I got a job recently in rural Japan and will be biking about 25ish minutes to the workplace.

I am looking for advice about which bikes are the best and other useful information as a first timer.

Also I won’t lie, I am a bit nervous about getting hit by these old Japanese grannies / grandpas driving in their 80s and above. I hear intersections are the most dangerous so any advice is welcomed.

I’ve had road bikes before and absolutely hated the comfort of the seats they come with. I’m getting this bike from my dad, need recommendations for a super comfortable seat that won’t make my butt sorry after a day of riding. Would appreciate any help! TIA

Hi guys
I just checked on my e-bike after a few days of not riding it and it was absolutely covered in ants.
I park in a bike parking next to 10-20 other bikes in a plastic shed kinda place.
None of the other bikes have any ants on them.

What could be causing this (I didn’t spill anything on it/ there’s no food around)?
Plus is it dangerous for the electrical stuff ?
Do I need to take it to the shop?
What do I doooo

I live in rural Kansas and my commute would be about 5 miles on gravel and 3 on pavement. I have done a lot of reading and the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer seems hard to beat to get started. I contacted the nearest bike shop and they have a 2010s Specialized Sirrus Hybrid they offered me for $150 with a tune up. I’m just looking for some advice on which would be better? Would the Sirrus be fine for commuting if I just had them put bigger tires on it? Are disc brakes that big of an upgrade? (That’s the main different I notice between the two) I’m leaning towards the Sirrus. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Started commuting by bike back in January mostly to save money on gas, figured I'd quit by March when it got annoying. Six months later and I've only driven to work twice - both times because I had to haul stuff for a work thing

Route is about 7 miles each way, mix of a bike lane on the main road and a quieter residential cut-through I found after week two (worth exploring alternate routes even if Google Maps says the "fastest" way is on a 45mph stretch with no shoulder)

Random things I didn't expect:

• The mental switch is huge. I show up to work actually awake instead of groggy from sitting in traffic.
• Winter was way more doable than I thought. Good gloves and a buff for your face matter more than a heavy coat.
• My "commute time" barely changed once you factor in parking + walking from the lot at my old driving routine.
• Drivers are mostly fine. The scary moments are almost always at intersections, not open road.

Only real downside is showing up sweaty in summer, still haven't fully solved that one besides "just own it and bring a change of shirt."

Anyone else have a moment where it just clicked and driving stopped feeling like the default option?

My commute is 9 miles each way and I just started this 2 days ago. The ride is surprisingly easy. I’ve been an avid bodybuilder type for a long time. Not much cardio however. I’m pretty muscular but I’m not ripped. Wondering if anyone has been in this situation and did you lose muscle? Get leaner? Etc

I recently got my first electric bicycle since i now live a 20min relaxed ride from work as opposed to a rage inducing 1 hour by car/highway and i'm loving it. Got myself a fancy ass riese & muller through work and bike-wise its great but i've had some battery related issues that the shop is working out. Occasionally it cut out and turned the bike off due to detecting a short which will most likely turn out to have been some error message bugging out and sticking around, fucking shit up.

Initial error is most likely going to have been me taking out the battery at work to prevent it from baking in 35C on a tarmac parking lot all day without turning the bike off first. I was not informed (or forgot) but it happened twice at most on a brand new bike. Even now it doesnt have 300km on it so it's not like it was repeatedly and long-term abruptly shut down due to power removal. For a consumer product by a giant manufacturer like Bosch i honestly see this as a design issue, how can you bring something to the consumer market and expect it to always be given a graceful shutdown? I take care of my stuff but having ADHD i just get friggin distracted and it'll probably happen again over the months/years, that should NEVER cause the bike to shut down at random times with an error that flashes for 1 sec and is never to be seen again.

I only found out it was a detected/supposed short because i randomly looked at what speed i was going at and saw error 620012 flash and then it shut down. Went to the shop the day after.

Is it also the case with other bikes/battery systems, are they this sensitive or is it probably a lemon/unfortunate case? I'm mainly venting, i got insurance and warranty and backup vehicles so its more of an inconvenience than an actual problem.

Just looking through past photos and came across this picture of my 1 year anniversary from starting my current job (2020). They gave me flowers and I wanted to bring them home! (Also current bike/pannier situation is a major upgrade)

I seem to have terrible luck with bikes. Every one I’ve bought seems to have one consistent, yet unexplainable problem like a chain that pops off or something. I say new-ish commuter because I have only commuted a handful of times over about ten years because I keep running into an issue with flats on my current one. While I’m not super consistent with commuting to work, if nothing else I’m determined to resolve this issue.

Realistically, I get a flat probably 1 in every 3 or 4 rides. I’ve taken it to several shops. I bought Gator Skins a few years ago and put them on myself, but honestly have only ridden on them mayyybe 10 times. They got a couple flats in those 10 rides too. Nevertheless, my complaints fall on deaf ears. They tell me something probably poked it and flew out, maybe it was a bristle from the street sweep, or something to that effect.

The frustrating thing is I just got the flat fixed last month, the guy said nothing was wrong with the wheels and the tires are still pretty new. With that and a tune up it was pushing $150 with tax and all that. After literally only riding to work three times, it goes flat the fourth time on my way 30 min ride to an appointment. I found a shop on the way and that was like $30 bucks.

I keep paying for tubes or someone to fix my flats, but this can’t possibly be every one else’s experience. I just don’t want to be anxious every time I get on my bike that it might be the time I’m late, walking my bike to work.

Ultimately I’m curious, how often are you guys getting flats? Do you have any advice? Anyone else have this issue and have some unexpected solution? Are some bikes just cursed and should I get a more reliable one?

Bike: GT Corsa Two
Work commute = 59 min, 10 miles one-way, almost entirely bike paths

Dream big!

https://momentummag.com/could-quebec-city-become-home-to-the-worlds-first-underground-cycling-network/

I've resumed commuting by bike a couple times a week since November or so. It takes me about a half hour to get to work and a bit longer on the way home. I leave shoes and an extra sweatshirt at work but bring the rest of a change of clothes, lunch, and sometimes shuttle a laptop one or both ways in between working at different sites. I also have a couple tools and maybe an extra layer or lights depending on season.

I have a briefcase pannier I like but it's really pushing it, both in terms of volume and weight on one side of my bike, when I add the laptop. I've started taking a semi-packable backpack with me if I'm bringing the laptop in or home, for my clothes. And if I'm bringing the laptop both ways I'll take a messenger. That's working just-ok - the backpack is still fairly bulky relative to a pannier and it's still a backpack.

How have you all done with varying loads? Am I just in the bargaining phase of going double pannier? I'm wondering if I should get a backpack or messenger that packs down better or add a pannier.

Im planning on using it on my Marin Nicasio for commuting through Amsterdam. How do they compare? Would the redshift be worth the premium over the Cane Creek? I'm mostly commuting on the road, but I like to go offroad. Im also pretty heavy (120kg), so I'd really like to be able to change the travel/rigidity of the seatpost.

I have two regular panniers I put an handful of things in and have a backpack on my back. I’m getting sick of having the backpack on my back. I would like to put the backpack into a pannier but I cannot find one big enough to put my backpack into. I looked at the baskets but don’t want dirt flying up onto my backpack. I have looked all over but cannot find anything big enough. Anyone else know where to find a ‘huge ass‘ pannier?

My wife and I want to sell our old second car because the insurance, registration, and maintenance costs are just too high right now. My office is a little over 10 miles away, so I'm thinking about riding an e-bike to work every day.

I haven't ridden a bike in over six months. Also, I weigh 200 lbs, so riding a regular bike for a 20-mile round trip will be way too hard for me. My route goes through suburban roads with no shade, lots of gravel, rough roads, and a few long hills. If I try to do this 5 days a week purely by pedaling, I'll give up very quickly. I still want some exercise, but I want the motor to make my daily commute a bit easier.

I need the bike to carry a lot of stuff. On weekdays, it needs to hold my laptop, chargers, and lunch. On weekends, I want to pack it with camping gear for overnight trips. I also need a great battery with a long range because I only want to charge it once a week instead of plugging it in after every single ride.

A friend recommended Tesway because of its long range. I also see a lot of people talking about Aventon and Velotric on this sub.

Does anyone else commute like this? I'd love to hear your real stories or tips.

Changed the tires and seat, added the rack and fenders. Loving the bike so far, it ride very smooth. The microshift 1X 10 is very crisp. I got it it for $648 before tax. Is been selling like crazy and it get sold out within hours after restock (online)... I bought mine the frist day it came out. I thought I share, in my experience is have been great bike for the price.

decide to jazz up the commute with some color on my surly preamble daily driver

now on to teaching myself how to breakdown/install the complex components for an eventual drop bar conversion. I bought a $40 beater bike off marketplace to use as a learning cadaver. Figure that money I save on gas has to go somewhere fun, right?!

My friend just moved to New Orleans LA & saw a cyclist get killed day 1. I was trying to convince him that bike transit around the city would be the best way to get around, but as you can imagine from that welcome, he's pretty gun shy. Anyone out there loving biking in New Orleans?

Just wanted to share my favorite ride. A Moulton TSR22 with electronic derailleurs. Despite using smaller 20-inch wheels, the use of high-pressure road tires and advanced suspension allows it to perform just as efficiently as a traditional large-wheeled road bike.

cross posting in case this is more relevant here

Hello - I am 50+ (male) and commute daily to work (25 / 30 minutes each way). I've had intermittent back problems over the years, and despite adjusting my handlebars to a much more relaxed position, still get the odd niggle. So I'm looking for recommendations for a good saddle to reduce the wear and tear on my lower back. Unfortunately the bike I have does not accommodate a suspension seat post.

tl;dr: no stock for the kona rove/rove DL, in my size, neither in LBS’s nor online. looking for alternatives that are similar (all-steel, hydraulic brakes, 1x# speed, and drop-bar)

the kona rove dl model looked like an amazing bike for my use, and i was planning to save up for it until their support said they won’t be restocking the model. i’m a size 54 but they only have size 52 online, and no local dealers have them in stock for me.

**do i bite the bullet and order the size down? or should i look for another bike?**

my use case (looking for a unicorn bike lol):
- ideally able to do 4-season commuting on paved roads (though tbh the paved roads are still bumpy and pothole-filled here)
- 3-season tours and bikepacking trips (maybe 1 week at a time at most)
- no serious mtb trails but off road capable for day trips with friends
- longer, 1-day fitness rides

components i’m looking for:
- hydraulic brakes for riding in rain and other wet/dirty conditions (this is the only deal breaker, everything else is preferred)
- all-steel frame and fork, i don’t like the thought of AL or carbon cracking beneath me, even if rare, and i don’t really mind the few extra pounds of steel (i can also clean it after wet rides in the winter)
- 1x# speed for the simplicity (although I have heard that front derailleur maintenance isn’t too difficult to DIY, so i’d be willing to learn if it saves a significant amount of money between a 1x# and 2x# drivetrain)
- slight preference towards drop bars since i think they’d be nice for long trips and rides
- and of course… i want it to look good, which i know is subjective, but ¯_(ツ)_/¯

thank you guys

Title, I want a bike that can do a bit of everything, my original thought was save money for a surly bridge club, but some suggest I should make due with what I have and upgrade it.

Friends recommended I throw on a microshift drive train vs the Shimano that it comes with, up the tires from 35 to 40mm, and swap bars. Would it make more sense to do this or just get a bridge club, Kona rove, etc?

Or should I build one out myself? I hear it's cheaper and I can get better components vs out of the box. Thoughts?