*TURBONERD*
Active member
13193304:theBearJew said:
Janis makes solid bikes but honestly try to meet up with the guy to gauge the condition and fit.
The Road Bike Thread
- Thread starter skitheWest.
- Start date
Janis makes solid bikes but honestly try to meet up with the guy to gauge the condition and fit.
will_powder
Active member
13193223:theBearJew said:
I'd say look more in the 56cm range. Maybe a touch lower but I'd say a 53 is on the small side.
theBearJew
Active member
13194144:will_powder said:
Pickin it up today for $140. If I get killed by this guy, NS knows where I'm at. Whoever finds my killer gets the bike.
will_powder
Active member
Winter cycling question. I have single layer bib tights for fall weather but they aren't cutting it for those cold days. Thoughts on getting NO pad bib tights to put over my bib shorts?
Tough to keep going during the winter. And yes I ski.
Tough to keep going during the winter. And yes I ski.
division.bell
Active member
13210854:will_powder said:
Unnecessary layers are unnecessary, especially when you are talking about wearing bibs over bibs Redundancy much? Why would you wear unpadded bib tights over bib shorts when you can just buy padded insulated tights/bib tights and call it good?
If you're still cold, pedal faster.
will_powder
Active member
13211601:s-hand said:
Yeah I went for it. So worth it. Way warmer than just one layer bib tights ^ @divisionbell
theBearJew
Active member
So I just opened up the front light I usually use, batteries were corroded as fuck. Been meaning to get a new front light, what do you guys use?
I don't want to spend that much money on one.
I don't want to spend that much money on one.
will_powder
Active member
MEC has great lights that are rechargable via USB. So bright.
Alas you're probably an American so MEC ain't really an option. Maybe REI has them
Alas you're probably an American so MEC ain't really an option. Maybe REI has them
theBearJew
Active member
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E1NQ4P2?tag=bldb-20
Anyone use this light? Seems like the most highly rated one on alot of websites. Decent price, I've heard there are problems with the mounting bracket, but thats it.
Anyone use this light? Seems like the most highly rated one on alot of websites. Decent price, I've heard there are problems with the mounting bracket, but thats it.
division.bell
Active member
Finally going to be picking up a road bike in the next few weeks and I couldn't be more stoked. Pictures and details once I have something worth showing.
However, I have run into a dilemma regarding pedals and was curious what the road cyclists of NS are running on their own bikes.
So what's your preference? And why do you run the pedals you do, if you have a reason.
Shimano?
Look?
Speed play?
Time?
Other?
However, I have run into a dilemma regarding pedals and was curious what the road cyclists of NS are running on their own bikes.
So what's your preference? And why do you run the pedals you do, if you have a reason.
Shimano?
Look?
Speed play?
Time?
Other?
ghosthop
Member
13275806:division.bell said:
I was always a fan of shimano, metal lasts forever, rebuildable, I was less than impressed with the new composites that replaced the 105's but ultegra level is still bomb. I know a ton of great cyclists that swear by speedplay.
I've meet too many people with creaky looks to ever be interested
division.bell
Active member
13276121:ghosthop said:
Thanks for the input. I was originally looking at the Ultegras since I'll be going with an Ultegra drivetrain most likely on the bike I buy. Shimano is the only brand I trust for my mountain bike pedals but I have no experience with their road pedals.
I know a few guys on speed plays that don't have a bad word to say about them. Again, no experience here on them either.
will_powder
Active member
13275806:division.bell said:
I run a set of older Look ARCs. Love em, never had a problem. I use them because they were cheap, bomber construction, and have a bit of float (nice for the longer rides and my knees). I borrowed a set of Keo classics for awhile too and they felt basically the same.
Guys in my group swear by shimano and speedplay, most shit talk Time pedals but honestly everything is pretty good once you get to a certain quality level.
*TURBONERD*
Active member
13284264:JAHpow said:
I have a Kinetic, use it regularly (and more often when I was rehabbing my knee and wasn't cleared to ride outside yet), and recommend it. No problems to report.
lorida
Active member
I'm going into my third cycling season, I love it. I'm going to start racing casually this year and hopefully seriously for 2016. Unfortunately my busy season (at work) is January-March, which hinders gym time.
Does anybody else race?
Regardless, here are my bikes...they're my babies:
This bike is on the trainer and I use it for commuting. Giant TCR Comp, Ultegra groupset:
This is my aggressive bike, Focus Cayo Evo with Ultegra Di2:
And here is a generic of my new race wheels..Zipp 404 Firecrest tubulars, w/ powertap:
I live in downtown Montreal if anyone ever wants to bang out some laps in the spring!
Does anybody else race?
Regardless, here are my bikes...they're my babies:
This bike is on the trainer and I use it for commuting. Giant TCR Comp, Ultegra groupset:
This is my aggressive bike, Focus Cayo Evo with Ultegra Di2:
And here is a generic of my new race wheels..Zipp 404 Firecrest tubulars, w/ powertap:
I live in downtown Montreal if anyone ever wants to bang out some laps in the spring!
NinetyFour
Active member
13284748:lorida said:
Why tubulars?
*TURBONERD*
Active member
13284748:lorida said:I'm going into my third cycling season, I love it. I'm going to start racing casually this year and hopefully seriously for 2016. Unfortunately my busy season (at work) is January-March, which hinders gym time.
Does anybody else race?
Regardless, here are my bikes...they're my babies:
This bike is on the trainer and I use it for commuting. Giant TCR Comp, Ultegra groupset:
This is my aggressive bike, Focus Cayo Evo with Ultegra Di2:
And here is a generic of my new race wheels..Zipp 404 Firecrest tubulars, w/ powertap:
I live in downtown Montreal if anyone ever wants to bang out some laps in the spring!
I do collegiate racing. I don't know what your situation is but I know that you can get involved with it as a graduate or undergrad student, and ECCC, which is the division you'd fall under and the one I compete in, is super rad. I'm a mid-B level XC, upper-B STXC, and upper-C in climbs, crits, and road races.
NinetyFour
Active member
13284989:lorida said:
Makes sense. I was gonna say it might be a little crazy to use tubulars as a daily setup because of the work involved. But when it comes down to performance they're hard to beat.
lorida
Active member
^Indeed. I'd be nervous using them everyday - they're a bit "luxurious". However, I got a crazy deal on them, which makes it easier to justify!
Seems like a great organization - I like that everyone is around the same age.
In Quebec, everything goes through the "Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes". It's very well organized, I'm looking forward to it.
I've been considering a cycling trip through New England - I'll reach out if I do!
13285045:*TURBONERD* said:
Seems like a great organization - I like that everyone is around the same age.
In Quebec, everything goes through the "Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes". It's very well organized, I'm looking forward to it.
I've been considering a cycling trip through New England - I'll reach out if I do!
*TURBONERD*
Active member
13285182:lorida said:
I'll be in Austria this semester and Oregon this summer, but in the fall hit me up and we should definitely ride.
division.bell
Active member
13284748:lorida said:
What are your overall impressions of DI2?
Durability and performance versus a comparable quality group but with a traditional shift cable? How long have you had it? How many times have you charged and calibrated the system?
I've been considering it myself on my first road bike (making the purchase in 12 days) but don't know many people running it yet.
13285214:*TURBONERD* said:
NS Bend meet up with road and mountain bikes? I'll be back down at least 2 or 3 times this year and will finally have a road bike to enjoy the awesome roads down there.
*TURBONERD*
Active member
13285267:division.bell said:
That would be rad, although it might be a little difficult.
If all goes according to plan I'll have one 24-hour period off from work noon Saturday-Sunday every week (yay summer camp), but I'd be overjoyed if you showed me some riding near Portland that isn't Sandy Ridge, since that's where I take campers. Being a counselor without a car kind of leaves me with limited options, sadly.
lorida
Active member
Division.Bell,
I have mixed feelings towards electronic shifting.
Pros:
-perfect shifts, every time with no lag/hesitation.
-virtually Maintenance free. I'm up to 5000km with that bike and have only had to charge the system 6-7 times
Cons:
-weight. It adds an extra pound or so.
- The batteries don't lose power linearly.
Overall it's a great system. You click the shifter, and it shifts perfectly, every time. Doesn't matter if you're climbing or barely pedaling. The major trade off (for me) is charging the battery.
Last year during a fondo, the battery died on me, despite apparently having a 50% charge at the start line. That sucked,
If my next bike has it, great. If not, it isn't high on my priority list. It's a gadget more than anything else.
I have mixed feelings towards electronic shifting.
Pros:
-perfect shifts, every time with no lag/hesitation.
-virtually Maintenance free. I'm up to 5000km with that bike and have only had to charge the system 6-7 times
Cons:
-weight. It adds an extra pound or so.
- The batteries don't lose power linearly.
Overall it's a great system. You click the shifter, and it shifts perfectly, every time. Doesn't matter if you're climbing or barely pedaling. The major trade off (for me) is charging the battery.
Last year during a fondo, the battery died on me, despite apparently having a 50% charge at the start line. That sucked,
If my next bike has it, great. If not, it isn't high on my priority list. It's a gadget more than anything else.
DayMan
Active member
What are the advantages of having clip in pedals/shoes? I bought a road bike back in August and have been riding a few times a week with the stock pedals that came with my bike and just some average running shoes. When I bought my bike also the guy at the shop was like "are you really going to stick with those pedals?", I was like yeahh.. I have no reason not to. Is there something magical about clip ins that I'm missing out on?
division.bell
Active member
13285578:lorida said:
Thanks for the write up. I'm still intrigued by Di2 but went with a conventional group for my first road bike...which was finally ordered this morning.
I'm pretty fucking excited to finally have a road bike. So excited in fact that I ordered one for my wife as well. Pics to come once they show up.
JAHpow
Active member
13304605:RedPanda said:
With clipless your strokes are a lot more efficient and you'll gain more power from your strokes too. Also you can use different muscle groups when you're tired. And when you start pedaling really fast you'll lose control and footing on platform pedals but since you're clipped in with clipless pedals you don't lose that control. One more thing, not only can you push down on the front stroke but also pull up on the backstroke when clipped in.
I have Shimano A530, which are platform on one side and clipless on the other, on my bike cuz I thought I would just wear tennis shoes on short trips but that was a mistake. No matter how long the ride I will be clipped in now. It's just easier and more efficient. This spring I'm throwing a pair of straight clipless pedals on.
ghosthop
Member
13304605:RedPanda said:
Better power transfer and additional torque from your foot pulling up on the pedal as well as pushing down with the other foot. Its nice when it means you have a little extra in the tank on a long ride.
13304618:division.bell said:
di2 is cool, but the price to play is so high. You're much better spending your money on fancy cranks or wheels. What bike did you end up going with?
for being a bunch of middle schoolers, you guys sure do have nice bikes
division.bell
Active member
The biggest advantage with going to clipless pedals and road specific shoes in my opinion is the power transfer. Stiffer soles lead to more of your leg power being directly transmitted to the cranks. Softer soles (tennis shoes) and crappy plastic pedals will rob you of potential power and efficiency.
Pics will do better than words. I'll have something in a few days.
13304686:ghosthop said:
Pics will do better than words. I'll have something in a few days.
I read an interesting article awhile ago about clipless vs flats. saying that over long distances, having the ability to move your foot around and it being in different positions all the time is easier on your legs, thus can be better for endurance. so over long distances can actually have a power advantage over clips. he had some data to back it up too.
not sure how much i buy that, longest ive gone is 170 miles in a day and i dont feel like i lost strength in any way related to foot positioning. but i've never gone 170 miles on flats so who knows.
I could see the advantages more for multi day rides.
efficiency aside i'd love to have a cross style bike with flats, just for hauling ass and gettin cray town.
not sure how much i buy that, longest ive gone is 170 miles in a day and i dont feel like i lost strength in any way related to foot positioning. but i've never gone 170 miles on flats so who knows.
I could see the advantages more for multi day rides.
efficiency aside i'd love to have a cross style bike with flats, just for hauling ass and gettin cray town.
cydwhit
Active member
I don't really road bike but I raced cyclocross for 3 years in like a backyard weeknight deal we had going on, that was a blast. Now I just commute, on this sketchy bike I got off the internet and pieced together, it has kind of upright geometry (for a road bike) flat bars, 'cross tires and only back brakes. It sounds a little retarded but it's so much fun to blast around on. I have beefy rims so I can jump it, actually ride it at the skatepark or on the mountain once in a while when I start to miss mountain biking too much.
I'm contemplating picking up a cheap trailer and riding from Moscow to Hood (317ish miles) with my skis just for the heck of it. Probably take my time and do like 2.5 days or so . Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of touring? Any ideas on what's a realistic distance to cover in a day?
I'm contemplating picking up a cheap trailer and riding from Moscow to Hood (317ish miles) with my skis just for the heck of it. Probably take my time and do like 2.5 days or so . Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of touring? Any ideas on what's a realistic distance to cover in a day?
division.bell
Active member
Well, my road bikes arrived today, way ahead of my expectations. I'll build them up tomorrow and have some pictures to share for certain. Can't wait to get out on my first ride.
Now I need to get off my ass and track down/purchase pedals and shoes. I'll likely be rolling on my mountain bike pedals and shoes for the first ride or two.
Now I need to get off my ass and track down/purchase pedals and shoes. I'll likely be rolling on my mountain bike pedals and shoes for the first ride or two.
13307560:cydwhit said:
I did 170 miles last summer with a shit ton of elevation change over 2 big ass mountain passes and a terrible head wind for 70 miles in a day. took me about 11-12 hours. I think I could have gone another 50 if I had to.
200 miles a day would be a breeze if it were flat terrain. throw in much elevation and it makes it rough.
Id say 300 miles with a load over 3 days would be doable at a very easy pace. you'd be able to chill for awhile when you stop and not be rushed. 2 days with a load would be a pain.
I'd highly recommend it though, going long distances under your own power like that is one of the coolest feelings you can get, shits addicting.
cydwhit
Active member
13307699:XtRemE11 said:
Thanks! Yeah, there is definitely some elevation change (looks like (15627 up and 12267 down), and I'll probably be on a single speed so I'll probably take it pretty easy. I know one of my buddies' dads rides 130ish miles from his home town to Moscow for home-coming and he is ancient with both knees and shoulders replaced so I ought to be able to do a solid 130 a day at the very least. Probably going to take it really easy and shoot a lot though. Did you use any kind of trailer?
13307703:cydwhit said:
Over 300 miles that elevation change doesnt seem terrible, big hills on a singlespeed will suck though.
but yeah 130 a day shouldnt be bad. shit theres a 100 mile ride i do starting at dawn and get back in time for lunch. thats not carrying much and riding pretty hard tho.
I didnt use a trailer, never have carried a big load on a bike so i cant tell you what that'd be like. if it were flat id think it wouldnt be too bad, hills could suck with a singlespeed.
really though, if you just set out and have it in your head that your gonna go this far in this much time. you'll make it fine. thats how that shit works.
i heard stories of my friends grandpa riding 50 miles with skis on his shitty 40lb bike, hiking up gnarly ass mountains and skiing them all day, then riding back home in the dark, in the middle of winter, back in the 40's/50's, all by himself.
louie.mirags
Active member
13307699:XtRemE11 said:
Fuck yeah man
louie.mirags
Active member
I want to let some of you guys know that you make me feel like a pussy with your longgggg rides and are really motivated to get at it this spring! Last year was my first year and my longest ride was 33 miles.. But that was in NYC which is flat. My longest ride up state was 20 miles with a decent amount of vertical. Just not as much as some of you...
get some!
get some!
DayMan
Active member
13333037:louie.mirags said:
This. Jesus christ some of you are crazy. My longest is 32 miles. I just started like 4 months ago though. I wanna try for 50 sometime soon, because everything around me is flat and I think I could do it fairly easily if I really dedicate a day to it.
will_powder
Active member
You guys just need a group to ride with. We ride 100km + most saturdays, doesn't take too much time really. A group does wonders for morale. Just pick a destination and ride to it, exact goals will really help the KMs tick by that little bit faster.
Also cycling is in kilometres not miles, see rule 24
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Also cycling is in kilometres not miles, see rule 24
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
louie.mirags
Active member
13333298:will_powder said:
word up man! I am going to wait another month to hit up any bike shops, but could you help guide me toward a solid set of bike shoes? I haven't started researching really yet, I just have heard the benefits of them. Any good tips on where to start before I go down a google rabbit hole?
And about the rules man, I love riding my bike for fun man. I take the exercise portion of it seriously in a way that I push myself and set goals. However, I am not going to start reporting here in kilometers. In the U.S. we use miles and that is how my brain works. If I want to figure think about biking only in kilometers it takes extra steps in my head. It is like a foreign langauge. I need to first think of how many miles it was then do the ratio on .6km to every mile. I am great at math in my head. But, rule 24 is going to be broken... a lot.
will_powder
Active member
Haha the rules are jokes, I break so many on a daily basis.
That said metric ftw. Bike weights in KGs, bike distances in KMs.
That said metric ftw. Bike weights in KGs, bike distances in KMs.
BoogieWoman
Member
I'm looking to buy my first road bike, not sure whether to go brand new or second hand?
My max budget is $1500. What do the cyclists of NS recommend?
My max budget is $1500. What do the cyclists of NS recommend?
will_powder
Active member
13334351:BoogieWoman said:
You could get an unreal second hand bike for that price!
Look for:
-a solid aluminum frame, carbon fork.
-Ultegra parts (at that price point used, or 105 new)
-compact crank
JAHpow
Active member
So one end of the master link on my chain is flared out and it's causing the chain to fall off. Is that something I can and should fix or should I just replace the chain? It only has 200 miles on it though. Chain is a Shimano CN 5701 (105). If I replace it I'll probably put a 7901 Dura Ace chain on it.