Another really good one thanks Russ. I can relate - I also consider myself ‘less and less a cyclist!’ I never came from road riding and so I’m constantly amazed by how much pressure roadies out on me to confirm with how they dress and how they ride, and how upset they get when I just smile and shrug it all off. When discussing cycling, I tell non-cyclists to forget about the bike and focus on the opportunity to slow down and see new places and new perspectives. It’s about the adventure, not ‘being a cyclist’.
I know what you mean! When I so much as mention the benefits of a 2x (or to a lesser extent, 3x) drivetrain - or even recommend to someone on a budget a bike that has one - it draws the ire of what seems like every mountain biker within a 100 mile radius! And most of those didn't even ride before 1x was expected out of every mountain bike... The same goes for leading rides and taking people anywhere and everywhere. Some people have a very narrow definition of what a 'bike ride' is, and if you stray from that, there are more jeers and fewer cheers. Hike-a-bike in particular seems to draw the most hatred, even if it enables some cool routes that would not otherwise be possible.
You are 100% correct about different seasons in our lives and are wise to recognize that, embrace it, and enjoy each of those seasons. Thanks for your channel. I enjoy your productions and always learn. Blessings to you both.
Yes to the dropper post! That was the main design requirement when designing my wife's custom Rodriguez phinney ridge. Running tubeless too. She loves it.
I fell in love with bicycling a month ago, at age 37. Never rode much at all in life until now. I'm thrilled I've finally found something I love that can keep me physically fit.
I like community biking, not cycling. Yes, riding bikes is recreation, but it is running errands, moving kids, doing business, being in the moment that bobbing around in the cabin of motor vehicle divorces you from. I love your description of the seasonality many of us need in our lives. I lived out of duffle and travel trailer for twelve years, then settled down and a family, now back out doing working in community and living smaller. I love that whole experience.
Man great point about feeling like going backward once settling down. I've recently returned home from a stint of traveling that I cut significantly short because I was looking for something different. Regret and feelings of failure often arise when I think about having cut my travels short. I have to remind myself of how I felt while I was traveling and why I decided to settle down. I think there will always be a part of me that loves to travel and will want to travel long term. It has definitely gotten easier to remember why I quit in the first place and not feeling like I "gave up" or "failed" at pursuing my dream. The truth is, life always moves forward, and dreams change. It serves us well to allow that to happen. Something that both sailors and farmers both have in common.
Thoughtful narrative on the construct of cyclist and if that terminology is detrimental to the growth of riding bicycles. As a communication Professor who teaches advertising, these are the types of discussions we need to have when moving forward in our perceptions. This might be a great project for my students in an upcoming research methods class.
Thanks Russ for another great video. I’ve noticed that ebikes are exploding around here. Seems like that will be a trend that continues to grow and get people outside. Maybe that will lead to better bike infrastructure for all.
def infrastructure...mostly meaning a way to commute and feel safe...so many cities picking up the pace , and covid obviously opened some doors. Motivating city folk to keep connecting the dots, and motivating the more suburban folk to discover the joy of cycling
Just found this channel today. Loving it so far. Really wish we could make a return to the widespread 1970s mentality that cycling was just a fun and sometimes more practical alternative to driving. There were no widespread assumptions on WHY someone was on a bike...it just normal behavior.
Up here in Canada it's all about infrastructure. Very encouraged to see the lots of bike friendly infrastructure developments, especially in our big cities Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Vancouver is just finishing up a cross-downtown dedicated 2 way bike path connecting our old historic district with the newer trendy downtown outskirts (Richards st). Cycling on the up and up here!
I live in Florida, which is mostly pretty flat, and I LOVE my dropper. I have one on my mtb and its so nice to have that ability to center my weight in the back descending.
I tend to prefer riding around the MTB crowd, they seem less judgmental than the roadies turned gravel cyclists. In fact they seem more concerned about my safety riding the same rough trails as them!
I'm super late to this party, but I think it is all about bike infrastructure. With improvements there, the products and marketing will fall into line. it would be pretty cool if you linked up with a couple other RUclips channels on that topic, such as NotJustBikes, Oh the Urbanity, or Shifter. Thanks for making such great content! I'm just a city biker, but have really appreciated learning more about bikes from your channel.
I vote for infrastructure as well. Biggest thing I run into is all the disjoint bike paths. You really need to have a mental map of how to connect from one path to another to get someplace. San Jose, CA. does a somewhat decent job on some of their trails where they have signs for street crossings on the trails as well as trail signs on the roads. That helps a lot in that at least you know when to enter and exit a particular trail. That said, you need to know that you need to get off the trail at road X to make the connection to trail Y and so on. After a few years, you get the hang of it, but then if you go to a new area, then you need the GPS maps and routing, etc. That's where my Garmin 800 comes to the rescue. Just flip over to the map screen, with the OSM topo maps on it, it shows bike path names as well as street names. It's funny that sometimes, I'll want to drive to a particular location and I know exactly how to get there by bike. But I need to stop and think how to get there by car since I can't follow the same route.
I think focusing on road safety and land use will be the greatest boon for biking. Our land use is insane and makes biking a no go because the nearest grocery store or park is miles away. Worse, you likely have to ride on a 4 lane, 40mph speed limit monstrosity to get there. If we focus on building missing middle housing (e.g. townhomes, sixplexes) amenities will be in biking range for the everyday person, and kill the car dependent suburb and focus on general road safety (narrower streets, traffic calming, vision zero, stop de kindermorten) biking will just naturally increase. You don’t even need bike specific infrastructure.
Getting to be a human fender bender multiple times I stil bike in my 60's, but with fear of road rage cars and of ebike delivery scoflaws and of tourist pedestrians in the bike lanes and jaywalkers coming from all directions. This is the improved bike lane situation in a door dash delivery economy in a big tourism town.
You my friend are a wizard! @ 3:14 the shadow shows a camera mount! A selfie stick. But where is it coming from? I can not see it coming from your bike! Sorcery!
Great video! As for your question, "What would help cycling?" Infrastructure where I live. Next, Kubrick/Clockwork Orange style watching of PLP! (sarcasm intended)
I used the same watch to hike the PCT last year flawless, it also shares data with phone. water deserts snow can’t hurt the the thing. I have about 4000 miles on it so far.
I think infrastructure would help a lot more than anything else. Among my friends they say they wish there were more bike Lanes or protected places where they could ride. They are afraid they will get hit.
Really digging the “all kids ride” programs that strider is kicking off around the nation, I think this , high school mtb racing and infrastructure is what we need to get more butts on bikes
I think the #1 thing that would increase cycling in the USA would be a tax credit for cycling and not owning a car. Also a health insurance incentive for cyclists. Then we can talk about improving the infrastructure once we have given an incentive to ride a bike. Oh! you want to be 'green'? Cycling beats the pants off any electric car (assuming the bike is not an e bike).
The best incentive to ride a bike is biking infrastructure. I think the RUclips channel “Not Just Bikes” has a few videos on how tons of people would bike but it is too dangerous and inconvenient. There’s no biking tax credit in the Netherlands, it’s just the cheapest, safest, and oftentimes quickest way to get from point A to point B.
Biking already gives you an instant tax break: no more money left at petrol stations! (At least in Europe, fuel is heavily taxed...) My daily driver (err... rider? How would one call the bike equivalent to the beater car?) saves me about ~1000€ year in car costs. (I'm talking variable cost here - money saved on gas and maintenance/wear. I still own three cars as a hobby and fixed costs still occur. If I were to go car free, which I have no intention of, as cars are cool, then the savings would be significantly greater.)
Good video. Russ is a deep thinker (and great painter!) and I love his approach and attitude toward biking. Would love to enjoy a ride and cold one together some day!
I trusted you & bought the Instinct Solar. And what can I say. I love it, its close to perfect. Works very well. They just presented the successor (Instinct 2) which should be even better but does not leave the original useless so there may be some bargains out there...
When most people think "bike infrastructure" they often mean bike lanes and bike ways. I think the whole bike transportation ecosystem needs to be addressed if we want to have bikes to be considered "just another transportation system" in North America. Think about all the ecosystem around cars and find the bike equivalent and notice the stark difference. This would include: bike repair & maintenance, signage on bikeways, maintenance of bikeways (e.g. sweeping), parking, insurance, theft, maps & routing, etc. Of course a lot of this takes time, but I'd love to see more public agencies go beyond restriping streets and really consider what it would take to make the experience of biking the streets more pleasant and accessible for a new cyclist-- be it a local or a visiting tourist.
I'd love to see more infrastructure. I think that is key. PAINT IS NOT INFRASTRUCTURE!!! I started cycling because I have access to a few hundred miles of MUP's and rail trails. I can do a full century ride without sharing the road with a motorized vehicle. I do ride on the roads, but I have friends and family who refuse to. And that works here because of the awesome trails. But without that, cycling would not be an option.
I recently converted my 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike, from drop bars over to flat bars, due to problems with my neck (herniated discs apparently). The bike is much more comfortable now. I ended up converting the Dura Ace bar end shifters which I had used on the drop bars, to thumb shifters using conversion mounts, which meant I could retain the current front & rear mechs. Added on some Ergon grips, and curved bar ends, and the job is a good one! Very comfortable, and a nice upright position for enjoying the scenery :-)
Yeah I think it lack of bike infrastructure really stops people from cycling my son can’t even ride to school because there’s no infrastructure for it and the kids to go to the middle school are in the same boat in this town because there’s no way to get there the road it’s on his narrow with barely sidewalks some of the streets don’t even have sidewalks
Great content. We need more bicycle excursions though. Also. How's your favorite lady coming along with her treatments/recovery? I was shocked to hear of her recent hurdle.
YAY! It was nice seeing Laura riding at 3:07. I hope it was fun for her, but I imagine it was tough. Can't wait to see you guys riding at full strength in nicer weather again. : ) I don't know if i can give up my tubes, but you're starting to convince me. Problem is I just bought a new pair of non-tubeless ready tires. But I do run sealant in my tubes, so does that count? XD I also agree that I'm identifying less as a "cyclist" as I get older. Deeper question is, can a person who only rides for fun and only does bike tours be considered a "cyclist?" I'm guessing most of the non-cycling world would still think so. Labels....HOOUH...yeah...what are they good for? Absolutely nothing...
Been riding 1 bike for more than 6 mos. I finally built my forever bike. Im a guy on a really tight budge. So I got Loop bar + rigid fork on my dream frame size 21, 29er frame. Currently using a CST Pika 700x38C. Rode for more or less 2,000 km already. 👍😁
Another great one! Please throw out some affiliate links to the products you're reviewing, I keep wanting to check out the products / bags you talk about but can't find them easily.
I have three go-to bikes. The most comfortable bike is a BikeE semi-recumbent. Very plush, quick, agile and handy around town. It's my overall favorite. But for commuting I have a Huffy Parkside comfort bike with 27.5 inch wheels and a Bafang 350 watt mid-drive. Not a great bike, but I swapped out the 1.75 inch tires for Schwalbe 1.4 inch. Now the ride is faster and smoother and in an emergency I can stop at Wal-Mart for a 26-1-3/8 tube. When I need to haul a load I have a Mongoose Envoy, which pretends to be a mid-tail cargo bike, but is actually a pretty aggressive mountain bike with a high carrying capacity. With plenty of modifications and a pair of 26X2.125 CST whitewalls it looks stylish and is almost, but not quite, a functional and practical cargo bike. If I only had one bike I would need to build something that takes a mid-drive motor, has semi-recumbent lawn chair seating, decent cargo capacity and 650B wheels.
I agree with your comments about what will increase rider numbers. I am used to living in a place where infrastructure for bicycles is common and people riding is common. When I visit places with little, I’m more afraid to ride. I too agree that an identity as a cyclist is too much part of what people seem to think is required in order to enjoy riding. It doesn’t need to be a big deal involving enormous amounts of effort. It’s just something I do for a variety of mostly positive reasons. I read an article several years ago written by a guy who was a bicycle fanatic who moved to either Belgium or the Netherlands because more people ride there and he wanted to be around his fellow cyclists. After living there a while he realized that there were bicycle fanatics there too, but most people just rode to get from point A to point B, for fun, or for a little exercise. Like most Americans are with their cars in my experience, they didn’t really care all that much about the bicycles they rode. They just wanted them to work, so could get where they needed to go. The more monumental the perceived effort it takes to start riding, the fewer the number of people who will take it up. In places where it can be dangerous to ride, I don’t blame them either.
Bike theft and parts theft is my iggest problem to daily use. I tried a city bike share clunky bike just to keep my own bike at home, but won't go as far as my home or the beach. Looking at android tile tracking and hexlox in addition to 3 locks.
I have read a few comments from mature riders suggesting that ebikes are something inferior or something to avoid. I am also a mature rider and I am riding an ebike some of the time. I really enjoy the ebike and I mostly ride with the lowest level assist which provides a nice work out. Where the ebike excels is hills. Now hills are fun for me and no anxiety. I suggest folks give on e a try and your negative feeling just might evaporate.
Great video Russ. Cyclist if it is because I ride a bicycle. I have always chosen comfort over any other aspect of bicycling. What would improve cycling in the US would be infrastructure. Here in NJ there is none or close to none.
Fantastic point about reaching out to the non-cyclists to get enough volume of people to encourage investments in bike transportation infrastructure. There will never be enough people trying to hit 300 watt ftp to make that calculus work. In some cities there may be enough people to commute or grocery shop to make it feasible!
Love the content! Keep up the good work. Looking for some advice for my first gravel bike. I’m definitely not new to cycling but I am new to the gravel thing. I have a mtb and road bike now, but looking to explore more off road with a gravel bike. I will probably be around 60-40 road to off road. I also live in Florida. If you have Any recommendations, it would be much appreciated! Thank you ahead of time.
After moving lot our boat we got a house. We slept on the ground floor for a few months. We could see the point of going up stairs. We are "farmers" now, and now use the whole house
Excellent! Funny, I just switched over from my Garmin Edge 520+ to the Instinct Solar Tactical and it does everything I need for routine riding. However, I'll use the Edge 520 for routes and trips. FYI... my Instinct battery just died and I ride 2 hours in full sun every other day (Phoenix)... gotta figure that out... be safe out there!
Damn Russ, this has to be one of the most informative videos. All your answers are intelligent and insightful. Your obviously have mixed feelings being a traveler and putting down roots in a town. Traveling is hard. Physically and mentally. Having a stable home, a base is nice but cost money. I hope ur at a place where you have found a balance. It’s all about balance. I also hope Laura is doing well and hope nothing but the best for both of you. Keep up the good work.
You were stoked on the Breadwinner G-Road when you reviewed it. Do you like the Bombora better? And now that you have a Bearclaw Thunderhawk, how does it rank against those two.
In response to the "obstacle" question, check out the RUclips channel Not Just Bikes. He talks about culture and infrastructure and the differences between US/Canada and Europe. Look for his video "I Am Not A Cyclist." Good stuff.
One of the biggest issues for me where I live is the infrastructure. We're a small state, so cars have problems with the roads and so on anyway, and they are a larger portion of how people get around here. However, I think that if we were to focus more on bicycles and provide things like bike lanes and son, that we could do quite well. Assuming we could get enough people to give it a shot; people don't like to go far here, which works pretty well with making the push for more cycling, but they also don't much like change. It's a pickle.
Well thought out session. I noticed you have a titanium bike in your stable, and was wondering if you thought all the hype about their ride qualities was real since I don't see you riding one in your videos. I suspect most people supporting their choice are biased, but I see you have such great a wide variety of bikes and would hope you would be less so. Thanks
Definitely infrastructure…it will pull everything else along with it. With more of us using bikes for transportation (with exercise side-benefits), it will drive the market/manufacturers > marketing > attitudes, etc.
definitely need more purpose built infrastructure. I got into cycling through mountain biking and it took a long time for me to feel even remotely safe riding on roads where I live. There are far too many distractions for drivers and even if you are painted, head to toe, in high vis, the driver still needs to be looking at the road to see you. We are getting better, a lot of new communities are being designed and developed with cycling infrastructure taken into consideration, but retrofitting existing cities is really where the majority of the problem lies.
While I love my Cutthroat and my Advanced xtc hardtail , if I had to pick one bike that "could" actually do it all; I'd take my Top Fuel w/dual lockouts. Pedals OK anywhere up or down.
I'd offer that, if it fits your budget, a carbon wheel set is one of the best investments you can make for upgrading your bike. They are as strong or stronger than aluminum, they are lighter (and lighter means easier pedaling), and are built to take a beating. But as mentioned, ENVE and Zipp are introducing high quality but more affordable sets along with other brands. As for how to change cycling for the better? The best thing is to lose the divisions and groups. Just be a cyclists... someone who rides bikes and enjoys it. You can be a roadie, a gravel racer, and MTB, a mom on a recumbent, and senior on a trike. If we get rid of the labels and appreciate people riding and supporting everyone who wants to do or try it we'll make the sport more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Lose The Labels.
It’s infrastructure by a country mile. Riding a bike on roads shared with cars is intimidating for most people, especially in smaller towns and rural areas where speed limits are higher and destinations are farther apart. More greenways, protected bike lanes, etc, that actually GO places will help more people consider bikes as meaningful transportation options and not pure recreation.
Definitely infrastructure, but also shifting the perception should be high on the priorities list. As long as cars are symbols of social status and not just means of transportation, while bikes are perceived as for poor people, things will not change.
Biggest need is separated Infrastructure which is absolutely required due to U.S. car culture. I love riding the road, but have switched to gravel and virtual. The older I get the more I feel that I will be killed by a car.
Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. While I’m applying this specifically to Scotland (UK), I think it’s a universal problem/solution. Funnily enough, what would potentially make this an issue for the Party Pacers of the world is that the (let’s call them) very enthusiastic cyclists would probably make life a bit more annoying in the cycle Lane and potentially put people off. As you and others say, cyclists are probably cycling’s worst enemies. Although I think most cyclists would rather put up with aggressive cyclists than aggressive motorists.
Living in a country that has excellent cycling infrastructure (the Netherlands) i can say that competitive cyclists and normal cyclists get along pretty well most of the times. But i can see that the tiny cycling lanes like London has, don't provide enough space for safely overtaking other cyclists.
I would greatly benefit from your opinion. I have a mission bicycle bike (shop in San Francisco). I love the bike. It is inspired from messenger bikes. I have the max size tires that could fit (28 continental gatorskin) the Shimano 7speed hub. Now my ask. We are moving to Mexico in the little town of Sayulita where you have a lot of cobblestone , dirt and regular streets. We just want to bike around the area to explore, go to town, beach, food and drinks . Would you trade the bike or make few adjustments? I really like the bike here but would it be still a good bike there? Oh and I can not mount racks, so can only rely on handlebar bag or backpack, messenger or sling.....
@@PathLessPedaledTV what would you recommend? Gravel, hard tail mountain bike? And few key elements , bike models ? Saw you Kona review and did you try the specialized diverge? So many modems, choices, .... a bit lost as you can see.
Word of mouth is the best marketing, so in that respect, if you build better bike infrastructure, more people will ride. The US needs better bike infrastructure such as raised, separated & protected bike lanes like what you find in Denmark, where you could ride coast to coast on separated cycle tracks, with a few ferries in between. Transit companies can make it easier for multi-model travel if they put bike racks on their vehicles, especially trains so that you don’t have to stand with your bike. Then there’s the bike shops which Russ alluded to in a previous video, who don’t need to upsell every customer. If those things all happened, I’m sure more people would ride.
I think infrastructure is key. Build it and they will come. Minneapolis is a prime example. I live in a suburb and we have great cycling infrastructure and have I've lived and ridden here long enough to see it develop. I used to literally know personally 90% of the cycling community here and now I don't know 90%. Right now there needs to be a push for bike racks outside more businesses. We have great trails leading to most businesses but no place to lock your bike when you get there. Many do but much room for improvement. Most notably the local high school-1 bike rack 200 yards from the door. Put a rack right by the door and pay kids to ride there bikes to school. In the time it takes to get your car out of the complete cluster f*&# of a parking lot most kids could ride home. Sorry for the long post!
There needs to be a national set of design standards for ANY cycling infrastructure project that is funded with any Federal money. There is so much substandard, poorly designed infrastructure that has done nothing to encourage cycling. The irony is that the explosion of electric bikes, scooters, skateboards etc may finally cause a response that us cyclists could not affect.
Word to the wise on the pacenti wheel set you mentioned... I have had some serious issues with mine(mostly the hubs) and pacenti has been reluctant to even answer my emails much less honor their warranty. Will update with another comment if they come through but for now I’m very disappointed in their commitment to the customer.
I identify as a velo-sir-raptor. Party pace is fun and all, but sometimes the best thing in life is to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.
Agree completely! Bike infrastructure that increases safety will bring huge numbers of new bicyclists to this mode of transportation and recreation.
May not even need a bike function, I use my old Garmin running watch and just upload the data to strava and set the type to bike.
I have a custom Fat Chance from 1989. Still in amazing condition. Still riding it.. Will keep it for ever.
I use the 'farmer and sailor' analogy all the time ... and you used it so well.
Another really good one thanks Russ. I can relate - I also consider myself ‘less and less a cyclist!’ I never came from road riding and so I’m constantly amazed by how much pressure roadies out on me to confirm with how they dress and how they ride, and how upset they get when I just smile and shrug it all off. When discussing cycling, I tell non-cyclists to forget about the bike and focus on the opportunity to slow down and see new places and new perspectives. It’s about the adventure, not ‘being a cyclist’.
I know what you mean! When I so much as mention the benefits of a 2x (or to a lesser extent, 3x) drivetrain - or even recommend to someone on a budget a bike that has one - it draws the ire of what seems like every mountain biker within a 100 mile radius! And most of those didn't even ride before 1x was expected out of every mountain bike...
The same goes for leading rides and taking people anywhere and everywhere. Some people have a very narrow definition of what a 'bike ride' is, and if you stray from that, there are more jeers and fewer cheers. Hike-a-bike in particular seems to draw the most hatred, even if it enables some cool routes that would not otherwise be possible.
You are 100% correct about different seasons in our lives and are wise to recognize that, embrace it, and enjoy each of those seasons. Thanks for your channel. I enjoy your productions and always learn. Blessings to you both.
Yes to the dropper post! That was the main design requirement when designing my wife's custom Rodriguez phinney ridge. Running tubeless too. She loves it.
I fell in love with bicycling a month ago, at age 37. Never rode much at all in life until now. I'm thrilled I've finally found something I love that can keep me physically fit.
Thank you for mentioning the 'super heavy rider' when considering tires. It REALLY helps.
I like community biking, not cycling. Yes, riding bikes is recreation, but it is running errands, moving kids, doing business, being in the moment that bobbing around in the cabin of motor vehicle divorces you from. I love your description of the seasonality many of us need in our lives. I lived out of duffle and travel trailer for twelve years, then settled down and a family, now back out doing working in community and living smaller. I love that whole experience.
Love the watercolours Russ. You capture the special feeling of riding alone or with a partner in a rolling treed and rural landscape.
Feature more of your artwork. As a cyclist and former art director, I would love to see more fusion of two of my favorite things.
I agree - would love to see more of your watercolors - the one you show here is really good! Congrats
Man great point about feeling like going backward once settling down. I've recently returned home from a stint of traveling that I cut significantly short because I was looking for something different. Regret and feelings of failure often arise when I think about having cut my travels short. I have to remind myself of how I felt while I was traveling and why I decided to settle down. I think there will always be a part of me that loves to travel and will want to travel long term. It has definitely gotten easier to remember why I quit in the first place and not feeling like I "gave up" or "failed" at pursuing my dream. The truth is, life always moves forward, and dreams change. It serves us well to allow that to happen. Something that both sailors and farmers both have in common.
Thoughtful narrative on the construct of cyclist and if that terminology is detrimental to the growth of riding bicycles. As a communication Professor who teaches advertising, these are the types of discussions we need to have when moving forward in our perceptions. This might be a great project for my students in an upcoming research methods class.
Bikenomics is an excellent book that touches on this in some detail. Definitely worth a read
Thanks Russ for another great video. I’ve noticed that ebikes are exploding around here. Seems like that will be a trend that continues to grow and get people outside. Maybe that will lead to better bike infrastructure for all.
def infrastructure...mostly meaning a way to commute and feel safe...so many cities picking up the pace , and covid obviously opened some doors. Motivating city folk to keep connecting the dots, and motivating the more suburban folk to discover the joy of cycling
Just found this channel today. Loving it so far. Really wish we could make a return to the widespread 1970s mentality that cycling was just a fun and sometimes more practical alternative to driving. There were no widespread assumptions on WHY someone was on a bike...it just normal behavior.
I think you marketing perspective is spot on!
Up here in Canada it's all about infrastructure. Very encouraged to see the lots of bike friendly infrastructure developments, especially in our big cities Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Vancouver is just finishing up a cross-downtown dedicated 2 way bike path connecting our old historic district with the newer trendy downtown outskirts (Richards st). Cycling on the up and up here!
I live in Florida, which is mostly pretty flat, and I LOVE my dropper. I have one on my mtb and its so nice to have that ability to center my weight in the back descending.
I tend to prefer riding around the MTB crowd, they seem less judgmental than the roadies turned gravel cyclists. In fact they seem more concerned about my safety riding the same rough trails as them!
I'm super late to this party, but I think it is all about bike infrastructure. With improvements there, the products and marketing will fall into line. it would be pretty cool if you linked up with a couple other RUclips channels on that topic, such as NotJustBikes, Oh the Urbanity, or Shifter. Thanks for making such great content! I'm just a city biker, but have really appreciated learning more about bikes from your channel.
I heard a nice point somewhere about stopping travelling..... You trade novelty for depth.
I vote for infrastructure as well. Biggest thing I run into is all the disjoint bike paths. You really need to have a mental map of how to connect from one path to another to get someplace. San Jose, CA. does a somewhat decent job on some of their trails where they have signs for street crossings on the trails as well as trail signs on the roads. That helps a lot in that at least you know when to enter and exit a particular trail. That said, you need to know that you need to get off the trail at road X to make the connection to trail Y and so on. After a few years, you get the hang of it, but then if you go to a new area, then you need the GPS maps and routing, etc. That's where my Garmin 800 comes to the rescue. Just flip over to the map screen, with the OSM topo maps on it, it shows bike path names as well as street names.
It's funny that sometimes, I'll want to drive to a particular location and I know exactly how to get there by bike. But I need to stop and think how to get there by car since I can't follow the same route.
I think focusing on road safety and land use will be the greatest boon for biking. Our land use is insane and makes biking a no go because the nearest grocery store or park is miles away. Worse, you likely have to ride on a 4 lane, 40mph speed limit monstrosity to get there. If we focus on building missing middle housing (e.g. townhomes, sixplexes) amenities will be in biking range for the everyday person, and kill the car dependent suburb and focus on general road safety (narrower streets, traffic calming, vision zero, stop de kindermorten) biking will just naturally increase. You don’t even need bike specific infrastructure.
Awesome answers Russ. Thanks for all you do.
Getting to be a human fender bender multiple times I stil bike in my 60's, but with fear of road rage cars and of ebike delivery scoflaws and of tourist pedestrians in the bike lanes and jaywalkers coming from all directions. This is the improved bike lane situation in a door dash delivery economy in a big tourism town.
You my friend are a wizard! @ 3:14 the shadow shows a camera mount! A selfie stick. But where is it coming from? I can not see it coming from your bike! Sorcery!
Great video! As for your question, "What would help cycling?" Infrastructure where I live. Next, Kubrick/Clockwork Orange style watching of PLP! (sarcasm intended)
I used the same watch to hike the PCT last year flawless, it also shares data with phone. water deserts snow can’t hurt the the thing. I have about 4000 miles on it so far.
New subscriber here from Chicago. Awesome channel! I’m new to gravel riding and your videos are very helpful. Keep it up! And be safe on your rides.
"Farmer & sailor"... well said!
Just got my Party Pace shirt! For my only bike, it would probably be my Midnight Special for it's versatility as much as I like my hardtail mtb.
Well done My friend, hit a lot of high points, Thanks.
I think infrastructure would help a lot more than anything else. Among my friends they say they wish there were more bike Lanes or protected places where they could ride. They are afraid they will get hit.
Really digging the “all kids ride” programs that strider is kicking off around the nation, I think this , high school mtb racing and infrastructure is what we need to get more butts on bikes
I think the #1 thing that would increase cycling in the USA would be a tax credit for cycling and not owning a car. Also a health insurance incentive for cyclists. Then we can talk about improving the infrastructure once we have given an incentive to ride a bike. Oh! you want to be 'green'? Cycling beats the pants off any electric car (assuming the bike is not an e bike).
How about death sentence for bike thieves
Even an ebike beats the crap out of a car
iirc ebiking is the third least polluting transport method behind only biking and walking
The best incentive to ride a bike is biking infrastructure. I think the RUclips channel “Not Just Bikes” has a few videos on how tons of people would bike but it is too dangerous and inconvenient. There’s no biking tax credit in the Netherlands, it’s just the cheapest, safest, and oftentimes quickest way to get from point A to point B.
Biking already gives you an instant tax break: no more money left at petrol stations! (At least in Europe, fuel is heavily taxed...)
My daily driver (err... rider? How would one call the bike equivalent to the beater car?) saves me about ~1000€ year in car costs. (I'm talking variable cost here - money saved on gas and maintenance/wear. I still own three cars as a hobby and fixed costs still occur. If I were to go car free, which I have no intention of, as cars are cool, then the savings would be significantly greater.)
Good video. Russ is a deep thinker (and great painter!) and I love his approach and attitude toward biking. Would love to enjoy a ride and cold one together some day!
I trusted you & bought the Instinct Solar. And what can I say. I love it, its close to perfect. Works very well. They just presented the successor (Instinct 2) which should be even better but does not leave the original useless so there may be some bargains out there...
following your channel for a decent time, hope you will find a sponsor very soon. I believe it!
When most people think "bike infrastructure" they often mean bike lanes and bike ways. I think the whole bike transportation ecosystem needs to be addressed if we want to have bikes to be considered "just another transportation system" in North America. Think about all the ecosystem around cars and find the bike equivalent and notice the stark difference. This would include: bike repair & maintenance, signage on bikeways, maintenance of bikeways (e.g. sweeping), parking, insurance, theft, maps & routing, etc. Of course a lot of this takes time, but I'd love to see more public agencies go beyond restriping streets and really consider what it would take to make the experience of biking the streets more pleasant and accessible for a new cyclist-- be it a local or a visiting tourist.
I'd love to see more infrastructure. I think that is key. PAINT IS NOT INFRASTRUCTURE!!! I started cycling because I have access to a few hundred miles of MUP's and rail trails. I can do a full century ride without sharing the road with a motorized vehicle. I do ride on the roads, but I have friends and family who refuse to. And that works here because of the awesome trails. But without that, cycling would not be an option.
I like your approach.😊
I recently converted my 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike, from drop bars over to flat bars, due to problems with my neck (herniated discs apparently).
The bike is much more comfortable now. I ended up converting the Dura Ace bar end shifters which I had used on the drop bars, to thumb shifters using conversion mounts, which meant I could retain the current front & rear mechs. Added on some Ergon grips, and curved bar ends, and the job is a good one! Very comfortable, and a nice upright position for enjoying the scenery :-)
And I've done a couple of rides on the converted to flat bars. Absolutely fantastic!
Is that a watercolor paint pen you used to paint in your cyclist?? Love your paintings!!
They’re a mix of brushes. Some synthetic some natural.
Yeah I think it lack of bike infrastructure really stops people from cycling my son can’t even ride to school because there’s no infrastructure for it and the kids to go to the middle school are in the same boat in this town because there’s no way to get there the road it’s on his narrow with barely sidewalks some of the streets don’t even have sidewalks
Great content. We need more bicycle excursions though. Also. How's your favorite lady coming along with her treatments/recovery? I was shocked to hear of her recent hurdle.
Where I live in Texas has no bike infrastructure. Its only 100 plus mile each way. I do live in the sticks.
YAY! It was nice seeing Laura riding at 3:07. I hope it was fun for her, but I imagine it was tough. Can't wait to see you guys riding at full strength in nicer weather again. : )
I don't know if i can give up my tubes, but you're starting to convince me. Problem is I just bought a new pair of non-tubeless ready tires. But I do run sealant in my tubes, so does that count? XD
I also agree that I'm identifying less as a "cyclist" as I get older. Deeper question is, can a person who only rides for fun and only does bike tours be considered a "cyclist?" I'm guessing most of the non-cycling world would still think so. Labels....HOOUH...yeah...what are they good for? Absolutely nothing...
A titanium hybrid bike with internal cabling, lockable suspension fork, for cycling pavement and gravel.
Been riding 1 bike for more than 6 mos. I finally built my forever bike. Im a guy on a really tight budge. So I got Loop bar + rigid fork on my dream frame size 21, 29er frame. Currently using a CST Pika 700x38C. Rode for more or less 2,000 km already. 👍😁
Another great one! Please throw out some affiliate links to the products you're reviewing, I keep wanting to check out the products / bags you talk about but can't find them easily.
I have three go-to bikes. The most comfortable bike is a BikeE semi-recumbent. Very plush, quick, agile and handy around town. It's my overall favorite.
But for commuting I have a Huffy Parkside comfort bike with 27.5 inch wheels and a Bafang 350 watt mid-drive. Not a great bike, but I swapped out the 1.75 inch tires for Schwalbe 1.4 inch. Now the ride is faster and smoother and in an emergency I can stop at Wal-Mart for a 26-1-3/8 tube.
When I need to haul a load I have a Mongoose Envoy, which pretends to be a mid-tail cargo bike, but is actually a pretty aggressive mountain bike with a high carrying capacity. With plenty of modifications and a pair of 26X2.125 CST whitewalls it looks stylish and is almost, but not quite, a functional and practical cargo bike.
If I only had one bike I would need to build something that takes a mid-drive motor, has semi-recumbent lawn chair seating, decent cargo capacity and 650B wheels.
I agree with your comments about what will increase rider numbers. I am used to living in a place where infrastructure for bicycles is common and people riding is common. When I visit places with little, I’m more afraid to ride. I too agree that an identity as a cyclist is too much part of what people seem to think is required in order to enjoy riding. It doesn’t need to be a big deal involving enormous amounts of effort. It’s just something I do for a variety of mostly positive reasons.
I read an article several years ago written by a guy who was a bicycle fanatic who moved to either Belgium or the Netherlands because more people ride there and he wanted to be around his fellow cyclists. After living there a while he realized that there were bicycle fanatics there too, but most people just rode to get from point A to point B, for fun, or for a little exercise. Like most Americans are with their cars in my experience, they didn’t really care all that much about the bicycles they rode. They just wanted them to work, so could get where they needed to go. The more monumental the perceived effort it takes to start riding, the fewer the number of people who will take it up. In places where it can be dangerous to ride, I don’t blame them either.
Bike theft and parts theft is my iggest problem to daily use. I tried a city bike share clunky bike just to keep my own bike at home, but won't go as far as my home or the beach. Looking at android tile tracking and hexlox in addition to 3 locks.
Can you review a salsa Fargo. It’s a pretty well known bike with a cult following. Thanks
Instinct Solar is great, I’d love to see that technology applied to the Edge Explore. And really all cycling computers. And loads of other stuff.
I have read a few comments from mature riders suggesting that ebikes are something inferior or something to avoid. I am also a mature rider and I am riding an ebike some of the time. I really enjoy the ebike and I mostly ride with the lowest level assist which provides a nice work out. Where the ebike excels is hills. Now hills are fun for me and no anxiety. I suggest folks give on e a try and your negative feeling just might evaporate.
I like painting too.
Great video Russ. Cyclist if it is because I ride a bicycle. I have always chosen comfort over any other aspect of bicycling. What would improve cycling in the US would be infrastructure. Here in NJ there is none or close to none.
Fantastic point about reaching out to the non-cyclists to get enough volume of people to encourage investments in bike transportation infrastructure. There will never be enough people trying to hit 300 watt ftp to make that calculus work. In some cities there may be enough people to commute or grocery shop to make it feasible!
Love the content! Keep up the good work. Looking for some advice for my first gravel bike. I’m definitely not new to cycling but I am new to the gravel thing. I have a mtb and road bike now, but looking to explore more off road with a gravel bike. I will probably be around 60-40 road to off road. I also live in Florida. If you have Any recommendations, it would be much appreciated! Thank you ahead of time.
After moving lot our boat we got a house. We slept on the ground floor for a few months. We could see the point of going up stairs. We are "farmers" now, and now use the whole house
Another great video
Excellent! Funny, I just switched over from my Garmin Edge 520+ to the Instinct Solar Tactical and it does everything I need for routine riding. However, I'll use the Edge 520 for routes and trips. FYI... my Instinct battery just died and I ride 2 hours in full sun every other day (Phoenix)... gotta figure that out... be safe out there!
Do you have Pulse OX turned on? That is a battery suck.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Gonna check that. I know I used it because I had a pulmonary embolism and routinely monitor my O-Sat. Thanks!!!
Hi Russ, thank you so much for the info. I’m just wondering what size frame you are riding... thinking about building up a crust bombora? Thanks
Damn Russ, this has to be one of the most informative videos. All your answers are intelligent and insightful. Your obviously have mixed feelings being a traveler and putting down roots in a town. Traveling is hard. Physically and mentally. Having a stable home, a base is nice but cost money. I hope ur at a place where you have found a balance. It’s all about balance. I also hope Laura is doing well and hope nothing but the best for both of you. Keep up the good work.
You were stoked on the Breadwinner G-Road when you reviewed it. Do you like the Bombora better? And now that you have a Bearclaw Thunderhawk, how does it rank against those two.
In response to the "obstacle" question, check out the RUclips channel Not Just Bikes. He talks about culture and infrastructure and the differences between US/Canada and Europe. Look for his video "I Am Not A Cyclist." Good stuff.
Don't give up on bike travel!!
One bike to rule them all and in the grav grav grind them.
Can the Instinct sync data to strava?
Yes
Where did you get the Bolt clip?
One of the biggest issues for me where I live is the infrastructure. We're a small state, so cars have problems with the roads and so on anyway, and they are a larger portion of how people get around here. However, I think that if we were to focus more on bicycles and provide things like bike lanes and son, that we could do quite well. Assuming we could get enough people to give it a shot; people don't like to go far here, which works pretty well with making the push for more cycling, but they also don't much like change. It's a pickle.
Well thought out session. I noticed you have a titanium bike in your stable, and was wondering if you thought all the hype about their ride qualities was real since I don't see you riding one in your videos. I suspect most people supporting their choice are biased, but I see you have such great a wide variety of bikes and would hope you would be less so. Thanks
Hey Russ! How many bikes do you have in your stable? Lol...
Definitely infrastructure…it will pull everything else along with it. With more of us using bikes for transportation (with exercise side-benefits), it will drive the market/manufacturers > marketing > attitudes, etc.
definitely need more purpose built infrastructure. I got into cycling through mountain biking and it took a long time for me to feel even remotely safe riding on roads where I live. There are far too many distractions for drivers and even if you are painted, head to toe, in high vis, the driver still needs to be looking at the road to see you. We are getting better, a lot of new communities are being designed and developed with cycling infrastructure taken into consideration, but retrofitting existing cities is really where the majority of the problem lies.
So handlebar/saddle bag over rando bag and rack?
For rougher roads. Yes.
While I love my Cutthroat and my Advanced xtc hardtail , if I had to pick one bike that "could" actually do it all; I'd take my Top Fuel w/dual lockouts. Pedals OK anywhere up or down.
I'd offer that, if it fits your budget, a carbon wheel set is one of the best investments you can make for upgrading your bike. They are as strong or stronger than aluminum, they are lighter (and lighter means easier pedaling), and are built to take a beating. But as mentioned, ENVE and Zipp are introducing high quality but more affordable sets along with other brands. As for how to change cycling for the better? The best thing is to lose the divisions and groups. Just be a cyclists... someone who rides bikes and enjoys it. You can be a roadie, a gravel racer, and MTB, a mom on a recumbent, and senior on a trike. If we get rid of the labels and appreciate people riding and supporting everyone who wants to do or try it we'll make the sport more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Lose The Labels.
It’s infrastructure by a country mile. Riding a bike on roads shared with cars is intimidating for most people, especially in smaller towns and rural areas where speed limits are higher and destinations are farther apart. More greenways, protected bike lanes, etc, that actually GO places will help more people consider bikes as meaningful transportation options and not pure recreation.
Definitely infrastructure, but also shifting the perception should be high on the priorities list. As long as cars are symbols of social status and not just means of transportation, while bikes are perceived as for poor people, things will not change.
Biggest need is separated Infrastructure which is absolutely required due to U.S. car culture. I love riding the road, but have switched to gravel and virtual. The older I get the more I feel that I will be killed by a car.
Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. While I’m applying this specifically to Scotland (UK), I think it’s a universal problem/solution. Funnily enough, what would potentially make this an issue for the Party Pacers of the world is that the (let’s call them) very enthusiastic cyclists would probably make life a bit more annoying in the cycle Lane and potentially put people off.
As you and others say, cyclists are probably cycling’s worst enemies. Although I think most cyclists would rather put up with aggressive cyclists than aggressive motorists.
Living in a country that has excellent cycling infrastructure (the Netherlands) i can say that competitive cyclists and normal cyclists get along pretty well most of the times.
But i can see that the tiny cycling lanes like London has, don't provide enough space for safely overtaking other cyclists.
I would greatly benefit from your opinion. I have a mission bicycle bike (shop in San Francisco). I love the bike. It is inspired from messenger bikes. I have the max size tires that could fit (28 continental gatorskin) the Shimano 7speed hub. Now my ask. We are moving to Mexico in the little town of Sayulita where you have a lot of cobblestone , dirt and regular streets. We just want to bike around the area to explore, go to town, beach, food and drinks . Would you trade the bike or make few adjustments? I really like the bike here but would it be still a good bike there? Oh and I can not mount racks, so can only rely on handlebar bag or backpack, messenger or sling.....
New bike. Bigger tires.
@@PathLessPedaledTV what would you recommend? Gravel, hard tail mountain bike? And few key elements , bike models ? Saw you Kona review and did you try the specialized diverge? So many modems, choices, .... a bit lost as you can see.
Are those MKS Allways pedals on that bike?
They're not MKS pedals, they're ISSI Thumps.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Thanks
To improve cycling here in the U.S. we need more Dutch bikes. A lot more Dutch bikes.
in flat places absolutely
Dutch mentality to cycling - yes. Dutch bikes? Maybe not so much! Not the best bikes for anywhere with gradients.
Word of mouth is the best marketing, so in that respect, if you build better bike infrastructure, more people will ride. The US needs better bike infrastructure such as raised, separated & protected bike lanes like what you find in Denmark, where you could ride coast to coast on separated cycle tracks, with a few ferries in between. Transit companies can make it easier for multi-model travel if they put bike racks on their vehicles, especially trains so that you don’t have to stand with your bike. Then there’s the bike shops which Russ alluded to in a previous video, who don’t need to upsell every customer. If those things all happened, I’m sure more people would ride.
Hi, What club are in Salem and Portland?
I think infrastructure is key. Build it and they will come. Minneapolis is a prime example. I live in a suburb and we have great cycling infrastructure and have I've lived and ridden here long enough to see it develop. I used to literally know personally 90% of the cycling community here and now I don't know 90%. Right now there needs to be a push for bike racks outside more businesses. We have great trails leading to most businesses but no place to lock your bike when you get there. Many do but much room for improvement. Most notably the local high school-1 bike rack 200 yards from the door. Put a rack right by the door and pay kids to ride there bikes to school. In the time it takes to get your car out of the complete cluster f*&# of a parking lot most kids could ride home. Sorry for the long post!
There needs to be a national set of design standards for ANY cycling infrastructure project that is funded with any Federal money. There is so much substandard, poorly designed infrastructure that has done nothing to encourage cycling. The irony is that the explosion of electric bikes, scooters, skateboards etc may finally cause a response that us cyclists could not affect.
gas at $8.00 per gallon
I have 2 bikes. One is an MTB and the other is a road cycle. Now, I want to have a gravel bike.
Word to the wise on the pacenti wheel set you mentioned... I have had some serious issues with mine(mostly the hubs) and pacenti has been reluctant to even answer my emails much less honor their warranty. Will update with another comment if they come through but for now I’m very disappointed in their commitment to the customer.
Good to know.
@@PathLessPedaledTV not to just spread negative news, they looks nice and perform well. The rims themselves seem to be quality.
I don’t have money to waste. I will keep my old bike and huff and puff . Good luck getting your hubs covered. $$$
These days I identify as a "Crazy Guy on a Bike." That describes me better than any other label.
I identify as a velo-sir-raptor.
Party pace is fun and all, but sometimes the best thing in life is to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.
Infrastructure!!!!
Team Coffee -> Team Partypace
Gravel 💯🤟
I only ride one bike. But it's more of a bank account thing than a choice thing.
Same here. I went with a disc trucker to do it all.
@@microwave311 good choice! I went with a Mr. Pink and sacrificed a bit on the gravel side. Love it, though!