Timer's posts

I had one custom made by the dentist. Apparently many tooth injuries in sport are caused by the mouth slamming shut violently upon impact. A chin guard doesn't necessarily protect against that.

When riding i hardly notice it, doesn't affect breathing at all. Not cheap but so is dental work. Would heartily recommend.

Posted by: niels@nsmb.com

I simply use whatever makes sense for the ride plan.

I always have a water bottle on my bike because why not? Does anyone really notice the difference between a full and an empty water bottle on their bike?

On my back:

Shorter local rides (= most rides): minimalistic 1L Evoc hip pouch for tools, tube, pump, wallet, keys, phone, energy bar.

Medium length rides or unknown trails = Osprey Raptor 14 (still using the one I reviewed) for more water, food, layers.

All day big mountain adventures = big Camelbak Mule or Kudu pack with 3 L water and lots of food, layers, spares, first aid etc.

This! I don't get the trench warfare between "backpack riders" and "hipback riders". All packs have their place and using only one type for all my riding would be impractical.

PS: Seeing how many people use the EVOC packs with back protectors, i'm not surprised about complaints that backpacks are too hot. While the Evoc packs sit snugly and are well made, they are  by far the hottest packs i ever tried. And they are heavy, even unloaded.

Protection from wind is usually more important than isolation after sweating. Throw on a wind-resistant or windproof jacket once you get to the top.

Mesh underlayers are great in cool or cold temperatures. I found them to work much better than anything merino for wicking moisture away from skin. Wear the merino stuff over the mesh if you like.

Posted by: Vikb

Putting the battery under the rear rack does open up the step-through area at the cost of a significant shift in CG back and up. Put panniers with groceries back there and a lighter/less confident rider can have handling issues. When I was living in Victoria I help a number of ladies who had e-bikes with the under the rack battery mounts. They had trouble getting started once stopped. The bikes tended to wobble and fall over side ways or get a very light front wheel with too much assist. 

You can get batteries integrated inside the DT which solves both issues, but they can be hard to remove and tend to cost a lot more.

Definitely another reason to buy from a LBS since some test riding can identify what is a problem and what is not an issue for a particular rider when dealing with a product that isn't well understood by them.

Good point. In my moms case, the weight of the rear mounted battery is not much of an issue because the bike has a middle motor, a smallish battery (300-400wh) and a derailer drivetrain.

I can see the rear battery placement being a problem if the motor is also in the rear or there is a heavy internal gear hub there (think Alfine 11-speed).

Speaking of battery size, for city use, a small, light pack is totally sufficient.

Posted by: niels@nsmb.com

Thanks Vik. That Envo could be a decent option. Canadian company, local dealer support. Black's will be our first stop once we are ready. 

Still in the research phase, trying to get a feel for what things are important. I have no idea. For example, I can imagine the motor puts more strain on (???), so need to pay special attention to.... (???). Maybe I'm overthinking it.

Not riding one myself, but i'm the one who keeps my moms city e-bike in working order, so i get to hear what works for her and what doesn't. For a step-through, consider a battery mounted on/in the rear rack. Makes actually stepping through easier.

When operating in below-zero temperatures, don't just keep the battery inside the house, take the display unit as well. There is a small battery in there which might not like drawing power in sub-zero.

Hydraulic disk-brakes are super helpful to the average city rider. Not for power, but for modulation. Expect high pad-wear. Buy basic Shimano.

Drivetrain wear is less of an issue than expected if riding sensibly.

Oh, and really good tires with proper modern flat-protection technologies are worth every penny!

Syntace makes 12° and 16° bars in carbon or aluminium. Pretty high-end, certainly no more budget friendly than SQlab, though.

Trickstuff Power pads work very well for me. Tested on long descents in the Alps, no complaints whatsoever.

However, I'm quite light and use powerful brakes, so I'm pretty sure most pads would have enough power. Will try the Trickstuff Standard pads next, as they are a bit cheaper and should last longer.

Moving to different areas has been the main driver of bike purchases for me.

I buy bikes depending on local terrain and on the type of riding done by the people I like to ride with.

No use buying a hot new XC race rig if everyone in the group is running Maxxgrip Assegais and tons of travel.

A good starting point are the seats that come stock on high-end bikes by large brands (e.g. Specialized Bridge, WTB Volt/Silverado, Selle Italia SLR). These usually are models which work well for many people. Measuring sitbones is helpful to get the correct width. Don't need a dealer for that, you can do it yourself with a piece of compressible cardboard.

The Baron equivalent in the new lineup is apparently the Argotal Enduro Soft (what a name downgrade! ).

If you get one of the Enduro-style FF helmets, you may end up using it more outside the Bikepark, increasing total safety by quite a bit.

And even the full fat Guide RSC isn't a terribly powerful brake. It's OK for lighter riders when using good pads, but I relegated mine to the XC bike where they fit much better than on the trailbike.

Posted by: tashi

that tread pattern with a modern big casing (maybe a 2.6 even) would be pretty darn nice.

You mean like this one?

Schwalbe Wicked Will (can be had in 2.6)

Vittoria Terreno and Michelin Power Gravel are popular options with my road+gravel riding friends.