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[Psychotext]

So I jumped in and bought a 1997 Trek 2100 carbon road bike as a semi spur of the moment type deal.

I've put in a couple of 10 mile ish easy rides, and worked my way up to a 20 mile/1 hour ride today. The bike feels great but I feel like I have very limited idea in what I'm doing. Any one have tips/a link on basic riding form, especially for the down position?

I'm trying to gather up all the necessary accessories (bike pump, light, lock, etc) but definitely feel like a bit of a jabroni riding in just gym shorts and shirt as well, so figure I will probably get some shorts at the very least.

In terms of planning out rides, is there any recommended programming (similar to Starting Strength) for some one getting into cycling and wanting to make a concerted effort to not just be spinning my wheels?

I can pretty much guarantee most of your answers will be in here somewhere: http://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/

I tell you, this wall-mounted bracket-clamp-thing is awesome for cleaning your bike.

I'll use one from time to time, but it didn't generally feel that much easier to me (especially as you have to clean the bit you're clamping anyway).

If I ever manage to buy a house, I'll be doing the same thing though, and having an awning over it so I can wash it without getting soaked by our brilliant weather.

 

[Mascot]

Hey Jimmies! Look what you're missing in the woods right now. It's bluebell season.

Not as nice as the arse-end of a belching diesel truck, granted. But nice nevertheless.

I'll use one from time to time, but it didn't generally feel that much easier to me (especially as you have to clean the bit you're clamping anyway).

Spinning the wheels and moving through gears is one hell of a lot easier than when the bike's resting on the ground though...

 

[Psychotext]

I'd call this more of a boulder garden than a rock garden personally...

http://www.moredirt.com/article/Rock-garden-chaos---trackside-at-the-Cairns-World-Cup-2016/6096/

 

[Darth Pinche]

Got a new bike! It is a Diamondback Release 1. I test rode at a free demo a few weeks back and fell in love! It is a 27.5 wheel size with giant 28mm wide rims, Boost spacing 130mm rear, 150mm front travel. It is both super plush and nimble! I will be transferring over my dropper post and 1x drivetrain stuff soon. It has a very slack 66 degree head angle, but is still very agile. Black magic, I tells ya!

 

[Psychotext]

Great tyres those. Horribly draggy though.

 

[jakonovski]

Nice Diamondback! Here's how you should ride it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DenzJiBJWx0

 

[Kawl_USC]

Thanks for the site link Psychotext, providing tons of great info.

 

[Psychotext]

Yeah, they have a lot of good stuff. Bikeradar is good for that sort of thing too.

 

[Darth Pinche]

Nice Diamondback! Here's how you should ride it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DenzJiBJWx0

I pretty much do.

Spoiler

Or at least imagine that I do.

 

[Psychotext]

Top level downhillers are another level of batshit. You've got to be born with bits of your brain missing to be able to go after it like that.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Hey Jimmies! Look what you're missing in the woods right now. It's bluebell season.

Not as nice as the arse-end of a belching diesel truck, granted. But nice nevertheless.



Spinning the wheels and moving through gears is one hell of a lot easier than when the bike's resting on the ground though...

That's a Saville reference, iirc?

I need to find a fitter. My shoes feel like they don't fit me anymore, or maybe just the cleats? Because my feet and knees are hating me lately. It's bad enough I take ibuprofen before or after rides, depending.

Nice Diamondback! Here's how you should ride it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DenzJiBJWx0

Holy Christ they're insane. And wouldn't that flash photography put them off their form in the middle of some of those turns?

 

[Psychotext]

At that point in the turn it's mostly out of your control anyway, plus your brain is being completely overwhelmed already.

...and yeah, don't risk your knees. Find a pro to sort you out.

 

[HTupolev]

Ahh, that was lovely.

The image doesn't show the issues that well, but this road is actually kind of difficult to ride up:

The basic challenge is that this section is very steep, and especially in dry weather, the gravel is quite loose. People usually just dismount when they hit this final section, as even if your legs are ready to fight the gravity, you can easily run into a situation where turning the cranks doesn't result in forward motion.

Better yet, it's also pitted with irregular washboarding, so you're constantly trying to guess at the line that will keep your vertical pressure least unconstant.

To make it even more awesome, it's splattered with big pebbles that cause your steering to deflect all over the place.

A 20-inch gear and 2" gravel tires, though? Yeah I got this.

At the top of the hill is a lake community with some pretty roads and a lake.

 

[Mascot]

Nice Diamondback! Here's how you should ride it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DenzJiBJWx0

Love that film.

2:02 had me like "WTF?" but then I freeze-framed it and I was like "WWF."

That's a Saville reference, iirc?

Yeah, PT calls roadies "Jimmies" and it kinda stuck. He calls their bikes "Jimmy Farthings" too. Very disrespectful.

Because my feet and knees are hating me lately. It's bad enough I take ibuprofen before or after rides, depending.

If you have to use it, try ibuprofen gel directly on the affected areas. It's much more target-effective than processing pills through your giblets.

 

[Psychotext]

I'd actually recommend Voltarol gel instead. Just as powerful, far fewer side effects.

 

[Mascot]

I'd actually recommend Voltarol gel instead. Just as powerful, far fewer side effects.

I think they're very similar (both are NSAIDS), but bypassing the gut and targeting the affected area with a gel rather than a tablet is to be recommended in either case.

Whatever you do, don't use Deep Heat. Especially on your balls.

Disclaimer: I'm only a part-time doctor.

 

[Psychotext]

They're similar in effect, but voltarol is quite different. You definitely wouldn't want to use it in anything other than gel form.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diclofenac

I forget the reason why, but something about the difference in its mechanisms meant it was the only thing that worked when I had serious issues with IT band syndrome.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

At that point in the turn it's mostly out of your control anyway, plus your brain is being completely overwhelmed already.
...and yeah, don't risk your knees. Find a pro to sort you out.

Looking today. Need to get it sorted before my big tour in June, that's for sure.
Though I do wonder if it's from switching between two different kinds of bikes.

Yeah, PT calls roadies "Jimmies" and it kinda stuck. He calls their bikes "Jimmy Farthings" too. Very disrespectful.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Last I checked I hadn't diddled any little kids or gotten a vasectomy just to not get anyone who I'd raped pregnant. Call me a Fred, call me a Lance even, but lay off the Jimmy.

If you have to use it, try ibuprofen gel directly on the affected areas. It's much more target-effective than processing pills through your giblets.

I didn't even know there was such a thing, interesting.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

https://vimeo.com/162496594

 

[Teggy]

https://vimeo.com/162496594

There is a club in Boston that rides crazy bikes. The whole thing is insane - check this out:

http://www.scul.org/skynet2.0/public/home

 

[HTupolev]

Good for visibility, scary for endo.

 

[jakonovski]

I've fallen inside the hole of trying to match one's road cycling gear. This is bad.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I've fallen inside the hole of trying to match one's road cycling gear. This is bad.

Just keep buying black bibs and you're golden. Doing proper matching kits will just bleed you dry.

 

[Mascot]

Call me a Fred, call me a Lance even, but lay off the Jimmy.

Fred West was a roadie?



5-hour road trip tomorrow to evaluate and probably buy the 14x. Know what? I'm going to stick with its flats for a while and see how I get on with lacerated shins.

 

[Psychotext]

Oh god, I'm going to get the blame for all your scars.

(my legs look TERRIBLE)

 

[Mascot]

Oh god, I'm going to get the blame for all your scars.

(my legs look TERRIBLE)

I've still got a long scar on my right shin from a MTB holiday in Canada back in the early 1990s, and it STILL itches like fuck at times.

 

[HTupolev]

That's a stem from 1979 and a new stem.

The clamp looks a bit different, but that seems to be a manufacturing difference for stems with a 25.4 clamp versus a 26.0 clamp. The reach is also different, but that's just an option. The only real change in Nitto's Technomic product line in almost forty years seems to be how they stamped the logo.

 

[Mascot]

Bought that Ariel, and it's coooooooool. Well chuffed.

 

[Psychotext]

Awesome.

 

[Mascot]

Carbon bars and seat post, which I wasn't expecting. And the bash ring is fine, just an odd photo. Shocks are plush, all bearings smooth and solid. Wheels true, gears smooth, brakes firm. Some small stone chips but being a black/black frame these disappear with a permanent marker.

Best £390 I've spent this week.

 

[Psychotext]

Ded jel.

 

[The Argus]

So glad I found this topic. I'm done with NYC's Citi Bike. It's been fun, I love the easy commute but now I want to own a bike. I've only ever owned Raleigh and Trek mountain bikes, but I feel a mountain bike is overkill 99% of the time I'd be using it. I'm extremely ignorant so please bare with me, I just don't know where to start.

I'll say my top budget right now is $1500. This will be for my daily NYC commute (Queens to Manhattan and back), and occasional upstate off road fun at the farm. Friends keep recommending DiamondBack gravel bikes.

Any recommendations? I'm 6'4" so right now it seems like I need XL or 57+ bikes.

 

[Teggy]

I'm taking notes

http://youtu.be/TEhySzO14ik

 

[Mascot]

Took the new beast out for a spin around the block earlier. Wasn't intending to go far but it was such a beautiful day I just kept going... and going... and ended up in the woods. No pump, no spare tube, no tools, no drink, no padded shorts. Loved it.

After 20-odd miles on flats I can safely say I could manage on them if there was no better alternative. Luckily for me, there is a better alternative: SPDs. I'll be swapping them over after lunch.

 

[Psychotext]

One ride really isn't a way to judge. Before I switched I used them for about a month and then switched back to compare. But I can't see you being convinced anyway.

Unrelated, left hand went completely numb on a trail today. Took ages to get life back into it. Shit me up as I couldn't feel my brake lever.

Did Cwm Rhaeadr for the first time. Excellent little trail. Very pretty little scenic area before you get into the first bit of singletrack too.

Hard to see because of the shit phone camera, but there's a waterfall in the background:

 

[Stinkles]

Took the new beast out for a spin around the block earlier. Wasn't intending to go far but it was such a beautiful day I just kept going... and going... and ended up in the woods. No pump, no spare tube, no tools, no drink, no padded shorts. Loved it.

After 20-odd miles on flats I can safely say I could manage on them if there was no better alternative. Luckily for me, there is a better alternative: SPDs. I'll be swapping them over after lunch.

I take a bike tool an atm card and a phone. Feels good man.

 

[jakonovski]

The bottom bracket on the hardtail is making a snappy creaky sound all over the place, I think even passers by can hear it. Never opened up one of those, now it's time to learn.

 

[Psychotext]

95% of bottom brackets aren't user serviceable. At best you're going to be able to put some grease on the outside. Sadly though, press fit BBs are renowned for being creaky piles of shit (I'm assuming that's what you have if it's being shit).

 

[jakonovski]

It's a threaded bb luckily, so I just need one of them bb tools. Shimano SM-BB51 to be exact.

 

[Psychotext]

But what do you plan on doing with it? In my experience threaded BBs tend to either need tightening a little, greasing, or replacing.

 

[jakonovski]

Clean, regrease, put it back in. If if doesn't work buy a new one, it's cheap as chips.

I'm thinking there's just some gunk in there courtesy of the winter.

 

[Mascot]

One ride really isn't a way to judge. Before I switched I used them for about a month and then switched back to compare. But I can't see you being convinced anyway.

There was no discernible advantage, but many, many disadvantages.

To me, anyway.

 

[Psychotext]

Oh I'm sure you have good reasons, but I personally didn't think it was smart to cry off them until I'd actually got good with them. I'm still learning now.

I do thing I'd struggle to go back to clips though as last time I tried I found myself unclipping a lot when altering my foot angles on the pedals for proper weighting through corners and when doing slower speed technical stuff (Balancing through rock gardens and the like).

 

[catpurrcat]

I'll cycle in anything above -2c in shorts (over tights) and a t-shirt and a jumper. No probs. That's just below 30, fahrenheit fans.

New bike! ohmygosh it's so pretty. The photo does not do it justice but it's so shiny!

This being my first ever road bike, I rode it home from the shop and it was such an odd experience. I was under the impression that for the most part a bike's a bike's a bike, but it was so different than the bike I was used to. I felt like it was the first time I'd ever been on a bike or something! So nice once I got going though, even though hand position is gonna take some getting used to. The brakes aren't really the best and I couldn't find a comfortable position in which I could pull them with enough force to make me stop when I wanted to stop, haha. But yes, I can tell that I'm going to love this thing once I get used to it.

For comparison, this is the fold-up hybrid-like thing that I've been riding for the last three or four

It's a really nice bike, but is basically falling apart. The difference in feel is insane between the two though.

I now live in a studio flat with two bicycles.

What is the model of your fantastic new bike?

 

[teepo]

So glad I found this topic. I'm done with NYC's Citi Bike. It's been fun, I love the easy commute but now I want to own a bike. I've only ever owned Raleigh and Trek mountain bikes, but I feel a mountain bike is overkill 99% of the time I'd be using it. I'm extremely ignorant so please bare with me, I just don't know where to start.

I'll say my top budget right now is $1500. This will be for my daily NYC commute (Queens to Manhattan and back), and occasional upstate off road fun at the farm. Friends keep recommending DiamondBack gravel bikes.

Any recommendations? I'm 6'4" so right now it seems like I need XL or 57+ bikes.

you can't go wrong with a budget that size. i'd look into buying a ridley and gt frame if you're focusing on gravel bikes, but don't shy away from buying a pure road bike. though gravel bikes are kinda the hot shit right now and they can do most everything, though you won't get much else but asphalt in new york city and riding on country roads is an amazing experience.

also, you're not planning on commuting with the gravel bike? can you park it in the office because if not, you might want to trim your budget a bit and get an additional beat up looking bike that you wouldn't mind getting banged up and possibly stolen.

 

[Mascot]

Oh I'm sure you have good reasons, but I personally didn't think it was smart to cry off them until I'd actually got good with them.

Ha ha! That insult wasn't even thinly-veiled..!

It was plenty smart of me to be able to decide that flats aren't for me after 20-odd miles (and over 25 years of mountain biking). I've ridden flats before, I've ridden with cages, I've ridden with straps, and for the past 15-odd years I've used SPDs. I had a brief dalliance with half-and-halfs a few years ago but was favouring the clips almost all of the time. The ride at the weekend reminded me why moving to SPDs all those years ago was a revelation for me: no heel rub on chainstays due to tiny placement tolerance, no chattering of feet over fast rocky descents, no concerns about slippage on landing jumps, the ability to pull the back of the bike up and over 12"+ obstructions when a 'proper' bunnyhop isn't easy in cramped technical sections (I'm no Hans Rey), push/pulling the cranks to share the load between muscle groups on steep climbs (yes it does fucking work!), and (even more important for me because of permanent ligament damage in my left ankle) complete security that my feet are placed exactly where they should be at all times. Grip wasn't an issue under 'normal' riding (I was wearing my flat-soled Willy Santos Vans, but the pedal teeth were moulded, not grub-screwed) but it was obvious to me that going back to flats would be a backwards step. I can disengage from my spuds fast enough to drop a foot in tight berms if I need to, but for the most part I stay on the pedals for the duration of the rides I do in the local terrain.

I do thing I'd struggle to go back to clips though as last time I tried I found myself unclipping a lot when altering my foot angles on the pedals for proper weighting through corners and when doing slower speed technical stuff (Balancing through rock gardens and the like).

Interesting. I've never felt the need to adjust my feet for cornering and balance. It's all done through shifting body weight, and flexing arms and legs.

There's nothing 'just git gud' about all of this. I know a lot of people aren't comfortable being joined to the bike and prefer the freedom of flats, but I know what works for me, and it ain't those jaggedy BMX shin-killers.

 

[Psychotext]

Shifting your feet is part of that. Same as shifting the angle of your feet (which of course you can do on clips, though obviously not through fore / aft weighting. BTW, I don't seem to get any of the problems you had with flats, so maybe it's just down to having decent pedals and seriously sticky shoes? That and practice of course.

...and it wasn't an insult, I suspect you're being over sensitive because you realise that being clipped in makes you a semi-Jimmie.

Spoiler

Push pull is still bullshit, scientifically speaking (I've provided studies discussing this in the past)... but you didn't say about your screwed ankle, so your uselessness is forgive.

Edit - On the subject of being clipped in, I've seen argument recently for this sort of thing in mountain biking.

Which makes sense to me from a biomechanical perspective... but yeah, I can only imagine feeling utterly horrible.

 

[Mascot]

Push pull is still bullshit, scientifically speaking (I've provided studies discussing this in the past)... but you didn't say about your screwed ankle, so your uselessness is forgive.

I remember your scientific studies, written by that same bloke who claimed that Kim Jong-un hit 18 holes-in-one during a single round of golf. Push/pull is the future of cycling. Embrace it!

 

[Psychotext]

It was 36 holes, and he only got thirty holes in one, but he killed the first guy that wrote the story!

Edit - Unrelated, completely wrecked after my cycling yesterday. Took an insane amount out of me (probably all that effort keeping my feet on the pedals). I did however manage to come in the top 10 all time for one of my favourite trails though (~46 minute section).

Looked at the KOM on it and whilst I can keep up with him on the downs (bit quicker on one of them), I'm not even close on the ups. Guy is a monster.

 

[kottila]

Push pull is still bullshit, scientifically speaking (I've provided studies discussing this in the past)...

Did the studies examine the effect on steep hills? I definately pull up when the cadence goes down and I need to push hard to not stop and fall sideways