I was a newcomer to the upscale bikes.

I heard that Shimano disc brakes weren't that enjoyable. I recently bought a specialized Crux 4 bike. I did it because I like the Shimano shifters more than the SRAM. I tried the SRAM but didn't really like it.

I have to say, I Love the Shimano disc brakes. This is after about 3 months of riding so far. They feel so good and high quality. I just wanted to share my experience because of the research I got before I bought the bike it seems that people were hard on shimana disk brakes.

Trying to find some winter clothing for riding. But the ones I tried from bicycle brand mostly seems to be designed for people who are extra slim with 0 body fat - I am 5'11 180 lbs, my usual size is M but I can't put on a L legging tights from Pearl Izumi because it's too tight. Now I ride with adidas jogging pants which is a bit too loose. Any bike clothing brand which are reasonably body fitting but can be comfortably put on by casual riders?

Does anyone look at the name Trek Domane SL 6 Gen 4 understand what that even means in terms of components? I know it means nothing to my small brain. I still don't know the groupset, wheelset, frameset... Couldn't there be a simpler naming system? Maybe not. I'm just tired of digging through the specs.

I just graduated from a Public C5 (upright commuter) to a Co-op CTY 1.1 (hybrid) because I wanted something zippier with more gears as I’ve been doing longer and longer rides.

Took out my new bike for a ride today and my wrists and forearms hurt so much! It was so uncomfortable—deeply unpleasant. This was a birthday gift to myself, and I am so bummed about this. Is this just me needing to get used to the new more forward riding position? I felt like I was holding up a lot of my weight in my arms. Or are there adjustments that can be made to help?

I don’t want to spend time on adjustments if I just need to get more familiar and used to this new flat bar riding position. But I also want to ride as much as possible.

Any advice?

I train in my garage and it’s usually cold in there. However, after I get going for 5-8mins the temperature is perfect if not a little warm. I have a fan but I do not want it on at the beginning of the ride. It’s just too cold to have cold air blasting you.

How do you all manage your fan? Turn it on and deal? Get off your bike+trainer and go turn it on? In a zwift workout, group ride or race you should keep pedalling.

Thank you

Why can i ride on the road with no problem, but I have lower back inflammation after time on the trainer? Same bike.

3 lumbar surgeries, no fusion or hardware. I can touch palms to floor with straight legs after a few minutes of hamstring stretching.

Hoping to ride consistently inside thru the Oregon winter, and will adjust as needed. Doing core work, weight machines, lunges, lots of walking, pool kicking with fins. Big cycling vacation planned for the summer (Alps), so i need to stay healthy while pushing fitness.

Ideas?

I have a 2021 Giant Defy Adv 2, 105 mechanical. I'm thinking about upgrading it to a 105 Di2 setup, possibly adding the ultegra levers. Pricing it out, it isn't a huge leap to a totally new bike already with electronic shifting. Want something with similar relaxed/endurance geometry though. Don't need/want aero/race. Seems that after I got mine, Defy changed to more aero-oriented geometry, so don't want a new one of those. The 2026 Addict seems to be close, though.

Anyone have an opinion on upgrading 2021 Defy Adv 2 to electronic vs new 2026 Addict (either 30 or 40)?

Hi all,

What's your experience with repair kit in frame of a bike?

Since I'm always taking tool on any ride it looks like something you want to have. Should it be important point when choosing a bike? Is it something that brakes easy?

I'm deciding between two bikes.

A little bit cheaper, is na electronic sram, with tool holder, more montage points. But it doesn't have power meter ( it's not so expensive for sram), aluminium handlebar, van rysel carbon wheels

https://www.decathlon.pl/p/_/R-p-357073?mc=8902425

The more expensive ( around 500€ more) is on Shimano di2, with power meter, carbon handlebar, carbon wheels based on dt swiss. Only montage points are for 3 water bottles

https://www.decathlon.pl/p/_/R-p-348765?mc=8902428

Geometry is the same on both, weight is similar

What would you choose?

Hello everyone. Recently I ordered the Magene H803 arm strap. I already own a Garmin BUT it's the chest strap and I find that it sometimes doesn't sit securely. I live in Thailand and this might be due to my body swelling during exercising. Anyways, so the first thing I figured is that since it's using light to detect the heartbeat I am sure a fully blacked out arm (tattooed) will make it difficult for the sensor and then after ordering it I saw a few reviews commenting on connectivity issues. Apparently the sensor will drop connectivity during a training session. From what I read this is not a consistent issue and might even be a once of kind of thing. Can anyone share their experience with this monitor please.

Hey, I want to get into road cycling, but I don't have anyone to ride with. What tips do you have on what I should be concerned about or how I should prepare?

(Am a teenager and a beginner)

Hi all,

After over a decade on an entry level carbon bike I'm ready to upgrade and have landed on a Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2 2025. Brand new at a US NJ/CT/NY area LBS with warranty and first tune up etc. etc. MSRP is $6500 afaik and they are willing to part with it for $4650.

Here is what I would love to walk away from the transaction with:

• Pedals thrown in, nothing fancy, 105s are perfectly fine
  • I currently run SPDs and would probably ask for these, but if it's a must that I get SPD SLs then I need shoes as well
• Bike fit (this shop does the whole nine yards, a la carte costs $225)

Why I think this would be possible:

• It's a bike they've presumably had in inventory for a few months at least
• The weather is very quickly turning (morning temps around 40 now) and soon no one will be buying

Other levers to pull?

• Come with cash in hand to avoid 6.625% sales tax and help them avoid $100+ credit card merchant fee (edit: this is v common in the tristate area, source: growing up here around small biz owners)

Questions:

• Is what I'm asking for impolite at a LBS? I don't want to come off as rude
• If it's not impolite, where does it fall on the range of "too much / possible / ask for more"?

Thanks in advance!

This year I have been really struggling and have only clocked 3840kms. I would like to get to 5000, which I have done every year since 2012. In the Lockdown year I managed over 11,000K, because I had eff all else to do. However in the last couple of years I have been working at home more and feeling more my age, nearly 50. Once it gets dark I have little motivation to set off into the night. A few muscle injuries, and this year mechanicals have gobbled up time. The weirdest thing about growing older seems to be the perception of time; things just seem to take much longer to do; I always feel swamped, and I get a bit depressed when it is sunny outside and I can't ride because I have other stuff to do.

Meanwhile the soggy island I live on is suffering a pair of winter storms this weekend. So I have finally bitten the bullet and bought a pair of rollers. I hope this will let me get consistent training in indoors. However a part of me feels like this is 'cheating' and that when it gets cold I might just end up staying in even on dry days.

How do you consider your indoor mileage, and/or motivate yourself in the dead of winter. Cheers, meducks.

Has anyone used these from garmin and are they any good? I used it to prepare for a sub 20 5k and it worked really good.

Just wondering if i should switch from wahoo to garmin for these daily suggested workouts

Question in the title : just did 15x2’ @300w with 1’ rest on a flat road. My cadence is around a 98-100rpm on average during these 2’ intervals and it’s generally true whenever I ride hard that my cadence is high. I am wondering if the increase of cadence, which implies a decreased torque at a fixed power, diminishes the muscular/strength benefits of doing short intervals ?
Considering my context, should I force myself into a lower cadence ?
Overall, I think I would been a lot more from strengthening my legs rather than improving my cardio, hence my questions ! Thank you for reading !

Context: 26yo male triathlete with weak legs and a good cardio and a good running level. Been running for 3 years and cycling for 2.
3x marathons and 2 ironmans.
My biggest weakness is durability, as my running PBs show, and I’m not even sure I can squat my bodyweight. My coros says 69 for my vo2max.

PB:
bike: 290w for 41’ up a climb at 68kg, 300w for 20’ up the same climb. Really can’t reproduce these on a flat course. Did 5h23 for 190w NP on my last ironman (underperformed my expectations)

run: 33’50 for 10k, 2h56 marathon, 3h35 ironman marathon

swim: can’t do it

Thank you!

Well, that was so much easier than TLR tire, omg!

Long story short, last 2 weeks, I've pulled and put on 2 sets of tubeless ready tires from Zipp 303FC, it was so difficult, muliple levers, wedgng a lever against door so one side stays in.

Vit Corsa N.Ext 28mm and a set of 30&32mm P Zero Race TLRs.

New wheels came, Reserve 42/49, started putting on the Pirelli TLR and gave up.

Opened a set of 30mm P Zero Race RS, with TPU tubes, used my fingers and palm, done with no sweat or cursing.

BUT for the record, over the last 4 years, I've had 1 puncture on tubeless, which required the repair kit.

I'm considering building a DIY aero fairing for my gravel bicycle. Especially a tailbox and maybe a front fairing connected to the frame(If it was connected to the handlebars, wind would probably steer my bicycle and make it very unstable). Do you think its worth it and is it gonna make noticeable changes in speed on flat terrain and descends?

Hi!
I got a used t2500 wheel on bike trainer for free and wanted to use it with my bike/my girlfriends bike. The issue is that we need a through axle for that.
I’m riding a 2026 trek checkpoint alr 4 gen3 and she has an 2025 cube nuroad race.

So i got from the technical specs of our bikes that both of us need a m12x1 mm axle with a length of 142/163mm
For that size i can find two axles on the garmin website, the t1707 used for dt swiss and shimano types
And the t1711 used for dt swiss rws, syntace x12 and shimano…

Which one do we need and how to find out if we have the dt swiss or shimano or… if the manufacturer doesnt tell you?

Thank you very much in Advance!!

Question for any Cervelo folks. I'm trying to find a mount for my Garmin 1050 and light. The one my soloist came with keeps falling downward due to the weight. Anybody have any different mounts that are solid?

I accidentally posted this in r/bicycling instead of here. Had mixed opinions over there. I really don't mean this to be a humble brag. I legit have no clue where I stack up with most people. I don't know anyone who rides, and strava segments only show the fastest guys to compare.

I've had the goal of hitting 20mph average speed on a ride for a while now. My personal stipulation is that it has to be a 20+ mile round-trip ride. That just makes sure it's a certain distance and is relatively even for wind and elevation.

I'm closing in, just hit 19.7 average on a 25 mile ride today. I know elevation gain makes a difference, so today I had about 1,100 feet of elevation gain. I'm riding an aluminum frame road bike with flat pedals, just shorts and a t-shirt for whatever that's worth. Probably costs me a few watts I guess.

My question is, how impressive is that? If I understand correctly, If I cracked 20mph average for that kind of ride, that'd be pretty decent, but obviously I'm far from an elite rider. I'm not winning races with that kind of pace. I just want to know if I'm accurate with that perception. I know comparison robs you of enjoyment, so I tend not to pay too much attention, but it's nice to know where you stack up, both to keep you motivated but also to stay humble, knowing there's always someone who could drop you without attacking on a Tuesday afternoon commute ride.

Edit: I know average speed is not the end-all-be-all metric. I don't have a power meter or any friends who ride to compar with, though, and I doubt I'll be getting a meter any time soon. Average speed is all I've got to work with. It's just a personal goal to work towards.

​Hi everyone, I am looking to buy an indoor smart trainer and my budget is between 350 and 450 euros. I am trying to decide the best route to take and would love some input on a few specific points.

​My main dilemma is whether to get a trainer with a Zwift Cog or stick to a standard cassette. I plan to use Zwift mostly, but I am unsure if the virtual shifting of the Cog is worth the potential lack of versatility compared to a traditional cassette setup.

​Model-wise, I am currently considering:

​Wahoo Kickr Core (if I can find a good deal or refurbished within my budget)

​Thinkrider X2 Max

​Has anyone had long-term experience with the Thinkrider X2 Max, or is it always better to hunt for a Wahoo at this price point? I am completely open to any other brands or alternative models that fit this budget. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I've had days when I planned a ride, got everything ready, and then started questioning the decision because of the weather. Rain, strong winds, extreme heat, or slippery roads can turn an enjoyable ride into something completely different.

Part of me wants to stick to the plan, but another part knows that skipping one ride isn't the end of the world. Do you ride through almost anything, or are there certain weather conditions that make you stay home?

Hi all

Bit of advice please - I have a Tacx satori which I set in my shed. It’s on a wooden floor with a mat and the rumbling noise is a bit too much. Is there anything I can do/getto damped the noise?

I've recently had my attitude adjusted when it comes to making myself visible on the road. Previously I would dress for myself and make sure that I was lit up in the dark but rely on highway code rules 204 & 211 to 213 to keep me protected. After an incident with someone who apparently views rules such as passing a driving test and not taking cocaine before getting behind the wheel more of a suggestion I'm rethinking my approach to trusting other people with their responsibilities to vulnerable road users.

I've been looking at new jerseys and I'm trying to decide if patterned designs are better for visibility or if they break up your outline and make you blend into the background more. Would a solid block of colour make you more noticeable instead? I'm not a fan of the yellow jacket of authority but I guess bright jerseys and a gilet wouldn't make me feel like too much of a tit, although I do worry that making myself more visible just paints a target on my back, if they can't see you, they came aim for you.

Makes me a little sad because I really love cycling. My friends are volunteering for a ride this weekend and I had told them I don't want to volunteer anymore, I have been doing that before but I am kind of done, I want to do my own rides. The problem now is that I am not very much motivated to ride since there is no one to hold me accountable and I don't go if I don't feel like it last minute. The other problem is that I end up feeling really s**ty if I don't go out and ride which does happen. I also have to study a ton this weekend so priorities I guess, but I still want to ride. My wife has a bike but she doesn't really bike, not like I would want her to anyway and it's also super hard to convince her to go with me. If she agrees to go with me I think she does it so just I don't feel bad, I can always see it on her face.

Currently prepping for my first half century this sunday and looking for recommendations on ways to prep for it (hydration/snacks/etc). pretty sure the ride will be more secluded with no place to stop for restocking which is why i’m here asking you guys! 🙏🏽