HC Bike/Cycling Thread

*guzziguy* · May 31, 2022

After 4 years of riding, I finally felt comfortable enough to try this.

*MexicanDragon* · May 31, 2022

3 hours ago, n_maher said:

Come on Brent, this bridge is calling your name. There are tress in the water so you can kill two types of falls in one go.

H8 u

;)

*Voltron* · June 7, 2022

I bought an e-bike. Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 Super Light 2022 edition. Claire got a 4.0 step-through.

*MexicanDragon* · June 7, 2022

55 minutes ago, Voltron said:

I bought an e-bike. Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 Super Light 2022 edition. Claire got a 4.0 step-through.

Nice, Al! I helped my LBS sell someone on the same bike about a month ago! LMK if you want a line on accessories, like the range extenders. They're hard to come by, but I have a good source. There are also some cool things you can add to that seat (like, say, a small kit that bolts right on to the seat that will hold a tube/levers/CO2 w/head, etc) that means you're never left stranded.

You're gonna LOVE this thing! Oh, and do you have the top tube comp with the screen, or the button and bars? (New for 2022, but I think it's "subject to availability" as to whether or not the bike gets it).

*Voltron* · June 7, 2022

Thanks Brent, I will likely be in touch on accessories. Mine has the top tube screen and will pair to my phone for additional controls and the ability to shut the motor down and turn on an alarm with a PIN. It was a fun ride home, and there are some things to learn about cadence and such to get the most out of the assist.

*MexicanDragon* · June 7, 2022

4 hours ago, Voltron said:

Thanks Brent, I will likely be in touch on accessories. Mine has the top tube screen and will pair to my phone for additional controls and the ability to shut the motor down and turn on an alarm with a PIN. It was a fun ride home, and there are some things to learn about cadence and such to get the most out of the assist.

I like to run in Eco most of the time, but I've found the cadence setting to be fantastic for riding/pacing, especially on hills. It helped me get up stuff I didn't think I was going to make without stopping.

I was going to go with a bike computer, but I think I'm going to go with phone and use a collection of apps. There are mounts for your phone (I got a cheaper one as proof-of-concept, but it let me know what I really wanted,) and happy to make some recommendations if interested.

I test rode something with the same motor and within 5 minutes I was like "OK, putting a deposit down on this." The only reason it wasn't "buy right then" was that they had a carbon one a size down coming in on the weekend, and just made sure both were reserved so that it wasn't going to get away. Heh, a *big* thing was when I went up some shorter/steepish roads was like "OK, let me do this in Turbo mode" I looked down and realized I was in Eco instead of Sport. If it was that much fun on Eco mode, it was a no brainer. Specialized did something REALLY right with this combo. So stoked for you!

*MoonShine* · June 11, 2022

Damnit guys.

After seeing your posts ^ I was intrigued and started looking at reviews. Yesterday I had some time between my Niece's commencement at Portland State and a celebratory lunch @ Salty's so I stopped at River City Bicycles and test rode one.

Bam. Done.

I ended up going with the 2021 model to save a few bucks & because I actually prefer the display up on the handlebar (even though I know it's a much less sophisticated display than the ones on the 2022's). Those are just excuses for the real reason though: I like the color.

I will definitely be getting the extended battery once they are available 😁

Edited June 11, 2022 by MoonShine

n_maher · June 11, 2022

^^^ Always buy the thing you want to ride, don't really worry about anything else.

Me: finally recovering enough to get out for a proper ride in the woods.

*Voltron* · June 12, 2022

Good choice Moonshine!

*swt61* · June 12, 2022

Nicely done gents.

Glad to hear you're feeling better Nate!

n_maher · June 12, 2022

1 hour ago, swt61 said:

Nicely done gents.

Glad to hear you're feeling better Nate!

Thanks Steve. Did an easy 30 miler on the road bike this morning and felt more than ok. A little tired now so I'll take it easy for the rest of the day and try not to push back.

*MexicanDragon* · June 12, 2022

On 6/11/2022 at 12:17 PM, MoonShine said:

Damnit guys.

After seeing your posts ^ I was intrigued and started looking at reviews. Yesterday I had some time between my Niece's commencement at Portland State and a celebratory lunch @ Salty's so I stopped at River City Bicycles and test rode one.

Bam. Done.

I ended up going with the 2021 model to save a few bucks & because I actually prefer the display up on the handlebar (even though I know it's a much less sophisticated display than the ones on the 2022's). Those are just excuses for the real reason though: I like the color.

I will definitely be getting the extended battery once they are available 😁

Nice! I have a 2021 model as well, but there is an app you can use to have all the info on your phone (and use a phone mount.) I'll go ahead and post where I've been able to source 2 range extenders from, and they still have stock. I wasn't sure about the place, but they came in reasonably timely (don't pay extra for shipping, btw... I tried to do 8$ rush shipping (over free) and came in the same day as another one that was ~equidistant. Buy the thing here. FWIW, this shop is in Sparks, NV, and it did not charge me tax.

Don't forget you need to spend a few bucks more to get the cable for the range extender, and they sell those too. If you *want*, you can go all out and get the Y-cable for your charger that will charge both bike and battery.

Oh, if you haven't ordered from Specialized, new people can get 15% off accessories. I'd consider getting the Y charger cable + other cable from them if you wanted to make a bit larger order. Feel free to PM me if you'd like any assistance in spending money.

*MoonShine* · June 12, 2022

Thanks Brent, Al ,Steve, & Nate!

Looking forward to riding it on the Ride the Rim @ Crater Lake later this year as well as the Rails to Trails from Banks to Vernonia! So many adventures, so little time 😁

*Voltron* · June 14, 2022

Nothing too amazing or intense, but I wanted to try the new bike on White's Hill, where Claire has always had to stop a couple of times to get over on her old hybrid Trek. We both went up and over without stopping and then went to lunch. Eventually, we want to ride all the way out to Point Reyes with more hills along the way.