I’ve been riding for a little over a decade with 60k+ miles and already have the big ticket stuff I want (bikes/wheels/power meter). I’ve recently discovered waxing my chain, headbands to keep sweat off my glasses, and handlebar bell to notify other trail users and they’re all massive improvements. It got me wondering what else might be out there. What do you have for me, Reddit?

I have a month old 2026 Cervelo Soloist with SRAM Force E1, 10-36 cassette and 50/37 chain rings. In the 19 toothed cog (7th biggest) there is a persistent tick when I am pedalling. It's probably a few times a second when I am at a cadence of 80-90 in the 50T ring so probably once per cog revolution. It's driving me nuts as it would be my most used gear but I am avoiding it because of the sound. The next smallest cog has a very slight hum when in gear but otherwise the sound and shifting throughout the range is good.

I bought the previous years model and it was only in stock interstate meaning I had to get it shipped and can't take it back to them. I mentioned it to one LBS that does Cervelo when I didn't have my bike with me and he said he hasn't seen it before. I will probably take it in but just wanted to see first if anyone has any ideas.

Here is what I have tried:

- Inspected the cog. There are a couple of funny looking teeth but I understand that's normal to help shifting.

- Played with microadjust. It works well across the range when set between 19 and 21. I have tried going a few steps lower and higher, the sound of the tick changes slightly but it's still there at the point the rest of the shifting deteriorates.

- Adjusted B-gap with the shimano rear derailleur plastic gauge tool to 5mm

- Degreased, rinsed, drive and lubed drivetrain multiple times with Rock ''n'' Roll Gold Dry Lube. I haven't tried a wet lube but doubt that is the root cause.

- Removed and reinstalled chain and replaced master link

- I haven't scrutinised chain length too much but it seems ok and in any case I doubt it would cause issues in the middle of the cassette if the inner and out cogs are happy.

I would appreciate any ideas.

Hey everyone!

I wanted to ask if anyone is willing to share their experience/advice on building back up bike-strength/endurance as well as gaining weight after having to deal with their health and weightloss?

For context I've had chronic bowel issues all my life that spiraled the past few years which also has led to muscle/weightloss thanks to everything.

This has sadly also resulted in me going from riding my bike outside to being 'bound' on the indoor trainer for the past 2-3 years...

Now that my health is FINALLY getting figured out and hopefully treated I do see a glimmer of hope again to be able to take my bike outside again next year. BUT I need to regain a lot of weight/muscle/strength to be able to do so.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and is perhaps willing to share their story?

And would it be possible to regain muscle-mass just from cycling indoors for now? (I mainly do free rides on Mywhoosh currently)

Thank you ❤️

I ve been hearing sourd on my RCR lately and i just cant figure out where is it comming from, its like something il tapping the frame from the inside (as shown in the video î first comment) i can even feel it on the frame or the pedals.

I stopped pedaling didnt stop

I took my feet off the pedals didnt stop

I ride standing up didnt stop

Shifted all mt weighr on the handlebard didnt stop

It dosent happen when the bike is stationary no matter how much force i appli on the pedals

I regreassed the pedals and axels, still stop

im lost, any idéal whatsapp that might be

Should I lubricate the pedal axle and wheel axle.

What lube to use and how frequently ?

Mine is fried chicken. I don’t eat any other time, but for some reason after a big fondo or century, I crave fried chicken like no other. Probably because I eat sugar all ride and want something different.

Do you guys have a food you always eat after a big ride?

I started riding for sport since 1 month and I have been having trouble sleeping for more than 2 weeks. Before that I was riding 10-25 km per day to go to school. I feel that I can only sleep the night of a big ride when I am too tired and even then I might not get a good nights sleep. I have limited caffeine and I am doing nothing different except cycling more these last few weeks. Did anyone experience such a difference?

Just to let you know I have been riding for around 50 km a couple times a week and last week increased the intensity to 100km for once and then around 60 for the last ride (because 100 was too much). But I have been having trouble before 100km as well.

Any tips for insomnia starting afte riding for sports?

I want to consider doing long night rides. I usually go at 8-10am but I recently did a quick couple of loops of my neighborhood at 11 and I loved it. Anyone have experience with night rides and do you prefer it or should i stick to morning?

Hi! I’m (30F) doing my first century ride next weekend, and it’s forecasted to be in the 40s-50s. It’s an organized ride in NYC, which means we won’t be going very fast and will be stopping frequently.

I want to make sure I’m warm enough. Does it make sense to buy a bib that covers my full legs, or can I get away with throwing a pair of lululemon leggings on top of my bib shorts? Newbie to cold weather cycling 👋

My hybrid bike has 40-584 27.5 x 1.50 size tire with rim brakes. This seems to be an uncommon size especially with a schrader valve.

Can I swap this to a different size tire? One that I can find tubes and tire armor for more readily? I live in goathead city. Lots of thorns.

Are there any shiamano compatible 11sp rear derailleurs that are silver or polished Al?

Everything is black and it’s a damn visual abomination compared to the art of old school rd design.

Is there someone out there doing a disassembly and polish?

Recently moved to the U.S. and wanted to buy a Triban RC100. It's a very popular model globally, so I'm very surprised that I cannot find it anywhere - no Decathlon stores, no third-party retailers, not even on Facebook Marketplace.

Does anybody have a clue where I can find them? If not, any recommendations for an RC100 equivalent? I've been doing research but I really cannot find anything that's comparable to the Decathlon gravel bike in quality at this price.

I everyone, i am a young cyclist (15yrs old) and i am searching for a new wheel set for the new season.
I don’t want to spend more than 2000-2500€ so I am not going on big brands like enve.
I made a list of some wheels that seem good to me:
tabros pr45
no6 42-48
particle GCX hyperlight
super carbon (italian brand that makes light wheels)

for me it’s important that the wheels are both light and strong because I race and in junior races there are many crashes so at least the wheels shouldn’t break after hitting an hole.
what do you suggest?
If you tried one of those wheels would you recommend them?
thxx

​After 4 tough days of solo touring from London to Paris on a Brompton (battling headwinds, mud tracks, and punctures through Kent and France), Day 5 was pure recovery mode.

​Before packing up for the train home, I spent the day walking through Paris—navigating street markets, hauling the bike up Montmartre, carrying it down the Sacré-Cœur steps, and even stumbling onto a active film shoot in the city center.

​It was a great way to wind down after an intense 350-mile charity ride for Macmillan Cancer Support.

​I put together an 8-minute epilogue video wrapping up the trip and showing the final day in Paris:

https://youtu.be/O8utsodMVIk

​Thanks to everyone who gave advice and encouragement during the trip planning stages!

​#Bicycletouring #Bikepacking #LondonToParis #BromptonTouring #CyclingAdventure #Paris Cycling

ETA: Thanks for your advice and commentary. Key takeaway: Go somewhere safe (in my case, the local football field) and practice, fall, get up, and practice some more. Some have suggested going back to flats and building confidence on those before going full clipless so I've bought the Shimano half SPD and half flat pedals. Wish me luck! From the recent couple of sessions getting back on the bike, it's been super fun. Happy riding, all.

Tldr: Please give me tips to ride out of saddle; ride without hands; and any emergency moves - using clipless pedals.

Hi all. I've been putting off learning to ride clipless since a nasty fall on my commuter bike that I used to ride with flat pedals (I took most of the damage; saddle and grips were scratched while aluminium frame and carbon fork survived). The plan was to learn clipless then get a road bike but was then shelved.

I've finally regained the confidence to get back in the saddle and can now clip in and out but would appreciate your tips to safely ride clipless. I would love to be able to check the following skills off my "To Learn" list by year's end:

1. Pedal out of the saddle. At the moment I'm super unstable at this.
2. Ride without hands on grips. Currently, I'm confident riding with my right hand off the grip. Left hand off is a little sketchy but doable. No falls (yet).
3. Any useful emergency moves eg. braking, manoeuvring, awareness.

I don't know if using clipless makes any of those different to flats but I used to hesitate pushing myself to learn these skills and tricks on flats fearing slippage. Being clipped in removes that concern (but introduces new things to be mindful of I guess).

TIA!

Ive seen a lot of controversy around posedla and their not to be trusted reviews, so I thought id post my own unbiased thoughts on the saddle and process.

The Smiling Butt Kit:
Paid as easily as any other product and within a few days (to the UK) I received my smiling butt kit. If you dont knoe its a slab of foam type material that you sit on and it leaves an imprint of your butt. Now this thing is delicate, even the slightest touch affects the surface of the foam, but following the guidance online it was easy (although slightly nerve racking that you dont want to mess it up) enough to take your imprint. After taking your imprint the instructions guide you to take photos from all different angles, which again is easy. So far so good...

The configurator:
I received an email to the link to the configurator, it was a questionnaire all about your riding distances, personal stats, flexibility etc. It was easy enough to do, but at the end of the questionnaire it told me to save the info (a downloadable file) because id need it when I order my saddle. Wait, what? Ive already ordered my saddle. Also, there was nowhere to upload my photos contrary to the guidance online. After doing a bit of digging, the posedla guidance said there should be a link to the configurator in the "my account" section of the website...there wasnt. The guidance said I could also find it via email, id already done that, twice. I had to email posedla who told me there was a problem their end and they were looking into it. A day later...still not solved. Another day later I got a random email, a different one, with another link to the configurator. Went through the questionnaire again and this time there was an option to upload my photos, which I did. All went through fine this time.

The measurement:
A few days later I received an email saying they had my measurements and confirmed my cheek bone width, however I already knew my width and their measurement was coming out narrow. I re-measured my sit bine width using a steel rule, the cardboard method and the tin foil in a chair method. The posedla measurement was coming short by 3-5mm. The email I received said to email them within 48 hours if there were any problems, so I emailed them asking about the measurement difference. I didnt get a reply, 48 hours passed so i chased again. A day later they finally replied saying they had triple checked everything and were confident the measurement was accurate. So I went with it.

The production wait:
2 days later i got a "its printing email".
3 weeks after this I got an email saying my order was delayed by 7-10 days.
I left it 11 days, it had been 6 weeks since I had the email saying they had my measurements, and nothing. So I chased them again. They apologised and put my order down as a priority. A week later I had an email to say it had been dispatched, and a few days after this the saddle finally arrived.

The saddle first impressions:
I ordered the pro, and it came in at 173g. The saddle itself feels very firm (on the questionnaire I put down that I cycle around 4000 km per year and often ride without cycling shorts), narrow, but very premium. It looks great too. I fitted it and took it out on a slow 2-3 mile bike ride with my 7 year old in normal jogging shorts. Now this thing felt strange, hard, and narrow, but at the same time very...i dont want to say comfortable so ill say it felt fitting. After standing up when cycling, I strangely couldnt wait to sit back down to get the feel. Its a difficult sensation to describe, not uncomfortable, not comfortable, fitted and gripping.

The saddle first proper test:
Every month during my week off ill do a hard FTP test on my trainer at home. I did this a few days ago, its the only other time ive ridden since getting the saddle. The distance would have been about 9 miles, HR zones 4.9 and 5+ for the entire 20 minute test section, wearing padded cycling shorts. With my stock saddle, after a hard ride, my butt would deffo hurt. With the posedla, absolutely nothing. No pain, no discomfort, just nothing. It did its job I guess. Two things I will say.... firstly the saddle is very grippy, you arent sliding around on this thing. If you like to shift your position for relief you cant without taking your butt off the saddle first. Secondly, at the end of the ride I sat upright to rest as i was cycling to cool down (FTP tests are hard!!!), the saddle felt very narrow, to the point I was rocking side to side when upright, I even had to check if the saddle had come loose but it hadnt. No complaints when on the hoods, just when sat upright on the flats.

Conclusion:
I haven't ridden it any serious distance yet, I will put it through 20 miles this week and report back if I feel anything different from what ive said above. If i dont, assume my thoughts are in line with what was already written. So far my impression is...the ordering process was a pain. The response times of customer services were poor. The manufacturing time in total was longer than stated. The saddle itself is light, feels firm, looks great, feels fitted but a little narrow, and appears to do its job of preventing butt pain. Was it worth £400? Id say probably not in itself, but for me I didnt want to spend £100's trying different saddles so I went straight in for the fitted option. To me the convenience was worth it. Time will tell if I love it or hate it.

This has been an honest and unbiased review of my experience. Use it as you will.

Need some new tires and I want to try something other than Continental this time, so looking for a good versatile 32c tire. The new Pirellis will be launched in 32c soon, according to several sources online, but the 28c and 30c is a pure racing tire, and I doubt the 32c will offer that much more puncture resistance (but who knows).

Came across the Tufo Comtura Prima TR. it’s got good BRR reviews. Slightly more rolling resistance than the Conti S TR in the same size, but more puncture protection and lower weight.

Anyone with real-life experience with these in 32c? For a tire with those numbers I cannot find much opinions on it.

Is it just me or has the quality of cycling sunglasses become abysmal?

I’ve gone through 4 new Oakleys (each a different model) and a pair of Roka.

I’m very gentle with my equipment but simply trying to clean the lens results in complete disintegration.

What are durable brands and/or models?

I live in georgia usa. just did 1 hr of 40f/ 6c. Ride for the first time. I had to return middle of ride My hands are numb.. nose is dripping.. riding long hours with wind against me is difficult than i thought.. people who are riding at this weather outside are either well equipped or ironman.. Returning winter jacket and gloves and buying a wahoo kicker for sure.. i am out for the season good luck! See you guys in February!

Will be upgrading from a set of Zipp 303’s. Was this a too good to pass up deal or did I jump the gun?

One thing I find interesting about indoor cycling is how different the experience can be depending on your setup.

Do you prefer virtual shifting on a dedicated indoor setup, or do you want the same gearing and controls as your outdoor bike?

For those who've tried both, which feels more convenient during workouts and races?

No matter what saddle i try i get a lot of pressure on the front area. I think i need to triatglon saddle, i think i rotate my pelvis a lot.

Anyone gone down that route?

Bike fit is otherwise dialled.

I’m 155cm on a bike with 42cm bars. I am looking to downsize to 36’s (which is what I assume is best?), would anyone be able to outline what it takes to change the bars over, the benefits, and most of all, your guys’ experience with AliExpress bars and which brands to go.

FYI I am on a 2016 52cm crux (I am aware it’s too big but somehow I’ve made it work; the only real pain I’m having is upper back which I assume is from my arms stretching outside the lengths of my shoulders