@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: )
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....)
At the moment, my #cycljng is mainly limited by my cardiovascular system and energy. All of that time sick from respiratory illness was not kind to my fitness. :blobfoxgooglycry:
Tomorrow I’m planning to do clockwise „Rundtur på #Bornholm”, a #cycling trip around the island.
My side hurts, I guess from hitting a tree on a single track, but if I manage to get out at 4am I’m able to be back way before 10am - you know, family!😁😍
The wind and weather forecast seems to be favourable, going against 6-10km/h headwind in the beginning, to finish up with the wind. No rain (fingers crossed)!🙈
While I was riding my main #bicycle on gravel a couple days ago, I was able to easily rescue a front wheel slide.
And when I was riding it yesterday up a fairly steep bit of sandy gravel (for the city), I was able to get past wheelslip and just pedal slowly and softly in a low gear to get up the hill.
For our anniversary run of Rene Herse bikes—and for the bikes we ride in long-distance events—we wanted a better solution: a reliable needle-bearing headset that is Rinko-compatible. This is another project that had a long gestation period: We made the first prototypes three years ago. We ran them in Unbound XL (twice), in Paris-Brest-Paris, Arkansas High Country Race, Dark Divide 300 and many other rides and adventures. Along the way, we fine-tuned many details, both aesthetic and functional. We decreased stack height, lowered weight, and increased clearances to make sure the headset works smoothly and quietly under the harshest conditions. We tested and re-tested, and now the headsets are ready.
I used to love #bicycle touring, but after years of doing routes most riding wouldn't even consider, having various kinds of "type 2 fun" times, and then COVID hit, I just can't get myself to do it. That even applies to supported tours like #BikeSTP! Being a "sitting duck" in a sea of drivers of all personalities scares the everliving shit out of me. :blobfoxscared:
During the pandemic and motivated by the psychological pressures of quarantine, I learned how to ride a #motorcycle, and went through various scooters and larger bikes to get to where I am now. I spent so much time riding street (really rural highways to or through natural landmarks) that I got bored of that, too, so I bought a dual-sport so I could, well, honestly ride gravel roads to places farther off that allow OHV and/or larger use. That dual-sport was a CRF450RL and was sprung custom for a much heavier guy than me, which made it super tall for me. :blobfoxsweating: As you can guess, I traded it in for a #Tenere 700, which I will be riding this weekend on a rural gravel highway that I've ridden before on a much heavier street bike. :blobfoxhappy: