Square Wheels Cycling: Thirteen Years, Two Million Posts
Square Wheels Cycling is independently owned, hobbyist-built, and has been running close to thirteen years. It records around one million hits each month and the forum archive is approaching two million posts. A rare yet popular find.
The character of the place comes from longevity. Regulars have been arguing about tyre pressures, frame geometry, and training plans for over a decade, and most of the cycling questions a rider can think to ask have already been answered several times over in the archive.
Forums
The forum is the core of the site: organised by topic, indexed, searchable, and permanent. Threads run from mechanical troubleshooting and component selection through to training, nutrition, race reports, and the longer technical debates that suit a forum format. The archive functions as a working reference, with threads remaining accessible and useful years after they were started.
Reviews
The reviews section is the fastest-growing area of the site. Coverage prioritises technical depth and long-term use, with attention to the specific questions a buyer researches before committing to a component or a complete bike. Members contribute their own ownership reports alongside the editorial pieces, which gives most write-ups two perspectives instead of one.
Routes
The routes section catalogues rides shared by members, weighted toward routes members have actually ridden and annotated with practical notes on terrain, surface, and traffic. It is most useful for finding new terrain locally and for researching unfamiliar rides before travelling.
Classifieds
The classifieds carry second-hand frames, components, and complete bikes listed by members. Activity elsewhere on the site supplies context a general marketplace cannot: most sellers have a visible posting history and a long-standing presence in the forum, which takes a lot of the friction out of higher-value transactions.
Videos, books, and films
Dedicated sections collect cycling films, training books, and video content recommended by the community. The lists are member-curated, so recommendations carry the weight of people who have actually read or watched the material.
Question of the Day
A daily prompt seeds discussion in the forum. Topics range from serious training questions to lighter “would you rather” debates, and the resulting thread is often the most-read piece of content on the site that day.
Independence
Thirteen years of independence is rare in this corner of the internet. Most cycling communities of that vintage have either folded or been absorbed by larger publishers. Square Wheels Cycling has held its line through the shift to mobile, the rise of social media, and the generational drift away from forum-style discussion. The site is built and maintained by cyclists for cyclists, and the editorial direction reflects that.
Visit squarewheelscycling.com and join the conversation.
If you enjoyed reading this, here is another in the Indie Spotlight series: QZ qdomyos-zwift: the indoor training app explained.
Last Updated on 12 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Ravemen FR1000: The light and the computer mount in one unit, so nothing else goes on the bars. Better than mine.
- Ravemen FR1500SE: 1,500 lumens hanging under your Garmin, for proper night rides.
- Ravemen FR1100SE: 1,100 lumens under your Garmin, and up to 46 hours on slow flash.
- Ravemen FR500: A brighter FR300 with the same mount.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red and infrared light for sore knees, Achilles and other joints after hard training. I use it.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee
Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
