Thread: "My chain fell off.....": A cycling thread Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
About ten years ago, I suffered a herniated L5/S1 disc/k prolapse with L side sciatica, after sneezing whilst leaving a top bunk bed. (Don't ask!) Everything eventually resolved under gentle and skilled physiotherapy without surgery and it's not given me much grief since, unless I try moving pianos.

I now want to improve my general fitness by taking up cycling again, and I wondered if Shipmates had any useful experience they could share, please? Posture? Hardware? Set-up?

<USUAL DISCLAIMER STUFF> The Ship is not the place to offer medical advice to the unknown and unseen. Please share experience and information, not advice. Thank you.
 

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Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :
 
Love the title.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
No advice, but I sold my car and got a bike a month ago, and am already aware of improving fitness levels. Still got someway to go yet, but I am really enjoying it which is a good thing.
My best piece of advice is go to a proper bike shop, where they love bikes and chat to them.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
You might go back to the doctor or therapist who treated you, and ask whether cycling would be a good idea.

Moo
 

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Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
I was told by the physiotherapy person, when she helped me (after when crossing the road I was hit by a motorbike suddenly going down the wrong way in that road) that exercising my legs helped my back to recover and definitely on the bike, using my legs was very useful for our fitness. I have a Dutch bike that is one where you are sitting high up and looking properly. I reckon it's a really good, useful, safe bike.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've not been able to cycle for 2 months but hope the Dr will agree, when I see him later today, that I can start again in the next few weeks.

I suggest that unless you live in a really hilly area, which I don't really think you do, you don't need masses of confusing gears, a few will do.
 

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Posted by Darllenwr (# 14520) on :
 
My only word of advice - unless you are confident that you know everything there is to know about bicycle doctoring and have the appropriate tools, do not buy from the internet. Yes, I know the prices are better etc, but unless you know exactly what you are getting, it is likely to come as a shock

I would tend to avoid Halfords as well, though that is largely down to prejudice on my part. Strike up a working relationship with a back-street cycle shop - they will be able to give you sound advice based on working experience and pick up the bits when something goes twang. Sure, you will pay a little bit more, but isn't personal service worth that little bit extra?
 

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Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
I have arthritis in one foot and cycling is a great way of getting exercise without the constant pounding against the ground that makes up walking (or even worse running). (Swimming is good too, I just prefer cycling.)

But before you decide to take up cycling ask a doctor who will advise you as to whether cycling is compatible with your condition.

If you do take up cycling here is the advice.

Get the right bike for the job.

Mountain bikes are designed for ... well ... mountains. If you do not intend to go off road do not get a mountain bike.

Racing bikes are designed for racing. Do not get one unless you intend to race. Find something more comfortable.

BMX bikes are for doing stunts. If you intend to ride the half pipe, fine. Otherwise avoid. (We have a guy at work who commutes by BMX. Crazy.)

So now having discounted 90% of bikes in the shop that leaves hybrids, folders and tourers. Which you go for depends on how you are going to use it.

For long distance riding get a tourer, shorter distances (under 10 miles each way) hybrids are better IMO and if you take public transport and want to ride from the station then a folder may be best.

Make sure the bike is the right size. You should be able to stand over the top tube with both feet on the ground, and when riding the legs should be almost straight when the pedal is at its lowest. Here is useful advice on sizing.

Gears. If you have hills in your area, a condition which means you will stay in the saddle most of the time or like me both then you need gears. Lots of them. I have a 9 speed block at the back and a triple front changer making in theory 27 gears, though not all are usable.

Waterproofs. Get some!

Mudguards. Get some!

Lights. Get some! Though a friend has a torch gaffa taped to his handlebars,

A rack for carrying luggage. Again get one. It is better to carry goods on the bike than on your back.

Cost. Do not buy cheep. My commute would be over £1,200 by public transport. So £700 for a bike and all the bits above that will last over six years at under £100 per year maintenance is not expensive.

Most important for journeys other than commuting, get someone to ride with. It's more fun that way.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Also, if you buy from a local bike shop they will continue to help you with spares and often have a repair shop. The bike shop locally did an annual check up and repair on my bike (until it was nicked) and sold spares and parts.

Yes, I can repair and strip down bikes, I went to the right evening classes, but ... I don't have a spokes jig and doing that one by hand is a nightmare, I have no desire to strip out and clean bearing races on my sitting room floor (I live in a flat) or downstairs on the pavement outside with the help of the neighbouring children. Some of those jobs are seriously fiddly and messy and I'd rather pay someone else to do them. (Yes, I know you shouldn't need to, but actually commuter riding on country lanes does mean the bearings need cleaning regularly).

Secondly - stolen bikes - there are too many people around looking for scrap metal because it's worth real money at the moment, that bikes are walking, even when tied down. Mine walked out of a padlocked fenced in area, inside which it was had a bike cable chaining it to the wall on a steel block - on a figure of 8, so both wheels and the frame were held to the wall. Whoever did it took a panel of fencing out and took all the decent bikes in the area. Can you keep your bike safely at all destinations?
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I am a bike widow.

My husband is in training to cycle from Seattle to Boston next summer to raise money for the charity he works for.

His bike is worth a fortune - so it has the garage in place of the car (It's a small garage with two lathes and a couple of circular saws so the car didn't get a look in anyway)
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Balaam's advice on the types of bike makes a lot of sense to me. I also put a lot of faith in going to a proper bike shop, as having the bike properly fitted is really important both for safety and comfort. When my middle brother went to buy a bike for commuting the seller actually steered him away from an expensive bike he was looking at to one that was more appropriate for his needs, so when I went to buy a bike I went to the same shop. Also your local shop should be able to help with advice on places to cycle, safer routes etc.

In NZ wearing a helmet is compulsory, although opinions differ as to whether that is a good idea or not. High visability gear is a good idea though, and although it might make you feel like a dork, you'll be a safer dork

I own two hybrid bikes, although the first one is closer to a mountain bike with heavier duty tread on the tyres, and the second is closer to a road bike, with smoother tyres, larger wheels and is a faster ride. Both have been designed for women, the second, and more comfortable, for short women. (The owner of the shop had met the designer and said she was about my height).

I don't know where you live, but there is a book I borrowed from the library entitled "Bike" by a woman who commutes in London that had some useful information on biking - though her writing style annoyed me (I can't remember her name).

Just as an aside, I currently have over 30 bikes in my garage - no I'm not a bike thief, but the local cycling advocacy group refurbishes bikes and either sells them cheaply, or gives them away to those in need. My contribution to this is storing the bikes.

I hope you find a bike that suits your needs and that you enjoy riding.

Just a last minute thought though, if weightloss is your aim, walking burns more calories than moderate cycling- however cycling gets you further faster.

Huia
 

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Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :
 
As others have said, do check it out with your doctor first.

I cycle regularly, have done for years, and I love it. BUT I have an intermittent lower back problem and much as I hate to admit it, cycling definitely makes it worse. When my back is OK I'm fine to cycle, but when it's not I have to stop for a while.

So do talk to your doctor or, better still, your physio (because physios really do know more about this sort of thing), before you start.
 

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Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :
 
Just to sound a slightly different note...
I went to a WalMart on a trip to Forida and got a Mongoose bicycle for $220; saw the same model in a bikeshop back home for over $1500.
If there are trails fashioned from former railway lines, use them; trains have a low tolerance for hills, so it will be a smooth, level grade.
On such a trail, no one will open a car door in front of you, but watch out for low-hanging flora and wandering fauna.

Wear a bike helmet, and watch out for the senior's hiking club; they may hear your bike bell, but will think it is a bird singing!
Bike at least 20 Kilometres a day, more if you can.
Get a small water bottle holder and wear it on your belt loop.
Don't bore your friends with biking tales; apparently, it gets old really fast.

[ 01. October 2011, 19:08: Message edited by: Silver Faux ]
 

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Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
I have to admit I'm like many bikers in London - I don't wear any of the various types of safety head covers.
But I do wear my specs - I only need them for distance and that's essential for safety on the bike, noting and seeing what's coming and who's about to cross.
Also we've been told to ring the bell on the bike, particularly when we're on the canal walking and biking area, when people are fairly close to us and may not notice us getting close to them. And also when there are children and when there are animals with people.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I can't remember where you live (though I seem to recall that it's not Westphalia...), but if it's somewhere fairly flat something like daisymay's "Oma Fiets" is ideal. Wonderfully relaxed riding position, you feel as though you could cruise gent;y round all day - until you find a hill where you feel as you are about to fall off forwards/backwards depending on which way the hill is... You can also get a crate of beer on the carrier, which is pretty damn civilised.

So long as you combine it with some walking (it does do funny things to your hamstrings), I've found that a brisk commute by bike is pretty good for fitness (mind you, I'm slim and have no concept of taking it easy, YMMV). Just be aware that any trousers you now have may suddenly start getting tight round the cheeks as the muscles firm. It's also fast enough that you can go places - here in Famous University City it's by far the easiest, and often quickest, way to get anywhere within the city ring piece - sorry, road.

Hope the vet says your back will survive it!

AG
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
There is a sign at the beginning of the hiking/biking trail near me which says,

CYCLISTS, WHEN OVERTAKING PEDESTRIANS, CALL 'ON YOUR LEFT!'

The sound of a human voice calling is more attention-grabbing than a bell.

Moo
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Good point, Moo... I used to commute along a canal towpath and one morning almost collided at a blind bridge with someone who, instead of a bell, had sounded a huge airhorn on his handlebars. Yes, I heard him... but I assumed it was a boat. Had he sounded as I'd have expected a bike to sound, I'd have been looking for one.

AG
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Moo:
There is a sign at the beginning of the hiking/biking trail near me which says,

CYCLISTS, WHEN OVERTAKING PEDESTRIANS, CALL 'ON YOUR LEFT!'

The sound of a human voice calling is more attention-grabbing than a bell.

Moo

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I'm a great believer in the power of the human voice. Bells aren't compulsory here and I don't have one, but I think people are more attuned to hearing voices anyway. And a scream is really effective if someone begins opening a car door as you go past

Another thing I do is indcate my thanks when a motorist has shown me a courtesy, even if they have given way when they are legally required to do so. There is a certain amount of tension here between cyclists and motorists and a smile helps diffuse that.

Huia
 

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Posted by 205 (# 206) on :
 
Bicycles are remarkable propulsion vehicles. I used to ride a great deal, although very rarely lately.

Sounds simple but assuming you've had a good 'set up', make sure your tires are always well-inflated and carry the means to patch them.

And, assuming exercise is a goal and depending on gearing/terrain, IMO 'spinning' the chainring at 90 RPM* is a good target to get your heart working. IME a higher spin rate also creates less probability of injury from straining but of course YMMV.

(*Especially if you do it on a 30 inch gear up a 10% or so grade. )

Have fun.
 

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Posted by blackbeard (# 10848) on :
 
Just a bit of advice on kit from me as motorist and occasional cyclist.
Round my way it seems normal to ride a bike at night without lights and while wearing dark coloured clothing. Almost invisible when seen through a windscreen (even a clean one).
Please PLEASE wear something bright (preferably reflective) at night. As well as having lights.
 

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Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
Thanks for all the advice so far, folks.

My physio was in a different life and a different part of the country, so not available for easy consultation. So I borrowed a bike from Geeky Cyclist Friend and we tried a gentle 'dry run' this afternoon. It's true: you never forget how to ride a bike. Fantastic to get that wind-in-the-hair feeling again. Apart from an embarassing gastro-internal spasm (don't ask #2), there seem to have been no ill effects. I'll see if I feel ready for cycling on Monday morning; Monday evening may be a bigger ask!

GCF has a good relationship with the local independent bike shop, so we'll certainly be shopping local for any bits we need - like a handlebar stem extender to get my pelvis tipped further forward.

Looks like I've caught the bug again!
 

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Posted by cheesymarzipan (# 9442) on :
 
If you are wanting a bike to commute with, see if your employer is interested in the Bike to Work scheme (article here, there's various different websites about it).
It's a scheme in the UK and ireland, not sure if it's anywhere else but basically your employer pays for the bike (and accessories like helmet, lights etc), you have it and pay back out of your salary (before tax) so you save quite a bit and also as it comes out of your salary before you get paid, you don't notice as much.
Anyway that's how I got my folding bike, the Boy has just got himself a bike on the irish version of the scheme.
 

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Posted by Ophicleide16 (# 16344) on :
 
If it's been a while since you last cycled, you might consider trying a static excercise bike, the sort you'll find in a gym, so as to be sure you wont do yourself an injury.

I ride a nice road bike with well sized handlebars which makes for a nice relaxed posture.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
This seemed to be the place to ask a couple of questions.
1) without going to the gym ways to keep the muscles which I use to cycle working when it is too icy to cycle?
2) Anyone know good online route planners for cycling?
Thanks
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ophicleide16:
...a static excercise bike...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
This seemed to be the place to ask a couple of questions.
1) without going to the gym ways to keep the muscles which I use to cycle working when it is too icy to cycle?
2) Anyone know good online route planners for cycling?
Thanks

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quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:

2) Anyone know good online route planners for cycling?

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I'm not sure where you're based, but I use the cycle streets journey planner which is brilliant for the city I live in, and fairly good for the town my parents live in. Because there are options for fast, balanced and quiet routes, you can pick the option which corresponds to your level of confidence/need for speed/strength of deathwish....
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I am off to my friendly bike shop to have proper mudguards fitted - the kind that don't leave mud splattered up my back

Huia
 

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Posted by no_prophet (# 15560) on :
 
In the non-snow months here, I am a dedicated commuter by bike, except for a few years when the children were small and I was too tired to do any exercise than a rocking chair with one of the wee parasites.

Recommend:

-helmet of course, whether required or not by law.

-gloves. if you ever fall off, will save you 'road rash' on hands.

-lights, more than are legally required. I have front and back on the bike and on me - helmet. Blinkity ones on the back might make me look Christmas tree-ish, but that means I'm noticed.

-take more time than you might: I have been hit by cars twice in 35 years or so, both times was able to see it happening due to defensive cycling, and walked away from. Bike sacrificed is better than person sacrificed.

-get saddle bags (panniers) and put things in them versus a backpack, which can get sweaty on warm days. Always pack a rainsuit - jacket and pants - and assume the weather with be changing.

-I carry basic tools, a hand pump and tubes. Consider a basic kit for repair if having someone drive and rescue you might be difficult. Rescuing others who haven't such equipment is a great way of meeting friends.

-see if there is a local cycling advocacy group, and join if they are helping to make cycle lanes, paths, and safer cycling.

-check the laws, but if you must take up a traffic lane, do it. Law be damned. It is safer to take up a lane than be squished. A Loud horn is your friend in such situations (I have a 100 db air horn myself.) Lights on the bike are your friend in such situations also. If it is ultimately too dangerous to ride on the road, by all means go onto the sidewalk. It does not matter if the law says not to, you want to live. Be prepared to yield to pedestrians and slow down, explain yourself to the police if stopped, and discuss your affiliation with cycling advocacy. Generally you can get court help and a group together to help if your violation is to ensure your safety. I've never had a ticket for anything with such approaches. And I do block a traffic lane daily and also must use the sidewalk for a stretch daily.

-cars are bigger than you. Never get angry, and never speak to drivers who yell. Act like nyou love everyone. Cycle like Jesus would. There are plenty of idiots in the world without becoming one yourself.

-take license numbers of drivers who endanger cyclists and do other risky things. Report them to the police. Police in most cases will record the info, and may in some places visit the driver if there are repeated reports. The cycling advocacy group may help with this also.

-if you are older, don't have the stamina, see if an electrically assisted bicycle is legal in your area. I've had one for 7 years now, and it encourages my commitment to cycling tomorrow if there's a headwind today. I am also arthritic and have low bone density

-infinity L/100km or mpg is cool. Tell that to anyone with smarty pants comments!

Good luck and enjoy!
 

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Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 
A good local independent cycling store is a good thing, and they need all the support they can get.
Don't dismiss Halfords before paying them a visit. I was speaking with a colleague about cycling and he said what a good relationship he had with his local outlet for bike stuff. The whole `chain store' (no pun intended) thing can, but needn't necessarily, suggest inferior service. I expect there are plenty of horror stories, and on the other side of the coin; there's a posh independent bike store in my town, and apparently they're very snobby unless your bike is all carbon fibre, your socks are teflon, and you use the word `cadence' more than most people.
 

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Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I suggest that unless you live in a really hilly area, which I don't really think you do, you don't need masses of confusing gears, a few will do.

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quote:

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“If any persons shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers... Highways Act 1835

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quote:

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Originally posted by Balaam:
Footpaths - use them. Not pavements, that's illegal but unless the local council has passed a byelaw to close the path to cyclists then it is not illegal to use them, no cycling signs notwithstanding.

quote:

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“If any persons shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers... Highways Act 1835

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Note the words I've put in bold, "by the side of any road," If it isn't alongside a road it isn't illegal to ride it. But a warning, people on foot have right of way on footpaths.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Is there a recognised maximum speed for cycleways, especially those which are shared with pedestrians?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Its not helped around here by the fact the council put a cycle-path on a wide pavement, then found the pavement area too narrow so widened part of it, but re-installed for that section the cycle-path/footpath division the other way around. So now you get a concrete panels about a foot wide at which pedestrians and cyclists are supposed to swap lanes in order to be legal! I kid you not. Is it a wonder that both get confused.

Jengie

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Its not helped around here by the fact the council put a cycle-path on a wide pavement, then found the pavement area too narrow so widened part of it, but re-installed for that section the cycle-path/footpath division the other way around. So now you get a concrete panels about a foot wide at which pedestrians and cyclists are supposed to swap lanes in order to be legal! I kid you not. Is it a wonder that both get confused.


Jengie

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I missed the edit window here, but I have a big question: what is wrong with a simple keep left routine rather than attempting to split cyclists and pedestrians? It works reasonably well most of the time here, is it just that the English exported their intellectuals as well as their convicts to Australia?

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
The inner tubes on my bike (a lightweight hardtail MTB that I've fitted with slick tyres for mostly road and some gravel track/road use)

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Fitting slick-type tyres to a mountain bike makes a huge difference to ease of riding on paved roads, and you can get away with them on some rougher stuff too. A MTB with slicks may well be a better buy for urban riding than a so-called `hybrid' bike which can end up trying to be too many things in one to be comfortable.
The big knobbly tyres that mountain bikes come with have a lot of rolling resistance and this makes riding on sealed roads hard work compared with smoother tires (and slicks spray less rain onto your backside).
I used to be a semi-serious road rider, but right now can only have one bike, and it needs to serve more than one purpose, and I don't like mountain bikes, so I've got a cyclocross bike, which is kind of like a rugged version of a road bike - but still more `roadie' than a hybrid.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Carys mentioned security skewers. What are they please? I don't think we have them here, and I am becoming increasingly aware that bikes are going missing from out local shops since the CBD was cordoned off.

AS an aside the author of "Bike", a book I meantioned upthread, talked to a spokesperson for the Metroplitan Police in London, whom she claimed said that none of the bikes that were reported as missing had a basket. Her view was that it was decidedly not cool to fit a basket, which was why those bikes were safe. Unfortunately I don't think I can rely on that degree of sophistcation in suburban Christchurch.

Huia - decidedly uncool

[ 08. October 2011, 20:28: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 
Security skewers are fittings that replace the regular allen key or quick release fastenings on wheels, seatposts, etc. with device that needs a key to undo, the idea being that a passing thief can't easily make off with your wheel, saddle, etc. Bike components can be as important to thieves as entire bikes.
 

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Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
It is not very easy for bikers to use the roads - not many special places for them to cycle - we need many more, and many bikers cycle on our pavements and go the opposite way down roads - I wish it was more organized for us on our bikes.

Cycling up the canal area, I have been told always to ring to let people know and shift a bit, and also there are plenty of children and animals as you've mentioned and they are also very essential to ring before we're close to them.

My Dutch bike has it's own light, front and back, and also I keep on it and use two lights that flash, makes a difference having both, and when I'm stopped e.g. in front of red light, my Dutch lights also stop - they act when the wheels go round.
 

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Posted by no_prophet (# 15560) on :
 
The idea or requirement to ring or honk to peds is of no value when they are iPlodding along, grooving to their thrash metal screemo, oblivious to all environmental sounds.

Pedestrian training should include the simple rule "do not try to dodge out of the way of a cyclist, unless you want to be hit, let the cyclist navigate around you".

As for the legality of cycling on sidewalks/pavements. What may be illegal can save your life. But police can be hopeless in some places. Tell the local council or whomever is the local Grand Poobah to make things safe!
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
Be warned.
Cycling is addictive. I now ride 8000-10000km a year having started in 2007.

The number of bikes you want is always N+1 where N is the number of bikes you have.

The number of bikes you have is N=D-1, where D is the number of bikes that would result in Divorce.

For me, N=4 currently.
(2 roadies= [1 group rides/flats and 1 hill climber], 1 hybrid/commuter and 1 tribike)

The most important thing to decide before buying is 'what do you want to do with it?' Then see a specialist bike retailer to have it fitted to you. It will make a profound differnence to comfort. Be aware that you will want to upgrade within 6-12 months. Seriously, you will.

When you are confidant in purchases, then online is usually chepar for consumables. For Australia, Wiggle, probike Kit, CRC are all UK sites where we avoid VAT and get parts and bikes half the local market price.

To recap,

Get the the bike designed for the purpose you want and get it fitted to you. And be aware you will want to upgrade.

[ 09. October 2011, 00:55: Message edited by: Patdys ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Patdys, there is probably a 12 step programme somewhere for people like you I have a brother who would also be a candidate.

I do know what you mean though. I started by using my bike to go into town 5km away, then I shifted to a church that is 10km awayand bike there and back. Similarly I started with a hybrid that was Ok, but with a heavy tread on the tyres, then I fell in love with my newer bike through the shop window. It is lighter so I can lift it onto a bus if I need to and it has semi-slick tyres with 29" wheels so it goes fast . I have gone back to the older one as it handles liquefaction (which dries into a sand finer than flour)and bumpy roads better, but I don't really enjoy it as much.

Huia
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by no_prophet:
The idea or requirement to ring or honk to peds is of no value when they are iPlodding along, grooving to their thrash metal screemo, oblivious to all environmental sounds.

Pedestrian training should include the simple rule "do not try to dodge out of the way of a cyclist, unless you want to be hit, let the cyclist navigate around you".

As for the legality of cycling on sidewalks/pavements. What may be illegal can save your life. But police can be hopeless in some places. Tell the local council or whomever is the local Grand Poobah to make things safe!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Cows have automatic right of way here but they are generally slow moving and have some traffic sense. Young goats move more quickly and have less sense. The biggest problem for me is autorickshaws and I'm sure the drivers round here have learnt any amount of basic Anglo-Saxon from me in the last few years. When I am very cross I also hit offending vehicles with the flat of my hand - in a very Quakerly manner.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Balaam:
Roundabouts are dangerous, especially as some drivers assume that because you are turning off at the next exit if you are on the outside. If you are not turning off giving a right* turn signal reduces being cut off dramatically.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
... until you start talking about complex arrangements with six or more roads involved..

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:
Unless the law says so, you don't need a helmet for normal cycling activity. Contrary to what some people would have you believe, it's not particularly dangerous.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

quote:

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Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:
Unless the law says so, you don't need a helmet for normal cycling activity. Contrary to what some people would have you believe, it's not particularly dangerous.

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Bullshit.
Bullshit.
Bullshit.
Bullshit.

That's once for each time a professional medic has declared that my helmet has saved me from possible death, all in normal cycling activity.

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Similarly I was in a very mild accident a month or two ago. It was so mild that no one got bruises. There were three of us involved since I was wearing my daughter on my back while biking and was hit relatively gently by a car. I would say that I was hit gently, but then I looked at my helmet. When hit, my daughter and I banged helmets, and the impact cracked my helmet. That gentle bruiseless accident might have given me a concussion if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

Still, highly advise people not to Worry about bicycle safety. Use lights when appropriate. Wear a helmet, but also remember how many other moderately dangerous things you do like drive a car, etc. Biking is a million times healthier, cheaper, and in my opinion more fun than driving. So stick your helmet on and get out of the house!
 

---

Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 
If you don't want to wear a helmet, and don't live in a country where their use is compulsory, then make up your own mind. It is a good idea to get a helmet before your first accident though, so plan accordingly for the outlay, if purchasing separately to the bike.

i've yet to hear a reason for not wearing a helmet that isn't based on vanity. The arguments about people being put off riding because they live somewhere where helmets are required, are well worn I'm sure.
Fair enough if you don't want to wear a helmet, and cite all the surveys and reports you like, but don't try to kid me that your `logical reason' for not wearing one is based on anything other than the fact that you simply don't want to wear one.

Ride carefully, responsibly and safely so as to avoid getting into a perilous situation and having an accident. This is common sense and no-one's debating that.
Accidents can still happen.
 

---

Posted by Dinghy Sailor (# 8507) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gwai:
I was in a very mild accident a month or two ago. It was so mild that no one got bruises. There were three of us involved since I was wearing my daughter on my back while biking and was hit relatively gently by a car. I would say that I was hit gently, but then I looked at my helmet. When hit, my daughter and I banged helmets, and the impact cracked my helmet. That gentle bruiseless accident might have given me a concussion if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gwai:
I was in a very mild accident a month or two ago. It was so mild that no one got bruises. There were three of us involved since I was wearing my daughter on my back while biking and was hit relatively gently by a car. I would say that I was hit gently, but then I looked at my helmet. When hit, my daughter and I banged helmets, and the impact cracked my helmet. That gentle bruiseless accident might have given me a concussion if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

---

It was so mild that you didn't get bruises and your helmet cracked anyway? That just shows that helmets are pretty rubbish and you may as well not bother: if such a small impact will crack a helmet, what good will it be against the sort of major impact that could actually damage your head?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:
Ok.
While waiting for a good argument against the wearing of helmets, I'd like to change the subject, if I may.

---

quote:

---

What's your experience of adding something to a bike to make it more comfortable and enjoyable? I like click-in shoes and pedals. Upgrading the saddle is often an important move.
Klaxon-style horns? Mudguards?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:
...What's your experience of adding something to a bike to make it more comfortable and enjoyable? I like click-in shoes and pedals. Upgrading the saddle is often an important move.
Klaxon-style horns? Mudguards?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by hatless:
Here's a good argument against wearing helmets.

---

quote:

---

Your second bike should be a recumbent.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D: Here, even the bicycle couriers who make life difficult by riding recklessly along footpaths wear helmets. There are a few nutters (normally on the left) around who say that the compulsory wearing of helmets is an infringement of their rights, but otherwise, wearing is accepted universally.

As others have said, they a use once and throw away, rather like seatbelts.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laxton's Superba:
Does anyone else use a trailer bike, the kind where the child has his/her own seat and bars and back wheel? I am contemplating one of these, or the joiner-on bar that you use to attach a child's bike. My child is too big for a seat on the back of my bike now.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:
What's your experience of adding something to a bike to make it more comfortable and enjoyable? I like click-in shoes and pedals. Upgrading the saddle is often an important move.
Klaxon-style horns? Mudguards?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:

quote:

---

Originally posted by hatless:
Here's a good argument against wearing helmets.

---

Ah yes - that classic. Any examples of surveys from outside the UK?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patdys:

The number of bikes you want is always N+1 where N is the number of bikes you have.

The number of bikes you have is N=D-1, where D is the number of bikes that would result in Divorce.

For me, N=4 currently.
(2 roadies= [1 group rides/flats and 1 hill climber], 1 hybrid/commuter and 1 tribike)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by hatless:
What we do know is that cycling is a very safe activity, comparable to walking, much safer than horse riding, and slightly safer than driving in Belgium. The health benefits from the exercise effortlessly outweigh the risks from accidents.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:

What's your experience of adding something to a bike to make it more comfortable and enjoyable? I like click-in shoes and pedals. Upgrading the saddle is often an important move.
Klaxon-style horns? Mudguards?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by aj:

i've yet to hear a reason for not wearing a helmet that isn't based on vanity.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
Although I am in favoue of using helmets sometimes I have sometimes had to take it off in very hot weather because I overheated to the point I was having trouble keeping control of the bike. Sweat getting into my eyes and so on. Also if I get too hot I get confused and panicky.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
I could never bring myself to use clip-on pedals. For an noncompetent like me that extra fraction of a second pulling the foot off might be a matter of life and death!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
I vote against mudguards as well. After one too many struggles with tyres I took my mudguards off. In the street, near Clapham Common. At about one in the morning. Left them mangled and twisted in a rubbish bin by a bus-stop. Never regreted it for a second. Useless things, they just get in the way.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Coffee Cup:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
I could never bring myself to use clip-on pedals. For an noncompetent like me that extra fraction of a second pulling the foot off might be a matter of life and death!

---

I'd mainly stuck with the 'I can't wear heels if I have complicated pedals' approach, but that does sound like a mark against them for the casual cyclist.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:

quote:

---

Originally posted by hatless:
What we do know is that cycling is a very safe activity, comparable to walking, much safer than horse riding, and slightly safer than driving in Belgium. The health benefits from the exercise effortlessly outweigh the risks from accidents.

---

i) Cycles do not bolt.
ii) Cycles do not throw or unseat their riders.
iii) No one has ever been bitten or kicked by a cycle.
iv) Cycles are not innately nasty.
v) A cycle rolling over you can cause bumps, scrapes and bruises. I suppose it may be worse, but don't, ever, get under a horse.

They are hardly comparable. Riding a horse is virtually a dangerous sport.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
Helmets are compulsory on NSW, and I assume other states and territories - perhaps not the NT, where there's a totally different mindset to such things as road safety.

The evidence here is that there has been a very substantial reduction in head injuries following the near universal wearing of helmets.(my italics)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
Helmets are compulsory on NSW, and I assume other states and territories - perhaps not the NT, where there's a totally different mindset to such things as road safety.

The evidence here is that there has been a very substantial reduction in head injuries following the near universal wearing of helmets.(my italics)

---

That's interesting. Are you sure those reductions aren't simply in line with a reduced number of cyclists? The pattern across Australia seems to be that the principal effect of mandatory helmet laws is to reduce cycling, although I'm not aware of any studies in NSW since 1993, 2 years after you introduced compulsion.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
TGCB beat me to it. I've been working in the interim.

The assertions are not supported by any figures, and reference to the Bureau of Statistics figures will show that there has been an increase in sales of bikes since helmets became compulsory. Anyone walking/driving around will see many more cycles in use at weekends, than there were 20 years ago. There is in fact little use of cycles as transport to and from work. In my area of suburban Sydney, that is due to topography. There are simply too many steep hills to be climbed to make cycling to work (as opposed to recreational use at weekends) viable.

On the other hand, several schools that I know of have parents cycling groups organised at weekends. That certainly did not occur 20 years ago.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
For me to get home from a place down on the Adelaide plains involves climbing for at least 250 metres of elevation for me on gradients of up to 12%, depending on the route. This rules out the casual cyclist in this area from doing anything more than journeys under 3km to the shops or a school, and restricts commuting by bike to enthusiastic cyclists.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I'm not sure that the helmet debate would work too well in Purg, the problem being that the anti-helmet position is marked by extensive cherry-picking of reports based on sketchy anecdotal evidence. A rational discussion would simply not be possible so I'm not going to bother starting or engaging in it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:
That's 25% uphill. It is far too steep to be any fun to descend unless you are addicted to terror.

---

On a related note, I'd be careful having too much fun on any incline. I hug my brake levers going downhill now, after having to swerve to avoid a van that hadn't indicated while going c.30mph down Blackstock Hill in North London resulted in me landing hard enough to sheer my hip right through.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I would recommend against riding the brake consistently while going downhill for two main reasons:
1. Heat - even light braking creates an immense amount of heat in the wheel rim or the disc, which can be enough to melt and blow out a road bike (racer to you UKians) tyre.
2. Pad and rim/disc glazing - when you break lightly you actually polish the surfaces of the brake pad and the rim/disc which could mean trouble the next time you do need to brake sharply.

I would suggest using intervals of heavier braking and then coasting to descend a steep hill instead, just as you do with a car.

On the topic of steep descents, also make sure you don't get the wobbles from simply going too fast. A friend of mine is using the bus to get to work and typing with one hand after busting his collarbone when he used the last bit of control he had to bail off onto a soft grass bank at about 90 km/h on the second-steepest road in South Australia. His wife was not impressed!
 

---

Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
So what do you class as the steepest hills cheesy?
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
It's what I've been told are the steepest roads in SA. I suspect that this may be a subject open to debate though, mainly around how long you have to have a certain gradient before it is more than just a nasty undulation!

The outright steepest road is the section of Gores Road just down from Mt Lofty, which is a low-quality gravel surface and technically still an open road but restricted to non-vehicle and CFS use only. The 400 metre road traverses about 70 metres of elevation. Walking up that way is tougher than the Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty walking track, which at least has a nicely surfaced track with switchbacks and/or stairs for the steepest bits!

The second-steepest road and the steepest road open to traffic is a hill on Morgan Rd between Ironbank and Scott Creek. This is where my friend got the wobbles and came off. I've only cycled this twice, and ironically both times it was going up rather than down because I had to complete the loop through Cherry Gardens, Dorset Vale and Bradbury back to Cherry Gardens (and then home) somehow, and even that was going to be far easier than going up Scott Creek Road to Heathfield and Stirling before going back downhill to Ironbank.


As far as Adelaide cycling goes, I don't think anything comes close to being tougher than going from the plains to Mt Lofty. It's not so much the gradients that are the problem for me (I live in Aberfoyle Park so I'm used to that!) but rather the fact that it just keeps on going with no level sections and only three short dips in 11.8km of climbing for almost 600m of elevation gain. The only thing stopping it from being 11.8km of swearing for me is that I don't have big enough lungs for cycling that route and cycling at the same time!

[ 14. October 2011, 11:55: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
On a long downhill I tend to pump the brakes. Squeeze and release. I don't like going too fast...
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
My brother who is very fit - and is, admittedly a bit of a nut, rode up and back down Baldwin Street in Dunedin. His partner told him she wouldn't be the one ringing the ambulance if he came off - he didn't, but I think he found riding through the mountain passes when he rode along the West Coast of the South Island more demanding.

The only time recently that I've ridden down a steep street (having put my bike on the bus to get up there)I used the same technique I'd use in a car as I was scared the brakes would lock if I just squeezed them. It was scary, but exhilarating and I wouldn't chose to do it again.

Huia

[ 14. October 2011, 18:47: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

---

Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
When I was a youngster, my mother was told on me by a man local who regularly drove his car down our hill where we lived, and he told her I kept overtaking the cars, going too fast. It was only a hill road about quarter of a mile going down, and I did jam on my brakes when I reached the road across at the bottom. It was also a hill road where we whizzed down having fun when it had snowed and the road was covered icy-snow. It wasn't as busy as London, just going up about another half a mile towards the top of the farm buildings, and above there was where I collected the cows and brought them down to milk them, but not on my bike.
 

---

Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Pumping the brakes is good.
I went through a phase when I had to dismount to go down the smallest hill, or panic would take over! I lived at the top of a dirt track drive at the time, and once my brakes failed near the top. I managed to get to the bottom, despite all the pot holes, without falling off, and had the choice of turning downhill or uphill. I decided uphill would slow me down better, mis-timed the turn, and ended up in the hedge opposite, with a twig up my nose.
My husband was quite surprised when I hobbled back, pushing the bike, with the twig still up my nose.
He thought I was at the post office.
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
[..] I used the same technique I'd use in a car as I was scared the brakes would lock if I just squeezed them. [...]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
My brother who is very fit - and is, admittedly a bit of a nut, rode up and back down Baldwin Street in Dunedin. His partner told him she wouldn't be the one ringing the ambulance if he came off - he didn't, but I think he found riding through the mountain passes when he rode along the West Coast of the South Island more demanding.

---

That looks too steep for any direction. 38%

As for mountain passes, they are dangerous to ride as the length of the climb can leave you knackered, and you really, really want to have your wits about you on the descent, especially if it involves alpine bends. You are not in the Tour de France, so you can take it easy up and down.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thankfully we live on a river delta so life round here is reasonably flat - any climbs we do have are relatively short.
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
[..] I used the same technique I'd use in a car as I was scared the brakes would lock if I just squeezed them. [...]

---

What's the technique then?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
[..] I used the same technique I'd use in a car as I was scared the brakes would lock if I just squeezed them. [...]

---

What's the technique then?

---

As others have said, pump and release. Having independent front and back brakes means that you can alternate them, pumping the front as you release the back. But only do this if you are sat firmly on the back of the saddle.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
Can I please just boast about my ride yesterday?

---

Boasting about rides is always a good think to do, you need to share the sense of achievement with others.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Dormouse, I am impressed!

I think pushing you limits brings a satisfaction worthy of sharing with the world.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Pushing your limits? At my age managing to do what I could 3 years ago is an achievement.
 

---

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I need a new saddle. Whilst I hesitate to call myself a Lady, I definitely need a 'ladies' saddle. In case it's relevant, I offer the further information that, although my best friends could hardly call me slim, my bottom is not particularly fat. In fact, I definitely feel the lack of padding. I only ever cycle short distances - 4-5 miles max, and usually only 1 or 2 - but one of the things that discourages me doing more is my aching seat bones. Perhaps that's just age.

Any advice, shipmates?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I lost a lot of padding on my rear with a tummy bug a few years ago and although I've regained the weight [plus some more] not on my gluteus maximus and someone, can't remember who, suggested a gel saddle but I understand they cost a small fortune so I got an old fashioned sprung saddle, not quite of the sit up and beg variety though I may get one later as they are certainly the nicest to ride on.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
QLib I have a ladies saddle that has some kind of gel in it. I find it comfortable, though it did take some getting used to even though my previous bike also had a ladies saddle and had gel.

My current bike is a Specialized and the saddle is both longer and narrower than the Avanti.

If you go to your local bike shop you could try different makes of bike to check their saddles or you may find a shop that will allow you to buy one that can be swapped within a week if not satisfactory.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Padded shorts! Padded shorts! Padded shorts!!! I wouldn't get on my bike without them! I wear two pairs - a specially designed ladies pair and a specially designed men's pair. That makes it bearable - but TBH, nothing works if you don't cycle regularly. If I take a couple of weeks off, the next ride isn't as comfortable as it could be!

I do have a ladies gel saddle too, but not a big fat one. Mine's a lady's racing one.

[ 17. October 2011, 16:12: Message edited by: Dormouse ]
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Three ways to beat the saddle soreness.

1. padded underwear - worn under normal clothes for people who don't want the lycra look.

2. gel saddle cover - with the added bonus that it can be removed in wet weather so you don't need to ride on a wet saddle.

3. both.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:
Three ways to beat the saddle soreness.

1. padded underwear - worn under normal clothes for people who don't want the lycra look.

2. gel saddle cover - with the added bonus that it can be removed in wet weather so you don't need to ride on a wet saddle.

3. both.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
Do cars have no concept that cycles are vehicles to, and we are not invisible?

---

No, they don't.

That's why you must either cycle where no car could kill you even if they tried OR you must put your arse in front of their windscreens, ideally with day-glo yellow plastic all over the place, so they cannot possibly not see you. Skulking in the gutter does not work.

In Britain by far the most common cause of death or serious injury to cyclists - twice as much as the rest put together - is drivers turning left across their path. (in some other countries the equivalent would be right turns).

The safest thing to do is ride assuming you are invisible. The second safest, if that is not practical, is to bloody well make yourself visible even if it annoys the car drivers.

As a white-van-driving friend of mine once said, drivers are confused most of the time. They have to process a lot of information very quickly. To do that they have to categorise it. Some of them only have space in their minds for two categories - motor vehicles and street furniture. A few are clever enough to add a third, pedestrians. Almost none can handle four.

So - and this is serious - in a road where the traffic is moving at an average speed of, say, forty miles an hour, drivers will treat you as if you are moving at forty miles an hour, or as if you are stationary. They simply aren't clever enough to compute where you will be next if you are going at fifteen miles an hour. If you are riding between them and the kerb, EVEN IF they look over their shoulder or in the mirror and spot you before they make a manouvre, as they are taught in driving lessons, (and most don't) when they come to make that manouvres they will contine to assume that you are still where you were when they last saw you. But even a fat middle-aged bugger like me can move five to ten metres in a second on a bicycle. So even if they saw you, you are not where they think you are, so you are invisible. And you have to ride accordingly.

Which means, if you are going in between motor traffic and the kerb, always make sure you are

(a) going as fast or faster than the cars, or

(b) going at not much more than walking pace, or

(c) prepared to emergency stop if someone comes up behind you and turns left or halts in your path, or

(d) have a safe place on your left to deliberatly fall over in to

[ 18. October 2011, 16:56: Message edited by: ken ]
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Ken I'm aware of the choices I just get frustrated! I usually go with option D, but with moments of being VERY visible!
 

---

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
Having started this thread, I'm jolly glad to see it fills a Shiply niche!

Just to say, I'm enjoying being back in the saddle; so much so, that enforced car-driving days seem like a penance now. No horror stories yet.

Just ask me again in mid-December .....
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I'm also newly returned to cycling, and am enjoying it. Really not looking forward to the snow and ice when I won't be able to ride.
 

---

Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I'm also newly returned to cycling, and am enjoying it. Really not looking forward to the snow and ice when I won't be able to ride.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
Usually the wind is against me on the down hill, and helps me up the hill, for which I am grateful.

---

You're obviously doing something wrong then, it's supposed to be a head wind both ways
 

---

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :
 
I have the dubious distinction of being pursued and warned by the Police for breaking the speed limit in a 30mph zone. It was very early on a Sunday morning and I was biking over to my parents house via a very steep downhill with a freakishly strong downdraft. I hit the top of the hill at just over 25 mph and I was touching 40 mph by the time I saw the speed trap. Too late to stop I went through and got a warning that if I did it again I would be prosecuted for "riding furiously".

I miss my bike, now gone from my shed for over 10 weeks. As soon as the insurance comes through I will be mobile again.
 

---

Posted by Dinghy Sailor (# 8507) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bob Two-Owls:
I have the dubious distinction of being pursued and warned by the Police for breaking the speed limit in a 30mph zone. It was very early on a Sunday morning and I was biking over to my parents house via a very steep downhill with a freakishly strong downdraft. I hit the top of the hill at just over 25 mph and I was touching 40 mph by the time I saw the speed trap. Too late to stop I went through and got a warning that if I did it again I would be prosecuted for "riding furiously".

I miss my bike, now gone from my shed for over 10 weeks. As soon as the insurance comes through I will be mobile again.

---

There's actually no speed limit for bicycles, as it only applies to motor vehicles. There is indeed an offence of "wanton and furious cycling", but riding fast should not be enough to get you a conviction (though I've found one case on the internet where that has happpened: the law is an ass).
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I believe 'Riding furiously' was originally applicable to horses, and that you could be fined to 40/-.

Such riding on a cycle is inclined to bring about its own punishment.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The law in Australia is that speed limits do apply to cyclists, and it is their responsibility to obey the speed limit regardless of whether their bike is fitted with a speedometer or trip computer of some kind. In a rather infamous case a few years ago, a player from the Port Adelaide Football Club ended up in court because he disputed a speeding ticket given to him by a traffic cop, the laughable bit was that he had recently been dropped from the playing 22 for being too fat and slow!
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I think our law is imilar to Australia's - but it's not one I'm likely to break anyway.

Huia - slowest object on Christchurch's munted roads
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Newport cyclists have been doing their bit for transplant surgery this week (I think). Between Mrs Sioni and I, we have seen three cycling on the wrong side of the road, two without lights when they were needed and one of those in the dark going the wrong on a roundabout! Not just any old roundabout, but one over a motorway junction (ie, with slip roads ). These are just those we have seen, so there must be a heck of a lot more out there.

I didn't see any of them come to grief but it can only be a matter of time, surely?

[ 22. October 2011, 21:27: Message edited by: Sioni Sais ]
 

---

Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
I would frame a speeding ticket given to me on a bike. There is a fixed speed camera near my house where with some effort, you can get to 65 km/hr. The cars tend to slow to 55 km/hr (limit is 60 km/hr) and there is great delight in passing them. (Adelaide High- Cheesy)
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I am relatively pleased with myself - this weekend I cried off cycling with the club...I said I had a bad back (partially true) but after last week's long hard slog I just didn't fancy it! But it was such a beautiful day on Saturday that I felt it would be a crime not to go out.

So I did a difficult(ish) 6km climb- which Mr D reckons is a second category climb - with a 6 km whooping downhill home again. I'm afraid I did the climb in stages - every 500m I allowed myself to stop and take a breather - but I got up there...which I'm pleased about. I can't imagine ever doing it without stopping though! Mr D is of the find-your-rythm-and-just-keep-turning school of Going Uphill, but I'm more of the give-yourself-a-goal-to-get-to-and-then-you-can-stop school. My legs/lungs can't manage the other -I'd go so slowly I'd fall off!!!
 

---

Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :
 
Maybe this belongs on another thread or even another board, but I'm posting it here because I'd like to know what cycling shipmates think.

Quote posted in Purgatory by Dafyd on the Giles Fraser has resigned thread:

See this from the Dean in the Guardian:

quote:"The staff have been working flat out with the police, fire brigade and health and safety officers to try to ensure that we have confidence in the safety of our worshippers, visitors and staff which will allow us to reopen," Knowles said. "We have wide statutory obligations to ensure the safety of our staff, congregation, visitors and pilgrims and final checks will be made tomorrow.

"A passageway allowing evacuation procedures to be improved has been created; the kitchen providing food for those in the camp has been moved from close proximity to the building; bicycles chained to the railings have been shifted and a clear pathway restored."

Why do the "authorities" think that bicycles chained to railings are a safety hazard? Bicycles not chained, yes, they might fall on someone. But bicycles safely secured? What's the risk?

Any ideas?
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
My guess would be that it is not a very wide path, and that the bikes are making it narrower?
 

---

Posted by Carys (# 78) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
Which means, if you are going in between motor traffic and the kerb, always make sure you are

(a) going as fast or faster than the cars, or

(b) going at not much more than walking pace, or

(c) prepared to emergency stop if someone comes up behind you and turns left or halts in your path, or

(d) have a safe place on your left to deliberatly fall over in to

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chamois:
Why do the "authorities" think that bicycles chained to railings are a safety hazard? Bicycles not chained, yes, they might fall on someone. But bicycles safely secured? What's the risk?

Any ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
Made it up the hill on the way home that I haven't made it up before. Made me happy. (There are still other hills to conquer.)

---

There always are. Congrats on getting up that one
 

---

Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :
 
Saw a pair of deer on the trail this morning; possibly because it had been overcast and was raining until just before I headed out.
Anyhow, good to see them!
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gwai:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
Made it up the hill on the way home that I haven't made it up before. Made me happy. (There are still other hills to conquer.)

---

There always are. Congrats on getting up that one

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Carys:
I also model car drivers (and especially taxi and bus drivers) as homocidal maniacs who are out to get me.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I was given the okay to cycle again today though I am as yet unsure of being able to pull the front brake hard enough - but tomorrow I'll try on the local lanes and see how it feels.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patdys:
Well Done Cheesy.
This is what I had done to me today.
The old turn Rt in front of the oncoming cyclist trick.

---

You ok Patdys?
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I guess so, as he's posting, but that looks nasty! Hopefully you made a nasty mess of their paintwork in the process. I try to always check over my shoulder when turning right, having had a couple of idiots undertake me - when I was indicating... and someone else did it to me when I was also on a bike! It's basic bloomin' road sense... not that that's any help to you, patdys. Hope the bruises aren't too bad!

AG
 

---

Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
Yep, sorry, I am fine.
Surprisingly intact actually.
Ended up sitting on their bonnet.
couple of small scratches and bruises.
[We drive on the left here BTW, so the car coming in the opposite direction to me turned in front of me crossing my path.]
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Just wondering if those who are UK based had seen this. The Times are running a campaign to improve safety for cycles in city, and there is a debate this Thursday in Parliament.
 

---

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
My chain really did fall off today. In a way it was lucky. I had planned a late start for w*rk, i.e. after 9, so the bike shop was open, and I was only 10-minute push away from it, though I had to heave the ****** bike up some stone steps (it's electric, so quite heavy).

I had no money on me, and the battery on my mobile was running low, so summoning a taxi would have been tricky - but they fixed it for nothing, though I will have to take it back some time so that they can work out why the chain is so slack - and I made it to w*rk on time - just as well as I was booked to do a joint observation with a manager.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I do beg your pardon, patdys - I struggle to tell left from right, and immediately assumed that it was the type of accident I most associate with turning vehicles.

They turned into you when they were facing you? That's really mind-numbingly stupid!

AG
 

---

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
It must be the date.

A family member tells me

quote:

---

Three times on the way home, cars overtook me only to turn left immediately. Did I miss the announcements for National Try And Kill A Cyclist Day?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patdys:
Well Done Cheesy.

---

Thanks mate, it was bloody tough work thanks to the south-east winds. We did it starting and finishing at Noarlunga (thanks Adelaide Metro!) so it was tough work battling the wind just to get to Willunga before turning up towards the hill. The return to McLaren Vale and Seaford was fantastic, but my legs obviously wanted no more after that so the climb from the Onkaparinga bridge up to Noarlunga was painful

Just because of the winds, I would actually rate it as harder than the ride up from the plains to Aldgate and Stirling to watch the TDU last month even though Stirling is about 120 metres taller. After the race finished we were leaving Stirling, going up the hill towards Crafers when Graeme Brown and Mark Renshaw from Team Rabobank went past on their way back to the city. MR commented on my heavy hybrid bike as he went past saying "well done for getting up this hill on that bike!"

quote:

---

This is what I had done to me today.
The old turn Rt in front of the oncoming cyclist trick.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
I do beg your pardon, patdys - I struggle to tell left from right, and immediately assumed that it was the type of accident I most associate with turning vehicles.

They turned into you when they were facing you? That's really mind-numbingly stupid!

AG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
MR commented on my heavy hybrid bike as he went past saying "well done for getting up this hill on that bike!"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I reckon you do get significant differences going over to a road bike, I know I can fly up the hill I come across most regularly much faster on a road bike than my hybrid.

---

I'm enjoying my Scott cyclocross bike, not because I'm into cyclocross (mad fun as it looks!), but because it seems a decent comfortable compromise resulting in a road bike that goes well on gravel trails.
 

---

Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
I haven't weighed my bike - Dutch one - but it is definitely heavy and also very strong, which is useful and feel safe.
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Vaguely thinking about a cycling holiday this summer. Anyone know of any UK sites for planning long distance bike routes, so far the only one I can find won't allow for more than 50 km routes. (Also google hasn't added the bike route feature in the UK yet.)
 

---

Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
I don't think you can plan routes as such, but the Sustrans website is useful for seeing all their routes. I think you can buy maps of individual long-distance trails from them if you want to.
 

---

Posted by The Rogue (# 2275) on :
 
I've only just found this thread because I don't come to All Saints much. Perhaps I should.

Like Quoheleth in the OP, I bought a bike because back issues meant that running wasn't a good idea any more. I now commute to work and it takes about as long as driving does at that time of day - although I then take some time to stop sweating. My route is pretty flat (most of it along a river and a canal) and largely off-road so I have a hybrid bike with kevlar tyres. Astonishingly, there have been several spates of some idiot spreading tacks on the paths I use (which dog walkers also use) but this hasn't bothered me since I got the tyres.

I find that when I see a pedestrian an early "excuse me, please" works wonders, especially when coupled with slowing down to a sensible speed; much better than a bell which often comes over as arrogant. And don't forget to say "thank you" afterwards. I do have a "honky-honk" horn (a bit like a circus clown's horn, perhaps) on my bike which is useful when people don't hear you because it often makes them smile.

So I use my bike for commuting and get some exercise without taking up extra time.

Another benefit is that in Nottingham where I work they are just starting a workplace parking tax (we have to pay the council to be able to park at work! The Sheriff of Nottingham would have loved that one) but you don't pay for bikes.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Bollocks... I've just discovered that, lurking 'neath a sticker on my frame, is a sodding great rust hole that goes over halfway round my bottom tube.

OK, the bike doesn't owe me anything - it paid for itself in under a year over a decade ago in saved bus fares - but I'm a tightwad, and will try to fix first. Good job I know a friend with a MIG welder (not as cool as a MiG welder, but still handy to have around).

AG
 

---

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
Hi Cyclists!

Have just enjoyed reading this thread as I'm fairly new here.

I bought a bike about 4 years ago as I needed to be fitter (or just fit...), and knees buggered by years of jogging for fitness mean that jogging is out, and so too is walking if I do too much of it. Since moving house last year, I've hardly been out, we used to like a couple of blocks away from one of Sydney's best bike areas, now a little further out so riding takes a bit more motivation. Mrs Cryptic went to or GP a few weeks back, GP sent a message back to me about how is my cycling going? - in other words get back on your bike...

Reading this thread has been some excellent motivation, and I've been getting out again over the last few weeks, and also trying out the new GPS that I bought months ago that I've never used. And yes, the name of this thread is great!

So Qoheleth, what sort of bike did you end up with? It's easy to get hooked, and after not doing much riding over the last 12 months, I'm a bit chuffed that my fitness doesn't seem to have gone completely out of the window (I did 19km last night, and lots of hills).

Back to the original thought behind this thread (and apologies for coming in at the end), these are my tips:

- Buy your bike from a bike shop, which will cost more, but you will get the right bike and it will last for years (chain store bikes, although they look good and well-specified with brand-name running gear are built to last for about 75km - the distance it takes for the novelty of the impulse buy to wear off).
- I have a mountain bike with sprung front fork which makes for a lovely comfy ride, and I can lock it if needed (but i usually don't because I'm soft).
- Only upgrades to the bike are Michelin city hybrid tyres - same size and comfort as mountain bike tyres but without the zshzshzsh noise. Much better handling on road, but negligible grip if you end up on some gravel. Clipless pedals are the final thing.
- Minimum bike apparel is a helmet, gloves/mitts (hands to tend to hit the ground first if you fall) and knicks (again, because I'm soft, and I like what I'm sitting on to be as well).

Optional but worthwhile extras:

- Flashing lights (mandatory if you ride at night or late afternoon) - the brighter the better.
- A trip computer is handy for measuring the gains in your fitness, and it's also nice to congratulate yourself when you break the speed limit.
- Clipless pedals, although these take a bit of getting used to (only fallen off because of them once).
- Some sort of wraparound glasses to keep the wind out of your eyes, particularly in cold weather - difficult for me as I wear prescription. You can get prescription wraparound glasses but these would cost more than my bike!
- Cycling jersey - much better than a T-shirt flapping around
- If you're handy with tools, a repair stand is easier than turning your bike upside down. I bought a reasonable one for about $40 - it would drive a bike shop mad, but for my occasional use it's fine.
- Wanting to do some basic maintenance myself, I have looked at dozens of books on bikes/cycling/repairs - I have found most of them useless or incomprehensible, however these two are excellent and are very comprehensive and user-friendly:

Mountain Bikes

Road Bikes

I'll rant about drivers and pedestrians another time, but that's enough for now!

Cheers,
Cryptic
 

---

Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
Hello, Cypric,

That sounds a good bike to get sensibly from a good bike shop, and good to keep healthy, while many in London get second hand ones, as well as the "hiring" ones nowadays.

And my son's little one, has just got one last week on her 4th birthday - a pink one! She loves it and also wears a safe thing on her head. Little bikes have the extra bits to keep them safe on the back of the bikes.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
just dropping in to say it feels like SPRING here! despite still over 10 feet of snow on the ground, but it's been a little melty and the highway is mostly dry; so I've got the itch. bike is out and oiled but I'd have to walk it a mile to decent ground so I haven't yet. but I just might! I want to get out there so bad...
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Same here, Comet, except the snow has all gone. Expecting it to be 24 degrees Celsius today. My bike is at the bike shop for a tune up and I am dying to have it back today. Some say there is a snowstorm on the way this weekend but it sure is hard to imagine right now!
 

---

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
It felt enough like spring here yesterday evening that I took the scenic route along the towpath home, rather than cope with more roads. Good thing I'd cleaned the chain and pumped the tyres right up at the weekend! Towpath is still somewhat muddy/slippy (how does it manage that when it hasn't rained for days?). On the good side, there were not only normal violets, but white ones.

Cryptic - speaking as someone who drives as well as cycles, I actually find the flashing type of bike lights harder to spot in traffic. Round here, anyone cycling on a road after lighting up time is required to have working lights. The police catch a great many students without them every autumn when the new term starts.
 

---

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
Autumn here now in Sydney, so that is great riding weather, as long as the recent rains hold off. Actually, most of the year is pretty good for riding in Sydney, but I wouldn't go out during the day in a Sydney summer, far too hot, but riding during the evening is pleasant.

Was just checking up on some new winter gear on my favourite fleabay store, and found this... Cycling psychopath anyone???

daisymay - little ones on their first bike are so cute! Cryptogirl has had two bikes, but hasn't really ever taken to riding. She is scootering now, once she has the balance right (and stops falling off) a friend of ours has a bike put aside for her. It is one of my great regrets that I didn't catch the cycling bug when she was tiny and get a mountain bike with one of those dickie seats on the back. Every time I see a little one on the back of a bike I realise how many fun times I've missed.

CK - I'm usually a motorist too rather than a cyclist. I do keep out of traffic as much as possible though. My flashing lights are pretty good, front and back, but there seems to be a lot of cheapie chain store lights out these that don't do very much. Mine are very bright and do a slow steady blink rather than a rapid flash. I use them any time after about 4-5pm, if it's a dull day I'll use them all the time. I once had a motorist pull up next to me at the lights to tell me that my lights were the best she had ever seen! I do ride with the thought that I'm invisible and even if the driver has seen me, they don't care (which is a pretty good assumption in Sydney). The blinking headlight could be better when I head down a dark side street, and so I've been thinking about a super-bright LED headlight in addition to the blinky one.
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Who knew a person could get such an impressive bruise while in the bike shop rather than out on the roads!?! Was measuring the placement of a new basket and didn't realise how much clearance was needed when getting off the bike. The capri length pants didn't help my cause. So much for trying to look after myself!
 

---

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
Ouch lilypad!

My most impressive bruise happened to me when almost stationary. When I upgraded to clipless pedals, Mr Bike Shop Man sagely warned me about adjusting them correctly, practicing getting in and out of them in the backyard, then a few gentle rides before pushing myself, all of which I dutifully did.

The first serious ride after that was all good, until I tried to do a tight u-turn at the end of a cul-de-sac, turned the handlebars too far at the apex of the u-turn and overbalanced. I couldn't get my feet out in time... The inside of my thigh was stabbed by the end of the handlebars - very impressive in the world of bruises. The ego took a dent as well. Bike was fine...
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lily pad:
Who knew a person could get such an impressive bruise while in the bike shop rather than out on the roads!?!

---

You can't leave us hanging on after that tale - photos needed!

AG
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Sorry no photos. Suffice it to say, despite a forecast of +28 degrees today, I will not be wearing shorts!

Cryptic, I'm sure I would have amazing bruises if I switched to clipless. You are very brave.
 

---

Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cryptic:
daisymay - little ones on their first bike are so cute! Cryptogirl has had two bikes, but hasn't really ever taken to riding. She is scootering now, once she has the balance right (and stops falling off) a friend of ours has a bike put aside for her. It is one of my great regrets that I didn't catch the cycling bug when she was tiny and get a mountain bike with one of those dickie seats on the back. Every time I see a little one on the back of a bike I realise how many fun times I've missed.

---

Let's hope that Cryptogirl gets enjoying and learning to riding the bike.
My son's little daughter loves biking and her brother who is 6, 2 years older than her, also got his bike aged 4. They both have scooters and have used them for ages.
I used to have my children on the back of my normally big bike and they also liked that, but both as soon as they were old enough, got their own bikes and they still have grown-up bikes. neither wear on their head - I'm wondering if I should buy one for me and so get them for them too - would that teach the children to get safe? They have to wear then as little ones but many people in London don't.
 

---

Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :
 
Hereabouts, it's the law that children under 18 must wear a bike helmet, and I wouldn't consider getting on my bike without one, any more than I'd ride in a car without a seatbelt. YMMV, but having worked with people who have brain injuries, I think it's worth protecting the few functioning brain cells still floating about in my cranium.
Helmets are worse than useless if worn improperly, though - loose straps, tilted back on the head - I see that sort of thing all the time. So if you and your children are going to wear them, it's a good idea to ensure they are fitted properly.

I had Euphemia the wonderbike in for her spring tune-up last week and hoped to take her out for a spin on Saturday, but we have 5 cm of snow forecast for today. (Meltmeltmeltopleasepleasemelt )
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Meg, come to the East Coast! We're having higher temperatures today than we had all last summer. (Neglects to mention snow in forecast for Saturday, it is Canada you know.)

Helmets are compulsory for all cyclists here. Wouldn't even think of getting on my bike without one. Can't imagine why anyone would take the risk when there is such a cheap and simple way to protect the brain.

[ 22. March 2012, 11:48: Message edited by: lily pad ]
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cryptic:
Hi Cyclists!

... knees buggered by years of jogging for fitness mean that jogging is out, and so too is walking if I do too much of it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisymay:
neither wear on their head - I'm wondering if I should buy one for me and so get them for them too - would that teach the children to get safe? They have to wear then as little ones but many people in London don't.

---

It only needs to save your life once to be worth it, and the routine of putting on the safety gear is a good time to adopt a safety-concious mindset and think carefully about what challenges and hazards you're going to encounter on the ride. Going from "I'm sitting on the couch" to "I'm cycling down the road" in mere seconds doesn't give your brain enough time to adjust for the different dangers present when cycling compared to sitting on the couch. Although my housemate just fell off the couch so it can't be that different for her

I would recommend using flashing rear LED lights, but leave the front ones on steady because they are blinding enough when used normally and even worse when flashing. Making other road users aware of your presence is a good thing, blinding them so badly they can't see anything other than your flashing light is a little self-defeating.
I would also suggest shopping around for lights, usually the fancy name brand lights sold at bike shops with huge markups are available for a fraction of the price, without any difference except for the name printed on the casing and less flashy packaging.
 

---

Posted by The Rogue (# 2275) on :
 
I agree that some cyclists do seem to think it's a good idea to dazzle other road users. When I'm cycling, if someone cycles towards me with a stupid light I will normally aim at them and shout something that they probably don't hear.
 

---

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
BA - I'm a frequent gear-changer as I like to spin not strain. the mountain bike gearing I find is good for exerise riding as the right gear is always there.

TGC - I'm with you on the flashing lights, I keep the front one angled down so that it doesn't dazzle traffic, because of that it doesn't illuminate that well when it gets really dark, hence my wish for a flasher and a steady light. There seem to be some good bargains online.

Just found this link today to a cycling blog on the Sydney Morning Herald. It stirs up the helmet daebate again (sorry!) but most worringly, I've just found out that I'm a MAMIL - middle-aged man in lycra...
 

---

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
If we are going to get into a helmet debate (I'm totally game, let's) we should probably do it in Purg. I had an experience lately that totally persuaded me be damn glad I wear a helmet though, so wear em wear em wear em, I say, at least if you're on the road with cars, for sure.

[ 22. March 2012, 13:56: Message edited by: Gwai ]
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I forgot to mention that helmets are also good for brushing off low-hanging vegetation that can't be avoided any other way and being nicer than the alternative for magpies who swoop too low.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cryptic:
BA - I'm a frequent gear-changer as I like to spin not strain. the mountain bike gearing I find is good for exerise riding as the right gear is always there.

---

quote:

---

TGC - I'm with you on the flashing lights, I keep the front one angled down so that it doesn't dazzle traffic, because of that it doesn't illuminate that well when it gets really dark, hence my wish for a flasher and a steady light. There seem to be some good bargains online.

---

quote:

---

Just found this link today to a cycling blog on the Sydney Morning Herald. It stirs up the helmet daebate again (sorry!) but most worringly, I've just found out that I'm a MAMIL - middle-aged man in lycra...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
From a safety point of view, if you cycle in town the only light that counts is s red flasher on the back. You can see forwards because of the traffic lights, and no front lamp any same cyclist is likely to want to carry will be anywhere near as bright as car headlamps so they won't make you stand out from in front anyway.

<snip>

let the cars provide the light - as long as you are relecting it back they will see you.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I fall just outside the MAMIL category, being only 25

---

I'd say that you're a good few years away from MAMIL yet!

I only ride for exercise, I don't commute, so I find that it's just as easy to don the lycra. In my defence, all of my gear is plain and unadorned by logos - I don't see the sense in paying to wear somebody else's advertising, and as for looking like an overweight entrant in the Tour de France, who would I think I was kidding? Anaconda have some very good jerseys that are a loose fit, and they have the extended tail and back pockets. Good price too if you buy during their sales.

Since I've had the bike, for anybody that I talk to about cycling, their first question is "do you have bike pants?" My answer is always the same "Yes, and I look magnificent!" That stops the conversation every time!

One other thing that I always wear is one of these RoadID tags. Mrs Cryptic (a runner) bought us all one of these, they are very popular in the running world. Mrs C has twice been on a run where somebody has collapsed with no ID and the emergency services have had no way of contacting family.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I hadn't seen the roadtags before, but what a good idea. With the bumpiness of the unfixed roads, the loose gravel on the newly fixed, and the virulence of the road rage floating round Christchurch at the moment, I think something like that would be a good idea.

I haven't been out on hy bike for weeks, due in part to some of the factors mentioned above, but I'm going today and tomorrow the weather should be fine enough to bike to church -a 20km round trip, which I relly enjoy if I leave myself enough time to bike through the park. It'e heart-lifting to see the next generation of cyclists getting their confidence there.

As for helmets - they are compulsory here for everyone. There is a fine of about $80 for non-compliance, but usually police will just demand you show up at the cop shop, helmet in hand, within 48 hours. Before they were compulsory my youngest brother, a very keen cyclist suggested I get one. I said they were too expensive. He said, "What's your brain worth?"

Then spoilt it by saying, "Not a lot I know, but you need to preserve what you've got".

Huia
 

---

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
It's scary to think that, only a generation ago, baby cycle helmets were not widely available and baby seats on the back of bikes were not protective at all. But then again, a generation before that, seatbelts in cars were almost non-existent.
 

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Posted by Dinghy Sailor (# 8507) on :
 
...and did everyone die?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Comments like that, DS, are best suited to the Purgatory debate that Gwai refers to at the top of this page - perhaps you'd like to start it?
 

---

Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
When I was still an archaeologist, I used to cycle to the dig. A young volunteer joined us, and decided he wanted to cycle as well - which in his case meant splashing out on expensive lycra cycling kit which he then had to change out of when he got to the dig. We all laughed at him. I came in my digging clothes (dirty jeans, German army shirt, thick jacket and a woolly hat - and steel toe capped boots!).
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
From a safety point of view, if you cycle in town the only light that counts is s red flasher on the back. You can see forwards because of the traffic lights, and no front lamp any same cyclist is likely to want to carry will be anywhere near as bright as car headlamps so they won't make you stand out from in front anyway.

Effectively all accidents are caused by motor vehicles coming from behind or the off-side anyway, so a front lamp won't help. You want a back flasher, and shiny clothes or at the very least a reflective belt and/or bag. Reflective strips on frame and poedals do no harm either. No need to hoik around hevy batteries, let the cars provide the light - as long as you are relecting it back they will see you.

---

quote:

---

And eschew all lycra. Expensive and pointless. A £1.50 T-shirt from Primark does just as well! Use the money you save to buy a reflective shoulder belt or bag.

---

Rubbish. I like to arrive at my destination with my shirt not drenched in sweat. Except for a ride I do in the cool of the night that is mostly downhill, I never wear a cotton shirt when cycling. An outdoor/sport shirt designed to wick away moisture is a good alternative to a skin-hugging jersey if that's not your preference, and it doesn't need to be expensive as long as you take a little time to look around at different sport or outdoor stores and pounce when sales are on.

I guess it depends on the distance you are travelling. I regularly go for a 12 kilometre ride featuring a big climb on a 10% grade, which is hard work. If going for really short distances on the flat, "normal" clothes should be fine.

[ 24. March 2012, 12:42: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

---

Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
Be interested to see how this turns out...

Who are Sydney's anti-cyclist 'TRAFFIC' twins?
 

---

Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :
 
First ride of the season today - an easy 30 km grocery shopping and such. Loved the stares from people exiting the store as Mr. Red maneuvered our Easter turkey into his pannier.

All the sweeter because it's supposed to start snowing overnight
 

---

Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 
Recently changed bikes, having sold the Scott cyclocross bike on Ebay and picked up a secondhand Cannondale Bad Boy. First hybrid bike I've had, and it seems good. Having had a Cannondale in the past and loving it, I was wary of buying a secondhand aluminium [framed] bike, due to issues in the past with cracking frames on used bikes with dubious history, but this seems sound.

Having made my opinions clear on the helmet issue i won't push anything further on these boards, but on the subject of lycra, I find that even cheap bike shorts worn under trousers makes for such a more comfortable ride than without. We don't wear lycra to look cool/stupid or go faster. It's about comfort.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm after a bit of advice - my right hand is still not comfortable on the handlebars since my various broken bones last year - does anyone have any experience of bigger handlebar grips? I am wondering if I can manufacture something out of foam plastic that might make things more comfortable - it is going to take a long time to regain full flexibility and this might just help.
 

---

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Well, I did it. After burbling for over a year on the subject of buying a bike, having moved from London to Banbury, I dived in, chose a bike on line from the Halfords list, and effectively went against all the advice given so far, had I been aware of this thread in the first place.

Not doing my research before purchasing the bike has led to one or two minor issues. Carrier and mudguards weren't included, so buying those effectively soaked up any saving on price reduction. Also, though it was clear I would need the women's bike frame, my assumption that I could get my leg - either leg! over it, was unfounded. A wonderful illustration of use your mobility or lose it. Yes, going to the local bike store, and there is one in Banbury, would have been a really good idea. They might have advised something with smaller wheels. Maybe Halfords would have done the same - they were pretty helpful when I picked the thing up. At the moment, the bike has to be tilted sideways to reduce the frame height for me to get astride. The upside to this will be doing the necessary exercises to regain more hip mobility. Possible, if painful. Hello Pilates. A vist to the local bike shop for the extra bits and pieces, which they kindly fitted for me, as well as adjusting the saddle height, was the start of a new relationship. They will be my port of call for all help, especially as this shop is relatively close to home, if steeply downhill. And then uphill.

From my main road the view of town is across the centre, which is in a considerable dip, to the hills on the other side, about 2 miles away. (Small town.) Getting down there is easy, though downhill riding is scary, and my consumption of brake blocks is likely to be three times that of the usual rider's. As an arthritic 60-year-old and a late returner to cycling, getting uphill means pushing the bike. What the hell, it's all exercise. Last week I achieved what a friend in his 70s described as a geriatric triathlon; Cycle downhill to the swimming baths, swim, then cycle to the supermarket. Load groceries onto carrier, swing swimming bag from handlebars, and push bike home - uphill. An hour of exercise at least, a third of it load bearing, which at my age, is important. The bike is the right size, once i'm astride.


Has the whole exercise been a mistake? Not necessarily. I might have given myself an easier ride in many ways by taking time over my choice of bike, and getting some professional advice. Old habits of bying cheap rather than slightly more expensive die hard. I also failed to assess changes in my own physical capacity in the ten years since my last bike died. But ultimately my goals are being met: excercise, reduced use of the car, and no parking costs. Except, of course, when it's raining.

[ 11. April 2012, 17:20: Message edited by: jacobsen ]
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Don't feel bad about needing to tip your bike to get on. The technician at the bike shop instructed me to always tilt the bike to safely get on and off rather than swinging my leg over the back. I'm not sure if he was assessing my age or lack of body awareness in striking my leg, but it works really well and is much more secure.
 

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Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I'm after a bit of advice - my right hand is still not comfortable on the handlebars since my various broken bones last year - does anyone have any experience of bigger handlebar grips?

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Don't grip. Resting your hand on top of the bars enables you to steer. And the hand is close enough to the brakes if you need them. (Still gripping with the good hand is advisable though.)
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
okay folks - winter is in retreat, we're getting the bikes out, and I'm broke. so, post-winter's sleep bike maintenance on an almost non-existant budget: what do I have to do, what can wait, what do I need to spend money on?

we're talking 4 bikes for 4 people.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
WD40 fixes most bike problems

Spare inner tubes in case of puncture

Reinforced tyres if you can afford them to avoid punctures
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Evil limit ate my edit. I was trying to say:

WD40 fixes most bike problems Takes about ten years off your apparent age when added liberally to gears, chain, and axles (try to keep it off the brakes!)

Spare inner tubes in case of puncture

Reinforced tyres if you can afford them to avoid punctures. Saves hours of frustration.

Spin the wheels to check that they are mounted properly, rub nowhere, and the brake blocks can contact the rims on both sides. Only takes half a minute - maybe five minutes if brakes need adjusting. You ought to do that every time you change tyres and at start and finish of longish journeys anyway.

And that's about it. Or so I've found. Bikes are pretty robust things and don't really take much maintenance unless you are a fanatic.

The other thing that really helps is truing the wheel. If you are capable of doing it yourself that's effectively free (well the cost of one spoke tightening tool that lasts for years and is probably less than ten dollars where you are, and possibly a few replacement spokes). I'm not capable of it, its well beyond my skill level, so I've paid for it to be done now and again which is expensive but worth it.
 

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Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 
WW - you should be able to get some chunky soft handlebar grips to make things a bit better. Do you have some padded gloves or mitts? These make a difference too, and check your posture, I find that if I slouch my wrists drop and they start to hurt.

Jacobsen, sounds like you have had a bit of an adventure, but hey, you're back on a bike. Once you get back into it and you're more used to the bike, get your bike shop to re-adjust everything for you and I'm sure that you'll find that it all comes together really well. I'm also a bike-tipper to get on and off My saddle is up pretty high, but my legs don't go up as high as they used to!

Comet - give your bikes a general once-over. Check that everything works, and things are tight that should be tight. Check brakes are working and that brake blocks haven't hardened. Replace if necessary. Clean chains and gears, wipe off any gunk with a rag moistened with some kerosene or turps. Better still use a chain cleaner if you can get one. Dry chain, and re-lubricate - put a drop of oil on the roller of each link - this will make the most noticeable difference of anything you do. On brake and gear cables, put a drop of oil where the cable runs in and out of the sheath, you might need to tip the bike or turn it upside down to do this and let the oil run in. Check tyres and pump them up.

For "oil" I recommend going to a bike shop and getting some synthetic chain oil. This stuff works a treat and a little goes a long way. Ken, sorry, but I wouldn't put WD40 near anything on my bike. I've always found that WD40 is one of things things that tries to do everything and doesn't do anything particularly well. Much better to get the right stuff!

Hopefully will be well enough to get a ride in this weekend - beautiful chilly autumn days her now - perfect for riding!
 

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Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Balaam:

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I'm after a bit of advice - my right hand is still not comfortable on the handlebars since my various broken bones last year - does anyone have any experience of bigger handlebar grips?

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Don't grip. Resting your hand on top of the bars enables you to steer. And the hand is close enough to the brakes if you need them. (Still gripping with the good hand is advisable though.)

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quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:
Has anyone had experience of one of those stationary bike machines? I'm not sure what they're called, but the back wheel rests on rollers which can be adjusted to prove greater resistance. Sort of like an exercycle, but using your own bike.

I am thinking of getting one for exercise, as the combination of winter, munted roads and drivers with advanced road rage means I'm not getting the exercise I usually do.

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quote:

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Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
single gear,... plenty to make them durable and cheap (so that if they're stolen, it's not so bad). That Africabike is likely your best option

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Single gear? (Does that mean what I think it means?)Cheap at £450? Surely a single gear bike that's very heavy would be almost useless = especailly to someone with a bad back. I'm sure you know what you're talking about and I don't, so I wonder if you could explain a bit.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Well, I wouldn't say I know everything, just hang around the bike shop too much for my own good. They have free beer, so . . .
Technically, that bike has three gears (three on the chainring, one on the freewheel), which is as much as you'll ever see on a bike of that design—simply put, derailleurs break down a lot, which is antithetical to the ideal of the city bike. You're going to be riding the thing off curbs, loaning it out to other people, letting it fend for itself against bike thieves; you don't want to be anywhere near the most noticeable bike on the rack. If it looks light, fast, trendy, and not black, it might ride off with someone else.

Thus, to get back to the point, klunk is intentionally part of the design. Yes it's heavy, yes having one or three gears isn't going to get you anywhere fast, but you're not going anywhere fast anyway—and plus, by the time you and your groceries are loaded onto the bike, the bike's weight is going to matter a lot less than you'd think it would. Just pedal slowly, and hope you don't run into very many hills—which, if you're on a crowded urban sidewalk or bike lane, shouldn't be too much of a problem. If you had to go faster than, oh, ten miles an hour, or further than the next couple of neighborhoods over, it might be one. For short jaunts of two miles at an easy pace? Not so bad.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've just seen this on another website:

quote:

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Let's have a moment of silence for all those stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride stationary bicycles

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quote:

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Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:


As for "Dutch" bikes, I assume you mean something like this? Priest handlebars, low stepover, single gear, coaster brakes, full length chain guard, kickstand, platform pedals, fenders, probably a bell, basket, and lock, and, with the exception of that Kona, likely weighs half a ton?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:
Thanks for that Loth, fascinating.

The saddles on both of my bikes were designed for women, and are very comfortable, though I don't think I ride far enough to develop too many problems.

How often does his column appear in the SMH? It looks as though it would be worth following.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Lothlorien:

quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:
Thanks for that Loth, fascinating.

The saddles on both of my bikes were designed for women, and are very comfortable, though I don't think I ride far enough to develop too many problems.

How often does his column appear in the SMH? It looks as though it would be worth following.

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Don't know frequency but it could perhaps be in the sports section which I normally never read except for one of the columnists. I saw the heading in the online edition.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Gwai:
If we are going to get into a helmet debate (I'm totally game, let's) we should probably do it in Purg. I had an experience lately that totally persuaded me be damn glad I wear a helmet though, so wear em wear em wear em, I say, at least if you're on the road with cars, for sure.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Steve H:
Also, there's the well-ttested phenomenon of risk homeostasis - the tendency to take greater risks when you think a particular measure has made you safer, thus tending to negate the actual safety benefits of the measure.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Chorister:
Just a thought having seen a child today riding one of those pedal-less bikes: try on the lowest saddle setting, just riding along pushing feet alternately against the ground, not using the pedals at all, to get an idea of balance first. Then adding pedals later when confident.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
Hi All,

Ducking in with a quick question... any suggestions for my husband attempting to learn to ride a bike aged 30mumble?

We've borrowed a sturdy bike (he's 6 foot and fairly solidly built) and he's been spending 10ish mins most days for the last week or so trying to pedal it. He's riding along a path beside a fence so he can prop himself up a bit more. (He has tried riding accross an open concrete area but was even more scared of falling.)

History - he more or less learned as a 7 year old then fell off, broke his leg and that was that.

I can ride and I try giving tips but he's not really getting far with it. Any bright (cheap) ideas?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
... any suggestions for my husband attempting to learn to ride a bike aged 30mumble?

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quote:

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Originally posted by ken:
And go in a straight line until you have got your balance. Don't even try to steer. (Maybe even considering tightening the front post so the front wheel has to stay in line with the back and doesn't flop around)

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quote:

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Originally posted by Steve H:

quote:

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Originally posted by ken:
And go in a straight line until you have got your balance. Don't even try to steer. (Maybe even considering tightening the front post so the front wheel has to stay in line with the back and doesn't flop around)

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This would be disastrous. You have to steer slightly from one side to the other in order to balance. If the front wheel was locked, you would definitely fall off after a few yards.

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quote:

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Originally posted by ken:

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve H:

quote:

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Originally posted by ken:
[qb] And go in a straight line until you have got your balance. Don't even try to steer. (Maybe even considering tightening the front post so the front wheel has to stay in line with the back and doesn't flop around)

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This would be disastrous. You have to steer slightly from one side to the other in order to balance. If the front wheel was locked, you would definitely fall off after a few yards.

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Not locked, stiff. I have occasionally ridden bikes wth very floppy steering posts and I don't like it at all. Ideally, if you pick up a bike by the frame, the front wheel should stay in line and not swing to either side, until and unless you turn it yourself.

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quote:

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And you don't steer a bike with the handlebars except in emergency, you steer it with your body weight. That's the "riding a bike" thing that takes between ten seconds and ten years to learn but once learned is never forgotten. Yes, the front wheel swings a little to follow the path you are taking, but that's more a consequence of the turn than a cause of it.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Steve H:
The popular idea that it's the gyroscopic effect of the wheels is false: if there was any such effect that was noticable, the front wheel would not turn easily - and we're back where we started.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Steve H:
What wobbles at higher speed?

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If you've never had speed wobbles be very thankful, it's a horrible experience that can lead to serious or even fatal injuries. Basically at high speed the bike starts wobbling due to front end flexibility or imbalance (loose headset, suspension forks, carbon forks, not enough weight on front end due to badly fitting bike, hitting a piece of gravel, improperly fitted tyre, unbalanced rim brakes or poorly centred wheels) or crosswinds, and then you start getting a resonant mass-spring system set up. You don't fall off like you do in a slow speed crash from too much handlebar angle or from an unbalanced movement, and the bike doesn't fall away from underneath you from a loss of grip like in a cornering crash, you're almost catapulted off to one side when the wobble gets too violent.

I've only experienced it a couple of times. The first was on a mountain bike with front shock absorbers which I forgot to lock before going down a steep hill on a very smooth surfaced road. The bike started vibrating at what my friend estimated was about 55 km/h, then it increased to a violent wobble and I came off to the left, narrowly missing what I later learned was a flexible plastic reflector marker on my way onto the grass which concealed a rather hard surface. My attempt to brake with what were probably not perfectly balanced V Brakes (they almost never are) on the front was probably what turned it from a scary but recoverable situation into a crash. I came away with a broken arm, one broken and one sprained wrist, bruised ribs and lots of nasty flesh wounds for my troubles.

Second time was not as bad, this time it was a my current hybrid bike with shock absorbers only on the front and at about 80 km/h. I did as I researched was the right thing to do and gripped the top tube with my legs (providing a damper for the wobble) and started a gentle-medium braking effort on the rear only until the speed came down and the wobbling ceased. Then I used both brakes to come to a stop and wait until the adrenaline wore off before continuing down at a pedestrian 20-25 km/h, having speed wobbles on a road with a steep drop and lots of trees on the left was even scarier than the first time.

I've also had the experience of seeing another rider come off really hard from wobbles at high speed while I was ascending the hill in the opposite direction. I don't know whether he came off because the wobbles got too violent, because he decided to bail or because he simply wasn't able to guide it through the curve. The tough bit for me was that I instinctively kicked to get up to where he crashed, but that left me sucking air too hard to be much use calling an ambulance or attempting to provide First Aid.

If you're doing a serious amount of riding on steep hills with good smooth surfaces and like to descend fast it is bound to happen at some point. Since my two encounters with it I stay on the safe side and don't go over 70 km/h in the very rare time I come across a hill which makes that possible.

Speed wobbles can also occur for motorcyclists, even for top-level riders in MotoGP races. There have been fatalities in the Isle of Man due to this in the past.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Speed wobbles are the least of my worries.

Huia - slowest cyclist in town/
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Huia, you and I could go cycling together, if we were on the same continent/hemisphere, that is. I too have never experienced such a thing. Slow and steady for me.

That thrill of going fast was ripped out of me at age 9, after a spill while riding another girl's bike, which my parents had strictly forbidden. Bits of gravel had to be picked out of my face for three days and one that was lodged deeply above my upper lip finally eased its way out when I was 26.

Every time I find myself enjoying a little speed on a downhill, I remember that day and how quickly it went wrong and slow down.
 

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Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :
 
lily pad, what is it about being 9 that leads to wipeouts? Mumblemumble years later, I still have gravel in my knee from a turn taken too sharply. Fast descents spook me; a few weeks ago, my husband and I cycled the road up Mount Norquay. Mr. Red sped down at 55 kmh while I didn't let myself go over 40 - and even that felt like tempting fate. Slow and steady for me!
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Well, you all weren't consciously giving me advice, but I took it anyway, and so far worked very well. My almost four year old is just fine with balance bike type things, but is rather scared of her bike with training wheels. Spent half an hour with her today while she most walked the bike around the block just steering and enjoying it. I've never seen her actually have fun with the bike, so clearly there advantages to learning to ride in a different way than I did as kid.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
70 kmh? You can keep it! Cycling ought to be fun. That's too fast for fun. Also too fast for middle-aged fat gits. I doubt if I have ever been much over 50 and most of my cycling has probably been done in the 15-25 range.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Too fast for fun? What?
Good Sir, fast is fun!
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I think the reference to 70 kph is for downhill cycling, which used to scare me in my youth and put me off returning to two wheels about ten years ago wen I last considered it. Newport has some pretty serious hills.
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
With the right bike, road and legs, 60 km/hr is where you can run on the flat. (albeit for short distances only for me).
On a downhill on a roadbike, 70-80km/hr is not uncommon. Particularly if you ball down and come off the seat to sit on the top tube. (my max is 83)

And yes, speed wobbles are very frightening.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Gwai:
Spent half an hour with her today while she most walked the bike around the block just steering and enjoying it.

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Yay, another cyclist in the making I love biking through the Park and seeing the children who are just starting off. It gives me some kind of hope for the future.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Epic climb to the top of the Passo dello Stelvio going on at the moment, anybody else watching?
 

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Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :
 
CA-NA-DA! CA-NA-DA!!!!

Go Ryder!!!!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
He (?) should win with a name like that
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Joining you all here because this week I hope to get my bike serviced after 14 yrs of being at the back of the garage - new tyres at least, I know. Now I need to work out where to put it so I don't need to get the car out each time I think about using it.

Gwai, have you thought about a Training harness? I couldn't see one mentioned earlier in the thread but my apologies if I missed it. I used one when I helped a young friend to get get going on his bike. He had no trouble with balance (probably helped by his being an avid scooter user) but was spooked by the trainer wheels. So we took those off and headed to the park. After 1 circuit of the park with me holding on to the harness (much easier on my back than bending down to reach the saddle), and another where I pretended to hold it (with him checking now &then that I'd not let go), he then went independent. His biggest challenge was the foot/pedal coordination on "launch", which was mine too when I was he same age. After a few more circuits of the park on his own we cracked open a celebratory carton of juice.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Years ago in Denmark, I saw a father teaching his child to ride a bike. There was a very long stick down the back of the child's clothing and it stuck up well above his head. The father kept his hand on the top of the stick and kept the child's bike from falling over.

Moo
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I was disappointed that De Gendt faded off in the last couple of kilometres up to the Stelvio. With an audacious move like that on the queen stage he would have been a worthy winner, and he probably could have taken down Hesjedal on the time trial if he was only a bit behind.

quote:

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Originally posted by Moo:
Years ago in Denmark, I saw a father teaching his child to ride a bike. There was a very long stick down the back of the child's clothing and it stuck up well above his head. The father kept his hand on the top of the stick and kept the child's bike from falling over.

Moo

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A local bike shop near me is a sales and service agent for a specialised provider of bikes with these (with various custom solutions) for enabling kids with disabilities to ride. Done properly they are actually attached to the bike so it provides freedom, not stuck down the back of the kid's shirt of course!

[ 29. May 2012, 06:22: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
As I have unfortunately only been able to follow the Giro online, could someone please give me some ideas of how you pronounce, Hesjedal. Ta
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Hey-jeu-dahl.

At least that's how the Australian commentators Matthew Keenan and Mike Tomalaris say it. I rate them as the best English-language cycling commentators I've heard of behind Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, definitely far better than the Eurosport imbeciles we had for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege broadcast this year.

Did anybody else see this clip from the Giro?

In other cycling news, Australia has just done very well at the UCI's BMX World Championships in Birmingham. Caroline Buchanan (also a mountain bike champion!) won another rainbow jersey in the Elite Women's Time Trial and Sam Willoughby won the Elite Men's Race title. I have seen Sam Willoughby race, because he got his start with the weekly Saturday morning racing at the Happy Valley BMX Club's track - my local track!
There are some probable Olympic gold medals there, which will be important in the quest to beat GB in the cycling tally and reassert Aussie cycling dominance after we lost to them in Beijing.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Hey-jeu-dahl.

At least that's how the Australian commentators Matthew Keenan and Mike Tomalaris say it. I rate them as the best English-language cycling commentators I've heard of behind Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, definitely far better than the Eurosport imbeciles we had for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege broadcast this year.

Did anybody else see this clip from the Giro?

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I automatically pronounced it from how you wrote it with an Australian accent, then read your comment, about who said it like that!

The clip is genius thanks for sharing.

 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I automatically pronounced it from how you wrote it with an Australian accent, then read your comment, about who said it like that!

The clip is genius thanks for sharing.

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That's unfair! Matt Keenan and Mike Tomalaris are not just uninformed talking heads, both of them are extremely experienced in covering European sport. Keenan is actually employed by the ASO (the company that puts on the Tour de France and many other major races) for their own world feed (along with Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen), so when even the French think he's doing a good job you know he must be okay. Both of them have a huge reputation among the European team directors and top cyclists for being journalists who do the hard work of knowing the sport and the people involved well (which includes knowing their names properly) and for being able to do passable multilingual interviews as well.

Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen call Hesjedal's name exactly the same.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Wait, "reassert" Australian cycling dominance? Suddenly, you win one Tour and you have enough dominance to have to reassert it?

I mean, we might want to talk about the English-speaking cycling world's dominance—which, given recent actions by our Canadian friends, looks plausible—but otherwise . . .
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Golly! I put my very rusty self on a reasonably unrusty (but a bit too big for me and with a fairly flat front tyre) bike and cycled to work this morning!

I've pretty much never ridden in traffic 'cos I grew up riding all over country roads. I haven't had a ride of more than a couple of minutes for years and years!

It went pretty well - mostly there are shared pavements (or pavements that everyone treats as shared) but there is a little bit of very busy road. It was quite fun and a bit scary... And much, much quicker than walking!
 

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Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Even quicker if the tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure. That flattish front is a puncture waiting to happen.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Punctures are the least of your problem—well, one of them. The fact that your wheel isn't actually round . . .
Don't go over curbs without at least a bit of air in your tire. Bad Things will happen otherwise.
Oh, and the whole "you go faster more easily" bit. That's important too.
 

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Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
Golly! I put my very rusty self on a reasonably unrusty (but a bit too big for me and with a fairly flat front tyre) bike and cycled to work this morning!

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How are the nether regions today??? A hot bath usually works wonders if you haven't ridden for a while.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Wait, "reassert" Australian cycling dominance? Suddenly, you win one Tour and you have enough dominance to have to reassert it?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Balaam:
Even quicker if the tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure. That flattish front is a puncture waiting to happen.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

quote:

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Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Wait, "reassert" Australian cycling dominance? Suddenly, you win one Tour and you have enough dominance to have to reassert it?

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I'm talking in cycling at the Olympics. 2008 was a year to forget on that front, though we did wipe the floor with the Brits at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

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Invalid comparison, therefore 'wiping the floor' is incorrect. The United Kingdom competes as at least sevan separate teams at the Commonwealth Games. Chris Hoy is a Scot, Geraint Thomas is Welsh, Mark Cavendish and Mark Christian are Manx and Wendy Houvenaghel is from Northern Ireland. I'm sure others aren't English. That certainly affects team events and British athletes simply don't acord the same priority to the Commonwealth Games.

Let's see what happens in the summer, although I don't think the UK will do as well as it did in 2008.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Thanks all - I need to buy a pump. It's a borrowed bike and we don't have anything to go with it. I had to leave it in the lobby while I went and bought a bike lock! In terms of pumps, ASDA didn't have anything in-between the '2 pounds piece of crap pump' and the '15 pound industrial model'. I'll keep my eye out for bike shops today.

It was only a very short ride so my nethers are holding up okay.

It does suddenly make walking seem a rather laborious way of getting somewhere, though...

[ 01. June 2012, 10:36: Message edited by: Eleanor Jane ]
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Eleanor Jane - when you're pump shopping, try and get one with a pressure gauge on. Mine has one (moderately cheap small pump from Halfords), and it means that I can be sure that the tyres aren't just 'solid enough', but up to the pressure limit (which is normally embossed on the sidewall). Even just raising them from the lower end of the recommended pressure range to the upper end makes a noticeable difference.

Know what you mean about walking, especially if you're living somewhere hilly...

Edit - think my pump was slightly under a tenner. That to me is a sensible price for something that clips onto the bike frame (clip and bits to attach included in cost).

[ 01. June 2012, 11:46: Message edited by: Celtic Knotweed ]
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Buy a little pump to carry around for emergencies, the smalles tand lightest you can afford.

Also buy a bigger stand pump for home, with a pressure gauge. The sort you operate vertically with a two-handed grip on the plunger and your feet holding the other end to the floor. They make it much simpler to get up to pressure. Liek my typres took about twelve strokes of the stand pump and two hundred of the hand pump...
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I have a very small electric pump for my car tires that runs off the car battery. I have also used it for the tires of my lawnmower. It is small and slow enough that I don't have to worry about overinflating the tires.

I bought it because I don't regularly check the pressure in my spare tire, and if I the tire is low when I need it, I can pump it up.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Unless you want to spend a long time at the side of the road pumping up tyres, or only have thin tyres, small pumps are only good for getting tyres up to get you home pressure. But any pump is better than no pump.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Living in the developing world has its advantages - there are bicycle repair men EVERYWHERE over here - two or three in our village alone and several more within just a few kms - people here rarely carry pumps as they can always borrow one from any repair man.
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
IMO that makes where you live more civilised than here, Wodders.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I have two places I can get my bike repaired within a kilometre of home.

The one in the village area which is the best second hand bike shop in Christchurch has very helpful staff. I baked them a batch of nuffins as a thank-you when they had done a couple of snall jobs free for me.
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 
And they say, "Thanks for nuffin?"

It's cruel to joke about people's typos, but I couldn't resist. Sorry.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:
And they say, "Thanks for nuffin?"

It's cruel to joke about people's typos, but I couldn't resist. Sorry.

---

I though it was quite good actually, and I'm not sure if I would have been able to resist such temptation myself.

My excuse is that I'm getting used to new glasses. Other than that I put it down to liquefaction of the brain (we had quake 10,729 since Oct 2010 today).
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
Saturday a few of us from the Friendly Local Bike Shop rode down to the Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup Criterium race. Drinking beers, eating Tex-Mex, and watching riders keep up a good 45-50 KPH on a 1 kilometer loop course . . . yeah, it was fun. For us, anyway. I'm not sure keeping up that sort of insane pace for just over two hours on a 90º day is that enjoyable, though.

It was a great race, too—a quarter of the way in, Jamie Driscoll broke away from the pack, riding solo as he tried to lap the field—you can see it some in the video, but, between sips of Corona (it was a hot day, cut us some slack!) and guacamole, we thought it looked more like he had fallen off the back than caught the pack—it's hard to gain 30-odd seconds on a pack while riding solo!

It's even harder when the pack is moving fast enough to generate an appreciable breeze each time they pass.

Let it be known now: I may be a bit of a fast rider, but I Can't Do That.
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Anyone following the Tour de Suisse? There was an incident with a level crossing, but I can't find a video or photos of it. The joys of Twitter meant that I at least knew about it!
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
A level crossing closed at about 50km to go after the breakaway riders went through, so their lead increased from six minutes to eight minutes, making it a tough chase for the bunch instead of an easy one. That's routine, if you've managed to get so far ahead you avoid an obstacle like that then power to you. The bunch reeled in the breakaway trio in the end for a bunch sprint anyway, so it's a non-event that made a marginal difference to the race.

The only incident worth talking about is that the crossing activated just as the bunch arrived, and only the two teams at the front (Movistar and Orica-GreenEDGE) got through while the rest were held up. UCI road racing rules say that in this case no action is to be taken and it's treated as a mere racing incident, so the fact these teams (the ones taking the initiative in the race) were then forced to wait for the others who were sitting on to catch up is where the controversy comes from.

If they were not penalised, Movistar would have been looking for time (for their guy leading the general classification) while Orica-GreenEDGE would have been happy to help Movistar get that time as long as they got the stage win. If it was a small, disorganised bunch rather than two whole teams with the capacity to shake up the race then the organisers would probably have let it go.


I saw one in the Tour de France a few years ago where the lights came on and the barriers started coming down on the last few riders in the peleton and a couple of following motorbikes, leaving the motorcade waiting behind for nearly ten minutes as a heavy freight train and a passenger train crossed. The organisation perversely fined those last few riders after the day's racing ended.

[ 13. June 2012, 03:29: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The espresso machine is tuned up, the TV antenna adjusted for best SBS signal, French phrasebook dusted off, tracker app downloaded to the smartphone, chocolate stocks replenished and Liggett/Sherwen commentary bingo sheets printed. I'm ready for another edition of Le Tour!

It will hopefully be another year in yellow for the defending champion Cadel Evans, the large amount of time trialling is perfect for him. Some are saying Bradley Wiggins is in potential Tour-winning form so far this season but the opponents he's been beating haven't exactly been TdF contenders. In all seriousness, I think Wiggins will be up against it thanks to Team Sky splitting the strategy (and domestiques) between him and Mark Cavendish.
 

---

Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Liggett/Sherwen commentary bingo sheets printed. I'm ready for another edition of Le Tour!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
It will hopefully be another year in yellow for the defending champion Cadel Evans, the large amount of time trialling is perfect for him.

---

Australia, Australia, Australia, we love ya, amen.

Personally, I think Cuddles may be at a disadvantage in the many long flat portions in this year's Tour—my money's on Manx Missile Cavendish, though Vacansoleil-DCM may be a sleeper team to watch, what with their great performance during this year's Paris-Nice.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Husband has now done 1000 miles of the USA, coast to coast - Seattle to Boston. 3500 to go.

He is sending some good photos back!


 

---

Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
My 808's have arrived. I spose I now have no excuses. Two years to a 226. Or 140.6 for the imperialists.
But the bike looks amazing, just amazing.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Liggett/Sherwen commentary bingo sheets printed. I'm ready for another edition of Le Tour!

---

Care to explain? Watched today, and looking forward to the next few weeks.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Personally, I think Cuddles may be at a disadvantage in the many long flat portions in this year's Tour—my money's on Manx Missile Cavendish, though Vacansoleil-DCM may be a sleeper team to watch, what with their great performance during this year's Paris-Nice.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Their commentary is quite famous for expressions like "the suitcase of courage," "the elastic has broken," "blowing the race to pieces," Phil asking Paul to talk about his experience of the hilly stages and so on.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Husband has now done 1000 miles of the USA, coast to coast - Seattle to Boston. 3500 to go.

He is sending some good photos back!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I agree with what has been said about Cavendish not making it to Paris, I don't think he will do things to compromise his Olympic hopes. In my dream world I would like to see Wiggins in Yellow and Cavendish in Green at the end, but I realise the unlikelyhood of that for several different reasons.....but I can dream can't I!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Go that man!

Amazing how different a scale we work in - there is a part of the North Island that can easily be walked coast-to-coast in a day, and here in the South the Coast-to-Coast is a gruelling triathlon that can be done by the etremely fit in a very long day. They ride past the end of my street cheered on by the locals as the finish line is only about 10 to 15 minutes further on.

---

Thank you!

He leaving Jackson, Wyoming today - here is a clip from his latest email.

"There can be up to 80 people on the tour in any one week but only 37 left Seattle intending to do the whole thing. The current number of riders who have not been in the support wagon now total 27. We have become known as the EFI riders. It stands for Every F****** Inch. I'll leave it to you to fill in the blanks!"



(PS - we live in Manchester, UK - so our normal scale is small too :0)
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I agree with what has been said about Cavendish not making it to Paris, I don't think he will do things to compromise his Olympic hopes. In my dream world I would like to see Wiggins in Yellow and Cavendish in Green at the end, but I realise the unlikelyhood of that for several different reasons.....but I can dream can't I!

---

The most likely jersey at the end for team Sky is the white jersey on Eddie the Boss.

If they manage any two of the three they'll be doing very well indeed.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Speaking of young riders, it was the first time I had watched Peter Sagan last night and I was very impressed! Spartacus and the Boss are two pretty good riders to beat in a three-up sprint at the top of a hill.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Speaking of young riders, it was the first time I had watched Peter Sagan last night and I was very impressed! Spartacus and the Boss are two pretty good riders to beat in a three-up sprint at the top of a hill.

---

And 6th on the flat behind the usual contenders today. You could on to something, especially if the big sprinting names save themselves for the Olympics in the last week.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisymay:
Some bikes that are fixed to "metal lights" etc. in the streets/pavements, fall down or get kicked and crash down, when they are supposed to be safe. This evening there was one all across the pavement so we couldn't walk the pavement and me and two others got it up and standing up again. It was heavy and we needed to work together to sort it. I hope the owner does it better and no-one attacks it again.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisymay:
Some bikes that are fixed to "metal lights" etc. in the streets/pavements, fall down or get kicked and crash down, when they are supposed to be safe. This evening there was one all across the pavement so we couldn't walk the pavement and me and two others got it up and standing up again. It was heavy and we needed to work together to sort it. I hope the owner does it better and no-one attacks it again.

---

I agree, chaining a bike to a single pole is a recipe for it falling over easily. Show your bike a little more love and find a proper bike rack or a balustraded fence of some kind!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Qoheleth - that link is only accessible to signed in Facebookers, have you got another one?

---

It looks like the group settings need adjusting. I'll get their admins to look. Meanwhile, there's a public-facing piece here.
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lily pad:
I have permission to bike! Now, whether or not the ankle likes this, I feel so glad. I didn't think it could heal in time for this summer.

---

Well done. Now take it easy at first, and build up your strength slowly.

-----

In other news, an historic two jerseys will be worn today in that little race across the Channel. Froome in polka dots and Wiggins in yellow.

Unfortunately many will not see this as they will be watching some Scotsman with yellow balls.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
What a great stage, well done to the young French rider Thibaut Pinot who soloed to the win. Highlight of the day would have to be watching the FDJ-BigMat team director cheering on his rider, he can pull on whatever colour jersey they have for the most passionate person involved in the tour!

The road race at the Olympics has lost a significant amount of its legitimacy tonight as Samuel Sanchez got injured badly. It's not really the same if the defending champion is not able to compete due to injury.

I did think it was quite funny that seconds after Wiggins and the others lost the sprint to Evans, the SBS broadcast cut away to an advert for erection medication
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 
As anyone who's visited the Shipmate's gallery knows, I have a minor thing for burros.

I notice that, even though they're quite cuddly, Cuddles is not being impersonated.
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Sixth place is not too bad for a guy who's been sick most of the tour and going up against the strongest team since US Postal.

At least he wasn't "poisoned" like Frank Schleck.


Watching an individual time trial must be an interesting experience compared to a mass-start road race. Even with the field being thinned out by 45 riders abandoning in the last three weeks, the last rider on the road still starts over four and half hours after the first rider.

Perhaps that's the next 'different' thing that needs to come to the Tour Down Under around Adelaide for the 2014 edition. They had a summit finish for the first time this year, and the 2013 edition includes a more all-rounder friendly course with a finish after a descent for the first time in the race's history.

I'll be riding this stage which will definitely justify the 'challenge' part of the Challenge Tour name! I've ridden most of the roads in the southern part of the course at some point and there are a few nasty climbs other than the one where the points are on offer, as well as long stretches of continuous gentle slopes that you would never notice when driving a car.
 

---

Posted by Balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Sixth place is not too bad for a guy who's been sick most of the tour and going up against the strongest team since US Postal.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Balaam:

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Sixth place is not too bad for a guy who's been sick most of the tour and going up against the strongest team since US Postal.

---

It was good to see Cadel congratulating Wiggo on the road. Being gracious in defeat is something more sportsmen need to emulate.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Personally, I'm thinking Chris Froome deserves a couple pats on le back; to have a lieutenant finish just after his leader—having held himself back in at least a few stages—well, that's something. Teejay Van Garderen and Thibaut Pinot had great rides too—and the latter may be France's best hope for defeating anyone from the Anglosphere any time soon in the GC. Sagan, of course, earned his Porsche.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
"Froome & Wiggins...sounds like a solicitors firm doesnt it?"

---

quote:

---

On a completely non-Tour related issue, the postman just delivered me a box with new gloves, new gear cables, new chain rings, new chain and a shiny new 8 speed cassette! I'm happy!

---

quote:

---

Hopefully next year's route will encourage some more interesting racing, and that more of the top contenders will be available to compete properly without being on the sidelines with injury or held back by sickness.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

Cadel Evans is a true champion in all respects.

---

quote:

---

Hopefully he'll bounce back from his sickness and put in a true champion's performance to win the Olympic Time Trial next week!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:

quote:

---

Hopefully next year's route will encourage some more interesting racing, and that more of the top contenders will be available to compete properly without being on the sidelines with injury or held back by sickness.

---

It's the 100th running. I'm hoping for all the Great Mountains but the now-impossible Puy de Dôme. Or maybe they'll bring back the old five day round-the-hexigon route . . . nah, not likely.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Still kinda sad Vaconsoleil-DCM didn't make a better showing, but that's because I'm a huge fan of all things Bianchi (and they ride these babies*)

*NSFW if you follow this thread closely. Just fine for everyone else.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:

quote:

---

On a completely non-Tour related issue, the postman just delivered me a box with new gloves, new gear cables, new chain rings, new chain and a shiny new 8 speed cassette! I'm happy!

---

Makes and models? Bike geeks need to know.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Barnabas62:
Provided he avoids, or isn't too affected by, the post-victory UK media hysteria, that gold medal seems very likely to go around Wiggins' neck. The road race looks a lot tougher to predict - those laps around Box Hill might very well do for all the sprinters.

---

quote:

---

Not Safe For Wallet? Not Safe For Wife?
That's a hideous livery, I wouldn't be seen on one of them!

---

quote:

---

Garmin-Sharp had an absolutely shit Tour after getting the GC win in the Giro, but that was due to crashes and not performance.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Update on Mr Boog's USA coast to coast cycle ride.

He was in Northfield, Minnesota last night and is still in the EFI club (Every F***ing Inch!) - over half way now. He's very happy as he's permanently on his drug of choice (exercise)

Here is a map of the route.

---

The route goes through the middle of Lake Michigan. I don't fancy riding that bit.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Dear Boogie, have you ever considered that Mr Boog may be ever so slightly insane? (I ask this in the spirit of Christian Charity, you understand ).

He is doing well though

Huia
 

---

Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Mark Cavendish did manage to win at least something on the weekend even if the Olympic Road Race was a total failure for Team (G)B on Saturday. Unfortunately it was just a post-Tour criterium in Belgium on Sunday afternoon, which the Daily Telegraph fails to realise is a pantomime show on wheels!

Post-Tour crits are not real races, they are shows where the top placings are scripted to please the local crowd, and a nice chance for everybody involved to make some easy cash* while letting local fans see their heroes in the flesh. The guy who comes last in the Tour de France can make hundreds of thousands of Euros from appearing in these races (and often recovering to "beat" those who vanquished him in the Tour!), and pure climbers can suddenly find super-human abilities to out-sprint the world's best sprinters! Ryder Hesjedal "happened" to win one last week - while wearing his pink jersey from this year's Giro d'Italia!

However, if you watch the video from Robbie McEwen's bike** you can appreciate a little of skill involved for even a fake pantomime race! Notice how the two Vaconsoleil riders politely help Petacchi lead out McEwen before the final corner (way too far back for a proper McEwen sprint to start!) only for Cav to just take it on the line?

I wouldn't mind if proper races had on-board cameras like that, the unit Robbie was using weighs only 140g including a tough casing, and a small low-power transmitter wouldn't add much more than that which would be equal for everybody or could be deducted from the minimum weight of the bike. I have a camera a bit like that but mine is obviously not as good because the motion seems to go a fair amount slower!


* which is why guys like Cavendish, Sagan and so on were "racing" in Belgium the day after the Road Race in London. Robbie McEwen used to make over 300,000 Euros in the weeks following each TdF when he was the biggest cycling star in Belgium.

** what a coincidence that a guy who last raced properly a few months ago happened to place second at an event where he was being honoured as a retiring hero
 

---

Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

* which is why guys like Cavendish, Sagan and so on were "racing" in Belgium the day after the Road Race in London. Robbie McEwen used to make over 300,000 Euros in the weeks following each TdF when he was the biggest cycling star in Belgium.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by AristonAstuanax:
Crit races are as much for the fans as the riders. Most road races (with the exception of the Olympic race this year!) involve a lot of sitting for hours to wait for about 30 seconds. Crits? Find yourself a nice cafe, sit back in the shade, and watch a bunch of really good riders torture themselves. If you're going to do a paid exhibition ride, it might as well be one the spectators can have fun at.

---

This is one thing that the organisers of the Santos World Tour Down Under have done well with the 2013 stages. All of the stages bar one feature multiple circuits on the route like an Olympic or World Championship race. Even the one that doesn't* have a circuit does meander around so a keen rider could view it at one point and then cut the corner to view it at another.

* That's the one ridden by the people earlier in the day. You don't want multiple loops making chaos in a participation event!
 

---

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Rescuing the thread before it falls off page 2!

Feeling rather pleased as yesterday evening I managed to fit a new back gear cable with a minimum of help from Sandemaniac (he held the cable tight whilst I did up the cable clamp, and then crimped off the end after cutting - I just don't have the muscles...). The reason for feeling pleased is it's a click-shifter rather than a friction one, first time I've ever worked on one, and it was almost working perfectly by the time I got to work today.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Take care all. This particular bicycling enthusiast just got home from the hospital after a bike on bike accident. Nincompoop riding pretty fast on the wrong side of the street equals head on collision. I had a mild concussion even with my helmet, so I don't like to think of how it might have gone without.
And yet I'm still eager to get on the bicycle.
 

---

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Aie! Fun, that sounds not! Totally understand the urge to get a new helmet and get back on, though.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 
Hey all. Forgive my intrusion.

I have two questions.

1. I went out on my bike this afternoon and felt a vibration in my rear wheel. After prodding around for a while I noticed that the wheel was loose on its axle which I figured wasn't a good sign. I walked home, and passed a bike shop so I popped in and asked them what I needed to tighten up. They told me that the real axle was broken. So, my question is: assuming they are correct and the axle is gone, how many parts will I need to replace?

2. On a totally unrelated note, I was wondering if anyone have suggestions for routes in the DC area. So far, the only place I have found for a decent Sunday afternoon spin is along MacArthur Blvd. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
 

---

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
1. That depends on a number of things, really; however, I'm guessing that, if only the axle is damaged (and not anything else in the hub, like the bearing races or various other bits and bobs in there), then only the axle should be replaced. Granted, Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance tells me that things could be more complicated, but they're probably not.

This assumes that you didn't damage anything else while riding on a broken axle, though, which is a big "if."

2. Well, there are a few classics, like the Mount Vernon Trail or the C&O Canal, and WABA has a handy guide to local trails; once you learn the bike trails and on-street lanes, though, the rides start to find themselves.

Well, okay, it's also handy to know how to get between trail systems and around nasty traffic sewers (hi there, New York Avenue!)

However, in DC itself, one of my favorite rides is the National Arboretum. Yes, it's near a not-so-great part of town, yes, Bladensburg Road can be a pain, but, once you get past these, you've got Hill Paradise to ride around in. The Arboretum is really meant to be seen by bike; you can actually take in the views as you ride and, if you want to explore the gardens and exhibits, it's a lot easier to lock up your bike and walk than hunt for a very distant parking space. Oh, and did I mention the hills? If you're feeling a bit like a glutton for punishment, there are a few that will test your mettle.

Other nice rides: Hains Point is great during cherry blossom season (no tourists!); the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and Patuxent Wildlife Refuge makes a great ride from College Park; Beech Drive in Rock Creak Park is closed to traffic on weekends between just north of the zoo and the Maryland border; and I've heard that the hills east of the river can be a great challenge.

Oh, and, of course, there's this little gem. I have half a mind to do it this year just to say I did.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Huia crawls into thread to announce imminent death, well ... not quite, but my thight muscles are about to lock up on me.

A beautiful day here, so I decided to ride into town (such as it is). The wind was against me going in so it though I might get a tail wind coming home = wrong!

At least its flat, though there are some gnarly bits where the road hasn't been fixed yet. Pothole zigzags against the wind make life more interesting - right?

Despite my moaning it was wonderful to get out on my bike again = and spring is coming - YaY.
 

---

Posted by Imaginary Friend (# 186) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
1. That depends on a number of things, really; however, I'm guessing that, if only the axle is damaged (and not anything else in the hub, like the bearing races or various other bits and bobs in there), then only the axle should be replaced. Granted, Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance tells me that things could be more complicated, but they're probably not.

This assumes that you didn't damage anything else while riding on a broken axle, though, which is a big "if."

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by balaam:
I find that the old bike idea is commercially unsound. There comes a time when the resale value of a bike is less than the cost of having it repaired. Finding 5 speed blocks is next to impossible. I am not emotionally attached to my cycles.

---

And I'm a major fan of vintage and classic bikes. Sure, if you go by resale value, you're going to end up sinking more money into a bike than you paid for it in almost any given instance. It's as much the principle of the matter, that a good bike deserves to be ridden, as any desire to save the money a new bike would cost. Plus, lugged steel road, touring, and cyclecross frames, like they used to make at Schwinn, Bridgestone, and Proteus in the late '70s through the early '90s, just aren't made anymore. Sure, TIG welding can get you the same results, but nothing looks as good as nice lugs.

And yes, I know Rivendell still makes lugged steel frames—seeing as they're run by Bridgestone's brilliant crank of a bike designer—but, if I'm paying $5-6,000 for a bike, well . . .
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
A standard single speed go to work bike here costs about Rs 3000 - 4000 so roughly $55 - 75.

I reckon that's enough.



[ 24. September 2012, 15:28: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
I don't know about "classic", but for several years I rode to work (about 15 km each way) in a moderately hilly town on an old 10-speeed road bike. I did keep the bike well maintained, and key parts were replaced with sturdy but cheap ones as regularly as with the legendary "Grandpa's axe". The bike road beautifully ( I even raced on it a couple of times) But the steel frame looked its age with peeling paint, and original saddle looked equally battered (though still comfortable, for me at least).

But it had the great advantage that no-one wanted to pinch it. In fact, one day, a thief came to the bike racks at work (which were then open to the public) and preferred to cut through the lock on a new-looking mountain bike and take that instead of mine, which was totally unlocked!
 

---

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Tonight's bike shop adventure: fun with fixies! Specifically, one of these babies: a 2013 celeste Bianchi Pista. Now, I'd never ridden a track bike before, and only had an around-the-parking-lot trip on a fixed gear before, so getting some quality time on one of these? So much fun.

For those of you who aren't nucking futs enough to have tried one of these, track bikes are made only to go fast. There are two things that get in the way of going really fast: coasting and braking. To "encourage" you to go faster, a good track bike won't let you do either.

Needless to say, when the bike shop lets you test out their bike, there's a bit of "wreck this and we'll charge your corpse" black humor. Despite their semi-inexplicable popularity among hipsters, fixies are about the worst possible bikes for urban commuting—they don't stop easily, track wheels and tires, while light, break easily, you wear out quickly on any sort of hill, they're overly sensitive to steering, and the general setup . . . well, you feel like you're about to go over the front. If you're a track racer or bike messenger, those things are desirable, but for anyone else, it feels like bad news.

Certain death is worth the pure fun of one of these bikes. The pedals keep going even when you forget to work them (you eventually learn to let the bike move your legs when you would otherwise coast), you can use the pedals, instead of your hands, to slow down or stop, which leaves you feeling just that much more connected to the road and the bike . . . and did we mention that these things can go fast? That's important. Sure, your legs feel like jelly after a mile or two of going up and down hills, but to have that sort of union with your machine while you ride? Totally worth it. The silly thing's so much fun to ride. Even if it's utterly impractical, it's such a great feeling that it might be worth it.

I know what my second bike's going to be now. Not sure what the next one is, but there's now a Pista in my future.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
It sounds terrifying!

Thanks for the reminder, now off to bicycle repair man for a new tyre - was about to pump up the rear the other night and saw large split on the outer
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
It sounds terrifying!

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It is the first time or two you try to stop without using the brakes that, thankfully, were on this particular bike. After that, the terror becomes part of the fun—well, and you can dodge pretty much anything, since they turn on pennies. It's why nut job bike messengers loved them—not only could you keep up with urban traffic, but you could weave your way through it.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Three pounds, or five dollars, and I have a new rear tyre, all fitted and ready to go plus new rear brakes and a general clean and oil.


 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
I won't tell you how much I spend on a tyre, I get the puncture resistant ones as I'm too lazy fo fix punctures.

As for fixed, to omany hills around here. Number and range of gears is what matters.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Wow, I totally want a track bike as I am nuts for speed. However, I am also an urban commuter who doesn't run lights etc. so I won't. Still that sounds really really fun.
 

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Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
Personally I would not recommend a fixed wheel bike for around town riding. I had one for 3 years in the 1970s, when I was young and fit. I didn't find it particularly fast or manoevrable, and it forced me to be very wary in approaching anything where I might need to stop, as I would then have to restart from still, which is tricky, especially with toe-clips (which I used routinely). Downhills were a bit of a test too, as I had to move my legs pretty quickly.

I did get used to it though , even to the extent of riding 100 miles each way one long weekend to visit my then girlfriend (now my wife!).

Much more recently - last weekend in fact - I was pleased to ride a hot and hilly 40 km time trial at close to 30 km/h average speed. Not too bad for an old man who had a heart attack only 2 years ago, I thought. But I confess that I was on drugs, even if they are prescribed medicines for lowering cholestrol and blood pressure .
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I rode up a hill today. For those of you who don't know Christchurch (NZ) it's mostly flat except for Port Hills and Banks Penninsula (the bit that sticks out on the East Coast of the South Island). The hills are formed by dormant (hopefully extinct) volcanoes.

I totally stuffed up the gear changes - changed up instead of down and almost came to a dead stop. I think that I should start at the bottom of the hill on the lowest cog so that I need only shift through that - thoughts or advice on gear-changing welcome.

O, and I'm not very fit either - but as I will be riding this hill at least 3 time a week for the next 10 weeks that might change .

Huia -feeling my age
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
The trick with hill climbing is, if you can manage it, to get as much speed as you can coming up to the hill and on its lower slopes, changing gears just at the first hint that you won't be able to power through this, then dropping several gears very quickly so that you still have some speed behind you before things get tough. This is a lot easier to do if your shifters are mounted on the handlebars—if you have downtube mounted shifters like I do, you're going to have to downshift at least a few seconds before you'd really want to, and will have to do it more than you think necessary. Taking your hands off the handlebars while applying that much force to your bike is a good way to start a nasty wreck.

Summary: go real fast, then drop gears.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
The trick to hill climbing is to ride in the saddle. Do not spend large amounts of time out of the saddle, only get out of the saddle for short bursts when you need to accelerate or after a gear change.

Do't use your lowest gear, legs spinning furiously whilst the bike is hardly moving is going to tire you out. However using too high a gear is even more dangerous and could knacker your knees.

Keep a highish cadence, your legs should be spinning about 80 to 100 rpm. If your legs start slowing down, change down, if it feels easy change up. Even on those rare hills with the same gradient all the way up you will need to change down as you tire.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Ariston and Balaam.

I managed to catch my youngest brother on the phone last night. He regularly bikes over the hill into the valley where he lives ~ sea-level to 640ft above then back to 300ft, and he pointed out the strain on the chain that would be caused by what I was proposing. I think I'm going to have to develop a 'feel' for the road as there is a bit that dips before the gradient increases which would provide a place to get up some speed before changing.

Also my bike is going in for a service to ensure it's at it's best for the demands I'm making on it. It's only a couple of years old so I think it's mostly OK, but I have been told the back brake pads may need adjusting or replacement.
 

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Posted by Arethosemyfeet (# 17047) on :
 
My trike had a fairly catastrophic failure a few weeks back. Total loss of power from pedalling, had to push it 3 miles home. Turned out when my wife took it apart that I'd managed to fracture the sprocket, partially strip the teeth that locked it to the hub and pop the circlip out of place. A replacement sprocket got the thing back up and running, but it's left me a little concerned.

Any bike experts know whether this is likely to be a defective part or whether I'm likely to be cycling poorly in some fashion? I've done probably a thousand miles plus miles on it in 9 months with a Shimano Nexus hub gear.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
That is . . . not supposed to happen. Shimano's known for making pretty good parts, but even they have their errors; 1000 miles shouldn't wear out anything of that quality, no matter how you work it. I mean, I have a few vintage Suntour components on my bikes/low end Shimano sprockets, and I've never broken anything—even though I've done some things that you're not supposed to do with bikes or human legs.

IMHO, there was a defective part. The amount of strain you can put on any given component during even heavy exertion is simply not enough to cause that kind of damage to a fully functioning anything. They're designed to tolerate hard use; that they didn't means something in the manufacturing screwed up.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm with Ariston there - a defective part if ever I heard of one.
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Arethosemyfeet:
My trike had a fairly catastrophic failure a few weeks back. Total loss of power from pedalling, had to push it 3 miles home.

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That happened to me the other week. Freehub was knacked. Stock wheels on a Decathlon Sport 1 (predecessor to the much lauded Triban 3 which differs in having a carbon fork*) so no biggie; new wheel, £35.

I daresay I could spend ten times as much and go 0.1 MPH faster

*Mine has the carbon fork. I broke it against another bike in an underpass (don't ask); Decathlon ordered a like for like replacement for me (steel) but when it came in it was the wrong one. So they gave me the carbon Triban fork at cost - £50.

It is marginally more comfortable, without doubt.
 

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Posted by Arethosemyfeet (# 17047) on :
 
Thanks guys, it's not an expensive part (and was under warranty anyway), but if I thought I was going to go through one every few months I'd order in a spare.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
I've had freewheel hubs lose power under two years old on two different bikes. Never had any problems with cassettes though.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Me again with some questions. These aren't specific to bikes, but I have never done the kind of exercise to which they would apply.

Firstly, muscle pain. I'm very unfit. I know if I bike over about 20 kms I get pain in my thigh muscles, but it goes away after a couple of days. After riding up the slope to the school where I'll be working, my muscles weren't only sore, the next day I felt like I had lost power in them on just a short ride to the shops. Is there anything I can do to lessen this, or should it just go away as I get fitter?

I'm not contemplating Lance Armstrong type performance-enhancing drugs but is there a way I can make my cycling more pain-free, or is it just a matter of doing it and it will get better?

Is it better to ride through the pain on the following days, or walk, thus changing the muscles I use?

Of course if it's raining all bets are off and I'll take the bus

[ 21. October 2012, 05:35: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
The good news: it will eventually go away as you get used to it and your body figures out it had better help you out by growing stronger.

The bad news: that may take a while, and it will almost certainly hurt, though it will start to hurt less.

The not-as-good, but still good, news: it may not take as long as you fear, but probably longer than you'd like.

Don't try to "ride through" the pain the next day—a bit of minor soreness is one thing, but actual pain is something you really don't want to aggravate. Your muscles need time to heal, especially since that healing and growth is what helps make them stronger. Walking whenever you feel sore is a great thing to do; strengthening the muscles around those you use for cycling will help protect you from injury, as well as just generally being a Good Thing to Do. Take things slowly, be patient (well, patient as you can be), and trust that things are, in fact, getting better.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
...and don't go powering up hilld until you are strong enough to do it.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Damn Ariston - that mirrors closely what my GP said- I had to see her about sonething unrelated, so I thought I'd slip the question in while I was there.

Depending on the weather I may bike up the hill again tomorrow as it's a week since I last did and I have been doing a lot of walking as well as some easy biking on the flat.

Balaam - it's not so much powering, more like crawling.

I'm not really a patient person, but I am a wuss about pain, so am willing to take it gradually. Thanks for your support,

Huia
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
*pushing and pedaling up over the top*
It's cyclecross season—am I the only one paying attention to the mix of bikes and mud?
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Probably. I don't usually take notice until closer to the world championships in February.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
The National Cyclo-cross championships are about 12 miles from here in Bradford this year. (12th & 13th January) I'll get interested for that. Possibly a Ship's UK cyclist meet?
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
... and a shipmeet thread.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 will be in the well known French department of Yorkshire.

The actual route is not usually announced until after the previous year's race has run, so we'll have to wait to see that. But I'm excited already.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 will be in the well known French department of Yorkshire.

The actual route is not usually announced until after the previous year's race has run, so we'll have to wait to see that. But I'm excited already.

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I'm excited to

(Also thinking potential shipmeet)
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
...(Also thinking potential shipmeet)

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I do hope the route takes in Holmfirth, scene of the notoriously long-running television "comedy" Last of the Summer Wine. Professional cyclists riding over hilly cobbled streets would be a treat, especially it has been raining (which it usually has).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariston:
...Yes, they even make bikes specifically for racers to handle cobblestones at high speeds—lemmie tell ya, even on my "comfy" steel road bike, taking rough roads at a comparatively measly 30-35 kph can be tough on the ol' tuccus.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariston:

quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I do hope the route takes in Holmfirth, scene of the notoriously long-running television "comedy" Last of the Summer Wine. Professional cyclists riding over hilly cobbled streets would be a treat, especially it has been raining (which it usually has).

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Seeing as cobblestones are a common feature of many spring races, especially the Ronde van Vlaanderen,, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did just that. Yes, they even make bikes specifically for racers to handle cobblestones at high speeds—lemmie tell ya, even on my "comfy" steel road bike, taking rough roads at a comparatively measly 30-35 kph can be tough on the ol' tuccus.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I'm predicting a prologue in Leeds that will be identical to every other city prologue, a circuitous mostly-flat stage starting from Leeds and finishing there as well, and then a fairly direct transitional stage from some other place to London.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariston:
But . . . but . . . I want cobbles! And for the stage to end at the Black Sheep or Sam Smith's brewery! Isn't that how bike races are supposed to end?

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Try your local club's Cat 3 for that, not the Tour de France.

[ 15. December 2012, 14:49: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
*BUMP*


With 2012 having come to an end yesterday, I can now proudly report that I clocked up 6014.6 km for the year, an average of 16.43 km per day which easily exceeds my target of 4800 km.

Hopefully this year I'll do a lot more, mainly by not having 6 weeks worth of no cycling at all due to the bike being off the road.


The total for 2013 is already off to a good start today, an almost completely flat 33.4 km was knocked off in 68 minutes. It could have been more, but with my local railway line closing for 6-9 months as of tomorrow it was too tempting to take the lazy option up the hill for one last time!
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
An enjoyable day watching the British Cyclo-Cross championships.

Next is Thursday evening outside Leeds Town Hall, when the routes for the Yorkshire legs of the 2014 Tour de France will be announced.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I had an immensely enjoyable weekend at the Cycling Australia Road National Championships, contested on the toughest national championship course in the world at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat.

The women's race on the Saturday afternoon was a fantastically competitive race, with the early breakaway splintering under pressure from attacks coming out of the mob. It ended with a group of four all-rounders eventually contesting a drag race (not a 'proper' sprint) on the finishing straight with Gracie Elvin of Orica-GreenEDGE winning the right to wear the much-respected green and gold jersey through the next season.

I then did the Amy Gillett Foundation ride on the 100km distance in the morning on the Sunday, which raises funds and awareness for sharing the road safely. The surfaces on the roads to the east and north of Ballarat are pretty nasty, and combined with the hideously cold weather made me appreciate the steeper hills and hot weather on Amy's Ride SA back in November.

The men's road race was in the afternoon, with a huge crowd further up on the hill. A break of seven riders went away the first time up the hill from the start, getting up to eight minutes clear at one point. Things got interesting in the last third of the race, the mob got back to about four minutes behind before it started falling apart under the pressure of many attacks. Luke Durbridge of Orica-GreenEDGE managed to burn the other six guys in the break one by one before putting in the three fastest laps of the race for a solo win a minute over the remaining 24 riders in the pack sprinting for second. He's be the first national champion of Australia in the open era to do the double and win the time trial and road race in the same year, a very worthy champion in my opinion.

While it would have been good for at least one of the four major titles to be be won by a rider from a team other than Orica-GreenEDGE (the only Australian international team), I don't think their dominance is entirely a bad thing. It would have been disappointing if the national title was won by a domestic rider, the jersey deserves to be honoured in the international peleton where it is accorded the huge amount of respect due to the winner of such a tough one-day race that's taken seriously by so many international-level riders. That's not something that many countries have a reputation for these days with trade teams having first call on their riders during the northern hemisphere season.

Above all, it was definitely an event I would go back to again, I specifically appreciated the more sensible approach of the marshals/police not clamping down too hard on people being on the course between the pass of the Sag Wagon and the lead cars on the next lap. Being able to cycle along the course to a different vantage point on each lap was a great way to watch the women's race on the Saturday, I might express my thanks by volunteering at next year's event.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
The TDF 2014 has been launched in Leeds. Anyone want a Shipmeet on Holme Moss?
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The 2013 Vuelta a España route was also announced this week. Eleven summit finishes will make it a very tough race, if Froome has to wait for Wiggins every time he'll be finishing back with the sprinters!

The WorldTour is in Adelaide this week (we get it every year, not just a couple of days in 2014) which means a good chance of spotting the big teams out training. I saw BMC with their recently crowned World Champion Philippe Gilbert out training, with the local rider from Lotto-Belisol Carlee Taylor joining them and giving them a guide to the infamous Corkscrew Road climb. There's also a TdF champion in town, Andy Schleck is finally making good on his promise to give Stuart O'Grady's home race a shot. Many of the teams will also be sending riders to join in a public fundraising ride tomorrow morning to support research into muscular dystrophy, before the serious business begins with the super-criterium on Sunday night which is the first competitive event of the 2013 international road cycling season. Fun times!

The English leg of the 2014 TdF is somewhat surprising, I was expecting one flat time trial geared for Wiggins or Thomas and two sprinters' stages to give Cavendish easy wins. Instead of a time trial we've got the 'other' stage as a one day route for the puncheurs (the powerful guys like Philippe Gilbert, Simon Gerrans, Fabian Cancellara, Thomas de Gendt, Alessandro Valverde and Thor Hushovd) which is a huge surprise since England doesn't really have any top one day riders. Kudos to the TdF team for not allowing the English side of the organisation to completely compromise the sporting aspect of it in the name of appealing to the local front-running fans.

I wasn't going to talk about Doperah on here (more worthy of a hell thread) but I will be attempting to watch in the vain hope that it turns out to be like this preview of what is to come.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Yeah, I'm still waiting for him to name names in UCI. Not anxiously, mind you, but I'll believe there might be something to all this hype when that happens. I think Nicole Cooke whacked the nail on the head in her retirement speech.

Okay, 'nuff about that. Back to us duffers. Is there anyone else out there who uses Strava or something similar to track their rides/times/try desperately to beat the local competition in sprints? I've found it can occasionally be a good way to guilt my non-commuting butt into actually riding at 1 in the morning when traffic's gone and pedestrians are asleep (and not blocking my trails—twisty little paths are fun at 23 MPH!), but also humbling when everyone you follow commutes 30 miles each day.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
When I was a kid my brother and I set off for a ride down an unsealed road to a local beauty-spot called "The Catch-pole" around 12kms from home. I never made it because my back tyre blew out around 2 kms short of the target.

Now, around 45 years later I, have finally completed the ride . I know it's not that far - I frequently ride further, but I have wanted to ride that stretch of road ever since.

At least the road is now sealed so it was a bit smoother than it was.

Huia - one off the bucket list.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Good to know that preparations for the 2014 Tour are already well advanced.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
The English leg of the 2014 TdF is somewhat surprising, I was expecting one flat time trial geared for Wiggins or Thomas and two sprinters' stages to give Cavendish easy wins.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:


Now, around 45 years later I, have finally completed the ride . I know it's not that far - I frequently ride further, but I have wanted to ride that stretch of road ever since.

At least the road is now sealed so it was a bit smoother than it was.

Huia - one off the bucket list.

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well done.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The international road cycling season starts in the Adelaide parklands this evening with a 51km circuit race to be contested by all 18 WorldTour teams and a composite national team. It will be a pleasantly warm evening for some great racing and a good ride into the city.
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
And I am actually going to watch my first race. Hooray.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Patdys:
And I am actually going to watch my first race. Hooray.

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Get there early, the crowd will be huge. But at least there's a women's race early to keep the entertainment level up.
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the breeze generated from the peloton. Wow.
It really has been a most enjoyable day. Endorphins in the morning with ride like crazy and watching clever cyclists on bikes like my bmc in the evening. I think God must be a cyclist.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
It tends to be a bit more exciting on the open road stages, but the convoy behind the race is something pretty cool to watch. Especially if sprint king Robbie McEwen is at the wheel, nobody else would mess with the Orica-GreenEDGE team car!

Great sprint finish tonight, proof again that Andre Greipel is currently the best sprinter in the world. He might lose the odd one or two to Cavendish, but he's definitely more likely than Cav to be up for it if the course, conditions and lead-out are anything other than absolutely perfect. I'm sure that Matt Goss will get a win against Andre the Giant at some point, he's finished second so many times that the law of averages should come in his favour eventually!
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I found a site live streaming so was able to enjoy the last pert of the race....nearly made me late for church!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
It does help that Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen could describe even a paint-drying contest so well it would seem exciting! Having watched the coverage on delay, I'm very disappointed that it's not on SBS so it could have been called by Matt Keenan, Scott McGrory and Kate Bates, while they aren't as colourful in their descriptions as Phil & Paul they do have a much better knowledge of the current riders and the tactics involved (and don't have any shady business connections to You-Know-Who).

It was good to see Jens Voigt off the front for the majority of the race, but what a nasty sadist to put the peleton in that kind of pain just because he wanted to entertain the crowd! This is a guy who made Brad McGee (a great cyclist in his own right) collapse on the side of the road from the effort it took to just stay on Jens' wheel in a two man escape on the last 25km of a Tour de France stage.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
NSFW* - 2013 bike pr0n from the TDU event village.

Overall I like Euskatel's Orbea, Argos-Shimano's Felt and Orica-GreenEDGE's Scott the best.

Argos-Shimano and Euskatel have the best liveries, while the Bianchi of Vaconsoleil-DCM could actually look good (rare for a Bianchi) if only they fixed the livery. The clash of Lampre and Merida colours on the Lampre-Merida bikes is hideous (but distinctive) while Team Sky earn minus points for putting a pithy poem on their Pinarello's top tube.

Lotto-Belisol's Ridley and Garmin-Sharp's Cervelo are both hideous bikes to look at, but I think I could cope if somebody told me I had to ride one. Somehow I don't think Andre the Gorilla would have cared about his Ridley's looks when it carried him to many kisses from the podium girls (stage win, leader's jersey and points jersey) at Lobethal today!

Interestingly, out of the sixteen bikes shown (Movistar and BMC missing) only Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Team Cannondale and Saxo-Tinkoff are still using mechanical gear shifting. Everybody else has the Shimano Di2 or Campagnolo EPS electronic systems, which I'm told do take a bit of getting used to if you're new to the systems.


What do you all think?


* not safe for wife.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
My first thought was how uncomfortable the saddles all look!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
See the Saxo-Tinkoff bike of Jay McCarthy for the worst example. I wonder if the directeur sportif told the mechanic to fit that so Jay would ride faster, because finishing earlier means off that saddle earlier?

So Wodders, which one would you want to put a rack and panniers on to do some errands?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Lampre’s Merida Scultura SL would look great with a shopping basket up front!


 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The story of the racing today is that there has been a large crash of about 15 riders in the closing kilometres, including the world champion Philippe Gilbert who would have been the perfect winner for today's stage.

The disorganisation in the peleton after that allowed Geraint Thomas of Team Sky to stay away from the closing chasers to win the stage by one second and take the GC lead by five. You could say that it was luck which got him over the line except that going on the attack at the exact point he did was anything but lucky, in front is the place to be on a descent where crashes can happen.

Hopefully Gilbert and the others in the crash aren't injured, I think he's a good bloke and a very worthy world champion. It would be great to see Gilbert on one of his trademark audacious attacks like the one which got him the pretty rainbow stripes late last year, maybe on the last lap into Stirling tomorrow?
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
. . . while the Bianchi of Vaconsoleil-DCM could actually look good (rare for a Bianchi) if only they fixed the livery.

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You. Did NOT. Just call Bianchis ugly. There's a reason the local bike shop keeps a crowbar and a rag next to theirs—it's to pry me off and clean up the drool, sometimes after my offer of a nice night out (which gets a better reaction than . . . well, nevermind).

Some people. No taste.
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
Friends, riding KOM repeats, racing, cowbells, beer, BBQ, life has been kind today. I don't know who won and don't care but loved being a part of the chaos, start and finish and all in between.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Having not ridden a bike since I was 18, I bought a bicycle yesterday!

I tried out one of the "Boris Bikes" a few weekends ago and enjoyed it so much I thought i'd get my own. It's a Dutch style "sit up and beg" kind of bike, with a basket on the front, so it's nothing like the sort of thing you're all talking about on the thread, but i'm very pleased with it nonetheless and i'm looking forward to riding it to pottery tonight.

I bought it secondhand because anything new looking doesn't last 5 minutes where I live. I'm hoping it doesn't look "special" enough to attract bike thieves!
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Enjoy your new bike. Sit up and beg bikes are great when you want to be able to get round town, carry stuff easily etc. Enjoy.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
LMM -good for you. Although I bought my bike in 2011 it is a similar style, in that I am riding upright.

Do get a basket, not only for utility but they have other uses. I read a book titled "Bike" by an English woman and one of the things that has stuck in my mind was that bikes with baskets were far less likely to be stolen - apparently they aren't as 'cool' or something. She got this info from the Metropolitan Police. A good lock is useful too as it stops kids joyriding, and thread it through the frame, not just the wheel. Having said that I believe that if someone is really determined and has bolt cutters they can probably still nick it.

My philosophy is to take all the care I can, then try not to worry about it.

Happy biking.

Huia
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have a basket on the front and a carry rack on the back of mine - vital pieces of kit as far as I am concerned.

Enjoy your cycling.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I go for a jack-of-all-trades approach in general. Medium-weight alloy hybrid frame combined with slick tyres, but it still has the three holes necessary at the back to attach a rear rack rated for 25 kilograms. The usual carrying solution there is one or both of a Tioga 52L waterproof pannier pair. That setup is easily adequate for a fortnight's worth of general shopping, the panniers expanding out to fit a flat-bottomed grocery bag each.

At the same time, it's also good enough to do a nice long road ride if I take the panniers off, and even off-road tracks as well if I put more appropriate tyres on.

If I ever get around to it, this (with a tent tied on top of the rack) would be an ideal setup for a camping-cycling trip, which I would love to do from Adelaide to Melbourne along the southern coast.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Watching the National Track Championships tonight, two more SA gold medals added to the total this evening already, still three more events to go!

It's always great to watch a good team pursuit, and good this time to know it's the last time we'll be seeing the women riding the shorter format 3000m distance with 3 riders. After the World Championships in Minsk the women will be switching to be the same as the men, 4000m with 4 riders.


The women's sprint finals are on now, with the title of "best sprinter other than Anna Meares" up for grabs with the Olympic sprint queen taking a break this season. Good to see Steph Morton doing well, she came to the sport through winning Paralympic Gold in London as a tandem pilot, then transferring to the SASI elite program.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Do get a basket, not only for utility but they have other uses. I read a book titled "Bike" by an English woman and one of the things that has stuck in my mind was that bikes with baskets were far less likely to be stolen - apparently they aren't as 'cool' or something. She got this info from the Metropolitan Police. A good lock is useful too as it stops kids joyriding, and thread it through the frame, not just the wheel. Having said that I believe that if someone is really determined and has bolt cutters they can probably still nick it.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
Having not ridden a bike since I was 18, I bought a bicycle yesterday!

I tried out one of the "Boris Bikes" a few weekends ago and enjoyed it so much I thought i'd get my own. It's a Dutch style "sit up and beg" kind of bike, with a basket on the front, so it's nothing like the sort of thing you're all talking about on the thread, but i'm very pleased with it nonetheless and i'm looking forward to riding it to pottery tonight.

I bought it secondhand because anything new looking doesn't last 5 minutes where I live. I'm hoping it doesn't look "special" enough to attract bike thieves!

---

1. Start off ultra-defensive and work on your bike handling - keeping a predictable line, manoeuvring around parked cars with a metre of space, stopping/starting without wobbling/weaving and using the gears if you have them. This is about generally learning how your bike handles, how to make it handle how you want it to handle, and how to handle it without having to think too much about cornering or braking.
   
   You'll need to practice how to balance preparing for a corner (braking and turning) and making a hand signal, since you may be required to make hand signals for a left turn, right turn and stopping by law. In Australia, only the right turn signal is required of cyclists by law, but road etiquette dictates you also do the left turn and stop signals if there are other road users around who will not otherwise be able to predict what you're doing.
   
   Even better than quiet streets, this can work really well if there's a large car park that belongs to a place which is not in use at the time, such as a large office complex or bus interchange on the weekend, or a venue like a stadium, theatre, sporting club or large church that has nobody there on a weekday morning. Outdoor netball courts are also good for this! In a large car park you have the freedom to do two things - ride wherever you want (ignoring the lines) as you learn how you and the bike get along together, or use the lines and practice braking, cornering and lane discipline with the freedom of not hitting anything on either side.
2. You'll start to get a bit more confident and you'll get to know your own capacity a bit, especially braking distances and the time it takes you to make a left turn following the kerb, cross an intersection straight ahead and make a right turn crossing traffic (reverse left/right if you're an American/European who keeps to the right). Part of this (which does need streets, not a large car park) is learning to judge when there's a good enough gap from a car approaching to make a move, which looks quite different on a bike compared to looking for that as a pedestrian or car driver.
   
   Be very aware of being "doored" - colliding with a vehicle door which opens as you pass it too close which only happens to a person once for a very good reason! If you can't tell that there's nobody in the right hand side of a vehicle, keep well away.
3. The next step is to take this capacity and use it on some shared paths, adding to your repertoire the ability to react to pedestrian hazards (dogs especially) and keep it straight in a narrow lane. Shared paths will often have some more testing curves which should be good fun, especially when you have to take the curve instead of lazily straightening it out like you can on a street with more space.
4. Once you're confident on a bike path, take it to some streets that have bike lanes. This is the first really tough bit, because lane discipline really starts to matter now, a bike lane does not exempt you from having to be aware of the traffic, you'll need to look out for pedestrians crossing your path (major cycling safety rule - all pedestrians are so stupid that all the day-glo and flashing lights in the world won't alert them to the fact traffic is coming) and people generally not being able to predict what you're doing. Start off doing this during the quieter times.
5. The prize for taking this step of riding in on-road bike lanes is that you might develop the traffic awareness to then ride on most roads in urban areas even without bike lanes. On the other hand, you might find that you've reached your limits and that dealing with the local drivers is not for you.

Traffic awareness is a complicated thing, because it works differently in different areas and different traffic situations. For example, I've found in the times I've cycled in Victoria (Ballarat, Geelong and inner south-eastern Melbourne) that you never ever attempt to 'take the lane' when going through a corner or a narrow section without room to overtake. It's a great way to signal "this bit isn't safe to overtake, just hold on a few seconds then I'll move over" which is understood as such in South Australia, but it seems in Victoria that it's a declaration of war.

[coding fixed]

[ 04. February 2013, 02:34: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Dave Walker (# 14) on :
 
A cycling thread! Seems like a good place for a first non-meet post in... well, years.

LLM - always great to hear from someone who has been converted to cycling. I think someone needs to invent an Alpha course equivalent for cycling. It would teach the basics over ten weeks in a friendly group setting, along with the serving of some kind of pasta / shepherds pie. Not sure who the Nicky Gumbel figure on the video would be though.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Probably not Andy Schleck when it comes to the bit about how to change gears
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I'd love something about changing gears, but I suspect my main problem is that I change up when I want to change down (and vice versa) Of course that means when I'm climbing hills I come to a dead stop, which is a little frustrating - good thing Christchurch is flat apart from the Port Hills.

The other things I find that help are: yelling out "Thanks" a lot (when pedestrians and other traffic give way) - and "sorry" when necessary;
screaming when I hear a car door latch begin to open also gets remarkable results (not a carefully thought out strategy, but a terror reaction).

With the increased volume of heavy traffic due to the rebuilding, I also found a sign on a truck that said, "If you can't see my mirrors I can't see you" helpful too.

Huia
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Be very aware of being "doored" - colliding with a vehicle door which opens as you pass it too close which only happens to a person once for a very good reason! If you can't tell that there's nobody in the right hand side of a vehicle, keep well away.

---

quote:

---

Once you're confident on a bike path, take it to some streets that have bike lanes. [...] The prize for taking this step of riding in on-road bike lanes is that you might develop the traffic awareness to then ride on most roads in urban areas even without bike lanes.

---

That sort of slow ramp-up from cycle path, to dedicated lanes, to ordinary roads, is not possible in London, or most British cities. There are few off-road cycle paths, bike lanes don't connect up into a network (though its getting better), and car drivers routinely ignore them anyway and drive or park on them, and people dump skips on them (again and again, I got so fed up with that), and if they are safe from cars then people walk in them anyway, so they don't provide much of a safe network. If you are going to cycle to get about in London, you need to go on roads shared with motor vehicles right from day one.

That's not as bad as it might sound, for about three reasons.

First, its less dangerous cycling in inner-city jammed-up roads than it is in the country or in outer suburbs because the cars and lorries aren't moving so fast.

Second, you get a glow of superiority as you pootle lazily past some motionless cars whose radios alone probably cost more than your bike. Two wheels is easily the fastest way to get around in London. And when things really jam up you can go multimodal, step off the bike, and continue on the pavement.

Third, and most important, although there are few cycle lanes and those often not much use, there are an awful lot of quiet streets that you can use to get where you are going. It might take a little bit longer, but its much more pleasant as well as safer. You can go pretty much anywhere on a mixed network of backstreets and cycle lanes and open spaces and canal paths and the odd trip onto the pavement. Anyone who cycles in London is very likely to develop their own set of favourite routes, which might be different from everyone else's, and its fun exploring and finding them and learning more about London and seeing places you might not have seen otherwise.

So (for example, just because I'm used to it) there is no need to cycle down Old Kent Road if you don't want to (and I certainly don't!) You can find connecting routes that parallel it through the estates just north of it. Cars can't do that because although most of the journey is on streets that they can use, there are little connecting bits that involve jumping the pavement, or a short distance on a footpath or using a street blocked off with bollards. And I think just about every major route in Inner London has similar safer bypasses for bicycles.

And, what's more, you can get good free maps from the London Cycling Campaign and London Transport - and their routefinder for bikes is actually quite good as well now (even with Evil Bank Branding all over it)
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I had two major Andy Schleck moments while out on my hybrid today.

The first was that I cross-shifted down onto the small chain ring while applying too much power going up a hill and dropped the chain.

The second was that I was felt tired and quit my ride early.
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
TGC's post bringing this thread to the top of the list prompts my first ever post on it. I have a bog-standard Ridgeback Velocity (aka Rapide/Speed). I use it all the time to get around on a day to day basis, but rarely for anything longer. My longest rides tend to be round trips of 12-14 miles. I've had it for a few years now and clocked up about 3,000 miles, all work related. Family circs mean leisure cycling is a rarity.

Today is a red letter day as I'm back on my bike 12 weeks to the day after coming off it and fracturing my hip. It is good to be back on two wheels today My daughter will be pleased that I can take her to school tomorrow.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Well done on being confident enough to get back on after such a major injury, many people never return to cycling after a big crash.

I like the look of that machine, it's got a good solid list of specs and a classic clean frame design. Look after it well and it should keep rolling nicely for many years to come.

Interesting to see the very PC way they refer to women's frames these days - "open frame."


Track World Championships are on this weekend coming up. The sessions we get on TV here in Australia are the evening sessions, which would be fine except for the time difference to Minsk making it a 3am alarm for me in Adelaide. I wouldn't mind getting into some track racing myself, maybe once I graduate and become a teacher I'll join a club.

I'll mainly be cheering for the top South Australian riders Stephanie Morton (sprint events), Glenn O'Shea (omnium and team pursuit), Alex Edmonson (points race and team pursuit) and our superstar Annette Edmonson (omnium favourite, and team pursuit).
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
Yes, it's a good solid bike, but not too heavy. Importantly for me, it's a sensible price.

The only problem I had with it when new was that it had a smaller castor angle than its predecessor. This makes it easier to trun sharply whether by design or by…

I came down a hill braking and preparing to turn right, the wheel turned a bit more sharply than I expected, and I went right over it across the lane for oncoming traffic. I turned a flukey perfect somersault across the mouth of the road I had been intending to turn into, and landed on my feet in front of an astonished couple who had been preparing to cross the road.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Ah, the perils of getting used to a new bike.

For anybody interested, SBS did a feature with Steph Morton after she won three green and gold champion's jerseys at the national championships a few weeks ago, including the title of Best Sprinter In Australia Other Than Queen Anna. What a fantastic young ambassador for the sport!
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I had two major Andy Schleck moments while out on my hybrid today.

The first was that I cross-shifted down onto the small chain ring while applying too much power going up a hill and dropped the chain.

The second was that I was felt tired and quit my ride early.

---

 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Happy pedaliing Bro James/

GCB - those frames are advertised as "step-through" here.

Handy tip for dumb cyclists - Never get on your bike if you have a urinary tract infection
 

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Posted by HenryT (# 3722) on :
 
Still snow out there, but I have the bike back from annual service. Now I need to find a couple of spinning classes again to firm up the muscles.
I didn't come last in the work commute challenge last year. On endomondo, where I tracked last year, I logged 790 km commuting in 49 rides.
 

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Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
Hi Folks

Thought I'd chip in here. For the last 30 years I've had it in mind that a bike one acquires is a) used and b) costs 30 quid. The last one I had for 15 years, and it went from being a shit racer that no-one wanted to a trendy retro object that someone decided to nick from outside my work, locked to a post.

So...I took a deep breath and spent over 10x my mental budget on a Dahon folder I can get inside my office. It's great - 20" wheels (some of my commute is over cobbles, which are OK (just) on these...I suspect 16" wheels might be just too filling-loosening) - 7 gears on a derailleur, since I don't fancy fixing a fancy hub gear, the highest of which is high enough to be too tall for my legs to outrun, and the lowest gets me up steep canal towpath bridges doing little wheelies.
I'm really pleased with it, and think I might acquire some luggage. Folders are allowed on Manchester trams which is another plus.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Team GB is rebuilding after the Olympics but there seems to be an off-the-shelf replacement for Vicky Pendleton in Becky James, winner of four medals, the deciding factor in Britain topping the medals table in Minsk.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Thnk you everyone for your newish cycler advice! I've not been around much because I've been putting the advice into practice!

I've had my bike for exactly four weeks today, and have ridden it lots, so much so that I had to catch the bus the other day and couldn't remember the last time I had done so! I have ridden it to all my evening meetings, to my pottery class, to Tesco's, to the tube station, when going out for lunch and just for fun to see how I was getting on. I still really like it.
I fell off last week and banged my head, which knocked my confidence a bit, but I think in a way I now feel like one of the things I was worried about has happened and I survived so I'm a bit less anxious about it. Stupidly I fell off whist pretty much stationary - I had something heavy in the basket and I thought the bike had stopped when I braked but I was on a slight slope and the weight in the basket made the bike move forward and it knocked me off my feet, then fell on top of me and knocked my head into the ground! I am now looking for a helmet, but every helmet I have tried on has been too small for my head... The search continues.

I have been cycling on a good mix of cycle paths and quiet roads, and have worked out some good routes that get me to the places I go regularly in a reasonably safe way. I am also being a bit braver about cycling in roads with actual cars, and feel much more confident about doing so, though I won't be tackling the Old Kent Road any time soon - I had to go along it a very little bit yesterday and went on the path... Naughty I know, but I hop off the bike if I go past pedestrians.

Yesterday I cycled to East Dulwich which involved going up Barry Road which isn't a steep hill but is a kind of relentless slope all the way up for a mile. I got to the bottom and looked at it and told myself that I would cycle as far as I could and that I could get off when I couldn't go uphill any more and just walk with the bike up the rest, which would give me a target to beat next time... But I started cycling up and totally got to the top, which I am very pleased with myself about because it shows that I'm noticeably fitter than I was when I got the bike four weeks ago, so that feels like good progress.

Hope everyone else is enjoying cycling.
LMM
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Well, my commute's 14.5 miles each way, and that's hilly miles (700'-900' depending on direction, with the larger climb on the way home); I'm not athletic enough to do it every day. Or brave enough, when the wind doth blow and the rain it raineth and doth make the tram tracks like unto a cunning device for breaking both me and my steed.

I have an elderly BSO (Bike Shaped Object - a bike that's a bit crap) which will now live at Sheffield railway station and have acquired an old hardtail for (a) mucking about with the kids, (b) doing some singletrack for a change, and (c) leaving at Chesterfield station. Plan is, when I'm not doing the whole journey on a proper bike (i.e. a road bike with drop handlebars), I'll use the hardtail for the 1.5 miles to the station, get the train, then use the BSO for the 3 miles at the other end, which is largely flat so not a problem. And the BSO is old and shite enough not to be a particularly attractive proposition for toerags, or too heartbreaking if they nick it anyway.

Should result in 100 miles a week for me in total.

Anyone here use Strava?
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Anyone here use Strava?

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Yup. Although, granted, I usually don't track the 2-mile-or-less rides on there that probably actually add a bit more distance than I think they do...because, of course, it undercounts my actual distance and only screws up when you've broken a record.
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Elderly Bike Shaped Object is heavy and nasty Almost flat run and what do I average - 11 crappy stupid MPH.

Blaming it on cycling in work shoes.

In other news, I flagged someone's ride in Strava last night. Suspiciously they did a circular from point A followed by going back on themselves before diverting to and finishing at point B. The suspicious bit is that up to returning to point A their achievements were all believable. Between the return to point A and the finishing point their speeds were exactly like those you'd get if you put your bike on top of a car and drove home, leaving the smartphone/garmin running...
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Big ride for me tomorrow including a very rare chance to ride out of Adelaide into the hills on a closed-off South Eastern freeway with the Heysen Tunnel, instead of the twisty old Mt Barker Road that it replaced.

The old road is an excellent ride in either direction, with some great corners for the high speed downhill run as it twists around the contours. This will be my first time riding up the new freeway, I'm guessing it will be a nicer road surface, but that appreciation of it will be overshadowed by the steeper grade as it goes straight up the hill.

It's also good that the cycling community get to have an excellent road closed for a couple of hours for their benefit. It's nothing compared to what cyclists in the eastern suburbs had to cop over recent weeks with the Clipsal 500 circuit blocking off the eastern parklands so the motoring community could get their jollies.


Also sort of in cycling, Anna Meares and Chris Hoy have raced against each other on equal terms for the first time over the last couple of days - in equal cars at the celebrity race of the Australian Grand Prix. It turns out that the best female sprinter in the world is better than the best male sprinter in the world - Meares has beaten Hoy in two out of two races so far with one more potentially to come tomorrow!
 

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Posted by Desert Daughter (# 13635) on :
 
Another folder fan here. I'm now in Year Two of my life as a Brompton rider and really wonder how I could live without one for so long. I use it for commuting to work (either riding all the way or taking it on the tramway for part of the trip)and even for longish weekend rides. It's a very tough little bike. Of course the 16'' wheels are not ideal for negotiating cobblestoned streets. But the advantages outweigh that.
My other bike (a Koga Miyata Tiebreaker, to which I now refer affectionately as "The Truck") still gets good mileage though, for the simple reason that I can load it with big and heavy panniers (for shopping & longer trips).

I've fitted both bikes with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, not the fastest option, but (hopefully) puncture-proof.

[ 16. March 2013, 11:00: Message edited by: Desert Daughter ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
LMM - good to know your bike is being useful as well as enjoyable. I like using a basket, but they do affect steering. Helmets are compulsory here.

My bike isn't a folder, but it fits on the bike carrier on the front of the bus. These only take 2 bikes, so it's first in first served. I've only used it a couple of times as my height (or the lack thereof) makes unfolding the rack difficult and means I also need to ask the driver to 'kneel' the bus.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Did the 110 km in 4 hours 28 minutes, not bad for a course with over 1800 metres of climbing along the way.
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
Nicely done cheesey. How was the grind up the freeway?
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The freeway was fun, I was taking it easy while riding with a couple of friends who would turn off for the 50 km option on the first time through Summertown. The freeway isn't too steep really, while it doesn't wind around the hill like the old road it is also more consistent without the steep ramps, false flats and extra height you get on the old road before dipping down into Crafers. I would much rather do the old road on a descent though, there aren't any fun corners on the freeway!

The hardest hill of the day was Old Mt Barker Road from Bridgewater to Piccadilly, coming 70 km into the course and only a couple of minutes after getting up Germantown Hill from the Onkaparinga Valley - a total of about 290 m of height gained in 6 kilometres of climbing puts those sections at roughly the same grade as the freeway. At least with the freeway the whole pack of 50/80/110 km riders were all together and there were more people to mark for pace, by the time I got to Bridgewater I was with a girl in Orica-GreenEDGE kit on a very nice Orbea and there was only one other person in visual range, and he was a fat guy we quickly overhauled (but would have been good to draft on the flat Onkaparinga Valley Road).

The last hills section from Uraidla across to Ashton and then down Montacute Road was probably the most fun descent I'd ever done. Not only was it fun, I also managed to succeed where Philippe Gilbert, road race champion of the world, failed earlier this year - keeping the rubber side down the whole way. This was also the site of the funniest moment of the day, overtaking two men who were bemoaning the unwise decision to have a hot cross bun at every rest stop - they lost about 20 minutes on us over the remaining 22 kilometres!


After looking at the highlight video from Milan-San Remo that was contested overnight, I do realise I probably don't have much to complain about. Weather shortened the race by 90 kilometres with a 50 kilometre neutralised transfer in the team buses and another major climb bypassed after the restart. A light-hearted poll on the SBS live coverage chat had 0% saying they would like a super-domestique in these conditions, 16% wanted a sherpa and 83% preferred the team bus!

What this does mean is that Melbourne-Warnambool will reclaim the record of the longest race in the world - for this season at least. If bad weather continues to affect the Classics and causes Liege-Bastogne-Liege to be cancelled it will also gain (indefinitely) the record as the oldest continually-run race in the world.

Congratulations to MTN-Qhubeka for getting the first win for an African team in a big European race with Ciolek getting in ahead of Sagan and Cancellara, unfortunately no third year running for the Aussies after Goss and Gerrans in 2011/12. Brits might be interested to note that Stannard managed to come in sixth on the same time as the leading group, this is notable when you look at the poor record of British riders and the tactical ineptitude of Team Sky in major one day races.

[ 17. March 2013, 21:40: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Oh, I forgot to mention one important thing - my most important tip to pass on to anybody else doing events like this would be to learn the art of eating a banana while cycling. You don't want to spend too much time at the rest stops as it will make it harder to get going again, much better to quickly fill up drink bottles, load food into the jersey's pockets and get going again before you cool down and tighten up.
 

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Posted by Arethosemyfeet (# 17047) on :
 
How are UK folks finding cycling in the current weather? Friday's gales (about 45mph gusting to 65mph) were around about the limit of what is safe for me to ride in, but we've not had any snow. Are other Shipmates still able to take to the roads?
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Damn, I find 40-50 km/h to be more than enough for me when combined with the hills around here, multiplying that by 1.6 to take it up to 45 mph sounds insane!
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Back in my hometown, the usual 10-mile cycling lap for pretty much everyone, myself included, was around one of the 10 best sailing lakes in the US. And, back then, I only occasionally got to use my dad's 1980's vintage Trek 300 Elance (complete with downtube friction shifting!); no, usually I got my good cro-moly steel mountain bike.

Wind? I can tell you about wind. Up on the dam, you could count on a 25-35 MPH sustained wind on any given day, gusting 10 higher—and that was normal. The windsurfers loved it (never a bad day for them!), but the cyclists, especially those of us sitting upright on heavy steel fat-tired bikes, had other opinions.

Nowadays, everyone in my local herd seems to think I'm the fast one and wonders how I manage the local hills on Ye Olde Schwinn. If they only knew...
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
I find cycling in the wind really hard. I ventured to Covent Garden a couple of weeks ago which involved cycling over Waterloo Bridge and the wind was knocking me into the curb. I had to work really hard to try and control the bike and was tired out by the other side, not because of the cycling but because of the upper body strength it took to stay on track! The big basket on the front of the bike doesn't help either as it is like a sail in the wind!

I can't seem to get above 10mph no matter how hard I try, or at least not for more than a minute, because everywhere I cycle here involves going through little barriers or around sharp bends or crossing busy roads. I average 8mph at best, so i'm impressed when people manage to go faster than that...
 

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Posted by Arethosemyfeet (# 17047) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Damn, I find 40-50 km/h to be more than enough for me when combined with the hills around here, multiplying that by 1.6 to take it up to 45 mph sounds insane!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Arethosemyfeet:

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Damn, I find 40-50 km/h to be more than enough for me when combined with the hills around here, multiplying that by 1.6 to take it up to 45 mph sounds insane!

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In the interests of clarity, I should point out that I ride one of these:
http://bakfiets.nl/nl/accessoires/cargotrike/breed/tent+trike+zwart/#0

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YES! A bakfiets!
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
So a local bike shop I occasionally go to is going to the Giro d'Italia this year! They explain the details in the video, but it's a pretty big deal around here; it's not every day a group of locals makes it to the big race!

Kind of interesting to think that I've been in rides with a few of these guys—that bike shop is often a meeting place for East Coast advocacy rides (like the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington), and, from what I remember, they're pretty dang fast.

Best of luck to everyone!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
nice one, probably the second-best fake UCI announcement of yesterday.
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
I find cycling in the wind really hard. I ventured to Covent Garden a couple of weeks ago which involved cycling over Waterloo Bridge and the wind was knocking me into the curb. I had to work really hard to try and control the bike and was tired out by the other side, not because of the cycling but because of the upper body strength it took to stay on track! The big basket on the front of the bike doesn't help either as it is like a sail in the wind!

I can't seem to get above 10mph no matter how hard I try, or at least not for more than a minute, because everywhere I cycle here involves going through little barriers or around sharp bends or crossing busy roads. I average 8mph at best, so i'm impressed when people manage to go faster than that...

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Ride along the roads, not across them. Avoid cycling farcilities in the main; their main job is to make cycling so slow and inconvenient that you give up.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
LMM is your basket removable?

I seldom bike in the wind because of the possibility of veering into traffic, especially as some of our earthquake damaged roads are really narrow with two way traffic in one and a half lanes. Makes for white knuckle biking.

Huia
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Good news to confirm my anecdotal observations in Adelaide.

The trend is probably greater than these stats suggest, the Adelaide CBD having a good number of useful arterial cycle routes that don't depend on major intersections like those where this count was done. Unlike where Karl comes from, we have a multitude of high-quality cycle routes that provide useful links without relying on arterial roads.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I went to a information afternoon with some City Council staff. I had thought our planned cycleways were around 10 years in the future but was told they should be operational in 3 years time and that the main arterial route that my street connects to is to become more cycle friendly

We may get some good from the earthquakes after all

Huia
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Paris-Roubaix is tonight with the insane cobbles and the hilarious sprints leading into each sector, anybody game enough to make a tip on the winner?


I think Fabian Cancellara will not win primarily because he is such a ridiculously strong favourite that nobody will let him. A big defensive breakaway contested by many teams will go out early in the race just like it did in last year's Olympic Road Race, and the teams represented will leave it up to Cancellara's mates to do the work. The best hope for RSLT could well be a two-pronged strategy with getting Hayden Roulston into the first big break and having Cancellara ready to go if the peleton manages to catch the break.

If I was game to make a pick, I would have to go with Luke Durbridge because he's one of the toughest one day riders in the world and has a massive time trial engine just like Cancellara. I'm going with him because he's still obscure enough (despite the green and gold jersey marking him as the winner of the toughest national road race championship in the world) that he can get into a big early breakaway group without the whole peleton shutting it down. Just like Cancellara, he's also strong enough to burn off others in a group one by one.

Above all, the great thing about this race is that the first man to enter the Roubaix velodrome will be somebody who's having a good day and took a chance. The pavé is not friendly to the boring scientific approach of Team Sky that works so well in long stage races.

[ 07. April 2013, 10:35: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I'll consider my words eaten, well done to Cancellara for a very classy win in a two-up sprint on the track, but a pity about Sybar being hit by a spectator 20 minutes from the end as a three-up sprint would have been even more fun to watch.

Very pleased with the result for our team as well, even though I was hoping for Durbridge and instead got Seb Langeveld well inside the top ten. It would have been even cooler if O'Grady had managed to keep on going at the front!
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Meh, the thing I find interesting about the spring classics as a Bianchi fan (and therefore follower of Vacansoleil-DCM, a team that...well, they're on the Pro Tour, that has to count for something, right?) is that a fair number of the riders are going over the cobbles on aluminum bikes to avoid tearing up their good $16k carbon.

No, seriously. Aluminum. On the Ride from Hell.

Granted, Flecha Giannoni (one place back from Langeveld, same time) was on Bianchi's much-balyhooed Infinito CR with space-age carbon nano-whatever that dampens even more of the road shock or something (like I'll ever be able to afford that bike), but his teammates were on the same aluminum Impulsos that the bike shop I work at sells.

On the one hand, that's kinda cool. On the other, my butt hurts just thinking about it.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
The cobbled classics usually see a fair few variations to the standard road racing bikes, normally longer wheelbases, higher bottom brackets, stronger derailleur springs, more flexible forks using a less stiff carbon weave and specific tyres which often involve sponsorship obligations being ignored.

But the use of Aluminium sounds a little confusing. I don't think it would have been for budgetary reasons, while it could have been a strategic move for Vaconsoleil-DCM to plan on sending the team car to follow Flecha and Leukemans only and leave the rest struggling on their own to make up the numbers. I don't think it was a strategic move though, since the majority of the team did finish instead of abandoning like all the carrots did - Euskaltel-Euskadi are not a team for the classics and only two of their riders finished.

My main theory would be that Vaconsoleil-DCM got fooled into trying out an untested Paris-Roubaix innovation by Bianchi getting in the team management's ear and saying "hey, don't you think it would be good if..." which usually hits one team each year.

The powerhouse teams like Team Sky, RadioTrekLeopardShack, BMC, OPQS and so on generally don't get fooled by the temptation to try such foolish innovations in races. Sky would not try any innovation like that without first getting their army of cashed up nerds to test it thoroughly on an indoor pavé track with an air conditioning system designed to imitate every possible weather condition which might be experienced in northern France.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Despite being well into autumn and three weeks past the equinox it's a lovely warm 28 degrees already at 11:45am in Adelaide, so time for a ride

Being a quite warm day, the Anna Meares Bikeway is a non-option thanks to the swampy creek on one side and the distinctive odour of a waste transfer station on the other.

The Patrick Jonker Veloway is also not an option due to being closed for construction work on the adjacent freeway and also having potential stench issues due to Pat's association with the US Postal Service team.


Looks like it will be the Mike Turtur Bikeway for me then, perhaps then with a train transfer up north to the Stuart O'Grady Bikeway or a return along the coast past the home of the Cycling Australia national road and track high performance programs.

Does anybody else get the sense that in Adelaide we're a little proud of being the home of elite competitive cycling in Australia?
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
To my chagrin, I understood bugger all of what you posted. But I concur that the weather is beautiful. I ran along the river and coast this am at dawn and it was stunning.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Anna Meares Bikeway = around the outside of the airport perimeter, good for plane watching but it can smell horrible on a hot day!

Patrick Jonker Veloway = alongside the Southern Expressway, has a steep hill with a nasty coarse surface, links well to the Coast to Vines rail trail and Sturt River Linear Park.

Mike Turtur Bikeway = along the Glenelg Light Rail corridor, pancake flat with a few road crossings including an overpass co-located with the tram line over South Road.

Stuart O'Grady Bikeway = alongside the Northern Expressway, a good ride popular for racing club training rides but it's very exposed to the wind and links to nowhere at the southern end.

The CA/AIS headquarters is on the esplanade at Henley Beach. It just looks like a normal pair of townhouses but can be distinguished by large amounts of cycling kit hanging on the balcony to dry and the Jayco-AIS team vehicles parked out front if they aren't at a race or following training rides.

The local council in the Barossa has also named a route still under construction from Concordia to Angaston named after the world's fastest pursuiter Jack Bobridge.

In the upper Onkaparinga Valley there is also the Amy Gillett Bikeway on the course of the former Oakbank to Mt Pleasant rail line which has just had the third stage start construction.

The most likely candidates for the next named bikeway in Adelaide would be one of Carlee Taylor (I went to school with her), Tiffany Cromwell, Annette Edmonson (my friends went to school with them), Steph Morton or Rachel Neylan. All that any one of them has to do is go one place better than Neylan did in last year's road world championships or get gold at the next Olympics!


I eventually decided the best option will just be a mostly functional trip to/from the city with the rack on the back and pannier bags for delicious fruit and veg from the Central Market. Just about to head off now!

[ 11. April 2013, 03:34: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 
Ta cheesy, , ridden some but didn't know their names. The northern expressway has a ridiculous end which has already proved fatal. The Amy gillet is good for family rides I understand. Are you grand slamming Sunday? Conditions should be great
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
No, the calendar says I'm not able to make it.

I am heading up into the hills on Saturday though, taking advantage of riding a hybrid with kevlar-belted tyres to go up to Bradbury, then down Mount Bold Road (the quietest road I've ever come across) and then up the full length of Scott Creek Road to Heathfield before returning to the plains on Mount Barker Road.

With a few kilometres of gravel roads along the way it won't be an occasion for wearing my mostly white AGF jersey!
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Gods, the Knotweed and I very nearly saw Darwinian selection in action last night.

Approaching a roundabout in the car, well after dark and in heavy rain, a cyclist appeared from our right on an apparently unlit bike, no reflectors, and clad entirely in black, and proceeded to turn right off the roundabout (ie cross two exits and leave by the third). In doing so he was very nearly collected by a car puling onto the roundabout which would not have been able to see him as without a front light he'd have been completely hidden by my car's headlamps - and after all that he had the temerity to make nasty gestures at the driver. Turns out he had a large rear light, but that really helps people in front of you see you, doesn't it?

The Knotweed and I (cyclists both, I should point out) had a little confab and agreed that had there been a collision we'd have had no option but to tell the police that he'd been cycling like a tit, and there was very little the driver of the car could have done.

What is it about bikes that makes people think they are invulnerable when their actions make them very, very vulnerable?

AG
 

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Posted by HenryT (# 3722) on :
 
Biked to church today. 11km each way, nice weather. Not all that fast, yet, averaging around 16 km/h.
 

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Posted by Tukai (# 12960) on :
 
A royal ride for me today: Suva to Nausori on the Prince's Road (25 km) , and back on the King's Road (20km). Quite a lot of up and down hill on both, so not super-fast, but satisfying for someone who had 3 months off the bike with a broken foot.

And in case you're wondering, the Republic of Fiji also has a Queen's Road, but it goes in the opposite direction, so that 's a ride for another day.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
So, what are people thinking of the Giro d'Italia so far?

I've been impressed by Nibali's form especially in the time trial and it looks like it will be a titanic battle between him and Evans who looks as cool as a cucumber so far. One thing I like about the Giro compared to the more formulaic and predictable Tour de France is the time bonuses available on the finish line each day, it encourages riders to race instead of just being content with finishing in the same group

It was disappointing to see Ryder Hejesdal fall out of contention so badly last night, it's always better to see the defending champion put up a good fight and remain around the pointy end of the race. I know that the climbers are meant to be nice and light, but he's looking a bit too thin (and short on core stability) to do a top performance in a Grand Tour.

Rigoberto Uran's performance to win last night's stage was pretty cool, staying away solo for the win like that. It was also surprising, since I would have expected Sky to hold him back to tow Wiggins up the hill like they did the previous time Wiggins got dropped. I wonder if Sky have switched to an each-way strategy now instead of supporting Wiggins at any cost?

The performance of Wiggins is what's been most surprising, for a red-hot favourite at least. I wasn't expecting him to get dropped by Nibali and Evans twice before the halfway mark (granted, he didn't have the Rogers/Porte/Froome train towing him up like he did at the 2012 Tour) or to have such difficulty avoiding getting dropped on the descents as well as the climbs. His bike control is still better than his mouth control though, check out this steaming pile from Sunday...

quote:

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“Let’s be honest, I descended like a bit of a girl really after the crash … Not to disrespect girls, I have one at home. But that’s life and we have to push on and deal with the disappointments.”

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Your favourite WorldTour team is making the news for the wrong reasons in the last 24 hours, with DCM confirming they will pull their sponsorship at the end of this year as expected and also reports that Vaconsoleil is looking to get out or drop their commitment to become the secondary sponsor. Combine that with their sponsorship deal from Bianchi ending this year (they had always ridden Ridley bikes before 2012) and it looks like their days may be numbered.

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Them and everybody else, it seems—although Vacansoleil confirmed they're pulling out at the end of the season. I can't see Bianchi not wanting to work with a WorldTour team, what with all the recently announced tweaks they've made to their high-end, you-can't-afford-'em road bikes, so I'm guessing that either the team folds, finds new sponsors, or they start wearing celeste jerseys next year.

Which, given how buttugly that white, dark blue, and yellow kit they've got now is, might make a good change strictly from aesthetics.

Either way, my support/tendency to follow V/DCM was mostly for the bikes, less the riders. Same thing with 5 Hour/Kenda. Whoever rides the bikes I like gets my vote.
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Leaving the elite buggers behind for a minute (like they'd do me if I ever tried to ride with them ) I'm a happy chicken today because on Tuesday I did my flattest route to work (relative term; 14.5 miles and 700' of climbing) at 15.8mph and joked I'd now have to try to do it at 16.

Today I did. With a headwind.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Very Nice Indeed. Not bad for Bike to Work Day!
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Came back at 16.2, which is odd because there's another 200' of climbing. The 10-20mph tailwind might have had something to do with it!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Well that would have to be the most bizarre bike race I've ever watched. I understand that road cycling is a summer sport, but the only sign of anything hot I saw on that race tonight was the podium host on the right with the stunning smile.

At this point tomorrow night's stage of the Giro could well be even more bizarre because nobody knows where it will be yet thanks to high chances of avalanches on the Mont-Cenis and the Col du Galibier.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Today my friend and I did just over 55 miles today, this is the furthest I've ever done in a day. The first 35 miles were fine, but the last part started with a very long and steep hill in the boring rain, and then there was about 15 miles in to the wind. But we are feeling suitably proud of ourselves.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Just got back from Baby's First Century on Maryland's Eastern Shore; I think I may have to do one tomorrow. For those of you not from around here (ie, most everyone), the Eastern Shore/Delmarva Peninsula is the east side of the Chesapeake Bay; it's still mostly farms (wheat, vegetables, horses, etc.) and quaint towns from the 1700's (which, by American standards, is old.). Importantly for doing a bike ride, it's also pancake flat.

So off we rode, trying our best to figure out how pacelines worked as we went, through pretty little tourist towns, over drawbridges (and for those of our cohort doing the 55 mile ride, over a ferry), through the transponder-equipped time trial/sprint area (I came in second to the "old" guy from my team I was riding with—about 8 miles in 29:00.9 at an average speed of 20.9 MPH, peaking at 27-28), and finally through the fields to the beer booth.

Yeah, my bum's a bit sore, but so it goes. I may have to get back out that way for another short little Saturday ramble—I'm sure the randonneurs love it out there...
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
It's a huge day for the MTB racing community in Australia today, with Rebecca Henderson and Daniel McConnell taking wins in the first UCI MTB World Cup meet of the year.

The last Aussie to have success in the MTB World Cup was some guy called Cadel Evans.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
Feeling very proud of my hill climbing ability this evening. In about 2 miles went up 400ft, and I didn't need to get off (there was a pause to pump tires but still cycled it all!) This is the first time I've managed this, so very pleased.

How's everyone else getting on?
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Don't expect too many answers from UK shipmates, I'm sure they're all preparing for the weekend's big events.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I could do a solo through my local town here but not sure it would go down very well - not only offending public decency but possibly not a pretty sight as well!
 

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Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Can I just interrupt to say how wonderful the title of this thread is to this fan of John Wesley's wonderful music.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I am about to show my ignorance, I know that you can get phone apps for recording how far you run, is there a bike equivalent? If so are they any good?
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I am about to show my ignorance, I know that you can get phone apps for recording how far you run, is there a bike equivalent? If so are they any good?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Chances of getting a KOM around here are zero, for me. The only way I can do it is to create a new segment and bask in glory until the leader board has been created.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I am about to show my ignorance, I know that you can get phone apps for recording how far you run, is there a bike equivalent? If so are they any good?

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

quote:

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Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Chances of getting a KOM around here are zero, for me. The only way I can do it is to create a new segment and bask in glory until the leader board has been created.

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Sounds like you could benefit from using DigitalEPO.

I don't use Strava - if I wanted to race I would do it properly by joining a sanctioned cycling club and pinning on a number. There's far more honour in pulling a good turn on the front of a bunch than there is in getting a "record" on an easily-spoofed street racing website.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Chances of getting a KOM around here are zero, for me. The only way I can do it is to create a new segment and bask in glory until the leader board has been created.

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I got three KOMs and one 2nd place on my first activity. If you look carefully at this activity, you'll notice that all these segments go in an approximately easterly direction.

There might just have been a 40mph westerly blowing on that night

(and yes, I do also do 'proper' races)
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I know I'm late posting this, but is anyone going to watch the national championships in Glasgow tomorrow?
 

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Posted by HenryT (# 3722) on :
 
I use Endomondo, which is a general sport tracking program, with social network stuff. It does maps and route tracking, too.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Well that was a bizarre finish to a stage if ever there was one! Well done to Kittel, he did well to stay in the game through the chaotic approach in order to contest the finish.

The early word on the bus fiasco is that the finish area marshals were calling the driver forward, and that the same bus had been in plenty of previous use with OGE including the full 2012 TdF without any incidents. Nice to see the Italians being given some rare competition in the disorganised race contest this year.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
That's the kind of finish I like, an opportunist break that makes it - just. (And no Australian coaches blocking the finishing line.)

Well done to Bakelants who will get his day in yellow, before settling back to his team player role.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
And no Australian coaches blocking the finishing line.

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Don't you mean no low structures blocking accredited vehicles? The ASO should be focusing more on setting up their race infrastructure properly (includes the barriers too close in that brought down Hoogerland) instead of censoring the teams' YouTube channels that do so much to promote their event - one of the reasons that the Giro d'Italia could take over as the biggest race by the end of the decade.

The Orica-GreenEDGE team bus was directed to go that way by officials and waved through even when the driver stopped to check the height. The fine was unjust, but a small price to pay for the publicity that is better going to them than the phone-hacking team from Britain with their Dutch-supplied "supplements."


I think the TdF needs the return of time bonuses at stage finishes and on each day's intermediate sprint, like what made the Giro d'Italia so lively this year when the big contenders had to be all-rounders. It would be good to see some more enthusiastic racing for the stage placings instead of GC-focused riders settling for getting the same time.

Interesting milestone for Argos-Shimano - as well as the TdF stage 1 win, they also got stage one of the Giro Rosa. Hopefully Orica-GreenEDGE and Lotto-Belisol will also get wins in both big races to fly the flag for joint men's-women's teams.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
You beauty Gerro, beating Sagan in the sprint

The podium hosts will thank him for saving them from an arse-grabbing I think
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Big milestone today, the first stage win in the TdF for an Australian team in only their second year, and done in style by a champion Aussie rider beating a top sprinter at that! Things are progressing nicely, we're ahead of the schedule of a certain team in black and blue that specialises in phone hacking.

If anybody gets to watch highlights from tonight's stage, check out the awesome roads! I would love to go for a ride or a drive along that route, but with no straights longer than a few seconds I think going as a passenger would cause my lunch to make a second appearance.


Sagan still managed to get within grabbing distance when he was up there for the points jersey presentation, but he behaved himself this time.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Orica GreenEDGE, who'd have thunk it? I was expecting BMC to do a lot better and put Evans into contention.

A team to start performing well in it's second year is to be expected, it has happened before with Radioshack and Sky. It takes a year for a new team to find it's feet. I'm sure O'Grady's experience has helped - how many more tours can he ride?

But today's stage was good for Contador and Froome. Just six seconds between them, with Evans and Andy Schlek 23 ans 26 seconds behind. I can't see anyone else being in contention at the end of the tour.

Tomorrow the hills are not too large, so after their performance in the TTT I'm expecting Quick Step* to deliver Cavendish up for the sprint. Shouldn't be any change to GC.

I'm disapointed that the TV interviewers are still talking about the GreenEDGE bus rather than their racing, it was OK for a bit of sledging on the day after, but it's time to drop it.

.

* ...and whoever their co-sponsors are this year.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
Orica GreenEDGE, who'd have thunk it? I was expecting BMC to do a lot better and put Evans into contention.

A team to start performing well in it's second year is to be expected, it has happened before with Radioshack and Sky. It takes a year for a new team to find it's feet. I'm sure O'Grady's experience has helped - how many more tours can he ride?

But today's stage was good for Contador and Froome. Just six seconds between them, with Evans and Andy Schlek 23 ans 26 seconds behind. I can't see anyone else being in contention at the end of the tour.

Tomorrow the hills are not too large, so after their performance in the TTT I'm expecting Quick Step* to deliver Cavendish up for the sprint. Shouldn't be any change to GC.

I'm disapointed that the TV interviewers are still talking about the GreenEDGE bus rather than their racing, it was OK for a bit of sledging on the day after, but it's time to drop it.

.

* ...and whoever their co-sponsors are this year.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:

I don't think tonight will be too good for Cavendish, he doesn't seem to be handling even the little hills too well at the moment and I think he'll struggle to keep up over what is a lumpy cross-country route instead of a flat coastal run. The same applies to Andre Greipel.

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quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
Tomorrow's stage looks tailor made for Cav. Which is why he won't win it.

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Source? There still doesn't seem to have been any positive decision in any direction, no penalties or reprimands handed out to anybody yet.

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quote:

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Well i think the apple juice looks far from appetising for me tonight... And I'm not taking the piss. Did that once already today. #standup

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quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
The time trial is the day when the super-domestiqus show what they can do. While everyone is talking about Froome's gains, I'm impressed with Richie Porte. I think he's good enough to lead a team.

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Richie Porte has been the leader of Sky Procycling for a few WorldTour stage races already (including winning Paris-Nice this year) and he'll be their leader for the 2014 Giro d'Italia.

Good choice I think, while he might not have the outright climbing skills required to win the Tour de France, the Giro is a far more complex race with rewards the strong all-rounders with excellent race skills (like Nibali, Evans, Contador and so on) ahead of the specialists like Froome and Wiggins. He's also got previous experience - in his first Grand Tour at the 2010 Giro, Porte wore the Maglia Rosa for three days and won the youth classification.

Just to show it's a small world, Richie's partner is Tiffany Cromwell (pro racer for Orica-GreenEDGE) who went to school with (and raced HPVs with) a good mate of mine!

[ 11. July 2013, 01:02: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Yet another win for Kittel, and probably another tantrum for Cavendish! Very classy sprint from Kittel, defeating what was a perfect leadout for Omega Pharma on pure speed.

Any other Australian fans starting to get sick of the same ads being played over and over again yet? The only ones I don't mind seeing again are the Skoda tough car ads and the SBS Film promos with the awesome music.

I feel sorry for Robbie McEwen, only 13 months from closing out his career as a living legend and now he's doing ads for multivitamin concoctions of questionable efficacy
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
You are getting the same ads as us. And they're just as bad over here.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Yet another win for Kittel, and probably another tantrum for Cavendish!

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quote:

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You can sit there and analyze it, but when there is someone simply faster than you there is nothing you can do,” said Cavendish. “I don’t think me, or the team, could have done anything differently. He was just simply better today. I tweeted the other day I think he’s the next big thing. I spoke with him today, actually. I think he’s the next superstar in sprinting and he showed it today. He’s won three stages now and that’s not easy. I can tell you that from experience.

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quote:

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Yes, I do. I ride my bike safely. The rules say I’m supposed to pretend that I’m a car, but see, that’s dangerous if I’m the only one obeying that rule. I’m pretending I’m a car, and you think I’m a bike, and you run over me and kill me with your car. This is bad for both of us. So, the minute you treat me like a car, I’ll start acting like one. In the meantime the difference between when you break the law and when I do is that you’re endangering my life, and I’m endangering your … wiper blades? Maybe? Probably not even that.

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quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:
Wiggins knighthood was for being the first British winner of a high profile event. The question has to be asked, as Australia is part of the Commonwealth, why no Sir Cadel?

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quote:

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Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
Be careful, people getting struck by lightning is pretty rare but cycling in a thunderstorm would be a great way to increase the chance of it happening to you.

Best to wait under some sort of safe shelter for a short time and watch the storm front pass before getting out on the bike again.

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It wasn't my plan to be out in it, the weather forecast had said that the thunder wasn't meant to arrive till the afternoon, and I was in the middle of nowhere.....opps!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I take back everything I said about Chris Froome not having much in the way of all-round race skills, it appears a hangover gives him the ability to "sprint"

It's good to see Froome honouring one of the more humorous traditions of the Tour de France which Wiggins ignored last year, the WWE-style scripted races afterwards.

Mark Cavendish loves a good post-Tour crit where he's usually one of the stars in the pre-scripted top five, last year he went straight from a heavy defeat in the Olympic road race to "winning" one the next day - getting led out for the win by Alessandro Petacchi and Robbie McEwen!
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Ironic that Kenyan-Born Froome is racing in Belgium, when Belgian born Wiggins didn't.
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 
I'm buying a new car (I'm UK based), and was just wondering if anyone has any advice about bike carriers, and if there are any cars which are difficult to fit carriers to?
Thanks
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I'm buying a new car (I'm UK based), and was just wondering if anyone has any advice about bike carriers, and if there are any cars which are difficult to fit carriers to?
Thanks

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
... Surprised to see Sky pull out the A-List for the USAPT, rather than the Vuleta; sure, the Vuleta may be a distant third in the grand tours, but the USAPT is lucky to be a contender for America's second most important race after the Tour of California. ...

---

Sky ride by numbers, if their sports science guys had thought the guys who raced the Tour de France had a chance of doing the Vuelta well instead of the rested lineup who did the Giro they would have sent them to the Vuelta instead of a fourth-tier race they only do for their sponsors.

There's only one rider who does all three Grand Tours these days - Adam Hansen - which only goes to prove what we already knew, that real men ride mountain bikes.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Mountain bikes? I'm still looking forward to 'cross season. All the intensity of road racing without any of the douchenozzlery...and with more beer and cowbells than the mountain bikers can handle. Plus, Tim Johnson's a really cool guy from the couple of times I've gotten to meet/ride with him, as are his colleagues and coaches. It's kinda fun to be the beginner on the '94 Bridgestone beater getting tips from the pros on what to do when I start racing.
While I have no intention of racing (too competitive around here, and I'm waaaay too relaxed to be a proper roadie), I still use what Tim and his buds taught me. I figure a six time national champion might just know a tad more than me about how to ride real fast.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Meh. The average CX racer would be curled up in a foetal position halfway through the first stage if they tried doing the Crocodile Trophy.
 

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Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
Took my bike to Greenbelt (again), this time I was a good Methodist - my chain did fall off!
Luckily there was a lovely man on my volunteer team who not only made a special trip to buy me a replacement, he also fitted it for me
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Took my bike to Greenbelt (again), this time I was a good Methodist - my chain did fall off!

---

No, to be a good Methodist you have to lose more than one chain!
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
You know, this whole time and I never realized "my chain(s) fell off" was a reference to anything other than mechanical trouble, much less anything Methodist.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I don't know if this guy has been mentioned here before but Alex Zanardi who lost both legs after a Kart racing crash in 2001 has won the Para-cycling time-trial in Canada.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
That is really inspiring.

It puts me in my place, complaining of one slightly gammy foot.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I don't know if this guy has been mentioned here before but Alex Zanardi who lost both legs after a Kart racing crash in 2001 has won the Para-cycling time-trial in Canada.

---

Did you know that as well as winning his class at the world championship time trial and both the time trial and road race at the Paralympics last year, Zanardi also made a return to international motorsport after his crash and losing his lower legs? From 2004 to 2009 he raced a BMW with modified controls and managed to win a national touring car championship and a handful of touring car races in the World Championship, an amazing achievement considering he hadn't ever won any World Championship level races in any category before his crash.

The BBC article sells his original injuries short, it wasn't a kart race but a 300+ km/h crash in a 500km CART event, which was the old name for what is now the IndyCar Series. He managed to survive nearly 50 minutes on what doctors estimated was not much more than one litre of blood when the average man should have about 6-8 litres.


For those interested, a H4 category hand cycle is not too different from a regular recumbent, but as H4 is the classification for athletes with the highest remaining capacity in their legs it is used in a crouched kneeling position to allow them to lean into the corners. The races are short but very fast - how many people here could smash out 16 kilometres at an average speed of almost 40 kilometres per hour on any bike?

[ 02. September 2013, 03:33: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :
 
I just got back from the prologue of the Tour of Alberta. There have been pro riders training around town all week, and today I was within a few feet of Cadel Evans and Ryder Hesjdal!! (insert ear-splitting fangirl squee)
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Meg, that's really cool. I've been following the Tour via Velonews and the like, and I really hope it takes off like the USA Pro Tour has (or maybe even more!); having a great first year like this one sure can't hurt!

I'm a bit surprised the Vueleta has turned out to be such a great race so far. It's very debatable whether the last of the Grand Tours is even in the top five road races, and many of the top teams have been either not putting in their top talent, or just not showing up at all, preferring to race in Colorado and Alberta. Yet the veteran Horner (how many other sports have 41 year olds who can still be competitive, much less have a legitimate shot at winning, on a world stage?) is still giving Nibali a bit of a run for his money. The Giro and Tour were both all but decided at this point; finally, a good Grand Tour! Took us long enough.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see if there are any more new releases or rumors about 2014 bikes that mere mortals can actually afford and my bike shop might actually consider stocking. $14,000 road bikes are nice, but I sell $540 commuter bikes...some innovation for the masses, please?
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
I'm a bit surprised the Vueleta has turned out to be such a great race so far. It's very debatable whether the last of the Grand Tours is even in the top five road races, and many of the top teams have been either not putting in their top talent, or just not showing up at all, preferring to race in Colorado and Alberta.

---

quote:

---

Yet the veteran Horner (how many other sports have 41 year olds who can still be competitive, much less have a legitimate shot at winning, on a world stage?) is still giving Nibali a bit of a run for his money. The Giro and Tour were both all but decided at this point; finally, a good Grand Tour! Took us long enough.

---

quote:

---

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see if there are any more new releases or rumors about 2014 bikes that mere mortals can actually afford and my bike shop might actually consider stocking. $14,000 road bikes are nice, but I sell $540 commuter bikes...some innovation for the masses, please?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
...To say that some are sandbagging it just because Chris Froome and Cadel Evans have entered some lower-grade races in the USA is a very ignorant view...

---

tgc - I read this as tantamount to a personal attack - be warned and don't do it again!

WW
All Saints Host
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Certainly not intended that way.

How about "a novel and unconventional understanding of professional cycling team strategies" instead.

[ 08. September 2013, 05:32: Message edited by: the giant cheeseburger ]
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
As always with evaluating sporting events with international audiences, your milage (or kilometerage) will vary. I stand by my assertions, such as they are, but hey. I'm also more a pint racer (as in, race to be first in line for pastries/coffee/beer) than a "real" racer, and I follow the techie angle as much as the competition. What can I say, it's my job.

So yes, my loyalties, such as they are, are to the bike first, the car second, and then the wife...or something like that.

As for disc brakes in commuter bikes, Kona's been doing it for years. The fact that they're a mountain/CX-focused company based in the ever-rainy Pacific Northwest might just have something to do with using a mountain/CX component that works well when wet.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Nothing boring about last night's stage of the Vuelta.

And I saw this on a local forum yesterday

Our only off-street crit circuit in Adelaide (Victoria Park, using the pit straight of the motorsport circuit and the remainder purpose-built with the nicest cycling surface I've ever ridden) was extended to 1.35 kilometres at the start of this year, and opened for the first time in May after all the motorsport infrastructure was gone. I went there for the first time yesterday and was pretty happy with hitting a 1:54 lap time at 42.6 km/h, not bad for having done only a few rides on the road bike in the last few weeks as winter has lifted!

[duplicate post deleted - Piglet, AS host]

[ 09. September 2013, 23:33: Message edited by: piglet ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I know that the only way to survive on the roads is to assume that every other road user is a raving lunatic but I do find it a depressing when they keep proving it!

Some days I can ride into town and back with nary a problem but then there are days like today...



...and people wonder why I swear!
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
I generally find Adelaide drivers to be pretty good so long as you ride sensibly and don't obstruct other road users needlessly. On the average 50 kilometre urban road ride I might come across just 3-4 idiots alongside hundreds of good drivers.

The worst ones are public transport bus drivers, they are quite happy to move over as soon as the front of the bus is in front and use the side of the bus to push you over to the kerb. On that basis alone I'll claim the lane if I see there's a bus coming up behind so the driver is forced to follow behind or make a proper overtaking move into the next lane.

Riding in Victoria has been scary the few times I've done it. I wouldn't go there again for anything other than a closed-road event without cameras attached and running front and rear.
 

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Posted by the giant cheeseburger (# 10942) on :
 
Did anybody else watch the senior women's road race from the world championships tonight?

I thought it was an outstandingly exciting race with attacks galore on the flats, climbs and even the descents with Tiffany Cromwell's amazing skills. Marianne Vos was a very deserving winner from what was a very high quality field of eleven together on the last lap, this time going solo to the win instead of being pushed to a sprint like last year.

Rachel Neylan made a truly excellent debut as a commentator on the English-language world feed with great in-depth knowledge (she picked the Italian team tactics 20 minutes before it became obvious, to the disbelief of the play-by-play guy) and analysis of the competitors and the unfolding events, and a few good anecdotes about living next door to Mario Cipollini and training with him! The only disappointing thing about her commentary is that she was only doing it due to a spell on the sidelines due to injuries, at last year's world championships she was the only rider able to go with Marianne Vos on the final move and it would have been great to see a rematch. Her fellow South Australians in Carlee Taylor and Tiffany Cromwell who made the selection of 43 on the finishing circuit could well have achieved so much more if they were a trio instead of a pair.

The elite men's road race is on tomorrow night. Anybody game enough to make a prediction of who will win?

Philippe Gilbert and Fabian Cancellara can never be discounted in a major one day race - especially not the prestigious ones like the World Championship, the Monuments or the Olympic Road Race.
Cadel Evans will be the best chance of what is a very strong Australian team, he is an excellent performer in the national colours and he's had the perfect preparation with a good break after the Tour de France and then finding some good late season form in some of the lower-ranked races on the Americas continental circuit.
The Colombians Nairo Quintana and Carlos Betancur should both make the final selection and out-climb some of the all-rounders, but it would take a huge attack as neither will out-descend or out-sprint the all-rounders like Gilbert and Cancellara on the final lap.
Chris Froome could be a chance based on ability, and like Evans he did the Tour and then took a good break before using low-ranked races as training rides - but he's inexperienced in one day racing which won't help when his teammates get dropped and he has to do the job himself.
But my main tip would be for Jose Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain, as well as a hot chance he's a great guy who I would love to see wearing the rainbow stripes next year. Apart from the Vuelta maintaining it's place in the top ten races of the year, Spanish cycling is in crisis at the moment and Rodriguez would be the perfect man to rally them back to success.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Just popping onto this thread to say my son has just completed the journey cycling from Heidelberg to John O'Groats. He was camping along the way and had two friends with him also doing the ride. He then went to Orkney by ferry, then Aberdeen, then flew home.

I say well done him

Here are a couple of pics.


 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Heidelberg to John O'Groats - wow!

Glad he went over to Orkney - there's no point in going to JO'G if you don't ...
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Women's cycling is pretty much a race for second at this point—everybody knows who The Best is. I would say they need to pull a Merckx and let someone else have a chance to win, but...naaa, may as well enjoy watching such fierce competition. What little video of women's races that makes it over here (I can't watch live—between country restrictions and work, it ain't gonna happen) makes it clear that trying to best Perfection makes for great racing.

Then again, I should probably be in bed watching races rather than at work trying to heft bikes into stands and break rusted-on bolts. I had a pretty nasty spill last weekend riding home in the rain after 50 States and lost a fight with the Columbia Heights sidewalk. Funny how concrete tends to win these things. While bruised ribs are nasty no matter how you slice it (three weeks to heal? Are you kidding me? This perfect riding weather isn't going to last another three weeks! Fix that bike and get back going while it lasts!), I'm pretty sure straining those muscles isn't helping. I've had to point out that I'm grabbing the right side of my chest when I wince, so no, you don't need to call an ambulance for my heart attack.

This whole "you can recover or ride, not both" schtick is why St. Ariston the Klutzy don't do mountain biking. It's bad enough trying not to crash on manhole covers or get struck in traffic (am I the only one who loses sleep most nights thinking about the real likelihood of being hit by a car?), I don't need to be throwing jumps into the mix!
 

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Posted by Patdys (# 9397) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the giant cheeseburger:
I generally find Adelaide drivers to be pretty good so long as you ride sensibly and don't obstruct other road users needlessly. On the average 50 kilometre urban road ride I might come across just 3-4 idiots alongside hundreds of good drivers.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
while bruised ribs are nasty no matter how you slice it (three weeks to heal? Are you kidding me?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
Women's cycling is pretty much a race for second at this point—everybody knows who The Best is.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
It didn't take my cracked ribs that long to heal - three weeks sounds about right.

---

Smashed ribs take about 14 weeks with twinges of pain 7 years later. At least mine did
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I think age also has a bearing on healing. I cracked those ribs in my 20s. I wouldn't put too much hope on mending broken bones that quickly now, with a daughter in her 20s (and taking a long time to recover from pleurisy)
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
Way to let me have my fanboy moment, man. Harshin' my buzz. Raining on the parade, even. Maybe I'm an oldschool throwback who prefers VeloNews to pixelated poor-quality live feeds that always air when I'm at work (something about the boss at job A not getting the cycling habit, everyone at job B more than getting it, but knowing it would kill our repair times/helpfulness if we were even able to watch races), though the ends of stages and races are a bit better quality—and watchable in between other things.

Maybe I just like her spirit and drive, her all-around ability, the way she wins not by physical virtuosity—everyone at that level has that—but by mental strength, by fighting through all those things your mind tells you. Maybe I just like her Twitter feed and making the cycling equivalent of Chuck Norris jokes. Probably all the above. Whatever. Go Marianne!

As for those of you concerned about widdle ol' me and my bruises...yes they hurt (though not as badly as I imagine properly broken ribs would—we're talking somewhere between "annoyed" and "mild swearing" on the pain scale, not "can't breathe, constant agony"), but I think they'd be a lot better if I was being sensible and actually resting, rather than working or, well, riding. I have a hunch I'll recover shortly after the weather turns less perfect and I stop doing fast rides compulsively in the not-quite hour of daylight I have after work "because this weather's not going to stay around forever, might as well get as much in while it lasts."
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Poor you, Ariston - it's easy for me as a non-bikist to say, "take it easy" but I can understand why you'd want to make the most of the cycling weather that's left before it turns too cold/wet/generally unpleasant.

Hope you're mended soon.
 

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Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :
 
It happened again. A car came to me this morning and I felt near to being hit as it nipped a turn in front of me. Scary. When this happens, my responses are always unsatisfactory. I cannot do right anything it seems. Being thankful I wasn't hit seems to be about all that is possible. I have said to drivers when possible that they should be more careful or asked if they saw me, but invariably, except for once, the drivers say things like bicycles shouldn't be on the road, are defensive "how could you be concerned for your safety", or an f-off type of response. I am invariable polite, excessively so, when I've said to please be careful, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The one this morning told me that bicycles do not belong on the road and that I should walk. Not atypical, though this one didn't swear. I repeated my line "please be more careful, your hurry is not worth my life" to the wall of stupid.

What do you think and what are your experiences? I wish I could pick a different route, but sometimes there are no choices.
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Tell them to fuck off and kick their door panels in. It's the only way they learn.

Seriously, though. Photograph the car including the licence plate and report it to the police. Ensure the driver knows that's what you're doing. The police won't do fuck all unless the homocidal cretin actually kills you, and then they'll not do much, but the driver doesn't know that and with a small degree of luck they'll shit themselves for a few days.

[ 17. October 2013, 21:22: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 

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Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :
 
It's a good thought Karl. I did have a handle bar mounted camera but for a lengthy period, all I did was delete the video until I did get one of a bus nearly squishing me. You're right about no one caring, no one would watch it, even though I sent it along. It made me feel like a traffic troll, almost wanting an eggbrain to do something so I could get a good vid. After I started fantasizing about the authorities viewing the video after I'd been car killed, I stopped using it on the bike and started using it on the water. Maybe I should just carry it with me and do the threatening take a photo thing as you suggest. Might help my shattered emotions and faith in humanity. I am about ready to start a Purg thread "can motorists be Christian?" or "what is the Christian way to lip off to an cyclist you nearly killed?"
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
First, have some Depressing. Yeah, I should be used to stories like this by now, but I'm really not. It's part of why I'm glad we have so many cops who are regulars at my shop—it means there are cops familiar with cycling laws, since their life depends on it too.

As for what to do...I've signed petitions, I've put up signs, I've even volunteered to tow this thing. And while it's just a bit hard to miss that sign, the rest...well, we try. And try harder. And lie awake at nights each time we narrowly escape death.

Thanks be to God, I've yet to be in a serious wreck. Sure, bruised ribs, bloodied elbows, the usual "accidents happen" stuff, but when you're a right ijit like me who rides his '87 Schwinn like it was a racing bike, shit like that happens. You lie to yourself, say you don't hurt, it's a nice day, HTFU and go for a ride! But the stories I hear from people about them vs. cars...oy. Just Oy. I'm terrified of being doored, or a car-on-Ariston collision, and, as much as I ride, and (more to the point) as much as I ride in urban environments, I know it's a matter of When. And that scares me. DC's pretty bike friendly on the whole, but there are people who see folks like me as part of the War on Cars, and they're determined to win it by reminding us to know our place—which is, apparently, on the sidewalk. For starters, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in central DC on weekdays (something about pedestrians needing to use them), it's a jerk move everywhere, and all the time (don't pedestrians need some place to walk?), and it's just generally inadvisable (only pedestrians can deal with this uneven pavement, broken glass, and low-hanging vegetation; they can have it to themselves!). So I keep hauling my sign, racking up miles for the WABA Trailer's Strava account (there has to be some way I can get that thing a KOM...), and hoping things better.

[ 18. October 2013, 02:48: Message edited by: Ariston ]
 

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Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :
 
You're doing better than we have if cars aren't allowed in bike lanes. The rules here are that you're supposed to be close to the right curb so cars can go by unless there is a bike lane marked and then we get to share with the cars. Cars can park in them. They also have very narrow-on-the-shoulder-of-the-road dedicated bike lanes which are okay, but then we come to the infamous "bike lane ends" signs and there's nothing except to do the share a narrow lane with a car or, when marked, share a pathway or sidewalk with pedestrians. So sometimes I act like a car, when they let me and it's safe. I do block the car lane when I have to, to be safe. I ride on the sidewalk at times when there is only a roadway and that and I want to live. It's all commuting and getting around. No racing. No high performance. Not a recreational cycler.

I got a Kona road bike in early Sept, very nice for the snow free months. I changed out the stem and the seat & post and it now fits me well for the geek with necktie schtick. I put baskets on the front and back instead of panniers. Adds to the nerd thing. It replaced a Norco that is ready for recycling, but of course I can't throw it out. I got another Norco second hand, which I'm getting these Schwalbe Ice Spiker tires for. Expensive but after 8 years I'm going winter riding this year and it'll be less than gas would be. I'm down to 3 working bikes now. I got a bike locker for my office a month ago in preparation.

My history re injuries is mostly minor, but the one in 1987 made me stop the racing the streets and trying to better my bike computer commuting times. I t-boned a guy coming out of a parking lot. Over the hood and rolled, tore up pants and destroyed the front tire and fork. The guy seemed very decent and came to the hospital, but he lied when he gave the police report and to the insurance. Typical. Compression fractures of T5 and T6 (vertebra between the shoulder blades). The one in 2005 was me avoiding getting hit and landing with my chest on a concrete barrier for 3 broken ribs. They took forever to heal and I slept properly about a year later. So since then I have driven in the winter about 50% of the time, and done my damnedest to hitch rides and walk. Yeah, and I've got arthritis. Friggin idjit yes I am on the physical side, but it does me a world of good psychologically.

My kids bought me this t-shirt Infinity mpg city and highway. That's another reason, and of course the shirt is green.
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by no prophet:
I got a Kona road bike in early Sept, very nice for the snow free months. I changed out the stem and the seat & post and it now fits me well for the geek with necktie schtick.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
Of course, our jokes about Kona being the kind of company who would put disc brakes and suspension forks on their road bikes are looking less like jokes and more like the next trend in the industry with every passing year...

(Note for the non-gearheads: disc brakes and suspension forks are things you typically put on mountain bikes, but, until recently, never road bikes. There are some companies putting disc brakes on their road bikes this year, however, and suspension seatposts of various designs are always a perennial Thing at trade shows. …

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
... Kona is also very much a mountain bike company; we wonder if the only reason they make a carbon fiber road bike is because federal law requires US bike companies to make one, just as US breweries have to make an IPA, or if it's just that someone in upper management wanted a carbon road bike, but also wanted to use their employee discount on it. Kona is about the least carbon fiber road bike company ever—very laid back, very friendly, bikes built to last, not afraid of a little mud or rain, not a single jerk in the whole company...).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by balaam:
I had a Dew, and loved it. But as the Dew was a great design most companies are doing their version.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tukai:
I rode in the "Tour of Fiji" earlier this month: a 4-day stage race for the national championship.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
NP: I'm not sure if there *is* that much theory behind Schraeder/Presta, really, except that mountain bike/commuter/old skool American tires use Schraeder (you can remove the valve core pretty easily and pour in tire sealant if you live in a part of the world where goatheads and stickerbushes are so common you'd go five feet between flats without the stuff) and skinny Euro tires use the thinner Presta valves to avoid compromising the structural integrity of the skinny wheels. ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:
As for figuring out how to keep your glasses from fogging up: good luck, and I'll second the Nobel nomination.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by balaam:
What I can't understand is why anyone would want to commute in the UK without mudguards.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
... but I think the commonest one people cycle without is a clue.

Yes, I am a cyclist!

AG

---

• riding two abreast at 20 km/h on the flat with no headwind, needlessly blocking up other cyclists and motorists on an open road section. Relax and chat at the refreshment stops FFS!
• a spectacular clip stack by an idiot trying to take a shortcut along a footpath into a refreshment station.
• Darwin Award candidates drafting a public bus on an open road section.
• morons taking the racing line through corners across continuous lines on open road sections.
• one guy taken off in an ambulance after a an incompetent drafter got too much of a tow and ran up his arse.
• people riding past said stationary ambulance at 55+ km/h, over double the limit for passing a stationary emergency services vehicle.
• riders descending the Willunga Hill climb which was closed for one way bike traffic.
• Worst of all, Stravassholes racing on certain sections during what was supposed to be a participation ride. Please note - a KOM on an obnoxious antisocial networking website does not make your penis any bigger.

quote:

---

Originally posted by balaam:


What I can't understand is why anyone would want to commute in the UK without mudguards.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariston:

I mean, really. Did YOUR girlfriend come with an 11-speed rear derailleur?

---

Well, one of them, but that is a discussion for a board which no longer exists here.

Nice bike.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
But where do you put the 10 kg sack of rice and the rest of the shopping?
 

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Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :
 
On the other bike, of course!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Health to ride it, Ariston!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Nice lines - I would be jealous if I didn't already have the perfect bike for me. Being a lot shorter than you I would probably need a mounting block to get on, and resort to falling off instead of dismounting.
 

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