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Slightly Off-Center Front Wheel: Ignore It or Fix It?
I had a friend once who swore his bike was cursed. Said it pulled left like it had opinions. He kept riding it anyway. “It’s just character,” he’d say, like a father defending a delinquent son. Turns out, his front wheel wasn’t centered. And neither is mine. Maybe yours isn’t either. Maybe you just haven’t…
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Carbon Forks Chipped at Dropouts – Acceptable or Not?
One minute, you’re cleaning your bike, admiring the curves, the sleek lines of your Felt FR40. The next, a tiny piece flakes off, and suddenly, your mind spirals. A chip. A small one. Insignificant, really. But in the back of your head, you hear horror stories of catastrophic failure. One second, you’re cruising, the next,…
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The Pros Of Hand Built Wheels: A Ride Like No Other
So, you’ve been rolling with your stock wheels, your trusty HiFi or Hunt, and they’ve been fine, right? They spin, they stay true, and hey, you’ve never had a flat from riding through a field of potholes at 60 mph. But you keep hearing these stories about hand-built wheels. They’re supposed to be the holy…
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Training On Carbon Wheels – Smart or Low IQ?
We’ve all heard it—the half-baked advice to not train on your race wheels. Apparently, it’ll ruin them. It’s one of those rules people love to repeat, like “don’t ride in the rain” or “only wear black socks.” But, like a dog chasing its tail, no one ever stops to ask: Why? I’ve been riding bikes…
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The Lifespan of Steel Frames
You ever fall in love with a chunk of metal? I have. And I’ll tell you, steel isn’t just metal—it’s a damn good love story. My 1980s Japanese road frame? Rides like a dream. No cracks, no rust, just me and the open road. Could it last another 40 years? Hell, could it last forever?…
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My Take On The Surly Corner Bars
I’ve gripped a lot of handlebars in my time. Some were good. Some were bad. Some felt like they wanted to kill me. And then there are the Surly Corner Bars—strange creatures in the cycling world, hovering somewhere between genius and madness. People either love them or scratch their heads in confusion. Like a book…
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Gravel Bikes Are Awesome for Touring
It’s 2 AM. You’ve had one too many beers, and your mind keeps looping back to one question: a gravel bike or a touring bike? You can hear the hum of your tires on cracked pavement, the hiss of the wind through your helmet vents as you dream about crossing Canada. But you’re stuck, aren’t…
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Tips for Transitioning from Spinning to Touring
So, you’ve spent weeks sweating it out on that stationary bike in the dimly lit studio, you’ve earned the right to call yourself a spinning warrior, and now you’re itching to take it to the open road. You’ve been clocking the miles, keeping your cadence steady, but now you’ve got the whole road to conquer.…
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Tips for Preventing Front Mech Chain Rubbing
You’ve tried everything, haven’t you? Adjusted the derailleur a thousand times, twisted the screws, even played around with the trim feature. But that pesky chain rub on your front mech is still there, mocking you. It’s like a bad joke you can’t escape, no matter how hard you pedal. Sounds familiar, right? It’s like trying…
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Cycling Shoes and Wide Feet
You ever put your foot in a shoe and feel like Cinderella’s ugly stepsister? Shoving, squeezing, praying that the pain will subside after a few miles? Yeah, me too. Except I don’t have dainty princess feet. I have tailor’s bunions—legacy of years in hockey skates and soccer cleats. Now, every ride feels like a medieval…