Cycling Thread

[cracher]

I blow chains way more frequently than I blow tires, so I keep a KMC quicklink, multitool, energy gummies and water in the backpack. I'm pretty good about pulling the presta core and injecting a bunch of stans every few weeks and opening the tire up every couple months to clean out the clumps of stans inside. I roll the dice on not having a tube on me for most of my shorter rides.

However, I'll be in Bend on Thursday (booked a Cog Wild tour) so I'll be bringing everything for this epic.

[millhouse11]

I carry a multi tool, chain tool, tire levers and a tube. I also carry a couple of CO2 cartridges and an inflator. I run Orange Seal and have only had to do one fill in the spring. I used to use Stans and found I needed to add at least one time in the summer. I like it much better than Stans. Water depends on the ride. If it's going to be under 2 hours, I carry a water bottle or two depending. If it's going to be 2+, I use a camelback. Usually, I'm fixing other peoples chains because they don't have a chain tool.
Everyone is different though. I sweat, so I need water with electolytes. My wife, can get by on one small water bottle over a two hour hammer, but she needs more food than me.

[Northendzone]

Cracker - I went on a cog wild tour a few years ago. We went from my bachelor to bend, it was a great day...we covered about 50k....there were some tough climbs, but there was way more sweet downhill.

Today a buddy and I did Tom snow, bobcat, ranger summit, snakes and ladders, ridgeback and then Tom snow again back to station flats. Tom snow tricks you into thinking it is sweet, but it turns into crap.....bobcat is awesome, super buff, snakes and ladders is ok (although I appreciated the effort the builders put in), the climb up from s&l to ridgeback is a brutal death march....ridgeback is a mixed bag of sweet single track and some moderate rock gardens...it was a 16k ride with 600m of elevation gain.

I Cary way more stuff in my camelback than I have ever needed - a tube, spare presto valve, duct tape, zip ties, rubber gloves, first aid stuff, tire levers, pump, a spare mount for my garmin (I have this mount that goes on my headset and it breaks easily to save the garmin), kimchi quick link, multi tool, usually some type of energy thing, spoke wrench, tire boot - I think that is about it.

I have no idea why I carry so much stuff - I have yet to ever need anything more than a tube.....

[cral12]

To fat bike or not to fat bike, that is the question.

[cracher]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Cracker - I went on a cog wild tour a few years ago. We went from my bachelor to bend, it was a great day...we covered about 50k....there were some tough climbs, but there was way more sweet downhill....

Cog wild is such a great operation, isn't it? Did a sampler tour on day 1, the guy took us down Tyler's traverse and gave us the run-down on all the good stuff. We went exploring over the next few days (funners, Phil's, etc) and covered a fair bit of ground. So glad I rented a bike though; Bend had a really dry summer so that super-fine reddish color dust was everywhere. I'm sure the fork oil needed an overhaul by the time we were done. Oh, and Deschutes, Crux, Bend breweries for the win. Finally logged some great beers into the Untappd app.

[macker]

Originally Posted by cral12

To fat bike or not to fat bike, that is the question.

Once you ride Fat you never go back The Bragg Creek trails are all perfectly suited for fatbiking. Wide, easy grade, and in the winter there is fraction of the traffic on them. It is the perfect way to stay in shape in the winter. Very few conditions that a properly outfitted fatbike can't handle.

[Northendzone]

^ which trails in bragg have a wide easy grade? to me biking in bragg always means some gut busting climbs - but that said, i am 50 and overweight. maybe 30 yr old fit me says the trails are just a wee climb.

my buddy is really pressuring me to buy a fattie - i had negotiated a price on a rig on kijiji - but then just had a nagging sense that it was the wrong time for me to spend $1300 on a bike - so i backed out of the deal - a decision which i may live to regret.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by macker

Once you ride Fat you never go back The Bragg Creek trails are all perfectly suited for fatbiking. Wide, easy grade, and in the winter there is fraction of the traffic on them. It is the perfect way to stay in shape in the winter. Very few conditions that a properly outfitted fatbike can't handle.

Probably a purchase for 2016, but any recommendations in advance of that.

[Johnny199r]

I moved to Northern MB recently. There aren't mountains like in AB, but it's not flat like the Praries. Considering I'm surroundeded by boreal forest in all directions, I don't see why I can't create some sick mountain biking trails......that's going to be my hobby next summer, trail building.

[macker]

Originally Posted by cral12

Probably a purchase for 2016, but any recommendations in advance of that.

Rocky Mountain Blizzard has all price points covered. From the Blizzard 50 $2,999 down to the Blizzard 10 $1,299. As long as you fork out for the studded dillinger tires you will be able to ride all conditions. The tires are the most important component!

[Bill Bumface]

I saw a guy riding his fat bike to work today. It made my brain hurt. Why??

[Fuzz]

Maybe his primary had a mechanical, he went home and grabbed the only other option he had? I've done that, rather than take the bus. Not a fat bike, but my road bike.

[Old Yeller]

I've got about a 15km commute to work and back and I love the spring/summer/fall commute on my 3 year old road bike and absolutely hate the commute on my uhhh... 20+ year old mountain bike. I've got studded tires on the mtn bike so traction isn't an issue, it's the fact it's over two decades old, heavy as hell, and the components aren't anything special.

My path is mostly plowed in the winter and only has a couple of hills so I was thinking that maybe a decent Cross bike with studded tires could be a good winter commuter.. does anyone winter commute on a Cross? I don't know much about 'em and if that's a dumb idea or not. My other option is looking into a slightly newer mountain bike than 2 decades old.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

I've got about a 15km commute to work and back and I love the spring/summer/fall commute on my 3 year old road bike and absolutely hate the commute on my uhhh... 20+ year old mountain bike. I've got studded tires on the mtn bike so traction isn't an issue, it's the fact it's over two decades old, heavy as hell, and the components aren't anything special.

My path is mostly plowed in the winter and only has a couple of hills so I was thinking that maybe a decent Cross bike with studded tires could be a good winter commuter.. does anyone winter commute on a Cross? I don't know much about 'em and if that's a dumb idea or not. My other option is looking into a slightly newer mountain bike than 2 decades old.

I don't, but the bike room is full of them. They seem to be a popular choice.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

I've got about a 15km commute to work and back and I love the spring/summer/fall commute on my 3 year old road bike and absolutely hate the commute on my uhhh... 20+ year old mountain bike. I've got studded tires on the mtn bike so traction isn't an issue, it's the fact it's over two decades old, heavy as hell, and the components aren't anything special.

My path is mostly plowed in the winter and only has a couple of hills so I was thinking that maybe a decent Cross bike with studded tires could be a good winter commuter.. does anyone winter commute on a Cross? I don't know much about 'em and if that's a dumb idea or not. My other option is looking into a slightly newer mountain bike than 2 decades old.

If I were you I wouldn't bother getting a cross bike. In your case, what's the point?

You've already got a road bike, and are you going to do any cross races, or ride it off road? If it's just going to be a winter commuter, why not buy something that is a bit more versatile, like the new mountain bike, or maybe save some money and buy a dedicated commuter.

There are a lot of better options than a cross bike.

[habernac]

ditch the studs if your path is plowed. They just slow you down.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by habernac

ditch the studs if your path is plowed. They just slow you down.

I moved to a 2 bike solution. I briefly considered no studs, but there are a couple days a year where the short section of roads I need to ride are total glare ice and the river pathway underpasses didn't get plowed in time and are a total mess of ice on a steep grade.

Now I ride nicer bike, normal tires as much as possible, and any super grimy, snowy or icy days I don't want to trash my nice bike, I take the beater with studs.

[cral12]

Anyone have any suggestions for a company to do custom cycling jerseys.
(an activewear shirt of some sort would likely work two)
Only for four guys, which will make it challenging likely.
Thanks

[Fuzz]

Check with Sugoi, they have no order limit
http://custom.sugoi.com/can/custom

[Fuzz]

Well, picked up some studed tires for the commuter...This will be my first winter venturing out of the ice(other than those 2 other times, when I ended up on my ass). I will probably keep my temperature cutoff of around -10 though.