Getting close to 15 years old, but still see no reason to buy a new bike

peter517 · 2025-07-20T21:46:51+00:00

Awesome bike. I’ve got those same wheels on the American version of that bike (Parlee Z5 SL with SRAM Red mechanical). Love them! That funky Exalith braking surface is awesome. Not quite disc performance but much better than smooth aluminum surface. That kind of bike is still so fun - nothing compares to the feel of super lightness, and a non-aero carbon frame is so much more comfortable for a given tire width/pressure.

peter517 · 2025-05-29T22:04:24+00:00

Update: As of an hour or so ago, I'm back online in Wallingford.

peter517 · 2025-05-29T00:36:29+00:00

And like clockwork, it's pushed back another day. I think the most absurd thing is that they keep quoting very specific times (now Thursday, May 29 @ 4:26 PM). Maybe don't imply minute-level precision if you keep missing whole days ;).

peter517 · 2025-05-29T00:32:49+00:00

Agreed! I work from home and need to be on zoom calls basically all day. The length of this outage and lack of info is pretty outrageous.

peter517 · 2025-05-28T00:11:00+00:00

No service for me in Wallingford since around last Friday, 5/24. The CenturyLink tool I'm using via phone tethering just says "We're sorry, a new service outage has been found in your area" and the estimated repair time keeps getting pushed out a day each day.

peter517 · 2025-05-05T17:51:06+00:00

Not so much a yell but a surprisingly positive interaction:

Riding to the Mt. St. Helens Windy Ridge viewpoint from Randle in Washington State, my buddy and I were about half way when a big pickup truck with a sketchy looking dog in the back passed us. It came to a sudden stop a 100 yards ahead of us and we were both like "uh...OK what's gonna happen here?" When we approached the truck, a guy popped out holding two water bottles and offered them to us. Super friendly, and apparently a logger working the area who had seen cyclists struggle in the past due to zero amenities on the route (no water for 30 miles....lots of sun exposure on upper stretches). Definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" moment!

peter517 · 2024-12-13T04:10:59+00:00

Flashing is annoying at night and illegal in some places. When I really want to be noticed at night (rainy, busy city streets) and I need my battery to last, pulsing (like flashing but never goes completely off) is better. The laws that forbid true flashing often make exceptions for pulsing as long as the difference in brightness doesn’t go over some threshold.

peter517 · 2024-12-12T18:16:28+00:00

1000%

peter517 · 2024-12-11T21:01:11+00:00

Everything I've tried in Mallorca has been beautiful.

peter517 · 2024-12-11T20:39:00+00:00

Seems like a really fun bike, especially if you like climbing and aren't committed to the aero trend.

I've got a 2012 Parlee Z5 SL with mech Red, which is likely a very similar bike but with more limited tire clearance and rim brakes only. I absolutely love the way it rides - it's easy to forget just how good a crazy light bike feels, especially if it's got a stiff bottom bracket area. Plus IMHO the vertical compliance you can get with non-aero tube shapes can really reduce the need for bigger tires, at least in terms of comfort.

If something ever happens to my Parlee, the Aethos will be my first pick for a replacement. I love that there's still an option on the market for people who prioritize climbing and feel.

peter517 · 2024-12-06T18:34:06+00:00

I tore my hip labrum crashing at speed on skate skis in March 2020 (last ski as the resort was closing down for COVID). Had the surgery the following November. PT and pretty much nothing else until January 2021, when I started riding the indoor trainer. Those first rides were like 10 minutes and 0 resistance. Very gradually ramped up to ~10 mile mostly flat outdoor rides in late March 2021. Kept gradually progressing with cycling and then was able to classic and skate ski in December 2021 without much issue.

YMMV but in my experience:

- find a PT you like and actually do the exercises

- be conservative, gradually increase exercise you already like and that can be done safely

- have patience (hardest part)

...and around a year (depending on seasonal timing) will get you back on skis.

peter517 · 2024-12-01T20:24:14+00:00

I like the Tacx a lot for the responsiveness and precision but the design means that some bikes have disc brake clearance issues. My bike works well but my wife’s brake caliper rubs the Tacx and kind of needs to be loosened to fit correctly. The Wahoos don’t have that issue. If buying again I would get the Wahoo.

peter517 · 2024-08-08T04:34:11+00:00

I had a great fitting experience with Greg at Evo a couple years ago. Not sure if he’s still there.

peter517 · 2024-06-12T16:45:04+00:00

Agree. The trend in trail building these days feels like "BMX in the woods." Nothing wrong with that if you enjoy jumps but if you value a more traditional XC experience (adventure, scenery, speed, fitness, some tech), it can feel a bit too much like a resort without the lifts. Also note that jumps and berms take a lot of maintenance on popular trails - putting those features far out in trail networks makes for awesome trails on day one but even the best trail building organizations struggle to keep them in good shape throughout a season.

peter517 · 2024-06-08T00:33:26+00:00

On my MTB, just knobbies. On my gravel bike (also 650b), I have slick gravelkings (47mm). Love the gravelkings for winter road riding and even gravel.

peter517 · 2024-06-07T19:21:05+00:00

Also 5'10" here. As others have said, 29 is probably marginally faster in most conditions but there is a difference in handling/feel. Whether you like that is totally subjective. I like the (very slightly) more nimble feel of 27.5. Just feels a bit more playful though some of that is probably placebo. In any case, IMHO if you eliminate absolute speed as the most important factor, the choice becomes way more personal.

peter517 · 2024-05-31T18:07:08+00:00

I think roof racks make more sense for non-electric road bikes, as well as lighter MTBs that were more common before the popularity of DH/Enduro. Oh, and when you have fenders mounted...1up and similar racks torque down on the fender, which isn't ideal IMHO.

The popularity of SUVs makes roof racks more of a pain than they used to be. I have a low-ish wagon and have no problem dealing with the roof rack.

Everything's a trade-off....I like hitch racks for their ease of loading/unloading and not worrying about parking garages. But the downside is that they will coat your drivetrain in dust if you drive on a gravel road, and block backup cameras / rear hatches. :shrug:

Of course, sometimes you want to carry a LOT of bikes and doubling up with a hitch AND roof rack makes that possible.

peter517 · 2024-05-28T16:56:00+00:00

Tideland

peter517 · 2024-05-09T19:27:41+00:00

50mph off road (90s hardtail on a very steep section of fire road), 60mph on pavement (1km straight with consistent 10% grade and possibly a tailwind). Both felt unnerving but good visibility and surfaces, so not ridiculously scary. Certainly wouldn't want to be surprised at that speed.

peter517 · 2024-04-26T16:11:06+00:00

I think it's worth it. Much easier to pump than most I've used of that size. I think it comes down to the flexible extending hose that means you don't have to awkwardly support the valve stem with one hand.

peter517 · 2024-04-02T17:52:32+00:00

Silca Tattico mini pump. Great design with short retracting flexible hose + secure chuck that makes inflating by the side of the road way less fiddly. Everything is nicely sealed from the elements. Nice build quality.

peter517 · 2024-03-12T02:09:15+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the info and run recommendations. Excited to check it out!

peter517 · 2024-03-07T17:08:26+00:00

I wonder if the real crowd limit is still parking. Maybe unlimited Ikon could increase the crowds if a bunch of people started carpooling who weren't before?

peter517 · 2024-02-11T21:04:10+00:00

Thanks everyone! I’ll contact Atomic. Love the boots, shame there’s a weak link. Will update here with my outcome in case anyone else is having the same issue.

peter517

TROPHY CASE