@alexisdyslexic@cycling So my point is not to act as if Davis is the worst - it's not. But I want to show that you don't have to scratch deeply to hit the car-centrism and ableism. Therefore holding it up uncritically as "Platinum Bike-Friendly" does us a great disservice. #UCAccessNow#CarCenrism#Cycling
@meganL@cycling the best in North America is probably Montreal. But Not Just Bike just made a clap back video about how poorly Montreal stand up to European cities. I don't think we have a good infrastructure anywhere in North America.
But I think we're at an inflexion point and a lot is going to be built out soon.
I really like these panniers, though I'm glad that I found a quicker way of managing the shoulder carry strap than the rather daft built-in things #BikeTooter@fedibikes@cycling
@kim@achadwick@cycling I keep it closed using the strap that comes over the top from the back, and have also used the drybag method. The front hook is just there to add tension to the longer strap -- in all my years, I've never had a problem with the strap getting particularly muddy, unless I'm also getting muddy anyway. But different use cases, maybe?
@ravenbait@achadwick@cycling Recumbent low-rider racks put the front panniers in splatter range of the front wheel, while the rider stays high and dry. Of course, the great thing about Ortliebs is you can just run them under the tap.
The over-the-top strap is incredibly useful for overloading the pannier gracefully, dangling random things from, or crossing over with the pannier on the other side for additional security, and I do miss it on my flap-closure Altura panniers (which got relegated to shopping duty when I discovered they were being eaten by the disc brake on my tourer).
@nik After years of struggling because I was afraid to raise my saddle after tearing a quad in 2013 (?), I started raising it some, then noticed that I was able to pedal in smooth and quick circles instead of by mashing down. That circular pedaling is what good technique is. :blobfox: I also had to move my saddle forward quite a bit because my legs would drag me forward with their circular pedaling otherwise.
As far as handlebar position goes, that resolved itself once my core was strong enough. :geblobcatshrug: If you don't try to hold onto the bars for dear life and just let your hands fall where they will, that'll tell you where to move the bars to.
The Reevo hubless e-bike is a wild-looking electric bike loaded with high-tech features like fingerprint security, GPS tracking, and built-in LED lighting. It also doesn’t have traditional hubs and spokes or drivetrain, and it is the most unique bike I’ve ever reviewed.
The gravel world is about to see the introduction of a bigger wheel standard called 750d.
So naturally, Liam thought it would be good to test if they are faster than 700c wheels, and if they feel any different to ride.
WTB and Moots have been developing this new standard, and they’ve done this for two reasons.
Firstly, the larger 660mm rim diameter is meant to roll more easily over rough terrain and these bigger wheels are intended to help custom builds for taller riders.
What do you think of 750d wheels? Is it something you want to try or just another standard? Let us know in the comments.
@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes imho the point of a gravel bike is not to be more/as efficient as a mountain bike off the road but to bring the feeling of a road bike while having dirt roads capabilites. I am saying this as someone who did MTB marathon events on a cyclocross bike back when gravel bikes weren't already a word.
For that reason, even if it might be slower I prefer riding a gravel bike with 650b wheels as the outer diameter feels closer to a 700c wheel with 28mm tire. The bike might not be as fast asa a gravel bike with 700x 45mm tires but I don't care, especially as I am not racing any more. 650B feels more playful and lively.
If I want better off road capabilities, I just ride my 27.5fat or 29+ mountain bike.
@tk@cycling@mastobikes@biketooter Urban Arrow find’ ich auch cool. Aber am schönsten sind die Dinger von Eliancycles, weil die Lenkung in die Nabe integriert ist.
The pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free. Only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them.
Carbon fiber is light. It’s strong. It can be used to build everything from frames to seat posts to handlebars to cranks. And it’s one of the worst things that’s happened to bikes.
Now, to be clear, carbon fiber makes perfect sense for professional racing. Because it’s basically a fabric, builders can mold it into all sorts of aerodynamic shapes. Moreover, they can tune ride quality and maintain strength while simultaneously keeping the weight to a minimum in a way that’s not really possible with metal tubing. It used to be that racers had to choose between a light bike and an aero bike; now they can have both, all thanks to the miraculous properties of carbon fiber. At this point, there’s no reason for elite competitors to use anything else. Gift Yourself More Adventure
But here’s the thing: you’re not them. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you’re almost certainly incapable of milking the handful of seconds a wind tunnel-sculpted pro-level carbon fiber race machine might theoretically net you in certain situations. Moreover, the pro racers who do need carbon fiber bikes get them for free; only the people who don’t need them actually pay for them. This means that, ipso facto, if you’ve purchased a carbon fiber bicycle, you’ve made a mistake.
“Okay, fine, I may not be Jonas Vingegaard,” you may be thinking. “Maybe I didn’t need a carbon bike. But how does that mean I’ve made a mistake?”
Simple: while you’re not able to extract carbon fiber’s small performance benefits, you are in an ideal position to experience its many drawbacks—and for normal people, carbon fiber bicycles have only drawbacks.
This is Bike Snob NYC writing for Outside Online, by the way.
@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes I respect Eben and enjoy his articles but I got a CF bike cheap and I can lift it onto its rack without hurting my back.
@keraba@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes Eben kinda lost the plot a few years back. He's still right sometimes, but so is a stopped watch. FWIW I ride mostly steel bikes but, like you, got a CF bike for cheap recently and it's fine....
Today in tk's #seabikes adventures: descending from Phinney Ridge without a function front brake. :blobfoxscared:
(The bike has TRP Hylex hydraulic disc brakes. I took it to my LBS after and they said that it looks like the caliper might've sprung a leak and has been contaminating the rotor. I've had the brakes for several years now, so I'm not too bothered.)
Yes, cantis. I like them. :blobfoxgooglytrash: They work well when set up correctly: straddle as low as you can get them to start, then raise little by little if you prefer. Having a lower cable hanger will additionally reduce system flex and improve stopping.
Even those dreaded Tektro “Oryx” 992A calipers. You need the straddle super low, but they work great that way. (That does also mean that they have limited tire clearance!)
(Oh, and this isn’t a “rim versus disk” debate starter. If anything, it would be a “cantis suck” debate. :blobfoxgoogly: )
When @glitter and I got to the bottom of a long hill while #cycling yesterday, I heard the tell-tale sign of a #tubeless leak in my front tire, a well-used #Panaracer#GravelKing. She even said it was smoking, but I knew it was just sealant blowing out.
Thankfully, it was at the end of our ride and I didn't have to deal with steering on a floppy tire. I did snap this picture, though. :blobfoxsweating:
I tried seating it again today and it just wouldn't hold air because of the same spot. That's when I noticed the bulge in the sidewall near the bead, so I decided to toss the tire and put on a fresh (identical) one I had in reserve. The new tire seated without issue, aside from how I had to do it twice because I put it on the wrong way the first time. :blobfoxgooglymlem:
This isn't a knock on Panaracer tire quality, of course. The tire's been through a lot and there was only so much tread left anyway.
Did a loop from home, over Capitol Hill, and through Interlaken Park and I'm really feeling it! I really should've had a rest day after yesterday. :blobfoxdead:
@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes it's a must have for #wintercycling. Batteries tend to loose power quickly in the cold, but it's a non-issue with a dynamo. I love mine and I will probably make the switch on another one of my bike in the next few years.
NZ cyclists who also use buses, warning that from Saturday bike racks on public buses will be unavailable due to safety concerns raised by NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). May be temporary but no restoration or replacement date given.
NZTA have advised bus operators but no info for cyclists on their website. Useless agency for alerting actual transport users!
@Kay I was about to reply that Christchuch's Metroinfo had advertised it fairly well but then I reread the details and realised it's now a complete ban, not just a nighttime ban. Whaaaaat??
(Metroinfo does have a news item on their site, I'm not sure if they're updating the posters on the buses or just going to rely on bus drivers warning people individually throughout tomorrow....)