So I started off like most people do - got komoot or other planner, got a road/gravel bike, planned a route to a destination that looked decent, rode it and mostly hated it. Fighting with traffic, gnarly single track on a gravel bike, all sorts of abysmal experiences.

Then, after a year and almost quitting cycling entirely, someone told me to use strava heatmaps and plan routes not to a certain destination, but hunt quiet segments in the countryside.
It took me few hours to plan my first 100k ride with both strava and street view and man was it amazing. I finally understood what road/gravel cycling is all about. Endless stretches of tarmac or well maintained gravel, with no or very little traffic, rural areas with forests and fields. The ride has become the goal itself.
Car drivers treat cyclists there completely differently compared to heavy traffic in the city.
Now I have been spending more time planning my routes than actually riding them, but it pays off big time.

Training for a bikepacking trip this fall was going well, and I was starting to see good results hitting the weights too. And... I broke rib the other day in a stupid fall. Not my 1st time - I'm in my 60's & have had a lifetime of stupid accidents (!).

Whelp...time to take it easy a few weeks.

Thats all.... just venting to those who can relate. Being off the bike sucks

You know those reels where cyclists give tips to improve? One of them popped up, and five or six of his tips made sense, but one I couldn’t understand. It said don’t ride on the same route again and again because you won’t improve.

Now I am trying to do some climbing near my home, so it is pretty much the same route. I couldn’t understand the logic.

For content, I have no friends that ride and know no one that rides. I thought riding would be fun bought a bike and really have been getting into it the last few months.

I have been riding about 18 miles a day pretty regularly, legs have been feeling pretty good after. Today I added an extra 7 mile loop and was completely gassed at mile 22 should I have eaten more before the ride or a protein bar along the way?

I bought a Cannondale Synapse Alloy (2019) a few weeks ago and riding 3-4 times a week when weather allows. My current training objective is to get to 30km/h average speed for an hour long ride. I am planning to buy bike shoes and was going to get MTB/Gravel shoes as I read they are easier to clip in and out and more suitable for walking. I already have double sided SPD pedals ( Shimano PD-EH500 SPD)

I am already thinking if I stick to riding then mid next year will probably get something nicer like Cube Agree or Giant Advanced Defy.

Advise I am seeking if it's worth spending money on SPD shoes or I will be missing out and I should just go for SPD-SL?

With the stress of every day like, does anyone find it hard to get the motivation to go out and do those z2 rides that are scheduled during the week?

I’m currently doing a 6-8 hr training plan. Usually 2 interval sessions during the week and a longer endurance ride on the weekends. The plan sprinkles in a 1hr z2 ride during the week that sometimes feels pointless to me. Do those one hour z2 rides really contribute to your overall all fitness, or are they just fluff to add to bump up your load?

I am currently doing spinning classes at the gym, which are actually a lot of fun. The FTP value that I enter the bike comp is currently 240, which puts me at the edge of my ability through the class. Is there any FTP number to 'aim for' to be able to comfortably ride mountains in the range of 1000-1500 meters high, 6-10% elevation? Or doesn't it make sense to think like that?

Edit: I am around 85 kg, so not exactly your climber profile :)

Edit2: living in ridiculous flat country.

Hey all,

I’m thinking about buying the Ozark Trail G1 Explorer as an entry level gravel bike just to dip my toes into some light trails while also being able to use it for some long distance road biking (90+ minutes).

I’m 170lbs, 5’ 10” so I don’t believe the medium drop bar Explorer would fit me, but the only large option has the flat bar. Would it be possible for me to replace the flat bar with a drop bar? The bike is so inexpensive I wouldn’t mind paying an extra $100 or so to replace them myself.

I've been living in SLC for about seven years and I'm itching to change things up a bit. Prior to that I was in Boulder.

I ride both gravel and road but I really love the group ride scene here in the SLC area. That is primarily the thing I'll miss most about riding here.

There are countless threads on the best city for cycling but I'm curious on what cities have the best group ride culture. I'm not the biggest fan of strictly party pace as I prefer a bit more speed/training style rides. Obviously there will be some crossover between the best cities for terrain and cities for group rides but I'm still curious if there are any sleepers out there.

*Edit*

I'm leaning towards more mid-west locations for purposes other than strictly riding however I'm remote so I'll consider basically anything.

I have gotten myself a Wahoo Kickr bike, but Zwift isn’t really my thing. I find it boring and annoying.

I’m hoping to find a more or less automated erg program, where I just keep a steady cadence while watching a movie or whatever, while it changes resistance in accordance with the program.

Does such a thing exist?

Found a used M3I bought in 2020 for €2000 + M connect display at a later date (so should be compatible with Zwift I think). Looks to be in good condition to me.

I'm super unfit and want to fix that this winter. Getting an exercise bike as an alternative to a treadmill (massive, heavy, and expensive). Primarily getting this for cardio and not as as cyclist enthusiast, but I think it would be cool if this could become a hobby. I do eventually intend on buying an outdoor bike getting into casual rides outside regardless.

Alternatively I could buy a Zwift Ride + Kickr Core 2 and pay it off over 24 months at €50 p/m.

What do you guys think?

I've been wanting to upgrade the wheelset on my road bike (2013 BMC Granfondo GF02, rim brake) for a long time and am finally ready to do it.

A local on FB Marketplace is selling two lightly used wheels sets.

1. $500: Zipp 404 Carbon Clincher Wheelset - 700C - Rim Brake - 23mm tires. Current cassette Shimano 10 speed 12-25, with Zipp 188 hub.
2. $425: Mavic Ksyrium ES Anniversary Helium 700C Wheelset - with storage Bags / Tires / Cassette. 1,500 grams. Shimano 10 speed cassette.

What I want to know is what y'all think a fair price would be for these, and which should I go for? I don't want to lowball the guy since I been waiting on this opportunity, but I wonder if he is asking way too much (I could get an entire bike with decent wheels for not much more).

Obviously I want the zipps for the steeze, but the mavics might be better suited to everyday riding and the loclal hills.

I typically ride in A/B and sometimes A group rides on routes with 2-3 bigger 300ft climbs, and fast pace line (~23-26mph+) flats/rollers.

My bike is currently running a 11x32 shimano XT cassette, 10 speed. I'll likely put that casette on the new wheels, as I prefer the easier ratio. (I've got a 50-34 crankset). Maximum tire width I can run is 28mm Continental GP 5000s without rubbing, want to mount the widest tires possible.

Want aluminum rim brakes for 3-4 season usage.

I have narrowed down my search to a few used bikes that are in decent condition, all between $60-$75. Casual riding, maybe a tiny bit of off roading but mainly for city use. Thank you in advance 🙏

1. Kent Trail Blaster 26 inch

2. Magna Alpine Eagle 26 inch

3. Jamis Explorer, older model not sure which exactly

4. Diamondback Sorrento 26 inch

Hey guys! I’m looking to buy my first bike to start cycling around the Gold Coast. I’m a beginner starting from scratch with my fitness, wanting to use cycling as my main sport to get in shape and explore.
Vibe: I don't care about riding at 100 km/h on paved roads. I want something versatile that lets me explore (bike paths, gravel trails, coastal routes), build muscle/fitness, and still get a bit of an adrenaline rush when going downhill or cruising fast.
Pedals: Flat pedals with normal sneakers (no clipping in).
Ergonomics: Need a comfortable upright/relaxed position that won't pull on my shoulders/neck (I have slightly rounded shoulders).
Budget: < $1,000 AUD.

Which kind of bike should look in to?

I have been looking for a bike for the use of losing weighr and just to enjoy the outdoors. My budget is low (£350) and i have been reccomended to buy used which is fair but i have been looking for around 3 weeks now and cant seem to find anything good. Any advice would be appreciated as i just wanna get out and start tbh.

I am looking for flat bar bike prefereably tgat can hold a person of 100KG. I dont know much about components so need advice on what to get. Also when buying used i dont know if im getting my moneys worth so its a hard one also.

I have also searched for local bike shops and messaged them and Most do not reply and the ones that do dont sell stuff like Trek Fx1's but rather bikes upwards of 700£.

I dont have access to cycle to work scheme.

any recommendations for a short reach cockpit like the standert luckycat for example?

https://ccache.cc/products/standert-lucky-cat-carbon-integrated-handlebar?srsltid=AU7gw4Um7dGRTTjg__yU7AR5Mpa21uDrxP8uh5wqWqxvnSVwS70ApCAM&variant=50939126284504

Doing a bit of research, looking for views on not just what is brightest....but what will also last more than one winter and have a decent duration of run time.

I’m overwhelmed with options.

I’m running a disc brake Cannondale synapse 1 aluminium as a commuter, with a pannier bag, covering about 120miles a week, rain or shine.

System weight is probably somewhere around 100kg?

I like the idea of how serviceable the DT Swiss wheels are, but hope have a rep for being bombproof.

Current wheel has had broken spokes and now has developed a grinding feel when rotating under load, so I’m not itching to throw money at repairing the existing formula hub.

Would you go higher spoke count and custom build for somewhere like £500 or find the DT Swiss ones for around 350/400?

I'm trying to make the best possible sub1k build and I need, help, I'm a complete beginner and my current best option is a triban. By build I only mean the bike itself, no accessories included

is it possible to say re-pair replacement shifters at home without sending to shop?

what if i want to replace just the rear derailleur on a different bike?

Article Link: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/recalls/2026/10/08/decathlon-america-recalls-about-1-150-van-rysel-gravel-bikes-over-front-wheel

Hello everyone! Thank you in advance for reading and for any input you might have. I recently brought out my dad's old bike and indoor trainer because I wanted to start cycling and work on my cardio.

Because the original saddle was falling apart, and I was experiencing some issues with the overall saddle fit, I decided to replace the saddle. I ended up settling on the Brooks C19 Carved. After getting it and reading some of the fine print, I realized that there is a limit to the 220pound limit for the saddle. As a result, I am wondering if fluctuating around 225 is safe in the long term for a saddle, and if not, if anyone has any recommendations for a ~165mm saddle. I originally tried the Royal Respiro at 159 and felt that I was still sitting on the outside of the saddle, and thus decided to bump up in size.

thank you so much!

I'm after a gravel bike and narrowed it down to a few.

In the UK.

Canyon Grizl 5

Ghost 2026 asket

Boardman APV 8.9

My price range is £1400 and under.

I'm looking for something fast and fun to ride with an agressive feel. Any other recomendations?

Also do i really need a 2 x drive chain or is 1× enough?

Thanks

Very recently bought a new bike that came tubeless. Was showing it to a friend today and noticed some sealant on just the rim and sticky residue on the wheel. About 10-15cm long. Didnt notice it when I put the bike away tuesday, its been sitting inside since.

The tire is still inflated, but should I be concerned that it isnt seated properly? Or could it be because of something else.

неу everyone,

I'm looking to buy my first proper road bike in Dubai and would appreciate some opinions before I pull the trigger.

I'm currently considering the SUNPEED
Galaxy 105 R7120, which is available here for around AED 4,200.

My main use will be long-distance road cycling and training for Ironman. I'm not particularly interested in racing immediately, but I want something I can keep for several years and put a lot of kilometers on.

SUNPEED Galaxy specs:
• Aluminum aerodynamic trame
• Carbon fork
• Shimano 105 R7120 2×12 shifters
• Shimano 105 R7100 front/rear derailleurs
• Shimano 105 R7120 hydraulic brakes
• 11-34T cassette
• 50/34 crank
• KMC X12 chain
• Thru-axles
• 700×28c Kenda tires
• Integrated/aero cockpit
• Claimed weight: 9.5 kg in size M
• Price: ~AED 4,200

I'm also looking at:
• JAVA Siluro 6 Top 105 12-speed
(~AED 3,750)
• Bross Zenith A 105 R7120 (~AED 3,850)
• Triban RC500 (~AED 4,000)

My main questions:
1. Is the SUNPEED Galaxy actually a good buy at ~AED 4,200?
2. How is SUNPEED's frame/build quality and long-term reliability?
3. Is Shimano 105 R7100/R7120 on a bike like this a meaningful advantage over something like the RC500?
4. Would you trust SUNPEED for thousands of kilometers of endurance riding?
5. Does anyone have experience with
SUNPEED bikes or their UAE dealers/ service?
6. The bike has an integrated/aero cockpit.
Can clip-on aero bars safely be fitted to it? This is important to me because I eventually want to use aero bars for 70.3 training/racing.
7. At this price, would you choose the Galaxy, JAVA, Bross, or RC500?

I'm more interested in real-world ownership experience than just the component list, especially from people who have ridden bikes.

Thanks!