20 years of bike advice in 10 minutes

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[@Henrywildeberry]

One piece of advice I've learned over the years, especially in the world of cycling, is people will argue for the sake of arguing. It's a type of pleasure (or sport) for many. Making videos about your opinions and thoughts will generally invite these people, so no need to let your ego get the best of you and get offended. Just let it be, be nice to them, and enjoy the ride. And the other advice I have is, GCN may have millions and millions of subscribers, but when I ride my bike I rarely ever see other cyclists. Not sure where all these subscribers are at, so I make my cycling content for the few people who wave at me when I'm riding, or stop and say hey hello. A lot of people like a break from reality, for their mental wellness, so let's share bikes because they are fun. I like your keep it weird mantra, and try and live by that rule too.

[@Lamefoureyes]

Y'all have changed my life (along with other great cycling youtubers). In 2020, when things were looking real grim, I stumbled onto your videos and decided to start biking around my home city. Cycling gave me the joy that I was missing from my life. I continued to bike commute and challenge myself, and now I've taken a bike mechanic course and fix bikes to raise money to sponsor a refugee family. Wishing you the best for the next 20 years in bike videos and life.

[@ericcornell3243]

I think that's a Frost poem somewhere, "2 cars converged on blind curve...and I took the ditch less traveled" 😅😂

[@Mike-vd2qt]

Well said thoughts on the BIKE, thanks! 71 year old here, cycling over 45 years. From shop rides on a De Rosa, Super Record, with sew-ups; to touring across the U.S. and EU. Today I'm happiest toodling along with my drop-bar mountain bike on the gravel trails near Boulder. Happy trails! ☮

[@dongenovese1809]

You read almost exactly like me other than I’m 85 near San Francisco.

[@schwinnguy]

@@dongenovese1809 Same, 70 in AZ

[@elizabethburgess3969]

Thanks for that, Russ! Yesterday I finished an 8 day ride - no crazy distances, lots of photos, and many great conversations with people met along the way. That’s cycling at its finest for me. Love and appreciate your channel and the Party Pace vibe!

[@greggr1591]

Listen to the voice of experience: there is no one size fits all; cycling does not have to be a race. "It's ultimately up to you." Tell it Russ.

[@jrother]

Buying an upright, Dutch bike to go to the store has totally changed me and how I see the town I live in. Russ is right that it's not all about speed.

[@garyseckel295]

Interestingly, it is becoming big of raising to higher handlebars! 'Dutch bicycle comfort' increasing in popularity! Aging or logic, OR both!

[@burkec33]

Yes, many more serious cyclists don't seem to have uprights. I get a lot of use our of my beach cruiser around town.

[@jag1870]

Nice job Russ!!! Now start touring Spain with them Bromptons so I can see those fairytale landscapes.

[@tylerstumpf3319]

Russ over the years your bike advice has cost me thousands of dollars and I love you for it 😊

[@kipcc3918]

That’s why it’s called the cave of bad ideas. 🤣🤣 But I thank Russ for these, cause learning of from someone else is the best way to go. ❤️ but there’s always a different kind of fun when you’re doing it yourself. 😁

[@woodywoodverchecker]

What I save on shifters I spend on bags.

[@hdi1200]

Thanks! Great video with wisdom that applies beyond cycling. I'm 75. Got serious about riding more during covid. I realize now that every bike I've ever owned was geared way too high. Smaller chainwheels and WIDE range cassettes have made cycling much more enjoyable for me.

[@davidbee9563]

Great thoughts...I might add Look after your ride and it will look after you. Learn to fix little things which won't leave you stranded and avoid bigger problems. Suffer through the rain. cold, wet and darkness then you will enjoy the nice days more. Find other people to ride with and share the experiences along the way.

[@cdmiller51]

1500 videos! Russ and Laura, your video content has exposed me to more cycling than I could have imagined. Thank you for your perseverance! Plus, cool t-shirt.

[@matthewcross3234]

I’m 23 and starting my cycling journey and want to start bike packing but feel I’ve been putting it off for years. This is the advice I needed

[@nicolasmillo]

Same age, and I'm actually bike touring, go for it !

[@Kenaroni]

Yes, the advice to “go now” is good advice. I’ve been telling my much younger coworkers that travel is important. Go to other countries and see how people live. It is as important as a college education in my opinion. And like an education, the experience will stay with you.

[@maryharrington8983]

I went at age 19 for 3 months. I went again at age 26 and what a different expereience

[@aaronedgeart]

Great recommendations, as always. And, "enjoy the wind in your hair"... well said.

[@leightonbohl1920]

Sorry, mate, I was so busy riding my own hobby horse that I neglected to say thanks for all the entertaining and informative videos of yours that I’ve watched over the last three years or so. All the best to you and your wife; may the sun shine on both of you and may the wind always be at your back. Cheers!

[@RobertFHarrison]

Love this vid, mirrors my experience over a lifetime of cycling (age 66). I remind folks who think I’m slow, or dress funny, or ride odd bikes, that it’s a bicycle ride.🎉

[@fuzzi1002]

Alan Watts would have put it like this: Life is not a race, with start and finish but a ride on a bike for the sake of cycling.😁

[@mstieber79]

Great video, Russ! With you on 97% of these, excepting the broad stroke anti-electronic shifting bias. The hassle wireless tech obviates when traveling with & reassembling a bike is invaluable to me.

[@stuhennessey9013]

Good advice. I just want to point out that bicycle commuting is like a bicycle tour every day. Play with your routes looking for adventure, interesting locations and challenges. This also makes you ready for a big tour when you are ready to expand your bicycle world.

[@thenightowldude]

Don't trust straight lines on a map Don't trust wiggly lines on a map I now no longer trust maps

[@Jogi346]

i no longer trust.

[@peglor]

There's a related phrase - straight roads are for fast cars, twisty roads are for fast drivers. A twisty road is a sure sign the road goes somewhere people have wanted to get to badly enough to be willing to build all that extra road to ease the climb.

[@paulaspinall919]

Thanks Russ. Your advice is good advice and rings true for most of my life. I have only been biking seriously since the beginning of 2020, although I’ve dabbled all my life. I’ve stopped treating every bike ride as a time trial. I do most miles on my electric bike and reserve my 90’s mountain bike and 00’s road bike for more local stuff. I often ride on my own and savour the sights and sounds and smells. Watching the clouds is a favourite pastime. A flask of coffee and a bidon of squash. It doesn’t get much better. Many thanks from an ageing ungracefully 69 year old.

[@jeffandersen6233]

Congratulations on 1500 episodes. I still go back and watch them. At age 74 I've stopped the "metrics" some time ago and enjoy just riding with normal clothes and flat pedals. Over the years I must have spent a small fortune on must have bike gear. In my 20s I discovered low gears. Didn't need them much but great to have.

[@markroberts6971]

This was a great series of comments. Thank you, Russ for all that you do.

[@JimConnelley]

Been riding for 65 years, You speak the truth.

[@schwinnguy]

Jim, you set a high bar, I'm only up to 52yrs riding, I hope I can get as long as you.

[@sidve4140]

This kind of content is the reason why I'm your subscriber.

[@burkec33]

Very sensible advice here and you touch most of the points I think about often. Biking is not always an event, so there is still a lot of enjoyment to be derived from commuting, going to the market, a short around-town stroll. Pardon the corny comment, but focusing on smiles rather than miles has made a big difference as I get older.

[@FJ-xz7yy]

Because of this channel. I know what Bike I want. Because Ive rode most kinds and 29+ gravel steel with MTB groupset with friction. Locked in.

[@bernardbonus6795]

Ditto!

[@Garcia061]

Such good advice. I broke my back before I had chance to do that long intercontinental bike trip.

[@robappleby583]

Great advice, I’d just add one thing: baskets.

[@mshowers5246]

Excellent insights! I love your channel for the practical - and occasionally science nerd stuff. You make more sense for the majority of bike riders than most all the other channels combine. Stay weird and partypaced!

[@simonguard5087]

Completely brilliant , best 10 mins of bike advice I’ve ever received - 🙏

[@thakoharris]

Love it. So good, as always. Thanks Russ.

[@DAMN55117]

Love it. You could give us these thought annually and I would appreciate it.

[@calcagnolibero]

This is your best video together with the Friction Shifters ones. Thanks

[@daniellarson3068]

This guy is giving the wisdom of experience. I kind of liked that. His bike channel is often the bike channel "for the rest of us." I am one that doesn't give a fig what the bicycle racers ride, wear or consume. I am surprised a company like Surly that makes touring bikes hasn't given him some support. It would be good advertising for them.

[@wanderinwhilewecan]

Holy crap so amazing! Thank you for this!! ❤

[@greg1083]

Wheels . Changed out the wheelset on my Lynskey Pro Gr 250 and OMG it is a new bike. Excellent advice.😃

[@edreilly6674]

My wife and I read Miles from Nowhere when it came out, and it inspired us to ride across the country when we were 29. I'm so glad we did and didn't wait until a hypothetical best time.

[@markschultz5524]

As always good advice. Not always easy to remember. Thanks

[@gregmccaslin7400]

Couldn’t have been put more eloquently . 6:00 am here in Tacoma Wa. ✌️😎

[@escgoogle3865]

8 am in U.P. Pierson trail is in really bad shape ATM. The mid summer clean up can only last so long. I can't figure out who is responsible for maintenance. Parks, wdot or streets.

[@bombers7878]

Great tips! Commuting for fitness and incidental exercise is massive.

[@foot_fault]

This is what I needed! And it actually applies to life in general. V good words and honesty! Now lets get out there and just have fun!

[@dianayount2122]

I remember looking thru someone's photo album in the mid 1980's and they had ridden across the country in 1976. In jean cut-offs, old, old school "ten speeds" and zero training. Was so inspiring.

[@michaellowery928]

Good stuff for the rest of us. Keep 'em coming!

[@squashingicon]

full-time commuter here 🙌, thank you for sharing, always look forward to your content!

[@BikePortland]

Love it Russ. Thanks for sharing all this!

[@WantoAlly]

No words to describe further, as said. 100 % agreed. Speed is Relative, Safety is Paramount.

[@SmilingFist]

Really appriciate you doing this, thank you for sharing your knowledge looking forward for more.

[@Onroulelaboule]

Congratulations Russ 1500 videos 🎉. This is all good advices. I personally love the first one 👍 Have the courage of your dreams 😊

[@SheelaghDaly]

Love these so much!!

[@LifeontwowheelsRocks]

Could not agree more. Very well said, thank you.

[@joearnold3594]

As a very mature rider I must agree with all of these. Particularly the "what bike to ride". I see so many people get caught up in the hype when they go to buy a bike. I was fortunately poor when I started riding and got better stuff as I could afford it. My bikes were literally often pieced together out of the trash to give me something ridable. I now have an assortment of bikes, but often find myself on my fixed gear that I put together out of stuff I had sitting around from other projects. It's so much fun to ride and that is the entire point.

[@sheilastallard]

Hi Russ !! We have never had a bike fit, we use the Lemond formula to get the seat height and that's it. Looking forward to the next 1500 !!!!!!! . Stay Safe xx

[@biosfearmag]

This video needs to go viral.

[@olivierpesret4773]

I ride bikes because Russ & Laura ride bikes. Thank you both and keeping at it

[@worldhello1234]

@2:35 Easy bro, unless you wanna be "dollar store" Jan Ulrich and weight is so important to you just add a Schlumpf Mountain Drive to your crank set. The Swiss made a really nice reduction gear system. Be cautious, some of the gears cannot be pedaled then because you end up with crazy low gears.

[@mikeymcbikeface3244]

Amazing video. I appreciate every sentiment here. Keep up the amazing work!

[@sagehiker]

I love the fact that I found PLP for advice on a form of biking Russ probably enjoyed least but whose observations were spot on later for me. Those observations were in stark contast to the mark hype and promsies made by the industry or high profile influncers. I do wish that there was a better way to search through the PLP catalog.

[@anitaried115]

Well said for me it was in front of my morning coffee. I am awake now and glad I tuned in what a great message. This does apply to life in general too we need to be comfortable with ourselves and stop comparing ourselves with others.

[@uniquenamegoeshere2263]

Great video.

[@singletrackmania1]

Some good nuggets in there! Thank you ... the only thing I'd say is ... when your hands get old electronic shifting is a blessing.

[@craigkeller]

Great attitude young wise man!

[@taiwoonwoon8275]

That’s amazing run and pls keep going!

[@tico78742]

Thanks!

[@andrewchutchins]

This really spoke to me - great share! Thanks :)

[@H457ur]

“Beware of mediocre frames with higher end components”. This is the best piece of advice you can give a new cyclist. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen somebody riding a really crummy carbon frame equipped with Shimano 105. They could’ve purchased a really nice quality aluminum or decent quality steel frame for the same price and they would’ve had an incredible bike.

[@banana122049]

The drivetrain one and tire one are the most polarizing things I've learned in my mere 5 years of cycling. Spend the majority of your money on geometry and tires!

[@Ey_up]

"Cycles and Soberrano" Bring back the chatty rants!

[@slantedorbit]

All excellent advice. My addition is that if you want to buy your first new adult bike, plan to spend between $700 and $1,200 US. Any less and it becomes more expensive to maintain and upgrade over time, and it will not retain its value; there are always hidden costs. Unless you are running a fixie/single speed, the rear hub in particular should be a freehub, which has been the de facto standard for 40 years. If you want to splurge (non-custom), anything more than $2,500 and there are diminishing returns. In general, expectations about pricing tend to be unrealistic, and nobody wants to buy your used big-box store bike or Chinese Amazon ebike.

[@neekowalsh7313]

Some great advice in here

[@VeloObscura]

Love the elephant quote....

[@glenngardin3561]

Great video, great advice. Got a new subscriber!

[@adamwilkinson6679]

Thank you, this is awesome!

[@etr9650]

Great insight and advice!

[@Nic-bd6bj]

SOLID advice

[@76tractor]

Love the advice Russ, kind of reminds me of the "wear sunscreen" song.

[@escgoogle3865]

"Aspirational Gears" still my favorite Russ'ism. If it's good enough for eddy's hour 52x14 is good enough for me.

[@michaelbeiyt]

1500! Herzlichen Glückwunsch 😊 Think most of my riding is about getting from A to B

[@leightonbohl1920]

You’re right! Cycling has become middle class - the new golf, as they say - and that’s not good. Everyone wants an 800 gramme plastic frame with 13 speed kit that shifts itself, disc brakes, and inaccessible cabling, and so on, at a price that is eye watering. Add to that the bikes are ugly and the designs ill conceived. Oh yes, every ride has to be logged on some internet device called Strava so everyone can know how close you are to signing a professional contract when the real difference between pro and amateur is, and always has been, the amount of dope you can swallow or inject without being caught and how much you are willing to shorten your life in pursuit of money and fame. The tail is well and truly wagging the dog here. I could go on, but I won’t.

[@pierrehenri2297]

Big up the commuters!!!🤘🏻

[@jaggerwakizero8024]

Thank you, Russ

[@bike.breath]

As someone with only one year of bike KZbin experience a lot of this is helpful! Only one I’d add is: Make content around your life and don’t make your life around your content. Cheers!

[@jazzfan7491]

Such great advice and insights. Really true that lower (easier) gears are both extremely useful and wildly underrated/undersupplied by the bike industry. This is one of the good things about the "gravel" trend.

[@mountaindweller4514]

I used to be a grinder for decades. Then one day I saw a GCN video about cadence and spinning in lower gears, switching the load from fast to slow twitch muscles, all something I had never even considered before. Tried gearing down on the next ride and pedaling faster instead, and was just blown away by how I was going just as fast but with significantly less stress on the body and more stamina throughout the ride. Gearing down has been a game changer, I do it all the time now, cycling is so much more fun and less exertion now. Every time I feel tired I just gear down and spin away. It's crazy how you can see or read something and it can just change completely how you do things.

[@jazzfan7491]

@@mountaindweller4514 Bought a Giant Revolt 2 Aluminum "gravel" bike earlier this year. Rear cassette is 11-34 according to specs. (Front is 32-48 I think; anyway it's stock). I almost never use the 11, barely ever use the 12 (I assume it is). But I sure could use a 40 in back. "Hike-a-bike" is something I know all too well in the mountains near me. To be clear in relation to my first comment which praised the "gravel" bike trend, the gearing on my bike I think is very appropriate for mostly road/some gravel riding. It just so happens I live in a very hilly area -- mountainous, actually -- where easier gears would help.

[@WalfredoCirne]

Great video! Thanks!!

[@johnfritzen4965]

The thumbnail for this video should be the frame "NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU".

[@franknobody5965]

Amen! Well said!

[@Frostbiker]

I have recently realized that once I'm cruising above 20-25 mph, I'm content to coast or pedal lightly rather than push for more speed. But punchy hills always seem to find me when I'm not in the mood, so I have switched to a smaller chainring.

[@josephjanssen9498]

love this

[@Fonkemman]

Range > speeds definitely. I have a 12-25 cogs with a 2x 50-34. 8 speed only but it is so closed spaced that it is so smooth. Also 2x so I have all the low gear I need for my not so hilly area.

[@grumpy9478]

lotsa practical wisdom in ten minutes.

[@mountaindweller4514]

@4:15 never heard it pronounced "Duratche" before. I think in Japan they say "Duu-ra Ace"

[@libraryofpapel]

dhurha ay sue

[@JasonWD]

We used to convince customers it was Duratche just for entertainment. We were young and cruel.

[@mountaindweller4514]

@@libraryofpapel You serious? I genuinely would like to know how they pronounce it in Japan.

[@mountaindweller4514]

@@JasonWD ah, so Russ is trolling all of us on team Shimano 😆

[@H457ur]

Yeah, Russ likes to do that. I think it’s hilarious.

[@justinofboulder]

Excellent video! Love the jocks comment....I love to ride efficiently, improve and push myself over time. But have no interest spending the time and money racing, so I really shouldn't be making my choices based on "what the pros are riding,"

[@cuttingedgevintage]

well put my friend.

[@someplacespecial]

Russ: Ride a BMX bike. Me, lifelong BMXer: *nods head in approval

[@anthonidanowski9404]

best tip i could give myself. dont hurt your shoulders, trust me bro its not worth your lame strava times. other best tip to myself, yes ride fixed gear off road as much as you can.

[@recreationventuring]

Thank you

[@sadhu6740]

Spot on

[@jered2177]

Good video, more folding bicycle please

[@SethMarcell]

Good video!