IronKnuckleThis is also my faultRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
Always use both brakes simultaneously. Due to weight transfer about 70% of your braking potential is from the front wheel, but use both all the time always.
Anyone have any opinions on the different types of pedal cleats? I've had SPD up until now, but my shoes are falling apart and my pedals aren't great so I'm thinking about trying something new. All for road riding
My seat is also held together with electrical tape at this point so I should get a new one of those too. Any tips for new seat buying?
SPDs are pretty great, so I'd say go for those again (unless you want to shell out for Speedplays which are the greatest thing in cycling since the last greatest thing, but really they are actually amazing). I run the SPD MD540s on one bike, and they are damn near bulletproof. I have the M324s on my old commuter-turned-zwift bike as well.
I like ISM saddles, but they are again kinda spendy and take a little getting-used-to because of the "no nose" design. In general, saddle is going to be highly personal and take some trial and error.
Hey Bike people! My bike has front and rear breaks. When am I supposed to use them?
First of all, they're brakes, not breaks (Sorry, this one just kills me).
Front brake has the most power, but can also potentially flip you over if you grab it too hard.
Rear brake is great for scrubbing speed at a slower rate, especially in corners (though note it may cause you to skid if grabbed in a corner).
Ideally, you use them as little as possible, as momentum bled off through braking is wasted effort.
Realistically: Stop for stop signs and other signals (if you ride on the road), always pre-slow for weird intersections or traffic to allow for longer braking period so people don't hit you if they're not paying attention.
If Mountain biking - braking is a personal thing and it's all about how to transfer weight balance. Try to make a conscious effort to use turning and other techniques to bleed off your speed rather than the brake, as it will help your bike handling long term.
Anyone have any opinions on the different types of pedal cleats? I've had SPD up until now, but my shoes are falling apart and my pedals aren't great so I'm thinking about trying something new. All for road riding
My seat is also held together with electrical tape at this point so I should get a new one of those too. Any tips for new seat buying?
SPDs are pretty great, so I'd say go for those again (unless you want to shell out for Speedplays which are the greatest thing in cycling since the last greatest thing, but really they are actually amazing). I run the SPD MD540s on one bike, and they are damn near bulletproof. I have the M324s on my old commuter-turned-zwift bike as well.
I like ISM saddles, but they are again kinda spendy and take a little getting-used-to because of the "no nose" design. In general, saddle is going to be highly personal and take some trial and error.
Those ISM saddles look neat. Googling shows that there's a shop in the city that sells them and has a saddle demo service where you can try them for a while. Might give that a go
Yeah, I love mine. It really saves the nethers once you figure out if the change in saddle position will work for you.
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IronKnuckleThis is also my faultRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
A note on technique: apply gentle, steady, increasing pressure to your brake levers. This will help you discover at what point your wheels lock, and importantly will allow you to then relieve pressure to prevent your tires dragging or flipping over your bars as schuss described.
Basically if the wheels are turning, you have control. If they are not, you are headed to accident town.
Went and picked up some new shoes, cleats, and pedals. Ended up sticking with SPD. New shoes are road biking shoes compared to my previous mountain biking ones, walking directly on the cleats is going to make stops for groceries a bit more awkward, think I'm going to need to figure out a cheap cleat cover solution just so that walking in them isn't so very loud.
Ordered a ISM PR3.0 Saddle from amazon. Hope I end up liking it
For a contrary opinion, I have Time ATAC (Alium, not sure what the equivalent is these days) pedals on everything -- I started with SPDs but they got clogged up one time too many in snow and/or mud, so I went to something less adjustable but more immune to getting bunged up.
They're not the lightest pedals in the world, but the oldest pair I have are probably 10 years old and still going strong because they have basically no moving parts; I've worn through more cleats than pedals by a factor of 3 or so at this point.
walking directly on the cleats is going to make stops for groceries a bit more awkward, think I'm going to need to figure out a cheap cleat cover solution just so that walking in them isn't so very loud.
Mine have raised rubber points on the toe and on the back two corners of the cleat, to increase grip and stability (these are wear items and may be replaced easily), so maybe look for those? But yeah walking on the cleats is great because you don't use your heels at all and get that max calves workout.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
LuvTheMonkeyHigh Sierra SerenadeRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
I'm totally fine with having a hardtail (or rather, I'm totally fine with not spending the amount of money required to get a worth-it full suspension). Disc brakes though, those are civilization!
IronKnuckleThis is also my faultRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
Hot take: disc brakes are too heavy. If your bike weighs under ten pounds, one tenth of that weight shouldn't be the brakes!
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
Disc brakes are only as heavy as you want them to be - for a road bike you only need little 160/140mm rotors and two-piston calipers.
The 210/200mm rotors and 4 piston calipers on downhill bikes are there for a reason...
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IronKnuckleThis is also my faultRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
Well my only bicycle disk brake experience is on my mountain bike, which are about a hand's breadth. I learned something today!
Appreciation for disc brakes varies depending on how hilly the places you ride are, or how much you weigh. If you ride in rain or snow, discs can make an enormous difference. Where I used to ride in upstate NY we had enough steep hills that I really wanted to get a road frame with disc mounts, but where I am now rim brakes are fine.
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ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
Anyone have any opinions on the different types of pedal cleats? I've had SPD up until now, but my shoes are falling apart and my pedals aren't great so I'm thinking about trying something new. All for road riding
Speedplay Frogs. Even on a road bike.
I used to ride the original Speedplay X series titanium pedals, a true road pedal, but after a while, you just get annoyed at walking around on road shoes when you aren't cycling, and unfortunately, you'll find yourself walking far more often than you anticipated.
So I switched over to Speedplay Frogs, an off road pedal for my road bike, with cycling shoes that look like street shoes, and have never looked back. Cycling shoes that you can comfortably walk in are a godsend.
You can use a lot of walkable shoes with SPDs as well. Or even CX shoes, which are designed for running and clips.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Disc brakes freak me the fuck out. It's like crashing into a wall every I give the gentlest squeeze.
Decent quality hydraulics give you more control
Yeah, absolutely. Mine are kind ofnold and a bit flogged out now, but in 2007 they were good mid-high level bits of kit, and the modulation and feedback is light years ahead of any of the caliper brakes I have used when dicking around on mates road bikes. Plus, riding through a puddle doesn't mean your brakes are useless for a second or so on first application afterwards.
Disc brakes are amazing. Anyone who used to mountain bike on cantilevers and/or v brakes will nod their head vigorously in agreement. Actually being able to stop is great, as opposed to "gently influence the bike to go slower".
Also - if mountain biking, locking up the rear and skiing it through terrain is a valid strategy when it's incredibly slippery.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Hydro discs are absurdly reliable and easy to service.
The avids on my mountain bike haven't been serviced in about seven years of all weather riding, aside from replacing the pads, which you do by undoing a clip, lifting out the old pads, slotting in the new, and replacing the clip.
The amount of faffing my road bike rim brakes have needed in comparison is incredible - adjusting for pad wear, cables gumming up, having to re-centre them after replacing pads, etc. It's a bit better now that I'm using fully sealed cables but they're still a pain.
I can't find decent weights anywhere but I'd be surprised if there was a significant weight penalty for discs. Road calipers are fairly chunky things relative to a small dual piston brake, and flat mount means no significant mounting hardware.
Plus, rim brakes are generally dreadful. In theory they can be pretty good but keeping them performing well is hugely maintenance intensive.
Edit: apparently ultegra disc is 310g heavier as a complete group than ultegra rim, which is more than I thought, but still firmly in "meh" territory for me
Actually, it's more that until this year, the major orgs didn't allow them, so no one bothered using them or making them.
Also - I've had the best luck with Shimano discs.
Yeah, once the UCI blesses them for road officially, they will be a stock configuration option on more of the high end race bikes.
There's a couple guys I have raced with that have them on, though. The officials don't really care about low end amateur racers holding strict with the rules.
Also, rim or disc, hydro brakes are the way and the light.
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IronKnuckleThis is also my faultRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
Last Saturday I completed my 2016 goal for the year. I rode 50 miles, nearly continuous. I have also discovered that I am wildly bad about pacing myself, and that "just go all out" does not work when doing a trip roughly double your typical daily ride.
And then the next day I got back out and did a more reasonable 30 miles because I enjoy misery.
It may be a local conditions thing, but I chew through rim brake pads maybe every 3-4 months, rears lasting a bit longer, obviously.
There are harder wearing pads, but they tend to exacerbate the problem of rim brakes just feeling really ineffective...
Also (and I'm aware of the risk of trading contextless data points) 300g for a 140mm disc is really heavy. There are 180mm rotors with heat dissipating hardware that weigh less than half that.
So there's this neat mobile game called Teeny Titans where you collect figures and battle with em RPG style.
If only Nintendo did that with amiibos....
It's so much fun. It's just a bit on the short side (maybe Pokemon has spoiled me).
I hear they can just add more Teeny Titans as the lifespan of the game goes on, just like Pocket Mortys.
They should release something like it on the eShop for free. You don't have to buy amiibos but for those that do they glow/sparkle/whatever cosmetic nonsense that doesn't effect gameplay at all other than having it on your team/collection from the get go.
My power was out from 6:30 last night to about 6:30 this morning, no damage luckily, but my freezer was quite soggy.
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Mon-Fri 8:30 PM CST - 11:30 PM CST
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Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
edited April 20
I have a house for sale in Brainerd! Move there. Only $80,000
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Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
edited April 20
Come on! I don't want to pay two mortgages!
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited April 19
I'm standing here. I see repaints of inkling girl. I don't see inkling boy or squid sisters. I suspect they are slated for this week... But I have to stop by another store to be safe.
Edit: looks like street is the 8th. So.. Mistake on toys r us part.
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He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Posts
when you want to stop
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
SPDs are pretty great, so I'd say go for those again (unless you want to shell out for Speedplays which are the greatest thing in cycling since the last greatest thing, but really they are actually amazing). I run the SPD MD540s on one bike, and they are damn near bulletproof. I have the M324s on my old commuter-turned-zwift bike as well.
I like ISM saddles, but they are again kinda spendy and take a little getting-used-to because of the "no nose" design. In general, saddle is going to be highly personal and take some trial and error.
Never. Can't stop, won't stop, don't want to.
First of all, they're brakes, not breaks (Sorry, this one just kills me).
Front brake has the most power, but can also potentially flip you over if you grab it too hard.
Rear brake is great for scrubbing speed at a slower rate, especially in corners (though note it may cause you to skid if grabbed in a corner).
Ideally, you use them as little as possible, as momentum bled off through braking is wasted effort.
Realistically: Stop for stop signs and other signals (if you ride on the road), always pre-slow for weird intersections or traffic to allow for longer braking period so people don't hit you if they're not paying attention.
If Mountain biking - braking is a personal thing and it's all about how to transfer weight balance. Try to make a conscious effort to use turning and other techniques to bleed off your speed rather than the brake, as it will help your bike handling long term.
Those ISM saddles look neat. Googling shows that there's a shop in the city that sells them and has a saddle demo service where you can try them for a while. Might give that a go
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
Basically if the wheels are turning, you have control. If they are not, you are headed to accident town.
Ordered a ISM PR3.0 Saddle from amazon. Hope I end up liking it
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
They're not the lightest pedals in the world, but the oldest pair I have are probably 10 years old and still going strong because they have basically no moving parts; I've worn through more cleats than pedals by a factor of 3 or so at this point.
Mine have raised rubber points on the toe and on the back two corners of the cleat, to increase grip and stability (these are wear items and may be replaced easily), so maybe look for those? But yeah walking on the cleats is great because you don't use your heels at all and get that max calves workout.
Conversely, I am simply not interested in ever buying another bicycle without dual suspension and hydraulic disc brakes.
The 210/200mm rotors and 4 piston calipers on downhill bikes are there for a reason...
Hot take: downgraded to warm take.
Decent quality hydraulics give you more control
You can use a lot of walkable shoes with SPDs as well. Or even CX shoes, which are designed for running and clips.
Yeah, absolutely. Mine are kind ofnold and a bit flogged out now, but in 2007 they were good mid-high level bits of kit, and the modulation and feedback is light years ahead of any of the caliper brakes I have used when dicking around on mates road bikes. Plus, riding through a puddle doesn't mean your brakes are useless for a second or so on first application afterwards.
Also - if mountain biking, locking up the rear and skiing it through terrain is a valid strategy when it's incredibly slippery.
On the plus side, I found another couple of hundred metres of climbing I can loop into my usual evening ride.
Edit: the downside being a peak gradient of 22% on said hill
I dunno, they're pretty great for wet weather commuting. No loss of friction and the bike stays much cleaner.
The avids on my mountain bike haven't been serviced in about seven years of all weather riding, aside from replacing the pads, which you do by undoing a clip, lifting out the old pads, slotting in the new, and replacing the clip.
The amount of faffing my road bike rim brakes have needed in comparison is incredible - adjusting for pad wear, cables gumming up, having to re-centre them after replacing pads, etc. It's a bit better now that I'm using fully sealed cables but they're still a pain.
I can't find decent weights anywhere but I'd be surprised if there was a significant weight penalty for discs. Road calipers are fairly chunky things relative to a small dual piston brake, and flat mount means no significant mounting hardware.
Plus, rim brakes are generally dreadful. In theory they can be pretty good but keeping them performing well is hugely maintenance intensive.
Edit: apparently ultegra disc is 310g heavier as a complete group than ultegra rim, which is more than I thought, but still firmly in "meh" territory for me
Also - I've had the best luck with Shimano discs.
There's a couple guys I have raced with that have them on, though. The officials don't really care about low end amateur racers holding strict with the rules.
Also, rim or disc, hydro brakes are the way and the light.
And then the next day I got back out and did a more reasonable 30 miles because I enjoy misery.
There are harder wearing pads, but they tend to exacerbate the problem of rim brakes just feeling really ineffective...
Also (and I'm aware of the risk of trading contextless data points) 300g for a 140mm disc is really heavy. There are 180mm rotors with heat dissipating hardware that weigh less than half that.
It's so much fun. It's just a bit on the short side (maybe Pokemon has spoiled me).
I hear they can just add more Teeny Titans as the lifespan of the game goes on, just like Pocket Mortys.
They should release something like it on the eShop for free. You don't have to buy amiibos but for those that do they glow/sparkle/whatever cosmetic nonsense that doesn't effect gameplay at all other than having it on your team/collection from the get go.
Edit: looks like street is the 8th. So.. Mistake on toys r us part.