General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[mhip]

When I was taking a break on this morning's ride another cyclist told me my whip was beautiful. When I said it was my first bike in 20 some years and I'd just started up again he told me I'd made the perfect choice. /strut

You should have shown him that stripper-thong you keep in the secret storage...

 

[sugarbutch]

First rule of secret box club is...

 

[Fueco]

First rule of secret box club is...

TWSS

 

[Piobaire]

You should have shown him that stripper-thong you keep in the secret storage...

Brah, if I go showing folks my secret storage my douche-bag is gonna get stolen!

 

[flipstah]

I really need to get that MTB/gravel bike running haha

weekend ride with the better half

 

[flipstah]

Good idea on the drops @venessian

I noticed I had some nagging wrists lately and revisited your post. Adjusted the saddle again after the bars got adjusted and it’s a whole new ride

although I do need toe clips and straps

 

[Piobaire]

FWIW, as of Sunday, cleats are so dialed in. The only little niggle is my left heel will just barely clip the chain stay if I let the float move my heel all the way in. Think I might move the cleat back a few mm and see if that moves my heel out of any possible contact range.

 

[sugarbutch]

FWIW, as of Sunday, cleats are so dialed in. The only little niggle is my left heel will just barely clip the chain stay if I let the float move my heel all the way in. Think I might move the cleat back a few mm and see if that moves my heel out of any possible contact range.

I have my cleats about as far back as they'll go. Rode for quite a while with them in line with the ball of my foot, but since moving them back, my calves and achilles tendons are much happier

 

[venessian]

Good idea on the drops @venessian
I noticed I had some nagging wrists lately and revisited your post. Adjusted the saddle again after the bars got adjusted and it’s a whole new ride
although I do need toe clips and straps
View attachment 1458411 View attachment 1458412

?
Good. I'm glad the fit feels better. Your neck/back will like it.
The bonus is the front end now looks a lot cleaner, more together and "correct".

 

[flipstah]

?
Good. I'm glad the fit feels better. Your neck/back will like it.
The bonus is the front end now looks a lot cleaner, more together and "correct".

yeah raising the stem up helped a lot with the reach as well. Thanks!

 

[venessian]

yeah raising the stem up helped a lot with the reach as well. Thanks!

Anytime. Happy to help.

If you will be looking for clips/straps, go for nylon straps, not leather.
Leather will disintegrate shortly in the Calgary weather I bet, if they get often in moist slush/salt.

Alternative to nylon straps are the nylon (or beautiful but $$$: stainless steel*) strapless cages, just one-piece affairs, but of course those offer much less to no actual adjustment.

Or, buy some mtb shoes and Shimano SPDs, Time ATAC cleats or Speedplay Frogs (o-o-p now since Wahoo bought Speedplay ). All 3 are great, durable cleats; mtb shoes are easier to walk in than road shoes; and Shimano even has a dual-sided cleated (SPD) and platform pedal for athletic shoes/commuting which you might really like. Those 2-siders are very versatile if you have no need to be posed, locked in, loaded, and "really bombing" at 10mph on your new "racing rig"....


*These are stainless steel strapless cages by the late, very great Bruce Gordon. The online store still sells them I think, but...$80/pair. Beautiful stuff though, certified by the founding father of SOPWAMTOS (Society Of People Who Actually Make Their Own ****). A great builder/inventor. RIP.

These are the Shimano M324 Dual-Sided SPD pedals, one side SPD clip-in, the other side straight flat (aka "platform").

 

[flipstah]

Anytime. Happy to help.

If you will be looking for clips/straps, go for nylon straps, not leather.
Leather will disintegrate shortly in the Calgary weather I bet, if they get often in moist slush/salt.

Alternative to nylon straps are the nylon (or beautiful but $$$: stainless steel*) strapless cages, just one-piece affairs, but of course those offer much less to no actual adjustment.

Or, buy some mtb shoes and Shimano SPDs, Time ATAC cleats or Speedplay Frogs (o-o-p now since Wahoo bought Speedplay ). All 3 are great, durable cleats; mtb shoes are easier to walk in than road shoes; and Shimano even has a dual-sided cleated (SPD) and platform pedal for athletic shoes/commuting which you might really like. Those 2-siders are very versatile if you have no need to be posed, locked in, loaded, and "really bombing" at 10mph on your new "racing rig"....


*These are stainless steel strapless cages by the late, very great Bruce Gordon. The online store still sells them I think, but...$80/pair. Beautiful stuff though, certified by the founding father of SOPWAMTOS (Society Of People Who Actually Make Their Own ****). A great builder/inventor. RIP.

I won’t be riding in winter so no worries on snow and slush. Those strapless contraptions are nice though!

 

[sugarbutch]

I believe @venessian is talking about these: https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano/PD-EH500.html

I was using them on my Public commuter, and I transferred them over to my Felt when it became the commuter. They work nicely for clipping in or as flat pedals, and somehow the correct side was usually up when I would take off from a stop.

 

[Thrift Vader]

@sugarbutch You Commute daily on your bike? That's cool. How many of you all ride daily?

 

[venessian]

I won’t be riding in winter so no worries on snow and slush. Those strapless contraptions are nice though!

Yeah they are OK. The nylon ones are very inexpensive, but you can't bend them to fit like you can w/metal. The Bruce Gordon ones are terrific, but...at that point cleats are more useful in most cases.

If using straps, I also preferred nylon over leather because the leather tends to really form a divot at the buckles, and then are more difficult to adjust on the fly (plus the leather cracks/wears at the buckle, like any belt or strap).

As far as toe-clip pedals are concerned, there are many variants. MKS Sylvan and similar is the classic style, but also very old-school now, so just google "toe clip pedals" to see what you might like best.