[Lady Jane]

Took to the trails after work. Riding on a pillow of leaves. The smell of Autumn is incredible.

[M_Six]

Wow, nice trail. Beautiful scenery.

[StradaRedlands]

I love riding in Oct... temps are perfect and there is still enough daylight to get out for a spin after work!

[Tambohamilton]

Single speed, nice!

[iX nOOky]

Just over an hour today only, but I ran in the morning and walked my dogs before mountain biking. It was slow going, especially uphill in fresh snow, but tons of fun. I ran about 4 PSI for the ride down and had premium grip from the Dillinger 5's.

[Lady Jane]

I wasn't sure where to put that hack but since I'm planning on making one for my TREK... Great idea for cleaning and oiling the chain.

Pic from the web.

[freakystyly]

Looking forward to hitting the single track trails soon. I've just been doing the cross town rail trail since the weather got a bit warmer.

On my last ride the rear wheel started to wobble after rolling over a simple curb. Thankfully it was still able to slowly roll home with two loose spokes. The shop was able to fix the wheel up for cheap and now it's straighter than it ever was.

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I wasn't sure where to put that hack but since I'm planning on making one for my TREK... Great idea for cleaning and oiling the chain.

You should look into liquid wax for the chain. Much cleaner without black gunk buildup and doesn't attract dust as much. Wont mark up your pants or hands... Not sure of any downsides, maybe longevity.

[Tambohamilton]

The price of cycle chain lubes puts me right off, though I appreciate the cleanliness of some of them. I recently bought 1L of chainsaw chain oil for £7, and a small squeeze bottle to apply it to the chain. That should keep me rolling for about a decade for £12ish outlay...my chain will just have to be dirty during that time!

[Needsdecaf]

Question: Who rides clipless and who rides flats?

I've biked my whole life but took a long break until I moved to TX 12 years ago and got back into biking. My first thought in riding our single track trails is that "I really want to ride clipless" because of the nature of the terrain, roots, etc. So I've been doing that for a while.

My biggest issue is that our trails are so sandy that at times it's easy to wash out while turning. I'm working on improving my form (always) but with clipless, it's often the case that you don't have enough time to get a foot out quickly enough. I've adjusted my release tension low so that they come out fairly easily but it's still not the same as flats.

Anyone switched from SPD's to flats and enjoyed it?

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Question: Who rides clipless and who rides flats?

I've biked my whole life but took a long break until I moved to TX 12 years ago and got back into biking. My first thought in riding our single track trails is that "I really want to ride clipless" because of the nature of the terrain, roots, etc. So I've been doing that for a while.

My biggest issue is that our trails are so sandy that at times it's easy to wash out while turning. I'm working on improving my form (always) but with clipless, it's often the case that you don't have enough time to get a foot out quickly enough. I've adjusted my release tension low so that they come out fairly easily but it's still not the same as flats.

Anyone switched from SPD's to flats and enjoyed it?

I use SPDs for the turbo, but always flats on MTB. No major downsides really, other than occasionally messing up and nearly losing a foot, or taking a few seconds to get my placement right. SPDs are good for security and getting in the right position every time, but TBH rough terrain would make me lean more towards flats than clips.

You need to get decent pedals and shoes though, and you need to get your form decent for success.

Pedals should be concave, with decent threaded pins (yes, honestly the thread on the protruding pin makes a huge difference!). They can be have a plastic body to save money and grams - honestly a decent plastic pedal can be really good!

Shoes need to have rubber with a slow rebound. 5.10 are the gold standard for this. They also need to have a reasonably stiff midsole so the pedals don't make your feet ache. Of course, fit is important too.

You'll have most success placing your foot quite far forward on the pedal - ball of your foot between the axle and front row of pins. Critically important is keeping your heels low (placing your foot forward on the pedal helps with this) - this is what will stop your feet from getting bounced off the pedals. Also helps to keep you low on the bike when you really need the stability/confidence.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I use SPDs for the turbo, but always flats on MTB. No major downsides really, other than occasionally messing up and nearly losing a foot, or taking a few seconds to get my placement right. SPDs are good for security and getting in the right position every time, but TBH rough terrain would make me lean more towards flats than clips.

You need to get decent pedals and shoes though, and you need to get your form decent for success.

Pedals should be concave, with decent threaded pins (yes, honestly the thread on the protruding pin makes a huge difference!). They can be have a plastic body to save money and grams - honestly a decent plastic pedal can be really good!

Shoes need to have rubber with a slow rebound. 5.10 are the gold standard for this. They also need to have a reasonably stiff midsole so the pedals don't make your feet ache. Of course, fit is important too.

You'll have most success placing your foot quite far forward on the pedal - ball of your foot between the axle and front row of pins. Critically important is keeping your heels low (placing your foot forward on the pedal helps with this) - this is what will stop your feet from getting bounced off the pedals. Also helps to keep you low on the bike when you really need the stability/confidence.

Thanks. I actually got some One Up pedals that were pretty well reviewed. I just have been debating installing them. 5.10 looks like they make some great shoes but I want to stick with the Boa closing system and it is getting hard to find their freeride shoes for flats with that BOA system. Maybe discontinued? In any event, I figured I'd go to my local bike store and try some on as I have weird feet that can be tough to fit. Either a 12 Wide or a 13 regular, depending on the shoe.

Good to know I am on the right track. Hope I don't regret it but never run "real" flats with the pins before. My last bike had the cheapie flats that come with the bike before I switched to SPD's.

[freakystyly]

I have a worn out pair of 5.10s and a newer pair of Leatt flats. The Leatts are stiffer and less comfortable, especially at the tongue. Definitely still prefer the 5.10s.

Just got back from today's EZ ride. 38kms loop I've never done before. Mostly gravel & some basic overgrown single track. Generally beautiful scenery along the river.