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I don;t think there is an answer to the clipless vs platform debate. It depnds on a combination of 1) what you’re are used to, 2) your riding style, 3) asking if you need to change your style.
Prior to last year, I rode old fashioned toe clips and straps on a road bike and bear trap style platforms off road. Served me well for many years. Many year.
My off road style is mainly cross country with some technical and lots of road commuting to my off road riding. I did not feel all the power I wanted, especially on the road. I did the research and got a set of clipless pedals with a small platform, "just in case". It took maybe half a dozen rides, but I now feel confident that I can release when I want to. If I come to a real nasty looking, at least to me, section of rock rocky trail or the like, I can unclip and still use the small platform. As time goes on, this happens, I do this less frequently.
If, however, my style was more aggressive, i.e freestyle or downhill, I might have a different opinion. Neither is right or wrong, just different. If you can complete the ride with the maximum amount of enjoyment and the minimum amount of discomfort you’ve got the right pedals on your bike. That’s the real test.
BTW, I’m getting the same pedals for my road bike!
Many thanks, MaddSlacker!
The price on the Bontragers sounds about what I’m willing to spend and their rep sounds good. Let me do some local research and see who carries them in my area.
Being a new 29er rider, I’ve got to put my nickle in this discussion.
It depends on your riding style if a 29er will suit you. I do more cross country than serious single track and also a lot of mixed riding: road to hardpack trail, then road back home. My Bianchi 29er suits this really well. If I were more inclined to very technical singletrack, I think I’d want something more agile. Same if I was a freerider: a 29er my not be ideal for that style either.
In terms of being an all around great bike style, though, a 29er is hard to beat. I had a chance to take it down some nice single track at the beginning of spring, and it flat out flew compared to the others on 26 inchers, even those with full suspension. Rolled over bumps, rocks, ruts and everything else. When it came to tight turns, though, I paid a penalty there. Same for toting weight uphill, but that was almost a draw because I had more leverage with the cranks on my bike and wider gearing than the others on the ride.
Ive said it before: ride what you like, but enjoy your ride!
Many years ago, a mechanic at a local bike shop I frequented talked me int a set of Park cable cutters. One of the best investments I made in bicycle tools. Up until them I used a pair of side cutters for all my bike cables and always have frayed cable ends. Unlike side cutters, these have a "V" on both cutting blades that the cable sits in. When you cut, the cable end has a nice clean cut. The tool still does a great job, even 20+ years later!
That won’t have any bearing on the gunk inside the housing, but it will help, operative word is "help", control the frayed end problem. I’ve also become a regular used of a dab of superglue on the cable end just ABOVE where I’m going to cut to help control unraveling.
The gunk issue is something different. It is real and a coated housing helps. I don;t kow what my bike has now, but when the time comes, I will replace everything with coated housings at that time.
I like it!
Pittsburgh is trying to become a Bicycle Friendly city and something like this would go a long way to achieving that goal.
I don’t do video, just stills. I like to pack rugged, small and light. Kind of like my opinion of "best bike" it’s whatever I’ve got now. My old Olympus C-7000 was great until it just became too unreliable. I now have a Nikon S-630.
If I’m in a serious photography mood and feel like packing some weight, I go 35mm with my Nikon 8008 and 24-120 zoom. Not much on the long range, but it has a great wide angle that suits my photography style.
Whatever’s between my legs on the trail 😆
Uhh . . . Let me rephrase that . . .
Whatever bike I’m on at the moment! It’s the ride that matters, not the metal.
Two words:
Gorilla Tape
The stuff is incredibly sticky, can be cut to size and, most importantly, it is way cheaper than the name brand stuff.
The downside is it’s not shiny and you’re really limited on color availability. Think of the money you can save and use for more important stuff, like after ride beverages 😆 and all of a sudden, it doesn’t look so bad.
Thanks, EZ-E!
FWIW, I’m getting a free replacement for this cradle, but yeah, I’d still like a better alternative. I may need to check out the Ram line of mounts.
I also like your idea of securing the GPS to the cradle. I do something similar to your rubber band trick now. I changed out the lanyard that comes with the GPS for one that is a little longer. This leaves a tail that I can loop over the bar in a simple knot. That way if the GPS does come out, it stays with the bike. That is what saved me from having to look for mine after it popped out.
Practice the kayaker’s Eskimo Roll 😆
I’m beginning my first full season on a set of Crank Brother’s Candy SLs. For a LONG time before that, my off road bike had Sun Tour beartrap style, so I can relate the learning curve of clipless pedals. At the the end of last season, I wiped out on an uphill and could not unclip in time. I did roll, just like my lead says, and suffered nothing more than hurt pride . . . but not too badly as no one was there to see me 😃
Keep at it. They are really no more difficult than the old toe strap system on my road bike. They are about to go by the wayside soon too. Like anything else, it is a learning process to build your unclip into a reflex action. Well worth it though, in my opinion.
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
I’ve got a plastic garden shed right out the back door. It has become the Bike Barn for the bikes on our family. It’s a little cramped, but they all fit: custom road bike, Bianchi 29er I acquired last year, spare multi-use Diamondback (20+ years old and still usable) and two smaller bikes that still fit my kids. My wife prefers kayaking to biking, so the Diamondback is hers if she needs it, otherwise it’s a loaner.
Just my two cents . . .
If you mention possibly selling in two years, I’d suggest dialing down the budget a little. If you put a ceiling of maybe $2,000 you can still get a really good ride with money left over for maintenance and incidentals / customization. That’s also $600 bucks less to worry about for recooping costs if you resell.
If you put money into a good frame, with good core essentials (brakes and deraileurs) it will be with you for a LONG time. Most of the time when you pay more, you may be getting a lighter bike, but not necessarily a better bike in term of comfort or gear.
I’ve posted it else where: the bottom line is buy a bike that feels right to you. If you can do this at a cost you feel is appropriate, you’ve got a winner!
Whatever the problem was, it’s gone. I’m connecting OK again.
"Mongoose" wroteThule or Yakima makes the best by far! I have both including a Yakima roof rack. If you can swing it, go with a hitch mount instead of a trunk mount. Good luck!
I’ll second that opinion for Yakima. I have both roof mount, on my wife’s van, and a King Joe for my car. I thought about getting the Q-Clips and towers for my car, as I much prefer the roof mount route but Yakima does not make them . . . yet 😢
The trunk mount rack recently developed a problem with the adjustment of angles. It’s kinda locked in one position. This is not major as I only use iton one car, but the rack is old enough I am considering replacing it. I’m also looking at he Saris, but I’m hesitant. I’ve had such good lock with the Yak.
That depends on
A) Is it snowing?
B) What time is the pie being served?
C) Will I ride <i>before</i> to build an appetite?
D) Will I stuff so much my bike frame will bend?Happy Turkey Day to All!
or if you’re a non-meat eater
Happy Tofurkey Day!
😃 😆 😃 😆 😃 😆
"Fewinhibitions" wroteRide a good amount of bikes before you buy. While I highly recommend a 29er, especially of you are over 5’10" – <b>it doesn’t matter which size you prefer as long as it keeps you riding</b>.
Excellent advice all around!! 😃 😃 (I added emphasis on what I felt is the Best of the Best Advice)
BTW, I’m considerably under 5’10" but I’m still a good fit on my 29er. That comes from following the first part of what I quoted. It just felt right when I got on.
Hey, BJ, don’t despair! I got my first set of clipless pedals not too long ago. It took maybe an hour or so fumbling around in my backyard before I felt competent enough to take it on the road. After my second road adventure, I began some mild off road. Since then, only one incident where I could not unclip fast enough and it was not too bad. More hurt pride than anything really hurt 😆
Like you, I’m reentering cycling. I still unclip before entering any potentially rough passages if I’m unsure of my terrain, but so far I’m making progress. The season change means my time on the trail will be more limited, but I expect to be doing some of the more interesting trails come spring. Like any other skill, keep at it.
I have found that there are benefits to the clipless systems, mostly relating to power transfer. Think of your half clips vs naked pedals (no, not <i>naked pedaling</i> 😆 ) and take that power transfer again plus a little bit. They are not going to make you a super hill climber if were not one before or cut your times dramatically, but you will notice the difference.
One last thing that might help you decide . . . With some of the other sports I do, I have real problems with my knees if I twist them wrong. Since going clipless I find that being locked into my foot position allows me to cycle worry free as far as my knees go. <i><b>BIG DISCLAIMER: </b> This is not medical advice and may apply only to me. <b>YMMV</b></i> Once you get the proper foot position, clipless systems will keep you in that ideal position better than other systems will. That’s where the power transfer comes from.
TFC – Abbreviation for the Latin meaning <i>very cold day</i> 😆
And yeah, it is relative.
You can ride year round in the Northeast, but you’ve got to dress for it. Sometimes, though, it is just TFC or the snow is too deep. I don’t know where in NJ that zip code is, so maybe snow is not too much of a problem.
Clothing layers are essential. Again, depending on just how cold it is, start with a good base layer. These are high tech long Johns (or Janes). I’m not pushing one brand over another, but Under Armour is popular for that layer, and there a lots of other good brands too. A long sleeve jersey is usually the next layer. Try for something heavier than cotton, but still breathable. Ideally, it will unzip all the way down. If you begin overheating, you can easily vent. On really cold or wet days, one more outer layer, a wind proof jacket may be needed.
For the lower half, a good base layer followed by tights is a good start. I recently got a new pair that are windproof (relatively) on the front for added protection. Some people even add rain pants / wind proof pants over that. Thicker than usual socks may be needed or you may double sock, like for heavy hiking: thin liner socks with a heavy pair over that for warmth. Shoe covers are also available if you shoes are really breathable.
For your hands, full finger gloves are a must. Winter gloves are different from regular full finger gloves in that they have insulation plus padding on the palms and wind cheating backs. Either a helmet cover or under helmet beanie is highly suggested to prevent your body heat from escaping through your helmet. Personally, I prefer the beanie style, as it soaks up sweat too.
How much you layer is up to you. After a while, I question just how easily you’ll be able to move. At the most, I do an upper base layer, long jersey, beanie, tights and light winter gloves. You can also substitute some heavy clothing you may already have for any layer. Heavy sweaters can make a nice outer upper layer if you don’t have a jacket.
I guess it all depends on how cold it is and how much you really want to ride on any given day 😃
