Is it riding into a head-wind on the last stretch of your ride?
That’s mine. I hear Danny Glover from Die Hard Lethal Weapon in my head every time…
EDIT: Correct movie referenced
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Cars
Drivers
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the rush of adrenaline when someone almost squishes you because they’re too ass-headed to shoulder check.
poor city infrastructure
This was also my answer.
NIMBYs that don’t care for cycling friendly infrastructure
Are there actually nimbys who don’t like dedicated bike lanes, etc? I wouldn’t think would be common. Personally I hate that my city simply cheaps out on infrastructure as a whole. I’d love to see dedicated veloways and actual curbs separating the bike lane instead of just random white strips.
Oh my god dude, I live in LA and you have no idea how unhinged the Nextdoor comments get about bike lanes. These are the kings and queens of carbrain land, the use of land for anything other than single family homes and more lanes is unacceptable!!
You’re not from north america, are you?
This is very common here.
I’m from North America. I just don’t comprehend why people would have a problem with bike lanes. Or solar panels for that matter. I keep seeing stories about people throwing hissy fits over solar farms. It’s weird.
Sorry, my bad. I don’t either, yah. But some people are so car-centered that they can’t imagine life without them.
How sad.
Lol about to share this as well
Parents pushing strollers while also on their phone while letting their dogs roam all the way across the path on a leash while letting their other kids run all over the trail
Ugh, those reel leashes, where the human is on one side of the path looking off into the distance in thought/on their phone, the dog is on the other side of the path, and the leash is stretched across like a clothesline.
@dexa_scantron @Never_Daunted park benches that face the shared path, encouraging people to sit and play fetch across the path…
Cold wet starts :(
I actually love those; I can go farther with less sweat.
You’re absolutely correct, but I still hate it. Also hate hot dry starts as well.
If only there was a way to cycle and remain dry and comfortable :D
Dickheads in cars on their phones that will run me over and kill me from behind one day. RIP me. But it’s been a hell of as ride until that point in the future.
Ooh, and freehub incompatibility and different “standards” fuck those.
Flats.
I’m very close to going tubeless, as my bike is ready for it.
But this month I’ve had three flats that luckily I was able to finish my rides before noticing - only to find out the next morning.
But my tire beads are really tough to get off the rim, so it’s always a fight to change a tube.
Totally recommend tubeless.
I’m fortunate that my bike came equipped with the capability out of the box, so I’d just need to buy the valves and fluid to put in there (the wheels are already taped even).
But it came with tubes installed, and I have just been super lazy. But now I’m really considering making the switch.
Wait for you first puncture then switch over, no rush.
I’ve used tubes with anti puncture goo in them. Only problem I had was when a big nail went through the wheel. Never had permanent flats for years
I cycled a few thousand km across America and only had one flat. Good tyres and low pressure go a long way
I use tubes with good tires and can’t remember the last flat I had (knocking on giant wood). Tire quality matters too, not just tubes vs. tubeless.
Although sometimes we do just get unlucky and get a string of flats for no good reason.
This always interests me.
Between three bikes, two e-scooters, and probably 20,000km of riding (in four years) on everything from isolated trails to shoulders littered with every type of debris you can imagine, I’ve only had two flats:
The first was on my escooter, and it happened right in front of my home (puncture). This was when the tire was due to be replaced anyway, so there may simply not been much rubber left.
The second (a bike) was likely caused by a poor inner tube installation when the tires were replaced.
On my bikes, I’ve currently got three very different types of tires:
- Schwalbe Marathon 365 GT. Heavy, all-season, robust, and “puncture resistant”.
- Schwalbe Big Apple. Medium puncture resistance, smoother treads, “balloon tires” (not fat tires).
- Continental Ultra Sport III. No built-in puncture resistance. Slick tires. Very inexpensive.
I check my tires for fragments, cuts, etc. They all look clean. Like, nothing but regular wear.
The Ultra Sport tires in particular have seen 2000km in three months, and they are pristine.
Is it just luck? I don’t know, but it ways interests me when someone says they get multiple flats on a regular basis.
In my case the problem is that part of my local trail butts up against a golf course, and when they mow they just blow all the clippings onto the cycling track. We have a lot of goat head stickers here so you end up riding through grass with these little landmines in them.
All the flats have been from little thorns from the stickers.
Do you have the option or desire to use Schwalbe marathon plus tires? They should offer excellent puncture protection, but they are heavy.
Tubeless won’t actually prevent punctures, so depending on your needs and ride style, I’d consider better tires.
The tire rolling resistance site has tests that compare puncture resistance (and other specs) among just about every major tire out there, so that could be a starting point.
Deleted
I’ve used tubeless since my first adult bike and I’ll never go back. I loaned out my bike as a courtesy
carbike while converting one to electric but I got tube flats 3 times on it in the short time I’ve had this one.Get good tires. I never got a flat since switching to schwalbe marathon plus. They’re expensive, but worth it.
Unless your typical route is covered in shards of glass which i can’t speak of.
Cars
Currently my derailleur. No matter how I adjust it it seems like at least one gear will click a tiny bit and try to jump. I’m thinking maybe I bent my hanger slightly as it is driving me up the wall!
Also brake pads -_-
Buy a new hanger they are practically free
I will when I have the money but they are definitely not “practically free” otherwise I’d have done that a while ago just to eliminate that possibility.
Even better but a ZTTO HAG tool. Teach a person to fish and all that.
https://escapecollective.com/ztto-hag-5-derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge-review/
brake pads
I take it you are not in the elite circle of v-brake users ;)
Lol I haven’t used V Brakes since maybe 04!
Check for a stiff or bent link? If you pedal slow on a stand you might see it happening if the chain has a problem.
Cheers for the suggestion but I have already looked for this as well as chain length and they are alright :)
Roughly in order:
- Cars
- Shit weather (rain, strong winds, snow)
- Having to clean the damn thing
Having a mechanical right when I get to the mountain. Or worse right when I get to the top. Nothing worse than getting psyched for a sweet run and then having to walk your rig down the mountain. I want to jump things, not walk things.
F
Got to be strong headwinds, all day, the constant wind noise becoming the most exhausting thing.
Haha not Die Hard, Lethal Weapon
I went with the memory. Good catch
Both are fine examples of the best of the 80/90’s action movie tales, just the same. And Die Hard season is just around the corner…
I was lucky. I had a 15 mile to the city but you see going in was overall downhill and wind at your back but it was the reverse going back out. See but our metro system lets you bring your bike aboard so I would ride in and transit back.
Sweat. I hate it. The feeling shen you arrive somewhere and the cold, sweaty clothes next to your body…
Headwind is the most annoying for sure. But sweat, to me, is just the worst.
Cars. Having to share the road with them specifically.
Come to my town. The squishy bicyclerati don’t so much ‘share’ as ‘begrudgingly lend’.
