If you get the right seat for your sitbones you should be fine. For our area I'd recommend a hardtail 29er with a suspension fork. There's a lot of good trail networks in the area.
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I'm having a small dilemma
I put down the deposit on an All-City Zig Zag 105 for a birthday present to myself last week. I went to the shop and got the bike guy there to talk to me about frame geometry. My 52cm Surly is a size bigger than typically recommended for my height but I like it for touring - I find it really comfortable. All-City I'm not familiar with, which is why I went to talk to the shop. The guy basically said, "Okay, the 49cm is the size smaller than your Surly more or less, but for your height I would actually suggest the 46cm frame."
I was a little hesitant because the guy told me he rode a 49 and he was MAYBE 4cm taller than me tops, but I went with his recommendation and put the deposit down on a 46cm.
Today they emailed me and said that All-City is sold out of the purple fade Zig Zag in 46. They only have it in a 49. They can give me a 46 in the orange fade:
But I don't really want an orange bike? Haha. Here's the purple:
A friend of mine who also rides took a look and feels that I could ride either Zig Zag comfortably, but the 46 would be a little more sporty/agile and less aggressive in posture. I emailed the guys saying hey, what's the wait on a 46 in purple, but otherwise, I'm trying to figure out if I will be totally unhappy and uncomfortable on the 49...
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
There are two main types of turbo trainer @Naphtali :
Wheel on trainers that have a roller the presses against the tyre. These have the advantage of not needing to remove the wheel but on the downside the roller can slip and they do have a tendency to chew up tyres somewhat. You can get trainer specific tyres but these aren't great on the road so you'd ideally have a spare wheel but then you're looking at swapping wheels out anyway. Also the difficulty from session to session can be inconsistent depending on tyre pressure and how firmly the roller is set against the tyre.
Direct drive trainers - with these you remove your rear wheel and the trainer has a cassette in place that your chain goes round. Much more consistent plus if your wheels are wet from an outside ride you don't spatter much up the wall.
You then get variations in resistance type, magnetic, fluid, fan. Each having a different feel and noise level, fan being the nosiest.
And then further you can get either a dumb or smart trainer. Dumb you simply have a resistance knob/lever. The smart ones can link up to things like Zwift which lets you ride with people online around virtual courses and the resistance varies based on your speed and the steepness of the road you're 'riding'. Yu can also follow training programs and the like. Not that you can't on a dumb trainer but on a smart one you just do what it says.
Price, well that varies, a simple dumb wheel on trainer you can probably get for under £100 with the all singing all dancing smart trainers being anwhere from £500-1000 on upwards.
I know for a good while at the start of lockdown you couldn't get anything for love nor money but I'd imagine that's calmed down a bit by now, you'd hope so anyway. Which is worth keeping in mind, loads of people bought them in a panic rush. Keep an eye on eBay/Craigslist/etc - there may be some little used bargains coming up over the next few months.
And from what I've read you need a decent fan or two if you're working out indoors. It gets hot. Plus a towel or something to keep the sweat off the bike if you can. Sweat being heckin' corrosive.
One caveat to all the above - I don't actually have a turbo trainer myself. I've got an exercise bike instead. But I've read a fair bit about them on a cycling forum I'm a member of and think I've hit the main points.
0
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
My Kickr Core rules
I sweat like a pig which is HILARIOUS because I live on the fuckin equator and I swear I sweat more in my guest bedroom with the aircon on than I do outside when it's 38 degrees
Lost Salient on
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
+1
Options
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I bought a thing:
2021 Diverge Comp E5.
It's my first "serious" bike after years of flirting with starting to ride more seriously. Only ridden a few times now, but it feels very quick and agile. Stops on a dime.
My uhh, errm, "center of mass" we'll call it is definitely feeling the seat. Got a lot of adjustment to go there (and yes I have some pads, in the form of some padded underwear).
you've reminded me that I need to get my bike serviced and my brakes looked at, it's not so much "stops on a dime" as "stops before the end of a bowling lane, possibly" right now.
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Good to see you got a nice new helmet too!
+1
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I've started calling helmets 'hemlets' and it makes me laugh so hard at myself I don't think I'll ever stop
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
+5
Options
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
Oh god my sit bones. They are so tender. Trying to push through it, because I know it's an acclimatization thing, but also don't want to push too hard. The actual riding is sublime, I love everything about this bike. Just gotta work that ass in.
The Giro was the most comfortable one he brought out for my head. I didn't want to skimp on a lid. Even tough they are all "built to the same safety standard", I figured the added step up was worth it, if for no other reason than the padding being antimicrobial.
Should I have any concern with changing my seatpost height very often? My wife might ride my bike to take my kid to daycare fairly often, as much as every 2 times the bike is ridden/every other day, and we'd need to adjust the seatpost. I don't imagine the clamp itself will wear out, maybe the piece most at risk is the hex nut itself?
Also, does anyone have in-home bike racks that they love? I have a used Delta Cycle Michelangelo gravity rack, and I think I might like it well enough, except the only thing keeping the support arms from sliding down is a plastic sleeve on the metal arm, and it has split apart. I may try to get replacement arms, but otherwise I'd be willing to invest in something a little more expensive for the piece of mind, but space in the garage is tight, and some degree of flexibility on where/how the bike sits would be nice, so some sort of arm that can adjust relative to a base that is firmly attached to the wall, if not another gravity stand.
PSN: Kurahoshi1
0
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
Good news on my bike sizing dilemma, the shop is willing to order the 49, let me test it out and then keep it as a stock model for purchase and order me a 46 if the reach is uncomfortable.
I'm also interested in hearing about in-home bike rack recommendations. I plan on offloading my commuter when I get the Zig-Zag but still. Two bikes (eventually three) is a lot to just leave in my entryway.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
+2
Options
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I'd also be interested in hearing about in-house racks. I won't store mine down in the parking garage storage. Shit gets stolen out of there too often for my liking (I live in a nice building in a questionable area). So right now mine is leaning against the small table my daughter eats at when she's here lol.
I like hoist racks, but they do require some effort to install.
I'm trying to figure out a good storage solution for myself, actually, because at the moment my bike is just leant up against the wall in my entrance hall, and while I can kind of negotiate around it, I also want to buy a kayak in the near future and they can't both go there.
I may put the (eventual) kayak out on the balcony, but there's a small chance that would violate my lease agreement.
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
Is there a club where you could keep a kayak? Here in Singapore where no one but lunatics and the ultra-rich own cars, most people keep their small craft at a couple of secure locations around town.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Is there a club where you could keep a kayak? Here in Singapore where no one but lunatics and the ultra-rich own cars, most people keep their small craft at a couple of secure locations around town.
Sort of - there’s a local club at the marina, but it’s really pricy and has limited berths. I would rapidly spend more on storage than on even a quite expensive kayak.
Edit: I’m walking distance to the marina though, so it’s not totally crazy to keep it at home. Just have to schlep it a bit.
Is there a club where you could keep a kayak? Here in Singapore where no one but lunatics and the ultra-rich own cars, most people keep their small craft at a couple of secure locations around town.
Sort of - there’s a local club at the marina, but it’s really pricy and has limited berths. I would rapidly spend more on storage than on even a quite expensive kayak.
Edit: I’m walking distance to the marina though, so it’s not totally crazy to keep it at home. Just have to schlep it a bit.
Also if you do buy that hellaciously-expensive Epic sit-in I linked a while back, it'll be nice and light for portage!
+1
Options
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Keeping in mind that I can't really mount a pulley or wall based system in my high rise. My walls are all metal cross beamed with very shallow dry wall. This will at least let me get the bike up out of my entry way in to a more dedicated part of my house and not just leaned up against something.
I'm looking for a new bar bike because riding my fixie with friends is not super fun. My brother has a Linus which I love, but obviously I can't buy the exact same bike as him so I'm wondering if you all might have similar suggestions?
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
So I got a new car a couple weeks ago (Mazda CX-9) and I'm pricing mounting accessories for it. I plan on getting a hitch (either the Mazda one or a 3rd party) soon but outside of that I'm not sure who has the best value for mounts. We've got bikes and kayaks and I'd like to have the ability in the future to accommodate both simultaneously. I looked into Yakima for roof racks because they're a brand I'm familiar with but they seem pricy to even get started.
I bought my 2012 Mazda 3 hatchback used, it came with a roof rack, I think Whisper is the brand
The brackets to actually mount a bike carrier or a kayak carrier are so expensive, I just lay my seats down and take the wheel off of bike. I strap one kayak on the roof
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I have zero complaints about the Thule roof racks we put on our Golf for transporting our kayak.
For our bikes we have a hitch-mount three bike rack from Rhino Racks which is also flawless.
I was looking at this article for indoor racks, and the top recommended one is what I already have, but would need to replace, but I'm about as tempted to get the runner up pick, or something like it. I'd feel more comfortable with something firmly installed in the wall, but the downsides are it's probably not as space efficient, it might not work with fenders, and there's not any flexibility once installed, so you better make it high enough for the longest wheelbase you plan to have.
The Ibera wall hanger may combine both aspects of what I want, horizontal storage with flexibility, and should be more durable than the gravity stand which clearly has a long-term problem with the rubber caps.
There's all sorts of one-off hooks I could install, but that's the worst for flexibility and I'm no trying to pinch pennies.
I've always just used one of those strap on bike racks that you just hook onto the trunk of the car. They're cheap and I've never had any issues with instability, and they're easy to mount/dismount.
I've always just used one of those strap on bike racks that you just hook onto the trunk of the car. They're cheap and I've never had any issues with instability, and they're easy to mount/dismount.
I have one of these but I don't like it. I want a trailer rack so I can have access to the trunk space easily.
Fortunately I came across a Thule on craiglist listed at $75! Hopefully it's still available.
@Butters I might still have mine somewhere but I don't think I have any of the hardware like the thing to lock them or whatever but I'll take a look if that falls through.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
0
Options
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
Went to one of the local bike places and honestly selection was rough due to all the on-going events (and everyone else wanting bikes as well in general). However, they were also re-selling previously owned bikes for customers and I was able to get a basically new Jamis DXT A1 19" hybrid with an aftermarket seat for about 60% of the normal retail price on the bike.
Uh, riding a bike again after not touching one for over twenty years is pretty wild. I just puttered around the neighborhood for about ten minutes to get used to it again, as the old adage goes (didn't want to push things as I strained a back muscle earlier in the day, yay for getting old).
How bad for the bike is being over it's weight limit? Mine is a heavy steel frame rated to 275, I'd be putting 300 on it between me + what I'm wearing.
I don't know how I didn't notice it before, but the rear wheel on my daily driver has a pretty serious warp in it, all the local shops are backed up to true it, and all of my other bikes are in various stages of just being bike shaped parts because corona lockdown seemed like a good time to "work on some projects".
Well I decided to investigate a potential shortcut to the campsite for tomorrow. Over a mile of pushing the bike, nearly fell over several times, smacked my ankle with a pedal three times, stinging nettle up one shin, and a wasp down my jersey that I nearly slapped thinking it was a fly at first.
Went to one of the local bike places and honestly selection was rough due to all the on-going events (and everyone else wanting bikes as well in general). However, they were also re-selling previously owned bikes for customers and I was able to get a basically new Jamis DXT A1 19" hybrid with an aftermarket seat for about 60% of the normal retail price on the bike.
Uh, riding a bike again after not touching one for over twenty years is pretty wild. I just puttered around the neighborhood for about ten minutes to get used to it again, as the old adage goes (didn't want to push things as I strained a back muscle earlier in the day, yay for getting old).
BTW, I can highly recommend college woods at our nearby university for pleasant rides. There's some rocky/rooty stuff, but it's easy enough to walk or avoid. Entrance near the labs/stadium is the best one.
Posts
I put down the deposit on an All-City Zig Zag 105 for a birthday present to myself last week. I went to the shop and got the bike guy there to talk to me about frame geometry. My 52cm Surly is a size bigger than typically recommended for my height but I like it for touring - I find it really comfortable. All-City I'm not familiar with, which is why I went to talk to the shop. The guy basically said, "Okay, the 49cm is the size smaller than your Surly more or less, but for your height I would actually suggest the 46cm frame."
I was a little hesitant because the guy told me he rode a 49 and he was MAYBE 4cm taller than me tops, but I went with his recommendation and put the deposit down on a 46cm.
Today they emailed me and said that All-City is sold out of the purple fade Zig Zag in 46. They only have it in a 49. They can give me a 46 in the orange fade:
But I don't really want an orange bike? Haha. Here's the purple:
So I've gone over the frame geometry:
My Surly Reach/Stack/Standover: 374.5/575.5/782
Zig Zag 49 Reach/Stack/Standover: 377/540/761.4
Zig Zag 46 Reach/Stack/Standover: 375/524/736.9
A friend of mine who also rides took a look and feels that I could ride either Zig Zag comfortably, but the 46 would be a little more sporty/agile and less aggressive in posture. I emailed the guys saying hey, what's the wait on a 46 in purple, but otherwise, I'm trying to figure out if I will be totally unhappy and uncomfortable on the 49...
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
You then get variations in resistance type, magnetic, fluid, fan. Each having a different feel and noise level, fan being the nosiest.
And then further you can get either a dumb or smart trainer. Dumb you simply have a resistance knob/lever. The smart ones can link up to things like Zwift which lets you ride with people online around virtual courses and the resistance varies based on your speed and the steepness of the road you're 'riding'. Yu can also follow training programs and the like. Not that you can't on a dumb trainer but on a smart one you just do what it says.
Price, well that varies, a simple dumb wheel on trainer you can probably get for under £100 with the all singing all dancing smart trainers being anwhere from £500-1000 on upwards.
I know for a good while at the start of lockdown you couldn't get anything for love nor money but I'd imagine that's calmed down a bit by now, you'd hope so anyway. Which is worth keeping in mind, loads of people bought them in a panic rush. Keep an eye on eBay/Craigslist/etc - there may be some little used bargains coming up over the next few months.
And from what I've read you need a decent fan or two if you're working out indoors. It gets hot. Plus a towel or something to keep the sweat off the bike if you can. Sweat being heckin' corrosive.
One caveat to all the above - I don't actually have a turbo trainer myself. I've got an exercise bike instead. But I've read a fair bit about them on a cycling forum I'm a member of and think I've hit the main points.
I sweat like a pig which is HILARIOUS because I live on the fuckin equator and I swear I sweat more in my guest bedroom with the aircon on than I do outside when it's 38 degrees
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
2021 Diverge Comp E5.
It's my first "serious" bike after years of flirting with starting to ride more seriously. Only ridden a few times now, but it feels very quick and agile. Stops on a dime.
My uhh, errm, "center of mass" we'll call it is definitely feeling the seat. Got a lot of adjustment to go there (and yes I have some pads, in the form of some padded underwear).
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
The Giro was the most comfortable one he brought out for my head. I didn't want to skimp on a lid. Even tough they are all "built to the same safety standard", I figured the added step up was worth it, if for no other reason than the padding being antimicrobial.
Also, does anyone have in-home bike racks that they love? I have a used Delta Cycle Michelangelo gravity rack, and I think I might like it well enough, except the only thing keeping the support arms from sliding down is a plastic sleeve on the metal arm, and it has split apart. I may try to get replacement arms, but otherwise I'd be willing to invest in something a little more expensive for the piece of mind, but space in the garage is tight, and some degree of flexibility on where/how the bike sits would be nice, so some sort of arm that can adjust relative to a base that is firmly attached to the wall, if not another gravity stand.
I'm also interested in hearing about in-home bike rack recommendations. I plan on offloading my commuter when I get the Zig-Zag but still. Two bikes (eventually three) is a lot to just leave in my entryway.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
I'm trying to figure out a good storage solution for myself, actually, because at the moment my bike is just leant up against the wall in my entrance hall, and while I can kind of negotiate around it, I also want to buy a kayak in the near future and they can't both go there.
I may put the (eventual) kayak out on the balcony, but there's a small chance that would violate my lease agreement.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Sort of - there’s a local club at the marina, but it’s really pricy and has limited berths. I would rapidly spend more on storage than on even a quite expensive kayak.
Edit: I’m walking distance to the marina though, so it’s not totally crazy to keep it at home. Just have to schlep it a bit.
Also if you do buy that hellaciously-expensive Epic sit-in I linked a while back, it'll be nice and light for portage!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F9V842
Keeping in mind that I can't really mount a pulley or wall based system in my high rise. My walls are all metal cross beamed with very shallow dry wall. This will at least let me get the bike up out of my entry way in to a more dedicated part of my house and not just leaned up against something.
Any suggestions?
The brackets to actually mount a bike carrier or a kayak carrier are so expensive, I just lay my seats down and take the wheel off of bike. I strap one kayak on the roof
For our bikes we have a hitch-mount three bike rack from Rhino Racks which is also flawless.
The Ibera wall hanger may combine both aspects of what I want, horizontal storage with flexibility, and should be more durable than the gravity stand which clearly has a long-term problem with the rubber caps.
There's all sorts of one-off hooks I could install, but that's the worst for flexibility and I'm no trying to pinch pennies.
Super simple to install.
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
I have one of these but I don't like it. I want a trailer rack so I can have access to the trunk space easily.
Fortunately I came across a Thule on craiglist listed at $75! Hopefully it's still available.
I don't remember but I think my Kayak was more like $900
I mean that's just because its a kayak and not a kayak-bike. Those are multiple-thousand dollars easy.
Uh, riding a bike again after not touching one for over twenty years is pretty wild. I just puttered around the neighborhood for about ten minutes to get used to it again, as the old adage goes (didn't want to push things as I strained a back muscle earlier in the day, yay for getting old).
And then it started raining!
Twas great :biggrin:
It's a Cannondale Treadwell
BTW, I can highly recommend college woods at our nearby university for pleasant rides. There's some rocky/rooty stuff, but it's easy enough to walk or avoid. Entrance near the labs/stadium is the best one.