The Bicycle / Biking Gear Thread

Looking at my first set of replacement tires for my Kona. Currently running the stock Maxxis Ardents 2.4 front, 2.25 rear, on my wider carbon rims. 29 inch. A 2.4 makes a really good profile on these rims. Ardents have always been pretty good tires here for our firm with rock and loose-ish (gravel later in the year) Was thinking of going to a 2.4 ardent rear, and 2.4 minion front. Thoughts?
 
Tig said:
Does the squeak happen at the exact same part of the crank rotation?
Depending on the crank and bottom bracket type, disassembling, cleaning and re-greasing the contact surfaces and threads, and reassembling will get rid of most squeaking.

Shoe cleat mounting screws can also squeak. Test riding with running shoes is the quickest way to compare for that problem.
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No cleats on that bike. Running shoes only. It "may" have been a loose nut on the back wheel. Still not sure why is was only on hard pedaling but I did a major cleaning and did find one loose nut. Good thing too because I don't have the tools needed to pull off the bottom bracket on my bike nor did the bike shop I went to on Monday to ask questions. I just got a cheap kit of bike tools. They are likely poor quality but I don't expect to need them often and I got a bunch of things I didn't have like cone wrenches that I can do a bit more on my own without having to make multiple trips. The bike in question is 35 yo and has had little work done on it for most of those 35 years. So I wasn't in favour of spending a ton of money for tools that only would work on that bike (my other bike is a 2013 Caad 10-3).
 
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sunvalleylaw said:
Looking at my first set of replacement tires for my Kona. Currently running the stock Maxxis Ardents 2.4 front, 2.25 rear, on my wider carbon rims. 29 inch. A 2.4 makes a really good profile on these rims. Ardents have always been pretty good tires here for our firm with rock and loose-ish (gravel later in the year) Was thinking of going to a 2.4 ardent rear, and 2.4 minion front. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I mostly use Maxxis tires for my XC bikes, but have no experience with anything wider than 2.1's nor with the Ardent or Minion. I wish I could help.
 
Tig said:
I mostly use Maxxis tires for my XC bikes, but have no experience with anything wider than 2.1's nor with the Ardent or Minion. I wish I could help.
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They work well up here on our rocks, firm, and loose. I have always run a 2.4 up front on my 29'er, with a smaller (2.1) Ignitor on the rear, on my old Gary Fisher. The Kona comes with 2.25 Ardent rear, and 2.4 up front. The Minion is supposed to be even a bit more front traction. My Carbon Bicycle carbon rims which are 35mm od and 30 id, set up a 2.4 really well, and a 2.5 should be even better up front. I want to move from the 2.25 rear, so I can run lower pressure without bottoming out on the rim. I run tubeless too. I tend to go about 20 lbs in the rear and 17-18 up front. The 2.4 with a bit more volume should give me a little more protection against bottoming out. So I am pretty confident in the choice. But just axing. In case anyone has run these sizes and/or tires.

Here is my ride as currently set up on the 2.25 and 2.4 on the newer rims.

26DCC547-61A7-4370-9B71-BFF98E8A70B0_zpscvfrr2zp.jpg~original


Other than upkeep, like brake pads, tubeless juice, probably a chain and maybe a fork service, not much to do to the bike this year I don't think. Set up is still just fine.
 
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nuke_diver said:
No cleats on that bike. Running shoes only. It "may" have been a loose nut on the back wheel. Still not sure why is was only on hard pedaling but I did a major cleaning and did find one loose nut. Good thing too because I don't have the tools needed to pull off the bottom bracket on my bike nor did the bike shop I went to on Monday to ask questions. I just got a cheap kit of bike tools. They are likely poor quality but I don't expect to need them often and I got a bunch of things I didn't have like cone wrenches that I can do a bit more on my own without having to make multiple trips. The bike in question is 35 yo and has had little work done on it for most of those 35 years. So I wasn't in favour of spending a ton of money for tools that only would work on that bike (my other bike is a 2013 Caad 10-3).
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I've gone to my bike shop numerous times asking them to look at my bottom bracket because of a squeaking noise. In many years it's only been the bottom bracket once or twice, several times my mechanic just greased my rear wheel skewer and tightened it tighter than I had it previously. Noise gone. Seems to be an issue for bigger/heavier guys. At 6' 3" I'm 185 lbs racing weight (people ask if I'm sick at that weight), 195 normal, up to 205 when I'm overweight. Guys with less weight have less squeaking noises on their bikes.
 
Tig said:
Yeah, all that serious stuff isn't really needed. I can't stand the ARP (arrogant roadie prick) mentality. Safe and predictable is what counts.
The stronger the rider, the less they need to draft super close.
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Ummm, you can't ride in peloton rides at the distance of your own choosing. People cause crashes if they can't ride like the rest of the group. And at 28 mph average for 45 miles, stronger riders are smart enough not to waste their energy. Everyone else gets dropped. Maybe you haven't raced a criterium before, but the strongest riders draft for 40 minutes and only do work in the last 3 laps.
 
rickenvox said:
Ummm, you can't ride in peloton rides at the distance of your own choosing. People cause crashes if they can't ride like the rest of the group. And at 28 mph average for 45 miles, stronger riders are smart enough not to waste their energy. Everyone else gets dropped. Maybe you haven't raced a criterium before, but the strongest riders draft for 40 minutes and only do work in the last 3 laps.
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Looks like you took my comments out of context. I was talking about training rides, not races.
I've raced more road, track (one state championship title) and XC races over the last 30 years than I could ever count. :wink:
 
Tig said:
Looks like you took my comments out of context. I was talking about training rides, not races.
I've raced more road, track (one state championship title) and XC races over the last 30 years than I could ever count. :wink:
Click to expand...

I think you forgot the mic drop at the end there...



:grin:
 
rickenvox said:
I've gone to my bike shop numerous times asking them to look at my bottom bracket because of a squeaking noise. In many years it's only been the bottom bracket once or twice, several times my mechanic just greased my rear wheel skewer and tightened it tighter than I had it previously. Noise gone. Seems to be an issue for bigger/heavier guys. At 6' 3" I'm 185 lbs racing weight (people ask if I'm sick at that weight), 195 normal, up to 205 when I'm overweight. Guys with less weight have less squeaking noises on their bikes.
Click to expand...

Three rides now without squeaking. That's the good news. The bad news is that once you start working on an old bike it seems to become a weekly thing. In trying to figure out the squeak, I found the back wheels hubs were too tight. In adjusting the hubs today a front spoke broke (WTF I was working on the back rim didn't touch the front ???). In replacing the spoke the wheel is now slightly out of true and I can't seem to get it back (no truing stand and truing a wheel always tasks me :mad:)

Who knows what will happen tomorrow :P
 
nuke_diver said:
Three rides now without squeaking. That's the good news. The bad news is that once you start working on an old bike it seems to become a weekly thing. In trying to figure out the squeak, I found the back wheels hubs were too tight. In adjusting the hubs today a front spoke broke (WTF I was working on the back rim didn't touch the front ???). In replacing the spoke the wheel is now slightly out of true and I can't seem to get it back (no truing stand and truing a wheel always tasks me :mad:)

Who knows what will happen tomorrow :tongue:
Click to expand...

There's a good chance those hub bearings are getting dry if they haven't been serviced in a while. If you have a bunch of miles on the wheels, the bearings may need replacing.Cone and cup hubs are a little tricky to adjust until you get a good feel for them. Always check how the wheel rotates after you squeeze everything together in the dropouts with the QR tightened.
Sorry, I didn't mean to stir the maintenance pot!
 
Tig said:
There's a good chance those hub bearings are getting dry if they haven't been serviced in a while. If you have a bunch of miles on the wheels, the bearings may need replacing.Cone and cup hubs are a little tricky to adjust until you get a good feel for them. Always check how the wheel rotates after you squeeze everything together in the dropouts with the QR tightened.
Sorry, I didn't mean to stir the maintenance pot!
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Actually that is a new wheel about a year old. I think I was so happy just to get everything working back then (had trouble finding a wheel that would fit, the right freewheel tool etc) that once I got it on and more or less true I just started riding it. I don't recall ever checking how well it spun on the bike only that it did and the gears worked :eek: Today the saga continues as I went to ride the bike to the gym and I had a flat. So I did this instead on my faster bike

https://www.relive.cc/view/901664041

It was legs day today so...now if I could only get up to Tig speed...then again I think my knees would probably explode
:ewh:
 
nuke_diver said:
Actually that is a new wheel about a year old. I think I was so happy just to get everything working back then (had trouble finding a wheel that would fit, the right freewheel tool etc) that once I got it on and more or less true I just started riding it. I don't recall ever checking how well it spun on the bike only that it did and the gears worked :eek: Today the saga continues as I went to ride the bike to the gym and I had a flat. So I did this instead on my faster bike

https://www.relive.cc/view/901664041

It was legs day today so...now if I could only get up to Tig speed...then again I think my knees would probably explode
Click to expand...

You'd drop me like a bad habit. It takes me a month to accumulate as much climbing as you do in one ride!
https://www.strava.com/athletes/8126820
 
Tig said:
Looks like you took my comments out of context. I was talking about training rides, not races.
I've raced more road, track (one state championship title) and XC races over the last 30 years than I could ever count. :wink:
Click to expand...

I was also talking about training rides. You have peloton road training rides in your area? Same as races except no sprint at the end. What would be the point of training for road races and not riding in a pack. I started racing downhill and XC in the 90s, switched to road in 98 and raced road and crits until around 2004. Got 3rd in state championship climbing race (which I thought was pretty good for someone over 6'). Never done track or cyclocross.
 
Sold my Trek 7.3 today..Mixed emotions. A lady came by and gave me $350 for the bike. I've already had offers of $150 for the panniers..They'll go soon..

I've not been on it in a couple years\lost interest. I used to love cruising around town to farmers markets and riding with my children. Children are in uni now and driving cars with boyfriends..

Besides riding with my kids\girls I have a fond place in my heart for when me and my bike broke into a Trailer Park Boys set...

The lady who bought it fell in love with it...That's a good thing..It's a nice riding bike..
Onwards and upwards...

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