Bicycle brahs (literally bicycle)

[camaleom]

You damn little guys!!! I am on the other end of the spectrum right now running about 195. I do my best to stay at the back and draft on the flats but most of the time end up front listening to all the little guys chuckling about how easy it is being tucked in and not using any energy. On the decents its great obviously the weight helps momentum downhill, climbs I find are dependant on grade and length. Thankfully nothing to major around here, if its a relatively short climb the steeper the better.. I find that I can out power most on the short steep climbs, if the climb goes for any sort of distance forget about it, I might as well be dragging an anchor.

On Sundays ride, there was a couple of guys that are pretty well know to be fast I would guess 5'6" maybe 135, on the flat we were swapping out leading, then a downhill came, pretty short with a left and right halfway down (I hit 49.86, so close to 50) and started to pull away from the two of them. Obviusly an uphill on the other side and I gave it all I had sprinting up there, looked back at the top and was at least 30-35 seconds ahead. The next hill was a lot more gradual and climbed for about 12 mins, they left me behind on that one.

Trust me I am trying to shed as much weight as possible, for this reason alone.

pace the hill evenly and u will be surprise how fast u can crest and recover after the hill!

most people go stupid 1/4 of the hill then sucks a$$ for the next 3/4... Learn to go evenly for the first 3/4 and then explode to crest the hill and get the bike up to speed!

[imunninc]

I went to the Philly race this weekend and it was sick! The first pro race I have ever been to!

[Irishpandah]

cuz u need clip pedals! The dif is substantial!

thats the next purchase forsure

when setting the pace on the flats go hard so they can't relax too much that will zap a bit of their legs for the climb... if u drop them consistently then get behind them and let them set the pace and save ur legs for the climbs.

I did this today on a quick 40 mile ride before class. It is pretty much all flat with 2 baby climbs that you can power up. I put the pace a lil faster than normal (21.5 vs 19-20) and they were def feeling it, they made it very clear as we came back into town that they were feeling this ride. As for the hills, not a good judge but they didnt fly past me which was nice. I dropped to about 16mph maybe 15.5 on the up and they werent more than a bike length ahead of me.

My suggestions....lose weight.

meh, Im not racing yet or anything this is just for fun with some pals and improving myself. Im still trying to balance this with gaining in the gym

[Syqnys]

Picked up my first road bike about 2 weeks ago for $450 off craigslist, I'm pretty satisfied with it so far.

Any suggested modifications?

[img]http://i.imgur.com/9x6Gh.jpg[img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/GNnXx.jpg[img]


everything seems to match up with the description


As far as my goals, I just want a different way of traveling through Downtown Austin during the weekends. I eventually plan to join in on some social rides around the Austin area. Maybe do a bit of racing once I get into the swing of things. I'm currently biking about 12miles on non-workout days.

/bump

pic of bike in first quote

pic of specs in 2nd quote

Upgrade/accessory recommendations welcome.

[RiceFish]

Been having to cycle into/back from the gym 4 days a week now! Pretty good exercise for my cut.

Thinking about investing in a new bike seat as my one is so damn uncomfy (Seeing as I'm saving £100/~$200 a month from not taking the bus). Have you brah's got any good recommendations for a good comfy seat?

[camaleom]

Been having to cycle into/back from the gym 4 days a week now! Pretty good exercise for my cut.

Thinking about investing in a new bike seat as my one is so damn uncomfy (Seeing as I'm saving £100/~$200 a month from not taking the bus). Have you brah's got any good recommendations for a good comfy seat?

look for adamo road saddle! ur nutts would thank me!

[camaleom]

/bump

pic of bike in first quote

pic of specs in 2nd quote

Upgrade/accessory recommendations welcome.

dude that bike is cool as it is; just buy some clipless pedals and ride the crap of it! don't over think it!!!!

[PJbrah]

I need recommendations for a roof rack, I have a 2010 ford escape, with rails that run parallel - is my only option to buy a base rack to have the horizontal rails w/ bike rack?

[gatovolador]

Will i go faster (on the flats) if i drop weight? I understand that i'll accelerate better, but will i reach a better top speed? The fastest i have gone flat (on my own, no draft) was about 22mph, wondering if i can hit 25+ going solo.

All things being equal (ie power), if you are lighter you are faster. In practice, being lighter is good for uphills, but on the flat it doesn't matter too much. Being heavy is also helpful on sketch terrain as it gives you a bit more inertia and traction.

[OMGWTFBBQ?]

I want to go faster, better acceleration, and overall speed. Any suggestions on a good wheelset?

What do I need to look for in a good wheelset?

Will getting clipless help as well?

[irFaydoi]

All things being equal (ie power), if you are lighter you are faster. In practice, being lighter is good for uphills, but on the flat it doesn't matter too much. Being heavy is also helpful on sketch terrain as it gives you a bit more inertia and traction.

Yea i figured i'd be faster on the hills, was curious about the flats. Guess i gotta learn how to crank out more power.

[camaleom]

I want to go faster, better acceleration, and overall speed. Any suggestions on a good wheelset?

What do I need to look for in a good wheelset?

Will getting clipless help as well?

wheels has the worst return for the money...

buy clipless pedals first and don't waste your time with wheels for now

[SpyderTT]

I want to go faster, better acceleration, and overall speed. Any suggestions on a good wheelset?

What do I need to look for in a good wheelset?

Will getting clipless help as well?

wheels has the worst return for the money...

buy clipless pedals first and don't waste your time with wheels for now

Agreed, as you get more and more miles underneath you, you will notice wheel stiffness more and more, but until then, get clipless pedals and work on smoothing out your pedalstroke. If you know anyone with a set of rollers, give those a shot.

[counterfit_hero]

I am in live with this woman!!! wife/10


free picture hosting

[camaleom]

who is she?

would divorce to wife her!

[RockyIV]

Hit the trails last night for about an hour. Felt really good man. I haven't done any trail riding in almost a year and now realizes a new mountain bike would be awesome than my entry level Trek.

[RockyIV]

All things being equal (ie power), if you are lighter you are faster. In practice, being lighter is good for uphills, but on the flat it doesn't matter too much. Being heavy is also helpful on sketch terrain as it gives you a bit more inertia and traction.

On the hills you will notice a difference all the best climbers are skinny and the sprinters are normal sized to muscular.

[euronewbie]

So bike folks, technical question here, that I haven't been able to figure out.

Something in the back half of the bike feels weird, the best way I can describe it. Almost feels like the back wheel is wobbling around? At different speeds, generally while peddling, but also felt it while coasting, I've never felt anything like it. It certainly didn't inspire confidence heading into the fast downhill sections last night. First thing I checked that the wheel was in correctly and tight.
Checked:
Spoke tension
Tire pressure
Tire wear
Wheel Tru
Cassette
Freehub
Bearing play
Bottom Bracket
Checked the frame for any signs of cracks

Anything else you guys can think of?

[markymark69]

Been having to cycle into/back from the gym 4 days a week now! Pretty good exercise for my cut.

Thinking about investing in a new bike seat as my one is so damn uncomfy (Seeing as I'm saving £100/~$200 a month from not taking the bus). Have you brah's got any good recommendations for a good comfy seat?

Go to your LBS and get fitted for a seat. Seats come in different widths and the width of your sits bones determine the size of seat you need. It will be the best money you have ever spent.

[mayweathermusic]

Anyone else get really bad shrinkage after a ride? Idk if it's normal or if the way I'm seated on the bike cuts off circulation to my unit in a way that it shouldn't.

[mcbizkit02]

What's a good bike just to ride to the gym (about 4 miles each way)?

[QuantumBrah]

I've got a stripped screw holding my saddle post and I need to raise it a bit. How can I get it out and replace it? It's a 5 mm allen key screw.

Can I do it myself or do I need to take it to a bike shop. (I don't own a drill...)

I tried with rubber band but it wouldn't bulge.

[gatovolador]

I've got a stripped screw holding my saddle post and I need to raise it a bit. How can I get it out and replace it? It's a 5 mm allen key screw.

Can I do it myself or do I need to take it to a bike shop. (I don't own a drill...)

I tried with rubber band but it wouldn't bulge.

If you have a hand drill with the correct bit you can just drill in and pull out, but a drill press is ideal. If you have a machinist/machine shop/metal workshop nearby, those are good, but a bike shop might not be bad either, especially if they build their own frames.

On the hills you will notice a difference all the best climbers are skinny and the sprinters are normal sized to muscular.

On mountains, sure. On hills, some big guys can put out so much power it negates the weight difference over shorter distances, say 500ft elevation gain.

[camaleom]

Anyone else get really bad shrinkage after a ride? Idk if it's normal or if the way I'm seated on the bike cuts off circulation to my unit in a way that it shouldn't.

u need a new seat cuz...

look for adamo road

[Whalefood]

I'm looking for a hybrid bike which I can use to travel around and also use for trails/mountain biking. I would prefer if it was lightweight, since it is a hybrid bike, not a full mountain bike. My price range is about $200-300, maybe $350 if pushing it.


Also, I saw this nice one for around $350 which was black and gold. If anyone can find me that too.

Reps for help. Thanks in advance.

[Whalefood]

By the way, are GT mountain bikes a good brand?

[Hamzzza]

changed my fat mtb tires to slim/thin ones


HHNNNGGG at the difference

[Hamzzza]

By the way, are GT mountain bikes a good brand?

it's a great brand

you can buy the gt avalanche for around 300-350$ i think, that+s what i'm riding now

[Hamzzza]

a great motivation IMO

[Whalefood]

it's a great brand

you can buy the gt avalanche for around 300-350$ i think, that+s what i'm riding now

I can't seem to find any around $300. They are selling for $500+.

Are there any good bikes in the $200-250 price range? I need a hybrid bike.