The Surly Road Cycling Thread

[Sgt Hulk 13713]

57 minutes ago, G650 said:

Yeah, it's brutal here. This is the best time of year though, the humidity finally dips a little. If you are in Hampton, you can also look at just riding around the Williamsburg area, it's a great place to ride, all in town has bike lanes and the roads to the north of 64 are pretty quiet. I like to go out and ride there during lunch some weekdays. Not quite as fun on a Tri bike, but a nice change of pace from the trail.

Oh i def have a roady for around here, the tri bike remains on the trainer for zwift until we can race again haha 

[High Plains Drifter 11033]

 

Recommend me a mirror. I'm too old to be looking back over my shoulder all the time.

[CycleTex87 2967]

I got a Garmin for Christmas last year, and it has as an add-on a combo rear view radar unit / taillight that signals when cars are coming up from behind on the Garmin screen.  Way more than a rearview mirror, I know, but its kind of cool.  Works really well for me early in the morning when traffic is light.

[G650 14244]

Yeah I'm hopeless on that stuff

[Lhorn 4911]

I use this. I believe it’s called “Take A Look”. It was the most highly recommended on a bike forum I used to frequent. Attached to the frame of my glasses. To me that makes far more sense than the ones that attach to your bars. I like it very well but haven’t tried anything else to compare it with.

[52-80 19147]

I think im gonna get an electric road bike and dedicate it to @G650

 

 

[midtown 3345]

Well this is a first.  Half way through my 30 miler yesterday I hear what is clearly metal hitting metal vs a rock etc.   Pull over and I find this.   Never heard or seen a broken flange on a hub especially on a high quality component.   Albeit these are almost 20 years old.    

Turned around at the 10 mile mark and made it back to my truck.  Stopped in my shop on the way home to see what hubs I could get.   At first they said just buy a new set of wheels.  Then I brought my bike in and they saw that I had these metallic blue open pros and they changed their mind and suggested I rebuild them.  

I can barely even find a picture of any World Class hubs online so I doubt Ill ever be able to find another set of these hubs.    They gave me a list of hubs to look at

Industry Nine, Chris King, Onyx, DT Swiss, Phil Wood, White Industries.    Also need to decide on a color.   I'm thinking black would look pretty good.   Bike and wheel picture included for reference. Any input?

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by midtown

[G650 14244]

3 hours ago, midtown said:

Well this is a first.  Half way through my 30 miler yesterday I hear what is clearly metal hitting metal vs a rock etc.   Pull over and I find this.   Never heard or seen a broken flange on a hub especially on a high quality component.   Albeit these are almost 20 years old.    

Turned around at the 10 mile mark and made it back to my truck.  Stopped in my shop on the way home to see what hubs I could get.   At first they said just buy a new set of wheels.  Then I brought my bike in and they saw that I had these metallic blue open pros and they changed their mind and suggested I rebuild them.  

I can barely even find a picture of any World Class hubs online so I doubt Ill ever be able to find another set of these hubs.    They gave me a list of hubs to look at

Industry Nine, Chris King, Onyx, DT Swiss, Phil Wood, White Industries.    Also need to decide on a color.   I'm thinking black would look pretty good.   Bike and wheel picture included for reference. Any input?

 

 

That's some vintage hardware!

 

I pretty much run 100% DT Swiss Dicut now. King obviously good, but I think DT Swiss is lighter.

[midtown 3345]

I'm kind of partial to the Phil Wood.   Not too concerned about a few grams of weight when I could stand to lose an entire bike worth of weight

 

[G650 14244]

No doubt.

[52-80 19147]

open pros.... good throwback but theyre not that valuable, objectively speaking

 

if youre getting fresh new hubs, build a fresh new wheel to take advantage of modern width and , possibly, tubeless compatibility.

 

use old rim and spokes as pet project to lace yourself a backup pair of wheels

 

[midtown 3345]

I love the blue rims so I'm keeping them. Just ordered a front Phil. They are purty.

I don't race or anything. And I'm looking at a new De Rosa soon that will have all the new stuff

[G650 14244]

10 minutes ago, midtown said:

new De Rosa

Hell yes

[CycleTex87 2967]

My left knee arthritis has progressively been getting worse over the last 5 years or so.  Hasn't really been an issue for cycling, until last Saturday.  Went on a ride, and stood up to mash through a light, and something popped in my patella area, so now my knee is swelled up and hurts like hell.  I'm going in for some injections in a couple weeks, so maybe that helps.  If anything will hasten the knee replacement that is inevitably coming, losing my ability to ride is near the top of the list.  😥

[G650 14244]

12 hours ago, CycleTex87 said:

My left knee arthritis has progressively been getting worse over the last 5 years or so.  Hasn't really been an issue for cycling, until last Saturday.  Went on a ride, and stood up to mash through a light, and something popped in my patella area, so now my knee is swelled up and hurts like hell.  I'm going in for some injections in a couple weeks, so maybe that helps.  If anything will hasten the knee replacement that is inevitably coming, losing my ability to ride is near the top of the list.  😥

Oof. That is a motherfucker man.

[midtown 3345]

Back from the shop. Going to give it a spin tomorrow.

[52-80 19147]

#teamUgo

[G650 14244]

Hawt.

[Txzen 498]

On 2/28/2021 at 7:44 AM, midtown said:

Well this is a first.  Half way through my 30 miler yesterday I hear what is clearly metal hitting metal vs a rock etc.   Pull over and I find this.   Never heard or seen a broken flange on a hub especially on a high quality component.   Albeit these are almost 20 years old.    

Turned around at the 10 mile mark and made it back to my truck.  Stopped in my shop on the way home to see what hubs I could get.   At first they said just buy a new set of wheels.  Then I brought my bike in and they saw that I had these metallic blue open pros and they changed their mind and suggested I rebuild them.  

I can barely even find a picture of any World Class hubs online so I doubt Ill ever be able to find another set of these hubs.    They gave me a list of hubs to look at

Industry Nine, Chris King, Onyx, DT Swiss, Phil Wood, White Industries.    Also need to decide on a color.   I'm thinking black would look pretty good.   Bike and wheel picture included for reference. Any input?

 

 

That's a great neo-classic Merckx!

[CycleTex87 2967]

On 4/6/2021 at 3:47 PM, 52-80 said:

#teamUgo

Somewhere in the Hill Country?

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

Dump of road (IE paved trail) riding in ‘21 pics. Featured locations = Prairie Farmer Trail (Cresco/Ridgeway IA), Rochester MN, and Root River Trail (Lanesboro/Fountain MN)


















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[52-80 19147]

yeah so i ordered my e-road bike cuz im a weenie so what fight me.

 

bike in 105 config is available in august... spec'ed ultegra which isnt available until december which isn't riding season around here but whatever.  it might be nice for the indoor trainer (with the electric motor doing all the work).

[G650 14244]

[52-80 19147]

dat VTEC button tho.

also thinking about swapping from Garmin (520) to a Wahoo unit.  Because all the cool kids are on Wahoo these days.  Anyone like?

[G650 14244]

6 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

dat VTEC button tho.

also thinking about swapping from Garmin (520) to a Wahoo unit.  Because all the cool kids are on Wahoo these days.  Anyone like?

I just bought the Bolt V2 week before last to replace my original Bolt. I'm all about some Wahoo computers. So user friendly and dead simple.

 

 

So, in other news, I'm cycling 220 miles Saturday....

[G650 14244]

[midtown 3345]

Throw out some cycling sunglass reco's.  I had a pair I liked that were kind of cheap but the frame just snapped and I had to do a ride today with no glasses.  what a beating.

[52-80 19147]

14 minutes ago, midtown said:

Throw out some cycling sunglass reco's.  I had a pair I liked that were kind of cheap but the frame just snapped and I had to do a ride today with no glasses.  what a beating.

whatever cheapo ones fit you well.  obviously with rubber grips and nose bridge for staying in place.  pref photochromatic if you ride across different hours. 

the only name brand stuff which were bad is rudy project.  had a few pairs and they felt like dollar store trash.

[midtown 3345]

Yeah there were $29.   I did submit a warranty with the company.  Optic nerve.   I guess Ill wait a few days to see if they are willing to send me a new pair.   If not Ill just order some more cheapos.

[G650 14244]

I like my AGUS, but they can be hard to get in the States sometimes

[CycleTex87 2967]

On 6/30/2021 at 5:39 PM, 52-80 said:

whatever cheapo ones fit you well.  obviously with rubber grips and nose bridge for staying in place.  pref photochromatic if you ride across different hours. 

the only name brand stuff which were bad is rudy project.  had a few pairs and they felt like dollar store trash.

I’ve worn and like Tifosi lately. Less expensive than the Oakley’s and Roka’s out there, but pretty durable so far.  
https://www.tifosioptics.com

[midtown 3345]

On 6/30/2021 at 5:45 PM, midtown said:

Yeah there were $29.   I did submit a warranty with the company.  Optic nerve.   I guess Ill wait a few days to see if they are willing to send me a new pair.   If not Ill just order some more cheapos.

Thank you for making a warranty claim with us. We are happy to replace these for you at no charge. Your claim has been processed and you should receive your replacement sunglasses very soon

Well Optic nerve just earned themselves a lifetime customer.   Amazing that in this day and age these guys are going to warranty a pair of $29 glasses.   Shouldn't be that way but hats off to them. 

 

[52-80 19147]

9 hours ago, midtown said:

Thank you for making a warranty claim with us. We are happy to replace these for you at no charge. Your claim has been processed and you should receive your replacement sunglasses very soon

Well Optic nerve just earned themselves a lifetime customer.   Amazing that in this day and age these guys are going to warranty a pair of $29 glasses.   Shouldn't be that way but hats off to them. 

 

This just tells me their $29 sunglasses are being sold at 50% margins

[Celery Man 20933]

Hey guys, I'm here for the "help out a noob" treatment.

I'm getting to an age where I need to pick up an active hobby to stay fit. We recently moved to Wake Forest NC, all the guys at my new company seem to be into biking and do regular rides together (including my boss down the road who invited me to join him), and biking seems like it would be the kind of thing I would enjoy - getting into a zone, exploring a bit, scenery, etc. Also relevant is that there is an extensive greenway system in the research triangle area (where I am) which I would certainly want to explore in addition to road stuff. What I've been told by my coworkers is that I should look at a gravel bike. Giant was recommended as a good brand. I figure I need to go to a place where they can help get me on a bike that's right for me, but I could use some general advice. On the one hand it's a new hobby so I'd love it if I could spend... more in the 1-2k range? and have something that will be really good until I actually know what I want. On the other hand I don't want to either buy something that I'll want to replace immediately, or spend 75% of what I'd spend to get the right thing in order to get the not quite right thing. Any help is appreciated, and I'll be glad to talk you into buying a Les Paul or a Martin should any of you need help with guitars.

[CycleTex87 2967]

Gravel bike is a good choice for those trails and roads.  Aluminum frame, hydraulic disc brakes, 1x11 or 1x12 shifting is best. $2K will probably get you a decent entry level bike.  Definitely go to a local bike shop and get a good fitting so you are comfortable riding the bike.  So many people riding around on bikes in the neighborhoods that look totally jacked up on the bike they're on.

Bikes are selling like crazy right now, so there may not be a lot of choices and different sizes at the shop.

[Celery Man 20933]

Yeah it sounds like inventory may be a problem. Carbon is overkill for me, or just that blows the budget to smithereens?

[G650 14244]

1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

Any help is appreciated, and I'll be glad to talk you into buying a Les Paul or a Martin should any of you need help with guitars.

I've bought enough Les Pauls in my life, but I'm happy to help anyway I can.

 

I think a 2k budget cap is probably wise. @CycleTex87 has good recommendations, though I can tell you I hate 1x with the fury of a thousands suns and I'd not only never recommend it to anyone, I actively wish every 1x groupset gets tossed of a ship into the Marianas Trench.

 

One thing I would say is the term "gravel" bike is pretty nebulous. Mainly I'd look at something with a bit wider tires and relaxed geometry, regardless of label. I have a BMC Roadmachine X which is sort of that category and the kind of bike I'd recommend.

[CycleTex87 2967]

Well I don’t personally have a 1x bike…

[G650 14244]

12 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

Well I don’t personally have a 1x bike…

Probably why you don't hate it!

 

I took a swing at it with the RM X. Gave it an honest try. Haz disappoint.

[CycleTex87 2967]

So Assos bibs - do they run small like Castelli and some of the other Italian brands?

[G650 14244]

34 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

So Assos bibs - do they run small like Castelli and some of the other Italian brands?

Generally yes. Not sure if quite as small as Castelli, but of that ilk.

 

ETA I'm about 5'11" and 155-160 lbs and I wear medium Assos.

Edited July 30, 2021 by G650

[TwiceHorn 31440]

On 7/28/2021 at 12:03 PM, G650 said:

I've bought enough Les Pauls in my life, but I'm happy to help anyway I can.

 

I think a 2k budget cap is probably wise. @CycleTex87 has good recommendations, though I can tell you I hate 1x with the fury of a thousands suns and I'd not only never recommend it to anyone, I actively wish every 1x groupset gets tossed of a ship into the Marianas Trench.

 

One thing I would say is the term "gravel" bike is pretty nebulous. Mainly I'd look at something with a bit wider tires and relaxed geometry, regardless of label. I have a BMC Roadmachine X which is sort of that category and the kind of bike I'd recommend.

So is it something particular about 1x that you don't like?  Or just the lack of range?  I can see the lack of higher gears being an issue on the road, moreso than lower gears off it.

[G650 14244]

13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

So is it something particular about 1x that you don't like?  Or just the lack of range?  I can see the lack of higher gears being an issue on the road, moreso than lower gears off it.

It's got plenty of range, same as a 2x or 3x, it's the gear jumps that are the problem. I'm generally +/- 3 to 5 rpm on cadence, and you have to be like +/- 15 rpm with a 1x.

[TwiceHorn 31440]

9 minutes ago, G650 said:

It's got plenty of range, same as a 2x or 3x, it's the gear jumps that are the problem. I'm generally +/- 3 to 5 rpm on cadence, and you have to be like +/- 15 rpm with a 1x.

Fair enough.  Yeah, when I said range, I intended to include jumps.

I'm a big fan for MTB, but a different scenario altogether.

[G650 14244]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

Fair enough.  Yeah, when I said range, I intended to include jumps.

I'm a big fan for MTB, but a different scenario altogether.

I still run 3x on my mountain bike.  When I say I hate 1x, I reaaalllllllyyyy hate 1x

[TwiceHorn 31440]

Just now, G650 said:

I still run 3x on my mountain bike.  When I say I hate 1x, I reaaalllllllyyyy hate 1x

Lol.  Geez.  Contrarian.

[G650 14244]

28 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Lol.  Geez.  Contrarian.

All the way!

[52-80 19147]

Fucking global parts shortage by shimano my bike is pushed back to march 2022

[G650 14244]

Brutal

[TwiceHorn 31440]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Fucking global parts shortage by shimano my bike is pushed back to march 2022

Thought we were getting past that.

My MTB frame cracked in late July/early August.  Took three months to get a frame replacement.  On the replacement frame, the brake hose was internally routed, whereas it wasn't on the older frame.  Guy thought we might have trouble getting longer hose, if needed.

I did look around at the time, around October, and found a fair amount of long hose to buy at the various online sources.  Turned out not to be an issue.

I'm in need of a rear derailleur and trying to decide what to get.  I'm finding more things available than I would have suspected, both online and in shops.