The Bicycle / Biking Gear Thread

[Danhedonia]

What a cool story!
I almost ordered some wheels from him years ago. I should have. A wheel built by a master stays true longer and is less likely to break spokes.

Wish I were good enough that it meant anything to me. Either way, it's like a famous player gave me his jersey, so, you know: that's cool.

Maiden (serious) voyage on the Giant today. Absolutely smooth, just an amazing ride. Carbon's going to take some getting used to, but that was a great, great ride.

 

[Lerxst]

My buddy has a full suspension MTB from BD, a "Motobecane" which to me is a travesty of that time honored name.

Eh, it's fairly commonplace in other industries like motorcycles and cars to buy a defunct but storied company's name rights & revive it to produce a totally different market tier product.

 

[wok]

Just picked up one of these for very cheap:

Not a professional bike by any means, I just needed something reasonably good to get me back in the saddle and the price was too good to pass up.

Going to take her out for a spin tomorrow

 

[Danhedonia]

Just picked up one of these for very cheap:

Not a professional bike by any means, I just needed something reasonably good to get me back in the saddle and the price was too good to pass up.

Going to take her out for a spin tomorrow

Awww, yiss!

NBD!!!!!

 

[wok]

A question for the more experienced riders: I like to have some way of occasionally shifting my hands into a position to rest my arms ( and sit a bit deeper), so I am considering bar ends / bullhorns or another type of arm rests.

Any recommendations? Pros? Cons?

 

[nuke_diver]

I don't know if I qualify though I do ride a fair bit. Drop bars allow you to change your hand position relative to flat bars. You can be in the drops, on the hoods or on the tops with most bars (my old bike the hoods are not so comfortable compared to the new bike but it's still possible). In addition to the aerodyanamic improvements you get I think that's why drop bars are most popular on endurance bikes

 

[Tig]

A question for the more experienced riders: I like to have some way of occasionally shifting my hands into a position to rest my arms ( and sit a bit deeper), so I am considering bar ends / bullhorns or another type of arm rests.

Any recommendations? Pros? Cons?

Bar ends will give you a hand position option, but put you further away from the brakes. They were used mostly while climbing in the past. I quit using them because our local trails are very tight and twisty between the trees.
If I did get some, I'd consider something like these. I've used these grips and liked them, plus you get two different places to hold the bar ends at.
https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/products/ergon-gp5-l-grips-large-black-gray

 

[wok]

Bar ends will give you a hand position option, but put you further away from the brakes. They were used mostly while climbing in the past. I quit using them because our local trails are very tight and twisty between the trees.
If I did get some, I'd consider something like these. I've used these grips and liked them, plus you get two different places to hold the bar ends at.
https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/products/ergon-gp5-l-grips-large-black-gray

Thanks!

I have taken my bike out for a 15 mile ride, and since my area is quite hilly, I noticed that especially on climbs I struggle a bit because of my hand placement. I think I am going for the grips you recommended

 

[Danhedonia]

Just going to add a BIG +1 for the drop bars, grips or no grips. As you are finding, hand position is a big deal and drop bars offer a lot of options. I'd start there.

 

[Danhedonia]

BOY DID THEY FUCK OVER JULIAN ALAPHILLIPPE. The French messed up their own race so badly, you'd think it was a war.

 

[nuke_diver]

I feel bad for Julian though I didn't think he was going to be in yellow after tomorrows finish . I also don't think they fucked him over, they really didn't have any other place to stop the race (the top was the last place where there was an official time check) and it clearly was too dangerous to ride through regardless of what Wiggins said. There was like 3-4 inches of water on parts of the course and a landslide. I also feel bad for Pinot since he had a legit chance to win the tour and had to withdraw with yet another injury. Seems like Ineos (Sky) will have the winner again

Not weather I would want to ride a bike in and I've ridden in snow before

 

[Danhedonia]

They could've stopped it at Val d'Isere. They could've done many things. They did the thing that was easiest and least equitable.

Somewhere Luke Rowe and Tony Martin are laughing.

 

[nuke_diver]

No they couldn't there was no timing set up in Val d'Isere. It would have been more ideal but they didn't actually expect to abandon the race due to unsafe conditions. They did what they could..or they could have let someone get hurt badly by continuing

The more difficult part is that they have also shortened the planned course for stage 20 so there is no way anyone is catching Bernal now.

 

[Lerxst]

Taking suggestions for a decent quality city/commuter bike that won't break the bank. I haven't decided on a budget but initially thinking no more than say 1,200.
Going to sell of the current city bike (GF Mendota) to offest some cost.

Thinking about going to test ride an All City Space Horse

 

[Danhedonia]

REI was blowing out bikes when I visited; they had some stuff that would've fit that description for well under that budget.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Eh, it's fairly commonplace in other industries like motorcycles and cars to buy a defunct but storied company's name rights & revive it to produce a totally different market tier product.

Yeah, sure. Doesn't mean I have to like it. That old steel Motobecane I road was a thing of beauty.

A question for the more experienced riders: I like to have some way of occasionally shifting my hands into a position to rest my arms ( and sit a bit deeper), so I am considering bar ends / bullhorns or another type of arm rests.

Any recommendations? Pros? Cons?

What kind of frame? I have an old mountain bike I turned into sort of a dirt road/gravel bike/commuter that I put a Jones loop bar on. It gives me many choices, and I can keep moving my hands around to several different spots that are comfortable and seem in control.

Oh, and in a pinch, it will hold my coffee mug.

@Lerxst , got nothing for ya on the city bikes, other than I like the idea of surly's. If it were me, I would probably use a decent steel mountain bike frame, as I have done. Price is right, and it works.

 

[Lerxst]

Yeah, sure. Doesn't mean I have to like it. That old steel Motobecane I road was a thing of beauty.

What kind of frame? I have an old mountain bike I turned into sort of a dirt road/gravel bike/commuter that I put a Jones loop bar on. It gives me many choices, and I can keep moving my hands around to several different spots that are comfortable and seem in control.

View attachment 49769

Oh, and in a pinch, it will hold my coffee mug.

@Lerxst , got nothing for ya on the city bikes, other than I like the idea of surly's. If it were me, I would probably use a decent steel mountain bike frame, as I have done. Price is right, and it works.

I want something a little quicker and more efficient than a conversion MTB/hybrid.

Disks are a pre-req along with the ability to add fenders and rack. Surly and All City are owned by the same parent company, actually. Disks means the Straggler, which in complete bike form is a few bucks higher than the Space Horse. I’m on the fence w/r/t frame and fork build vs complete bike.

 

[Lerxst]

REI was blowing out bikes when I visited; they had some stuff that would've fit that description for well under that budget.

I’ll have to stop by. I’m not familiar with their bikes but I know the one downtown has a pretty good inventory on the floor

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I want something a little quicker and more efficient than a conversion MTB/hybrid.

Disks are a pre-req along with the ability to add fenders and rack. Surly and All City are owned by the same parent company, actually. Disks means the Straggler, which in complete bike form is a few bucks higher than the Space Horse. I’m on the fence w/r/t frame and fork build vs complete bike.

Ok, you're on it. Way ahead of me. Gotcha also on disks. Those are nice. Interested to see what you get. I can get fenders on my old Fisher, with a rack, but only when I put narrower tires on the original 26" rims. I have fenders on a venerable custom steel Davidson I bought that fits me well. But it is truly an old school touring bike. Much more practical to go your way.

 

[nuke_diver]

I think for that budget you'd have plenty of options (and not spend anywhere near all of it). I think it's worth while doing research ahead of time to figure what will work for what you want. Is it just going to be short commutes around the city or will you want to get out on longer rides? Trails or roads only? Are the roads/trails nice and smooth or rough (chip and seal and potholes)? All these things will potentially make a difference in what works best for you. Finding something that tics all the boxes is easier when you know what boxes need to be checked off