Looking for a couple extra riders to join a small group at Escapar Cycling Holidays in spring 2026 in the Valencia Region, Spain. Road, gravel and mountain biking all options. If interested, email me at BikesbyMike.yt@gmail.com
www.escapar.cc/copy-of-home
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Bluewater International Granfondo on August 3, 2025 in Sarnia, Ontario. Less than 100 spots remaining (capped at 1,000 riders). Anyone going?
bigf.ca/
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Bike ride protesting Bill 212 and ban on bicycle lanes. Have your voice heard... www.fridaysforfutureto.org/
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For anyone looking to connect with others for indoor rides, I recommend you check out Inside Cycling World. I often join their group rides and races on Rouvy, but they also lead rides on other platforms including Zwift and MyWhoosh. Best indoor cycling community I’ve come across as there’s lots of chat on Discord, lots of group rides and races to choose from, and most of their events are live streamed on their YouTube channel. And great commentary from Colin. Check them out. It’s free!
Organized events on Rouvy typical show up as created by “Inside Cycling World”, and they go under the Discord name of “Team GRC”. Thanks to Anthony for giving me the heads up on this!
Here’s a sample of the ride I recently did:
youtube.com/live/V_s3yHoqJ8k?si=_hceroApUUojbf-p
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Dynaplug tubeless tire plug still perfectly intact after over 3,000 km of riding. Tire tread is still in good condition, so no reason to replace the tire.
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Several viewers pointed out my consistent mispronunciation of the name "Shimano" in my last video. Aaaah--Potayto, potahto, tomayto tomahto, Shimano Shimauno. I've practiced the proper annunciation in front of a mirror and I'll make sure to get it right next time. Old habits are hard to shake 😂.
Let's take a poll. Which is worse? My pronunciation of Shimano, or Bob Roll's complete botchery of "Tour de France" for the umpteenth time he covered that race.
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The ‘go wider and run lower pressure’ mantra is an over-simplification of optimal tire pressure. Just ask the Dutch Olympic track cycling champions. BTW, pretty sure they’re not running hookless rims 😂
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Abbey Bike Tools sell some really cool and well-made tools. The Chain Wear Tool they just released is particularly interesting as it does two things most chain checkers don’t do. 1) It measures lengthwise stretch accurately even for chains with oversized rollers, such as the SRAM flat top chains, and 2) It’s the first tool I’ve seen that measures lateral chain wear.
SRAM T-type chains are claimed to be so good at resisting lengthwise stretch that by the time they need replacing, all other drivetrain components will likely need to be replaced at the same time (i.e. cassette and chainrings). Even then, the chain may not show any noticeable wear lengthwise. It’s quite likely that lateral play in the chain will kill it first. Chains that are heavily worn laterally will exhibit this by way of sloppy shifting.
It will be interesting to see the results of independent testing on this new chain tool.
https://youtu.be/efkh7UoMAZo?si=fCJs0...
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Would be interested in hearing from anyone that has done, or knows about, the Ride Across Challenges in Portugal. Either the Ride Across Portugal or Ride Across Douro-Minho. These are small and relatively new events, so not much information is available on either one.
From the few reviews I’ve seen, they appear to be well-run events. Similar format to the Haute Route races, maybe even a higher level of service. Accommodation seems a step above Haute Route. Plus, they cap registration at 60 riders, presumably to be able to accommodate the event village, start/finish line and hotels at the same place. Something Haute Route often doesn’t do. The pricing for the two events is very good, which makes it tempting.
rideacrosschallenges.com/ride-across-portugal/
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Saved again by Silca Ultimate Tubeless Tire Sealant. Didn't realize I had a puncture on my ride until I got back to the car. Lost so little air pressure, I didn't feel the puncture. Although, thinking back, I do recall hearing a loud "pop" with about 40 km to go :)
Getting a puncture reminds me that there is NO perfect tire solution to deal with punctures. Running tubeless just swaps one issue for another. Choose whatever you prioritize most and go with that setup. For me, I want to be efficient while riding, so I go tubeless. I like running a tubeless setup (with good sealant & caring plugs) because it's the least amount of hassle while riding. But the time saved while riding is offset by the extra time required off the bike. If sealant sprays all over your bike (like it often does), you'll spend more time cleaning your bike afterwards than you would if you just had an inner tube blow. But I still prefer this tubeless headache to running a tubed setup and having to carry multiple tubes and replace tubes while on the road.
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Bicycle maintenance for the home mechanic, plus other cycling related topics including product reviews, how-to tutorials, emerging trends, bike travel, training and nutrition. I try to make all content heavy on facts and unbiased. I live in Toronto, Canada. Please share your comments to my videos or reach out to me by email at BikesbyMike.yt@gmail.com 📪.
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➡️ROUVY: bit.ly/4lkSAoy
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15 October 2021