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Cycling

Hawk said:
Paging Beags.

Talk to me a little bit about road tires on a MTB. I'm sort of hating the lack of efficiency I get on the hills around here and have thought about buying some of these in 26 x 1-1/8. Or, if there is something better I'd be open to it. Don't plan on offroading and don't want to pay for a road bike.

To give you an idea why, I can basically push myself as hard as possible, but still am right around 4:56/mile and 12mph average speed.
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Thicker, knobby tires will definitely slow you down. You may also want to look at positioning too. Adding some bar end grips on each side of the handlebar will stretch you out a tad and get you in to a bit more aggressive position that will help you get a good stretch when you pedal.

Putting some slicker tires on there will definitely help you with building a bit of speed, and is something that is quite common that people do. I know a good bit of people that have two sets of wheels, one for when they take it off road and one for when they are riding around the streets or cruising with their kids.

Dont get hosed in to paying $50 per tire either, there are plenty of solid options in the $20-$25 price range.
 
That's exactly what I was wondering. There are some options in the $25 range too, so I'll look that direction. I want to say Wtb had some reasonably priced ones. Didn't even think about the handlebars either so I'll take a look at that. Thanks dude!
 
Hawk said:
Going to try a local trail out after work today. I'm sort of cramped on time in the afternoons, but it's only a 7-8 minute drive to get there and I'm not loving being on the roads. People are stupid and there's a lot of them around rush hour.
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troyefl said:
Riding on roads is pretty sketchy. Hope you like the trail!
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This is one thing I loved about where I used to live - go to the end of my street (which was a dead-end so no through traffic) and I was straight onto the old railway line routes that were all converted into paths and, other than crossing the odd road now and again, I could cycle for miles and only have to worry about other cyclists, walkers and their dogs

Now living on the edge of a town, it is a bit more difficult to find safe places to ride, as like you say, there are a lot of stupid people on the roads these days
 
TheDoctor said:
This is one thing I loved about where I used to live - go to the end of my street (which was a dead-end so no through traffic) and I was straight onto the old railway line routes that were all converted into paths and, other than crossing the odd road now and again, I could cycle for miles and only have to worry about other cyclists, walkers and their dogs

Now living on the edge of a town, it is a bit more difficult to find safe places to ride, as like you say, there are a lot of stupid people on the roads these days
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Yea people are lame. I get honked at and yelled at on the regular and I'm not the stereotypical jerk bicyclist or anything. I have to ride on the road, stay well to the side, and signal when I need to.
 
Hawk said:
Paging Beags.

Talk to me a little bit about road tires on a MTB. I'm sort of hating the lack of efficiency I get on the hills around here and have thought about buying some of these in 26 x 1-1/8. Or, if there is something better I'd be open to it. Don't plan on offroading and don't want to pay for a road bike.

To give you an idea why, I can basically push myself as hard as possible, but still am right around 4:56/mile and 12mph average speed.
Click to expand...

I don't ride too much right now, but years ago I added road tires to a Cannondale mtn bike that I owned. I was like you, pedaling my heart out trying to go fast, but never getting much higher than 12mph. The slicker tires helped tremendously for riding on the road. As War mentioned, body position and gearing ended up being the main reason I purchased a road bike, but the slicker tires worked great for a long time before I could afford the road bike.
 
Kutros said:
I don't ride too much right now, but years ago I added road tires to a Cannondale mtn bike that I owned. I was like you, pedaling my heart out trying to go fast, but never getting much higher than 12mph. The slicker tires helped tremendously for riding on the road. As War mentioned, body position and gearing ended up being the main reason I purchased a road bike, but the slicker tires worked great for a long time before I could afford the road bike.
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Good stuff dude. I wish I could afford a new bike really. If I could I'd just go that route right away, but like you it's just not in the cards right now. One day though!
 
Got a quick 25 minute ride in after the kids went to sleep. Improved my pace over the last rides by 30 seconds/mile.

After using both strava and runtastic, I think runtastic is the one I prefer. Just a little more in depth with info after the fact and I like that I can keep the screen lit up. Love that I can listen to music on my phone while riding. Science.
 
Hawk said:
Got a quick 25 minute ride in after the kids went to sleep. Improved my pace over the last rides by 30 seconds/mile.

After using both strava and runtastic, I think runtastic is the one I prefer. Just a little more in depth with info after the fact and I like that I can keep the screen lit up. Love that I can listen to music on my phone while riding. Science.
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Thanks for the mention of the tracking apps. I just cleaned up my circa 1987 Centurian LeMans road bike today, couldn't believe the tires held air when I inflated them. I'll be getting new tires and tubes this weekend just in case. Part of my getting in shape routine for the year will include putting miles back on this bike. It's been collecting dust for years.
 
If you go back a page or two there is some good info on mounts for your phone. It's an awesome way to ride. Gives a little challenge when you see your pace drop.
 
You switch your tires yet, hawk?
 
Hawk said:
If you go back a page or two there is some good info on mounts for your phone. It's an awesome way to ride. Gives a little challenge when you see your pace drop.
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That will be great, thanks. I lost my Cat Eye Vectra (wow am I old!) years ago.
 
I prefer Strava strictly because it syncs with my garmin on my bike.
 
War Eagle said:
You switch your tires yet, hawk?
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Nope. That may be a week or more out, but I need to get it done sooner than later. It annoys me to no end.
 
War Beagle,
What do you know about Skratch Labs? I am a big fan of Allen Lim and have followed him for a while now for his nutrition science, not on the biking side, but on the science side. I know he is involved with them and created their drinks.
 
JB said:
War Beagle,
What do you know about Skratch Labs? I am a big fan of Allen Lim and have followed him for a while now for his nutrition science, not on the biking side, but on the science side. I know he is involved with them and created their drinks.
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I know a good bit about Skratch, as well do quite well with their product. All natural performance drinks that actually taste good, and work quite well. Many companies are going "sugar free" in their performance drinks, while Skratch has shown that for certain activities require sugar to keep you fueled. They do a great job of combining, sugar + electrolytes + sodium to make a performance drink.

Plus, like I said earlier, they dont taste like crap.
 
War Eagle said:
I know a good bit about Skratch, as well do quite well with their product. All natural performance drinks that actually taste good, and work quite well. Many companies are going "sugar free" in their performance drinks, while Skratch has shown that for certain activities require sugar to keep you fueled. They do a great job of combining, sugar + electrolytes + sodium to make a performance drink.

Plus, like I said earlier, they dont taste like crap.
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Thanks. As mentioned I am a big fan of Lim and his thoughts on nutrition in general and ordered some of the everyday drinks to see what I think for rounds of golf when its hot. I have a tendency to dehydrate and thought why not look to a guy that I like to check them out. I knew you were the person to talk to.
 
JB said:
Thanks. As mentioned I am a big fan of Lim and his thoughts on nutrition in general and ordered some of the everyday drinks to see what I think for rounds of golf when its hot. I have a tendency to dehydrate and thought why not look to a guy that I like to check them out. I knew you were the person to talk to.
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The individual serving packets are convenient as well. Throw a few in the bag to have when you need them. Perfect drink for the course this time of year.
 
War, Looking for an entry level riding shoe. What's a decent price point to be looking in? Any suggestions
 
T2GRN18 said:
War, Looking for an entry level riding shoe. What's a decent price point to be looking in? Any suggestions
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What kind of pedal will you be using?
 
T2GRN18 said:
Shimano SPD
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$100 price point is going to have some good options. Unless you plan on doing some serious riding, dont get hosed with needed carbon soles and a boa system for lacing. Something with a good velcro & ratchet system and a solid plastic composite sole will suit your needs just fine.
 
Got it thanks
 
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