• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Bicycle age

It's neatly hidden according to the reviews. See:

shimano-105-groupset-2017.jpg



I know little about mudguards though and what would work with that. I just use the SKS Raceblades.
 
My priority is coverage and compatibility. I basically want the most/best coverage out of whatever is compatible. So if the Raceblades are just as good as the mounted ones, I might as well go with them, eh?
 
Thanks, but a lot of reviews mention that it does indeed have mounting points:

https://www.google.com/search?q=gia...i60j35i39j0.3407j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I too could not spot any mounting points on that frame from the product shots in those reviews. =/

So I've spotted a mount by the rear derailleur, its just hidden due to the colour, the front mount is likely on the back of the frame remembering my Rapid and had some really stupid mounts...

I'm guessing the same is true of the contend as theres a set of guards for it...

*only for Rim brakes
 
Tubeless problems sorted for now, and got out for three rides this weekend. So glad prime trail season is finally here.

Nice changes on the local trails too... a couple new kickers and some new obstacles and lines throughout the Don.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb and say no mud guard mounts on that beast.

You are correct. I do have mud guards on my winter bike, Flinger F35's if I remember rightly. If I had to put mudguards on the 'dale (Not that I would) I'd opt for the SKS Raceblade Long's ... greater coverage for if u ride in a group, easy to install & remove too. Crud Roadracer mk3 seem to be good too, I know a few folk who use them, but they don't provide as much coverage to the rear however they do provide protection for the lower headset bearing as the SKS splits around the brake/forks.
 
Yesterday, I rode NF-26 (Suiattle River Road). As the name implies, it's a road managed by the National Forest service, running up the Suiattle river valley deep into the Cascade mountains.

At first, it is paved.

tLWvEwm.jpg


Ten miles in, there's a bridge to forest road NF-25 on the south side of the river. There's something I need to visit across that bridge, having to do with my tires, but this was not the right day. The sun needs more time to work its magic.

Much of NF-26 is surrounded by trees, but you can often see the foothills through them, and in places it opens up.

5LdNEJ2.jpg


At the end of NF-26 is Sulphur Creek Campground. But I only got within four miles of that. Instead, I took a left turn, up Green Mountain Road. It's a 2200-foot climb with an average gradient of around 8% and a pretty gnarly surface for something calling itself a "road."
It turned out to be a fairly tough hill. The combination of looseness and grade made it very difficult to hop out of the saddle, so it was hard to keep my core from feeling stiff.

The view at the top is nice. You can see the Suiattle flowing toward you, far below.

NCShPnn.jpg


From here, I retraced my steps and rode back.

...The most daunting thing about the climb was knowing that I'd have to come back down, heheh.

Green Mountain Road is consistently pretty, though:

OK6pQHr.jpg


And finally, another photo of the gravel section of NF-26:

WTjfF40.jpg
 
Need a saddle width sanity check for those whom may now

I have three saddles I've tried and swapped between as I try to find the right balance:
Fizik Aliante (143mm)
Fabric Scoop (142mm)
Brooks C15 (140mm)

Both the Scoop & C15 require me to be sitting perfectly, with more often than not some sharp discomfort right under me bum. (Whats weird is the Fabric Scoop on my mountain bike is perfect, but that's probably do the saddle to bar drop.) The Aliante has been what I always go back to but I get numbing, but never consistently. Meaning I may go 10 rides without any discomfort, but then have 3 days of 10-15 minutes of discomfort/numbing.

I was thinking 140-142 may be too narrow and that's where the sharp pinching pain is coming from, however the sweep of the Aliante may be too much for my forward movement.

So yeah, safe to assume I need 143mm minimum? Was tempted to see if I could demo a Specialized Romin at 143 since it's matching width with a rear scoop, but straight nose & channel relief.
 
My bike pedals seem real cheap. Every time I put weight on them there's a kinda click I can hear and feel. What should I replace them with and how hard is it to replace?
 
My bike pedals seem real cheap. Every time I put weight on them there's a kinda click I can hear and feel. What should I replace them with and how hard is it to replace?
Are there are bolts around the outside of the pedal that secure a shoe-contacting surface to the pedal body, that might be loose?

So either I am superman or this powermeter is broken.
Superman would be going faster than 17km/h if he was pedaling at 650W. The most plausible explanation is that you're a giant.
 
Need a saddle width sanity check for those whom may now

Have you actually measured your ass? It's really easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7j9LUVJrjA

OR

Take a piece of aluminium kitchen foil and place it on a carpeted stair. Sit on the foil, lean forward a bit to approximate your riding position, then lift your feet. This should leave a good impression of your rear in the foil, and you can measure between the two points of deepest impression to get your sit bone width.
 
I did once and it came back 130, so 150 after +2cm, the range is 143-155 there.

I put foil on my bike seat and plopped my ass down. My depression was pretty center of the seat. I may just try the Romin because it has the rear scoop that I like on the fizik, but straight nose and center channel for relief.
 
That was a pretty disappointing first experience with a power meter! It's already on its way back to retailer. Did enjoy seeing 2500w coming out of my leg. Should have sprinted to just make it give some 5000w reading.
 
That was a pretty disappointing first experience with a power meter! It's already on its way back to retailer. Did enjoy seeing 2500w coming out of my leg. Should have sprinted to just make it give some 5000w reading.

Did you make sure firmware was updated and also zero calibrate it?
 
That is does. Rivendell? Whatever it is, it is beautiful and really well set up. :)
Rivendell is an interesting guess. I'm not sure if they ever used biplanes, but they've used deep fork crowns which give a comparable look. I'm also running Shimano bar-ends in friction mode, cheap Shimano derailleurs, plastic fenders, and laughably huge chainstays... Grant Petersen might approve, at least until noticing the fit.

It's a drop-bar conversion of a 1983 Specialized Stumpjumper.
 
Rivendell is an interesting guess. I'm not sure if they ever used biplanes, but they've used deep fork crowns which give a comparable look. I'm also running Shimano bar-ends in friction mode, cheap Shimano derailleurs, plastic fenders, and laughably huge chainstays... Grant Petersen might approve, at least until noticing the fit.

It's a drop-bar conversion of a 1983 Specialized Stumpjumper.

Wow. Nice conversion! :)
 
Need a saddle width sanity check for those whom may now

I have three saddles I've tried and swapped between as I try to find the right balance:
Fizik Aliante (143mm)
Fabric Scoop (142mm)
Brooks C15 (140mm)

Both the Scoop & C15 require me to be sitting perfectly, with more often than not some sharp discomfort right under me bum. (Whats weird is the Fabric Scoop on my mountain bike is perfect, but that's probably do the saddle to bar drop.)

The Scoop comes in different curves so are you sure you are have the same version?
 
Well damn. I am human. Just a really quick test around on zwift.
VCze2dF.png


Hats off to Hargroves Cycles and their really quick turnaround. They dispatched a new one with special delivery about 1 hour after the broken one was delivered back to them.
 
Was having a really nice ride this morning. Nice and sunny Sunday morning. Heading home and on the bike lane one of those ridiculous American motorbike thing comes and starts blowing its huge exhaust right into my face. That was nice.
 
Got out for a nice ride today. Trails were quite muddy in spots due to all the rain we've got here lately, so I didn't do my usual circuit. Took a friend into the trails for the first time on my spare bike... he loved it even though he wiped out a couple of times. It's always fun to introduce someone to this amazing sport.
 
Hey bike-age I'm new to the scene and have a few questions. So I'm planning on commuting to work via bike (only 3 miles all downhill then 3 miles back uphill). I was wondering if the Trek FX 2 would be a good bike for this. It's a bit pricey but it looks to have everything that I want. Also I'm going to purchase a U-lock and I know this is a stupid question but whats the safest way to lock it in? My work has one of these
outside and I figured the best way would be to put the u-lock through the frame+backwheel to the rack. Anyway thanks in advance. Can't wait to start getting in shape and not looking like a twig.
 
Hey bike-age I'm new to the scene and have a few questions. So I'm planning on commuting to work via bike (only 3 miles all downhill then 3 miles back uphill). I was wondering if the Trek FX 2 would be a good bike for this. It's a bit pricey but it looks to have everything that I want. Also I'm going to purchase a U-lock and I know this is a stupid question but whats the safest way to lock it in? My work has one of these

outside and I figured the best way would be to put the u-lock through the frame+backwheel to the rack. Anyway thanks in advance. Can't wait to start getting in shape and not looking like a twig.

Treks are solid bikes, so generally can't go wrong, I would recommend popping to the bike so and trying it though if just to get the right sizing for you.

As to the lock you got it ;)
132936_c2-webehsnl.jpg
 
Treks are solid bikes, so generally can't go wrong, I would recommend popping to the bike so and trying it though if just to get the right sizing for you.

As to the lock you got it ;)

Yea I'm heading to a bike store tomorrow to get a feel for the right size frame. Thanks a ton of the picture I'll get one of those chain thingies for my front wheel too. Never hurts to be too safe.
 
The specialized romin is pretty nice saddle. No numbness on 2-4 hour rides which is all im looking for mostly. I'm half tempted to give the 155 a go to see if it'll be a smidge more comfortable.

The only thing I need to figure out is why it feels like one side is hugging the saddle more. It feels like I'm shift to right, but I know that's kind of normal (per steve hoggs right side bias post). Just debating on trying to shift my cleats one way or the other to off set it.

Yea I'm heading to a bike store tomorrow to get a feel for the right size frame. Thanks a ton of the picture I'll get one of those chain thingies for my front wheel too. Never hurts to be too safe.

There is no perfect solution to keep your bike safe when locked up. The only thing you can do is make your bike look like the bigger pain in the ass to steal.
 
NVu192l.jpg


Did my longest solo ride today, still only about 26 miles, but dang it felt good. Could have gone another 10-20 easily. Well. So my brain kept insisting when I finished.
 
Bought a new bike on friday. 2016 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 with Ultegra DI2. It is soooo good. I installed my Reynolds wheels and my 4iii power meter.

4EEHD9s_d.jpg
 
Top Bottom