Psychotext
Member
lol, bought a stupidly expensive carbon cutting hacksaw blade for my new handlebars... and just realised that they're already the exact width I want them.
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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
Christoff Yurievich
Member
jakonovski
Member
Any tips on climbing a rocky hillside like this? I can make it for a few seconds, but then invariably my front tire gets stuck between rocks or I lose traction in the rear.
Darth Pinche
Member
Also make sure your tire pressure is not too high. That should help with your traction.
jakonovski
Member
No, the brake levers are not pointing down. 
jakonovski
Member
I was thinking of trying tubeless, being a heavy guy I can't really go below 2 bar in the rear with tubes.
That's one of those things I need to work on, I always get the urge to slow down at the sight of rocks. I've learned to let the bike go downhill, but uphill you gotta actively work for entry speed.
Psychotext
Member
Low gear, keep the wheel moving smoothly so you don't lose traction. Good grippy tyres running at low pressures (tubeless is indeed better for this) helps, and also your body weight. In particularly rocky stuff I make sure that I keep my arse jammed onto the end of the seat which helps me control what the real wheel is doing far easier. Momentum was mentioned, but I'd say not only as you go in, but everywhere that you have good grip (same principal for braking, brake when you have good grip rather than leaving it late and skidding when you don't).
Standing is all well and good, but because you lose the smoothness of your power delivery (unless you're some world class XC racer) you'll generally lose traction on your rear wheel sooner rather than later.
Standing is all well and good, but because you lose the smoothness of your power delivery (unless you're some world class XC racer) you'll generally lose traction on your rear wheel sooner rather than later.
Psychotext
Member
Aye, even so much as making sure you're thinking about how you're going to get onto your ideal line, so you'll often be looking a significant distance up the trail and planning a number of direction changes.
TapeDispenser1000
Member
Just crashed and ripped my brand new camelbak. Anyone know how to patch one of these things?
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Psychotext
Member
When my missus did it, she just used some tent fabric and stitched it in. I don't believe they're waterproof by default, so you can pretty much use anything.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I'm going to come off like an ass, but you can have a 10lb bike and it may still not make life any easier on climbs. There are only two ways to really get better on climbs: lose weight or train for them. As an anecdote I moved to a slightly heavier wheel set and less smooth tire (GP4000s -> Grand Prix 4 Season) and my performance on hills is unchanged. The only way I've ever gotten better on them is to just hit them consistently each week. Find the biggest hill in your area and do repeats.
oh you dont sound like an ass at all. could have been a quote of stuff i always tell others.
i am doing at least 3000m uphill a week which isnt an issue at all. about 1k km a month. all i do and look for are uphill sections which last for at least a few km.
but at the last 24h race (+5000m ascend in one session) i came to my limits regarding the uphill pace. i still went up without any power issues, but i couldnt go faster. pushing through long straights and sprinting was not a problem at all, even after 13 hours.
aiming for +10000 ascend in the next in year - in one session - i am thinking about the benefits i could get out of a lighter and stiffer rim.
bodyfat is down to about 13%. dont think i ll go below 10%, but i ll stay heavy even at 10 - for a biker - as i am doing fitness workouts. so that isnt an option.
my bike is currently at 10kg.
but yeah, training - a lot of it - is the most important thing
ps: got the gp4 aswell. coming from racing ralphs
i am doing at least 3000m uphill a week which isnt an issue at all. about 1k km a month. all i do and look for are uphill sections which last for at least a few km.
but at the last 24h race (+5000m ascend in one session) i came to my limits regarding the uphill pace. i still went up without any power issues, but i couldnt go faster. pushing through long straights and sprinting was not a problem at all, even after 13 hours.
aiming for +10000 ascend in the next in year - in one session - i am thinking about the benefits i could get out of a lighter and stiffer rim.
bodyfat is down to about 13%. dont think i ll go below 10%, but i ll stay heavy even at 10 - for a biker - as i am doing fitness workouts. so that isnt an option.
my bike is currently at 10kg.
but yeah, training - a lot of it - is the most important thing
ps: got the gp4 aswell. coming from racing ralphs
Psychotext
Member
Simple fact is that after a certain amount of hours you wont be able to put out that sort of output anyway. We're just not built to do it. Carbon rims will help, but they wont be a magic bullet.
i am not looking for a magic bullet. not at all. just looking for stuff that makes my life easier.
lets say my current aksium wheel set needs 100% of my force for speed x...
a better wheel set will need only 95% of my force for speed x. (never had a better one, so i cant tell numbers. everyone is saying you ll have a benefit right away)
i am asking myself only, if top tier carbon rims (non full aero) need much less of my force for speed x or if its just pro level stuff (few %) which doesnt concern me.
just to be clear, i dont have problems with climbs. i am used to have a 14-18% as top steepness. doing it over and over again in one session, i am looking for ways which save effort so i can hold on longer.
the difference between riding upright in wind vs in low position is immense, concering the power output you save over hours. maybe that explains my thinking.
even coming from racing ralphs to gp4 tires made it so much easier on long rides.
lets say my current aksium wheel set needs 100% of my force for speed x...
a better wheel set will need only 95% of my force for speed x. (never had a better one, so i cant tell numbers. everyone is saying you ll have a benefit right away)
i am asking myself only, if top tier carbon rims (non full aero) need much less of my force for speed x or if its just pro level stuff (few %) which doesnt concern me.
just to be clear, i dont have problems with climbs. i am used to have a 14-18% as top steepness. doing it over and over again in one session, i am looking for ways which save effort so i can hold on longer.
the difference between riding upright in wind vs in low position is immense, concering the power output you save over hours. maybe that explains my thinking.
even coming from racing ralphs to gp4 tires made it so much easier on long rides.
I borrowed a hardtail from a guy at work, 29er with a mixed SRAM X7/X9 drivetrain, Elixir 3 brakes, Rockshox Recon Silver fork.
Compared to my 2010 GT Avalanche 3.0, with Suntour XCM fork, crappy Tektro mechanical brakes and 26" wheels it is a ridiculous improvement.
I did a normal run yesterday at my local park with my bike and a run today with his and my average speed went from 6.5mph to 7.2mph
I think a large part of the improvement is simply the larger wheels. Once I got some momentum going it felt like I could blow up hills faster than on my 26er. One things got bumpy the fork felt a lot better, and the hydraulic brakes felt quite a but better too.
I'm still considering demoing a FS bike, but still not sure I want to spend the money on a decently equipped fs bike versus plunking down $1400 on a nice hardtail.
But either way, an upgraded bike is in my near future for sure. My skills are still a major restrictor for me, along with my fitness level. But it was great fun trying out a much nicer bike to see what kind of differences I would notice.
Compared to my 2010 GT Avalanche 3.0, with Suntour XCM fork, crappy Tektro mechanical brakes and 26" wheels it is a ridiculous improvement.
I did a normal run yesterday at my local park with my bike and a run today with his and my average speed went from 6.5mph to 7.2mph
I think a large part of the improvement is simply the larger wheels. Once I got some momentum going it felt like I could blow up hills faster than on my 26er. One things got bumpy the fork felt a lot better, and the hydraulic brakes felt quite a but better too.
I'm still considering demoing a FS bike, but still not sure I want to spend the money on a decently equipped fs bike versus plunking down $1400 on a nice hardtail.
But either way, an upgraded bike is in my near future for sure. My skills are still a major restrictor for me, along with my fitness level. But it was great fun trying out a much nicer bike to see what kind of differences I would notice.
I used duct tape on the inside as a quick and easy fix last year and it's still going strong.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I think the point psychotext is trying to make is you're in a situation where there isn't much more you can do. You can try cutting some weight on the bike, but it's only going to be marginal gains. I feel like hills are one of those areas where it's hard to really provide a solid "this is how to ride them" suggestion. Some guys I ride with mash up them while I prefer to spin. One of them that mashes stands, the other sits. I think because it can be such a troubling area it's more of determining what works best for you and just optimizing it.
Psychotext
Member
I think in reality there's too many variable to give a good answer anyway. Weight and rotational weight / momentum are obviously going to make a difference (small or large, you decide), but you also start getting into the world of flex / rigidity which can also affect how you ride. That's before you even look at the aerodynamic profiles of the rims / tyres.
In short, if you can... try some. If not, I'd just go on reviews and go for what most people seem to recommend. In reality, dedicated hill training is likely to make a much bigger difference anyway (I actually do hill training with additional weight on my bike).
It would be nice if people actually did scientific tests on this gear from time to time (I'm sure teams do, but don't release the data)... but I've only ever seen that sort of stuff once in a blue moon.
In short, if you can... try some. If not, I'd just go on reviews and go for what most people seem to recommend. In reality, dedicated hill training is likely to make a much bigger difference anyway (I actually do hill training with additional weight on my bike).
It would be nice if people actually did scientific tests on this gear from time to time (I'm sure teams do, but don't release the data)... but I've only ever seen that sort of stuff once in a blue moon.
Gave my new(-ish) rear mech, new cassette, new chain, new chainrings, new cables, new wheel, and new tyres a good 26 miles through the woods this afternoon.
Damn, it feels like a new bike. You don't notice the wear on your drivetrain because it's so gradual. Must get into the habit of a good annual parts replacement with a new chain every six months.
Can't beat that feeling of having total confidence in your cogs when laying the power down on steep rocky climb.
Examined my old cassette. I've seen less missing teeth on a medieval hag. Oops!
Damn, it feels like a new bike. You don't notice the wear on your drivetrain because it's so gradual. Must get into the habit of a good annual parts replacement with a new chain every six months.
Can't beat that feeling of having total confidence in your cogs when laying the power down on steep rocky climb.
Examined my old cassette. I've seen less missing teeth on a medieval hag. Oops!
Etrian Oddity
Member
Planned on riding to work today. Nope! Defeated by the second hill, lmao. Gonna have to work up to riding that far and on that kinda terrain, it seems.
Gray Matter
Member
Got another big ride tmrw with a few people, anticipating in the 50-70 range. This will put me over the 900 mile mark, can't wait.
Gray Matter
Member
68 miles later I'm dead. Everything was all good until the last 10-12 miles. For some reason my body just gave out, and that last stretch was horrible.
Haiiro Husky
Member
Hello Bicycle-GAF. I recently moved to Guadalajara, Mexico and want to purchase a bike to exercise and to basically move around the city without always having to wait for a bus. The used bike market here is pretty big and through reading many of the pages, I should get a hybrid bike. I see many for sale like Giant, Trek, Specialized, Alubike, Bennotto, Cannondale, etc.
My questions are:
Which make would be better recommended?
And what are some things I should look for when checking out used bikes?
I'm 6 ft tall, so which frame would be most appropriate?
I don't want to get cheated and would prefer to know some tips and clues on what to spot for in a well-maintained bike and what to avoid in a neglected bike.
My questions are:
Which make would be better recommended?
And what are some things I should look for when checking out used bikes?
I'm 6 ft tall, so which frame would be most appropriate?
I don't want to get cheated and would prefer to know some tips and clues on what to spot for in a well-maintained bike and what to avoid in a neglected bike.
Did you eat at all during the ride? You may have just 'bonked' for the first time.
Gray Matter
Member
Yup, I ate before and we took two small breaks where I ate some clif bars.
jakonovski
Member
Sounds like a bonk to me, some energy bars is not a lot of food at all for 4-5 hours of hard effort. I need to eat a crapload and mix it with liters upon liters of liquid to survive a ride like that.
Gray Matter
Member
I didn't consume, no way near that much before or during the ride.
Because you're tall you'll do well with trek and cannondale geometry and they make great bikes anyway. I love Guadalajara btw, can't wait to go back. Beautiful city.
As for things to look at, basically check everything is relatively clean and true. See how cleanly shifts work and check brakes for function and wear.
Haiiro Husky
Member
Thanks a lot! I'm going to check out two Trek bikes today, so that's good to know. And yes, I agree! One of the reasons why I came to live here for a while.
Psychotext
Member
You'll never be able to consume as much as you're burning on long rides, nor should you try to. 200-250kcal every hour is about as much as you should get in, with maybe some protein thrown in very occasionally if it's a long ride (4hrs +).
Had a puncture today on the back tire. Didn't hear anything, but I gradually sensed that the back tire started to skid around, and didn't go in a straight line. Stopped after a while and saw that it had lost a lot of air. Took out the tube, and it was around half inflated. No air went out of it when I pinched it. Inflated it to full again, and it seemed intact, but as soon as I put on the tire again and started cycling half of the air went out again. Then I put in a new tube that worked perfectly.
What kind of puncture is this? Maybe I'm just not used to punctures, but I think it's strange that not all of the air went out. Couldn't find anything suspicious in the tire, so I don't know what caused it.
What kind of puncture is this? Maybe I'm just not used to punctures, but I think it's strange that not all of the air went out. Couldn't find anything suspicious in the tire, so I don't know what caused it.
I learned an idiot lesson today.
I borrowed a buddy's bike to see how much a difference 29rs make compared to 26ers. His tubes are presta. I didn't realize that presta rims have smaller holes than schrader rims. Whoops. I brought schrader tubes. And of course got a flat. And had to hike out 3 miles. A truly shameful walk. People asking if I was ok. Yes, just my pride is hurt. Very helpful folks on the trails today though.
I borrowed a buddy's bike to see how much a difference 29rs make compared to 26ers. His tubes are presta. I didn't realize that presta rims have smaller holes than schrader rims. Whoops. I brought schrader tubes. And of course got a flat. And had to hike out 3 miles. A truly shameful walk. People asking if I was ok. Yes, just my pride is hurt. Very helpful folks on the trails today though.
Psychotext
Member
Fairly normal sort that seals under pressure (usually on inner curve of the tube) so it only really loses more air when the tube gets moved around. Generally found later by inflating high and submersing / checking with a flexing motion.
Great, thanks! I'll check the tube in water.
Rear rack installed on America. Full-sized frame pump incoming (Amazon says tomorrow). Now I just need to find a silvery front rack and this touring bike will make weekends of 3 days and up awesome (and stylish). I can't wait to really start exploring the local mountains. Although I guess there are still plenty of nearby dubious National Forest roads in the area to pick apart on my hardtail; those can be fun.
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
Emonda should be coming in a few days as well.
Had my last pre-luggage-racks ride on America today. Broke most of my Strava records on that route. What the hell, I was motivated by the prospect of adding several pounds to the bike. And I had this stuck in my head.
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
Amazon says the high-quality minipump for Emonda isn't coming until September (!?). I'm not going to let Emonda steal parts from America, so when the full-size frame pump comes in, America's old mini-pump will become Emonda's pump for a month, rather than me leaving the mini-pump on America, even though that would sort of make sense as America's 28c tires are more or less functional at low pressure. The downside is that if I get a flat in the first month of riding Emonda, I'm riding a 23c tire back home at 60psi or so. Whatever, it'll be an adventure.
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
It's weird that this is stuck in my head by I like it!
If I get this stuck in my head I'll probably go even faster... (Or I'll just bonk, heh.)
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
[/TooMuchMaltedPostRideRecoveryBeveragePost] D:
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
Emonda should be coming in a few days as well.
Had my last pre-luggage-racks ride on America today. Broke most of my Strava records on that route. What the hell, I was motivated by the prospect of adding several pounds to the bike. And I had this stuck in my head.
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
Amazon says the high-quality minipump for Emonda isn't coming until September (!?). I'm not going to let Emonda steal parts from America, so when the full-size frame pump comes in, America's old mini-pump will become Emonda's pump for a month, rather than me leaving the mini-pump on America, even though that would sort of make sense as America's 28c tires are more or less functional at low pressure. The downside is that if I get a flat in the first month of riding Emonda, I'm riding a 23c tire back home at 60psi or so. Whatever, it'll be an adventure.
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
It's weird that this is stuck in my head by I like it!
If I get this stuck in my head I'll probably go even faster... (Or I'll just bonk, heh.)
hyyyyppppeeeeeeeeee
[/TooMuchMaltedPostRideRecoveryBeveragePost] D:
Psychotext
Member
Have a three day trip planned for the end of this week, and oddly I'm not hyped at all. I think probably because I know that the friend I'll be with hasn't been training and he's going to be slow as shit. =/
jakonovski
Member
There's an mtb marathon going on next weekend, I'm thinking of going for the half distance (35km). Not that long a distance to ride, but it's all forest and includes 650m of climbing.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Christ. I'd love to know what deity has it out for me so I can make amends.
It was a hell of a weekend. I took Monday off so I could go to the local fair (my son entered a lot of vegetables and some Lego, blue ribbons all-round) and then drive like crazy to get to Crater Lake. The clue was "enjoy the rim and see the sunrise". This was, at a basic level, meaning "it's on the East Drive". At one point of the drive I was thinking about the sunrise and I remembered that there are people who like to be on the "point" of sunrises so I called my wife to check what the best place for sunrise is. This is what she found:
I drive around the rim because hey, it's pretty and I only have time to kill (never minding the voles that kept running out into the road in front of me). I saw a few deer, an owl, the afore-mentioned voles, some squirrels...basically a lot of wildlife. I went back to the overlook because it was awesome to be standing there in complete silence with the star coming out. By 11:00 I could see everything, even the Milky Way, and it was glorious. No hyperbole here, it was that awesome.
Eventually I decide it's getting late and I should sleep to I park just down the road from the overlook so I could have an early start and be there at the literal crack of dawn. I don't sleep because A) it's cold B) it's too damn quiet! and C) the way the road is I'm facing East and by this point the moon is rising and is in my eyes. Ugh.
*fast forward fitfully*
My alarms go off at 5:30 and since I'm already up I go use the portapotty that's by the picnic area right there. Yes, that picnic area. I drive up to the Outlook and start hiking around the trail looking for the bike.
I'm halfway up the trail and this guys pulls into the parking lot and literally skids to a stop, jumps out, and starts hoofing it up the hill like his ass is on fire and his hair's catching. Sprints past me (remember that I'm at roughly 7000 feet at this point) and he just keeps going. Weirdo. The bike is nowhere on the hill though, not even in the clearing that is sitting there pointing East and would have been perfect. Gah. So I go back down to the bottom and drive past the picnic area. There's caution tape up and I wonder, "Huh, clue?" but the caution tape is of the "crime scene - do not cross" variety and I figure that's there for a reason.
So I don't cross it. I do look around though, behind trees and such. I don't see anything so I continue on. Long story short, I end up turning around and coming back. I go back by the picnic area and there are now 6-7 rangers along with a van. I don't stop because this is obviously related to the crime scene tape and I'm not going to bother them. The time is around 6:45, I know this because I texted my wife about the crime scene tape and the rangers. I do end up stopping about 1/4 of a mile up the road because there's a trail there and I talk to a guy from Portland for a bit. Little did we know that the bike was literally a couple hundred yards away from us at that moment, all we had to do was look over the rise. Sigh.
So my karma this summer has been shit. I'M SORRY, OK. Jeez. I was thinking last night that I was - oddly - OK with not finding any of the bikes. I really can't pin down why, but maybe it has something to do with maintenance costs of Di2/disc components as well as just the general anxiety of ever taking the bike out, especially here in Portland where bike theft is going up instead of down.
Whatever it is, I hope Travel Oregon does something similar next year. It was a lot of fun (stress notwithstanding) and I met a lot of people and went to places that I haven't been before, even though I've lived here for almost 15 years.
It was a hell of a weekend. I took Monday off so I could go to the local fair (my son entered a lot of vegetables and some Lego, blue ribbons all-round) and then drive like crazy to get to Crater Lake. The clue was "enjoy the rim and see the sunrise". This was, at a basic level, meaning "it's on the East Drive". At one point of the drive I was thinking about the sunrise and I remembered that there are people who like to be on the "point" of sunrises so I called my wife to check what the best place for sunrise is. This is what she found:
Well shit, that's awesome. I get to the lake and the Overlook and see that there's a path going up into the tree line and it's a perfect place for hiding the bike with a clearing at the end. So awesome.
I drive around the rim because hey, it's pretty and I only have time to kill (never minding the voles that kept running out into the road in front of me). I saw a few deer, an owl, the afore-mentioned voles, some squirrels...basically a lot of wildlife. I went back to the overlook because it was awesome to be standing there in complete silence with the star coming out. By 11:00 I could see everything, even the Milky Way, and it was glorious. No hyperbole here, it was that awesome.
Eventually I decide it's getting late and I should sleep to I park just down the road from the overlook so I could have an early start and be there at the literal crack of dawn. I don't sleep because A) it's cold B) it's too damn quiet! and C) the way the road is I'm facing East and by this point the moon is rising and is in my eyes. Ugh.
*fast forward fitfully*
My alarms go off at 5:30 and since I'm already up I go use the portapotty that's by the picnic area right there. Yes, that picnic area. I drive up to the Outlook and start hiking around the trail looking for the bike.
I'm halfway up the trail and this guys pulls into the parking lot and literally skids to a stop, jumps out, and starts hoofing it up the hill like his ass is on fire and his hair's catching. Sprints past me (remember that I'm at roughly 7000 feet at this point) and he just keeps going. Weirdo. The bike is nowhere on the hill though, not even in the clearing that is sitting there pointing East and would have been perfect. Gah. So I go back down to the bottom and drive past the picnic area. There's caution tape up and I wonder, "Huh, clue?" but the caution tape is of the "crime scene - do not cross" variety and I figure that's there for a reason.
So I don't cross it. I do look around though, behind trees and such. I don't see anything so I continue on. Long story short, I end up turning around and coming back. I go back by the picnic area and there are now 6-7 rangers along with a van. I don't stop because this is obviously related to the crime scene tape and I'm not going to bother them. The time is around 6:45, I know this because I texted my wife about the crime scene tape and the rangers. I do end up stopping about 1/4 of a mile up the road because there's a trail there and I talk to a guy from Portland for a bit. Little did we know that the bike was literally a couple hundred yards away from us at that moment, all we had to do was look over the rise. Sigh.
So my karma this summer has been shit. I'M SORRY, OK. Jeez. I was thinking last night that I was - oddly - OK with not finding any of the bikes. I really can't pin down why, but maybe it has something to do with maintenance costs of Di2/disc components as well as just the general anxiety of ever taking the bike out, especially here in Portland where bike theft is going up instead of down.
Whatever it is, I hope Travel Oregon does something similar next year. It was a lot of fun (stress notwithstanding) and I met a lot of people and went to places that I haven't been before, even though I've lived here for almost 15 years.
Psychotext
Member
Well, at least you've had stories to tell.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
True enough. The guy I was talking to, turns out he was looking for the Mt. Hood bike last month. He told me that this guy passed him on the trail and then five minutes later he caught up to the guy as he was bringing the bike from behind the rock. It's rough.
jakonovski
Member
Hey guys
I am interested in getting a Specialized Roubaix SL4 Sport. My local bike store in Australia has it on sale.
http://www.velocipede.com.au/promos/on-sale/specialized-roubaix-sl4-sport-2015
Should I get it? I have done some research on it already and it looks like this is the type of bike for me. But I have no experience of buying expensive bikes before so I am after people's opinion.
I am interested in getting a Specialized Roubaix SL4 Sport. My local bike store in Australia has it on sale.
http://www.velocipede.com.au/promos/on-sale/specialized-roubaix-sl4-sport-2015
Should I get it? I have done some research on it already and it looks like this is the type of bike for me. But I have no experience of buying expensive bikes before so I am after people's opinion.
I really like the look of it, Specialized make great bikes and if you can get a good deal on a carbon frame like that with a 105 groupset it is a great starting point for your first road bike.
The chainset ratios look good too, 50/34 and 11-32 should set you up well for climbing as well as flats.. something I wish I had from the get go (I've just gone about upgrading my groupset to give me something better for climbing with).
I don't think you can go wrong with that choice.
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