bikes

[Grampa]

Got my Rock Hopper running last week and took it for a ride over the weekend. Easy trail but I’m not a mountain biker so it still kinda kicked my ass. Need a new saddle and I’ll be pretty happy with it.
https://ibb.co/cDMTkTy

I don’t know how to post images I guess.

[sometimeperhaps]

That looks rad Grampa. Similar build to what I had in mind

Thanks for the feedback PALS. Guess I’ll start the hunt on the local classifieds. Hopefully bikes aren’t super inflated still

[Joust Ostrich]

Got my Rock Hopper running last week and took it for a ride over the weekend. Easy trail but I’m not a mountain biker so it still kinda kicked my ass. Need a new saddle and I’ll be pretty happy with it.
https://ibb.co/cDMTkTy

I don’t know how to post images I guess.

Woah, that's a classic.  Judging by the background scenery, that trail isn't that easy.

[Frank]

i'm getting closer to having all parts for my gravel/rando/commuter hybrid thing. i picked up the frame a few months ago for 15 quid. just bought a nice and mint velo orange stem that also came with an adapter from threaded to 1 1/8 ahead already installed, which was what i needed, for merely half it's original price.

basically what i'm still missing is a wheelset, cassette, rd, chainring and shifter. i could get everything else from parts bin or take it from my mtb. but that's cool since i wanted to strip it anyways so i can be rude to the stuck seatpost.

i still haven't decided what wheels to get though. the frame takes 28'' wheels. i thought about going 650b, but the frame is built for canti/v-brakes, so it's hard to find a set that works with those. i'd like to, since the tires are bigger, and i guess i could run it with a bit lower pressure, which would be nice on the bumpy parts of my commute. but i'm probably go with 28s first for cost reasons. i could still switch up later. but i'm not sure if it's worth the hassle to get a rim brake set. i only found supercheap ones or super expensive rimsets.

if anyone wants to give input on this that would be much appreciated.

[Bunk Moreland]

I have nothing to offer @frank, I’m so sick of thinking about bikes. I bought a beat the shit all-city macho man a few months ago from offer-up for $200. It looked like it was hit by a train. Stripped it, some parts are usable and just need to be cleaned. SRAM Red throughout, zipp cockpit… The only thing is the rear derailleur was busted in half. So now I’m trying to figure out what to do with it. I don’t want to dump a bunch of money into it.  I got the frame looking amazing, save one small dent in the top tube. I don’t even want the thing anymore.

[Frank]

I have nothing to offer @frank, I’m so sick of thinking about bikes. I bought a beat the shit all-city macho man a few months ago from offer-up for $200. It looked like it was hit by a train. Stripped it, some parts are usable and just need to be cleaned. SRAM Red throughout, zipp cockpit… The only thing is the rear derailleur was busted in half. So now I’m trying to figure out what to do with it. I don’t want to dump a bunch of money into it.  I got the frame looking amazing, save one small dent in the top tube. I don’t even want the thing anymore.

it sounds like a mad sick bike though. have you looked for a used derailleur that fits? used derailleur and new derailluer sprockets shouldn't cost too much?

i totally get that the madness sucks at some point when you just want a reliable ride. i've been buying cheap used parts all over the place because of this. probably find out at some point i have enough shit lying around to build a few other bikes and hopefully sell them.

[cky enthusiast]

get the seat post out before you buy more upgrades

[Frank]

get the seat post out before you buy more upgrades

if you were referring to me, the frame came with no seatpost. or if you mean my other bike with the stuck seatpost, that's not getting upgraded unless i get that out. i'm just buying parts for the other frame. haven't even bought a seatpost for that yet.

[manysnakes]

i still haven't decided what wheels to get though. the frame takes 28'' wheels. i thought about going 650b, but the frame is built for canti/v-brakes, so it's hard to find a set that works with those. i'd like to, since the tires are bigger, and i guess i could run it with a bit lower pressure, which would be nice on the bumpy parts of my commute. but i'm probably go with 28s first for cost reasons. i could still switch up later. but i'm not sure if it's worth the hassle to get a rim brake set. i only found supercheap ones or super expensive rimsets.

if anyone wants to give input on this that would be much appreciated.

28" wheels aren't a real thing, it's just a weird term that Continental and some other German companies use to describe their tubulars and, even more oddly, some of their hybrid tires. Those are 700c wheels. With cantilever posts, you will almost certainly not be able to make a 650b wheel work in there without modification of the post mounts or the brakes themselves. There are some obscure "brake lengthener" pieces out there, but it's really not worth it, especially since 700c rim brake wheels are *everywhere* and 650b rim brake wheels are exceedingly rare.

This is good news, because 650b is more or less totally unnecessary for your application (I say this as someone with two custom 650b bikes), 700c tires are great, they are more common, and the will generally roll faster than 650b. The biggest question is - how wide of a tire does your bike fit? I assume that you're talking about a 700c hybrid-style frame, in which case you should comfortably be able to fit 38-44mm tires in there without issue, but there are a lot of different frames out there, so it's anyone's guess. There are a lot of great, relatively inexpensive wide 700c tire for gravel and randonneuring (or whatever kind of long riding you want to do) from more or less every maker. Schwalbe, Continental, Specialized, Michelin, Vittoria, Panaracer - the list goes on.

[Frank]

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i still haven't decided what wheels to get though. the frame takes 28'' wheels. i thought about going 650b, but the frame is built for canti/v-brakes, so it's hard to find a set that works with those. i'd like to, since the tires are bigger, and i guess i could run it with a bit lower pressure, which would be nice on the bumpy parts of my commute. but i'm probably go with 28s first for cost reasons. i could still switch up later. but i'm not sure if it's worth the hassle to get a rim brake set. i only found supercheap ones or super expensive rimsets.

if anyone wants to give input on this that would be much appreciated.

[close]

28" wheels aren't a real thing, it's just a weird term that Continental and some other German companies use to describe their tubulars and, even more oddly, some of their hybrid tires. Those are 700c wheels. With cantilever posts, you will almost certainly not be able to make a 650b wheel work in there without modification of the post mounts or the brakes themselves. There are some obscure "brake lengthener" pieces out there, but it's really not worth it, especially since 700c rim brake wheels are *everywhere* and 650b rim brake wheels are exceedingly rare.

This is good news, because 650b is more or less totally unnecessary for your application (I say this as someone with two custom 650b bikes), 700c tires are great, they are more common, and the will generally roll faster than 650b. The biggest question is - how wide of a tire does your bike fit? I assume that you're talking about a 700c hybrid-style frame, in which case you should comfortably be able to fit 38-44mm tires in there without issue, but there are a lot of different frames out there, so it's anyone's guess. There are a lot of great, relatively inexpensive wide 700c tire for gravel and randonneuring (or whatever kind of long riding you want to do) from more or less every maker. Schwalbe, Continental, Specialized, Michelin, Vittoria, Panaracer - the list goes on.

thanks for your reply manysnakes.

yeah i figured that was the case with the brakes... i'm not hellbend on the 650b size, it's just they look squishy and comfy, but i'll stick with the 700c. the nomenclature thingy is so dumb man, living in germany i'm so used to wheels be called 28s because for some reason that tire nomenclature stuck for wheels and a lot of shops list 700c just as 28s. so i'm sorry if my post was confusing and thanks for the correction, i will try and refer to them correctly now.

the frame should take up to 44mm wide tires with no problem, the fork is super wide. i guess it's sort of an old trekking frame maybe. i don't know. it has lots of eyelets to mount shit on it, that's for sure.

[beatifk]

After wasting way too much of my time trying to fit 25.4 bars into a 26.0 stem, then breaking a stem over-tightening it, then contemplating spending €60 for a nitto stem with the correct size clamp, then asking the local shop if they had a shim and him looking at me like I was an idiot, blah, blah, blah... I finally put the original bars back on my bike last night and ran the cables and wrapped the bars. Just need to set the brakes and trim the cables and I'm ready to be back on the road during the generally rainy season.

The thing that pushed me over the edge is that is was raining all day so I couldn't skate and my knees were killing me from just sitting around doing nothing for hours, so I realized I can't sit around all winter feeling like a slug.

I also tried a 650b conversion on another bike but never got around to buying the long-reach brakes. Now I don't know what to do with all these extra parts as I really don't want 2 bikes taking up space in my apartment.

[manysnakes]

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i still haven't decided what wheels to get though. the frame takes 28'' wheels. i thought about going 650b, but the frame is built for canti/v-brakes, so it's hard to find a set that works with those. i'd like to, since the tires are bigger, and i guess i could run it with a bit lower pressure, which would be nice on the bumpy parts of my commute. but i'm probably go with 28s first for cost reasons. i could still switch up later. but i'm not sure if it's worth the hassle to get a rim brake set. i only found supercheap ones or super expensive rimsets.

if anyone wants to give input on this that would be much appreciated.

[close]

28" wheels aren't a real thing, it's just a weird term that Continental and some other German companies use to describe their tubulars and, even more oddly, some of their hybrid tires. Those are 700c wheels. With cantilever posts, you will almost certainly not be able to make a 650b wheel work in there without modification of the post mounts or the brakes themselves. There are some obscure "brake lengthener" pieces out there, but it's really not worth it, especially since 700c rim brake wheels are *everywhere* and 650b rim brake wheels are exceedingly rare.

This is good news, because 650b is more or less totally unnecessary for your application (I say this as someone with two custom 650b bikes), 700c tires are great, they are more common, and the will generally roll faster than 650b. The biggest question is - how wide of a tire does your bike fit? I assume that you're talking about a 700c hybrid-style frame, in which case you should comfortably be able to fit 38-44mm tires in there without issue, but there are a lot of different frames out there, so it's anyone's guess. There are a lot of great, relatively inexpensive wide 700c tire for gravel and randonneuring (or whatever kind of long riding you want to do) from more or less every maker. Schwalbe, Continental, Specialized, Michelin, Vittoria, Panaracer - the list goes on.

[close]

thanks for your reply manysnakes.

yeah i figured that was the case with the brakes... i'm not hellbend on the 650b size, it's just they look squishy and comfy, but i'll stick with the 700c. the nomenclature thingy is so dumb man, living in germany i'm so used to wheels be called 28s because for some reason that tire nomenclature stuck for wheels and a lot of shops list 700c just as 28s. so i'm sorry if my post was confusing and thanks for the correction, i will try and refer to them correctly now.

the frame should take up to 44mm wide tires with no problem, the fork is super wide. i guess it's sort of an old trekking frame maybe. i don't know. it has lots of eyelets to mount shit on it, that's for sure.

lol no apology is necessary, especially if you are actually German - the only place where the 28" nomenclature is common! Yeah, just run the widest tire you can on there. If you want maximum squish, source some tubeless-ready rims and get them running tubeless. I run my 650b tubeless tires at around 25 psi and it's great.

[manysnakes]

After wasting way too much of my time trying to fit 25.4 bars into a 26.0 stem, then breaking a stem over-tightening it, then contemplating spending €60 for a nitto stem with the correct size clamp, then asking the local shop if they had a shim and him looking at me like I was an idiot, blah, blah, blah... I finally put the original bars back on my bike last night and ran the cables and wrapped the bars. Just need to set the brakes and trim the cables and I'm ready to be back on the road during the generally rainy season.

Shimming 25.4 to 26.0 can be pretty easily accomplished with a few strips of an aluminum can. Greg LeMond famously won the '89 Tour de France on a set of handlebars shimmed with a Coke can.

[beatifk]

Expand Quote

After wasting way too much of my time trying to fit 25.4 bars into a 26.0 stem, then breaking a stem over-tightening it, then contemplating spending €60 for a nitto stem with the correct size clamp, then asking the local shop if they had a shim and him looking at me like I was an idiot, blah, blah, blah... I finally put the original bars back on my bike last night and ran the cables and wrapped the bars. Just need to set the brakes and trim the cables and I'm ready to be back on the road during the generally rainy season.

[close]

Shimming 25.4 to 26.0 can be pretty easily accomplished with a few strips of an aluminum can. Greg LeMond famously won the '89 Tour de France on a set of handlebars shimmed with a Coke can.

That's how I broke the other stem. I don't know what's going on. Maybe these bars are just useless. It's some dumb "retro" hipster bullshit from Velo Orange. I put my Cinelli bars back on and everything's groovy.

EDIT: I broke a 3TTT stem trying to shim the bars and didn't want to break my nice Cinelli stem by doing the same dumb thing, so I put the coke can in there and when it didn't seem like it was going to hold I put those VO bars in the parts heap. I didn't want to break 2 stems.

[MysticalTypeExperience]

This is my first love, sorry skateboards

https://ibb.co/vxx0f8h

[sketchyrider]

This is my first love, sorry skateboards

https://ibb.co/vxx0f8h

that's a bad ass bike. i recently bought a brand new rockhopper. coming from skateboarding where spending 80 dollars on titanium trucks is considered excessive, i can't believe i paid that much for a "entry level" bike.

[MysticalTypeExperience]

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This is my first love, sorry skateboards

https://ibb.co/vxx0f8h

[close]

that's a bad ass bike. i recently bought a brand new rockhopper. coming from skateboarding where spending 80 dollars on titanium trucks is considered excessive, i can't believe i paid that much for a "entry level" bike.

Thanks, spent many years on hardtails before getting a fully. They're all fun as fuck though

[manysnakes]

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After wasting way too much of my time trying to fit 25.4 bars into a 26.0 stem, then breaking a stem over-tightening it, then contemplating spending €60 for a nitto stem with the correct size clamp, then asking the local shop if they had a shim and him looking at me like I was an idiot, blah, blah, blah... I finally put the original bars back on my bike last night and ran the cables and wrapped the bars. Just need to set the brakes and trim the cables and I'm ready to be back on the road during the generally rainy season.

[close]

Shimming 25.4 to 26.0 can be pretty easily accomplished with a few strips of an aluminum can. Greg LeMond famously won the '89 Tour de France on a set of handlebars shimmed with a Coke can.

[close]

That's how I broke the other stem. I don't know what's going on. Maybe these bars are just useless. It's some dumb "retro" hipster bullshit from Velo Orange. I put my Cinelli bars back on and everything's groovy.

EDIT: I broke a 3TTT stem trying to shim the bars and didn't want to break my nice Cinelli stem by doing the same dumb thing, so I put the coke can in there and when it didn't seem like it was going to hold I put those VO bars in the parts heap. I didn't want to break 2 stems.

If it’s Cinelli and you can’t shim it, it’s possibly the obscure 26.4mm size they did in the late 80s and early 90s.

[manysnakes]

This is my first love, sorry skateboards

https://ibb.co/vxx0f8h

I go back-and-forth, and I suspect I will go back-and-forth for the rest of my life (or at least as long as I am able bodied) between bikes and skateboards. I’ve definitely been in the skating mood lately, but it’s easy to imagine that sometime next year I will get totally frustrated with it and end up back on the bike for another eight months.

The best thing about those sports are the freedom and the people that you meet doing it. All of my best friends and greatest adventures are either from skateboarding or bike riding.

[Andmoreagain]

I love dirt bicycles although I love dirt motorcycles a little more. Skateboards are my first love though, from when I couldn't afford any toys. There is something so freeing about needing nothing more than a curb and your board for hours of fun.

[manysnakes]

I’m looking for some qualified opinions about skate shoes with flats. I’ve been commuting with flats - mostly recently knock off Race Face Chesters - for a decade or more, usually in a flat sole shoe. Recently I decided to make the move to flats on my hardtail, but I am not sure if I should just ride with some of my zillion skate shoes or if it’s worth it to buy some Five Ten or other such specific flat-pedal shoe.

Pinkbike dismisses this, insists that freeride shoes are much better, but they’re mostly mountain bikers and not skaters. So has anyone taken their AVEs out on the trail? Better question - after two decades of clipless, am I so accustomed that I should just stick with what I know?

[Andmoreagain]

I’m looking for some qualified opinions about skate shoes with flats. I’ve been commuting with flats - mostly recently knock off Race Face Chesters - for a decade or more, usually in a flat sole shoe. Recently I decided to make the move to flats on my hardtail, but I am not sure if I should just ride with some of my zillion skate shoes or if it’s worth it to buy some Five Ten or other such specific flat-pedal shoe.

Pinkbike dismisses this, insists that freeride shoes are much better, but they’re mostly mountain bikers and not skaters. So has anyone taken their AVEs out on the trail? Better question - after two decades of clipless, am I so accustomed that I should just stick with what I know?

As much as I hate to say it, my 510 freerides are much better than the skateshoes I used to wear. The rubber is harder so the pins stay put better. Also the sole is much stiffer which helps w pedaling efficiency. They are ugly but I got the brown ones and I can kinda pretend they're OG accels if I squint hard enough.

[manysnakes]

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I’m looking for some qualified opinions about skate shoes with flats. I’ve been commuting with flats - mostly recently knock off Race Face Chesters - for a decade or more, usually in a flat sole shoe. Recently I decided to make the move to flats on my hardtail, but I am not sure if I should just ride with some of my zillion skate shoes or if it’s worth it to buy some Five Ten or other such specific flat-pedal shoe.

Pinkbike dismisses this, insists that freeride shoes are much better, but they’re mostly mountain bikers and not skaters. So has anyone taken their AVEs out on the trail? Better question - after two decades of clipless, am I so accustomed that I should just stick with what I know?

[close]

As much as I hate to say it, my 510 freerides are much better than the skateshoes I used to wear. The rubber is harder so the pins stay put better. Also the sole is much stiffer which helps w pedaling efficiency. They are ugly but I got the brown ones and I can kinda pretend they're OG accels if I squint hard enough.

It’s incredible to me that someone like Vans hasn’t figured out yet to make a freeride shoe that doesn’t look like dogshit, but mountain bikers are usually wearing baggy plastic clothes so I guess it hardly matters to them.

Thanks for this. This is exactly the sort of opinion I’ve been looking for.

[Bunk Moreland]

The etnies stuff isn’t that bad.
https://etnies.com/pages/crank-series

[manysnakes]

The etnies stuff isn’t that bad.
https://etnies.com/pages/crank-series

Oh those do look semi-normal!

[Landmine]

I've done the majority of my dirt riding in the same Vans I was wearing already, but a couple of times I had some Etnies BMX shoes I really liked. 

I bet the transition from clipless to flat will feel weird at first

[Grampa]

Built up a new BMX bike. Happy with it so far.

[Blue Fescue]

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I’m looking for some qualified opinions about skate shoes with flats. I’ve been commuting with flats - mostly recently knock off Race Face Chesters - for a decade or more, usually in a flat sole shoe. Recently I decided to make the move to flats on my hardtail, but I am not sure if I should just ride with some of my zillion skate shoes or if it’s worth it to buy some Five Ten or other such specific flat-pedal shoe.

Pinkbike dismisses this, insists that freeride shoes are much better, but they’re mostly mountain bikers and not skaters. So has anyone taken their AVEs out on the trail? Better question - after two decades of clipless, am I so accustomed that I should just stick with what I know?

[close]

As much as I hate to say it, my 510 freerides are much better than the skateshoes I used to wear. The rubber is harder so the pins stay put better. Also the sole is much stiffer which helps w pedaling efficiency. They are ugly but I got the brown ones and I can kinda pretend they're OG accels if I squint hard enough.

[close]

It’s incredible to me that someone like Vans hasn’t figured out yet to make a freeride shoe that doesn’t look like dogshit, but mountain bikers are usually wearing baggy plastic clothes so I guess it hardly matters to them.

Thanks for this. This is exactly the sort of opinion I’ve been looking for.

 I think Nico Vink only rides Vans and he looks to be putting as much pressure on his feet as anybody in the Fest Series. That said I really like my 5.10s and the stiffness is really nice when climbing. 

I also switched to flats about 3 years ago after 20 years of clipless and I really like it.  It is somehow more free/fun and makes you work on your pedal strokes more.  you can't just pull.  I say go for it.  I don't think i will switch back for mtb.

https://youtu.be/oFNpyp5Skfc?t=29

[manysnakes]

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I’m looking for some qualified opinions about skate shoes with flats. I’ve been commuting with flats - mostly recently knock off Race Face Chesters - for a decade or more, usually in a flat sole shoe. Recently I decided to make the move to flats on my hardtail, but I am not sure if I should just ride with some of my zillion skate shoes or if it’s worth it to buy some Five Ten or other such specific flat-pedal shoe.

Pinkbike dismisses this, insists that freeride shoes are much better, but they’re mostly mountain bikers and not skaters. So has anyone taken their AVEs out on the trail? Better question - after two decades of clipless, am I so accustomed that I should just stick with what I know?

[close]

As much as I hate to say it, my 510 freerides are much better than the skateshoes I used to wear. The rubber is harder so the pins stay put better. Also the sole is much stiffer which helps w pedaling efficiency. They are ugly but I got the brown ones and I can kinda pretend they're OG accels if I squint hard enough.

[close]

It’s incredible to me that someone like Vans hasn’t figured out yet to make a freeride shoe that doesn’t look like dogshit, but mountain bikers are usually wearing baggy plastic clothes so I guess it hardly matters to them.

Thanks for this. This is exactly the sort of opinion I’ve been looking for.

[close]

 I think Nico Vink only rides Vans and he looks to be putting as much pressure on his feet as anybody in the Fest Series. That said I really like my 5.10s and the stiffness is really nice when climbing. 

I also switched to flats about 3 years ago after 20 years of clipless and I really like it.  It is somehow more free/fun and makes you work on your pedal strokes more.  you can't just pull.  I say go for it.  I don't think i will switch back for mtb.

https://youtu.be/oFNpyp5Skfc?t=29

I’ve installed the pedals but am yet to acquire any shoes.

[Swithflip]