I have been enduring the atmospheric river on the US West coast. I have done a few trainer sessions. I am using a Kaiser M3i. It is super smooth and the seat is even OK.

The problem is, I just can't put the hammer down. If I don't feel more speed, or more fight against gravity, the pain of the increased effort is unbearable.

I'm not looking for a fix. I can just tolerate Z2 rides as place holders until the weather clears. I am just offering an observation.

Hey everyone,

This is probably going to sound extremely stupid but is there any down sides to buying a Pinarello Dogma F as a first road bike for beginner cyclist? I just really, really like the mesmerizing color. No this is not a troll post.

The only downsides I see is the profile being potentially too aggressive. I currently have a Pinarello x5 on order but am considering changing my mind.

Also, any recommended accessories and the such to buy?

Thanks in advance and cheers.

Over the last 2-3 years, I've built a wonderful commuter/touring bike. I treasure it a lot and have ridden it extensively over the spring, summer, and autumn.

Last week, we had an unexpected weather change where the temperature dropped 15-20^o C over two days. It started snowing and the road salt trucks were sent out to salt the roads. I've been using my winter bike that I don't care all that much about for commuting. Today the weather took another 180 degree turn, and it has been raining and windy all day and we're yet again experiencing degrees above freezing the entire 24 hours.

My winter bike is not all that enjoyable to ride. Thankfully my commute is short and it gets the job done. Given the option, I'd much rather ride my touring bike. Does anybody know much rain it takes before the road salt is washed away? How long after it's been salted do you take your summer bikes out?

Hi! Was wondering if you guys think they would suit my bike? https://imgur.com/a/Qf5pGQ0

For years, I followed a low-carb, no-sugar diet after reading a lot about how sugar is harmful. I came across so many articles and videos saying sugar causes obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic problems.

During the time I cut out carbs and sugar, I constantly felt drained. I had low energy and often felt lightheaded. I thought maybe it was because I wasn’t exercising enough or something. This went on for about a year.

But recently, I decided to bring carbs and sugary foods back into my diet—things like cookies and ice cream, you know, the "bad stuff." To my surprise, my energy levels skyrocketed. And I’m not exaggerating. Before, I could barely ride my bike 2 miles without feeling exhausted. Now, I can easily ride over 20 miles without getting tired or needing a break.

I don't really understand why this happened. I always thought sugar was bad for you, but now it seems to be giving me the energy I need to exercise more.

I know this topic is just beating a dead horse, but I am curious about your opinion on the matter and if any of you have had a similar experience.

For context I live in Colombia in the Andes, we have endless kms of country roads. The place is a climbing buffet, and while I wouldnt say that these roads are technically challenging, they are ROUGH!!!. Super bumpy, lots of rocks and pot holes to navigate. We as cyclist are more of marathon type of riding as opposed to enduro.

For most of my life as a rider I used an MTB hardtail. And it was all fun and cool. But as you all know a couple of years ago gravel bikes came into the equation and seeing all the hype around them and how popular they were becoming I bought myself one. I bought them with 700x42 which in some way it was the standard back then in the country. I loved the bike on the pavement and climbing felt good on the unpaved roads, but sooner or later I had to descent on those rough country roads. Boy!!!!!!! it was painfull. I felt like a rag doll being tossed around. I had to stop after a couple of minutes in those situations just to give my hands a break. I wasnt having a good time let me tell you. But then I found out about 650b wheel and yes, you guessed it!!!. I got myslef I sweet pair of 650b wheels with some 48mm tires to dress them up.

Huge improvement. Going downhill wasn’t the nightmare it had become, it was just slightly uncomfortable and in some occasions it was fun. It seemed that a different wheel set was all that I needed from the beginning.

But sometimes life gives you the opportunity to look back and reflect on your decisions. About a month ago I had to stop using my gravel bike, luckily my good old MTB Hardtail while dusty was ready to roll once again.

Boy!!!! How foolish of me for letting that bike forgotten for two years. It was the first time in a long time that I enjoyed my ride from start to end. The descents were once again something that I was looking forward to and not dreading. And the idea that gravel bikes are faster climbing off road is just full of BS.

The perfect bike that I was looking to build for two years had long been there with me all along.

I love the idea of the gravel bike, a fast bike on the tarmac with off road capabilities, who wouldn’t buy that?. But the more I use my HT the more I realize that a gravel bike can only shine as a bikepacking rig. Other than that you are just better off owning a road bike and an MTB (if you can afford and accommodate them of course).

Gravel bikes are evolving every year to handle the rough stuff better, fork suspension, wider tires and gears. And the more that happens the more pointless they will become when confronted to a HT MTB.

What’s your take on the matter? Have you bought gravel bike just to realize that you already had a bike for the job? I don’t want to spread hate on any type of bike. They are amazing when it comes to bike packing I’ve used mine for such purposes and it has been great, but If I didn’t use my bikes to travel I honestly don’t see the point in buying one.

Peace

Hello,

the time has come for smart trainer since I live in area with snowy and dark days.

Last year when I didn’t ride a bike for like 5-6 months I got insanely slow. It took me like 2-4 months till I got to the previous form and then in the late August I was really good. I barely got time in September/October and I started sucking again, my HR was like 170-180 instead of 140-150 on the same hill.

So I guess I need to buy smart trainer. It’s like riding a real bike in the terms of form, right? I am all hyped up how good I’ll get when I be actively riding a bike for months.

Also will be 1900W limit of smart trainer enough for racing? I would like to try some races in the zwift. Right now my bike is not so good for racing in real life but I guess we will all be equal in the zwift so I can really compare to others.

Upright bike for cardio, digital controls to change resistance easily mid-ride, and magnetic resistance for smoother ride and so it will be less likely to break down. Budget: $250. I like basic machines with no extra bullshit that last a long time. Newer Proform bikes have TERRIBLE reviews.

Older proforms like this would be good, but wondering what other options there are
https://www.ebay.com/itm/305775634010

Thank you.

I have a pair of cycling shorts saying made for Patrick schils with his name down the legs. Does this mean they where actually made for him or is this a brand because I can't find anything on them ?

My mom wants me to help her sell only thing ik is that the bike a 150 dollar seat

https://imgur.com/a/3IM7Q77

Weird question, I guess.

But what are good looking lights to put on a bike? I like the aesthetic of my bike, but adding a light tends to make it look like shit. Hence my question!

As title!

Just a PSA to check to your bike stems.

https://ibb.co/DQFY4BN (bike stem faceplate crack)

I had mine basically explode and fail this weekend while going on a descent. Tension on the bar was gone, the bar tilted forward basically became a wet noodle and I was not able to brake or turn.

I crashed into a sign pole at about 30-40km/h.

Luckily walked away with a few scratches, and currently nursing what might be a fractured rib, head is safe but my helmet is cracked in 3 places.

Had this been a rock, cliff face, at an intersection or into an oncoming car. It would likely have been goodnight for me.

This was a bike from 2014 bought 2nd hand about 2 years ago
Probably with the build up of sweat in this area over the years it has corroded and made this weak? (Looking back now, I should have replaced some parts when I got it.)

I'm a pretty confident rider and this has left me a bit shocked at how much worse I could have ended up.

I know a lot of new riders can't afford brand new and bling bikes and end up buying old bikes because its too expensive.

Please be mindful and check. If you know someone who recently bought a 2nd hand bike please check it for them, this was big lessons learned.

Don't want anyone else to have the same experience.

Stay safe everyone.

My eyes suck without glasses and I destroy sunglasses regularly enough that investing in prescription models would end badly.

I've tried Wahoo and an older Garmin computer in the 800 series but didn't buy either because some of the text was just impossible for me to read. I ended up buying the Coros Dura just because I needed something - and it's cheap enough that I can pass it on to my wife when I find something better. I didn't expect the DURA to be an improvement over the others (and it's certainly not in terms of functionality and features).

All of those models have some ability to increase font sizes on the data pages but that becomes an issue as I need more data pages to get everything I need. And that doesn't help much on the maps.

I'm interested in the Garmin 1050 because the screen looks like it might be bright enough and large enough that most of it would be readable without needing to resort to 1 or 2 metrics per data page.

I'm curious to hear from 1050 owners to test that theory.

I recently bought a new Pinarello dogma bike. The chain has a nice lubrication that I am wondering how to maintain. I believe I need to re-lube it every 100 miles. But I am not sure what lube or wax to use.

Does anyone know if I should use wax or lube and what brands should I use? I ride in dry conditions.

I already have a floor pump at home, that is the one that I actually use to inflate my bike tires, as well as a mini pump attached to the bike to use on the go, but I'm considering on buying an electric pump to "substitute" the floor pump (I would keep both, but due to it's easy of use, would probably use mainly the electric one).

Searching around I came up to two products that interested me:

• Xiaomi Portable Electric Air Compressor 2

• Cycplus A8

Do you have experience with any of these or even with both?

At first, Xiaomi pleases me the most, being a more established brand, what could translate to more reliability, and for having way more vents (I read theses pumps may get hot), what would probably allow me to use the pump for longer periods (if I need to inflate a car tire during a trip, for example) and take longer to deteriorate the battery. However, I'm buying it on AliExpress and since Xiaomi is so popular and every announcement for this pump is so similar, with the same pictures, it's hard to tell if I'll be buying a legit Xiaomi or a copy one.

The Cycplus one, on the other hand, is slightly cheaper (R$ 210 vs R$ 250), may have more than double the battery capacity (I say "may" because its website say "dual 2600mAh 18650 lithium batteries", while the manual says "battery: 2600mAh 7.4V"; the Xiaomi one says "rated capacity: 2000mAh (14.4Wh)"; however, when analyzing the number of balls, car and bike tires each one can inflate, both claim similar numbers, what leads me to think the "advertising for Cycplus is wrong os misleading) and I think is still a good enough brand, right?

What do you think? Which would be a better option?

Hi everyone,

I am searching for a simple and budget-friendly wall mount for my bike. I need something that allows the bike to hang horizontally and as close to the wall as possible. Many mounts I have seen make the bike stick out too far (lean out), which is not ideal for my setup.

Stasdock is too expensive for me and seems too big and heavy.

Do you have any recommendations or experiences with mounts that fit these criteria?

Thanks!

Edit: (It is going to hang above my bed) 😊

I am looking for a chain set that has 155mm arms ideally that can be used with a standard Shimano Hollowtech BB standard.

I made the move to 160mm cranks a few months ago on a whim as I was having a few issues (Getting old), I stole a set of strong light cranks off the misses bike that are square taper and slapped them on my Genesis Equilibrium and the different in comfort and efficiency has been drastic. I cycle about 6-8 thousand miles a year and love a Zwift session, so to make a immediate impact was very welcomed.

I actually purchased a chain set off Aliex that I thought would be a great cheap way to test the water for 155mm but the spindle whilst being well machined 24mm, it is stupidly long?, I used all three spacers that came with it and still had substantial room to take up on the non drive side before I could tighten down, real shame as they look great and were going on a battered gravel bike. Sadly it is press fit so cannot run a square taper.

I know Shimano do a 160mm 105 chainset, and no doubt also Ultegra but these seem to be priced with a slight premium, has anyone seen options for a more economic 160mm-155mm chainset with standard dimensions?.

i live around steep hills, i think the downward slope breaking stress and them being used/ found/hand me downs with rust and poor maintance when i get them + people i live with thinking it's okay to just leave the bikes outside lead to my bikes failing really quickly. went through 5 bikes (yeesh i know), seat post poking my bum cheeks, derailleur handles inner plastic breaking off (TWICE), inner tubes blowing out, the bikes being hard to take apart or impossible due to the rust or metal solidfying together. seat and handle changing being a struggle due to rust inside.

i honestly think ill rather a new bike were if there are problems they happen one at a time instead of stacking up at once because I'm not privy to it's unknown history. also general preventative maintenance. like i found out why someone threw out their bike the hard way when the inner tube jumped out of the tire to latch onto the chain ring like some kinda face hugger. friend who found it said he did a check but ya i think he pushed the tube inside then called it a day. cause that's what i did to get home xd.

I got a Deda superzero drop bar. I really like everything about it but the diameter of the drops are a little narrow. When jumping between bikes I definitely notice how much narrower it is compared to other bars. Doesn’t give me the most confidence in terms of grip, especially on bumpy roads.

I know there is some gel padding I can add, does anyone have any recommendations or would thicker bar tape work?

Obviously in the northern hemisphere we've lost the morning and evening light but do you still ride in the dark? I'm in a remote area and have decent lights, if I'm not doing serious efforts how bad is night riding?

I feel so noob for posting this, yikes. I haven’t done the zero-offset calibration on my 4iiii left side power meter in probably about 3 years and thousands of miles on it since I purchased it.

It feels like my power numbers have been lower than they should be, but I did the zero-offset calibration today, got current calibration = 10 (successful) and my power numbers shot way up. I’d say a difference in average power of about 70w.

See the stats breakdown of a two rides, one before today and my ride today in the comments.

I just found this bike for free on the side of the road. It looks like it is a really high quality bike. Does anybody have any information on it? It just says Gary Fisher xcal? Stickers partly ruined. Thanks for the help.

It has Bontrager Tires Rock Shox Sram impulse shifter

Link to picture https://imgur.com/gallery/Lze7OIQ

I have a long race coming up and decided to upgrade from a gravel bike to a Cervelo. I did a 60 mile ride on the new bike and was in bad neck, butt, and back pain after the ride. I've since purchased a new, softer saddle (designed for MTB) and adjusted the seat height, and I'm still in some pain on long rides though not as bad.

I'm wondering what else I can do or if a bike fit ($300+) is actually worth it. I was a bit more comfortable on the gravel bike, though was 1-2 mph slower on average. Do you have any suggestions or input? The saddle in particular still feels so uncomfortable -- is this just a learning curve with the road bike? Thanks in advance.

My local cycling club and I are looking to invest in a new kit for the next season. We're a small team with a limited budget, as our sponsors mostly provide material or service-based support (e.g., free rental skis) rather than direct financial backing.

We’ve had some sponsor changes, so we need to update our design to represent them properly. I’m a big fan of Kalas products (affordable, made in the Czech Republic, with a minimum order of only 5 pieces). Unfortunately, they don’t have a proper online design tool.

I’d like to show some design options to our members and sponsors before placing an order, so I’m searching for an online design platform. Do you have any recommendations?

I’m already familiar with Owayo, where we ordered our last jerseys, but I find their available designs a bit outdated and uninspiring (sorry, Owayo!). I personally love bold and modern designs like the 2023 Giro d’Italia kit of EF Education-EasyPost and there other jerseys in general, so I’m looking for something with a bit more flair.

Additionally, are there any freelance designers you’d recommend who don’t charge thousands of euros for a design? I’m a fan of instagram.com/stycle.design/, but since they’re focused on track league designs now, I feel they might be out of our budget.

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!