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Bicycle age

J

jakonovski

Member
Went on a short & relaxed ride to test the camera. Video came out great once I got the camera to stay put. But my throat definitely didn't like the cold air.

To recuperate, I decided to spend the night vicariously browsing cool single speed bikes. Current favourite is the Commencal Acid.
 
M

Mascot

Member
jakonovski said:
To recuperate, I decided to spend the night vicariously browsing cool single speed bikes. Current favourite is the Commencal Acid.
Click to expand...

Remind me again what the attraction of fixies is. I can't really fathom it.
If Jimmy Savile's ghost lost his thumbs in a bizarre cigar-clipping accident and had to move to Holland to recuperate then the fixie seems the ideal bicycle. But why would fully-thumbed cyclists in hilly areas ever consider one? Are they just for the retro-chic hipster crowd cruising SoBe?
 
J

jakonovski

Member
I don't really understand it either. I'm going to try it out eventually because all the singlespeeds come with flip flop hubs these days.

The Commencal just looks super cool. I'd only add drop bars and knobby tires.
 
T

thomaser

Member
What do you guys do for a daily winter cleaning routine? Hose down, wipe off, use degreaser on moving things and then lube? The roads are covered with salt, and it gets everywhere.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
There's so much snow right now that my bike is pristine after every ride just slightly moist. In filthier conditions I pour a couple of buckets of hot water over it after a ride, then every couple of weeks I do a proper scrubbing with dishwashing liquid and a sponge. It's probably too little, but eh...
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
Weekly: I take a brush to my tires and wheels to get the grime off and I scrub the chain and relube it for the same reasons. I ride a fair distance to and from work so it's a lot to get off sometimes, especially when it's pouring out.
 
T

thomaser

Member
16115327046_96cd8f4e60_z.jpg


This feels weird. Stupid bike, you're not supposed to be in the kitchen.

Spent a couple of hours shining up the bike since I don't want sand and dirt to spray everywhere in my apartment. Got everything super-shiny, even the wheels. But then I was stupid enough to degrease and relube the chain, and now oil is getting everywhere. I think most of it is clean and dry now, but I have to go over once more with rubbing alcohol or something before actually trying the thing.

Don't have a computer in the kitchen, so I can't use all the features. Might have to move it into the bedroom.

BTW, I used a trick I saw on youtube to get the tires clean. Just spray kitchen cleaner on a rag and rub it on the tire and rims. Works like a charm!
 
J

jakonovski

Member
Man, I had no idea setting up for a trainer was that involved. Guess it makes sense, I would've splattered everything and noticed only afterwards.

----

Flu is being a bastard so it's more vicarious browsing for me.

I sent an email to Commencal, and the funny looking Acid can't fit anything beyond 28c tires. Meh. New fave is Vitus Dee 260. A rigid 26" singlespeed with semi slicks for pootling around town. Having missed the 26" mtb era completely, this one fascinates me.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
I'm not nearly fashionable enough for all that fixie bollocks.

Edit - They say they keep the style clean, but with brakes... and then they don't show the brakes on the actual image of the bike. Dicks.

Edit 2 - That weighs as much as my suspension equipped, 27 gear, disk brake shod mountain bike... what the hell?
 
J

jakonovski

Member
It's steel and costs under 500€, so it's going to be on the heavy side.

Although I think you're really just bragging about your 10kg carbon wonder mtb. ;)
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Aluminium... sadly I've not found a carbon frame to use that I'm happy with yet.

It just has really high end components on it as I've upgraded it significantly over the years.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
That's a great weight for aluminium! Gives me hope that one day my Trek will be feather light. Although lately I've just been adding crap to it...
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
jakonovski said:
Since I'm posting alone, bored at work, here's my vicarious singlespeed of the day: Felt Brougham

I like how it comes with a front hub shiner. I'm really getting the urge to buy a third bike. Halp.
Click to expand...

It says brakes on that page twice but there are no brakes on the picture. How strange.

http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/hu91.htm
CARE AND FEEDING

BEFORE EACH RIDE ON ANY DAY WITH EVEN A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY OF RAIN, WARM THE SHINER TO 200F TO OPEN THE PORES. THEN GENTLY RUB IN 0.4 CUBIC CM OF OBENAUF'S LEATHER PRESERVATIVE. LET COOL, CHECK FOR GAPS, AND REPEAT IF NECESSARY.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a lot of work for something I can clean myself with a toothbrush and a rag.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Went for a dawn ride at FoD this morning. Minus 6°C. Wore shorts. I left my balls on the mountain.

Happy new year, Bike GAF.
 
W

Watevaman

Member
Went to the local singletrack place again since I'm at my parents' house for winter break, and while I found out that I'm way out of shape, I also was wondering if you guys could give some pointers. First off, I'm not sure if it's my tires or pressures or just my technique, but I was having trouble on certain spots going uphill with roots. I couldn't keep up speed because I was tired, but I also kept slipping my rear tire on the roots, even in the lowest gear. Is there a good technique for getting over roots that stick up a few inches on inclines, should I be throwing my weight forward or back or is it about speed?

Also wondering if you can give me tire recs or pressure for looser dirt. The tires on the bike right now look like they're made for harder packed dirt than this track is. I was also going by the "Inflate to at least" guideline on the sidewall and had them at 40 psi, which may have helped on the smooth downhills, but was a pain on the sections that were rocky and rooty.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
IMB has some great videos, one is all about them roots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8mPIxfqFFc

edit: not sure that one had climbing in it, so try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYPx0PSrGMI

Personally, I forget all those lessons and also find that roots suck. Mostly I just somehow swing my centre of mass so a weighted tire doesn't have to climb over a root. Which requires you to keep up momentum, and being very often tired on uphills, I just end up having to stop. For loss of traction on roots I find the worst thing is when you fail to anticipate it.

As far as gear choice goes, that's an art form in itself. You have to choose a gear that's neither too low or too high, and that for me requires riding the same spot many times.

Pressure is a mystery to me as well, especially since I've lost quite a bit of weight in the last 4 months, so the ideal pressure keeps changing.
 
T

thomaser

Member
Mascot said:
Went for a dawn ride at FoD this morning. Minus 6°C. Wore shorts. I left my balls on the mountain.

Happy new year, Bike GAF.
Click to expand...

I went for a last ride of the year as well. Tried to go over a small mountain, but the road was clear only on one side. Had to turn and go back when I reached the top, since the road was buried in snow the rest of the way.

Fun thing is, no matter where I go, no matter how dark it is, or how wet or late or remote it is, I ALWAYS meet at least one other cyclist. Cycling has become much more popular around here in just a few years. With some luck, it might eventually result in more cycle-friendly infrastructure...

Happy new year, everyone! Let's hope the new year will bring us even steeper inclines.
 
L

Laekon

Member
Watevaman said:
Went to the local singletrack place again since I'm at my parents' house for winter break, and while I found out that I'm way out of shape, I also was wondering if you guys could give some pointers. First off, I'm not sure if it's my tires or pressures or just my technique, but I was having trouble on certain spots going uphill with roots. I couldn't keep up speed because I was tired, but I also kept slipping my rear tire on the roots, even in the lowest gear. Is there a good technique for getting over roots that stick up a few inches on inclines, should I be throwing my weight forward or back or is it about speed?

Also wondering if you can give me tire recs or pressure for looser dirt. The tires on the bike right now look like they're made for harder packed dirt than this track is. I was also going by the "Inflate to at least" guideline on the sidewall and had them at 40 psi, which may have helped on the smooth downhills, but was a pain on the sections that were rocky and rooty.
Click to expand...

Roots, especially if they are wet, are probably the hardest thing to ride over. All you can really do is play around with shifting your weight and the angle you hit them. When you feel your back tire touch it try forcing the bike forward with your arms. Gives a little extra momentum and helps unweight the tire. Depending on how rocky the area is you can go down to the low 30's for tire pressure. You just end up playing a game of more traction vs more flats.
 
T

thomaser

Member
Had my first session on the trainer today. Downloaded this film, from the Corsican west coast. It was a nice way to train. The climbs are not as hard as in real life, since my trainer can only simulate climbs up to 7% (there's a much more expensive version that can handle climbs up to 20%). But it cannot simulate descents, so they become much harder than in real life, since you have to pedal all the way through them. The wheel kept losing traction on the motor brake in the beginning until I tightened the connection between them.

A good exercise, left me drenched in sweat even though all my windows and doors were open in near zero degrees. But I have a suspicion that a very simple, non-digital trainer might actually give a better, more realistic exercise. You don't get to cycle along with films or in virtual environments on those, though.
 
J

jakonovski

Member
I caved in and bought Charge Plug 2 from Wiggle's sale, it was just too good to pass up. From mountain biker to jimmy to fixie hipster!
 
Quote

Quote

Member
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a bike?

I'm going to California for 3 months and I would like to bring my bike but I'm a little worried how the bag people will treat it. I think I'd be a little less worried if it was a 1-stop flight but I haven't gotten my flight details yet.

The other option is shipping my bike but that also sounds like a nightmare.

Or I can buy a bike out there and have a stipulation in the purchase to have the shop ship it back to my home when my trip is over. That was my original plan but I have a Niner RIP 9 RDO and not bringing that to California trails feels like blasphemy.
 
C

Choppasmith

Member
Hey Bike GAF. I haven't had much time for leisurely bike rides lately due to my work schedule, but I still commute to work and was wondering if there were any good headphone solutions for listening to music?

Quote said:
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a bike?

I'm going to California for 3 months and I would like to bring my bike but I'm a little worried how the bag people will treat it. I think I'd be a little less worried if it was a 1-stop flight but I haven't gotten my flight details yet.

The other option is shipping my bike but that also sounds like a nightmare.

Or I can buy a bike out there and have a stipulation in the purchase to have the shop ship it back to my home when my trip is over. That was my original plan but I have a Niner RIP 9 RDO and not bringing that to California trails feels like blasphemy.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat, I'm thinking of buying a new bike from my local shop and then shipping it to my mom's place in New Zealand. Dismantling a bike and trying to take it with you on the plane seems like a hassle.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
Local shops can usually loan/rent you a hard case for your bike. Call your airline and tell them you are flying to ride in a charity event. I have gotten them to waive the oversize luggage fee on most occasions by saying this.


Also:I just knocked off my first metric century ride in years this morning on freezing cold rain. I feel damn good. :)
 
Quote

Quote

Member
Choppasmith said:
Hey Bike GAF. I haven't had much time for leisurely bike rides lately due to my work schedule, but I still commute to work and was wondering if there were any good headphone solutions for listening to music?
Click to expand...
I bought these just to try and now I use them for everything now. They're awessome because you can still hear around you and listen to music. They fit fine with road bike helmets too.
http://www.aftershokz.com/product/bluez-2/
 
L

Laekon

Member
Quote said:
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a bike?

I'm going to California for 3 months and I would like to bring my bike but I'm a little worried how the bag people will treat it. I think I'd be a little less worried if it was a 1-stop flight but I haven't gotten my flight details yet.

The other option is shipping my bike but that also sounds like a nightmare.

Or I can buy a bike out there and have a stipulation in the purchase to have the shop ship it back to my home when my trip is over. That was my original plan but I have a Niner RIP 9 RDO and not bringing that to California trails feels like blasphemy.
Click to expand...

They shop I use to work at rented cases but you don't have a way to return it quickly. From experience soft sided cases get damaged less. The only thing we could think of is the airport people felt fine putting hard cases on their side and stacking stuff on top.

Most US airlines will try to charge you. It's a big thing in the cycling industry that golf clubs can fly free but not bikes. Some cases hide the shape and people try to say they are wheel chairs to get around the fee.

For 3 months though I would say ship it to a local shop. Gets you introduced to people that know the best places to ride and maybe people to ride with. There will be a boxing and assembly charge(almost a mini tune up normally) at each end plus the UPS fee. I would pay for insurance because they only cover $100 without it. It's normally something like $0.10 for each $100 of value but I haven't done it in years.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
Choppasmith said:
Hey Bike GAF. I haven't had much time for leisurely bike rides lately due to my work schedule, but I still commute to work and was wondering if there were any good headphone solutions for listening to music?
Click to expand...

I have to caution against riding with headphones. If anything, get a small bluetooth speaker and put it in a bag on your bike.
 
M

Mascot

Member
outunderthestars said:
I have to caution against riding with headphones. If anything, get a small bluetooth speaker and put it in a bag on your bike.
Click to expand...

I'd never listen to music through headphones while cycling but I have got 7GB of Ricky Gervais podcasts that I'm ploughing through while out on endurance rides. Earbuds are fine if held in place with an under-helmet winter skull cap but keep falling out when it's warmer, so I'm also looking for a good headphone solution.

Any suggestions?
 
J

jakonovski

Member
I can't listen to anything while riding, it would make me terrified of crashing.

Froze my arse off today, or more specifically my toes. Was excellent though, the flu is gone for good now. Someone was baking rolls in a house I rode past. Made me so hungry.

edit: how about ear clip headphones?
 
M

Mascot

Member
Started looking at full-sussers again. I guess it's inevitable.
650b seems the way to go. Don't fancy a 29er.
Any good deals about sub-£2k?
 
J

jakonovski

Member
Other than the big UK online retailers that are having a sale right now, why not try...

Canyon strikes me as really good bang for buck when discounted, but it's German mail order and thus boring.

Commencal has some sweet outlet deals and they have excellent fluoro colours too. But I don't know if French mail order is to be trusted.
 
T

thomaser

Member
Did the Corsica trainer-route again. Noticed a mound of black stuff on the floor afterwards. Rubber from the back tire. Maybe I should buy one of those blue trainer tires afterall.
 
C

Choppasmith

Member
Quote said:
I bought these just to try and now I use them for everything now. They're awessome because you can still hear around you and listen to music. They fit fine with road bike helmets too.
http://www.aftershokz.com/product/bluez-2/
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did a search after I made my post and found a review of these. I think I'll give it a try and report back.

outunderthestars said:
I have to caution against riding with headphones. If anything, get a small bluetooth speaker and put it in a bag on your bike.
Click to expand...

I don't want to say something fate provoking like "Oh I'll be fine" but I've gone on 30 mile rides with cheap ear buds before. I don't need the music super loud or anything. Hearing a good upbeat rhythm helps to keep me pedaling, and biking home from work on the quiet side streets has been depressingly dull lately. I need something to keep the mood pleasant.
 
davidnic

davidnic

Member
Personally I find headphones on the bike annoying, I only like listening to music on slow\ recovery rides and if have to ergo\ watt bike but I usually play music out of my speakers.
 
jts

jts

...hate me...
Quote said:
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a bike?

I'm going to California for 3 months and I would like to bring my bike but I'm a little worried how the bag people will treat it. I think I'd be a little less worried if it was a 1-stop flight but I haven't gotten my flight details yet.

The other option is shipping my bike but that also sounds like a nightmare.

Or I can buy a bike out there and have a stipulation in the purchase to have the shop ship it back to my home when my trip is over. That was my original plan but I have a Niner RIP 9 RDO and not bringing that to California trails feels like blasphemy.
Click to expand...
I have done it. Got a carton bike box, packed it as carefully as I could, then at the airport there was this service that wraps any baggage in a pink plastic wrap so I bought that, which probably gave it a bit more structure.

In the end it was fine, and it was a 2-stop flight. But of course YMMV. And my bike was not as valuable so I was not so worried anyway.
 
davidnic

davidnic

Member
Quote said:
Has anyone traveled on a plane with a bike?

I'm going to California for 3 months and I would like to bring my bike but I'm a little worried how the bag people will treat it. I think I'd be a little less worried if it was a 1-stop flight but I haven't gotten my flight details yet.

The other option is shipping my bike but that also sounds like a nightmare.

Or I can buy a bike out there and have a stipulation in the purchase to have the shop ship it back to my home when my trip is over. That was my original plan but I have a Niner RIP 9 RDO and not bringing that to California trails feels like blasphemy.
Click to expand...

I travelled a lot overseas racing Track and Road, I just get cardboard boxes from the Airport cause we have weight limit of every item we take and plus if somebody is overweight there drip into somebody else's that is underweight so we try to pack a light as possible. Personally I haven't had a bike damage yet, but a couple of my mates had frames broke and scratched.

Suppose it a risk we all take when travelling
 
M

Mascot

Member
jakonovski said:
Other than the big UK online retailers that are having a sale right now, why not try...

Canyon strikes me as really good bang for buck when discounted, but it's German mail order and thus boring.

Commencal has some sweet outlet deals and they have excellent fluoro colours too. But I don't know if French mail order is to be trusted.
Click to expand...

Psychotext said:
My nephew bought a Canyon Nerve full susser. It's awesome.

http://www.canyon.com/en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3570

I'd say one of those for what you want to pay. No question. Though you may be lucky and find a higher end 2014 bike in the sales for around what you want. I've found bike discounts to be a bit shit though.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough I was already looking at Canyons. They seem really good value and apparently the frames came out really well in laboratory stiffness testing. There are also some really good deals on a few 2014 Nukeproof bikes but the one I fancied was only a ten speed which would make climbing a bit of a chore. Can't be arsed with changing components.
 
olore

olore

Member
Can fully endorse Canyons, I´ve visited their HQ in Germany and they are passionate people. The bikes are simply awesome value. I too thought of them as boring, but when you start too read up on them and drill into it, their offerings are simply astounding value.. And I honestly think the bikes are cool and look cool. Had an Ultimate CF SLX and it was the stiffest, most comfortable bike I´ve ever had. Rose is a solid brand too, in fact, my next roadbike will be a Rose CDX 3100, hydraulic disc brakes and Ultegra Di2 electronic derailleurs.
 
M

Mascot

Member
olore said:
Can fully endorse Canyons, I´ve visited their HQ in Germany and they are passionate people. The bikes are simply awesome value. I too thought of them as boring, but when you start too read up on them and drill into it, their offerings are simply astounding value.. And I honestly think the bikes are cool and look cool. Had an Ultimate CF SLX and it was the stiffest, most comfortable bike I´ve ever had. Rose is a solid brand too, in fact, my next roadbike will be a Rose CDX 3100, hydraulic disc brakes and Ultegra Di2 electronic derailleurs.
Click to expand...

Good to hear. The one PT linked to is a great-looking machine with a very good spec.

nerve-al-8_c1008.png
Click to expand...

Weirdly it only got 3.5/5 in the only online review I could find.

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension/product/review-canyon-nerve-al-8-0-14-48038/
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Funny thing is, if you read the review they don't mark it down on anything other than the fact that it's not available at your LBS and that the brakes aren't their favourites.

It's a monster bike for cross country. If you're heading for more gravity fuelled fun you might want to look elsewhere though.
 
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