The biking thread

[Omnis]

So what you're saying is your first gravel ride was action packed?

Yeah, not a good first experience with gravel. All the LBS guys have given me **** about this already

Edit: here you go

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Oof, yeah that was too hot of an entry for road tires.

 

[Omnis]

Oof, yeah that was too hot of an entry for road tires.

It looks worse than it was thanks to the weird gopro stabilization. I've noticed that hypersmooth will swing the horizon around as you turn. Makes it look like a bird swooping around before "swinging" back the other way and settling on level again.

 

[Omnis]

I think I understand why Europe adopted the metric system. 100 km is a piece of cake compared to 100 miles.

I was the redshirt and I died first. Actually, the ride captain next to me cramped first and was the first aboard the SAG. I made it to 60ish and the minefield pavement caused my bottle cage to rattle loose and/or strip out. So I stopped to retrieve it and couldn't catch back up to the group.
I got back in it at the next stop at mile 75ish but only made it a few more miles before I called it a day. Blue helmet on my right crossed her wheel with another rider and freaking ate it on Main Highway in Coconut Grove. I didn't want to stop and board the SAG while on the Causeway or Key Biscayne where everyone is flying by.

Anyone have any advice on how to fix this bottle cage issue? Are there threaded inserts that you're supposed to have within the carbon frame? I dunno if the threads tore through the carbon or what. The cage on the seat tube fell off, but the downtube one was fine. I did notice that they were a bit less secure feeling than the downtube when I installed them, but I didn't expect that they'd be rattled loose and/or jarred off completely the way that they were.

 

[Solo]

Anyone have any advice on how to fix this bottle cage issue? Are there threaded inserts that you're supposed to have within the carbon frame? I dunno if the threads tore through the carbon or what.

Are you able to post a photo of the down tube fixings? On both my frames there are threaded metal inserts bonded into the carbon for the cage bolts to go into. If the insert is missing your LBS may be able to bond something suitable in for you or you might just have to be down to one bottle going forward.

 

[Omnis]

So shining a light in there, I'm able to see threads. I'm wondering if all the vibration just backed out the screws and they eventually fell off. That or the cheapo Chineseum bolt failed outright. I can't remember for sure, but I'm pretty certain that I put purple Loctite on those fasteners, too. So weird.

 

[Shaun]

So shining a light in there, I'm able to see threads. I'm wondering if all the vibration just backed out the screws and they eventually fell off. That or the cheapo Chineseum bolt failed outright. I can't remember for sure, but I'm pretty certain that I put purple Loctite on those fasteners, too. So weird.

Can you upload a photo of it, normally the nutserts are glued into a carbon frame but if you can see thread could just be the screws backed out as you said. Hard to tell without seeing it.

 

[Omnis]

This is it. Everything looks normal but the screws felt like they didn't have much hold compared to the downtube. Maybe it was a bad or wrong-sized set of hardware? Would hate to lose a set of fancy foofoo bottle cage bolts though 😂

 

[Solo]

Do the down tube bolts feel secure in the seat tube fixings? Looks normal to me, some fresh bolts should fix the issue

 

[Greycap]

So I had my first crash today, lol. [...]

That's pretty reminiscent of my latest crash. The situation wasn't supposed to be difficult by any means, relatively flat softish dirt/gravel/whatever, and a perhaps 30-40 cm drop to a lower level of the same stuff. Shouldn't be a problem even on an XC hardtail, but it quickly becomes a problem when the rider doesn't have the nerve to hit it at speed. Had I been travelling faster the bike would have retained a pretty level attitude through the drop but of course I chickened out and went far too slow, and the results wre quite spectacular. Not only did the front wheel go down hard while the rear was still on the ledge, but I also managed to hit a fist sized rock right in the middle at the bottom that killed what little was left of the speed and then the ball (or me) began rolling. I still don't quite know what happened, not because I hit my head (which I didn't) but because at one moment I was still on the bike going down the drop, and in the next one I was sitting on the ground at the bottom facing the direction I came from and trying to figure out WTF just happened.

Looking at the damage done to my legs shows that I almost went over the bar but not quite, hitting the top tube with my right inner thigh leaving a very spectacular bruise (to top it off I have blood thinning medication which greatly increases the effect), and then I've somehow got tangled with the bike with the flat pedal spikes scratching my left shin to a point in which I could have claimed to have fought with a Chupacabra or something, and at least not having won outright. I even managed to get a bruise on my left shoulder on the back side, probably from the same somersault that began with the almost OTB. The only mark on the bike was a very small cut on the left side grip that dug in when I landed.

Go mountain biking they said, it'll be fun they said...

 

[Omnis]

That's pretty reminiscent of my latest crash. The situation wasn't supposed to be difficult by any means, relatively flat softish dirt/gravel/whatever, and a perhaps 30-40 cm drop to a lower level of the same stuff. Shouldn't be a problem even on an XC hardtail, but it quickly becomes a problem when the rider doesn't have the nerve to hit it at speed. Had I been travelling faster the bike would have retained a pretty level attitude through the drop but of course I chickened out and went far too slow, and the results wre quite spectacular. Not only did the front wheel go down hard while the rear was still on the ledge, but I also managed to hit a fist sized rock right in the middle at the bottom that killed what little was left of the speed and then the ball (or me) began rolling. I still don't quite know what happened, not because I hit my head (which I didn't) but because at one moment I was still on the bike going down the drop, and in the next one I was sitting on the ground at the bottom facing the direction I came from and trying to figure out WTF just happened.

Looking at the damage done to my legs shows that I almost went over the bar but not quite, hitting the top tube with my right inner thigh leaving a very spectacular bruise (to top it off I have blood thinning medication which greatly increases the effect), and then I've somehow got tangled with the bike with the flat pedal spikes scratching my left shin to a point in which I could have claimed to have fought with a Chupacabra or something, and at least not having won outright. I even managed to get a bruise on my left shoulder on the back side, probably from the same somersault that began with the almost OTB. The only mark on the bike was a very small cut on the left side grip that dug in when I landed.

Go mountain biking they said, it'll be fun they said...

That's awful! Sorry to hear that. I'm not sure I'd be mountain biking while on blood thinners. Be careful out there!

I'm just gonna go single-bottle for the time being and maybe replace the bottle cage with one that holds a minipump. I just met friends this morning and spun my legs out at this other studio downtown. Felt really good and after that I have next to no soreness in my legs. I guess recovery rides are really a thing, after all!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

That's pretty reminiscent of my latest crash. The situation wasn't supposed to be difficult by any means, relatively flat softish dirt/gravel/whatever, and a perhaps 30-40 cm drop to a lower level of the same stuff. Shouldn't be a problem even on an XC hardtail, but it quickly becomes a problem when the rider doesn't have the nerve to hit it at speed. Had I been travelling faster the bike would have retained a pretty level attitude through the drop but of course I chickened out and went far too slow, and the results wre quite spectacular. Not only did the front wheel go down hard while the rear was still on the ledge, but I also managed to hit a fist sized rock right in the middle at the bottom that killed what little was left of the speed and then the ball (or me) began rolling. I still don't quite know what happened, not because I hit my head (which I didn't) but because at one moment I was still on the bike going down the drop, and in the next one I was sitting on the ground at the bottom facing the direction I came from and trying to figure out WTF just happened.

Looking at the damage done to my legs shows that I almost went over the bar but not quite, hitting the top tube with my right inner thigh leaving a very spectacular bruise (to top it off I have blood thinning medication which greatly increases the effect), and then I've somehow got tangled with the bike with the flat pedal spikes scratching my left shin to a point in which I could have claimed to have fought with a Chupacabra or something, and at least not having won outright. I even managed to get a bruise on my left shoulder on the back side, probably from the same somersault that began with the almost OTB. The only mark on the bike was a very small cut on the left side grip that dug in when I landed.

Go mountain biking they said, it'll be fun they said...

I find off road biking to be about 75% commitment and 25% skill.

 

[Shaun]

@Omnis looks totally normal from the pics. I'd say the bolts just loosened themselves and fell out.

As @Solo says some new bolts will sort it out. Just be careful not to over tighten them, if you or one of your riding buddies have a small torque wrench even better as it's easy to damage carbon with a gorilla grip wrist on the wrench.

Without knowing the specs of the frame I'd guess it to be 5nm for those bolts.

 

[Omnis]

Yeah, for sure. I don't overtighten. Only took 200 miles to rattle free, I guess. I don't feel as bad about my hands being rattled to absolute pieces if it was enough to wreck my cage. My carpal tunnels are shot, even with gel pad gloves and 3.75 Silca Nastro Cuscino. Meanwhile, my PLT carbon ergo bars have been in Customs in NYC for like 2 weeks. I'm getting anxious.

 

[Greycap]

That's awful! Sorry to hear that. I'm not sure I'd be mountain biking while on blood thinners. Be careful out there!

Always with a small first aid kit, then again I already had it years before the medication. Strongly recommended to everyone riding with a backpack as it weighs next to nothing but can be a big help. Even in this case though the only thing I needed was one wound dressing and it was more to stop my 3/4 shorts leg chafing on the scratches as I rode home.

I find off road biking to be about 75% commitment and 25% skill.

Quite accurate, I'd say. The 25% skill can be further divided to 15% knowing the trail and 10% of actual technical skill.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Anyone on here follow any biking specific youtube channels? The ubiquitous one is GCN but I've grown somewhat bored of the stunted, unnatural delivery of most of the presenters and the repetitive and over-produced films. They get to do stuff that nobody else can, but they also do a lot of stuff that many people can do only not as well. I haven't seen a single GCN "adventure" film that feels actually adventurous. The previous era had more talent for the screen and while Dan is good, he doesn't get up to much these days. I also think their content balance is both too promotional (you'll never get an honest review of anything on GCN) and also far too specific to the racing aspect of cycling, which feels a little wide of the mark for a media company called "global cycling network".

Here are some samples of some of my favorites:

Dustin Klein out of Portland Oregon - Somewhat hipster with a rotating band of adventure buds who I find frankly hilarious together. This channel is the reason I have a gravel bike, full stop. Genuinely one of the few youtube channels I actively get excited about new uploads. His editing creates very engaging short form mini films.


Ryan Van Duzer out of Boulder Colorado - Similar a bit to Dustin in terms of adventurism and even filming style but his videos are less artsy and a little more nature & solitude focused. I find some of his longer videos to get a bit tedious, but some seriously good adventures.


Berm Peak - This one is a bit more like GCN with a lot of focus on bike tech and builds. For mountain bikers. Considering that it appears to be a small time operation the production quality is pretty awesome


Path Less Pedaled - A bit like Dustin but on a huge dose of Xanax. A lot of good content, but like his "Party Pace" tagline, you're never going to get excited watching this channel, but that's not the point. He likes weird bikes.


Two-Wheel Cruise - This one is pretty niche...an American guy living in various countries in East Asia...and cycling. I first started watching his channel when he lived in Japan. His content is only about 50% cycling, the rest is kind of life vlogging, but its an interesting perspective on that side of the world.

 

[Shaun]

Anyone on here follow any biking specific youtube channels?

Not so much anymore, but I used to keep a close eye on Cycling Maven, Chris Miller Cycling and Emily Fowler mainly for their local content down here. Honestly not sure how active they still are as I simply don't have the time I did say 5 years ago to keep up with everything cycling.

I still love cycling with a passion and get in the saddle as much as possible but due to some changes in life circumstances I simply don't have as much spare time out of the saddle.

Anyway as Xmas approaches that means one thing cycling wise for me. The Festive 500. For those that don't know it's a self challenge started by Rapha (a cycling clothing company) to ride 500km between the 24th-30th of December. There are some cool stories and videos floating around of how some complete it, some even go hardcore and do it in one ride.

In my part of the world we get it pretty easy weather wise as long as you get up early enough to beat the possibly heat. I feel for some of those in the Northern Hemisphere that slug it out through snow etc and kudos to them.

So the obligatory bike pic of Rhonda (yes my bike has a name) being prepped for the kick off tomorrow.

 

[W3H5]

The Festive 500.

That brings back memories.
I’ve been out of the saddle too long now to even consider an attempt.

I’m physically looking at my bikes as I type this wondering where the time went.

One minute you’re out conquering the highest mountains with nothing but a Coke for help, the next it’s a bike frame covered in dust that’s been static for the longest time.

I do wonder if I’ll get back on my bike anytime soon. Unlikely.

 

[Shaun]

That brings back memories.

Speaking of memories I distinctly recall reading of your adventures of riding across China.
It gave me inspiration at times to get off my arse and get out there pedalling.

I do wonder if I’ll get back on my bike anytime soon. Unlikely.

Not digging the unlikely vibe mate, it's not you .
Dust the old girl off, get some fresh air in the tyres and ease back into it.
All it takes is a little positive thinking at times which then gives huge rewards.
I know you know the feeling of getting back home from a tough ride absolutely knackered but within half an hour or so you're on the best natural high you can get.

Saddle up.

 

[Omnis]

After 4 weeks my handlebars FINALLY made it through customs!

What a relief!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

After 4 weeks my handlebars FINALLY made it through customs!

What a relief!

You're giving me PTSD of my ordeal with Ribble...

 

[Shaun]

For the first time in I think about 5 years I didn't manage to complete the festive 500 sadly due to other commitments.

Ended up with 323km and there is absolutely zero chance of me getting the final 177km in the next 7 and a half hours as I've just cracked a beer and about to fire up the BBQ.

Anyway a pic from this morning's final ride.

Happy new year and safe riding everyone. 👍

 

[TB]

I was going to post that my New Year's Resolution was to ride more in 2023 than I did in 2022 but I don't think that's quite the motivation I thought it would be as 2022 ended with me at only 12 rides totaling 106.3.

Instead, my goal will be to hit 500 miles. Not much for most of you but still a healthy bit more than my previous high in 2020.

 

[Shaun]

Instead, my goal will be to hit 500 miles

It all adds up mate, the year after 750 then 1000 etc etc. 👍

 

[TB]

It all adds up mate, the year after 750 then 1000 etc etc. 👍

490 to go!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Managed just over 5k km total (including runs) in 2022 with about 4900km from riding various bikes. Around 175,000ft vertical. Biggest year by far. Having the trainer and the gravel bike helped a lot. I think for 2023 I am going to look at expanding the vertical number and hours, while keeping the mileage around the same. Would like to hit 250,000ft vertical and do 6hr a week. After today, 249,000 to go!

 

[Greycap]

My personal best year was just a tad over 6000 km in 2013, done around the year on a mountain bike in Finland - in other words, Whitehorse in Yukon is very close to the same latitude. Oh bloody hell, never again.

Then again back then I was healthy and probably a bit obsessive, the next year I got ill with psoriatic arthritis which put a stop to the mindless riding. Since then I've done about 2000 km a year as the arthritis was never properly got under control but last January ended very abruptly with a mild stroke or two, there are scars of two in my brain but nobody knows if they were simultaneous or separate. That's also the reason for the previously mentioned blood thinners nowadays but as a side effect I got hit with a dose of cortisone that would kill all inflammation in a horse - and then two more that would take care of the elephant and the hippo too - but it had the unexpected effect of tackling the arthritis better than anything else during the last eight years. So at the moment it looks like psoriatic arthritis saved me from exercising myself to death, and then a stroke saved me from the arthritis. A slightly worrying development, I have to say...

 

[Omnis]

I decided to remove my old bar and put everything together on the new carbon bars after my Fiber Grip and new hood covers arrived. I'm just waiting for some new SRAM gel pads for the shifters to arrive on Monday. I'll be able to apply the Fizik bargel over that (sans cream cheese) before re-wrapping the bars with my Silca tape which seems to have remained pretty intact. The area under the shifter retention band looked pretty nasty though. There was so much crust, it was gross.

I don't know who the heck had this bike before, but they clearly didn't take very good care of things. I'm kind of shocked that the bike broker reportedly gave it a tune-up before the sale but still left everything so cruddy. I'm upset that I forgot to take a before picture of the shifter internals, but the photo below is after several rounds of WD-40 and Dawn Pro degreaser scrubs. I shot the internals with some marine protectant since the salt air down here attacks everything. After that dried, I gave the gears and springs a good gobbing of PTFE grease. Crusted white lithium kind of turned me off lol.

The next time I'm down at my LBS I'm going to ask if they can gauge my chain for me. I really want to remove my chain and cassette to give it a good cleaning, but if I need a new chain anyway (highly doubtful) then that's a nice big step to skip. At least the shifters are butter-smooth now.

I tried the bars on the original carbon stem after I realized it was an 8 degree instead of a 6. I thought 130mm on just 6 degrees would be way too long, but with it sitting a bit higher it actually feels pretty good. I rode the bike trackie style (no brakes lol) in front of my driveway. I can't overstate how much more comfortable these bars are compared to the tubular aluminum Vibe 7S. Even without bar tape and cables loose, it was a marked improvement. Maybe I'll actually be able to maintain some kind of speed instead of looking like a commuter in Groningen.

 

[TB]

Alright. I give. What's the cream cheese for?

 

[Shaun]

@Omnis pick yourself up a chain checker, so simple to use and will save you in the long run as a worn chain then leads to worn chain rings and cassettes as I'm sure you know.

Much cheaper to replace chains than rings and cassettes.