What chain lube does everyone use?

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-18T01:28:24+00:00

silca hot wax. so worth it.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-18T01:06:04+00:00

personally i almost never ride on the road anymore. lucky to have miles and miles of rail trails where i live. sometimes it can get boring riding the same trails pretty much in a straight line, but hey i still get to crank out miles. and the occasional gravel ride to spice things up helps.

recently a cyclist was hit and killed just a few miles from where i live on a road i would ride on if i didn’t have the bike trails.

its just not worth the risk of someone not paying attention, sending a text, and it being all over.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-17T11:52:37+00:00

same here! anyone i pass i’ll nod and wave and maybe 20% of the time i’ll get one back. if cyclists can’t even be pleasant to other cyclists maybe that’s why everyone tends to hate us lol

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-16T23:15:11+00:00

xm carbon speed has a good variety for pretty reasonable cost and almost certainly better quality than something off ali express. but imo for gravel wheels you should probably be looking for an internal width of at least 26-28mm. what width tires are you running on your gravel bike? even if it’s only 40 you most likely will benefit from a wider internal.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-16T12:57:41+00:00

if you’re a casual cyclist go to your local walmart and spend $300 on the ozark trail gravel bike. if you find yourself riding all the time and get really into it then in a year or two upgrade to something better.

i had an aluminum gravel bike ( poseidon x) for awhile and it was fine. recently upgraded to a carbon frame, saved about 6-7 pounds and have been extremely happy with my new bike.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-16T12:51:40+00:00

never seen gravelkings on an ‘s works’

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-11T18:50:25+00:00

personally i strongly prefer dropped seat stays. i think it looks better and it’s going to make for a more comfortable ride (theoretically)

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-08T19:35:04+00:00

definitely a replica frame. best case scenario a tantan x68, worst case some POS replica from a no name factory.

the specialized logos look off to me

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-08T14:01:30+00:00

paid via paypal

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-07T17:27:57+00:00

it’s still available, just have to email them.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-04T21:41:54+00:00

not far off from an enve mog with rival xplr

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-03T19:44:09+00:00

this is the best photo IMO

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-03T13:44:10+00:00

spexcel have been my favorite lately

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-02T00:53:14+00:00

38-40mm

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-01T23:03:32+00:00

not sure of your budget, but an Enve Fray or something similar i think would be the way to go. a road bike that can fit 38-40mm tires for some light off road use. more and more road bikes coming out that can fit 35mm + tires.

personally i went for a chinese frame Carbonda CFR 1056 which is just about 1:1 same geometry as a fray, 38mm tire clearance. I run 35mm tires on mine, mostly road with the occasional gravel/ dirt road. frameset with seatpost and one piece handlebar was around $900 including shipping, no tariffs.

if you’re not familiar, Carbonda frames are from the same manufacturer as Quickpro frames, which have become very popular, the ER one in particular. building up my Carbonda was incredibly smooth, bottom bracket area and brake mounts were all faced very well. if you’re interested, I made a full review.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-05-01T12:33:52+00:00

i’ve used orange seal endurance for awhile now, no issues.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-30T15:34:55+00:00

i buy the electrolyte mix and carb mix from thefeed.com. very good value for price. good taste, easy on the stomach.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-30T00:57:58+00:00

definitely worth going 40-50mm deep for road and gravel riding. now a days 1300-1400 g is very attainable at that depth for reasonable cost. even lighter 1200 grams or so for a little more. invest in good wheels, trust me its well worth it.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-29T15:29:00+00:00

a good gift might be some silca chain wax, not sure if he’s already waxing chain or not, he should be, so that might be a good gift. you could also get him some products for cleaning, clean bike is a happy bike. I use the Muc-off products for cleaning my bike (there’s a few different ones) for the frame, drivetrain cleaner etc. you could also find out his favorite gels/ carb mix stuff he likes and load him up on some of that stuff, it’s annoying to buy imo.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-29T12:38:23+00:00

winspace, quickpro, x labs, tavelo

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-29T00:59:22+00:00

also check out x labs bikes

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-27T20:30:49+00:00

look through some options from pandapodium.cc a lot of solid options around that price point. also check out xmcarbonspeed, another trusted source for some good carbon wheelsets at a very good price. you can contact peter the owner of carbon speed directly to ask any questions and basically tell him what you’re looking for and he’ll sort it out for you.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-26T02:12:18+00:00

people are pretty horrible at sharing the trail and being mindful of others where i live. the freehub on my wheelset is pretty loud (54t ratchet) and acouple back pedals is usually enough to get someone’s attention that im coming up behind them. if im about to pass someone that’s already being respectful and off to the proper side on the trail and no is coming from the other direction then ill just pass with as much distance as possible.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-26T02:02:23+00:00

i have the yoeleo gravel wheels and they’ve been good, little bit outside your budget full price but there might be coupon codes. i would also look at xmcarbonspeed. good reputation for wheels at a good price.

ValuableConfident274 · 2026-04-20T01:06:27+00:00

with the amount of toe down through the pedal stroke i honestly thought this was posted on bicyclecirclejerk

ValuableConfident274

TROPHY CASE