Support NeoGAF

[jakonovski]

It's been a hell of a winter here. First it was super cold so your brakes acted weird and derailleur cables shrunk, pulling the chain off the sprockets on low gear. Lots of snow too so even normal bike paths become trails. Then it all starts melting overnight, and now it's like riding in mud until the icy slush is gone.

 

[HTupolev]

and derailleur cables shrunk, pulling the chain off the sprockets on low gear.

Have you checked the high gear limit screw on the rear derailleur?

 

[jakonovski]

Yeah, it was out of whack. But I still think it was due to the cold, had no problems beforehand and didn't bash the bike anywhere.

 

[Jasup]

Yeah, it was out of whack. But I still think it was due to the cold, had no problems beforehand and didn't bash the bike anywhere.

It's most probably the cold weather we had. My basic rule of thumb is that the colder it gets the less gears I have at my disposal. It usually starts when you go below -15C, at -30C I tend to use only two or three gears - I'd probably have more if I maintained my bike better, but I'm too lazy for that.

 

[jakonovski]

Indeed, my current theory is that the negative thermal expansion loosened the L screw so together with the tighter cable it made the chain drop.

But at least the fork seals didn't fail, the local bike forums were full of people whose full sussers just collapsed.

 

[wesleyshark]

I've been using an indoor trainer due to shite weather but couldn't resist taking some snowpocalypse photos the other day haha.

Aventon Mataro frame.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I tried out Zwift last night and while I like the structure of TrainerRoad better, it's pretty good if you just need to "ride" on the trainer.

 

[teepo]

I tried out Zwift last night and while I like the structure of TrainerRoad better, it's pretty good if you just need to "ride" on the trainer.

if you have a multi monitor setup and more than one ant+ dongle, you could run them simultaneously.

 

[HTupolev]

You can use a third monitor to loop Greg Lemond's 1989 TDF ITT, as a constant reminder that you're not going fast enough

Spoiler

because your bike isn't red

.

 

[teepo]

my third monitor is dedicated to bball and seinfeld reruns

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

if you have a multi monitor setup and more than one ant+ dongle, you could run them simultaneously.

Zwift has workouts, but I hadn't ridden in two-weeks so I just wanted to ride on the trainer. My readings were super inconsistent for some reason and it had me at 20mph but down to 130w. It was really really weird. It looks like thing normalized more once it was on Strava, but it was just in live readings. I will say the mental aspect of hitting a hill and your speed slowing down definitely gets you to kick it up a bit. I thought I was just going to sit back and rest on my laurels, but nope.

Now I want a Tacx or Kickr, ha

 

[ngower]

Hey bike-GAF. I'm planning my first tour--a charity ride in memory of a cousin who recently lost his battled with heroin addiction. I wanted to do Boston to DC but I don't have the vacation time for that, so doing Boston to New York instead. I wonder if anyone here has done this leg before and can help me out with a few questions?

 

[Mascot]

Damn. Kelly McGarry has died, doing what he loved. RIP.

http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/kelly-mcgarry-has-died-after-collapsing-on-a-queenstown-trail-337711

His runs at Rampage were the stuff of legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x76VEPXYaI0

 

[Psychotext]

If I get to choose a way to go, out on my bike will be it.

 

[Mascot]

If I get to choose a way to go, out on my bike will be it.

Reminds me of the Bob Monkhouse classic:

I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep.

Not screaming and terrified, like his passengers.

 

[Mascot]

The law is an ass. This we know.

hit and run thread

 

[Psychotext]

Yup, ridiculous.

 

[Mascot]

Bike doping, lol.

Cheating roadie mofos.

 

[Psychotext]

Mudroadies technically in this case.

 

[Mascot]

Mudroadies technically in this case.

Spandex and drop handlebars = roadies in my book, no matter how dirty their fingernails might get while occasionally veering off the tarmac.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Spandex and drop handlebars = roadies in my book, no matter how dirty their fingernails might get while occasionally veering off the tarmac.

Rather hang with mudroadies than roadies. And I say this as someone who rides road 99% of the time.

 

[jakonovski]

So I have this dream of becoming a longroadie, ie. doing some light touring. Any suggestions on what kind of cargo carrying shit to bolt onto my bike? I kinda wanna buy one of everything and try it out, but it gets too expensive.

 

[Psychotext]

These days I'd say don't do panniers. I do a fair bit of bikepacking on my mountain bike and most people I see are using this sort of stuff:

Loads more here: http://www.cyclingabout.com/complete-list-of-bikepacking-bag-manufacturers/

(Will mostly be mountain bike examples, but trust me, they're better on a road bike too as they don't weigh a ridiculous amount)

 

[HTupolev]

For ultralight touring, bikepacking bags are probably the way to go.

If capacity starts to become unweildy/challenging/whatever (at which point your touring can no longer be said to be "light"), add a rear rack and panniers, but make sure to counterbalance rear weight with weight on/above the fork, and keep in mind that if your chainstays aren't very long, you'll need to pick panniers carefully to avoid heel strike.

 

[jakonovski]

Wow, I'm glad I asked, there seems to be a whole lot of small manufacturers of bikepacking stuff. Thanks!

I think I won't be needing a rack after all, as I'm not above staying at hotels and guest houses and washing my kit. Not into sleeping in the mud.

 

[Psychotext]

Credit card touring.

 

[robox]

These days I'd say don't do panniers. I do a fair bit of bikepacking on my mountain bike and most people I see are using this sort of stuff:

I've seen the mega saddle bags explode in popularity, almost instantaneously replacing paniers. what's the reason behind the shift??

 

[jakonovski]

Credit card touring.

That sounds so dirty.

 

[HTupolev]

I've seen the mega saddle bags explode in popularity, almost instantaneously replacing paniers. what's the reason behind the shift??

Racks+panniers are still relevant as ever in the use cases that actually made sense, such as heavy road touring.
They make a bike bulkier and aren't really necessary for ultralight touring, though. Also, some people without rack mount braze-ons have an irrational deathly fear of p-clips.

What's especially led to the rise of bikepacking bags is, well, trail bikepacking. Bikepacking bags keep the load narrower and the weight more centered on the bike, which is helpful if you're doing anything that's even pretending to be technical.

 

[Mascot]

Shit. Just heard about Dave Mirra. Damn.

 

[Psychotext]

Racks+panniers are still relevant as ever in the use cases that actually made sense, such as heavy road touring.
They make a bike bulkier and aren't really necessary for ultralight touring, though. Also, some people without rack mount braze-ons have an irrational deathly fear of p-clips.

What's especially led to the rise of bikepacking bags is, well, trail bikepacking. Bikepacking bags keep the load narrower and the weight more centered on the bike, which is helpful if you're doing anything that's even pretending to be technical.

Thing is, with technology being what it is, you can do massive trips, in complete comfort, without having to rely on bolting ridiculously heavy bits to your bike.

You have to be willing to spend some cash though.

/strokes ridiculously expensive sleeping gear

 

[HTupolev]

Thing is, with technology being what it is, you can do massive trips, in complete comfort, without having to rely on bolting ridiculously heavy bits to your bike.

When my car was stolen in october, I attached a rack to my mountain bike so that I could use it as a groceries-capable commuter. The cheap $40 rack, rated for a 55lb load, weighs under 2lbs including struts and bolts.

If I was willing to spend several times as much, there are some fairly fancy racks that are more durable than mine and weigh well under 1lb.

And panniers certainly don't have to add weight versus frame bags; for comparable carrying capacity, their less dimensionally-constricting location if anything allows them to be designed lighter.

 

[Psychotext]

Not sure I'd really agree with that, mostly as the (three) bags I've got (combined) weigh less than your panniers alone.

Admittedly they're not completely waterproof, but that's easily fixed with an ultralightweight drybag.

Edit - I could probably do something with the seams, but they'd need re-doing regularly.

 

[HTupolev]

Not sure I'd really agree with that, mostly as the (three) bags I've got (combined) weigh less than your panniers alone.

I'm not saying the overall assembly would weigh less, just that by choosing a rack you don't have to add more weight relative to frame bags than the rack itself (since panniers aren't heavier than comparable frame bags), which can be pretty negligible on a loaded bike.
Mostly I just disagree with your "ridiculously heavy" description.

Although, I wonder if it might start to turn around as the loads get bigger. Decent lightweight waterproof rear pannier sets in the 30L range can weigh not much over 1lb.
For small loads the overhead of having a rack will definitely make for a heavier bike.

 

[Psychotext]

Couldn't say really, I know that my front bag is about 25l, saddle bag is 12l, and my frame bag is another 5l on top of that. I'm sure people carry more, but the weight of the actual stuff at that point would be horrific I've doubled the weight of my (mountain) bike with gear before now and it was not a pleasant experience.

Wouldn't be surprised if people end up tripling their road bike weight.

 

[HTupolev]

I'm sure people carry more, but the weight of the actual stuff at that point would be horrific I've doubled the weight of my (mountain) bike with gear before now and it was not a pleasant experience.

Presumably part of the difference is that you're riding trails. On the road, a heavily-loaded bike will accelerate poorly, but as long as you're counterbalancing the rear weight with some in front it should be a completely smooth and stable experience, albeit one with slow cornering.

Wouldn't be surprised if people end up tripling their road bike weight.

Yes, including people whose road bikes are heavier than a lot of mountain bikes. D:

Take a look at the specs on the Long Haul Trucker. MTB mech with a huge cage, and a granny of around 20 gear inches if you get the 26er version. It's not unheard of for those bikes to weigh 70+ pounds with their full touring load.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

So I have this dream of becoming a longroadie, ie. doing some light touring. Any suggestions on what kind of cargo carrying shit to bolt onto my bike? I kinda wanna buy one of everything and try it out, but it gets too expensive.

What's your bike to start with? I'm looking at a salsa vaya right now because I have a Lemond road bike and it's certainly not the right thing for a tour.

I'm planning to go from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA this summer, I got a tent, sleeping mat, and some cooking stuff to get ready for it.

 

[jakonovski]

I was thinking about using my Kona Jake because it has rack mounts both front and rear, as well as tyre clearance for gravel. But those bikepacking bags seem good enough so I could really use any old bike.

 

[Laekon]

I was thinking about using my Kona Jake because it has rack mounts both front and rear, as well as tyre clearance for gravel. But those bikepacking bags seem good enough so I could really use any old bike.

That is a great bike for touring. Depending on your tire selection you can go almost anywhere. I'm a big fan of JANDD. Not the coolest company but they have been making great quality stuff for years.

Was back out on the mtn bike today and it was hot. Garmin measured 86 and my car 83. Was riding a bike way out of my price range but it was really fast.

 

[HTupolev]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/videos/news/watch-riders-blown-over-by-strong-winds-race-abandoned

 

[Psychotext]

lol, the hill at 3m 40s.

 

[Mascot]

I thought at gif was showing somebody accidentally engaging their motorised real wheel before they'd mounted the bike.

 

[Psychotext]

I thought it was bikefighting, like something out of Torque.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1YV2T-4wgs

 

[Jasup]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/videos/news/watch-riders-blown-over-by-strong-winds-race-abandoned

As is usual, whenever I see people cycling in strong winds or during storms, they usually have huge grins on their faces.

This applies to some other adverse weather conditions too. I never talk and laugh with strangers as much as on a bike during snowstorms.

 

[Jasup]

Something a bit more mundane now.

I heard there was a new(ish) comic book store in the city, and they had a reprint of a Valerian comic I didn't have in my collection. So off I went. And as it was such a lovely day I decided to take some pictures along the way.

One of the main cycle routes from the northern suburbs to the city centre. The road is behind the trees on the left and the suburbs are behind the trees on the right.

A short stretch through a light industrial area. The road and cycleway are separated with a kerb. There was a week long thaw period with rain, so the snow got wet and clumpy. After the pahts are cleared, some of those clumps fall back to the path.

Nearer to the centre, under the railroad and a busy street.

Entering the city centre over the river delta.

Outside the comic store.

On the way back I stopped at my local supermarket. It gave me an opportunity to take the all important bike shot.

I should really learn to keep my cellphone level.

 

[Psychotext]

Purdy.

 

[jakonovski]

So much snow! Here in the south it's just miserable grey and darkness.

 

[Jasup]

So much snow! Here in the south it's just miserable grey and darkness.

It was miserable up here too for almost a week, warm and rainy. Luckily the snow didn't melt completely, however the cyclepaths did get very icy. Luckily the city's maintenance crews put a hefty amount of gravel on them, so riding was manageable.

Anyway, when it comes to winter cycling, having long periods with below freezing temperatures and snow is ideal. It's very easy to maintain perfect cycling conditions.

 

[jakonovski]

Totes. Temperatures are supposed to fall on Tuesday again, and I can't wait. Trails should be hardened and in perfect condition.

In other news, I've commenced Operation Tubeless. I can't wait to spill sealant all over the place. And latex inner tubes for the hardtail with non-tubeless tyres and rims.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

It's about 10(F) degrees here (-12C) and no way you could pay me to go out in this. I haven't been out since maybe November(?) and don't plan on being outside again until it's back in the 50s regularly.