It’s quite a thin year, 2024 and I’ve had kind of low expectations, but I’ve finally managed to get to those mediocre 10000km in a year. Not as great as last one, but 14000km was pretty impossible to do, mostly due to poor health.
A hectic day cut into pieces by various events. In the morning I had to made it in time for kid’s kindergarten performance, so I’ve done nothing spectacular…🤷🏻♂️🙄
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.
#GoodMorning#CryoTherapy! It’s been cold, but surprisingly not felt that humid and miserable. And it started #snowing in the end!😁 #KidsOnBikes just don’t care. I guess they don’t feel the cold like I do…😂🤡
#GoodMorning#Gravel! #KidsOnBikes keep on fighting!🥰 I’ve given up long time ago, as it was about time to embrace the reality of cold #rain - push through it, suffer later…🤡
#GoodMorning#Urban#Gravel! What a shit of a weather!💀 1°C and it’s automatically #rain and #wind… My hands are painfully numb, as my “winter” gloves were like a soaking wet sponge…😳 British gloves reviews should be a part of #MontyPython’s…🥹
#GoodMorning#Gravel! I’ll be damned! It was as cold as at night, about -5°C…🥶 No stops for tea, though, so it was quite pleasant.🥹 I was fully geared up for winter, I’m afraid what’s going to be when the real deal comes…💀
It was cold AF but still worth it! -4°C and high humidity was not the greatest, but a #night ride with a #friend was exactly what I needed. The hot tea was also a nice touch!🥰
#GoodMorning#Gravel! I guess I’m finally getting used to the bad weather. The transition is always painful, but it was surprisingly ok in 2°C and strong wind… #KidsOnBikes - pure love!❤️
#GoodMorning#Bicycle in the #Rain! Hectic and discouraging start of what’s seems to be a shitty day. The Wife is ill, I had to manage all 3 kids, including little Sophie and Peter’s therapy… Everything is on my head and it’s far from over…😔
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: )
#GoodMorning#NewKitDay! Yesterday I’ve got a new #winter long bibs, jacket and merino balaclava from #Decathlon. I was sceptical about the jacket but I was wrong! It’s toasty as hell, I’m very happy with it!😂