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The Surly Road Cycling Thread


idigTexas

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If there's another thread for ebikes, let me know (I looked and didn't fine one), but wanted to see if anyone here uses one. I'm looking at an Aventon Level 2 for $1700 or a Trek which I test rode this weekend which was about $3500. I'd use it for daily commute and chores, I have a regular hybrid and a road bike for fitness. I'd use this strictly for commuting without breaking too much of a sweat. The Aventon has a throttle which I like as I might want it when its 100 degrees in the summer and I just want to get to work and back without drenching my clothes. I don't think Trek's have a throttle option, but their motors I think are mid drive which is supposed to be superior to rear hub (which Aventon is) and can be nearly as effortless as a throttle (from what I've read). Just curious if anyone has any thoughts or insight. I just started researching this weekend. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
If there's another thread for ebikes, let me know (I looked and didn't fine one), but wanted to see if anyone here uses one. I'm looking at an Aventon Level 2 for $1700 or a Trek which I test rode this weekend which was about $3500. I'd use it for daily commute and chores, I have a regular hybrid and a road bike for fitness. I'd use this strictly for commuting without breaking too much of a sweat. The Aventon has a throttle which I like as I might want it when its 100 degrees in the summer and I just want to get to work and back without drenching my clothes. I don't think Trek's have a throttle option, but their motors I think are mid drive which is supposed to be superior to rear hub (which Aventon is) and can be nearly as effortless as a throttle (from what I've read). Just curious if anyone has any thoughts or insight. I just started researching this weekend. 

Have only spent a little time on a mid drive on off road paved trails. Was nice and the torque sensor was pretty smooth vs a cadence sensor like on most hub drives. It was underpowered though. 250 watt.

Have done a few hundred miles on a hub drive in urban environment. Love the throttle in this environment. Use it to zip through intersections or navigating tricky sections.

Correct there are +/- to each drive. Mid drive puts a lot of strain on the drivetrain, chain and cogs, and if you break a chain it’s pedal only. Sucks on a heavy e-bike.

Hub drives are heavy and you need to keep your spokes tensioned correctly but mid electronics are usually more sophisticated.
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  • 3 weeks later...

<me every time I see this thread> I need to frequent this thread a lot more </rant>

 

Still alive, still busting my ass on my bike. It's been good this year and actually am G2G for this year's MS Cape Cod (Masshole version of the MS150). This will be ride #4 for me.

 

On 5/6/2023 at 5:21 PM, ScottS said:

Went ahead and signed up for RAGBRAI.  Figured if I don't do it this year then I might not ever do it.

Or you just might find that now that you're doing it, you might do it again and again and again.

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On 5/26/2023 at 4:59 PM, TexPx said:


Have only spent a little time on a mid drive on off road paved trails. Was nice and the torque sensor was pretty smooth vs a cadence sensor like on most hub drives. It was underpowered though. 250 watt.

Have done a few hundred miles on a hub drive in urban environment. Love the throttle in this environment. Use it to zip through intersections or navigating tricky sections.

Correct there are +/- to each drive. Mid drive puts a lot of strain on the drivetrain, chain and cogs, and if you break a chain it’s pedal only. Sucks on a heavy e-bike.

Hub drives are heavy and you need to keep your spokes tensioned correctly but mid electronics are usually more sophisticated.

Heretic!  Blasphemer!

The e-bike threads on mtbr were amusing (now they're just a beating).  Off-road, I can see their utility where there's a lot of downhill and a climb price to be paid (especially in terms of time, if not exertion), but around DFW, I don't see the point other than sheer laziness.  I see a ton of them at Northshore, though.

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I know a husband and wife who were killed while riding their bikes last week.  They have a young teenage daughter that is now an orphan.  It was midday, clear skies, straight road that is not hilly.  In other words it should have been very easy to see them.  Driver of the truck that killed them was not apprehended or charged with anything.

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I meant to post this to the group today, but it slipped my mind. This guy is riding around the perimeter of the US to raise money for a charity that helps people rebuild after major storms. 

He’s currently in Montana heading east.

https://sbperimeter.org/

You can ride with him on the course. He is going through Boston and near our place in Vermont. I might do a day or two. 

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Heretic!  Blasphemer!
The e-bike threads on mtbr were amusing (now they're just a beating).  Off-road, I can see their utility where there's a lot of downhill and a climb price to be paid (especially in terms of time, if not exertion), but around DFW, I don't see the point other than sheer laziness.  I see a ton of them at Northshore, though.

I only do Urban Assault on an E-bike. Never ridden on any MTB trails.

You are supposed to get a permit from USACE to ride on Northshore.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NzRbfEdBmeWu5xz27gPLvjtOYZo3tnCd2r57tWTasHc/htmlview
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E-bikes have become almost dominant on many of our paved trails around the Midwest.  I've had mixed emotions on it.  Originally I despised it, but then someone made the point that it allows folks who are physically unable to bike significant distances to experience the beauty of some of these places, and I found some validity in that take.  I landed on being opposed to it, because I decided that some of these places should be reserved those who are willing or able to put in the effort to experience it.  But I don't get mad about it anymore.

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On 6/12/2023 at 4:37 PM, Captain Ron said:

Or you just might find that now that you're doing it, you might do it again and again and again.

Have to see how this first one goes.  Not going to rule out doing it again at some point.

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On 6/12/2023 at 5:20 PM, txhorns said:

I know a husband and wife who were killed while riding their bikes last week.  They have a young teenage daughter that is now an orphan.  It was midday, clear skies, straight road that is not hilly.  In other words it should have been very easy to see them.  Driver of the truck that killed them was not apprehended or charged with anything.

Yes I also know about this. Similar to the “rolling coal” incident in Waller, there is a lot of noise for there to be more investigation.  A lot of feeling that it’s being swept under the rug. 

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9 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

Yes I also know about this. Similar to the “rolling coal” incident in Waller, there is a lot of noise for there to be more investigation.  A lot of feeling that it’s being swept under the rug. 

I don’t feel like they are sweeping it under the rug necessarily but more so treating it like a freak accident in which the driver couldn’t control what happened.  I don’t understand not taking the driver into custody to check for sobriety or other potential impairments.

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13 hours ago, txhorns said:

I don’t feel like they are sweeping it under the rug necessarily but more so treating it like a freak accident in which the driver couldn’t control what happened.  I don’t understand not taking the driver into custody to check for sobriety or other potential impairments.

We have normalized driving and driving “accident” culture so much that car vs ped/biker is pretty much considered normal and no big deal. Happens everyday. Fuck, we still call them “accidents” instead of what they are - collisions.

~21 people are killed daily in these collisions and I bet that very few people are ever arrested. 

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We have normalized driving and driving “accident” culture so much that car vs ped/biker is pretty much considered normal and no big deal. Happens everyday. Fuck, we still call them “accidents” instead of what they are - collisions.
~21 people are killed daily in these collisions and I bet that very few people are ever arrested. 

If I wanted to get away with murder I would run over my victim while they were walking or cycling. As long as you’re not drunk they will buy any excuse:
“Sun was in my eyes”
“Dog ran out in front of me”
“Thought a snake was in my AC vent”
“My right leg went to sleep”
etc…
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MS Cape Cod in the books. The weekend started out kind meh. The weather always looked iffy going into the weekend, but Saturday morning saw storms heading our way.

image.thumb.png.e733b251d4fc4d25baacc92e816db299.png

And due to the potentials of flooding, they called day 1. The start is right above the k in Brockton (at that bend of the highway), the finish is at the top of the 2nd d of Bedford.

This is the expected route, that yellow cell went right through the course.

image.png.8f23f83784a16848d2aa7ece553b9dfb.png

 

Day 2 was perfect. It started out cool, around 65 and misty. That lasted for the first 1 1/2, then it was just cloudy and 70. That lasted until 11:30 when the sun finally started to break through the clouds. Temps went up to about 80, and the route was perfect. And without the previous day in our legs, everyone was running day 2 a lot faster than normal. 79.6 miles in just over 5 hours. Not too bad for being relatively out of shape at the start of the season. Great day out on the bike.

Day 2 route in full glory:

CCG2023.thumb.png.242bccc35ce440ec908420ff3822eb3f.png

I was looking at some of the segments, to see how I was improving, this one cracked me up for a name I recognized:

GHLOL.thumb.png.035bf2c8c3391fcde10c9c53ab3794c7.png

 

He ride the Best Buddys Challenge one year with Tom Brady, this segment was on that course.

 

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Along with the CCG, the other full Cape rides are the Pan Mas Challenge and the Harbor to the Bay, though that one is ending after this year. They are fun ways to see the Cape.

 

I ran some GoPro footage while riding this year. I will post the videos later tonight. I am recutting them to be 16:9 (currently 4:3). 

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  • 1 month later...

@Al_4_ISU 

A few weeks after the fact, but RAGBRAI was overall a great ride.  I apologize for bringing the heat with me from south Texas up to Iowa during the week of the ride.  I probably will not make it a yearly thing but will definitely look into doing it again in a few years.

I managed to do the following on the ride, which I assume are standard Iowa and RAGBRAI practices:

a) take a leak in a corn field

b) shower in a car wash

c) drink a Busch Light out of a corn-themed can while showering in a car wash

d) consume more pork in a week than in the previous 3 months combined (I just don't eat a lot of pork these days for whatever reason)

e) get ticketed by the Iowa State Patrol in either Tama or Toledo for riding my bike at night with no lights (seriously, couldn't get a warning? Also, had some of the blandest Mexican food I have ever had in my life in Tama/Toledo.  Y'all need to get some jalapeno plants up there stat.)

f) sleep in the parking lot of a chicken processing plant in Storm Lake

Probably a few other standard Iowa/RAGBRAI things I did that I am forgetting.  Got to say that some of the best ice cream I have ever had was from the Beekman's trailer.

The only concert I went to was The Pork Tornados.  Only because of the name.  No way was I passing up seeing a band called The Pork Tornados.  Fun cover band.

Really enjoyed going through all of the small towns and seeing seemingly everyone turn out to show support and/or separate us from our cash.

I was pleasantly surprised by the high number of milfs I saw when rolling through Ankeny.

It sure seemed like the route hit every hill in Iowa.  I had it in my mind that Iowa was a little flatter than that.

All in all I am definitely glad I did the ride.

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1 hour ago, ScottS said:

@Al_4_ISU 

A few weeks after the fact, but RAGBRAI was overall a great ride.  I apologize for bringing the heat with me from south Texas up to Iowa during the week of the ride.  I probably will not make it a yearly thing but will definitely look into doing it again in a few years.

I managed to do the following on the ride, which I assume are standard Iowa and RAGBRAI practices:

a) take a leak in a corn field

b) shower in a car wash

c) drink a Busch Light out of a corn-themed can while showering in a car wash

d) consume more pork in a week than in the previous 3 months combined (I just don't eat a lot of pork these days for whatever reason)

e) get ticketed by the Iowa State Patrol in either Tama or Toledo for riding my bike at night with no lights (seriously, couldn't get a warning? Also, had some of the blandest Mexican food I have ever had in my life in Tama/Toledo.  Y'all need to get some jalapeno plants up there stat.)

f) sleep in the parking lot of a chicken processing plant in Storm Lake

Probably a few other standard Iowa/RAGBRAI things I did that I am forgetting.  Got to say that some of the best ice cream I have ever had was from the Beekman's trailer.

The only concert I went to was The Pork Tornados.  Only because of the name.  No way was I passing up seeing a band called The Pork Tornados.  Fun cover band.

Really enjoyed going through all of the small towns and seeing seemingly everyone turn out to show support and/or separate us from our cash.

I was pleasantly surprised by the high number of milfs I saw when rolling through Ankeny.

It sure seemed like the route hit every hill in Iowa.  I had it in my mind that Iowa was a little flatter than that.

All in all I am definitely glad I did the ride.

Awesome.  We have jalapeños, you just have to ask unfortunately!

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Recommend to me a comfortable seat for long rides.  I just built my all road Ti bike and the old WTB seat us not cutting it on 50+ mile trips. Not concerned about weight.

I have the bib thing worked out, but might need some recs there too. Cost is no object on the bibs.

Bike build: Sram Apex mech disc shifters with Ratio 1 12 speed mod.

Force 46 tooth cr with force cranks, XPLR 10-44 in back with Force 1 rd.

Scribe carbons with 28mm tires for the road set and some shitty alloys with 35mm for the gravel set.

Mech disc brakes for easy maintenance.

Pics 

 

20230801_175455.jpg

20230801_175425.jpg

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This thread is making me crave an end to this god-awful summer more than ever. Haven't touched my bike in over 2 months. Love to ride, but really only have time to go on long rides on weekends, and I'm just not willing to do so when it's 102 and 80% humidity.

One day I'll be able move out to where the weather is more hospitable and there are actual trails to ride and I'll probably become obnoxiously into cycling. Until then, I'm stuck riding on pavement in the city for the handful of months when it's actually enjoyable. 

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6 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Recommend to me a comfortable seat for long rides.  I just built my all road Ti bike and the old WTB seat us not cutting it on 50+ mile trips. Not concerned about weight.

I have the bib thing worked out, but might need some recs there too. Cost is no object on the bibs.

Bike build: Sram Apex mech disc shifters with Ratio 1 12 speed mod.

Force 46 tooth cr with force cranks, XPLR 10-44 in back with Force 1 rd.

Scribe carbons with 28mm tires for the road set and some shitty alloys with 35mm for the gravel set.

Mech disc brakes for easy maintenance.

Pics 

 

20230801_175455.jpg

20230801_175425.jpg

Every butt is different but my favorite saddle is a Selle SMP VT20.  

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31 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Every butt is different but my favorite saddle is a Selle SMP VT20.  

From what I see, the best way to get a saddle that's right for you, if you have a picky ass, is to go get a fitting by sitting in a wad of play doh and they can measure your assbones and predict a decent fit.

I seem not to have a picky ass.

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17 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Recommend to me a comfortable seat for long rides.  I just built my all road Ti bike and the old WTB seat us not cutting it on 50+ mile trips. Not concerned about weight.

I have the bib thing worked out, but might need some recs there too. Cost is no object on the bibs.

Bike build: Sram Apex mech disc shifters with Ratio 1 12 speed mod.

Force 46 tooth cr with force cranks, XPLR 10-44 in back with Force 1 rd.

Scribe carbons with 28mm tires for the road set and some shitty alloys with 35mm for the gravel set.

Mech disc brakes for easy maintenance.

Pics 

 

20230801_175455.jpg

20230801_175425.jpg

You gotta try a bunch out. Then when you find one that works, hold on to it for dear life.

 

For me the Fizik Antares is on all my bikes. I have the adaptive and the regular versions, can't honestly tell much difference, the shape itself seems to be what matters.

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On 8/15/2023 at 10:29 PM, ScottS said:

@Al_4_ISU 

A few weeks after the fact, but RAGBRAI was overall a great ride.  I apologize for bringing the heat with me from south Texas up to Iowa during the week of the ride.  I probably will not make it a yearly thing but will definitely look into doing it again in a few years.

I managed to do the following on the ride, which I assume are standard Iowa and RAGBRAI practices:

a) take a leak in a corn field

b) shower in a car wash

c) drink a Busch Light out of a corn-themed can while showering in a car wash

d) consume more pork in a week than in the previous 3 months combined (I just don't eat a lot of pork these days for whatever reason)

e) get ticketed by the Iowa State Patrol in either Tama or Toledo for riding my bike at night with no lights (seriously, couldn't get a warning? Also, had some of the blandest Mexican food I have ever had in my life in Tama/Toledo.  Y'all need to get some jalapeno plants up there stat.)

f) sleep in the parking lot of a chicken processing plant in Storm Lake

Probably a few other standard Iowa/RAGBRAI things I did that I am forgetting.  Got to say that some of the best ice cream I have ever had was from the Beekman's trailer.

The only concert I went to was The Pork Tornados.  Only because of the name.  No way was I passing up seeing a band called The Pork Tornados.  Fun cover band.

Really enjoyed going through all of the small towns and seeing seemingly everyone turn out to show support and/or separate us from our cash.

I was pleasantly surprised by the high number of milfs I saw when rolling through Ankeny.

It sure seemed like the route hit every hill in Iowa.  I had it in my mind that Iowa was a little flatter than that.

All in all I am definitely glad I did the ride.

Now that I have time to address it fully...

Pork Tornadoes are a fucking hoot, and kind of a state treasure.  Everyone loves those guys, and when they come to town it's always a party.  The name is as "Iowa" as you can get without working in a corn reference. 

Hoping your pork consumption included a stop at Mr. Pork Chop.  He does 'em right.

South of Highway 30, Iowa's almost entirely rolling hills.  The truly flat part is the area north of Highway 30 and west of Highway 63 (I hail from this part of the state originally).  There are some hilly pockets in there (the Loess Hills in far western Iowa, which you rode in while leaving Sioux City), but it's generally level.  The northern RAGBRAI routes are much flatter in general than the central and southern routes.  Except the last days of the northern route, which end in the Driftless Area (similar to the Ozarks, with less elevation).

Ankeny is milf central.  All the Des Moines suburbs really.

The way small towns turn out and support the event is one of my favorite parts of RAGBRAI.  It's a reminder that while our state politics have devolved into spite and cruelty, Iowans still are, on a personal level, the salt of the earth and good people.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have my road bike set up on a fluid trainer in the study.  Got back on it July 1 and road every day with the Tour.  Still riding 4-5 days a week.  No real riding goals right now, which makes it a little hard to train harder - it was much different when I was regularly doing triathlons.  I'd like to ride Conquer the Coast next year, but that is about the only thing I have tentatively planned. 

Looking for recommendation for indoor training app.  Needs to work with android and Garmin.   

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On 8/25/2023 at 4:06 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I have my road bike set up on a fluid trainer in the study.  Got back on it July 1 and road every day with the Tour.  Still riding 4-5 days a week.  No real riding goals right now, which makes it a little hard to train harder - it was much different when I was regularly doing triathlons.  I'd like to ride Conquer the Coast next year, but that is about the only thing I have tentatively planned. 

Looking for recommendation for indoor training app.  Needs to work with android and Garmin.   

 

I've been a Trainerroad subscriber for about a decade now. It's just very easy to use. It doesn't do the video game thing like Zwift if that is what you are looking for though. A TR alternative is TrainerDay which has a free option. Another thing I have which I love is BigRingVR, which has actual video of climbs.

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7 hours ago, G650 said:

 

I've been a Trainerroad subscriber for about a decade now. It's just very easy to use. It doesn't do the video game thing like Zwift if that is what you are looking for though. A TR alternative is TrainerDay which has a free option. Another thing I have which I love is BigRingVR, which has actual video of climbs.

Thanks.  I don't need the video game thing.  

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On 8/25/2023 at 3:06 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I have my road bike set up on a fluid trainer in the study.  Got back on it July 1 and road every day with the Tour.  Still riding 4-5 days a week.  No real riding goals right now, which makes it a little hard to train harder - it was much different when I was regularly doing triathlons.  I'd like to ride Conquer the Coast next year, but that is about the only thing I have tentatively planned. 

Looking for recommendation for indoor training app.  Needs to work with android and Garmin.   

Your post reminded me to look up registration for this year's Conquer the Coast.  The ride is on September 16 this year.  The ride must be more popular than I realized because registration for the 66 mile ride around the bay as of today is $110.  I mean, a chance to ride the ferry and see such scenic locales as Portland, Ingleside, and Aransas Pass, not to mention lovely south Corpus? Who wouldn't drop a c-note for that opportunity?  Hell, they are asking $50 just for the 10 mile kiddie ride. 

https://eventdog.com/a/eventpage.php?eID=58214&refData=2023CTC 

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Sufferfest used to make some really great training videos. The point-of-view race footage matched whatever you were supposed to be doing in the work out. Easy cruising, attacking, tempo work, etc… I think they might’ve gotten absorbed into TrainerRoad maybe.   

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14 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Sufferfest used to make some really great training videos. The point-of-view race footage matched whatever you were supposed to be doing in the work out. Easy cruising, attacking, tempo work, etc… I think they might’ve gotten absorbed into TrainerRoad maybe.   

Wahoo bought them, and rebranded it. IIRC one of the Sufferfest guys may have some from TR.

 

BigRingVR does the video matching the speed thing too.

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17 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Sufferfest used to make some really great training videos. The point-of-view race footage matched whatever you were supposed to be doing in the work out. Easy cruising, attacking, tempo work, etc… I think they might’ve gotten absorbed into TrainerRoad maybe.   

The only "Sufferfest" I am familiar with was a Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour short featuring Cedar Wright and some other climber I didn’t know.

They would bike all night to their next destination (50+ miles ish)and climb some nasty 5 to 6 pitch walls all day and then do it again the next day/night. It's some ridiculous amount of time like 60 or 90 days straight.

I guess you can't do that indoors though unless the Suadis have some multi pitch indoor gym or something. 

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  • 2 months later...

Looking to get into biking again after a LOOOONG pause and I think I've narrowed it down to the Trek Domane frame. 

  1. A brand new aluminum Domane with 105 groupset. It retails at $1,999
     
  2. A 2021 carbon frame Domane with 105 groupset. A new SL5 retails for $3,499. The shop claims it is lightly used and is asking $1,950. I haven't seen it in person because it's north of LA, and I don't really go out that way.

Assuming the carbon bike is in excellent condition as the shop claims, it seems like it is the better option. Just want to get your thoughts on it, or whether to consider other bikes.

 

 

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