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Test rode the new Vanmoof S3 today. It was... mostly good. Honestly I really wanted to like it more than I did. I get what they are trying to do with the slick design, but you can tell why it “only” costs $2000. The automatic transmission mostly works but clunks around a fair bit and doesn’t inspire confidence in its longevity. I would worry about all of its proprietary parts over the long haul for that matter. Also the built in electronic bell is atrociously bad and obnoxiously loud. But drat I still like it just because it mostly looks like a normal bike, rides pretty well around town with good assist, is relatively light, and isn’t an awkward goofy looking thing. If I were still commuting I’d be more tempted than I am.
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Aug 6, 2020 03:44
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 05:28 |
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Your bike is all bent up, mate
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Aug 25, 2020 23:35
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I think Levi discontinued the Commuter line, but now sell a general stretch option with that added elastane in most of their standard styles that is nearly the same thing. The added flexibility is quite nice just generally in jeans, but definitely a lot for biking particularly. For casual-ish short rides they are fine to ride around in, as long as its not too hot out. My bike commute is only 3 miles/220 ft gain on the way into the office, and my Levi Stretch 514s are perfectly fine for that without turning into a sweaty mess.
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Sep 23, 2020 00:19
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bicievino posted:Good bikes, too. 
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Sep 23, 2020 04:02
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With the shorter days and colder wetter weather it's been a struggle to get much good evening/weekend ride time in so I've been trying to force myself on a 30 min lunch ride most days and it's been real good so far. I don't terribly miss the office but I do miss having that bike/walk commute time baked in to most days' schedule.
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Oct 21, 2020 06:29
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ImplicitAssembler posted:Steel is real! The small weight penalty is worth the bombproofness and plush ride for a single do-it-all bike.
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Oct 25, 2020 20:39
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Just think of it as free electrolytes.
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Dec 12, 2020 20:16
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The day I upgraded from a 4th story walk-up to a ground-level walk-in closet right inside my back door was a beautiful day Got to minimize excuses for not riding bikes
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Feb 25, 2021 19:00
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XIII posted:I've got a free storage locker on-site, but it's not quite big enough to fit bikes in. Never, ever, ever trust an apartment storage locker. No matter how much they tell you it is secured, other tenants don't give a poo poo about security and management won't give a poo poo when it inevitably gets broken into. Any space in an apartment that is not behind your own unit's locked door is de facto public space no matter what anyone tells you. I've heard countless stories of stolen bikes from "secure" storage lockers, over and over and over. Just don't do it. Guinness fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Feb 25, 2021 |
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Feb 25, 2021 22:46
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I spent like $40 on a Topeak rack that weighs a horrifying 100g more than the equivalent $100+ Tubus racks and my bike is literally unrideable. Don't make my same mistake.
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Mar 18, 2021 19:00
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I’m cautiously optimistic that the tech can improve over time, and become lighter and cheaper. I’m not sold yet but I could be into it eventually.
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May 9, 2021 16:36
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Brand new good tires can be an absolute hell of a time to get on the rim, especially if you aren't practiced in the tricks and don't have good tire levers (and know how to use them). Fortunately the beads do stretch out and loosen a tiny bit over time, so a tire with a couple thousand miles on it is a lot easier to get off and on than a brand new one. It's good practice to fight a tough tire a few times because out on the roadside when you're 15 miles from home with a flat tire you're going to be glad that you know how to do it.
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May 15, 2021 17:58
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XIII posted:FWIW, don't feel like you have to replace a tire just because it has a small cut in the rubber from glass/debris/whatever. Yeah my tires always get cut up to hell with tiny nicks, gashes, and pierces, it's just what's going to happen. It's also why tubeless is so amazing because all those little cuts and punctures don't blow out your tubes. But as long as they are tiny cuts and holes, any sharp debris is removed, and the tube isn't getting exposed you'll most likely be fine. It's the big cuts and holes you have to worry about.
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May 15, 2021 23:26
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100YrsofAttitude posted:That's fair but does that mean you have check for debris every ride? Because that seems tedious, and I don't want to have to wait for a flat to appear before recognizing there is a problem. Those flats are the worst because I put my bike away and all seems good, then I come down the next morning and have to rush a change or hope I can just pump it and it'll make it, because it's flat and I need to get to work. No of course not. But when a flat does happen I make the best effort to identify what caused it and that any sharp object is removed from inside the tire. Skipping that step is like a 50/50 that you'll just get another flat. But these days, tubeless for me. But not everyone's cup of tea. If you want to stay tubed and don't mind giving up some ride quality and suppleness for puncture protection, get some Marathons or similar as suggested. Guinness fucked around with this message at 18:51 on May 16, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 18:48
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Google Maps cycling directions are pretty bad around me in the city, and seem to just be getting worse not better. It's way too eager to put you on busy arterials or send you down a weird road just to shave off a tenth of a mile when there's a better greenway or path/park option. The Strava route builder seems to be better at least in popular areas. Looking at the global heat map is also useful for scoping out unfamiliar areas. Street view is useful for basic sanity checking. Cycling directions in our current patchwork of infrastructure is a hard problem, and it's also subjective based on each individual's fitness, tolerance for hills and traffic, willingness to trade comfort/chillness for time/distance, etc. Even between my wife and I, both regular cyclists, we have different opinions about the best routes to take for getting places around the city. Guinness fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Aug 26, 2021 |
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Aug 26, 2021 00:33
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Carotid posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a good trunk bag for a rear rack? I have this one but it flops over to the side a lot, which is annoying. I would prefer something that's still about this size but can be securely attached to the rack without floppage. I have a Topeak Trunkbag that slides into my Topeak Explorer rack. It's a pretty slick system, but you need the proprietary rack+bag interface. The rack also works with my Ortlieb panniers, like any other standard rack. The trunk bag is my go-to for long days out, it's the perfect size. Comes in a couple different sizes, too.
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Sep 21, 2021 21:47
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ThirstyBuck posted:I bought a bike. Sweet lookin ride, nice get. If you throw some road tires on at least go with 32s since you've got the clearance. Some 32mm GP5000s or GP 4 Seasons would make that a killer all day road bike. Guinness fucked around with this message at 04:18 on Sep 29, 2021 |
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Sep 29, 2021 03:58
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KozmoNaut posted:Don't leave a nice(-looking) bike in a bike rack, no matter what kind of locks you have. Sadly this is the truth especially if its outside. Don't commute/lock up a bike that you can't stand to lose. Take the necessary precautions with a not-poo poo lock and all, but at the end of the day if a thief wants it they will get it. So make fewer thieves want it that badly.
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Jul 13, 2022 18:53
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abraham linksys posted:now i'm trying to figure out what kinda rear rack to get, since i'm sick of carrying takeout home by swinging a plastic bag off the handlebars. yall have good experiences with the wirecutter pick? i need something that can do disc brakes, and ideally is easy enough for me to install myself I have exactly this rack, I think, or something extremely similar. I've used it for several years now without issue, and the QuickTrack feature is awesome when paired with one of the matching Topeak trunk bags. The slide-in/slide-out mechanism is super slick, secure, and convenient. I'm really surprised that similar trunk bag systems are not more popular, I love it personally. I have one of these https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/859-MTX-TRUNKBAG-EX that I use for all-day adventures to stash food, extra layers, a u-lock, etc. in and it's fantastic. There's also some larger sizes with folding/soft panniers, but I find the small trunk bag perfect for single day use. Also useful for carrying things like takeout or a six pack to a park. I also have a pair of Ortlieb panniers for carrying bigger loads. Back when I was commuting I used a single pannier to carry my laptop, change of clothes, etc. The only caveat I'll throw out is that if you are using panniers they obstruct the QuickTrack so you can't also use a trunk bag at the same time, but it's a pretty minor caveat. 
Guinness fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Jul 29, 2022 |
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Jul 29, 2022 21:15
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:Are the cars hitting bumps? Even a small bump or the rebound after a dip will change the angle of the car and its lights. If the main beam is on the edge of hitting your eyes already that small change will put it right in your face. I live in a really hilly area so this happens constantly to me. Yeah this. Even modern cars that have self leveling LEDs can’t react fast enough to dips and bumps and cresting hills, so we all get our retinas blasted all the time it suuuucks.
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Feb 18, 2023 19:54
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I fail to see the connection between rim width and tube punctures, that sounds pretty spurious to me. Running narrow rims with wide tires may not be ideal in terms of aero but it doesn’t cause punctures.
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Feb 27, 2023 05:12
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stephenthinkpad posted:I drove my friend's new Toyota minivan. They now have a standard automatic highbeam feature that turns on the highbeam if there are no car in front of you. On the highway it means that if there is cars more than 100 or so meters in front of you, the high beam is on. Or if you are in a turn when the computer can't see the front car, the high beam is on. Are you sure this is on by default? My Mazda has this too but it still requires both the light stalk to be pushed forward to turn on high beams and the lights to be in auto mode. If it’s on by default that is truly awful.
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Feb 28, 2023 23:09
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:100m is way too close to have your brights on, and I don't believe for a second that the system is fast enough to avoid glaring people. Which is why I'd be shocked if it is on by default. It's absolutely not meant for city driving, or even suburban driving. It's for low traffic rural roads, just like manual brights. edit: I looked it up, OP tell your friend to turn his loving high beams off unless you're on a dark rural road quote:How To Tun On Toyota Safety Sense™ Automatic High Beams Guinness fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Mar 1, 2023 |
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Mar 1, 2023 00:54
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SalTheBard posted:Is there a bike on Amazon in the $400 to $500 range that you might recommend? No
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Jul 29, 2023 22:46
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 05:28 |
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Yep studs are poo poo on anything except actual ice. But on ice they're the only thing that'll give you a fighting chance.
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Nov 2, 2023 16:46
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