Biking: Catch-all

That's slightly heartening. I'm still on my SOMA build I picked up used in the early-to-mid 2000s, with a Campagnolo drivetrain. As I look to repair or replace my RD, I am again faced with the "Do I put more money into this or get something I want with larger tire clearance and disc breaks?" I actually would prefer if my rim breaks were comparatively better than I've gathered because I'm tempted to just keep working with what I have and that would be useful for justification.

That said, my lowest gear is about 36 gear-inches which is fine but I'd like to start doing some steeper climbing with a modest load and that's not ideal. Which of course puts me back at upgrade-or-buy-new territory, because even if I go budget and get the microSHIFT Advent or Advent X I'm still looking at $300 at a minimum and probably more (cable housing, cable, etc.). And that's a 1x or 2x9 system, and I feel like maybe I want more than nine cogs on the back.

Alas....

Hydraulic is the reason to get disc brakes in the first place, IMO. Especially on those dinky little 140mm rotors, you need all the amplification just to counterbalance the lost leverage. Decent mechs do stop well, but the modulation on good hydraulic disc brakes are just soooo good. Granted, you probably won't need that kind of modulation on a street. But the main reason I'm looking to score a GRX hydraulic set is so I can stay on the hoods indefinitely and control the bike just as well as being on the drops.

On flat bar bikes, you can easily upgrade to hydraulic for under $100. I got a set of MT200s for $90 and the install is pretty easy and requires only a hex wrench. Road bikes its pretty expensive comparatively.

Yeah, my mechanic quoted basically "you may as well just buy a new bike" levels to upgrade my road bike to hydraulic.

I've been continuing to study up, and I also rode my wife's Roll for a mile or so yesterday, the only decent ride I've done on it so far. It is super comfortable but feels maybe a tad sluggish. The Roll does have geometry where your feet are forward a bit so that it's easier to touch the ground, which apparently costs you in terms of performance.

Now I'm thinking maybe I'd need a hybrid that's one or two steps closer to the performance end of the spectrum while still being very comfortable. Specialized has a bike called the Crossroads that seems to be the next step after the Roll; are any of y'all familiar with that bike, or similar models?

Thanks!

The crossroads is a slight lean forward from the Roll. Still more of a comfort bike than a hybrid. The sirrus would be a little more on the performance side. Personally, I think Specialized are overpriced for what you get. (even more than Trek). If there is a Giant dealer around you I'd look at them (likely the Escape). They offer better components for the money than most manufacturers.

If you want something more performance oriented look for something where the seat post and the handlebars are about even. They'll have a more forward leaning geometry that is more aerodynamic.

Also, make sure to look at the front and rear derailleurs. If it says tourney walk away. That's what gets specced on walmart bikes and shouldn't be on any bike over $300.

Speaking of derailers - I'm seeing that there is a trend away from front derailers. Any thoughts? The idea of greater simplicity appeals to me, and there are no hills anywhere near me.

I do have access to Giant dealers, and I'll keep my eye open. One of my friends owns two Giants, a road bike and a Roam. I feel like I want more upright geometry than the Escape has; unfortunately with no bikes in stock, I can't test drive. I may ask my friend if I can ride his Roam around the block.

They’re still common on road bikes, but for everything else if you have a good enough cassette it’s nice not to have anything up the front to shift and fall off or break.

Dear biking thread, I need your help. I'm too intimidated by 150 pages of skimming, so I'm just going to ask.

My wife and I are looking to buy bikes. Something like a cruising or dirt path bike, and I"m looking for something a little more aggressive, like a mountain bike. We have about $1000-$1200 to spend on both, $300-$500 for hers and $500-$700 on mine.

Where should we look? What brands and models? What size wheels?

We'd prefer to be able to order them online, I can build them myself if they come in pieces, but if we had too, we could go to a store. We'd like something halfway decent that'll last a while, but we aren't becoming huge bike hobbyists.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Speaking of derailers - I'm seeing that there is a trend away from front derailers. Any thoughts? The idea of greater simplicity appeals to me, and there are no hills anywhere near me.

For most people it's really just a personal preference. There are applications where a 2x makes more sense. Bike touring, really hilly areas, towing a cart. I really like having 1x but it limits my top speed even on a slight downhill. If you are in a mountainous area a 2x would be more likely to work out of the box. If you get a 1x I'd look for at least a 42 tooth rear (maybe even a 50). I'd also want at least an 11 speed (1x11 or 1x12). Overall, though, a 1x is simpler for most people and easier to maintain but it's more a personal preference than anything.

maverickz wrote:

Dear biking thread, I need your help. I'm too intimidated by 150 pages of skimming, so I'm just going to ask.

My wife and I are looking to buy bikes. Something like a cruising or dirt path bike, and I"m looking for something a little more aggressive, like a mountain bike. We have about $1000-$1200 to spend on both, $300-$500 for hers and $500-$700 on mine.

Where should we look? What brands and models? What size wheels?

We'd prefer to be able to order them online, I can build them myself if they come in pieces, but if we had too, we could go to a store. We'd like something halfway decent that'll last a while, but we aren't becoming huge bike hobbyists.

First, be prepared to find very little in-stock. Manufacturing of bikes is behind due to the pandemic. People are buying bikes in record numbers just looking for something to do outside due to the lockdowns (less so now but still an issue). Whether it's in-store or online there just aren't that many bikes available.

The cheapest place to buy good bikes that I know of is bikesdirect (but they are sold out of most of their bikes). They are generally quite a bit cheaper than bike store bikes. They use standard shimano/sram components. They are not cutting edge with their design. Basically, whatever the big bike companies were doing 2-3 years ago is what BD is doing now. The quality of the components is good and the bike frames are good. Paint job could be better (especially on their more expensive bikes). Anyway, if you are comfortable putting things together they are definitely the best priced bikes around. Unfortunately, they have very little stock left. They do have bikes just not many.

I just purchased a bike from there and I'm quite happy with it. I had to install the brakes, front wheel, seat, seatpost, stem, and handlbars. I"m fairly handy with bikes and have quite a few tools. For my bike I needed a screwdriver, hex wrench set, and a bottom bracket wrench (bike came with center lock disc brakes that use a bottom bracket wrench to tighten them). For my particular bike, they made some odd choices. It's a steel cyclocross bike (though marketed as a gravel bike). Steel is an odd choice for a cyclocross bike. It also came with an 11-36 rear cog and a 42 tooth front chain ring. It really should have come with a 42 or 46 tooth rear cog. It's okay but I'm definitely going to replace it with an 11-42.

Most of the big bike makers are selling their bikes online. Giant, for instance, will ship the bike to a bike shop and let you pick it up there without having to go into the bike shop.

If you have an REI near you you can buy a bike from REI. They still have a decent amount of stock and I believe you have a 1 year return policy as well. Not a ton of bikes in your price ranges but they do have some that I think would work. They sell both their own line of bikes and bikes from Cannondale and Salsa. If there's an REI near you I think they would be your best option.

As for models, it's really tough to pick based on your description. It sounds like your wife is looking more at a cruiser bike. For you a hybrid or flat bar gravel bike seems more the thing but a mountain bike might be as well. If you aren't going to ride on mountain bike trails I'd lean towards a flat bar gravel bike or city bike.

For your wife something like the Pure Cycles Classic might work as long as you aren't going up too many hills (the gear ratios are built for flat bike paths). There is also the electra loft. Some of the CTY bikes might also work. I think anything with larger tire size would be good. 650B wheels over 700C as well (mostly because you can usually get bigger tires in 650B).

For you any of the coop DRT bikes would work and I think the CTY bikes would as well. Under mountain and hybrid on the rei website. If you aren't planning on doing mountain bike trails I'd go for a bike without front suspension. It adds to the cost and isn't needed for dirt/gravel trails that don't have jumps, roots, etc. You are better off getting better components elsewhere (like hydraulic brakes).

If you can wait a bit bikesdirect has a sign-up to get notified of bikes coming back in stock. They do have some bikes but not many.

A few more options which I'm not sure how comfortable you are with it is facebook marketplace and craigslist. There are always bikes there. Then, there are bike co-ops where they take older bikes and refurbish them and then sell them.

You weren't kidding about the stock issue. Not a bike to be found.

REI prices are way above our limits, so that's out of the running. It looks like bikesdirect is a good option, but will require some waiting. Thanks for all the tips!

maverickz wrote:

You weren't kidding about the stock issue. Not a bike to be found.

REI prices are way above our limits, so that's out of the running. It looks like bikesdirect is a good option, but will require some waiting. Thanks for all the tips!

If you're looking for a non-bike store bike, many chains let you see inventory of stores anywhere near you.

Speaking of inventory, I had somehow missed that Specialized lets you search the inventory of all their dealers. Of the handful of the exact bike that I want that are in the US, it turns out one is nineteen miles from me. It'll take a week for them to work through their backlog of builds to do mine, and then I can try it and see if I really like it like I'm hoping.

Can someone knowledgeable tell me why this bike

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...

Is cheaper than this bike?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...

It seems to have more stuff on it. Shouldn't it be the opposite?

The components are better on the first bike.

Carbon fork vs no-name suntour fork
Shimano crank vs suntour
KMC chain vs no-name chain
hubs are better
Weinman rims vs Maddux (never heard of Maddux)
Kenda tires vs no-name tires
Dual pivot brakes vs single pivot (on the first bike the brake pads both push in and on the second only one side does)

Overall, there are a lot of no-name parts on the second bike. The derailleur and shifters are not significantly different both being shimano. Cheap suspension forks are easy to find. The rear shock is also generic-no-name. No idea why the first one has a claris derailleur on a flat bar bike (though it does say it's a road bike so I guess that's why.

The second bike likely weighs 10 pounds more than the first as well. Frame is probably thicker and the welds are probably not quite as nice. I wouldn't say there's a huge quality difference but even at lower pricing you often pay for weight savings. I"d also say the parts on the more expensive bike will likely be less troublesome and last longer than the second.

maverickz wrote:

Can someone knowledgeable tell me why this bike

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...

Is cheaper than this bike?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...

It seems to have more stuff on it. Shouldn't it be the opposite?

My guess would be the carbon fiber fork, but it's also a bit apples and oranges comparing a mountain bike to a road bike.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Speaking of derailers - I'm seeing that there is a trend away from front derailers. Any thoughts? The idea of greater simplicity appeals to me, and there are no hills anywhere near me.

I do have access to Giant dealers, and I'll keep my eye open. One of my friends owns two Giants, a road bike and a Roam. I feel like I want more upright geometry than the Escape has; unfortunately with no bikes in stock, I can't test drive. I may ask my friend if I can ride his Roam around the block.

It sounds like you're just the sort who would appreciate something like a Pinion gearbox or a Rohloff hub. Those are encased transmission systems that are very simple to operate and maintain. The reason everyone craps on Tourney so much is that no one who wants to enjoy their ride pedaling would tolerate a Tourney. It doesn't reliably maintain tuning, it's annoying to shift, it bounces all over the place, sticks out like a sore thumb and it looks like crap.

On the MTB side of Shimano transmissions, I would not buy cheaper than Alivio, though swing for the mid-range Deore if you can. These midrange transmissions are what the cutting edge felt like in 2009. They're very, very good. They're cheap because they don't use ultralight materials. That just makes them more durable. An extra five minutes riding doesn't matter unless there's money to be won. That said, I do personally prefer the slightly more premium SLX.

For road, my personal preference is Ultegra, but I'd buy no cheaper than Sora. Tiagra if you can help it. 105 is best bang for buck.

The thing about these parts and breakpoints is that they're extremely worth the price. You can sell them for higher later, they're easier to maintain, have a bunch of pleasurable features (dat click!), and are made tougher. When I'm riding a bike with 105 or Deore parts, they are invisible when I ride. I don't think about them. I push a lever, I feel a click, and things happen. It's like the bike becomes part of my body - like a game controller. Riding a Tourney feels like I've been stabbed in the foot. It's painful and it hobbles my riding.

You might want to take a look at the Fastroad SL2. It's classified as a "fitness" bike. If that class and name sounds intimidating, don't pay it any mind. It is essentially just a better Escape. Hydraulic brakes and Sora transmission means minimal maintenance apart from occasional visits to the bike shop (or do your own if that's your thing; it's not hard), and it'll feel like butter.

It IS a 2x setup, but from my own experience, you're generally going to be ignoring the top third of your cogset and the big chainring for most uses. It goes really fast. So it's basically a 1x with an option to have a few higher gears if you're going downhill and feel a need for speed. Ideally, you would want a bike just like this, but with a GRX Shimano group on a 1x and a flat bar setup but that won't be coming out for at least another year.

Alternatively, you could go for a Kona Dew Deluxe for about $700 and as far as I can tell, that bike ticks all your boxes.

I recently bought a Mountainpeak Mission bike that classifies itself as a "gravel bike" even though it has a stiff aluminum fork (good luck with gravel, LOL), and a Tern BYB.

I rode the Tern for a bunch of kms (maybe 8?) around town and I've realized just how good of a ride my Trance E bike is. Arguably, using an all-mountain ebike for city commuting is a massive overkill, but it is also absolutely amazing.

My local bike shop took a deposit for a Specialized Rockhopper today, says they think they'll have one in a few weeks, so maybe the run on bikes is leveling off a bit? Or I'm getting played somehow, but seems unlikely. River City has a pretty stellar rep, and my road bike came from there.

kazooka wrote:

My local bike shop took a deposit for a Specialized Rockhopper today, says they think they'll have one in a few weeks, so maybe the run on bikes is leveling off a bit? Or I'm getting played somehow, but seems unlikely. River City has a pretty stellar rep, and my road bike came from there.

I don't know what demand is like for Specialized, but trying to buy a Trek bike has been three month delays for almost all bikes at any store I called, and I called many stores just out of curiosity.

maverickz wrote:
kazooka wrote:

My local bike shop took a deposit for a Specialized Rockhopper today, says they think they'll have one in a few weeks, so maybe the run on bikes is leveling off a bit? Or I'm getting played somehow, but seems unlikely. River City has a pretty stellar rep, and my road bike came from there.

I don't know what demand is like for Specialized, but trying to buy a Trek bike has been three month delays for almost all bikes at any store I called, and I called many stores just out of curiosity.

Same for Specialized or any bike store brand.

Update: I tracked down a Rockhopper Sport in Seattle and cancelled my deposit here in Portland. Heading up to pick it up this weekend.

Nice. I think they are slowly becoming available. Certianly not a lot of bikes around but with the 2021s being released they are trickling in.

I may have mentioned before, but Specialized's website lets you search the inventory of all their dealers for the exact bike you want. That's how I got mine a couple months ago.

Yup, that's exactly how I did it. Knew before the store did, apparently.

I would have preferred a Comp or Elite over the Sport, but I really like the idea of being able to tinker and upgrade my bike, so eventually replacing the shock and switching to a 1x11 instead of a 2x9 is kind of a bonus for me.

Another new video. Finished a 7 day MTB trip from Telluride CO to Moab UT. It was an epic trip, but most of it too slow to video, until the end. The finaly half of the last day we rode the bottom of the Whole Enchilada, a world famous route that ends in Moab. Here's 23 mins of that awesome route!

Some of that cliff edge stuff is giving me anxiety

So cool.

I always feel like GoPro should have an artificial horizon indicator for MTB videos. I can tell some of that is pretty steep, but since you can't tell where the horizon is, it looks like you're just pedaling really fast.

Nice video Serengeti.

Unrelated to that, I think my dreams of getting a new bike this year just got completely and utterly squashed. I got back into trail riding this year, too. I guess I need to catch up on maintenance on my current bike, a 2003 Kona Scrap Hardtail, since I've not done much of it, and then focus on upgrading one or 2 things. Definitely time to replace these worn tires. Probably the cables. Would love to do something as an upgrade, too, which will probably be something of a birthday or Christmas time thing. Maybe a dropper post, rear derailleur (never had the best shifts) or Disc brake conversion (it is stated as ready for conversion).

Any recommendations on good tools to look for, or is what comes in the Park Tool SK-4 Starter Tool Kit good enough? Or should I look for some cheaper brand stuff as I'm not likely to use the stuff all too often? I notice that there's a lack of a cable stretcher. About the only bike maintenance specific tools I have are some tire levers and (hand and floor) pumps. I did notice a bit of wobble to the wheel when staring at it, so probably looking for a spoke wrench and a few more tutorials.

As somebody who just went on a tool-buying spree: Park Tool is nice, but pricey. I have a few tools from them, but only when I thought the quality justified the expense. For instance, my pliers that can cut cable housing without mangling it.

I like Seth Bike Hacks' recommendations:

Honestly, if you're looking for a cable puller, then you're probably in a pretty good place to spec your own stuff. I will note that I bought this torque wrench from Pro Tool that was a good bit cheaper than the Park Tool version, and it's pretty quality:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...