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As many bikes as we have, I really don't have a "THE" bike bike. The only bikes that are "mine" in the garage (my size, my choices for bars etc) are the Gary Fish Mt. Tam from 2000, and one of the folding Bromptons. So really it's the Fisher all the time. It was converted to a 1x9 by the...

11 speed! And yes, they managed to make something really compelling there. I'd want to know specifics about the lowest gear inches available stock, because the hills here are SERIOUS. But I love it.

Shimano is still dominant, yes. SRAM is close behind, but my local shop hates them. If I recall correctly, their gripe is something along the lines of "they undercut Shimano so manufcaturers will spec them on new bikes, but they're impossible to support, fix, work on, dial in correctly" etc...

They hit an amazing pricepoint. They do it by specifying Microshift and Tektro, by using budget wheels, as cheap as you can go, basically, without being garbage. I SUSPECT they're fine, but that they're also going to be frustrating in some ways. Microshift does the job, usually, but seems to...

As to "which one to go with," depends as always on what you wanna do with it most. Either one can dip a toe in the other's home turf, but will do a better job on ITS home turf. A rigid high-quality steel MTB is a fun knock-around bike for sure, but it won't egg you on to go faster. Maybe that's...

I loooove those new GRX component sets...

Freeze thaw is a real thing, my friend. Ground looks ok, but it's super soft. And "Hobo Cave," eh?

Well... #1 True up those wheels if they aren't already there. You need a FLAT braking surface, no wobble. #2 Adjust the little set screws on the v-brake arms to get the pads just about a millimeter off the brake surface. #3 Loosen the screw on the brake arm and let the cable loose. #4 Screw...

Nice! And I love Path Less Pedaled. Russ and Laura that run it are somewhat friends of my wife, run in the same Bike Advocacy circles.

I borrowed an XE2 as a second camera for our trip to Africa in 2015. I loved everything about it, with one red-hot exception: The view mode for shooting is tied to the view mode for playback (photo viewing). You could not shoot "EVF + Motion Sensor" and then view pics on the rear LCD, you had to...

The bike-o-sphere out there (folks in the industry, and the pundits who make a living analyzing it) are now chiefly worried how to KEEP all these new bikers around. I'm sorta looking forward to the coming glut of barely-used bikes for sale...

The sheer number of people buying bikes has been insane -- and then you couple that with constricted supply because covid impacts the makers, AND further constrictions because of the shipping lanes backing up, and MAN, it has been an epic saga to get a damn tire tube.

Here I am in 2021, still rockin' the old X-T1. It's been refurbished twice, but it's still going. Valentine's date night: we cross country ski'd from the house down to the waterfront to a nice restaurant in a hotel that just was allowed to reopen for limited indoor seating. After a split meal...

It’s hard to generalize too much. Steel is, overall, more supple and forgiving. Aluminum is stiffer, so it requires a different attitude from the engineers to let it flex a little better (vertically ovalized chain stays, horizontally ovalized seat stays so it is stiff pedaling but the seat tube...

Yeah. I don't think I'll ever shoot a different way, now. Went through phases... partially auto, then mostly manual but still auto WB, now all of it is manual. I sometimes wonder if the manual WB is why all my newer stuff drifts towards having just a TOUCH too much purple / magenta. I look at...

I hope it isn't a pointless boost in megapixels. I don't want bigger files, man. Give me ISO 6400 that looks like ISO400, and keep it at 26 MP... somehow.

(Looking at your dropouts) Did you say you were going singlespeed on this? Using a chain tensioner, then, I assume?

Took my annual birthday ride on Friday, and this time I took a friend. It's a brutally steep climb up a former logging road in the woods, unused for at least 30 years. The grade is at least 17% in places, the surface is rough, it's.... it's what I do to make sure I still can, I guess. Took full...

That's a bike shop worth loving, right there. Take care of those people.

20 miles of that is a good workout, Tony. I'm impressed, as always.

Given that it's steel, then you're in the realm of possibility. It'll depend on HOW tweaked it is, and if a local shop is comfortable heating / resetting it. Here are the factors as I would rate them, in importance: 1. How tweaked is it? If it's more than a tiny bit out of alignment, then maybe...

I still say that late 80s-late 90s MTBs are still a great value. Fully rigid ones can be really light and strong with good tubing, always have rack mounts, and you can make them super comfy. Some late 90s versions like my Fisher Mt. Tam even have discs! And you can find those things for pennies...

"I like it so much, I bought it twice."

(Tony's 22F ride) Sounds like a good case for some bar mitts...

There's no wrong way to do this. If you're out riding, you're doing it right. :)

Just here to restate my love of MkI, also curious to see MkII

Those embedded thorns will slowly worm their way inward as the tire thins out, too... eventually hitting the tube.

$50 a set is really cheap. I hope they work well. I'll also be interested to see how long they last tread-wise. You actually -ride- that bike, which means you actually wear out tread. The Marathons are wonderful in that regard as well. I figured out I was paying about 50% more for tires, but...

One of those friends took a gorgeous walnut console TV with one of those "rolling" waterfall fronts where the front panel covering the TV slides to the side and bends around the corner to disappear. He gutted the old TV out of it and fitted a nice new little flat screen in there. Still has it. I...

Once upon a time in Cambridge, Mass… We lived next to an abandonned property right in the middle of everything, with several empty houses and an empty in-ground pool filling with tree debris and stagnant water. I could see rotting wallpaper through the windows. After a few years, a wrecking...

"Thorns" ...Just wanted to second the Schwalbe Marathon recommendation. I've used them on a LOT of bikes, for a lot of miles, all over the US (our folding brompton bikes have them too) and it's incredible what they can withstand. Have also had sealant inside a tube before, not sure if it ever...

Also, I can't imagine that if there were a discussion-only bike thread, people would be able to resist showing photos of whyat they're talking about. I think "bikes" as a photo topic just comes with more chatting baked in....

I'm enjoying the thread as-is, no complaints here. Whatever makes folks happy.

Oh cool! Well, you know the deal... post pics.

As for "2cm smaller than current ride" that's a good starting point, but as you may already know, geometry can be VERY different between different models and makers. I agree that something a hair smaller is likely going to be fine, just try to hold off on pulling the trigger til you throw a leg...

Post some bike details on that gravel bike.

Other thing I can get us to spend any $ on these days is cross bike stuff to a limited degree, and mountain biking, because the wife kinda fell in love with it this year, once we found her the right kind of trails.

It's funny, we spent money on the cargo / ebike stuff, because it does indeed replace the car for many trips. Car is an 88 4Runner with 260k or so on it.... so it needs all the rest it can get.

We have .... - an Urban Arrow (e-assist "bakfiets" cargo bike from Amsterdam, rain cover, rear rack, hauls tons of stuff) - a Pedego "Ridge Runner" (mid-priced e-assist thing that pretends to have MTB aspirations, but which one would never intentionally take on real trails. Strong rear hub...

As to the ebike conversion question, for my 2 cents it's "yes you could, but no you probably shouldn't." The kits aren't as nice to use as an integrated bike meant for it, in my experience, usually not as nicely made as the Bosch / Shimano / Bionx etc ones that come on purpose-made ebikes. And...

Looks like a Rawland frame, Jack?

Also, whether he realizes it or not, Tony has built a Monstercross bike. Usually they have drop bars, but the rest is spot on. Pat yourself on the back for getting 95% of the fun of a $2,000 All City "Gorilla Monsoon" for less dough. Also, this is the style of bike I'd most like to have at the...

Attended many ghost bike dedication ceremonies in Boston.

Those murals are great.

I’ve been scarce – massive kitchen remodel going on since August (took several walls down, replaced them with massive posts and beams, flooring and ceiling all gone, stripped everything to studs, etc). But I did want to say, I’m still riding bikes, just less since I don’t have to commute more...

I can't remember, Tony, have you made any guitars yet? As in parlor sized or bigger, 6 stringers?

Oh wow, THAT guy!

I used to have that Thinkpad for work, years ago. Wow.

Proooobably not, no. That dock has seen better days.

The leaves, they are a-changin'...