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[HTupolev]

but isn't the Fuji Track a fixed gear only bike?

Ah, forgot they had a pure track hub on that one.

Although, there's usually nothing particularly catastrophic about sticking a freewheel onto the threading for a fixed cog.

What's a really bad idea is going the other way, since you can't use a lockring on freewheel threads. A fixed cog without a lockring has the potential to unthread when you apply back-pressure, which is obviously a bad situation.

Not sure what a threadless headset is referring to,

It has to do with how the fork is secured to the bike, and how the stem is secured to the fork.

There is a "steering tube" connected to the top of the fork, which sits within a bicycle's head tube.

Classically, the outside of the top of the steering tube was threaded. When the fork was in place, and you wanted to secure it to the bike, you screwed a nut onto the threading. Then, if you looked into the top of the head tube through that nut, you saw the inside of the steering tube.

See the bolt on the top of the Feather's stem, pointing into the head tube? It connects to an expander wedge at the bottom of the stem:

That's how the stem is attached to the steering tube: you just shove the bottom of the stem into the steering tube, and turn the bolt the expand the wedge so that the stem is stuck to the inside of the tube.

Modern bikes mostly use threadless forks/headsets/whatever. The outside of the steering tube is completely smooth, and the stem is now a horizontal piece that clamps onto the outside of the steering tube. To set the vertical height of the stem, rather than just loosening the top bolt, setting the stem where you want it, and re-tightening the bolt, you have to put spacers onto the steering tube below where the stem is clamped.

Threadless setups can be made lighter and stiffer than threaded setups with quill stems.

 

[Psychotext]

That price point, woah.

This feather is legitimately a feather. Only 23lbs. Makes carrying it up to my apartment so nice.

Believe it or not, that's about what my XC mountain bike weighs, with fairly chunky rubber on the wheels (it is only a 26er though).

 

[Mascot]

"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.

1. Newer models are apparently a lot easier to maintain. If you have the tools and skills to maintain a 'normal' fork (beyond merely adjusting pressure with a shock pump) then you can also self-maintain a Lefty.
2. It takes a little longer than a bolt-through axel, that's all, including flipping the brake caliper up. And if you've got decent forks, then you've got a bolt-though rather than a QR. And don't forget, Lefty lets you change the tube or tyre without removing the wheel, which for a lot of people (myself included) is the only time my wheel comes off.
3. True, but really - so what? The proprietary hubs are designed for the Lefty, and are absolutely fine. No need to change them.
4. They look awesome! Mountain biking loves innovation, it loves technology, it loves uniqueness, it loves wow factor, it loves drawing attention to itself. Lefties look awesome because they look wrong. They fuck with our heads and go against everything we think we know about front-end suspension and attaching wheels to axles (despite planes, despite cars). They seem illogical, and impossible, and just plain daft, but they outperform standard forks by any metric you care to apply. They introduce some disadvantages inherent in inverted designs (eg protecting the slightly-more-at-risk-from-knocks positioning of the stanchion) but the weight and performance advantages outweigh these.

After reading many reviews I came very close to buying a Lefty-equipped Carbon Trigger 2 a few months ago (I had a deal in place but got gazumped, then another offer for a Saracen 14x came up for 1/5th of the price and it was too good to pass) and I'd certainly consider one again. I've owned several Cannondales in the past and love their attitude to innovation and uniqueness.

A couple of marketing videos (so temper accordingly), but the tech is fascinating:

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WlRqcAQr2w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oIhPIJdiYo

 

[robox]

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.

i've started looking at mountain bikes a bit since i wanna get into that at some point.
there's hardtail, and there's full sus.
and rear triangle and damper connects in a few different ways. that's all i got


on the road side, most bikes look the similar because UCI. eddie merckx was the be all, end all and all bikes have to resemble what he rode back in tha day
bikes like cat cheetah and zipp 2001 showed up, were deemed too fast and non-traditional and were promptly banned. some makers are continuing those experiments on pure triathlon bikes where UCI's rules don't matter

 

[Mascot]

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

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."

i've started looking at mountain bikes a bit since i wanna get into that at some point.
there's hardtail, and there's full sus.
and rear triangle and damper connects in a few different ways. that's all i got


on the road side, most bikes look the similar because UCI. eddie merckx was the be all, end all and all bikes have to resemble what he rode back in tha day
bikes like cat cheetah and zipp 2001 showed up, were deemed too fast and non-traditional and were promptly banned. some makers are continuing those experiments on pure triathlon bikes where UCI's rules don't matter

Thanks for the responses. Interesting!

 

[jakonovski]

A lot of the current sameness is also borne from physics, in that the current frame shape is likely the most effective way to build a road bike. You can play around with rider stance and frame flex but it'll still look the same.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

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 think minimum weight is a smart and safe decision for racing. When you start to push weight limits you're going to start to compromise shit somewhere. These guys are pushing 40mph in some instances throughout a race and if they're making parts smaller/thinner to save weight that's a lot of force on a small area.

Thanks for the responses. Interesting!

I've grown to love steel bikes. While they look more of the same than any other bike they do have a timeless and classic look to them. My aluminum bike just feels too much like a 'me too' bike.

 

[infiniteloop]

My Dad likes going on cycling tours. He's looking for a GPS that can go on his handlebars.
He's looking for something that shows turn by turn, and can be pre-programmed with a route.
Anything BicycleGAF can recommend?

Garmin Edge 810 or Garmin Edge 520 any good?

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

get the 520

 

[Psychotext]

Just don't get the 1000. The battery life is GARBAGE.

 

[thomaser]

Some days are just NICE.

 

[Psychotext]

Really strange day for me, boiling hot, and freezing cold with rain. Brecon Beacons for you I guess.

 

[Mascot]

Some days are just NICE.

Lovely.

 

[Granadier]

Some days are just NICE.

Wow...beautiful.

 

[Psychotext]

Oh shit... I'm properly toasted.

 

[infiniteloop]

get the 520

Just don't get the 1000. The battery life is GARBAGE.

Thanks.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Hi!

Whats the easiest way to make a crossbike a bit faster?

Any good tires that deliver enough grip on gravel/forest roads but are also good on asphalt?

Currently using the "Schwalbe Racing Ralph, PerL, 28" x 33mm"

Bike:

Scart Light 9.0

That bike is 25lbs and not really a cross bike. I mean, it is and it isn't (semantics). Easiest thing would be to get off those tires. Knobby tires lead to a lot of rolling resistance when you're not on dirt.

I used to ride on the Continental Sport Contact II (http://www.continental-tires.com/bic...sport-contact2) and they were pretty good. Grippy enough in gravel and some dirt, but smooth enough to get moving on road. I only moved off them because I went tubeless and they're not tubeless compatible. Now I'm on Panaracer Gravel Kings.

ty will give them a try

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Oh shit... I'm properly toasted.

As a ginger, I wear a long sleeve shirt and tights no matter what the weather. The other day when it was 101 degrees out I got a few funny looks but whatever. I'd rather not turn crispy!

This past week has been pretty shitty for me since I can't ride. I wish it were easier to tell what I can and can't do but my energy levels are all over the place because of the pneumonia. Heck, last night I couldn't sleep and the more I didn't sleep the more nauseous I became. I wake up and I'm fine. I go a few hours and I'm aching all over. Then I'm fine again. Bah.

 

[Psychotext]

Problem was that I was expecting it to rain all day, but it was crazy sunny at points. I wouldn't mind a cooling long sleeve top, but I'm yet to see one I'd be happy with.

Hopefully wont be long before you're back on it. I hate being forced off the bike.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Hi!

Whats the easiest way to make a crossbike a bit faster?

Any good tires that deliver enough grip on gravel/forest roads but are also good on asphalt?

Currently using the "Schwalbe Racing Ralph, PerL, 28" x 33mm"

Bike:

Scart Light 9.0

That bike is 25lbs and not really a cross bike. I mean, it is and it isn't (semantics). Easiest thing would be to get off those tires. Knobby tires lead to a lot of rolling resistance when you're not on dirt.

I used to ride on the Continental Sport Contact II (http://www.continental-tires.com/bicycle/tyres/city-trekking-tyres/sport-contact2) and they were pretty good. Grippy enough in gravel and some dirt, but smooth enough to get moving on road. I only moved off them because I went tubeless and they're not tubeless compatible. Now I'm on Panaracer Gravel Kings.

 

[Granadier]

Went for a nice ride along the Charles river today. Stopped at a boat house and got some lean in.

Ended up removing the stock half-grips and adding some proper bar tape. Still not sold on the drops for city riding, and I think I'll pick up a bullhorn bar to try.

 

[robox]

That bike is 25lbs and not really a cross bike. I mean, it is and it isn't (semantics).

in america, that'd be called a hybrid.
in other parts of the world, like i've seen in japan, that category is indeed called cross

kinda like lift vs elevator, bonnet vs hood, etc.

 

[HTupolev]

Ended up removing the stock half-grips and adding some proper bar tape.

Excellent!

Still not sold on the drops for city riding, and I think I'll pick up a bullhorn bar to try.

Drop bars with just center brake levers does seem to be a bit of a clumsy setup. I'm guessing you're aiming to stick the levers on the bullhorn bar ends so that they're at the primary hand position?

//===============================

On the subject of Feathers...

I reworked the fit to get it more properly track-appropriate, switching the original stem back in and shoving the saddle forward (it's about as far forward as it can be without violating UCI rules, although that's largely because this saddle has a silly long nose).

Even with a Brooks saddle and the freewheel still attached, it's under 21 pounds... but it's a bit of a smaller frame than yours, and obviously a very different configuration.

 

[Granadier]

If I installed some bullhorn bars I think the brake levers would stay in the same position. I'd have to feel it out though.

Nice looking feather you have there!

 

[Antagon]

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.

Yeah, I'm not from the US so I don't really know what is available there. But the prices are quite high, the same bike in the netherlands would probably cost around 800 euros.

A more affordable option from Gazelle would be the 'classic' which seems to be 900 dollars in the USA. But it definitely is less premium and still quite expensive for what you get (no hub lights I think, only 3 speeds, kickback brake for the back). The same bike in the Netherlands would be 550 Euros.

Maybe you can find some old beater online? That's generally enough for day to day use.

 

[Psychotext]

Riding partner had let his drivetrain get so gunked up that the derailleur could no longer move and provide tension, meaning that if he changed into his lowest gears the chain would just flop around like it was twice the length it was supposed to be.

Of course, he then assumes that I'm going to help him fix it (I have little choice but to), which ends up covering my brand new gloves in a coating of thick black old oil.

Really winds me up. Little tweaks on the trail, sure, but don't turn up to a ride with your bike all fucked up unless you absolutely couldn't get it sorted yourself for some reason.

 

[Mascot]

Riding partner had let his drivetrain get so gunked up that the derailleur could no longer move and provide tension, meaning that if he changed into his lowest gears the chain would just flop around like it was twice the length it was supposed to be.

Of course, he then assumes that I'm going to help him fix it (I have little choice but to), which ends up covering my brand new gloves in a coating of thick black old oil.

Really winds me up. Little tweaks on the trail, sure, but don't turn up to a ride with your bike all fucked up unless you absolutely couldn't get it sorted yourself for some reason.

A couple of years ago a bunch of old mates came down from all over the UK for a weekend of biking, BBQ and booze. One of them (not a serious biker, probably more interested in the BBQ and booze) had his front wheel totally collapse after a very short time. Turns out the spoke threads were completely rusted through. He was very lucky not to be seriously injured, and annoyingly I'd offered to give his bike the once over when he arrived (I knew it had been sitting in his garage for ages, unloved) but he refused the offer. I was glad he was OK but it still unnecessarily disrupted the session. A badly-maintained bicycle can be a death trap.

 

[frontieruk]

Some days are just NICE.

and some days aren't so nice but still a wonderful ride

 

[Psychotext]

I love the composition on that. Looks almost ethereal.

 

[frontieruk]

I love the composition on that. Looks almost ethereal.

Was quite a nice finish to our route, our car was on the ridge in the background.

 

[Jay Sosa]

That bike is 25lbs and not really a cross bike. I mean, it is and it isn't (semantics). Easiest thing would be to get off those tires. Knobby tires lead to a lot of rolling resistance when you're not on dirt.

I used to ride on the Continental Sport Contact II (http://www.continental-tires.com/bic...sport-contact2) and they were pretty good. Grippy enough in gravel and some dirt, but smooth enough to get moving on road. I only moved off them because I went tubeless and they're not tubeless compatible. Now I'm on Panaracer Gravel Kings.

How about the Schwalbe Marathon Series? Seems to be pretty popular.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Marathon and Gatorskins are supposed to be ultra durable and puncture proof, but with that comes a pretty stiff tire. You may notice it, you may not.

I rode those Continentals at 32mm and 80psi without much issue on road & dirt. I was really digging them.

 

[Mascot]

 

[Jay Sosa]

Marathon and Gatorskins are supposed to be ultra durable and puncture proof, but with that comes a pretty stiff tire. You may notice it, you may not.

I rode those Continentals at 32mm and 80psi without much issue on road & dirt. I was really digging them.

And whats the thinnest I should go? 33mm? Is there even a big difference between 1,5 and 1,3?

 

[thomaser]

and some days aren't so nice but still a wonderful ride

That's still pretty damn nice in my book! Love this time of year.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

And whats the thinnest I should go? 33mm? Is there even a big difference between 1,5 and 1,3?

I'll let some others chime in on this, but I believe it can sometimes be best to run at the widest your bike will support. I'm on 32s but they fill out to 35s, and I still have another few mm to spare.

 

[HTupolev]

And whats the thinnest I should go? 33mm? Is there even a big difference between 1,5 and 1,3?

For a gravel bike I wouldn't worry if my tires are a bit wide. A slightly wider tire will be a little heavier and have slightly more aero drag, but it'll roll smoother and grip better. Wider tires can be used at lower PSI, and on rough surfaces this can actually decrease rolling resistance.

For reference, here's a "gravel bike" of sorts that I built up from an old rigid mountain bike:

Those are cheap 2" tires, are for the most part knobbier than what you're looking at buying, and on flat pavement I can cruise within 5-10% of the speeds I maintain on my pure road bikes.

 

[Psychotext]

*IMG*

Quiet you!

 

[Darth Pinche]

Time for this weekends lean-age/hang-age:

 

[Psychotext]

Blanchbro? I can't quite read it.

 

[Darth Pinche]

Blanchbro? I can't quite read it.

Blanchard. They are the in house wheels made my Diamondback for their new, better quality bikes. The are tubeless ,asymmetrical, 27.5 with a 28mm internal width. They feel light, but I have not weighed them.

They are named after a trail up by Bellingham, WA

 

[Psychotext]

Cool.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Thanks guys!

 

[Granadier]

and some days aren't so nice but still a wonderful ride

That bar tape wrap is superb. 👌

 

[Stinkles]

Is anyone working on a solid futuristic puncture proof tire? 200 years and no improvement?

 

[Psychotext]

I can do you puncture proof... just don't expect a smooth ride, or grip.

 

[HTupolev]

Is anyone working on a solid futuristic puncture proof tire? 200 years and no improvement?

http://www.tannus.com/

 

[2002whitegt]

Got more rain this weekend, I'm starting to think I'll never be able to hit the trails here in Houston ever again.

Might have to get a road bike....

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Went back to the doc and the pneumonia hasn't changed at all so I have a stronger battery of antibiotics to try. Awesome.

 

[Granadier]

Went back to the doc and the pneumonia hasn't changed at all so I have a stronger battery of antibiotics to try. Awesome.

Good luck. Hope you get well soon.