First, the good news: My friend is essentially okay, aside from some bumps and bruises. His bike took some damage, but likely not catastrophic: From what we could tell, both derailleurs on his bike and the bar tape were damaged; there may be other damage we couldn't identify immediately, such as the handlebars themselves.

We were riding on this road with two lanes, no shoulder, and there's a light at the bottom of a hill, with a right turn lane. The light was green, so our group was cruising at a pretty high pace - probably 25 or 30 mph - in the right lane (not the turn lane, the through lane) and some driver needed to turn right, but couldn't wait a few seconds. So, they went into the LEFT lane, then turned right in front of our group, hit one of our riders, and kept going.

("Must get in front...oh I have to turn here..." Shitty driving habits in general, I'll bet.)

A few other cars stopped, and someone called the police, who took a report and got an ambulance to check out the victim. Hopefully they'll do some investigation and find the guilty party. The cross street leads into a neighborhood with no other exits, so there's a good chance the perpetrator lives there. Also there is a camera at that light, and one person thought to note the exact time it happened, in case the camera does continuously record.

I hope they find the driver. They deserve to pay for all damages and a huge fine.

Our friend commented that his bike was likely worth more than the minivan that hit him, which is almost certainly true, given it was an older model van and his bike is a high end Pinarello. He also noted that none of us stopped his bike computer, which was good for a laugh.

The ride leader's husband was able to come and pick up her, the victim, and another rider that wasn't comfortable continuing after the crash (we were only about halfway through the planned route). The rest of us pedaled on, albeit a bit more subdued for a while.

I don't know why roofed bikes and bike-caravans have appealed to me so much for years. They are expensive and take up a lot of space at home. I probably won't buy one. And yet I'm always looking to see what's new in this area.

They would be handy in spring and autumn. So here's my list which velomobiles are available with a roof:

• Quadvelo https://www.quadvelo.com/
• Podbike https://www.podbike.com
• BAYK https://bayk.ag/newsticker/
• Onomotion https://onomotion.com/blog/
• Citkar https://www.mubea-umobility.com/insights/blog
• Hopper https://hopper-mobility.com/

And which may be ready for series production in 2025:

• ELF https://organictransit.com/ (Study according to "Das MÖ")
• Pedilio https://www.pedilio.de/
• iris https://www.grantsinclair.com/product-page/iris-etrike-electric-vehicle
• Twike https://twike.com/
• Veemo SE https://veemo.ca

In my opinion, it would be enough for a cargo-bike manufacturer to offer an optional roof like the one built by "Ekki Mobil". (picture in title) A cargo-bike with a box at the front would be ideal. It would also be much cheaper than any of the velomobiles listed above. What do you think about it?

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/19204414

> Just the other day in regards to the bike made with vape batteries people were saying that homemade electric bikes were dangerous due to the expertise required when dealing with batteries. Electric bikes are fantastic, but your lives are even better.

I'm slowly but surely transitioning from driving to cycling to the point I'm going to have to change jobs to stop driving all together. While this surely has many health and environmental benefits, I was wondering about the financial benefits. Those of you who have already made the transition, how much have you save by not driving?

I'm trying to convert both my wife and I's bikes into ebikes so we can ride them more often and drive our cars less. I've never done somethings like this. For the very little I've done so far, there are three types of kits: front hub motor, rear hub motor and mid drive motor. Which of these is best for inner city commuting? Which one is cheap and easy to install?

Interesting design. I wish I could try it.

Ifixit take on current bike/e-bike manufacturers.

I wanted to share my experience with waxing my bike chains.

I was resistant to waxing my chains because it seems that a lot of people felt it was "too much work".

But having to constantly clean black shit off my chains after every ride, then spend time degreasing and re-lubing, I figured I'd try waxing when I got my gravel bike.

Now, thousands of KM later and having converted all three bikes to waxed, there's no way I'd go back. The time saved could be measured in hours per month.

First, the biggest complaint is chain prep. Yeah, regardless if you're waxing or not, you'll need to prep a new chain by removing the factory grease. With waxed, you do this once, and no more worrying about degreasing ever again. Make like easy and get Silca's chain stripper, and it's a 10 minute, one-step process.

Ongoing chain maintenance couldn't be easier. After every ride, give the chain a quick wipe (or not). My chain stays clean, even after a 200 km ride.

And if you ride in wet or dirty conditions? Guess what, you're in for a LOT of work if you lube your chain. With waxed, keep a second (or third) chain ready to go, and you just swap it out (10 seconds of effort). Take the dirty chain, give it a wipe if it's only been wet, or pour boiled water onto it if you want to "reset" the chain to bare metal. Then drop it into the waxing pot for a re-wax. You don't have to stand at the pot, so there's no real time commitment here. I've spent more time completely dirtying large microfiber cloths trying to get my chain "clean" when lubed (hint: it's never clean if you use a wet lube, not without solvents and an ultrasonic cleaner).

For actual immersion wax, I do it every 1000 km (sooner than you need to), and use a drip wax every 200 - 250 km to keep things fresh.

Honestly, wax is easier, cleaner, and takes less time to maintain vs wet lube.

The only downsides? The initial cost to get started. But this is offset by not having to replace chains or other components prematurely. You actually save money in the long-term when using waxed chains.

Some might argue that "you can't run waxed chains in muddy or constantly rainy conditions". Well, at the same time, your wet lube isn't really helping matters in those situations, either. Waxed is still better, and you can swap chains much faster than you can clean the grinding paste from a wet lubed chain.

Who would I not recommend waxed chains to? Someone who rarely uses their bike. Drip lube will be "good enough" in those cases. But anyone else would benefit from waxing their chain.

Nice read about a trip on the buffalo bicycle (which was posted about here some time ago), with an interesting view on the "world bicycle relief".

Hi, I hope this is the right place to ask. I decided to start commuting by bike as it's only about 15 minutes each way. So I got my first bike and learned how to ride. It's a cheap Chinese MTB from my country's version of amazon. This was a few months ago now. Since then I've been riding almost everyday and taking longer trips along the river trail near my home.

So I'm thinking about getting a lower end Shimano groupset. But I'm wondering what I'll get out of upgrading. Will there be a noticeable difference in performance? Smoother shifting? More speed in top gear?

Thanks for any insight you can share :) any essential gear recommendations would be great too!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/29275922

> > in 1986, mountain bikes were making their mark in Canada, as cyclists swapped out their 10-speeds for more rugged rides. This CBC news segment from The National explores the early days of the mountain biking craze, featuring enthusiasts like Ian K., who traded his Volkswagen-like commuter for an $800 mountain bike, likening it to driving a Porsche. While the trend was just beginning, the piece questions whether mountain biking would remain a luxury niche or become a mainstream activity as prices dropped and mass availability rose. Originally aired on May 26, 1986.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/28022420

> I have a wonderful GT Transeo which I have been using for commuting and joy rides. > > I'm thinking about upgrading since I did a couple of charity rides and even a race this year as well. > > I have been riding road primarily but I'm thinking about gravel or all-road bikes since drivers in my area seem to be getting more... dangerous? If I get gravel then I can either go on bike trails or drive somewhere where there is less car traffic. There's also quite a few gravel events in my area. > > I've been eyeing either the Trek Domane, Canyon endurance, or the Giant Revolt. Any other bikes to look into? > > Budget - Preferably $1k-$2k USD. I'm okay with going up to $3k if it's worth it. I am not looking to be a pro, just something with a little more arrow and competitive than a hybrid bike 😅. Not afraid of buying used, but the market in my area is terribly non-existent. If I look for used bikes I probably would buy through BuyCycle.com or something.

Have to hold back a bit else i would have a hard time carrying those back. Maybe i should get a cargo bike or something 😅

A US "ultra-endurance" cyclist has claimed a new world record for fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bike.

Lael Wilcox took 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes to cycle 29,169km (18,125 miles), starting and ending in Chicago.

She beat the 2018 record held by Jenny Graham, from Scotland, whose journey took 124 days 11 hours.

Wilcox, 38, of Alaska, set off on 28 May, crossing 21 countries on four continents before arriving back in Chicago around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Now that I have beat it, I am just going to focus on getting my first century ride in before the weather gets shitty.

Is anyone familiar with what the iron workers memorial bridge foot/bike path is like in the winter? My new work commute goes over the bridge and I'm wondering if it is viable in the snow or if I should budget for having a car by then. Also the state of the trans canada trail from where it meets the bridge to willingdon would affect my planning. I have heard snow on the roads is poorly managed in Burnaby and I don't like biking on them to bevin with so I'm a bit worried. The north van side I have already seen and its a mixed bag of both excellent and awful. Maybe its a city and district difference but I've seen atv plows clearing bike lanes and other parts where the bike lane has snow above my head height. I have a second bike configured for snow and with mid drive electric motor now.

Salivating for mid-block crosswalks, more armored bike lanes, daylit intersections, and more on the west coast, too.

I recently bought a junk bike. I want to slowly fix it up myself for two reasons: 1. To have a nicer bike. 2. To learn about bike maintenance. I'd like to improve it slowly (weeks or months) while keeping it functional. What order should I consider improvements?

I'll elaborate. When I first bought the bike, I tuned the brakes (linear pull). I struggled. I realized brake tuning was difficult because my wheel wasn't aligned. In retrospect, I should have straightened/replaced the wheel before tuning the brakes. I'm wondering if there are any insights you could provide about the order I should tackle this project (e.g., wheel alightment before brakes).

Before the advent of fossil fuel-powered transport, travellers crawled across the surface of the planet slowly. The world, back then, was bigger; getting anywhere at all was an adventure in itself. Today, the world is small. I can live my life in London, UK, and still attend family events in Sweden, where I'm from, several times a year. I can have my cake and eat it.

That is, if it weren't for one thing: the climate. The emissions released by aeroplanes mean flying in them is among the most carbon-intensive things most people are likely to ever do. Trying to avoid these emissions, I have experimented with ferry and train travel between the UK and Sweden for over a decade. But plane is almost always the cheapest option. So what about cycling?

[...]

But not all environmental benefits are measurable in emission units. "The bigger picture takeaway [with a long-distance ride] would be getting the conversation in people's minds," Yanocha says. "You would automatically think 'oh, I'm just going to fly', [but] actually you could do this on a bike."

Cycling helps us appreciate nature, says Brandi Horton, vice president of communication at the US non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy. "When you're zooming around in your car or you're on the train or you're on a plane, you are not going slow enough to notice what lives [around] you. When you're off the highway... you suddenly see something entirely different

I'm thinking about commuting by bike from home to my french classes, but the thought of my bike being stolen worries me and I'd like to hear your opinion.

I think that Onguard's Pitbull 8003 U lock would be good enough for my current situation, since my class only lasts about an hour and my bike would be inside the school.

I paid around $450 for my bike years ago, it's an aluminium road bike with shimano sora shifts. Would you say that it could eye catching?

I'd be glad to hear your thoughts!

Another win for older tech?

I doubt these will take off. They do look cool Af while shifting imo

Once I read that it could be good to have 2 helmets.

• One to deal with freezing/cold temperatures
• One to deal with hot/warm temperatures

I guess that both types can be used for cooler temperatures.

What is you opinion about that ?

Do you have some suggestions of helmets, some models you like, or even different advices to share with us ?

Ok, so here's my problem.

I own quite a few padded shorts, ranging from $30 - $250 (bibs), and they feel great for the first 2-3 hours, then I get really uncomfortable in them. Not pain, but quite uncomfortable.

I was able to ride 200km wearing only compression shorts with no padding, but I think I got lucky.

Regular shorts/underwear always have issues because of the seams, so they aren't viable.

I heard that triathlon shorts are lightly padded, so they may offer a nice in-between.

Does anyone wear them? How do they compare to traditional cycling shorts?

Yesterday i finally whip up the courage to try commuting with bike, i planned the 40km round trip to visit my mom and go grocery shopping on the way back,, planned the route with as much residential street as possible, and that was a fun experience! While there's a lot of "woah, ebike"(where i live a proper ebike is rare, even though mine is converted) and "you travel from that small town? That's insane!" from stranger, what's not fun is the ride on some stretch of the road.

I live in a small town outside the city, a lot of the road going out of the town is pretty much 1 lane each way, no cycling facility for the whole country(Malaysia), the road shoulder is narrow to non-existent(the line is basically bordering between road and grass/dirt) if not filled with potholes/cracks/sketchy road maintenance/bump made by tree root, and motorist often driving very fast even on narrow road. Luckily more often than not they does give me a lot of space when they're passing(thanks to motorcycle culture), but those who don't is very discouraging for the whole experience, mostly it's the one riding moped that pass me too close for comfort with 30/50kmph faster than me(no thanks to motorcycle culture).

I planned to do it often, first by doing a no-car sunday, then slowly switch to commuting to work(also 40km round trip), and eventually cut down car use to only just a day or two a week or only on long distance travel, but this experience kinda made me second guess the whole plan. It's also quite tiring, i can still feel the fatigue today.

So how did you guys that do the commute able to keep going? Any advice on that end?

also works on downtube

This is a photo from two years ago, i stood there for a good minute wondering how the hell and why this weird cycle path was there. It is in southern France, on the climb to Col d'Ecre, bit north of Nice.

Take a guess, i finally fully understand.

Follow up as I got the tire off the rim after work. Definitely seems like it's starting to split. But only on one side. Is this indicative of being pinched by the rim? Ridden on asphalt trail 95% of the time.

I couldn't find almost any tutorials on how to disassemble or service this particular eBike motor (Bafang M400), so I just started removing screws and pulling out parts while taking a ton of pictures.

I found two dirty, rusty bearings that I cleaned and re-greased, along with all the gears, and then put it back together. Not only did I manage to avoid breaking it, but the noise seems to be gone as well. This was by far the most intimidating bike repair I've done so far. I've serviced every other part before, but I hadn't dared to touch the motor until now.

It also turns out that the motor is much better sealed than I expected, so I'll happily continue doing deep river crossings with the motor half submerged in the future, just as I have done until now.

Was going to go for a simple ride tonight. Noticed this strange wear on my tire right next to the rim. Is this bad/a big deal?

Update: thank you all for your quick replies! I will be not be riding it and change it out. My rim is definitely very slightly bent, I can feel it when I ride. Definitely need a new bike since I know I'm too heavy for this bike.