The biking thread

[W3H5]

Tyre wall states minimum of 85, max of 115 so I’ve settled in the middle. It’ll be easy enough to drop a few pounds should it be too high on the road.

I’ll check out some reviews of these tyres and see what is recommend.

Can’t say my thumbs enjoyed the experience. My hands aren’t manly enough for jobs like tyre fitting.

Edit: website says that up to 120psi on these tyres is good. For my net weight 100psi should suffice.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I've had minimal luck getting ahold of either Ribble or DHL and DHL is still planning to ship the bike back to sender tomorrow morning unless I pay the incorrect import duty.

When I brought it to the attention of Ribble, their first response was "please provide proof" which is frankly ridiculous considering that they provided the documentation to the shipper. I did, promptly, send them the documentation available on my end, and they didn't respond.

So I'm going to end up paying the inflated tax (to make sure the bike doesn't get sent back) and try to get a refund from...somebody. What a ****** experience.

 

[Michael88]

So today I got my heart rate belt, I did 325 watts on the stationary for 35 minutes and it felt really hard, today that was about 95% intensity for sure and I was sweating like a raincloud the whole time. Also I still have sore legs from the squat session 2 days ago. Like I said, really hard, but my heart rate belt showed between 95 and 105 the whole time. I guess I really cannot get my heart rate up to 130-140bpm.

edit Today for supper I didn't have a caffeinated drink for a change, maybe that's why it felt harder. I know I can lift more weight with caffeine in my blood.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

So today I got my heart rate belt, I did 325 watts on the stationary for 35 minutes and it felt really hard, today that was about 95% intensity for sure and I was sweating like a raincloud the whole time. Also I still have sore legs from the squat session 2 days ago. Like I said, really hard, but my heart rate belt showed between 95 and 105 the whole time. I guess I really cannot get my heart rate up to 130-140bpm.

edit Today for supper I didn't have a caffeinated drink for a change, maybe that's why it felt harder. I know I can lift more weight with caffeine in my blood.

This is quite interesting. Have you tried lowering the resistance and spinning faster? I mean, if you are sweating like a raincloud (I know exactly how you feel) then you are obviously putting in some effort. The only thing I can suggest other than spinning faster is to go for a 15-20 min run and see if your HR remains low.

 

[Michael88]

This is quite interesting. Have you tried lowering the resistance and spinning faster? I mean, if you are sweating like a raincloud (I know exactly how you feel) then you are obviously putting in some effort. The only thing I can suggest other than spinning faster is to go for a 15-20 min run and see if your HR remains low.

In fact today I already went with a little less resistance & higher RPM since users here mentioned that my RPM is very low and that I should increase it. Being a lifter I prefer to do very high resistance and very low RPM of around 50-60 RPM but today I did about 70 rpm or so. Absolutely no change in heart rate, its always at rock solid 90-105. Next time I'll try doing really low resistance and super high RPM just to see if it makes any difference.

Also, I'm not taking any kind of drugs that help with lifting - just wanted to mention that.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

In fact today I already went with a little less resistance & higher RPM since users here mentioned that my RPM is very low and that I should increase it. Being a lifter I prefer to do very high resistance and very low RPM of around 50-60 RPM but today I did about 70 rpm or so. Absolutely no change in heart rate, its always at rock solid 90-105. Next time I'll try doing really low resistance and super high RPM just to see if it makes any difference.

Also, I'm not taking any kind of drugs that help with lifting - just wanted to mention that.

If I stand up from my chair too fast my heartrate goes to 110. You're clearly made of different stuff than me. I would also love to do 325w for more than 20 minutes...

 

[TB]

325 watts for 35 minutes at 100BPM is insane. Makes me wonder how accurate those watts are.

Just sitting here, I checked my heart rate with my phone (the couple of times I've checked it it's been +/- 1BPM from my new monitor) and I'm at 73.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

@Michael88

I should add that even 70rpm is quite low. I'm almost never below 80rpm when I ride either my trainer or my real bike. 85rpm is "moderate" and 95rpm is "brisk" I would say. In a full-gas sprint I'm turning like 125rpm at something like 900-1100w, but I can only maintain that pace for 5-15 seconds max (I don't really know my actual power in a sprint because I won't push my bargain-bin trainer that hard, it probably wouldn't be accurate if I tried, and I don't have a power meter on my bike - but Strava has reported 550w average for a 1-minute climb I did a while back, so I think my estimate is reasonable)

 

[Michael88]

325 watts for 35 minutes at 100BPM is insane. Makes me wonder how accurate those watts are.

Just sitting here, I checked my heart rate with my phone (the couple of times I've checked it it's been +/- 1BPM from my new monitor) and I'm at 73.

I have of course no way of measuring it, but I used to be an active cyclist for many years and getting those 325-350 watts for 30-35 minutes does feel like fighting an incline the whole time for sure, but the bad kind of incline that is just steep enough to be exhausting but level enough that you push hard to get to some speed. I had some inclines like that on my cycling routes and I called them suicide-hills because they made cyclist push themselves to the limit.
Or like going on a straight fighting really bad hear-drier level headwind, its definitely tough stuff.

If I stand up from my chair too fast my heartrate goes to 110. You're clearly made of different stuff than me. I would also love to do 325w for more than 20 minutes...

Its funny though, the hardest lift I do is deadlifting 3-4 sets of 8 repetitions of 205kg/450lbs, I'm pretty sure I do have a considerably higher heart rate than 100 after each set, its so hard I sit down after each set before I stand up again so I don't get dizzy and hit my head. But that's absolute 100% possible power for 60-70 seconds or so.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

NBD!

Managed to get the import duty issue solved with the carrier and they dropped off the bike yesterday. Just needed to put on the saddle, the handlebars, and the front wheel. This is a crappy photo, but the bike is gorgeous and, seemingly, exceptionally well made. The welds look better than the ones on my Cannondale CAAD12. The finish of the titanium is just so lovely and I'm really looking forward to taking this thing on some proper adventures. I have the lugs in the top tube and I'd really like to find a nice top tube bag that mounts to them. I have a handlebar bag that I like, but its always a bit fussy with the brake cables and the computer mount and it undeniably messes with the handling.

 

[W3H5]

undeniably messes with the handling.

I don’t think it’s possible to put weight on the front bars without it causing some changes to the handling.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

First ride report:

The bad:

I learned pretty quickly I didn't tighten the stem nor seatpost enough, because they both slipped while riding. My riding position after my 2-mile test ride was....not ideal.

More troubling is that whoever indexed the rear mech had exactly zero skill in doing so. Every single gear is off and I was genuinely worried I might break the chain. I'm going to work on this tonight.

The good:
The bike feels light and agile. Compared to my Cannondale, it's not as twitchy, but it changes direction much more quickly than my Giant. I was realizing that I haven't ridden a bike with smaller than 29er/700C wheels in maybe 15 years - they look almost comically small from my riding POV. But man do these tires (650b x 47) inspire confidence and they roll over everything. Typically I am used to being laser focused on road imperfections and bumps on the CAAD12 because it's super rigid, and the 700c x 23 tires are extremely unforgiving. But with these big chonky tires I just trust that they will smooth out the pavement.

The handlebar setup is a gravel specific drop bar, and it feels like it's designed to be ridden in the hoods rather than the drops. I find I have a lot more leverage on the brake levers from the hoods vs my road bike which feels like you really should be doing the braking in the drops. I'm not often in an aero position, so I appreciate this. I love hydraulic disc brakes....they just give so much confidence, so much stopping power, and so much precise modulation.

Maybe it's just the new bike feel or maybe I've put too many miles recently on my kind of mushy-feeling trainer, but man does this thing transmit power efficiently - just feels highly responsive. It's a shame my first ride was marred by poor rear mech indexing, because the spread of ratios feels pretty great. Not gonna set any TT records, but it feels good for single track and fire roads and the pavement sections that link them all together.

The WTB byway tires did pretty well on the smooth dirt I was riding on, with a few sharp pitches. I wasn't pushing that hard because I was worried about my chain, but the thing flies up single track.

The ride quality is pretty great. I feel like I could do some long days in the saddle on this bike. I'm not sure how much of this is down to the plush tires and how much is down to the titanium frame, but it all adds up to a real Cadillac feel.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the bike. This was a very short (2.5 mile) ride but I'm anxious to stretch its legs a bit more this weekend.

 

[W3H5]

I forgot how good cycling is for mental health. Just a few hours of gentle effort today made me feel on top of the world.

As a bonus my previously trapped shoulder nerve (agony for the last few days) has become freed just by being mindful of proper bike posture. Is there nothing a bike ride can’t solve?

 

[MrCrynox]

I forgot how good cycling is for mental health. Just a few hours of gentle effort today made me feel on top of the world.

As a bonus my previously trapped shoulder nerve (agony for the last few days) has become freed just by being mindful of proper bike posture. Is there nothing a bike ride can’t solve?

I always seem to formulate my best plans and solutions to problems when I'm out riding.

The only thing worrying me about cycling atm is the few assholes who seem to reacting badly to the recent highway code changes in the UK. I've had a few cars pass so close to me, it's scary. I'm thinking of attaching a camera to my handlebars as if recorded I think it can be used as evidence. I've read that fines and points are being dished out which is exactly what's needed to force these, (few), idiots into correct behaviour.

 

[W3H5]

I always seem to formulate my best plans and solutions to problems when I'm out riding.

The only thing worrying me about cycling atm is the few assholes who seem to reacting badly to the recent highway code changes in the UK. I've had a few cars pass so close to me, it's scary. I'm thinking of attaching a camera to my handlebars as if recorded I think it can be used as evidence. I've read that fines and points are being dished out which is exactly what's needed to force these, (few), idiots into correct behaviour.

Having ridden in the UK for half of my riding life, I’d say that the roads there are a damn site safer than out here in SE Asia. However, that doesn’t stop one maniac from getting too close and causing a problem. I find defensive/ assertive riding on smaller roads helps me to maintain a safer environment. I’ve been called an arsehole for taking up the whole lane so drivers have to overtake in the opposite lane (when clear) but if it’s a choice between being an arsehole and having brushes with passing cars, I’ll take the insult all day long.

I haven’t been up to speed on the developments surrounding the Highway Code in Britain. Care to enlighten me?

One of my hair brained schemes for keeping drivers away was to fasten a pool noodle or lightweight PVC pipe (something flexible) across the bike so it protrudes from each side a few foot, with the ends covered in high grit sand paper.

 

[MrCrynox]

Having ridden in the UK for half of my riding life, I’d say that the roads there are a damn site safer than out here in SE Asia. However, that doesn’t stop one maniac from getting too close and causing a problem. I find defensive/ assertive riding on smaller roads helps me to maintain a safer environment. I’ve been called an arsehole for taking up the whole lane so drivers have to overtake in the opposite lane (when clear) but if it’s a choice between being an arsehole and having brushes with passing cars, I’ll take the insult all day long.

I haven’t been up to speed on the developments surrounding the Highway Code in Britain. Care to enlighten me?

One of my hair brained schemes for keeping drivers away was to fasten a pool noodle or lightweight PVC pipe (something flexible) across the bike so it protrudes from each side a few foot, with the ends covered in high grit sand paper.

Have a read.. it's mainly centered around motorists being more aware and acting responsibly. The only new rule I dislike is allowing cyclists to ride side by side, I think it's selfish behaviour and asking for trouble. The I really like the give 1.5m when passing, I've already noticed a big difference.

How new Highway Code rules affect cyclists: myth busting changes for vulnerable road users

The Highway Code changes coming into force on 29 January are designed to make the UK's roads safer for cyclists

inews.co.uk

Also Yes, I'm a big fan of riding/positioning your bike in a defence position, I do it all the time, otherwise you end up in a dangerous position with vehicles forcing their way past, because you let them.

I often thought a loud air horn would fit the bill but then it would probably scare the **** out of me too... 😂

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Did my first serious ride on the new bike. About 40 miles and 3800ft of climbing. About 90% of the climbing was on "gravel" (route of the major off road section here) but that gravel was more like 6-12" rocks strewn over the path and bigger slabs of rock sticking out from the ground (I believe the MTBers call these rock gardens?), typically on sections well above 8% grade. If I'm honest, a full suspension e-mtb would have been a better choice for the particular path I took, but it was still good fun. The 1x11 drivetrain works really well and I found myself flying by all the mountain bikers on the less gnarly uphill sections.

I really need to go tubeless. I had my tires at pretty much max pressure because I really didn't want any pinch flats, but they were basically rock hard. I was getting bounced around pretty bad, especially on the descent which was equally rocky.

The WTB Byway tires did way, way better than I was expecting but I did find their limits on the steeper & looser sections.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Did another 3600ft, 30 mile ride over the weekend. This time I picked a trail (climb) I had previously done a few times on my hybrid bike, as a kind of barometer of the new bike's abilities. It's definitely a bit longer geared than the hybrid bike (which has a 3x front) and the BB is lower - on some of the sharper crests (it's a DH MTB trail with some whoops) I had some mild pedal strikes but I was 5 minutes faster over a 35 min section vs my previous best. The longer gearing meant I was working a little harder but the climbing ability of this bike is really impressive.

I then attempted some even steeper pitches (20%+ in some cases) on some nearby fire roads and quickly found the limit of the WTB byway tires and the gearing is really not suitable. This particular road is not a pleasant one to climb on a gravel bike (really loose sand and rock with deep ruts) so I kind of packed it in and took a detour to some more favorable routes.

The bike is most at home on relatively smooth gravel/dirt roads with sub-15% grades and I really enjoy flying past the MTBers spinning 110rpm in their lowest gears in those situations. The bike just feels so solid and capable, I'm really enjoying it. I've got a lot of gravel routes planned

Having the stationary bike has been really helpful for me to maintain fitness between the rides I can only really do on the weekends. My cardio has improved dramatically and I feel stronger as well.

 

[W3H5]

My legs are coming back on after a few weeks of dull zone 2 work. Tomorrow I’ll put my money where my mouth is and attempt to climb my local hill. Used to be able to get up there in ~45 mins at ~200 watts (when I was fit).
I sustained 170+ today for half an hour and felt like I was just warming up, could have gone longer.
If I aim for an hour at ~150 I should have enough in the bag to get home after the climb tomorrow without too much suffering.

The only bugger is new cleats and saddle have me still in “adjustment” mode where I’m still a bit off a comfortable fit.

 

[Solo]

@Eunos_Cosmo that’s one great looking bike. Don’t delay on going to tubeless, I have been running it for a couple of years now and love it, wouldn’t go back to tubes. Have you used the 1x11 setup on the road getting to/from trails, are you maxing out the gearing at all? How are you finding the overall 1x life?

I’m training for the Maratona this summer, any training or tips from anyone who’s done rides like that before would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

@Eunos_Cosmo that’s one great looking bike. Don’t delay on going to tubeless, I have been running it for a couple of years now and love it, wouldn’t go back to tubes. Have you used the 1x11 setup on the road getting to/from trails, are you maxing out the gearing at all? How are you finding the overall 1x life?

I’m training for the Maratona this summer, any training or tips from anyone who’s done rides like that before would be greatly appreciated!

The 1x11 does pretty well all around actually. 105-110rpm in top gear probably equates to 32ish mph so a steep descent is the only situation where me, not being a monster powerhouse, kind of run out of gear. It definitely has a shorter ratio in the big cog vs the 2x on my road bike, but it's not as short as the 3x on my hybrid. Perhaps surprisingly, I don't find the 1x as smooth and reliable as the 2x on my road bike...this could be a derailleur adjustment, but I keep having issues with the indexing. I'm not sure if I should expect a better "from the factory" derailleur adjustment on a shipped bike, but my Cannondale was rock solid from day 1.

The biggest surprise to me about the new bike is how fast it is on tarmac. It's a 650b bike with 47mm(!!) tires and not only does it not feel slower than my 700c x 23 road bike (that weighs 5 pounds less) but I've actually set some PBs climbs I've done many times. I'm not sure if it's the 650b tires absorbing road imperfections more efficiently or the drivetrain being more efficient or what, but it just feels super direct somehow. (I'm also in much better shape than I've ever been in, so that could be it too)

I finally got a bike fit recently. My setup was actually not far off, but one big and noticeable change the fitter made was to correct the seat angle. I had been riding with it pitched slightly back, and correcting that immediately made the bike feel more natural & comfortable and I felt like I was more efficient pedaling. He also changed the angle of the bars and hoods. Finally we switched the saddle with one with an ergo cutout. These things cured my biggest issues I had...feeling a bit too stretched out and saddle discomfort. He also fixed an issue I've had with my seatpost, which kept slipping down. It seems that Ribble managed to cross-thread the seatpost clamp when they put it on the bike...so the torque I was putting into the bolt was mostly just destroying the threads rather than actually tightening the clamp.

Next step is tubeless. I already have a pair of Teravail Rutland tires (highly recommended by some people I know for the trails/roads I ride) to go on the bike and the wheels came tubeless ready. I just need valves, goop, and an air compressor.

I can also comfortably report that the Blackburn Big Switch Wrap toolset is total crap. The idea is neat, but the problem is that in order to access anything in the wrap, you have to completely remove it and take the tube out, because the tube puts too much pressure on the other items. You can pull out the tool pouch, but you absolutely cannot put it back in without removing the tube. Do me a favor and don't buy this neatly conceived but poorly implemented product. No wonder they have turned comments off...

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Seat post clamp finally bit the dust. I tried tightening it one more time and it just start spinning. Threads totally wrecked. I swamped a clamp over from another bike and it seems to be doing good.

Mounted my tubeless tires but haven't got them to seal properly yet. Pretty sure the manufacturer did a pretty poor job with the rim tape because copious amount of air and sealant was coming out of the spokes. I dumped even more sealant in and the rear tire seems to be holding air now. The front...not so much. I might have to start over from scratch if another few rounds of filling the tire with air doesn't work. Ribble. I will say that after writing them a lengthy email detailing my frustrations with the bike they have offered to compensate me for the seat post clamp and getting the wheels sorted.

In racing new...has anyone been watching the Spring Classics?

I really enjoyed Milan San Remo, Flanders, and to a lesser extent (this year) Paris Roubaix. I've been waiting for a Van Aert vs Van Der Poel matchup where each of them is at peak and it frustratingly hasn't happened yet. Really thought P-R would see them both in good form but VdP seemed to be a off form and WVA also seemed a bit limited, though 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at. I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind if Paris Roubaix got moved to the fall on a permanent basis. The hell of the north certainly felt a lot more hellish with all of the mud. I'm still pretty new to watching pro Cyling, but I have to say...aside from the Tour de France...I find the single-day races far more enjoyable than the stage races. I think part of this is that most multi-stage GC riders are just not all that fun to watch, apart from maybe Tadej Pogacar. I'll watch the Giro for the scenery, but I honestly can't be bothered with the rest of them. Give me Strada Bianchi over La Vuelta any day.

I don't think any top level multi-stage bike race will ever be sustainable in the US (there just isn't the market for it here) so why not do a proper 1-day "classic" somewhere here? We aren't wanting for suitable locations. We have Dirty Kanza/Unbound as an emerging classic in the Gravel scene but I don't think it would attract the likes of MvdP or WVA. The most obvious choice would be somewhere in California, but it could really be in a ton of places and could incorporate gravel sections like Strade Bianchi. Tour of Marin? Sierra Classic? Sacramento-Tahoe? So many possibilities.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Bike is really dialed in now. I re-tensioned the rear mech and lubed the chain (I honestly think they shipped the bike without lube on the chain, but since it came with no information/manual/instructions, etc I didn't know) and it's shifting very crisply now. It feels good that I was able to get it just right by myself. I found a brilliant tutorial online which basically said don't bother trying to figure out what the issue is, just start the process from scratch. Remove the shifter cable completely, adjust limit screws without the cable attached, tension the cable, then index as necessary. Worked perfectly.

I gave up on trying to get the tubeless tires working myself so I took it to a local shop. He immediately identified the issue...I didn't have tubeless rimtape. I also managed to really screw up the valves to the point where the tech said "how did you even do this?"

So my biggest gripes with the bike have been:
-Saddle discomfort
-Seat post slipping
-Rear mech issues / poor shifting / noisy drivetrain
-Tire traction off road

So with the bike fit, new seat clamp, new saddle, new tubeless fitted, and drivetrain tune & lube the bike just feels awesome. This weekend I went on a 75 mile route with about 4500ft of climbing and a good bit of gravel (NorCal variety, through a redwood forest ) and the bike performed perfectly. Even on steep (20%+) climbs with somewhat loose dirt, those Teravail rutland tires found traction. Very happy with them. They are pretty noisy on the road but don't feel too slow. I was reasonably comfortable the whole time as well, pretty good considering I was on the bike for close to 6 hours. I averaged 161w over those 6 hours according to Strava which is definitely a personal best.

 

[Shaun]

I found a brilliant tutorial online which basically said don't bother trying to figure out what the issue is, just start the process from scratch.

👍

It's such an easy procedure to perform once you know how so well done on that.
I'm spoiled now with Di2 that I never need to do it.

It's well worth learning to maintain your own bike, there's nothing you can't do yourself if you have the tools and space to do it.
I actually enjoy it and going all the way back to pre-teen years have always worked on my own bikes. The only thing I've ever had a mechanic do was true a wheel for me once, since then I also do that myself.

 

[phillgt2002]

I'm holding off buying a new bike at the moment - what do you all think about carbon wheels on a vintage frame?

Not my bike, but the same brand and very similar.

These are the wheel I'm looking at

I don't necessarily plan on running these wheels on this bike too long as I plan on buying another down the line, which they will be fitted to that one.

 

[W3H5]

If they fit, why not?

 

[Shaun]

Yeah, some old school bikes look great with carbon wheels.

 

[phillgt2002]

If they fit, why not?

Yeah, some old school bikes look great with carbon wheels.

I’m probably going to hold off, I’m still trying to get my tire situation sorted. I swapped my Gatorskins for some SP5000s and I’ve already gotten a puncture, and that was in the middle of the night.

Insult to injury, I somehow pinched the new tube while installing it, causing a puncture. The GP5ks are annoying so far, but granted, I was doing a rush install, and the other night I rolled through a questionable street (I think the flat was caused by something else, so I’m skeptical)

 

[Omnis]

Some guy near me is selling an S-Works Tarmac SL3 with Zipp 404s and full SRAM red kit for $1200. I can probably offer $1k. He has it listed as a "Rubaix". Should I make the offer? I think I'm probably too heavy for those wheels, but I've been doing a lot of indoor cycling and want to actually get something to ride. My rides would be limited to parks and maybe gravel levees, but since I'm around 290-300 lbs I'm pretty sure I'd want a gravel bike that can fit 30+ mm tires. $1k is my budget though, so finding something used at that price has been a struggle. What do you guys think?

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Some guy near me is selling an S-Works Tarmac SL3 with Zipp 404s and full SRAM red kit for $1200. I can probably offer $1k. He has it listed as a "Rubaix". Should I make the offer? I think I'm probably too heavy for those wheels, but I've been doing a lot of indoor cycling and want to actually get something to ride. My rides would be limited to parks and maybe gravel levees, but since I'm around 290-300 lbs I'm pretty sure I'd want a gravel bike that can fit 30+ mm tires. $1k is my budget though, so finding something used at that price has been a struggle. What do you guys think?

A sworks for $1200? The wheels alone are probably worth close to that much. Sounds like a deal to me.