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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDMdcC63Z0s This is the Bicycle Megathread and we're here to help (and/or one up each other in pointless internet arguments) The purpose of this post is to provide a quick introduction and direct you to places to find out more information (or just figure out how to ask us a question in a way we can help you). You could write a book on almost any topic I mentioned here, and there are entire websites devoted to aspects of cycling that I won't even mention because I don't have space. The modern bicycle is nearly 140 years old, and typically consists of two roughly equally sized wheels, a metal (or carbon fibre) frame, some pedals, and various parts to turn your pedalling into forward motion and let you steer and brake. The bike itself is held vertical by a combination of gyroscopic forces and rider control; the first step in learning to ride is maintaining sufficient speed to keep the bicycle stable. Within this basic framework; there are many varieties of bicycles adapted to particular uses--choosing the right bike for your task makes the ride easier and much more enjoyable. Within the broad classes of bike (such as road, cross, gravel/adventure, mountain, comfort, BMX), there are smaller divisions of bikes optimized for a specific purpose, and big price range as you pay for lighter weight and better performance. There is a bike to fit almost anyone's desires and budget; this thread will help you find it! No one bike is best for every situation unless it’s a Stuntman™ With that, lets talk about the most common types of bikes! Road Bikes Probably the most common type of bike used by enthusiasts. Road bikes are adapted from the bikes used in road racing, and are designed to go long distances at high speeds over paved roads. They will have thin tires, a riding position that keeps your legs at the optimal height for power generation, and your torso in a somewhat aerodynamic position. They will have curved handlebars that give you multiple hand positions, letting you move around to reduce fatigue in your hands and back. Experienced road cyclists can comfortably ride 100 (a "century") or even 200 miles in a single day; riding in a group they can average 25mph for many hours. These bikes are great for people looking to ride for fitness, even if they don't plan to race. If you are interested in racing, check out the Competitive Cycling Thread. There are also some special types of road bikes, used for particular specialized purposes, including: Time Trial/Triathlon Bikes, which feature an even more aerodynamic position (and frame/wheel design) at an expense of comfort and control (especially when using the aerobars), used because drafting is illegal in these events Cyclocross Bikes, essentially road bikes with room for bigger knobby tires, used for races which combine pavement, dirt, mud and grass terrain, as well as obstacles that must be portaged Gravel Bikes, like a cyclocross bike but with even bigger tires. The answer to “what if we made an 80s/90s mountain bike with drop bars in 2020” they’re real good. Touring Bikes, bikes which can carry heavy loads such as camping gear, used by cyclists on multi-day cross-country tours Track Bikes, which have a single "fixed" gear (no coasting possible), no brakes, and are designed for racing on a steeply banked track called a velodrome. Cyclocross and Touring bikes are also popular for commuters; they are typically built to be a bit more rugged than road bikes at the expense of some weight, and will be more likely have mounts to fit racks and bags. If you're interested in commuting, check out the Bicycle Commuting Megathread. Mountain Bikes Along with road bikes, the other "big" market for enthusiasts. Mountain bikes are designed to go places a road bike can't: backcountry trails and fire roads, singletrack, off massive jumps and down rocky faces. They will typically have large, knobby tires that provide lots of traction and absorb small trail features; they often feature suspension to absorb larger bumps, cushion impacts, and provide control at higher speeds on rough terrain. "Downhill" mountain bikes almost resemble an offroad motorcycle without an engine; they will feature forks with 8" of travel and 2.5" wide tires. There are several classes of mountain bikes, generally arranged in a spectrum from "Cross Country" to "Downhill". As you go from one end of the spectrum to the other, you trade off pedaling efficiency and weight for suspension performance and stability. Want to be rad? Head over to the The Mountain Bike Megathread Indoor Trainers Want to take none of the good parts and all of the worst parts of cycling, and then make it even worse? Indoor trainers are for you. Come join us in getting dropped by a weight doper in Zwift or yelled at by coach chad on Trainer Road over in the Indoor Cycling thread. BMX Bikes You might have had one as a kid, you might have seem them doing crazy things on the X-Games. Adults ride them too. Comfort/Hybrid Bikes Pop into a bike shop, and you'll see a whole ton of these. Hybrids are ideally a combination of road and mountain bikes; in practice they are their own world and often aimed at beginner or casual cyclists. They will have flat bars (like a mountain bike), narrow and smooth tires (like a road bike), and typically an annoyingly upright posture and stupidly large seat (like neither). These will get annoying if you ride further than a few miles; fixing them is usually more trouble than it's worth. They can make good commuters; if you plan to ride any significant distance or ride for fitness you should really consider something else. But really nobody should buy these, they’re bad. Beach Cruisers/Townie Bikes/etc Bikes for getting around town in style! Will usually have a single speed, or maybe 3, and a simple foot-operated "coaster" brake. May have fenders and lots of chrome. Generally, mechanically simple, reliable, and heavy. Great for short rides, not so great for longer distances. Recumbents/Tandems/Unicycles AKA Bikes for Freds Recumbents are bikes that place the rider in a sitting position, with the pedals in front at about the height of the pelvis. More comfortable, until you have to ride up a hill. Popular with people with flexibility issues, back issues, or who would just rather sit back instead of hunching over a road bike. Tandems are bikes for two people. Wherever your relationship is going, this will get you there faster. Unicycles are not bicycles, because they only have one wheel. I don't think we need a unicycle thread. E-Bikes No. Buying bikes So, you want to buy a bike? We are here to help you! Like anything, you have three options when buying bikes: 1. Retail 2. Used 3. The Internet The bike industry is a bit weird; it is dominated by a few major brands (and a number of smaller ones), who typically get many of their parts from an even smaller number of suppliers. The biggest supplier is Shimano, whose parts go on the vast majority of high-end road and mountain bikes; Shimano's chief competitors are SRAM (mountain and high-end road) and Campagnolo (lol). Whether you buy a Trek or a Specialized or a custom bike welded by guy in a garage in Portland, it's probably going to have parts from companies. Which brand you buy from doesn't matter as much as what components you have; and bikes with similar frames and similar components from different brands will usually be close to the same price. Generally a set of components will the called a "gruppo". More expensive components are lighter, typically a bit more durable, and usually feel a bit better. Of course, these get revised periodically so if you're buying used it's worth knowing what generation you're dealing with. The bike industry loves making things pointlessly incompatible with other things as well as cramming more speeds in over the years, so it can be hard to find certain parts. code:The other big option (for new bikes) is the Internet, and there’s lots of options, ask in the thread what’s the current hotness. You're on your own to assemble it (usually not particularly difficult, or you can pay a bike shop ~$50), and obviously you can't test ride it beforehand. If you're interested something, run it by the thread first, since the market is always changing and we probably know what you need better than you do if you’re buying your first bike. Buying used bikes can save you a ton of cash, if you're willing to spend the time looking, your city has a good market, and you are willing to deal with batshit insane people. In the US, craigslist is probably the way to go. Pinkbike.com is also good for mountain bikes. Ebay can be good, but look out for shipping costs--a bike can run $50-$100 to ship (and many inexperienced sellers won't realize this). It'll also be on you to make sure it fits. As a general rule, I never pay more than half of what a bike cost new for a used bike, and less as time goes on. The number one rule to buying a bike is that it must fit you. It doesn't matter if you get a $10,000 road bike for $50, if it's three sizes too small you will not enjoy riding it. With road bikes fit is crucial (and even experienced riders will often pay for a professional fitting); with mountain bikes it's still important, albeit more of a matter of personal preference. This makes buying used bikes and buying bikes of the internet more difficult; if it's your first bike you may want to pay extra and buy from a shop, at a minimum you should test ride a bike before buying it. If you're buying off the internet, make sure the retailer has a return policy. Some good places to check out for used bikes are http://theproscloset.com and http://pinkbike.com as well as your local craigslist and ebay. Fixing your bike Unlike cars, most bicycle problems can be easily fixed without special tools , and many bike owners do their own maintenance and repairs. There are tons of great internet resources, and we're happy to help you too. Sheldon Brown is probably the best resource for older bikes; for newer bikes you can find great info on parktools.com. In general, you need only a few tools; a set of metric allen wrenches and some lube will get you through many mechanical issues on a modern bike, and a tire lever and a pump is all you need to replace a tube or a tire. Older bikes may need some metric open-end wrenches; very old bikes may use English hardware (or combination of English and Metric). Don't use non-metric wrenches on metric bolts, you will strip them! For more special or advanced jobs, you will often find that buying the tool needed is cheaper than paying a shop to do the job. If you're going on longer rides, you will want to carry a tool kit; at a minimum take enough to fix a flat, or else you may find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere. Trying to fix your crappy broken bike? Trying to figure out what that creak is that’s definitely not the bottom bracket but totally is? Come join us in the Bike Maintenance Megathread Helmets Bike helmets have a single purpose: to absorb energy from an impact that would otherwise go to breaking your loving skull. Bike helmets are generally heavily regulated and must meet certain standards to be advertised as a bicycle helmet; these differ a little bit from country to country but the key factor is that they will have energy absorbing foam. In general, bike helmets are designed to protect you from one crash and then be thrown away; the foam can be damaged and it will not protect you again. Helmets designed for other sports are generally not effective for the speeds and energies involved in cycling. Paying more for a bike helmet does not get you a safer helmet; it usually gets you a lighter and possibly more comfortable helmet. Different brands are good for different head shapes; you'll probably want to try something on before committing. A helmet that you don't wear is not an effective helmet. Pedals One of the most common upgrades to a bike is changing the pedals; in fact many nicer bikes won't come with pedals at all because rider will be expected to add their own. The simplest pedals are flat pedals, where the shoe is not attached in any way to the pedal. This is fine for everyday riding, and preferred by some mountain bikers who want to be able to get their foot on and off the pedal quickly. The very large flat pedals that are popular for mountain biking and BMX are typically called platforms; these will have lots of surface area and bunch of pins to maximize traction. However, by adding foot retention, you can engage more muscles in your leg, and prevent the problem of slipping off the pedals due to rough terrain or slippery pedals. This could either be in the form of toe clips and straps, which you slide your foot into, or in the form of clipless pedals, which you step into and create a mechanical connection between the pedal and a cleat on a specialized shoe. Toe clips are advantageous because you can use standard street shoes; clipless pedals are lighter and somewhat easier to get into. In either case plan on some embarrasing falls while you master getting your foot detached from the pedal. For longer rides, using cycling shoes and clipless pedals will reduce the soreness in your foot that comes from regular shoes with flexible soles. There are two general types of clipless pedals: Road pedals, which use large cleats that protrude from the bottom of the shoe, and mountain pedals, which will have a more small cleat that will usually recess into the sole. The larger size of road cleats makes for a stiffer shoe/pedal combination; they'll be lighter as well. Mountain shoes and cleats tend to be easier to walk in and easier to clip into; they will usually be double-sided. For commuter bikes, mountain-style is the way to go. There are also pedals that have a flat surface on one side, and a mountain-style interface. When you buy a new pair of clipless pedals, they will usually come with cleats; the cleats will wear out over time (you can expect a few thousand miles at least). The cleats are specific to the brand/era of the pedal. If you are buying an ancient pair of clipless pedals you might want to make sure you can actually get cleats for it. If they're Shimano, Look, Time or Crank Brothers you'll probably be fine; other brands are less popular or prevalent. Nutrition: However much you’re eating on a long ride, it’s not enough, eat more, you’ve earned it. Resources: Info sites: http://bikeforums.net Forums for all things bike http://sheldonbrown.comTechnical info, maintenance, info on older bikes and parts http://www.mtbr.com Mountain bike site http://pinkbike.comAnother good mountain bike site(more downhill/dirt jump specific) http://www.roadbikereview.com Road bike site http://www.parktools.com Makers of many bicycle specific tools; also have videos on basically how to do anything to any bike the right way. Some online bike stores http://www.bikesdirect.com Good deals on complete bikes (you better know how to put it together) http://bikesmart.com http://www.coloradocyclist.com http://www.excelsports.com http://www.competitivecyclist.com High end bikes http://www.probikekit.com http://www.wiggle.co.uk http://theproscloset.com http://chainreactioncycles.com https://www.biketiresdirect.com Tracking your rides This is the most important part, if your ride isn’t on Strava, it didn’t happen. http://strava.com It’s free to log your rides, but if you want to get more detailed stats as well as see how you rank on segments in your area, you’ll need to pay $5/mo, which is pretty worth it imo. You can track your rides using your phone, but if you want more detailed stats you’re going to need a bike computer. Bike computers also have vastly more accurate GPSs than phones. The current big hitters are Garmin and Wahoo, both have their pros and cons, but you really can’t go wrong with either of those. There are a bunch of also rans that make computers as well, like lezyne, stages, cateye, and others, don’t bother, get a Garmin or Wahoo. e.pilot fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Aug 29, 2023 |
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Jul 25, 2020 15:29
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Good Dog posted:Riding my bike indoors today You’re in the wrong sub forum my friend
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Jul 25, 2020 15:54
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Vando posted:Quoting for "this will 100% not happen" but man you could have at least updated the links. If we're starting a whole new thread *some* effort wouldn't go amiss. lol look at this guy that doesn’t realize how much free time I have in between occasionally working, it’ll be updated by tomorrow afternoon/evening I would have done it today before work but the weather in Baltimore this morning was a cool overcast delight and I was busy partaking in this threads namesake e: also, dick wood™ content 
e.pilot fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Jul 25, 2020 |
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Jul 25, 2020 19:19
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a patagonian cavy posted:I’ve done zero training rides with other people ever in over 10,000 miles of road cycling and I’m not allowed to start now. fine by me I do all of this on top of lugging around a folding bike on work trips...so uh, whatever you are I’m worse  Dangerllama posted:I ride solo but give every other cyclist I see a ridiculously enthusiastic wave. 
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Jul 25, 2020 21:50
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clif bars and gummibears will forever be my go to ride fuel
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Jul 26, 2020 05:07
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Modal Auxiliary posted:Also I'm sure Coxswain (or anybody else who's ridden extensively in Japan) will support my claim that onigiri is basically the perfect bike food, especially with miso or red bean paste as filling. Yes
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Jul 26, 2020 05:58
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cheese eats mouse posted:Trying to sell my carbon bike and have some reseller telling me it's worth only $800 with a low offer of 400. It's a 2012 Cannondale Supersix 3 A friend of mine just sold a low end CAAD Optimo for $650, they can get hosed, the bike market is wild right now.
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Jul 26, 2020 16:11
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nm posted:Any 1/2 finger unpadded glove recs? which giros?
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Jul 26, 2020 20:51
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Vando posted:Quoting for "this will 100% not happen" but man you could have at least updated the links. If we're starting a whole new thread *some* effort wouldn't go amiss. Quoting for 100% suck my dick
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Jul 26, 2020 23:33
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Feels Villeneuve posted:the Crank Brothers Candy C pedals are basically perfect e.pilot fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Jul 27, 2020 |
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Jul 27, 2020 03:37
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Steve French posted:Yes but crankbros pedals are guaranteed to fail spectacularly. Which is why I keep riding my bike: to finally witness the spectacle I've been denied still after tens of thousands of miles on them 
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Jul 27, 2020 03:44
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:I don’t have this model but I’ve liked Cygolite’s stuff. High is 2 hours. I have this model its real good
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Jul 27, 2020 21:23
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I rode my bichael today. I also rode a ferry  
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Jul 28, 2020 17:45
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MrL_JaKiri posted:Good news! Hideous bikes are back in fashion! This would imply they were ever out of fashion 
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Jul 29, 2020 04:31
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Jul 29, 2020 15:32
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this certainly was a thing today  
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Jul 29, 2020 23:16
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EvilJoven posted:Oblivious or just an rear end in a top hat? I mean I could see that happening with everything covered in snow, there’s at least some plausible deniability there. The Wiggly Wizard posted:Life would be so easy if I had no shame like this guy I can’t even imagine how liberating that kind of freedom must be. He was also driving like a total bitch around anything remotely curvy, I managed to catch up and pass him at one point. I flipped him off the second time he passed me, that’ll show him.
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Jul 30, 2020 03:48
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Dicked around Rockford Illinois today, surprisingly good
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Jul 31, 2020 04:03
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Clark Nova posted:IS to Flat Mount apdaters technically exist but you really should buy post mount as the adapters will be cheaper and the calipers can be used on flat mount frames, while the reverse isn't possible rear end olutions
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Aug 1, 2020 06:35
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rope kid posted:Who knows? The whole bike is very... artisanal. Alexa, show me a Stuntman™ but shittier.
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Aug 1, 2020 18:35
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Red Crown posted:Just got my bike back from its first tune up in 2+ years. Turns out it needed a new chain and cassette strava global heat map is a good start to see where everyone else is riding
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Aug 2, 2020 20:29
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Thanks, friendly regional bike shop + artisanal coffee roaster. (I didn't know about the coffee until I walked in - it was extremely my poo poo)
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optical arm band HRMs own, I'll never use a chest strap again
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Aug 4, 2020 06:32
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TobinHatesYou posted:I just get random HR reporting in the low 100s for that duration. How is that any different than a normal ride?
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Aug 4, 2020 06:53
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If you buy new pedals they’ll typically come with cleats.
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Aug 7, 2020 06:57
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I was going to wait until this was a bit more finalized to post but it’s moving a bit faster than I expected and there’s a minimum order of 10 so trying to get as much interest as I can. I’m putting together a stupid jersey, cost should be $25+ shipping. It’s through a china kit company called Racmmer I have a few jerseys from, they’re real nice even by normal jersey standards let alone chinakit. I’ll put together a google form for sizes once the design is finalized and the order is ready to go, but I wanted to see if there was any interest now to get the ball rolling e: updated the design and moved the fake sponsors to the back:  
e.pilot fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Aug 7, 2020 |
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Aug 7, 2020 07:02
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Oldsrocket_27 posted:My wife wants one if she can get a women's cut one. e: They do have women's jersey's but I'm not sure if they'd do a one off e.pilot fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Aug 7, 2020 |
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Aug 7, 2020 18:29
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updated the design a bit and moved the fake sponsors to the back: waiting to hear back from racmmer at the moment to work on the design with them and will hopefully have something ready to go soonish as far as ordering goes e.pilot fucked around with this message at 19:20 on Aug 7, 2020 |
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Aug 7, 2020 19:18
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bicievino posted:Lmao, this is a $25 Ali Express kit company. e: I’m also going to be selling these for cost+shipping so it’s not like I’m making big dollars off of this e.pilot fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Aug 7, 2020 |
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Aug 7, 2020 19:56
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Racmmer sizes are pretty much spot on
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Aug 7, 2020 20:00
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Oldsrocket_27 posted:The logos on back look has me wanting one as well, but I've got to admit that "standard sizing" does not help me much. I own everything from a S to a L across different brands (and eras). My best fitting jersey is a modern Morvelo M, though it could honestly be a touch tighter in the body, but not the arms. I have an sick 80's reebok jersey that fits perfectly, but the tags are too faded to tell what size it ever was. you probably want a M then
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Aug 8, 2020 02:39
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nm posted:Thoughts on Wahoo v. Garmin v. any other speed/cadence sensors? Non-magnet ones. My wahoo speed sensors have been fine but my wahoo cadence sensor ate batteries like crazy
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Aug 9, 2020 02:23
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mikemelbrooks posted:My first 100mile ride for many years today, My taint hurts but its nothing against my neck and shoulder. despite drinking 1.25 litres I lost 1.5 kilos weight. Time to drink! that’s um...not remotely enough water for that kind of distance
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Aug 10, 2020 02:32
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Feels Villeneuve posted:It's generally out of date. It doesn't include any mention of gravel/e-bikes which are like, the two hottest bike categories right now, for instance. The Hybrid writeup is stupid (fixing a hybrid is "more trouble than it's worth???") Added gravel and ebike sections You’re right fixing a hybrid is worth it because the best way to fix a hybrid is by throwing it in the trash and getting a gravel bike New riders should absolutely go to craigslist or ebay with the help of posters in this very thread
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Aug 11, 2020 01:09
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EvilJoven posted:fine for someone that wants basically an entry level light duty bike and would prefer some squish to their ride at the cost of some extra weight. counterpoint a 650b gravel bike with some plush 47+ slicks will be 100% better than this
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Aug 11, 2020 02:22
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EvilJoven posted:Oh it totally would be but at the same time good luck trying to convince someone who doesn't want to drop gravel bike money to pick one over a bike that's almost half the cost. Which is why hybrids should not exist. Put the same cheapo 7 speed acera drivetrain with a triple and some bar ends on a rigid bike that can fit 650x47 tires with some bargain basement TRP mech discs and sell it for as much or less than the hybrid but actually have a decent bike. Clark Nova posted:I don't think cheap suspension forks that come on hybrids are ever worth it. They sap your momentum and then they break. If you're lucky it'll have a lockout and then it's merely heavy. That said, the economics and viability of "throw out your BSO and get a real bike" are completely hosed right now
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Aug 11, 2020 02:34
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Steve French posted:if only you had a bike that would fit 650b wheels and 47c tires I feel seen
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Aug 11, 2020 02:36
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Weight doesn’t matter anymore, it’s all about AERO now
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Aug 11, 2020 03:00
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funkymonks posted:Next big advancement in cycling tech will be riding in vacuum. You can already almost do this if you get behind a truck or RV
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Aug 11, 2020 03:06
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a flat bar bike isn’t necessarily a hybrid a hybrid is a flat bar bike this is what I’m talking about when I say hybrid  some extremely heavy step through monstrosity likely with some kind of questionable fork and the cheapest of the cheap drivetrain and brakes, literally nobody should buy these This, is a good bike 
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Aug 11, 2020 03:15
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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 13:21 |
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:I think you have a bit of a hybrid posting style I can assure you I am 100% shitposts.
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Aug 11, 2020 03:44
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