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What are the biggest wastes of money in biking?

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Old 09-05-22, 01:37 AM
  #276  
elcruxio
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Originally Posted by Nyah
QR-disc brakes. I'd rather (and do) ride V-brakes.
I don't get this sentiment. QR disc brakes work just as well but do require more fiddling to get the alignment to stay constant. Not a dealbreaker though, not by a longshot.
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Old 09-05-22, 03:28 AM
  #277  
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Originally Posted by elcruxio
I don't get this sentiment. QR disc brakes work just as well but do require more fiddling to get the alignment to stay constant. Not a dealbreaker though, not by a longshot.
Agreed. I use QR with disc brakes and I haven't had a single issue with wheel alignment. No fiddling required.
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Old 09-05-22, 04:27 AM
  #278  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
My wife has no idea how much her cycling kit costs, yet she consistently prefers the more expensive stuff. She's either got a sixth sense about the cost, or the more expensive stuff is noticeably better.
A friend of mine did a quick sewing repair on an older Italian cycling jersey of mine. She was highly impressed by the quality of the fabric and especially by the stitching of the seams. I told her what the equivalent jersey would cost today. She said that something of that quality in fashionable women's clothing would cost at least two or three times as much.
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Old 09-05-22, 04:55 AM
  #279  
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
A mirror shows me exactly what's behind me, what more do you need ?
Well, I'm legally blind in my left eye so a mirror is worthless to me.
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Old 09-05-22, 09:34 AM
  #280  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
140m allows me to ride to the left of the fog line, even on a 55mph road, where the pavement is smoother, there's virtually no debris, and I'm more visible, while still giving me plenty of time to move over when alerted. The adaptive flashing pattern and my yielding of the lane are indications to drivers that I'm aware of their approach. With all of that in mind, I don't think that it's a coincidence that, in the ~16k miles since getting a Varia, I've had only one a-hole buzz me.

"We all have preferences"? Sure. "None of it is important"? Nah.
Being able to ride outside of the debris field is a real thing. I used to stay in the unswept bike lanes or near curbing and now ride out more in the lane and only duck back in when alerted. Think this may have helped contribute to a lack of flats for two years which is fantastic. Or is it tubeless + Varia? Who cares, it works!
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Old 09-05-22, 10:45 AM
  #281  
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Originally Posted by Eric F
You have to look in the mirror to know if a car is approaching behind you. if you don't look, you'll never know until it's within hearing range. Varia will alert me with a beep that something is within its radar range - which is beyond my hearing range - without me having to look at my computer. I don't need to look until after I've already been warned. When I'm riding solo, I appreciate the info Varia provides, and the way it does it. If it's not for you, don't buy one.
nah, the disagreement about this is because anti-varia people have talking mirrors! there's no other rational explanation for the claims that a mirror does everything a beeping radar does

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Old 09-05-22, 11:23 AM
  #282  
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^ This is how problems start .... there are no "Anti-Varia" people, and one person who claimed once his mirror did everything Varia does. Are you that lonely and unhappy that you need to make up groups of "others" you can attack to prove you are "one of us"?
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Old 09-05-22, 11:24 AM
  #283  
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Originally Posted by CheGiantForLife
What are the biggest wastes of money in biking?
Spending money to shave grams without taking into account that you and your bike together weigh 200 pounds (give-or-take).
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Old 09-05-22, 12:22 PM
  #284  
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Originally Posted by elcruxio
Originally Posted by Nyah
QR-disc brakes. I'd rather (and do) ride V-brakes.
I don't get this sentiment. QR disc brakes work just as well but do require more fiddling to get the alignment to stay constant. Not a dealbreaker though, not by a longshot.
That does make it a deal-breaker, for me at least. With thru-axle in play, I have zero desire to buy a bicycle/frame/fork that limits me to QR-disc.

If a bicycle genre has low diversity in the technology offerings, such as the current scenario with folding bicycles (re-badging everywhere and no thru-axle), I will choose V-brakes instead of QR-disc.
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Old 09-05-22, 03:05 PM
  #285  
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The radar used in conjunction with wearing bone phones (they don't obstruct your hearing traffic) is a great aid in addition to using a mirror......You use the phone Varia app that links from the light to the phone in my back pocket and to the phones.
The "audible" beep from my Garmin 830 is worthless, but I can clearly hear with the bone phones....
I won't ride any other way....
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Old 09-05-22, 04:29 PM
  #286  
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Originally Posted by 55tele
The radar used in conjunction with wearing bone phones (they don't obstruct your hearing traffic) is a great aid in addition to using a mirror......You use the phone Varia app that links from the light to the phone in my back pocket and to the phones.
The "audible" beep from my Garmin 830 is worthless, but I can clearly hear with the bone phones....
I won't ride any other way....
Hmm, this is an interesting point, though I don't generally have a problem hearing the beeps from my Bryton Rider 750. I might just give this a try to see if it improves my awareness as I just bought a pair of Shokz bone conducting headphones.
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Old 09-05-22, 04:31 PM
  #287  
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Originally Posted by 55tele
The radar used in conjunction with wearing bone phones (they don't obstruct your hearing traffic) is a great aid in addition to using a mirror......You use the phone Varia app that links from the light to the phone in my back pocket and to the phones.
The "audible" beep from my Garmin 830 is worthless, but I can clearly hear with the bone phones....
I won't ride any other way....
I can hear the beeps just fine. Perhaps you have a hearing deficit. But you offer a good work around for those with hearing loss.
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Old 09-05-22, 04:34 PM
  #288  
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Yes, give it a try...it works great....its probably different tone that your head unit gives off and you can control the volume with the phone and app....

I shouldn't admit it, but I turn on the XM low.....I can still hear everything going on fine.....
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Old 09-05-22, 04:38 PM
  #289  
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I've been using Aftershokz (renamed now to shokz) for years and they are fantastic! I purchased their new OpenRun Pro version and the sound quality has improved immensely over my previous set..

They are great headsets that allow you to hear everything going on around you for safety purposes..
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Old 09-05-22, 04:43 PM
  #290  
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I've heard from a number of others that the notification beeps on some Garmin models is pretty quiet. The 530 doesn't seem to have that problem, though.
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Old 09-05-22, 04:50 PM
  #291  
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While I acknowledge I have profound hearing loss and use hearing aids, even with the HAs on and my 530 right next them, I get no sound.
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Old 09-05-22, 06:19 PM
  #292  
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Originally Posted by raqball
I've been using Aftershokz (renamed now to shokz) for years and they are fantastic! I purchased their new OpenRun Pro version and the sound quality has improved immensely over my previous set..

They are great headsets that allow you to hear everything going on around you for safety purposes..
Yeah, the OpenRun Pro version is fantastic. Very good sound quality, plenty loud enough to hear my music even at speed, great battery life, and comfortable enough to wear for hours. No worries about them falling off, either. A bit pricey, but I ride enough that the extra cost was worth it for me.
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Old 09-05-22, 10:57 PM
  #293  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
^ This is how problems start .... there are no "Anti-Varia" people, and one person who claimed once his mirror did everything Varia does. Are you that lonely and unhappy that you need to make up groups of "others" you can attack to prove you are "one of us"?
not lonely or unhappy. that little yellow icon at the end of my sentence indicated that my response was tongue in cheek, as did the gif from a children's show, i'd imagine.
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Old 09-06-22, 01:08 AM
  #294  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
not lonely or unhappy. that little yellow icon at the end of my sentence indicated that my response was tongue in cheek, as did the gif from a children's show, i'd imagine.
I am sorry .... I thought you would have noticed that EVERYTHING I POST is not serious.
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Old 09-06-22, 02:55 AM
  #295  
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The cracked titanium frame that is the subject of another thread in this forum.
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Old 09-06-22, 08:26 AM
  #296  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
Amazon delivered this, um, highly touted jersey today.

Anyone that thinks that this holds a candle to a $100 jersey from a reputable cycling apparel manufacturer is cracked. The stitching is second-rate. The zipper is not particularly good bad. The fabric plays a weird trick of actually feeling okay in-hand, but downright icky on the skin when worn. Also, it stretches, but it's not particularly supple - weird.


The worst offense, though, is the cut. It's just not right, not if you're aiming for something reasonably form-fitting. While the chest measurement is on, as far as the sizing chart is considered, it's tight though the shoulders, the neck opening is too large in diameter and the neck cuff kind of stands up and would scoop in air while moving. I have a somewhat long torso for my height, yet this is still way too long. Unless pulled all the way down - which wouldn't be feasible on the bike (I need to articulate my legs) - the zipper bunches up and juts out. The length and cut makes it seem like it was made to traverse a beer gut. Going back to the shoulders - again, it's just off in a weird way. The arm hole position feels wrong (too far back?) and they don't articulate well; this wouldn't work for me even on my less aggressive gravel bike. On the road bike? Uhhh, no.


Overall, I would say that this is more like a shirt made out of second-rate "tech" material, not something that was made with much knowledge of on-bike position and movement.


I'm thinking this is a personal fit issue. I have Arsuxeo jerseys going on 3 years old now and I have zero problems with fit or moisture wicking. Same goes for some of my friends that have the same jerseys.


I also have some from Spotti and Spooneed that are just as good.


https://www.amazon.com/Spotti-Basic-...s%2C144&sr=8-2


https://www.amazon.com/sponeed-Bicyc...s%2C106&sr=8-2


I have tried on $100 pair of pants that didn't fit me correctly and usually end up with the $30 pants from Kohls that fit me better. So just because a $20 jersey didn't fit YOU correctly doesn't mean it's the fault of the jersey or that it won't fit others correctly.


I went in a little skeptical buying these jerserys also but at that price I figured why not take the chance. I was utterly suprised when they worked out well. And if for some reason they fall apart...zippers, stitching etc. (which hasn't happened yet) at roughly $20/each I can buy 4-5 of them for the price of one $100 jersey.

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Old 09-06-22, 10:25 AM
  #297  
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Originally Posted by 55tele
The radar used in conjunction with wearing bone phones (they don't obstruct your hearing traffic) is a great aid in addition to using a mirror......You use the phone Varia app that links from the light to the phone in my back pocket and to the phones.
The "audible" beep from my Garmin 830 is worthless, but I can clearly hear with the bone phones....
I won't ride any other way....
Interesting. I wish I could turn down the volume of the beeps on my Wahoo Bolt.
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Old 09-06-22, 10:26 AM
  #298  
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Originally Posted by prj71
I'm thinking this is a personal fit issue. I have Arsuxeo jerseys going on 3 years old now and I have zero problems with fit or moisture wicking. Same goes for some of my friends that have the same jerseys.


I also have some from Spotti and Spooneed that are just as good.


https://www.amazon.com/Spotti-Basic-...s%2C144&sr=8-2


https://www.amazon.com/sponeed-Bicyc...s%2C106&sr=8-2


I have tried on $100 pair of pants that didn't fit me correctly and usually end up with the $30 pants from Kohls that fit me better. So just because a $20 jersey didn't fit YOU correctly doesn't mean it's the fault of the jersey or that it won't fit others correctly.


I went in a little skeptical buying these jerserys also but at that price I figured why not take the chance. I was utterly suprised when they worked out well. And if for some reason they fall apart...zippers, stitching etc. (which hasn't happened yet) at roughly $20/each I can buy 4-5 of them for the price of one $100 jersey.
Yeah, no.

Rather than simply dismiss your smack-talking about "expensive" jerseys and your touting of inexpensive, no-name jerseys, I actually invested a bit of time, effort and money to try out what you stated was one of your favorite jerseys to wear. Having done so, I now know that you have *zero* credibility when it comes to judging cycling specific apparel. Compared to the entry level offerings of reputable manufacturers, this jersey:

- is made from significantly inferior materials
- shows inferior construction
- is poorly proportioned
- shows almost no consideration of activity-specific body position (the rear is dropped ~1.5", but that's about all of the insight that the designers possessed)

"Just as good"? Yeah, no.
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Old 09-06-22, 10:30 AM
  #299  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
Yeah, no.

Rather than simply dismiss your smack-talking about "expensive" jerseys and your touting of inexpensive, no-name jerseys, I actually invested a bit of time, effort and money to try out what you stated was one of your favorite jerseys to wear. Having done so, I now know that you have *zero* credibility when it comes to judging cycling specific apparel. Compared to the entry level offerings of reputable manufacturers, this jersey:

- is made from significantly inferior materials
- shows inferior construction
- is poorly proportioned
- shows almost no consideration of activity-specific body position (the rear is dropped ~1.5", but that's about all of the insight that the designers possessed)

"Just as good"? Yeah, no.
Ha!!! You crack me up.

If I'm wearing them and have no fit or quality issues and I have friends wearing them aren't having any problems...I'm gonna say it's you, not the shirt. Or else you are just real picky.

Oh well... I'll keep me more money in my pocket while you feed the companies charging too much for a moisture wicking t-shirt.

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Old 09-06-22, 10:36 AM
  #300  
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Originally Posted by prj71
Oh well... I'll keep me more money in my pocket while you feed the companies charging too much for a moisture wicking t-shirt.
Moisture wicking t-shirts actually came to mind while I was wear the Arsuxeo. I have some "tech" tees that I got on sale from J Crew for $5 and, while they don't have a zipper and they don't have pockets, wearing one of them would be FAR preferable than the jersey-shaped object that you recommend.

Zero credibility.
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