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KillerB
January 6th, 2014, 10:04 PM
I'm still pretty out of shape, but approached 30 miles on my ride on Saturday. What's an appropriate time for a century? At first I thought it was the cycling equivalent of a marathon, but considering I'm averaging 12 mph, I realized that 100 miles is an 8 hour ride.

I really have no idea how to approach this level of mileage. But my girlfriend is doing a half marathon, and running is too much for my knees. I feel like I need to do something equivalent on the bike, which I really enjoy. But I'd rather not die.

overpowered
January 6th, 2014, 10:42 PM
30 miles is not bad but it's not really adequate preparation for 100 miles. I did several 80 milers in the weeks before my first century. I couldn't believe how much harder that last 20 miles was.

You want to at least be doing 50-60 milers every weekend for a few weeks before attempting a century.

Keep in mind also that at around 60-70 miles, your muscles will start running out of glycogen. Hydration also becomes critically important. You can get away with some dehydration on a 50-60 miler. Not so much on a century. On the actual century, drink ridiculous amounts of water and carry some energy gels or some other energy replenishment and use them. I can't remember how many gels I used on my last century. It was something like 10-12 I think. They helped a lot.

Also, go your own speed. Don't try to make an unrealistic time. You will bonk, bad.

G'day Mate
January 7th, 2014, 01:13 AM
Got my first century planned :D http://app.strava.com/routes/124130

Jan 24th

overpowered
January 7th, 2014, 08:03 AM
You've come pretty close already. I think you already have a pretty good idea of what you're getting into.

Cam
January 7th, 2014, 11:26 AM
I haven't ridden a bike since October 30. :( Looking forward to getting back into it.

overpowered
January 7th, 2014, 06:20 PM
Overcoming Ignorance And Fear - First My Own, Then That Of Others (http://iamtraffic.org/equality/overcoming-ignorance-and-fear/)

overpowered
January 7th, 2014, 09:00 PM
Bicycle Tracks and Lanes: a Before-After Study (http://trafitec.dk/sites/default/files/publications/bicycle%20tracks%20and%20lanes.pdf) from Copenhagen Denmark (PDF)

neanderthal
January 7th, 2014, 09:33 PM
The longest i've gone recently (in the last few years) was 41 miles and that was HARD.
I just fixed my flat rear tire from a few months ago and rode 15 miles yesterday. I'm terribly, terribly out of shape. I think my goal will be to do a century by the end of the year.

That's going to require me being able to do my 30 mile circuit regularly, with ease. I had better get on it.

My target/ resolution is 250 miles a month.

Yw-slayer
January 7th, 2014, 11:53 PM
The Aussie guys I'm riding with in NZ are ha4rdc0r3311!!1!1!!1!1 indeed. Oh, what I'd give to be in my early 20s again.

Tom Servo
January 8th, 2014, 09:19 AM
The guideline I've heard is that you should keep trying to add 10% to your distance. Right now, my longest is about 70 miles, so I should aim for 77 next. I definitely wouldn't make the leap from 30 to 100.

Random
January 8th, 2014, 09:22 AM
The guidleline I've always heard was "you can ride in a day what you normally ride in a week." Always gets brought up when people are considering the Davis Double Century (http://www.davisbikeclub.org/annual_events/organized_rides/davis_double_century) and wondering how to train for it.

I've never tried to put that guideline into action, of course. ;)

overpowered
January 8th, 2014, 09:59 AM
The 10% guideline is very reasonable.

I'm not so sure about the week->day guideline. It's probably not too far off but back in the summer when I was riding 250-300 miles a week, I'm pretty sure that I couldn't ride 300 miles in a day.

G'day Mate
January 8th, 2014, 02:19 PM
The guidleline I've always heard was "you can ride in a day what you normally ride in a week." Always gets brought up when people are considering the Davis Double Century (http://www.davisbikeclub.org/annual_events/organized_rides/davis_double_century) and wondering how to train for it.

My average weekly distance is 181km, or 112 mi. That average went up over 250km/week last September and October, with my biggest ever week being just shy of 350km. I've only exceeded 300 four times though.

Anyway, just over two weeks until the big Tour Down Under ride on Friday the 24th. I've got another event - Ride Like Crazy (http://www.strava.com/routes/124097) - the Sunday before that which is going to be 115km at least which ... well fairly manageable for me these days. Just under 2,000m of elevation for that one which is hilly so I'm hoping to average 25km/h. Hoping to get a fairly climby 100km ride in this weekend too.

The thing that worries me about the Tour Down Under ride though is that not only is it over 100mi but it's also got over 2,300m of climbing, a lot of which is towards the end. In fact, it starts with this:

102

Then at the 100km mark we reach this guy:

103

And the final 30km includes this:

104

Rare White Ape
January 9th, 2014, 01:47 AM
I moved house recently. I'm now five minutes from work on my motorbike.

It's ten minutes from work by pushy. There is one hill about ten meters high, just before I get there. I get puffed out at the end of it.

SportWagon
January 9th, 2014, 09:06 AM
I'm still pretty out of shape, but approached 30 miles on my ride on Saturday. What's an appropriate time for a century? At first I thought it was the cycling equivalent of a marathon, but considering I'm averaging 12 mph, I realized that 100 miles is an 8 hour ride.

I really have no idea how to approach this level of mileage. But my girlfriend is doing a half marathon, and running is too much for my knees. I feel like I need to do something equivalent on the bike, which I really enjoy. But I'd rather not die.

I don't know quite why centuries are compared to marathons. Only top-level cyclists can get underneath 4 hours for a century, whereas around 4 hours is a lower-level amateur time for a marathon. I have heard of top-level marathon runners who simply can't imagine running for as long as 4 hours, since even their full-length training runs take under 3 hours. And yet, having run one marathon, I'd say that it seemed to need more formal preparation and more exertion than a moderate pace century.

It really helps if your first century is an organized ride; they should have arranged food and water stops to help you, and you can even resort to the ignominious shame of a sag wagon. It would also give your training schedule a definite goal. (When riding on your own, you can plan your route so you can duck out early if you want to, although sometimes it feels better not to give yourself that option).

My first century was done in the middle of a weekend of camping when I rode about 40 miles there, did a 60 mile fast ride one day, and the century the next, I think. And the next day after that rode the 40 miles home (with tent and other gear) using a better route learned from the ride routes. I don't think I'd done much more than 50 mile rides prior that year, though occasional 75 mile rides some years moving myself between Toronto and Waterloo. But the particular year of my first century I'd been riding 25 miles, to West Montrose and back, almost every day, at about as fast a pace as I could manage. But I don't recall formal build-up to it, apart from that, so perhaps I was just doing the "week in a day" thing. On the 60 mile ride I'd kept up with club riders on my arbitrary ten-speed, and I thought almost nothing of the fact my elapsed time for the century ended up well under 8 hours, including a restaurant lunch.

If you did 12mph for 30miles, expect to do slower for 100, especially since you will need to stop for a proper food break. My last century, done last October, took 7:30 riding time and 9:05 elapsed, and I tend to ride 15mph or so for distances up to about 30 miles, which would give me less than 7 hours riding.
http://gtxfrefuge.freeforums.org/post71891.html#p71891
http://www.strava.com/activities/89073247 (strava links don't work fully properly for non-strava users right now...)
It was basically a 40mile ride, an hour brunch, then a 60mile ride. I had a couple of snack breaks in the latter part, too. Plus an emergency snack soon before the brunch.

You might want to build up your speed. Traditionally intervals are suggested for this; almost sprinting for a short burst, then going very easy for a recovery period. Over the years I tended to build up speed by picking one section of my rides where I'd ride closer to time trial effort than the rest; about 5 miles seems a good distance for that stretch. Hopefully after a while doing that, your natural easy pace ends up being faster, and your long rides take less time without even really trying.

I'd say you should very soon now (next weekend) plan a 50 mile ride. If you feel all right, perhaps try even 75 the next weekend. But around there you are reaching the distance where you can't ride on one "fuel load". At 12mph, I'd guess you'd get pretty worn out towards the end of 50. And should eat around the 2 hour mark. And fit your bicycle with two water bottles if it isn't already. If you don't already have a bicycling snack preference, you should develop one. Find something healthy which you like and which is easy to carry and keeps well jammed into a pocket. And/or plot your routes around appropriate restaurant stops.

If you can ride both weekend days that might help if you are strong enough. First extend one day, then later extend both. Decide whether you'd rather have a Saturday warmup for a long Sunday, or a Sunday easy ride after the long Saturday. And even one short ride during the middle of the week makes it much easier to do weekend distance riding, but preferably you do a lot of mid-week distance too.

And, as long as you take it easy and eat and drink enough, I'd say you probably could jump from being comfortable with 50 straight to 100, realizing that it might take overall 10 hours or a little more. That might fit in better if you'd have difficulty scheduling a succession of increasing distance rides. The only caveat is that you could get comfortable with riding 50 without eating, and you won't be able to do that for 100. So 50 miles in the moring, a leisurely lunch, then 50 miles in the afternoon, and call it a century.

before I was activated, there were allusions to a blog; if you had blogs enabled, I could have put this post there, and posted a summary with a reference.

G'day Mate
January 9th, 2014, 12:28 PM
So do any of you guys employ tactics on big community rides or do you just do whatever? I'm thinking of starting with the slow people for the first part of my big ride to get to the top of the first hill (20km) and then picking up the pace a little from there to spend the rest of the day passing people.

The other option would be to just pace myself up the hill at a reasonable rate so that I'm around people of similar ability (or lesser ability that are over excited and not going to enjoy the rest of the day ;)) the whole time.

SportWagon
January 9th, 2014, 03:02 PM
I've found moving up through the large group (group of groups) often seemed to work well. And did in my most recent case. http://gtxfrefuge.freeforums.org/post69745.html#p69745

A good tactic is to ride with a friend of compatible ability. Then the two of you can bit-and-bit if you're leaving one group behind to get to another.

Another good tactic is to have a similar friend show up unexpectedly about 20 miles from the finish, having ridden the route reverse from his home near the destination. That was a pleasant 2nd day of http://www.ottawabicycleclub.ca/rlct one year. But when it's unplanned, it's not really a tactic, I suppose.

G'day Mate
January 11th, 2014, 08:42 PM
Still feeling worn out a day after this effort:

124

http://app.strava.com/activities/105415538

A bit of a worry, but then again it's apparently my biggest effort to date if you look at energy output (which is only estimated). On December 30th I did a 150km ride and backed that up with another 80 the next day - no way could I back up yesterday's effort with anything like that today.

overpowered
January 11th, 2014, 11:51 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W-3Mnu3Ovo

G'day Mate
January 12th, 2014, 03:29 AM
I often remark about how great my commute was when I ride :D Also, I'm definitely grumpier when I have to drive.

George
January 12th, 2014, 06:31 AM
I often remark about how great my commute was when I ride :D Also, I'm definitely grumpier when I have to drive.

Me too. I can't wait until the days get longer and the weather gets warmer so I can start bicycle commuting safely and comfortably again.

overpowered
January 12th, 2014, 08:36 AM
It's always interesting when one of these road raging self entitled psychopaths commits their crimes against a bicyclist who is also a cop:

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/farnworth/10930821.Taxi_driver_deliberately_swerved_into_pol ice_officer_on_bike/

Tom Servo
January 12th, 2014, 10:11 AM
So, this was bound to happen eventually.

My wife tried out clipless pedals last week, and like many converts, she went with the platform/clipless hybrid pedals. The only difference is, she almost immediately decided that it sucked only having one side to clip in on, so we got her a set of normal double-sided SPD pedals. I went to take the hybrid pedals off this morning, and they're the kind with the allen bolt on the inside of the crankarm rather than the normal whatever-you-call it on the outside that you use a pedal wrench on.

I could see it coming, but thought I was going to be able to avoid it. I had my multitool out and was trying to get the right side pedal loose when it finally did so, throwing my arm into the chainring. Nasty gash down my forearm now...it didn't go too deep, but it's long and looks horrible. Didn't bleed a ton though, and the bleeding has stopped now, but the only thing we had that was large enough to mostly cover it was a tegaderm patch, so it's all clearly visible and looks deeply unpleasant. Doesn't hurt too much if I don't poke at it, but it did ooze on occasion when I would pull the right brake lever on our ride soon afterwards.

So, now I have my first particularly nasty bike-repair-related injury. Hooray!

George
January 12th, 2014, 10:27 AM
Rock and roll! Get her to stitch it up with regular thread, like you'd sew a button on with, for a particularly gruesome scar. :cool::up:

Oozing wounds are what bike riding is all about, right?

If I ever get the gumption to learn how to overhaul a bike and restore the '96-ish Specialized Allez I obtained in the fall, I'll be back to ask for pedal recommendations. I'm told riding a road bike with platform pedals is one of the cardinal sins of cycling, and more importantly, that you can go faster with some sort of foot restraints.

Freude am Fahren
January 12th, 2014, 10:47 AM
It was a bar fight. Tell everyone it's from a broken bottle in a bar fight. :up: Or saving puppies.

Tom Servo
January 13th, 2014, 09:52 AM
Plenty of folks still ride with platforms, but given that I thought my wife would never actually want to try clipless pedals, I'm shocked that she's just absolutely loving them now and keeps saying how mad she is at herself that she didn't get them before.

FWIW, there are many who consider my setup to be a cardinal sin, using "mountain bike" pedals with a road bike. I like to be able to walk around when I'm off the bike, though, so I really want recessed cleats. Too lazy to change, and I think if your sole is stiff enough the smaller contact point is a non-issue, so it works fine for me.

overpowered
January 13th, 2014, 10:33 AM
I don't know about cardinal sin. You're not alone, though it's not super common with racing road bikes. I have seen it a fair bit with people who commute on racing bikes, though they will change the pedals/shoes for races or training rides.

It's quite common for non-racing road bikes such as touring bikes and various commuters.

A pedal wrench is not a bad investment and always remember that the right pedal is threaded normal and the left pedal is reverse threaded to keep it from coming loose during pedaling. Many beginners have gotten their left pedal so tight by turning it the wrong way that they could not get it loose. Also, always grease the pedal threads before installing pedals. Make sure that you always screw it all the way in but you probably don't want to crank too hard on the wrench to tighten it.

Triva: The reverse threading of the left pedal was first done by the Wright brothers (they made bicycles before they made airplanes).

Cam
January 13th, 2014, 12:20 PM
Rode the Suteki to school for the first time since Oct. 30. It felt good. I'm slow and out of shape now though. :( However, I vowed to hit the gym this year and I went for the first time today. I plan to keep it up for the foreseeable future. :)

George
January 13th, 2014, 03:00 PM
A pedal wrench is not a bad investment and always remember that the right pedal is threaded normal and the left pedal is reverse threaded to keep it from coming loose during pedaling. Many beginners have gotten their left pedal so tight by turning it the wrong way that they could not get it loose.

I'll never forget that after paying my LBS $18 for a new crank (installed price).

And I surely see the value of platform pedals for commuter bikes. I plan to keep commuting on the '93 Raleigh MTB I got from craigslist this summer but I think the Allez would make a fun and fast weekend bike for just going out for a ride for excercise and fun.

The guy who gave me the bike suggested mountain bike pedals for the same reasons Tom Servo described above.

My dilemma now is whether to buy some tools and spend time I really don't have tearing apart a bike on the weekends and trying to get all the little ball bearings back where they go or just paying my LBS to do it. I figure they might not do it with the same love and care that I would give it, but there's a better chance the would do it correctly, unlike me.

It's the old time vs. money thing again, but I don't have much of either to spend on a luxury item like a second bike. I should buy my wife a nice bike instead and get her off the other Mongoose as I've written about before. I need to get them on craigslist too for cheap just so they get gone soon. Have been debating parting them out on CL for $5 here and maybe $10 there for various things, but there's the time thing again.

So, as usual, I do nothing. I can get away with that in January but should plan ahead since spring will come to Colorado again in a few months.

Tom Servo
January 14th, 2014, 09:06 AM
Must like you told me with the guitar - I have a feeling you can handle most of the repairs. I'm curious how many bearings you'd actually need to deal with - I'm pretty sure my Roubaix doesn't actually have any servicable bearings, they're all in sealed cartridges that you're just expected to replace when they wear out.

Then again, I'm about to try to change out the bar-end shifters and brake levers on my Surly for a new set of STI brifters, so that's running new cable and housing for the brakes and derailleurs, replacing the bar tape, and replacing the controls. I'm a little intimidated by that project right now.

overpowered
January 14th, 2014, 02:15 PM
Rodney Kinkade, who attacked the Jamis-Hagnes Berman cycling team, hitting two of them with his car almost a year ago got a plea bargain and will only do 7 days in jail and 2 years probation:

http://tucsonvelo.com/news/driver-hit-pro-cyclists-gets-7-days-jail/18135

You guitar people may want to avoid his company:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skatterbrane

Tom Servo
January 15th, 2014, 06:28 AM
I love that. He's complaining that they were more than two abreast and not on the shoulder, which afaik isn't a requirement, then says he knew he hit them and knocked some of them down, but he didn't think they were hurt so he kept going. It's still hit and run even if nobody got hurt, jackass.

Pretty disappointing, and I'm happy to let him know that there are cyclists who are also guitar players who are a little less likely to spend any money on his stuff.

SportWagon
January 15th, 2014, 08:07 AM
What an appropriate name for his company.

In Ontario in the spring, a pickup driver pulling a horse trailer clipped the front of a group of cyclists as he passed, but didn't run away.

The driver was charged. But, in addition, some of the cyclists, including some who were somewhat severely injured were charged with "failure to move right when being passed". Last I heard the charges against the driver had been fairly quickly upheld and the decision for the other charges was deferred.

Of relevance is a bylaw in the region of the accident which requires cyclists to ride single file except when passing. In fact, because of that bylaw the cyclists were running their pace-line the "wrong way" (so the passers were on the left, rather than coming up the inside, so that someone was continually "passing"), which makes it harder for the front to adjust at all when being passed. (If the pace line circulated the other way, the leader about to pull left could not do so, and the line would naturally single up, but going the way it was, it takes a while before those at the front have somewhere to move over to),

And last I heard safety experts were being brought in to try and demonstrate the bylaw is dangerous.

I know someone who was in the group, and got most of my information by email. I think I saw a couple of items in the paper newspaper too. I should try to find some links.


Edit... took a long time, wasn't till I added "Waterloo Cycling Club" I got anywhere...

http://waterloocyclingclub.ca/forums/topic/accident
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/cyclists-driver-charged-over-crash-in-wellesley-1.1351424
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/3875652-motorist-and-2-cyclists-charged-after-june-collision-near-heidelberg/
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/3880957-accident-sparks-call-for-changes-to-cycling-laws-bylaws/

Actually, I still don't find documentation of the court case or resolution.

http://waterloocyclingclub.ca/forums/topic/local-bylaws-pertaining-to-riding-abreast

Cam
January 15th, 2014, 08:14 AM
Got a pinch-flat this morning on the Sutek while riding to school. I had everything I needed to fix it on the road... except a wrench to remove the rear wheel! (Front wheel is quick release but the back is not.) Doh! Stupid oversight. Jogged back home and got Lori to drive me to school so I wouldn't miss class.

SportWagon
January 15th, 2014, 08:50 AM
Impertinent comments...

Flats can be ridden on.

If you patch tubes rather changing them you don't need to remove the wheel.

If you had a bicycle like the following 1910 model you could replace the tube (or tubular tire) without removing the wheels.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/146296687865660525/
Wait, if I understand correctly, that bicycle was ridden in the 1910 Tour de France with no brakes! Perhaps that was just its name. Presumably it was a fixed wheel. Adding brakes would complicate changing tires.

#4. TA used to make a tool for undoing their crank bolts which was of a size which could fit wheel bolts. It was the tool of choice for early 1980's fixie riders.
http://www.hudsonbicycles.com/tools.html
http://www.hudsonbicycles.com/images/sale%20items/tool-TA-crank-bolt-spanner-15mm.jpg
I've posted this before.

Cam
January 15th, 2014, 09:47 AM
Good point about not having to remove the wheel. However, I don't use patch kits anymore. Haven't used one since the '90s. I only replace tubes now. :shrug:

George
January 15th, 2014, 10:15 AM
It appears that road rage against cyclists is nothing new. A big part of my day job is working in Excel, creating formulas, formatting data, and so forth. This work doesn’t require 100% of my brain, so I listen to a lot of audiobooks from the library at work.

Right now I’m listening to this book (http://www.amazon.com/The-Murder-Century-Scandalized-Sparked/dp/0307592219). If you don’t want to click the link, all you need to know is the book describes events in 1897 in and around New York City.

I just heard the following passage and transcribed it as well as I could. I’m not sure about the words before question marks below, but they don’t matter to the point being made here.



“[William Randolph] Hearst was fond of giving his reporters bicycles, so that his crew was like another regiment of scorchers – the lunatics who barreled through city traffic on silk(?) cycles, lunal(?) racers, and greased crack-a-jack(?) bikes; their futuristic bronze headlights ablaze and slopping kerosene.

There were enough of these wildmen riding up the sidewalks and getting horsewhipped by irritated carriage teamsters that Hearst retained a specially designated bicycle attorney on the paper’s staff.”

Kchrpm
January 15th, 2014, 10:29 AM
A big part of my day job is working in Excel, creating formulas, formatting data, and so forth. This work doesn’t require 100% of my brain, so I listen to a lot of audiobooks from the library at work.
Replace audiobooks with podcasts and we are the same person in this regard.

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 10:33 AM
The landscape of the roads was very different in 1897.

1. There were very few, if any cars, depending upon where you were.
2. Horses do have a tendency to get spooked by bicycles.
3. There was no such thing as a jaywalking law. The streets were pedestrian space.
4. By 1897, cities mostly had smooth paved roads due to the efforts of bicycling advocates.
5. Horse back riders and wagon/carriage drivers went slow in the cities due to all of the pedestrians and traffic congestion.
6. Bicycles tended to be the fastest things on the road in the cities and a lot of them went way too fast for the conditions.
7. By 1897, bicycle technology had advanced to the point that they were relatively affordable and had been made fairly practical given the availability of pneumatic tires (since 1889) and the geared chain drive allowing equal sized wheels (since 1885) and what were then considered light weight steel alloys which had advanced a lot in the late 1800's. This meant that there were a large amount of bicycles on the road.

Basically, imagine a relatively crowded plaza with pedestrians everywhere and bicyclists trying to ride through them at 12-15mph and you've got a pretty decent picture, minus the horses.

This was one of the first things that came up when I did a search for "scorcher bicycle"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGnvV4rLvNU

George
January 15th, 2014, 10:48 AM
^ cool video!

And Denver is still a big bicycle city. All the cool kids ride fixies with crazy colors. Maybe their great-grandfathers were Scorchers.

A nearby smaller city (Parker) recently instituted a bicycle speed limit on paths in city parks after a rider collided with a woman pushing a baby carriage. Sounds like that could have been news from the 19th century as well.

I wonder how Scorchers dealt with horse poop all over the streets back then. They rode carefully, I guess.


Replace audiobooks with podcasts and we are the same person in this regard.

I listen to podcasts too, and Old Time Radio is a lot of fun as well. Check out Old Time Radio at www.archive.org. There are more cool old radio shows there for free download or streaming than you could listen to in a lifetime in the cube farm at work. Some of my favorites: Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Dimension X and X Minus One, 21st Precinct, Escape, and Theater Five, just to name a few. Happy listening to whatever gets you through your day.

Random
January 15th, 2014, 10:50 AM
<-- got a warning for speeding on the UCDavis campus*. 22mph in a 15mph zone. Scortcher! :D

*central campus is bikes/peds only

George
January 15th, 2014, 10:56 AM
How'd they catch you? Cops on bikes? Or was the "warning" just a shout from some guy as you blew past?



SLOW DOWN!!!

:D

Random
January 15th, 2014, 10:58 AM
Bike cop caught up to me (fairly impressive, when you think about it) and, between puffs for air, recommended that I slow down a little bit. :D

Early school-year entertainment at UCD: watching freshmen negotiate the bike circles on campus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0QDBZXL6V4

Cam
January 15th, 2014, 12:14 PM
Turns out I did have an adjustable wrench in the bottom of my bag. :|

SportWagon
January 15th, 2014, 12:47 PM
A precise fitting box wrench of the correct size should work a lot better. Unless the nuts get badly nicked.

So Random caused there to be two crazy cycling maniacs riding through campus?

And so one freshman doesn't realize you should sit on the saddle and not the handlebars?

Random
January 15th, 2014, 12:50 PM
Pretty much. :)

In my defense, and probably why I only got a warning, it was during classes rather than between them (see above video), so the bike paths were relatively empty.

Cam
January 15th, 2014, 12:54 PM
Oh, I know, SW. I'm too OCD about my tools to separate the one box wrench I would need from the rest of my set. :lol: Besides, I can use the adjustable on any nut.

I think I need to buy new tires for the Suteki anyway. I feel like the ones that are on it are too flimsy for my weight. I can feel the rim hitting the edge of holes and cracks sometimes--bottoming-out, so to speak. I need something more robust.

George
January 15th, 2014, 12:56 PM
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6rl2GslNmP8/USSGOz_z57I/AAAAAAAAA4k/WNKJeKuAY6Q/s1600/ce996930b835385f518046e3d022b348.jpg

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 01:34 PM
It got worse about a decade later as cars started really killing a lot of people. There were massive campaigns to ban cars from city streets.

The car companies got wise and started buying politicians and that's when they invented jaywalking laws, thus banning pedestrians from city streets.

G'day Mate
January 15th, 2014, 03:37 PM
Pretty disappointing, and I'm happy to let him know that there are cyclists who are also guitar players who are a little less likely to spend any money on his stuff.

Count me as one

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 03:45 PM
I'm happy to let him know that there are cyclists who are also guitar players who are a little less likely to spend any money on his stuff.

His Twitter:

https://twitter.com/skatterbrane_

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 04:44 PM
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2014/jan/15/as-terrifying-as-riding-a-bike/

:smh:

Cam
January 15th, 2014, 05:21 PM
:| :smh:

G'day Mate
January 15th, 2014, 06:05 PM
:?

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 06:24 PM
https://scontent-b-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1546092_485933944848397_60659816_n.png

George
January 15th, 2014, 09:14 PM
overpowered, I consider myself quite the history nut but I knew virtually none of what you've posted today. I enjoyed your posts and they inspired me to spend some time tonight googling about the early days of bicycles instead of sleeping as I should be doing now. Thanks. Really.

overpowered
January 15th, 2014, 11:10 PM
If you're interested in history of bicycles:

http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Roads_Movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_American_Bicyclists#History

And my personal favorite:

http://iamtraffic.org/equality/the-marginalization-of-bicyclists/

SkylineObsession
January 16th, 2014, 12:49 PM
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2014/jan/15/as-terrifying-as-riding-a-bike/

:smh:

G'day Mate
January 16th, 2014, 07:00 PM
One week until the TDU Bupa Challenge

170km with 2,300m of climbing

What on earth have I got myself into

overpowered
January 17th, 2014, 12:54 PM
Another ignorant delusional dishonest bigot gets a column in a newspaper:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/regulate-bicycles-off-the-road-20140117-30ytz.html

Random
January 17th, 2014, 01:02 PM
And most of them are not doing it [driving] for their sport – they need to go somewhere.

Uh, that's true of bicyclists, too. :rolleyes:

overpowered
January 17th, 2014, 03:00 PM
Yep.

One of the things that I have noticed about anti-cyclists is that they have a tendency to not notice the average person in regular clothes on a beater bike on the sidewalk.

They only notice the spandex clad racer types on the road.

Which is part of why they are more likely to hit the average person on the sidewalk and why they think that everyone riding is just out playing.

I notice the average person on the sidewalk. There are far more of them than there are spandex clad racer types.

They also don't notice the spandex clad racer type with a back pack and think that he might be commuting, which he most likely is.

overpowered
January 17th, 2014, 03:22 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOaJw2XQzO8

overpowered
January 17th, 2014, 04:01 PM
My dilemma now is whether to buy some tools and spend time I really don't have tearing apart a bike on the weekends and trying to get all the little ball bearings back where they go or just paying my LBS to do it. I figure they might not do it with the same love and care that I would give it, but there's a better chance the would do it correctly, unlike me.

It's the old time vs. money thing again,

http://sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

G'day Mate
January 18th, 2014, 05:02 PM
Participated in a 2,000 strong community ride in the hills today. Great fun :) Started mid-pack and spent the day passing people.

Tom Servo
January 18th, 2014, 05:26 PM
Yep, we've got this oblivious twat somehow getting a voice in the newspaper of bike-friendly Santa Monica: http://smdp.com/letter-sick-of-cyclists/131259

Tom Servo
January 18th, 2014, 05:34 PM
Yep.

One of the things that I have noticed about anti-cyclists is that they have a tendency to not notice the average person in regular clothes on a beater bike on the sidewalk.

They only notice the spandex clad racer types on the road.

Which is part of why they are more likely to hit the average person on the sidewalk and why they think that everyone riding is just out playing.

I notice the average person on the sidewalk. There are far more of them than there are spandex clad racer types.

They also don't notice the spandex clad racer type with a back pack and think that he might be commuting, which he most likely is.

Somehow makes me think of today, we were riding up Santa Monica Blvd., controlling the right lane (it's three lanes each way, though the right lane often has cars parked in it during off peak hours or on weekends, like today). There were a couple of Hispanic guys riding on the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians. I didn't hear them, and they were speaking Spanish, but Michele tells me she heard them say something about how we were in the street and they should jump on too, and next thing I know they're cruising along behind us. Was proof positive of the virtuous cycle (no pun intended) - more cyclists in the street makes it feel safer, which leads to more cyclists in the street, where we should be in the first place.

In other news, one and a half months in and I can comfortably say that I was an idiot for not buying some Ortleib panniers earlier. They are ridiculously awesome.

G'day Mate
January 19th, 2014, 04:20 PM
Sprinters look like absolute monsters on their bikes. Check out Greipel and Kittel at the TDU curtain-raiser last night:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVadGzaBnTo

G'day Mate
January 19th, 2014, 04:52 PM
Here's a still shot from the same race

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2014/01/19/1226805/383862-5eeecad4-80f3-11e3-9f74-69139707290f.jpg

Tom Servo
January 20th, 2014, 09:37 AM
I saw some thing about how Mark Cavendish is switching over to the smallest frame possible, I think it's like a 47cm or something, despite the fact that he's huge. I could barely ride a 52cm...

Random
January 20th, 2014, 09:53 AM
He's cycling huge, not actually huge. ;) 5'9", 150ish, according to the intertubes.

overpowered
January 20th, 2014, 10:06 AM
Kittel is 6'2" 190
Greipel is 6'0" 176
Cavendish is slightly on the small side for a top sprinter though there have been smaller like Robbie McEwen

I think Tom's as big or bigger than Kittel.

overpowered
January 20th, 2014, 10:57 AM
Another idiot (AZ BAE6378) who refuses to change lanes to pass, and thinks that pointing his cell phone camera, which is in his hand, at me while he is driving, will somehow intimidate or shame me for daring to riding in the middle of a travel lane past a bunch of driveways and an intersection:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tUanfeyCNWY/Ut14OAnvFlI/AAAAAAAAATU/24KLEdc9Vyc/w1158-h803-no/vlcsnap-2014-01-20-11h23m15s130.png

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8VlFInLWvPM/Ut14OEpwyjI/AAAAAAAAATY/_EIvR1tI0X4/w1158-h761-no/vlcsnap-2014-01-20-11h23m42s90.png

I haven't been able to find a video from him on Youtube. Maybe he didn't bother to post it or I can't come up with the search terms.

G'day Mate
January 20th, 2014, 01:45 PM
Greipel is 6'0" 176

So I'm 3 inches taller than "Andre the Giant" :lol: Perhaps I should be a sprinter after all?

overpowered
January 20th, 2014, 02:50 PM
You're also skinny so maybe not, unless you gain some weight in your legs. Sprinters tend to have thick thighs; even the short ones.

Yw-slayer
January 20th, 2014, 05:58 PM
Report the dude.

FaultyMario
January 20th, 2014, 06:54 PM
I don't get it! You yanks huge wide roads!

At least compared to our we-embezzle-ALL-the-road-money officials. This is a popular training route (https://maps.google.com/?ll=17.056344,-96.758126&spn=0.007108,0.013078&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=17.056268,-96.758074&panoid=sK_q-1eoTUnVNzWxqdswVA&cbp=12,284.39,,0,15.95).

Why can't (your drivers) just go around, or wait the average 4 four seconds behind the cyclist and then go around?

Freude am Fahren
January 20th, 2014, 07:02 PM
I saw some thing about how Mark Cavendish is switching over to the smallest frame possible, I think it's like a 47cm or something, despite the fact that he's huge. I could barely ride a 52cm...

Why? Isn't there a minimum weight anyway? Is there a real advantage to being able to place ballast or something? Or is it something other than weight?

Random
January 20th, 2014, 07:08 PM
Stiffer?

FaultyMario
January 20th, 2014, 08:32 PM
Geometry too... They do have windtunnel sessions in the offseason.

overpowered
January 20th, 2014, 08:43 PM
Smaller frames have less flex. Given the minimum weight limit they can also use more material in critical areas to get the same weight in a smaller frame as a larger frame.

To make it fit though, he'll need a longer stem and that can also flex in a sprint and will flex more. Those guys pull hard on the bars. It's going to be some sort of engineering trade-off where they try to find the optimum point for him.

overpowered
January 20th, 2014, 08:46 PM
Report the dude.To who? SDPD won't do shit.

He has Arizona plates. It's actually not illegal to hold a cell phone while driving in Arizona. Yes, this was in California. SDPD won't do shit.

Someone on another board suggested that I contact his insurance company. Apparently I have to lie and say he scratched my bike or something to get that information and I'm not comfortable with that. There was no contact. Just yelling and pointing cameras at each other (mine was on my helmet).

Yw-slayer
January 20th, 2014, 09:05 PM
I don't know, I would have thought that there are some statutes you could throw at him.

G'day Mate
January 20th, 2014, 11:05 PM
You're also skinny so maybe not, unless you gain some weight in your legs. Sprinters tend to have thick thighs; even the short ones.

Yeah I'm thin but I also have a large frame so if I ever decided to become a gym guy I could be pretty big. I like how I am though ... which is currently quite disproportionate as my legs have become much bigger since I got the new bike 6 months ago, hahaha

Tom Servo
January 21st, 2014, 01:53 PM
Sadly, CA's 3-foot passing law hasn't gone into effect yet and the anti-harassment ordinance which would let OP go to civil court with the guy only exists in Los Angeles (I think only city, not county).

He's right, SDPD probably won't do shit. You could always try to get it going on the social media though.

G'day Mate
January 22nd, 2014, 01:15 PM
TDU Bupa challenge is tomorrow but I have one small problem - I can still feel this effort in my legs: http://www.strava.com/activities/107332153#2331118226

Once again, it's going to be 170km (105mi) with 2,300m (7,500ft) of climbing.

http://www.strava.com/routes/124130

G'day Mate
January 24th, 2014, 01:08 AM
... and now I'm sore :D

SportWagon
January 24th, 2014, 04:38 AM
strava has fixed their map problem for non-members using links now. But now they stick "Ride" in front of all your titles, so they sound dumb. "Ride Ride Like Crazy (for what it's worth, I rode in a sensible and dignified manner)". Thing is the extra "Ride" doesn't show up the same way in browser titles. It should really be "(Ride)" in parentheses or something. Or a little bicycle icon.

Tom Servo
January 24th, 2014, 06:40 AM
Damn, in less than 6:30 to boot. Impressive ride!

FaultyMario
January 24th, 2014, 08:11 AM
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/injury-prevention/how-avoid-8-common-road-biking-hazards?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-Bicycling-_-Content-Slideshow-_-avoid-hazards

G'day Mate
January 24th, 2014, 01:08 PM
Damn, in less than 6:30 to boot. Impressive ride!

My time for the actual course was 6:08:57. I was hoping to do it in under 6 hours, but that was impossible from where I started. Next time I'll make sure I'm towards the front of the pack. Still got to enjoy passing hundreds and hundreds of cyclists though! I absolutely smashed the KOM too - must've passed at least 50 people in that 2.1 km climb alone and did not get passed by anyone else :cool:

G'day Mate
January 24th, 2014, 01:17 PM
strava has fixed their map problem for non-members using links now. But now they stick "Ride" in front of all your titles, so they sound dumb. "Ride Ride Like Crazy (for what it's worth, I rode in a sensible and dignified manner)". Thing is the extra "Ride" doesn't show up the same way in browser titles. It should really be "(Ride)" in parentheses or something. Or a little bicycle icon.

Good example :p And I agree - plenty of times you see "Ride Afternoon Ride" or similar as well

George
January 24th, 2014, 01:22 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAnGe40-o9Q

Thought of the day: if I get any fatter this winter, I'm going to need a motorcycle in the spring instead of a bike.

SportWagon
January 24th, 2014, 03:07 PM
Good example :p And I agree - plenty of times you see "Ride Afternoon Ride" or similar as well
Especially since, at least where I am, Afternoon Ride would be the default title they would suggest if it was appropriate.

Cam
January 27th, 2014, 05:08 PM
Lori got two new bikes! She's selling the Batavus. It's a great bike, but just too darned heavy. She picked up a new Trek Allant for commuting and a Trek X-Caliber 6 so we can go off-roading together. Pics soon. :D :D :D

FaultyMario
January 27th, 2014, 05:25 PM
Yay! how's the trails in SC? or the bike scene for that matter...

Cam
January 27th, 2014, 05:33 PM
Nearby Harbison State Forest is pretty fun. Road cycling here sucks. Near-zero infrastructure and a stop sign or stop light at every block, it seems. :(

SportWagon
January 28th, 2014, 02:38 AM
When I come down through Fergus, I pick the street which has the fewest stop signs. But one day I nearly collided with a car running the stop sign which it had.

Needless to say, that wasn't at all recently. We have almost a real winter here this year.

overpowered
January 30th, 2014, 03:50 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEhySzO14ik

Tom Servo
January 30th, 2014, 05:15 PM
Two flats in two days, and three flats in two weeks. I went forever without a flat, now I can't stop getting them.

Tom Servo
January 30th, 2014, 05:19 PM
road biker video

:up:

G'day Mate
January 30th, 2014, 05:37 PM
Two flats in two days, and three flats in two weeks. I went forever without a flat, now I can't stop getting them.

Heh, that's how it works unfortunately hey ;)

Tom Servo
January 30th, 2014, 05:48 PM
I don't think it helps that I decided to try to upgrade the Surly to some brifters, so it's up on the stand half-assembled right now. It's got the fenders. That guaranteed that we'd get our first rain in the past couple of months, and that's just washing all sorts of nasty shit into the roadways. That and the Surly has those bomb-proof commuting tires on it, the Roubaix has some Mavic Yksion tiny-thin-slick-punctured-by- I didn't even check the flat tonight, it happened close to home, so I just rolled up, put the bike away, and will look at it in the morning. I am kicking myself for not buying a replacement tube on the way home like I was considering, though...

At any rate, all I'm really doing is bitching, as it took my wife over an hour to drive home tonight, and I still made it home in about half an hour, like I always do.

overpowered
January 30th, 2014, 06:21 PM
For the Surly, Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HS 382. Best touring tire. Zero flats so far.

FaultyMario
January 30th, 2014, 07:52 PM
How much does it weigh, fully loaded? bags and rider, I mean.

Tom Servo
January 30th, 2014, 08:29 PM
For my Surly, the most load it's seen is probably somewhere around 260 lbs. When it flatted, it was loaded significantly less. My Roubaix is flatting when someone looks at it with a piercing stare.

FaultyMario
January 31st, 2014, 10:49 AM
I'm still pretty out of shape, but approached 30 miles on my ride on Saturday. What's an appropriate time for a century? At first I thought it was the cycling equivalent of a marathon, but considering I'm averaging 12 mph, I realized that 100 miles is an 8 hour ride.

I really have no idea how to approach this level of mileage. But my girlfriend is doing a half marathon, and running is too much for my knees. I feel like I need to do something equivalent on the bike, which I really enjoy. But I'd rather not die.


http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/crash-course-century-training

overpowered
January 31st, 2014, 01:18 PM
Until all cyclists learn to obey the law ... Oh, wait, drivers break the law too?

http://bikeportland.org/2014/01/30/scofflaws-abound-on-local-freeways-police-make-452-stops-in-five-hours-100715

Cam
February 1st, 2014, 07:37 AM
Lori: "Looks like a bike store." :lol:

221

From left to right:
Trek X-caliber 6
Brodie Bruzza
Batavus Breukelen
Trek Allant
Suteki Track 10
Scattante R550
Specialized Allez Elite

FaultyMario
February 1st, 2014, 08:16 AM
That Suteki looks lovely. As does the Bruzza. Great taste, Cam.

Tom Servo
February 1st, 2014, 01:53 PM
Went to go finish off working on the Surly. Brake cables run and hooked up, which is a nightmare with these cantilever brakes, I hate trying to tighten them down without losing tension on the brake cable. Rear derailleur hooked up and shifting nicely. Brifters just where I want them. The only thing left is to hook up the front derailleur and put new bar tape on.

Motherfucker if the head of the pinch bolt on the front derailleur didn't just shear off as I tightened it down, leaving the rest of the bolt in the derailleur. I was like 10 minutes away from having the bike rideable, now it's probably just easier and cheaper to buy a new front derailleur than try to repair it. Cheap ass bolts...

Tom Servo
February 3rd, 2014, 04:56 PM
Feeling quite stupid. Realized today that the bolt just attached a nut inset on the other side of the derailleur, there's no actual threading on the derailleur itself. Poked the rest of the bolt with a presta valve on an old tube and it fell right now. Just need a new bolt and washer at the hardware store and I'm good to go.

George
February 4th, 2014, 06:32 AM
Tom Servo, would be interested in your thoughts about bar end shifters vs. brifters if you're ever so inclined to ramble on about them.

Cam, das a lotta bikes!

Tom Servo
February 4th, 2014, 01:18 PM
I don't know that I have particularly great thoughts about them, but I can tell you what I see as their advantages and disadvantages.

They tell me that the Surly touring bikes tend to come with them because they're reliable, easy to repair, and cheap to replace. I haven't had to try to repair one, but they are certainly cheaper to replace - I see a set of top-of-the-line Dura Ace bar end shifters available for about $90, while the nearly bottom-of-the-line Sora brifters seem to start somewhere around $160. I also know that even if my indexing gets knocked out of whack on my rear derailleur, I can just change it out to friction mode and still get myself home.

I definitely see the benefit if you're out on a long tour and have a problem. Definitely easier to replace, and since most do the friction mode you don't even have to find the exact right one at the shop, doesn't matter if it's indexed for a 10 speed cassette but you only have an 8, just switch to friction mode and enjoy the ride.

When it comes to urban riding though, I find them to occasionally put me in bad situations that I don't find myself in when I'm riding on my Roubaix with the brifters. Too many times where I have to brake hard to avoid some idiot doing something stupid and then find myself in way too high of a gear, or finding myself hitting some sort of pothole or whatever while I have one hand off the bars trying to fiddle with the shifter. Also, for whatever reason, when I stop at a light they like to smack me in the legs, and sometimes that can really hurt. I'm also noticing they like to beat up on my top tube a lot when the bars turn sideways.

I figure that I'm never that far from a bike shop or my second bike, so the ultimate reliability thing isn't quite as important to me. Certainly not as important as making it easier to shift with both hands on the bars, either in the drops or up on the hoods. Also, both of them require me to remove bar tape to change out cable housings, so no real advantage there. Also, the Tektro brake levers the bike came with suck and the hoods were already starting to have chunks fall off of them, so it seemed high time to me to upgrade to something a little nicer.

Who knows, maybe a month from now after installing the new brifters, I'll decide I've made a terrible mistake and that I should go back to the bar ends.

George
February 4th, 2014, 02:43 PM
Thanks. I've been haunting a bike forum since last summer and I think people don't take the time to go into details like bruised legs and dented top tubes because it's all been discussed a million times before.

I asked because the Shimano RSX brifters on my Specialized are just fantastic, from the couple of short test rides I've done, and I also see guys replacing straight bars on MTBs with drop bars, road brakes, and bar-end shifters. And I fully admit to being a lemming about stuff that "everyone" seems to be doing, even if in fact it's just a small group on the internet somewhere.

The trigger shifters on my MTB shift really well, and I don't ever have...


...times where I have to brake hard to avoid some idiot doing something stupid and then find myself in way too high of a gear, or finding myself hitting some sort of pothole or whatever while I have one hand off the bars trying to fiddle with the shifter.

Still, when I've gone on "long" rides (10-20 miles was long for me in 2013; we'll see about this year), I'm miserable on straight bars after maybe five miles. I just can't get comfortable. I'm really temped to do something like this with my MTB, or maybe with my n+1 craigslist find.

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab100/dyanderson79/891DF951-C161-4FCA-A355-7759C3A4B134_zpszc7pkh3t.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy213/ViewPicsHere/SCimarron/IMG_6307.jpg
http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj533/vonruden1/576D0A2A-1633-47FA-81AF-418A52D40FCC_zpsbvyrynpj.jpg

overpowered
February 4th, 2014, 08:38 PM
I've got bar ends on my Parabola (touring bike). I'm not a huge fan. Brifters are far more convenient. As Tom notes, you need to be on the drops to use them and that may not be good timing wise in combination with braking.

I have also noticed more bar ends and I think it's becoming fair to say that they are trendy. If you're really doing long tours where being able to do road side repair or go into friction mode as a backup is an actual priority, then maybe you have a real justification. I'm not even sure about it then. Modern brifters are very reliable. Their only real down side is cost.

Tom Servo
February 5th, 2014, 04:03 PM
Keep in mind, the frames for MTB bikes and road bikes are designed with the bars in mind. Road bike frames tend to be a little shorter on the top tube because your hand positions tend to be actually forward of the end of the stem, whereas with straight bars you're about even with the end of the stem. I've never tried it myself, but I've heard doing a straight-to-drop-bar or drop-bar-to-straight conversion tends not to work out as well as one would hope because the frame just wasn't designed for that kind of layout. Adding bar-ends for a straight bar to give yourself more hand positions is probably a better bet than trying to do a full conversion. Again, I've never tried it myself, but I've heard many people ask the same question and always get the answer that it's not a good idea.

Also, keep in mind that different types of brakes need different types of brake levers. I'd love to explain it all, but it leaves me totally mystified. I've been told that, for instance, I'm okay putting brifters on the Surly because it has cantilever brakes, if it had v-brakes, I'd have to get some sort of adapter. That one is complicated enough that when it comes to any sort of brake lever change, I figure I'd just go to my LBS and ask.

SportWagon
February 6th, 2014, 05:17 AM
Presumably you should at least buy a longer or shorter stem along with the handlebars?

Tom Servo
February 6th, 2014, 05:31 PM
Finished up with the Surly (mostly) this morning, then took it to work today. I knew it was supposed to rain, so I really wanted to get it out of the garage.

The good news:
Brifters work and so do the brakes. Stopping power in the dry seems much better. Do not miss the bar ends at all, don't miss them hitting me in the legs, don't miss them smacking into the top tube, don't miss them at all, except...

The bad news:
I'm having a hell of a time getting the front derailleur sorted. I *think* that there might actually be some crush damage on the housing for the front derailleur cable that, along with maybe needing to clean and lube up part of the FD, is making it tough for it to retract back when downshifting. I just can't seem to get it to go from the big ring to the middle ring, and when I let off some of the tension from the cable, the derailleur doesn't really move until I let go of *all* the tension. Going to replace the housing and clean up the derailleur in the hopes that that fixes it. I also should have checked the brifter positioning *before* putting on bar tape, I had to bring them up a lot after trying to ride, so now there's this nasty gap where there's no tape just below them. Also, the electrical tape that came with my bar tape is already coming off, so I need to replace that. The salmon kool-stops actually seem to really struggle in the wet, I was having a tough time stopping today. That surprised me, I thought they were supposed to be good with wet weather. And, finally, I'm getting some sort of low frequency vibration that I can feel through the pedals, but only under load, and it appears to get worse the more load I put on the pedals. I'm thinking that it could be due to the derailleurs not being adjusted quite right, though there's also a chance that the new chain and the old cassette just aren't playing nice and I should replace the cassette too. Going to do the once over and make sure everything's tight this weekend to see if that helps.

Why, oh why, don't I just replace one thing at a time so at least I know what causes what issue? You'd think I'd learn.

overpowered
February 6th, 2014, 05:46 PM
You're a cyclist, so it's your fault (http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/fitness/blogs/on-your-bike/youre-a-cyclist-so-its-your-fault-20140205-321np.html)

Yw-slayer
February 7th, 2014, 12:20 AM
Posting one link at a time is a great way to convert HATERZ.

Having said that, those last few paras are a great example. I always say try and make it a conversation like "Yeah, everyone should obey the rules, including drivers", since the standard of driving here is so appalling anyway.

overpowered
February 8th, 2014, 12:39 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFgrVaemwQ8

G'day Mate
February 8th, 2014, 02:27 AM
Register them

overpowered
February 13th, 2014, 10:18 PM
Meeses?

overpowered
February 13th, 2014, 10:19 PM
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/14842_651957824845790_441604568_n.jpg?oh=a20c23d43 797f8fb667ec5fa2f9e1c4f&oe=556C61D5&__gda__=1432651493_adfa7a4f722c4f731c24fd727bbe325 8

SportWagon
February 14th, 2014, 03:52 AM
Most pictures of Eddy look less gaunt than that. He actually resembles Sean Connery in that picture.

G'day Mate
February 16th, 2014, 04:06 PM
Got another community ride in the hills this Sunday, but it's only 80kms so - because I'm a complete nutter - I reckon I'll ride 35km to the start and up to 60km on the way home just for "fun".

http://www.strava.com/routes/173925

175km, 3,000m+ of climbing

On the day I think it's highly likely that I'll bitch out of at least part of the detour on the way home, but who knows - perhaps I'll be feeling good and give it a crack. The worst bit will be Mt Osmond. 10% gradient for 2.5km, and likely to be a real bugger 160km in:

275

Tom Servo
February 22nd, 2014, 05:08 PM
So, feeling a little dumb. Took the Surly into the shop to get a new shifter cable and new housing. The guy asked if I minded if he took a look at it. Admittedly, it took him a while to find it, but I totally mis-mounted the cable on the front derailleur. There's a little lip next to the clamp bolt. I thought that was to help keep the cable guided into the bolt. Turns out the cable was supposed to go outside of it, then under the bolt, to give everything the right leverage.

That was it, everything is perfectly with the STI upgrade. Can't believe I goofed that up. The LHT is now a much nicer bike to ride.

G'day Mate
February 23rd, 2014, 12:57 AM
So you had it right on the other side?

G'day Mate
February 23rd, 2014, 03:10 PM
One MILLION calories - http://www.strava.com/activities/115345392

http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4b0494960000000000d4104c/uh-oh-not-another-do-no-evil-company.jpg

Tom Servo
February 23rd, 2014, 06:51 PM
Yeah, brakes and rear derailleur were perfect. I just had the routing of the cable right at the front derailleur wrong, otherwise it was pretty much spot on. Kinda pleased with myself overall.

overpowered
February 24th, 2014, 11:10 PM
Loudly Revving Engine Teaches Valuable Lesson to Local Cyclist (http://www.atlbanana.com/loudly-revving-engine-teaches-valuable-lesson-to-local-cyclist/)

overpowered
February 25th, 2014, 12:02 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODb0ivP4ibs

George
March 4th, 2014, 09:17 AM
Came in here to ask Mr. Servo how his shifter swapping was going and there's the answer up above. Cool.

Bike mechanics, need some guidance please.

It seems one of the easiest ways to be able to easily adjust fit is to swap out quill stems for the adaptors like this one:

https://www.benscycle.com/p-2572-dimension-quill-stems-to-ahead-adapter-black-222-286.aspx?

and then use a stem like this one (a random example):

https://www.benscycle.com/p-2487-cobra-1-18in-alloy-stem.aspx?

But what about spacers? Will the clamps on the stem hold it to the adapter anywhere or do I need to stack spacers between the stem and the lower lip of the adapter?

And if so, do I just order a few spacers in various sizes? Do LBSs sell spacers or is this specialty stuff all internet-only these days?

I ask partly because I'm weary of the straight bar on my MTB/commuter and want something different, but more because I'm going to buy my wife a bike pretty soon - probably a CL special like mine, only prettier and nicer, and I know the very first thing she will want is bars swapped out to cruiser style, or north road, albatross, etc., and I think switching handlebars and running new cables will be a good first step into bicycle maintenance/repair/parts swapping for me.

FaultyMario
March 4th, 2014, 10:37 AM
these? (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/headset-spacers)

George
March 4th, 2014, 11:49 AM
Yes, those. Are they necessary? Wouldn't the two bolts on the stem hold the stem tight without it having to be propped up from below?

(I'm guessing not, or these wouldn't exist.)

Here's why I asked - check out this video. At 3:38, he says "I could put spacers in there if I want to, but right now I don't want to."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kFARIR2GQ0

FaultyMario
March 4th, 2014, 12:04 PM
If your fork's steerer tube is cut to the stem's height you don't need them.

The headset cap, the large washer type thing, needs to rest on something to provide support to the screw that pulls on the steerer crown inside the steerer tube. if you have a longer tube, the stem is not properly secured, you can then choose to put spacers under the stem, for raising the bar, or just rest the spacers stacked on the stem.

FaultyMario
March 4th, 2014, 12:11 PM
oh, and any friendly LBS dude worth his salt should give you a couple of black aluminium spacers as a gesture of two-wheeled patronage.

Anodized, colorful or carbon spacers, you have to pay for them, mate!

George
March 4th, 2014, 12:52 PM
If your fork's steerer tube is cut to the stem's height you don't need them.

The headset cap, the large washer type thing, needs to rest on something to provide support to the screw that pulls on the steerer crown inside the steerer tube. if you have a longer tube, the stem is not properly secured, you can then choose to put spacers under the stem, for raising the bar, or just rest the spacers stacked on the stem.

I think maybe you're talking about a modern bike with a threadless headset. What I have a is a 20-year-old bike that I'd like to mess around with and put an adaptor in so I can connect a modern stem with a removable face plate to a 20-year-old bike.

If you look at the specific adaptor I linked, there appears to be a lip around the lower part of where the stem would attach. I can't seem to copy that photo's URL to show it here, but it's there if you click on the link.

Seems to me the screw at the end of adaptor would hold the adaptor to the fork and also adjust the height of the stem in the head tube.

Then, I'd just bolt a stem to the adaptor.

What I don't see and can't understand is why I would need any spacers with this setup, no matter how high or low I set the handlebars (within reason of safety and minimum insertion marks, etc.).

SportWagon
March 4th, 2014, 01:14 PM
George, is that for a "traditional" threaded headset where the forks remained securely in place when you removed the stem?

I'd guess that stem you show can be used without spacers; you can just adjust it to the height you want, giving you about two inches of adjustment as used to be traditional.

But see...
http://chillikebab.wordpress.com/2010/04/

I'd think a couple of spacers in there would be optional, compared to a completely modern setup. (In a modern setup I think the spacers are actually necessary to maintain the proper bearing pressure???)

I assume you're replacing a gooseneck?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Classic_road_quill_stem.JPG

Those would be moved up-and-down with only minimal concern that they would slip down after tightened. (Moving side-to-side (as a result of wrenching uphill) was not uncommon, and breaking was not unheard of, but falling back down never seemed to happen).

It looks like your adapter has a ridge to stop the forward extension from slipping down the adapter. (The lip you refer to, after I reread with more comprehension)

(In conclusion, I think the link http://chillikebab.wordpress.com/2010/04/ I found is unecessarily alarmist, and all this explains why they youtuber said he could use spacers, but wouldn't right now).

FaultyMario
March 4th, 2014, 01:29 PM
I see, with an adapter, I guess it'd depend on the stem's stack height compared to the adapter's. if the stem's taller, then no problem, but if it's shorter you'd need spacers to overcome the difference and maintain torque.

SportWagon
March 4th, 2014, 01:37 PM
The traditional headset corresponding to a gooseneck stem is locked into its adjustment with threaded locknuts, even if the gooseneck stem (which included the vertical post with either a sliding wedge or expander bolt) is removed.

George
March 4th, 2014, 01:46 PM
George, is that for a "traditional" threaded headset where the forks remained securely in place when you removed the stem?

Yes, but I haven't removed the stem yet - just at the planning stage here.


But see...
http://chillikebab.wordpress.com/2010/04/

Took me a minute to find what you wanted me to see. I'm guessing that guy should have a couple/few spacers in between his stem and the headset here, to prevet the bars from suddenly dropping a couple inches while riding, should the stem bolts loosen up. Fair enough. I get it now (hopefully).

http://api.ning.com/files/JKTFKZN6BwGpMawpkkWwfEOiaNtk0NH-tthq18Zg87hMvhs3VKU2b6m34sBCu8Ln8jbbh86-wtKLZiwOcLjt3Lor6jPMxWnX/stemconvertor.jpg


(...youtuber said he could use spacers, but wouldn't right now).

After re-watching that again, I think his adapter doesn't have the lip of the one I happened to find via google, so he would need spacers, and I think he was trying to show speed and ease and not worry about the details in that video.

Thanks, and also to Mario. I think I get it now. Maybe.

What I'd like to find is this, but I just haven't found it yet - a tall, black gooseneck with an adjustable hinge to adjust the stem angle, and a removable face plate for simple handlebar swaps without having to strip the bars every time.

Edited to add: Just found one. This looks simpler overall but stem reach is limited.

http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/dimension-1-22-2-quill-26-0-85mm-70-130-degree-adjustable-stem-black

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server2800/804sw/products/21987/images/283537/SM2933__37380.1377710378.1280.1280.jpg?c=1

Edited once again to add - another version with a longer stem. Hard to tell unless you compare the logos.

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server2800/804sw/products/21988/images/283538/SM2934__01570.1377710378.1280.1280.jpg?c=1

FaultyMario
March 4th, 2014, 05:28 PM
I don't see why they couldn't have different stem lengths, it's an stem/quill articulation, not terribly hard to offer choices.

SportWagon
March 5th, 2014, 07:46 AM
Looks like the stem itselft is removeable and potentially replaceable, and you can further alter the effective length by angling the stem up or down. After changing that angle, the post could be moved up or down to obtain the desired height of the actual handlebars, All within limitations, of course.

Tom Servo
March 5th, 2014, 06:32 PM
Job change means I haven't been spending time at work screwing around on the forums. To answer your question a while ago George - the shifter swap actually went better than I thought. Front derailleur had no real issue other than I mistakenly routed the cable under the little lip right next to the clamp bolt rather than around it like I was supposed to. Guy at LBS noticed that, moved the cable ever so slightly, and now it works like a dream. So far, not regretting my decision to change it out in the slightest, it's made the bike significantly more pleasant to ride.

The new job also means a new commute. My old one was about a mile and a half on a three-lane each way arterial road until I got to the people's republic of Santa Monica where bike lanes are a-plenty. My new one goes in the opposite direction, through the biking black hole of Beverly Hills and into Mid-city, which ain't much better. My route to work is on a three-to-four-lane each way arterial, then onto another three-lane each way arterial (Wilshire), and I just ride the whole way to work. The way home is slightly uphill and always seems to have a massive headwind rushing through the tall buildings, so I take a slightly different route. There is, however, one stretch that you cannot avoid a major arterial. There are only four choices: Olympic Blvd, Wilshire, Santa Monica, and Sunset. None have bike lanes where I need to take them, but a bit down the road Santa Monica gets a bike lane. So far, not too much trouble except for Monday, when some woman just lost her shit on me and tried to hit me with her car while screaming at me.

I'd like to think I'm a pretty experienced cyclist who can deal with this stuff, but that left me really rattled. I'm finding myself nervous to take that stretch now...it's probably about 45 seconds of taking the right lane on a major street, then I've got a bike lane the rest of the way home, but now it's just this really awful feeling of whether some lunatic is going to try to kill me. Hopefully I'll get over that.

In other news, a guy started honking at me from behind on a one lane each way road where I have to control the lane to avoid the door zone. I looked at it in Strava afterwards, I was actually exceeding the speed limit by a couple of miles per hour when he honked at me, so it was just that "there's a bike in front of me and therefore I must lose my shit". I got to a red light and he pulls up in the right turn only lane and says "There's a bike lane, ya know." There is no bike lane on this street, there hasn't been for the past 4.5 miles. I say "Uhh...no there isn't." He shakes his head at me, rolls up his window, and makes his right turn. I honestly have no idea where to go with that one...

overpowered
March 5th, 2014, 07:12 PM
He believes that if there's no bike lane then bikes aren't supposed to be on the road at all. I've encountered this more than once. I always tell them that California state law, CVC 21200(a) says that bicyclists have as much right to the road as motorists. They usually counter with: "it's not safe" as if they think I'm going to believe that their concern is for my safety. There's really no way to win with these idiots. They're too stupid to understand facts or logic.

I used to say California Vehicle Code XXXXX but then one idiot said: "I don't care about your codes!". Ummm, yeah. Right. How did that guy get a license?

Tonight I had a guy slow down in the left lane next to me telling me I should be on the shoulder, even though I was about 150 feet from an RV parked ahead of me covering the shoulder and then some. I told him that CVC 21202(a)(3) allowed me to use the full lane there and of course he countered that it was safer on the shoulder. I asked him how many bicycle safety classes he'd taken or bicycle safety books he'd read. None. Of course. "But I'm a professional cyclist". I stupidly said "You're just a moron.". Instead, I should have asked him his name and team so that I could contact them with details of why he's a moron. There were cars backing up behind him. He was blocking the left lane just to harass me. By doing that, he actually was violating CVC 21654.

I was once going the speed limit in a 25mph zone making a left turn in a left turn lane with a sharrow marker in it and as I got onto the next road which had a single lane each way and still 25mph limit and a solid double yellow and more sharrows and it's super narrow with parallel parking on both sides and an idiot in a Prius passes me fast. I flipped him the bird and he stops, ON TOP OF A SHARROW, 100 feet from the next stop sign to yell at me. He claimed to be a cyclist. Sigh. He violated CVC 21460, 21650, 22500(h), and the speed limit.

I've gotten to a point where when they honk, I just start swerving back and forth across the lane. It seriously pisses them off but they always change lanes to pass and leave me space. I win.

Tom Servo
March 5th, 2014, 10:31 PM
I need to get a camera, or at least have my initial response to be to take a picture of a license plate.

We've had a particularly bad bike week out here in Los Angeles. There's the aforementioned road ragey-ness I've run into, and other friends have run into similar things this week. Then the Beverly Hills city council have decided that, despite what their advisory committee recommends, there will be no bike lanes on the newly redesigned Santa Monica Blvd. to connect the lanes in Century City and West Hollywood. Beverly Hills will continue to be a biking black hole. The big one though is the Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race and it's cancellation.

A little background for those unfamiliar: There was a bike ride around the LA Marathon circuit prior to the runners going. Frank McCourt (previous owner of the Dodgers) bought the Marathon and, when it converted to a end-to-end run from downtown to the coast, they got rid of the bike ride. Wolfpack Hustle started doing an unofficial race starting at 4am as the streets were being shut down for the marathon a few hours later. It grew and grew, and as it grew, they also started working with the city and the LAPD. It was still unofficial, but had minimal LAPD escort (due to the aptly named Officer Helper...no, really, that's his last name). My wife and I did it last year when the estimated crowd was 5,000 riders. It was a blast, tearing through city streets at 5am that were already closed the vehicle traffic, getting to ride the sunset strip, down Rodeo Dr., and bombing down towards the beach on San Vicente to the finish line on Ocean. One of the most fun rides I've ever done, and I so looked forward to it this year.

The city started demanding that the riders have insurance, so they instituted a whopping $6 registration fee to get secondary insurance. Then they moved the finish line up by about 5 miles, purportedly due to fears from the Boston Marathon bombing. Then, finally, 5 days before the event, the city said that the event needed a ~$100,000 permit or anybody who attempted to ride the circuit was subject to arrest.

So...I'm old and don't feel like being arrested, so that's it. In the meantime, our mayor has declared today as "Complete Streets Day". The mayor and all our city councilmen celebrated complete streets. The city councilmen who vetoed even *studying* bike lanes on Westwood Blvd. to connect the new Metro train station with UCLA, who are blocking construction of what they're calling the first complete street in LA, despite it already having DOT approval and being fully funded, those fucking hypocrites were there lauding complete streets while blocking every attempt at them.

They can get fucked.

Between all the defeats we've had lately, I feel like all the ground that was made up due to Villaraigosa is all going away. Anybody want to lure Garcetti out onto the streets on a bike and get a taxi to hit him? Worked for Antonio...

overpowered
March 6th, 2014, 07:15 AM
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1656353_835801246446524_1083256120_n.jpg

SportWagon
March 6th, 2014, 11:30 AM
Let's insert a little levity here. Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TySw643gZAI

overpowered
March 6th, 2014, 12:29 PM
A Youtube video of a web page showing a Youtube video?

George
March 6th, 2014, 01:59 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKHz7wOjb9w

Fiat500
March 6th, 2014, 04:11 PM
A Youtube video of a web page showing a Youtube video?

http://i.imgur.com/yMrun0F.png

thesameguy
March 6th, 2014, 09:11 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKHz7wOjb9w

That guy has some great ideas!

overpowered
March 7th, 2014, 10:51 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlHQXLI8iiM

A manager at the truck company has stated that the driver is facing disciplinary action and they have stated that they will cooperate fully with law enforcement should they decide to press charges:

http://road.cc/content/news/113083-video-caravan-firm-horrified-after-cyclist-suffers-shocking-near-miss

overpowered
March 7th, 2014, 12:01 PM
Coyote in the road on my way to work this morning:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HepyxPndcCw/Uxoy1mcMUoI/AAAAAAAAAUs/qAUrq7E4F8g/w841-h478-no/coyote.png

George
March 7th, 2014, 01:32 PM
Guys, I keep thinking about this Specialized Allez a friend gave me. It needs a new chain at the very least, and probably a complete overhaul with bearings repacked and new cables and so on. It's old and beat up and ugly, and I'm hesitant to put money and/or time into a bike that I just don't like. I'd much rather find a bike that has been lovingly cared for than a rat rod. And call me shallow for this, but I'd also like a frame color I enjoy instead of a color I can tolerate. I already have one ugly color bike (my MTB) and I don't want another.

So I'm considering putting it up on CL very soon (this weekend is as good as any) and taking whatever cash I can get for it (and more) and buying a nicer road bike from CL - maybe more of a touring bike than a street racer. I'd like fenders and a rear rack and I sat on a touring bike at REI recently that felt awesome. I was immediately comfortable on it and think that's the way to go...or maybe a "sport tourer". I don't intend to really tour on it, just commute. Given where I live, dirt roads and trails are something I'm always going to be on (and want to be on) and I just don't see me ever being a "road-ONLY" rider.

I'm thinking a touring bike would let me run wider tires, maybe some gravel grinder tires, and then I could put the knobbies back on my MTB and leave that as a MTB instead of trying to turn it into a hybrid. I still want a bike to go trail & single-track riding with friends and family.

If this were yours and you wanted it gone without too much hassle and haggling but without leaving too much money on the table, what would you ask for it on CL? Could I get a hundred bucks for it maybe? Two? Nah...

What do you guys think?

Keep & fix?

-or-

Sell, and if so, how much to ask?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03075_zps7db7d080.jpg

Additional photos & specs hidden behind spoiler tags so we don't have to continue scrolling past them in the future.



'96 (I think) steel-frame Specialized Allez
3 x 7 gears
Shimano RSX group
Needs chain at least, probably cassette also and the chainrings look pretty chewed up too
No idea if wheels are true or not - rides okay, so I don't think they're terrible
Brand new 700 x 25 tires - cheapies from Performance Bike
Brifters work beautifully - I figure they're the most attractive part of this bike to a used bike/bike parts buyer

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03069_zps98437cb6.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03064_zps063e9815.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03040_zps16ba5a76.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03061_zps9afafbd3.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03060_zps347204ec.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03039_zpscaefb862.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03059_zpsf079c7b0.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03058_zpse19f0052.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03057_zpsc66a6cb4.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03027_zpsadb6e749.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03024_zps2cf996aa.jpg

FaultyMario
March 7th, 2014, 01:50 PM
have you tried to get acquainted with it, like you do with your other CL swapaways?

If it's going to end up being OPP, why not give it a deaf tuning - clean up?

George
March 7th, 2014, 03:56 PM
You mean like my guitars? No, not at all. The chain skipping and jumping is too bad for any real riding beyond around the block a few times and thinking, "wow, this sure feels like it could be fast".

And I should buy the tools and the parts and take the time to change chain, cassette, and chainrings, so I won't be afraid to do those things in the future, wrap the bars, and go learn about road bikes this summer. But despite my emerging from the homebound prison that is having twins through toddlerhood, I'm still a man with five-year-old twins so my free time isn't...ah, how shall I say this: abundant?

I have budgeted to buy my wife a bike soon. She's like me and thinks the idea of a used bike from CL is great. I sure married the right woman! So, while looking at bikes on CL recently, I've realized that used $100 bikes are okay but up around $250 - $300, I start seeing "wow" bikes instead of just "that will do" bikes. I'm going to get her a nice bike and am thinking maybe I could use the Specialized to step up into a nicer drop bar bike for myself without too much additional pain. I'm serious about bicycle commuting this year, and if I keep the Specialized I will invite derision from roadies and rowdies by installing at least a rack, probably fenders, and maybe even a kickstand. :D

The shop that installed a new chain and cassette on my MTB in the fall for $99 said it would run $160 for them to replace chain, cassette, and chainrings. I have the $160, but then I thought, if I spend $160 on this bike, I'll have a bike that probably will be great, even if it's ugly and beat looking. But, let's say I clean it (it's pretty clean now) and re-wrap the bars so it looks okay - would someone pay $150 with full disclosure about the drivetrain and the obvious dents and dings? Maybe.

So now I have $160 saved in repairs plus $150 cash in hand, which equals $310. Throw another $40 - $90 out of my pocket and now I'm in the $350 to $400 price range with very little pain, thanks to being personally fortunate at the moment with a hard-earned bonus check on the way from my employer.

Would I enjoy nicer-looking bike more than the ugly/beat-up Specialized? Maybe. I don't know. That's why I'm asking for advice, opinions, off-topic musings, rotten tomato throwing, vicious lies, etc.

George
March 7th, 2014, 04:07 PM
Yet another question...let's say I pay the $160 on the Specialized and maybe a little more - I might as well have the pros wrap the handlebars, too. I've never done it.

Now my CL ad reads like this:

Parts X, Y, and Z just installed at LBS. Have receipts for work done. Rides great! Super fast and lightweight. Shows some honest wear and tear, but it's cosmetic only. Has eyelets for racks and fenders. Would make a great commuter and weekend canyon bomber!

What's it worth now?

FaultyMario
March 7th, 2014, 04:19 PM
Do you still hangout with your bike buff neighbor? can you borrow the tools from him? will your kids help you take it apart one afternoon? does that sound like too much of a hassle to get 50 bucks more off a $100 bike?

FaultyMario
March 7th, 2014, 04:22 PM
$160 worth of new parts becomes $20 on a CL bike, I think. I wouldn't spend money on something I plan to sell. That investment is going to take a major hit. $160 of bikes parts on their boxes is worth much more than those same parts installed on an old rig.

FaultyMario
March 7th, 2014, 04:26 PM
Fix only if you want to enjoy the investment...

Tom Servo
March 7th, 2014, 05:40 PM
I actually just hopped over here to see what was going on with the Allez. FWIW, I think much like a used car, fixing it up might help it sell in the first place, but the resale value will never go up as much as how much you'll spend fixing it.

FWIW, they sell the touring bike I have, the Surly Long Haul Trucker, at REI. I love mine, and it's great and a tank and hauls tons of stuff and can do light off-roading (I'm not doing any major drops or anything, but it can swing a dirt trail), but it is slow. It's heavy, doesn't accelerate like a bat out of hell like a good road bike does, and in my mind, isn't nearly as fun to ride as my Roubaix. It's infinitely more practical, and I do 90% of my riding on it, but I always get excited when I have an excuse to pull out the Roubaix and just go nuts.

Now, if you have to get rid of it to get a commuter, a touring bike will be a better commuter. You won't be as worried about leaving it locked up somewhere, it won't be a pain in the ass to add fenders and a rack and every other accoutrement you want to it, it'll take more abuse without complaining, it'll probably soak up road noise better making the whole thing much more comfortable, and replacement parts will be cheaper. However, if you look at bikes like guitars and know the appropriate number of bikes to own is n+1 where n is the number of bikes you currently own, I'd keep that Allez around as a project bike and add the touring bike for your current commuting.

That's me, though ;)

George
March 10th, 2014, 09:01 AM
$160 worth of new parts becomes $20 on a CL bike, I think. I wouldn't spend money on something I plan to sell. That investment is going to take a major hit. $160 of bikes parts on their boxes is worth much more than those same parts installed on an old rig.

Same in the guitar world. $100 of pickups (easy to do) in a $350-ish used MIM Fender Strat = a $375 guitar, maybe, if the buyer wants those pickups. If not, they scroll past and scoff at the too-high price.


It's heavy, doesn't accelerate...

Thank you. That's all I need to know. I have a heavy bike that I like okay already. I'm scratching touring bikes off the list...for now.

Would have replied sooner but internet service was down all weekend at home - was working this morning though.

I went to a local very large Specialized dealer this weekend and priced some parts. Granted, it's a "Grey Poupon" kind of shop where one sips tea from a bone china cup with pinky extended while discussing which electronic derailleurs make the ideal upgrade to the Carbon Spendmaster 6000, so they seem higher priced on everything than the Performance Bike shop near my office. And, this time of year probably nothing is on sale except winter clothing, and I could probably get it all cheaper online anyway. However, it seems to me that the $160 price quoted for chain, cassette, and chainrings isn't unreasonable for rube like me to pay, when I should instead spend that on a repair stand instead. Their cheapest repair stand was $169.

Friday, when I last posted while idly wondering about all things bicycle related and watching the snow fall outside my office window, I didn't know it was going to be near 70 degrees F on Sunday (yesterday) nor that I would drive to Home Depot and see scores of cyclists tearing it up in tight britches in the spring-like Colorado sun. Not a one of 'em was on a Long Haul anything. Men, and a few women too, were riding road bikes, and fast, angular ones, too. The sole exception to this was a tandem road bike. Every one of them was "going nuts", as was I in my car, with my sunroof open at a jaunty angle, just daring the snow gods to let the flakes fly again.

I had been smitten by sexy craigslist bikes on Friday, true, but with a little free time on Sunday afternoon I figured even with a worn chain, there must still be a couple usuable gears among the 21 available on the Allez, so I pulled it down from its long winter resting place and set it in the warm later afternoon sun on the first day of Daylight Savings Time. I would have been gone right then, except for the lack of pedals, and air in the tires.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1394_zpsc03bc7fb.jpg

Tires were as flat as could be. I pumped them up to 105 psi.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1401_zpsba908398.jpg

I'll go off on a brief tangent here and explain that we generally don't wear shoes in the house and I keep a pair of Crocs by the door to the garage. They're perfect for stepping into to take out the trash and recycling or to get something out of the car. Incidentally, they're also quite grippy on a ladder and these well-worn, paint-stained NINE-YEAR-OLD (yeah, they last) pair of Crocs is what I wore when painting my garage interior, after insulating it and drywalling it. They also work extremely well as grilling shoes on my back porch, as I did last night as well.

So, now that you guys have had a good laugh at my expense because I wear Crocs, imagine the even funnier sight of me on a road bike wearing Crocs and my hipster winter beard. Scary, huh?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1404_zpsecfd687c.jpg

The sun seems to have gone down a bit by the time I had pedals on the Allez...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1410_zps7888209f.jpg

...and the MTB hung up and pedal-less with the other carcasses that I simply must get on CL without fail. I haven't bought pedals for the same reason I haven't spent any other money on this bike. Obviously it needs some pedals but then there's the whole shoe question, which I'm conveniently ignoring for now. Crocs on platforms ain't too shabby, though, if you have a fast enough bike. You guys should try it.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1405_zpsf0e5c181.jpg

And there it is after the ride, next to my '99 Accord with snow tires at 204,xxx miles. I guess I'll do the same with the bike as the car: pay a little when necessary to keep them running and be glad for what I have. Even with the worn chain, this bike is pretty damn peppy, to say the least. The brifters are wonderful, and the bike stops so fast and is so light that it feels like it will flip over when I grab the brakes.

Any suggestions for bar tape color/type/material? I'm guessing black is safest to keep everything matchy-matchy on silver bike, but it's also boring.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1415_zps927adfc7.jpg

SportWagon
March 10th, 2014, 01:02 PM
Handlebar tape colour suggestion...

Formerly smg.photobucket.com/user/SportWagon/media/gtx-2012-05-18/Handlebars-1_zps8351e4a6.jpg.html

I think they (Profile) make a similar red-white-and-blue pattern. Almost anything goes with silver. Sort of.

Removed hot links to images because, well, you know, the PhotoBucket saga.
Eventually hosted here at gtxforums.net where it arguably belonged all along.

George
March 10th, 2014, 04:17 PM
I do like that splotchy wrap on some bikes, but I don't know if it's for this one.

There's a greenish tint to the silver Allez and if dark green was a more common handlebar tape color, I'd buy some. Looks like it can be ordered online but I'm a real fan of brick and mortar stores for buying things I'm not familiar with. The Specialized lettering is purple with gold trim, and the Allez and the word Sport are in gold or an orangey-yellow - also uncommon colors to find on the shelf at a bike shop.

I wonder if anyone makes purple & gold splotchy tape? (what's the correct word here? I'm sure it isn't "splotchy".)

Edit: the answer is apparently "splash".

Tom Servo
March 11th, 2014, 07:03 AM
I'm lame, I've just been going with black tape so far. Maybe I'll branch out at some point. Maybe.

Marathon Crash Ride that was cancelled became uncancelled as of Friday night, saw the announcement on Saturday at around 5pm. Went to bed not too much later, woke up at 1am to roll at 1:45 to get to the start by 4 (with the time change, that meant the 2-3 hour just didn't exist). Got to the start at 3:55, pretty much digging on my timing.

The good: Because of the deal struck over the cancellation/non-cancellation, we had full LAPD support doing rolling closures for the areas that weren't fully closed yet. The new route was awesome, heading down Sunset all the way through the strip and through Beverly Hills. They also didn't make us stop at the proposed early stopping point due to terrorism concerns (they were going to chop off the last three miles or so).

The bad: They did chop off the first eight miles of the route, though I'm still happy that it happened at all. Also, riding through West Hollywood at last-call time is a horrible idea, too many drunk people driving and parking in the bike lanes.

We finally rolled at about 4:20 or so, finished at 5:30. The guy who had his leg severed when a van dragged him onto the 5 freeway last year helped lead the ride out, so that was cool. Definitely a good time again, and glad I got some more sleep after I got home!

George
March 11th, 2014, 07:19 AM
Guys, if you're not completely sick of this bike n00b asking dumb questions, I have a couple more.

This looks unusual to me - the adjustment bolt sits maybe a half-inch or more down inside the stem. Should there be some kind of rubber grommet or stopper here to keep out dirt and moisture, and to look smoother than a bare hole? If there's not such a bike-specific thing made, I might check out a hardware store for a something to put over this hole.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03473_zps99f1e42d.jpg

Second, I just discovered this pointy thing on my frame. I've since learned it's called a pump peg (I'm still amazed by the internet sometimes). I assume this means I can attach a full-size frame pump and not have to use a little mini-pump velcroed on to the side of a water bottle mount as it has now. SportWagon, I see you have one. Anyone else? Recommendations for good ones? Looks like the Zefal HPX is the old time standard: http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/pu2.htm

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Untitled_zps9e334580.jpg

I'm guessing something like this does a much better job than what I now have, and looks cool too.

http://cdn3.volusion.com/ctxtv.wmppt/v/vspfiles/photos/pu2-2.jpg?1350061780

Tom Servo
March 11th, 2014, 10:17 AM
TIL, I had no idea what that peg on my bike was for. Maybe it's time for me to get a full sized frame pump too, though I am still pretty happy with the little mini pump I have from Topeak. I've had three mini pumps so far and it's the first one I've had that can actually get my 23c tires up to minimum pressure.

Also: http://i.imgur.com/kXQhaoz.jpg

George
March 11th, 2014, 11:19 AM
overpowered = Watterson?!

The "Topeak Road Morph G" pump has an equally large fan base as the Zefal, from what I've read online, and both my bikes have an offset pump holder that is mounted between the frame and a water bottle cage so the pump snugs up under the bottle, as shown above on the picture of my Raleigh hanging from the ceiling. Apparently those side-mount deals don't come with the Topeak pump so I'm already ahead in that game, yet the Zefal needs nothing at all to attach to the frame, apparenlty, although some say they use velcro straps to prevent rattling.

Still the Zefal looks cooler and would be a better club for whacking riders who try to pass, the elderly without sufficient agility to get out of my way on the sidewalk, and so forth. :D

But the Topeak Road Morph with the "G" at the end has a pressure gauge, a fold out foot to stand on, a fold-out handle to let you use it more like a floor pump, and a tube that goes to the tire without having to attach the entire pump to the valve.

Cost is about the same, but I'll need one or the other as the el-cheapo small plastic one I have is likely too little to even fully inflate my MTB street tires (75 PSI), much less the 100+ on the road bike.

My plan for tomorrow: Bike on back of car trunk rack to work. Bike locked bike cage during the morning hours. Back on trunk rack for a lunchtime drop-off trip to the independent LBS across the street for the much-needed work it requires.

Tom Servo
March 11th, 2014, 01:19 PM
I have a Topeak Mini Dual G which did come with that "between the frame and bottle holder" mounting bracket. On the plus side, it fits my Surly amazingly, but it doesn't fit at all on the Roubaix - the oversized downtube is way too big for the curvature of the mounting bracket. As mentioned though, it does let me get up to 110psi without too much effort on road tires and has an integrated pressure gauge, it's easily the best minipump I've ever used. A full size frame pump will undoubtedly be better and easier to use though, much like a full floor pump is even better.

overpowered
March 11th, 2014, 03:05 PM
Murder Machines: Why Cars Will Kill 30,000 Americans This Year (http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/murder-machines/)


“The people who really get it today, in 2014, know that the battle isn’t to change rules or put in signs or paint things on the pavement,” Norton continues. “The real battle is for people’s minds, and this mental model of what a street is for. There’s a wonderful slogan used by some bicyclists that says, ‘We are traffic.’ It reveals the fact that at some point, we decided that somebody on a bike or on foot is not traffic, but an obstruction to traffic. And if you look around, you’ll see a hundred other ways in which that message gets across. That’s the main obstacle for people who imagine alternatives—and it’s very much something in the mind.”

George
March 11th, 2014, 06:15 PM
More about...yep, you guessed it....me, me, ME!

Hiding it all behind tags. You guys are tired of me, I know. But I'm having fun and learning a lot.



Couldn't stand the excitement any longer and left work about an hour early today (5:00 PM) to shoot home in the car to get the bike. On the way, I removed the passenger headrest and put it on the floor behind me, slid the passenger seat all the way forward and reclined it fully to make my load floor in combination with the back seat. I pulled into the garage, grabbed my all-purpose heavy duty old towel that I always have folded neatly in my trunk and spread it on the rear seat and the reclined front, yanked the front wheel off the Allez and chucked the bike in the back seat with the handlebars up near the glove compartment. I would have used my trunk rack, but it snowed all day and was still snowing lightly then and there was a ton of road spray from tires, so I figured the Allez would be brown with mud in the 5 or so miles back to the LBS - it's the one right near my office that did the work on my Raleigh last year.

We had a long talk about what I have and what I want and we decided it made sense to do the full Pro Level Tuneup or whatever it's similarly called, which will cover the labor for the chain, cassette, and chainrings since they're going to strip the bike and clean and lube everything, including the brifters, which he said felt slow and gummed up. I was surprised because I couldn't imagine better shifters than these, but hey, if they need to be cleaned and lubed then by all means get on with it.

They're going to wrap the bars, too - part of the Pro whatever. I tried - really tried - to compare dark blue tape to the purple decals and even had some bright green Lizard Skins tape in my hand when told I was getting black rubber cyclocross tape like everyone else and I would like it...well, not really said quite like that, but I let someone who knows these things pick the tape. I would have been practically choosing at random, or by color only. On my way out, I noticed several CX bikes - and I think I'm in love with Salsa brand rigid 29ers and Salsa Woodchipper handlebars, by the way - and I was able to get my hands on bars wrapped in the same tape and it felt great. Really nice.

I guess I need to get me some tight britches now, huh?

I'm going with old-school toe clips for now, unless anyone cares to mount a compelling campaign to change my mind. Reasons why:

The cheap Forza brand platforms I bought at Performance Bike were apparently designed for use with toe clips - sold separately. So much so, that they are weighted so the clips are up when your feet are off them, yet if you're a dunce like me and didn't buy the clips, the weight has the opposite effect so there's a big pointy part sticking up when it should be pointing down, and I have to fuss around with getting my feet on right every time to the point that I might as well have toe clips, at least, if not full-on ball & chains or whatever the clip-to-the-pedal shoes are called.

And, I can wear sneakers instead of expensive bike-only shoes, for now.

Pics when done. Thanks to all who have taken the time to advise and entertain me in my meager efforts.

SportWagon
March 12th, 2014, 03:52 AM
My pump is a traditional Silca. I've managed about 100psi on three or four occasions when needed, though to get the last twenty or so in it helps to have someone to hold the bicycle for you.

I have in the basement a couple of these (http://www.mec.ca/product/4015-597/planet-bike-roadie-cycling-pump/) in case the Silca gives out. A couple because it turns out I'm right on the edge of two sizes, and guessed wrong the first time. And I only get to MEC when I occasionally go to Toronto.

http://images.mec.ca/fluid/customers/c822/4015-597/generated/4015-597_BK000_view1_150x150.jpg

And they wouldn't let you pay extra for alternate tape? Did they suggest the coloured stuff was inferior quality?

Tom Servo
March 12th, 2014, 04:57 AM
Can't wait to see what you think of the Allez after they're done with it!

Also, I'm not sure I've ever used my minipump on a wheel that was currently attached to a bike, I think I've always had the wheel off as I was changing out/patching a tube.

George
March 12th, 2014, 08:01 AM
And they wouldn't let you pay extra for alternate tape? Did they suggest the coloured stuff was inferior quality?

I'm certain he would have installed whatever I chose from the rack of various tapes, but asked for advice and took it. I can play with tapes on my own whenever I like in the future, but I figured if I'm getting the full-on fix-em-up job, I might as well take the suggestion of the guy doing the work. I don't remember the brand name - it wasn't one I remember reading about online, but I'll check when I go back in case I like it enough to buy it again. It did feel and look really nice on some other bikes in the shop. It is certainly "grippy" and he said it stays that way when wet.


Can't wait to see what you think of the Allez after they're done with it!

Me too! You can count on Mr. Verbosity to tell you all about it.

George
March 12th, 2014, 01:16 PM
The bike tech called and says the bike will be ready on Friday. I'm really glad I took it in last night. This morning was a disorganized mess due to our son being sick and up late last night, and while I could have taken it in today, I would have messed with my job more than I would like - was pretty busy through lunchtime today. Taking it in last night might have made the difference of getting it back before the weekend or after. No new chainrings for me. Even though they look awful to my eye, the tech says they're fine. He also mentioned that I'm lucky to have an old 3 x 7 setup. He says the cassettes and chains are cheaper than the current stuff. That's okay with me. Verdict on the shifters is "worn, but not worn out". So far, so good.

Weekend weather looks like a high of 48 F and rainy on Saturday but 53 and sunny on Sunday. Hopefully I'll have time to take it for a quick spin after work on Friday. I'm looking forward to being able to do what I saw a guy on a road bike do on one of the first days I bike commuted last summer: I was huffing and puffing on a full-suspension department store bike with knobbies up a not too steep but long uphill park path next to a neighborhood street. I was spinning in a low gear when I saw this guy fly by me on the adjacent road on a road bike. As I watched, I realized he was accelerating the whole way up the hill. That was mightly impressive to this out of shape guy with a backpack and no helmet, at that time.

I hope I'll be doing the same in a month or two when the weather's nice and I've ridden off some of my winter fat.

Tom Servo
March 12th, 2014, 09:19 PM
The 3 part won't save you a ton, but the 7 speed part will. 7 speed cassettes and chains are dirt cheap these days compared to the 10 speed stuff I have to get for the Roubaix. Hell, the price difference alone when it comes to the chain between my 10 speed Roubaix and my 9 speed Surly is around 80%.

SportWagon
March 13th, 2014, 05:11 AM
Also, I'm not sure I've ever used my minipump on a wheel that was currently attached to a bike, I think I've always had the wheel off as I was changing out/patching a tube.

You won't get my rear wheel in if it's fully inflated. (Horizontal dropouts)

I actually find it easier to do the hard pumping when the wheel is in the bicycle. I'll get the tire mushy and check the bead while it's off the bicycle, but to get it hard I put it back in the bicycle, and as long as I have a place or a person to hold it steady it's easier to finish pumping it up that way. Laying it on the ground might be a last resort, I suppose. I don't know, I nearly always find at least a sign post.

overpowered
March 14th, 2014, 11:45 AM
Door zone bike lane this morning.

353

neanderthal
March 14th, 2014, 09:22 PM
Managed a 20 mile ride last week that was just awful. I have really let myself get in atrocious shape. (Still 220lbs though, :smirk) Everything about it sucked but I stuck it out. I figured since I used to ride 30 miles once or twice a week, then 20 milesshouldn't be that much of an issue. 20 miles was always my cop out ride; too tired or too late taking off, i'd do 20 instead of 30.

Fast forward to this week, and I did it again. But this time it was lass awful, but still awfuller than it should have been. I nearly fell down the stairs after the ride my legs were so wobbly.
And of course I decided to go to rugby practice the next day.

If this keeps up looks like i'll be able to resume my 30 mile route by the end of the month and really start racking up the miles. I'm way behind on my 2000 miles for the year target.
Just have to wait for the tenderness to disappear from my sit bone area.

Tom Servo
March 15th, 2014, 06:28 AM
Michele commuted to work yesterday. I went with her, then headed to my work from there, and did the reverse on the way home. She can't stop talking about how great it was and how she had all this energy at work and was actually looking forward to the commute. Only took one trip and she totally gets it.

George
March 15th, 2014, 10:48 AM
Only took one trip and she totally gets it.

That was me last June.

Pics of freshly tuned and cleaned Allez are below for those interested.



First, a question. Commentary follows between pictures.

What are these two threaded holes for? I'm guessing they're for installing a mount for an under-seat bag, but I've never seen this type before.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1420_zps2f880081.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1425_zps79e9c085.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1480_zpsa270ba48.jpg

I went to the local Specialized dealer and had my sit bones measured and bought a 143mm Riva saddle. They get good reviews and are cheap. The old seat had a tear in it, but I think I would have put on a new seat anyway, just to make it mine.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1449_zps383c5f89.jpg

Please excuse the platform pedals. The old rear wheel was cracked - he showed, me, and it certainly was. Dig this shiny new rear wheel.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1468_zps53c1fb88.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1442_zps73ea9f6f.jpg

I should take these stickers off the wheel, right?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1472_zpse86976df.jpg

Front wheel is unchanged but much cleaner now.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Allezfrontwheelamptire_zps81352b27.jpg

Chainrings. WOW. These things looked bad before.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1445_zps4f433411.jpg

Shiny! They waxed the frame, too.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1461_zps46e80d17.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1482_zps668aacf9.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1452_zpsb726a848.jpg

I guess that dent is there to stay.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1473_zpsad1cfb55.jpg

This sticker says Direct Drive Racing - Cro Mo - Double Butted.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1474_zpsa009c13c.jpg

New brake pads.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1451_zps5eb4525b.jpg

New tape looks and feels great.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1475_zpsb51f2001.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1431_zps44188ea3.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1430_zps6b562bd7.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1465_zps3b32084f.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/Picture1434_zpsc0e12e6d.jpg

Tom Servo
March 15th, 2014, 12:08 PM
Man, that is one sharp looking little monster. FWIW, I have absolutely no idea what those threaded holes are for, never seen them. Also, I have nearly the same saddle, I have a Specialized Avatar Comp Gel saddle and I absolutely love mine, I hope that saddle treats you as well as mine has treated me.

That bike is looking gorgeous, now go bomb around the neighborhood for the rest of today so you can tell us how it rides!

On our commuting end, I noticed a number of slashes in Michele's tires from the ride...those Mavic Yksion tires are super grippy but really susceptible to being sliced open I'm finding. So, a set of gatorskins are on the way for her.

Cam
March 15th, 2014, 12:40 PM
G, that is a good-looking bike. Have fun! :)

Fell twice mountain biking yesterday. Both times I was casually coming to a stop on flat ground and didn't get my feet out of my Egg Beaters in time. Simply fell over... twice. :lol:

overpowered
March 15th, 2014, 02:29 PM
How much did they charge you for all of that? It does look good. A fresh set of gears and chain and new tires can make a huge difference to the ride.

I don't think I've seen that type of seat post screw mounts before. I would guess it's for some type of seat mounted bottle cage system.

Having a saddle that fits you is a good thing.

Don't overdo it like Neanderthal. A shiny "new" bike can lead to that easily. :D

overpowered
March 15th, 2014, 05:53 PM
https://vimeo.com/88343481


Video of Cycling on Figueroa Street

Although not in Santa Monica, I thought some members of this group might find this video of interest.

http://vimeo.com/88343481

The video includes both front and rear views of cycling northbound on Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles between Exposition Boulevard and 7th Street on Monday, March 3, 2014. There is were the $20M cycle track is planned.

It will be interesting to compare the traffic, cycling conditions and cycling travel time after the cycle track is installed (after condition) to this video (before condition)

Here is some information about the video and street:

1. Video starts Monday, March 3, 2014 at 11:06 am (Exposition Boulevard) and ends at 11:19 am (7th Street)

2. Distance is 2.5 miles

3. Google Maps shows 26 intersections northbound between Exposition Boulevard and 7th Street (including Exposition and 7th)

4. Viewing the video, I counted 49 driveways northbound between Exposition and 7th St.

5. Total elapsed time is 13 min 11 sec.

6. Overall cycling speed is 11.4 mph.

7. Total time waiting at four red traffic signals is 2 min 15 sec..

8. Average speed while moving is 13.7 mph. I made no attempt to keep up with motor traffic.

9. Of the 16 motor vehicle drivers who approached me in my lane from the rear, 10 changed lanes completely to pass me and 6 waited behind to make a right turn.

10. Traffic is light to moderate. Google traffic data indicates that there is not significantly more traffic other times of the day. From 7 to 9 am and 4 to 6 pm the curb lane would be free of parked cars allowing continuous cycling in the curb lane without having to merge left to go around parked cars (as done several times in the video).

11. The posted speed limit is 35 mph with one or two school zone 25 mph signs.As Gary shows, he gets through just fine with zero incidents and without a cycle track.

There is one time where someone is honking, but it doesn't appear to be directed at him.

overpowered
March 15th, 2014, 08:02 PM
http://vimeo.com/77882260

Tom Servo
March 16th, 2014, 01:47 PM
That area of Figueroa is where they're talking about installing the first fully separated cycletracks here in LA. The Felix Chevrolet shown in the still on your post is the single biggest force fighting it. It's become one of the bigger flashpoints in the city's bike master plan as of late.

George
March 17th, 2014, 06:46 AM
Went out for a ride yesterday on the Allez. Quite nice. Very fast and light. Uphills are effortless, and flats can be coasted seemingly forever without pedaling - it just rolls forever, and there's none of the constant clicking from the rear wheel that I've always had on ever other geared bike I've ridden. It's so quiet that I can hear the tires rolling on the pavement and the wind but that's all.

Downhills are scary.

The seat felt fine. I rode the MTB on the same route I a couple weeks ago and felt it for a couple days - not pain, but just a feeling as if I was still on the bike seat somehow. Today I can't even tell I rode yesterday - and I don't even own any padded shorts yet.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC03476_zpsa0ce448c.jpg

neanderthal
March 17th, 2014, 11:38 AM
Another week.
Another effort on the 20 mile route.

The legs feel better. The sitbone area feels less tender. The ride seems easier. My average speed is picking up. I'm increasing my cadence. Coasting less. Able to still push at the end of the 20 miles. No after effects on the legs the next day. I feel more vital.

Why did I stop again? Oh yes, because of a puncture and a resulting 2- 3 mile walk in bike shoes. I'm an idiot.

Tom Servo
March 17th, 2014, 12:02 PM
Another week, another shitty interaction. I was headed down to Santa Monica in the morning. Santa Monica Blvd. has bike lanes on it going west until you get to Sepulveda, just before the 405 freeway. So, as I normally do, once I cross Sepulveda I signal that I'm moving into the right lane and then cruise down it. As normal, I'm keeping up with traffic as it's a reasonably low speed area and the lights are timed to not give a ton of speed. It's also early, so there are some cars parked in the right lane 7-8 blocks ahead.

I wish I could describe this truck accurately - it was smaller than a full-size dump truck, but much larger than a pickup - at any rate, this truck is behind me. It belongs to the city bureau of street services. The driver starts honking at me. Then he starts getting right up behind me and revving his engine at me. He's yelling something too, most of it unintelligible, but at one point I hear "Get on the fucking sidewalk" coming out of him.

Traffic is pretty light, and this road has three travel lanes in the direction I'm going. It would not be hard to pass me. But as it is, all that's happening is we're going from red light to red light, I'm in no way actually holding this guy up. I decide to just ignore it as best I can, until I get to a red light and he just lays on his horn and keeps revving his engine behind me.

I turn around and shout "WHAT? What is your problem?" He hits the gas, then the brake, so that the truck lurches a foot or so towards me. I yell "Are you threatening to hit me with your truck?" He responds by doing it again, getting even closer to me. I point out the police station that is literally across the street and yell "Are you really threatening me with your clearly marked work vehicle right in front of a police station?" That gets him to stop for a second, then I think to take out my phone and start filming, asking him again if he's threatening me with a deadly weapon in front of witnesses and a police station. I don't hear another peep out of him and don't have any problem with him after that until whenever he turned off of the main road.

In the meantime, the video was super blurry, because my phone is stupid - you can't make out the license plate or any other identifying marks. So, I contacted the city, sent them what video I had, what time it was, where I was, a description of the truck and the very little description I could get of the driver, along with a demand that they fire him and provide me his information so I can take him to civil court under the Los Angeles anti-harassment ordinance. I have not heard back yet.

It took me hours to come down off that. I still can't concentrate at all on work today. What the fuck is wrong with people?

At any rate, I told my wife about it, and she just bought me a GoPro, so hopefully at least next time I'll get the license plate. She wasn't going to get it until my birthday, but she's decided that I need to have it to help protect myself.

Cam
March 17th, 2014, 12:43 PM
Wow, bummer dude. :(

I bought a ReplayXD because I didn't want to look like I was wearing a billboard on my helmet like the GoPro.

I hear horror stories about bike riding in this city. I have not had any negative interactions yet. However, I only ride about two miles on residential streets for the most part.

overpowered
March 17th, 2014, 01:10 PM
A few months ago I got harassed by some idiot driving a road grader (a tractor that maxes out at about 25mph) owned by the city on a road that has two lanes in each direction and in an area where I typically ride at about 20mph or so. I got the guy on my cameras and sent an angry email to the city detailing all numbers on the tractor and the time and place and the laws applicable to the situation. The guy's boss emailed me that he wanted to talk on the phone and we had a very nice conversation and the driver was subject to a fair amount of "education" about sharing the road with bicycles.

One of the advantages of cameras is that it makes it easy to complain when someone has a boss you can actually complain to. I've also gotten satisfaction from UPS, Sundt and the California state parks department after having problems with their employees.

Tom Servo
March 17th, 2014, 01:26 PM
Yeah, I knew my chances were good with this guy since he was driving a city truck. You'd think someone who works in the streets department would know how streets work, but that was not the case. The video my phone took was almost entirely useless though.

I've really wanted something other than a GoPro for exactly the same reason Cam said, but it really seems like the GoPro is the way to go when it comes to being able to make out license plates. Last I looked, it sounded like it was the best at capturing video at a higher framerate which leads to less tearing and handles high contrast situations the best. At this point, I'm willing to look a little more ridiculous in exchange for getting the evidence I want.

George
March 17th, 2014, 02:21 PM
Good grief! I know I log a lot fewer miles than you cats do, especially during the winter months (like now, still), and, well, I just got started here less than a year ago, but I've never had anything like what you guys describe with great regularity.

It makes me happy to have such great trails around here. I can go just about anywhere (except to that job that I'm still dancing with and hoping for a solid offer from) with only minimal interaction with automobile traffic.

About the worst I get is people sticking their cars' noses out into past the bike lane as they wait to turn right onto a suburban boulevard, but I tend to avoid those blvds. except for quick hops to the next trail or paved path.

My biggest problems are dogs on 15-foot leashes on one side of the trail while the headphone-wearing human is on the other side.

You big-city daredevils ought to be packin' one of these - a Zounds Air Horn that you can pump up with your bike pump. 433 reviews, 4.5 star rating, and comments such as "truly a life-saver".

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ACAMJC/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=36271472080&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5304872094571887599&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9lfvr9x31j_e

"•Refills with any bike pump--no batteries or cartridges required
•Super loud--up to 115 dB
•Volume control
•Lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects
•Air horn clamps to your bike's handlebar"

Tom Servo
March 17th, 2014, 02:34 PM
I actually have a zounds, but I need to get a new bottle cage as I broke my last one.

Honestly, I've had a really bad last month or so. Lots of bad interactions, and almost every one of them were due to just overwhelming impatience combined with laziness. Like, people getting mad that they have to change lanes.

overpowered
March 17th, 2014, 03:11 PM
Changing lanes to pass a bicyclist is the single most difficult thing to do in all of driving.

Wait. No. It's the opposite of that.

The Replay 1080 is less conspicuous than the GoPro and has at least as good a picture.

Cam
March 17th, 2014, 04:27 PM
Didn't you have a Replay go dead in it's first rain?

overpowered
March 17th, 2014, 05:10 PM
It turned out that it wasn't the rain.

It was apparently a firmware problem. Sometimes it would just decide not to turn on. They seem to have fixed it with newer firmware. I haven't had that problem in a long time.

overpowered
March 17th, 2014, 06:15 PM
DUI hit and run cop acquitted:

http://chicagoist.com/2014/03/15/alleged_drunk-driving_chicago_cop_w.php

I WISH I could say I was surprised.

overpowered
March 17th, 2014, 06:24 PM
You'd think someone who works in the streets department would know how streets work, but that was not the case.

You would think. Even cops have trouble. Last summer I had a CHP officer tell me that I had to ride at the curb edge here:

http://goo.gl/maps/bjFrc

Notice the right turn only lane? Notice the sign up ahead that says "RIGHT LANE MUST TURN RIGHT". CVC 21461 makes it illegal to disregard any regulatory sign described in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and that sign is most definitely a regulatory sign and it is most definitely in the MUTCD. He was actually ordering me to break the law. I pointed this out to him as well as the fact that CVC 21202(a)(4) says I don't have to ride far right because I'm approaching a place where a right turn is authorized and CVC 21202(a)(3) says I don't have to ride far right because the lane is too narrow for a bike and a car (as you can plainly see from the cars ahead in the lanes). He accused me of impeding traffic. I pointed out that the light was RED. Seriously? How can I impede traffic that has to stop anyway? Moreover, how can I impede when motorists can move over to pass? I almost wish that idiot had given me a ticket just so I could have a lawyer I know humiliate him in court.

Tom Servo
March 18th, 2014, 09:57 AM
Yep, as one of our more prolific bike bloggers who runs bikinginla.com likes to point out, if there is more than one lane, then it's physically impossible for a bicyclist to impede traffic. That's what gets me...I get the most shit when I'm out on a multi-lane arterial road when it's actually comparatively easy to pass me vs. when I'm on a one-lane each way road lined with parked cars where it's actually quite difficult to pass me.

Just saw Bike Snob posting on twitter that a NYPD cop accelerated at him from behind, barely missed him, and gave him the finger as he went past. He's hoping that the little integrated taillight/camera thing he's been testing got it on video.

Cam
March 18th, 2014, 11:45 AM
Rode Suteki to school today, like I do every day, including standing up and pedalling up a steep hill for two blocks. On my way home, the first time I pedalled with any amount of force, I heard and felt a CHUNK! I look down to see the small sprocket on the crank buckled. I got off my bike and took a closer look. Three of the five bolts that held it on to the crank were gone. At first, I jumped to the conclusion that I was sabotaged. The chain ring was bent into the frame, so I couldn't even pedal it. I walked it home. I thought it extremely unlikely that three of them would fall out on their own in the span of time I've owned it. I seem to remember them being there when I first brought it home and cleaned it. I put a wrench in the other remaining bolts and one was not very tight. I guess it's possible that they could have fallen out on their own. I also dismissed the idea of sabotage because that's a very unlikely thing for someone to do just to vandalize my bike.

Short term fix: simply cut the sprocket with a hack saw so I can remove it and ride it as a five-speed until...
Long term fix: order new parts and disassemble the crank to put the new parts on.

:(

George
March 18th, 2014, 02:02 PM
What were you doing on the small sprocket, girly-man?

:D

There are vandals who might slash your tires or break something so you couldn't ride at all, but this sounds like the work of someone who wanted you to ride a ways before disaster struck.

Now is the time to start making a list of enemies who might have wanted you at least stranded somewhere for a while, or worse: heartbroken ex-girlfriends, unpaid load sharks, angry bookies, etc.

Stuff falling off vehicles reminds me of my neighbors, who have a truck they park on the street. I noticed the front license plate frame was missing a bolt for about a month. I thought many times about pointing it out to them but figured if I can see it the plate & frame hanging down at an angle, so can they. He's an able-bodied guy who owns tools and I figured he'd swing by the hardware store for a new bolt or whatever it needs.

I once had a rear plate on a VW Beetle I owned in high school that was hanging by just one nut and bolt. I figured, "I'll fix that soon" but before I knew it I was pulled over for having no license plate. Seems like after the first nut and bolt are gone, it's just a matter of time, especially on a rattly Beetle engine lid.

I saw the truck again this weekend. You know what I saw, right? Yup, a dirty rectangle on the chrome bumper from where the license plate and frame used to be.

Maybe the same thing happened to your bike - one piece dropped two weeks ago, another fell off last Tuesday, etc.

overpowered
March 18th, 2014, 02:12 PM
I get the most shit when I'm out on a multi-lane arterial road when it's actually comparatively easy to pass me vs. when I'm on a one-lane each way road lined with parked cars where it's actually quite difficult to pass me.I have noticed that too. It's far more common for people to get upset with me on a multi-lane road than a road with a single lane in each direction. It makes no sense.

My best guess is that when it's a multi-lane road, these idiots assume that it's too busy and too fast for bikes therefore bikes shouldn't be there at all.

FaultyMario
March 19th, 2014, 04:22 PM
I almost had that happen to me once, Cam. I guess the bolts loosen up from road vibration or torquey legs, and when the big push comes, damage is done.

I caught them before they completely unscrew themselves, tightened them with a multitool, but it seems to me they ended up needing more torque than the lil' thingie coud provide.

Tom Servo
March 20th, 2014, 05:24 AM
Got the camera, but did not come with a memory card and I don't have any of the required class 10 micro sd cards, nor did it come with a helmet mount. Guess I'm doing a little more shopping before using it.

Tom Servo
March 20th, 2014, 08:16 PM
Well, I got the memory card and figured out how to pair it with my phone. Now, I might be making a mistake, but I think an Android phone can only access one Wifi access point at a time, and I don't think it will try to use cellular data while connected to Wifi. Since the GoPro communicates with whatever other device by acting as a Wifi access point but has no internet connection, it basically means that you can only do the phone pairing thing if you're willing to completely forgo any sort of data connection.

I figure I'll use it solely to figure out the right angle to mount the mounting bracket at and then never use it again (except to do firmware updates, that actually went pretty swimmingly).

The helmet mount is proving elusive. I believe I can get one down in Santa Monica, but that's way out of the way for me right now. So, nothing until Monday. Which is unfortunate, because I could have caught some absolutely amazingly shitty driving today if I'd had it on.

overpowered
March 22nd, 2014, 07:55 AM
Gary Cziko takes another ride on Figueroa; this time during evening rush hour:


http://vimeo.com/89685353

Still no cycle track. Still no incidents.

overpowered
March 22nd, 2014, 06:51 PM
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/passingplotchart.jpg

http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2009/04/06/law-enforcement-bias-and-the-3ft-law/

Tom Servo
March 23rd, 2014, 07:15 AM
Tracked down a helmet mount down at REI and went for the first ride with the camera. On the plus side, it's so light that I basically forgot it was there within about a minute. Also on the plus side, almost nobody did anything stupid, so there wasn't much to film. Had one guy be a little more aggressive than I'd like, but of course he had dealer plates. Still, went back and looked at the footage and it seems pretty easy to make out license plates. Pleased so far, but those file sizes are *huge*

George
March 24th, 2014, 10:18 AM
https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/387239_10200518161468909_627027466_n.jpg

overpowered
March 24th, 2014, 06:27 PM
I passed a velomobile on my way home from work on Friday night:

379378

G'day Mate
March 24th, 2014, 06:37 PM
Hah!

Man that thing is low to the ground though - must cause huge visibility issues!

overpowered
March 24th, 2014, 07:16 PM
For him or for others?

He's got mirrors on both sides so he can see pretty much 360 degrees.

His lane position is not good IMO but I generally don't give people lectures about lane position while on the road. At least he's well lit.

overpowered
March 24th, 2014, 07:17 PM
http://vimeo.com/73581450

G'day Mate
March 24th, 2014, 11:26 PM
I mean it would be hard for others to see him. If he was next to you he might be completely obscured by the passenger door

overpowered
March 24th, 2014, 11:31 PM
Part of why I don't like his lane position. He should be taking the lane. It makes him more likely to be seen. Passing on the right is a particular danger for him.

Freude am Fahren
March 25th, 2014, 07:39 AM
He needs a flag of some sort IMO.

Tom Servo
March 25th, 2014, 10:22 PM
Couple of screen grabs from the GoPro. So far, not so bad. I like this because the douchebag blocks the bike lane when there's a parking spot immediately in front of him.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/94aa3042e19e4820bc0a9a2137f09954/tumblr_n2z1fihE5q1slwziao1_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/42d220d0719a9bfa015454eb7c6c0b1b/tumblr_n2z1fihE5q1slwziao2_1280.jpg

I'm still working on adjust the settings. Those were taken at "1080p super mode", which appears to film at something like 1920x1440, then warp the edges to go back to 16:9. Not sure I like that, and it also prevents 60fps. I just changed it to standard 1920x1080 at 60fps to see if it's any better, and am considering fiddling with some of the 4K modes to see what happens. Still, liking it so far.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 02:20 AM
On the bus ride to work today I counted eleven cyclists. Five were riding on pedestrian-only kerbs, four sailed straight across red lights my bus was stopped at (two of those went straight ahead from the left side of a left turn only lane) and two appeared to respect the road laws.

The bus ride was 25 minutes or so but only 18% of cyclists weren't acting in a way that endangered either themselves or others.

Yw-slayer
March 26th, 2014, 04:39 AM
I'm not trying to be OP, but did you count the number of times traffic laws were flouted by pedestrians? My rough estimate in HK is that about 30-40% of them around here respect "Red/Green man" crossing/jaywalking laws. The number may be quite low because a lot of our pavements have railings which are difficult to get around and which hence discourage pedestrians dashing into the street.

As for drivers, about 70-80% of them seem to violate at least one traffic law, whether it is failing to indicate when changing lanes (the most common), entering (and staying in) box junctions when one cannot drive straight out of them, to more egregious breaches such as running red lights.

I believe this stems, largely, from a failure of the Police to enforce the law in relation to what they see as "minor" traffic offences. This failure, by and large, extends to cyclists who may also break traffic laws. I agree with OP insofar as the lack of cyclists in HK means that if they break the law, such really does seem to "stand out" to other road users and makes them more indignant. Yes, running a red light on a bike is breaking the law, but so is failing to indicate when changing lanes in a motor vehicle.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 04:46 AM
As far as I can tell, there really aren't many laws governing pedestrians in the UK. No walking on motorways or sliproads (except in an emergency), no getting onto or holding onto moving vehicles, no loitering on crossings, no crossing a railway crossing when the red lights are on....seems to be pretty much it. Everything else falls under guidelines or "rules" that use the word should instead of must etc.

Jaywalking is not a thing here, probably because our road systems still give precedence to feet over wheels.

Again, we seem to have a rule about cars indicating that says "you should..." not "drivers must" compared to the wording on traffic lights being "175
You MUST stop behind the white ‘Stop’ line across your side of the road unless the light is green. If the amber light appears you may go on only if you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision."

And

"64
You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement."

Tom Servo
March 26th, 2014, 04:50 AM
Oh yeah, part of what I plan to do with this camera is point out that in our neighborhood, it's essentially every man for himself. I keep hearing how cyclists don't stop at stop signs and about 90% of drivers I see don't stop either. Caught two drivers running the same red light at the same time yesterday. Caught one driver driving the wrong way on an arterial to get to a left turn lane that was to her left. I see more drivers run reds than I do cyclists every day. Drivers go straight from right turn lanes to try to cut off traffic all the time, trapping cyclists in the middle. I'm sick and tired of hearing that "cyclists can have a right to the road when they start obeying all the traffic laws" when the vast majority of non-cyclists, both drivers and pedestrians alike, don't.

There are some laws I flout on my daily commute mostly because if I don't, people will try to run me off the road. The concept that "the only thing drivers hate more than a scofflaw cyclist is a law-abiding cyclist" has rung very, very true for me.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 04:55 AM
We have a good amount of red light cameras in Southampton which really cuts down on red light running. They don't get activated by something as small and light as a bicycle.

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 07:26 AM
I don't really understand how breaking the law makes a bicyclist safer. I hear that excuse but I never hear of an example where obeying the law and behaving like the driver of a vehicle won't do just as good if not better at keeping you safe.

Bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk do so because they think it's safer, even though it is not. It's hard to convince them otherwise without getting them to take a class. In the UK, that class is offered by Bikeability (http://bikeability.dft.gov.uk/).

Most bicyclists on or near the road go unnoticed by most people. Drivers try to ignore bicyclists as much as they can. They tend not to notice, much less remember the bicyclists they see that do nothing wrong or out of the ordinary. Were you really looking for bicyclists or just remembering the ones that did something wrong?

I see motorists breaking the law almost constantly. Speeding and failing to signal are most common but I also see a lot of stop sign rolling, right on red rolling, tailgating, holding cell phones while driving and failing to yield to pedestrians. Yesterday I got passed on the right twice by motorists who couldn't comprehend the simple concept of changing lanes to pass on the left. That's a violation of CVC 21750. Somehow they thought that the extra space afforded them on the right by an intersection opening or a brief gap in parked cars made it OK to pass on the right. It doesn't. Apparently the left lane has cooties.

We used to have sparsely scattered red light cameras but even those are gone now. Motorists almost universally insisted that they didn't improve safety and only existed to raise revenue. The excuses for bad driving never stop.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 07:40 AM
Today, I was actively counting cyclists because I saw the first kerb-rider within seconds of taking my seat on the bus....in a very quiet residential area.

I did spot a cyclist on my way into work yesterday run a red light at a busy city central intersection whilst on the phone and not wearing a cycle helmet. He doubled down immediately after reaching the other side by popping up onto the kerb and riding down the busy main highstreet pavement in rush hour, rather than stick to the sparse traffic in the bus/taxi/cycle only street.

FaultyMario
March 26th, 2014, 07:47 AM
Why on the bus, Rob? If I may...

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 07:54 AM
Another thing I notice about people who complain about bicyclists breaking the law almost always seem to be dramatically more outraged by bicyclist's law breaking than by motorist law breaking. This seems odd given that when motorists break the law, they are endangering others with multi-ton vehicles that can easily kill. Bicyclists usually endanger only themselves and even when they endanger others, the danger is extremely unlikely to be lethal. Motorists kill over 4000 pedestrians per year in the U.S. Bicyclists might kill 1-3 and of those, most that I have read about the victims have been elderly and died from complications that either wouldn't happen or wouldn't kill a young healthy adult.

I'm not trying to justify law breaking by bicyclists. I'm merely pointing out that the outrage is out of proportion to the danger posed; especially when compared to the carnage done by motorists and the relative lack of outrage at motorists who break the law and drive dangerously.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 07:56 AM
Mario: The Primera needed too much work to pass inspection, so I scrapped it about 2 years ago. T's E30 had a rusty fuel tank and ended up going the same way when the labour and new tank was approaching a grand to fix. She works right in the centre of the next city over with no employee parking, so takes the train every day. Her car would just sit there 5 days a week. I get a 25 minute bus ride almost door-to-door to work because the weather turned shitty as I was contemplating purchasing a bike. My car would get killed doing less than 10 minutes each way every day so replacing the cars for the sake of it seemed pointless.

I'll get something fun to drive when the opportunity arises.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 07:57 AM
Another thing I notice about people who complain about bicyclists breaking the law almost always seem to be dramatically more outraged by bicyclists law breaking than by motorist law breaking.

I'm far more likely to kill a cyclist who is riding dangerously through no fault of my own than I am another car user. If you die by my hand...I'm the one who has to live with it.

Also, I don't have to be constantly looking out for cars careening down the pavement where I'm walking.

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 09:49 AM
It's really really easy to not kill bicyclists, even the badly behaved ones when you're driving. You have to pay attention to your surroundings, which you need to do for other motorists and pedestrians anyway. Of course bicycles are special, aren't they?

George
March 26th, 2014, 10:13 AM
Why on the bus, Rob? If I may...

His bicycle is in for repairs. :D

It's going to be in the high 60s F both days this weekend for the first time since last fall. I'm looking forward to getting some time on the MTB and the road bike. Still don't own a stitch of bicycle clothing other than a helmet and gloves, so surely will be ridiculed by any riders squeezed into colorful tights that I might pass on the Allez.

I forget - am I the Fred or are they?

Semi-serious fashion question for roadies: If I'm out on the weekend on the road bike after buying padded shorts and a jersey but decide to stick with old school toe-clips and straps, and don't want to look like a fool, what are the appropriate shoes to wear? I'm thinking running shoes or low-top trail-running shoes that have soles like hiking boots - not white cross trainers or tennis shoes with soles designed for flat indoor surfaces like tennis and basketball courts. No Chuck Taylor high-tops, either, unless I manage to find a Ramones jersey somewhere.

What did roadies wear before "clipless" pedals were invented?

FaultyMario
March 26th, 2014, 10:17 AM
You are the George. 'nuff said.

Rob
March 26th, 2014, 11:27 AM
It's really really easy to not kill bicyclists, even the badly behaved ones when you're driving. You have to pay attention to your surroundings, which you need to do for other motorists and pedestrians anyway. Of course bicycles are special, aren't they?

Nice job not addressing the part of my comment about cyclists riding on the kerb. I guess you'd be unduly angry if cars started doing that.

But of course, cars are special, aren't they?

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 12:46 PM
I don't ride on the sidewalk. I tell people not to ride on the sidewalk. What more do you want from me? Do you expect me to assault bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk?

In any case, motorists kill vastly more pedestrians than bicyclists do, everywhere; even on sidewalks.

George
March 26th, 2014, 02:05 PM
Do you expect me to assault bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk?

Not without a GoPro camera on your helmet to film the struggle for sidewalk supremacy.

Cam
March 26th, 2014, 02:06 PM
:lol:

neanderthal
March 26th, 2014, 02:36 PM
I ride on a bike path, and I DO run red lights.

In my defense, i'm riding at 1 in the morning, on a bike path that runs twixt a bus way and a little used road on the other side. When I do run the red light (i'm on the bike path, not the road) there are no cars withing 200m of me in either direction. And if there is a car on the road next to me, I stay at the light until it's green. Basically, I only run the red light if no one can see me, or they're too damn far.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/victory+blvd+bike+path/@34.182497,-118.557847,3a,75y,318.5h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTvYFAh4YJJRdjYDLACbzWw!2e0
Edit: I'm getting a green box so i'm going to post a link so you can see what i'm talking about. link. (https://www.google.com/maps/search/victory+blvd+bike+path/@34.182497,-118.557847,3a,75y,318.5h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTvYFAh4YJJRdjYDLACbzWw!2e0)

In the image, you can see, from L to R, Topham Rd, the bike path, and just beyond the fence, the busway.

On the section of my bike ride where I am riding on the road, I absolutely obey the traffic signals, whether or not there is traffic.

neanderthal
March 26th, 2014, 02:54 PM
I've done my 21 mile route twice a week now for about three weeks. Finally got my time down to 1:32 with an average speed of 13.7mph and i'm beginning to see diminished returns (in terms of reducing the time significantly.What was once a 5 minute quicker time, is now only a 1 minute quicker time, and traffic lights could play havoc with that.) I think I am going to start doing 30 miles once a week, and 20 miles the other beginning next month.

I super super super suck at climbing. I'm getting better at keeping my cadence up, and i'm finding that I have some pep still left at the end of the shorter ride. I do want to average 15mph for either the 20 mile or 30 mileride at some point. I have gone very close once on my 30 mile ride (2:05 I think) but that ride had no red lights, a favourable wind and a myriad of other positive circumstances.

Cam
March 26th, 2014, 03:42 PM
Cyclist killed in Columbia today. :(
http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/26/3350201/rosewood-drive-at-bluff-road-is.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

G'day Mate
March 26th, 2014, 07:19 PM
From that article ...

It is not known whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet.
:rolleyes: Why is that even necessary to mention that? It might as well say "cyclist gets what they deserve for being there when large vehicle makes sudden turn"

G'day Mate
March 26th, 2014, 07:24 PM
On another note, when I hear "truck" I think of semis, not overgrown utes, and today I learned this about them:

http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/bike-truck-blindspot.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46oA8OvNzCw

Basically, trucks can't see us.

Yw-slayer
March 26th, 2014, 07:50 PM
I'm sick and tired of hearing that "cyclists can have a right to the road when they start obeying all the traffic laws" when the vast majority of non-cyclists, both drivers and pedestrians alike, don't.

Yes. In fairness, most of the complaints I hear are about cyclists running reds, which far fewer motorists do (although the number is increasing). But in that case, ALL of the traffic laws should then be implemented and enforced properly AND EQUALLY.

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 07:54 PM
:rolleyes: Why is that even necessary to mention that? It might as well say "cyclist gets what they deserve for being there when large vehicle makes sudden turn"Because blaming the victim is the American way.

Tom Servo
March 26th, 2014, 08:52 PM
Yes. In fairness, most of the complaints I hear are about cyclists running reds, which far fewer motorists do (although the number is increasing). But in that case, ALL of the traffic laws should then be implemented and enforced properly AND EQUALLY.

What cracks me up about that is that I find most people then give the caveat that drivers racing to beat the red don't count. I see *tons* of drivers not make it in time racing the yellow light, and that often contributes to huge crashes as they tend to be massively speeding when they do it. I mean, I probably see at least 5-10 drivers each way every single day on my commute that run the light. But that "doesn't count", because they were just trying to make the yellow.

Also, back to something Rob said - yeah, cars are special. Because they have an alarmingly higher tendency to kill over 30,000 people a year in this country alone.

overpowered
March 26th, 2014, 09:28 PM
One death is a tragedy. 30,000 deaths are just statistics.

Yw-slayer
March 26th, 2014, 10:36 PM
In your jurisdiction, is racing to beat the red illegal? Even if it's not, then surely the illegality lies in the speeding.

Regardless, I would have said cars/trucks ARE special because of the fact that they are the least vulnerable road users, the largest and the largest group of road users, and the type most likely to cause serious injury or death (to someone not in the car) in a collision. This is reflected in the licencing requirements, plus the separate licencing requirement for HGVs, and the statistics.