72
votes
Accepted
Are mountain bikes good for urban riding?
For the past few years, I have commuted on a road bike for most of the year and on a mountain bike for late fall through early spring. My commute also involves both classic road-riding and more urban-...
- 864
56
votes
Is there a way to share a tight staircase/steps with pedestrians?
I've had to commute routes where I need to use a narrow staircase to go up and down a pedestrian bridge over a highway.
For starters, any place where you have to share narrow space with pedestrian, ...
- 12.4k
53
votes
Are mountain bikes good for urban riding?
If the part of mountain bikes that you think looks cool is the rear suspension, I very much recommend you buy an uncool bike. Rear suspension is very heavy, requires maintenance, means you can't fit ...
- 17k
49
votes
Is there a way to share a tight staircase/steps with pedestrians?
Frankly if you're going up/down steps, you're in the pedestrian's space and not somewhere suitable for cycling.
You know how sometimes vehicle traffic intrudes on our cycle lanes? Parking ...
- 121k
41
votes
New to bicycle riding. Questions about adjustments and upgrades
Leave your current bike alone, save your money for the replacement bike.
To make a significant difference to the current bike you'll probably have to spend a significant fraction of the original ...
- 75.5k
34
votes
Accepted
Are single chainring mountain bikes usual?
A 1x drivetrain (single chainring) is pretty much the standard now in mountain biking - you will notice the rear cassette is much wider than the classic 3x7 setup you are used to. The wide rear ...
- 30.4k
32
votes
What is the purpose of whipping a bike?
Spinning wheels have gyroscopic effects. Whipping the bike can be a way to reposition the bike so that when it comes out of the whip, it is in an orientation that wouldn't be possible going over the ...
- 3,316
30
votes
Accepted
How to choose a bike for a very tall and heavy person?
At 480lb/220kg:
You need good custom handbuilt wheels from day one on any bike you get, regardless of genre or usage, and it has to be from someone who knows what they're doing. Rims exist that can ...
- 81.8k
30
votes
What aspects contribute most to me being slow on this bike?
For riding on the flat on a sealed road, bike weight isn't that important. It just takes you longer to get to your steady-state speed.
Tyre air pressure - for a MTB on the road I'd aim for 40-50 PSI ...
- 121k
30
votes
Accepted
Is this brake mounted incorrectly?
The brake pads are too high and barely contacting the rotor, which is wrong. It's also dangerous and the bike shouldn't be used in this condition. If the wheel in the picture is properly in place in ...
- 81.8k
29
votes
Accepted
What aspects contribute most to me being slow on this bike?
Since no-one else posted this as an answer (Vladimir touched on it in comments) i'm going to add it. Please don't take this the wrong way, its not designed to be insulting.
Simply put, you are slow ...
- 18.3k
28
votes
Accepted
Loose spokes after only a few rides
Unfortunately, most bikes are only rated to 300lbs or less. However, if this is a new bike, you should take it back to the shop and get them to fix it. They can't claim they didn't know you were a ...
- 17k
28
votes
Is mountain bike good for long distances?
10-15 km is not a particularly long distance. You can certainly ride and MTB on roads to commute to work. Obviously an MTB will not be as efficient to ride as a bike designed for road use (such as a ...
- 75.5k
28
votes
Accepted
What do I get by paying more for a bicycle?
With so many good answers I hesitate to say anything.
But, in an effort to add something useful to the conversation...
The Value Curve
Part of the reason it's hard to understand the difference ...
- 20.6k
27
votes
How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
All the elite riders I have encountered just know. I think its part of the attention to detail necessary at that level. You almost never see them looking down to check (that would be showing a ...
- 17.2k
27
votes
Bike choice for snow commuting
I've got about 20,000 miles experience commuting in Alaska snow. There are really 3 kinds of snow to deal with: deep & fluffy, hard & icy, and slush.
I have two bikes, a Pugsley with Large ...
- 271
26
votes
Are mountain bikes good for urban riding?
Generally mountain bikes offer certain advantages and disadvantages over, say, road bikes for commuting.
Advantages:
The seating position is comfortable, and ridig will also be very comfortable due ...
- 381
26
votes
Is there a way to share a tight staircase/steps with pedestrians?
because I have no problem stopping
Objectively, this is nonsense. At best, you can stop before you start going down the steps. Once you start going down steps on a bike though, you are completely ...
- 1,049
25
votes
Which Type of Bike Would You Select If You Needed To Commute, Ride Fire Roads, and Regular Roads With 1 Bike?
"a decent chunk of money on one bike" this is a very slippery slope.
If this is your first bike, look for a used hardtail MTB for relatively low cost, and simply store any leftover money. ...
- 121k
24
votes
Could you reduce the weight of a Santa Cruz Chameleon down from 12.82 kg to 10kg (2018 model)?
Breaking the rules with a kind-of non-answer and personal opinion, but...
1) Mountain bikes should be heavier than a cyclocross bike. It's got a suspension fork and frame and wheels need to be ...
- 75.5k
24
votes
Accepted
Mountain Biking And Clipless Pedals
For context, I ride in the North Shore of Vancouver, BC, Canada, which is an area famous for its steep and technically challenging trails. I'm comfortable riding black diamond-rated trails. Here's an ...
- 15.5k
23
votes
Why isn't a military harness popular among MTB riders/racers?
Whilst I think this could work for some riders, there are several reasons I can think of where it would not be ideal.
For XC racers they often have a saddle to bar drop similar to a road race bike - ...
- 18.3k
23
votes
How to tell if my bike has an aluminum frame
Stick a magnet to it. If it won't stick, it's probably aluminum. You'll be surprised at what some steel bikes look like these days...
- 2,716
22
votes
How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
Cadence mostly. The answer to your question is in the title. Experience.
Same way motocross riders know what gear they are in. The speed of the engine vs how fast they are moving.
- 229
22
votes
Accepted
What type of bike I should buy if I need to ride with a toddler
A 3-year-old affects the bike's balance and handling, so you want something quite forgiving. Suspension will make you work really hard with the extra weight bouncing around over the back wheel (even ...
- 57.2k
22
votes
Accepted
Should I replace my bicycle tires if they have not been inflated in multiple years
If the bike has been hanging rather than sitting with weight on the tyres (and hence damaging the sidewalls), there is a good chance the tyres are still ok.
You can check the tyres by going around ...
- 18.3k
22
votes
Accepted
Why aren’t Cannondale head shocks used anymore?
Cannondale still makes them. Under the form you present, they are only found in urban E-bikes. On MTBs, they evolved into a different form.
One drawback of this design is that the travel needs to be ...
- 17.6k
22
votes
Accepted
Why might I want to buy MTB clothing, rather than use road cycling kit that anyway seems exactly suitable for both sports?
As someone who has been around long enough to have seen at least some of the early days of the MTB, I would have to surmise that the reasons for the baggy MTB attire can be one or more of the ...
- 6,089
20
votes
New to bicycle riding. Questions about adjustments and upgrades
All the above answers are valid and good. In addition to that, I would strongly advise focusing on what is sometimes called "rider fit". It is the position of your seat, seat post, handlebars etc. The ...
- 452
20
votes
What options do I have if my rear derailleur breaks when I'm out on a trail?
If you carry a multi-tool which happens to include a chain tool, you could also convert your bike to a single speed. If you do so, you would have to replace the chain afterwards as well (since you ...
- 615
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible