[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

I believe we're thinking along the same lines, Doc, thanks so much. I whacked my knee hard on our cement stairs a month or more ago (wife says I'm clumsy and unfortunately she's right); after a couple weeks it hurt only when kneeling, but only after my (probably premature) 800ft climb last week did I start getting fluid buildup over the kneecap... wow, didn't expect that! No pain thankfully and my doctor says it's okay to still ride, advised keeping a crepe bandage a week or two and we'll see. But yeah, I hear what you're saying about the gradual buildup. That was 800ft in probably 3km's up and took me a half hour with brief rests 4-5 times on the way up. I was very winded at the top, 'specially after pushing uphill through that final muddy stretch!. Regular loop takes me up 700ft but in twice the distance, been doing that approx. thrice a week.

We honestly have a shortage of good loops, and especially if good paving is preferred, we have basically none, even re: the places you mentioned below Manali - which moreover add a LOT of time and distance (we're north).

So either backtracking or thicker tyres are the most obvious options unless I'm ready/willing to do 60km's. Nearer to home, the 700x35's will require a lot more care dodging potholes than the 2.125's, or else a disc conversion (more weight) and less worry about tweaking rims here and there...

Both my Riverside and the Hero Thunder MTB have rigid forks, both 19" frames which is likely a tad small for me (but feels fine on the Raleigh/ Matts 20). Hero is a couple kg's lighter but has 26" wheels instead of the 700C's... I've got a pair of speed-oriented (not quite slick) Montra 700x35C's I planned for the Riverside, but no idea where I'd get 26" hybrid tyres of the size& sort we both know would be ideal. Ordered some 1.95's and will see...

I don't mind rolling down at lower speed, so will bias the gearing towards climbs. I've got the MegaRange freewheel (as per your ACT thread) on four of my mtb's (incl..the Thunder) but I find the 1-2 gap excessive, so will probably go for the cassette setup on whichever of these cycles I choose to ride most, or else add the 34 ring to a standard freewheel as I did on the ACT108...

If I were to put a rigid fork and alloy cranks/seat-post on the ACT105, I think I'd be at the same weight as your 110 (currently @14.5kg)... so that's another option, but again 26".

Lack of appropriate/affordable tyre options seems to be my major challenge. I e-mailed Ralson as their site shows all kinds of potentially suitable stuff, but (predictably) zero response.

Thanks again,
-Eric

For the 26 inch wheels, which are the most rugged for the sort of terrain you are in, and which as you know climb better than 700c's (losing out only in the obstacle rollover, which is what spawned the 29er MTBs), the 1.95s you have ordered are perfect. I've ridden a lot with road bias tread 1.95s on my 26 inch wheeled Hercules Top Gear. I've now greedily replaced them with 1.75s and I am not as happy. They do not roll as well, and look really spindly on a butch steel MTB rigid forked frame.

Going 26 inch will also further lower your gearing. For the same crank and cogs.

If you are not doing demon descents, you do not need disc brakes. Rim brakes would be a lot lighter and easier to tweak and not rub annoyingly every little bump or knock they get. In the mountains I would think the KISS principle works even stronger!

35c is a LOT of air cushion. So is a 1.95. Don't worry. Stand up off the saddle and get better with you bike handling avoidance skills. Rim brakes hep a lot with the amount you can modulate. I just hate crappy grabby disc brakes in that respect. Even over 30 years of riding motorcycles, I'm an old school trail braker. I throw all new age gyaan and wisdom about not using the rear brake in the bin where it deserves to be and used my rear brakes deep into every high speed corner in ghat races. And I do pretty well too, against guys my son's age. The cost for this is replacing rear brake pads every 2-3000 kms. Cool. No problem. Same with bicycles.

Find the frame you fit on best and are most comfortable climbing on. I still think you do not need shocks and they will only slow you down and add immensely to your efforts. Better to be mobile on the saddle and let your knees and hips and elbows and wrists work as the shock absorbers when needed instead, so that when you are climbing, every watt of power goes into moving you up, and not into a soggy pogo stick bouncing up and down with every pedal stroke.

If you cannot find paved roads for longer loops figure out a few circuits around where you stay and do repeats. Work up to a couple of hours of riding if you can, though with a lot of climbing, even 60 to 90 minutes should be great. 4-5 days a week.

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

I've got a pair of speed-oriented (not quite slick) Montra 700x35C's I planned for the Riverside, but no idea where I'd get 26" hybrid tyres of the size& sort we both know would be ideal. Ordered some 1.95's and will see...

Eric, GRL (Govind Rubber Limited) a Bombay based company mainly into exports (Brazil, Spain, Russia, etc.) makes great tyres. I count them many levels higher than Ralco, in the Indian tyre space.









P.S. This baby too has a 48-38-28 triple crank and a 14-34 6-speed MegaRange freewheel, Shimano Revo Shift grip shifters, 26 inch wheels, with old school Cantilever brakes (so much easier to adjust and tune), and weighs in at around 19 kilos.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

That was 800ft in probably 3km's up and took me a half hour with brief rests 4-5 times on the way up. I was very winded at the top, 'specially after pushing uphill through that final muddy stretch!. Regular loop takes me up 700ft but in twice the distance, been doing that approx. thrice a week.

That's steep. I have to keep converting your references in feet into meters to get a proper perspective! Lol

My steel MTB above, this baby too has a 48-38-28 triple crank and a 14-34 6-speed MegaRange freewheel, Shimano Revo Shift grip shifters, 26 inch wheels, with old school Cantilever brakes (so much easier to adjust and tune), and weighs in at around 19 kilos.

And I have climbed Lavasa (1500 ft in under 6 km), Bhor (1700 ft in under 7 km) as well as Sinhagad (2200 feet in under 9 km) on her. All 6-9 km odd climbs averaging around 8%.

Sinhagad you climb around 650 meters in 9 kilometers. That's close to 2200 feet. In around 50 minutes.

So anything rigid and slick tyred and low enough geared weighing under 13-14 kilos should be great.

Your normal loop of around 200 meters (700 feet) in 6 km is a decent one that you can maybe do 2 repeats of, building up to 3. Remember you will get a 6 km downhill each time, free.

Someone with a similar problem as you ...

https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-b...in-advice.html

Cheers, Doc

[ringoism]

Pushed a little higher this morning towards Koti...



Never had taken the ACT105 anywhere really, so thought a test-ride was in order. No, not the ideal tool for the job... and doesn't feel as natural / easy to me as the (Merida) Matts 20... seat post should be a half-inch longer, for one thing. But it got the job done.



I was thinking in light of earlier discussion that MTB's are kinda like multitools - which I used to hate the idea of because as a "purist" mechanic I had a full roll-away tool cabinet with fifteen drawers full of "the RIGHT tools" for every job...

Well, my uncle gifted me one and after a week with it I never looked back - just so versatile and accessible.

(on that note, bit modded Gerber Suspension NXT as my EDC here - in this form, best bang-for-buck I've found, and more lightweight/compact than others, too).

-Eric

[promit]

Catching a quick coffee on my way back from Central Delhi. I had a puncture on my way back, thankfully just 50 metres away from home.

[AutoIndian]

Did a leisurely ride to Gahunje Cricket Stadium, Ghoradeshwar Hill base & Mamurdi Iron bridge today on a wet drizzly morning.


Potable water in bottles and the source of that water (Pavana river) in the background


My bike admiring the river beneath standing on the dilapidated bridge


Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the backdrop as seen from the Gahunje Stadium bridge


Gahunje Stadium viewing gallery in the backdrop


Clouds flocking the peak of Ghoradeshwar hill


Mamurdi Iron bridge with Lodha township in the backdrop


Stadium in the frame of my bike


Bike admiring the stadium


At the base of Ghoradeshwar hill

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ebonho

35c is a LOT of air cushion. So is a 1.95. Don't worry. Stand up off the saddle and get better with you bike handling avoidance skills. Rim brakes hep a lot with the amount you can modulate. I just hate crappy grabby disc brakes in that respect. Even over 30 years of riding motorcycles, I'm an old school trail braker. I throw all new age gyaan and wisdom about not using the rear brake in the bin where it deserves to be and used my rear brakes deep into every high speed corner in ghat races. And I do pretty well too, against guys my son's age. The cost for this is replacing rear brake pads every 2-3000 kms. Cool. No problem. Same with bicycles.

Cheers, Doc

Another old schooler, Durianrider, agrees with me.

https://youtu.be/xz3iE_i_Ut4

Cheers, Doc

[goandude]

Spent a few days at Coonoor, The Nilgiris, earlier this week. Got some great early morning rides, with some steep inclines, fabulous scenery and temperature in the mid teens.






And this is how I dressed for the cold while leaving for a ride

[ebonho]

Vadgaon 80 km afternoon ride with my partner after ages. Good fun. Looking forward to him getting into the groove quickly now and then me stepping back on to my CAAD for some serious training these last 4 months. Bikepacking plans too.











Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Vadgaon 80 km

Cheers, Doc

581 km on the waxed chain.

[Mi10]

Pics from yesterday ride

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by ebonho

581 km on the waxed chain.

Looks like the full wax treatment is the way to go

[GhostRider28]

Got my Merida just a week back! Never knew we had such an active cycling group in TeamBHP.


After a week of experimenting across different roads, I am getting a feeling that I probably like trails better than open roads. Let's see how the Merida Cross holds up!

[JJay]

Pics from yesterday's impulsive yet successful morning ride from Ahmedabad to Dhamma Pitha Vipassana centre, Dholka.


It was my first time riding on roads without street lights. Had to use a smartphone torch to get going, which was very inconvenient.


Introducing my 2 years old tough and dependable ride, a four-digit drop bar hybrid "BLACK TIGER"
Pardon that plastic water bottle, had forgotten my gym bottle at native during the last visit.


You are among the tastiest apple I have ever had, thank you.


Met Black Tiger's distant uncle but sadly on a stretcher. Get well soon kakaji (uncle).


somewhere en route.


All this just to see these two people [they happen to be my parents]. It was a surprise for them. For me, It was a race against time because they were about to leave for Surat at ~7 AM so I must reach before that to meet them and I did.

As stated above, it was purely an impulsive ride without any sort of preparation. Early in the morning at around 4:30 while studying got a random thought of doing this and at 5 o'clock I was on bicycle heading towards Dhamma Pitha.
It may appear to some as stupidity or madness. I agree, sanity did not prevail then but sometimes "SANE IS BORING" and I think it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than to be absolutely boring.

I was thinking of this thread while riding and was an inspiration throughout the ride.

Wrapping up with stats.
Stay fit and healthy,
be happy.

[ebonho]

Started climbing today. Been putting it off. Can't anymore. Embrace the pain. Old Katraj - McDonald's 60 km loop. 610 meters elevation gain. A slow start. Heavy bike. Hope to build on this ...