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Polish posted:I'm a mechanical engineer and a Jeep owner so this is all scratching all sorts of itches right now.. Theres an offroad youtube guy that just had some big event where Berm Peak drove up a trail in Utah and then rode his bike down it if you wanna check it out (hopefully timestamped): Check out Skills With Phil, Joy of Bike and Roxy’s Ride & Inspire for no bullshit riding skills and drills. Speaking of Jeeps and mountain bikes this is a pic from the COVID trip my friend and I took to WV to ride Snowshoe and totally not camp in the raft landing parking on the New River.  
Arishtat fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 04:26
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taqueso posted:Post the schwinn!  It had some handlebars that pointed forward which I just removed, so the grips are now too short. But its got a sick kickstand. I still need to get a new seat, this gel seat cover thing makes me sound like I'm farting the entire time, which would be impressive. Polish fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 04:38
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Polish posted:
Also, that seat is almost certainly far too low. A starting point is full leg extension with one heel on a pedal, so that when you shift to the ball of foot on the pedal there is a slight bend in the knee. Regarding tire pressure, we've only recently learned that lower pressure is faster over anything but glass smooth surfaces. It's counter-intuitive, but low pressures absorb bumps and therefore are more efficient in rolling forward instead of bouncing up and down. Also, the suppleness of tire material makes a big difference (potentially 10s of Watts for a MTB tire) so when you're looking for an upgrade tires would be a great first move. The difference in free speed from a garden variety $20 tire to something like a Continental Race King or similar is huge. More info at https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews Upon more inspection, WTF is up with that front derailleur cable routing?!? amenenema fucked around with this message at 15:46 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 15:41
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Double post whoops
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Mar 27, 2024 15:44
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I'm wondering what new kind of bike I should get. Gravel bike? Full sus MTB? Trail/XC? I started biking 4 years ago and fell in love with it. I bought a Trek Marlin 7 online without testing it and I think I lucked out since it fit me well and I've truly enjoyed riding it every day there isn't snow outside. I'm feeling like I could use something else now though. I don't really do any single-track or races or technical rides. I live in a city so I usually have to bike 10-30 mins on asphalt to get to parks and trails, but I can also drive out to some mountains and national parks. Basically, what I like to do most is explore all day long. Ideally that would be hiking trails or dirt roads. There is usually a lot of hills, so I don't want something that is awful for climbs. I tried a gravel bike for a couple of weeks and it was tons of fun (way more agile), but I kept running into dirt/mud/roots or grassy fields, that seemed kind of sketchy to ride. Whereas on the MTB I wouldn't think twice. It seems like maybe a hardtail is best suited? But that's what I already have and I'm interested in a different kind of bike and what sort of riding that may open up. Thanks for any help/opinions!
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Mar 27, 2024 16:46
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Yeah the drop bar, skinnier tire thing definitely doesn't handle rougher, looser surfaces as well but you do kind of get used to it and just have to go slower sometimes. My gravel/cx bike by far gets ridden the most out of any of my bikes these days. But where I live there is so much riding that doesn't need a mountain bike but you can't really do on a road bike. So maybe give a gravel bike a little more time. Anyway, bikes good, moutains good  We're just starting to have some of the trails dry out around here, and I've been out a few times. Still a little wet and snowy though
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Mar 27, 2024 17:31
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Tenacious J posted:I'm wondering what new kind of bike I should get. Gravel bike? Full sus MTB? Trail/XC? You're in that gravel vs HT MTB middle ground it sounds like. Options: - Rowdier, more trail focused gravel bike a-la Canyon Grizl. Put some 46+ cm bars on it and maybe ever an XPLR front suspension fork. Run max tire width. - XC hardtail whippet. Front shock lockout. You can ride even a racy gravel bike on technical singletrack with a bit of practice, but it'll definitely be slower and you'll get to experience whether you like "under biking" or not. An XC rig will likely feel slower to you on pavement/gravel but will eat up the type of off road you describe. Because you're encountering everything from pavement to tech trails on a single ride (unless I'm misinterpreting) I'm hesitant to suggest N+1 e.g. a gravel bike to complement your existing MTB. I think you want that elusive "one bike to rule them all" Maybe just pick based on if you like drop or flat bars?? amenenema fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 19:34
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Polish posted:Okay good to know. I am mostly doing asphalt right now and kinda dipping my toes in to some simple trails. I might lower it down to 30 and see how that goes. on asphalt it's entirely down to personal preference. less psi gets a smoother ride with more rolling resistance. more gives a bumpier ride with less rolling resistance. unlike in dirt and mud traction is almost always a non-issue. for a given road roughness there's always a point where increasing pressure will actually increase rolling resistance, but you're unlikely to get anywhere near that on asphalt if the tire's rated max is 60psi Cactus Ghost fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 20:44
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Cactus Ghost posted:on asphalt it's entirely down to personal preference. less psi gets a smoother ride with more rolling resistance. more gives a bumpier ride with less rolling resistance. unlike in dirt and mud traction is almost always a non-issue. for a given road roughness there's always a point where increasing pressure will actually increase rolling resistance, but you're unlikely to get anywhere near that on asphalt if the tire's rated max is 60psi Unfortunately it's just not that simple re: tire pressure and rolling resistance. https://www.renehersecycles.com/the-science-behind-the-tire-pressure-calculator/
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Mar 28, 2024 00:43
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Tenacious J posted:I'm wondering what new kind of bike I should get. Gravel bike? Full sus MTB? Trail/XC? If you're looking to have one bike to rule them all (for now, lol) I'd be looking at short-travel full suspensions with a lockout lever. Possible models: - Canyon Neuron -Canyon Lux Trail if you're feeling racy and willing to spend a little extra for that - Specialized Stumpjumper - Scott Spark (personal fave but check your LBS to see if they can get Scott-specific parts such as frame bushings) The models I suggested are all either 'Downcountry' or 'Trail' bikes so look for those from your preferred bike vendors. More on mountain bike types from The Pro's Closet: https://www.theproscloset.com/blogs/news/the-mountain-bike-spectrum-6-mtb-types-explained
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Mar 28, 2024 12:52
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Tenacious J posted:I'm wondering what new kind of bike I should get. Gravel bike? Full sus MTB? Trail/XC? From what you've described, I'd say an XC is what you're after. Something like a Specialized Epic Evo might be a good fit as it's at the top end of XC and low end of trail bike. It would allow you to hit some rowdier single track and jump lines if you find yourself getting into that side if things. Budget will dictate a lot. How much were you thinking about spending?
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Mar 28, 2024 21:56
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Tenacious J posted:I'm wondering what new kind of bike I should get. Gravel bike? Full sus MTB? Trail/XC? You sound a lot like me with the kind of riding you do. Since you already have a hardtail but don't want to do more technical riding the only real direction I see is going towards more of an adventure oriented gravel bike; road geometry and drop bars but big fat tires that can handle some sand and rougher terrain. It's going to have a lot of overlap with your hard tail though, but still give you that all day comfort and efficiency you don't have on a full MTB.
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Mar 29, 2024 18:10
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Thanks to everyone for the help, I really appreciate all the info and it's led me to two different Trek bikes. Budget is 3000-4000 CAD, but less is obviously better. Checkpoint ALR 5 (link) Fuel EX Gen 5 (link) The Fuel is about $1000 CAD more, so it would need to be "worth it". Again, I'm not going to be doing technical rides or jumps etc. Just all day exploring in natural areas, with some asphalt commuting to and from.
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Mar 29, 2024 20:00
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Tenacious J posted:Thanks to everyone for the help, I really appreciate all the info and it's led me to two different Trek bikes. Budget is 3000-4000 CAD, but less is obviously better. You do NOT want a Fuel for that lol, isn't it like 30+ lbs? Checkpoint is a great gravel bike, but biased more towards road than mountain if I'm not mistaken. Maybe look into those MTB brands that make one gravel bike that's basically a drop bar hardtail like Rocky Mountain or Santa Cruz?
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Mar 29, 2024 20:47
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Tenacious J posted:Thanks to everyone for the help, I really appreciate all the info and it's led me to two different Trek bikes. Budget is 3000-4000 CAD, but less is obviously better. Non-admin note: both links lead to the Fuel EX Checkpoint ALR 5
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Mar 29, 2024 20:49
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amenenema posted:Maybe look into those MTB brands that make one gravel bike that's basically a drop bar hardtail https://bikepacking.com/index/drop-bar-mountain-bikes-29er/ Look through this Best off the rack options are Salsa Cutthroat or Fargo or one of the Bombtrack bikes     This is my 29er drop bar gravel bike with 2.6 tires and love it dearly Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Mar 29, 2024 |
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Mar 29, 2024 20:50
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Arishtat posted:Check out Skills With Phil, Joy of Bike and Roxy’s Ride & Inspire for no bullshit riding skills and drills. That's such a great area and Fayetteville is a little oasis of sanity in a... well, in West Virginia. We camped here a few years ago for a few days of bike riding and hiking and it was perfection. Glad to see it's still around: https://arrowheadbikefarm.com/
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Mar 31, 2024 00:22
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amenenema posted:Unfortunately it's just not that simple re: tire pressure and rolling resistance. most of what i know about bike tires comes from a time when 23 was standard width for the road and mtbs that weren't 26" were the hot new thing so yeah i may just be dating myself. i think i've owned... one? two. two sets of tires that even exist on the charts in that article
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Mar 31, 2024 00:37
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Bought a new bike after some years of hiatus, and was wondering why it didn't have valve nuts - apparently it's a thing people argue about on the internet now? Yes I will go tubeless eventually
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Mar 31, 2024 00:42
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don't need for tubes, do need for tubeless. they can help keep the valve out of deep rims or keep the valve from wiggling too much.
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Mar 31, 2024 01:46
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Nuts were almost never used with schrader tubes, and they worked just fine.
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Mar 31, 2024 02:45
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Cactus Ghost posted:most of what i know about bike tires comes from a time when 23 was standard width for the road and mtbs that weren't 26" were the hot new thing so yeah i may just be dating myself. i think i've owned... one? two. two sets of tires that even exist on the charts in that article For sure - it's still an emerging body of knowledge. mik posted:Bought a new bike after some years of hiatus, and was wondering why it didn't have valve nuts - apparently it's a thing people argue about on the internet now? Yes I will go tubeless eventually If they're not rattling no nuts necessary - save the little scuff on your rims!
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Mar 31, 2024 13:33
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So I've been riding every day that I can, and exploring the woods trails by me. So earlier I was asking if a 100 dollar bike would actually kill me or if it would be okay. After finding some more downhilly type trails... a 100 dollar bike would absolutely kill me. I've been going up and down these things very slowly, trying to practice and really focus on what I'm doing and how I'm riding, etc. I am a ways off from doing these things at speed, but even slow I am like... yeah this is fun as hell, but do I trust this Schwinn? Still trying to get the bunny hop down, I am still doing the "just pull up" on the handle bars method, which I know is wrong. I am not comfortable enough on the bike yet to do a proper bunny hop. I've been watching a bunch of videos though and I am practicing. And it seems literally overnight, the viney rose bushes are invading the trail area so that is a ton of fun riding through at a few MPH. I am currently not wearing a helmet because I am at a fairly low risk of crashing, but that is also limiting me from trying to push my boundaries. What kind of PPE should I get first? Helmet for obvious reasons, but like.. elbow pads? Gloves? Seems like a fall on a downhill forest path could gently caress you up big time. I've been bringing my nephews along with me too and they are loving it.. its nice motivation to have them improve and helps me to keep going.
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Apr 1, 2024 03:50
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Always gloves. My left hand is a little messed up right now with scrapes and bruises because I neglected to put the gloves back on after a trailside repair. Within ten minutes, I’d taken a fall hard on my left hand. Jammed two fingers and dug a chunk of flesh out of my thumb. Gloves will also help damp vibration through the bars, which can leave you sore or numb or worse.
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Apr 1, 2024 03:59
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Yeah I got a rose thorn right in the tip of my index finger today and that still feels lovely. Also, any tips for riding through mud areas? I try to stick to the higher ground but my back tire always kicks out and slides around. Had a bunch of rain lately and there's two mud spots right at the beginning of the trail.
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Apr 1, 2024 04:40
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Polish posted:Yeah I got a rose thorn right in the tip of my index finger today and that still feels lovely. You're supposed to ride through the center so you don't gently caress up the trail. Once you get more comfortable on the bike you can wheelie through or bunny hop the whole thing.
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Apr 1, 2024 05:15
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amenenema posted:You do NOT want a Fuel for that lol, isn't it like 30+ lbs? Yep, my Gen 5 Fuel Ex 8 is 35lbs. It's an XXL frame, but still... I do ride it 8 miles of city asphalt to the nearest trails, but that's mostly just to get my miles in. It can handle it, but it's definitely a bit of slog. When I get to the fire road it climbs well, but riders on gravel bikes pass me all the time. For all day rides on mixed road surfaces I'd definitely do a gravel bike over a trail bike style MTB.
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Apr 1, 2024 05:45
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After helmet and gloves I'd go for kneepads. I only started wearing them a month ago but it has cut down on 90% of the gouges i used to get from pedals and cuts from foliage. If you wear long pants and know how to breakfall it might not be an issue tho.
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Apr 2, 2024 00:43
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Yeah I wear thin knee pads 99% of the time when I ride and they save a ton of small bruises and scrapes. Personally I don't find elbow pads that useful, I end up with more hits to my hips and thighs than I do arms and elbows. The one that often gets missed in 'protective gear' imo is eye pro, whether that's a cheap pair of safety glasses or some fancy MTB shades or goggles, keeping wind, bugs, and dirt out of my eyes has probably prevented a half dozen bad crashes I can think of off hand.
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Apr 2, 2024 01:40
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I also always wear knee pads. Even a small rock to the knee on a crash is terrible.
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Apr 2, 2024 02:03
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I somehow always fall elbow first so for me it's elbow pads
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Apr 2, 2024 02:17
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:Yeah I wear thin knee pads 99% of the time when I ride and they save a ton of small bruises and scrapes. Personally I don't find elbow pads that useful, I end up with more hits to my hips and thighs than I do arms and elbows. Yeah I'm wearing a baseball cap and lower my head when going through reaching rose vines.. terrified of getting my eye taken out by one of those. Maybe I'll just bring some clippers and keep the roses at bay as I ride.
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Apr 2, 2024 02:30
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This PPE discussion is timely, my coworker offered to let me borrow his spare mtb and tag along on an after work ride next week. Any recommendations for beginner knee pads? I'm ashamed to have never ridden a mountain bike before despite living in the bay area for eight years. He's got a badass Yeti SB160 and races, I told him we gotta start on the bunny hill!
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Apr 2, 2024 03:18
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I've been wearing a pair of fox Enduro d3o pads for a couple years, I like em. In general though a soft pad that gets stiff on impact with a sleeve that goes up the thigh enough to tuck under your liners is what I'd recommend regardless of brand, they'll be light enough to throw on every ride without thinking about it and the high sleeve keeps em from falling down.
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Apr 2, 2024 03:49
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I'm sure there's some specialized mountain bike specific knee-pads, but volleyball knee pads got me through a lot of paintball and ice hockey goalie in the past. Very non-intrusive, and protective enough.
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Apr 2, 2024 03:50
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Oh yeah good call about the eye pro, id rate that #2 after helmet. It's automatic when I go out so it stopped registering as PPE heh. Rock Bros makes some $20 UV rated photo chromatic lenses which do the job, can't remember if they're advertised as shatterproof or not offhand though if that's important to you. I used dollar store shades for years beforehand so dedicated sport glasses with zero tint are great unless you want to spend $PitViper.
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Apr 2, 2024 04:08
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$4 frameless wraparound style safety glasses are hard to beat for cost/performance ratio
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Apr 2, 2024 04:20
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If you all haven't been keeping up with what's going on at Scott with their CEO it's one of the funniest bike industry things I can remember. They fired the CEO who is now loudly screaming that no, he's not owned (basically). Pinkbike front page has the two updates.
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Apr 2, 2024 04:34
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taqueso posted:$4 frameless wraparound style safety glasses are hard to beat for cost/performance ratio Second best are Goodr. They stay on, have great styles and lots of different lens colors and shades. Only 25ish, and they're polarized. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 12:12 on Apr 2, 2024 |
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Apr 2, 2024 11:20
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$2 aliexpress photochromatic glasses remain undefeated
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Apr 2, 2024 13:38
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