In early 2015 I bought a black Brompton M3L. It very quickly became the perfect bike for me, shopper, commuter, leisure rides, summer picnic rides and tourer. It has never let me down - well, almost never, one puncture since I bought it and one new bottom bracket in nine years. I ride it most days and it has become one of my most trusted, most treasured possessions. I had four bikes when I bought it and I’ve since got rid of three of those. The one remaining other bike sits gathering dust and I should let it go to someone who needs a bike. Touring with the Brompton has enabled me, a small woman in my sixties, to have holidays I once could only dream of. It is such a freeing notion to realise that I can decide on a Friday morning that I want to be the other side of the country by teatime for a few days cycling! No fretting about booking bike space, just turn up at the rail or bus station with the Brompton and a bag of camping gear. I love it’s 3 speed slow travel. It has transformed my life 🤗
Thanks for sharing this. I've had a Brompton for a few years and love it. I don't use it for touring but it is for me such a perfect commuting (to/from train) and city bike.
When I was 32, I got rid of everything I had & rode a bicycle across the US. I started in Santa Barbara, CA ... down to San Diego ... & then across the south to St. Augustine FL. Coast to Coast. Took about 2-1/2 months. Camped out all along the way. It was a fantastic journey. I am still a very avid cyclist.
There's no need to choose sides. I love all forms of cycling--including racing, touring, commuting, and whatevering. I'm a mountain biker, a roadie, and a gravel grinder. Race pace and party pace are both awesome. I watch Path Less Pedaled and GCN. Fast bikes are fun, and so are slow bikes. One of the greatest things about riding is that you can do a little of something, or you can do it all!
That’s why it’s called the cave of bad ideas. 🤣🤣 But I thank Russ for these, cause learning of from someone else is the best way to go. ❤️ but there’s always a different kind of fun when you’re doing it yourself. 😁
@@garyseckel295 eh, riding upright is severely overrated if you're going more than a mile or mile & a half. I'm not a large guy and I can FEEL how much the drag pulls at me when I'm just riding flat bars. It's noticeably more effort to pedal above jogging speed than when on my drop bar road bike. Drop bar road is just EASIER to get around on thanks to reduced drag. Dutch cruiser would be even WORSE than flat bars. Not to mention that huge saddle-sore-inducing seat. Yuck.
The first and best pedal installation mnemonic I ever learned was "Back : Off". 40 years later It still pops unbidden into my head whenever I go to install or remove a pedal.
Y'all have changed my life (along with other great cycling youtubers). In 2020, when things were looking real grim, I stumbled onto your videos and decided to start biking around my home city. Cycling gave me the joy that I was missing from my life. I continued to bike commute and challenge myself, and now I've taken a bike mechanic course and fix bikes to raise money to sponsor a refugee family. Wishing you the best for the next 20 years in bike videos and life.
Good advice. I just want to point out that bicycle commuting is like a bicycle tour every day. Play with your routes looking for adventure, interesting locations and challenges. This also makes you ready for a big tour when you are ready to expand your bicycle world.
Well said thoughts on the BIKE, thanks! 71 year old here, cycling over 45 years. From shop rides on a De Rosa, Super Record, with sew-ups; to touring across the U.S. and EU. Today I'm happiest toodling along with my drop-bar mountain bike on the gravel trails near Boulder. Happy trails! ☮
There's a related phrase - straight roads are for fast cars, twisty roads are for fast drivers. A twisty road is a sure sign the road goes somewhere people have wanted to get to badly enough to be willing to build all that extra road to ease the climb.
Lol the gentle curves are where it’s at. The “wiggly lines”… i mean if you look at a mountain area and the road just starts making a wide letter several times in a row…. yeah you can bet the end of those curves is several hundred feet higher than the beginning.
@teacherguy5084 not necessarily- if they can focus on making more customers happy instead of going for the big money sales. We're very fortunate to have shops in Moncton that do operate with this philosophy.
Russ, I've been watching you for the better half of a decade. Your style of content is unique and exceptional. You shine light on the non-racing side of cycling and the many incarnations of it. Your videos are best when they are your own. Some of my favorites have been the cave of bad ideas. Always answer those odd questions. The best thing about not being another GCN clone is that your content is original and comes from the curiosity of riding bikes. Keep up the great work, hope to continue to watch you into the future.
Thanks for that, Russ! Yesterday I finished an 8 day ride - no crazy distances, lots of photos, and many great conversations with people met along the way. That’s cycling at its finest for me. Love and appreciate your channel and the Party Pace vibe!
Every point is 100% spot on. Some hit harder than others, but they are all truth. Glad you are still on your journey. Hope we are still around for what the next 20 years teach you.
Yes, the advice to “go now” is good advice. I’ve been telling my much younger coworkers that travel is important. Go to other countries and see how people live. It is as important as a college education in my opinion. And like an education, the experience will stay with you.
Great thoughts...I might add Look after your ride and it will look after you. Learn to fix little things which won't leave you stranded and avoid bigger problems. Suffer through the rain. cold, wet and darkness then you will enjoy the nice days more. Find other people to ride with and share the experiences along the way.
The thing I've come to realize is that the joy I get from riding far exceeds any displeasure I might experience from bad weather. People sometimes ask why I would ride in cold weather. It's not about the weather, it's about going for a bike ride in spite of the weather.
Thanks for being candid and putting up this lovely blend of bike and life advice. I stumbled across your info on Brompton bike touring as a twenty-something, and, despite many a raised eyebrow, began touring and riding at my own pace. I kept watching the channel, went car free, found like-minded people, and just generally got out there and did things. You being yourself has helped a lot of people be themselves.
Thanks! Great video with wisdom that applies beyond cycling. I'm 75. Got serious about riding more during covid. I realize now that every bike I've ever owned was geared way too high. Smaller chainwheels and WIDE range cassettes have made cycling much more enjoyable for me.
Great video. My favourite two bikes are vastly different. My steel fixed gear is my favourite bike to rip around on, my longtail cargo bike is my favourite for cruising, hauling and bike packing. Both are steel and basic, except for the hydraulic disc brakes on the Cargo bike. One of my simple pleasures is passing any roadie looking like a magazine cover while riding my cargo bike.
1500 videos! Russ and Laura, your video content has exposed me to more cycling than I could have imagined. Thank you for your perseverance! Plus, cool t-shirt.
I remember looking thru someone's photo album in the mid 1980's and they had ridden across the country in 1976. In jean cut-offs, old, old school "ten speeds" and zero training. Was so inspiring.
Sorry, mate, I was so busy riding my own hobby horse that I neglected to say thanks for all the entertaining and informative videos of yours that I’ve watched over the last three years or so. All the best to you and your wife; may the sun shine on both of you and may the wind always be at your back. Cheers!
Congratulations on 1500 episodes. I still go back and watch them. At age 74 I've stopped the "metrics" some time ago and enjoy just riding with normal clothes and flat pedals. Over the years I must have spent a small fortune on must have bike gear. In my 20s I discovered low gears. Didn't need them much but great to have.
You are 100% on! My wife and didn’t really start seriously until age 66. We have now done 11 bike and barge tours in Europe. We try to do 2 a year, but the Pandemic slowed us down for at least 2 years. We also do short hotel to hotel or Center base rides prior and after our Barge and bike trips. We will ride 20 - 70 km per day prefer to keep it below 55 Km. Unfortunately it is hard to find the shorter routes. We are currently are looking at a Danube ride that we plan our own distances. We want to keep the distances down and maybe take a one day break so we can do laundry at a laundromat. Keep up the great videos.
Congratulations Russ, I’ve followed you since the old days of the Bilenky photo-bike, and it’s always been a joy. As an old guy now, I’m retiring to your homeland and I will enjoy a whole different world of tropical cycling. Warmest regards to both of you, from UK. Partypace always!
Now 67 years old and have been bike touring since I was in high school so yup 50 years. Totally agree with the need low gears move than higher gears - unless you live in flat land and never carry a load. My favorite moment on my bike is always the first 100 yards - I feel the same as I did at 12 years old - free with the wind in my face. I would add something in your advice about protecting yourself when riding with cars and trucks. Had my first bad crash a few months ago due to a driver in spite of my defensive skills. Party pace!
I 100% agree with everything in this video. I also really like the basic concept of this video and might steal the idea - and credit this video with a link! You’ve taught me more than you’ll ever know. Thanks for all of it and here’s to 1500 more! 🍻
This guy is giving the wisdom of experience. I kind of liked that. His bike channel is often the bike channel "for the rest of us." I am one that doesn't give a fig what the bicycle racers ride, wear or consume. I am surprised a company like Surly that makes touring bikes hasn't given him some support. It would be good advertising for them.
Several years ago I purchased a bike from a small Bike Shop that was going out business. Owner custom built the bike on an old Chromoly steel frame. (I had never ridden a bike with front suspension.). Really just bought it because I liked the shop, would miss their service, plus what the heck it was mad money. A few weeks ago I took it to a small shop in Kansas for a tune up etc etc.. When I picked the bike up, the guy that worked on bike was all complementary, saying it was the nicest bike he had ever worked on. This shop had literally 100’s of old bikes lying around for parts, or had been abandoned, he just loved bikes. Made me feel special: was he telling the truth, I have no idea, but this bike just looks - feels special - I know the guy who built it was special. Long winded - just enjoy the ride. Chasing 80 years - I just chug around county roads - enjoy myself. Nothing special just an old chick - her bike.
Great video Russ, I’ve been on the granny gear revolution for years now as well, and your right the bike needs to fit and as a rider im happier with money spent on my drivetrain to give me the gearing I want and the comfort from my tires that will keep my happy on the saddle for hours at a time
Love this vid, mirrors my experience over a lifetime of cycling (age 66). I remind folks who think I’m slow, or dress funny, or ride odd bikes, that it’s a bicycle ride.🎉
You are spot on! I travelled the world during my 30's. Riding my bike most of the time. I moved home just prior to turning 40. Picked up a few fun jobs, until I was let go a year ago, then was diagnosed with a painful disease. I will say whatever bike you buy, get one that is just beyond your reach. Mostly, have fun!
I love how you frame bad bike fit as an existential crisis…haha so true. Some expensive bike components are so worth it. Paul stem? For some reason those are just so magic. Pricey lil Ene Ciclo shifters…also magic and so worth it
Sir, thank you. Thank you so much for these advices. They couldn't ring more true. Everything you've said, brought a smile to my face. I wish you all the best and supple side down as always.
I've also been riding, fixing and selling bikes (definitely not in that order..) for the majority of my adult life, I'll add one more piece of advice to the pile. Ride shorter cranks, shorter than you imagined you'd try just to see if that will work better for you. I'm a relatively large human (road bike top tube, 58.5 cm or so) and I always thought I should be riding 175 mm cranks, or minimum 172.5, but I also seem to love 170s! If you can, try using shorter, you (& your knees) might like it!
Commuting via bike has been wonderful this year. A good excuse for me to get a gravel bike, and I turn my evening commute into a proper workout if I have time! It's fun exploring to find the "secret single track" in my city
Great vid Russ. I have been living on my bike as a social experiment for a year now and your channel has been one that I have garnered so much good advice from. Thank you for the content. It reaches far and wide.
Thanks for another video packed with valuable advice. Congratulations on reaching the milestone of 1500 videos. Whilst I haven't watched all of them I have truly benefitted from your sage advice over many years. Keep fit, keep health and keep safe.
Flat pedals are great. Strong wheels beat light wheels, broken spokes suck. Tough flat resistant tires beat lightweight tires, flats suck. The seat is the most important component on your bike. Great used bikes can be found at thrift shops. Strong and reliable tops light and expensive when touring. Don't over plan long tours, play it day to day. Don't be afraid to tour solo, you will meet people and won't be lonely. You are only young once and getting old happens quicker than you realize!
Commuted by bike for 40 years in Vermont and now I ride for pleasure. Your points are all excellent, and I commend your “oddball” contribution to cycling.
Russ, you're 100% RIGHT about expensive components! All I've ever had on my mountain bikes are Acera level components, and they've served me just fine. Secondly, WRT pedals, toe clips are highly UNDERRATED! I like toe clips because I can cycle in regular shoes or sneakers. I use the clips mainly to help keep the ball of my foot over the pedal spindle, so I keep the straps loose; also, when I stop, I have to take my feet out of the clips as well. Keeping the straps on the loose side enables me to get in and get out of the clips quickly and easily as needed. When I used flat pedals, my feet would occasionally lose contact with the pedal, and then I'd be searching for that sweet spot; I'd lose power and efficiency. With the toe clips, my feet stay where they need to be, so I can focus on good pedaling technique. Thirdly, low gears are HIGHLY UNDERRATED! I had my one road bike converted to lower gearing, and I'm waiting on the other one to get a crank transplant for the same reason. My vintage Cannondale ST500 came with a 50/44/28 crank. It was old Biopace too. Thankfully, my LBS had an old, 34 tooth Biopace chainring laying around, so I had the middle chainring swapped out. Man, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The bike is actually USABLE now! I can climb most mild hills with the 34 tooth ring now. My vintage Marukin M420 came with a 52/42 Sakae crankset, which is too tall for me now, especially living in a hilly area. We couldn't find a lower tooth chainring to fit (odd bolt pattern & width), so I'm swapping out the old Sakae crankset for a Sunrace 50/34 double crank; though it's not period correct, it'll make my Marukin more usable. The Marukin is a sweet ride with its Ishiwata 025 CroMo frame, so I'd like to enjoy that bike while I still can; the lower gearing will enable me to do just that. Finally, you're also right about having the right range of gearing vs. number of gears. Getting back to my sweet, vintage Cannondale, it has six cogs out back. Between that, the good range for them, and the new 34 tooth middle chainring, I think that most of my riding will be on the middle ring; though it has a 3x6 drivetrain, I anticipate using the middle ring for much of my riding, as the gearing is now well suited. Proper gearing and and good gear range make ALL the difference!
This is the best advice I have heard about bikes and biking anywhere. I would add one more thing is that it is useful to learn a few bike maintenance skills like fixing a flat, replacing a chain and then slowly learn to do more like replacing a cassette. Over time you can slowly build up a toolset. These tools and skills will last you all your life and save a lot on bike shop repairs.
I completely agree with all this. I would add: a) don't obsess about your bike's weight, it's how it rides that counts. b) in wet/mucky conditions (I live in the north west of England) fit full length mudguards/fenders and add mudflaps if you ride with other people. It amazes me that some people will spend £120 on a nice winter jersey/jacket and then get it covered in road filth. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing! I’m a just so happy I’ve found this channel couple of years before that fits me so well. Honestly, after cycling hype started (I guess I’ve noticed it after COVID times) and I also got my gravel bike I lost that passion to cycling that I had before. For me it happened because I wanted also to have a 28-30 km/h pace on an aluminium gravel and was GPS recording all my rides and comparing myself to others on Strava. I am so glad I’ve realised and you also show it to us that cycling is so much more than just numbers and riding fast. Thank you! ❤
It is hard to disagree with any of that, particularly your take on expensive group sets. I have some and they really don’t eclipse a well-tuned Acera or Advent rear mech. One thing I will add. Someone once said, “I can’t afford to ride cheap bikes.” So true.
My wife and I read Miles from Nowhere when it came out, and it inspired us to ride across the country when we were 29. I'm so glad we did and didn't wait until a hypothetical best time.
Great advice, especially about enjoying the ride instead of obsessing about gear and metrics. Here's to steel frames, friction shifters, and remembering the color of the leaves, not your split time!
Holy shit man. The first tip really really spoke to me. When I got out of college I bought a bike in hopes of doing a cross country tour. Well, life happened, and I got a teaching job and started coaching HS football. Football is BUSY, and 13 years later, I'm still coaching HS football. I recently decided this will be my final year coaching, which will free up some time. I'll still teach but will have my summers free and more time in the fall. I'm still only 37, so there is time to do some cool shit while my knees still allow it. Thank you!
Here's one from me: For a majority of people and situations, biking is the problem, and elecrification ist the solution. You'll bike more and much more satisfied, as long as you are not a masochist (many sports loving people are, but most "normal" people are not).
Great video, Russ! With you on 97% of these, excepting the broad stroke anti-electronic shifting bias. The hassle wireless tech obviates when traveling with & reassembling a bike is invaluable to me.
I have completely de-digitized my cycling. I only carry my phone with the sound off for just in case. Kind of takes me back to when I was a kid riding and the only race was against the sun going down before I arrived home.Also, I agree with try as many different kind of bikes as possible. A bad day on a bike is always better than a good day doing something you don't like.
Great advice. I have 4 bikes and love riding all of them for different reasons. I had to modify my recumbent which meant a new fork and wheel. It was fun finding out the brakes don't fit the new forks, the headset needs changing and so do the handlebars. Now I just need the weather to stay dry so I can give it a test ride and start tweeking.
Thanks Russ. Your advice is good advice and rings true for most of my life. I have only been biking seriously since the beginning of 2020, although I’ve dabbled all my life. I’ve stopped treating every bike ride as a time trial. I do most miles on my electric bike and reserve my 90’s mountain bike and 00’s road bike for more local stuff. I often ride on my own and savour the sights and sounds and smells. Watching the clouds is a favourite pastime. A flask of coffee and a bidon of squash. It doesn’t get much better. Many thanks from an ageing ungracefully 69 year old.
As a long time subscriber, great channel. After 20+ years of bike commuting, I realised that the definition of a great bike is: "the bike the owner wants to get on and ride". 🚴😀.
The drivetrain one and tire one are the most polarizing things I've learned in my mere 5 years of cycling. Spend the majority of your money on geometry and tires!
Such amazing video and I'm glad to be "influenced" by your channel. I'm a commuter and go on long distance tours. I ride slow, on flat pedals and climb big mountains. I'm a total slow poke and proud of it. Bikes, for me, are a utility vehicle.
Very sensible advice here and you touch most of the points I think about often. Biking is not always an event, so there is still a lot of enjoyment to be derived from commuting, going to the market, a short around-town stroll. Pardon the corny comment, but focusing on smiles rather than miles has made a big difference as I get older.
What a video. Brilliant. As a 50 year old bloke who still loves riding as much as I can but not in the slightest competitive this sums it all up. Just enjoy.
“Beware of mediocre frames with higher end components”. This is the best piece of advice you can give a new cyclist. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen somebody riding a really crummy carbon frame equipped with Shimano 105. They could’ve purchased a really nice quality aluminum or decent quality steel frame for the same price and they would’ve had an incredible bike.
I was a young cyclist in 1978 when I read this in a cycling magazine... "The frame is the heart and soul of the bicycle..." That stuck with me. Currently ride a custom frame, made to measure. Every time I get on it, it's "Yeehaw!" [literally].
Is Shimano 105 high-end? I thought it was middle, Ultegra and Dura-Ace being high-end (+ electronic shiftings...). I have a Scott Speedster alloy bike with shimano 105, it's so smooth, I wouldn't trade it for what I had before... My bike was 1500€.
@@G91YSAll Shimano shifts about the same. It’s weight/materials. 105 is perfect for most people, especially now. Tiagra is honestly not bad at all now.
@@G91YS, absolutely it’s high-end or, more accurately, the lowest tier high end group. It is considered a racing group set, and is used by lower level pro teams with limited budgets. As others have mentioned, it’s functionally near identical to the more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace groups. The only real difference is weight, which doesn’t matter unless you’re racing uphill at world tour level. I personally have won age-group amateur races on it against people with higher tier group sets (on courses that have hills.)
Great stuff with one caveat-- bikes are definitely NOT designed for tall people with really long legs. They're designed for 5'10 with average proportions. Any taller, and if you're leg-biased, the stack heights are too low.
Well said for me it was in front of my morning coffee. I am awake now and glad I tuned in what a great message. This does apply to life in general too we need to be comfortable with ourselves and stop comparing ourselves with others.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
In early 2015 I bought a black Brompton M3L. It very quickly became the perfect bike for me, shopper, commuter, leisure rides, summer picnic rides and tourer. It has never let me down - well, almost never, one puncture since I bought it and one new bottom bracket in nine years. I ride it most days and it has become one of my most trusted, most treasured possessions. I had four bikes when I bought it and I’ve since got rid of three of those. The one remaining other bike sits gathering dust and I should let it go to someone who needs a bike. Touring with the Brompton has enabled me, a small woman in my sixties, to have holidays I once could only dream of. It is such a freeing notion to realise that I can decide on a Friday morning that I want to be the other side of the country by teatime for a few days cycling! No fretting about booking bike space, just turn up at the rail or bus station with the Brompton and a bag of camping gear. I love it’s 3 speed slow travel. It has transformed my life 🤗
Love this. I’ve been on the fence about a Brompton for ages. Your comment might just be the final push I need.
< Brompton
Crocs
Argyle cardigans .
😂😂😂😂.
Fn 🥱🥱🥱🥴🥴
Thanks for sharing this. I've had a Brompton for a few years and love it. I don't use it for touring but it is for me such a perfect commuting (to/from train) and city bike.
Love reading things like this, ride on...
When I was 32, I got rid of everything I had & rode a bicycle across the US. I started in Santa Barbara, CA ... down to San Diego ... & then across the south to St. Augustine FL. Coast to Coast. Took about 2-1/2 months. Camped out all along the way. It was a fantastic journey. I am still a very avid cyclist.
WOW that's incredible. Curious to know what tires? I'm betting Armadillos or Gatorskins?
@@ralphc1405
I did the same.....San Diego to St Augustine, Southern Tier....I did that beautiful route on January and February 2012
Yup a dream of mine to do a coast to coast!
@@kirk561 do it brother!
There's no need to choose sides. I love all forms of cycling--including racing, touring, commuting, and whatevering. I'm a mountain biker, a roadie, and a gravel grinder. Race pace and party pace are both awesome. I watch Path Less Pedaled and GCN. Fast bikes are fun, and so are slow bikes. One of the greatest things about riding is that you can do a little of something, or you can do it all!
THIS!!!
Agreed! I race on road and i also do bikepacking trips with friends, both are fun!
Except roadies. They are all a- holes.
Spot on! Love it.
Htf did he pronounce dura ace?
Russ over the years your bike advice has cost me thousands of dollars and I love you for it 😊
That’s why it’s called the cave of bad ideas. 🤣🤣
But I thank Russ for these, cause learning of from someone else is the best way to go. ❤️ but there’s always a different kind of fun when you’re doing it yourself. 😁
What I save on shifters I spend on bags.
😂😂😂😂❤
Buying an upright, Dutch bike to go to the store has totally changed me and how I see the town I live in. Russ is right that it's not all about speed.
Yes, many more serious cyclists don't seem to have uprights. I get a lot of use our of my beach cruiser around town.
Would love a town bike for cruising about on
@@garyseckel295 eh, riding upright is severely overrated if you're going more than a mile or mile & a half. I'm not a large guy and I can FEEL how much the drag pulls at me when I'm just riding flat bars. It's noticeably more effort to pedal above jogging speed than when on my drop bar road bike.
Drop bar road is just EASIER to get around on thanks to reduced drag.
Dutch cruiser would be even WORSE than flat bars. Not to mention that huge saddle-sore-inducing seat. Yuck.
I wish my town was bike friendly. It's a road biker's nightmare here.
@@SirBrassnothing more fun than being hunched over a drop bar.
The first and best pedal installation mnemonic I ever learned was "Back : Off". 40 years later It still pops unbidden into my head whenever I go to install or remove a pedal.
And that’s a perfect way to remember it because you only have to remember the correct way for one direction. Back off is unforgettable.
I like that!
Had to learn the hard way. Pedal helplessly stuck - went to shop - learned my lesson.
But sometimes you have the bike upside down on the floor. And we start at the beginning again.😂
fronT Tightens is mine. I like yours but already have my own :)
Y'all have changed my life (along with other great cycling youtubers). In 2020, when things were looking real grim, I stumbled onto your videos and decided to start biking around my home city. Cycling gave me the joy that I was missing from my life. I continued to bike commute and challenge myself, and now I've taken a bike mechanic course and fix bikes to raise money to sponsor a refugee family.
Wishing you the best for the next 20 years in bike videos and life.
Good advice. I just want to point out that bicycle commuting is like a bicycle tour every day. Play with your routes looking for adventure, interesting locations and challenges. This also makes you ready for a big tour when you are ready to expand your bicycle world.
Indeed! Bike commuters life is a lifelong bicycle tour!
Well said thoughts on the BIKE, thanks! 71 year old here, cycling over 45 years. From shop rides on a De Rosa, Super Record, with sew-ups; to touring across the U.S. and EU. Today I'm happiest toodling along with my drop-bar mountain bike on the gravel trails near Boulder. Happy trails! ☮
@dongenovese1809 Same, 70 in AZ
@@schwinnguy 64 in New Mexico
Love this. Keep enjoying yourself!
Same, Cortez, CO
Don't trust straight lines on a map
Don't trust wiggly lines on a map
I now no longer trust maps
i no longer trust.
There's a related phrase - straight roads are for fast cars, twisty roads are for fast drivers. A twisty road is a sure sign the road goes somewhere people have wanted to get to badly enough to be willing to build all that extra road to ease the climb.
Lol the gentle curves are where it’s at. The “wiggly lines”… i mean if you look at a mountain area and the road just starts making a wide letter several times in a row…. yeah you can bet the end of those curves is several hundred feet higher than the beginning.
And GPS even less….😂😂😂
That's what I leared about Maps in the US. Very confusing when being used to the very different tradition of German maps.
I agree with you on the low gears. As I get older, I've come to love my low gears especially when the wind kicks up 😬
Bike stores should show this video to all new customers.
It will likely reduce their bottom line. So most will probably not.
@teacherguy5084 not necessarily- if they can focus on making more customers happy instead of going for the big money sales. We're very fortunate to have shops in Moncton that do operate with this philosophy.
Better yet they should show it to all the employees…
Russ, I've been watching you for the better half of a decade. Your style of content is unique and exceptional. You shine light on the non-racing side of cycling and the many incarnations of it. Your videos are best when they are your own. Some of my favorites have been the cave of bad ideas. Always answer those odd questions. The best thing about not being another GCN clone is that your content is original and comes from the curiosity of riding bikes. Keep up the great work, hope to continue to watch you into the future.
Thanks for that, Russ! Yesterday I finished an 8 day ride - no crazy distances, lots of photos, and many great conversations with people met along the way. That’s cycling at its finest for me. Love and appreciate your channel and the Party Pace vibe!
Every point is 100% spot on. Some hit harder than others, but they are all truth. Glad you are still on your journey. Hope we are still around for what the next 20 years teach you.
I think that's a Frost poem somewhere, "2 cars converged on blind curve...and I took the ditch less traveled" 😅😂
EPIC! 😂
😂😂😂😂 yikes tho
Listen to the voice of experience: there is no one size fits all; cycling does not have to be a race. "It's ultimately up to you." Tell it Russ.
I’m 23 and starting my cycling journey and want to start bike packing but feel I’ve been putting it off for years. This is the advice I needed
Same age, and I'm actually bike touring, go for it !
Yes, the advice to “go now” is good advice. I’ve been telling my much younger coworkers that travel is important. Go to other countries and see how people live. It is as important as a college education in my opinion. And like an education, the experience will stay with you.
I went at age 19 for 3 months. I went again at age 26 and what a different expereience
I strongly agree! The life is now! Not in the future. The future may never come so we'd better ride our bikes now and where ever we like.
Great thoughts...I might add
Look after your ride and it will look after you. Learn to fix little things which won't leave you stranded and avoid bigger problems.
Suffer through the rain. cold, wet and darkness then you will enjoy the nice days more.
Find other people to ride with and share the experiences along the way.
The thing I've come to realize is that the joy I get from riding far exceeds any displeasure I might experience from bad weather. People sometimes ask why I would ride in cold weather. It's not about the weather, it's about going for a bike ride in spite of the weather.
Thanks for being candid and putting up this lovely blend of bike and life advice. I stumbled across your info on Brompton bike touring as a twenty-something, and, despite many a raised eyebrow, began touring and riding at my own pace. I kept watching the channel, went car free, found like-minded people, and just generally got out there and did things. You being yourself has helped a lot of people be themselves.
Thanks! Great video with wisdom that applies beyond cycling. I'm 75. Got serious about riding more during covid. I realize now that every bike I've ever owned was geared way too high. Smaller chainwheels and WIDE range cassettes have made cycling much more enjoyable for me.
Great video. My favourite two bikes are vastly different. My steel fixed gear is my favourite bike to rip around on, my longtail cargo bike is my favourite for cruising, hauling and bike packing. Both are steel and basic, except for the hydraulic disc brakes on the Cargo bike. One of my simple pleasures is passing any roadie looking like a magazine cover while riding my cargo bike.
1500 videos! Russ and Laura, your video content has exposed me to more cycling than I could have imagined. Thank you for your perseverance! Plus, cool t-shirt.
I remember looking thru someone's photo album in the mid 1980's and they had ridden across the country in 1976. In jean cut-offs, old, old school "ten speeds" and zero training. Was so inspiring.
1976 it was more like 7 or 8 gears. I was there...
@@meibing4912you must be suffering dementia then because 7 and 8 speed cassettes didn’t come in until the late 80s. I was there.
@@meibing4912if you can remember the mid-70s, you weren’t really there.
@@greennoodle69 “more like” does not imply accuracy- anyway he was referring to 2x5 not a 10 cassette.
@@meibing4912 so what did you mean by your comment?
Sorry, mate, I was so busy riding my own hobby horse that I neglected to say thanks for all the entertaining and informative videos of yours that I’ve watched over the last three years or so. All the best to you and your wife; may the sun shine on both of you and may the wind always be at your back. Cheers!
That's better!
Congratulations on 1500 episodes. I still go back and watch them. At age 74 I've stopped the "metrics" some time ago and enjoy just riding with normal clothes and flat pedals. Over the years I must have spent a small fortune on must have bike gear.
In my 20s I discovered low gears. Didn't need them much but great to have.
You are 100% on!
My wife and didn’t really start seriously until age 66. We have now done 11 bike and barge tours in Europe. We try to do 2 a year, but the Pandemic slowed us down for at least 2 years.
We also do short hotel to hotel or Center base rides prior and after our Barge and bike trips. We will ride 20 - 70 km per day prefer to keep it below 55 Km. Unfortunately it is hard to find the shorter routes. We are currently are looking at a Danube ride that we plan our own distances. We want to keep the distances down and maybe take a one day break so we can do laundry at a laundromat.
Keep up the great videos.
I think cycling downstream Danube is called eurovelo 6 route, check online, there are tons of useful tips and materials..
Your content and perspective has always been and still is appreciated.
Alan Watts would have put it like this: Life is not a race, with start and finish but a ride on a bike for the sake of enjoying cycling.😁
Totally agree with your commentary, the older I get the more your advice fits. Love your content.
Congratulations Russ, I’ve followed you since the old days of the Bilenky photo-bike, and it’s always been a joy. As an old guy now, I’m retiring to your homeland and I will enjoy a whole different world of tropical cycling. Warmest regards to both of you, from UK.
Partypace always!
Now 67 years old and have been bike touring since I was in high school so yup 50 years. Totally agree with the need low gears move than higher gears - unless you live in flat land and never carry a load. My favorite moment on my bike is always the first 100 yards - I feel the same as I did at 12 years old - free with the wind in my face. I would add something in your advice about protecting yourself when riding with cars and trucks. Had my first bad crash a few months ago due to a driver in spite of my defensive skills. Party pace!
I 100% agree with everything in this video. I also really like the basic concept of this video and might steal the idea - and credit this video with a link! You’ve taught me more than you’ll ever know. Thanks for all of it and here’s to 1500 more! 🍻
This guy is giving the wisdom of experience. I kind of liked that. His bike channel is often the bike channel "for the rest of us." I am one that doesn't give a fig what the bicycle racers ride, wear or consume.
I am surprised a company like Surly that makes touring bikes hasn't given him some support. It would be good advertising for them.
first time seeing your videos, stopped biking in 2006 and started mtb (enduro) in april. Three comps done and hooked. Great video
Several years ago I purchased a bike from a small Bike Shop that was going out business. Owner custom built the bike on an old Chromoly steel frame. (I had never ridden a bike with front suspension.). Really just bought it because I liked the shop, would miss their service, plus what the heck it was mad money. A few weeks ago I took it to a small shop in Kansas for a tune up etc etc.. When I picked the bike up, the guy that worked on bike was all complementary, saying it was the nicest bike he had ever worked on. This shop had literally 100’s of old bikes lying around for parts, or had been abandoned, he just loved bikes. Made me feel special: was he telling the truth, I have no idea, but this bike just looks - feels special - I know the guy who built it was special. Long winded - just enjoy the ride. Chasing 80 years - I just chug around county roads - enjoy myself. Nothing special just an old chick - her bike.
Great video Russ, I’ve been on the granny gear revolution for years now as well, and your right the bike needs to fit and as a rider im happier with money spent on my drivetrain to give me the gearing I want and the comfort from my tires that will keep my happy on the saddle for hours at a time
Love this vid, mirrors my experience over a lifetime of cycling (age 66). I remind folks who think I’m slow, or dress funny, or ride odd bikes, that it’s a bicycle ride.🎉
Because of this channel. I know what Bike I want. Because Ive rode most kinds and 29+ gravel steel with MTB groupset with friction. Locked in.
Ditto!
You are spot on! I travelled the world during my 30's. Riding my bike most of the time. I moved home just prior to turning 40. Picked up a few fun jobs, until I was let go a year ago, then was diagnosed with a painful disease. I will say whatever bike you buy, get one that is just beyond your reach. Mostly, have fun!
Stay weird - be true to your self. Best advice ever
Being a long time rider, racer, but also casual stuff, I agree on all your points! Thanks as always.
Such good advice. I broke my back before I had chance to do that long intercontinental bike trip.
So much good cycling philosophy packed into a few minutes. Thank you
This kind of content is the reason why I'm your subscriber.
I love how you frame bad bike fit as an existential crisis…haha so true. Some expensive bike components are so worth it. Paul stem? For some reason those are just so magic. Pricey lil Ene Ciclo shifters…also magic and so worth it
Big up the commuters!!!🤘🏻
Thank you for this video. Everyone in cycling (especially newbies) should see this.
Sir, thank you. Thank you so much for these advices. They couldn't ring more true. Everything you've said, brought a smile to my face. I wish you all the best and supple side down as always.
Thank you for saying all this Russ! All true knowledge!
Good advice, thanks for sharing. I always enjoy hearing the perspective of someone who's "made it to the other side"...
I've also been riding, fixing and selling bikes (definitely not in that order..) for the majority of my adult life, I'll add one more piece of advice to the pile. Ride shorter cranks, shorter than you imagined you'd try just to see if that will work better for you. I'm a relatively large human (road bike top tube, 58.5 cm or so) and I always thought I should be riding 175 mm cranks, or minimum 172.5, but I also seem to love 170s! If you can, try using shorter, you (& your knees) might like it!
I recently moved from a 165 crank to a 155 on my emtb. Seems to work well and fewer rock strikes.
Commuting via bike has been wonderful this year. A good excuse for me to get a gravel bike, and I turn my evening commute into a proper workout if I have time! It's fun exploring to find the "secret single track" in my city
Great vid Russ. I have been living on my bike as a social experiment for a year now and your channel has been one that I have garnered so much good advice from. Thank you for the content. It reaches far and wide.
Thanks for another video packed with valuable advice. Congratulations on reaching the milestone of 1500 videos. Whilst I haven't watched all of them I have truly benefitted from your sage advice over many years. Keep fit, keep health and keep safe.
Flat pedals are great. Strong wheels beat light wheels, broken spokes suck. Tough flat resistant tires beat lightweight tires, flats suck. The seat is the most important component on your bike. Great used bikes can be found at thrift shops. Strong and reliable tops light and expensive when touring. Don't over plan long tours, play it day to day. Don't be afraid to tour solo, you will meet people and won't be lonely. You are only young once and getting old happens quicker than you realize!
Brilliant + useful + honest + timesaving video. We love you, brother. Keep going.
Great, sincere advice in this video
I think this is one of your best videos. Great advice.
One of the best videos you've done thanks 👍
Commuted by bike for 40 years in Vermont and now I ride for pleasure. Your points are all excellent, and I commend your “oddball” contribution to cycling.
This is what I needed! And it actually applies to life in general. V good words and honesty! Now lets get out there and just have fun!
Russ, you're 100% RIGHT about expensive components! All I've ever had on my mountain bikes are Acera level components, and they've served me just fine.
Secondly, WRT pedals, toe clips are highly UNDERRATED! I like toe clips because I can cycle in regular shoes or sneakers. I use the clips mainly to help keep the ball of my foot over the pedal spindle, so I keep the straps loose; also, when I stop, I have to take my feet out of the clips as well. Keeping the straps on the loose side enables me to get in and get out of the clips quickly and easily as needed. When I used flat pedals, my feet would occasionally lose contact with the pedal, and then I'd be searching for that sweet spot; I'd lose power and efficiency. With the toe clips, my feet stay where they need to be, so I can focus on good pedaling technique.
Thirdly, low gears are HIGHLY UNDERRATED! I had my one road bike converted to lower gearing, and I'm waiting on the other one to get a crank transplant for the same reason. My vintage Cannondale ST500 came with a 50/44/28 crank. It was old Biopace too. Thankfully, my LBS had an old, 34 tooth Biopace chainring laying around, so I had the middle chainring swapped out. Man, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The bike is actually USABLE now! I can climb most mild hills with the 34 tooth ring now. My vintage Marukin M420 came with a 52/42 Sakae crankset, which is too tall for me now, especially living in a hilly area. We couldn't find a lower tooth chainring to fit (odd bolt pattern & width), so I'm swapping out the old Sakae crankset for a Sunrace 50/34 double crank; though it's not period correct, it'll make my Marukin more usable. The Marukin is a sweet ride with its Ishiwata 025 CroMo frame, so I'd like to enjoy that bike while I still can; the lower gearing will enable me to do just that.
Finally, you're also right about having the right range of gearing vs. number of gears. Getting back to my sweet, vintage Cannondale, it has six cogs out back. Between that, the good range for them, and the new 34 tooth middle chainring, I think that most of my riding will be on the middle ring; though it has a 3x6 drivetrain, I anticipate using the middle ring for much of my riding, as the gearing is now well suited. Proper gearing and and good gear range make ALL the difference!
No words to describe further, as said. 100 % agreed. Speed is Relative, Safety is Paramount.
This is the best advice I have heard about bikes and biking anywhere. I would add one more thing is that it is useful to learn a few bike maintenance skills like fixing a flat, replacing a chain and then slowly learn to do more like replacing a cassette. Over time you can slowly build up a toolset. These tools and skills will last you all your life and save a lot on bike shop repairs.
I completely agree with all this. I would add: a) don't obsess about your bike's weight, it's how it rides that counts. b) in wet/mucky conditions (I live in the north west of England) fit full length mudguards/fenders and add mudflaps if you ride with other people. It amazes me that some people will spend £120 on a nice winter jersey/jacket and then get it covered in road filth.
Keep up the good work.
Agreeing with you from a not a not so sunny Pennine hillside 😊
Thank you for sharing! I’m a just so happy I’ve found this channel couple of years before that fits me so well.
Honestly, after cycling hype started (I guess I’ve noticed it after COVID times) and I also got my gravel bike I lost that passion to cycling that I had before. For me it happened because I wanted also to have a 28-30 km/h pace on an aluminium gravel and was GPS recording all my rides and comparing myself to others on Strava. I am so glad I’ve realised and you also show it to us that cycling is so much more than just numbers and riding fast.
Thank you! ❤
It is hard to disagree with any of that, particularly your take on expensive group sets. I have some and they really don’t eclipse a well-tuned Acera or Advent rear mech.
One thing I will add. Someone once said, “I can’t afford to ride cheap bikes.” So true.
FWIW I believe you to be one of the few truly original voices in cycling
My wife and I read Miles from Nowhere when it came out, and it inspired us to ride across the country when we were 29. I'm so glad we did and didn't wait until a hypothetical best time.
Congrats on the near 1.5k videos Russ! Thanks for sharing your advice. 🙂
Pure condensed wisdom. Thank you for your channel.
Great advice, especially about enjoying the ride instead of obsessing about gear and metrics. Here's to steel frames, friction shifters, and remembering the color of the leaves, not your split time!
That was an excellent, and extremely useful, way to spend 10 minutes. Thanks Russ.
Great advice, Russ. Thank you for your videos.
Love it Russ. Thanks for sharing all this!
Holy shit man. The first tip really really spoke to me. When I got out of college I bought a bike in hopes of doing a cross country tour. Well, life happened, and I got a teaching job and started coaching HS football. Football is BUSY, and 13 years later, I'm still coaching HS football. I recently decided this will be my final year coaching, which will free up some time. I'll still teach but will have my summers free and more time in the fall. I'm still only 37, so there is time to do some cool shit while my knees still allow it.
Thank you!
Here's one from me: For a majority of people and situations, biking is the problem, and elecrification ist the solution. You'll bike more and much more satisfied, as long as you are not a masochist (many sports loving people are, but most "normal" people are not).
Great video, Russ! With you on 97% of these, excepting the broad stroke anti-electronic shifting bias. The hassle wireless tech obviates when traveling with & reassembling a bike is invaluable to me.
No hydro brakes thou, right? I've been running sram axs and it really is so easy to setup, but hydro discs kinda get in the way
@@DittersGustav yes, correct. barrel-connector cable actuated (Ritchey BreakAway)
Thank you, I needed this at this point in my life, and not just about my cycling.
Love it. So good, as always. Thanks Russ.
My LBS owner is a racer and racing mechanic; and he always listens carefully to what my needs are and provides responsive advice. I'm lucky!
I drove through Missoula today and thought of your informative TH-cam videos.
In my 45+ years of riding experience I’d say this post was right on.
I have completely de-digitized my cycling. I only carry my phone with the sound off for just in case. Kind of takes me back to when I was a kid riding and the only race was against the sun going down before I arrived home.Also, I agree with try as many different kind of bikes as possible.
A bad day on a bike is always better than a good day doing something you don't like.
This was a great series of comments. Thank you, Russ for all that you do.
Great advice. I have 4 bikes and love riding all of them for different reasons. I had to modify my recumbent which meant a new fork and wheel. It was fun finding out the brakes don't fit the new forks, the headset needs changing and so do the handlebars. Now I just need the weather to stay dry so I can give it a test ride and start tweeking.
Thanks Russ. Your advice is good advice and rings true for most of my life. I have only been biking seriously since the beginning of 2020, although I’ve dabbled all my life.
I’ve stopped treating every bike ride as a time trial. I do most miles on my electric bike and reserve my 90’s mountain bike and 00’s road bike for more local stuff. I often ride on my own and savour the sights and sounds and smells. Watching the clouds is a favourite pastime. A flask of coffee and a bidon of squash. It doesn’t get much better.
Many thanks from an ageing ungracefully 69 year old.
As a long time subscriber, great channel. After 20+ years of bike commuting, I realised that the definition of a great bike is: "the bike the owner wants to get on and ride".
🚴😀.
The drivetrain one and tire one are the most polarizing things I've learned in my mere 5 years of cycling. Spend the majority of your money on geometry and tires!
Such amazing video and I'm glad to be "influenced" by your channel. I'm a commuter and go on long distance tours. I ride slow, on flat pedals and climb big mountains. I'm a total slow poke and proud of it. Bikes, for me, are a utility vehicle.
Love it. You could give us these thought annually and I would appreciate it.
Very sensible advice here and you touch most of the points I think about often. Biking is not always an event, so there is still a lot of enjoyment to be derived from commuting, going to the market, a short around-town stroll. Pardon the corny comment, but focusing on smiles rather than miles has made a big difference as I get older.
Great advice, low gears saved my arse on the Kahurangi 500. Also the best thing I did was ditch clipless for flats, for me it eradicated knee issues.
What a video. Brilliant. As a 50 year old bloke who still loves riding as much as I can but not in the slightest competitive this sums it all up. Just enjoy.
“Beware of mediocre frames with higher end components”. This is the best piece of advice you can give a new cyclist. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen somebody riding a really crummy carbon frame equipped with Shimano 105. They could’ve purchased a really nice quality aluminum or decent quality steel frame for the same price and they would’ve had an incredible bike.
I was a young cyclist in 1978 when I read this in a cycling magazine... "The frame is the heart and soul of the bicycle..." That stuck with me. Currently ride a custom frame, made to measure. Every time I get on it, it's "Yeehaw!" [literally].
Is Shimano 105 high-end? I thought it was middle, Ultegra and Dura-Ace being high-end (+ electronic shiftings...). I have a Scott Speedster alloy bike with shimano 105, it's so smooth, I wouldn't trade it for what I had before... My bike was 1500€.
@@G91YSAll Shimano shifts about the same. It’s weight/materials. 105 is perfect for most people, especially now. Tiagra is honestly not bad at all now.
What is advantage of good aluminum frame over mediocre carbon? How frame affects ride quality? You can repair carbon frame often but not aluminum one.
@@G91YS, absolutely it’s high-end or, more accurately, the lowest tier high end group. It is considered a racing group set, and is used by lower level pro teams with limited budgets. As others have mentioned, it’s functionally near identical to the more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace groups. The only real difference is weight, which doesn’t matter unless you’re racing uphill at world tour level. I personally have won age-group amateur races on it against people with higher tier group sets (on courses that have hills.)
Really appriciate you doing this, thank you for sharing your knowledge looking forward for more.
As always good advice. Not always easy to remember. Thanks
Great stuff with one caveat-- bikes are definitely NOT designed for tall people with really long legs. They're designed for 5'10 with average proportions. Any taller, and if you're leg-biased, the stack heights are too low.
Well said for me it was in front of my morning coffee. I am awake now and glad I tuned in what a great message. This does apply to life in general too we need to be comfortable with ourselves and stop comparing ourselves with others.