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[Psychotext]

They'd rather destroy the forest than let mountain bikers use it?

I've actually been on official trails that the logging companies have managed to completely destroy. What I find confusing is that they have fuck all resources (and soon even less because of Brexit), and they spend it on this sort of thing.

Sure, had they actually been cutting down trees it would be another story, but no trail builder worth their salt does that, much better to use the trees to enforce lines. It's just the typical PR they go with (injuries, threat to walkers, liability, damage to nature). In this case they didn't even bother to try and contact the builders.

 

[Norfair]

By "water stop" I mean a stop at a store to fill up my empty bottles. I try to drink one bottle per hour, which gets me 30 miles on 2 bottles. I try to stop in the 25-30 mark to buy more water/gatorade.

That ride 2 weeks ago it was in the 90s and I was just getting exhausted so I was occasionally just stopping to rest and was drinking more than usual so I made an extra stop at a store.

Yeah I did a forty five mile ride that weekend and drank 7 full water bottles and sweat 90% of it out. It wasn't too bad when you got moving but the second you stopped the heat would hit you. I ended up planning my route based off of places I could fill up my water bottles. When I got home I just went in the basement and laid on the concrete floor for a half hour just to cool off.

 

[fluffydelusions]

2013 Giant escape with rack and fenders for $200. Should I buy?

 

[frontieruk]

2013 Giant escape with rack and fenders for $200. Should I buy?

I would, it's a good bike, but not sure on pricing of bikes over the pond.

 

[Psychotext]

Breakfast biscuits. They're so ridiculously unhealthy (packed with sugar and calories) that I've found they're making for excellent cycling food.

I can't believe people eat that shit as a "nutritious" breakfast option.

 

[fluffydelusions]

I would, it's a good bike, but not sure on pricing of bikes over the pond.

Well I jumped on the deal. It is actually an escape 2. Guy told me he paid $100 for the fenders and rack so seemed like a nice deal. He also tossed in a spare tire. Also found got a diamond Edgewood 2015 with a rack for $80 with original receipt and paperwork for my gf. Lady got it from just wanted to get rid of of it. She paid nearly $400 for it in September

 

[Teggy]

Breakfast biscuits. They're so ridiculously unhealthy (packed with sugar and calories) that I've found they're making for excellent cycling food.

I can't believe people eat that shit as a "nutritious" breakfast option.

I take it you are not referring to something like this:

You're talking about a cookie or something.

 

[Psychotext]

Yeah, I have no idea what they call them in the US.

http://www.belvitabreakfast.com/

 

[Teggy]

Yeah, I have no idea what they call them in the US.

http://www.belvitabreakfast.com/

Yeah, they have those over here, that's probably the US box. But notice they put "find us in the cookie-cracker aisle" on the page for us dumb Americans

I would totally eat the thing in my picture before a ride (I think I have, actually). Protein, carbs and fat! (It's from McDonalds)

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Yeah, I have no idea what they call them in the US.

http://www.belvitabreakfast.com/

You'd be surprised how many people eat Cliff Bars, Lara Bars and the like as a snack over here.

 

[Psychotext]

I would totally eat the thing in my picture before a ride (I think I have, actually). Protein, carbs and fat! (It's from McDonalds)

I've had the UK equivalent before a ride before... but I find I need to give it quite a bit of digestion time.

 

[frontieruk]

Well I jumped on the deal. It is actually an escape 2. Guy told me he paid $100 for the fenders and rack so seemed like a nice deal. He also tossed in a spare tire. Also found got a diamond Edgewood 2015 with a rack for $80 with original receipt and paperwork for my gf. Lady got it from just wanted to get rid of of it. She paid nearly $400 for it in September

Some sound deals there

I'm trying to talk myself out of a Giant TCX SL2

ATM

 

[Mascot]

Breakfast biscuits. They're so ridiculously unhealthy (packed with sugar and calories) that I've found they're making for excellent cycling food.

I can't believe people eat that shit as a "nutritious" breakfast option.

Alpen with blueberries and ice-cold milk is all the planet needs. I go to sleep at night looking forward to breakfast, it's that damn delicious. And praise the lord for frozen blueberries.

Talking of delicious fuel, Mule Bars are my absolute on-the-bike favourite. And that reminds me, I'll be seeing a friend who can get them in bulk for fuck-all next weekend at a wedding. Must remind him to bring a few crates.

 

[Psychotext]

There's a few of those I like, but there are some seriously funky flavours in there.

 

[Mikeside]

It's alright, I'll post an image for you...

Have fun at Swinley..!

Mine's the orange one, and I've just got hold of it!

Pictures when I can take one outside the office, as it doesn't really look at home in here

 

[Mascot]

Mine's the orange one, and I've just got hold of it!

Pictures when I can take one outside the office, as it doesn't really look at home in here

Cool! New stuff is awesome.

Speaking of which, my mechanic's stand just arrived. Woo hoo!

There's a few of those I like, but there are some seriously funky flavours in there.

Gotta say, I love 'em all.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Bars like that just take too long for me to digest. They always feel like lumps in my stomach. I much prefer making food and wrapping it up to go. Personal favorites are french toast bites & skratch labs cookie mix (with figs or nuts).

 

[Psychotext]

I say it all the time, but I love the Feed Zone Portables stuff.

 

[danowat]

Bars like that just take too long for me to digest. They always feel like lumps in my stomach. I much prefer making food and wrapping it up to go. Personal favorites are french toast bites & skratch labs cookie mix (with figs or nuts).

I'm with you, much prefer making my own stuff, I did a whole 12hr TT just using my home made "energy bars"

 

[Mascot]

Bars like that just take too long for me to digest. They always feel like lumps in my stomach. I much prefer making food and wrapping it up to go. Personal favorites are french toast bites & skratch labs cookie mix (with figs or nuts).

I say it all the time, but I love the Feed Zone Portables stuff.

I'm with you, much prefer making my own stuff, I did a whole 12hr TT just using my home made "energy bars"

You are all doing it wrong. I get Graze to deliver snack boxes to various checkpoints along my route.

 

[Psychotext]

Yes, but how are you going to warm your toffee for your sponge cake without a microwave?

 

[danowat]

You are all doing it wrong. I get Graze to deliver snack boxes to various checkpoints along my route.

I'm just tight, plus I've seen the effects of gastric distress from people using certain energy products, it ain't pretty!!!

 

[Mikeside]

oh my christ. I took my bike out for the first little trip - did the 1.5 miles from work to my grandparents' house to spend some time with them in my lunch hour, then the 1.5 miles back & I'm sweating like a bitch.

I think I'm going to have to build this up slow!

 

[Mascot]

Got the mechanics stand assembled and I'm mightily impressed. This thing is SOLID. Nice large-diameter heavy-gauge powder coated steel members and good, thick, solid-feeling plastic junctions that tighten up nicely with allen bolts. The jaws open and close widely on the QR cam with a great range of adjustment, and the jaw rotation system is really clever - it's like two conical gears that mesh together so you aren't relying on friction to lock the angle. Loosen the dial to separate the 'gears', rotate to the desired angle (0-360 degrees) and tighten the dial. pretty bloody clever. Really glad I went for the flat base rather than the quad-pod arrangement too - you can get in really close while sitting on a stool without fouling the legs.

Chuffed!

The only thing I was expecting (but after checking, wasn't included or supposed to be) was a telescopic arm to clamp the handlebars to stop the steerer moving, but a bungee hook from one side of the handlebars, around the seat post, and back to the other side of the handlebars works a treat and is installed in seconds.

 

[Psychotext]

Check you with the flash motor and personalised plate.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

You are all doing it wrong. I get Graze to deliver snack boxes to various checkpoints along my route.

I use a combination of Feed Zone portables and stuff I can find on The Feed. However I will admit when I'm 4 hours into an 8 hour day I'm basically eating whatever I think wont make me puke.

Last long ride I did I asked the guy for a turkey wrap with just lettuce. He was massively confused that I only wanted lettuce. I was too worried about what the mayo and tomato would do to me once I started moving again.

 

[Mascot]

For the record, I don't really get Graze to deliver snack boxes to various checkpoints along my route. That's some Jeeves and Wooster shit right there.

 

[Lonely1]

So, after buying a customized $2K bike I went on a bike thieving news/methods binge yesterday while researching for good security options and the scenario is depressing as feck. Is it even worth owning anything but a beater bike these days? I mean, look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dz0Za5-wOM

And I was happy with my Kryptonite Chain :/ :Z :S

 

[Psychotext]

No-one should leave any bike of meaningful value alone in public for any length of time.

If you're commuting and you have to leave it for the day... buy something shit.

 

[Lonely1]

Is any electric bike safe!? :S

 

[HStallion]

Random question but does anyone know of any phone mounts for the handle bars of a bike that aren't pieces of shit? I've gotten two and they both fell apart in less than a month. I'm not even mountain biking or anything, just mostly road and some trail riding. Preferably I'd like something that doesn't rely on bolts and nuts and isn't a cheap POS.

 

[Teggy]

Random question but does anyone know of any phone mounts for the handle bars of a bike that aren't pieces of shit? I've gotten two and they both fell apart in less than a month. I'm not even mountain biking or anything, just mostly road and some trail riding. Preferably I'd like something that doesn't rely on bolts and nuts and isn't a cheap POS.

This is the one I have and I like it a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NAG3LI4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I guess technically there is one bolt that holds the mount on.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

So, after buying a customized $2K bike I went on a bike thieving news/methods binge yesterday while researching for good security options and the scenario is depressing as feck. Is it even worth owning anything but a beater bike these days? I mean, look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dz0Za5-wOM

And I was happy with my Kryptonite Chain :/ :Z :S

Multiple locks. The more of a pain in the ass you can make your bike to steal the less they'll want it. Get locks that aren't too big for the locking area b/c when you leave too much wiggle they can use it to their advantage. Preferably one around the front wheel and frame, with a second on the back wheel and frame.

No bike is perfectly safe, but a bike that looks more of a pain to steal than others will deter thief's.

Random question but does anyone know of any phone mounts for the handle bars of a bike that aren't pieces of shit? I've gotten two and they both fell apart in less than a month. I'm not even mountain biking or anything, just mostly road and some trail riding. Preferably I'd like something that doesn't rely on bolts and nuts and isn't a cheap POS.

I see tons of advertisement for that Quadlock one but no idea how well it works.

 

[Mascot]

So, after buying a customized $2K bike I went on a bike thieving news/methods binge yesterday while researching for good security options and the scenario is depressing as feck. Is it even worth owning anything but a beater bike these days? I mean, look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dz0Za5-wOM

And I was happy with my Kryptonite Chain :/ :Z :S

Hang a sign on the bike saying 'POLICE TRAP'.

 

[HStallion]

Hang a sign on the bike saying 'POLICE TRAP'.

A friend of mine actually took his bike seat off his bike when he locked it up to dissuade anyone taking it on top of the bike lock.

 

[BriareosGAF]

Ah, San Francisco. Very bad bike theft town. Although I've been shocked at the motorcycle theft in the UK, hearing tales from acquaintances.

With regards to bike locks, I've stopped carrying mine; not worth the weight. I'm either going somewhere where my bike is always in line of sight, that I can securely store the bicycle, or I'm just not going at all. The Bic trick to open up U-locks was sort of the last straw there.

 

[Mascot]

The lighting was rather lovely in my local playground yesterday evening.

Edit: WHOAH. Fuck Photobucket's blurry-ass compression.

 

[ngower]

Doing a 4-day 230-mile tour through Maine in a few days and I'm very very under prepared. I've been told you'll get fit on the tour and I've got basically 60 miles a day to tackle, so I'm not overly concerned about mileage BUT I let a friend borrow my bike for a race and he adjusted the saddle and since then I've been struggling to get into that comfort zone. I'm getting lower back pain, stiffness in the elbows and soreness in the wrists, which leads me to believe that I'm putting too much weight on my upper body, but I'm not sure if my seat is too high/low, or if my saddle is too far forward/backward. Anyone have any suggestions? I've been tinkering with saddle height off-and-on but can't seem to find a sweet spot and I fear that four days of extensive (to me) mileage could have some really bad effects if I don't get fit sorted out.

 

[jakonovski]

It's funny watching the olympic road race, a showcase on what a huge crutch team radio is.

 

[Psychotext]

It's funny watching the olympic road race, a showcase on what a huge crutch team radio is.

Cheers for posting about it. Would have missed it.

Edit - So wrong seeing Froome not wearing a ton of Team Sky gear.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

It's funny watching the olympic road race, a showcase on what a huge crutch team radio is.

Meaning for organizing and defending attacks?

GvA killed it. I was happy to see the top 5 be domestiques, shows just how powerful and strong those guys are when they're not having to pull team members.

 

[jakonovski]

Meaning for organizing and defending attacks?

Basically that. A lot more on the fly tactics and keeping a team pace train together is super hard.

 

[Teggy]

My first metric century has been completed: https://www.strava.com/activities/666693751

I really need to go talk to the LBS about my saddle because I just can't get comfortable. I wanted to get off the bike more due to that than my legs.

Here's a lakeside view:

 

[Psychotext]

Nicely done.

 

[Teggy]

Nicely done.

I know I cheated by using skinny tires and riding on pavement

 

[Psychotext]

Ha, I've only done a handful of offroad centuries.

 

[HTupolev]

I know I cheated by using skinny tires and riding on pavement

So in other words, you haven't achieved the true top-tier cheating of distance riding, where people use wide tires and ride on pavement.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Good job! What seat do you have on there and what made it uncomfortable? Could have been positioning or just fatigue from not being used to that amount of time in the saddle.

So in other words, you haven't achieved the true top-tier cheating of distance riding, where people use wide tires and ride on pavement.

Hey, that's not cheating!

 

[Teggy]

So in other words, you haven't achieved the true top-tier cheating of distance riding, where people use wide tires and ride on pavement.

Hm, pretty sure my bike can take 28s...

Good job! What seat do you have on there and what made it uncomfortable? Could have been positioning or just fatigue from not being used to that amount of time in the saddle.

I have to stock Specialized saddle that came with the bike. I've got two main problems: 1) my sit bones just bury right in, even with some pretty decent bike shorts and 2) I get pressure right down the center of my crotch which leads to numbness. Usually the first 10-20 miles feel pretty good, but after that it kind of falls apart.

I don't know if maybe the chamois is not positioned as well as it could be for me, the saddle is not great for me, the saddle should be adjusted differently, etc.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I have to stock Specialized saddle that came with the bike. I've got two main problems: 1) my sit bones just bury right in, even with some pretty decent bike shorts and 2) I get pressure right down the center of my crotch which leads to numbness. Usually the first 10-20 miles feel pretty good, but after that it kind of falls apart.

I don't know if maybe the chamois is not positioned as well as it could be for me, the saddle is not great for me, the saddle should be adjusted differently, etc.

Looks like the Toupe Sport is the stock saddle on Allez. A lot of people swear by the Toupe or Romin, and some love the Power Pro. I borrowed the Toupe or Romin, forget which, and it felt so hard while adjusting I just didn't bother. I still want to try one for a longer period of time.

Anyway, if the place you got your bike from is a Specialized dealer they may have their assometer that helps measure sit bones. So that would be step one in figuring out width. After that it could be the angle up or down that is causing pressure b/c those seats have cutouts so there shouldn't be any pressure. That said, I do know of some people who feel more pressure with cutouts.

As far as padding goes when you have your bibs on get in a position like you would be on the bike and feel where the pad is. if it's not positioned over your sit bones, then there ya go. The chamois should be tight to your backside and not have much movement, if none at all.