Biking: Catch-all

Get this book along with your bike. It's got all the knowledge you'll ever need!

IMAGE(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vCsY%2BfVBL._SX384_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

I guess you couldn't fit a fat bike on a bus bike rack. The tires probably wouldn't fit in the tracks.

I like fat bikes, but I think they're still a bit of a specialty product right now, and can be a bit of a chore if you're planning on using one as daily beater. The bike racks don't always accommodate fat tires, and it can be hard to source tires, inner tubes, or other parts. I'm hoping that they become more mainstream eventually.

Gonna get some new pedals this year.

Torn between the Crank Brothers Mallet 3 and the Double Shot 3.

Wondering if anyone has used either of these?

I'd like the ability to use it as a flat when doing techy downhill stuff, although most of my riding is XC.

So I moved to western CO 2 months ago. There's so much good stuff around here!!!

I'm having a blast on the trails with my fatty so far, but I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and add a proper MTB to my collection soon if I wanna do the more advanced stuff (oh no, another bike, darn, I hate bike shopping)!

Also learned that my fat tires are not, after all, puncture proof. A goat head cactus in the sidewall will do quite a number on pretty much any tire!

Finally have the time (and more importantly money) to pick up a bike again after getting back into the US. I already know what bike I'm getting, but I want to get a bigger panier that can hold all my stuff. I feel like I've seen extra large Ortlieb style waterproof panniers, but I can't see them online. Any recommendations?

What do you have now? For work commuting I actually use the smaller Ortlieb front rollers. I use the back roller classics when picking up my daughter, since they can hold her backpack. Every now and then I carry all four.

They've got a larger series (bike Packers I think?) which are more expensive.

Ortliebs are the "gold standard" of panniers because they're relatively cheap, are bulletproof, and absolutely waterproof. You'd think that basic trifecta of affordability and function should be present in all panniers, but they're not and Ortliebs are the most reliable when it comes to that. In addition to all that, I'd also recommend looking at how it looks, if you're looking into bringing it to a meeting or something, and portability, if you mean to carry it around without your bike, which you should if you're parking the bike and going around.

The standard Back Roller Classics will hold about 20 liters per pannier - the size of a daypack. The Ortlieb Pro Plus at $250 offers 35 liters per pannier, so nearer a true outdoors backpack, but that's kind of massive for carrying around since it's not an actual backpack. Together, an Ortlieb pro pair carries 70 liters - the volume of a massive multiday hiking pack.

I went looking for a picture and found this.

IMAGE(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c3/2d/15/c32d15948ac4726905cc2b634835a9e3.jpg)

I think what it is is that I have the ones in the front. I've been using them (the same ones) since like 2001. I've seen people with wider or deeper panniers, but they must be using the ones on the back. So maybe that's what it is.

Basically I need panniers that hold slightly more so I can more easily take my (nicer) clothes in with me when I start commuting again. It's always been a bit of a struggle to stuff everything in my current panniers, but maybe it's because I have the more narrow ones?

I haven't used them a ton, and not in inclement weather yet, but I bought a pair of these: Seattle Sports Titan and they've worked out for me so far. I pack a change of clothes in one side and my lunch/thermos of coffee in the other. I don't think I could fit much more than that, though. I keep a pair of shoes at work so I don't have to carry those.

Something I didn't know I should have looked into before buying was that bag size may be an issue for people with big feet, you might catch your heel on the bag at the back of your pedal stroke. My size 13 feet have never hit these, however.

DSGamer wrote:

I went looking for a picture and found this.

IMAGE(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c3/2d/15/c32d15948ac4726905cc2b634835a9e3.jpg)

I think what it is is that I have the ones in the front. I've been using them (the same ones) since like 2001. I've seen people with wider or deeper panniers, but they must be using the ones on the back. So maybe that's what it is.

Basically I need panniers that hold slightly more so I can more easily take my (nicer) clothes in with me when I start commuting again. It's always been a bit of a struggle to stuff everything in my current panniers, but maybe it's because I have the more narrow ones?

Sure - you probably have the "Front roller classics."

That's what I use to commute most of the time but they don't leave much margin for error. The "Back Roller Classics" are really much bigger and should have all the room you need.

There is a lower end variant of the Back Roller called "Back Roller City" which omits the shoulder strap and instead has buckles sewn in directly on the sides. I used to have those (now my wife does) but the Classics are nicer, and since you don't have to strap them down on the side you can fit more in there.

Do people still use dedicated bike computers, or is it all about phone apps and handlebar mounts now?

Some of the factors that have left my road bike collecting dust for the last several years should go away before the end of this summer. I still have my old Garmin Edge 305, but getting back into riding would also be a fun excuse for new toys.

I just use my phone in my back pocket

misplacedbravado wrote:

Do people still use dedicated bike computers, or is it all about phone apps and handlebar mounts now?

Some of the factors that have left my road bike collecting dust for the last several years should go away before the end of this summer. I still have my old Garmin Edge 305, but getting back into riding would also be a fun excuse for new toys.

The new hotness is integrated systems. COBI.

There are other competing products, of course, but that's where it's headed. For my part, my bike is an ebike so the bike computer is built into the control system.

misplacedbravado wrote:

Do people still use dedicated bike computers, or is it all about phone apps and handlebar mounts now?

Some of the factors that have left my road bike collecting dust for the last several years should go away before the end of this summer. I still have my old Garmin Edge 305, but getting back into riding would also be a fun excuse for new toys.

I use a bike gps on longer rides, the battery lasts forever (unlike my phone).

gore wrote:

I use a bike gps on longer rides, the battery lasts forever (unlike my phone).

Yeah, keeping the screen on burns down the battery like crazy. I guess that's why the COBI has an integrated battery charger, but I'd be curious to see what kind of battery life the phone gets even with that support. I have a Wahoo RFLKT (which seems to be discontinued now), which is basically a bike computer-looking display for my phone, so I didn't have battery life issues but also didn't have to drop a ton of money on a bike computer that could duplicate the functionality that my phone already had.

Picked everything up yesterday. So far so good. I'm sore and not in shape. Thankfully I bought a pedalec.

IMAGE(https://www.dropbox.com/s/87im3sa3amw7881/Photo%20Jun%2007%2C%209%2042%2047%20AM.jpg?raw=1)

The pedelecs are a true revelation for me. More exercise potential, massively more bailout capability.

Norfair wrote:

I just use my phone in my back pocket

It me. I put it in a Ziploc-like bag because sweat.

DSGamer wrote:

Picked everything up yesterday. So far so good. I'm sore and not in shape. Thankfully I bought a pedalec.

IMAGE(https://www.dropbox.com/s/87im3sa3amw7881/Photo%20Jun%2007%2C%209%2042%2047%20AM.jpg?raw=1)

Hawt. Love that orange.

Aside: it's probably inadvisable for me to bother with clipless when I'm not cycling that much, but I feel like jumping in. I don't want to spend eleventy bajillion dollars. What's a good entry-level, road cycling clipless pedal and shoe to get into? I'm primarily riding on country roads with platform pedals now, when I do ride, with some riding in a small Ohio town.

I love my Shimano sandals for pedaling. I have shoes and boots as well for when the weather is too cold, but the sandals are my go-to. They're compatible with any SPD pedal.

I personally hate sandals (in general-- not just bike sandals) because I have an aversion to the human foot. But Serengeti's rec for Shimano shoes is a good one. They're not the cheapest you can find on the market (they're usually more mid-range), but like most things Bike, cheap is *cheap*.

If these are your first foray into clipless and you're on and off the bike frequently, regular Shimano SPD pedals and cleats with mountain bike shoes (or something more urban, like Chrome or Giro Republics--I own these and they're pretty decent).

I also like Crank Brothers' Egg Beaters. Super simple lightweight pedals, the cleats will fit any SPD compatible shoe, and unlike SPDs, if you clip in by sliding your foot on from front to back like you're supposed to but miss, you can clip in reverse as well (makes for a lot less scrambling for the pedal as you take off from a stand still). It also doesn't matter what angle the pedal is at-- you can clip in between any two of the 4 tines. Whereas sometimes with SPDs (like the ones I'm currently using), the pedal may point at a weird angle that forces you to keep sliding your foot over the pedal to rotate and find the notch and engage the mechanism.

If you get really advanced with the road riding, you may want to consider straight up road pedals and shoes for weight savings and aerodynamics, but they're a PITA to stand and walk in and take a lot more getting used to than MTB pedals (the idea being that you would hardly need plant your foot or get off the bike at all if you're riding road for 50+ miles a ride).

Danke. (Also share an aversion to sandals though not feet. )

I use the Nashbar house brand sandals. They are good.

Hah, just remembered that this forum existed. I've been getting pretty serious into cycling for exercise, and I've been wanting a gravel bike to compliment my Donohue roadbike.

I just picked up this guy from Kona. Apparently they've been pulling distribution of these in the US so I got it on a 20% discount. The ride is way more comfortable than the road bike both because of the fatter tires and the tubeless conversion that I ponied up for.

Started going back to some of the local mountain bike trails again (been years). I forgot how much more I enjoy MTB than road. I was having issues with chain slip, losing my grip, and general loss of technical skill (as well as not being in riding shape). I cleaned the drive train and then got some new fifty-fifty grips, fox gloves, and better platform pedals. Makes a big difference.

Anyone been following the Tour de France this year? Absolutely brutal, but some of the best racing seen in decades. It's pretty safe to say they've knocked the doping on its head, from the performance of the riders. As a result, the lead keeps changing hands and there are many more close finishes.

Just a great Tour this year, and incredibly scenic as usual. I'll miss it when it's over.

I sort of tried following it on YouTube but then didn't put much effort into it. I don't have any fandom to latch onto so it doesn't suck me in like the NFL (which I lament). I don't know why it doesn't draw me in, but maybe it's because my cycling interest is orthogonal to organized sport cycling.

Any recommendations for mountain biking apps? I'm specifically interested in one that has the ability to locate trails near me.

While not an app, singletracks.com is great. MTB Project is good, too, and they have an app. There IS a singletracks app but I don't think it's affiliated with singletracks.com and it gets really bad reviews.

the SingleTracks website is OK but I'm having problems with the searching. For example if I punch in a zip code it won't give me tracks in proximity to that zip code but tracks that are only in that zip code.

I like MTB but it doesn't appear to contain a complete list of tracks in my area. I'm playing around with Alltrails and Trailforks now and they both appear to work pretty well.