64m. 30 years licensed racer. still train like it means something. i was on a group ride and got heckled about my short socks. above ankle, so you get the idea. anyway, i see the tall sock is pretty common now, but, i have big calves. don't like the feel or the look on me. looking for opinions.
Context—I've logged ~60k miles over the last 13 years. I build my own bikes and I'm pretty obsessive with maintenance. I replace chains as soon as I can get the chain checker (Park CC-3.2) in with a little pressure, which results in slightly less than 0.5% wear. I lube chains (Rock N Roll gold for road, blue for gravel) every 50 miles or 2 rides, whichever comes first. I'm a lean 220lbs and have a 300-350w FTP (been a while since I tested) and I know that this will lead to faster drivetrain wear.
My road bike (Ultegra 8000) has 15.2k miles and I changed the cassette at 9.2k and the chainring/chain at 11k. Since then I've had to replace the chain at 12.2k, 13.5k, 14.5k, and 15.2k. The cassette tests fine with the Rohloff chain checker but I replaced it anyway this time.
My gravel bike (SRAM Force AXS... I use the Park CC-4.2 due to flat top chain) has 3600 miles and the first chain wore out at 2100 miles. I figured I would start checking it when I got within ~500 miles of the 2100 miles the first chain lasted. The chain checker fell in with no pressure. I replaced the chain and it's skipping under load so I clearly waited too long.
How am I killing chains so fast with such diligent maintenance? 700 miles on the last road chain is insane.
TL;DR: If you were to retire soon and wanted to find a great small/midsize town in Colorado to road bike ride, where would you go and why?
Daydreaming about retirement. Currently living in Eastern Massachussetts. I ride around 8K miles per year/ 6 times a week and love to ski in Winter. As I age and come closer to retirement, I'm thinking of living for an year in Colorado to see whether it is a good fit. My partner is a marathoner who is also into longer trail runs (50 milers, etc...).
We have been peeping into places like Golden, but wouldn't shy away from smaller towns like Montrose and Grand Junction. The key elements on the decision are:
What would be your pick, and why?
Thanks and happy riding!
So I’m a newbie to the cycling world and really hooked lately. Decided to go buy a padded shorts and a jersey with pockets etc to put my phone. Absolutely hated how it looks and feel on me. I looked like an inflated pig in a carnival lol also just really really uncomfortable. Pad was too tight and on a hot day like this I couldn’t gather myself to wear it. Although I did buy the cheap triban version from decathlon. What am I doing wrong?
I cannot figure out the market for this: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1515/2714/products/Chamois_Buttr_Coconut_690x690.jpg?v=1765232758
I'm looking to getting into group rides instead of riding solo all the time. I usually do 1 hr long rides so I end up at about 15-17 miles done in that 1 hour. I usually push myself so Im dead by the end.
The group rides in my area are usually 30+ miles. Especially on the weekends they can get into the 40s and 50s. Is any training needed for this to get it done or just make sure I bring fuel and I should be good to go?
Hey everyone, I’m new to cycling and looking for my first real bike. I’m currently deciding between a Cannondale Trail 7 hardtail MTB and an Ozark Trail Explorer gravel bike, but I’m open to other recommendations.
I’m 29 years old and have been athletic my whole life, mainly playing high-impact sports. After knee surgery, I’m looking to transition into a lower-impact sport that I can enjoy long term, while still challenging myself and improving my fitness.
Since I’m just getting into cycling, I honestly don’t know yet what style I’ll enjoy the most. Maybe I’ll end up liking road cycling, gravel, or MTB, so I’m looking for a versatile first bike to help me figure that out.
Right now, I imagine myself doing:
I’m not planning on doing jumps, downhill, bike parks, or aggressive technical MTB. Honestly, with a perfectly healthy knee that type of riding would probably interest me haha, but I’m trying to be smart and choose something I can enjoy for many years.
Prices where I live:
Which one makes more sense as a first bike to discover what type of cycling I enjoy? Any other recommendations are welcome.
Thanks!
I live at what I call the edge of suburbia in Western Michigan, so I can hop on my bike and be on some pretty isolated country roads in a few miles. For the past few years, I've been crushing a nearby hilly road at least once a week and it has helped me tremendously. Inexplicably, the county decided last week to cover the fairly new (a few years) asphalt (in good condition) with chipseal, making it unrideable. I have no idea how long it will take to compact enough to return with my road bike. This road is popular with cyclists, so it sucks for all of us. Now I'm looking for a replacement ride.
This is the same county that periodically dumps rocks all over their gravel roads, so I don't ride those anymore. Ugh. I suppose I'll be driving my bike somewhere to ride for a while.
Hey guys first time poster here.
Most of my terrain is quite bumpy gravel but flat ish although i hate the look of mountain bikes and love the look of this bike here:
https://quellabicycle.com/products/limited-edition-the-midnight-edinburgh?variant=55820135072117
Any recommendations for something similar? I’m in the UK. Budget around £500-£800 ideally the less the better haha
I am looking to mix my cycling up a bit, mostly just looking for routes that are new to me.
One way to do this seems to be to register for group rides- some of which are $150 and require a hotel stay.
My question to the group, just for chat purposes, is - are they worth it and if so what justifies the cost - versus say just betting a route map and hammering it on my own or with my riding buddies?
I also assume there is a bit of personal preference. I am trying to figure out if I want to ride with a hundred other people. Never done it and honestly I don’t even like the appeal of riding with 5 strangers. I keep a close few friends and we ride together or I ride along and seem to enjoy it beyond times like now when I am a bit bored with “the usual”
Appreciate your input and experience!!
Forget about S, M, L, XL, for now. They have a size chart telling you how and where to measure and then tell you what size that relates to. My question is if you go with the measurements and related size, are they still too small? Many posters say Castelli runs small and to order up. For me, a senior male, 5-5", 134 lbs, with inseam of 28 and hips around 35", I should take an XS. Curiously, the inseam for XS is 31.8 inches of which I am no where near. I've been wearing the Endurance 4 bib shorts for several years in XL. Before that, Endurance 3 in XL. My son said they look like I'm wearing diapers. I then went with L, and they're a bit better. I'm going to try M (when they arrive) and see how they fit. Comments are welcome, but answers are too. Do you go with the size chart and if so, do they fit like they should? And do you size up or down? If you also wear the Endurance 4 bib shorts, mention that too.
I recently invested in a bicycle as an adult. I used to ride around a ton as a kid, but not really at all in the past decade. I’m a 5’9 26YO F looking for good low impact cardio. Any tips for a first time rider? I tend to overdo exercise and create injury so I’m trying to ease into it. I went almost 3 miles today. We’ll see how sore I am tomorrow, haha.
Any advice welcome. Thank you!
Ok, I’m finally giving in.. I am a runner who wants to do some cross training. I run 60+ miles per week all on county roads that are 60% asphalt and 40% gravel. I am starting training for a 150 mile ultra and want to mix in some cycling. I always thought getting into cycling was just too expensive in comparison to buying new shoes every 6 weeks. What kind of bike should I be looking for? I am 6’4 and 195 lbs and have done virtually 0 cycling since I was a child. Like I mentioned, I live in the middle of the Midwest farmland. I will be on rough broken asphalt roads that are not smooth by any means or loose gravel roads. I want to spent $1,000 or less. What used bikes should I look for on Facebook or elsewhere. Gravel or road bike? What other things should I consider?
Caught glimpse of a roadie with a minimalist half-frame bag that looked road-specific as opposed to chunkier bikepacking gear. For example it had stiffened sides presumably to keep it sleek and slim.
Any recommendations for such a bag?
Looking for flat pedals for the road bike as a commuter that I could use with sneakers too. Seeing KMS Sylvan Gordito (sharp teeth) vs. those mtb flats that have pins, but not sure which one is more comfortable teeth ones or pins ones.
Hi! I have picked up cycling for commute to/from work after never once riding a bike, as an adult.
Legally, where I live you are supposed to go on the bike lane, then road, then sidewalk, if the prioritized option is not available. There is maybe a kilometer of bike lanes in the entire city, none along my commute.
I feel like I am just too bad at cycling to be on the road. Takes a couple tries to start moving, can't go fast (both scared and physically too hard to speed up and hold myself upright&straight), keep feeling the bike start to veer off while I'm trying to go straight so I have to catch and push myself the other way to straighten myself. Ofc it is because I've been on this thing maybe a dozen times in my life by now, but I also do not hold high hope for improving too significantly, I am a generally uncoordinated person who walks into the doorframes and hipchecks tables. Maybe I'll get better because my arms get stronger and more used to holding myself, I sure hope so, but maybe not enough. Also rude drivers, also it's scary, also a lot of cars parked along the side of the road so there is nowhere to squeeze myself in without being either in front of a car or in the path of a potential opening door, also no shoulders whatsoever (but I feel like I could get good enough for going on the shoulder if there ever were one, that's not so concerningly close the the cars).
I can't really go on sidewalks all the time either even if I can accept breaking the law for my safety - I leave for work at five so there are zero people I could hit, that's good, but on the way back, there are so many, I feel like I'm bound to try to slow down, lose balance, and topple right into someone. Best I think I can do is going between apartment buildings, there are few people or moving cars there, but the city is also kinda crap here, some places it's going to be pretty significant detours to do that, wouldn't be surprised if I lost time doing that.
So, overall, is there any chance to get good enough to go in the road (bonus points if you're also from an insignificant russian city and know exactly how the things are here with people, ig), how long did it take you to get to that point if you also started cycling as an adult, is it even worth it or I should stick to walking (not too bad, 40 minutes on foot, 30 on the bike right now, just painfully boring and feels trice that long to walk), maybe it is just not a thing I can get into with my conditions? Any advice except steel my balls (the idea of ever going on the road is stomach-turningly terrifying, ngl), get signals/hivis (on it anyways), and hope practice does make me good and I'm just underestimating my potential (getting slowly better but yeah, still veering too much for comfort and not hopeful)?
A bit that is somewhat unrelated and is just talking. Why/how I am trying in the first place is I got a bike as an unwanted gift for my bd and decides hey, that's nice, getting places faster is nice, decided to learn, and realized that cycling in and of itself is very fun and I do like it, but I have nowhere to cycle recreationally, except a few boringly small parks that are also utterly without bikelanes and would be filled with people, and if I'm trying to go anywhere, I live in a spot where I have to go either on the road or on a busy sidewalk to get anywhere, there are no places with bikelanes, few enough people for me not to be nervous about riding into a pedestrian, or a way to get between building that won't be a massive detour. Whoever designed any part of this city, there is so much contempt for you in my heart. And thanks yall!
Hey everyone, I’m hitting a wall here and could really use some input.
So, about two years ago, I was just out for a chill ride when bam: sudden sharp pain in my right knee. It started acting up every time I hit a climb. I took a couple of weeks off, felt like I was back in the game, but then...oof...the same thing happened, but this time in my left knee.
I was pretty rattled, so I bit the bullet and paid a pro bike fitter to dial in my position. Turns out my saddle was way too low. After dropping a decent chunk of change, my bike felt like a rocket and the pain just vanished flats, climbs, didn't matter.
But here’s the kicker: over time, my saddle started slipping down bit by bit. A few weeks ago, that left knee pain flared up again. I tried to reset the saddle height myself, but the pain is still gnarly. I’m fine on the flats, but the second I put down power or hit a climb, it’s game over the pain is absolutely brutal.
I’m on a Cannondale SuperSix Evo, mostly hitting alpine passes and road rides. I’ve been training for an Everesting attempt, but right now I’m pretty desperate. I’m 35, and honestly, I’m just tired of icing it and lathering on creams.
Have any of you dealt with this kind of recurring BS? Anything concrete I should be doing besides just spinning my wheels and hoping it goes away? Any advice would be a lifesaver.
What the title says — did my first century yesterday. Didn’t plan to but felt good, weather wasn’t too hot, knew I had another water stop I could hit and so I went for it. Legs felt good the whole way but at 95 miles my trapezius started BURNING. I’m not one to get excited but I’m somewhat proud.
Anyways, the troubling thing to me was that in 100 miles of biking….I only saw ONE other person. That’s something I’ve noticed this summer actually, that I’m passing less and less people when I’m out riding and have yet to pass another female. Where have all the cyclists in Maine gone???
Just wanted to know who transferred from GP5000 STR to Pirelli PZero RS. Is it worth it, from it's overall performance (rolling resistance, weight, puncture protection)
I think I need to pull the trigger and replace mine, since after almost 9,000 KMs for my GP5Ks F/R tire.
I had a big nail puncture that couldn't be sealed and plug (it just spits at 50- 60 PSI)
What's your thoughts? Do I just need 1 tire and transfer my front to rear and get a brand new 1 for the front?
F39 - in July 2020 I was hit while cycling by a guy not paying attention. I had an incredibly traumatic time in the hospital, and still have some ptsd/fear of pain due to the excruciating amount I went through. Literally head to toe injuries, the entire left of my back was badly road burned (every time they changed my wound dressings it felt like they were peeling my skin off), my leg (bad comminuted fracture) took multiple surgeries and 2.5 years to heal with some permanent damage. Terrible concussion (helmet saved my life/skull, but I couldn’t watch tv without headaches for nearly 2 years) among many other injuries/fractures.
I was just a casual biker a few times a week, but it was something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t sure if I could ever go back to biking...well this April I felt ready and brave enough to buy a new bike, starting with casual short rides on flat roads 1x a week. Slowly increased the distance and to 2x a week. This week I attempted a short hill ride I used to do on a regular basis and was amazed I made it! Very far from my old Strava personal best times, but I don’t even care I just felt accomplished that I made it at all! I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again sharing the road with cars, but I’m happy enough on the trails
