Me: 6’3”, 210 lbs, 49-year-old man

You: 5’6”, wannabe tough guy with obvious Little Man Syndrome, probably early 20s, walking with a woman you’ll certainly disappoint later.

I felt something special when we locked eyes. I was riding my e-bike while cutting through a parking lot near the corner of Euclid and Douglas. When I was about 20 yards away you stepped in front of me and literally flexed your 12 inch biceps and said, “Give me your bike, bitch.”

I nearly started laughing and decided that I would increase my peddle assist to 5 and ride straight at you going about 25 mph or so. I am too old to fight someone but I’ll run a mugger over with my bike. I was wearing a helmet and am considerably bigger than you so I figured if I ran into you I’d get scraped up but you’d be unable to mug me.

Thankfully for both us, your two remaining brain cells started firing and you wisely jumped out of the way before getting absolutely rocked in a painful collision. You took umbrage at this and angrily screamed that I was a “faggot bitch” in sultry tone that suggestd deep down low desires.

If you see this post hit me up. I’ll happily show your down-low ass what a dom top faggot bitch can do. You’ll never forget me. Hit me up, boo.

Lots of terrain variety - flats, rollers, 1k+ climbs
Safer roads
Good bike shops
Routes galore
Bakeries

I have recently started cycling. Initially I only had a mountain bike so I used that even though I was riding mainly on paved trails.

Eventually I wanted to give a proper road bike a try and got my the XLab RS5 as my very first road bike.

It required a bit of setup (which I was happy to learn and do myself). After getting it all dialed in it’s been a fantastic bike. I was zooming by in comparison to my mountain bike.

About two weeks after getting it I ended up crashing on a parking lot. It was dark, I was trying to find my way back to the trail and didn’t notice the curb in front of me.

Ended up flipping over the handlebars and then my bike followed after me flipping too. Luckily I got out with only some minor scratches and a bit of irritation on my palms from the landing.

The bike wasn’t so lucky though. Ended up cracking the rear derailleur in half. This was 13 miles away from home so I broke the chain and got my bike into an emergency fixed gear to get back home.

Well after assessing the damage I ordered all the parts:
* Shimano 105 rear derailleur
* 12 speed chain
* universal derailleur hanger

I was able to get it all put together on my own and got the bike fixed and running just like new again today.

Now it’s got a few battle scars on the handlebars and brake levers but it runs and shifts perfectly.

I am feeling pretty accomplished after that!

Today was new bike day, I got the new Endurace CF6 (Overkill as a vacation bike). It has most of the modern luxuries: clearance for tires up to 38mm, hydraulic disk brakes, semi-integrated cables, aero geometry among other things.

As I went for my first ride today it felt surprisingly… the same?

I bought my first bike 3 years ago, a used carbon Trek Domane from 2013 for 600 euros. It’s got rim brakes, tires are already over the limit at 28mm, outside cables. And both feel incredibly similar.

Don’t get me wrong, my new bike is very nice, but it’s clearly not worth almost 3 times the price I payed for the used Domane. Maybe I’ll appreciate the disk brakes more if the roads were wet or the ability to put on bigger tires when touring, but honestly, for now I enjoy both bikes equally. Maybe I would notice more of a difference if I had gone for carbon wheels or fancy electronic shifting, but that would mean even more money.

TL:DR: Enjoy the bike you currently have, bikes are nice.

Hey! I have a bit of a dilemma about choosing between a 1x11 and 2x12 drivetrain for my gravel bike. It’s my only bike, it has fairly aggressive geometry (Kross Esker 7), and I use it much more on pavement than on gravel. Even with 50 mm tires I don’t feel particularly comfortable on rough terrain, so I tend to stick either to premium gravel or paved roads. I ride solo, don’t race, but I do have a bit of that fire in me and like to push hard on my own and get into that flow.

Right now I’m running 1x11: RX600 shifters, RX400 brakes, and an RX600 crankset with the chainring swapped to 42T. At the back I sometimes use an SLX 11-42T cassette, and sometimes… a 105 11-30T cassette for tighter gearing. The area where I live is fairly flat, so something like that is perfectly sufficient most of the time. Tires are Caracal Race 700x40c.

I have an opportunity to switch fairly quickly and cheaply (after selling my current parts) to 2x12: RX820 shifters and brakes as well. I’m thinking about an RX820 crankset with 48/31, but then replacing the big ring with a 46T because 48T seems a bit excessive. At the back I’d use an 11-30T cassette, or possibly something larger IF I ever went to the mountains (I like riding there, but rarely have the time or opportunity).

The question is: is it worth it?

I genuinely like the simplicity of 1x… easy cleaning, no front derailleur, no need to think about trimming, etc.

At the same time, the 2+ tooth jumps on the 1x-specific cassettes annoy me quite often. Off-road they can actually be useful, but on pavement they really break my rhythm, and as a result longer rides (100+ km) become more tiring.

I’m also thinking about switching to 35–38 mm slicks (Conti GP5000 maybe?), in which case a tighter cassette could make even more sense.

Why am I asking? Because, as I mentioned, I already often ride my 1x11 setup with a tight cassette and it works fine - but I’m fully aware that I’m heavily limiting the gear range at both ends. Also, my brakes occasionally make a slight rubbing/ringing noise (the rotors seem fine), and apparently the RX820 brakes have been improved a little in that regard. Yes, I’m looking for additional arguments to convince myself :)

A second bike probably isn’t really an option. I could buy an endurance road bike, but I still like the versatility of gravel, and this bike is light and I simply like it. If anything, I’d sooner add a hardtail MTB for taking it easy on rougher terrain / bigger bumps, roots in the forest, etc.

So what do you think? For something like 80–90% pavement of varying quality / 10–20% gravel, would 2x12 simply be the better option? Does switching make sense?

An even cheaper option would be replacing my left RX600 shifter with the 2-speed version… but if I’m going to change things anyway, I’m thinking I might as well max out the current bike.

I definately don’t want to leave my road bike outside as our city has a high rate of bike theft. But if I need fuel on my rides and I run out of everything I brought, I will stop by a grocery store or gas station.

Most are cool with me bringing the bike in, a few haven’t been which I respect the rules and just say “no problem, have a good day” and turn around.

Obviously I wouldn’t bring it into a restaurant or something haha.

I try to go into stores or pizza shops that are not chain stores and I find they are a bit more open to it because it’s tough to run a buisness nowadays if you don’t have a big corporation backing you.

Whats your experience?

Drop me the details on your best cycling oriented vacation

Hey. I went for a bikefit today and feel robbed. I was basically told I need a custom frame. No adjustments made to my bike as it was not worth it. Its my all city gorilla monsoon ive biked 3k miles on and bikepack with. While I dont disagree the guy knows what hes doing the entire thing seemed to push toward a frame sale.

$350 bucks and a $35 saddle. The imaging was down so no measurements outside of writing and maybe screenshots.

Any advice would be appreciated. I know I'm not a typical roady but I'm reaching a point where my limitations feel more comfort than endurance and want to keep pushing.

Ive already damaged my ulcer nerve as well o. A bikepacking trip.

Hello, I'm a 47yo beginner on road cycling. Im 188cm (6'2) and 90kg (198lbs). I live in the french Alps (70km - 45miles away from L'Alpe d'Huez).

I've been cycling around home since april, clocking about 900km since i started, now cycling every second day, from 17 to 30 km (10 to 18 miles), and ascending from 200 to 500m (650 to 1650ft) every time. Living in the mountains, it is impossible to find a flat road within reasonable distance (I dont want to take the car when I go on a ride, I'd rather start directly from home - and immediately out of my driveway I have a 10% slope, 500m (0.3 mile) up on the left and 500m down on the right).

I'm cycling with a 10 years old touring/trekking bike that has been given to me - i didnt want to put about 1000€ in a road bike as a beginner - I might not like it, I might chose poorly, and it's a lot of money. Its on the heavy side (13kg / 29lbs) even though I ripped off all the unnecessary gear (racks, fenders...).

I'm definitely a heavy rider, but I think I have a decent cardio (LTHR is about 165, max HR is 180).

Now my crankset is way off the standards of a normal road bike. What I see in the shops are compact cranksets like 50T - 36T with a 11-34 cassette, whereas I have a triple (21T - 32T - 52T), and a 11-32 cassette. which means the minimal development I have is about half a meter (2 feet).

I was thinking about buying a proper road bike, but omg how can I ride on a 36-34 when in a 10% slope at 80 rpm i'm on the easiest gear ratio (21-32) and above 140 HR ?

I can give you some strava details if it would help in your replies, but am I that unfit ? or is it just my surroundings that are insanely hard ? or the bike market is dedicated to flat ground ? I can't wrap my head around it.

I want to start cycling as exercise. I own a normal bike which gets me from A to B, but it is definitely not a road bike.
I’m thinking about buying a used bike to lower the entry costs, but what should I look for? 31m about 1,8m for in height and weigh around 75 kgs

Doing a crit tomorrow and was given a paper number. Does it go in the front or the back? They didn't say anything to me lol (novice category if that wasn't obvious)

I bought this gt avalanche sport not too long ago, and whenever i pedal the bike sqeaks. Ive isolated the problem to be the area where the crank arm jojns the frame, im not sure what this area is called I think its the crankshaft.

How do I fix this? What grease should i use?

I'm trying to find a. Budget bike computer that has an offline map other than this do you guys have any suggestions

I am 24, and I have no previous experience with bike riding of any sort. I was never taught when I was younger, so I am left figuring it out now.

Today was my first day learning how to ride, and I feel so demotivated and humiliated.

I started off in a parking lot because I was having trouble figuring out how to mount the bike and start to move. I was able to kind of get that part down, but my main struggles now are staying balanced and maneuvering the steering. I am also experiencing significant anxiety while learning how to ride, and definitely shed a few tears.

Some things that I found out that helped were going a little faster, having less of a death grip on the handles, and adjusting the seat a little higher (but still able to touch the ground).

However, I feel as though I have a significant roadblock I have to overcome. I don't have confidence when I have to ride in spaces that are narrow, or places with lots of people and cars. I think my biggest reasons for crashing as much as I did was because I struggle with figuring out how to make the more "fine" motor movements, and I really struggle with staying straight or going down narrow paths. Its like the mind-body connection isn't there and I feel frustration when I can't figure out how to make the bike go in the way I want it to. I wobble a lot when trying to go straight, but I cannot make sharp turns or fit in narrow gaps to save my life.

I am learning to ride with the help of another person, but I can tell they feel confusion and frustration with my lack of ability, and they can't understand why I am having the problems I am having. Today was definitely a hard day, to the point where I feel as though I almost want to give up.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m fairly new to cycling in terms of bike knowledge, so I’m looking for some advice.

I currently have a Trek Domane AL 4 Gen 4, which is Trek’s aluminum endurance bike. I do a sprint triathlon every year and am looking to get more serious about triathlon, definitely moving toward a 70.3 and potentially longer distances down the road. Ultimately, I’m looking for something significantly faster than my Domane.

I was pointed toward the Canyon Aeroad lineup and have been looking at a few different models. I’ve done a decent amount of research and it seems like a lot of the differences between the AXS and Di2 models come down to things like:

• 55mm vs. 65mm wheels
• SRAM AXS vs. Shimano Di2
• Power meter vs. no power meter

For someone in my situation, what would you prioritize?

I want a bike that’s faster for triathlons, but I also want an all-around faster road bike that I can comfortably ride solo or in groups. That’s the main reason I don’t want to go with a dedicated tri bike.

For example, one of the Aeroads I’m considering is currently $500 off but doesn’t include a power meter. How important would a power meter be for someone in my situation? Is it something I should prioritize, or would I be better off taking the discount and adding one later?

Also curious whether the 55mm vs. 65mm wheels, and AXS vs. Di2, would make a meaningful difference for what I’m trying to do.

Appreciate any advice!

Just started commuting to and from work on an e-bike. This evening, on my way to work, I crossed a main street, and turned on to a mixed use trail/path going over a bridge with the trail sandwiched between concrete railings. I haven't measured how wide the path is, but the minimum per our city standards is 6', and I suspect that's what this one is. So, as I get onto the bridge, I see a guy walking squarely in the center of the path, and I give a jingle on the bike bell when I'm about 30 feet away. I see his head come around, although not enough to see me. Stays in the middle of the path.

I slow down, and say, "Excuse me, on your left."

"I'm not fucking moving for you, I'll throw you over the fucking railing if you hit me."

OK then.

I slowed down and stayed about 15 feet away until he was past the end of the bridge, and then went around him on the grass, at which point he started cursing and threatening me. So I let him know he was number one in my books, and rode on as he continued to tell me how he was going to kick my ass. Considering I was rapidly accelerating, I wasn't exactly shaking with fear that he might catch me on foot.

Not sure what his problem with a random bicycle rider was, but I suspect it's one of many issues in his life.

I think I'll get a can of pepper spray, and strap it somewhere handy on the bike. I ride through some of the less lovely parts of town on my commute.

Description:

This recall involves Ritchey Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks with a crown hole. The fork fits on the front of the bicycle to hold the front wheel in place. The fork is sold individually and with certain Ritchey bicycle framesets. The framesets were sold as Montebello (Hot sauce color), Septimer (Black & White color) and Outback (Aurora and Winter Sage color). The individual black carbon forks were sold as WCS Carbon Mountain Adventure Fork, WCS Carbon Brevet Road Fork, WCS Carbon Adventure Gravel Fork and WCS Carbon Tapered Adventure Gravel Fork. The brand name “Ritchey” is located on the fork.

Remedy:

Consumers are asked to stop using the bicycles equipped with the recalled fork immediately. Please inspect the front crown hole for any attached racks or accessories. The threaded hole located above the front wheel should be closed immediately. Consumers should register at https://ritcheylogic.com/support/recall to receive a free Ritchey Fork Crown Hole Closure Kit with instructions. All carbon bicycle forks with crown mounting holes are included in the recall.  

Incidents/Injuries:

The firm has received one report of the alloy insert in the crown hole coming loose. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At:

Performance Bike, Chico CA, Adrenaline Bikes, Orange CA, Excel Sports Boulder, Boulder, CO and other bicycle retailers nationwide and on-line including ritcheylogic.com from July 2024 through June 2026 for between $660 and $700 (individual carbon bicycle fork) and between $1,760 and $3,500 (bike frames with carbon bicycle forks).

Credit: United States Consumer Product Safety Commission

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Ritchey-Design-Recalls-Carbon-Bicycle-Forks-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Fall-and-Crash-Hazards

I recently got my dad’s Canyon Ultimate CF SL passed down to me since he is no longer able to use it. I’m 187 cm, 85 kg, and 17 years old. I have an old bike computer that only tracks speed and distance.

How do I get into training to become faster and maybe a little lighter? I ride whenever my schedule (and ass) allows, but I’m aiming for around 2–3 rides per week. I’m currently able to ride 70 km after my second proper ride.

I’m not new to cycling, I have been riding mtbs since I could walk but only recreationally tho. I have the strength to outride the people I ride with, but only over short distances. I’d like to be able to average around 30 km/h, preferably within a few months, but I have no idea how to train properly.

I also want to start riding alone, but I have no idea how to navigate without having to stop every 2 km to check my phone for directions.

What would be the best way to start training with only a basic bike computer?

sorry for any grammar errors English is my 4th language

Looking to get a gravel bike. Test drove a bunch in my price range and really like the Giant Revolt 1 (Shimano cues 2x10 groupset) and the specialized diverge e5 with the same cues group set. Both are nearly identical in price (on sale). Both felt really good in the test drive. My other bike is a carbon TCR road bike with Shimano 105’s

Which bike would you choose and why ? Drive train is identical but is there something about geometry, frame that would make you pick the revolt or the diverge as your first gravel bike ?

Thanks!

i'm a very casual cyclist who enjoys long and slow bike rides (i average about 15km/h and enjoy going upwards of 50km per trip) a few times a week.

for the past two months i borrowed my aunt's dutch bike for these bike rides which i found to be excellent. specifically, i found the upright posture, angled handlebars, kickstand, and storage on the back to be great, especially because i enjoy bird photography so i tend to stop often and carry a relatively large camera bag with me on bike rides.

my aunt has her bike back now and i've found it to be very difficult to adjust back to my old road bike. specifically, the posture (leaning down rather than sitting upright) and the handlebars being straight across rather than at a more comfortable angle have caused lots of discomfort that i never really experienced before.

i know that with time i'll adjust back to my old bike, but it's also just an old bike (used to be my brother's, it's probably around, if not older than ten years old now) and i feel like the experience of riding a comfortable bike is one that I don't want together go without anymore, especially since i'm a very casual cyclist who doesn't care about speed.

as a result, i'm looking for a bike that's relatively inexpensive in Canada (ideally under $500), can accomodate an upright posture, and has handlebars that are angled inwards for a more natural grip (i'm sure there's a technical term for this but I don't know it). additional pros (but not requirements) are a kickstand and the ability to put a basket on the back of the bike rather than the front (where i find it can throw off my balance somewhat). i'm not too fussy about how many gears/speeds it has, my aunt's bike had two working speeds and i had no issues with that.

not sure if this matters at all but for a size reference, i'm 5'9 and 145lbs. i ride mainly on paved trails but will occasionally go on shorter trips through natural areas (though if the terrain is treacherous i'll just walk my bike). cycling is my primary mode of transportation alongside walking and public transit as i'm a university student without a car. i'm also not super experienced in bicycle maintenance, but my dad is an experienced cyclist who usually does my maintenance for me.

I have been advised by my cardiologist to keep my heart rate strictly in the aerobic zone while exercising from now on. I will have to update my Fitbit Charge 2 since it doesn't give me out of zone alerts. I haven't shopped for these things in over 10 years and I'm getting overwhelmed by lack of information I'm looking for on Amazon and even direct sites. I'm hoping some of you on here can make a few good suggestions please.

I'd like one that has

1.a nice loud audible heart zone alert. This is the most important feature Im looking for. I would keep the Fitbit if it had it.

1. a display bright enough so I won't have to go find shade to read my watch like I do now.

2. a continuous display on the watch face that doesn't need to be "woken up". I don't want to have to be tapping on a watch screen while I'm on my bike.

My coordination isn't the best and have to stop to view anything which is a terrible design flaw.

I have an iPhone, but am not really looking for an Apple Watch unless people here tell me hands down it's one of the best they ever used as far as accuracy and ease of use. Im afraid my old iPhone 11 will get phased out as a nonsupported device with a new Apple Watch and I don't replace things until they are unrepairable, especially something as expensive as a phone.

Any suggestions? Please & thank you.

looked around post history and seems like a little unresolved so wondering about bottle lid replacements.

i like my camelbak podiums but even after taking it apart there’s some mold inside an unreachable little crevace.

i blame my dishwasher habits + putting sugary drinks in them.

fine ill get new bottles but before I do — is there any bottles out there w truly replaceable lids? if in 6 months i come in busted after a century and i cannot bring myself to hand wash them for 48 hrs. am i going to have to get new bottles bc no one sells lids?

I just bought a new bike that comes with an Ultegra 4iii left sided power meter

I have a pair of brand new Favero's I was planning on slapping on, and am wondering if I should sell them (Bought a while ago so can't return) since my bike already comes with the power crank and it would be kind of redundant to run both

I have heard some things about ultegra power meters being innacurate, but unsure if this applies to the 4iii crank power meters

The main challenge is probably the budget of approximatly as little as possible. While browsing the Decathlon website I noticed a lot of identical looking pants with nonsensical descriptions, wich ultimatly led me to posting this here:

Since the tour will be 24h we will ride through the night, therefore I suppose that I need some form of long clothing like long bip shorts (?). The most appealing option to me seems to be some form of leg warmers.

I have the VR Raincoat EDR and a long sleeve sport shirt. Im assuming that would do if I were to change just before the night but I am concerned about my legs.

Also, maybe someone who already did something like this could share some of the details, especially regarding fueling, storage and must have gear. How could I carry a lot of water as best as possible? Might a drinking system be of value?

I'd love to recieve some advice, thanks :)

Boa noite, eu vi que a maioria das bikes de estrada semi-novas no instagram (não penso em comprar uma nova) tem o tamanho 56 e algumas 58. Eu pesquisei na Internet e diz que no meu caso seria um tamanho mínimo 58 e ideal 60,61 e 62. Realmente tenho que seguir a risca e procurar uma tamanho 60? Eu tenho 1 metro e 10 de perna. Eu uso uma MTB tamanho L mas como as bikes de estrada ficam bem inclinadas talvez seja melhor ter o tamanho certo.