Cycling bikes

  On 7/5/2023 at 3:59 PM, IDEM said:

 

This is my daily driver, a Riese & Müller Delite GT vario with continuous hub gear and belt drive, nicknamed The Beast. It's sturdy af -- it's built like a tank, feels and rides like a tank, and I absolutely love it. What it does is give me confidence and security, I feel like I can do anything (apart from any serious trails perhaps, which I have no interest in anyway) and go anywhere (at least as long as the battery holds up). And, maybe, just maybe I sometimes imagine I'm Batman when I ride it.

 

 

So here's my story: two years ago, when it was time for a new bike, I decided I was old enough for an electric one. I'm a lazy ass, and my mountain bike was gathering dust. Since I got this machine, my radius of movement has extended considerably, because I'm no longer afraid of any steep hill or long climb whatsoever. Still, I mostly drive it in eco mode and only unleash the kraken when the situation calls for it. I do my daily shopping with it, go for longer tours on the weekend or take it for a quick round through the woods, and it brings me great joy.

And yet, there is one thing that's been bothering me, which is that I can't really go any faster than 25 km/h. In short, I guess I'm still a little bit too fit for my e-bike, and I have to admit it can be a little frustrating when those aerodynamically optimized human projectiles on their little road bikes zip past me. I could chip it, which would be illegal and potentially dangerous. The alternative would be a second bike, a light, nimble, fast bike. Ironically, it seems like the e-bike has gotten me so into biking that I would like to bike more ... seriously? So when my beloved beast was in the shop for maintenance a couple of weeks ago and I was suffering from massive bike withdrawal, I thought, fuck it, did some research and discovered that gravel bikes were not only a thing, but actually quite the rage. Mind you, I'm the opposite of a hipster, but I do think I have a use case for it. I don't like to ride on roads populated by cars much, so I guess a gravel bike would be the best of both worlds, a bike that I could take off the beaten path but that would also be fast on tarmac. So I ordered a Cube Nuroad C:62 SL on a whim.

The thing is, I'm sort of getting cold feet now. My back is properly fucked, I had hernia surgery five years ago and now have another slipped disc, and I'm concerned with comfort. The Cube has zero suspension and I fear for my back and neck. Do any of you have experience with actually riding a gravel bike on gravelly or forest roads? Would my old bones be rattling uncontrollably? I'm also not sure about the more sporty position due to geometry and drop bars. Unfortunately I won't be able to really test drive it. The days without any bike at all were really hard, I hadn't even realized how much I had gotten used to riding daily, and it would be nice to have a second bike ready in case there's something wrong with the e-bike, but it also feels like quite the indulgence when I'm actually pretty happy with what I have, except for that one little niggle. What to do, what to do?

 

Semi-edit: While composing this epic post, I just got the e-mail that the ordered bike has arrived, lol. There is no obligation to buy it, they won't have any problem to sell it, but if I want it, I got five days to pick it up. Argh. Help me, WATTTUMMMMMMM!

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n + 1

it's a rule. you must buy the bike. 

  On 7/5/2023 at 3:59 PM, IDEM said:

 

This is my daily driver, a Riese & Müller Delite GT vario with continuous hub gear and belt drive, nicknamed The Beast. It's sturdy af -- it's built like a tank, feels and rides like a tank, and I absolutely love it. What it does is give me confidence and security, I feel like I can do anything (apart from any serious trails perhaps, which I have no interest in anyway) and go anywhere (at least as long as the battery holds up). And, maybe, just maybe I sometimes imagine I'm Batman when I ride it.

 

 

So here's my story: two years ago, when it was time for a new bike, I decided I was old enough for an electric one. I'm a lazy ass, and my mountain bike was gathering dust. Since I got this machine, my radius of movement has extended considerably, because I'm no longer afraid of any steep hill or long climb whatsoever. Still, I mostly drive it in eco mode and only unleash the kraken when the situation calls for it. I do my daily shopping with it, go for longer tours on the weekend or take it for a quick round through the woods, and it brings me great joy.

And yet, there is one thing that's been bothering me, which is that I can't really go any faster than 25 km/h. In short, I guess I'm still a little bit too fit for my e-bike, and I have to admit it can be a little frustrating when those aerodynamically optimized human projectiles on their little road bikes zip past me. I could chip it, which would be illegal and potentially dangerous. The alternative would be a second bike, a light, nimble, fast bike. Ironically, it seems like the e-bike has gotten me so into biking that I would like to bike more ... seriously? So when my beloved beast was in the shop for maintenance a couple of weeks ago and I was suffering from massive bike withdrawal, I thought, fuck it, did some research and discovered that gravel bikes were not only a thing, but actually quite the rage. Mind you, I'm the opposite of a hipster, but I do think I have a use case for it. I don't like to ride on roads populated by cars much, so I guess a gravel bike would be the best of both worlds, a bike that I could take off the beaten path but that would also be fast on tarmac. So I ordered a Cube Nuroad C:62 SL on a whim.

The thing is, I'm sort of getting cold feet now. My back is properly fucked, I had hernia surgery five years ago and now have another slipped disc, and I'm concerned with comfort. The Cube has zero suspension and I fear for my back and neck. Do any of you have experience with actually riding a gravel bike on gravelly or forest roads? Would my old bones be rattling uncontrollably? I'm also not sure about the more sporty position due to geometry and drop bars. Unfortunately I won't be able to really test drive it. The days without any bike at all were really hard, I hadn't even realized how much I had gotten used to riding daily, and it would be nice to have a second bike ready in case there's something wrong with the e-bike, but it also feels like quite the indulgence when I'm actually pretty happy with what I have, except for that one little niggle. What to do, what to do?

 

Semi-edit: While composing this epic post, I just got the e-mail that the ordered bike has arrived, lol. There is no obligation to buy it, they won't have any problem to sell it, but if I want it, I got five days to pick it up. Argh. Help me, WATTTUMMMMMMM!

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Buy it, of course.

BTW, fenders and mudguards don’t weigh *that* much and they seriously improve your quality of life, bike wise, especially if you do your daily shopping with it. Same goes for some sort of luggage carrier. I know it seems silly to add them to bikes like these but it really improves them. And in the end you still have a nimble racing monster, just one that’s a bit more useful. And since you’re not going to win the TDF anyway, who cares if it weighs a bit more?

  On 7/5/2023 at 4:21 PM, ignatius said:

n + 1

it's a rule. you must buy the bike. 

  On 7/5/2023 at 10:43 PM, Limo said:

Buy it, of course.

Well, that was easy, flol.

If I do, I think I might have to go tubeless. Anyone have experience with that?

Done and dusted. It really is more fun.

Looks really slick and I’m not a gravel guy. Nice purchase.

Nice water bottle 

Noice bike too, love the colour.

I looked into tubeless tyres and got a headache pretty quick and gave up. Not sure about them, Seemed just as many cons as there are pros.

Salve!

Preparing camp for tonight inside ancient Roman fort. Very hot day today, and I shouldn't have eaten lunch in the afternoon. Saped my strength to fight the inclines and the heat. I know better for tomorrow now as i will face harder and longer inclines.

Deus Mars nobis iterum subrisit. Ita omnes hostes Romae comprimentur.

  On 7/10/2023 at 7:23 PM, cichlisuite said:

Salve!

Preparing camp for tonight inside ancient Roman fort. Very hot day today, and I shouldn't have eaten lunch in the afternoon. Saped my strength to fight the inclines and the heat. I know better for tomorrow now as i will face harder and longer inclines.

Deus Mars nobis iterum subrisit. Ita omnes hostes Romae comprimentur.

 

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biggus dickus

praeterea

Adopted a new touring bike: a Cube Hyde Race the original owner decked out with useful things like mudguards, a luggage carrier, a bike stand (sooo useful) and, of course, a lock. Shimano 8 speed Alfine hub and a belt so everything between here and the foothills of the Alps is perfectly doable and there’s no need for maintenance.

Previous owner didn’t get along with it so sold it back to the store almost immediately meaning it’s good as new.

Nice catch, congrats! I also love my belt drive, so convenient. Wouldn't mind a stand on my gravel bike either, but still hesitating, might look a bit strange after all.

  On 7/13/2023 at 8:51 PM, IDEM said:

Wouldn't mind a stand on my gravel bike either, but still hesitating, might look a bit strange after all.

Hehehe ... if you do this in The Netherlands, it just ends up looking like a regular bike (like this one does).

I spent years without a stand on my single speed commuter bike because it didn't come with one. Always a hassle to park your bike, always need something to lean it against. This being The Netherlands, with millions of bikes around, all the good spots are always taken so I'd always have to spend time hunting for a place to park my bike. Mounting a €15 Decathlon bike stand was *so* liberating.

when I was 11, I went to a beach in a kaiak, and when I was on the beach I borrowed a BMX and went for a ride... barefoot (so I couldn't brake with my foot in the back wheel)... I ignored that... went down trough a ramp and when I realized I couldn't make the curve I had 2 options... wall concrete or glass... I chose the glass, cause movies u know? I got cut pretty deep in my left arm in the muscle and also on my chin... my mom was pregnant with my sister and she arrived at the beach when I was being carried to the ambulance, bleeding like rambo with a cloth around my arm to stop the bleeding...

end of story...

  On 7/14/2023 at 8:43 PM, cruising for burgers said:

when I was 11, I went to a beach in a kaiak, and when I was on the beach I borrowed a BMX and went for a ride... barefoot (so I couldn't brake with my foot in the back wheel)... I ignored that... went down trough a ramp and when I realized I couldn't make the curve I had 2 options... wall concrete or glass... I chose the glass, cause movies u know? I got cut pretty deep in my left arm in the muscle and also on my chin... my mom was pregnant with my sister and she arrived at the beach when I was being carried to the ambulance, bleeding like rambo with a cloth around my arm to stop the bleeding...

end of story...

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Shits heavy! 

My worst slam on the BMX was when I was riding full speed and were going to do a Bunny over this thing: 



I was over it but not really the back wheel that touched the edge and I was flying down on the ground, scraped up chin and hands + knees. 
More choked than it hurts I think. 

I always loved to ride BMX, always breakless also. Love to stand all the time and going fast, jumping around. Perfect bike to ride to the beach near me. 
Oh I want a BMX now! 

 

@IDEM That's a single what is it called..."front sprocket"? Do you get the speed you need?

  On 7/20/2023 at 1:17 PM, scumtron said:

@IDEM That's a single what is it called..."front sprocket"? Do you get the speed you need?

That is an stute observation, and yes, I was a bit worried about that, but top speed is sufficient, for me at least. What does the trick is that it's a 1x12 gearshift with a huge cassette that ranges from 10 to 50 teeth, which is well enough for me. So I guess what you sacrifice is not so much top speed but more like the finer nuances between gears, and sometimes I do have a bit of trouble finding the exact right gear for the situation, but it's no biggie.

On the other hand, switching gears becomes easier and more direct. (The electronic gearshift is so nice, I can simply hold the button and it will shift seamlessly from the highest to the lowest gear or vice versa, all without having to switch the front sprocket). So basically I don't really have to think about it, it becomes more intuitive, plus you have one item less that can get dirty, break or cause any sort of trouble.

So all in all, I wouldn't advise it for the mountains, but personally,  I don't really need the range of an MTB, since I mostly ride on more or less even ground in the woods (what we call "Waldautobahn" -- long, wide forest roads with a surface of fine gravel or even tarmac) and on rural backroads. I'm not a professional biker, I just ride for fun and for the exercise. Your mileage my literally vary.

Okay, I'm off to the Tour de France (just on TV). Man, that Vingegaard is eating Tadej Pogacar alive!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2777346

Been watching the Netflix documentary on the Tour de France after a recommendation from a Formula 1 podcast, and there's one with Jack Aitken on how cycling makes him a better driver.

https://escapecollective.com/podcast-f1s-obsession-with-cycling-makes-better-drivers-with-jack-aitken/

  On 4/3/2024 at 12:54 AM, ManjuShri said:

Been watching the Netflix documentary on the Tour de France after a recommendation from a Formula 1 podcast, and there's one with Jack Aitken on how cycling makes him a better driver.

https://escapecollective.com/podcast-f1s-obsession-with-cycling-makes-better-drivers-with-jack-aitken/

 

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will have to that on the list. looks full of heartbreak!

i watched this some months ago and it's crazy.. 

I fucking hate cycling and the sweaty ass back you get when the temperature rises above 15 degrees celsius

fuck it all

i once cycled on a fixed gear backward breaking bike to oxford from london

fking dumb idea