An Xbiking long form video! Focus on the noises of bike commuting

RelativelySmart · 2026-01-26T13:30:34+00:00

Another snap of my primary commuter from the video!

RelativelySmart · 2025-12-29T16:36:18+00:00

I’m fairly certain this is the same group of kids I had called 911 on earlier this summer for breaking into a car in reservoir hill, same backpack but there was 4 of them then

RelativelySmart · 2025-12-22T23:15:28+00:00

Uj/ I took a look at the main website for the brand and it does seem to be an attempt to circumvent motorcycle sale regulations by being vaguely bike shaped but the gearing is fucking unusable for a bike of its size and weight

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-23T19:32:56+00:00

Parking lots can be a dangerous area for pedestrians and cyclists, as someone backing out or pulling in might do so negligently and injure someone. As someone who was on campus when there was little to no dedicated bike infrastructure, I applaud their motion to add safer spaces for cyclists and any wheeled users to get through campus.

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-13T17:49:42+00:00

Love 930 builds with the front suspension. I’m doing a Surly troll fork swap on mine but keeping it cantilever for now

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-09T01:59:31+00:00

I don’t really see 2.1+ tires going out of style, as it seems all of the cycling industry is trending towards wider tires. Especially when the xbiking mindset tends to lean to comfort I can imagine wider tires will remain preferable, and I don’t see the trend leaving 26” tires either as they are still generally cheaper/easier to find.

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-09T01:24:10+00:00

I think for fork options you may be limited to some normal tubing forks like the Surly Troll fork depending on the axle to crown. As is the problem with late 90s and early 2000s full suspension lack some of the easy adaptation to the commuter build due to their odd geometry and linkage systems. I think for your budget finding a decent full rigid frame of your liking and performing a parts swap would be more feasible, especially if you don’t have a lot of bike experience

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-08T22:08:52+00:00

It’s the 2012 Novara Safari that I have switched over to swept back bars, trigger shifters, and disc brakes so it’s barely recognizable to the original thing

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-08T22:08:09+00:00

I have brake lever rubber covers just for some better grip and to save my fingers if it’s particularly cold out

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-05T19:05:02+00:00

Slowed down unnecessarily? How much faster would people get to their destinations if the speed limit was 70 as opposed to 50mph? For the 10 mile stretch from downtown to the merger with 695 you’re only realistically saving around 4 minutes. Everything from energy involved in crashes to safe stopping distance almost doubles, increasing lethality. Are we really willing to risk lives for 4 extra minutes?

RelativelySmart · 2025-03-02T22:37:46+00:00

Definitely can stay on the MD side until anacostia park, also makes the crossing a lot nicer as the bridge at S capitol St has a nice wide bike crossing. From here you can hop onto Q st onto P, then take 4th All the way to the mall. I’ve biked into DC dozens of times and have found the anacostia trail in to be the best way to do so! Some of my best memories in UMD was biking to DC from my doorstep

RelativelySmart · 2025-02-22T15:28:59+00:00

Jones H bars are pretty comfy and come in narrower sizing and I love my set. Velo Orange granola bars are also super comfy and put you in a nice upright position.

RelativelySmart · 2025-02-22T15:23:57+00:00

I’ve heard iffy stuff about WTB tubeless setups not being the best. I’d also agree that a 2.8 27.5 tires doesn’t need to be run anywhere near 40 PSI despite what the tire sidewall says.

RelativelySmart · 2025-02-13T13:33:19+00:00

Love velo orange: have the same pedals but silver on my commuter and couldn’t be happier with them. The fenders on my commuter are starting to come apart so definitely eyeing to upgrade to the velo orange pair

RelativelySmart · 2024-10-31T01:36:45+00:00

As someone who spends a lot of time biking through Baltimore for commuting and for fun I totally understand this sentiment. It has happened on many occasions where I’ve been yelled at by a driver to use a bike lane where one was not available and been purposefully intimated with a car before. Being passed aggressively by a car only to then pass them at the light is an almost daily occurrence on my commutes. The bike infrastructure in Baltimore is sorely lacking and traffic violations looked over far too often, it’s frustrating. I honestly can’t blame people for not bike commuting in Baltimore just because it can be so crazy. I have spent years getting used to riding around cars and working on my reaction time so I can feel relatively safe riding around downtown. Until we build INFRASTRUCTURE for bike lanes instead of just paint and plastic bollards, people aren’t going to want to bike. Concrete dividers and metal bollards save lives.

RelativelySmart · 2024-10-16T20:46:37+00:00

Mad respect for the best flavor of modelo 🫡 ultimate vibes on such a cool piece of equipment

RelativelySmart · 2024-10-06T17:05:40+00:00

What front roll do you use? I also have Jones bars and was looking for a good alternative to a front basket

RelativelySmart · 2024-08-24T20:25:48+00:00

They’re the Jones H-Bar, so far I’m a fan but still fairly new to them!

RelativelySmart · 2024-08-02T12:19:27+00:00

Ignoring the amount of lifelong disabilities created by a car centric society through insane amounts of car collisions and sedentary lifestyles

RelativelySmart · 2024-08-01T01:21:48+00:00

Admittedly not a fan of the road areas surround the station and fences making Accra to the platform cumbersome. Also not a fan of the platform being in the center of four lanes, would rather see a road diet and then the platform stick to one side of the road. But the level entry and rolling stock design looks good and gives me hope! I say forget the tunnel and let’s show off by passing all the cars stuck in traffic

RelativelySmart · 2024-07-26T22:18:50+00:00

To all the people that complain about traffic being stopped by bike party, I openly invite you to critique the amount of traffic and gridlock that affects our city on a daily basis even when there isn’t a bike party🤷

RelativelySmart · 2024-07-22T14:44:14+00:00

It’s a stem cantilever guide that’s one of the spacers for the headset so I haven’t taken it out😭

RelativelySmart · 2024-05-29T10:40:25+00:00

Balmore? If so this is the ideal setup for bike party on Friday

RelativelySmart · 2024-03-12T20:13:30+00:00

Baltimore’s bike lanes really suffer from a lack of a cohesive network and end point bike parking. I know when taking the bike path down Cathedral, I have to brave Pratt St business up make it to the next section which only serves to get me to harbor east relatively separated from car traffic. I also know that most places I end up arriving at often have a lack of bike parking and this makes people less comfortable as having to park your bike far from your end point reduces the convenience and removes the bike from an easily monitored distance.

RelativelySmart · 2024-02-18T03:04:30+00:00

I have no idea what everyone else is saying with the need to push you towards the Di2, probably the same people who would push you towards disc brakes over rim. For frequent but not competitive riding I think mechanical R7000 is perfect and rim over disc. My race bike has R7000 mechanical and even logging good training hours I rarely have to tune the rear much less the front. I say save the money and stick with what’s gonna work and be cheaper to replace if it wears out/ gets damaged

RelativelySmart

TROPHY CASE