@@wenttogloucester Yellow, with black accents is faster! But only if your clothes, gloves and helmet are also yellow and black! Otherwise, yes, you might as well go with a red bike...
My current rant about biking is the prep required before I get on the road ... special pants, special shoes, special shirt ... is my Garmin charged ... how about the batteries for my shifters and derailleurs ... is the map for the group ride uploaded ... the right kind of electrolyte in the bottle ... the right kind of energy/protein bar..... This is a long way from when I rode equally long distances 40 years ago wearing a pair of gym shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt, and would snack on pop tarts. 2025 needs to be the year I get back to the simplicity of what I loved about biking.
This was one of the more shocking experiences when I lived in the US. People drive their cars to go cycling. I just get on my bike and ride wherever I want. I do take a cell phone for navigation, but that's it. No computer, mechanical shifters, steel frame from the eighties with (slightly) more modern components. Works very well, is great fun, and I can do the maintenance myself.
@@bmolendijk7884Unfortunately, a lot of the mistakes people make tend to mean they never get the chance to try again. But at least SOMEONE ELSE might learn from their mistakes. 😂
My 6th grade teacher used to say "there are no stupid questions, but there are plenty of stupid folks asking questions though..." lol... with lots of love of course... i make a living asking questions and i love it when people say to me "that's a good question!" It's never a good question, they say that when they don't know the answer even if it's a stupid ques...er, person asking it..."
Rear rack. Bungie bag or box to the back. Tie rod and net pole on crossbar. Done it lot's when a kid. Put the fish back bless them be a gent now you aren't starving.
This has inspired me to go out and finish restoring my 1955 Raleigh all steel bicycle. Heavy as hell with three speeds, it's smooth and comfortable as all get out, and you ride it at the speed that it chooses, in the gear you can bear. You spend the extra time enjoying the architecture, or overthinking what you're going to say at the destination.
I have always been a race bike guy (I have a collection of 8 various Italian steel road bikes, mountain bike and cyclocross bike) and consider myself a bit of a mechanic as I do my own work on them but I can completely relate to your stupid questions summary. In the old days we called a gravel bike cyclocross and they had cantilever brakes! I am completely convinced that the new innovations are just as you say…cash grabs. All my bikes are still friction shift and they don’t grind when you learn to shift them properly.i love your channel, rants and I still learn things in every video. Keep it up and I wish you and your family a happy holidays and new year!
Ah, but in the even older "old days", Cyclocross wasn't yet an organised sport and cantilever brakes weren't invented. 😉 Cyclocross, like MTB and BMX, started out as a few people trying new things out on existing bikes. Sidepull or Centrepull brakes were the norm, even coaster brakes, and people just used to ride whatever they had or seemed to work. I used friction shift for 20 years or more. It had, and still has it's benefits, but with the type of riding that many people do, and the large number of rear cogs on many bikes, it's not always ideal.
@ That’s a fair point. Alas, I don’t own anything other than steel bike with corn cob gears or my lone mtb (Marin rockyridge - one of two AL bikes - the other is a dur-ace equipped Vitus 979) and refuse to own a carbon bike…just cannot justify the $. I can buy a used steel hand made frame and equip it with NOS campy or Dura-ace for significantly less money (still able to get but getting harder every year) and the extra kg or two makes no difference in my daily ride…racing is long gone for me. Which is one of the major point bikefarmer made. I just enjoy the art and artistry of the 80’s handmade bikes…lug work and all.
Merry Christmas. 🎄 glad I found your channel. Since I was a kid bombing down a dirt road on my schwinn apple krate stingray with a banana seat. I have loved the freedom bikes have given me , now @63 I still feel that sense of joy as if I am flying down the road, on my surly big tire brooks saddle comfort bike. Get some tacos 🌮 watch out for trucks
I love the idea that you are telling it like you see it rather than trying to make everyone happy. It shows honesty and integrity. Thanks for the video!! Muchly enjoyed!!
Fellow mechanic and bike enthusiast here. This is one of my favourite videos you've made. #3 resonated with me so hard. 1x's are what I am trying to build for everyone. Cross chaining and front derailleur ineptitude is brutal to deal with.
So bang on haha. I do love a lot of gears on my bike though. One thing I will say is the teenager in the bike shop might get you in the right ballpark for sizing, but try a couple sizes near that, and buy the one that feels most comfortable. You don’t want to be technically on the right size but hate your bike every time you get on it
Great point. With most shops they will just look at your height and recommend a size (the one they have in stock) but I've never heard anyone ask "how do you want the bike to feel". Like where on the scale of squirrely to nimble to stable to limo do you want the handling to be.
A refreshingly brilliant video my friend! The bike is probably the simplest form of transportation that is fun and satisfying in the freedom department! Keep it simple, get out on your bike, and smile! Happy Christmas from the UK! Simon.
Andy #6 gravel bikes was part comedy and a simultaneous truth bomb. I laughed so much I had to watch it twice. Thanks man love your stuff and merry Christmas to you and yours.
I have a deep appreciation for any skilled profession, including bicycle mechanics. Maintaining my bikes is my hobby. Taking one in for a repair or problem to a person that has years of experience and knowledge that makes their living repairing bikes is more than a hobby IMO.
#9 Phones: Check out a top tube bag with a water-resistant smart phone window on the top. It won't got anyplace and you can still use the phone and you have a place for snacks.
Yeah I wouldn't trust my phone being secured by rubber bands or clip-on systems optimized for being thin enough so you can pocket your phone rather than for being secure on the bike. Enclosed zipper pocket holders are the way to go.
@@elindredI know it’s a little pricey but the Quad-Lock is really solid. The actual phone case locks onto the mount so it’s not going anywhere for anything. And they offer like four or five different mounts for bikes now. Two out front mounts, a stem mount and two stem cap mounts. I usually don’t like cases on my phones because they’re bulky but they did a good job balancing protection and ergonomics.
Those top tube bags can get your phone really warm in summer. Kills your battery very reliably. I would consider a suspended stem for keeping it from vibrations from poor road conditions. Or just take the risk.
Question #1 - two years ago I would have agreed. But then I bought an old second hand steel racing bike that weighs ca. 10 kg (about 22pounds I guess?). That are only about 3kg (6pounds) less than my old bike. I would never have thought it, but it is _so_ much more fun to ride...
It's highly unlikely that the improvement is purely down to the lower weight. There are so many other factors that have a huge impact on the way a bike rides and on the rider themselves.
after covid the bike shop i went to for years turned in to a horror palace. all the people who worked there before covid were my friends and understood how i wanted my bikes set up. all of them had to go on to other employment so they could continue to live. the people who replaced them just were not even close to the previous wonderful folks i grew to care for. covid destroyed a lot of businesses for me. now i bounce around trying to get someone to show care and understanding for my bikes. nearly impossible these days. i do most of the service myself now on my bikes, but some work still needs a professionals touch. i am 73 now and will ride as long as i can. 🚴♀
FYI: There are decent aluminum phone holders out there for roundabout 14-17 bucks on Amazon. Where I live they're sold under the brand nam Tiakia for example. Have never seen this style of phone holde in any bike shop tho but as a former bike mechanic and a guy who loves long distance bikepacking I can confirm that these are sturdy af. The rubber ones maybe last a week or two whereas my aluminum one is currently in year 4 of operation with a spare being installed on my enduro holding my phone securely in place every ride. Maybe they're not sold in shops bc they could increase injury in a crash but ig I have been lucky so far lol.
We're a family of six with 9 bikes and every single one is or has been converted to 1x and almost all use the same m6100/5100 derailleur that works with 10,11,12 speed cassettes. I have so much confidence in these mechs as the pinnacle of robust rear shifting that I've bought four spares (oem unboxed).
Thanks. I needed that. The joy of my young life was a three speed “Schwin Racer” I got at age ten and pedaled 300 miles over the next two years. First taste of independence. Used it mostly to scout new places to fish. Lots of sunnies fit in the basket on the way home although they enjoyed the ride less than I did.
My first bike was one my dad bought me for my birthday. It was a single speed monster so tall I had to stand on the curb to get on it. I rode that bike on dirt trails, commuted to school every day, rode off concrete walls until the Front fork split. My dream bike was the three speed internal hub bike. From that point on, it was a dream to have a 21 speed. Now, in my old age, I have a 1 x 8 with a granny low Montigue Crosstown folding bike which I love to ride. My wife asked if I will be selling it now that we have e-bikes. I put that suggestion in the past and we are still married. So, yes, I can relate to everything Bikefarmer said.
Off topic but have you checked out I know a Guy Bicyles? I worked with him briefly in s 4th generation shop in Ann arbor. You guys are simply honest and dont push the industry with your channels. My favorite bicycle channels! Please keep speaking your mind its just good . Id love to come check out your shop btw. Good stories should be shared.
- I ride my tires pretty hard, close to max (on the road mostly) - I use a phone app to track me now and again, but mostly I just ride (Zeopoxa Cycling) - I have a comfort saddle that is harder and smoother than the thick cruiser saddles, but not as thin and hard as the racing saddles - All three my bikes differ in size and wheel size, I like the smaller frames and wheels for agility, but the 29er is also nice sometimes. I adjust stem length etc to match them to what I like. - I use "mtb" on the road, I do not compete, it works for me and honestly it's nice having suspension for our potholes etc... - I have a 21 Speed, 24 Speed and a 1x7, all have their pro's and con's - I ride a "woman's" frame that has the word, "DIVA" on it, and I do not care. It's one out of three I have. - Most cheaper bikes can't make use of the full range of speeds anyway to to bad cross-chaining, some shift just fine though, each bike is different. - Performance is not my focus, I ride for commute and for fun I just recently started a local social ride, this week we had two riders, I do hope we will grow with time, thanks for the vids as always!
Greetings from Berlin Germany, I love your work and it's soothing for my old bikemech soul. Please keep up the good work!!! Thanks and merry Christmas, Mehrdad
1:37 For mtb, just keep the phone in a bag pocket or something. For cruising around town? I’ve been impressed by The Nite Ize squeeze. It’s unfazed by Wheelies and popping off curbs n stuff and super easy to get the phone in and out.
All phone holders DO NOT suck. The best value one is Topeak SmartPhone Dry Bag (universal one so you never need to buy a new one). I've worked as a bike courier for many years. Absolutely zero issues and I've delivered in the rain for entire days. It has never come off or come close to it, plus even if you drop it, it will protect your phone. I recommend stocking them. Quad lock is also good but it's not worth it because A: It's way more expensive and B: It's not waterproof unless you stretch a cover over it which you'll probably always lose/forget. Also isn't universal. So yeah get the Topeak, best phone mount hands down.
For my kids going to school and a couple of friends who commute to work their bikes are not quite toys, they are vehicles and when they break down they are in trouble. For my kids I picked rather high end 1990s 3x9 mtbs with fat tires, tubes and slime in the tubes. They ride them as 1x9 (middle ring only) and it’s been zero issues over a period of about 8 years. Some hiccups sometimes but always made the 2 miles trip. The commuters I know settled with something similar to the hybrid you showed but with drop bars: kind of a modern “gravel bike”: in the US commuters want speed as they cover quite some distance.
I think you missed the joke, but never mind, we can't all have a sense of humour. It is unwise to make blanket statements about commuters in the US with regard to distance travelled and their speed, just as it is unwise to make those statements about cyclists in any other country. Such statements are easily disproved.
@@another3997 I think he wanted to be sarcastic more than funny. As for commuters I was relaying the experience of European commuters plus my experience plus various TH-cam publications on the topic.
I should get one of those T-shirts, but I'll put the word "Hobbyist" on it. Bikes are my toys that get me around, and they are fun to work on. They also allow me to eat too much comfort food, and stay at a healthy weight. Thanks for putting in the Pee Wee Herman pic!!!
My wife and I have been watching your video and absolutely love them. We had a bike a shop in the late 70 and early 80. I also worked in an old school bile shop from the 4th grade tell I graduated from high school in 1969. Love love your channel and your chatter.
I must be doing something wrong ? I've ridden my current bike every single day for the past 18 months, I've pumped up the tires twice, their 47mm wide slick tires with 8 speed hub gears and belt drive, i ride slow with a comfy seat and Jones handle bars, the frame is aluminum with hydraulic disc brakes and weighs about 11kg, it cost me around $1000 and so far with zero maintenance apart from an occasional wash. It suits me about 90 percent so I love it :-)
Rohloff gearbox for this trike-required, limited-mobility senior handicapper. Oh, Yeah!!! E-assist too!!! My Hase Lepus' are wheelchair/dual forearm crutches accessible!!!
Nice one. The two bikes I have left are both one speeds as I don’t tour anymore and live in a flat city. One is a klunker that I’m not afraid to leave locked up downtown and the other a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ bike for social rides.
Your rant about gear innovation is so on point. Latelly i "downgraded" from 1x10 to 1x8 and honestly it feels more like upgrade to me. Its cheaper,simpler, lasts longer and shifts better.
@@peterdeb580 for the absolute most fun though you have to go fixed after years of riding freewheel than halfway through enjoy the bucking bronco experience when you forget your on a fixie while (ahem) adjusting your undercarriage 😂
Just figure how fast you might want to go (like 28 or 34 mph or whatever), how slow you really need to go (half walking pace, like 2 mph, steep hills you know), and acceptable steps between those two (like at least 9 or 10) and you're golden.
The bike I ride the most is a 1x10 and it's fine but nothing shifts like my old 3x6 MTB. There is such a satisfying THUNK when that big chain drops a cog.
I bought a more comfortable saddle online. Still not optimal, but better than stock. Makes a HUGE difference. If we can have comfortable saddles on motorcycles, why can't we have them on bicycles? E-Scooters forgo the saddle altogether. It's much more comfortable to stand for two hours than to sit on an average bicycle. My biggest pet peeves: - the wheels are getting bigger and bigger. You don't find many of the standard 26" full size bikes anymore. Bigger wheels are less nimble and break much more easily under stress. There's no reason that a bicycle needs a wheel bigger than a car or motorcycle designed to go 5 to 10x the speed. It's not a tractor. - the handlebars are much too low. If you sit upright, they should be well above the saddle. There are very few frames were you can pull up the handle bars that high - why do the pedals have to be under the saddle? move them forward, so you can have a lower riding height. Then stopping for traffic lights isn't an uncomfortable problem anymore.
Just got a hyper havoc 42 lbs cheap Walmart bike. But did some tlc on the brakes and wheels and got it for free if it gets stole no real money lose and i have my other 4 bikes that I love to enjoy again. Love bikes. Love this video.
I'm here for the rants and love the A-h0le videos....I think you love that persona and you do an awesome job! the whole list is stuff I finally learned when I stopped wanting to be a bike bro and figured out party pace was lots more fun. (going fast is still cool if that's what you like, but cycling is lots more accessible when you don't need a $2000 bike and $400 worth of gear).
I had that bike too in the most beautiful green with Jackson Pollock paint streaks! My mom gave it away when I was in college 😢. (But wasn't it a 3x7?)
@@walkerways8695 Wax should be a Mechanics dream but many seem to hate it , probably because customers don't do proper pre-prep or occasionally clean chains and not just re-lube ( contamination will just keep building up ). Maintenance is a lot easier than with oil , once the tools / rules are understood, bikes are easier to clean e.t.c. Plus there is much 'advice intertia' , even though wax is a century old idea that didn't have modern additives to make it decent.
Thankfully, there's a used-bike shop in my town here in north-east England that is friendly, helpful, expert and doesn't charge a lot to sort out my bike's problems despite it being a hub-gear, belt driven oddity. Other shops are available... but not so great (I'm looking at you, Halfords).
Peak Design’s phone holder is actually awesome, BUT it requires that you also use their case and, as you know or can guess, their products are expensive. But, if you want an amazing phone-on-bike experience, Peak Design is hands-down the choice.
I second the Peak Design phone holder. I have had my phone mounts fail twice while riding over the years, and after the last time, I decided to suck it up and get the PD case & mount. As you said, it is an amazing phone/bike experience: It goes on and off one handed, with s solid click in place, and it will NOT fall off - I even tested their claim that you can pick up the bike by the case, and it worked. Even so, I can grab the phone with one hand and take a quick picture of wildlife I spot on the trail so much faster than the mounts that failed me in the past. Expensive, but totally worth it.
I LOVE this guys! Wish he was local for me so I could come in with dumb questions every day. Gonna apply his tips on caliper brake adjustment which has been a frustrating endeavor so far, wish me luck.
Update: The Bike Farmer's instructions for brake caliper adjustment worked like a charm, easy-peasy. Thank you for keeping this old guy safe on the road!
Most things mentioned can understand. 1 chain ring and bike weight not so much. Should point out that im also in the Rocky Mountain range. Also about 1/3 of the town I'm in has stop sigjs and lights on hills sometimes with 8% grade to 14% grade. A nice bike weight isn`t everything but when near bottom end of safe weight as a rider lighter bike helps. Dual chainrings and correct # of teeth for your fitness and terrain helps. Same can be said for a cassette of proper range.Around here steep climbs fast and long descents and wind of 25 to 70 mph dual chaining and cassette combo can help make your ride a bit more enjoyable. May also save the dredded phone call for someone to come recuse because you couldn't complete your rout.
I love your videos brother! You’ve been a huge inspiration for starting TH-cam! I’d love to say that you’re right about MTB bike culture. Or bike culture in general. I wish people just loved bikes and loved to have fun.
I picked up a 3x drive train bike for cheap when i got back into riding a bike for commuting. As someone who had no knowledge past riding a bike to school at 8 years old on a single speed, it was extremely confusing. I could not mentally make sense of what I thought should happen and what my legs were feeling. The whole shifters working opposite and needing to avoid cross chaining is not great for newbies.
You get used to it. For me, I'll just kept it in the small chain ring if I'm on a hilly section, or big chain ring of I'm on a straight slightly downhill path. 80% of the time it's in the middle chain ring. I'm not advocating that 3x is better than 1x by any means. But I enjoy what I've got (for now).
Just got a 1x12 Trek. Love it. Love not having to think about front derailleur. And 10-44 range in the back gives me a wider range than my 2x road and gravel bikes!
I do community bike repairs, and trying to explain why a 3x7 doesnt actually give you 21 speeds is a very common occurence. Most people are baffled when I tell them my easiest bike to ride is an old 10 speed racer converted to single speed with a coaster brake only. It's as basic as it gets and near enough bomb proof. Get the gear ratio correct for your riding style, and a single speed will be all you need.
If you live in a hilly city like Vienna, a single speed will be painful if you are not well trained. There was a time when singlespeeders or beach cruisers were fashionable, but after a while they disappeared again.
Yeah as a commuter or leisure rider you need gears for inclines, but I like the idea that, since everyone has their ideal ratio, most 21 speed bikes end up living their life in one particular selection, and all the gears do is make the bike applicable to more riders' ideal ratios
Is that a Nitto Dynamic II 90 degree forged alloy quill stem just behind your right shoulder? My favorite stem! Sorry, I wasn't paying much attention to the rest of your video.
How many speeds? In my youth I had 10, routinely used 2 of them & just occasionally a third. I now have an English 3 speed, & routinely use 2 of them & occasionally a third. I can pretty much guarantee if I had 18, I'd routinely use 2 of them, & occasionally a third.
@@MicroageHD I'm a bloke who rides a bike, not a "cyclist". I have no desire to be associated with those elitist pricks. Your comment being the perfect example of why I don't.
@@MicroageHD I'm a bloke who rides a bike, not a "cyclist". Your comment illustrates perfectly why I've no desire whatsoever to ever be associated with "cyclists".
I coined my own logical fallacy. It’s called “ The mechanics mindset” It’s where you believe you are smarter than anyone that doesn’t hold the same niche knowledge that you do.
This is hilarious to me as a mechanical engineer - the level of confidently wrong I've heard from bike mechanics through the years when they're trying to explain how bikes work, especially new products where they've read the marketing, but have no materials science or even basic physics knowledge to temper the ridiculous drivel marketing comes up, with is a large part of the reason I do all my own maintenance. There are some brilliant bike mechanics around, but they tend to be the ones doing it as a hobby as anyone smart enough to be a good mechanic is also smart enough to work out that they can get paid a lot more to work fewer less stressful hours in almost any other industry. The literal only ways to make a half decent living as a bike mechanic are to own the bike shop (And spend more time on business related work than fixing bikes) or be willing to live out of a suitcase all summer as a race team mechanic.
As a great person said to me many years ago, "never equate intelligence with knowledge - the guy you think is smarter than you just has a different basis in experience - your level of curiousity is the best indicator of intelligence."
Quadlocks are pretty good for holding phones. I tried 3 or 4 other brands and settled on them and have no complaints. Also, bicycles are much more than toys, even if they are fun.
100% agreed, i hate the fact that the chains are SO thin on 12 speed and you require a microscope to tune thoose MFs. 9 speed is perfect for hardtails and 10 speed gets you some extra range on full sus if you need it
The neat feature is that for about $80 in parts, you can convert any old worn out 3x7 to a 1x8 Acolyte with a Cues rankset. At the end of the day, it's generally cheaper than rehabbing all the old parts, and the customer is usually happy that their old bike is now a 1x!
My first bike was a triple. Quickly found that in reality I could only use half of the gears because of duplication and rubbing. It was irritating. Next two bikes were doubles; and the last two bikes were singles. The gearing on the singles fully matches the way I ride and have had no shifting issues. Live and learn.
@bombero3368 I'm hoping to get the M8000 XT groupset, I was thinking of getting the 2X crank; I think they're only $330.00🍁+ tax with the rings🤔. The 1X is $310.00+ tax with the chainring. Do you recommend the 1X instead?
@garyseckel295 I looked into the Great looking 7150 aluminum (which I never heard of until the other day), and 7075 spindle hope Evo cranks. They're almost 💰💰500.00🍁; and an extra $100.00 for the 7075 T6 aluminum chainring😱lol. Also really expensive is the 5Dev 6/4 Titanium crank w/ 6/4 Titanium chainring. This might be the best-looking crank I've ever seen. They're 💰💰💰💰💰2,999.00🍁🤯. The 7075 aluminum version is also quite expensive; they're over 💰💰700.00🍁. Thanks for the reply🤘🤘
1x is the best thing that ever happened to MTBing. I converted my hardtail for pennies! Suspension came 1x and again changed out front chain ring to better suit my uphill bike pushing!
Having lived on a miles-long dirt road for over 40 years, and an aversion to driving to the start of a bicycle ride, I approve of the "every bike is a gravel bike" concept. I even ride my track bike with 22 mm sewups to pavement. Is a wide tire at low pressure more stable and comfortable? Sure, but any bike, any road, any time is a laudable goal in my book.
Try riding a road bike with narrow tires on sand. I tried it once. Once. LOL I still love my road bone, but I also appreciate the wider, grippier tires on my other bikes. 😁
People should also get rear racks (and possibly front baskets) as standard. Too many people having to use a backpack to carry their stuff when putting the weight on the bike is so much better. I agree with the low gear count, Low maintenance, low speed bike though, they are still like 5x faster than walking and thats all you need them for.
If you like bike riding and you liked this video as much as I did and if you haven't read "Just Ride" then you gotta do it now. Bike Farmer is the TH-cam version of Grant Petersen X2! I love him (you know what I mean) and I love his attitude.
Super funny video mechanics like you motivated me to learn how to fix my own bike... I will keep tuning in I hope your channel does well does well got to be damn cold up in Wisconsin right now Wisconsin right now Wisconsin right now
Thanks for cheering me up Bikefarmer 😂 Having just spent 2 hours in a dentist chair for an emergency complicated extraction, I needed a gentle bike related laugh 😂👍🏼👌🏻
@@fastjay8384 hey hey hey, the dentist just put an order in for one of those new Colnago Y1RS and he needs to do a couple extra new implants to pay for it
I feel you. I had a tooth pulled last week, root infection meant the local aesthetic only kind of worked and in the UK they won't knock you out any more and don't like to sedate either, it broke off half way, and she had to "dig" for one of the roots, so that was a 24-karat gold barrel of laughs.
Bike fitter here and shop owner. It blows my mind that there are shops out there that would simply hand over a bike with providing some sort of fit adjustment. Ever wonder why these become basement bikes? I make the most for providing a recreational rider fit. Its amazing what a tilt of the saddle and fore/aft can do to provide more comfort. And i dont charge a bike snob amount for my service.
"I suggest you take up fishing." LOL! Thanks for keeping it real! But hydraulic brakes, really? My 90s era hybrid came with cantilever brakes, plenty of stopping power and never any annoying squeaks!
@@bartbrodsky7190 and hydraulic brakes require heavier hubs, calipers, disk, frame and fork, all of which need to be stiffer and less comfortable (BTW, regardless of what he says, weight makes climbing driftless hills in his area a lot tougher and reduces how far as well as how much one rides). They need to be bled at least every 6 months and pads replaced every 1500 miles (cheap ones even less). Canti's remain my favorite
@whitefluffydogs9278 actually, one of the big complaints from the pro Pelton is thst they get hot and stick on long descents. We hauled huge loads over mountains using canti's, "They're good enough for who they're for."
@@MHH3180 I take Farmer's point that there's a cost vs. benefit to losing those last 5 to 10 bike pounds. The casual rider might not notice, but sure, go lighter if you can afford it! As for hydraulics I'm 100% with you. Why make maintenance more complicated and expensive? I just scored a used fat tire e-bike with hydraulics which I may convert to mechanicals.
@@whitefluffydogs9278 One of my buddies, an e-biker, swears by hydraulics because they're easier on his hands. Another buddy has always ridden racers with rim brakes. It's great to have so many options, right?
I went 2x11 on my hardtail a few years ago and then 1x12 earlier this year for my full suspension, and I really like it. Less range than 3x9, but I really don't need the top end on a mtb with 2.4/2.6 tires. And there's more clearance with smaller rings.
Can you attach my fishing creel to the back of my bike for me? Also need a fly rod holder opposite side. Do I need a flag for that since the rods are like, eleven feet tall... Yeah I'm pokin' ya a little but when we were kids we scrounged up set-ups to do this. Worked well enough for who it was for. Bless you Farmer.
I appreciate everything about this video, and wish I could give it way more thumbs up. Instead, I'm sharing it with a bunch of my friends and following your channel. Count me jealous.
There you go again calling your customers stupid 🙄 Plus my bike is not a toy it is my daily transport & very important to me. Paying a mechanic that thinks it's a toy is super insulting & uncool.
@christianb.1028 it was made to drive away business i guess? TH-cam clickbaiting & ebegging seems more important to this guy than being good at his job now.
I like my SP Connect phone holder. Very similar to the Quad lock. Dual use when using it on the car mount. Topeak makes a great one also. The mount case also add overall protection to the cell phone itself and I have never seen the phone fly off. I wouldn't trust one of those rubber band style mounts.
Best video you've made so far. Since watching your videos I've learned so much. I'm pretty sure I've watched them all. Have recycled over 100 bikes in the last 4 years. Not bad for someone doing it as a hobby. Going to send you some Taco money.
Bikefarmer, what size fishing rod do I need?
That's what she said!
If you have to ask....
This is so funny ❤ weigh (sic) better hey 😂
Oohh and what test pound fishing line😂
But more important: What should it weigh?
Which color bike is the fastest?
Red, of course 😊
@@wenttogloucester Yellow, with black accents is faster! But only if your clothes, gloves and helmet are also yellow and black! Otherwise, yes, you might as well go with a red bike...
Red is the fastest! They tested it in the wind tunnel at the University of Texas.
For all times the white bikes with all kinds of coloured stripes have been the fastest.
Don´t fall for the red hype, that´s reserved for the cars.
The answer is obvious: Light coloured bikes... because nothing is faster than light! 😂
I own 9 bikes and live breathe and love cycling for the last 3 decades. But this video converted me to fishing. cheers BF 👍
😂😂
@@Ferrari255GTO 😄
Me too. Quit biking start fishing 😅
Where's the video of "The ten most stupid fishing questions"? Eg "Do I need a hook to catch fish, or can I use velcro?" 😂
the good thing about fishing is that you may stick to Shimano...
My current rant about biking is the prep required before I get on the road ... special pants, special shoes, special shirt ... is my Garmin charged ... how about the batteries for my shifters and derailleurs ... is the map for the group ride uploaded ... the right kind of electrolyte in the bottle ... the right kind of energy/protein bar..... This is a long way from when I rode equally long distances 40 years ago wearing a pair of gym shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt, and would snack on pop tarts. 2025 needs to be the year I get back to the simplicity of what I loved about biking.
True👍
Why I used mechanical shifters, a wired cyclocomputer with no clock to set. I tried to ride from the house when possible.
This was one of the more shocking experiences when I lived in the US. People drive their cars to go cycling. I just get on my bike and ride wherever I want. I do take a cell phone for navigation, but that's it. No computer, mechanical shifters, steel frame from the eighties with (slightly) more modern components. Works very well, is great fun, and I can do the maintenance myself.
Get yourself an 80's steel 10 speed ;-)
you don't have to do anything, you can ride naked, you won't be ostracized if you don't pose with the latest equipment
Hey ! I'd rather ask a stupid question, than make stupid mistake .
as Niki Lauda said: you learn more from failure then from winning, so mistakes are not stupid
@@bmolendijk7884Unfortunately, a lot of the mistakes people make tend to mean they never get the chance to try again. But at least SOMEONE ELSE might learn from their mistakes. 😂
Hear hear
My 6th grade teacher used to say "there are no stupid questions, but there are plenty of stupid folks asking questions though..." lol... with lots of love of course... i make a living asking questions and i love it when people say to me "that's a good question!" It's never a good question, they say that when they don't know the answer even if it's a stupid ques...er, person asking it..."
Why not do both..?
LOL! OMG. #9 "call you out for fudging your stats" worth it!
How do I carry my fishing gear on my bicycle, what gear should I be in to ride to a suitable fishing spot, and how do I get all the fish home?
Path Less Pedaled has entered the chat
You don’t cycle to fishing. You throw Cody in the truck and go.
Rear rack. Bungie bag or box to the back. Tie rod and net pole on crossbar. Done it lot's when a kid. Put the fish back bless them be a gent now you aren't starving.
Backpack, backpack, throw em back.
Dutch bike
This has inspired me to go out and finish restoring my 1955 Raleigh all steel bicycle. Heavy as hell with three speeds, it's smooth and comfortable as all get out, and you ride it at the speed that it chooses, in the gear you can bear. You spend the extra time enjoying the architecture, or overthinking what you're going to say at the destination.
I have always been a race bike guy (I have a collection of 8 various Italian steel road bikes, mountain bike and cyclocross bike) and consider myself a bit of a mechanic as I do my own work on them but I can completely relate to your stupid questions summary. In the old days we called a gravel bike cyclocross and they had cantilever brakes! I am completely convinced that the new innovations are just as you say…cash grabs. All my bikes are still friction shift and they don’t grind when you learn to shift them properly.i love your channel, rants and I still learn things in every video. Keep it up and I wish you and your family a happy holidays and new year!
Ah, but in the even older "old days", Cyclocross wasn't yet an organised sport and cantilever brakes weren't invented. 😉 Cyclocross, like MTB and BMX, started out as a few people trying new things out on existing bikes. Sidepull or Centrepull brakes were the norm, even coaster brakes, and people just used to ride whatever they had or seemed to work. I used friction shift for 20 years or more. It had, and still has it's benefits, but with the type of riding that many people do, and the large number of rear cogs on many bikes, it's not always ideal.
@ That’s a fair point. Alas, I don’t own anything other than steel bike with corn cob gears or my lone mtb (Marin rockyridge - one of two AL bikes - the other is a dur-ace equipped Vitus 979) and refuse to own a carbon bike…just cannot justify the $. I can buy a used steel hand made frame and equip it with NOS campy or Dura-ace for significantly less money (still able to get but getting harder every year) and the extra kg or two makes no difference in my daily ride…racing is long gone for me. Which is one of the major point bikefarmer made. I just enjoy the art and artistry of the 80’s handmade bikes…lug work and all.
This might be your best video this year. Thanks for the chuckles.
Merry Christmas. 🎄 glad I found your channel. Since I was a kid bombing down a dirt road on my schwinn apple krate stingray with a banana seat. I have loved the freedom bikes have given me , now @63 I still feel that sense of joy as if I am flying down the road, on my surly big tire brooks saddle comfort bike. Get some tacos 🌮 watch out for trucks
Thank you!! 🙏 Merry Christmas!
I love the idea that you are telling it like you see it rather than trying to make everyone happy. It shows honesty and integrity. Thanks for the video!! Muchly enjoyed!!
Thank you!! That’s a huge value of mine. It’s nice to have it validated!
Fellow mechanic and bike enthusiast here. This is one of my favourite videos you've made. #3 resonated with me so hard. 1x's are what I am trying to build for everyone. Cross chaining and front derailleur ineptitude is brutal to deal with.
Tell 'em to use the inner ring only - the outer is supposed to be a chain guard 🙂
Every single point in this video is so spot on. I was still thinking about it while eating tacos today
So bang on haha. I do love a lot of gears on my bike though. One thing I will say is the teenager in the bike shop might get you in the right ballpark for sizing, but try a couple sizes near that, and buy the one that feels most comfortable. You don’t want to be technically on the right size but hate your bike every time you get on it
1000%. My gf rides a huge frame for her and loves it. If she rode a bike that was technically her size we would never go anywhere
Great point. With most shops they will just look at your height and recommend a size (the one they have in stock) but I've never heard anyone ask "how do you want the bike to feel". Like where on the scale of squirrely to nimble to stable to limo do you want the handling to be.
This video should be in every bike shop 😂!
Constantly playng on loop
it is, but in real life
A refreshingly brilliant video my friend! The bike is probably the simplest form of transportation that is fun and satisfying in the freedom department! Keep it simple, get out on your bike, and smile! Happy Christmas from the UK! Simon.
Andy #6 gravel bikes was part comedy and a simultaneous truth bomb. I laughed so much I had to watch it twice. Thanks man love your stuff and merry Christmas to you and yours.
I have a deep appreciation for any skilled profession, including bicycle mechanics. Maintaining my bikes is my hobby. Taking one in for a repair or problem to a person that has years of experience and knowledge that makes their living repairing bikes is more than a hobby IMO.
Hilarious as always!! "For $2k extra dollars, it'll shave 3 pounds and that will solve that problem, won't it!"
But If you pay yet another $2k, it'll shave 1 pound more to that 3. Plus, there will be no cell phone holder issue, since it's nowhere to mount.
Carbon fiber bottle cages 😂
Tell you what, you pay me $2 grand and I'll take 5 pounds off! Of you, not your bike!
#9 Phones: Check out a top tube bag with a water-resistant smart phone window on the top. It won't got anyplace and you can still use the phone and you have a place for snacks.
Yeah I wouldn't trust my phone being secured by rubber bands or clip-on systems optimized for being thin enough so you can pocket your phone rather than for being secure on the bike. Enclosed zipper pocket holders are the way to go.
@@elindredI know it’s a little pricey but the Quad-Lock is really solid. The actual phone case locks onto the mount so it’s not going anywhere for anything. And they offer like four or five different mounts for bikes now. Two out front mounts, a stem mount and two stem cap mounts. I usually don’t like cases on my phones because they’re bulky but they did a good job balancing protection and ergonomics.
Those top tube bags can get your phone really warm in summer.
Kills your battery very reliably.
I would consider a suspended stem for keeping it from vibrations from poor road conditions.
Or just take the risk.
Just keep it in a pocket and don’t answer it! 😂
Happy Christmas! !
Merry Christmas!!
Question #1 - two years ago I would have agreed. But then I bought an old second hand steel racing bike that weighs ca. 10 kg (about 22pounds I guess?). That are only about 3kg (6pounds) less than my old bike. I would never have thought it, but it is _so_ much more fun to ride...
It's highly unlikely that the improvement is purely down to the lower weight. There are so many other factors that have a huge impact on the way a bike rides and on the rider themselves.
@@another3997 My 22lb racer with 24t freewheel gets me up the same hills as my 30lb tourer with 28t freewheel. So there's that.
after covid the bike shop i went to for years turned in to a horror palace. all the people who worked there before covid were my friends and understood how i wanted my bikes set up. all of them had to go on to other employment so they could continue to live. the people who replaced them just were not even close to the previous wonderful folks i grew to care for. covid destroyed a lot of businesses for me. now i bounce around trying to get someone to show care and understanding for my bikes. nearly impossible these days. i do most of the service myself now on my bikes, but some work still needs a professionals touch. i am 73 now and will ride as long as i can. 🚴♀
So your saying it's now a tRek store?
Figures.
@@dudeonbike800 NO. the people there now are just ass holes.
FYI: There are decent aluminum phone holders out there for roundabout 14-17 bucks on Amazon. Where I live they're sold under the brand nam Tiakia for example. Have never seen this style of phone holde in any bike shop tho but as a former bike mechanic and a guy who loves long distance bikepacking I can confirm that these are sturdy af.
The rubber ones maybe last a week or two whereas my aluminum one is currently in year 4 of operation with a spare being installed on my enduro holding my phone securely in place every ride.
Maybe they're not sold in shops bc they could increase injury in a crash but ig I have been lucky so far lol.
some of the new trek ebikes have quadlock mounts built in that will wirelessly charge your phone.
My first time to your site and I had to subscribe because:
1. I love your sense of humour
2. I love cycling
3. I don't like fishing
As a mountain biker, I gasped when he suggested starting with the max pressure rating for a tire. 😱
it's easier to let some air out than to put air in on the trail. I don't carry a pump, just some co2 cartridges
Same has a road rider.
Falling off and wondering why is a good place to start! 😂😂😂
We're a family of six with 9 bikes and every single one is or has been converted to 1x and almost all use the same m6100/5100 derailleur that works with 10,11,12 speed cassettes. I have so much confidence in these mechs as the pinnacle of robust rear shifting that I've bought four spares (oem unboxed).
This is seriously one of the best videos I have ever watched. And everything you said is so true. I love stuff like this.
Thanks. I needed that. The joy of my young life was a three speed “Schwin Racer” I got at age ten and pedaled 300 miles over the next two years. First taste of independence. Used it mostly to scout new places to fish. Lots of sunnies fit in the basket on the way home although they enjoyed the ride less than I did.
Love all the childhood memories this anecdote of yours brings up. Those were the days!!
My first bike was one my dad bought me for my birthday. It was a single speed monster so tall I had to stand on the curb to get on it. I rode that bike on dirt trails, commuted to school every day, rode off concrete walls until the Front fork split. My dream bike was the three speed internal hub bike. From that point on, it was a dream to have a 21 speed. Now, in my old age, I have a 1 x 8 with a granny low Montigue Crosstown folding bike which I love to ride. My wife asked if I will be selling it now that we have e-bikes. I put that suggestion in the past and we are still married. So, yes, I can relate to everything Bikefarmer said.
Off topic but have you checked out I know a Guy Bicyles?
I worked with him briefly in s 4th generation shop in Ann arbor. You guys are simply honest and dont push the industry with your channels.
My favorite bicycle channels!
Please keep speaking your mind its just good .
Id love to come check out your shop btw.
Good stories should be shared.
- I ride my tires pretty hard, close to max (on the road mostly)
- I use a phone app to track me now and again, but mostly I just ride (Zeopoxa Cycling)
- I have a comfort saddle that is harder and smoother than the thick cruiser saddles, but not as thin and hard as the racing saddles
- All three my bikes differ in size and wheel size, I like the smaller frames and wheels for agility, but the 29er is also nice sometimes. I adjust stem length etc to match them to what I like.
- I use "mtb" on the road, I do not compete, it works for me and honestly it's nice having suspension for our potholes etc...
- I have a 21 Speed, 24 Speed and a 1x7, all have their pro's and con's
- I ride a "woman's" frame that has the word, "DIVA" on it, and I do not care. It's one out of three I have.
- Most cheaper bikes can't make use of the full range of speeds anyway to to bad cross-chaining, some shift just fine though, each bike is different.
- Performance is not my focus, I ride for commute and for fun
I just recently started a local social ride, this week we had two riders, I do hope we will grow with time, thanks for the vids as always!
#2 The Topeak ride case and mount are excellent, absolutely rock solid, used one for 3 years without any issues. I think this one was misleading
Andy, gotta pull you up on no.9 brother. Quad Lock has been my go to for phones for what seems like a decade. Recommend
It’s what I use.
Greetings from Berlin Germany, I love your work and it's soothing for my old bikemech soul. Please keep up the good work!!! Thanks and merry Christmas, Mehrdad
Leave the fish alone 😢. I was fishing once...so sorry!!! That was pre Mountainbiking!
Thank you for the most informative sarcasm ever! Pure genius! I will always be a subscriber!!
You're welcome! It’s called satire and we need WAY more of it.
Fun times at the bike funny farm!!
Merry Christmas- bah humbug!
@@bkefrmr there's more than it seems but people like to get offended over it...
1:37 For mtb, just keep the phone in a bag pocket or something. For cruising around town? I’ve been impressed by The Nite Ize squeeze. It’s unfazed by Wheelies and popping off curbs n stuff and super easy to get the phone in and out.
A walk down Memory Lane with all its fleeting fascinations… 😄 Next year I celebrate six decades in the saddle. It’s been quite a ride… 🚴
All phone holders DO NOT suck. The best value one is Topeak SmartPhone Dry Bag (universal one so you never need to buy a new one). I've worked as a bike courier for many years. Absolutely zero issues and I've delivered in the rain for entire days. It has never come off or come close to it, plus even if you drop it, it will protect your phone. I recommend stocking them.
Quad lock is also good but it's not worth it because A: It's way more expensive and B: It's not waterproof unless you stretch a cover over it which you'll probably always lose/forget. Also isn't universal. So yeah get the Topeak, best phone mount hands down.
For my kids going to school and a couple of friends who commute to work their bikes are not quite toys, they are vehicles and when they break down they are in trouble. For my kids I picked rather high end 1990s 3x9 mtbs with fat tires, tubes and slime in the tubes. They ride them as 1x9 (middle ring only) and it’s been zero issues over a period of about 8 years. Some hiccups sometimes but always made the 2 miles trip.
The commuters I know settled with something similar to the hybrid you showed but with drop bars: kind of a modern “gravel bike”: in the US commuters want speed as they cover quite some distance.
I think you missed the joke, but never mind, we can't all have a sense of humour. It is unwise to make blanket statements about commuters in the US with regard to distance travelled and their speed, just as it is unwise to make those statements about cyclists in any other country. Such statements are easily disproved.
Have fun taking off the tires when there worn out
@@another3997 I think he wanted to be sarcastic more than funny.
As for commuters I was relaying the experience of European commuters plus my experience plus various TH-cam publications on the topic.
@@Mikewillson-b2r looks like you responded to some other post
I should get one of those T-shirts, but I'll put the word "Hobbyist" on it. Bikes are my toys that get me around, and they are fun to work on. They also allow me to eat too much comfort food, and stay at a healthy weight. Thanks for putting in the Pee Wee Herman pic!!!
My wife and I have been watching your video and absolutely love them. We had a bike a shop in the late 70 and early 80. I also worked in an old school bile shop from the 4th grade tell I graduated from high school in 1969. Love love your channel and your chatter.
I must be doing something wrong ? I've ridden my current bike every single day for the past 18 months, I've pumped up the tires twice, their 47mm wide slick tires with 8 speed hub gears and belt drive, i ride slow with a comfy seat and Jones handle bars, the frame is aluminum with hydraulic disc brakes and weighs about 11kg, it cost me around $1000 and so far with zero maintenance apart from an occasional wash. It suits me about 90 percent so I love it :-)
You should probably just get a new bike 🙄
It was new :-) I'd replace it with something exactly the same, or with a pinion gearbox but I could never afford that...
Yes, sounds you urgently need a carbon frame and some remote controlled dura ace with a power meter brfore things get totally out of hand.
Rohloff gearbox for this trike-required, limited-mobility senior handicapper.
Oh, Yeah!!! E-assist too!!! My Hase Lepus' are wheelchair/dual forearm crutches accessible!!!
You had me until you washed it 😊
Nice one. The two bikes I have left are both one speeds as I don’t tour anymore and live in a flat city.
One is a klunker that I’m not afraid to leave locked up downtown and the other a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ bike for social rides.
Your rant about gear innovation is so on point. Latelly i "downgraded" from 1x10 to 1x8 and honestly it feels more like upgrade to me. Its cheaper,simpler, lasts longer and shifts better.
Thank you.
You want smooth shifting, go single speed, the ultimate up/downgrade ;-)
@@peterdeb580 for the absolute most fun though you have to go fixed after years of riding freewheel than halfway through enjoy the bucking bronco experience when you forget your on a fixie while (ahem) adjusting your undercarriage 😂
Just figure how fast you might want to go (like 28 or 34 mph or whatever), how slow you really need to go (half walking pace, like 2 mph, steep hills you know), and acceptable steps between those two (like at least 9 or 10) and you're golden.
The bike I ride the most is a 1x10 and it's fine but nothing shifts like my old 3x6 MTB. There is such a satisfying THUNK when that big chain drops a cog.
I bought a more comfortable saddle online. Still not optimal, but better than stock. Makes a HUGE difference.
If we can have comfortable saddles on motorcycles, why can't we have them on bicycles?
E-Scooters forgo the saddle altogether. It's much more comfortable to stand for two hours than to sit on an average bicycle.
My biggest pet peeves:
- the wheels are getting bigger and bigger. You don't find many of the standard 26" full size bikes anymore. Bigger wheels are less nimble and break much more easily under stress. There's no reason that a bicycle needs a wheel bigger than a car or motorcycle designed to go 5 to 10x the speed. It's not a tractor.
- the handlebars are much too low. If you sit upright, they should be well above the saddle. There are very few frames were you can pull up the handle bars that high
- why do the pedals have to be under the saddle? move them forward, so you can have a lower riding height. Then stopping for traffic lights isn't an uncomfortable problem anymore.
That was an early Christmas present, I laughed so hard, Funniest video yet, well played sir. Give this man a subscribe folks you won't regret it!
Just got a hyper havoc 42 lbs cheap Walmart bike. But did some tlc on the brakes and wheels and got it for free if it gets stole no real money lose and i have my other 4 bikes that I love to enjoy again. Love bikes. Love this video.
Did not expect a Susan B. Anthony reference when I clicked on this vid. Approved 👍
I'm here for the rants and love the A-h0le videos....I think you love that persona and you do an awesome job! the whole list is stuff I finally learned when I stopped wanting to be a bike bro and figured out party pace was lots more fun. (going fast is still cool if that's what you like, but cycling is lots more accessible when you don't need a $2000 bike and $400 worth of gear).
Too good, BikeFarmer. This video reminds me of Mad Magazine's "Snappy answers to stupid questions."
Love it!!! Question 13- "Do I really need a $15,000 plastic (carbon fibre) bike ???
I'm happy with my Shwinn woodlands 7-speed, that i bought in 1992. Happy biking folks ! 🍺👍
I had that bike too in the most beautiful green with Jackson Pollock paint streaks! My mom gave it away when I was in college 😢. (But wasn't it a 3x7?)
@doncrescas yes 21-speed (3x7)
Great video. Questions13...what is the best chain lube to use if my bike weights 24.5 lbs and I want to maximize my wattage?
@@TVR-jc5uf you'll definitely want to wax your chain
Just make sure you acquire a vat of industrial solvents to remove the lube that comes on the new chain. That stuff can piss away 2-3W!
@@goonstrokemore that the wax just won't work, and won't penetrate the rollers. as the oil breaks down and dries out, you end up with a rusty chain.
@@walkerways8695 Wax should be a Mechanics dream but many seem to hate it , probably because customers don't do proper pre-prep or occasionally clean chains and not just re-lube ( contamination will just keep building up ). Maintenance is a lot easier than with oil , once the tools / rules are understood, bikes are easier to clean e.t.c. Plus there is much 'advice intertia' , even though wax is a century old idea that didn't have modern additives to make it decent.
Thankfully, there's a used-bike shop in my town here in north-east England that is friendly, helpful, expert and doesn't charge a lot to sort out my bike's problems despite it being a hub-gear, belt driven oddity. Other shops are available... but not so great (I'm looking at you, Halfords).
Peak Design’s phone holder is actually awesome, BUT it requires that you also use their case and, as you know or can guess, their products are expensive. But, if you want an amazing phone-on-bike experience, Peak Design is hands-down the choice.
Peak design is having PR issues at the moment. LOL
@@CanItAlready What exactly do you think is funny about it?
Shapeheart makes a really good magnetic pouch I have never had one fail on my mtb and even on my ktm 790 motorcycle so it's probably good enough
I second the Peak Design phone holder. I have had my phone mounts fail twice while riding over the years, and after the last time, I decided to suck it up and get the PD case & mount. As you said, it is an amazing phone/bike experience: It goes on and off one handed, with s solid click in place, and it will NOT fall off - I even tested their claim that you can pick up the bike by the case, and it worked. Even so, I can grab the phone with one hand and take a quick picture of wildlife I spot on the trail so much faster than the mounts that failed me in the past. Expensive, but totally worth it.
heard they make a nice backpack too
I LOVE this guys! Wish he was local for me so I could come in with dumb questions every day. Gonna apply his tips on caliper brake adjustment which has been a frustrating endeavor so far, wish me luck.
Update: The Bike Farmer's instructions for brake caliper adjustment worked like a charm, easy-peasy. Thank you for keeping this old guy safe on the road!
my 7 year old loved the "take a dump" joke at the end with the 💩. Solid video
Most things mentioned can understand. 1 chain ring and bike weight not so much. Should point out that im also in the Rocky Mountain range. Also about 1/3 of the town I'm in has stop sigjs and lights on hills sometimes with 8% grade to 14% grade. A nice bike weight isn`t everything but when near bottom end of safe weight as a rider lighter bike helps. Dual chainrings and correct # of teeth for your fitness and terrain helps. Same can be said for a cassette of proper range.Around here steep climbs fast and long descents and wind of 25 to 70 mph dual chaining and cassette combo can help make your ride a bit more enjoyable. May also save the dredded phone call for someone to come recuse because you couldn't complete your rout.
This may be the most entertaining video of the week on any TH-cam channel.
I love your videos brother! You’ve been a huge inspiration for starting TH-cam!
I’d love to say that you’re right about MTB bike culture. Or bike culture in general. I wish people just loved bikes and loved to have fun.
I picked up a 3x drive train bike for cheap when i got back into riding a bike for commuting. As someone who had no knowledge past riding a bike to school at 8 years old on a single speed, it was extremely confusing. I could not mentally make sense of what I thought should happen and what my legs were feeling. The whole shifters working opposite and needing to avoid cross chaining is not great for newbies.
Last week I spent a full hour only to try to get someone to understand how to use the left twist shifter to shift a front derailler.
You get used to it. For me, I'll just kept it in the small chain ring if I'm on a hilly section, or big chain ring of I'm on a straight slightly downhill path. 80% of the time it's in the middle chain ring. I'm not advocating that 3x is better than 1x by any means. But I enjoy what I've got (for now).
Just got a 1x12 Trek. Love it. Love not having to think about front derailleur. And 10-44 range in the back gives me a wider range than my 2x road and gravel bikes!
I do community bike repairs, and trying to explain why a 3x7 doesnt actually give you 21 speeds is a very common occurence. Most people are baffled when I tell them my easiest bike to ride is an old 10 speed racer converted to single speed with a coaster brake only. It's as basic as it gets and near enough bomb proof. Get the gear ratio correct for your riding style, and a single speed will be all you need.
If you live in a hilly city like Vienna, a single speed will be painful if you are not well trained. There was a time when singlespeeders or beach cruisers were fashionable, but after a while they disappeared again.
Yeah as a commuter or leisure rider you need gears for inclines, but I like the idea that, since everyone has their ideal ratio, most 21 speed bikes end up living their life in one particular selection, and all the gears do is make the bike applicable to more riders' ideal ratios
Is that a Nitto Dynamic II 90 degree forged alloy quill stem just behind your right shoulder? My favorite stem! Sorry, I wasn't paying much attention to the rest of your video.
Watch the XO-2 video
@@bkefrmrWill do. I had a 52cm XO-2 once but it ended up being too short for me. Sadness. Pure sadness.
man I totally missed the 2 spd back pedal shift of my pegas stormy archer rear hub. The nexus 3 spd is quite finicky.
A Sturmey Archer 3 speed is bullet proof.
@@sparkydogsparky2992 I was having the 2 spd S2C, nexus was 3 speed, dont want cables and drive train rachet noise like the nexus!
Top content. Thanks for helping the newbies 😊
How many speeds?
In my youth I had 10, routinely used 2 of them & just occasionally a third.
I now have an English 3 speed, & routinely use 2 of them & occasionally a third.
I can pretty much guarantee if I had 18, I'd routinely use 2 of them, & occasionally a third.
You must not be much of a cyclist then.
@@MicroageHD I'm a bloke who rides a bike, not a "cyclist".
I have no desire to be associated with those elitist pricks.
Your comment being the perfect example of why I don't.
@@MicroageHD I'm a bloke who rides a bike, not a "cyclist".
Your comment illustrates perfectly why I've no desire whatsoever to ever be associated with "cyclists".
@@MicroageHD The difference between cyclists & ordinary people who happen to ride a bike in one exchange.
Lord, may I never become a cyclist.
I coined my own logical fallacy. It’s called “ The mechanics mindset”
It’s where you believe you are smarter than anyone that doesn’t hold the same niche knowledge that you do.
This is hilarious to me as a mechanical engineer - the level of confidently wrong I've heard from bike mechanics through the years when they're trying to explain how bikes work, especially new products where they've read the marketing, but have no materials science or even basic physics knowledge to temper the ridiculous drivel marketing comes up, with is a large part of the reason I do all my own maintenance.
There are some brilliant bike mechanics around, but they tend to be the ones doing it as a hobby as anyone smart enough to be a good mechanic is also smart enough to work out that they can get paid a lot more to work fewer less stressful hours in almost any other industry. The literal only ways to make a half decent living as a bike mechanic are to own the bike shop (And spend more time on business related work than fixing bikes) or be willing to live out of a suitcase all summer as a race team mechanic.
As a great person said to me many years ago, "never equate intelligence with knowledge - the guy you think is smarter than you just has a different basis in experience - your level of curiousity is the best indicator of intelligence."
Quadlocks are pretty good for holding phones. I tried 3 or 4 other brands and settled on them and have no complaints. Also, bicycles are much more than toys, even if they are fun.
I have said it before. I’ll say it again. For most people in most situations 1x9 or 1x10 is the perfect drive train. Easy, simple, cheap.
the industry is heading that way, the marketing scam is loosing out, but stupid's will adopt it in 10 yrs or so... 29 is the new rage and 1x9
SS
100% agreed, i hate the fact that the chains are SO thin on 12 speed and you require a microscope to tune thoose MFs. 9 speed is perfect for hardtails and 10 speed gets you some extra range on full sus if you need it
Yeah I think most regular people cant wrap their head around multiple gears up front and the range of a new 9 speed is great
The neat feature is that for about $80 in parts, you can convert any old worn out 3x7 to a 1x8 Acolyte with a Cues rankset. At the end of the day, it's generally cheaper than rehabbing all the old parts, and the customer is usually happy that their old bike is now a 1x!
I think this is the best general purpose bike video I have ever seen. I loved it.
My first bike was a triple. Quickly found that in reality I could only use half of the gears because of duplication and rubbing. It was irritating. Next two bikes were doubles; and the last two bikes were singles. The gearing on the singles fully matches the way I ride and have had no shifting issues. Live and learn.
@bombero3368 I'm hoping to get the M8000 XT groupset, I was thinking of getting the 2X crank; I think they're only $330.00🍁+ tax with the rings🤔. The 1X is $310.00+ tax with the chainring. Do you recommend the 1X instead?
My brother bought an old XC bike thinking "i wanna keep the 3x!"
Took two months to change his mind 😂
@@glen3509 I would choose the 2X crank...
@garyseckel295 I looked into the Great looking 7150 aluminum (which I never heard of until the other day), and 7075 spindle hope Evo cranks. They're almost 💰💰500.00🍁; and an extra $100.00 for the 7075 T6 aluminum chainring😱lol. Also really expensive is the 5Dev 6/4 Titanium crank w/
6/4 Titanium chainring. This might be the best-looking crank I've ever seen. They're
💰💰💰💰💰2,999.00🍁🤯. The 7075 aluminum version is also quite expensive; they're over 💰💰700.00🍁. Thanks for the reply🤘🤘
Yeah, it matched the way you ride... you just dont know how to shift properly
1x is the best thing that ever happened to MTBing. I converted my hardtail for pennies! Suspension came 1x and again changed out front chain ring to better suit my uphill bike pushing!
Having lived on a miles-long dirt road for over 40 years, and an aversion to driving to the start of a bicycle ride, I approve of the "every bike is a gravel bike" concept. I even ride my track bike with 22 mm sewups to pavement. Is a wide tire at low pressure more stable and comfortable? Sure, but any bike, any road, any time is a laudable goal in my book.
Try riding a road bike with narrow tires on sand. I tried it once. Once. LOL
I still love my road bone, but I also appreciate the wider, grippier tires on my other bikes. 😁
People should also get rear racks (and possibly front baskets) as standard. Too many people having to use a backpack to carry their stuff when putting the weight on the bike is so much better.
I agree with the low gear count, Low maintenance, low speed bike though, they are still like 5x faster than walking and thats all you need them for.
If you like bike riding and you liked this video as much as I did and if you haven't read "Just Ride" then you gotta do it now. Bike Farmer is the TH-cam version of Grant Petersen X2! I love him (you know what I mean) and I love his attitude.
Super funny video mechanics like you motivated me to learn how to fix my own bike... I will keep tuning in I hope your channel does well does well got to be damn cold up in Wisconsin right now Wisconsin right now Wisconsin right now
Thanks for cheering me up Bikefarmer 😂
Having just spent 2 hours in a dentist chair for an emergency complicated extraction, I needed a gentle bike related laugh 😂👍🏼👌🏻
The great thing about being a dentist - besides the money - is the customers can't ask too many stupid questions when they're in the chair 😋
@yarly3180 😂
Beat you, I had eye surgery yesterday.
@@fastjay8384 hey hey hey, the dentist just put an order in for one of those new Colnago Y1RS and he needs to do a couple extra new implants to pay for it
I feel you. I had a tooth pulled last week, root infection meant the local aesthetic only kind of worked and in the UK they won't knock you out any more and don't like to sedate either, it broke off half way, and she had to "dig" for one of the roots, so that was a 24-karat gold barrel of laughs.
Bike fitter here and shop owner. It blows my mind that there are shops out there that would simply hand over a bike with providing some sort of fit adjustment. Ever wonder why these become basement bikes? I make the most for providing a recreational rider fit. Its amazing what a tilt of the saddle and fore/aft can do to provide more comfort. And i dont charge a bike snob amount for my service.
HA,ha,ha! This is a good one! you forgot one; The biggest disc brake is called a rim brake.
Happy Holidays!
Thank you!!
"I suggest you take up fishing." LOL! Thanks for keeping it real! But hydraulic brakes, really? My 90s era hybrid came with cantilever brakes, plenty of stopping power and never any annoying squeaks!
@@bartbrodsky7190 and hydraulic brakes require heavier hubs, calipers, disk, frame and fork, all of which need to be stiffer and less comfortable (BTW, regardless of what he says, weight makes climbing driftless hills in his area a lot tougher and reduces how far as well as how much one rides). They need to be bled at least every 6 months and pads replaced every 1500 miles (cheap ones even less). Canti's remain my favorite
If you live on foothills or in mountains, hydraulic brakes are really helpful.
@whitefluffydogs9278 actually, one of the big complaints from the pro Pelton is thst they get hot and stick on long descents. We hauled huge loads over mountains using canti's, "They're good enough for who they're for."
@@MHH3180 I take Farmer's point that there's a cost vs. benefit to losing those last 5 to 10 bike pounds. The casual rider might not notice, but sure, go lighter if you can afford it! As for hydraulics I'm 100% with you. Why make maintenance more complicated and expensive? I just scored a used fat tire e-bike with hydraulics which I may convert to mechanicals.
@@whitefluffydogs9278 One of my buddies, an e-biker, swears by hydraulics because they're easier on his hands. Another buddy has always ridden racers with rim brakes. It's great to have so many options, right?
This is one of my favorites!!! Great job.
This video needs to become HUGELY understood!
This is a for real To-Be-Saved Video!
I went 2x11 on my hardtail a few years ago and then 1x12 earlier this year for my full suspension, and I really like it. Less range than 3x9, but I really don't need the top end on a mtb with 2.4/2.6 tires. And there's more clearance with smaller rings.
As a cyclist who has been riding for 40 years, this is the best video I've seen in a long while.
I wish Andy was my bice mechanic so i could get berated for coming down to the shop to have my tire pressure and saddle height adjusted once a week.
$20!
1:35 Quad-lock is great, invest once and you'll be pleased.
Thanks!
Thank you!!
If you treated me like this for asking a question, you would never see me again.
The Togue and The Check have met and they are friends with the Bike Farmer. A harvest of good humor.
Can you attach my fishing creel to the back of my bike for me? Also need a fly rod holder opposite side. Do I need a flag for that since the rods are like, eleven feet tall...
Yeah I'm pokin' ya a little but when we were kids we scrounged up set-ups to do this. Worked well enough for who it was for. Bless you Farmer.
Weight is important when you lift the bicycle on stairs time and again
Hit the weight room.
I appreciate everything about this video, and wish I could give it way more thumbs up. Instead, I'm sharing it with a bunch of my friends and following your channel. Count me jealous.
There you go again calling your customers stupid 🙄 Plus my bike is not a toy it is my daily transport & very important to me. Paying a mechanic that thinks it's a toy is super insulting & uncool.
This video was made especially for you! 😂
@christianb.1028 it was made to drive away business i guess? TH-cam clickbaiting & ebegging seems more important to this guy than being good at his job now.
Don't take yourself so seriously
Cheer up Joey
Satire is lost on some people.
I like my SP Connect phone holder. Very similar to the Quad lock. Dual use when using it on the car mount. Topeak makes a great one also. The mount case also add overall protection to the cell phone itself and I have never seen the phone fly off. I wouldn't trust one of those rubber band style mounts.
Best video you've made so far. Since watching your videos I've learned so much. I'm pretty sure I've watched them all. Have recycled over 100 bikes in the last 4 years. Not bad for someone doing it as a hobby. Going to send you some Taco money.
Great, GREAT video! I loved it. Thanks for this! Kept a smile on my face the whole time