I recommend the Benetti's Defense tires....
I put a set of Maxxis Dissectors on her, mainly because they were the only 29x2.60 that my favorite bike shop had in stock. Liking them so far!
Paleocon wrote:I recommend the Benetti's Defense tires....
I put a set of Maxxis Dissectors on her, mainly because they were the only 29x2.60 that my favorite bike shop had in stock. Liking them so far!
I am disappointed you didn't get the reference. You wrote
I will say the tires she came with are not suitable for the rocky terrain out here,
Nope, totally whiffed on that one 
In my research, I am reading a lot of articles about how carbon frames are only good for about 7-10 years and that there are folks trying to stop the resale of carbon frames for safety reasons. Is there any there there or is this just fearmongering? There is definitely data that suggests that carbon composite is susceptible to outgassing and UV degradation that metal frames are not subject to, but is it significant enough to put an effective expiration date on a frame?
What I've read all boils down to, "It depends". Personally, I wouldn't worry about buying a new carbon frame bike. As long as you take care of it the frame should last 20+ years. I would be a bit more worried about buying a used carbon frame bike but there it depends on the type of bike, the owner of the bike, the location that the bike was ridden, what conditions it was ridden in, how it was stored, and the age of the bike.
For example, I'd be leary of a fatbike that was stored outside, used for winter commuting in the midwest (salt and sand), and had an owner who didn't clean their bikes regularly. I'd be less worried about a road bike that was meticulously maintained, stored in a temperature controlled garage, and only ridden in summer. I'd be quite leery of buying a 90s carbon bike, especially one that was a mix of carbon and metal.
But a new carbon bike? I don't see any issue buying one unless you're going to abuse it.
What I've read all boils down to, "It depends". Personally, I wouldn't worry about buying a new carbon frame bike. As long as you take care of it the frame should last 20+ years. I would be a bit more worried about buying a used carbon frame bike but there it depends on the type of bike, the owner of the bike, the location that the bike was ridden, what conditions it was ridden in, how it was stored, and the age of the bike.
For example, I'd be leary of a fatbike that was stored outside, used for winter commuting in the midwest (salt and sand), and had an owner who didn't clean their bikes regularly. I'd be less worried about a road bike that was meticulously maintained, stored in a temperature controlled garage, and only ridden in summer. I'd be quite leery of buying a 90s carbon bike, especially one that was a mix of carbon and metal.
But a new carbon bike? I don't see any issue buying one unless you're going to abuse it.
Yeah. I figure at 58, I am probably only getting 10 years out of any bike before I end up giving up on life and getting an e-bike or something anyway.
One thing I'll mention is that I, personally, could care less if my bike is carbon or aluminum or steel. Modern frames made from aluminum are almost as light as carbon and 98% of the compliance comes from the tires. I, personally, wouldn't spend the money on a carbon MTB or fat bike frame. I'd much rather have better components. About the only gravel bike frame I'd shell out for carbon is one of the ones with the downtube storage since it adds utility to the bike.
I would spring for carbon on a road bike due to the smaller tires. The carbon can help with road buzz (though a carbon seatpost and bars will do much of that at a fraction of the cost. But anything with larger than 32C tires I'm going to go for better components.
If I wanted to splurge on a bike frame, I'd go titanium over carbon.
One thing I'll mention is that I, personally, could care less if my bike is carbon or aluminum or steel. Modern frames made from aluminum are almost as light as carbon and 98% of the compliance comes from the tires. I, personally, wouldn't spend the money on a carbon MTB or fat bike frame. I'd much rather have better components. About the only gravel bike frame I'd shell out for carbon is one of the ones with the downtube storage since it adds utility to the bike.
I would spring for carbon on a road bike due to the smaller tires. The carbon can help with road buzz (though a carbon seatpost and bars will do much of that at a fraction of the cost. But anything with larger than 32C tires I'm going to go for better components.
Yeah. I opted for aluminum on my full suspension mountain bike (Salsa Blackthorn) because I figured that carbon didn't really buy me anything for the extra $1000 or so. I weigh 208 pounds so spending extra cash to drop a pound on the bike seemed rather silly. And I didn't really notice a huge difference in ride quality.
It isn't terribly easy to find aluminum bikes with a high spec level. This is particularly true when it comes to road bikes and wheelsets. It feels like most companies have decided to cheap out on wheels and tires particularly when it comes to "entry level" road bikes where they stash all of their aluminum frames. The glaring exception appears to be the Canyon Endurace 7, which, by all accounts, seems to be a solid bike. And at $1800, it seems to hit my budget just about perfectly.
If I wanted to splurge on a bike frame, I'd go titanium over carbon.
Bearclaw Thunderhawk, yes please.
Chairman_Mao wrote:If I wanted to splurge on a bike frame, I'd go titanium over carbon.
Bearclaw Thunderhawk, yes please.
There is someone selling a Lynskey Cooper CX in my size in my area that is tempting me, but I really need a road bike. A cyclocross bike is just not in my riding style.
Okay. It looks like the rumor is that the reason manufacturers are dumping entry to mid level carbon road bikes with Shimano 105 is that everything is going to electronic shifting on 12x2 and they need to dump all the inventory that is "obsolescent" on 11 speed 105. This doesn't really bother me since I am generally skeptical of electronic shifting and don't think I will experience regret for staying with mechanical shifting. The issue I AM concerned with is that folks seem to think that the cassettes available for 11 speed are, reportedly, a bit "odd" in their gearing at the high speed end. The 11-34 cassette, in particular, goes 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34T whereas the 12 speed goes 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-27-30-34T making for smoother shifting at the speeds above 20mph at my regular cadence. Not sure it will make enough of a difference for me to notice, honestly, and definitely not sure if it would be worth spending an extra $500-1000 to get that extra gear.
It turns out my current bike is running a 50/34 crankset and an 11-25 cassette, which gives me a max leverage of 34x25. Considering I am hitting hills that top out at 11-12% grade for 2-3 miles, this really explains why I have been feeling like I was an old man. Even mashing at 40rpm, I am pushing 7mph. Which is what I did for a 3 mile, 800 foot hill climb this morning. It was basically half an hour of Bulgarian split squats.
This bike is nowhere near age appropriate for me.
I would like to improve my climbing. I went on a ride last weekend and it was rough. It had a couple long climbs, and even though a lot of that climbing was only 4-5%, it went on for like five miles, with spikes nearing 10%. This happened relatively early on and made the rest of the ride less enjoyable.
I think one of the things that makes climbing harder for me is that when I feel my legs kinda burning out I stop to give them a short rest, and so over the course of the whole climb I'm subjecting them to the startup effort. I'm not sure--other than just doing more climbing--I can help with that.
Any tips?
You need to get harder. Big talk coming from an ebike user, I know, but my knees can't take the power anymore so I have to use the assistance.
Obviously, don't make the same mistake and do your knee stabilization fitness in there. I think Pilates has some of those?
To build power, do deadlifts and squats with a barbell. Low time input, relatively low effort, but large gains.
To build VO2Max, do intervals once a week (also low time commitment, but more effort), and then dump as much time into Zone 2 training as you can afford.
That's it.
Thanks!
My observation about my own bike makes me think about Muraii's question. It is entirely possible that you are not bad at hills but rather have inappropriate equipment.
How old is your bike? What gear ratios are you running on it? Where are you riding and what is your elevation gain over distance?
If, like me, you are maxing your leverage at 34x25, you should not be anywhere near big/steep hills unless you want an afternoon of frustration and disappointment.
Do an honest audit of your equipment in regards to your ability.
Okay. I went on a test ride on the Salsa Warroad and a couple observations:
1) It is not as light as my Jamis Xenith Endura Elite.
2) It is not as lively as my Jamis Xenith Endura Elite.
3) It doesn't *feel* as fast as my Jamis Xenith Endura Elite
That said...
4) It is a heck of a lot more comfortable.
5) It is well lively enough.
6) It climbs remarkably well for relaxed geometry.
7) high leverage gearing feels like cheating.
I did notice that the large gaps in high speed gearing did seem a little off-putting when compared to my virtual straight block on my 11-25 I currently ride. It wasn't enough that it would affect my riding, but it was enough to notice. After some research, I noticed that there are 11-32 and 11-30 cassette options that drastically reduce the number of big gaps, so that remains an option if I find them intolerable.
I think I really do need to make the jump and go with the new bike, but I need to sell the Jamis first. If I was either half my age or lived in an area with fewer hills, I would likely keep it, but it makes more sense of a younger, stronger rider living in a less hilly area to benefit from it.
My observation about my own bike makes me think about Muraii's question. It is entirely possible that you are not bad at hills but rather have inappropriate equipment.
How old is your bike? What gear ratios are you running on it? Where are you riding and what is your elevation gain over distance?
If, like me, you are maxing your leverage at 34x25, you should not be anywhere near big/steep hills unless you want an afternoon of frustration and disappointment.
Do an honest audit of your equipment in regards to your ability.
Bike is a Poseidon Redwood, a couple years old. 11-48 cassette with 38t chainring, at least that's the current spec, and I think mine is similar if not identical. 650b wheels, 2.35" tubeless tires. 10 speeds.
Paleocon wrote:My observation about my own bike makes me think about Muraii's question. It is entirely possible that you are not bad at hills but rather have inappropriate equipment.
How old is your bike? What gear ratios are you running on it? Where are you riding and what is your elevation gain over distance?
If, like me, you are maxing your leverage at 34x25, you should not be anywhere near big/steep hills unless you want an afternoon of frustration and disappointment.
Do an honest audit of your equipment in regards to your ability.
Bike is a Poseidon Redwood, a couple years old. 11-48 cassette with 38t chainring, at least that's the current spec, and I think mine is similar if not identical. 650b wheels, 2.35" tubeless tires. 10 speeds.
Hmm. 38x48 should give you plenty of leverage. Particularly with 27.5” wheels.
Is your issue with sustaining effort or with leverage? If it is the former, that’s just a matter of finding your pace, riding position, and developing the cardio. If it is the latter, it could be leg strength or simply trying to tackle hills outside your skill and fitness level.
So I just sold my road bike and now need to replace it with something more appropriate. I test rode a few of them and can definitely notice the difference between bikes in the $2000 to $3500 range. Will they make me a better rider? Probably not, but I am at that age where I am not ashamed to appreciate good things.
I am pretty much down to the Giant Defy Advanced and the Canyon Endurace SLX. Both are at the high end of that range.
I have a carbon fiber bike, but I'd get the alloy version of a bike if that's available. Less fussy when you crash it. Also not too worrying if you bang the frame in weird places at weird angles.
Giant Defy is a great line, but I would also recommend looking at the Revolt. The geo might be more to your liking.
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