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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
I'm Dutch, so my perspective on cycling is quite different from most users here. However, if you really want to use it as everyday transport I'd recommend looking for what we call a 'city' bike. Might be a bit hard to find in the US, but I believe that it's absolutely ideal.
An absolute classic (although expensive) of such a bike is the Gazelle tour poplair:
Main features of this one is:
Upright seating position, making for a relaxed, smooth ride and makes both you more visible and looking around at traffic easier. A position like this will make you slow down tremendously, but the positive is that you can ride it in your normal clothes and not get sweaty at all.
Closed chain guard for low maintenance and no chance of your clothes getting greasy or stuck.
Strong rear luggage rack which can be used to carry stuff around, have someone hop on the back and hitch a ride or carry a child seat.
Attached lock so locking it up is a matter of seconds.
Hub dynamo powering the lights so you always have light with you and won't have them run out of battery.
7 or 8 speed hub casette.
The seating position, closed chain guard, luggage rack and hub dynamo are all pretty standard on these bikes and as a dutch guy nearly unmissable. Other options might be a front rack for carrying stuff. I've got one on my bike and it's great to have when running errands.
Edit: Also forgot to mention stuff like rear fenders and skirt guards. Basically, these things are built solely for being as practical as possible for everyday use. And also available in step through models.
Psychotext
Member
Saw loads of bikes like that in Amsterdam, good stuff. I actually meant to hire a bike whilst I was there but I never got around to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRV-898JavU&feature=youtu.be
i'm so wearing lyrca on the trails once i get a mtb
i'm so wearing lyrca on the trails once i get a mtb
Psychotext
Member
GTFO
You even see it at trail centres now, it's hilarious. I especially enjoy crushing them on the ups and the downs.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
There's 30mph wind gusts by me today and I still need to ride today. oooph
Psychotext
Member
If it makes you feel any better, I'm heading into my garage in a minute... and it'll just feel like cycling 30mph winds, but with none of the scenery (or cooling for that matter). 
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Made it back from my trip alive. I didn't get a chance to do much hangage pictures, mostly because the bike weighed too much for anything to support it.
Starting pic:
http://imgur.com/a/spU4t
125 miles Thursday
98 miles Friday
76 miles Saturday
108 miles Sunday
All to get from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA. Got lost so many times...stupid Google maps. Also there were quite a few times where I paused the GPS for breaks (or when I got lost and had to check an actual map instead of my directions I had printed out) so there's a lot of miles not accounted for in Strava. Plus on the first day the stupid GPS decided to delete the ride at mile 25 so I lost all of that.
Another first day woe: I blew my knee out at about mile 50 or so because of a stupid bike trail that Google said was there. Turns out it was something more akin to the technical climbs I've seen posted over the past few pages. At least I had touring tires, my slicks would hated it. At any rate, I was going down the trail and at about mile 3 or 4 I happened to look down and noticed I was short a bag. This is half of my life, and it's only day 1! I turn around and haul-ass back up the trail, gravel, rocks, sand, and all, and eventually find my bad all the way back at the beginning. So I basically did that part three times and by the end my knee was just done. Couldn't push, couldn't stand, could only go in rotations.
That severely affected performance over the next few days as there were times when it actually got worse (my thigh muscle started to have shooting pains) and I had to walk. When I camped that first night, I couldn't even push my foot hard enough to get into my trainers, I had to unlace the entire thing to get it on.
I started feeling kind of bad and sluggish Saturday morning but it cleared up by the time I was on my bike so I didn't think anything of it. Maybe water retention? Then the same thing happened Sunday and it was compounded with sneezing and runny nose (crappy things to have on a bike) so instead of stopping at my campsite (roughly mile 57) I decided to push through the 101-degree day to home because a little discomfort on one day is better than doing it all over again the next day. Which was also going to be a 101-degree day.
Went to the doctor Tuesday and it turns out I have/had pneumonia during all of this. Kind of bummed about it all because what if I were healthy, would it have been a better trip?
Starting pic:
http://imgur.com/a/spU4t
125 miles Thursday
98 miles Friday
76 miles Saturday
108 miles Sunday
All to get from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA. Got lost so many times...stupid Google maps. Also there were quite a few times where I paused the GPS for breaks (or when I got lost and had to check an actual map instead of my directions I had printed out) so there's a lot of miles not accounted for in Strava. Plus on the first day the stupid GPS decided to delete the ride at mile 25 so I lost all of that.
Another first day woe: I blew my knee out at about mile 50 or so because of a stupid bike trail that Google said was there. Turns out it was something more akin to the technical climbs I've seen posted over the past few pages. At least I had touring tires, my slicks would hated it. At any rate, I was going down the trail and at about mile 3 or 4 I happened to look down and noticed I was short a bag. This is half of my life, and it's only day 1! I turn around and haul-ass back up the trail, gravel, rocks, sand, and all, and eventually find my bad all the way back at the beginning. So I basically did that part three times and by the end my knee was just done. Couldn't push, couldn't stand, could only go in rotations.
That severely affected performance over the next few days as there were times when it actually got worse (my thigh muscle started to have shooting pains) and I had to walk. When I camped that first night, I couldn't even push my foot hard enough to get into my trainers, I had to unlace the entire thing to get it on.
I started feeling kind of bad and sluggish Saturday morning but it cleared up by the time I was on my bike so I didn't think anything of it. Maybe water retention? Then the same thing happened Sunday and it was compounded with sneezing and runny nose (crappy things to have on a bike) so instead of stopping at my campsite (roughly mile 57) I decided to push through the 101-degree day to home because a little discomfort on one day is better than doing it all over again the next day. Which was also going to be a 101-degree day.
Went to the doctor Tuesday and it turns out I have/had pneumonia during all of this. Kind of bummed about it all because what if I were healthy, would it have been a better trip?
It's a reasonable location for bikes that have lots of clearance between the front wheel and the downtube, and which can mount a full-length fender in front.
Or at least, that last condition makes sense to me. Lots of people who stick a third cage there seem to not be overly worried about mud and road grime from the front tire.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
It's built into the frame so I figured Salsa knew what they were doing when they put it there. Also that bottle is purely a holder of water. I screw the top off and pour everything into my other bottle whenever it's empty. The nozzle for the one on bottom just doesn't work very well so I never use it.
Also the trip was fun, it was just...trying...at the same time.
Also the trip was fun, it was just...trying...at the same time.
You and Psychotext could save a lot of time if you simply got together and poked lit matches down each other's winkles.
Psychotext
Member
Sounds like a thoroughly pleasant ride.
On the bottle thing, I've found that no matter what type of cover I put on the bottle, it just gets completely covered in shit down there (literally with off road riding), so I've given up even trying.
On the bottle thing, I've found that no matter what type of cover I put on the bottle, it just gets completely covered in shit down there (literally with off road riding), so I've given up even trying.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
It looks like guy who hit 9 cyclists, killing 5, will be charged with 5 counts of murder: http://woodtv.com/2016/06/09/charges-expected-today-in-deadly-bicyclist-crash/
Christoff Yurievich
Member
Fucking hell man, I was drinking water. Lol
I usually just ride to and from work and only do one or two larger rides a year. Next year I'm probably going south instead and coming from the Oregon / California border up to here.
Though I'm meeting a man about that traitor frame next week and I'm debating what to build it as. Looking at a gravel bike at this point probably.
Psychotext
Member
I love this guy, his track commentaries are the best!
http://www.redbull.com/en/bike/stories/1331799521523/go-on-a-wet-and-wild-ride-with-claudio
http://www.redbull.com/en/bike/stories/1331799521523/go-on-a-wet-and-wild-ride-with-claudio
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Picked up this frame bag and my damn bottle cage holes are too high. No matter what my bottles are going to be stuff into the bag a bit. Going to be doing a ride today to see how it is, but I suspect its going to be only used for 3+ hour days. Bah
http://store.fairweather.cc/store/p10/FRAME_BAG.html
http://store.fairweather.cc/store/p10/FRAME_BAG.html
Psychotext
Member
You could offset the holes to move the cages down in you frame a bit, that's pretty easy to do. I suspect it would just be easier to buy a thinner frame bag though (or even better, get one made custom).
I have a few friends currently on the Tour Divide. dedjel
I'm most likely doing the HT550 next year, which will be awesome... but I suspect probably slightly less pleasant in weather terms.
I have a few friends currently on the Tour Divide. dedjel
I'm most likely doing the HT550 next year, which will be awesome... but I suspect probably slightly less pleasant in weather terms.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Eh, I'm going to see how it is first before I get into anything custom. The bag is already pretty damn thin. Can't be more than 10cm in height. I don't need to have rapid fire bottle grabbing like I'm on some tour. I'd rather have the flexibility of a frame bag than a seat bag, so if it means an extra second of bottle fidgeting than so be it.
Psychotext
Member
So what do you need it for? Surely any frame bag that limits you to X hours of riding is almost completely pointless (given they're pretty much only used for very long or multi day rides)?
Bought my first proper bike today after years of using old, shitty city-bikes. Bought a used Nishiki SL One for next to nothing that I plan on using a lot for fun this summer I've never ridden a road bike before, but it's so much fun. It blows my mind how light and fast it is compared to my regular bike. I can see this becoming a more serious hobby for me in the future, and I'm excited!
I've never ridden a road bike before, but it's so much fun. It blows my mind how light and fast it is compared to my regular bike. I can see this becoming a more serious hobby for me in the future, and I'm excited!
Psychotext
Member
I'd like to get some bar tape to replace the half-grips that came standard. The pedals kind of suck as well.
Do you all have any recommendations for good pedals?
Psychotext
Member
Sadly not, on a mountain bike I could.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
The bottles butting up to the bottom of the bag ended up not being that big of a deal. It was pretty easy to get them in and out even with the tight fit.
I didn't need a frame bag, but I really dislike saddle bags. I especially don't like them on days I'm planning a long ride because you can't get a whole lot in there other than a tube kit. The frame bag gives me a little more space for longer days where I may want to bring a light jacket, snacks and drink mix. I can fit that stuff in my back pockets, but then I'm cramming so much into small three pockets.
It's also a little nicer to put my hand pump in there since I can't really use CO2 with tubeless.
What kind of pedals were you looking for?
Ideally some larger pedals would be nice. These stock ones had simple cages on them that I took off, and they are only about 3/4 the width of my shoes.
Have you tried side-entry cages?
What sort of pump are you using? Most that aren't classic full-size frame pumps can use a mount (and usually come with a mount) to go on the same bosses as the bottle cages.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Thought about side entry, but it's really not as big a deterrent as I thought. And I know they come with frames but again, it's something I hate. I've been keeping the pump in my jersey pocket (~9 inches) and it hasn't been too bad. Putting in the bag is nice though because I can keep jersey pockets free for things I need access: food
I've never used them, but if you're looking for a way to hold your shoe to the pedal and don't want to have to think about sizing and adjustment, some people seem to have success with velcro strap pedals.
Any particular reason? Putting a pump mount on the bosses doesn't mean you sacrifice a bottle cage, you can put the cage on top of the pump mount.
They do admittedly sometimes not look great.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Answered it yourself
It was awesome. There were hundreds of people lining the track and packed onto a bridge (where I was). It went right underneath us, blowing its whistle and belching steam.
I *think* it's the first time I've ever seen it in the metal.
When I lived in Edinburgh as a child it would occasionally go past my house on Westfield street in its way to the depot.
Thanks. I might check those out in the future. Keeping the cages just in case I want to try out my fixed hub.
Anyways, I went to the local bike shop and picked up some Fyxation full width composite pedals with some good knobs. The bike feels a whole lot more stable with those installed. I also got a Bern helmet and some grip tape to replace the half-grips that came standard.
Genuine question: do all mountain bikes look the same to roadies?
Because all road bikes look the same to me. I seriously struggle to tell one from another.
I guess mountain bikes have different geometry, different suspension arrangements etc to make each one unique, whereas road bikes all mostly have extremely similar silhouettes.
No doubt somebody is about to prove me wrong.
Because all road bikes look the same to me. I seriously struggle to tell one from another.
I guess mountain bikes have different geometry, different suspension arrangements etc to make each one unique, whereas road bikes all mostly have extremely similar silhouettes.
No doubt somebody is about to prove me wrong.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Road Bikes largely look the same because they play a bit of follow the leader now, and to be honest they dont have a ton of innovation room in geometry department They've been going at it longer than mountain bikes so it makes sense.
There's also homologation from the road cycling organizations. However I did see a gorgeous road bike the other day from what to me was an unusual brand. I want to say like, Klystra or something? Hang on I'll google it.
Edit: Lynskey!
http://branfordbike.com/m/product/lynskey-performance-vial-shimano-105-223647-1.htm
Psychotext
Member
They're known for their freaky looking mountain bikes too.
There were some weird looking Cannondale MTBs at the shop too. Front fork offset instead of straight down from the handlebars.
Psychotext
Member
Yeah, they're called lefties, and they're WRONG. (even though they're supposedly good)
I'm Dutch, so my perspective on cycling is quite different from most users here. However, if you really want to use it as everyday transport I'd recommend looking for what we call a 'city' bike. Might be a bit hard to find in the US, but I believe that it's absolutely ideal.
An absolute classic (although expensive) of such a bike is the Gazelle tour poplair:
Main features of this one is:
Upright seating position, making for a relaxed, smooth ride and makes both you more visible and looking around at traffic easier. A position like this will make you slow down tremendously, but the positive is that you can ride it in your normal clothes and not get sweaty at all.
Closed chain guard for low maintenance and no chance of your clothes getting greasy or stuck.
Strong rear luggage rack which can be used to carry stuff around, have someone hop on the back and hitch a ride or carry a child seat.
Attached lock so locking it up is a matter of seconds.
Hub dynamo powering the lights so you always have light with you and won't have them run out of battery.
7 or 8 speed hub casette.
The seating position, closed chain guard, luggage rack and hub dynamo are all pretty standard on these bikes and as a dutch guy nearly unmissable. Other options might be a front rack for carrying stuff. I've got one on my bike and it's great to have when running errands.
Edit: Also forgot to mention stuff like rear fenders and skirt guards. Basically, these things are built solely for being as practical as possible for everyday use. And also available in step through models.
Thank you! This looks like exactly the kind of thing I would love to have, but I will admit that price scares me off a bit. If I could find a model that shares the same design ideas for less I would be happy to buy it I think.
If they could remove the right forks on the front and back wheels of road bikes, think of how much weight that could be saved!
I don't understand why the UCI equates a minimum weight with safety anyway. A heavy bike can be unsafe. They should just have tests to judge safety like they do with cars.
I don't understand why the UCI equates a minimum weight with safety anyway. A heavy bike can be unsafe. They should just have tests to judge safety like they do with cars.
What nonsense are you on about? There are red road bikes, matte black road bikes, blue road bikes, matte black road bikes, matte black road bikes, glossy black road bikes, green road bikes, and even some matte black road bikes. HUGE differences.
Really though, yes road bikes tend to be pretty similar. Mountain bikes are a less mature tech, and there's a greater variety of demands placed on them. Different varieties of road bikes demand different posture, different clearances and mounts for mounting stuff, different stiffness and strength considerations... but nothing that demands fundamentally re-thinking that spot-on design from the late 19th century, with two rigid triangles and a rigid fork with a bit of positive rake.
As far as the current generation of mass-produced bikes? Neither aluminum or CF have the strength:weight challenge that led to vintage steel using skinny tubing, and both materials now have well-developed tube-forming tech. Combine that with the "laterally stiff vertically compliant" marketing that's been developing since the 80s, and of course every manufacturer is going to use oversized ovalized tubing for the top tube and downtube. Compact geometry (top tube rises from the seatpost clamp to where it joins the head tube) saves a bit of weight and "allows" a frame to be sized to a greater variety of people, so of course they all build their bikes that way too.
I actually really like that skinny cylindrical tubing looks "weird" now, as it means I can show up to rides on basic vintage steel bikes and people are like "WOW THAT LOOKS REALLY COOL."
Decent titanium bike, price point isn't surprising. Although it's kind of interesting that they're shipping such a pricey bike with 105.
It's pretty common for touring bikes to have drivetrains that are "less fancy" than the rest of the bike... but that's usually because the manufacturers are trying to achieve wide gear ranges and extreme simplicity by using bar-end shifters and a sprawl of MTB parts.
Single-speeds are good for lightweightedness. Because of it's "retro" styling the Feather actually has a few design choices that add significant weight for style points, like the threaded headset and quill stem.
Fuji Track is basically the same bike but with fewer-spoked wheels and a threadless headset, and weighs a pound less at a lower price point.
I used the Feather as the base for my track bike, though; I just couldn't handle the disgustingness of a threadless headset on a bike with narrow tubing, and if I ever upgrade to an actual high-quality modernized track bike, I'll have a sweet fixie on hand rather than just a second inferior track bike.
"Normal" suspension forks aren't actually internally symmetric anyway, and if single-sided designs have poor function, then the automotive industry has been doing something horribly wrong since forever.
Cannondale's lefty design is functionally quite effective; lightweight, and strangely enough, great torsional stiffness.
However.
1. It's more difficult to maintenance.
2. It's more difficult to remove the wheel.
3. Restricted to proprietary hubs.
4. This is the important one: They look wrong. They look extremely wrong. Shoving a threaded-threadless adapter stem on a vintage steel bike looks less wrong than a Cannondale lefty fork. Using a brownish combination of purple and orange Gatorade while riding a viper red road bike looks less wrong than a Cannondale lefty fork. Cortana's in-game model in Halo 2 Anniversary looks better than a Cannondale lefty fork. Setting up a new Brooks leather saddle nose-down is a better idea than equipping a bike with a Cannondale lefty fork. Riding a hardtail in road lycra on the road, running into the curb on account of paying zero attention to anything, and landing in a bush, is more dignified than mountain biking on a mountain bike with a Cannondale lefty fork.
Not sure what a threadless headset is referring to, but isn't the Fuji Track a fixed gear only bike? I enjoy the feather because it has a flip-flop hub. This is my commuting + fun bike, and in the city I really didn't want to be stuck with a fixie. Swapping the stock pedals for this wider, more grippy set has made the bike an absolute dream to ride around.
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