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[Psychotext]

Taken just after the first shakedown ride:

Ugh, so fucking jealous. Not least because I wish I had that kind of money to blow on a bike.

For weight loss, variation seems to be the thing. Swimming would be a great complementing activity for cyclists.

Not particularly. As always it's a matter of using more energy than you cram in your face. Doing weights and cycling certainly helps (lets me eat even more!), but I could lose weight without spending a single minute doing either.

 

[Mikeside]

Hi BikeGAF

I've just ordered a Trek Marlin 7 to commute the 4 miles to and from work (mostly off-road) and for a bit of fitness

I've not ridden a bike in almost 10 years, so it's fairly daunting to get started again, but I can't wait to get crackin'.

Any tips for a beginner?

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

All joking aside, I put weight on really easily if I don't exercise no matter how healthily I eat, and it's getting worse year-on-year as I progress through my forties. I'm about 180 lbs at the moment but there's definitely a fat man inside me struggling to get out.

Hey, another member of team "my metabolism is fucked"

 

[danowat]

Any tips for a beginner?

Pedal in circles.

 

[Mascot]

Hey, another member of team "my metabolism is fucked"

It's compounded by the fact that I invariably eat worse when I'm not exercising, because I then get a who-gives-a-fuck attitude. If I'm exercising then I'll make damn sure to eat healthily so I don't undo all the good work I've done exercising.

And I fucking looooove junk food, so it takes a lot of self-discipline. Crisps, chocolate, ice cream, muffins, cake, dry-roasted peanuts... why do you taste so good damn you!

And an honourable mention must go to my own personal kryptonite: tiger bread (oooooh! fucking tiger bread! I would eat this all day if I could, slathered in butter).

Spoiler

BRB, off to get snacks.

 

[Psychotext]

Crisps and bread... there's a reason I keep neither in my house.

 

[Mikeside]

Pedal in circles.

useful info, thanks

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Even when I exercise I feel like my metabolism just doesn't work hard. I'll be more hungry, but no matter what I try I just always am in an uphill battle. I was able to go from 210 back down to 165, but since cycling more and more I'm now around 175 (only 5'7").

 

[danowat]

Crisps and bread... there's a reason I keep neither in my house.

This is the way to do it, if there is anything "nice" to eat in our house I destroy it in seconds.

some people can have a bar of chocolate and have a piece a day or whatever, nope, not me, if something is there and open, it's gone.

 

[Mascot]

This is the way to do it, if there is anything "nice" to eat in our house I destroy it in seconds.

some people can have a bar of chocolate and have a piece a day or whatever, nope, not me, if something is there and open, it's gone.

This is me. If I know there's something like that in the house then it constantly nags me and I can't relax until it's gone. An opened packet of biscuits has the half-life of a mayfly.

The only solution is never to buy them in the first place.

The rule I generally apply is not to buy shit like that, but to eat it if offered (eg at work, someone brings a cake in or buys a box of donuts). Every snack feels like a real treat then.

 

[trebbble]

Ugh, so fucking jealous. Not least because I wish I had that kind of money to blow on a bike.

As Prince's ghost might say, you sexy motherfucker.

Thanks! It took a while to save, but it's my first new bike in about 5 years. Really looking forward to taking it out on the trails this week

There are some deals out there... I got about 30% off from the local bike shop, and when I was putting it together last night, I saw that the wheels were built with a set of DT 240s instead of 350s like I ordered. The set of 240 hubs up here are 2/3rds as much as I paid for the full wheel set, so I felt really lucky!

 

[teepo]

Any tips for a beginner?

just ride, seriously. also for rides longer than 4 miles, keep up with your hydration, the general rule is a bottle an hour

and if you're feeling exhausted, don't hesitate to take a break to let your body both recover and become stronger.

 

[Mascot]

Thanks! It took a while to save, but it's my first new bike in about 5 years. Really looking forward to taking it out on the trails this week

There are some deals out there... I got about 30% off from the local bike shop, and when I was putting it together last night, I saw that the wheels were built with a set of DT 240s instead of 350s like I ordered. The set of 240 hubs up here are 2/3rds as much as I paid for the full wheel set, so I felt really lucky!

Man, I'd be too scared to ride a £4,300-ish bike, even with 1/3 off the asking price..!

I'd be absolutely devastated the first time I scratched it.

 

[danowat]

Man, I'd be too scared to ride a £4,300-ish bike, even with 1/3 off the asking price..!

I'd be absolutely devastated the first time I scratched it.

My race bike is worth about £6k!!!

 

[ACE 1991]

Looking into upgrading my wheels, is this a decent looking deal? I'd have to replace the tires.
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bop/5670711367.html

 

[danowat]

Unless you are upgrading from some really nasty hoops, the R500's aren't much of an upgrade, my Kuota came with R500's as stock.

 

[Mascot]

My race bike is worth about £6k!!!

Yeah, but that pootles safely along the Queen's highway away from rocks 'n' roots 'n' jumps 'n' shit.



Looks like I really need to up my spend game. I feel like a pauper round here.

 

[Psychotext]

My race bike is worth about £6k!!!

That's way too far even for me. lol

I'd rather get 2 x 3k bikes. I guess if it's for racing then it's another story though.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Unless you are upgrading from some really nasty hoops, the R500's aren't much of an upgrade, my Kuota came with R500's as stock.

I second this. I upgraded to R500's only because the stock wheels that came on my Scott were POS with spoke threading problems (i broke off close to 10 nipples in the span of a year). In the 4-5 months of riding my Scott with the R500 exclusively I never hit an issue with them. They're pretty bombproof as an every day beater but by no means an "upgrade"

 

[danowat]

That's way too far even for me. lol

I'd rather get 2 x 3k bikes. I guess if it's for racing then it's another story though.

I've got 6 bikes, a cheapie hybrid, a Spesh Allez Elite, a Kuota Kharma, a spare race bike which is a Canondale Slice, my main Argon race bike, and a steel framed Kona single speed.

Plus god knows how many wheels and power meters!.

And a very well alarmed garage!

My wife keeps bugging me to get rid of some of it.

 

[Mikeside]

just ride, seriously. also for rides longer than 4 miles, keep up with your hydration, the general rule is a bottle an hour

and if you're feeling exhausted, don't hesitate to take a break to let your body both recover and become stronger.

Thanks, I'll have a bottle with me and I'm not going to be trying to pelt about quite yet. Perfectly happy to spend some time getting used to riding again.

The only thing I'm worried about really is getting launched over the handlebars. Softly softly on the front brake, I guess.

 

[danowat]

The only thing I'm worried about really is getting launched over the handlebars. Softly softly on the front brake, I guess.

Unless you are a supermodel, I wouldn't worry about that, you're more likely to lock the front wheel up on a bit of dirt or painted white line or ironworks when braking.

Wearing the correct clothing (which for me means lycra!) makes the experience so much more pleasurable.

Just enjoy it.

 

[Mikeside]

Sweet.
Now the long wait for my bike to be delivered to the shop near me.
They're fitting extended handlebars too, but hopefully I can get it this week

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I've got 6 bikes, a cheapie hybrid, a Spesh Allez Elite, a Kuota Kharma, a spare race bike which is a Canondale Slice, my main Argon race bike, and a steel framed Kona single speed.

Plus god knows how many wheels and power meters!.

And a very well alarmed garage!

My wife keeps bugging me to get rid of some of it.

and I thought I was nuts for wanting 3

 

[frontieruk]

I've got 6 bikes, a cheapie hybrid, a Spesh Allez Elite, a Kuota Kharma, a spare race bike which is a Canondale Slice, my main Argon race bike, and a steel framed Kona single speed.

Plus god knows how many wheels and power meters!.

And a very well alarmed garage!

My wife keeps bugging me to get rid of some of it.

I've got a bike shed you could 'store' some in...

 

[Mascot]

I've got 6 bikes, a cheapie hybrid, a Spesh Allez Elite, a Kuota Kharma, a spare race bike which is a Canondale Slice, my main Argon race bike, and a steel framed Kona single speed.

Plus god knows how many wheels and power meters!.

And a very well alarmed garage!

My wife keeps bugging me to get rid of some of it.

Holy crap. That's a lot of non-mountain bikes for sure. Ever been tempted to the dark side where the real fun resides?

I get the occasional itch to spend big on a shiny new bike (and came very close to pulling the trigger on a new carbon Cannondale Trigger 2 a few months ago, £4k bike for £2k) but I'm very happy with the deal I got on my current bike. By buying from a friend I know it'd been looked after, and it was a team build. I didn't tot everything up but the Ariel 14x frame on its own was originally £1,200, DT Swiss wheels, XT/SLX mix, carbon bars and seat post, Fox suspension f+r etc etc so all in all I think I got a bargain at £390. And most importantly - I love it!

 

[danowat]

Holy crap. That's a lot of non-mountain bikes for sure. Ever been tempted to the dark side where the real fun resides?

I have, I very nearly got one last winter to ride the Thetford forest race series, but wasn't really sure what to get.

I am tempted to get shot of the single speed, I rode it all last winter, but only have one gear is a bit mental, I am either grinding or spinning like mad, gears just make much more sense, although there is zero maintenance with a SS in winter, one of my team mates rides a belted bike with hub gearing in winter, which could be an option.

But there is no way I'd be allowed another bike without getting shot of something first!

 

[Mascot]

I have, I very nearly got one last winter to ride the Thetford forest race series, but wasn't really sure what to get.

I am tempted to get shot of the single speed, I rode it all last winter, but only have one gear is a bit mental, I am either grinding or spinning like mad, gears just make much more sense, although there is zero maintenance with a SS in winter, one of my team mates rides a belted bike with hub gearing in winter, which could be an option.

But there is no way I'd be allowed another bike without getting shot of something first!

Pipedream Cycles are just around the corner from me and build a lot of custom bikes with belt drives. They're really highly rated, too. I only really know what the owner has told me but he raves about them.

 

[jakonovski]

Not particularly. As always it's a matter of using more energy than you cram in your face. Doing weights and cycling certainly helps (lets me eat even more!), but I could lose weight without spending a single minute doing either.

Exercise activates your metabolism even after exercise, and muscles take up energy just by being there, so using body parts not activated by cycling is effective in increasing your body's energy demands beyond just the energy spent moving.

 

[Psychotext]

Sure, but exercise also makes you hungry. So in reality, unless you're keeping an eye on your intake it's irrelevant.

I know plenty of seriously fat people that exercise like crazy.

(Also, people massively overestimate the calorie burn from having extra muscle. It's virtually nothing in reality.)

 

[jakonovski]

True, eating way too pleasant. Which is why I'll take even a marginal gain, burn 50 daily calories extra for a year and that's a lot of potential fat loss. Call me Team Sky!

 

[Stinkles]

It's compounded by the fact that I invariably eat worse when I'm not exercising, because I then get a who-gives-a-fuck attitude. If I'm exercising then I'll make damn sure to eat healthily so I don't undo all the good work I've done exercising.

And I fucking looooove junk food, so it takes a lot of self-discipline. Crisps, chocolate, ice cream, muffins, cake, dry-roasted peanuts... why do you taste so good damn you!

And an honourable mention must go to my own personal kryptonite: tiger bread (oooooh! fucking tiger bread! I would eat this all day if I could, slathered in butter).

Spoiler

BRB, off to get snacks.

My long lost twin!

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

This talk of dieting has me wanting to ask if anyone has ever looked into one of those high end dietary analysis? The ones where they can better identify your dietary needs and not just working with a nutrionist who will say "Just don't eat X" There's one like DNAFit where it will also account for your activity levels (https://www.dnafit.com/) so that you would be told to avoid carbs when you're an endurance first person.

 

[jakonovski]

By the by, I ordered the aero road bike. Stevens Arcalis. This gon' be gud. Now to sell the Bianchi, because as much as I want to keep it, there's no space.

 

[RSTEIN]

Cannot believe how much better my bike feels with my new Manitou fork and XT brakes. I shed 3lbs. Just ordered Thunder Burts too, can't wait.

Also this:

Has been a lifesaver. I can now ride 40km with absolutely no pain. It has really brought back the joy to riding. With my old saddle I'd wince just thinking about a long ride. Now I can't wait to get on and explore.

 

[Stinkles]

Cannot believe how much better my bike feels with my new Manitou fork and XT brakes. I shed 3lbs. Just ordered Thunder Burts too, can't wait.

Also this:

Has been a lifesaver. I can now ride 40km with absolutely no pain. It has really brought back the joy to riding. With my old saddle I'd wince just thinking about a long ride. Now I can't wait to get on and explore.

Seats are a weird thing to save weight on if you're riding serious distances. The harm and fatigue you do to yourself with a hyper light seat vastly outdoes the weight saving. A good comfy ergo seat like this has huge benefits in the long run.

 

[jakonovski]

At the 250g mark you can get every sort of saddle. My Selle Italia Max SLS Flow is a comparative sofa but weighs the same as my tight and firm Fizik Antares. 250g.

I still don't know what I prefer though, it seems to change with my fatigue levels.

 

[HTupolev]

At the 250g mark you can get every sort of saddle.

Not tensioned leather. Those tend to run around 500g. Which is still not a crazy amount of weight, though, even if it's comparatively high.

 

[RSTEIN]

Seats are a weird thing to save weight on if you're riding serious distances. The harm and fatigue you do to yourself with a hyper light seat vastly outdoes the weight saving. A good comfy ergo seat like this has huge benefits in the long run.

Yeah, lesson learned. I'm not even a weight weenie. I just thought the sleeker saddle looked a lot better. This saddle is ~300 gr vs. my old Bontrager at ~210 gr.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Not tensioned leather. Those tend to run around 500g. Which is still not a crazy amount of weight, though, even if it's comparatively high.

The Cambium C17 (their non-leather B17) and is just under 500g. Though at that point what's 20-30g.

I just wish I could enjoy those kinds of seats but the noses are too long and too hard. In my time using one (C`15) it never felt like the seat went away. That said, I don't ride with my bars level to my seat which I think is a big factor of Brooks.

 

[HTupolev]

The Cambium C17 (their non-leather B17) and is just under 500g.

Although the Cambium saddles aren't tensioned leather, their design is similar in that they're a chunk of material suspended between a wide piece of metal in back and a narrow piece of metal in front. They weigh similar because they're basically the same thing but with rubber instead of leather.

Whereas "modern" saddles are more like an upholstered piece of shaped plastic.

 

[Mascot]

I love my Selle Royal Yak saddle. I just lucked out that it fits my chutney locker like a glove. I've had so many uncomfortable saddles over the years it's great to find one that suits. It's the cheapest I've owned by a country mile too.

 

[danowat]

Well that was a shock to the system! First race in over a year on no specific training, 10 miles in 25:37, getting on for 2-3mins slower than I should be!

 

[Psychotext]

I'm lucky in that for my outdoor bikes it seems I can pretty much use any saddle. Though with that said, for my turbo, I've never found a saddle that didn't cause groin numbness.

This talk of dieting has me wanting to ask if anyone has ever looked into one of those high end dietary analysis? The ones where they can better identify your dietary needs and not just working with a nutrionist who will say "Just don't eat X" There's one like DNAFit where it will also account for your activity levels (https://www.dnafit.com/) so that you would be told to avoid carbs when you're an endurance first person.

Looks like bollocks to me. Aimed at parting people who want dieting and fitness to be easy from their money. Especially because half of (most of) the stuff they're telling you about has next to nothing to do with DNA, but a hell of a lot to do with how you've lived your life thus far.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I'm lucky in that for my outdoor bikes it seems I can pretty much use any saddle. Though with that said, for my turbo, I've never found a saddle that didn't cause groin numbness..

Only thing that has worked for me is angle fiddling.

Out of curiosity, do we have any Brooks leather riders here?

 

[teepo]

i used to wish i were a tad bit skinnier which was largely influenced by a friend who would always harp on about how we both need to lose weight in order to become better cyclists or whatever. he used to influence a lot of the shit i did when i first started investing heavily into the sport and now i realize he is an idiot who thinks cycling begins and ends with climbing mountains.

it took me awhile to figure out that people just have a natural body types and you really can't do too much to change that. mine is more like the classics riders type with my broad features and toned muscles and i don't think that will ever change so i'm neither a sprinter nor a climber. i'm kind of glad i'm over that because i didn't enjoy being 5-10 pounds lighter.

for refrence i'm 155lbs at 5'10ish

 

[HTupolev]

Out of curiosity, do we have any Brooks leather riders here?

I've got one on my '83 Miyata 710. A Swift.

Just enough overall flex that it doesn't smash the sitbones despite being a firm smooth surface, and I get very little chafing on it.
I think I need to replace the stock seatpost on that bike, though. The clamp is fine for saddles that should be level, but the Swift needs to be nose-up, and the next option up from "level" is too steep.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I've got one on my '83 Miyata 710. A Swift.

Just enough overall flex that it doesn't smash the sitbones despite being a firm smooth surface, and I get very little chafing on it.
I think I need to replace the stock seatpost on that bike, though. The clamp is fine for saddles that should be level, but the Swift needs to be nose-up, and the next option up from "level" is too steep.

I was recently given a Thompson post, a non-set back model, that I've come to really love over my previous Fizik. Having a front-back bolt option for leveling has made things WAY easier when trying out or swapping saddles.

With the Swift, you're not bothered by the nose? As I said in a previous comment the noses on the two I've tried (Swift and Cambium) are just too hard to become comfortable long term. I would love to try and make them work because people who have those seats love them but I also want to not be numb

 

[Psychotext]

Admit it roadies, you want a piece of this:

https://vimeo.com/175929170

it took me awhile to figure out that people just have a natural body types and you really can't do too much to change that. mine is more like the classics riders type with my broad features and toned muscles and i don't think that will ever change so i'm neither a sprinter nor a climber. i'm kind of glad i'm over that because i didn't enjoy being 5-10 pounds lighter.

for refrence i'm 155lbs at 5'10ish

Nothing to stop you smushing him up the climbs though (nothing says you can't add more power for that power to weight ratio).

I'm definitely built like a climber (about 15lbs lighter than you at the same height)... but thanks to the weights I can sprint too.

 

[HTupolev]

I was recently given a Thompson post, a non-set back model, that I've come to really love over my previous Fizik. Having a front-back bolt option for leveling has made things WAY easier when trying out or swapping saddles.

With the Swift, you're not bothered by the nose? As I said in a previous comment the noses on the two I've tried (Swift and Cambium) are just too hard to become comfortable long term. I would love to try and make them work because people who have those seats love them but I also want to not be numb

The Swift's nose gave me some trouble before it was nose-up. Now it mostly feels fine, but because it's overly steep it obstructs aggressive postures a little. I'll have to see what happens if I replace the seatpost.