bikes

[manysnakes]

Honestly I try to apply what I’ve learned as a skater and while it’s hard sometimes, as cars can kill you…..I try and not take things personally and be cool about things. I think I sort of have it easy here though as we have lots of separated bike lanes and options…..

Not being able to skate, a birthday and alternating between 30 year old bikes….I picked up the cheapest new gravel bike I could find a Kona Rove, it’s pretty fun.  Crazy what people spend on bikes……

The Rove is one of the best off-the-peg gravel bikes out there, so you made a good choice.

[itspizzapie]

i'm buying my dream frame next saturday. My expectation about this bike are so high that i think i'm gonna end up being disappointed.
The guy who's selling it to me gave up on ever building it because work/kid



I'd like to build it with a 11sp Dura ace mech, but they are hard to find and expensive

[leftwrightcenter]

Late last year a friend of mine suggested we take a train up to SF and ride the coast back home to LA, camping along the way. Although 500 miles pales in comparison to some of the rides discussed in this thread, it will be our longest ride to date. Planning to complete it in 7 days if all goes smoothly.

Once we got news of the fires in Lahaina, we both decided that it would be appropriate to use this ride to raise some money for those affected in West Maui. We both have friends there, and family of friends, who have lost everything.

I made a GoFundMe yesterday, which I'm planning to share around over the next three weeks. One hundred percent of donations will go directly to families in Lahaina; we are using @lahaina_ohana_venmo and @helpmauirise to help distribute whatever we receive.

Even sharing this with others in the bike community would help a lot. Any donations deeply appreciated.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycling-sf-to-la-for-maui-relief

I just finished my SF to LA ride yesterday, taking PCH the whole way. Managed to sneak through the closure in Lucia, which was hectic but well worth it. 500+ miles in 6 days was easier than I thought; next time, might consider starting in Portland and adding to the trip. I'll be writing about this recent trip, will post a link here when it's published.

[IUTSM]

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So there is this bike lane near the train station here and every fucking day there is cars parked on it. Yesterday on the way to work this cunt in a van turned into it, ran over the plastic bollard. I almost hit the back of the van as I was booking it to work. Anyways I was raging and removed his mirror. Now I'm thinking about filling it full of rocks and then poring in concrete. It's pretty beat up (the bollard) as cunts just drive over it to park. I'm thinking if I wrap it in duct tape first it might hold. Anyone got any experience doing something like that.  BTW there is water super close and I have a garage right near it also.

[close]

Bad drivers suck, but what you’re proposing could fucking kill someone. Manslaughter. Not saying the couldn’t kill you either, because they can. I reckon we have all been almost killed if not hit and taken out by cars. I have. But making a hidden concrete block isn’t cool for too many reasons.

[close]

Mate it is a bike lane only, there is a sidewalk/footpath on one side with metal bollards and a curb dividing it, then a 2m garden with curbs and trees and a road, i'll get a pic after work. No one will get hurt, like i said its a hard plastic bollard if you hit it on a bike you're eating shit. I just want to stop the fuckwits in cars that drive on it. Only thing that will get hurt is some turds bumper or radiator.
Edit:

You can also see where someone removed some of the metal ones on the footpath. So even if the plastic one was metal they could just drive over the footpath on to it. Behind me is the same set up.

[close]

I know this isn't the point and sorry to detract from your argument (with which I almost totally agree), but how are you not skating that little bump on the curb next to the bus stop?

[close]

Dude I have never noticed it before lol! Will check it out soon.

Hey man, wasnt tryna fight with ya. Where I’m at that would be called a path and obviously no MVs on that thing. Bike lanes where I live are generally on the shoulder of the road. A space maybe a meter wide at best. I was seeing something different

With that, im back living in a city (with no bike amenities whatsoever) and felt it appropriate to go ride at rush hour. This fucking beat up old BMW suv was honking away at it while I was riding with traffic into a turn. The thrill has returned

[323-BALM]

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Late last year a friend of mine suggested we take a train up to SF and ride the coast back home to LA, camping along the way. Although 500 miles pales in comparison to some of the rides discussed in this thread, it will be our longest ride to date. Planning to complete it in 7 days if all goes smoothly.

Once we got news of the fires in Lahaina, we both decided that it would be appropriate to use this ride to raise some money for those affected in West Maui. We both have friends there, and family of friends, who have lost everything.

I made a GoFundMe yesterday, which I'm planning to share around over the next three weeks. One hundred percent of donations will go directly to families in Lahaina; we are using @lahaina_ohana_venmo and @helpmauirise to help distribute whatever we receive.

Even sharing this with others in the bike community would help a lot. Any donations deeply appreciated.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycling-sf-to-la-for-maui-relief

[close]

I just finished my SF to LA ride yesterday, taking PCH the whole way. Managed to sneak through the closure in Lucia, which was hectic but well worth it. 500+ miles in 6 days was easier than I thought; next time, might consider starting in Portland and adding to the trip. I'll be writing about this recent trip, will post a link here when it's published.

hell yes!
I will read / watch all the long distance biking articles I see.

put moto style handguards on my bike last week, it's sick. My fingers were noticeably warmer and drier (from a standpoint of water) through a few hours of riding. bashed through some brush no problem.

[Síota]

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So there is this bike lane near the train station here and every fucking day there is cars parked on it. Yesterday on the way to work this cunt in a van turned into it, ran over the plastic bollard. I almost hit the back of the van as I was booking it to work. Anyways I was raging and removed his mirror. Now I'm thinking about filling it full of rocks and then poring in concrete. It's pretty beat up (the bollard) as cunts just drive over it to park. I'm thinking if I wrap it in duct tape first it might hold. Anyone got any experience doing something like that.  BTW there is water super close and I have a garage right near it also.

[close]

Bad drivers suck, but what you’re proposing could fucking kill someone. Manslaughter. Not saying the couldn’t kill you either, because they can. I reckon we have all been almost killed if not hit and taken out by cars. I have. But making a hidden concrete block isn’t cool for too many reasons.

[close]

Mate it is a bike lane only, there is a sidewalk/footpath on one side with metal bollards and a curb dividing it, then a 2m garden with curbs and trees and a road, i'll get a pic after work. No one will get hurt, like i said its a hard plastic bollard if you hit it on a bike you're eating shit. I just want to stop the fuckwits in cars that drive on it. Only thing that will get hurt is some turds bumper or radiator.
Edit:

You can also see where someone removed some of the metal ones on the footpath. So even if the plastic one was metal they could just drive over the footpath on to it. Behind me is the same set up.

[close]

I know this isn't the point and sorry to detract from your argument (with which I almost totally agree), but how are you not skating that little bump on the curb next to the bus stop?

[close]

Dude I have never noticed it before lol! Will check it out soon.

[close]

Hey man, wasnt tryna fight with ya. Where I’m at that would be called a path and obviously no MVs on that thing. Bike lanes where I live are generally on the shoulder of the road. A space maybe a meter wide at best. I was seeing something different

With that, im back living in a city (with no bike amenities whatsoever) and felt it appropriate to go ride at rush hour. This fucking beat up old BMW suv was honking away at it while I was riding with traffic into a turn. The thrill has returned

@IusedToSkateMore no worries! I'm shit sometimes at explaining stuff written. I swear as my French improves my English is getting worse haha. Yeah I guess it should be a bike path as its not part of the public road.
Hope fully your new city has some decent spots.

[IUTSM]

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So there is this bike lane near the train station here and every fucking day there is cars parked on it. Yesterday on the way to work this cunt in a van turned into it, ran over the plastic bollard. I almost hit the back of the van as I was booking it to work. Anyways I was raging and removed his mirror. Now I'm thinking about filling it full of rocks and then poring in concrete. It's pretty beat up (the bollard) as cunts just drive over it to park. I'm thinking if I wrap it in duct tape first it might hold. Anyone got any experience doing something like that.  BTW there is water super close and I have a garage right near it also.

[close]

Bad drivers suck, but what you’re proposing could fucking kill someone. Manslaughter. Not saying the couldn’t kill you either, because they can. I reckon we have all been almost killed if not hit and taken out by cars. I have. But making a hidden concrete block isn’t cool for too many reasons.

[close]

Mate it is a bike lane only, there is a sidewalk/footpath on one side with metal bollards and a curb dividing it, then a 2m garden with curbs and trees and a road, i'll get a pic after work. No one will get hurt, like i said its a hard plastic bollard if you hit it on a bike you're eating shit. I just want to stop the fuckwits in cars that drive on it. Only thing that will get hurt is some turds bumper or radiator.
Edit:

You can also see where someone removed some of the metal ones on the footpath. So even if the plastic one was metal they could just drive over the footpath on to it. Behind me is the same set up.

[close]

I know this isn't the point and sorry to detract from your argument (with which I almost totally agree), but how are you not skating that little bump on the curb next to the bus stop?

[close]

Dude I have never noticed it before lol! Will check it out soon.

[close]

Hey man, wasnt tryna fight with ya. Where I’m at that would be called a path and obviously no MVs on that thing. Bike lanes where I live are generally on the shoulder of the road. A space maybe a meter wide at best. I was seeing something different

With that, im back living in a city (with no bike amenities whatsoever) and felt it appropriate to go ride at rush hour. This fucking beat up old BMW suv was honking away at it while I was riding with traffic into a turn. The thrill has returned

[close]

@IusedToSkateMore no worries! I'm shit sometimes at explaining stuff written. I swear as my French improves my English is getting worse haha. Yeah I guess it should be a bike path as its not part of the public road.
Hope fully your new city has some decent spots.

Aw ya, man, I speak, type, and read only American English, so no stress from me! With the influx of Haitian folks here, as well as Dominican and Brazilian, I should up my game!

Anyhow, there’s spots here. All crust, but fun and the city is flat as a board, making it perfect for fixed gear riding

[j....soy.....]

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Honestly I try to apply what I’ve learned as a skater and while it’s hard sometimes, as cars can kill you…..I try and not take things personally and be cool about things. I think I sort of have it easy here though as we have lots of separated bike lanes and options…..

Not being able to skate, a birthday and alternating between 30 year old bikes….I picked up the cheapest new gravel bike I could find a Kona Rove, it’s pretty fun.  Crazy what people spend on bikes……

[close]

The Rove is one of the best off-the-peg gravel bikes out there, so you made a good choice.

Thanks!  It's replacing my 92 Lava dome hard tail, I'm a strong proponent of lowest models on good brands..... shout out to my iPhone SE....rolling in my prius c....it's prefect for just stuff I can ride to....

[OhioGuy]

Got a Fairdale skateboard rack. It’s a little pricey for what it offers, but it’s nice to be able to carry my setup with me.

Doubt I’ll use it much until spring through. The bike infrastructure is nonexistent here. Like we only have bike lanes downtown. I just ride on trails. But I moved closer to my regular spot and wanted to bike there sometimes.

[manysnakes]

That Fairdale rack is one of the only products of its kind which works perfectly, and exactly as advertised.

[apport]

the fairdale rack is excellent, but just make sure it’s fully snug to the rear rack (extra straps) to avoid a terribly annoying mishap like the one i had. i hopped off a curb and the rack shifted sending my board into the spokes, splitting the plies. that deck was like a day old too :'(

[PAWL]

the fairdale rack is excellent, but just make sure it’s fully snug to the rear rack (extra straps) to avoid a terribly annoying mishap like the one i had. i hopped off a curb and the rack shifted sending my board into the spokes, splitting the plies. that deck was like a day old too :'(

sounds like my mishap with a shitty pannier bag yesterday. thing kept popping off, eventually part of it got tangled in my wheel and fucked up my front derailleur. fucking garbage bag.

[manysnakes]

the fairdale rack is excellent, but just make sure it’s fully snug to the rear rack (extra straps) to avoid a terribly annoying mishap like the one i had. i hopped off a curb and the rack shifted sending my board into the spokes, splitting the plies. that deck was like a day old too :'(

That's true, I definitely wrapped mine in some extra Velcro I had sitting around. I imagine zip ties would do the job just as well.

[OhioGuy]

I gave mine another test ride today. I may need a better rear rack. I have to pull my skateboard out carefully or the grip will scratch my bike a little. It's a great product, though. The tennis court I skate is only 1.5 miles from my apartment. So it's not like I'm making long trips. Hopefully it'll hold up. Gonna get some extra straps though.

[Mr. Pickles]

I bought the fairdale rear rack to go with the board rack, and it’s hella snug. Pretty nice rack too. Little pricey.

[VCR]

Anyone have a front rack suggestion to where I can bungee my board down?

[Huell Howser]

Looking to do some small bike packing trips and ride a bit more on trails since all I have is a road bike right now.  been looking at possibly getting a gravel bike. been checking out this specialized diverge

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-e5/p/199973?color=322113-199973



for the price it seems like it’s a good entry-level bike for what I’m trying to do but my knowledge is limited tbh. Anyone got any recommendations for comparable bikes in a similar price range?

Should add that I’m probably looking to buy something new because the use market seems to be filled with bikes that have aftermarket upgrades and I’m just not familiar with them or confident enough to know what I’m paying for as of now

[PAWL]

Looking to do some small bike packing trips and ride a bit more on trails since all I have is a road bike right now.  been looking at possibly getting a gravel bike. been checking out this specialized diverge

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-e5/p/199973?color=322113-199973



for the price it seems like it’s a good entry-level bike for what I’m trying to do but my knowledge is limited tbh. Anyone got any recommendations for comparable bikes in a similar price range?

Should add that I’m probably looking to buy something new because the use market seems to be filled with bikes that have aftermarket upgrades and I’m just not familiar with them or confident enough to know what I’m paying for as of now

look for used surlys in that price range on facebook marketplace. Also that's aluminum, depending on how far/much you're carrying you probably want a steel frame. I was looking at some steel konas (Dr.Dew) before i finally got my new ride. Salsa is also a brand worth looking for though the ones near me were all pretty price gaugey

[Frank and Fred]

Anyone have a front rack suggestion to where I can bungee my board down?

I use a Surly 24 pack rack on my Straggler to bungee my board to. Not sure I like the handling with so much weight up front but when I go on serious rides I take the rack off.

[sharkjumper]

Anyone have a front rack suggestion to where I can bungee my board down?

https://waldsports.com/store/front-baskets/1372-front-basket/

I wrapped an old bike tube around the top edge so my grip doesn’t get scuffed.

Or this looks good. A little more expensive. I had an old Wald 137 basket I cut to look like this and it was perfect for carrying a board.

https://waldsports.com/store/front-baskets/257gb-black-ewalds-multi-fit-front-rack/

If your fork doesn’t have the braze ons for bolting this on, you can get a couple P-clamps and attach that way.

[Mr. Pickles]

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Looking to do some small bike packing trips and ride a bit more on trails since all I have is a road bike right now.  been looking at possibly getting a gravel bike. been checking out this specialized diverge

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-e5/p/199973?color=322113-199973



for the price it seems like it’s a good entry-level bike for what I’m trying to do but my knowledge is limited tbh. Anyone got any recommendations for comparable bikes in a similar price range?

Should add that I’m probably looking to buy something new because the use market seems to be filled with bikes that have aftermarket upgrades and I’m just not familiar with them or confident enough to know what I’m paying for as of now

[close]

look for used surlys in that price range on facebook marketplace. Also that's aluminum, depending on how far/much you're carrying you probably want a steel frame. I was looking at some steel konas (Dr.Dew) before i finally got my new ride. Salsa is also a brand worth looking for though the ones near me were all pretty price gaugey

Just get a new Surly Bridge Club for the same price and ride it to Mongolia and back.

[Síota]

What is the average price for a early 90's basic hardtail these days? Saw a 90/91 Specialized hardrock at the bike shop beside my gaff this morning and a Marin both with no front suspension saw 120 euro for the Specialized but didn't see the tag yet on  the Marin.

[concerned_parent]

Anyone have a front rack suggestion to where I can bungee my board down?

i ran this one on my priority and my fairdale for years and would strap the board down to this using rok-straps. little bit heavy but i used it for a hell of a lot more than just a board most of the time.

https://origin8.bike/products/rush-messenger-front-flat-rack



https://rokstraps.com/

rok straps are the truth for strapping shit down for bicycles / motorcycles. moreso motorcycles but the skinnier ones are perfect for racks on a bicycle.

[Blue Fescue]

in the states i just got a full stock hardrock for 120. you aren't gonna find suspension forks on bikes that old.

and as someone who had suspension forks in the early 90's you don't want them.

[Síota]

in the states i just got a full stock hardrock for 120. you aren't gonna find suspension forks on bikes that old.

Probably a decent price so as it looked mint. I don't want/need suspension.

[manysnakes]

Looking to do some small bike packing trips and ride a bit more on trails since all I have is a road bike right now.  been looking at possibly getting a gravel bike. been checking out this specialized diverge

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-e5/p/199973?color=322113-199973



for the price it seems like it’s a good entry-level bike for what I’m trying to do but my knowledge is limited tbh. Anyone got any recommendations for comparable bikes in a similar price range?

Should add that I’m probably looking to buy something new because the use market seems to be filled with bikes that have aftermarket upgrades and I’m just not familiar with them or confident enough to know what I’m paying for as of now

I haven’t worked in the industry for six years now, but  Specialized makes great bikes, easy to buy and get serviced basically anywhere. The Diverge has been a solid bike since its introduction, you can’t go wrong, but also don’t be afraid to shop around. Kona and Marin make some really great bikes in this category, and personally they are what I’d buy over the Spec. Don’t let frame material turn you off, it really doesn’t matter.

As far as buying new vs. used, my understanding from friends still in the trenches is that the covid bike boom is over and sales are in the shitter since the market is totally saturated, meaning there are a lotta used bikes out there. If you don’t know what you’re looking for though, it really is usually worth it to just go to a shop and look around. If you are a certified bike nerd, you can go on to marketplace or Craigslist and find exactly what you need for next to nothing, but if you aren’t conversant in sizes, components, materials, etc. - that’s what a bike shop is for.

[manysnakes]

What is the average price for a early 90's basic hardtail these days? Saw a 90/91 Specialized hardrock at the bike shop beside my gaff this morning and a Marin both with no front suspension saw 120 euro for the Specialized but didn't see the tag yet on  the Marin.

Depends on the market but $120 is pretty good even in bike-crazy Pacific Northwest. Suspension forks from this era weren’t usually stock items, they would have been purchased aftermarket, so they are not terribly common, and honestly any fork from 92 is going to be blown out or merely inadequate. I’d argue that a bike from this era with the stock rigid fork is more valued than anything with suspension.

The real value for these old mountain bikes isn’t for getting rad on gnarly singletrack, it’s using them for city/gravel/touring.

[notinternetfamous]

The real value for these old mountain bikes isn’t for getting rad on gnarly singletrack, it’s using them for city/gravel/touring.

just got a 1990 stumpjumper that i'm excited to do some light gravel rides with, but it will mainly used as a city bike to the local climbing gym and grocery store tbh

[Huell Howser]

@manysnakes thanks for the info!

[manysnakes]

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The real value for these old mountain bikes isn’t for getting rad on gnarly singletrack, it’s using them for city/gravel/touring.

[close]

just got a 1990 stumpjumper that i'm excited to do some light gravel rides with, but it will mainly used as a city bike to the local climbing gym and grocery store tbh

Dream machine! I’ve got a basement full of vintage Trek mountain bikes, but for some reason I’ve never had a Stumpy.