The older mountain bike thread but now a road bike review update

Hang 4 said:
Put on a Go Pro as a dash cam for when you get someone in a car doing something stupid. Evidence for the trial.
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Sometimes I think I should run a gopro or similar, just in case. Guys in macho pickups seem to be the worst offenders.
 
I just picked up a used 24" Specialized HotRock for my daughter for free. Not sure of the year, but I'd guess it's about 8-10 years old. It's been sitting for several years in a barn/garage so I'm going to go through it and get it all cleaned up. It's a 3x7 Shimano SIS drivetrain, but has those RevoShift (grip twist) shifters that are a little beat up. I'm going to just buy new ones with derailleur cables to update it a bit. My daughter is coming off of her first bike (a 16" single speed) and she currently looks like one of those tiny bike-riding clowns in a circus because she's so big on it. This 24" MTB completely skips over the 20" sizing I'd normally go to, but our neighborhood has several steep hills and my daughter is 50" tall with a 24" inseam, so she fit the standover height. Getting her a 20" bike would fit her for a year or less.

I looked at some big-box store options, but they weighed more than my 29er Full-Suspension MTB, so I decided to try to find a decent used model from Trek/Specialized/Cannondale/etc. that would be lighter. Most of those are $300 for a used bike, so I figured I could spend $150 throwing updated grips/seat/pedals/etc on this one and have it just as good. Ideally a 1x7 or 1x8 drivetrain would be plenty, but I'll just tell her to leave the front derailleur alone on the 3x7.
 
Q: who’s measuring power and what are you using?
 
SoonerAviator said:
I just picked up a used 24" Specialized HotRock for my daughter for free. Not sure of the year, but I'd guess it's about 8-10 years old. It's been sitting for several years in a barn/garage so I'm going to go through it and get it all cleaned up. It's a 3x7 Shimano SIS drivetrain, but has those RevoShift (grip twist) shifters that are a little beat up. I'm going to just buy new ones with derailleur cables to update it a bit. My daughter is coming off of her first bike (a 16" single speed) and she currently looks like one of those tiny bike-riding clowns in a circus because she's so big on it. This 24" MTB completely skips over the 20" sizing I'd normally go to, but our neighborhood has several steep hills and my daughter is 50" tall with a 24" inseam, so she fit the standover height. Getting her a 20" bike would fit her for a year or less.

I looked at some big-box store options, but they weighed more than my 29er Full-Suspension MTB, so I decided to try to find a decent used model from Trek/Specialized/Cannondale/etc. that would be lighter. Most of those are $300 for a used bike, so I figured I could spend $150 throwing updated grips/seat/pedals/etc on this one and have it just as good. Ideally a 1x7 or 1x8 drivetrain would be plenty, but I'll just tell her to leave the front derailleur alone on the 3x7.
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Honestly, I wouldn't put a lot in to it except a good drivetrain clean and lube. She will probably outgrow it before any upgrades are put to beneficial use.
 
TCABM said:
Q: who’s measuring power and what are you using?
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I'm not, but if I were to do it, I would probably opt for the Garmin replacement pedals. The other option would be a replacement left crank.

I personally think it would be more of an asset for indoor trainer use, where power measurement is actually a useful tool. Otherwise, knowing your wattage isn't going to get you up or down the hill any faster.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I'm not, but if I were to do it, I would probably opt for the Garmin replacement pedals. The other option would be a replacement left crank.

I personally think it would be more of an asset for indoor trainer use, where power measurement is actually a useful tool. Otherwise, knowing your wattage isn't going to get you up or down the hill any faster.
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My indoor trainer has a power meter already, just considering if the data is worth capturing on my road bike.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Honestly, I wouldn't put a lot in to it except a good drivetrain clean and lube. She will probably outgrow it before any upgrades are put to beneficial use.
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Well, new(er) Shimano SLX shift/brake lever combo (gets rid of twist grip), cables, tires/tubes, saddle, grips all combined runs about $120 total. The current seat, tires, and grips are toast and the cables are all-original and don't seem to slide/retract well. If I'm going through the trouble of getting new cables, the extra $35 for the trigger-style shifter and brake combo probably makes sense. I'm not planning on changing out rims or group-sets/derailleurs. No need for suspension-style forks either, as I think it would be a waste and it's better to learn on a rigid-frame (in my opinion). For $120-150 all-in, it should work for her for 2-3 years at least.

My son (4.5yrs old) has been chomping at the bit to get a "big boy bike" since he's been relegated to a balance bike. He rarely gets on it though. He wants to chase after his older sister now that she's allowed to ride around the block in the neighborhood. So I found a used 16" bike for him as well, but it looks brand-new, not a scratch. The brakes were never even adjusted and barely make contact (no coaster brake), so I'm not sure it was ever ridden more than a few times.
 
TCABM said:
Q: who’s measuring power and what are you using?
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I have these Assioma Duo's . Been very happy with them and think they are really helpful if you are doing any serious training, particularly with intervals. I have a Wahoo Bolt that displays the power data along with pulse, speed and cadence. I can program interval sets based on any of those data points, but power is the one I use most. It also lets you see your improvements, which can be very motivating. When I am training seriously, I to an FTP test every four weeks or so and you can really see progress. You can also see changes in your power curve. (Power compared with time). If you are working on sprinting better for example, your 3 through 30 second power max gives you a sense of where you are relative to where you need to be.

I like pedal based because I can take them off an use on another bike if I travel and borrow or rent. Three years ago when I bought them, they were the cheapest pedal based option, not sure now. Have heard durability problems with Garmin. That's also old and my have been resolved by now.

Lastly, you need to be using Strava, TrainingPeaks or the like to gather the data. Just real time data on a bike computer is interesting but not that useful.
 
Hang 4 said:
…Lastly, you need to be using Strava, TrainingPeaks or the like to gather the data. Just real time data on a bike computer is interesting but not that useful.
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Strava for me; I have a tendency to push my aerobic heart rate upper limit on longer rides which leads to the occasional blow up/wall being hit on hilly routes.

Hang 4 said:
… When I am training seriously, I to an FTP test every four weeks or so and you can really see progress. ….
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I do an FTP about every 3 months or so, ran by my coach. On the indoor trainer, I’m near religious on power/hear rate alignment, but when I get outdoors, without the power measurement I just go by hear rate alone.

Not that I want to be competitive anymore, but I do want to do more 62-100 milers next year and it’s a bit demoralizing when I’m 85% done with the ride and going anaerobic just to finish.

I’m wondering if I’ll be as attuned to staying in my zones if I focus on power output instead of HR.
 
Hang 4 said:
Lastly, you need to be using Strava, TrainingPeaks or the like to gather the data. Just real time data on a bike computer is interesting but not that useful.
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Agree 1000 percent. Even if you don't geek out on power, HR, or other stats analyzing the ride data later is invaluable. I inadvertently messed up my home display screen on my Garmin, delved into it and entirely reconfigured it. For example, having real time average speed on the display is meaningless to me although it's a useful stat on Strava. I also opted to display battery power real time as it is somewhat pertinent.

I suspect that the pedal option, although pricey, is probably more accurate due to internal load cells vs. the strain gauge on the replacement crank. There are some other monitoring options that exist but are less common and probably don't play as well with your recording device.
 
4,212,212

So, if you go to Strava on a browser, and click on yourself, you will see in the URL a number at the end of your username. That is a sequential number that is assigned when you sign up. So I'm the four millionth, two hundred two thousandth, two hundred twelfth user to sign up. Not bad out of over a hundred million now.

What's your number?
 
710,249. I wonder how low you gotta go to be a plank owner.
 
Finished up the bike for my daughter. Should be a good bike for her to learn shifting and such, maybe get her on some of the mild MTB trails once she gets comfortable with the shifting and control aspects of the bigger bike. Not bad for under $120 of total investment, but essentially everything was replaced other than wheels and drivetrain/frame. All new cables, Shimano trigger shifters/brakes, bearings, saddle, grips, pedals, tires/tubes. Should have a happy 7yr old on Christmas. If she bashes it around I won't be cringing about it, lol.

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TCABM said:
Strava for me; I have a tendency to push my aerobic heart rate upper limit on longer rides which leads to the occasional blow up/wall being hit on hilly routes.


I do an FTP about every 3 months or so, ran by my coach. On the indoor trainer, I’m near religious on power/hear rate alignment, but when I get outdoors, without the power measurement I just go by hear rate alone.

Not that I want to be competitive anymore, but I do want to do more 62-100 milers next year and it’s a bit demoralizing when I’m 85% done with the ride and going anaerobic just to finish.

I’m wondering if I’ll be as attuned to staying in my zones if I focus on power output instead of HR.
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I find power very helpful outdoors. I'm still using Powertaps on my wheels, but I'll switch to crank-based or pedal-based when I get me next bike. Power is much more instantaneous, whereas is can take longer for HR to catch up. That makes it a lot easier to stay in your zones. The metrics for power are a lot easier to track on things like TP, Strava, GC, etc. HR can vary a lot based on how well you slept, stress levels at work, etc. In truth, a combination of both is best - sometimes I won't be putting out the power I know I can, but my HR is much higher than typical. This lets me know I'm not rested.

Does your indoor trainer measure power? Or is it an estimate?
 
Sac Arrow said:
So I have this perfectly great GPS mount that also has a Go Pro underside which can support a headlight with a Go Pro mount. I ordered it with the Garmin 830 not realizing that the Garmin shipped with it's own slick mount.

So what I think I'm going to do, is strip the Cateye and crap cheapies lights off the Tarmac, put the Go Pro/Garmin mount on it, and turn it in to a capable night riding bike, with a 10,000 lumen front light and decent rear flashers. I don't do a lot of night riding, so I plan on keeping my Cervelo clean, and packing the lights on the Tarmac. I can use the Garmin 830 on both. It's a win-win situation. There are a lot of night hazards on the road that can't necessarily be seen even with good lighting, and I don't have to worry about trashing a good set of wheels.

It would certainly encourage me to ride the Tarmac more. Not that it hasn't fulfilled its role. It has 34K miles on it and it is still going strong. One thing I realized is that after all that time, the drop bar was angled way low. I rotated it up more like my Cervelo is. It might transform it in to a better rideable bike.
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10000 lumen? That's a crazy high amount of light (and battery power to supply it!). I typically ride with a 2000 lumen light (Cygolight) turned on to 'medium', and before that I was fine with a 750 on the front. I ride a lot of early morning rides that start in the dark, and after an hour or two the sun starts to come up. Much depends on the amount of ambient light though.

I'd take a look at the Garmin Varia radar (or combined radar/camera) for road riding also. It's really nice to have that additional information when cars are coming up from behind. I think Giant is coming out with their own version soon, too.
 
MonkeyClaw said:
10000 lumen? That's a crazy high amount of light (and battery power to supply it!). I typically ride with a 2000 lumen light (Cygolight) turned on to 'medium', and before that I was fine with a 750 on the front. I ride a lot of early morning rides that start in the dark, and after an hour or two the sun starts to come up. Much depends on the amount of ambient light though.

I'd take a look at the Garmin Varia radar (or combined radar/camera) for road riding also. It's really nice to have that additional information when cars are coming up from behind. I think Giant is coming out with their own version soon, too.
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Yeah I think you're right, I'm off a decimal point.
 
Holy carp, that's some impressive stats right there. I'm just shy of 3,500 miles and 57,000 feet.
 
Sac Arrow said:
4,212,212

So, if you go to Strava on a browser, and click on yourself, you will see in the URL a number at the end of your username. That is a sequential number that is assigned when you sign up. So I'm the four millionth, two hundred two thousandth, two hundred twelfth user to sign up. Not bad out of over a hundred million now.

What's your number?
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4,761,399
 
Stopped by the bike shop yesterday and got introduced to the Willier Garda. Reach and stack are within millimeters of my measurements, but components were uninspiring.

We’ll see if they can build up a frame within my budget.
 
In younger days when I still had knees this was an interesting ride. I did it 7 times but never made all 5 passes. I did 4 several times, but just couldnt get the 5th! It is a really well run ride with great support and some unbelievable climbs and descends. https://deathride.com/

Now I ride a folding Zillo that fits in the back of my plane!
 
rockwoodrv9a said:
In younger days when I still had knees this was an interesting ride. I did it 7 times but never made all 5 passes. I did 4 several times, but just couldnt get the 5th! It is a really well run ride with great support and some unbelievable climbs and descends. https://deathride.com/
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That looks even tougher than the Triple Bypass. I have the bypass on my schedule for summer 2025.

www.triplebypass.org

Triple Bypass

The Triple Bypass is an epic bucket-list bicycle ride that has donated millions to charitable non-profits.
www.triplebypass.org www.triplebypass.org
 
Well I stripped off the Cateye from the Tarmac and installed the extra Garmin mount with the Go Pro adapter underneath. Now I just need to get a set of decent lights for it.
 
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Sac Arrow said:
Ooh nice, what model?
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Wilier Garda; similar style as your Cervelo. Ultegra DI2, disc. Measurements taken and ordered two weeks ago, Retul fitting and delivery today. 28c Vittorios (not my favorite, but I’ll ride them until time to replace). Much smoother/more enjoyable ride than the old 25s. These will take up to a 34 and the wheels are tubeless ready. All those decisions will come after I get some miles under the belt.

Just under 19lbs based on the digital bathroom scale. All carbon frame/forks/wheelset. This was a splurge, but my wife’s been encouraging me for a couple of years now to upgrade. Final straw for me was last fall; I just blew up on a long 6% hill and realized I needed a couple more sprockets in back. The hubris of getting old.

Went from 52/42 to 52/36 front and 9-sp 12-25 to 12-sp 11-34 rear. Had a long conversation whether to go with 11-30, but decided against. Besides it’s a simple swap later if I find I don’t need that much help on the big climbs.
 
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TCABM said:
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Interesting, Wilier was founded in Bassano del Grappa Italy. We are going there for a week of riding late spring followed by another week of riding in the Riccione area. Two weeks of riding in Italy. Woot!
 
Bill said:
Interesting, Wilier was founded in Bassano del Grappa Italy. We are going there for a week of riding late spring followed by another week of riding in the Riccione area. Two weeks of riding in Italy. Woot!
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Part of the why. That’s near Vicenza; I spent three years near there at Aviano in a village called Maniago. Saw the Giro go thru our province three years in a row, rode all over that part of Italy. When I was introduced to the brand and it’s heritage, I was done for.
 
TCABM said:
Part of the why. That’s near Vicenza; I spent three years near there at Aviano in a village called Maniago. Saw the Giro go thru our province three years in a row, rode all over that part of Italy. When I was introduced to the brand and it’s heritage, I was done for.
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My wife’s sister was in the Army and stationed in Vincenza.
 
TCABM said:
Went from 52/42 to 52/36 front and 9-sp 12-25 to 12-sp 11-34 rear. Had a long conversation whether to go with 11-30, but decided against. Besides it’s a simple swap later if I find I don’t need that much help on the big climbs.
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Not ashamed to say I love the SRAM extra wide gearing on my bike, 46/33 front, 10/36 12 speed rear. Climbing gear sub 1:1, great for some of our steep hills. Saw 17% for a short while on Thursday's ride.
 
Sigh. 9mi into my regular hilly Sunday route and it was time for a flat and there’s not even
b76c9adcb16c590a52d90e0f783202b4.jpg

a place to grab a decent beer at.

At least it’s 75* and OVC036.
 
I just replaced my first rear GP5000 tire. I got over 3,300 miles out of it so I'm pretty happy. I usually go two rears to one front. The cords were just starting to show, through some larger gashes, so I think I got my money's worth.

I also watched a GCN tech video about tire changing and they had some useful tips. Don't get me wrong, I've pulled and replaced tires literally hundreds of times, but the whole part about starting opposite the stem on installation to maximize the use of the rim depth seemed to help quite a bit.

The next thing to watch for I guess is the brake pads. Google seems to suggest that they don't last very long but I've got 4,700 miles on the bike so far, and they still seem to be fine.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I just replaced my first rear GP5000 tire. I got over 3,300 miles out of it so I'm pretty happy. I usually go two rears to one front. The cords were just starting to show, through some larger gashes, so I think I got my money's worth.

I also watched a GCN tech video about tire changing and they had some useful tips. Don't get me wrong, I've pulled and replaced tires literally hundreds of times, but the whole part about starting opposite the stem on installation to maximize the use of the rim depth seemed to help quite a bit.

The next thing to watch for I guess is the brake pads. Google seems to suggest that they don't last very long but I've got 4,700 miles on the bike so far, and they still seem to be fine.
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I got 5000 out of the rear 5000 S TR and 6000 out of the front, replaced with same. I live in a hilly area, my disc brake pads last about 2500mi.
 
TCABM said:
Q: who’s measuring power and what are you using?
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Stages, SRM, Quark, even the old school Powertap. They're all fine. Stages just went belly up so you can probably get some nice deals. Garmin if you like to swap bikes a lot, and don't have any special pedal preferences.

Don't expect different power meters to give you closely comparable numbers.

(Very happy to discover there is a sub-genre of cyclists here :))
 
I've been a powertap guy forever, but will be switching to Speedplay with my new Orbea.
 
Still using a powertap gets you legit OG status. I think I might still have that black plastic claw for opening them if you want ;)
 
Sac Arrow said:
The next thing to watch for I guess is the brake pads. Google seems to suggest that they don't last very long but I've got 4,700 miles on the bike so far, and they still seem to be fine.
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Pads are very use-dependent. Descents in the rain with dirt vs CAVU flat land...
 
I have over 20k miles on my Canyon, haven't put new disc pads on it yet. Tons of pad left. Who uses their brakes? :) I live in a pretty hilly area, but I don't need to contend with traffic, traffic lights, or stop signs very often. It's road and mountain bike heaven in the Adirondacks. I have several loops that I ride regularly, and on one example, I have two full stops on the entire ride, and the third time I hit my brakes is when I stop at my garage door. I have 3,778 miles and 139,000+ climbing in for 2024 so far. Time to get moving...
 
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