General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[Fueco]

A friend shared this. Maybe some inspiration for those feeling old?

 

[UnFacconable]

It's important to note that the primary advantage of hookless rims is reduced manufacturing complexity and cost. All of the "benefits" for the rider are post-hoc rationalizations. Especially if you are not a waif (165 pounds, 20 pound bicycle—don't forget to include your saddle bag, water bottles, shoes, pedals, etc.), the recommended tire pressures for road-size tires will put you within a couple of PSI of the maximum. If you have even a moderate wheel impact, the pressure will spike well above the maximum. The safety factor built into these systems is not up to the expected range of conditions they'll need to accommodate.

Thanks for posting - this is pretty compelling. It also seems consistent with my understanding which is that right now hookless rims for road cyclists ask riders to make a different tradeoff than hooked rims and the net benefit is at best arguable.

For MTB, totally different story.

 

[sugarbutch]

Thanks for posting - this is pretty compelling. It also seems consistent with my understanding which is that right now hookless rims for road cyclists ask riders to make a different tradeoff than hooked rims and the net benefit is at best arguable.

For MTB, totally different story.

And probably okay for gravel where you’re running 37 and wider with pressures in the 30s and 40s.

 

[zissou]

Ahh, spring is in the air! Flowers emerging, brush piles burning, and the ripe smell of thawing manure spread in the fields. We hit 60F, so I got out for another 27 miles today.

 

[Fueco]

My oldest did his first ten mile bike ride today, 2+ months before he turns seven.

 

[smittycl]

Trying a new pair of cycling glasses with readers. Was suspicious of the photo grays but they seem to work. Might not be perfect in high summer but work well now.

Multi Sport Sunglasses | Crit - Blackout Fototec Reader +1.5 - Tifosi Optics

Achieve peak performance with Crit sunglasses. Lightweight, aerodynamic design, customizable fit & shatterproof lenses. Ideal for multiple sports

tifosioptics.com

 

[Fueco]

Still going at the bike park. We’ve been here for two hours…

 

[Fueco]

less than 2.5 hours after leaving the bike park…

 

[kjb]

Same, I ran my Roubaix with hookless 303FC's for the last three years w/no issues. Kept PSI within spec (high 50's, low 60's) and used "approved tires". First season was the 30mm Schwalbe Pro One and then went with the 28mm GP5000 STR. That bike currently has S-Works 33mm CX tires on it (also on the approved list) and has run fine. I've been riding that infrequently over the last month or so when we get a warm day. I don't mind getting it dirty.

The Aethos has hooked Roval Alpinist wheels (also tubeless). The benefit of hookless really is in their manufacturing (less expensive) but I'm not worried at all about hookless being dangerous to ride.

how do you like the 303FC vs the Alpinist? trying to decide how "aero" to go with my wheels.

 

[zissou]

how do you like the 303FC vs the Alpinist? trying to decide how "aero" to go with my wheels.

I've really liked the pair of 303S wheels I've been using since last season. It's a little scary when I hit a cross wind while descending at higher speeds, so I wouldn't go with any deeper rims unless you are planning on doing flat time trials or something. Having had a pair of Mavic Cosmic rims fail on me, Zipp's lifetime warranty is worth a lot.

 

[patrick_b]

how do you like the 303FC vs the Alpinist? trying to decide how "aero" to go with my wheels.

The 303FC's are a 40mm depth and the Alpinist are 32mm and I think they are fairly close in overall weight. I honestly don't notice a significant difference between the two. The Alpinist "feel" lighter to me when in my hand but again, to me it's not noticeable on the bike. They are both stiff and very responsive. I am surprised at how light the Zipp's are even with a 10mm deeper profile.

It's hard to compare them because the bikes are so different. The Aethos running the Alpinist wheels is somewhere like 3 lbs lighter than the Roubaix with the Zipp's. It would be easier to compare the two if I switched just the wheels and rode them back to back on the same bike but that's not likely to happen. You certainly feel a side wind more with the Zipp's but not enough to bother me at all (where I ride).

The hugely perceptible difference was when I went from aluminum wheels to CF. That was night and day! I was immediately more appealing to women [and men], my work performance increased and all my clothes fit better.

IMO you can't go wrong with either brand. Both offer a great warranty and high quality product. I'd look at price and see what's a better deal. Looks like the 303FC's are on sale at Competitive:

Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Disc Brake Wheel - Tubeless - Components

Buy the Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Disc Brake Wheel - Tubeless online or shop all Components from Competitivecyclist.com.

www.competitivecyclist.com

 

[Althis]

New bike is fully dialed and I got some new kit!

Also signed up for my first race of the season, a 2ish hour circuit race in about 2 weeks. Needed the motivation to get into race shape and looking pretty decent so far; 20min power ~380w and 5min power ~450

 

[patrick_b]

Not a huge surprise but MvdP using those cyclocross skills!

 

[HRoi]

New bike is fully dialed and I got some new kit!

Also signed up for my first race of the season, a 2ish hour circuit race in about 2 weeks. Needed the motivation to get into race shape and looking pretty decent so far; 20min power ~380w and 5min power ~450


View attachment 2157271
View attachment 2157269

Nice jersey - what is it?

 

[Althis]

Nice jersey - what is it?

Velocio, my favorite brand right now