Bicycle Brahs Part 3 - Riding is our leg day (literally bicycle)

[smsg112]

just got a bike right before 'rona happened and all bikes sold out everywhere.... vilano hybrid, been riding it on some in-town paved trails 3ish times a week. Fun times.

Is it worth upgrading pedals if I'm just sticking with flat pedals? Was looking at some shimano ones but afraid all they'll dew is chew up my shoes and wallet for no real benefit.

Any contact point items (seat, grips or pedals) are usually worth spending the money on if you are riding a decent amount. Very unlikely that a shimano pedal will cause damage to a shoe unless it is very soft. Upgrading from flat pedal to flat pedal is a good idea if you are looking for a larger surface area and/or if your current pedal is plastic or a heavy steel

[VegasLifter26]

Brahs..is this a good deal? looking for a decent road bike for under $500 ...used or new.


https://nashville.craigslist.org/bik...125763584.html

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

I couldn’t think of anything worse living right on the coastal borders of the Uk with so many car less farm roads, than trying to ride them on a mountain bike.

I rode 40 mile today and a mate rode his mountain bike on the road the same distance yesterday. I halved his time.



And I really really must highlight. I am very slow in comparison to many other regular riders. My average varies between 15-17mph per ride.

Agreed!!!

Riding a mountain bike on the road is absolute torture after you've tried out a road bike!

just got a bike right before 'rona happened and all bikes sold out everywhere.... vilano hybrid, been riding it on some in-town paved trails 3ish times a week. Fun times.

Is it worth upgrading pedals if I'm just sticking with flat pedals? Was looking at some shimano ones but afraid all they'll dew is chew up my shoes and wallet for no real benefit.

Yes! Plastic pedals with no grip suck! Shoes matter, too. A flat sole shoe (like vans) are a game changer for comfort on the pedals, as well.

Most mountain bikers who ride flat pedals love 5-10 shoes but I hate not being able to feel the pedal placement beneath my foot. I use vulcanized skate shoes almost full-time on the bike now and fuarking love them.

[dopamine72]

I couldn’t think of anything worse living right on the coastal borders of the Uk with so many car less farm roads, than trying to ride them on a mountain bike.
I rode 40 mile today and a mate rode his mountain bike on the road the same distance yesterday. I halved his time.
And I really really must highlight. I am very slow in comparison to many other regular riders. My average varies between 15-17mph per ride.

Agreed!!!
Riding a mountain bike on the road is absolute torture after you've tried out a road bike!

lol chit

Gonna have to get one. Would I be able to get away with buying one for under 1k? Or will it not be as fast?

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

lol chit

Gonna have to get one. Would I be able to get away with buying one for under 1k? Or will it not be as fast?

Oh for sure! $1k or less used aluminum road bike would blow ur mind.

[dopamine72]

Oh for sure! $1k or less used aluminum road bike would blow ur mind.

Sweet! Searching now

[kethnaab]

Hey Fellas, i know im going to get wrecked but i do have an honest question for you all. My wife wants me to get her a bike but here in Florida the summer months can be super tough riding a bike in the heat. Honestly it just becomes not fun. I was thinking of getting her a electric bike. One that assists or can straight up ride like a road bike. Thoughts on this? We are both pretty fit so this bike would just be for fun. Any thoughts? Keep an open mind here fellas, i am not a bike guy.

I got my wife an electric bike. It might be one of the best decisions I've ever made.
It's a pedal-assist Cannondale Synapse NEO.
She LOVES IT.

She rides it to work twice a week (and rides her regular bikes to work Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

[smsg112]

Brahs..is this a good deal? looking for a decent road bike for under $500 ...used or new.


https://nashville.craigslist.org/bik...125763584.html

Not bad. Campy drivetrain ages well and can last a long time. I would be most concerned with it fitting properly - hugely important aspect

[kethnaab]

I am selling my tri-bike hoping to buy me a MTB
I am not doing triathlons anymore so it make sense to transition to something different

how come you gave up the triathalons?
As for the "hard tail vs. full suspension" debate, I'll weigh in on my own $0.02
Hard tails tend to be notably lighter, and the less expensive the bike, the more this tends to be true.
"cheap" full suspension bikes are wretched and heavy as hell.
However, if you drop the $$$ to get a nice full suspension bike then it can really save a ton of fatigue over long riding days.
I got a CDale Scalpel (full suspension XC) that originally came with 100mm fork and shock, and upgraded them to 120/115mm and I couldn't be happier. If you're not going to be doing a lot of big jumps, this for me is a sweet spot. It allows you to handle decent sized drops and moderate jumps, but it is really helpful (Vs. a hardtail) when climbing up or descending over rock gardens, roots, etc.

If you want to do XC races and you expect to win, then you might want to go with a hard tail.
Otherwise, give some consideration to the full suspension

Hopefully this sticks!
I for one welcome our ebike overlords.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/14/2...ist-pedestrian

bingo. the more people we can get on e-bikes, the more people will become more understanding of what it's like to have an a-hole driver give you a mirror tap while driving past

I always see this thread but have never jumped in.
I have been riding and racing mountain bikes for 19 years - spent many Summers in Whistler riding and coaching.
Here is a random vid from 6 years ago. Probably have more pics/vids I could dig up
https://www.********.com/plugins/vid...F&show_text=0&

sweet video dude, you and your homies were killing it

just got a bike right before 'rona happened and all bikes sold out everywhere.... vilano hybrid, been riding it on some in-town paved trails 3ish times a week. Fun times.
Is it worth upgrading pedals if I'm just sticking with flat pedals? Was looking at some shimano ones but afraid all they'll dew is chew up my shoes and wallet for no real benefit.

definitely. Nothing worse than sliding around on the bike pedals. Get good pedals, they don't have to be super expensive, but don't go super cheap. I like 5-10s, although I have no issues riding around in a set of Vans. I like the stiffness of the 5-10s

[MuscleXtreme]

Went on a 20 mile bike ride today. Around mile 14, my right pedal cracks and breaks off.

Looks like I’m in the pedal market now. Anyone have some advice on what to look for in a pedal. This is a Specialized Allez bike that I’ll be doing triathlons on.

[ChewYourFood]

Went on a 20 mile bike ride today. Around mile 14, my right pedal cracks and breaks off.

Looks like I’m in the pedal market now. Anyone have some advice on what to look for in a pedal. This is a Specialized Allez bike that I’ll be doing triathlons on.

Clipless pedals. Figure out if you want road style or MTB style shoes. Road shoes suck to walk in. A lot of roadies I know are transitioning to MTB shoes because they can walk-in them. I have Sidi Carbon road shoes and I love them. When they wear out, I will 100% replace them with the same.

Get a set of Shimano spd pedals / cleats. You can get a set for less than $50 or you can dump a lot for the Dura Ace stuff.

[VegasLifter26]

Not bad. Campy drivetrain ages well and can last a long time. I would be most concerned with it fitting properly - hugely important aspect

Im a 5'10 with a 30" inseam..should be 54cm yea? Also what are some good entry level road bikes for around the $500 range?

might just fork out the dough and get this
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...-al-2/p/23522/

[MuscleXtreme]

Clipless pedals. Figure out if you want road style or MTB style shoes. Road shoes suck to walk in. A lot of roadies I know are transitioning to MTB shoes because they can walk-in them. I have Sidi Carbon road shoes and I love them. When they wear out, I will 100% replace them with the same.

Get a set of Shimano spd pedals / cleats. You can get a set for less than $50 or you can dump a lot for the Dura Ace stuff.

Thanks, your post steered me in the right direction. Been down a few rabbit holes researching Shimano product hierarchy, pedal reviews, road vs mtb pedals, pedal float, etc.

I’m looking at more entry level (I assume entry level, means beginner competitive in this context). I’m leaning towards the Shimano PD-550 SPD-SL. I’ll have to get a pair of shoes too.

Hopefully, nothing else breaks on my bike. I’m thinking my next few bike related purchase will be to get a Power Meter, Trainer, and bike rack so I don’t have to put my rear seats down to fit my bike in the back.

[Coldsloth]

Went on a 20 mile bike ride today. Around mile 14, my right pedal cracks and breaks off.

Looks like I’m in the pedal market now. Anyone have some advice on what to look for in a pedal. This is a Specialized Allez bike that I’ll be doing triathlons on.

Regular ol spd-l works fine for me. Would like to try speed play for the dual sided entry, but the Shimanos just work with zero maintenance or hassle. One less thing to mess with.

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

Speaking of pedals, my old chesters are a mess at this point lol. The pins are mostly worn down, or the holes that hold the pin are cracked off.

Anybody ever heard of the company OneUp? Every single thing I've ever bought from them has been 10/10. Brilliant engineering, and creative AF.

[doughnutgut]

do any of you ride spin bikes at home? I've been debating buying one. do you think most spin bikes you see in commercial gyms are chain driven or belt driven? I was told belt driven bikes take away that road feel, but I really like the road feel. was thinking about buying this for $1100:

Buy a bike and a decent smart trainer. Best of both worlds. Although that can come in handy as a good clothes hanger when the novelty wears off.





As for the pedal enquires. Each to their own. I use mtb shoes. Spd pedals. I have had to walk a few miles after my tyre exploded. Not the tube. The actual tyre. I would not of been able to stick my bike on my back and walk the journey home in road bike shoes. But in my mtb shoes. I was comfy as hell.

Although about a mile and a half in. I was wishing I was carrying a 10 grand bike and not my first 1 grand bike.

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

Had a flat tire on Friday at the very beginning of the ride. Went back to the car (while riding a 100% flat tire with cushcore lol) and put a tube in.

Obviously on a mountain bike with a tube you risk pinch flats, so I pumped it to 30psi because I did not want to just give up and go home. @ 30psi that thing ROLLED. After I re-lace the wheel and get the single speed back running again, I'm curious to see how much faster I go with, say, 27 psi. I've been running 22-24 on the back of that bike for a long time now, so it should be interesting. It's bouncy, but fast.

From last weekend. @ 8,000 feet. Hnnnngggggg

[ChewYourFood]

Thanks, your post steered me in the right direction. Been down a few rabbit holes researching Shimano product hierarchy, pedal reviews, road vs mtb pedals, pedal float, etc.

I’m looking at more entry level (I assume entry level, means beginner competitive in this context). I’m leaning towards the Shimano PD-550 SPD-SL. I’ll have to get a pair of shoes too.

Hopefully, nothing else breaks on my bike. I’m thinking my next few bike related purchase will be to get a Power Meter, Trainer, and bike rack so I don’t have to put my rear seats down to fit my bike in the back.

I don’t even know what pedal series I have. Pretty entry level (not 105+). I was going to swap my old pedals to my new bike. Went into REI for some new yellow cleats and they had a set that had both pedals and cleats for roughly what the cleats cost. I’ve had them for a few years and they have been problem free. You can pop out the spacer on the pedal and replace when you get new cleats and they are like new. Same thing with the shoes. The heal pads on the Sidi’s are replaceable.

I know nothing about you and your biking - I’d personally skip the power meter and hold off the trainer for the fall & get a decent GPS with a speed / cadence sensor.

[lacrosse_boy]

Did a 20km road ride this morning on the new checkpoint. Defs gonna need to get properly fitted. Anybody have problems with numbness in the hands when riding? Fixes?

[skier!]

Im a 5'10 with a 30" inseam..should be 54cm yea? Also what are some good entry level road bikes for around the $500 range?

might just fork out the dough and get this
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...-al-2/p/23522/

I wouldn't spend 860 on that, you are better off going used.

8 speeds and 22 lbs for a 56 cm bike. Wow

[Slie]

Obviously on a mountain bike with a tube you risk pinch flats, so I pumped it to 30psi because I did not want to just give up and go home.

I run dh tires and dh tubes (pretty sure the tubes weigh a pound each) and never had a pinch flat at 20-30psi. Though I have put sticks/pointy rocks directly through the tire a couple of times.

Wish I had that kind of elevation here. I have to drive several hours to a bike park that only has 700 feet!

[camaleom]

Buy a bike and a decent smart trainer. Best of both worlds. Although that can come in handy as a good clothes hanger when the novelty wears off.

this... a good smart trainer is 500-1k and ANY cheap bike will work on it.

I have a Cyclops trainer with an old trek on it - The trek has seen the road a few times when for whatever reason my road bike is at the shop for major repairs or upgrades.

[WaittWhatt]

Used to MTB a lot a few years ago. Got a couple old bikes in the garage, a Bianchi commuter and a Kona MTB but they aren't in running order.

I wan't to get back into biking but on the road.

What's a price range I should be looking at for a used road bike?

What are some things I should look for? Aluminum frame? I see bikes going for 5-800 on craigslist.

[Coldsloth]

do any of you ride spin bikes at home? I've been debating buying one. do you think most spin bikes you see in commercial gyms are chain driven or belt driven? I was told belt driven bikes take away that road feel, but I really like the road feel. was thinking about buying this for $1100:

I ordered one of the echelon bikes this weekend (it’s the mid range model, ex3 I think, $999) I would have gone the smart trainer route but my wife doesn’t cycle. Was really torn between it and the peloton and the peloton really just didn’t seem to be worth the extra $$$.

[VegasLifter26]

I wouldn't spend 860 on that, you are better off going used.

8 speeds and 22 lbs for a 56 cm bike. Wow

what models/and or specifications should i look for? Also, as far as flat bar how are these?
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sirrus-x-3-0/p/171177
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/toughroad-slr-2

[Cudabrah]

Regular ol spd-l works fine for me. Would like to try speed play for the dual sided entry, but the Shimanos just work with zero maintenance or hassle. One less thing to mess with.

Speedplay brah checking in.

On my very old steel road bike, I had always used Shimano style pedals. When I upgraded to my Ridley ~5 years ago, I got speedplays. The only maintenance I have done is to grease them every few months. It is also worth keeping the cleats on the the shoes cleaned out. I'll get several years out of the cleats. I bought a Bianchi last year and put the Speedplays on there as well. No problems with any of them.

I use the X-series which (I believe) are getting phased out.

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

Did a 20km road ride this morning on the new checkpoint. Defs gonna need to get properly fitted. Anybody have problems with numbness in the hands when riding? Fixes?

Lots of variables. Mostly just rider technique probably. I had this issue starting out so I had to be more conscious of weight distribution on my hands while riding, that seemed to fix it, and I haven't had the issue since.

I run dh tires and dh tubes (pretty sure the tubes weigh a pound each) and never had a pinch flat at 20-30psi. Though I have put sticks/pointy rocks directly through the tire a couple of times.

Wish I had that kind of elevation here. I have to drive several hours to a bike park that only has 700 feet!

Fuark. I've dinged so many rims I've lost count. the rocky desert doesn't take too kindly to our rims. Just bent a rim back into shape in my vice clamp yesterday.

[doughnutgut]

Did a 20km road ride this morning on the new checkpoint. Defs gonna need to get properly fitted. Anybody have problems with numbness in the hands when riding? Fixes?

Don’t stiffen up when riding. I used to grip tight and seem to tuck my shoulders in when I first started riding. Like setting up for bench lol. It made for the most uncomfortable feeling ever after half hour or so.

Every few mins or so try and hold the bars at different positions. Gives your hands a rest. I tend to get rear neck stiffness as I become a potato and keep my head in the same place.

Soon as I feel it I then start positioning myself differently at regular intervals.

If you are comfortable and you have done the heel to bottom pedal with a straight leg while sitting. You should pretty much be good to go. Knee pain or shoulder, lower back pain. Different altogether. Then look into a fit.

Just my opinion. YMMV


Edit. Browsin beat me to it.

[dopamine72]

Had a flat tire on Friday at the very beginning of the ride. Went back to the car (while riding a 100% flat tire with cushcore lol) and put a tube in.
Obviously on a mountain bike with a tube you risk pinch flats, so I pumped it to 30psi because I did not want to just give up and go home. @ 30psi that thing ROLLED. After I re-lace the wheel and get the single speed back running again, I'm curious to see how much faster I go with, say, 27 psi. I've been running 22-24 on the back of that bike for a long time now, so it should be interesting. It's bouncy, but fast.
From last weekend. @ 8,000 feet. Hnnnngggggg
[img]https://i.imgur.com/pTFrNom.jpg/img]

Mirin pic

I prefer highest possible PSI so I can go the fastest. It definitely creates more bounciness and vibration but well worth it.

[Slie]

Fuark. I've dinged so many rims I've lost count. the rocky desert doesn't take too kindly to our rims. Just bent a rim back into shape in my vice clamp yesterday.

Nice, I've read that's the preferred method over truing. My trails are mostly dirt/roots. Not a lot of rocks in my area to smash rims off of outside of the bike park. I'm surprised I haven't had any badly warped rims yet though. I've broken several rear spokes from casing 40 foot gaps but I think I've only trued my rear rim once in 5 years. Never trued my front rim.