking for in terms of bike geometry I'm missing?
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# ¿ Apr 26, 2022 01:41 |
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So I successfully got a bike after awhile away, and am finding my limiting factor atm is just getting sore from sitting on it for too long- after like 2-3 hours one day its pretty uncomfortable to try to ride the day after. Should I expect to just sort of get used to this over time? I have an entry level Trek Domane, fwiw. Not sure if it makes sense to think about a different saddle in a few months if it doesn’t improve?
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# ¿ Jun 25, 2022 22:47 |
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Can anyone suggest where to look for ebike buying guides? Having to accept that my knees will not allow me to ride an acoustic bike in San Francisco as much as I’d like to.
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# ¿ Jul 17, 2022 21:17 |
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Ty!
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# ¿ Jul 18, 2022 06:05 |
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w4ddl3d33 posted:it's pink with a little wicker basket on the front, just like i always dreamed it'd be !!! !! E: also, as someone who hosed up their knee as a baby 20 y/o I would be careful. So much easier to avoid getting hurt than to fix it after. At the time joint injuries really weren’t on my radar as a possibility (so seems like you’re a step ahead if you’re even noticing it) but turns out they definitely should’ve been. E2: also in fairness my impression is that biking is super low impact for knees in general and my injury was from other cardio activities, so don’t want to sound too alarmist tildes fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Oct 28, 2022 |
# ¿ Oct 28, 2022 00:29 |
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Asked in e-bike thread as well, but curious if there is anyway to get consumer access to the smartfit program? Basically I’d like to plug in my measurements and see what bikes actually fit, since regrettably they are not very normal.
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# ¿ Dec 11, 2022 04:52 |
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Any pannier suggestions? I have some bontrager rack with a MIK connection on top, and normal rack stuff on the sides. This is on a road bike. Basically two needs: 1 - I commute into work on my bike most days (but sometimes by train), and I think I'd like to basically get one which converts into a backpack or messenger bag/which fits a 13" laptop. Currently I don't really have a semi-professional backpack, I've just been using a hiking backpack, but that is obvs not ideal for trying to stick on back of a bike every morning. 2 - I would also like to use it for more groceries/errands to really cut out cars. Should I just get another pannier which is more grocery bag shaped to stick on the other side? Would that feel super imbalanced? I haven't really ridden with panniers before and am not sure if I should just plan on having one bag for commuting, then two different panniers just for everything else, or if that is way overthinking things. (All this would, I think, be on top of just sticking a milk crate or MIK compatible top bag on the rack).
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# ¿ Dec 14, 2022 00:36 |
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How helpful are suspension seat posts for pot holes? I feel like I’ve usually seen people who are going off road or something mention using them, but I imagine they would work just as well if you are just riding on lovely roads?
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# ¿ Jan 6, 2023 04:39 |
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mikemelbrooks posted:I think you guys are spoilt, in the EU the assist cuts out at 15.5mph. Zeiss anti fog is really good- spray some on, clean, and you’ve got an hour or two of clear vision. Also good with masks.
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# ¿ Jan 15, 2023 20:43 |
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mikemelbrooks posted:I have used rain X and fog X, but I just got caught out today, also on a group ride I got a lot of water and crap sprayed up. Oh yeah, that it definitely won’t save you from
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# ¿ Jan 16, 2023 04:36 |
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Could anyone recommend a cute, affordable step through bike? My partner is looking for a bike and does not want to spend very much, but I'd ideally like it to be something nice enough to ride that she actually enjoys it/does ride. E.g. her current bike was a sub $200 used bike which I think is an unpleasant enough riding experience that it is kind of turning her off biking. We do live somewhere with hills, so while I don't think she needs a million speed bike, she would need something which is flexible enough w/ gears that it can let you slowly crawl up a hill. So e.g. a single or three speed is right out I think (esp since she defs needs normal brakes) I think cute in this context means like a nice color/sort of curvy, e.g. like this: https://retrospec.com/products/beau...YMaAnbuEALw_wcB (except that bike I don't really trust? it seems like $300 new bikes would just be too cheap to be ok quality) e: other ones I was looking at (no idea if these are good), but still maybe a bit much for her. https://electra.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/electra-bikes/cruiser-bikes/cruiser-7d-step-thru/p/35599/?colorCode=teal https://publicbikes.com/products/public-c7 e2: I'm also wondering if it makes sense to try and stretch a bit to get an ebike, just to reduce the barriers to entry a bit more/keep us more in sync speed wise on rides, but not sure if that's reasonable tildes fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Jan 17, 2023 |
# ¿ Jan 17, 2023 21:12 |
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jamal posted:Something like this will be a lot lighter and easier to ride faster than anything you've linked there. I'm not sure if this will pass the cute test, but I'll float it and see! EvilJoven posted:A Marin Kentfield 2 would be fine. HenryJLittlefinger posted:I got my wife an older version of this Pure Cycles step through 8-spd a few years ago and she loves it. Hell I love it, it's one of my favorite bikes to ride. It tows a kid trailer or a tagalong bike just fine, has good ergos for riding all day, and is actually decently fast. Stable enough to cruise on drunkenly. I can turn tighter circles on it than I can on my road bike. The drawbacks in weight are more than made up for in handling in my opinion. Thanks for these suggestions!
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# ¿ Jan 18, 2023 00:44 |
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I’d like to raise my handlebars a bit- right now my saddle is around 6” higher than the handlebars and that’s feeling a bit excessive. I have an entry level Trek Domane from 2021, which appears to have a threadless handlebar (I think a direct connect as opposed to quill stem? Is that the same?). Stuff online seems to suggest moving some spacers from above below. However, it only has spacers on the bottom, not the top. Am I supposed to just buy new spacers and if so, how do I find them? It also says 5.2 Nm max and 7 degrees, 110 mm on it. I am not sure what this means, but I assume it relates to the tolerance for being extended somehow. The internet suggests this is a pretty straightforward DIY project, but maybe the message here is that I should go to a bike shop if I’m this confused. E: actually maybe I can basically follow this video? https://youtu.be/ZCoxnnvFl1Q tildes fucked around with this message at 08:51 on Jan 19, 2023 |
# ¿ Jan 19, 2023 08:44 |
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wooger posted:6 inches is a massive drop, especially on a Domane which is quite a relaxed geometry. Are you sure you’ve measured correctly? Your seat must be very high, are you sure the seatpost is inserted far enough to be safe? TobinHatesYou posted:I am intrigued by this post. This makes me think my measurement must not be correct- maybe I'm measuring with my tape measure not being level. It doesn't feel like a crazy drop, just one which gets uncomfortable on longer rides. I'll get a photo/remeasure it tonight. I know that my saddle is set to about as high as it will go (assuming that just before the little line on the seatpost is the highest mark which it's OK to go to). It definitely might be the case that my saddle is a bit too high, and I think my bike is slightly too small. At least according to their size guide I should have a slightly larger bike, but they don't actually make a bike that big, at least in the models in my price range. mikemelbrooks posted:5.2 nm is how tight the stem bolts should be tightened, 7degrees is the angle of the stem, 110mm is the length of the stem. If you have a carbon steerer I wouldn't add a extender, and I wouldn't follow that video anyway. The long bolt he uses is too short and you really need to use a torque wrench to tighten the screws. I would instead flip the stem so it is pointing 7 degrees up instead of down. If that's not enough then a high rise stem would be better. Please be careful! OK, maybe I will just stop by a local bike shop and watch them do it this time around- I'll ask them about flipping the stem. Thank you thread for shepherding me away from bad decisions.
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# ¿ Jan 19, 2023 20:21 |
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tildes posted:This makes me think my measurement must not be correct- maybe I'm measuring with my tape measure not being level. So yeah, it’s more like 3 or 4 inches, that makes more sense. TobinHatesYou posted:When I saw the stem length, I checked Trek’s product pages and noticed it could only be a size 60cm or 62cm. So yeah, messing with stems and bars is the only good way to raise your handlebar grip stack. 👍🏻👍🏻 thank you!
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# ¿ Jan 20, 2023 19:45 |
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Have shoulder pain post a longer ride today. It seems like this is probably most likely to be related to putting too much pressure on handlebars, maybe from reaching too far? Per my older posts was worried they were a bit low to be comfortable, but this is making me think maybe I should prioritize getting them raised a bit more highly. E: actually maybe the answer is just to get a bike fitting instead of trying to continue to adjust myself. It seems a bit excessive since I’m just not a super intense cyclist, but maybe I’m injury prone enough it would still be worthwhile? It seems sort of expensive but also if you asked me how much I would pay to not be in pain rn it starts to seem more reasonable maybe tildes fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Jan 30, 2023 |
# ¿ Jan 30, 2023 01:38 |
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Ty for handlebar advice thread, went to a bike shop to get the stem flipped and the extra height is super nice
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# ¿ Feb 3, 2023 05:04 |
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Padded liner shorts are a revelation, holy poo poo. I know this should have probably been obvious based on what literally everyone has been saying, but even compared to my expectations they are so helpful. Is there anything I should be thinking about fit wise in terms of getting a more involved spandex Lycra thing? Also, would the Shimano PD-EH500 be a reasonable option for getting a pedal which is both flat and clip-in? I’ve also heard mountain bike shoes can be a nice way to get used to clipping in while still being able to walk around easily for breaks. Would that be a reasonable place to start? E: also to complete the baby’s first real biking combo, would a left hand side power meter be an ok alternative to getting power meter pedals? They seem much cheaper. tildes fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Feb 13, 2023 |
# ¿ Feb 13, 2023 01:43 |
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What’s a good place to look online for garish (ok or not, but just a good variety) bike jerseys? Also, are there any brands of bibs w suspenders sized for the very tall? E: also this is just something I’m curious about, but what is the deal with internal hubs instead of the derailleurs? Why aren’t they more popular? tildes fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Feb 24, 2023 |
# ¿ Feb 24, 2023 01:58 |
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Are there bike clothing brands which make stuff for tall people? I am especially looking for like windbreakers and jackets, but also ideally suspender bibs since the suspender part gets sort of tight. Have learned that regular jackets get extremely flappy, now understand better why everyone goes for skintight everything. Also jerseys are great I want this many pockets always. E: critically, tall but not big and tall. Just average to a bit skinnier and tall. tildes fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Feb 26, 2023 |
# ¿ Feb 26, 2023 07:04 |
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bicievino posted:This is weird advice and entirely inconsistent with my experience riding with my wife. Why would you make the weaker rider pull the entire way? Because then the slower rider can set the pace, and I imagine they probably not riding close enough to really draft anyways?
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# ¿ Feb 26, 2023 07:12 |
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OBAMNA PHONE posted:How tall are you and are you all leg or all torso? Waist size? Wifi Toilet posted:The Black Bibs has a couple Tall versions. No experience with either of them though, their normal $40 bibs work for me at 6'4" Thank you!! wooger posted:Endura stuff is long, has longer than usual arms, and the bib shorts have an extra length leg option for extremely long legged people. The Pro SL level is worth it. Super helpful, ty. Sleeve length has been a big problem for me when trying to get jackets as well. TobinHatesYou posted:It’s worth noting that aero benefits are pretty noticeable even at 13mph, and that also applies to drafting. Depending on the size of the person in front, you can probably still feel the benefit of drafting at that speed from around 5-6 feet back. I didn’t realize it could still be effective so far back! Will have to try playing around w this more. E: one other q: when people say someone is good at descending, what does this involve? Is there smth I should read or watch to get a sense of what to aim for? I am fairly sure I am bad at it. tildes fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Feb 26, 2023 |
# ¿ Feb 26, 2023 23:25 |
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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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Has anyone had good luck scheduling weightlifting around biking (in particular, lower body stuff)? Right now I am just putting my squat day each week as far from the weekend and its long bike ride as possible, which helps, but this means that I deadlift either a day or two before or after a ride, which I've found still tends to make either the bike riding or deadlifting much harder.
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# ¿ Feb 28, 2023 22:20 |
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evil_bunnY posted:I picked up climbing as a secondary activity instead. gently caress leg day TBQH. That is my tertiary activity, which blessedly only really fucks up my fingers/forearms. Sadly I pretty much need to weightlift or my back/knees get hosed up quickly.
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# ¿ Feb 28, 2023 22:25 |
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amenenema posted:Science-Based Recommendations for Training to Maximize Concurrent Training Thank you for this and other’s recs!
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# ¿ Mar 1, 2023 18:40 |
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Is it a bad idea to put a slightly scratched aluminum bike into my bathtub and clean it off with my shower? I don’t have a yard or hose and my bike is so very muddy.
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# ¿ Mar 2, 2023 01:16 |
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Crumps Brother posted:You'll spend exactly as much time cleaning the bath afterwards as you spent cleaning the bike. Might be worth it or might not be. Kinda just depends on you. meltie posted:I’ve clogged a shower drain doing this 😬 numberoneposter posted:ive done it before just remember to use a different loofah for your drivetrain cause that grease ain't never coming out bicievino posted:I'd just go to a car wash or buy one of those portable washers that folks use for cx and do it in a parking lot. That didn’t occur to me, but does sound better than messing up my shower. Ty for advice all!
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# ¿ Mar 2, 2023 02:31 |
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This may be a dumb question: Is there a secret to not having the Black Bib suspenders just devastate your nips via chafing on long rides? Or would they ideally just not be making contact thanks to a different fit.
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# ¿ Mar 5, 2023 22:25 |
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Ty for the nip tips all, I’ll give tape/a base layer a try. How much worse is a wheel on trainer vs a direct drive one? My impression is that they feel a bit worse and are louder, but I am not sure how big of a deal this is. I have a Zwift Hub just arrived, but well into its return window, and I’m finding it pretty finicky to get set up and to switch my bike back and forth. So wondering if it makes more sense to get a wheel on trainer instead.
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# ¿ Mar 7, 2023 03:15 |
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Is the Zwift hub supposed to feel more or less like riding a bike, or is it normal for it to sound louder/kind of grindy, esp in the smaller rings? I can’t tell if this is normal or not. I did get my LBS to set up the cassette on the hub to be the same as on my bike, but it definitely still doesn’t feel nearly as smooth as outside and I can’t tell if that’s just how these trainers are or not. Overall this has convinced me that I like having the option to Zwift, but I am not sure if the Zwift hub is the one for me. tildes fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Mar 10, 2023 |
# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 04:58 |
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OBAMNA PHONE posted:Record a video of it and post via imgur Here are some videos. The first one I start in the small ring on back, big in front, and move up the cassette. Then I shift to small ring in front and go back down. Then I got some short videos just of the front bit and just of the back bit, tho I’m not sure those are useful at all. Just listening to it, this definitely feels too loud. https://imgur.com/a/k4XfSuk (Also apologies/grats depending on ur preference for the egregious feet in the 2nd vid, got too lazy to clip on) TobinHatesYou posted:Possible issue #1 I did have a LBS install the cassette and try and get it dialed in which they felt they had, but once I set it up at home it didn’t really feel that way. I actually got the same cassette as on my bike normally, but also yeah the actual cassette on my bike has maybe ~700 miles of me riding it while probably not knowing how to shift or whatever to not cause wear. YanniRotten posted:I had to do a couple of things to get my bike to shift good (not on a Zwift, but a Kickr). I think the width is going ok, but it’s definitely possible something is weird there. I think I’m also pretty heavy (like 90kg) relative to normal riders/the LBS employees, so also possible that is straining or flexing the trainer in some weird way. The upshot is at least I am in the return window, and have a surprisingly high buy in from my partner to maybe go for a smart bike so she could use it too…
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# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 20:12 |
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OBAMNA PHONE posted:is your chain routed through the deraileur cage correctly? the sound doesnt seem to change as you shift gears but it does seem louder than it should I think so - it goes around the back side of the closest to the ground gear thing (i.e. it comes from the bottom and then mostly is making contact on the back half, if the front of the bike is front), and then the front side (relative to the bike) of the middle gear thing, to then go around the backside of the cassette. But I'll check when I get home! And definitely if there is any nuance to it beyond that I am probably missing it, as my attempt to describe things in this post probably makes clear.
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# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 22:42 |
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I'm working up to a century, and just did my longest ride this past weekend at 70 miles (also longest time wise at around 5.5 hours of riding I think, though stops + travel made the day longer). Previous best was around 35 (though that had more climbing), so very happy this was doable, and while I'm not going to go for a long ride today, I do actually feel a bit sore but pretty good. My takeaways (mostly for my own benefit I guess to think about what I learned for next time): 1 - I have no idea how to pace this stuff, but probably need to go faster if I'm going to do a century in a reasonable amount of time. I ended up doing the last 30 miles like 5 mph faster than the first 40, once I realized I didn't need to pace that slow in order to finish and that I would be finishing in the dark if I didn't speed it up. What is a good way to figure out pacing for longer rides? Maybe I can basically just use my average 70 mile pace as a guideline? 2 - It rained on and off, occasionally very hard, basically the entire time, and this actually really wasn't that bad. Jersey + bib + wind breaker gilet + bike gloves kept me warm enough even when it was low 50s, so I probably don't need to keep bringing any extra base layers. 3 - I had one protein bar for breakfast, and one during the first ~40 miles. After that I was super hungry and stopped for food/ate throughout the rest of it, and it turned out fine, but I definitely should start the eating earlier next time. 4 - I ended up solo after ~50 miles since it got so late, and right after that was definitely tough for a bit. Should definitely do a century non solo just for motivation I think. 5 - This had a decently sized gravel section (set a new high watermark for the amount of mud I can accumulate), and I should probably either get a bit bigger tires or lower pressure or something if I end up doing a long ride with a gravel bit again. Tried out a gravel bike for a bit of that and it was pretty night and day in terms of comfort. Mostly it was just kind of made it more tiring being bounced around I think. For first century purposes will probably just stick w/ pavement. 6 - After like 40 miles I would occasionally get some back tightness/weird feelings in my problematic knee. I started just doing quick stretch breaks for a little bit, and eventually that feeling stopped coming back and the last ~20 miles were super comfortable with one major exception. 7 - I don't want to typecast myself as the nips guy, but definitely doing a base layer or taping for anything longer; switching to a bib whose suspenders avoided the nips did eventually break down as a solution after like 5 hours biking in the rain.
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# ¿ Mar 13, 2023 19:38 |
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Ty for the tips! I was thinking about a power meter anyways, so will definitely pick one up to better track things. I also definitely noticed some spots where I felt like I was just getting really tired, but actually looking back I was going up a long, subtle incline or in a headwind or something, so power would also help with that. Makes sense re: food -- by the end I was mostly just eating straight candy, and that did feel pretty effective but definitely goes against all of my normal instincts re: my diet. I'll also try the bodyglide. I think I'm not overweight, but am also losing a bit of weight anyways from now biking a bunch so maybe will let that continue to go for a bit and see if it helps as well. Definitely did not have issues w/ this when I was long distance running a bunch + very underweight. re: knees, I've done a bike fit which definitely made things a lot better than they were, but have a followup adjustment in a month or so, so I'll definitely check in with them there and see if there are any fit adjustments to be made to help w/ the back pain (also should definitely be working more on shifting around the cockpit/standing up/in seat yoga etc - I think with how relatively flat this route was it maybe made me move around less).
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# ¿ Mar 13, 2023 22:20 |
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I’d like to get my tires a bit better at handling medium gravel, and am wondering what tire change makes sense. I have a 2021 Trek Domane AL 2 Disc, which has tires that support tubeless and go up to 35c (though people say that there is also clearance for 38c). Can anyone recommend a tire setup for me? Right now I’m riding normal tubed 32c tires at the recommended 85 psi which aren’t particularly grippy. Basically trying to see if there’s a setup which would make gravel more comfortable + doable traction wise without giving up too much road performance, and I’m not sure how wide to go to make that happen, and how much tubeless would help. I am also not sure- should I be worried about running tubeless tires assuming that I won’t really know how to fix things if they break? My impression is that they just don’t flat, so it doesn’t matter, but I am a bit worried about going from tires I can change myself to ones I think I’d struggle to change. (E: the stuff above makes it sound like it has been pretty painless for people to swap over?)
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# ¿ Apr 3, 2023 02:31 |
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brand engager posted:Must not be the stock tires because the max for 32mm R1 hardcase lite is 70psi Oh yeah, they aren’t stock- they are Armadillo All Condition tires. I don’t know if those are good, they were just what the bike shop had in stock. Sadly put a bunch of metal through the stock ones riding on a highway shoulder
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# ¿ Apr 3, 2023 02:45 |
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# ¿ May 17, 2024 16:56 |
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bicievino posted:Can you clarify what you mean by medium gravel? Ty for suggestions! So just to see if I get it: the Vittoria would be a bit less traction, but in exchange fewer knobs to slow down pavement? I mostly noticed traction issues going uphill/cornering faster on muddy trails. Ideally I wouldn’t be riding in the mud that much, but weather makes it happen more often than I’d like. You’re right though that on gravel it was really more that it was just bouncy/not super comfortable. I’m not sure what the right way to describe the trails I’m hoping to do is- Basically I’d like to do routes around Redwood Regional, the Marin headlands, and trails in Pacifica. Sorry, I realize that’s probably not helpful for people not also in the Bay Area- they’re not like flat rail trails which just happen to be gravel, a bit more gnarly than that, but they aren’t crazy either. jamal posted:A tire that's fairly smooth down the center but has some sideknob, set up tubeless, in like a listed ~35mm would probably be a good bet. Pirelli gravel H, wtb byway, challenge gravel grinder, etc. The terreno dry comes in 33 and 38 but runs big. The 38s probably won't fit in the domane. Thank you! Sounds like tubeless probably the way to go in any case. brand engager posted:Are armadillios really soft tires? the highest I've used with 32mm was 50 - 55psi and the the wheel tried to bounce sideways when rolled into a seed gumball. 🤷🏻♂️ I am probably not educated enough to say lol tildes fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Apr 3, 2023 |
# ¿ Apr 3, 2023 03:20 |