r/cycling

I have started cycling more and am currently tracking my speed with my phone. The only stats I’m really interested in are speed and heart rate, so I’m considering getting a heart rate band and getting a phone holder for my bike so I can see my speed and heart rate while cycling. Is this a good idea or would a bike computer be a much better option? The expensive ones are just way to expensive and the cheap ones seems like kind of the same as using a phone

For me, it was a deep section carbon wheelset, utterly convinced it would transform my average speeds. Instead, living in an open windy countryside, I just spend more energy fighting to keep the bike in a straight line.

I would like to carry an electric pump along with my CO2 inflator for peace of mind on long rides in the middle of nowhere. I'm interested in finding the most reliable, best quality pump, as finding out it isn't reliable 20 miles away from home would kind of suck. I have noticed that with some of the cheaper ones, the quality of the Presta head isn't good, and of course the longevity of the battery can be an issue, along with heat generation.

I am willing to pay more for quality, and am willing to compromise on size and weight if it means better reliability. So far I'm looking at Muc Off and Silca. Any others to consider?

People, I need your opinion and knowledge.

I recently went to a renowned local bike fitter to get some size guidance before buying a new road bike, following the gospel.

I'm in between sizes (52/54, S/M) on most models I like and I told him my goal was to understand if I could use the smaller ones, since on my current bike I feel stretched and not really in control. I literally said "I often feel that the bike decides where I go". I have slightly longer than average inseam, for my height, and average flexibility.

The experience was...underwhelming. Everything was rushed. He put me on the machine for less than 20 minutes, never actually set up the smaller geometry and quickly recommended me to go for the larger one.

After this I went in store and, since I didn't feel particularly convinced by this consultation, decided to try both sizes, for 40 minutes each.

Long story short: I preferred the smaller one. They're fairly similar, but the sensation of being stretched was gone, everything felt more natural.

What would you do? 40 minutes isn't exactly the biggest sample, but I also don't feel as if the bike fitter properly explored all options.

Should I trust him or my ass?

I’m a commuting cyclist who used to use a beaten up old 2011/2012 Giant Avail. Since moving to Sweden I’m going through inners and tires on a bi-weekly basis because there is so much gravel and grit on their roads. I want to switch to a gravel bike and looking for something that is low maintenance, not too expensive but reliable.

Any recommendations?

I ordered a Lynskey Performance Atlas frame and it has shipped! I have a pile of parts sitting in my garage, but I just realized I don't know if frame will ship with a rear axle. I tried calling them, but it is the Friday before Memorial Day weekend in the USA, so I am not sure they are working.

Anyone who has ordered a Lynskey frame with thru-axles, did it come with the rear axle?

Thinking about getting Favero Assioma Powermeter for my Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8 setup. I’m using Garmin Forerunner 570.

Currently on Shimano SPD-SL and I’ve already had a proper bike fit done, including small pedal spacers, so I’m a bit cautious about changing Q-factor/stance width.

Would you go:

Assioma UNO (Look Keo) ~ 326€

UNO-Shi (SPD-SL)

DUO (Look Keo) ~ 442€

DUO-Shi (SPD-SL)

Mainly interested in reliable power, pacing and post-ride stats rather than sprint analysis.

Hi all, thinking of upgarding from a very old canondale road biek to somehing more serious. Ive found 2 I like, the VAN RYSEL Road Bike RCR-R or Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1. The VAN RYSEL is 105 Di2 and comes with a power meter. or theres variations of the giant, with 105 di2 or SRAM Rival AXS E1, and with or without power meters. Does anyone have a recommendation on the general bike / frame or advice to choose. Thanks

11 speed Shimano Ultegra. After using chain lube all my life I want to start using drip wax. I've soaked the chain in mineral spirits 3 X and once overnight. I wipe it down when it comes out and then soak again. I also agitate the container. It looks clean, but the sides of the inner links just don't seem to get clean. Even rubbing them with a rag seems to be useless. When the chain is "folded" to fit in the container, a portion of each inner plate is covered by the outer plate. Unless someone has a fool proof suggestion (I don't have access to an ultrasonic cleaner), I'm going to cut my losses and purchase a new chain.

I've used Silca hot wax up until now but want to try Squirt given the positive review from ZFC. I like the convenience of using a strip chip when doing a new chain though, can they be used in Squirt hot wax or will it screw it up and I need to go back to degreaser? ChatGPT says no and I guess makes sense as the wax chemistry is different.

Long story short - I believe I was put into the wrong size by a shop salesperson. I'm 5'9"-5'10" and went assuming I'd be a 54cm. He ultimately talked me into a 56cm and said that as an "older" person it would give me a more upright position. I'm 37. I rode a bunch and could never get comfortable so I started going down the rabbit hole of fitting. I quickly realized the seat post is way too high, and lowering it makes me way more comfortable. However, it appears that there are etched in markings for going too high and too low on the seat post. What is the danger of too low? I need it slightly lower than were the marking is. Bike is a Specialized Allez. The salesperson also is the one that set the seat post height for me. I am in talks with the manager to see if they can help me, but can't return for another size.

I I have a pre-owned Royce Union mountain bike that I bought in 2021. When I purchased it, I was told all the maintenance had already been done. I only used it a handful of times and kept it stored indoors most of the time.

We recently moved to a very bike-friendly city, and I wanted to start commuting by bike. When I first took it out, I discovered the movers had disconnected the gear cable. I reattached it myself, but the shifting has been off ever since.

I decided to take it in for a regular tune-up. Here’s what that includes:

REGULAR TUNE - $120 + PARTS
INCLUDES:
Full shift adjust and indexing
Drivetrain removed, cleaned and de-greased in solvent tank
Full brake adjustment, callipers aligned and rotors trued
Wheels trued and hub bearings inspected
Basic installs of additional parts if required
Wheel bearings Inspected
Suspension inspected and timeframe given on recommended service intervals
Bottom bracket inspected and grease applied if needed
Frame inspection and wipe down (Bike wash not included)
Chain lube is applied to clean drivetrain and tires set to recommended tire pressure
Written report of the bike and recommended work

When I went to pick it up today, the shop told me the bike needs a new cassette, chain, some additional gear-related parts, and all new brake pads for a total of $300.
I originally paid only $300 for the bike back in 2021, so I’m not prepared to spend that much right now. I understand the chain might need replacing after sitting for years, but do I really need a whole new cassette and drivetrain components on a bike that’s barely been used?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Was doing a 60-mile road ride today and hit a tunnel at about 28mph. My photochromic lenses were still dark from the sun and I could barely see the road for a solid 20-30 seconds. Genuinely scary. I've been looking at active photochromic glasses that supposedly adjust in milliseconds. Has anyone made the switch?

Is the difference actually noticeable at speed?

I'm mainly a gravel and mtb guy, but some times i come up to places where i would love the lightness of a carbon roadbike on asphalt, and am thinking about adding one to my collection.

since this would probably be the bike i put the least kilometres on, i'm looking for a simpler entry level one.

my local dealer who i trust and have other bikes from is mainly a KTM dealership and has the Revelator Alto Pro in their line-up.

Spec wise it would fit what i want and the geo felt good when testriding. Simple Shimano 105 all around, full carbon, no bells and whistles and the price looks really solid when comparing the competition in the price segment(cube attain c62, rose, van rysel, canyon...)

Is there anything on the market that i should be aware of and haven't seen, or is there anything about KTM Roadbikes i might not know and should?

Thanks for your help

I read cargo is pressurized but is it actually. :///
My carbon wheels :///

I have an old (like ~20 yo) alloy bike (Specialized allez) which for some dubious reason has carbon seatstays. On the inner side of one of the seatstays (facing the wheel) there is a possible crack — I said possible as the nickel test seems to be negative. This frame is quite old so really not worth professional inspection or repair, but it is still quite good otherwise and would be a shame to discard, especially since I have doubts whether the crack is real.

I am thinking about getting a carbon repair kit to either repair (if crack is real) or reinforce (if there is no crack) the area concerned. I have worked with composite before building model airplanes so I am familiar with lay ups etc but I do not know the finer details needed here - like how many layers and what weight cloths are needed. I have come across a couple of YouTube videos where someone repaired something similar with couple of layers of carbon cloth only. Is this enough? I am also interested to know how well these DIY repairs hold up in the long run for you? Is there a particular repair kit that works better?

Thanks

Henry.

New into road cycling, have rented every weekend for a couple months now and been wanting to purchase a bike for myself with the goal to eventually do an iron man. The used market in my city sucks. Everyone ones thousands of dollars for their 15 year old bikes. The best deals I’ve found is a 2016 CAAD12 for 800 with some upgraded carbon wheels and a 2017 giant TC pro advance 1 carbon for 800 other then that everything is old. Have a budget of about 1500 USD and been seeing a lot of Chinese bikes around this price any thoughts? Looked into brands like SAVA and twitter.