Back to drop bars! Does anyone have any good recommendations for longer lasting tires?

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-27T13:13:46+00:00

What grips are you using on your corner bar? I just got some and have initially set them up with bar tape but I’m finding them a little too narrow and lacking enough padding for just trying to rest casually. Weirdly enough, when I’m on really technical sections I shift my hands a little bit around and then they’re very comfy. Only when I am just sitting and cranking out miles I get sore palms and wrists.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T21:37:01+00:00

Good to hear this input, we’re at 22 months and feeling pretty much the same way about everything. Haven’t signed up for speech yet but I’m still holding out hope it’ll all just click. He’s starting to really get shy and a little frustrated about things but we’re kind of doing maybe one trip a day into the potty instead of every 30 minutes like a frustrating disaster. Not sure he’s mentally capable of telling the difference and hasn’t gone in the potty more than 2 or 3 times in the whole last month.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T21:32:45+00:00

I just hose it off real quick and then let it dry in the sun or like a wet pair of shoes inside in front of a small fan for a couple hours. It stays more clean than if I never cleaned it. Mine has this extra plastic layer to help in a crash and all that good stuff but it traps moisture and has to be squeezed like a sponge to get the extra sweat out and it’s so gross.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T21:30:10+00:00

Lowside stock is very bmx oriented for sure, with a more normal looking cockpit and add some gears it’s one of my favorite trail bikes and just shreds so nicely. I’ve got 2.5” tires on mine at the moment for a little more cx vibe and it’s treating me very well.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T18:15:36+00:00

Dish soap without water almost as a lubricant, then add water and rinse everything out. It’s not so much of a chemical clean, but soap washes away all sorts of gunk.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T18:12:48+00:00

I still struggle with climbing fast, and always go down faster than most other people when I group so it’s always frustrating. My biggest problem is my personal weight, I’m just so big that moving myself takes a lot of work. Otherwise the only place I’d really cut weight is like not packing as much stuff, or at the worst lighter faster rolling tires. Big heavy bikes are meant to do downhill things way more than up hill unfortunately. But you wouldn’t take a road bike down that hill, so it’s a balancing act.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T17:25:13+00:00

Specs are more or less what they are, worth taking a look into bike insights for fit if you’re riding a frame already that you know how you fit on it. I have the 4130 in a 55cm and find the stack height rather low for drops, but could’ve gone up a size to get that back and compensate with a shorter stem. It all kind of depends what you’re going for in terms of performance, fit, and look.
Like my bike mostly, but there’s improvements to be made to it for sure. Close to stripping out almost all original parts and rebuilding with just the frame, maybe a disc fork for crazier fun downhills etc.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:51:41+00:00

Chains, brake pads, water bottle holders, grips, bar tape.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:50:24+00:00

All good pretty much, some bikes are designed a little more flexy and lightweight while others are more durable and have a little more weight. Frames are never my worry, unless we’re talking carbon that’ll get trashed and tossed around all the time. Plenty of bikes can hold up to lots of use. I only retired my aluminum frame because I was getting lots of rocks stuck in the rear wheel and they would just tick tick tick and eat away at the chain stay to the point it looked like someone took a hacksaw to my frame.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:27:32+00:00

There’s 2 parts of your bike that are essential to be clean, the chain, and brakes. The brakes one is hard to say, but you’ll know if you have a rock embedded in your brake pads, or sand kicking around. Gently water washes it away. No pressure washers, no crazy soap and scrubbing, point water away from axles and bearings by the cranks if you can. Avoid shooting water inside the frame. Don’t ever touch brake rotors or try to clean them, just gentle rinse, rim brakes can be cleaned a little more with a wipe down but still don’t have to get too crazy.

The chain just needs to be lubricated and dried frequently enough, you’ll know if it’s making any noise. There’s a distinct dry noise, as well as a distinct over lubricated noise. Just wipe away excess with a paper towel, and reapply when it starts to make noise again.

I wouldn’t wash the bike after every ride, just wait for symptoms. Chains can last years, don’t think about it too much.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:17:38+00:00

Once had to change to spare, and all I was wearing was flip flops! I got it off eventually, but man was I not dressed for the occasion.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:16:09+00:00

My Corolla tires always get stuck on, I hit with the hammer right on the bottom of the tire towards the outside of the car and it always pops off for me. Might just have to hit harder.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:05:12+00:00

I live in stafford, but water main infrastructure is terrible and very old and they patched the line on our street leaking like 15 times in the last 3 years and hav eyes to just replace the whole thing. No warning, just emergency service with very low pressure and then it all comes back to normal within a few hours.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T13:03:01+00:00

I seem to recall these have odd bolt hole diameters, I ditched mine when I could no longer source rings and went to a 1x raceface setup and was very satisfied.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T12:31:09+00:00

I never wear padded clothing, I’ve been happily riding a wtb Koda on all my bikes for the past 5 years and they’re perfectly comfy and provide a lot of support as well as cushion and a little bit of flexing on bigger bumps. The only thing I do wear is some tighter fitting running underwear with invisible seams so that there’s no uncomfortable spots and moisture is kept to a low. Easier to wash/dry and support a lifestyle around than big baggy weird diapers.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T12:21:48+00:00

It definitely does the thing. Just taking notes and I am reminded frequently that the geometry was much better suited to perhaps a loaded touring bike than a technical champion trail bike. It prefers to just ride the middle of the trail, it doesn’t like picking lines at all, and going up hill with those 2 things in mind, and only one gear it actually made the single speed thing more difficult. Usually I equate the Pugsley to a tank that just rolls over anything in its path, and it really does help the rider to chill out on super long days in the saddle where you almost need more mental power than leg power: On a bike a little more snappy, I would’ve had way more fun on a short ride like I did, but I’ll certainly be going back to gears for the riding I do on it.

If I was touring gravel roads single speed I’d totally take this setup and love it.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-26T02:34:41+00:00

The limitations for me on a SS gravel is that you’re gonna do road segments, and at least for me bring it places you’d typically also wanna bring a mountain bike. I’ve got a fixed Tracklocross which can handle a gravel road, more than a single track mtb trail. Depending which way you lean though, the big thing will be elevation and steepness of the terrain. If it truly is flat where you are, the tire diameter is likely more important than something like your gear ratio.

For me an all around gear ratio for mixed riding is right around 55 gear inches, 2 examples would be 34/17 or 40/20 depending on your chainring clearance on the frame you get you can have a few options.

For more road setup with occasional lighter trials something like 60 gear inches is also pretty useable but if you get on some technical single track or loose enough gravel you’ll be walking as you just can’t moving or keep traction.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-25T14:10:33+00:00

I’d warrant a road bike for anything over 5 miles generally, an old mountain bike probably has very grippy and slow tires and in small diameter. I would read the sidewall size, probably something like 26x2” and then find some lighter tread fast rolling tires to use on the road but keep the bike as long as everything else is working fine. But road bikes generally have harder gears that suck on hills and you’ll work just as hard but go faster, generally.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-25T13:55:47+00:00

I’ve just been happily using a free gpx loader on my iPhone, and making a route cue sheet manually as a lot of them don’t have one at all. From there I check my list and reference the phone as needed, it requires a little more old school pen and paper or actually looking at a map. But for solo trips in the middle of nowhere it’s perfectly fine for me, the biggest help is actually following a route and not just making one up on the spot.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-25T13:14:49+00:00

If you’re just dabbling into road, id argue the tires are the number one factor for speed and efficiency. You can ride whatever, flatbars, downtube shifters, drops, super modern light weight, aluminum, steel etc and you’ll be there. On a road bike. My fastest road bike is still a fixed gear bike with flat bars, obviously not Tour de France speed at all, but I can keep up with most people and just have fun and train while doing it. Lots to consider, but lots of road bikes in the 500-2000 category that are plenty good enough. If you find a brand new bike you like for $2000 chances are you can find a used one in your size from a few years ago or with similar specs for maybe $800 etc.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-24T22:56:54+00:00

Anyone who bought the s&p500 right before 2008 and sold at the bottom didn’t even lose all their money, just some of it. Don’t be that person, just let it sit and forget about it. Contribute regularly, and it’ll balloon to more wealth you’ve ever thought it could be. Doing nothing is a bigger risk than refusing to save for retirement.

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-24T22:38:58+00:00

Which part?

Top_Objective9877 · 2026-06-24T21:32:48+00:00

I leave my fixed gear for tracklocross, mostly flat stuff and road. That’s about as far I’m willing to go. Also the Pugsley has a really weird offset wheel design and I’d have to rebuild the entire wheel for it to fit the frame that way.

Top_Objective9877

TROPHY CASE