[Lady Jane]

Took to the trails after work. Riding on a pillow of leaves. The smell of Autumn is incredible.

[M_Six]

Wow, nice trail. Beautiful scenery.

[StradaRedlands]

I love riding in Oct... temps are perfect and there is still enough daylight to get out for a spin after work!

[Tambohamilton]

Single speed, nice!

[iX nOOky]

Just over an hour today only, but I ran in the morning and walked my dogs before mountain biking. It was slow going, especially uphill in fresh snow, but tons of fun. I ran about 4 PSI for the ride down and had premium grip from the Dillinger 5's.

[Lady Jane]

I wasn't sure where to put that hack but since I'm planning on making one for my TREK... Great idea for cleaning and oiling the chain.

Pic from the web.

[freakystyly]

Looking forward to hitting the single track trails soon. I've just been doing the cross town rail trail since the weather got a bit warmer.

On my last ride the rear wheel started to wobble after rolling over a simple curb. Thankfully it was still able to slowly roll home with two loose spokes. The shop was able to fix the wheel up for cheap and now it's straighter than it ever was.

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I wasn't sure where to put that hack but since I'm planning on making one for my TREK... Great idea for cleaning and oiling the chain.

You should look into liquid wax for the chain. Much cleaner without black gunk buildup and doesn't attract dust as much. Wont mark up your pants or hands... Not sure of any downsides, maybe longevity.

[Tambohamilton]

The price of cycle chain lubes puts me right off, though I appreciate the cleanliness of some of them. I recently bought 1L of chainsaw chain oil for £7, and a small squeeze bottle to apply it to the chain. That should keep me rolling for about a decade for £12ish outlay...my chain will just have to be dirty during that time!

[Needsdecaf]

Question: Who rides clipless and who rides flats?

I've biked my whole life but took a long break until I moved to TX 12 years ago and got back into biking. My first thought in riding our single track trails is that "I really want to ride clipless" because of the nature of the terrain, roots, etc. So I've been doing that for a while.

My biggest issue is that our trails are so sandy that at times it's easy to wash out while turning. I'm working on improving my form (always) but with clipless, it's often the case that you don't have enough time to get a foot out quickly enough. I've adjusted my release tension low so that they come out fairly easily but it's still not the same as flats.

Anyone switched from SPD's to flats and enjoyed it?

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Question: Who rides clipless and who rides flats?

I've biked my whole life but took a long break until I moved to TX 12 years ago and got back into biking. My first thought in riding our single track trails is that "I really want to ride clipless" because of the nature of the terrain, roots, etc. So I've been doing that for a while.

My biggest issue is that our trails are so sandy that at times it's easy to wash out while turning. I'm working on improving my form (always) but with clipless, it's often the case that you don't have enough time to get a foot out quickly enough. I've adjusted my release tension low so that they come out fairly easily but it's still not the same as flats.

Anyone switched from SPD's to flats and enjoyed it?

I use SPDs for the turbo, but always flats on MTB. No major downsides really, other than occasionally messing up and nearly losing a foot, or taking a few seconds to get my placement right. SPDs are good for security and getting in the right position every time, but TBH rough terrain would make me lean more towards flats than clips.

You need to get decent pedals and shoes though, and you need to get your form decent for success.

Pedals should be concave, with decent threaded pins (yes, honestly the thread on the protruding pin makes a huge difference!). They can be have a plastic body to save money and grams - honestly a decent plastic pedal can be really good!

Shoes need to have rubber with a slow rebound. 5.10 are the gold standard for this. They also need to have a reasonably stiff midsole so the pedals don't make your feet ache. Of course, fit is important too.

You'll have most success placing your foot quite far forward on the pedal - ball of your foot between the axle and front row of pins. Critically important is keeping your heels low (placing your foot forward on the pedal helps with this) - this is what will stop your feet from getting bounced off the pedals. Also helps to keep you low on the bike when you really need the stability/confidence.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I use SPDs for the turbo, but always flats on MTB. No major downsides really, other than occasionally messing up and nearly losing a foot, or taking a few seconds to get my placement right. SPDs are good for security and getting in the right position every time, but TBH rough terrain would make me lean more towards flats than clips.

You need to get decent pedals and shoes though, and you need to get your form decent for success.

Pedals should be concave, with decent threaded pins (yes, honestly the thread on the protruding pin makes a huge difference!). They can be have a plastic body to save money and grams - honestly a decent plastic pedal can be really good!

Shoes need to have rubber with a slow rebound. 5.10 are the gold standard for this. They also need to have a reasonably stiff midsole so the pedals don't make your feet ache. Of course, fit is important too.

You'll have most success placing your foot quite far forward on the pedal - ball of your foot between the axle and front row of pins. Critically important is keeping your heels low (placing your foot forward on the pedal helps with this) - this is what will stop your feet from getting bounced off the pedals. Also helps to keep you low on the bike when you really need the stability/confidence.

Thanks. I actually got some One Up pedals that were pretty well reviewed. I just have been debating installing them. 5.10 looks like they make some great shoes but I want to stick with the Boa closing system and it is getting hard to find their freeride shoes for flats with that BOA system. Maybe discontinued? In any event, I figured I'd go to my local bike store and try some on as I have weird feet that can be tough to fit. Either a 12 Wide or a 13 regular, depending on the shoe.

Good to know I am on the right track. Hope I don't regret it but never run "real" flats with the pins before. My last bike had the cheapie flats that come with the bike before I switched to SPD's.

[freakystyly]

I have a worn out pair of 5.10s and a newer pair of Leatt flats. The Leatts are stiffer and less comfortable, especially at the tongue. Definitely still prefer the 5.10s.

Just got back from today's EZ ride. 38kms loop I've never done before. Mostly gravel & some basic overgrown single track. Generally beautiful scenery along the river.

[Needsdecaf]

After battling my lower back issues for nearly 4 months, a bunch of PT has allowed me to get back in the saddle again. Literally. Did a nice 10 mile ride on Sunday. Definitely felt a bit out of shape. Wind was good but my legs were a little leaden. This route is a mixture of mostly winding single track with some tighter single track, but not the tightest in our area. Still some good sprint opportunities out of corners to get the HR up.

Been riding the flat pedals more now and definitely they are not hindering me in the least, and definitely helping in multiple situations. I think if I went downhill I'd probably prefer the clipless, but for these flat winding sections the flats are giving me a lot of confidence...

[freakystyly]

I've honestly rode more this year than any year prior, thanks largely to the weather. It just takes time and work to get back into shape regarding lungs/heart/legs.

I'll admit though, it has been mostly boring rail trail route to rack up the mileage on my hard tail with road wheels. It's noticeable to me that road riding improves endurance but MTB/trail riding improves handling and acceleration. Also, I've been slowly progressing with dirt jumping when I actually do have time. Not good enough to take/post any pictures yet, but the table tops are getting less scary.

Your terrain around there is similar I think. I've visited a few years ago, pretty flat.

[StradaRedlands]

Seems like forever ago, but this are from a couple different rides last week.
It's raining today, and there should be some hero dirt on Thursday!

[StradaRedlands]

--SOLD--

Hey Bimmer MTBers, I'm selling a Santa Cruz Tallboy 3. GREAT condition with a few blingy bits.
PM me for more pics and information!!! I can deliver out to PHX or Bay Area during Thanksgiving!

[Needsdecaf]

How tall are you? What height would you say this frame works to?

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

How tall are you? What height would you say this frame works to?

I'm 6' and it fits perfect. 5'10" is fine. I left the steerer extra long, so it could easily fit a person 6'2", probably taller with a longer stem.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

I'm 6' and it fits perfect. 5'10" is fine. I left the steerer extra long, so it could easily fit a person 6'2", probably taller with a longer stem.

Thanks. Too small for my son. He is...yeah a lot taller than that. 🤣

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Thanks. Too small for my son. He is...yeah a lot taller than that. 🤣

That's funny... I left the steerer extra long so it could be adjusted up if necessary, but there are limits!!!

[Needsdecaf]

Got the bike back from a service and a 50 hour rebuild of the fork and shock. I swear the thing is like 25% faster, lol.

Nice 10 mile ride at great pace!

Winter in Houston…

[bucketfoot]

I've started looking at mountain bikes. My current one is around 30 years old (Raleigh Talon) with shifter problems that aren't worth addressing on such an old bike.

I've never had a bike with any suspension at all and am debating between a hardtail and full suspension. First and foremost, I am cheap. So a hardtail easily wins this category. But at the same time I am only a few months away from turning 65 and I like comfort. My budget would be adjusted depending on the type. Probably sub $1500 for a hardtail and sub $2500 for full suspension. Riding would mostly be trails and a local bike parks. I'd be interested in whatever info/feedback you guys can offer.

I lean towards Specialized mainly as that is what my local shop carries and I really like the people there. But I've got to say the the Polygon offerinings have a ton of bang for the buck.

I will also say that I have been looking at Craigslist and FB Marketplace, but am pretty much seeing things older than what I would want (almost no 1x drivetrains).