Biking Question

[Renegade]

I have a Road Bike which I really enjoy riding. I am wanting to branch out a little and take up Gravel and maybe Cyclocross. I have tried MTB, and just didn't care for it.

Any suggestions, tips etc? I am looking at the Salsa Warbird and Trek line of bikes right now.

[Bugeater]

So anyway...once you get hooked plan on also buying a cycling computer, bluetooth speaker (gotta have music when you ride), a bag and a rack to carry all your shit and soon enough you'll realize the stock seats are garbage and someone else will talk you into clipless pedals and the shoes to go along with it and hoo boy the first time you ride with them you're going to forget you're clipped in when you come to a stop and fall over several times and maybe even get bloody in the process...

[Monticore]

I think I have clicked on this thread 10 times so far I have to stop reading the title as Bikini question.

[Renegade]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

So anyway...once you get hooked plan on also buying a cycling computer, bluetooth speaker (gotta have music when you ride), a bag and a rack to carry all your shit and soon enough you'll realize the stock seats are garbage and someone else will talk you into clipless pedals and the shoes to go along with it and hoo boy the first time you ride with them you're going to forget you're clipped in when you come to a stop and fall over several times and maybe even get bloody in the process...

Remember to fall to the right, not into traffic. I have learned to take the tension all the way off, as I still forget I am clipped in at times.

[Renegade]

Originally Posted by Monticore

I think I have clicked on this thread 10 times so far I have to stop reading the title as Bikini question.

There would be nothing wrong with that thread

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Renegade

Remember to fall to the right, not into traffic. I have learned to take the tension all the way off, as I still forget I am clipped in at times.

The first time I used them I was out on a group ride, I fell three times. First time was in a bed of mulch at a bar we were stopping at for a beer, second time was into someone else's bike, third time I was near a split rail fence and I somehow managed to grab the post before I went completely down. I consider myself lucky.


Haven't fallen over since, but I did have a bad run a couple years ago where I crashed 3 times over one summer. Got bloodied up pretty good each time.

[Bugeater]

Crash #1: Was on a gravel road in BF Kansas on my old Trek hybrid when the front tire inexplicably blew out, I was down hard before I even knew what happened.




Crash #2: 3 weeks later on an asphalt trail at Smithville Lake, MO. Same bike, same exact blowout of the front tire, same bloodied up knee. Only difference was this time I saw the tire had gone down and I knew what was about to happen but was powerless to stop it. I cussed all the way down to the ground. This would be the last time I ever rode that old bike.




Crash #3: This was a few months later on my Framed Minnesota 1.0 fat bike at Whiterock Conservancy in Coon Rapids, IA. I was headed down a steep grassy hill and the next thing I knew I was faceplanted into the dirt. Don't know for sure what caused it, but it was a really hot day and I had been out for quite a while so I suspect that I may have taken a hand off the handlebar to wipe sweat off my face, or I was simply getting fatigued.

[Perineum Ripper]

Oh I have money set aside for extra stuff. I unfortunately learned how much extra stuff you need when you ride motorcycles, so I assumed that after I got the bike I would be buying more gear. Already have a RAM mount coming for my phone, been looking at bags for a tire repair kit, a pump to mount on the frame, a luggage rack for the back. My wife already bought me a little trailer to haul the youngest with me.



So give me all the lists of stuff so I know how to budget.



Also what kind of Apps do you guys use to track your rides? I have All Trails right now, it’s not bad. Keeps track of time, distance, and pace. Pretty simple App, I mostly just want to be able to track my progress, like this one does. If I can get a better App I would like that.

[Renegade]

I use Strava and RidewithGPS. Those are the majority of the ones that races have where you can download the files. I don't even use a phone mount. I have a wireless bike computer. I don't trust my phone out front on the roads that I ride. It stays in my back pocket.

Things you will need/want

A nice pair or two of padded shorts/bibs if you do any long riding-more than 30 minutes
Upgrade your saddle once it gets so you can't stand it. Stock saddles are terrible
Some kind of cream for the butt/nether regions. I used Chamois Butter
A bike jersey is awesome to store all kinds of junk in
Bike gloves, your hands will get numb
Upgrade to gel handlebar tape
Some type of Bento box if you need extra nutrition. I use Dark Works. Big enough for 6 hours for me
Tire repair kit.

These are the first things I bought, then started the upgrading process

[redfan]

Think about getting a Camelbak type water pack. Hands-free drinking, and you can put all of your tools and food in it.

[Renegade]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Crash #1: Was on a gravel road in BF Kansas on my old Trek hybrid when the front tire inexplicably blew out, I was down hard before I even knew what happened.




Crash #2: 3 weeks later on an asphalt trail at Smithville Lake, MO. Same bike, same exact blowout of the front tire, same bloodied up knee. Only difference was this time I saw the tire had gone down and I knew what was about to happen but was powerless to stop it. I cussed all the way down to the ground. This would be the last time I ever rode that old bike.




Crash #3: This was a few months later on my Framed Minnesota 1.0 fat bike at Whiterock Conservancy in Coon Rapids, IA. I was headed down a steep grassy hill and the next thing I knew I was faceplanted into the dirt. Don't know for sure what caused it, but it was a really hot day and I had been out for quite a while so I suspect that I may have taken a hand off the handlebar to wipe sweat off my face, or I was simply getting fatigued.

Nice battle wounds. It seems like once you get road rash, you always get it in the same spot. My right knee is made up mostly of gravel/tarmac at this point. My last major crash was 3 years ago when I was riding my road bike. I was too close to the "shoulder" and the pavement. There was about a 2" drop off. My front tire caught the edge and down I went. I did a 180 with the bike while still clipped in. That was scary

[Bugeater]

I used RunKeeper for a while, but I would often forget to stop it when I finished my ride so I'd get the drive back home onto it as well. Depending on how far away I was, it could do wonders to my average speed.

Other than that I've just used the Cateye Enduro computer on my bike. It keeps track of distance, average speed, top speed, cumulative mileage and some other stuff I'm probably forgetting. But after many years of tracking all that shit I quit obsessing over it and I just focus on the experiences now.

It's pictured here with my personal one day record set on RAGBRAI back in 2015. I'll probably never surpass it because I don't ride anywhere near as much as I did back then.

[TinyEvel]

Being on my bike is my happy place. It's a great activity. Mentally and physically.

Here's this weekend, near the top of Mount Tam, go from sea level to 2500 feet in about 10 miles from my house. Turn your head to the right of this pic and the ocean is way down there.

[heapshake]

I'm trying to find some decent bikes for kids. I'm a house parent at a children's home with 8 kids that ride bikes. Most of the bikes we have are Walmart hand me downs that have been donated. A couple of the kids have gotten new Walmart bikes but it is only a matter of time until they fall apart.

Right now I'm trying to find something for a couple of boys (9&10). I want something that is a single speed. I'm not sure if a coaster brake would be better or rim brakes. I've had bad luck with the rim brakes on kids bikes. The cable housing breaks at the handlebars and I can't tighten them up. The kids like to skid with the coaster brakes and the tires get eaten up.

I'm thinking a BMX style bike would work best, but I can't spend a lot of money. The office wants to ask for more donations but I'm tired of trying of keeping these pieces of junk running. We were given permission to buy one boy a bike awhile back and we spent $120 at Target. We were told to take it back and get one from Walmart (they had gift cards) for less than $100. A few weeks later both brake levers broke off and it wouldn't shift. We are seconds away from some easy single track and 2 minutes away from a paved MUP.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Renegade]

Check Craig's List or local Auctions. Sometimes there are local organizations that give bikes to kids. Sometimes thrift stores carry kids bikes that are gently used. Anything is better than a Walmart bike

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by heapshake

I'm trying to find some decent bikes for kids. I'm a house parent at a children's home with 8 kids that ride bikes. Most of the bikes we have are Walmart hand me downs that have been donated. A couple of the kids have gotten new Walmart bikes but it is only a matter of time until they fall apart.

Right now I'm trying to find something for a couple of boys (9&10). I want something that is a single speed. I'm not sure if a coaster brake would be better or rim brakes. I've had bad luck with the rim brakes on kids bikes. The cable housing breaks at the handlebars and I can't tighten them up. The kids like to skid with the coaster brakes and the tires get eaten up.

I'm thinking a BMX style bike would work best, but I can't spend a lot of money. The office wants to ask for more donations but I'm tired of trying of keeping these pieces of junk running. We were given permission to buy one boy a bike awhile back and we spent $120 at Target. We were told to take it back and get one from Walmart (they had gift cards) for less than $100. A few weeks later both brake levers broke off and it wouldn't shift. We are seconds away from some easy single track and 2 minutes away from a paved MUP.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Yeah those low end bikes just aren't worth the trouble, they're not well engineered, have crap components, likely aren't assembled properly either. We have a community bike project here in Omaha that tries to help out with this sort of thing, where are you located?