@chrishuck@tk@cycling@mastobikes
As a Swiss elite cycling racer told me once: cx is one hour of freezing, suffering and going way over your limits. So a perfect winter work out.
Mostly did road racing before the pandemic paused the season so I tried solo TT racing then tried CX which felt like it had the best of all worlds going for it.
First ever CX race was on a custom built 90s Hardrock MTB with drop bars. Fell over 3 times, had fun, and am in my third season of it.
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.
If I were to get a titanium #bicycle, I'd definitely spec a compliant steel fork. I feel like steel folks get a bad rap because consumer grade production ones are overbuilt, especially ones with disc brakes! #cycling
I have an aluminum frame track bike with a carbon fork that I am considering switching to a steel fork. I guess the ride a little whippier but the front wheel is the place you want rigid control over what is moving where...
I have very long legs and a short torso, so "normal" bicycle frames never fit me very well. I always end up with a lot of seatpost height and a short stem, even though I'm leaned forward comfortably and with plenty of power in my pedal stroke.
As mountain bikers, Presta valves are something we just deal with. However, it's strange how many other things we have optimized, such as headsets, seat posts, drivetrains, wheels, and even shoes. Why haven't we fixed the one thing that's actually broken? Today we'll discuss the kinds of valves cyclists have used over the years, why mountain bikers ended up with Presta, and how new options have become available, like premium, tubeless Schrader, and Clik.
@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes it definitely helps to get some clothing for cold weather ^^ I've been winter biking for more than a decade now and it has been a learning process. Today, I'm going back under a wind freeze effect of -25c 🥶
@tk@biketooter@cycling@mastobikes they are beautiful! That's why I keep that box in my living room. Fanciest thing I have ever bought but I do not regret it.
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: