What is the allure of titanium bikes ? I can’t say they really do it for me based on appearance alone. I can get behind the idea that they are indestructible and light, but the color of bare titanium is soulless and cold to me. I have seen some nice looking titanium hardtails, but the road bikes, I’d rather have a painted steel frame than bare titanium. Is there something I’m missing?

Hey cyclists!
I’ve been following this sub for a while, but have hardly done any cycling myself. I’m physically quite active and reasonably fit, and I’ve always wanted to get into cycling. But strangely, the more I learn about it, the more hesitant I become!

It seems like there’s quite a bit of knowledge involved before you even get started – bike sizing and fitting, all the gear, proper technique, and even how you use your arms, core, legs and feet. It’s a little overwhelming for someone starting from scratch.

There’s also a personal side to my hesitation. I was a chubby kid growing up and, even though I’m in much better shape now, I’ve never had particularly good balance or coordination. I tried riding someone else’s bike on a bike path years ago, struggled quite badly, and felt very self-conscious when a few passing cyclists seemed to notice. Having been teased about my weight growing up, I suppose that experience brought back some old insecurities. It put me off cycling for years (getting into Lycra itself makes me highly self-conscious already).

Now I’m thinking it’s time to give it another go. I’m not looking to become a competitive cyclist or anything – I’d just love to be able to get on a bike, feel comfortable and confident, and enjoy riding.

So I’d really appreciate hearing from this community, especially anyone who didn’t take to cycling naturally:
● Did anyone else feel intimidated or self-conscious when starting out? How did you overcome it?
● Are there exercises or activities I can do off the bike to improve my balance, coordination or general readiness?
● And looking back, what’s one thing you wish someone had told you when you were learning?

I’d love to hear your experiences, whether you started cycling as a kid or picked it up much later in life. Any advice, encouragement or reality checks would be very welcome!
Thanks in advance!

i’m new to cycling in city, i nearly crashed into someone tonight because i was temporarily blinded by oncoming delivery guy on an ebike with huge light. I could see him coming 2 junctions away, but when i got close i was nearly blinded. it was a narrow bike lane for both directions, the delivery guy was on my side since his lane was occupied and didn’t even trying to avoid me or slow down so i have to go other ways while i can’t see any shit :D

I know it’s not uncommon ppl have very bright front or rear lights, how do you cope with this and not be temporarily blinded by these huge shiny lights?

https://silca.cc/products/omata-imperial

Just got a text from Silca bout this product. I think it's fancy and all. As I understand it, it has a GPS unit inside but that data is converted into analog gauges and lacks a lot of the "distractions" we've come to love. It's $800 cheap but, IMO, has a very high "wow factor." I'm not sure though if i'm wowing it for coolness or its audacity.

I don't have "throw away" money but if I did, I'm not convinced I'd throw it away on this....not convinced I wouldn't, either.

Hi,

I just got rainbow jersey (the exact as tadej was riding in, from his shop) as a gift.

Is using this shirt still a faux pas?

I know people spend a lot of money on this gift, also jersey is great quality. But it feels like I would be embarrassed wearing it, as I didn't earned it.

Let me know what you think

I am looking for a chain lock that is fully enclosed and that doesn't rattle during transport in my car. My LBS recommended the Abus Goose Lock. Does this lock rattle less than other chain locks? I am interested in it but a slight con is that it is 3.6 ft long. Are there fully enclosed chain locks that don't rattle and are 5(+) feet long?

Would you consider a 5 year old Aspero 5 for example a good buy nearing into 2027?

Its a great bike that was very expensive new, with great parts, but at what point is the age a factor? The following bikes would be about $1000-1500 more brand new:

- Grail CF 7 with Rival (no power meter though)

- Lauf Seigla rigid (although its ugly IMO)

- Crux 5 comp (alloy wheels, no power meter)

A few others maybe around this price range?

For context, I am only looking at the more aggressive race style gravel frames, I will be racing on it and using it as a road bike as well.

The older aspero 5 satisfies what I want out of a bike, just a little worried about the value vs age and dealing with any of the aging maintenance items.

To be sure, I don't like that they're silently appearing from everywhere all at once these days, but when I'm behind one in the bike lane it's hard to hate the hole someone standing straight up going 20+ MPH puts in the air.

Hey everyone!

I’m looking for flat pedals for my carbon road bike, as I’d like to ride in regular sneakers rather than cycling shoes. My budget is around $100–120 max.

I’ve been looking at the Crankbrothers Stamp 0, Stamp 1 and DMR V8, but I’m not entirely sure which one to go for, so I’m open to other recommendations as well.

My main concern is finding a good balance between grip and not destroying the soles of my shoes. I know that metal pins provide better grip, but I’m a bit worried about how much they wear down regular sneakers over time.

Are there any pedals with shorter or less aggressive pins that still provide enough grip without chewing up the soles? Or is shoe wear something I shouldn’t worry about too much?

Would you recommend the Stamp 0, Stamp 1, DMR V8, or something else entirely?

Thanks!

Compared to a traditional smooth, padded saddle, will the textured and perforated surface of a 3D printed saddle hinder small movements fore/aft or side to side as weight is shifted or position changed throughout a ride? Is it more grippy?

Will it wear out bibs faster?

Or should I not worry about it?

Thanks!

Any recommendations of bike shops to pack up a bike for flying? I don’t own a hard shell case and don’t want to spend that money, heard that bike stores can pack up a bike in a box w padding?

Got into an accident recently(shoutout nyc delivery drivers), it’s a bit hard to source a rear wheel so looking at a new wheelset completely. Here are the details on my bike

135 x 10mm rear axle, center lock, 11 spd shimano free hub, disc brake, 700c, QR

Bike shop is recommending western wheels which are in the $600-700 range (Alloy) and I am looking at the Chinese carbon options that are significantly cheaper but I’m not sure if they’ll be a perfect especially as the bike shop doesn’t recommend them at all. The carbon brand is Tukus. Please share thoughts and experiences with the wheelset especially if you have similar weird dimensions that I do.

The front axle is 100 x 10 QR, center lock,disc, 700c

Hi folks,

Just got some carbon Van Rysel wheels that came with a DT Swiss 370 hub. After installing the wheels, I noticed how QUIET they were. Any way to make them louder...? I feel like I want them loud... lol

Hi everyone!

I’d really appreciate some honest advice from people with more experience than me.

I’ve recently started cycling and I’m considering buying my first bike. I’m leaning towards a gravel bike because I’d like to use it for outdoor rides, but I also really enjoy indoor training with Zwift.

A friend recommended investing in a carbon-frame bike right from the start. On the other hand, I’d also like to buy the Zwift Ride, since I’m currently training indoors on the rollers using an old second-hand bike (size L), which I find quite uncomfortable.

I’ll soon be getting a professional bike fit using my current bike to better understand my measurements and figure out which geometry would suit my body best.

Considering that, at least initially, I’m planning to go on group rides of around 40–60 km, do you think it makes sense to invest in a carbon gravel bike straight away, or would it be more sensible to go for an aluminum model?

Choosing aluminum would save me some money that I could put towards the Zwift Ride, which would also improve my indoor training experience.

What would you do in my situation? Would you invest in a carbon bike from the start, or go for a good aluminum gravel bike and pair it with the Zwift Ride?

Thanks everyone for your advice!

​A few weeks ago I completed a bucket-list challenge: riding solo and unsupported from London to Paris on my Brompton to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

​It was an incredible 4-day adventure, but doing long-distance touring on 16-inch wheels definitely brought some unique challenges.

​Quick Trip Stats:

​Total Distance: ~350 miles (took a few scenic detours!)

​Time: 4 Days

​Setup: Solo & Unsupported with front bag & gear

​Punctures: 2

​Ferries Missed: 1 (by about 5 minutes!)

​Highlights & Surprises:

​The Good: Riding along French canal paths and quiet countryside roads on day 2 and 3 was absolute bliss. The folding bike is surprisingly comfortable for long flat stretches once you hit a good rhythm.

​The Bad: The off-road / gravel cycle paths in Kent and northern France were ruthless on small tires. I got stuck in thick mud that completely jammed up my mudguards (had to use a stick to scrape it out on the trail).

​The Brutal: Strong headwinds on Day 2 really slowed my average speed down to about 7–8 mph, and pushing up steep Kent hills meant walking the bike a few times.

​Reaching the Eiffel Tower on Day 4 after fighting through Parisian traffic was an unbelievable feeling!

​I filmed the entire journey—from the Greenwich start line, tire changes, missing the ferry, to rolling up to the Eiffel Tower. If you'd like to check out the full vlog, you can watch it here:

https://youtu.be/710EzXYU43k

​Happy to answer any questions about route planning, packing gear, or touring on a Brompton if anyone is planning a similar trip!

Me estoy preparando para hacer mi primer fondo. Unos 60km aprox. Vengo preparandome hace 5 meses, algun consejo o recomendacion?

First off I am firmly in the budget friendly category so sorry if this seems like a waste of time.

I’m needing some new wheels and they need to be qr and rim brake so my options are somewhat limited. Also limited by budget. Found 2 sets very similar except for weight and rim width. Will be running 38mm tubeless tires on a combination of tarmac, gravel and double-track. One set is 300g heavier (2400 vs 2100) but has 7mm wider rims (25 vs 18). I would prefer lighter AND wider but haven’t found them yet. I’m new to this so not sure how much difference that much weight or that much width will make. Help me understand.

My moms car was stuck in a drive SLIGHTLY blocking a bike lane, the hazard lights were on and we couldn’t push the car because the car would no longer start. For an hour more than TEN cyclists repeated “you can’t park here” “move somewhere else” “there’s a million other places you could park” or hit our car with their fist. Idk how they couldn’t see the hazard lights or if they think we were just “parking” there for fun , but please let me know why you guys are so rude. Shout out to Eritreans tho more than 5 Eritreans offered to help push or jump our car, you guys are always so sweet , thank you

Edit: thank you all for proving my point, I’m sorry we should’ve picked up the car to move it out of the way, my bad✌️

What has your experience been with these pedals over long term use, purchased these today.

Hey guys, I've come across this new cycling brand called OWU-Cycling (I think they're based in Germany) and I'm considering getting a full set because it actually looks really good for the price. At least it looks good in the pictures. Its not super cheap so I wanna know if its as good as it looks

Does anyone have any experience with them? I guess I could just send it back if I don't like it but I'd rather hear from anyone else's experience first.

Hi ALL, a few friends and I want to travel to Spain (from New England-US) in the second half of April 2027 for a week or 10 days of road cycling camp.

About our group: We ride about 15 hrs per week, 8K miles per year, including a few longer than 200 mile rides. Our idea of fun is riding 100+km per day with 1,000 to 4,000m elevation gains, through nicely paved roads, nice views, coffee stops, and sunny weather. We plan on bringing our own bikes.

Considering the profile above, do you know a guide or operator that have open groups with similar goals? We are originally considering Calpe, Almeria, Granada, or Estrepona as basis to explore the region.

We have come across a few operators, but don't have recommendations on any:

- https://www.vuelta-turistica.com/en/

- https://www.sierranevada.cc/cycling-tour-guides

- https://www.eatsleepcycle.com/tour/malaga-winter-ride-camp/

Any first hand experience is most appreciated!

Thanks

what maps app that has TTS/direction announcements are you using for cycling? google maps has gone to absolute shit and i can’t take it anymore. i’m on an iphone but would love recommendations for other OS to share with others too. i’m an urban rider so i don’t need anything fancy, just something that knows how roads and bike paths work, because apparently gemini integration has broken google maps.

During the warmer months, we ride every Thursday evening and now we've ran out of daylight here in the UK, we're moving these to indoor rides.

Our first ride is happening at 7pm tonight, which anybody is welcome to join - just search for Stamford Cycling in the events on ROUVY.

But as I've never used ROUVY or Zwift before, any tips on what to expect when riding indoors? We're currently trialling ROUVY and then plan to try Zwift during our 5 week free trial before deciding which platform to host regular rides on.

I've heard a fan is a must, but good to get some other thoughts too! Thanks

Looking for info on cycling in Solvang CA. Don't have the time (or money) to do a full week with a fancy company. Does anyone rent road bikes there? Anywhere good to stay nearby?

thanks