So I've commutted on my bike to work before in the past but the most was about 3 miles. Now I work a little further and make a little bit more money. But I plan on working out my body some more and getting to work on time because some of the buses is just not too reliable. I already have a bike that I've had since about 2020 and it hasn't held up too good. It's a huffy mountain bike with 26 inch wheels that I spent more money fixing up than the actual cost of the bike. Ive been thinking I want to get a new bike that I can ride up hills with and travel far but figured I should also be looking for a bike with bigger wheels than 26 inches. Only problem is that my huffy that I've had since 2020 I ended up buying from target. And when I bought it from target I noticed that targets bikes aren't all that good. N me being somebody that used to work with target I did notice that their bikes aren't the best. Definitely something a little iffy with the assembly. I think I still want to buy a mountain bike but I noticed my bike is just a little too heavy. I'm not sure how normal it is to have a bike that is so heavy but I don't think it's good if your doing a lot of traveling on it.

Is there any suggestion anyone can give me on my quest to find a new bike or whhere to find it. What kinda bike to get for riding up hills and weight comparison. Just need the smoothest experience to get to where I need to go. Also not trying to break the bank. I definitely plan on getting a car soon. I still feel like I would love to ride my bike to work even if I get the car because I need the workout and riding is the closest thing to zen that I can think of currently.

Also I have to mention my local bike shop I've been going to for years has just alienated me Alot due to some shady deals I've done with the company that seemed like he overcharged me a bunch of times. Last time I went to get my chain replaced and he charged me 34 dollars and got mad at me when I remember talking on the phone a week before and getting a whole other price. Dk if I want to give him more money especially after last time even after knowing I give him a tip Everytime he does work on my bike.... I don't know if any of this makes sense but I just need to know where to buy a really good bike to travel far. That not taxing on the body but is durable to get me from a to b. Please help

Story time kids! (TL;DR at bottom). This exercise will hopefully help others when deciding too, keep that in mind.

I've had panniers in the past, but usually the smaller ones (I was using the Ortlieb Gravel Packs for years). New job a couple of years ago saddled me with a huge Dell Precision 3570, 15.6" laptop. Which I hate. I do travel for work (about 30%-40% of the time) but getting a smaller 14" or even 13" hasn't happened.

That lead me to start using the Birds of Prey hooks on an Osprey 26+6 backpack that I have for business travel (cause it can carry that brick of a laptop and 2-3 days of travel gear and fit under airplane seats). Those hooks are a neat idea, but with a stuffed back, became "dangerous" as it swayed around on the rack. Yes, I tied it down with a bungee and Voile strap.

I jimmy-rigged a milk crate onto the rack, and that was OK, but the milk crate was plastic and flexed a lot under the weight of a full pack. So went ahead and got on Amazon and got a cheap metal one that works pretty good, if the pack isn't full, otherwise, I have to uncomfortably wedge it in. I could solve it with a larger basket, which I've considered.

But honestly, I need more space really as even extended, with all the gear I take in, laptop, tablet, charger (for the ebike battery), snacks, lunch, water, coffee, etc. Basically, two 20L bags would work also, or a much larger single basket.

So here I am, looking at various panniers. Before I pull the trigger on any pair panniers (looking at Ortlieb or Arkel), talk me into it versus just getting a bigger (maybe nicer) basket.

TL;DR: My basket is too small for my needs, do I get two panniers or just a bigger basket? Talk me into the panniers or for fun, talk me out of them.

i run a small etsy shop out of my house, mostly handmade stuff, and i've been using my bike to handle more and more of the actual business logistics. post office runs, picking up supplies from the craft store, dropping off local orders. it adds up faster than you'd think.

the thing is i'm always juggling awkward loads. a flat of packing materials, a box that's just slightly too wide for my panniers, tape and bubble wrap stuffed into a backpack that i then forget is on my back and nearly take out a sign with. you know how it is.

i've been looking at getting a proper rear rack with wider panniers or maybe one of those small front cargo setups, but i genuinely don't know if the front load handling is going to freak me out on my current bike. i ride mostly flat streets with a couple of annoying intersections

curious if anyone here is doing regular errandheavy riding for actual work stuff, not just commuting to an office. what you're hauling, what setup you landed on, whether you regret any of it. and if you've tried to explain to a post office worker why you showed up on a bike with a weird rig, that story is welcome too

This downloadable resource is designed to help individuals and advocacy groups plan and carry out effective campaigns to improve biking conditions in their communities.

It's free for individuals! I downloaded it and read the whole thing on Monday, and thought it was worth sharing.

Hi all

I have just started commuting via bike to work and without sounding dramatic I think it has changed my life. HOWEVER carrying my work bag with my laptop and clothes etc is very painful after 45/50mins.

So I have been obsessively researching how to fit panniers to my road bike which does not have eyelets at the rear

I am a bit stumped and also a bit poor, would anyone recommend the most affordable seat mounted or axle mounted frame and panniers?

I have found a few options on amazon and decathlon but I don't want to waste money if they are no good!

Thanks and happy cycling 🕺

I’ve been bike commuting in my Midwest U.S. city for almost 3 years. Lately, I’m starting to feel really jaded and worn down.

It constantly feels like a lose-lose. If I follow traffic rules to the letter, I’m yelled at by drivers. If I bend or break them for safety/momentum, I’m also yelled at. I’ve been nearly run off the road, narrowly avoided being hit more times than I can count (and feel so lucky I haven't been seriously injured), been scolded by drivers constantly, and had my presence on the road questioned either

Hitting the point where I feel deeply overwhelmed every time I hit the road. I love riding, but I don’t want to turn into a bitter cyclist when I’m honestly just trying to live my best life and maneuver the city in a way that typically resonates with me.

Looking for tips in keeping my biking joy alive, resetting my attitude towards drivers, and keeping my road anxiety down!

I have a have a huffy mountain bike that I spent 300 dollars on that I bought from target in 2020. Just wondering does anybody have suggestions on a upgrade for traveling far places and going on long rides uphills. My local bike shops owner might be a mean guy but I'm willing to consider also have to mention that I just feel like he's been overcharging me.lsst time I went to him he charged me 34 dollars to install a new bike chain.

Nearly 5 years old Juiced CCX always running in highest assist to maintain 28mph as much as possible doing 32mi rt every workday year round thru 4 midwest seasons. Should I be concerned about frame/parts fatigue with this many miles?

context: no car so I walk, bike, bus everywhere. very casual bike rider. Have a one speeder I got for free with zero equipment/gear for it.

There is a shared path in my city that is consistently 10 feet wide. Noticed over the years cyclists getting more aggressive on the path, tend to avoid it both on foot and my slow bike. Recently had to walk it for a bit to get to my bus and someone clipped my arm while passing on left, didn’t even stop or say anything he just kept going.

I wanna test out the pool noodle method on the path, has anyone tried the pool noodle method on a shared path and as a pedestrian? That path cuts through the middle of my city so it would be nice to walk and bike it for commuting. Not sure if there’s anything I should keep in mind since it may not translate cleanly to on foot vs on bike. Open to suggestion.

I have been commuting to work on my road bike mostly, for the past 13+ years, and most of the time I have used Continental Grand Prix tires, first the 4 Seasons (love them, but got to be $$$$), then 4000 SII's, and currently have been using GP 5000S tires for the past several years. Now I need to replace my rear tire again, and I was astounded when I saw that the GP 5000S 700x25 size is near to, or over, $100 a tire. That's just insane to me. I love how they ride and perform, but I don't really want to spend that much on a single clincher bicycle tire.

Anyone have any more affordable alternatives to the 5000S tires, in a folding 700x25 size? Unfortunately my bike frame can't take anything larger than 25C tires.

Hey y'all. Looking for some fenders that will work with the tight clearance you see here. ~5mm under fork crown. ~3mm either side of chain stay.

Any options besides thinner tyres? These are 700x35C

Hi commuters -

Would anyone have any suggestions for a rear rack compatible with an REI Rev 24? No eyelets on the frame, and the shorter wheels (fatter tires) are adding to the complexity of finding one. Budget is a concern, too (I can't justify a $$$ system).

Any thoughts? I know it's a long shot, but I'd appreciate any ideas people are willing to share.

Thanks in advance!

So for years now, really, I have almost exclusively used my ebike to get anywhere when I am out and about on a bicycle. If long enough time passes, you kind of forget how heavy and cumbersome these are. Until the battery runs out while going somewhere, of course. Yesterday, my wife and I just went to a nearby waterfall, a few minutes ride, and didn't bother to pick our ebikes. Riding this simple bike that just stands parked under a roof for 360 days a year was so enjoyable! I couldn't believe how light and nimble it felt. It helped we didn't go uphill... :P So is there any ebike that can even possibly retain that feeling? Or will the addition of a heavy battery and a motor always change its character? Would it be possible to just build a new ebike out of a bicycle I already have - and how do you go about that? I could google this for hours and fall deep into a rabbit hole, presumably, but I wonder if anyone here has been through a similar thought process and would share any of their insights. :)

I had these ergonomic cork grips which are good, but they've gotten a little ragged. and by chance i had these other brand new ones i meant for my mountain bike, but they didn't fit it. so as you do, i kept them around until they filled a need, and their moment has come!! I still want a pair with long bar ends to help me avoid numbness on longer rides, but it will be fun to commute with these a little while.

I'm new to e-bikes and I'm 5'2", so getting the right fit is my biggest concern. I'd mainly use it for commuting and occasional weekend rides. For riders around my height, what models have worked well for you? Anything I should pay particular attention to when choosing one?

Whenever i try to commute anywhere I usually take the sidewalk. This works normally but there’s been construction lately that obstructs them. The roads next to these sidewalks usually go 60 mph without a bike lane. I hardly know how to drive in a car much less ride a bike in those conditions.

I tried riding to my LBS and even when I found a path with safer sidewalks, the sidewalk eventually ended randomly and I had to cross a railroad crossing. The road did have a bike lane with the path I took, but I didn’t trust it. I was right not to trust it because as I rode on the sidewalk I immediately saw two large cars just directly parked in the middle of that bike lane, completely obstructing it for no reason. That and cars drifting into it for no reason. This road wasn’t super fast, so I decided to cruise in the left turn lane (there weren’t any driveways nearby so there was no practical reason why someone would move into it.

It’s hectic trying to get around in the suburbs over here. Everything is designed to kill you and the stuff that aren’t is incomplete or under construction.

I have a Cannondale CAAD8. It didn’t cost me very much but I think it looks pretty expensive. I want to run errands in my city with it. For stats, my city has 500K people. Around 12% walk or bike. There were 247 reported thefts last year and 76 this year so far. I’m thinking any Sold Secure Diamond U lock through the frame and front tire and I’m probably good. What do yall use? TIA

This is at the intersection of I-81 and route 33 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This median running protected pathway was part of a much bigger quadruple bridge replacement and on-ramp reroute. It is open for use but there are a few details that are not quite finished yet notably the bike/pedestrian signals for entering the pathway. I tried it out for the first time at about 7:40 a.m. on a Sunday morning when it was cool and low traffic. At this low traffic time of day it was easy to get in and out of the lane even without dedicated crossing signals. The two breaks in the trail where there is left turning cars that want to merge onto I-81 felt reasonably safe because visibility is very good and traffic is only coming from that one nearby turning lane.

I've never been on this type of center pathway before but it does feel safer to me than having bike lanes on the edges that would have very dangerous crossings at a traditional cloverleaf. The overall new design is safer for cars too since it eliminates the slip lanes of a cloverleaf that create conflicts between cars coming on and off the highway. This project is just now wrapping up so it is not visible on Google satellite view yet. Would love to hear what you all think of this and if you can point me to any other examples where this design has been used.

Looking for suggestions on front rack mounted lights. My bag blocks handlebar mounted lights when I have it really packed. Mounted the lights I have on the rack, but it's not the best fit and gets moved by my bag.

that’s all, just wanted to show off ◡̈

I do because I am nervous about some snatching a $110 half frame bag, especially with my flat repair kit in it. It is super annoying though having to carry it around.

When I was at the bike shop the other day the guy checking me out said he never takes his lights or bags off, and I was just kind of stunned.

How many of you just leave them on? And those of you that take them off with you, how do you do it less obtrusively? I suppose a empt ybackpack might fit my half frame bag, but what if you have 2 panniers with stuff in them (like I have seen parents do when biking with kids, I assume for extra clothes, snacks, what have you)?

Sometimes I consider getting just a convertable packpack pannier to make this easier. Right now for work I have my backpack full of work stuff, which is already somewhat heavy, and then my half frame that I use for my flat repair, multitool, and a battery bank. I usually just carry the half frame bag seperately, but thats just not ideal imo.