Comments, Questions, Complaints, Corrections & Clarifications

Kristin and Steve are taking a look back, addressing comments, questions and criticisms on a variety of topics including where to buy used parts online; New Jersey's new ebike laws; dork disks; finding the "right" mtb tires for New England XC riding and.... Erg Mode (hopefully for the last time).

Steve also shares a Shop update – the new Spider from INTENSE and the new FITZ from ALLIED are now available at the Shop.

Transcript

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Kristin 0:05

This is Kristin.

Steve 0:06

And I'm Steve, and you are listening to Cycling Together, a podcast about all things bikes, riding, and riding together.

Kristin 0:13

This week we get comments throughout the uh after an episode, as well as on some of the shorts that I post. And so this week we're going through them. Yeah. And so this is going to be questions, comments, complaints, corrections, and clarifications from past shows.

Steve 0:32

All right. So a potpourri of all kinds of things that we've done.

Kristin 0:35

That was almost alliteration, but q is questions. Sorry. But before that, you have some news out of the bike shop about some new bikes.

Steve 0:47

Yeah, I guess. Okay, new bikes. Yeah. So we have the new Intense Spider. So this is a this was a uh bike that I was definitely looking forward to. It's a 130 millimeter trail bike and received phenomenal reviews on pink bike. Um, and everybody, I've got one built up now, and everybody who comes into the shop looks at it and goes, ooh. And it is it it looks different than many other bikes out there, and just it's a beautiful bike.

Kristin 1:20

We did we did get a question. We'll start with the first question or comment because when we posted something about the fact that you now had the spider in the shop, somebody said headset looks like it uses press in cups instead of fully integrated, which is way better. And I said, huh? Oh, yeah, I read I do remember that comment.

Steve 1:41

Yeah, you you replied, but I figured we could talk about it because I yeah, so that means the spider used what's called zero stack, and so a zero stack headset means that the bearings do sit inside the frame, but you press in an aluminum cup into the frame, and then the bearing sits against that aluminum cup. Okay, that is in uh sort of opposed to what's called an IS headset, an integrated headset, where there are no aluminum cups that sit in the frame. The bearing itself basically sits inside the frame, usually on a molded rim, uh a molded carbon rim or machined aluminum. Okay. So it's um it's just more of a case that because you're pressing an aluminum cup, it can add a little bit of strength and longevity to the headset system. Okay. It's typically done for more strength. So a lighter, the lighter the bike, the more cross-country side is gonna often have integrated cups and the more trail pit side of the bike that's gonna have usually pressed in cups.

Kristin 2:55

Okay. Yep. So and you have one, as you said, it's all built up. So you're gonna actually gonna be giving that your own test run over the next couple of weeks. Correct.

Steve 3:05

I only had one ride on it before all the snow hit. We have so much snow. And we have yeah, we have so much snow and so much cold, so it hasn't gone away. So uh the next one is the Allied Fits. So this is the brand new trail bike from Allied.

Kristin 3:20

They just released it this past week. Yeah.

Steve 3:23

Yes. And so for their mountain bikes, they've only had the BC40, which is a cross country to I nobody's really wanting to use this term anymore, but down country. Yes, um, because it's 120 millimeter travel in the rear and 120 or 130 in the front, whatever you prefer. The Fitz is either 140, 140 or 150, 150, depending on how you want it. Oh, and their approach to this bike has been bikes have gotten, especially these longer travel bikes, have gotten bloated. And they and they have. So they wanted to go back to where are where are the 26, 27 pound trail bikes, and that's what they were looking for.

Kristin 4:07

So this is for the uh to bring it into the uh environment maybe I'm a little more familiar with, which is the the Scott environment, right? Um we have we had the genius that I rode. Yep, and then that became a heavier in its next iterations, that became a heavier bike. Yes, right, and to the point that we were like, oh, the genius is not the right bike for me anymore because it is more travel than I need, it's more weight than I need. Right. So is the fits kind of closer to that old genius?

Steve 4:43

Way closer to that older genius, okay, which was very, very similar between the between the two bikes. Yeah. You know, at the your old genius at the time, Fox had a 34 millimeter, Fox 34 fork that went to 150 millimeter. They don't even make that anymore. You have to go to the 36. Oh, okay. So the fork gets heavier. People are tending to do a little bit more things on their on their bike. So sometimes they're thinking, and they and they upped it to 160 in the front on the new Scott Genius.

Kristin 5:14

Yeah.

Steve 5:15

So, okay, well, now we're pushing induro territory, let's make everything a little bit beefier type of situation. Um, and so it just got heavier.

Kristin 5:27

Yeah.

Steve 5:28

And, you know, and so it's it's actually rare now to see a trail bike under 30 pounds.

Kristin 5:34

Um because I remember at the time that my genius that when I had that genius, it was a very popular choice at the bike shop. Yeah, very much. It was definitely the most popular choice. Yeah, and now I would say it is not right. That it's more the spark or the genius.

Steve 5:51

Yeah, and in fact, Scott didn't even have the genius for 2026.

Kristin 5:55

Well, maybe because they realized they went so well to they overcorrected.

Steve 5:59

This might be a topic for a future show, but there is this um perception going on out there in the shop world in the industry, how longer travel bikes that market is being taken over by e-bikes. The people who are looking at those longer travel bikes are just now going to an e-bike. And in often cases, buying the e-bike in the long travel, but having a regular cross-country bike. Okay. A nice lightweight, a little shorter travel bike. Right.

Kristin 6:30

So but I wonder if it's in part because we got so heavy with the long travel bikes that yeah.

Steve 6:36

Well, it blurred the line between their ransom. Yeah. So they did redid their ransom as well. And the ransom is a is a beautiful looking bike. Um, it actually looks nicer than the genius, I think. They're their redone genius.

Kristin 6:49

Well, the current redone genius looks like an e-bike. So many people ask you. I mean, one of our friends just asks you to drive you crazy. Yeah, but it looks like an e-bike.

Steve 6:57

It does.

Kristin 6:58

If you're gonna have a back.

Steve 6:59

Because they went to the internal shocks, and the way they did the internal shock on the genius makes it super fat. Whereas on the ransom, it it is not vertical, it's horizontal, and it's just a more slender tube system, so it doesn't quite look like that e-bike.

Kristin 7:15

Yep.

Steve 7:15

Um, but it because the genius and the ransom blurred the lines between each other, they just went with the ransom and then the spark in terms of right. Yeah. I think it's got rid of that middle one.

Kristin 7:27

I think it's interesting where Allied is going with the fits and the BC40. I mean, I love my BC40 just for its nimbleness and its lightweight. You know, I as I've said it on the show before, I'm going the opposite direction of e-bikes, right? I'm trying to lighten my load.

Steve 7:44

Well, it's also been the case where a lot of bikes out in the market have become more capable than they would otherwise suggest based on their travel. You know, cross-country race bikes were usually 100 millimeters of travel and they have gone up to 110, 120.

Kristin 8:01

Yes.

Steve 8:01

Right. And while and then there's super capable trail bikes with 120, 130. And so there's um there's a blurred line there now between the ability for some of these shorter travel bikes to really use their travel well and and feel like they can do anything. Right.

Kristin 8:21

All right. And so the fits, we don't have one, but um, that is something that is available from you. Absolutely. And that comes in to stock colors.

Steve 8:31

Yep, or any custom color.

Kristin 8:33

Any of the other what is the purple? Because there's a white one, a green one, and then a purple one that showed up in the press pictures that we were sent. Is that not a stock color? That's just that's just an available, awesome color. Right. That's cool. All right. Well, shall we dive into the questions, comments, and clarifications? All right. Um, we'll we'll start with an easy one. This actually goes back a bit. We were talking about buying, we were talking about the rise in counterfeit parts. And this the thing that you said was don't buy any parts off of Amazon or eBay unless you knew who you were buying from. Right. And someone commented on TikTok. That's where most of our, if we don't know the person, most of the most of the stranger comments come on TikTok. TikTok, yeah. Uh said, great, not gonna buy parts on eBay, more used parts for me. So let's talk about eBay, eBay as a great about used parts. Because when we were talking about kind of fit parts, we were talking about new parts.

Steve 9:37

New parts. Yeah.

Kristin 9:38

Yeah.

Steve 9:39

I love eBay for used parts. Okay. I sell parts on eBay, and I have bought so many uh other parts on eBay. And in both new and used, but and again with the new knowing where it's coming from. Oh, it's this shop selling off. Like right now, I am selling off excess used in or not new inventory on eBay, stuff that's been sitting in the shop for three, four, or five years. Yep.

Kristin 10:04

And it's so satisfying when you hear the ching.

Steve 10:08

Right. So yeah, and and I say I'm a shop and I say I may even give people a purchase receipt, right? Because these are new parts. Um, but no, I I've used eBay. I have been on eBay for 29 years now and uh and and been using that. So it's a fantastic way to get parts. I have even gone to eBay for customers to get used parts because there is no new replacement part available. So we have to go find something used, and I'll and I'll, you know, and because I've been using eBay for so long, you know how to look at and weed out the sketchy people and and what you're looking at and how people describe things so you know what you're gonna get.

Kristin 10:51

Yeah, I mean, even when before you had the shop, when we were just starting out as a couple, that's where all of our bikes came from. Yeah. I you know, you would find me a frame. Usually it was framed up. Yeah, you'd find me frames that we could not have afforded at the time. I had some really nice bikes that were well above our literal pay grade. Yeah. And that was all because of eBay. So eBay, good part, good source for used parts.

Steve 11:17

Yeah, and and I guess I'll add in their pink bike. Yes. So the pink bike buy-sell area um is great. You know, I right now, as it stands at the moment, I like I try to sell my parts on Pink Bike because there's no seller fee.

Kristin 11:34

Oh, okay.

Steve 11:35

Whereas eBay is just horrendously expensive. Yes.

Kristin 11:39

Um, but um you get way more eyeballs on eye, you get way more eyeballs on eBay than you just get what you pay for in some regards. All right. Um, I actually want to talk about we had mentioned something on I think it was just the last episode, about um off-the-wall bike legislation. And we had um referred to the New Jersey legislation, but we didn't really talk about it.

Steve 12:07

Okay.

Kristin 12:08

That legislation has passed. Yes. So we did go to get a question, but before we get to the question, I thought it was worth talking about what the new rules are, the new bananas rules for e-bikes are in New Jersey.

Steve 12:25

What they consist of. So it does apply to all classes of e-bikes, which have traditionally been class one, which is a uh pedal assist up to 20 miles per hour. Yeah. Right. And that and just to clarify, at 20 miles per hour, the motor assist stops. If you want to keep pedaling faster than that, you can. Just the motor assist stops. Right. Okay. Uh then you had class two, which has a throttle, but also limited to 20 miles per hour. And then class three is pedal assist 28 miles per hour.

Kristin 12:58

And and for some context, like my parents ride class one pedal assist hybrids, hybrid e-bikes, step-through e-bikes. Um but this this uh law, which we're gonna get into, is in response to the throttle high power.

Steve 13:18

It is, and unfortunately, it's it's really in response to the emotos, right, which have become a dangerous situation and should have never been called bikes.

Kristin 13:28

Yes, and that's what we're gonna get to the question. So some of the so again, new law applies to all beat bikes, regardless of regardless of classification.

Steve 13:37

Right. So the rules are now. Yep, and you also need to wear a DOT approved helmet, so basically a motorcycle helmet.

Kristin 13:43

Yes. So my parents bring their bikes to New Jersey and have to wear a full-paced motorcycle helmet.

Steve 13:49

Uh you have to have liability insurance.

Kristin 13:51

Yep.

Steve 13:52

Right. So, um, and then you have to have a license to ride that bike. So I guess it's um a for anybody 17 plus, you have to have a driver's license. Yep. Um, and then 15 and 16, you have to have a motorized bike license, which doesn't exist, right? So that's something that that they're gonna have to do.

Kristin 14:09

Not aware that exists yet. And anyone under 15 cannot ride that appearance at all.

Steve 14:14

Yep.

Kristin 14:15

At all.

Steve 14:16

They have but by the way, all of those e-scooters, yeah, you know, those stand-up scooters, yeah, not in this.

Kristin 14:23

Well, I think that's part of the part of the situation is as with most things, the laws are going to mostly punish the legal, the people who are not my parents, right? They're gonna they're gonna punish people that are not doing anything wrong. Right. And the people that are riding these crazy crotch rockets, you know, whatever e-motos, e whatever, um are gonna keep riding them, right? The other thing is it it um all e-bikes now need to be registered with the state, and they're waiving the registration and the in and the fees for the first year because none of this, these systems exist yet. Like it's not out of the goodness of their heart, they don't have a system for any of this. Online e-bike sales are banned for a year, and modification kits, which are those kits that are used to take those out-of-class e-bikes and turn them even faster, those are completely illegal.

Steve 15:25

Yeah, it it so those talking about the modification kits. A lot of the very inexpensive online e-bikes, right, those were easily modded. So, and and that was a that's a huge problem. And of course, the kids would figure out how to mod them. Right, and then you're talking about these these bikes that can go 50 miles an hour.

Kristin 15:52

Right.

Steve 15:54

Right, and kids not wearing a helmet or wearing so there was a little bit of controversy here because you're saying we're not wearing a helmet designed to go 50 miles an hour, whereas, well, road cyclists can regularly do 50 miles an hour going downhill.

Kristin 16:08

So you know right, but a child hitting 50 miles an hour without a helmet is different than an adult road rider making a choice to push his body, his or her body to that that speed. Yes. Could he he or she kill themselves? Absolutely, but those are different. Right. And and that's what so the question we got from Martin on Facebook was what's the difference between some of these e-bikes and mopeds? And I think that's there was that video we have mentioned in the past, but it's the throttle that's really causing the problem.

Steve 16:48

Yeah, it it if you've seen any of these sort of e-bikes out there, a lot of these, a lot of these e-bikes, and I'm gonna put up the quotation mark. You should not use the word bikes. They don't have they look like a little motorcycle and they add in pedals just so they can skirt around all other regulations around mopeds and motorcycles. They have no adjustable seat, they would be impractical to actually pedal and ride around. They're not designed for that, they're designed to twist the throttle and go.

Kristin 17:17

Well, that guy from Bern Park, who's the the guy who does all this. Seth, yeah. I mean, he tried riding one of them as a bike and he was like, I can't pedal it. It keeps hitting the kickstand. Like the the pedals are decorative.

Steve 17:32

Decorative.

Kristin 17:32

And he's the one who really opened my eyes to say, if throttles, period, and stop were not allowed on a bike, this bike becomes a brick.

Steve 17:44

Right.

Kristin 17:44

Right? Because it's it's unrideable, it is unusable. So that would have solved. I don't know how you put this genie back in the bottle, but but that would solve 99% of the problem because once a throttle's on it, it wouldn't be a bike.

Steve 18:01

I bel I think there's gonna be that this is gonna be a nightmare to implement. And I think there's gonna be just massive pushback on this. So I can see a change and a modification to the law coming. Um now, when you have a law like this, you worry about other states looking at it and going, oh, let's do that. Yes, um, right? And and but it's but it's uh you're right. I think the I do think just get rid of throttles. You don't need a throttle on a bike.

Kristin 18:35

Yeah.

Steve 18:36

So pedal assist is fine because in many cases you just need to turn the pedals, you know, and then you get that boost. You don't have to put really any not much effort into it.

Kristin 18:48

Yeah, I mean, it could still have the speed, it could still have I this is where I would love to see the National Bicycle Dealers Association use some of their legislative power to work with bike manufacturers to say, you know, or whoever it would be to say there's let's let's get rid of the throttle. If we get rid of the throttle, we fix a a variety of problems. And then, but that's what the but back to Bart Martin's point, that's what they're trying to solve for. They're they're and and the the fact is all of us should stop using the words e-bike for anything that does not look like what you and I agree is a bicycle. If it looks like it belongs in Robocop, then not a bike. Right, right? That is a e-moto, an out-of-class vehicle, a I don't care what you call it, just stop using the word bike bike, right? And when there are accidents, you know, our media has to stop using the word in an e-bike crash when the person was riding a e-moto. Right. So it's kind of on us, I think, also to like call out like the media to say in the past, you would see a headline, I would see a headline that would say, you know, rider killed by car. And it became a trend for many of us to go to that and comment, nope, rider killed by driver in car. And so I think it's gonna be the same where we are gonna have to just start commenting on things to say on e-moto, on e scooter, uh not bike, not a bike, not a bike, very sad, not a bike, right? Yeah, okay. Let's talk about dork discs.

Steve 20:35

We did talk about dork discs, I thought. Do we have a comment on that?

Kristin 20:38

Yeah, well, I actually had a question. Well, there was a we had a couple people who were like, one said um that she nearly broke her bike recently trying to get the dork disc off, but that she had never thought about the environmental impact of all that plastic. And she actually thanked us for bringing that up. And then one of our friends said asked, Were they more theoretically useful in the days before component makers started making dish-shaped cogs that sit in board of the straight cogs with a 12-speed or 13-speed cassette? There isn't a there isn't as much space between the smoke and the biggest cog. But back in the day, capitalized, there could have been a bigger gap. We should take a cue for the from the old AOL CD days when people used to collect and send all the unasked for and unwanted promotional CDs back to AOL. Steve and other shops should send boxes, crates, pallets of dork discs to the Consumer Safety Bureau and say, turn these off. But um did were they ever actually useful?

Steve 21:47

No.

Kristin 21:48

Okay. So that was a long question. That was a long comment for me to ask that question.

Steve 21:54

Again, it is it is a situation where they are useful when your derailer is. Not property properly set up and that it can throw the chain off the top. And I know what this person's saying about the there are um cogs nowadays that sit a little higher above when they used to and closer to the spokes, but there's still space there, but the chains got narrow at the same time. So there's still space there for the chain to get up and down in there. Um so they're not really, they're not needed.

Kristin 22:31

Okay.

Steve 22:32

They I am certain in many cases they have saved somebody from you know getting their chain too far jammed in and they couldn't get out. Right. It the chain can also scrape up the spokes in some cases. I have seen it many times where it's kind of scraped up the spokes a little bit, and I was like, don't worry about it. This is this is not the point that I'm worried about the spokes. Yeah. You know, so but if you're if your derailler is set up right, it will never throw it off. What traditionally happens is that somebody bends their derailer hanger. And it and and when you usually when you bend your derailer hanger, you were bending it in because your bike has fallen over and gotten knocked. Yes. Yeah. And then now when you go to shift to that largest cog, you're it throws it off the top because the low limit screw is not cur is is not set up for a bent derailer.

Kristin 23:26

I feel like if it was that essential of a piece, it wouldn't be made with such cracular plastic. Because they ultimately break.

Steve 23:34

Well, they do ultimately break, yes.

Kristin 23:37

Like if it was that important, it wouldn't be perhap plastic that cracks when you look at it wrong.

Steve 23:42

Well, back in the day they were actually metal.

Kristin 23:44

Ah, see, there you go.

Steve 23:46

They were a big metal disc, right? And now, yes, they they come loose, so then they start rattling around. Sometimes actually they are, as this person said, because the the the upper cog is so the largest cog is so close to the spokes. Sometimes when you're in that largest cog, is the chain is actually rubbing the plastic dork disc, right? Yeah, exactly.

Kristin 24:07

So that actually reminds me uh another little thingy on the wheel is the little plastic covers that go on top of your tire your presta caps.

Steve 24:20

Nozzle. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kristin 24:22

Um, I was taking a clinic once from Cyclocross, and you know, I took the little plastic up, and then I did the presta and I spent I started to put it the plastic piece back on, and the um professional racer who was leading it took them, went wing, threw it away on me, said, You don't need these. Do I need those?

Steve 24:44

The caps on valves. Okay.

Kristin 24:46

So this is a total question you did not know I was gonna ask.

Steve 24:50

There was definitely a time where, especially for road riding, we did not use them. Okay. And and you, of course, when you when you go back into the real weight weenie days, yes, let's let like that's that is 0.1 grams, we gotta get rid of that, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so no, there was a time when I didn't put them on and so forth. And I now in the age of tubeless, to me, if you have a tubeless tire, oh, you should always run it. Because there is typically just a small amount of tubeless fluid residue on the the core of the of the presta valve, and that attracts dirt, and and so the core will get gunkier quicker if you don't have the cap on.

Kristin 25:33

Okay. So back in the day when I was-need it though.

Steve 25:35

Yeah. No.

Kristin 25:37

Okay, so back in the day when I was cyclocross racing, and I don't think we were tubeless yet.

Steve 25:41

No, we were not back. No, I it not in the beginning.

Kristin 25:44

She was right. Like she just was like, this is just a piece you're gonna lose. Right. But now you would recommend them because plus they could be pretty.

Steve 25:53

Well, and that's also the other thing is that is that many people now have colored ones, so it's kind of just a little bit of bling.

Kristin 25:59

Yeah, these were clear plastic, if I remember correctly. They weren't. I mean, they're usually they're black, but they also make clear ones. Yeah, yeah. They weren't anything special at the time. Okay. Um, all right, let's talk about mountain bike tires. This is from I I put a question into the STBG Insiders and asked if anybody had a question while we were doing questions and stuff. Okay. And Jeff said, asked, There are so many mountain bike tire choices for New England recreational cross countryslash trail. How should you think about tire width, pattern, and flat resistance?

Steve 26:35

Oh, this could be a whole show. So this is funny. So for a lot of well, for a lot of shop people, and then for a lot of non-shop people who are just into this, there is definitely the grass is always greener with another tire. So it is, we are always trying out different tires. And then you tend to forget in some regards about how that tire was three treads ago that you were using, right?

Kristin 27:07

So what you're saying is you need to keep a journal, kind of like a wine-tasting journal, but a tire trying journal. You you know what?

Steve 27:14

I hadn't thought about that, but you were absolutely right. You were you were 100%, you should absolutely if you're the kind of person who is the grass is always greener, let me try a different tire, let me see if this one's different. Yes, you should keep a journal.

Kristin 27:27

Because a year later you're trying the tire you tried a year ago, and you're like, this one's magic.

Steve 27:31

So, yeah, right. I I go back and forth, and like I really love the feel of fast tires. Yes. So your cross-country race tires, your Maxis Aspen type of situation, and was there like like Barzo, I guess it is, and uh Race Kang, um, which is um so anyway, uh oh uh the the Schwalby Rick XC, that kind of thing. Okay, they just roll so fast that the bike just it just makes the bike feel great on the trail, but because you have lower traction, depending on your conditions and so forth, they can take a little bit more uh control, finesse, experience, right? Um, but if you have that, then you sort of know how to find the traction with them and and they're great.

Kristin 28:33

I remember when you switched me to the aspins. Which one did you switch?

Steve 28:38

I well, I had a set of aspens off of one of my bikes. So it's like the first thing I put on your bike, right?

Kristin 28:44

Which lightened up the weight quite a bit. Yes, they're also light. Right, so lightened up the weight quite a bit. But you said to me you might feel like you've lost out a little traction, yes, um, a little control. And maybe I felt that around some corners, like if I was like, depends on the type of rider you are, right? But it wasn't I was I was grateful for the weight loss because I I did feel like I felt that. I did feel like they were rolling faster, you know. So um being it turns out a bit of a weight weenie myself now.

Steve 29:20

Um, and there and there can be an easily a pound between a cross-country tire and a trail tire per tire, right? Right, and and because that's in the outside of your of your wheel, you they that you definitely feel that. Um now I like I and then I now when I say go, I go back and forth, then I've also used much, much chunkier uh trail tires with technically a lot of traction to punch through into the into the softer dirt and through leaves and so forth. And and then I went to um so so there's different compounds, and the thing is, is a lot of times it's not necessarily the tread pattern and the chunkiness of the knobs that are giving you the traction. And this is the the problem with talking about this, is it's so dependent on where you ride and then the conditions on where you ride and the season of which it is, right? But so a lot of times it's the rubber compound. Oh, and that's what gives you a lot of a traction that you're looking for. Okay. So there are, and and nowadays you'll see, depending on the brand, like Schwalby, you'll see they have uh soft and ultra soft and so forth. So I will go with the softest compound up front because I want that high, high traction cornering, um, and especially on roots and rocks, which we have a lot of around here.

Kristin 30:51

Yes.

Steve 30:51

Right. Um and and then something, a lower tread pattern and a firmer rubber compound in the rear, which I don't necessarily need as much. And the thing is, is if you if your back tire washes all out a little bit, it you usually don't you don't go down, you just oop, I slipped a little bit in the back, right? So it depends on how acceptable you are on the feel.

Kristin 31:14

Do you so you're actually saying sometimes you want to mix and match?

Steve 31:19

You want to have well it's very it's it's it's very common to mix and match your front and your rear. Okay. I mean, so to not have the same tread pattern front and front and rear is super common. Oh there's nothing wrong with it. I wouldn't have no. Um, like so, so it but having different tr different rubber compounds front and rear is also a big thing. Okay. So a lot, even like many stock bikes will come with a softer compound up front and a firmer compound out rear. This is right right from the right from the companies.

Kristin 31:49

Can you have what is it the same, like is it the use the aspen, right? Can you get the aspen in different rubber compounds or they're just different so they're aspen, no, actually.

Steve 32:04

So the aspen has what's called the the Maxis's 3C compound, which is actually a triple, a triple rubber compound, and they change the the rubber compound based on the like the side walls to the middle to the center. And so that that rubber compound changes.

Kristin 32:22

Okay. But other models you could get different? Yes. Oh, yeah, okay. Is there anyone if if someone were to ask you, well, I'm gonna ask you, like what's the most popular mountain bike tire you sell out of the shop for say Spark style.

Steve 32:40

Yeah, I am a I'm actually a bad person to ask for that.

Kristin 32:43

Okay.

Steve 32:44

You can say there isn't. The only reason is is because I actually don't sell a lot of tires. Okay. Um tires have been something that I think a lot of people have gone online for. So I don't get a lot of I don't get a lot of of requests for tires.

Kristin 32:59

Okay. Um but do you see any trends then on what people are riding?

Steve 33:04

Well, it's typically something mid-tread pattern, I'm gonna call it. So not the not necessarily the cross country, right? And not necessarily something like the um the Max's DHF DHRs. Ooh, speaking of D speaking of DHRs. So I have ridden the the Minion DHF, which is technically for so the front tire and the DHR is the rear, but you can oh really? Okay, so you'll you'll find riders who say, Oh, I like the DHF front and rear, or I like the DHF on the rear, and that kind of thing. Um I have ridden the DHF, it's not to my liking, but I had a demo bike in which had two DHRs front and rear. And this was this was late fall before the winter hit. And I went out on that bike and I said, What is wrong with this bike? Oh, okay.

Kristin 34:04

All right, yeah.

Steve 34:06

Those tires, and I was like, it has to be the tires, right? Because I am pushing so hard and going nowhere. And I it wasn't there was nothing robbing, it wasn't brake drag or anything. Those tires are pigs. And now technically the DH sounds for downhill, right? Ah, but but this is a popular tire for people who just use for trail riding. Yeah, that this is why I say it makes such a difference on how your bike feels based on the rubber compound and the tread compound. Right. I so those tires are so slow. Interesting.

Kristin 34:45

With tires, you can put them on backwards.

Steve 34:50

Yes, a lot of in fact, for mountain bike tires, almost all of them have a directional side. And and they and they make it as hard as possible. It's it's actually in the rubber mold, and so you and you and sometimes only on one side. So you're searching, searching, searching the side. Well, if you don't know, like for a lot of people, we can look at the tread pattern and it goes, it goes this way, right? Okay, but uh but if you're not sure and you don't know, then you're kind of you really have to hunt for that arrow that says rotate. It'll say usually say rotation and give you a little arrow.

Kristin 35:22

Does that make a difference?

Steve 35:24

It it actually, you know what, it makes more of a difference, okay, not necessarily on traction, but on steering. So that's where it can actually make more of a difference, funny enough.

Kristin 35:38

Okay.

Steve 35:38

Yeah.

Kristin 35:39

You posted a video uh photo the other day of uh you had successfully pulled out a piece of tubeless, dried tubeless fluid in a in one complete circle, and you were in the comments saying the reason you're refreshing it, right? So why do I have to why do I have to refresh my tubeless fluid?

Steve 36:02

Well, tubeless uh depends on your tubeless fluid, but tubeless fluid generally dries up or the effective material in it becomes less effective. Yep. So so that's why. Now, my favorite orange seal, because that has such a high latex content, which is what I peeled out, was basically a big ring of dried up latex. Very satisfying. Very satisfying. Um, that so that dries up in your tire. Yes. Right. And depending on how you use it, like so. When I can take it out in one big ring like that, because it was basically a skin that was coating the inside of the tire. That is somebody who likely used their bike very frequently after the last refresh. Okay. Okay. If you use your bike less frequently, I might find what I call pot pox. Slug. Yeah, slug that is because that it had been sitting for longer, and so you have these spots where it the just sort of the puddle that has been sitting dries up.

Kristin 37:04

How much did that weigh?

Steve 37:07

75 grams, that was. So which is which is significant. I mean, I'm certain and I've seen more.

Kristin 37:13

I have had where I'm riding uh say a bike that I haven't ridden for a while, it's two blitz, and you can almost feel the slug because it's settled and it hardened, and you're like that will re unbalance the wheel.

Steve 37:25

Yeah. So you'll feel like that.

Kristin 37:27

So then I need a little this needs this needs some love. Yeah. Um, all right.

Steve 37:31

Yeah, so so though with with the um with that skin of of certainly orange seal, right? Yes. It was a I could tell it was a heavy skin, right? And it was probably multiple applications of orange seal.

Kristin 37:48

Maybe you put it in fresh and then it got topped off a couple of times.

Steve 37:53

Right, right. Yeah. So if it's a very thin skin, I tend to leave that as almost a protection layer. And here's the thing you have to be careful about because when I took that skin out, and and I think I showed, as I showed, like the tire was brand new inside, right? It just comes like completely. It was, yeah, it was as clean as could be uh on the inside of the tire carcass. So then when I went to I put new sealant in and inflated it, and there was a tiny pinhole leak in in the middle of the tread, which had been plugged by that skin. So sometimes you have to be careful. Now it it instantly sealed with the new free fresh. But be careful in that mu that skin might actually have plugged up a bunch of holes that you had.

Kristin 38:42

Right.

Steve 38:42

Yeah.

Kristin 38:42

It's doing it's it's doing it.

Steve 38:44

And and it would not hurt to just put new sealing in there and leave that whole skin. You you're just adding weight. Yes. Um, in his case, because it was fairly even all the way around, he wasn't really unbalancing the wheel.

Kristin 38:55

Yeah.

Steve 38:55

Yeah.

Kristin 38:56

Okay. All right. Zwift. Oh. Zwift 101. We have three things. Okay. Nope. Actually, four things. Um, let's start with. I'm going to jump around a little bit, but let's start with Chris. Um, he's actually talking about trainer setup. So, like you guys, my old road bike is on the trainer. It has a Shimano 105 2x10 drivetrain. My trainer is an old hammerhead with a direct mount cassette. The trainer cassette and the cassette on the rear wheel are slightly different, so well-adjusted gears that are smooth as silk on the road become a horrible grinding mess when the bike is on the trainer. The trainer always applies resistance, even if it's unplugged, so I can't spin the cranks and make gear adjustments like I would if the bike were on a stand with a wheel. How do you adjust the derailers when the bike is on the trainer?

Steve 39:51

Okay, so there can be very, very slight, you know, millimeter difference between the relative location of your cassette on your the wheel of your bike to the cassette on your trainer if uh for if we're wheel-off trainers, right? So that's why if your shifting is good on your bike on the road with your wheel on and you move it to the trainer, the shifting can be slightly off and clicky. And that's basically what he's talking about here. So you need to adjust it between the two. He is correct. I I think I actually made a comment to Chris about work out his arms so he can turn the pedals more. So, all right. So it can actually be very difficult uh to turn the pedals along the side by hand, you're not on the bike, uh, on your trainer. Certainly to a speed that you can then adjust it. So this is where you would want to add in, um, depending on what bike you have on the trainer, sometimes you'll have a down to barrel adjuster, or you can add an inline cable adjuster. Uh, and so this is where it can be helpful to add that into your bike so you can actually be on the bike riding and spinning the pedals and then make the adjustments. Yeah. And noise is always the your friend here to make the adjustments.

Kristin 41:21

Oh.

Steve 41:21

So, and what I mean by that is you're is you're listening for the sound. That's how the one of the best ways to make the adjustment. So you start turning the barrel and you're like, oh, it's getting clickier. Okay, go the other way. Uh and then you and then you'll hear it smooth out. Okay. And that's yeah, that's typically the best way. But adding in using using the down two barrel adjusters or adding in an inline adjuster to the cable would be the way to do that, then.

Kristin 41:49

All right. Uh, continuing on the theme of hardware and equipment from Doug. I know the Zwift focused podcast talked about checking your handlebars for sweat corrosion. Also, check your saddle clamp and bolts. I had a Zwift crash this morning when my bolt popped, launching the saddle and me to the floor. Cause was clearly excessive butt sweat. For the record, I did get permission to share this as long as I use the words butt sweat. Um yeah, so this is really there's nothing more to say about that, but just check. We talked, we focused a lot on the handlebars. We do sweat.

Steve 42:28

And we didn't talk about the fact look for corrosion all over your bike because you do sweat all over your bike. Yes.

Kristin 42:33

Although you say that, and I said yesterday, we should check my sat my C post, and you said what?

Steve 42:39

Meh. You're fine.

Kristin 42:42

Do as we say, not as we do. Be great when I fall off the bike. I will say what was really funny about this was I went to um, I was at uh PMC winter cycle on Saturday, and Doug was supposed to be there, but he ended up having the flu. And so I'm standing there waiting for my session to start, and somebody walks up to me and he's like, Did you hear? Doug fell off of his indoor bike. I was like, What are you talking about? So he was already the talk of like every it's a very small industry, it's a very small community in cycling, right? So happily he was not hurt. All right, let's dig into a couple of things about Zwift specifically. Yep. We had a um short reel. We were talking about buying about how you earn drop points and then you use those to buy equipment and gear. And somebody commented, it's not somebody we know. Nice move to squeeze more money out of the average user. Style is fine, but to implement real world physics just to make them just to then make you buy stuff. Right. Seems and I get it, it sounded like they were nickel and diving us. Yes. Clarify.

Steve 43:56

Okay. So we and we did clarify to this person online.

Kristin 44:00

This person online and I changed the caption on a couple things.

Steve 44:03

Yeah, drops is basically, I don't know, you might want to call it Zwift Bucks, right? Yes. You earn them by riding. It is a reward for riding more. You do not pay for these.

Kristin 44:14

You earn a and you earn a lot of them.

Steve 44:16

I have millions of well, we when they introduced drops, all of the sort of legacy users at that point got this massive drop bonus. Oh. Right. And it was, I think I got four million drops, right? You know, when they introduced it. Um so yes, so and and be and it's distance-based. And so you're like, well, what if I'm going uphill? I'm not going as fast. You know, they give you more drops while you're going uphill. Yes. And so the little drop icon will flash while you're going uphill and you're earning more faster. So yes, this is just incentive to ride. You do not spend any more money in Zwift other than your monthly fee.

Kristin 44:59

Because you get right, you get those drop points. Yes. You then go into the drop shop.

Steve 45:04

Yes.

Kristin 45:04

You can use those points, no other real money.

Steve 45:07

No other real money.

Kristin 45:08

To buy and you can't.

Steve 45:09

No, yeah, there's no there's no mechanism for for it's not like By the way, Zwift, thank you. Thank you for knowing becoming, you know, one of these video who, yes, where you're constantly, you're like, oh, you can hey two bucks and you can buy this jersey, and right? And yeah.

Kristin 45:26

Yeah, no, and it's not um, it's it's you can buy bikes, you can buy wheels. We we did talk about it making some small differences. Yes, but some of it is just fun. Like you just I have my garage and I have all these cool bikes in there. And um, so yes, to clarify on that, there is no it's monthly fee, and that is only that is it. Yeah, thank you very much.

Steve 45:52

All right, where are we next?

Kristin 45:56

And hopefully for the last time in my life. Yep. Let's talk about erg mode. Now, hold on, let's let's set the stage here. Yes. So, as I said, I've been making these little reels. I put them out onto uh the interwebs, and so the one I put out was where you said quite definitively how much you hate erg mode. Yeah. Now, the interesting thing about this, as I said before, uh, is TikTok is where we mo usually get a lot of our comments, but you really ticked off the Instagram people. We got almost equally Instagram to TikTok comments. Comments like, tell me you're old and can't learn new technology without telling me. He lied about his FTP. Please learn how to use it properly before saying things on the internet. Ha! This guy isn't very smart. The proverb: a bad workman bla blames his tools. He just doesn't know how to use erg mode. I think you're the problem, dude. It's not a death spiral. The workout demands 250 watts, for example. If you can't give 250 watts, you can't complete the workout. That's not collaboration calibration. You aren't fit enough. So you're either out of shape, yeah, out of touch. Yeah. So would you like to to respond? You would you like to respond or retract or correct?

Steve 47:26

I can I can correct and clarify. Is that that's what this episode's all about?

Kristin 47:31

This is where we're gonna clarify. Okay, yeah. So what should I confess? Because I think you have to confess something.

Steve 47:38

That this was years and years and years ago.

Kristin 47:40

When was the last time you tried erg mode?

Steve 47:43

Six or seven years ago.

Kristin 47:45

I could kill you because I if I had known that, yeah, I never would have put that video up. Now, granted, you've got a lot of new followers and that video has been viewed like six thousand times.

Steve 47:58

You have you have to shock people and you have to be uh controversial.

Kristin 48:02

I guess so, but I never would have put you up for that kind of criticism if I had known you were working off of old information.

Steve 48:13

So for for probably two years, it just would not work for me. And it was not a case where I'd go on a ride, and at some point in the ride, it I would have the we'll call it the dust bile, right? Where I couldn't turn the pedals anymore. Yeah. It was almost immediate upon like maybe a first big massive uh change in wattage that was supposed to be. And that's why I almost said it was unusable.

Kristin 48:40

Yeah.

Steve 48:40

Okay. And I I hopefully I said it was, I think it was software related. Now, this is one of those cases, yes, technology changes. It was more, but it was it was a few years, right, of of problems. So it was like fool me once, fool me twice. At what point do I give up? And I gave up, and I don't really really need erg mode.

Kristin 48:58

Well, I think that was, yeah, I think from the comments too, we had a whole set of comments from people that are using erg mode outside of Zwift. Right? And so they would say things like Erg mode is great for when I just want to turn off my brain and watch a movie.

Steve 49:12

Not talking about that.

Kristin 49:13

We don't do that. No, and I mean this is just the internet, let's be clear. I also I have a minute to put whatever it is you are saying. So even though we were very clear it was Zwift, I had a picture, there were those people, right? There definitely was a whole set of people that just were and and there were a lot of people that did explain without calling you a ding-dong or an idiot or telling you to shh STFU, which was one of my favorite, um, like such passion why they liked it. And I thought those were interesting explanations, and it really did all come back to I just don't I want to make sure my workout is consistent. I want to, I want to turn off my brain, I don't, you know, like I got exactly what I don't want to do on Zoo.

Steve 49:56

The only reason I like a trainer is because of because of Zwift. Yeah, and the reason I and the reason then I like Zwift is because it my brain is firing for all that data and everything going on, otherwise I couldn't do it. You know, the thing is that yes, technology changes, and I remember at the time like going through the firmware updates on my trainer, what is wrong, what is wrong. This was clearly a situation of Zwift talking to my trainer and the two of them not liking each other. Yep. And so I have tried it again recently, and I have not had the problem. Yes.

Kristin 50:30

So so you went back, you got on the trainer. It's a different trainer, actually, too. After all these comments, you did go back downstairs and you tried erg mode with the mindset of I'm gonna see what everybody's talking about. Yes, right? So kudos to you too to not being like they're all dummies. No, the internet's dumb.

Steve 50:52

The internet is still full of people who have this problem. And I and and when it came up, I had a customer come in who asked me about this problem he had just had. So this is not something that doesn't exist out there, still.

Kristin 51:05

Yeah. We did get people come in and say, I hate erg mode, erg mode is stupid. They were definitely in that minority, but again, I think they were partially in the minority because you're gonna come in to this thread of people talking about what a dummy Steve is for not liking Erg mode and say, Well, I have the problem too. So then you are also gonna be told you're a Luddite who doesn't, you know, know how to use things. Like that's that's not gonna. So I do think there are people or somebody just commented. That's the other thing about this. They keep coming. The comment usually social media, you know, it's it's up and it's down, right? We get a couple of comments uh two days later. I posted that thing like three weeks ago, and I think we got a comment yesterday. Yeah, right. So, because we uh as you said, this is how social media works, right? We're feeding the algorithm, they see people are responding to it. Um, so the good news is you don't think it's as much of a problem.

Steve 52:05

Well, no, like I didn't have he tried it once, it didn't it didn't Yeah, and it didn't and it didn't do it, right? So I mean that's only once, but again, it was immediate uh immediately a problem in the past. Yes, right? Yep. Um, and I did realize that was with a different my first tax trainer. So yeah.

Kristin 52:26

And I still think it is a it is a tool the ones who were polite and explaining why they liked it. Each time I thought, yeah, Steve, Steve's not gonna want this. Like he's not gonna, he's not the kind of right, and I'm I too don't want that. That's why I do Zwift and I don't watch a movie, right? Like I don't necessarily want the turn off my brain, or now there are other reasons for it, the the managing your workout. And there are times in a workout where it will say to you, turn off erg mode. Like you're about to do something that erg mode is not gonna help you with. So I think the software has also gotten smarter talking to you and telling you telling talking to you, telling, instructing you when to use it and when not to use it. So I I will I will say the the internet continues to astound with just the passion. I I also laughed at anybody who was like this guy, right? It's like this guy on his social media, like who you know, who's this guy? I don't know. So um, all right. I think those were all the the questions and the comments and concerns.

Steve 53:40

That can't be everything, can it?

Kristin 53:42

That was all I found as I kind of dug through things. There was one more somebody was saying, um, it was about oh we were talking about if lycra had um if lycra was ruining mountain biking, right? Or like oh my gosh, yes, I remember. Yeah, and one of one comment a woman said she's like, you know, I don't really see lycra. I mostly see baggies out there. And I wanted to respond, that's because it's under. Like, yeah, so I'm wearing my baggies, I'm wearing lycra under. But also I think it's the difference between the casual group ride and the racing, right? So if we're out on a casual group ride, yes, baggies. Baggies. If we're racing, yeah, lycra. Lycra. Yeah, right. So I mean, I think that's that's the other idea is yeah, on a more casual ride, but I'm still wearing lycra. It's just under my baggies because I think this needs girlfriend needs to be.

Steve 54:36

I think this needs reiterating uh just in terms of the mountain bike scene and our preference, which which I think is is actually really useful for people because that's sometimes they don't they don't realize. Uh we are we are big fans of and we're not the only ones. There are so so many professionals out there who are big fans of wearing lycra bib shorts with your chamois pad on as your as your base, and then you have baggy shorts on top, and you have whatever jersey you want on top of that. Yes, it is very, very comfortable and very, very great for mountain biking. So if you're not doing that that, then I suggest trying it.

Kristin 55:17

Yeah, because I mean the lyra gives you the comfort, the wicking, and the support. The support. The baggie protects the lyra right from rocks and roots and and thorns. Yep. Gives you some pockets. Yep. And I will say it should every now and then, you know, when you have a new rider, they'll say, but no underwear, no underwear. And no underwear. The the or let me put it a different way, the lycra is your underwear.

Steve 55:44

Right. There are baggy shorts that you can get with built-in pads, those do not stay against your skin properly. Exactly. They have gotten a little better, supposedly. I still, the the way to go is is the bib, the lycra bib short with pad under your.

Kristin 56:02

And they get watched every time, right? They are that's why I say like it's not that you're not wearing underwear, that's your underwear. Yeah, that's your underwear, right? So I know there can be some confusion, um, especially amongst newer riders.

Steve 56:13

And they make they make bib shorts now specifically designed to go under. So you're not supposed to wear that by yourself. Like you would be running around in your underwear because because they have like like open mesh down the sides. So they're supposed to be very, very breathable, very hot weather type of stuff. They're and you know, they're a little thinner, they don't want you wearing them just as a normal lycra short by itself, they want you wearing it underneath.

Kristin 56:40

Yeah, I mean, I will say this is where we store.

Steve 56:43

Um, I will say Kristen's pulling out a set of baggies from the tester behind us.

Kristin 56:47

No, these are lyra. I don't have those. And in the summer, I will say, wearing standard lycra mountain bike, standard lycra shorts under baggies can be hot. And there have been times, there was a woman's ride that I um was wearing a full bib short underneath my baggies, and it I think it was 90 degrees out. It was a really hot day, and I stripped in the middle of the I took the baggies off and rolled them up and put them in my fanny pack because that was a lot of layers. So maybe we have to look into a couple of those very thin layers.

Steve 57:26

I have I have lightweight. Oh, do you? I do, yeah.

Kristin 57:29

Do you have lightweight?

Steve 57:30

I do.

Kristin 57:31

Huh. Interesting. That was an interesting discovery. All right. Well, I think we're not even gonna take a break. We're gonna go straight into wrapping this up. Okay. Because we got places to go and people to see. We do. Right? All right. Cycling together with Kristen and Steve is a production of Steve the Bike Guy, an independent bicycle shop in eastern Massachusetts and Sunday Marketing.

Steve 57:52

If you like the show, please leave a review or share with a friend for show notes, links, or to leave a comment, question, or top suggestion, please visit cyclingtogether.bike.

Kristin 58:02

You can follow the shop and the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. Leave your comments, questions, complaints. Yep, maybe it'll be in a future episode. And maybe it'll be in a future episode. Thank you for joining the ride. Alright, see you next time.