Assess My Situation

spearlymatt said:

So I have a few questions.

From looking at pictures I see most people have two bottle holders, but not a hand pump attached. Can someone explain the reason, please?

I also see that most people just have small bags (for tools I would assume) is it a significant annoyance to have a lot of weight on your bike, specifically where a rack would be? (I sometimes carry a lot of weight, just curious.)

I see some people mentioning different pedals, can someone give a brief explanation of some, and whether I might find them useful?

Are the bags that hold water (sorry, I do not know the proper terminology) useful, and/or widely used? Or do most people just carry a water bottle with them?

Do bent rims cause any notable problems? From what I observe, mine are pretty battered, but I don't see any major problems.

And just general comments on my bike, habits, or anything would be appreciated.

Thank you all 🙂

Welcome, newbie. I'm going to jump in the water a bit and answer a few questions. I'm a fairly brief guy, so I'll hit the highlights and I'm sure there are others who will give you long versions. One thing initially that you will find very helpful with regard to your exploration of forums on the net is that you will obtain a much more favorable response to your queries when it appears you have done some of your own homework. Do some reading/searching in the forum subsects to better educate yourself and not appear to come off as a total dweeb. I've quoted the following several times previous when I've come across threads like yours: "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and he'll feed himself for a lifetime".

A) You don't see hand pumps because: 1. they may have a co2 canister in one of their pockets; 2. they roll the dice and ride thinking they'll never have need for auxilary air; 3. there are small hand pumps that fit in jersey pockets on the market; 4. they're carrying a cell phone and if they get a flat they'll call their significant other to come pick them up (this is me on occasion😄); 5. pumps are also mounted horizontally on the underside of the top tube.

B) Yes, it would be annoyance and very inefficient/ineffective for me to carry a bunch of excess weight because when I'm on the road, I'm training for races. Side bags are not conducive to speed as the bags are very unaerodynamic. Everyone uses their roadbikes in different ways - some commuting, some training, some strictly for recreation and leisure, etc...If I had a bike with bags, it'd be a hybrid with at least 700x32 tires, not the 700x23 tires on my roadbikes.

C) There are clip (cage) pedals and clipless pedals. Use of each will allow your pedal stroke to be more efficient because of the more secure pedaling platform. Pedals with cages are satisfactory if do not want invest in special shoes/cleats which clipless will require. Clipless systems (shoes and cleats) are far and away the better system if pure efficiency is your desire. There is some technique involved, but after a few days in them, you'll never look back.

D) Camelbacks (water bags on rider's backs) are maily for mountain bikes as mountain bike frames tend to not allow space for bottles in their cages on the frames, or if space allows water bottles will pop out of cages when riding over rough terrain, and camelbacks hold more fluid for when refilling is not an available option when out in the bush country. Most roadies don't use them for whatever reason.

E) Bent rims are an issue that should be addressed as soon as practicable. Inefficiency is the problem as bent rims can contact the brake pads requiring you to expend more effort than is otherwise necessary.

Just hitting the highlights here and my comments are in no way exhaustive on the subjects you brought up. Others will chime in, I'm sure. I will reiterate that you do some research in this forum and educate yourself - there's much information that's already been discussed that you will find valuable about cycling etiquette, training, etc...Best wishes on your journey...by the way, nice looking bike😎

tonyzackery said:

Welcome, newbie. I'm going to jump in the water a bit and answer a few questions. I'm a fairly brief guy, so I'll hit the highlights and I'm sure there are others who will give you long versions. One thing initially that you will find very helpful with regard to your exploration of forums on the net is that you will obtain a much more favorable response to your queries when it appears you have done some of your own homework. Do some reading/searching in the forum subsects to better educate yourself and not appear to come off as a total dweeb. I've quoted the following several times previous when I've come across threads like yours: "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and he'll feed himself for a lifetime".

Understandable, and I agree. A lot of the questions I asked were simply for my own organizational purposes.

Quoted post said:

A) You don't see hand pumps because: 1. they may have a co2 canister in one of their pockets; 2. they roll the dice and ride thinking they'll never have need for auxilary air; 3. there are small hand pumps that fit in jersey pockets on the market; 4. they're carrying a cell phone and if they get a flat they'll call their significant other to come pick them up (this is me on occasion😄); 5. pumps are also mounted horizontally on the underside of the top tube.

That is what I figured, that for how much they would be used, it would not be worth it. I was just curious.

Quoted post said:

B) Yes, it would be annoyance and very inefficient/ineffective for me to carry a bunch of excess weight because when I'm on the road, I'm training for races. Side bags are not conducive to speed as the bags are very unaerodynamic. Everyone uses their roadbikes in different ways - some commuting, some training, some strictly for recreation and leisure, etc...If I had a bike with bags, it'd be a hybrid with at least 700x32 tires, not the 700x23 tires on my roadbikes.

I should probably look more into this. Sometimes I need to carry a fairly overstuffed backpack to transport all I need. As I said, when I bike, I normally don't bike 20 miles nonstop. I tend to be more leisurely around, but thoroughly enjoy the actual biking phase, also (hence why I am here.)

Quoted post said:

C) There are clip (cage) pedals and clipless pedals. Use of each will allow your pedal stroke to be more efficient because of the more secure pedaling platform. Pedals with cages are satisfactory if do not want invest in special shoes/cleats which clipless will require. Clipless systems (shoes and cleats) are far and away the better system if pure efficiency is your desire. There is some technique involved, but after a few days in them, you'll never look back.

This is one of the major things I researched after posting. I understand that they will be more efficient (for the cycle is uniform) however, is that efficiency worth the expended energy? It seems to me to drag a pedal back up would be more energy lost than efficiency gained. Though, I suppose it would lessen the effort required to push down the opposite pedal...

Quoted post said:

D) Camelbacks (water bags on rider's backs) are maily for mountain bikes as mountain bike frames tend to not allow space for bottles in their cages on the frames, or if space allows water bottles will pop out of cages when riding over rough terrain, and camelbacks hold more fluid for when refilling is not an available option when out in the bush country. Most roadies don't use them for whatever reason.

Alright, I just see them in shops occasionally and was wondering if that was a frequently utilized commodity.

Quoted post said:

E) Bent rims are an issue that should be addressed as soon as practicable. Inefficiency is the problem as bent rims can contact the brake pads requiring you to expend more effort than is otherwise necessary.

I neglected to mention that I do not think they are contacting the brake pads (it can be close sometimes, though, I probably should setup my brakes properly.)

Quoted post said:

Just hitting the highlights here and my comments are in no way exhaustive on the subjects you brought up. Others will chime in, I'm sure. I will reiterate that you do some research in this forum and educate yourself - there's much information that's already been discussed that you will find valuable about cycling etiquette, training, etc...Best wishes on your journey...by the way, nice looking bike😎

Thank you for all of your help. The main things I have taken out of this are for my purposes a hybrid might be better, and that I might want to look in to pedals. Though, even with a heavy load, I think I will prefer a road bike regardless. I might need to look into sturdier tires, also, though. Are there any other advantages to having a hybrid? I could see maybe a little more comfort, and I've read about different terrains, but I do not think (for me) it would be worth the speed loss.

Also, which do most people prefer, or which is generally better, to "stand up" and pedal going up a hill, or to remain seated in a low gear? I tend to stand up going up a hill, it just seems easier, but again, I'd like to know if the general consensus differs.

Quoted post said:

Quote:

C) There are clip (cage) pedals and clipless pedals. Use of each will allow your pedal stroke to be more efficient because of the more secure pedaling platform. Pedals with cages are satisfactory if do not want invest in special shoes/cleats which clipless will require. Clipless systems (shoes and cleats) are far and away the better system if pure efficiency is your desire. There is some technique involved, but after a few days in them, you'll never look back.

This is one of the major things I researched after posting. I understand that they will be more efficient (for the cycle is uniform) however, is that efficiency worth the expended energy? It seems to me to drag a pedal back up would be more energy lost than efficiency gained. Though, I suppose it would lessen the effort required to push down the opposite pedal...

I've always heard that for maximum efficiency you want to be pedaling in a circular motion with even effort on both pedals at any given point in a revolution. My own experience seems to reinforce this idea. This is way more difficult to achieve (impossible for me) without your feet being attached to the pedals in some manner.

Quoted post said:

Quote:

D) Camelbacks (water bags on rider's backs) are maily for mountain bikes as mountain bike frames tend to not allow space for bottles in their cages on the frames, or if space allows water bottles will pop out of cages when riding over rough terrain, and camelbacks hold more fluid for when refilling is not an available option when out in the bush country. Most roadies don't use them for whatever reason.

Alright, I just see them in shops occasionally and was wondering if that was a frequently utilized commodity.

I actually use my Camelback a bit on longer rides (30-40mi +) on my road bike just because it holds so much water and requires less disruption to pedaling/concentration to maintain hydration than bottles. The one I've got also provides a bit of space for storage of snacks, tools, first aid kit, rain gear/change of clothes, etc. without being overly bulky. Various companies makes them in a broad range of storage capacities, you might be able to find one that would serve both your water and other hauling needs in one not too obtrusive package. It causes a bit of additional sweat/moisture on the back, but for the first hour or so I think it helps keeps core temperature down a bit if you've got cold water in it. I actually see a fairly sizable minority of road bike types using them where I am.

I don't think you need to worry about extra water unless you start going on longer rides.

A guy who ran a bike shop once told me that most bikes come with machine-built wheels, and once you have a shop tension, true, and stress-relieve them once, they don't bend so quick anymore. It's also something some people have learned to do themselves.

That bike was meant to be kept out of the potholes and bumps. If the roads are really that bad where you are, i'd try some fatter 28mm tires. I don't think anything fatter than 28 will fit under your brakes, though.

I don't think you're supposed to pull up on clipless pedals all the time, though it does give you a lot of extra short-term torque when you need it. They do keep your feet in the right place and help keep you from getting bounced off the pedals if you hit a nasty bump. When you're talking about long-term cruising though, I think the majority of cyclists can max out their heart and lungs without bringing extra muscles into play by pulling up.

tonyzackery said:

C) There are clip (cage) pedals and clipless pedals. Use of each will allow your pedal stroke to be more efficient because of the more secure pedaling platform. Pedals with cages are satisfactory if do not want invest in special shoes/cleats which clipless will require. Clipless systems (shoes and cleats) are far and away the better system if pure efficiency is your desire. There is some technique involved, but after a few days in them, you'll never look back.

One thing about clipless pedals - which I agree are GLORIOUS as far as pure efficiency goes - if someone is just riding to get from point A to point B and do other stuff in between, the cleats on road shoes make you walk like a retarded penguin.

Sid Nitzerglobi said:

I actually use my Camelback a bit on longer rides (30-40mi +) on my road bike just because it holds so much water and requires less disruption to pedaling/concentration to maintain hydration than bottles. The one I've got also provides a bit of space for storage of snacks, tools, first aid kit, rain gear/change of clothes, etc. without being overly bulky. Various companies makes them in a broad range of storage capacities, you might be able to find one that would serve both your water and other hauling needs in one not too obtrusive package. It causes a bit of additional sweat/moisture on the back, but for the first hour or so I think it helps keeps core temperature down a bit if you've got cold water in it. I actually see a fairly sizable minority of road bike types using them where I am.

Different strokes, but I've found that I'll happily trade-off a little less water for a LOT less backsweat.

But then I ride in a pretty heavily populated area where a water stop is never all that far away. Those in rural areas may feel differently.