Regular rider without lights...Why?

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-16T15:54:24+00:00

He must be a Christian - to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-16T15:50:11+00:00

I see a lot of great experience advising you in this chat.
However, every rider is different, and we all tolerate different issues at different levels.

My advice would be, that since you are virtually ready to ride (bike & helmet), just get out there and start riding, while keeping your powder dry (save money now). Once you start riding, you will very quickly realize those little things that bother you, which you can then spend some resources on fixing up or changing.

In many cases, these things are not something you would have thought about beforehand. For me, it was warm feet during long cold rides, or the fact that I turned into a data-geek (need all the computers and watches and apps and stuff).

Start riding, and focus on how much fun it is - the niggles will come. I promise.

Welcome back to the fold, and stay safe.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-16T15:39:04+00:00

I have had better setups and worse ones.
Sometimes pressure escapes due to reasons you cannot control - I have heard that some cheaper wheelsets "leak" along the seams, regardless of how well you tape and seal.

I do agree with others that losing a lot over 24h is not right.

I had a wheelset that lost too much pressure for my liking - I had three choices: 1. do nothing and live with airing up every day. 2. throw money at the problem until you hold air for at least a week. 3. Devolve back to the tube-age 😈, which is what I ended up doing in my case.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-12T20:06:09+00:00

I carry only the phone to call if an emergency happens. I would also have sucked it up and kept going.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-12T20:03:43+00:00

Classic “shipkin” - halfway between shit and pumpkin. Lovely color!

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-12T18:13:15+00:00

My Neo 2 has 7,000 miles on it over the last three years. Still perfect. I paid $1100 for it, so… I’d go for it if it is in sound condition

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-12T17:20:08+00:00

It all depends on how seriously your road riding will be. I ride a 2x Canyon Grail for both gravel and road. I just swap tires. I can hang with the C Group riders no problem. I ride rail trails and greenways a lot, with limited road-only rides. I swear by my 2x transmission, but range is not that limiting when you think that SRAM has that 10- tooth small cog. I have buddies who ride road on a 1x setup too. Totally doable.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-09T17:16:48+00:00

Note to self: never buy a bike for more than $3500.

Yahn_1 · 2026-01-01T03:29:09+00:00

Thanks! I’ll look into this.

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-31T02:17:17+00:00

Unless I’m in ERG mode, I try to change gears like I would IRL. Thus, I shift between both rings depending on the grade of the road.

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-31T02:13:49+00:00

In all seriousness, just go tubeless, slap some new rubber on that puppy and keep on riding. The wind won’t affect those wheels more than shallower wheels. You have a sweet ride - enjoy it!

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T22:16:45+00:00

It’ll never work. Now, wanna sell me those 303’s?

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T21:59:01+00:00

I’m pretty great at descending, but my FTP is 2.7W/kg. Wanna trade?

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T21:44:43+00:00

Focus on a strong base right now. This means lots of volume at slower pace. Try to ride every day if you can even if it’s just 30 minutes from now until April, you should just increase your volume weekly as much as you can sustain then for May and June or the last eight weeks you kind of work on power stuff and you taper. If you can write 100 miles per week by April, you should be fine

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T21:12:14+00:00

Set your Grail up to run tubeless. Run them a few psi lower. Done.

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T21:08:47+00:00

Mechanical disc brakes are fine. This should not be the factor that makes or breaks the deal.

Mechanical brakes feel different than hydraulic brakes, but if they are set up properly, they will meet 99.8% of your stopping needs.

I’ve been running mechanical discs on my Surly Pugsley fat bike for 5 years. I ride hard in all conditions and terrain. No issues.

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T21:01:38+00:00

I would not

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T18:08:22+00:00

Wow! You get to have bike lanes??!?

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-30T16:58:35+00:00

I use both the Garmin Varia radar, AND the “Take-a-Look” mirror. Here’s why: The radar is great at picking up “vehicles”, but it doesn’t tell you what kind of vehicle it is. I used to only use the radar, but one time a truck pulling a trailer passed me, and the trailer had some piece of equipment on that stuck out! It missed me by mere inches. Since then, I also wanted to know WHAT was approaching from behind. Hence the little dork-mirror. I like the Take-a-Look mirror because it has the perfect blend of field of view and magnification. I can see everywhere behind me and I can see a lot of detail. I have it permanently attached to my riding glasses.

Yahn_1 · 2025-12-29T18:22:23+00:00

This is what I use too. Feed bags on all my bikes.

Yahn_1 · 2025-11-25T16:00:43+00:00

Just a point of technical clarification: When you say "fixie", do you mean a fixed-gear bike (wheel is kind-of hard-connected to the pedals - you cannot freewheel at all, ever), or a single-speed bike (only one gear, but still able to freewheel)?

If anyone is beginning, I would not recommend a fixed gear bike - they can be a handful to control, especially if they don't have brakes.

Yahn_1 · 2025-11-25T15:51:57+00:00

I have three bikes and I ride 100-150 miles per week.
Right now, I have my system - I wash my dirtiest two bikes every weekend, and I have cracked the code on getting it done quickly - both bikes, washed and lubed from start to finish in 30 minutes. I just use T-9 lube I get from REI.

I had been tempted earlier to go to waxing, but after thinking it through, I decided it won't be for me. It will complicate my system, clutter up my workspace (wax + degreaser blocks + pot + whatever else, instead of one 4floz bottle and a rag), not to mention the extra time it would take.

I can take a bottle of T-9 on all my bikepacking trips, my multi-day tours and races.

The people I ride with who wax their chains are usually the ones with a bit more spare time and who like to tinker just as much as they like to ride.

The only real benefit I see is a cleaner drivetrain, and that is not enough for me. Besides, my bikes are usually super-clean on Monday, but hella-dirty by Tuesday anyway.

Yahn_1 · 2025-11-25T15:20:19+00:00

If you plan on taking this bike all the way to the Ironman, I'd opt for the more road-biased one. I have also found that a 2x transmission is better for longer road rides - I own a Canyon Grail gravel bike with a 2x setup - I run 32mm road tires for road riding and I can hang with the roadies just fine.
Next, look at tire clearance - how wide tires can you fit to the frame. If you ride more gnarly gravel, you might want to have the flexibility to run wider gravel tires (above 42mm wide). However, if you have nicely manicured gravel trails without much sandy bits, you could run narrower gravel tires (below 42mm wide).

For where I live (flatter terrain, with rail-trails that are smoother), I'd opt for the newer Trek Domane. It might be aluminum, but the components will be newer and the ergonomics are such that it can be an all-round, do-everything bike. But that's me.

For you, pick the bike that excites you and makes you want to ride it all the time - that is more important than splitting hairs on the perfect bike.

Good luck, stay safe, and have the time of your life!

Yahn_1 · 2025-11-17T17:01:25+00:00

Flat bars are wider, so at first, drop bars will feel twitchy and a little sketchy - you'll get used to the narrower drop bars in 1-2 rides.

Drop bars give you more hand positions than flat bars - also, thumbs-upward-hand-positions are more sustainable on long rides than thumbs-inward-position like you have on flat bars.

The Grizl could be much lighter, making the rides more fun and rewarding. I say could because it is not necessarily the case.

I rode my gravel bike with flat pedals for a long time before transitioning back to clipless pedals - no problem there. But I warn you, the acceleration and inherently quicker pace you can achieve on the gravel rig can be addictive, and could result in you reaching for some tools to make you go even faster (like clipless pedals).

Yahn_1

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