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How are you meant to buy a saddle? There are local shops near me with a small range, but a no return policy, and no way to try them even on a bike, let alone riding prior to buying. There are online shops with a massive range, that may accept returns..? Apart from the sit bones measurement, which I’m skeptical of (my measurement anyway), so getting the right width, there’s not much to go on. Is it a case of trial and error - ordering online, trying carefully so they’re unmarked and returning till you find one that works? I’m in the UK, a man, working up from about 100 miles a week on an endurance road bike. The Fizik my bike came with is about half the width I need, the Specialized saddle I tried most recently is horrific. I’ve been using an old WTB saddle borrowed from my mtb, but I want to switch it back. Any recommendations?
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Aug 5, 2021 21:31
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Dren posted:It's for touring so I'd like to avoid getting wet as much as possible. I guess waterproof pants would be an option. Skin is waterproof. Unless it’s really cold I’d rather cycle with shorts and dry off later. How hard can you cycle before getting sweaty in waterproofs anyway?
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Aug 10, 2021 21:41
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Do what we do in all of Europe: Stop at a cafe halfway, get a coffee and refill your bottles. 2L of water should be more than enough unless you’re cycling through a desert / wilderness area.
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Aug 11, 2021 20:05
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What are good alternatives to the Conti GP5000, which seems expensive where I am, in 28 or 30c? Is there any reason to go with 30c over 28c for my main road bike for group rides - I weigh about 250lb right now?
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Aug 12, 2021 13:29
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How do you all check your tyre pressure - a separate pressure gauge, or built into your track pump? My track pump is aged and cheap and the analog gauge fluctuates wildly, so I’m doubting what it says a bit. What is a decent track pump and/or gauge that I can get in the UK? AEMINAL posted:Do you guys have any recommendations for good autumn / rain bike clothes? Something that breathes yet would be a keep me dry-ish if it rains a lot. There is no shower at work so I have to bring a change of clothes. If it’s wet and raining, waterproof overshoes (neoprene) to keep your feet dry. Or Sealskinz waterproof socks. I think it depends how hard you’re pedalling - it’s pointless to try to stay fully dry while pedalling hard, in which case I recommend a waterproof-ish softshell jacket with a thermal layer underneath if needed. I like Endura stuff, though their fit can be inconsistent. Legs, I don’t feel the cold and happily cycle in shorts into January (UK weather only) so can’t help.
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Aug 13, 2021 10:18
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Samopsa posted:Halfords, Decathlon are euro chains that have their own bikes for great value. I don't know if similar brands/shops exist in the US though. There was nothing gravel bikey close to Halfords (Boardman ADV, which have heavy discounts available) or Decathlon (RC520) for value when I bought in 2019. Halfords prices are now up about 30% since then, so…
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Aug 17, 2021 19:21
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Hokkaido Anxiety posted:Finishing up my first fixie (not singlespeed) build and could use a little help/advice on clips/straps. I originally threw some spds on, but I love the look of these bear trap pedals (https://crustbikes.com/products/mks-xc-iii-pedals). Buy https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/mks-sylvan-road-alloy-quill-pedals-silver/ Or something similar looking.
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Aug 24, 2021 09:24
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poemdexter posted:All I have right now are my bike shorts and short sleeve jerseys which is fine because it's still like 99F outside, You might actually want long sleeves / tights just for sun protection in summer tbh. For winter depends on how cold it is snd how much water / snow. Insulated gloves -> thick bar mitts attached to the bars. Thermal jersey -> thermal layer & waterproof cycle jacket -> thermals & an actual warm coat. Bib Tights -> Insulated bib tights -> Insulated bib tights under waterproof trousers. Overshoes -> Insulated overshoes -> Insulated Boots and flats. Plastic bags under socks can help apparently.
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Aug 28, 2021 16:41
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jamal posted:Now I have a couple of pretty fancy "cycling" jackets and they're not that much different/better. It’s hard to compare the UK’s wet, not that cold, winter climate to a dry-ish US one, but I agree 100%. Thin softshell jackets of the type that don’t try to be fully waterproof, but are breathable and wicking are great. Ones intended for hiking / climbing are cheaper, better quality and have more sane sizing compared to the “cycling fit” of most road cycling brands intended for Italian twinks, where XXXL is a 42” chest. I have a Montane one that has very thin grid fleece insulation inside designed to be worn next to the skin, and it works great for winters here, only issue is no rear pockets.
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Aug 28, 2021 17:31
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sweat poteto posted:That saddle was a total rear end hatchet for me though, so may be dangerous in other ways. Me too. Thankfully I wrapped the rails in electrical tape, the labels in cling-wrap, and was able to return it as unused.
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Sep 2, 2021 08:38
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Ihmemies posted:gently caress. Does anyone make large SPD or SPD-SL shoes? I have Shimano size 50, regular fit XC5, seem fine, maybe a little narrow at the toes. They do a wide fit version. SIDI might be good too. I’ve heard Lake have good wide fit spd-sl shoes, though they’re twice as much as Shimano and I am on SPD for now. Inov8 have some fiendishly complicated “fit” system themselves FWIW - multiple lines of shoes that look identical, but some are ultra tight (I couldn’t get them on) for fell running purposes, some are normal. Makes ordering online even more annoying. German online shops have the best range I’ve found in large sizes. Fahrad.de Bergfreunde.de Or Tredz in the UK are decent for shoes also.
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Sep 6, 2021 19:34
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wide fit
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How long exactly is sealant meant to last? Do people open their tyre up to check the state of it regularly? Pretty sure I ride (road) with some people with tubeless setups who’ve never maintained, cleared or added sealant in their lives.
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Sep 12, 2021 17:22
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kimbo305 posted:For people shopping new bikes, this is an OK deal: I find it off putting that the handlebars are rotated into a clownish position in their own publicity photos. I would prioritise getting a 105 or GRX groupset over a carbon frame any day, and I fail to see the point of 1x for gravel. You lose a massive amount of versatility vs 2x. With a 2x gravel bike I can put on slick tyres and ride road with a pretty acceptable gear range, but not on a 1x. Shadowhand00 posted:difference in the two bikes is really about 5 pounds (equipped for a 200k), some better aero wheels, and 700cx28mm vs 650bx42mm tires. Shame you can’t swap wheels and do a real comparison, comfort wise it’s probably mostly tyres.
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Sep 16, 2021 10:44
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Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:Sure, you could put slick tires on a gravel bike and ride road, but that’s not really the point of buying a gravel bike is it? If my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bike. And you’ll spin out descending any decent hill. For lots of people, versatility is one of the main selling points of a gravel bike, as they spend most of their time not riding gravel. They’re just a comfortable, sturdy, endurance geometry road bike with big tyre clearance. There is no benefit to losing a big chunk of gear range.
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Sep 16, 2021 12:51
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Baronash posted:Nothing. I only drink water while riding. What are you eating before riding?
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Sep 23, 2021 13:12
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Dictator. posted:Also, tubeless or no? I’ve had maybe one flat in 2 years. Tubeless is supposed to be more comfortable and faster but needs more maintenance? (you have to top up the sealant every so often, that it?) On a road bike? I don’t get enough flats with tubes to bother changing anything, but the people in my cycling club with tubeless have had a zero percent seal rate on punctures - they had to put in a tube every time. I think it’s less effective at road bike tyre size / pressure to say the least.
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Sep 24, 2021 21:01
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Wendigee posted:so i need some help picking out a bicycle helmet. Are there no bigger shops a drive away? My head is 7 5/8 and I wear a Kask Mojito XL, after trying on a bunch in shops. Most of the brands have an L or XL option, which can adjust to 61cm+ This is not an unusual size. Chainreactioncycles are good about returns and stock many brands. wooger fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Sep 26, 2021 |
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Sep 26, 2021 19:45
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Anyone ever had cramps on the inside of their thigh, knee to groin? I maybe didn’t drink enough water / electrolytes today, but only did 50ish miles, and it wasn’t hot. And it’s a weird muscle to have a cramp in, never happened before. Possible causes: - I spent some time commuting on my old bike, with temporary stock flat pedals. - I also moved my saddle on my main bike: forward, added a small downwards tilt, and raised it a little…
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Sep 26, 2021 22:05
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Jestery posted:How possible is it to change the cassette to a different set? And is it feasible? Changing a cassette is trivially easy on its own, but. If you want both lower and higher gears, that’d probably require a new derailleur too. And I’m not sure what the maximum range you can get on a 7 speed is anyway. Changing the drivetrain entirely to have more gears / a double front chainring may necessitate new wheels (hubs anyway) and quickly become not worth it vs. buying a used road bike. No-one moderately interested in sporty performance has used a bike with less than 9-10-11 gears on the cassette for decades.
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Oct 2, 2021 20:09
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Anyone who takes glamour shots of a used bike and tries to sell it on Instagram is a bit sus anyway. Craigslist, FB Marketplace or eBay. You want a seller with one blurry photo, so you get a good price.
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Oct 9, 2021 00:24
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meltie posted:Tubeless lets you run much lower pressure for much better comfort on rough stuff, and it additionally solves most briar/thorn/flint-related punctures. If neither of these are a problem then tubes are cool too. For road, I don’t get enough punctures with tubes (0.5 per year on average) to bother changing anything, but people in my club have had nightmares with tubeless, admittedly as they don’t know the ropes / have the right equipment. - Some people (for road) need or want pressures that are higher than tubeless sealant works well with e.g. just for rider weight reasons. The recommended pressures on the Silca tyre pressure calculator page work fine with tubes anyway. - Seemingly only a few kinds of sealant actually work well at road pressures. Stans does not. Whatever Giant shops put in their wheels does not. - To seal anything the sealant doesn’t fix magically, you need plugs. Again, most types don’t hold at road tyre pressures. You need dynaplugs. - I’ve seen people offer to help an inexperienced rider change a flat, then withdraw their offer when they discover it’s a tubeless setup and they will get covered in goo.
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Oct 12, 2021 11:21
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kimbo305 posted:And I would think it's a pretty inexperienced (with tubeless) rider that thinks they'll get goo all over themselves. As as you don't get caught by the initial spray, either you'll be dealing with pooled liquid or solid residue when taking the tire off. “As long as it doesn’t spray all over you it won’t touch you” “Dealing with” but somehow not touching it? While removing the tubeless valve. Sure. Seeing people get their hands covered & begging for wetwipes makes me think that it is in fact messy to remove a tubeless tyre. TobinHatesYou posted:Peak Torque will use nonsense to explain why there's no difference in system stiffness between TA and QR, but he is kind of a moron. Regardless of stiffness, it’s plain to see that doing up a QR tight enough vs as tight as you can leads to some fork flex & slightly different caliper and disc placement. Maybe that’s more a fault of road disc brakes being a bit too fussy though. I don’t remember random brake rub being a big thing on mtb disc brakes 10 years ago.
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Oct 12, 2021 21:53
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meltie posted:Why are people removing the tyre? Because it’s the only way to fix a non-sealing puncture in a tubeless tyre if you don’t have the 1 type of plug that works for road tubeless. Giant apparently don’t mention plugs when they sell you a tubeless setup bike, and don’t even sell that type of plug. Nor do most bike shops in the UK. I’ve seen inexperienced riders have a bad time, having been sold tubeless as a magical end to punctures - I don’t doubt that it can work and is worth it for some.
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Oct 13, 2021 20:07
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evil_bunnY posted:(no, bikes don't depreciate 20% a loving year assholes), How much do they depreciate then? For tax purposes in the UK (we have a tax dodging cyclescheme bike purchase system), the market value of a bike is assessed at 25% of original value after one year. I bought a 2ish year old used bike for close to 1/3 of its value new. Compared to that 20% a year seems optimistic if anything.
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Oct 22, 2021 17:40
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nwin posted:Is there much of a markup on used bikes right now? I’d keep it, especially if it’s your only bike. Prices aren’t that inflated. Unless you’re really strapped for cash, it’s a nice bike that you can use as a spare forever no matter how nice your future purchase is.
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Oct 27, 2021 09:00
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Vando posted:There's also a solid chance in 5 years time the choice will be tubeless or nothing, and that niche wheel sizes fall by the wayside as part of that. It's not an entirely trivial concern to highlight. Lol. Not a chance. I’d agree that 26” wheels is a terrible idea though.
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Oct 29, 2021 08:46
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School of How posted:I'm looking for a hard tail mountain bike with top of the line components, and a high end carbon fiber or titanium frame. It seems every carbon frame I see is full suspension. I will be using this bike to convert it to an ebike. Just buy an eBike. Rebuilding the back wheel and strapping on a big battery somewhere (not sure you can do that anywhere on a carbon frame) will give you a far worse solution than an integrated frame designed to be an eBike and powered via the bottom bracket. It’ll be heavy as poo poo no matter what it’s made of.
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Oct 29, 2021 17:24
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George RR Fartin posted:Also, are people who carry extra tubes just worried about massive gashes? What's wrong with a patch kit? They don’t want to gently caress about with patches and glue on the side of a road when it might be raining. Swap in the spare tube and do the patching when you’re home, if you want. BeastPussy posted:Can somebody please do an e-bike conversion to a tallbike or penny farthing? I promise to be supportive. Already done, and featured in the adverts for Swytch eBike conversion kits. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RGCNW2KOtIE Warning, obnoxious poshboy accents ahoy. SimonSays posted:Hell, even if it's QR it's faster and easier to patch. Huh? We’re talking about inner tube patches. School of How posted:The already-made ebikes always have super integrated motors and batteries. The fact that they are so integrated means you can't replace them with just any ol' battery, you have to replace it with the exact same model that it was designed with. A custom conversion kit can use pretty much any motor and any battery combination, and it will probably also support future models too. Also, pre-made e-bikes look very nice and expensive, therefore having a higher chance of getting stolen. A custom e-bike looks more jankier, and I feel less likely to be stolen. You realise that all the high end components on your bike will wear out and need replacing eventually too right? Your XTR cassette, on an eBike, will need replacing often. And you can’t get any parts at the moment. If a beautiful integrated motor eBike frame does eventually die and you can’t get parts, just buy a new one. “Money no object, best there is” isn’t compatible with some kind of buy it for life carbon bike you’ve imagined. High end components are light, not hard wearing. Also, despite your planned modified eBike looking a bit janky, thieves know to check the components and will steal it and part it out for resale just the same as any other high end bike. Terrible choice for a commuter - invest your $$$$ in secure parking. Wanting a pannier rack alone makes carbon completely unsuitable btw.
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Oct 30, 2021 12:58
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hemale in pain posted:I seen people, like not an insignificant amount, trying to remove their wheels without flipping the bike over on its back. I suppose taking a wheel out might seem more effort than it actually is if you're trying to do it like that. I can’t conceive of how anyone could think it’s possible to patch without removing the wheel anyway, and how loving around roughing up an area on a tube and gluing is quicker than just swapping it out.
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Oct 31, 2021 10:18
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A MIRACLE posted:What rack should I get for the Kona rove. I had the surly rear rack on my LHT it was a beast. I’m open to front or rear or even a baby front rack with a rando bag sitting on it. Just need to carry change of clothes and some tools right now. Have ortleib city panniers and arkel touring panniers already If that’s all you’re carrying just get a saddlepack , it’ll be plenty big enough and won’t weigh nearly as much. But for racks the Tortec Epic is great for me. Any rack with a second set of rails set lower than the top is much better imo as you can use the top separately, and centre of mass is lowered a bit.
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Nov 3, 2021 11:44
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serious gaylord posted:Given the current cost of sheet goods at the moment thats as big a flex as having a Pinarello on the wall. Also, I bet they’re made to for 54cm road bikes and nothing larger or with a different geometry. I don’t even think someone with a higher seatpost would get the same bikes in there.
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Nov 7, 2021 09:53
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osker posted:I have these pedals and they are tits. They are real well balanced; Once you get to know them you won't have an issue jumping off them and right back on. Also as stated, it ain't a thing to flip the pedal with your toe. I had those xt-8000 pedals too, they were great for a commuting / gravel bike, though I did manage to snap off the spindle inside the pedal after a couple of years - I don’t necessarily fault the pedals though. The only thing that’s potentially as good, depending on your footwear could be the Shimano saint SPD pedals. They are double sided clips, but with a decent platform and adjustable pins on both sides too. With the pins, and the right shoe, I found them perfectly useable as platform pedals for reasonable distances, and double sided SPD is much nicer than single. Shimano XC5 shoes are decent, Shimano shoes in general have been good.
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Nov 11, 2021 09:36
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kimbo305 posted:Have you ever wanted a shoe that looks like Venom is taking over your foot? Just in time for the winter season. I find it very odd that 3D printing is touted as though it’s a good thing for production cycle equipment - it’s good for quick prototyping and potentially custom shapes, but it’s not really synonymous with quality production process, and isn’t compatible with decent materials. Are these printed specifically to fit a scanned version of each buyer’s feet? If not, who cares how they’re made.
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Nov 12, 2021 11:03
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evil_bunnY posted:This is a hilarious oversimplification but those shoes are still dumb as hell Yeah, I mean things change, and I know they’re even working on “3D printed” concrete buildings now - I just read it with the same contempt I hold for any business that says “using blockchain” in its marketing.
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Nov 12, 2021 11:27
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actionjackson posted:is the step-through design mainly for old people, I see if often on cargo/utility bikes (and I think in other countries like NL, it's pretty much every bike you see in the city) Essential for anyone in skirts, dresses, tight trousers etc, and really just adds to the comfort and lack of effort / flexibility required to ride about.
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Nov 14, 2021 17:05
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Ola posted:I wonder if there are carbon fiber step throughs somewhere in Amsterdam or Copenhagen... Much of the appeal is the bikes all being old, nearly interchangeable & steel frames - no theft risk, no need to even lock properly, no resale value and no way to damage them in a rack.
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Nov 14, 2021 21:22
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Head Bee Guy posted:Any tips on riding on a big, chaotic group? I’ve started riding with NYC’s Thursday Night Social Ride, which has a big diversity of bikes and riding styles (lotta fixie messengers, bmx wheelie boys, some roadies, and even a couple old guys decked out in reflective gear), and it gets pretty hectic. Besides just keeping my head on a swivel to ensure i have space to swerve away from an obstacle, anything else I can do to not get laid out or tripped up by other riders? Don’t ride with people who are fuckwits. Anyone doing wheelies in a public road are included in that for sure, as is anyone without lights. It’s treacherous enough riding in a group with people who are trying to ride safely in a group, you have no hope if the other riders aren’t competent or predictable.
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Nov 15, 2021 23:40
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Clugg posted:75 is still pretty high on 25s Maybe for someone who weighs 130lb.
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Nov 21, 2021 17:27
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TobinHatesYou posted:My opinion is that suspension fork is going to be more trouble than its worth, so if they have a similar model with a rigid fork, get that instead. This 1000 times. A modern sportyish hybrid like Cannondale Quick / Trek FX / Marin Muirwoods are all decent and versatile options imo. Make sure you get a bike that fits well, use appropriate tyres and tyre pressure and 250lbs is fine on most bikes.
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Nov 24, 2021 12:54
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Liv bikes are fine, I’d assumed though that they all have close equivalents in the giant lineup. Women’s bikes apart from sizing likely have narrower handlebars, which may not be ideal.
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Nov 24, 2021 15:12
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