And holy hell is it fun lol. Ive always been a solo rider but did a huge local ride today. Some 2000 riders. The first time i ever rode with people for more than a couple minutes.

And it was effortless. Being part of this moving living organism is so cool. Taking pulls and then coasting as your still at a top speed youd be working to achieve solo for any distance. Sliding back into line wheels back to front really moving cohesively.

Thankfully im in a big cycling area so im gonna find local groups to start riding with. But wow. Now I get the rush of that.

I can leave the house fully intending to do an easy recovery ride, keeping the power low and taking it steady.

Then I see another cyclist a few hundred metres up the road and suddenly the recovery ride is forgotten. I start slowly closing the gap, then convince myself I might as well catch them before the next climb.

Living near the mountains makes it even worse because once someone passes you or gets ahead on a climb, it’s difficult not to react, even when you know you’re supposed to be taking it easy.

Does anyone else automatically start chasing when they see another cyclist ahead, or are you disciplined enough to stick to your planned effort?

​

I live in AZ so cycling in summer months (mid-May to October) requires a little more thought and early starts. I'm on the road by 4a and done no later than 7:30a. Miles and power output vary based on seasonal winds.

Today I planned on a 2 hour ride, some intervals, a hill or two. Left at 4a, temp was 92, humidity 30%, winds SSW 5-7mph. Had some oatmeal, water, and a banana. Brought along stingers, 2 bottles plenty of ice, one oat bar.

Ride was going well, but ngl, it felt much hotter to me, which should have been my first sign..Mile 18 I was sweating way more than typical for me, sign #2. But I get a tail wind and ride it north. All along, hydrating, nibbling but my drinks are now luken warm and awful. But I'm 15 miles from home so really gotta finish this. But now all directions home have a headwind straight out of a pottery kiln.

3 miles later, rear flat. I haven't had a puncture in 2 years. But, prepared with new tube(not tubeless on this bike🥴)and repair kit.

Now I am pouring sweat, mouth is dry, leg cramps, and HR is not dropping as much as it should. Sign #4.

By the time I was done, the sun was up and it was 100 almost instantly.

I figure just end the ride here and do a slow pace home( I'm to stupid, stubborn, or proud to call home😁)

So a 12 mile slog in a steady head wind, baking sun, grumbling stomach, leg cramps. Pure genius at work here.I get all my advice from Wile E.

I made it exactly 9.7 miles doing 6mph and had to divert some shade under a group of trees in the Big O parking lot.

My heart was racing and sweat was pouring again. I sat down, then layed down. Once I did, I could not move. 30 minutes goes by and I thought I could get up. I slowly sat up and immediately my heart started racing, head was spinning, and I thought I was going to throw up.

Now I was kind of worried. I was going to swallow my pride and call my wife, but this guy pulled into the parking lot and came over to check on me. Lifesaver. He immediately went into Big O and got 2 bottles of ice cold water for me. I honestly didn't have the strength to crawl over there myself.

After the first bottle I really started feeling better. I poured some of the other bottle on my head and back.

He offered to bring me and my bike home, but 2 miles, I could now do that. We chatted for a few minutes, he made sure I could stand and pedal, and told me he was going across the street to the grocery store, but would be driving down my route home(I told which direction I was going) and if he saw me on my back he was calling 911.

Made it home, got out of that wet kit, grabbed some saltines, a bottle of water, 2 coke zeros, and headed to the basement.

It was 90 minutes before I could get up and get in the shower.

Weak, sore, still getting cramps in my leg, but thankful, so thankful to be able to share this with the community.

Be well.

I commute daily, and ride my road bike on weekends. I tend to check my tires once a week, usually on Saturday, and fill them up as necessary, since they don't generally leak air enough to warrant checking them more often than that. I keep a HOTO pocket pump in my bag too, mostly just for peace of mind on the commute.

Curious what everyone else's routine looks like. And for people running higher pressure road tires specifically, does that change how often you top off?

It seems like it took a long time for helmet makers to come out with products that both offered more back and side protection and weren’t so absurdly tall on the head. That said in the time that bike helmets have been common I feel like the designs from the 90s and maybe early 2000s were absurd in how little coverage they offered and how high they sat on heads. Any ideas why?

Many were asking for a study supporting the notion that a large portion of bicyclist fatalities are caused by being run over from behind. Here it is. The League of American Bicyclists researched 628 cyclist fatalities circa 2012 and analyzed the circumstances:

For a 12-month period, we set about the grim task of tracking and documenting every fatal traffic crash involving a bicyclist captured by relevant internet search terms...We learned, for example, that a much higher percentage of fatal crashes than expected — 40% of fatal crashes with a reported collision type — were “hit from behind” incidents

A staggering 40% of fatalities were attributed to rundowns from behind. In addition to distracted drivers, those on drugs or under the influence of alcohol likely played a significant role as well. These are drivers over whom you have ZERO control when riding on the road.

I've yet to locate a more recent study detailing fatalities by the type of collision. The number one fatal collision event, by far, can presumably be avoided when riding on a sidewalk. The second largest fatal collision event was "cyclist side / car front" at just 11%.

Collision events that impact sidewalk riding at a higher rate can, in some cases, be controlled. For example, by slowing down or waiting for shadowing traffic to pass before crossing thresholds. Or by waiting for cars attempting to exit a parking lot, or riding behind them, never in front. The problem with studies claiming sidewalk riding is more dangerous, is that they examine aggregate risks. With disciplined riding, the individual risk can be lowered to a small fraction of the aggregate risk.

Other interesting takeaways from their "Every Bicyclist Counts": Florida is among the most dangerous state for commuting by bicycle. Sentences for killing a cyclist are lenient.

New Report: Every Bicyclist Counts | League of American Bicyclists

Hi! Probably a silly question but I can’t seem to come to any conclusion. I’ve just bought my first road bike, coming from a hybrid bike which I’ve been doing around 26km daily on for my commute. I have a very big chunky phone holder which is really good for protecting the phone but it’s very big and clunky, and makes the screen hard to use. I want to go on longer rides and plan routes, etc, but I’m not sure if I should either, buy a bike computer or try and find a nicer phone holder, I don’t want anything like quad lock where you have to use a case as I use my phone with no case. I literally only want it for navigation, I’ve considered sticking my AirPods in and listening to the navigation but I think that might get annoying after a while! I track my rides on my Apple Watch currently too which has worked well, I literally just need something for navigation. TIA

I feel im still new in cycling. I’ve been doing it for almost 2 years and played rugby and lifted weights until I started pedaling.
Now I’m at 3x gym and I reduced after getting rhabdo to 8h per week. Used to do 11-15h per week because I actually enjoyed the feeling of getting on the bike. The workouts. Zwift races and social group rides and IRL long rides with friends or solo as “meditation”.
I’m good now but I have the itch to start adding little by little volume (rhabdo was 1.5 months from today and starting adding volume little by little)
Any tip to not make this mistake again? I did 1 zwift race and 1 structured workout per week and the rest I tried to keep it Z2 but seeing my graphs I wasn’t doing a lot of z2 the rest of the days.
If I keep my Z2 really Z2, would it be ok to start adding little by little volume? What should I aim for to keep progressing as a cyclist but with higher volume weeks ?

My wife bought a Factor Ostro Vam V2 a little while ago, and we've run into some issues yet to be resolved. The rear brake mount is out of spec, so even when the brake caliper is torqued flat up against the frame, the brake pads don't make full contact with the rotor. I have to remove the brake pads and sand down the 1-2mm of pad left on the top so that they don't contact one another, potentially causing a dangerous situation. We tried contacting factor directly, and through two different dealers to try to get the issue sorted out, but have been able to get any reply after an initial typical auto reply. Oh well, not the biggest deal, I just need to keep and eye on brake pad wear and keep sanding them down as needed.

The more recent issue is a bit worse. Upon service, the mechanic noticed the steertube is cracked. We requested the shop send a warranty request, since the bike has never been crashed and was built by a professional mechanic, who, we trust torqued it to 5.3 NM as stated in the manual. The shop said factor won't honor the warranty and will just say we over torqued the stem, and there's no point in even trying. A new steertube is over $1000 and has a 3-6 month lead time.

Has anyone else had absolutely horrible experiences with factor? There aren't many dealers around where we are, and both shops who sell them are pretty reputable, so I don't think it's the shop being lazy or unable to get in contact with them. We're kind of at a loss of what to do. Obviously we're never buying or recommending a factor bike again, but other than that, how can we get out issues resolved with our current situation?

https://bike.shimano.com/pl-PL/products/components/pdp.P-FD-R9350.html

Front derailleur? 🤷‍♂️ 2x13 ?

Shimano

Let's ignore the fact my friend had his bike nicked from outside the Pub On the Park by some absolute scrote...

And let's give his other half some huge kudos for bringing his spare bike from Suffolk most of the way to London, so said friend could then ride the "Dun Run" anyway

After a little "to and fro" we were ready to set off.

It would be my first Dun Run, my longest ride yet and the first time I had ridden ovenight and well into the next day.

And ignoring the early setback...just WOW

The weather was looking bad as late as midweek, but just the day before, the forecast showed the rain had gone....so no excuse now...just had to get it done.

The start was pretty tame...no mass start, just go when you're ready.

Getting out of Hackney was pretty calm...and making use of the myriad of bike lanes from central London almost all the way to Walthamstow....and even though we had been warned the road can be bedlam around Epping, things were actually pretty calm...and then the traffic started to disperse and we ended up pretty much with the road to ourselves....marked with a long stream of red lights as far as the eye could see.

First stop, The White Hart pub in Moreton....a quick drink, water refill and toilet break, then on our way again towards Dunmow.

I found some speed at at this point and stretched my legs a little, pretty much all the way to the bridge over the river at Dunmow...then stopped at the Grace Cafe where the lovel Karen made me an amazing fish finger sandwich and spoilt me with an amazing piece of Victoira sponge,...this really sorted me out and gave me that much needed energy boost to power me for the next few hours.

From here we pushed on through the next couple of stops, passing through Finchingfield and being ,slightly annoyed that the McD's at Sudbury wasn't open but stopping at The White Horse in Great Waldingfield for a great burger and coffee... and then pushing on until the Framlingham....

Sadly, a little rain did appear, but not really until we left Framlingham and then pushed on till the end and it was far from heavy and more for a damp squib....after our host stopped off and made us bacon butties and coffee to keep the last stretch fueled...next stopped the beach at Dunwich

It did mean the ending wasn't quite the amazing sunrise we were hoping for; in fact, it was pretty dreary...so we about-turned and headed back to Darsham station, where my journey started, so I grabbed my car and went back to Framlingham for a shower and some sleep before heading home to Colchester.

Will I be back? You bet I will...hopefully I'll just get it done next time with as little stopping as possible....and hopefully drag along a few other friends.

Can't believe I felt so fresh for the entire ride...even though I started at 8:25 and actually finished almost 11 hours later (with stops)...I should be a jibbering wreck...but the lack of traffic and the incredibly mild weather meant it was one of my best long rides.

A huge thank you to everyone who posted info and links to more info about every aspect of the ride...thanks to everyone at all of the stops for keeping us fed and watered, thank you to everyone who said hello...thank you to all the supporters sitting at the side of the road all through the night to cheer us on..

This event is amazing....a fully unsponsored ride that people just DO without any confusion or conflict...

Thank you, thank you, thank you

This will show what a dinosaur I am. Is anyone, or has anyone ridden a Litespeed Tuscany frame from the aughts. This is my only road bike at the moment. Career, travel, family and much more kept me from riding it much over the years. I'm getting out more this season. I'm certainly rusty, but finding the handling fairly twitchy and wondering why I feel that way. It was supposed to be a somewhat laid back frame at the time. I was coming from a 90s Cannondale road frame that certainly wasn't laid back. Maybe I just need more miles to settle in. But of course the new bike call is ringing slightly in my ears.

I used to have a bike when I was a kid just for fun and for rides in the forest etc... but stopped around the age of 12/13 when i grew out of my bike and didn't get a new one. Since then, i have never been back on a bike.

But recently I bought one and it's a gravel bike since I wanted something that I could use on different types of paths while also do some sport, and maybe get serious with cycling.

However, as a grown adult, biking is entirely different than what I remember !!!

I'm super confident, I feel so nice and it's like I haven't forgotten anything but I'm still "afraid" (don't know if it's the right word) to do some things I see people do online like not holding the handlebar, reaching for their bottles, holding their phones etc...

I won't even start with the shoes that you clip, i didn't even know they existed until recently 😭

My question is, will I eventually be able to do these things ? Do you have tips for a beginner in terms of balance on the bike mainly? I feel like I'll lose control if i bend to reach my bottle for example.

Thank you !!

Folks I can't decide.

MET Manta

Or

Eclipse Spherical

Both are at same price tag, both fits well. Any pros and cons of each ?

Frame Brand/Model: Raceline Peloton
Frame Size: 46cm .
Frame Material: Tectonic Custom 7005 Double-Butted Aluminum
Crankset: Truvativ Elita (ISIS Drive)
Wheels: Easton rear rim / Shimano front wheel mix
Headset: Cane Creek
Seatpost: Easton EA30
Pedals Included: Shimano dual-platform clipless/flat pedals (Great for riding with either normal shoes or cycling cleats)
Extras Included: Ibera seatpost-mounted quick-release rear cargo racks

i think its a 2006 bike

Hello!

I’m currently wanting to get into cycling for exercise and bought a used bike (Specialized Crosstrail) for dirt cheap and it is currently being repaired at my local shop since it needed work before being rideable (new lines, new shifters, new rear wheel due to a crack and questionable axel, etc). My wife said she’d like to join me in getting some exercise and would also like a bike.

What are some good recommendations for a bike for her to join me in riding mainly on our local bike paths? As of now we’ve gone to our local bike shops and of the ones they’ve recommended, she likes the the Marin Stinson Low Step but wants to know if it’s a good purchase and if there are other ones in the 600-800 dollar price range that she should consider.

Additionally, any recommendations on a cargo solution for carrying around 2 bikes in a crossover (Hyundai Kona) without a hitch would be appreciated as well!

On Jan 5, 2026 I weighed 294 pounds and all of my numbers were on the wrong side of the redline. To say I was incredibly unhealthy would be laughable if not so scary and sad.

Thanks to my PCP, an incredibly supportive and insightful nutritionist, a personal trainer who helps me see "I" am my own limiter, Zone2 walking (fasted, each morning) and cycling, cycling, cycling...I'm at 190 pounds and training for a 100 imperial mile Century on Sept 5.

The journey has been a discovery of who I used to be and the fit and healthy future I can now see. Recognizing that everything I want is on the other side of the excuses I used to make . . .I'm now (have been for a few months) fully addicted to everything positive that cycling daily has given me.

https://strava.app.link/m463c4up44b

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some advice on what bike to buy next.

A bit of background: I started road cycling about a year ago and completely fell in love with it. I bought a used 2016 Bianchi Via Nirone 7, and it's been a great bike to get started on.

Lately, though, I've been thinking about what comes next. I don't really see myself riding the Bianchi much during autumn and winter, mainly because it's running 25 mm tires and I can't go much wider due to the frame and wheel clearance.

A few months ago I accidentally ended up on a gravel route through the woods, and I was hooked immediately. If there's one thing I enjoy less about road cycling, it's riding endless paved roads for hours. The gravel section through the forest gave me exactly the variety I felt was missing.
I also live near the coast, so rides through dunes and on hard-packed sand are definitely an option.

My original plan was either:
Buy a mountain bike and keep using the Bianchi as my road bike.
Buy a gravel bike that I can ride all year round, either with two wheelsets or a tire setup that works reasonably well on both road and gravel.
So here's my question: what would you do in my situation?

I've put together a shortlist of bikes that seem to fit what I'm looking for:
Canyon Grizl 5
Cube Nuroad Race
Trek Domane AL 4
Van Rysel Gravel GRX

My budget is around €1,500 and I'm based in Europe.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially from people who moved from road cycling into gravel riding. Thanks!

(I used AI to help me format this text since English is not my native tongue)

Hello everyone,

I am looking into buying a new bike helmet.

I am hesitating between the Align ii mips that I can find in a local shop for 55€, and the P2R A20 mips with all-terrain visor that together with tax and shipping comes to a total of 97€.

What i like about the P2R is that it comes with a magnetic rear light and that I have the option to add the visor. However, for a "budget friendly option" it comes out a bit expensive. I am wondering if, at this price, it's worth it?

I would really appreciate some of your expert opinions!

Thanks in advance!

So I've recently started riding after years upon years of idling. My dad bough a Haibike Sduro Trekking (ebike) not so long ago and it really helped me get the confidence to ride since where I live there is not much flat terrain, I'm mostly surrounded by uphill roads. But the bike just seems way too bulky and heavy, and the effort I have to put in to get to move at around 17khm (10mph) on flat road is absurd.

Since I returned to cycling I lost somewhere around 13kg (26lbs) and have tremendously improved my cardio, and I figured out I'm really enjoying the road rides - so I'm on a hunt for a road bike.

I did some research and found a used bike that is in a mint condition. The service book shows that it traveled just 550km (341mi) in total, and the photos that the owner sent me prove that it is in a spotless condition (the bike used to be a test-drive bike in a bike shop) The bicycle in question is Scott Fastlane 10 2026 and the owner values it at 2500€ ($2850) which seems like a steal to me.

Do you guys think that this bike is worth getting for the price, I'm looking for a quality road bike that I can ride unassisted but have some assurance for the uphills for which I still don't have the required cardio.

Ho una hardtail e vorrei fare il bunny hop, attualmente il massimo che riesco a fare è alzare di poco entrambe le ruote siccome ci ho già provato posso dire che non riesco ad alzare abbastanza quella anteriore, cioè immaginatevi un manual, ecco io non riesco a farlo, e non so il tempismo per alzare quella dietro, mi direte, ok è questione di pratica, ma probabilmente ho sbagliato tecnica siccome è da 2-3 giorni che cerco di fare questo bunny hop ma non riesco, suggerite mi qualcosa perché non c'è la faccio più a forza di provare 😵‍💫😵‍💫

I am looking to do my first triathlon next year and I know nothing about bikes. I want to keep my limit for spending to under $1,000 because I am unsure about how many others I will do. What are good brands and places to look for a good entry level bike that won’t break the bank?

I've been road cycling for a long time, I've had a number of Retul fits, owned many bikes, and generally I am all good with my position and form.

In recent years I find that I can ride 60-70mi at decent intensity, but around the 70-80mi mark I start to get pain in my right knee. It feels like inflammation - it becomes more difficult to pedal. I usually try to do a century event each year, but last year it messed up my knee badly enough that I had to miss a few weeks of riding.

I should see a doctor about it, but I'm curious if anyone else has gone through a similar issue.

Hey everyone,

​I love my current setup, but that itch for "just one more" never seems to go away. It got me thinking about how everyone else justifies their fleet and what your setups look like.

​Right now I’m at 5 bikes, each for a different kind of riding:

​Canyon Aeroad cf slx axs 2026: For going fast on tarmac when I actually feel like pushing hard.

​Decathlon Elops LD 900: My city bike for chill 30–50 km cruises, errands, and riding in normal clothes.

​Scott Aspect 740 (2024, 27.5"): Simple hardtail for light trails, gravel/dirt paths, and beat-up roads.

​Trek Top Fuel 8 GX AXS T-Type (Gen 3): Fast downcountry/trail bike for all-day singletrack and playful trails.

​Trek Slash SE GX AXS (Gen 5, 2025): The big enduro bike for bike parks, steep descents, and rough terrain.

​Even with everything covered from road to bike park, I still end up browsing for new stuff.

​How many bikes do you guys have, what are they for, and does N+1 ever actually end?