Front mech edition Resources:https://www.sheldonbrown.com/https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/repair-helphttps://www.youtube.com/@RJTheBikeGuy/videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx5GcsjMOSsNeutral Support News on Youtubeprevious thread:>>2070403
Front mech?HHHHAHAHAHHAHAHSHSHHSSHAHHAHHAHAHAH! Op you’ve done it again!!!!
Ok here’s a question.How much do tires really matter on a mtb, like would most amateurs be ok on xc tires because they don’t reach the upper limit of grip anyways? Im riding old specialiEd eliminators front and back, will i notice anything putting something with those two-piece aggressive knobs up front?
>>2071974its is 100% dependent on what kind of surface you ride on
my bike fell out of bounds how do i get it back
>>2071983Enable sv_cheats 1, type noclip into the developer console
Why doesnt my bike have as small as possible front sprocket for maximum leverage?
>>2072011YOUR bike doesnt because youre poor. but some bikes do this, usually cargo bikes or hill climbing bikes. but it's usually an incredibly awful experience to pedal them since your legs crank at 8 gorillion rpm but you might not even be putting down enough speed to completely overcome gravity on a steep hill even though you have fucking infinite torque
>finally get around to installing gas motor on bike>bike motor kit chain is too shortFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKim just mad. i have no questions about it. turns out bike chain is the same pitch but not as wide but the sprokets arent that big either. HOWEVER i have two actual non-bad-faith (but not quite good faith) questionsis 2 stroke sucction sufficient to have a gas tank mounted a little lower than the carb or do i need to find a legit fuel pump and/or have some truly satanic fuel tank arrangement high up on the handlebars or some shitbest rear panniers that can hold more than 25kg on a full sus mtb where at i am willing to pay for this because i can't weld
>>2072011if you don't like it, you can change it, but how easy/cheap/hard it will be depends on the crank you currently have
>>2072063>>>/o/
>>2072011becasue of the axle
>>2072063Please take a picture of your monstrosity
>>2072090noh it is a monstrostity even more delicous and disgusting than the Nintendo Shitcube
>>2072063If the output of the tank is higher than the bowl of the carburetor then you'll be alright without a pump. If the output of the tank is lower, then you'll need a pump, some carburetors have basic throttle actuated pumps that can suck the fuel. Really depends on your setup, post bike
>>2072096>IF PRESSURE EXISTS UR OK LMAOOOOThank you but I was asking if the average sucction of a typical "china doll"* engine is sufficient to not require a primer bulb let alone full fuel pump *is this slang or a brand/spec on its own? I hear it a lot for typical "80"cc engines but can't tell whether it's slang for "Shit-Ass Mail Order Engine Kit" in general or if it refers to a specific manufacturer, design, or worse yet, some kind of actual specification
this fucking ebike is my abused wife and i love her despite all Ship Of Theseus analogies about it. It's a series of tools, not a beloved pigeon I let nut on my hand.local hood rats keep telling me>"You have to stop pouring money into that thing.>original used "model"(a hardtail "mtb" with a conversion kit bought in a fit of Having Places To Be, Nigga), complete thing all in<300$>new whole bike bought from marketplace for the frame alone, wear parts considered extra75$>fuckton of tubes31$>fuckton of spokes28$>crimping tool and terminals30$ (kit with terminals not yet exhausted)>spare wire and ancillamy own time in salvage operations>rear pannier to re-mount for the battery for a full suspension25$ (it failed)>random mouting hardwaremaybe actually like 50$ worth, honestly a lot but i havent exhausted all of it but more than the value of the frame its on went into random nuts and bolts in a big case>new bag to carry controller and wiring harness in4$>laborlaborI would like to yell at and cry on someone in charge. Why is it that when I have all these problems, it's somehow a very personal issue, despite everyone else all the time having nothing but mechanical and electrical problems with everything they own too!? I know for a fact that I am not unique in having problems, and my problems are not new and not striking. I have at least a vague understanding of what I have to do, but I'm deeply frustrated. Literally, I am frustrated, in that my advance has been stopped, I can't do something I wanted to do. Many people are frustrated. At least my stuff has been cheap, and I've kept it going for at least a little bit on what little I can fix with my paltry tools.I wanna cry and yell too!
Even the fucking shitty two-stroke kit I ordered isn't quite right. I knew it wouldn't be, but the reality set in. The chain included is too short, the angle of the chain even using a standard bike chain instead of 415 makes it ride against its own mounting, I have nowhere easy to mount the CDI box without cutting and splicing some cables, and I am even out of room on the handlebars to have two sets of brakes, two throttles, a clutch, and other controls. I'd say I'm tired of that kind of challenge, but I'm not. I'm tired of everything going wrong all the time having crisis after crisis requiring I do bodge job ready-to-fail nonsense all the time
>>2072102>>2072100
just got a new bike and am assembling it myself. i was gonna order some park poly lube , but i've already got Super Lube on hand. how does it compare? is there anything particularly special about poly lube?
>>2072126It's shit. You need to order Park.
>>2071985underated post
>>2072126For something that is so shit to do as packing hubs with grease you want to do it as little as possible and do it right the first time. Get park.
>>2072063If crackheads can do it anon, im sure you canAlso, youll need to tune everything properly with the carb, bakcpressure included, and due to it being 2 smoke, youll need to emphasize that midpiple being obtuse and wide for sound optimizationAnd yes you need sound for a 2smoke, hence the whirly bird pipusYou should also just buy a 4stroke minimoto and stop being a crackhead
>>2072063>best rear panniers that can hold more than 25kg on a full sus mtbthere are no panniers that can hold 25kg and never will be
>>2072138>You should also just buy a 4stroke minimotothey are too small
How the fuck do you remove this metal bracket? It's in the way of me installing my new bike seat.
>>2072156The bolts on the sides of it. Also, those things are garbage made from pot metal and use a steel seat tube. Get an alloy 2 bolt seat post off amazon or something.
>>2072159>The bolts on the sides of it.What bolts?
>>2072159it looks like the bolt is removed >>2072156I don't see the bolt, so I think the inner and outer parts are just being held by friction/tension. try wedging a screwdriver between the circular things with the notches and pry. I guess.
I'm thinking about buying one of those $400 Walmart MTBs because I'm broke and the used market in my area is fucked. (Tons of high-end bikes at inflated prices but fuckall cheap stuff.) I hear the biggest issue with them is spotty assembly and that checking torque on everything etc. is critical before riding. I'm mechanically inclined and have a pretty decent selection of mechanics' tools but nothing bike specific. What, if anything, would I need to give the bike a once-over?
>>2072163I mean the other issue is they're going to be using non-standard parts so if like, part of the derailleur dies, you can't really just order up Shimano Part No. 12321423-329423 from ebay, you have to junk the whole drivetrain and start over
>>2072156Just pull it forward or back. Give it a slight wack it could be it's bitting into the paint and holding on. You should be able to yank all of that free by now.
>>2072163I bought a costco northrock forwver ago and never gave it a once over and it rode fine for a long time. Just make sure what you buy doesn't have a freewheel and has a freehub that supports 8 speeds or more. Best upgrade you could do to it right away is putting an airfork on it. I assume you're going to be buying a hard tail. Berm peak does a good video about buying an ozark trail and he also has one on his chanel he spent money upgrading.https://youtu.be/vLPpTFLgEb4?si=XWG1e-p-1AZ7aAEL>>2072176That's not true for all of them . A lot come with low end shimano or microshift. Also a new drivetrain isn't hard to source. You can get a deore m5100 for fuck all. I know what you're thinking though. You're thinking of walmart bikes from 10 years ago or older.
>>2072163in general they're fine enough to be rideable and not make walmart go out of business from lawsuits. but if you're getting a walmart bike you can literally just ask to sit on the display model and then take the display model. but even in riding awy the display model, or giving up and getting an FB Marketplace model, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjfrZqkDXnAit's for motorbikes but applies to push bikes too at least partiallywhen leaving work after leaving my E-bike outside all day in the elements, i dont do the full ABCDEFG but>pull the bike out of the parking space. does anything feel awful as it simply moves around?>sit on bike. does it feel wrong?>push forward on handlebars. is the suspension collapsing or locked or something stupid?>rock back wildly on the seat. is the rear suspension as bad as it usually is or is anything different?>pedal forward for a rev or two. does pedaling feel bad and if it does is it at a particular point in the cycle?>pull brakes after pedalling forward. hopefully I stop, but I couldn't have been going very fast. do my brakes work at least at all?>engage nigger e-bike throttle. are there any weird noises or smells? does the throttle do anything even if there aren't? Does the throttle cause weird noises or smells?on a new bike it's hard because there's a lot of "is this actually bad or just new" but if anything is bad enough that it makes you feel some primal fear, maybe don't get that bike in a box. if things feel okay, get the box. if things feel just right, say "I'll ride this one out" but then demand a discount for taking the display model that already has the blue book equivalent of being driven off the lot, even if only near the lot.
>>2072188actually on F specifically, i've broken a lot of spokes lately, and only got into the habit after checking after hearing a weird noise and seeing half of them were gone. Now, I give it a quick glance before leaving the house, an even quicker one before leaving work, and a half-full inspection whenever I notice that leaning actually feels like the diagrams where a whole wheel is bending. Even little yet critical stuff like the bolts holding your crank on can loosen very easily and once they are loose at all get way looser way quicker. give your bike an occasional shake to make sure nothing rattles, and if you're buying a new one off of some crackhead or off a rack at a big box store, it's worth checking for overall play and that critical fasteners are at least less than hand-tight. if anything is hand-tight, if it's your bike it's a crisis to weather and you will be stronger for the experience, but if it's a bike you're going to buy, are you really going to buy a bike from someone too lazy to give it an extra 1/4 turn?and on G>Is he tired, or drunk, or angry? yes, and if there's anything different, why am I riding, but why are you buying something? no one should make a purchase in the conditions that they ride. if you aren't a fairweather rider, be a fairweather buyer. you won't make a good financial decision if you're in any kind of pinch for other reasons.
>>2072192>>2072188Do not listen to this retarded cagie nigger cattle. Just go to Giant and order vidrel.https://www.giant-bicycles.com/discover/en-us/gravel-cycling/gravel/revoltIt is literally Giant Bicycles | USA - The world's best bicycles & cycling gear. This is the bike you need to survive the modern road. To survive the modern lifestyle.
>>2072193wtf is this? beards aren't aero.
A puddle of black liquid forms under my bike whenever I park it. I only have cable brakes. Is it safe to ride?
>>2072199>cable brakes>Is it safe to ride?No
>>2072192Your so retarded.
>>2072192>>2072188Stop posting.
>>2072192kys furnigger
>>2072176That's the cool thing about these Walmart Ozark Trail MTBs, everything on them is standard and mostly brand name. >>2072181>>2072188Yeah maybe I'm worrying too much about it. I just haven't been on a (non-motor) bike at all in decades so I don't have a very good sense for them, and I see a lot of people recommending taking them to a local shop for a once-over before riding them, since who knows what Walmart monkey put them together, and I know from experience that a lot of people are completely clueless when it comes to assembling mechanical things. That said my area is a BIG MTB area (hence the inflated used market) so there's probably a better than average caliber of Walmart employee putting them together.
>>2072219>Walmart Ozark Trailhad a quick look. I had a comparable bottom-shelf speshy hardtail for a long time and it was not.... recommendable. best use case would be crappy gravel rural rides, preferably downhill on easy, well-maintained fire roads. if that's not the scenario it would be difficult to choose something worse.
>>2072220It's pretty universally agreed to be the best thing you can get for anywhere close to the price, and a major cut above other low-end bikes. It's also worth specifying that the bike in question is the Ridge M2 29", they've got a lot of models and not all of them are as suitable. I don't have much other choice either, there's fuckall used worth buying under like $1,500 in my area and I can barely stretch to a third of that.
>>2072222>It's pretty universally agreedcool digits but that is the best metric for something that is absolute shit. especially now.
>>2072222>>2072224*okay that wasn't helpful, let me try again.you would be paying $400 for nothing. it's not a bike. it won't do anything bike-like. you would need to throw another thousand dollars at it to make it do what is says on the tin, if indeed it can be made to at all. the fork isn't a real fork and won't do fork things. the tires would need to be replaced on day zero and that's another ~$200 unless you buy equally bad tires. you just... you'd be pissing up a rope. that's bikes. you learn by spending and you're getting the benefit of my spending without paying. because /n/.
>>2072225>it's not a bike. it won't do anything bike-likeThe widespread consensus is that this explicitly isn't true. The whole hype around it is "holy shit, it's an actual mountain bike that costs $400" and "it's the only thing you can get for anywhere close to the money that isn't a BSO." Also, even if it needs upgrades, at least they're doable at all with it, which can't be said for the 25 year old 26"ers with straight headtubes and so on that you can get for similar money on the used market.
>>2072226I've crushed a shitload of blue and black lines on both the bottom-barrel 29er with bad everything and an ancient steel full-rigid 26er. I can assure you the steelie was better in every sense. at the time I had access to the best bike co-op on the planet and so I got to upgrade the 29er with hydraulic disk brakes, a marzocchi bomber, a good sun-ringle wheelset for nearly free and if I had to choose between those two bikes I'd take the 90s steel seven or eight times out of ten."widespread consensus" is another way of saying "argumentum ad populum." Their opinions are simply wrong and if you base your decisions on their opinions your decisions will be wrong.
Over time my drivetrain on my bicycle gets all caked up with a mixture of oil, dust, sand and various parts of grass and leaves. At what point do i just dissasemble EVERYTHING on the bike and clean it entirely, and then afterwards oil it?
Are short cranks a meme?I have an 83cm inseam. Currently running 172,5mm cranks because I got them cheap.
>>2072250depends a bit on the drivetrain and other factors. if you've got a nice full-suspension bike with expensive, complicated suspension components and an obnoxiously difficult to source cassette you probably want to clean it thoroughly every couple of rides. if you're cruising around on a shitbike ghetto-rigged fixie you may simply never have to give a fuck. a reasonable middle ground is to just remove the chain and cassette and dump them into a mild cleaning solvent like simple green whenever you feel like it. chainrings usually wear much, much too slowly to worry about. Bearings/races are usually sealed and nearly impervious to debris these days and ought to be fine without service for many years.do not use oil to re-lube. buy a bicycle specific drivetrain lubricant suitable for your application and riding conditions.
Is it okay to leave the release lever of rim brakes open to fit bigger tires? This is considering the cable is tensioned appropriately.
Can i used it???
>>2072266For ball bearings you don't need to be too precise about viscosity as long as it's not light oil. I'd be careful about using that on pawls and ratchets because too thick could cause you to throw a chain in the most extreme cases
>>2072266>spokes dont crossGAH
>>2072266any grease for use on motorized machinery, which is all of them afaik, (except bike specific grease, which is obviously also ok) is meant to deal with much higher revs and heat than a rider can produce, so there's no harm in just using cheap wheel bearing grease, or anything at all.if your question is is it too gummy and will slow you down? I've never noticed that. it is probably measurable but I think it amounts to a fraction of a watt. so unless this is your race day bike it doesn't matter. I'm skeptical it would matter on race day but people get superstitious about that kind of thing
>>2072277>I'm skeptical it would matter on race daydepends on the race. in a cat 1 crit you might need instant engagement to stay with a breakaway and it could mean the difference between an easy draft and a massive effort.
>>2072282lube doesnt matter to engagement, that is a feature of the hub itself and its actual mechanical linkages
>>2072282right, but nobody here races cat 1 as far as I'm aware. the majority of /n/ doesn't race at all.but it doesn't surprise me that grease could be a factor at the highest level of riding.
>>2072283right, and you oil the pawls, not grease. or at least, I never have. you'd need some kind of grease port to even get it in there
>>2072256I think what will happen is you won't have the right mechanical leverage and the braking will be weak
>>2072252I seek out 180mm cranks lol. Love the torque. I think shorter is only good for shorter people
>>2072126Nah the other niggas are trippingIt's just a bicycle any grease that stays put will work. I've been using the same tube of marine grease for almost a decadeIf you put that grease and park grease in 2 wheel hubs and rode them for a year, the only difference you could tell is one is blue
>>2072229ok but your opinion is OBJECTIVELY wrong sryold 26er rigids basically have road bike geometry and if you ride better with one you aren't actually riding
>>2072256Not for full time riding just get Tektro wide-arm calipers
>>2072305I'll take the short chainstays over the slack geo for anything other than enduro/downhill runs
>>2072252every comment I read about people going from 170 to 165 says how huge the difference is and how much more comfortable. is it really?? just 5 whole millimeters??? crazy
>>2072312Are they super short? I like my 180mm cranks. I love the torque.
>>2072252If you're not having problems don't overthink it. I was having knee issues for several years, even my certified meme bike fitter that I paid like $450 to evaluate me said my crank length wasn't an issue. But I ignored him and dropped to a 170mm and it was night and day, knee problems are gone. I'm a manlet tho. Seems you're a bit taller than I am.
>>2072229Even if I DID want to go the '90s hardtail route, there's fuckall worth buying in that category there either, I think there's too many people into the "vintage bike" thing here. The used market is basically old department store bikes for $250 and then jumps straight to $1k+. It's fucked man, I just want to ride some easy trails and hopefully get back into shape and there's just no good answer unless I load myself up with credit card debt buying a brand new "good" entry level bike for $1k or more, which really isn't a good option.
>>2072312a small change can have a big impact when you repeat something thousands of times every ride. Helps with the knee pain and makes spinning a lot easier
>>2072333it sounds like your goals do not realistically align with your resources. I've been in that boat and you basically have three options; change your goals, improve your resources, or patiently wait for a great deal on the used market. you could also, as you mentioned, seek financing. there are plenty of options other than usurious credit cards. Friends or family would be the first go-to for seeking a small loan, but there's no shortage of other options. throwing good money at something that won't do what you want it to will not help.
>old e-bike died>bought a new one for almost a grand>power delivery is delayed by like a full second>10a max>no sus "dutch bike" frame>razor thin tires >handlebars no wider than a foot>rear tire catastrophically failed within first 5k just from riding over gaps in concreteDoes anyone sell anything that isn't designed to fail if it doesn't just kill you itself?
>>2072338wow almost 1000 buckazoids for an ebike you're ballin out of control anon
>>2072338>ebikeLEAVE>>>/o/>>>/v/>>>/toy/
>>2072344thats like seven, maybe six and a half eggs
>>2072338kill yourself my man
>>2072336Yeah there really just may not be a great answer other than waiting until I'm in better financial shape. I'm back in college and what little I'm bringing in is mostly going straight to paying for school and related stuff (trade program, so a lot of tools etc. to buy) but I should be done in a little over a year and ought to be able to start working pretty much immediately for somewhat decent money so I'll be in a much better position.The way I see it with the Ozark though, if it can make it through one season of pretty tame beginner trails - and most reviews say it ought to - it's worth it to me even if it ends up being a complete write-off after I can upgrade to something better, and even moreso if it can help me lose some weight, hell you do the math and it's cheaper than joining a decent gym for a year.
>>2072345Based.
>>2072338>>old e-bike died>>bought a new one for almost a grandHow long did the old bike last for?
>>2072377actual age unknown but it only lasted me like 9 months but it was like 250$
>>2072269Lmao its probably the angle of the photo and tire placement relative to camera lense, i am pretty sure they all do>>2072277Well i git it in there, spun it around after reinstalling rhe axle, and its more smooth thsn before so im happyHavent regreased the rear cause i disnt break off the sprocket beforeBut i got both tires on successfully noe, poppes only one tube which was gay but i can probably patch the little holeBut now i have aplintering cables so in on another cleetus mission for rewiring and adjusting thoseI also had to hammer flat my shimano mounting plate for the rear gear selector thingy, st the highest tooth sprocket it would clabk with the rear spokes, now it seems gooder, but the clearence on an eyeball looks sooooo fuggin narrowSo all rhat remains is installing chain and the cables and fine tuning, get some air in tubes and go for a test driveBut everything finna closed fir a sundayNew tires looked nice>im also buying another 500 dollar road bike because i cant take it rn, both motorcycles disassembled for rear tires and one needs a rebuild>now weather is warm and triathalon unicorn still now fixxed If i dont get on that two whol life timeline today, im going to go insane
rode my first yuroslop cruister bike recently and good lord why do people say "dutch bikes" are good? even the stupid wheel lock thing sucks ass and has no advantages over a normal ass chain and padlock or u-lock. the seating position is incredibly uncomfortable, the narrow handlebars make it annoying to control, massive thin wheels are totally unsuitable for crappy city roads (let alone gravel/dirt paths) and they look way dorkier in person than in promo photos. even the super low girl frame is bad, it makes it just that much more irritating to pick up when you have to and the cable routing is fucking satanic
>>2072348Honestly, the way I see it is that a shitty bike is better than no bike. Was in similar situation, bought cheap department store hybrid and slapped new tires and hydraulic brakes on it. Can't say for sure about the Ozark but the only way to be sure is to check it out yourself. If nothing else, at least you'll have beater bike afterwards. Just try it, upgrade what you think needs upgrading or return it.
>>2072391>>2072348And to add, there's also always a limit on how far you want to upgrade the bike - you really cannot beat how cheap companies building those bikes can get their parts on, and honestly it's up to you on how much work and money you want to spend on a bike - but if you start putting all things that you *can* upgrade you'll run the bill higher than a better bike would cost. Also if the used market is what it is you might wanna check ebay and aliexpress for bits and pieces, but I'd advice you from at least doing your homework on what you're looking at before you're collecting your teeth after a fork failure.
>>2072389how is sitting upright incredibly uncomfortable?
>>2072282>>2072284>cat 1Is that a future for cleetus or do they ban you if you begin a race with smoko?>all jokes asideIdk if theres a name for the sentiment, as much as imitation is the finest form of flattery- and to that end, we should all strive to be like Jesus ChristBut there is also the idea- without minmaxx retarding, and i appreciate the comparison with effort in regard to this post also >>2072282In mentioning "breakouts"Which, im guessing; is like arguably a uphill sprint tier level of muscle engagement while pedaling?To that end, and wanting to ride that way all the time, is fun- especially uphillGood coasting speeds is preferred, and i esp appreciate the perspective on the heat related element with grease choiceNevertheless, its what i had available, its bright enough color for me to see visibly, and to that end i figured its better vs weathering factor than the need for sneedThat being said, full tilt racing bicycles, i should try and sdo an amateur race brosAlsoSince im going to find a backup roadbike with 700cc tires, ill be posting new baik soon
>>2072396cleetus' future is to get drafted and die in Iran 2026 -> ?
>>2072391>>2072393Yeah, that's kinda how I see it. I figure I'll throw some really basic stuff like tires, pedals and grips on it and probably not do much more until I'm ready for a "real" bike. Maybe hydraulic discs as well, I've seen good upgrade options for pretty cheap, and at least the new version of the Ozark comes with an Advent drivetrain so that's probably solid as long as I'll need it to be. For what it's worth, the used parts market is MUCH better than the used bike market here too. Among other things there are shitloads of takeoffs from higher-end bikes that people have upgraded even further. I think it's basically down to the same reason there aren't a lot of used entry-level bikes, my area is full of extreme sports techbro richfag transplants who'd never buy budget bikes to begin with but are also loaded enough that they don't care much about the value of parts they take off their fancy bikes.
>>2072395it's not but the aggressive curve of the handlebars is hard on the wrists and them being so narrow makes it even worse. and because you have so little real estate for controls, it's hard to get stuff mounted a comfortable distance away from eachother and where the bars bend more aggressively you just lose that spot entirely, if not everything after it
Secured the asset >>2072396Back up bike is ready
>>2072397>how did he knowUhhUHHH
>>2072400>someone like you is allowed to driveunrecoverable civilization, how fix?
>>2072398Godspeed anon, might wanna check if you cannot nab some hydros or suntour fork or w/e later down the line for cheap locally. Hell, fuckers around me sell even brand new tires off from the bike they bought.
>>2072401skip it and go drive ubers or deliver pizzasit won't go well for you
>>2072307My hardtail has slacker geo and shorter chainstays than most bikes period let alone 26ers.
>>2072403Yeah that's probably a likely possibility. (I know that was a stupid sentence, I'm tired.) We actually have a really good used/consignment outdoor gear store that has racks and racks of bike parts and I bet I could find deals there with the low demand for low/midrange parts. I'm actually gonna head over there in a minute, I stopped in the other day and they had fuckall bikes but the tech implied there was a bunch of stuff that just hadn't been checked out and priced yet, so maybe there'll be something today.
>>2072402What did i do wrong this time, jannid?
>>2072333DESU if you're really that broke, buy the walmart bike my dude. They are well regarded for a reason. No it won't be any good compared to a "real" bike but it's enough to get you rolling. No way would "not riding" be an option for me.
>>2072423Yeah that's the fallback.That said, I just got back from stopping by the used/consignment shop, and while they didn't have anything suitable available I talked to the lead tech and he showed me about 40 bikes out back that are waiting to be serviced and priced, and said that there ought to be a whole bunch of good ones in my price range by the end of this week, so I'll check back and see if there's something better than the Walmart bike. This place has a really good reputation locally and I think it might actually be a good time to shop for used bikes, since everybody's upgrading as the season starts, so it's probably worth waiting a few days.
/no/bikes, i had a blast with the bicycle todayI had to take an angle grinder to the pedal stem and make it shallow for the cycling to pass the nearby guard plateI also greased pedals at this point of troubleshooting the root causeBut so far im like 20km or so, running uphill with this is okay, exhausted hikes with it needs workChain skips if i torque the fuck out of it at high pedal ford powerstrokeI had 2 chain dislodgens at high turbo all in, but if i pedal at like 85% i wont cause that; but limits my max power and speed which is kinda gayI suspect the chain might be bent in one area of torqued kill and itll dislodgeMaybe i pulled the adjuster too much and it needs more slack Otherwise its good for what it is, and i had fun today and got lots of exercise despite taking an hour an half cleetus wrenching to get it in working order
>>2072389You have never ridden a dutch bike, Lance wannnabe
>>2072389Watch NJB.
How do you guys like your handlebar tape/grips? Had to rewrap my gravel bike's handlebars and while asking for something semi grippy they gave me some Selle Italia handlebar tape. The thing is, that I think this might be tad too soft and thick for my liking at about 3mm thick (bit related). I'll guess I'll see how it feels and replace it later if I need to. I prefer thinner, bit tacky and firm myself.
>>2072465Gravel people usually want cushy tape, so I don't blame the shop for giving you that. I like the Zipp CX tape. Lizardskins in 1.8 is also good if you like thin stuff.Trek has this stuff for super cheap, dunno if the yellow accent will work on your bike.https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/bike-accessories/bike-handlebar-grips-tape/bike-handlebar-tape/bontrager-grippytack-handlebar-tape-set/p/14245/?colorCode=black_yellowvisibility
>>2072465idk i just use whatever came with the bike until i have to swap out any of the controls, at which point i leave the bars naked like an animal
>>2072465my hands are long and thin so the inner circumference of my grip is large. I don't really pay attention to what type of tape I get although it's always been foam. but once I double wrap it for my grip, it's always pretty comfy.
>>2072465I used to put a lot of mental energy into bar tape, and exclusively bought the high end shit with special textures and ribs for her pleasure, now I just get cinelli because it's cheap, it's piss easy to do a good wrap job, and did I mention it's cheap? I like to change my bar tape often, before it's worn out. so cheap and looks great, that's about all I needThe fancy stuff is really picky about how much tension you put on it, the sweet spot between too tight and too lose is VERY unforgiving, and I just don't need that level of grip, I can wear super gripply gloves if I think that will be a concern
>>2072465bar tape/grips should be infinitely grippy and invisibly thin. my hands should remain in place as if by magic, without any actual physical contact between my hands and the bars. in a better universe handlebars would not need to exist at all. 2mm glossy fizik was not far off the mark but you can't buy it anymore. revgrips are even better but there's no comparable product for hoods/drops.
>>2072465Speaking of bar tape, leather bar tape yay or nay? It must be a chore to clean but is it super comfy compared to other bar tapes?
speaking of bar tape, teflon bar tape yay or nay? It must be easy to clean but is it super comfy compared to other bar tapes?
>>2072476>Gravel people usually want cushy tape, so I don't blame the shop for giving you that. Yeah, I don't blame them - and I am willing to give this a chance. At worst I wasted bit of money and tried new tape, and have to wrap them again. Also ordered some thinner tape to hoard since it was on sale and had to order some headset bearings for another bike anyhow. >>2072478>leave the bars naked like an animalI've used hockey tape in place of bar handles once, but that's on another level. >>2072495Same here, I'll usually buy whatever's on sale,. Don't want to spend too much for an wear item, Shit can get expensive.
wanna get a city bike just for like 2km rides to a gym in the outskirts of town, what would be an appropriate amount to invest? what to look for? eu specific advice is a plus
>>2072550>2kmanything bro shit just wear these instead
>>2072551that's what I've been doing for ages but it's getting pretty boring, also it's to and from the gym so I'm always doing it knackered. so any bso bullshit will do, I won't regret that?
>>2072552Depends how much you like nice things honestly. obviously a better bike will be better but if you just need it to go a couple km, you know>euroHop on decathlon get something that fits youIm inclined to tell you to get a road/gravel bike you might get into it but for actually just going 4km round trip yeah fuck it doesn’t matter thats not enough seat time to matter
>>2072553ait, thanks anon, I think that's what I needed to hear.
>>2072465you might like pure silicone bar tape, pretty much feels like rubber grips.
>>2072541>>2072478"bar tape" is the peak cyclist wrenchlet nonsense thingthe rest of the bike is proprietary "high end" nonsense installed by a le race quality mechanic instead of having proper tools to fit basic wear parts yourself. moulded handlebars are super common on motorcycles and are pretty easy to install, even with twist throttles mucking up the ability to just make one part and say "flip it turnwise dumpass" in favor of having to have a separate left and right.but on bikes, the last part left that has to be changed out more than once over the lifetime of the bike is instead a roll of disposable tape, and never comes in more than a few feet at a time, and is massively overpriced compared to similar products for other applications, and "standard" full grips for "standard" 7/8" bars actually have an inner diameter of 15/16" because fuck you buy the Park Tool required to put them on. no thank you, I have some motorcycle grips that just go right on by hand
>>2072563this is on a drop bar? I'm gonna need pics of this brilliant solution to the Big Bar Tape cartel
>>2072571drop bars are a solution to a question no one asked and even now that they're herehttps://rysilicone.com/silicones-elasticity-and-flexibility/
It rained on my bike, how do I cover it up so I can maintain the resale value?
>>2072572but if you're not using a drop bar, then it's supposed to have grips anyway.so you outsmarted big bar tape by putting grips on a bar that takes grips.congratulations.
>>2072574>then it's supposed to have grips anyway.people put bar tape on straight bars and there is no reason controls can't be made as two pieces instead of requiring to be slid onto the bar
>>2072575you're an underappreciated genius.all those idiots in the pro peloton should listen to your advice and switch to flat bars so they can start breaking all the previous record times.
>>2072576they should switch to naked bars to save grams and also remove all controls since its just useless plastic
>>2072576people put bar tape on straight bars and there is no reason controls can't be made as two pieces instead of requiring to be slid onto the bar
>>2072579>people put bar tape on straight barsI've never seen this but I'm sure someone somewhere has done it.>as two piecessounds great but that has nothing to do with bar tape, which is used on drop bars, which you think are useless anyway.you're entire opening post is a diatribe against a use case you've made up entirely in your head.also, you're drunk.
How much can I half ass swapping from chain oil to liquid wax?Enough to dunk the new chain into some isopropyl alcohol and wipe down the chainring and cassette with some brake cleaner? Can't really be arsed to take apart the drivetrain for deep cleaning.
>>2072609Don't try to switch lubes on the same hardware. Save it for when you change cassettes and chains, have all your de-greasers strippers and new lube ready to go.
Well?
>>2072614Conti® Quality™ Qontrol©
>>2072611Just swapping chains for now because the cassette is fairly new. Besides, I would probably want to swap back to oil in the winter because of rust.So, any actual major issues with a tiny bit of grime left on the cassette and chainring with a waxed chain?
>>2072615You win a prize!
>>2072616It will strip the chain of wax in no time
>>2072616>So, any actual major issues with a tiny bit of grime left on the cassette and chainring with a waxed chain?Not that I noticed desu. If you're really lazy you can add a stripchip to your wax and just clean the cassette/chainrings like you normally would
I'm having problems with the chain jumping from one gear to another which seems like it would be teeth wearing down, but when I have the bike up on a rack to work things out the problems all go away. It's only when my fat ass is sitting and riding that it all starts to fuck up.Is this normal, or a sign of something else wrong with the gears or some other parts?
>cant even fart in the general direction of a new bicycle under the 1500 yurop margin>used market is a bunch of shmucks trying to get a 100-120% roi on their bikes from a few years agohow does one from gods chosen people get something for a reasonable price cant wrap my head around how they demand 1500 euros for 15kilos of aluminium. you can get a scooter for that money
>>2072649full sus? derailleur could be bent outwards but only enough that when suspension is compressed do the relative angles compound enough for it to matter. also just turning your cranks with your hands casually with everything suspended in the air doesnt compare to even a shitty rider, you may not be delivering enough torque at the workbench to expose drivetrain problems
>>2072609It's literally so easy.https://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html#shelbroconol
>>2072651Stop being poor.
>>2072659What do you even get out of posting such obvious bait? That's all you do. You come online. You post your nonsense in every thread. No one bites and you leave. What's the kick?
>>2072659have your (you) nigger
>>2072659>posts that bottom barrel garbage>calls others poor
>>2072649yes, flex due to rider weight can affect shifting.also, *are* your gear teeth worn? because if so, solving that issue will probably solve the flex issue. or it's the first step, anyway.ride the bike around your neighborhood and turn the barrel adjuster towards the gear it won't catch.
>>2072651you buy bikes during fall sales not during spring peak.
>>2072649Just get a new bike. Are you poor?
>>2072649put new gear case..... & also check your cable isn't snappe'd.......
Alright, I have a bit of a dilemma here.3 years ago I bought an RC500 road bike for commuting to work (and some casual rides), but I ended up getting hard flaccid because of it, which took me out of action for that long. For reference, I'm 5' 10" and the bike is a size medium (55cm top tube I think)I ended up getting an e-bike conversion kit for it, but found I could not fit the wheel in the carbon dropouts, and I haven't had the time to sell the kit or the bike on as of yet.I tried riding the bike with a cutout saddle yesterday and while it was fine, I did feel some discomfort that made me worry a bit.I really wanted to go gravel cycling with it, fitted 35mm tyres on, but I dunno now.So I want to ask: Should I just get another bike (maybe with a generic bike fit to find out my actual measurements?), or is it worth staying with this bike?
>>2072651Find a cheap frame and build it up with used parts. I have multiple decent bikes i got on the cheap this way. But it will take some elbow grease
I'm not new to cycling but new to customizing bikes in general; looking for a new handlebar, current one is 440 at the hood and 440 at the drops with no flare, feels fine to me, but a little twitchy- though I haven't been riding for awhile. I'm a bit taller (6'3) with about 44.5cm shoulder width (still not sure if I've measured myself properly). I'm liking the look / perceived comfort of the nitto all road plus from bluelug but I'm not sure if the sizing would give me any issues: the small is 420 at the hoods and 440 at the drops while the medium is 480 at the drops and presumably (I can't find a listed measurement anywhere) 460 at the hoods. I would easily buy this bar if the hood width was 440, but I'm wondering if ~460 or 420 would also be fine ergonomically (leaning towards the 480 medium size currently)I plan on riding on pavement and gravel trails with a wide but not absurdly wide tire. Any other drop recs with 440 hood width and ~10-15deg flare / short reach would be cool too.
Picked up this Marin Pine Mountain (2018) on marketplace for $450. The guy listed it as a size L. After riding it for a couple weeks I start feeling like it's just a little cramped/unstable with the seat cranked up to fit my height (6'0), get home and actually measure the frame to find it's a size M (for 5'9 max). Am I fucked? So far I've just used it to commute, to feel the bike out, but I wanted to bikepack with the thing and now I feel like the misfit is going to manifest as some kind of back/knee pain if I actually take it 40+ miles out. Also feel like I paid too much for a heavy as fuck fully rigid bike
>>2072761>looking for a new handlebar,go on amazon and get one that is within spec for the stem/riser/whatever or because you're a retarded niglet go to your LBS and have them "modify" your bike for 3000$ for installation of a 6$ piece of bent tubing
>>2072761https://www.mcmaster.com/products/tubing/?s=aluminumhttps://www.mcmaster.com/products/tube-benders/
>>2072761WTF is that weld on the fork? Do you even know how to weld?
>>2072761not sure about total question but I can say that after trying a few different drop bar widths (straight roadie, though, none were flared) that the width that felt best while riding matched the distance between the pointed-up bones of my shoulders as measured with a tailors flexible measuring tape. you kinda have to poke around to find the points and it helps to dig into the flesh so that they can be felt with the irritated skin while you use your hands to use the tape. or just use a string and measure it.that's what worked for me, anyway. not sure if that's for everyone, or if there's preference involved or whatever but I'm happy
>>2072761>mtb tires and drop bars
>>2072774he didn't weld his own fork, dummy. that's probably not even his bike, just an internet pic of the bars he's asking about.at any rate, I'm pretty sure Black Mountain Cycles knows what they're doing.anyone have any guesses as to the meaning of the sticker on the pump?
>>2072778dick brakes still just squeeze metal which is what rim brakes do. but rim brakes are easier to adjust so they are vastly superior.
>>2072779ok, thanks for the troll post.now does anyone else have anything worthwhile to contribute?
Welcome to Black Mountain Cycles where we strive to embrace the unmistakable “feel” of the traditional bike shop. You know, the one where the owner looked up from behind the wheel truing stand and gave you a “Howdy!” as you walked in the door. The one where the mechanics worked on bikes right there in the midst of the shop. The one that smells like tires and chain lube. Yep, that’s the one. That is what we strive for Black Mountain Cycles. We’re a small bike shop. We sell bike stuff, but most important, we make bikes work better. We’re a mechanic’s-based bike shop.A lot has happened between since 2020. I invite folks to visit the shop for service or parts purchases. Appointments are no longer required, but if you want to call to set something up, the number’s just a scroll away.Thank you.
>>2072780I mean I've heard that as a joke too but it's usually that "rim brakes are disc brakes". the joke being that the wheel is technically a giant disc
>>2072782ah, ok, that makes sense at least. whether the reversal of the phrase is still funny is a separate issue
>>2072770wow, that seller was a jerk.I've had good luck tweaking an underized road frame, especially since modern seatposts are so long and the frame has traditional horizontal top tube geo.godspeed, my man
>>2072770Look at the head tube angle... get a 1cm longer stem and drop it down a spacer as well, you can find room if it took you a couple of weeks to notice that you feel cramped.
>>2072770so you bought a bike without test riding it?
>>2072770I don't think you're fuckedif you look at silk road bikes a common theme among them is that people size down on frame and run an extremely long seatpost so they can have more clearance from the bagsyou are going to need to spend time, money, and effort to get this dialed but that would be true of any bike. you are probably going to need a different seatpost and a longer stem
>>2072788no, read the post. it took me a couple weeks to question if it was the actual size the seller claimed it was. Up until that point I trusted that the ride quality just feels slightly off because the bike is new to me>>2072787this is probably the way to go actually. I'm just mad because I ruled out so many options for not having the correct frame size, just to get duped into buying one anyways
>>2072790if you are serious about getting in to bikepacking it is not going to be your foreverbikeas a starting point I think you did alright
>>2072791>>2072789>>2072785alright I think I'll give it a shot instead of instantly reselling. At the same time I'm upgrading this Trek Antelope 830 I have to compare and see if I can actually justify keeping this newer one
>>2072770imagine not being able to adjust the seatpost or bars
>>2072793imagine thinking I didnt
>>2072791me waiting to lose my job so I can become an ultra cyclist
>>2072790At least you have a slightly lighter, stiffer, stronger frame with even lower standover height. Looking at their spec sheets, BB height is the same across all the sizes and crank length is the same between M and L. There's more to it than just height too, there's leg, torso and arm length, those height guides are pretty nebulous. Those two frame sizes are very close to one another with a ton of overlap too, it would only really make a difference for someone very tall or very short. At 6' you can effectively use either M or L, I wouldn't worry about it. Both are your size, you just need to have the right parts on them. You have a nice bike there, enjoy it.
>>2072795>ultra cyclistAlways two there are...
>>2072798dude is 23 but looks like he is in his 40s lmao
>>2072799Emma was 35 in this pic.https://pezcyclingnews.com/newswire/world-champion-emma-pooley-joins-global-cycling-network/
>>2072799just how it goes
Can anyone recommend any hybrid or purely mechanical disc brake calipers from AliExpress? Preferably under $100 but that isn't absolute trash. If the 2 are mutually exclusive then give me the best cheap option
>>2072808I put these on my winter beater and didn't even notice a difference compared to the original Hayes. They are just heavier, that's all. I'm not going to link them:TOBWOLF 1 Pair MTB Disc Brake Set, Mechanical/Hydraulic Disc Brake Kit, MTB Front & Rear Disc Brake Caliper with 160mm Rotor
brand new to biking, which one should i get? i can get the trek for the same price as the cannondale
>>2072808The black OEM version of the trap spyre or the ZOOM HB700 which is a clone of the spyre
>>2072811I dunno but buy a frame size that fits you
>>2072811>full carbon frame that weighs 10,5kg
>>2072813>>2072815so am i getting the cannondale?
>>2072811>>2072816there isn't really enough information here to make a quick "yeah get that" decisionif you have absolutely nothing else to go on, the trek has entirely internal cable routing which might make it very slightly easier to move around as a beginner. harder to do your own maintenance on though.go do some test rides if you can...
>>2072818>the trek has entirely internal cable routing which might make it very slightly easier to move around as a beginnerIt's also not aero, it's primitive, and it's not acceptable in 2026.
>>2072819oh noanyway....
how much of an upgrade are carbon frames? people make it sound like it's night and day different from alu/alloy frames
>>2072822>"people"women aren't peopleas things stand now, frame material is purely a question of social status for most purposes
>wanna move shifters from old bike to new bike>Shimano Slop so theres 900 layers of decorative plastic>figure it'll be easiest to just take it off with the cable off, reroute, ez>cable is slightly too short for new bike>okay, i'll use the new shifter with the old cable>cable inside both shifters is threaded through a moulded plastic housing, the crimped pinned end will NOT go back out through it via any means other than breaking itWhy is everything on bikes designed to be as user-unfriendly and unserviceable as possible?
>>2072822Not much. Get carbon bars and seat post and you're most of the way there in terms of comfort. Fork too and you're golden.
>>2072808>under 100$you can literally get some on amazon for half that, disc brakes are so mechanically simple that even the chynese can make them and they're largely finei got these but they were 20$ at the time, idk why they're 45 now. but still within your budgethttps://www.amazon.ca/RUJOI-Aluminum-Mechanic-Tool-Free-Adjuster/dp/B07PPPKGTK
>>2072345>>2072361>gets you where you are going>has pedals for inputYour move, irrationalists.
>>2072089Thats so nice. I have what ive seen as around the smallest standard (its an mtb, afterall), but this: >>2072791, why isnt all the gearing on the back? Seriously, human power is so modest, im so old and weak and getting older and now im walking over 3% grades cause the standard smallest front sprocket isnt small enough.
Can I get a fit check? I feel I'm sitting too upright and should try to shimmy the seat back.I'm mostly gonna go road cycling but Im unfit as fuck so I dont need to be completely horizontal just something less retarded
>>2072888yeah that looks a little offbring the saddle forward ~3mm and up 1-3mmconsider dropping the stem down one spacer eventually
>>2072894Thanks! How come you'd want to put the seat forward?I did end up moving the seat up a little and it helped a bit for sure
>>2072895>How come you'd want to put the seat forward?you are a little bit too far backnudge it forward and I think you'll improve pedaling and handling
>>2072900Thank you, I'll give it a try
>>2072888>meme bike owner is a fat faggotsasuga
>>2072901not him but I've been nudging my saddle forward on my first drop bar bike steadily over these last 3 years of having it, so much so that I just yesterday switched to a zero-setback post.my (perhaps stupid) advice is to mark what the current position is. now go for what you consider to be a long ride with your allen wrench and halfway (i.e. returning home) go ahead and put the saddle forward by a large amount. like, overshoot it. get back on and ride a short distance. it'll feel super weird, but pedal long enough to mentally separate the new feeling from "what is this doing in terms of the actual mechanics of my movement."then move it back halfway and test. then put it back to original and test.if the original position now feels weird and foreign, that's because it was wrong.now you have the fun task of dialing it in mm by mm.I do all my fitment this way: saddle, stem, bars, hoods. I guess it's common sense but my fit changed for the better a whole lot once I adopted this process. I'd get your saddle height and position is right before you start fucking with stem reach, and it may affect stack, too. but the more you ride, the less stack you favor because your body gets used to better bike position.
anyone ever ordered from this place?They are selling the tires I use for almost half of what other retailers ask for, seems too good to be true
>>2072904whats meme about a cube with grx? that‘s like the most boring bike one can buy
>>2072408What did you end up deciding on, anon?
>>2072943I haven't yet. The consignment store I mentioned is awesome because they go through the bikes and service and fix everything necessary, but the downside is they can only get through a few a day so they have a big backlog. I stopped by yesterday and one of the guys showed me some options, and this Norco seems like the most promising, it's more than I wanted to spend (it'll probably be about $700) but it's got a lot of parts that I'd otherwise have to upgrade pretty quickly - air fork, decent hydraulic brakes, dropper post, etc. - so probably worth it. It'll be another week or two before it's actually available though.
>>2072949What's the Kona? That decal era is kino. Also post your wristwatch.
>>2072951Not sure about the Kona, I think it was the wrong size so I didn't really look at it. I was wondering why you asked about the watch until I saw my reflection there. Citizen Skyhawk A-T, I've got some nicer mechanicals but this thing is just such an easy daily beater.
>>2072952>never have to set time, wind, or change batterySensible/10
>>2072952>hello, I'm looking for something with as many numbers, writing, and indicies as you can fit on it. >yes, sir! I have exactly what you're looking for!
>>2072952people who own watches like this invariably have nowhere to be on time, can't read a bus or any other schedule, don't know what UTC is, can't read an analog clock face without active thought, and kick themselves every day for not getting a Casio F21 not realizing that it would solve none of their problems as a human being either
>>2072940>tiresthe trick is to wait until the first big spring rainstorm, then you can buy whole ass bikes for like 70$ once all the boomer dentists realize they dont actually like biking and salvage all the wear parts off them and use the frames to cut apart into tubing for pipe bombs
>>2072952boston ross
Will I be destroyed utterly if I show up with a half-finished 2-stroke moped? Everything is on there and mostly works but I got really fucked up on gin and didn't get around to truing the drive sproket so imma just leave the chain off entirely until I do
>>2072954It's not my style either but it's still one of the most sensible watches you can buy. For my Eco-Drive, I just went for a basic diver because I'm on the water a lot and enjoy maximum legibility.
>>2072995>ON the water>diver*pushes u overboard*
>>2072998>my skeletal remains are discovered years later>watch is still running
>>2072955Completely off-base on all of that. I've worn analog watches most of my life and find them more intuitive to read than digital, and I bought it when I was in flight school specifically because it was the cheapest decent analog watch with a UTC display, which is important since fucking everything in aviation is done on "zulu time." Incidentally it's much more legible in real life than it seems in pictures, I think depth perception helps a lot.
Should I just buy nail polish for scratches and paint chips?
>>2073009yeah, that was the recommendation since at least the 80s and now it's better because it comes in every color. I took my bike into the store and got an exact match, even.auto touch up paint used to be cheap but now it's $25 but it's good, and also model hobby paint (Testors)
My Compression Plug is busted and won't tighten anymore, the plug itself is small and from what I see there are tons of plugs which one should I buy?
>>2073002What an absolute fucking mess, how can anyone justify a watch like that as being "highly readable"
>>2073032as in bar plugs? get nittos
>>2073039It's just another instrument cluster, practice your scans bro.
i have a bunch of spare chain. what is the >BEST thing i can just soak them in to get them mostly clean before leaving them in a shallow bucket in two bottles of baby oil until i need them
>>2073040No I meant for the fork
>>2073049soaking doesn't get the grit out, you have to put it and solvent in a wide mouth jar, cap it and shake it, pour out, repeat until the solvent isn't black anymore. then let the solvent evaporate, then oil, then wipe the exterior as dry as you can get it.but anyway, acetone is the most powerful stuff you can get, generally. but even simple green will work about the same, the process is what's important. SG you can just pour down the sink, but it takes longer to evaporate (I used to bake it in the toaster oven but putting it in full sun the rest of the day and then oiling it the following day is fine). the real solvents you have to dump into a big container and let it evaporate
>>2073078oh, also acetone evaporates the fastest
>>2073049>>2073078the best thing is a non polar solvent like mineral spirits. gasoline or diesel works but is toxic and dangerous. I would soak for a day while shaking occasionally to fully dissolve the oil/grease and flush out the contaminants.
>>2073080any solvent soaks in quickly, but without the vigorous shaking, the crap doesn't get removed from the tight, interior spaces. polar or non polar, I've used both and gotten similar results because all that matters is flushing the crud out. when the solvent stays clear, you're done. it only takes 4 or 5 cycles, a couple minutes of work. but if you really are that lazy and just want to soak it, I guess the non polar would be better. imo why would you want to go 85% across the finish line instead of spend literally 2 minutes and go 100%
>>2073082thats why you use a nonpolar solvent to bring the oils and grease into solution.
>>2073053I don't know. the last time I did anything with a headset, star nuts were the thing. the more important thing here is going to be getting the torque exactly right and a halfway decent torque wrench is often a lot more expensive than just getting a shop to do this thing that you'll only ever have to do once.
>>2073087>onceWut
Is Triflow just that good? I've been using some generic chain lube on pivots on brake calipers and such. Or is there a better alternative to triflow?
>>2073089if you ruin a headset nut more than once in your life you are either doing something wrong or doing something VERY wrong. that's fucked.
how the hell do you patch TPU tubes, these shitty stickers/patches that come with it dont do shit
>>2073097>ruinWut
>>2073098https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QoWau7fCbY
>>2073098I use dollar store rubber cement and cut out a patch from a spare tpu tube. cement the tube and the patch, let the cement dry then stick them together and weigh it down overnight to cure. has held indefinitely. imo its mostly the pressure of the inflated tube against the tire wall that holds it. the rubber cement acts as a gasket.
Why are motorcycle wheels and car wheels smaller than bicycle wheels? Large diameter wheels are objectively better for maintaining high speeds no? Is acceleration the only thing that matters to motorists?
>>2073089most of /n/ doesn't ride let alone wrench. most people on this board have never even changed out something on their handlebars let alone the handlebars or stem themselves >>2073126pseudo-gearinga car engine revs much faster than a wheel can handle without breaking grip (or having grip and stalling the engine) and is already geared down a fuckton. so you can get away with smaller wheels, which are good for practicality reasons (less material, more maintainable, more manageable ride height, weight distribution, etc). a bicycle has a lot of torque for its size since leaning on the pedals objectively puts a lot of weight/force in even if you're a lithe twink but most people cannot pump their legs at 7000rpm so a bike requires gearing UP. even in a climb yeah you're on some ridiculous 7:32 gear ratio but keep in mind that your bike wheel is also le big and bringing the effective gearing back up a lot.when cars had much lower revving engines they typically had bigger and thinner wheels (in fact more or less being bike wheels, typically spoked for maintenance and weight reasons and being very narrow for better turning performance) but racing cars still have fuckhuge wheels and they're wide as fucc
>>2073126E-"bike" niggers decided that we can't have nice things anymore so now no one makes tires bigger than 20". You only option for a properly sized bike anymore is to get an Electra Townie.
>>2073130>in fact more or less being bike wheelsthe very earliest ones *were* bike wheels. the Michelin Man used to be built out of skinnies, too , since they've been in business since before cars
>>2073139to be fair the first motor vehicle was a moped.
>>2073139old michelin man looks like hes gonna bomb my house for not at all clear political reasons
>>2073142I think he would do it just because he was bored, no politics necessary
>>2073096Hot wax mogs all other chain lubes. Muc-off will invade your home while you sleep and beat you with a hammer.https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/
>>2073160>zerotardcyclinggrim
To whoever shilled the green Cyclami TPU tubes off Ali like 6 months ago: this better be good
who makes the best value endurance bikes these days? trek, canyon, cannondale or specialized?
Just placed my order for the dame plus (reynolds tubing, better brakes, udh, better spokes and ratchet hubs compared to the standard). what are some immediate changes you would recc? I'm thinking converting to tubeless almost immediately but what else?
>>2071970I currently have a fuji nevada. I wanna get something with drop down bars. I was thinking of getting a trek checkpoint ALR 3 gen 3. Will it be noticeably faster? will it be easier to go farther? I'm just getting back into biking regularly.
>>2073184It's a 1x so you should be able to easily swap that front brake for a TRP Hylex. I would recomend swapping the rear brifter with Hylex and using a friction shift system
>>2073126It's not as big of a difference as it seems, moto/car and bicycle tires aren't specced the same way. Bikes (at least MTBs) list the outside diameter of the tire, while cars and motos list the actual rim diameter without the tire, and motor vehicle tires are much taller than bike tires. A dirtbike with a 21" front wheel actually averages around a 28" tire diameter so it's right in the range of MTBs. The other big factor is packaging, motos have to have bodywork and exhausts over the top of the rear wheel and their frame is filled with engine, transmission, and electronics so the rear wheels end up significantly smaller since they have to be able to travel in a limited space and they need to fit their suspension, which has to be much heavier duty than MTB suspension, into that space as well.
>>2073184What modification makes sense depends a lot on what type of riding you want to do. (trip length, surface, with baggage etc)Two bottlecages + two bottles (+ electrolyte powder) is the most urgent upgrade. Get a phone mount or bike navi to be able to navigate.I'd suggest lighter weight rims and tires, but that kinda only matters if you want to go fast, which I don't think you want to do considering your bike choice. But thats also good for a later upgrade.>converting to tubeless almost immediatelyNah, try to live with TPU tubes first. Gives you 90% of the tubeless benefits (lower rolling resistance, less flats than butyl, lighter weight than butyl) without the nasty mess of tubeless. Don't listen to that dude, converting brifters to friction shifters is insane:>>2073189
>>2073188nobody's going to look up the specs for you.if you want us to compare, post the spec sheets yourself
>>2073184I can only say what i would personally do with a gravel bike which would be, tri bar clip ons and a bigger front ring, many carrying options for thingsSome kind of autistic light setup wired to run on powerbanks for long battery lifeTires that are like 90% for road that still work a little in gravelSick carbon weels
>>2073191then just remove the shifters entirelya bike that can't shift is still better than a bike with cable "disc brakes"
>>2073191>Two bottlecages + two bottles (+ electrolyte powder) is the most urgent upgrade.Do not listen to anything this retard has to say. That's not only not aero, but it is literally extra weight.
>>2073189wtf kind of retarded advice is that? Switch perfectly functional indexed shifting for friction??All you NEED is bottle cages. Anything else is just consoomerism. Your bike comes well equipped, it's good to go. Ride it for a bit and you know what you need to change. Such a fuck-ugly bike wtf were they thinking with that fork.
>>2073190This. Most car tires are way wider than 29". Dirt Moto tires are even bigger.
Speaking of moto vs bike stuff, why do handguards seem to be so rare on MTBs? They're considered almost mandatory for any off road moto stuff, and with all of the proprietary brake systems on MTBs that have their own expensive and hard to get levers you'd think people would really want to protect them from damage.
>>2073215bicyclists are stupid and much like americans debating things like public transit, taxes, or basic physics, insist that the size of the vehicle inherently makes it so all the engineering solutions that work everywhere else are simply no good forever because to spoil the general "look" is considered an act of satanism and anything new has to be utter techbro lunacy (that the automotive market already tried once and abandoned because it sucks) to look legit
>>2073215bar ends used to be common, and there's a lot still out there used. many of them curve inward, which give more or less the same coverage as the moto guards. if you're actually looking for a solution instead of just complaining
>>2073217this fully this just get picrel its totally the same as...
>>2073218>>2073217>>2073216>>2073215OH FUCK OH NO OH FUCK OH NO NO NO
>>2073219This would never work on a bike though
>>2073215it is essentially impossible to damage a MTB brake lever without doing something that just kills you outright. you don't torque them down super hard so when you do crash, they can get knocked out of position instead of breaking.if you do find yourself wanting something like that, revgrips makes nice ones. I have a set on my winter bike just to block a bit of wind when I don't need full pogies
>>2073218>cherry picking bad examples ok, your outrage about a non-issue is duly noted. you can shut up now
>>2073216>>2073217Oh yeah I had ones like that on my late '90s Gary Fisher when I was a kid. Always seemed kinda pointless to me since you couldn't brake or shift though. >>2073221Guess that makes sense. I guess even if you do break a lever it's not gonna completely fuck you like breaking a clutch lever 30 miles from the nearest paved road on a moto would too.
when should i start replacing air tubes?i got my first bicycle roughly about 3-4 years and the rear tire is on its third hole within a year or so.i got plenty of patches but i don't know if i should ever stop
>>2073248As long as it keeps air it should be fine, so it's up to you anon. Punctures next to the the valve are critical place in my opinion, and that's mostly because the valve gets in the way of the patch. Or when the hole is too big for a patch.
>>2073248I only replace them if a puncture is too close to the valve to patch. all my tubes have lots of patches
>>2073248Getting that many punctures is a problem of the tire, not the tube. Maybe reconsider your tire and tire pressure choices.The tube itself can be patches as much as you want. After 6+ years or so the rubber can get a bit leaky and it does not hold the air as good as new.
>>2073248I replace tubes when the valve fails. if its covered in patches its still fine imo. but yeah better tires prevent most punctures a lower quality tire would get
>>2073248Big tube hates youOnly reason to stop patching is you'd overlap another patch or it's close to valve stem as other /n/iggas mentioned
>>2073248Immediately.If you don't run tubeless, you aren't a real cyclist.
>>2073275overlapping patches hold many times, but you just have to try it and see
>>2073275>>2073302You're not supposed to patch tubes. Just get a new one.I bet you re-use master links, too.
is it a good idea to take apart a freehub just to clean the dirt between the cogs or does it wear out the lockring or something
>>2073361Forgive me for treating you like a retard but a lot of people just don't know about this:Just flip the bike upside down and shove a piece of cloth between them and saw away. The cassette stays stationary when cleaning in one direction and rotates in the other so cleans very quickly and efficiently. Takes 60 seconds to do the whole thing and gets is as clean as you could possibly want as far as reducing wear goes. If you want to do a perfect job use a dry cloth, then an oily cloth, then dry cloth again. There's no reason to take it off.
>>2073363yeah that flossing method is how i do with a piece of cord but it only works for first few cogs the bigger ones have tabs or something to hold them together and it prevents it getting all the way down and theres a lot of dirt stuck there triggering my autism
>>2073363>>2073364This is dumb, if you care that much about cleanliness get on the hot wax train, otherwise just live with having nasty ass cogs that you will never get clean
>>2073368>that muchThe bare minimum?
>>2073361nah but real niggas just put the pressure washer to the lowest setting and go to town
>>2073373The bare minimum is "do nothing". This cassette has almost 8000 miles on it and has not been cleaned. Filthy? Yeah, it has some dust on it, same as the hub and the brake calipers. But there is no "dirt" per se, the next time it rains the dust will rinse off.
>>2073368it's mud and stuff from the tyres underneath the cassette i just want to know if it's safe to take apart cassettes and lockrings again and again it's satisfying to take apart things and clean them thoroughly i'm also planning to do the RD the spring is really filthy from being laced in grease last time i can just use a q tip but it never gets in there properly
>>2073377>it has some (abrasive stone) dust on itMine doesn't, because I clean it.
>>2073378Yeah of course it's safe, you'll probably want a microfiber cloth and a full bottle of isopropyl though, a q-tip won't really pull the greasy garbage off the little nooks and crannies>>2073379It's not on any of the moving parts though, it easily gets knocked off the ramps and teeth and it doesn't have a river of grease sucking it into the rollers. You can "clean" yours but it never really gets clean in a meaningful way, it just comes off the parts where it wasn't causing trouble in the first place
>>2073378just pay attention when putting them back together. It's rather easy to make a mistake and strip the thread
>>2073380I hate to break it to you buddy but I have replaced the chain on my 2017 model once and probably ride a lot more than you. Clean your bike.
>>2073382>I ride a lot!>measures riding amount in "years"Cute
the sheer mental gymnastics these freds will go through to convince themselves not to just hose down their bike once a monthi'd get if if you had some reason not to (apartment living so washing is impractical, you live at home and daddy won't let you play with the hose, you're just a horrifically lazy fuck, etc) but just admit to that instead of pretending it's not a normal thing to do and trying to cope with the usual "the rain will rinse it" nonsense
>>2073388Several of those are true:1. True, I live in an apartment (I thought that went without saying? Why would you be on /n/ if you're a housecuck)2. "True, washing" as you probably imagine it (one of these contraptions filled with Muc-Off brand Bike Cleaner) is not practical for me3. True, by definition I do live at home (where else would I live? Isn't that what "home" means?)4. Half true. It's actually "mommy" (she would break you in half if you called her a daddy). But mommy won't let me play with her hose (something about "bottom dysphoria"? I don't understand all these newfangled buzzwords)5. Very true, I am a horrifically lazy fuck6. Unknown. I hesitate to make a truth statement about something as open-ended as "etc"But anyway, I digress. I wipe down my frame, rims, cranks, etc sometimes, the smooth surfaces, when it gets especially nasty. The idea is, if there's actual dirt coming off the bike, it's time to wipe it down (I use microfiber clothes). And that includes the hub and the little ass crack inside the fork and by the bottom bracket. But not the chain, the cogs, or the teeth of the chainring (just the outer surfaces). Those take care of themselves.Average I'd say is every couple of weeks but it depends on the season. If you think that's more than a month's worth of grime I don't know what to tell you.Should we have a /bhg/ (bike hygiene general)? This seems to be a topic that is generating interest.
>>2073388i don't even take the bike out in rain
>>2073393 (You)>>2073388 (You)Basic 4chan tip: if you don't want to be seen as an obvious samefriend, mix up your style a bit. Change the way you capitalize, punctuate, etc.If you performatively disabled your auto-capitalization (because I guess zoomers think it's aggressive?), you're going to stick out like a sore thumb on this board full of rich, 50 year old homosexual males in tights>but actually I use a mechanical quertie keebNo you don't. If you did, you'd have much higher word counts per post. Your posts are economical because typing on a phone forces you to be that way. If only there were emojis :-)
>>2073392>True, washing" as you probably imagine it (one of these contraptions filled with Muc-Off brand Bike Cleaner) is not practical for mei just lay out a tarp and use some soapy water and a brush>Should we have a /bhg/ (bike hygiene general)? This seems to be a topic that is generating interest.probably not because washing a bike is a pretty trivial activity and it will get filled with fart-huffing retards who call eachother poor for not sous-vide-ing their bike wax or insist you need special Park Tool Shimano Fluid #4and it will mostly be full of posters like >>2073393 whose bikes rarely get actually dirty anyway, and people who do ride their bikes in inclement weather are the types of people who have probably already found solutions that work for them and aren't interested in getting in a pissing match about what brush is best to bash snow out of a drivetrain before taking it inside
>>2073377that pic is what I would consider a "clean" chain and cassette
>>2073401it looks like it's been stored in a smoking den for ten years
>>2073403It's like 2 rides worth of road dust, do you ride exclusively in a velodrome? And if so, are you a cute mexican girl? And if so, do u liek mudkips?
>>2073398just because it's not raining doesn't mean you don't have to ride through slush and wet roads just don't see the point in riding in literal rain i know it can be fun but it also shortens the life of everything and gives you damp ass
>>2073405im a big fat mutt and only have sex with avian creatures, get your aquatic/amphibious cloaca out of here
>>2073406>sorry boss can't come in to work today, it's raining out so I can't bike in
>>2073408well you know how it is with actual jobs and vehicles
i never got why cyclist seem to hate cars until i was stuck behind a garbage truck today. they werent even picking up garbage, just driving down the street. but there was this dude on a mountain bike riding on the sidewalk and keeping the exact pace i was moving at in my car
>>2073383>hasn't been riding long enough to measure time in yearsTypical. You seem like a weekend mountain biker or something. Can you even point to any of your DRT posts here over the years? I commute 200-240 km per week depending on the route and then ride anywhere from 70-200 km on the weekend year-round:I've been posting my winter commutes here with the same bike for 8 years. This is the oldest thread in the archive that still has an image intact but they go back to 2018:https://archive.palanq.win/n/thread/1865847/#1870267Here it is from this year:>>2065712Same story with the summer commuter except it's a year older and sees the other 8 months of the year so has even more miles on it:So at a bare minimum that's 13,000 km per year. Realistically it's probably closer to 16,000. Post some more photos of your dusty drivetrain.
>>2073440Oh no I triggered an e-statting meltdown. No, I don't upload unredacted photos of my builds or my daily routine for you wound collectors to stalk me with. If you didn't sound like a psycho I'd link you to some of the more interesting pics I've posted but I don't think we're having fun anymore.
>>2073445>backpedaling this hard with a meme image no lessAs I said: Typical.
>>2073449What backpedal? I declined to identify myself because you're clearly overwhelmed with emotions and grasping for something to strike back at.Anyone can make up numbers, but the point of the post that made you so upset was that measuring service life of a part in "years" is at best useless, or in your case embarrassing because apparently your ego hinges upon being regarded as an experienced cyclist.So ironically, your attempt to seem like a tough guy backfired and now you're trying to do the reddit thing where you try to lean on your subreddit karma that doesn't exist here. Sorry about that.
>>2073452>y-you're m-making up numbersIf you said you rode 13-16,000 km per year I'd give you the benefit of the doubt because I can relate and we are posting in a bicycle community. The fact that you launch straight into disbelief and memes and mentioning r*ddit tells me you're just a casual rider who is projecting.So I ride a lot more than you, who cares? Get over it.
>>2073454Clearly it's not me who needs to get over things?
>>2073377>ramp of every tooth and the inside of every link is dirty and calls it clean>waits for weather to "clean" his bike>thinks wax is good in the rain>redefines dirt as "dust"And this ladies and gentlemen is what the lower end of the 4chan advice spectrum looks like
>>2072015I got my bike for free. Im pure beef but Im old and weak and id love to not have to walk hills. I dont have gears high enough to go crazy legs anymore....>>2072068I have several cranks that need replacing anyway.
>>2072100that's cool brocheck out this attack helicopter that I built
>>2071970should I get a gravel or road bike? I ride on some side walks ,paved roads, dirt roads, and a rail trail.
>>2073508gravel then but desu just roadmaxx and stay on roads you gotta go fas
Are these pedals any good? I don't want clip ins. I just have the plane plastic stock ones on my bike now.
Post reccs for riding glasses, is Tifosi any good? Trying to spend no more than $100
>>2073519I haven't tried them, but they are certainly better than what you have now. Foot retention is rather subjective so you just have to try different types and see what you like.
>>2073532i use a 10$ set of ski goggles i got on sale when it's cold, or my old shooting glasses when it is warmeven when it's warm i sometimes prefer the goggles, it's mad dusty out sometimes and the shooting glasses work fine for rain/snow/splash dont do shit against updrafted super fine road crud
>>2073519>I don’t want clip insYou do you just don’t know it yet
>>2073532Should be more or less okay (like everything in same price category) as long as the frame fits your head and the arms don't push your temples too much. Cheap chinesium ones might have shitty coatings and issues with polarization. t. cheap glasses enjoyer
>>2073519I rode them for a few years and I really liked the way they gripped my feet, which was excellent. my issue with them is the same as all foot retention: I ride urban, so I don't mount my bike, clip in one foot, slowly get to speed while I dick around with the other foot, then ride a century and dismount. when I see my window in traffic, I need to fucking go and hammer it. also, I'm potentially dismounting for lights and whichever stop signs it's too trafficy to blow, and if I want to go and skip clipping in for a while, they drag and could snag the ground. so it's flat pedals for me.aside from it not matching my use case, the only thing that bothered me about powergrips was the adjustment was with a nut and bolt. so if you don't wear the same pair of shoes always, it may not fit different pairs. short of busting out a wrench and screwdriver and spending 5 or 10 minutes readjusting them every time, you either must wear the same shoes always, or ride with them upside down and hear them drag when you're cornering all day.
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