A blog post about a recent bike tour I did.

Update: It's fixed. More info in the comments.

I searched and couldn’t find any general bicycle forums here on Lemmy. This one seemed to be the closest match out of the three I found. So I hope it’s okay to ask for help here.

I have the exact same problem as in this video:

https://youtu.be/aP-N6D7NKtc

But the solution he presents does not work for me. All of the videos on YT about sidepull brakes have the same general solution and none of them work.

I center. I tighten. Etc. And when I pull the handle, the cable yanks the whole caliper sideways and I’m right back where I started.

I used to work on my cars when I owned them. I can fix my computer. My sink. My toilet. Everything on my bike except the brakes. They make no sense to me.

The anchor and the pivot of sidepull brakes are the same. So the fact that the caliper is being yanked to one side makes sense. The functional brakes I see don’t make sense. How do these things work?

I thought about that a few times now. Packing my ukulele or a small guitar and perform on the streets when i tour. I am just wondering how well that pays out, especially in different parts of the world and what the legal restrictions are in different countries. Anyone have experience with this?

Hey, since warmshowers is currently down I am looking for alternatives. Does anyone here have experience with welcome to my garden?

thought folks might be interested

In “Here There Was Cerrado” — the Second-Place Winner of the 2026 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest

In 2025, environmental historian Natascha Otoya traveled for a week through Brazil’s Cerrado region, pedaling more than 200 miles through western Bahia and Tocantins.

I don't like fixing my own flat tires. I can do it but not quickly or efficiently; it's not something I can do on the side of the road under duress. I should probably work on that, I know, but in the meantime I take my bike to a local shop and have them do it for me.

But my ebike is pretty heavy, which means a flat tire is basically immobilizing. I've had to call a friend or hire a truck when I get a flat. I'm wondering if there's anything like an auto club for cyclists. Maybe even a service that would fix my flat right there on the spot.

I googled, but don't trust the search results. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions?

Crank bolt broke on me so I had to do this roadside fix - this is after I tidied it up at campsite to be bit less ugly.

I have all photos - breakage, this fix and more permanent fix from bike shop on mastodon the thread

I got this fork used from someone who claimed it was carbon, but I'm thinking it's not(?). A magnet doesn't stick to it, but it sounds lots like when I hit the key on a steel fork.

I'd like to add a lowrider front rack like Blackburn Lowrider , Zefal Touring Raider, or Axiom Journey DLX if it's not carbon.

Shilling a book but some might be interested

Sandhills, SC.

Took a wrong turn yesterday and didn't realize it for quite a while. Stopped here to get my bearings.

Encountered these big boys while exploring a local bike trail. The photo doesn't do them justice.

So we go for a quick couple hours of an evening ride with a coffee set, what could be nicer? Well I guess something else than a coffee made by Satan Co., but it's a it was a damn nice evening

It was much slower than I usually go due to a lot of wind, some "barely a path" roads along the way, the bike being a citybike meant for daily shopping, as well as the fact that I was carrying 50kg (110lbs) of luggage on my back the whole way 😄

Excuses for being a slowpoke aside, it was a good challenge for my general health and fitness journey, and a very pleasant ride 😁