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Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
Psychotext
Member
I like climbs sometimes... mostly when they come to an end. I'm a reasonable climber though.
However, don't waste my climbing with a shitty road descent. I wont be happy.
However, don't waste my climbing with a shitty road descent. I wont be happy.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I love/hate climbs. I hate them because they suck, but love them because they kick my ass
It's pretty mad, not as steep as the ones in the alps/pyrenees etc.
Try that one on a mountain bike covered in bikepacking gear whilst being roasted by stupidly hot temperatures.
I still managed to catch, pass and gap a roadie though.
Nah, bad enough on a road bike, you probably passed me!
Yup, same here, I live in a very flat area, so love to climb when I can, I am a crap climber, but I love the challenge.
The less said about the time I tried to tackle Chimney Bank in Yorkshire the better!
Well it's summer here & it's the only bike shop in the area. He was actually pleased to report it would only be a week, lol.
I can cut the steerer tube I just don't have the tool that pushes the star nut down. I've seen people on Youtube jam it down with a screwdriver and a hammer but I didn't want to install it an angle or something.
when i lived in the alps -- annecy specifically -- i couldn't climb worth shit and was stuck using a heavy hybrid bike
l'alpe d'huez wasn't too far from me but i didn't dare try
Hey, some heavy hybrids are equipped with silly low gears that, if you're not worried about time, could potentially make it significantly easier than on most road racing bikes.when i lived in the alps -- annecy specifically -- i couldn't climb worth shit and was stuck using a heavy hybrid bike
l'alpe d'huez wasn't too far from me but i didn't dare try
Psychotext
Member
Ehhh... I see the argument. But having experienced both, I'd rather 170bpm for ten minutes than 160bpm for twenty. I always try to get hills out of the way as fast as possible, even on very long endurance rides.
Your time was about half mine, which sounds about right to be honest.
I used to work at a store that only sold racks, and I would never recommend a long distance journey like that with a trunk mount.
Put them inside the car if you can, or perhaps consider renting a purpose built roof rack.
I often put mine in the back of Zipcars when I rent. I'd never put my bike on a trunk rack... you wouldn't believe how many we saw fail, across all brands from high to low end.
I was thinking from the standpoint of being able to do the climb at all. Alpe d'Huez is a fairly steep 3600' climb, and if you're at risk of bottoming out the gearing, you may be more likely to be able to finish it on a low-geared hybrid than a fancy-schmancy road bike with aggressive race gearing.
Psychotext
Member
I know what you roadies are like, you'd just stand for all of it (I've never really got how people can do that. My quads catch fire after a couple of hundred meters).
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I'll see what we can do. We're going to have our dogs with us so that's why it'll be tight. Maybe we can stack the frames in the back (crosstrek) with the wheels going somewhere else.
You weren't kidding.
This morning was my first time back in the saddle since crashing into a tree face first last year. Went to a nice technical MTB trail 10 kilometers from my home. Last year really did a number on me, so I found myself to be extremely (overly) cautious and in general too afraid to crash out. Especially on some of the slightly longer/steeper descents I did a ton of unnecessary breaking ( in turn probably making a crash more likely than less). Worst thing is, these descents were peanuts compared to what I used to do last year without much hesitation.
Recorded an absolute stinker of a time on Strava. But hey it's a start! I really need to start regaining my confidence, as well as just improve my skill. Looking forward to returning to the track soon!
Recorded an absolute stinker of a time on Strava. But hey it's a start! I really need to start regaining my confidence, as well as just improve my skill. Looking forward to returning to the track soon!
Psychotext
Member
Confidence is a bitch in mountain biking. So much of descending is getting off the brakes where it's safe and picking braking zones to prepare for the more technical sections. At the start of the year (after not doing anything technical in the winter) I couldn't descend for shit. I had to physically force myself to do harder and harder trails and not get off so that I could get my confidence back. Thing is, as you said... braking is terrible news as far as control goes, as is being overly tense and not letting the bike move around under you properly.
I've had a few crashes in that period (including chipping my elbow and cracking my handlebars), but thankfully I'm largely still fairly confident on the really rough stuff. Have improved massively on loose rocky stuff too (which I would refuse to ride in the past).
Still shit on mud though. /o\
I've had a few crashes in that period (including chipping my elbow and cracking my handlebars), but thankfully I'm largely still fairly confident on the really rough stuff. Have improved massively on loose rocky stuff too (which I would refuse to ride in the past).
Still shit on mud though. /o\
jakonovski
Member
I started wearing light knee pads on rougher rides.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
For some reason my confidence on the road is fine. I'll bomb hills, take hard corners and weave in traffic. Put me on a moderate mountain bike trail and all I can think about is crashing. Confidence sure is a weird beast.
I'm the opposite. The short, narrow, hilly road sections I have to navigate on the way to the woods fill me with dread. So many impatient assholes, so many boy racers, so many coffin-dodgers on their way to the golf club, and so many mouth-breathing numbskulls texting while driving.
Let me loose in the woods on all sorts of terrain and I'm as free as a bird.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I have this nagging thing in my head going "You're 32, breaking a bone right now would not be the best of ideas".
I've got 10 years on you, so I've had a decade more to think of all the things that could go wrong!
I know that feeling. When I was 32 I managed to dislocate my shoulder while simultaneously breaking my collarbone up a mountain in Alpe d'Huez (or was it Les Deux Alpes? I forget). Took a couple of years to get full strength back in the shoulder and a further couple of years to get full confidence back. My physiotherapist had a rack to die for though so it wasn't all bad.
Same here. I love taking my mountain bike on city streets here in Toronto. It's such a rush. I've never done cocaine but I imagine that's what it feels like. So laser focused and hyper aware. One wrong move and you're dead.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
"Hey doc, how much for the Ultrega pins? I need to watch my weight in my upcoming Cat 5 crit?"
Psychotext
Member
TarpitCarnivore
Member
ITT are SOOO boring to watch (sorry danowat). I much prefer TTT as there's much more coordination and tactics going on. I know ITT is pure competition, but from a spectator perspective it's just zzzz.
Nah, ITT is boring as heck to watch, I feel sorry for my wife who supports me during a 12hr TT.
It's not a spectator sport at all really, it doesn't attract hardly any spectators, even the national championships.
That said, the UCI world tour last year was well supporter, but that was a closed road TT, so that makes a difference.
Psychotext
Member
Ehh, I like them. I don't think I'd like to watch a 12 hour one though.
Ehh, I like them. I don't think I'd like to watch a 12 hour one though.
Watching a 12hr is probably harder than riding one!
Psychotext
Member
Ha, true enough.
Another Toronto mountain biker? We should hit up the Don sometime
Unfort we just moved outside of the city to Durham county. We lived in Leslieville so it was a quick jump down to the waterfront trail and up the Don. That was my primary route for the last few years!
lol spoke gauge
lol tire
Hopefully this actually rolls better than the original wheelset, with its dual tires and shot hubs.
I still have the other wheelset loaded with the other tires, and I'll toss them back on if I go on a ride where I need to dig through muckier stuff.
If I like having wide slicks around, I might try upgrading to something like these.
I might have to switch out the QR skewers, and use the originals with both wheelsets. The levers on silver external-cam skewers never seem to look right.
lol tire
Hopefully this actually rolls better than the original wheelset, with its dual tires and shot hubs.
I still have the other wheelset loaded with the other tires, and I'll toss them back on if I go on a ride where I need to dig through muckier stuff.
If I like having wide slicks around, I might try upgrading to something like these.
I might have to switch out the QR skewers, and use the originals with both wheelsets. The levers on silver external-cam skewers never seem to look right.
Psychotext
Member
Ugh, turbo trainer work the day after squats, lunges and the like... horrible.
Gloves?
Ehhhh
With that kind of chain art, you should really work out a technique for positioning your chain in a smooth movement with a tool from your bag (i.e. one of the things on your multi-tool). All of it is mostly pointless and accomplishes nothing (that wouldn't be dealt with anyway next time you clean the bike) compared with just letting your chain flop around all over the place, but you'll impress the hell out of everyone around you.
You'll still get some black stuff on your hands due to the tires and brake pad residue, but who cares? That's why you have black handlebar tape.
Ehhhh
With that kind of chain art, you should really work out a technique for positioning your chain in a smooth movement with a tool from your bag (i.e. one of the things on your multi-tool). All of it is mostly pointless and accomplishes nothing (that wouldn't be dealt with anyway next time you clean the bike) compared with just letting your chain flop around all over the place, but you'll impress the hell out of everyone around you.
You'll still get some black stuff on your hands due to the tires and brake pad residue, but who cares? That's why you have black handlebar tape.
Well what happened was I got the tire all pumped up and started putting it back on and that's when my lack of experience taking off the rear wheel caught up with me. You can see in the picture how the rear deraileur is swung up forward, and that caused me a lot of problems. Once I finally figured out what was going on my hands were covered in grease. Luckily, the guy whose yard I had parked myself in let me come in and wash my hands.
I've seen the gloves recommended as a nice thing to have. They're cheap and take up very little room. But I should also just practice taking/replacing my rear wheel.
BIcycle Age can you lend me your wisdom? What is the verdict on the Sondors ebike? A $500 ebike sounds like a great investment but I'm unsure about this and need assistance on this possible purchase.
$500 for a normal bike is getting on for bottom end, for an ebike they must have cut corners somewhere, is there a full detailed tech spec?
I'd be worried I'd be just getting a BSO with a motor.
I've got just the thing for you:
You precious Roadies and your manicures...
I'm lucky if I don't have to get hosed down in the garden after a typical ride like a rioter facing off to a water cannon.
Reviewers seem to indicate it's better than expected given that it's both an e-bike and a mere $500, i.e. it's very basic but appears to basically do what it's supposed to do.
On the other hand, there's apparently only one frame size (!?), and unless you like the idea of riding an extremely heavy single-speed fatbike free of assist, you'll have to keep rides fairly short. And there's a waiting list, effectively zero warranty, and they don't appear to list parts.
The box on the main triangle seems like a nice low-cost solution with easy storage benefits, although one reviewer complained that their leg was bumping into the latch as they pedaled.
¯\_(ツ
_/¯Psychotext
Member
That dude's a flat-earthing Luddite who probably bemoans the decline of the Penny Farthing. Evolve or die, people!
Psychotext
Member
Psychotext
Member
Only 12 hours. lol
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