Bicycles

4436 readers
29 users here now

Welcome to !bicycles@lemmy.ca

A place to share our love of all things with two wheels and pedals. This is an inclusive, non-judgemental community. All types of cyclists are accepted here; whether you're a commuter, a roadie, a MTB enthusiast, a fixie freak, a crusty xbiking hoarder, in the middle of an epic across-the-world bicycle tour, or any other type of cyclist!


Community Rules


Other cycling-related communities

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
251
 
 

If there's a better community for bike pictures please let me know.

GRZ Black RAW, 250W Bafang motor, 12spd, 26 x 4.8 Veetire Snow Avalance tires

252
 
 

Today, while out running errands on my hybrid, I saw an e-motorbike (this style) using the bike lane (dude also had a motorcycle helmet on).

Personally, I think these people should stay on the road like other motorbikes, as it's clear that these are supposed to be an electric analog to ICE powered bikes.

I called this person out as well, due to my position being they actually are more of a hazard to other cyclists and pedestrians when the lanes switch to MUP's without warning. Especially where they would be heavier than even e-bikes and would cause anyone they hit more damage than they would receive.

253
 
 

Hi all,

I've a gen 3 Domane AL 2 (Disk). Currently I have road tires (32mm Conti GP5000 TL) on my (stock) wheels. I see some people near me selling brand new Bontrager Paradime SL at C$200 for the pair (the same wheels I have, but from a Checkpoint model).

Could I buy these to add gravel tires, and then just swap the wheels as necessary? Anyone have any experience with this? Not sure if tolerances are tight enough that I wouldn't have to adjust the derailleur and brakes each time I do the switch. I would of course buy the same rotors and the same cassette.

Bit more details: I wanted to upgrade bikes next year (thinking Domane AL 5) and put gravel tires on my AL 2 for a secondary gravel + commuting bike. But honestly not sure if it'd be worth upgrading because, at least for the moment, I'm not super limited on my bike; more gears of a 105 groupset would be nice, but perhaps not worth a C$2600. Could be much cheaper and potentially quick and easy to just swap wheels to have my "second bike".

254
 
 

Hey guys. I'm curious about this type of scenario, because I see two ways of approaching it and neither seems like the best way.

Legend for the photo: MUP = multiuse path; SW = sidewalk; BL = bike lane (sharrows, but it turns to a bike lane).

Assuming you were on the MUP going north, and wanted to turn onto the bike lane heading west.

What's the best/safest/legal way to do this?

A. Use the crosswalk (not a crossride, so you'd need to get off your bike and walk) and position yourself on the lane facing west?

B. Turn from the MUP straight into the bike lane on a green? This would mean going across two lanes.

C. Position on the left turn lane of the road, and make the left turn from that lane? Cars turning right don't make this easy or safe.

For context, there is a bus route going south to north, and this particular road has a lot of speeders. What I'd think would be safe, usually isn't.

If this were an intersection with cyclists in mind, it would have a large green box for cyclists to move into to make the turn safely. In that case, I'd think C would be the most ideal. But without that, what's the next best?

I tend to choose A at this particular intersection, but that's nearly gotten me run over by people turning left from the north side.

Thoughts?

EDIT: Thank you for all the input, guys. I will stick with "A" (which is a Copenhagen left turn), and will suggest to my city to add a proper green painted bike box at this intersection for cyclists to safely make these turns.

255
 
 

Hello fellow internet cyclists,

I did my fair share of extreme stuff as a teen, but most of my adult cycling has been trips around town on paved or gravel trails. I ride 1200-1500 miles a year. I've been wanting to get back into mountain bikes because my main enjoyment in cycling comes from the exploration and discovery aspect of things and I've worn out my city's paved trail network. I live in a mountainous area with good trail access. Also most of the group rides around here tend to be off road.

In general I find that spending money on a lot of things works in the same way. You have to spend a certain amount to get upgraded from Teemu/Wish/Amazon trash to a good reputable product with parts support and consistent quality. You can also keep spending money forever to get increasingly marginal improvements.

What have you found to be the sweet spot for features vs price in a hardtail MTB?

I've considered the Trek Fuse Sport, the Salsa Rangefinder Diore 11, Canondale Habit HT3, Trek Rosco 7, but I'm open to hearing other Lemming's experiences. I'm a thin guy but approx 6'4" (195cm) tall.

Lastly, are any of the bike brands known for being particularly anti right to repair? I'd like to avoid supporting people who want to limit my freedom and I want to be sure I can get a wide range of compatible parts at a good price.

256
4
Maps (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by plactagonic@sopuli.xyz to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
 
 

Crosspost. I got good recommendations on another community and I am interested in your picks.

Edit (original post text)

Which are you using?

For most things (day trips, few km after work...) I use multiple of them.

Mapy.cz

  • online and offline mobile app
  • trip planner works pretty well
  • you can check out places (photos, reviews...) when online
  • well maped whole Europe
  • not enough information about roads (asphalt, paved, gravel...)
  • basically interactive version of KČT maps

Cykloserver.cz

  • can't find app
  • basic planner, but better for drawing your route
  • much more helpful info about roads
  • it is just automatically scaled paper map, so you have to know how to read it

Osm clients - I tried multiple of them.

Paper maps - from the same company that makes the Cycloserver maps. You can get set of them for about 100€ (CZ not sure about SK). There is just something special about planning trip on paper maps.

257
3
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by SomeAmateur@sh.itjust.works to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
 
 

There was a NoStupidQuestions post about properly locking bikes to avoid theft and it got me thinking. I'm in a rural area so I never leave it anywhere. Any advice or rookie mistakes to avoid if I do plan to ride around a city?

258
 
 

English translation (note has some errors):

The news was praised by several environmental groups and cycling associations. Vélo Québec welcomed the "ambitious" vision of the capital, a city where the car still stands at the top of the pavement.

“Last year, we welcomed an additional 12,000 citizens to the Quebec City Metropolitan Region. If we don’t find alternatives to help people move according to what they want, we’re cooked,” Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Today we need to act,” added the Mayor. Waiting for more deaths, more congestion, more trouble, waiting for even more sclerotics would be a lack of courage. We won't do that. ”

The City of Quebec gives itself 10 years to complete these 14 axes of its Cité Vélo Corridor (CVC). It estimates that 30 million dollars will be needed to set up this network. Half of the budget, or 15 million, is expected from the provincial government. Quebec wants to complete 90 km of the network within 5 years, and the 150 km by 2034.

The network will travel from the city centre to Val-Bélair, the airport or the east of Beauport. The mayor placed great emphasis on the scale of this cycle network inspired by the Montreal REV.

Opponents of his tramway project liked to repeat that the first phase did not go to the suburbs, a way of discrediting him. “More than 85% of the city’s 35 neighborhoods will be served by the HVACs,” insisted the mayor, who may expect another divide between centre and suburbs on this issue. The issue of transport is a sensitive issue in the capital.

The goal of City Hall is clear: to provide a safe and effective option for those looking for an alternative to the car.

In the capital, 50 per cent of travel of less than 1 km is made by car, as is 77 per cent of travel of less than 5 km. The city therefore believes that many citizens could choose to abandon the car if they had protected cycle tracks.

“When we combine the modal share of pedestrians and cyclists, we are at 12.5%. The best cities are 40%. We have a long way to go,” said Mayor Marchand.

“We start from nothing,” he added, promising to share with the public the figures on the evolution of the use of active transports in Quebec as they become available.

Exit the car?

The Marchand administration was not in a position on Tuesday to say whether car lanes will be entrenched. Planning is still in its infancy. The map presented to the media is still a draft, and the City wants to consult with the public to know in particular which streets the HVAC will pass.

Several questions from journalists focused on the impact of the project on the car area. “The aim is not to remove lanes or to say that they will not be removed. The goal is to find the best route,” said the mayor.

"I'm taking the car, and I'm going to keep taking it," added Bruno Marchand. “If you can’t do it [use active transport in your week because your reality prevents you from doing so, there’s no stake, I’m not going to judge you. The goal is to tell people that when it comes to your schedule, you will have a choice and you will have a safe choice. ”

The mayor assured that he did not expect a new beak with the Quebec Coalition's government. The town hall has 15 million provincially. But Mr. Marchand will move forward, whether Quebec’s money is there or not, he said.

Environmental groups reacted positively. Angèle Pineau-Lemieux, spokesperson for Sustainable Transport Access, saw the announcement as a “major turning point” for Quebec.

“For us, it is necessary. All cities around the world are making efforts for sustainable mobility, if Quebec did nothing, it would be incredible,” said Alexandre Turgeon, Director of the Regional Environment Council of the Capitale-Nationale.

“When I hear them say, we will not withdraw traffic lanes,” I even find them shy,” added Mr. Turgeon.

259
 
 

Here we go. Autonomous vehicles are now mowing down cyclists.

I hope that Waymo's insurance is good!

260
 
 

Seeing how incredible the transformation of Montreal has been for cyclists and pedestrians, I applaud Quebec City for expanding their active transportation system with this announcement, too!

Marchand says this project is not "a war on cars" but he does not have information about how existing roadways or lanes will be affected by the cycling network.

Well, data from every major city that has implemented a robust cycling network tends to show that traffic congestion will be reduced, people will be healthier, local businesses will benefit, and safety all around will improve.

Bravo, Quebec City!

261
 
 

For those who don't know that area, there are multi-use paths (north and south side) separated from the road on Victoria St, where this cyclist was hit.

For a car to hit someone, they would need to be turning in or out of the business entrances without stopping/looking, which would mean they were at fault 100%.

No charges have been laid, but hopefully this will change.

Far too many cyclists being killed in Ontario. When are we going to take things seriously?

262
 
 

So I live in the US and I have seen a few videos proclaiming the virtues of Dutch style bikes including NoJustBike's video. They all are saying that these bikes cannot be found in the US but couldn't one just buy a step through frame and just add the missing features themselves such as a chain guard and parallel handle bars?

263
264
 
 

I plan on riding bike for often and while I have invest and will continue to invest in the typical security measures (D lock, wheel lock, etc.). However, in the extreme case that it should get stolen I want a way to track it down. I was thinking about getting a Tile tracking and place it within the frame of my bike but there's a better way please suggest it. Thanks in advance!

265
 
 

Globally, only one in 50 new cars were fully electric in 2020, and one in 14 in the UK. Sounds impressive, but even if all new cars were electric now, it would still take 15-20 years to replace the world’s fossil fuel car fleet.

The emission savings from replacing all those internal combustion engines with zero-carbon alternatives will not feed in fast enough to make the necessary difference in the time we can spare: the next five years. Tackling the climate and air pollution crises requires curbing all motorised transport, particularly private cars, as quickly as possible. Focusing solely on electric vehicles is slowing down the race to zero emissions.

266
267
 
 

This winter, I decided that I needed to do whatever I could to protect my chain, downtube, and bottom bracket from all the salt and road spray.

So, I rigged up a DIY fender extender and have been riding with it for months now.

After every ride, I do tend to wipe my chain and any parts that got sprayed, but I'm blown away by how clean the bike stays simply by having that front fender extender.

The photo shows the fender extender, held in place using duct tape (didn't want to drill holes in the fender, although, some fenders are designed so fender extenders can be put on easily). It's held like this through numerous puddles and all kinds of weather, so "it works". Make it out of a plastic file folder, which I got from Walmart for a few dollars. I can probably make another 3 out of the single file folder.

The only downside I see, which can probably be tweaked by trimming the extender to mitigate it, is that it causes more drag as it acts like a mini sail that's always working against you. LOL I'm not racing with this bike, so it's a small sacrifice for keeping it clean! I'm sure someone more crafty could come up with a design that could be easily removed, although, my setup only requires you to pull the tape off. Easy enough.

268
 
 

I have a 20 inch folding bike (406).. How much load can the wheel handle? I am an adult with 70 kg.. Sometimes i carry my kid sitting on the rear rack, worrying that the tyre will burst one day.

The maximum load on the tyre wall printed 65 kg max load though.

ಠ_ಠ

269
 
 

Have you commute to work by cycling? My workplace is 17km per trip, is it consider a normal/doable distance for bicycle commute? Havent done it before

270
 
 

Thanks to a new bill that went into effect in California on January 1, 2024, bicyclists will now enjoy greater safety from motor vehicles. At least, they will in theory.

The bill, titled California Bill A.B. 1909, states that bicyclists in the state are now permitted to cross whenever pedestrians are. This is an important development thanks to a technology called Leading Pedestrian Interval, or LPI, which gives walkers a head start on the right-of-way before traffic is allowed to commence.

In other words, signals that detect traffic in California are built to give pedestrians an extra three to seven seconds before any light in the intersection turns green, making pedestrians more visible to vehicle traffic. Several studies show that this seemingly minor head start can have major ramifications on the safety of pedestrians.

One 2016 study showed that the intersection in San Francisco that had the highest number of pedestrian injuries from left-turn incidences saw that number drop to zero once that intersection was armed with LPI functionality. Another study, performed in 2008, showed the LPI can reduce pedestrian strikes by more than 46 percent.

Before A.B. 1909 was passed, LPI applied only to pedestrian traffic. Cyclists had to abide mostly by motor vehicle traffic laws (as is the case in many cities around America).

But now, thanks to A.B. 1909, as cyclists are allowed the same head start pedestrians get, the hope is that there will be less vehicular strikes. In fact, in many cases, three-to-seven seconds will provide enough time for a person on a bike to completely clear an intersection, which, according to a study by the New York City Department of Transportation, is one of the most dangerous places for bike riders in urban settings. That study pointed out that 89 percent of cyclists involved in vehicle crashes in the city were struck at intersections.

271
 
 

The only outfit associated with a significant change in mean passing proximities was the **police/video-recording jacket. **

Notably, whilst some outfits seemed to discourage motorists from passing within 1 metre of the rider, approximately 1-2% of overtakes came within 50 cm no matter what outfit was worn. This suggests there is little riders can do, by altering their appearance, to prevent the very closest overtakes

This is quite discouraging, but it seems to ring true in my experience. I've had quite a few drivers, who have come close to hitting me (even while walking at a crosswalk), claim that they "didn't see me" while I wore high-viz everything and had lights to further improve visibility.

How do we, as cyclists, even deal with “driver blindness”?

272
 
 

Don't police cars have cameras in them? That should be the only witness you need.

273
 
 

One thing to add, is that if you use those Podium bottles, it's quite easy to take the valve apart and really give it a deep clean.

I would strongly suggest doing that every once in a while, especially if you use sugary drinks.

274
4
"Should We Tax Cyclists?" (www.youtube.com)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by governorkeagan@lemdro.id to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
 
 

This video is specific to Canada but I constantly see similar comments from road users in Europe as well.

275
 
 

Horrific. Very fortunate that there weren't any fatalities.

Can't wait to hear the excuse explaining this one.

view more: ‹ prev next ›