The Bicycle Thread (2023 Edition)

[YellowJersey]

It's that time of year again! After a bit of a chilly week last week, I went out yesterday for my first outdoor ride of the year. No leaves on the trees yet and the reservoir was still partially frozen over, but it was a nice, sunny, albeit windy, day. Looking at doing a loop around the rockies sometime in July using the following route.

63km in 3 hours and 1 minute.

[8tg]

Here to flex.

I do about 9-10 miles a day now in a fairly consistent loop. Sometimes I take the bike trail next to my house a few towns over which is a 16 mile total loop.

Nothing crazy, I don’t time it because that’s just casual fun.

And then I have another bike that’s for just getting around town for errands not for pleasure, a cannondale trail 6 which is good for getting groceries or snacks from town.

[YellowJersey]

70km today! It was a really nice day and I felt a lot stronger in the later half of the ride compared to my last ride.

 

Total this year so far: 133km

[RollyShed]

Something I've not had a problem with in my 70 years of biking. A puncture, OK a few of those, but this one caused by the plastic over the spokes going hard over time where it goes past the valve. At that part, the plastic cover was double thickness and the corner of the short length of added thickness, sticking out, had hardened and finally poked through the tube within 5 mm of the valve.

 

A sharp knife and some sandpaper have smoothed things down and a new tube has been fitted.

 

Hopefully the rain will stop and I'll be on my bike tomorrow.

[YellowJersey]

51 minutes ago, RollyShed said:

Something I've not had a problem with in my 70 years of biking. A puncture, OK a few of those, but this one caused by the plastic over the spokes going hard over time where it goes past the valve. At that part, the plastic cover was double thickness and the corner of the short length of added thickness, sticking out, had hardened and finally poked through the tube within 5 mm of the valve.

 

A sharp knife and some sandpaper have smoothed things down and a new tube has been fitted.

 

Hopefully the rain will stop and I'll be on my bike tomorrow.

Can you post a pic? I'm not sure to what you are referring.

 I've had a few spoke-related issues in my 25 years of cycling. First one was the rear wheel on my first proper road bike (1998-2012, rip). I was going up a really steep climb in the wrong gear and the spoke literally pulled out of the rum. Guys at the bike shop said they'd never seen anything like it. My second one was a busted spoke on my cross-Canada cycling trip; had to ride 12km with a wonky wheel back to the nearest town to get it fixed. And lastly, I had to get the rear wheel on my current bike )2011-present) replaced last year as the rims were cracked after a decade of use.

 I've been fairly puncture-free since I switched to Continental Gatorskin tyres in 2008, even more so since I switched to 28s (thinking of going even thicker). I've had a few flats here and there. One involved a two-cm diameter hole being sliced out of the tyre by god-knows-what while cycling from Banff to Lake Louise (and then on to Jasper). Thankfully, I had enough tube patches to close the hole in the tyre but sticking all my patches on the inside. Another one was a mystery flat in 2008 where I woke up to find both my tyres completely flat, but had no issues after I pumped them up again.


Also: 90km yesterday in 4 hours and 17 minutes. Not bad for my third ride of the year. The wind was crazy and I had a lovely 15km section of tail wind... before I had to turn around and had 15km of brutal headwind. It was a good ride, though. It's been raining a bit and, according to the forecast, I probably won't be back out on the bike again until late next week sometime.

Total this year so far: 223km

[YellowJersey]

102km today in 4 hours 41 minutes. Came home and had three burgers and a large fries for dinner.

 I also ordered a pair of "cat ears" for my helmet. They claim to reduce wind noise and my current helmet straps make the wind noise nearly unbearable. I'll report my findings when they arrive. Anyone else have any ideas for reducing wind noise while on the bike? https://www.cat-ears.com/

 

Total this year so far: 325km

Edit: Tested out a DIY idea I had to reduce wind noise. I took some foam "noodles" (for lack of a better term) that were about the diameter of my finger and zip tied them to my helmet straps. It actually worked alright. It was a bit of torture test due to some pretty strong winds (I hit 69kmph (nice) going down a big hill on another 102km ride today).

Total this year so far: 427km

[8tg]

it’s getting easier, I’m still fat and this still hurts but it did not take long at all to get my cardio back in order

 

yesterday I went too hard and had a bad time wheezing in the woods because I did not stop or slow down and just forced myself to go full tilt for like 5 miles straight which was dumb as hell

because I got to this point:

and while taking that picture couldn’t hear anymore and couldn’t breathe enough, so I just sorta agonized there for a bit before casually cursing around the forest floor 

the cruising around the forest floor part was super fun, but I need to remind myself to take breaks and not full sprint in 18th gear for miles at a time 

 

[RollyShed]

7 hours ago, 8tg said:

it’s getting easier, I’m still fat and this still hurts but it did not take long at all to get my cardio back in order

Looking at the previous pictures of your bike, are you very short? The seat looked very low.

Also toe clips might help. I dislike immensely riding without them.

They do not need to be tight and even those without straps help a lot.

[8tg]

4 minutes ago, RollyShed said:

Looking at the previous pictures of your bike, are you very short? The seat looked very low.

Also toe clips might help. I dislike immensely riding without them.

They do not need to be tight and even those without straps help a lot.

I am 6’3”, the cannondale is a 29” with an xl frame and the se is also a 29” bike

 

[RollyShed]

35 minutes ago, 8tg said:

I am 6’3”, the cannondale is a 29” with an xl frame and the se is also a 29” bike

 

Possibly the angle the picture was taken. However, sitting on the seat, one pedal fully down, is your leg, to that pedal, straight?

This is the usual method of setting up seat height.

[YellowJersey]

2 hours ago, RollyShed said:

Possibly the angle the picture was taken. However, sitting on the seat, one pedal fully down, is your leg, to that pedal, straight?

This is the usual method of setting up seat height.

I generally go for a seat height that means on the down stroke I go just shy of a full leg extension.

No riding for me this week due to heavy smoke from nearby wild fires. :(

[RollyShed]

4 hours ago, YellowJersey said:

I generally go for a seat height that means on the down stroke I go just shy of a full leg extension.

No riding for me this week due to heavy smoke from nearby wild fires.

I should have said straight leg with heel on the pedal and because of the slight toe down that one does with the leg when pedalling it isn't absolutely straight.

 

Getting towards summer in the north so wild fires.....

[YellowJersey]

110km today in 5 hours and 11 minutes. Out for a holiday in BC so I rode from Invermere to Canal Flats and back. 710 meters of vertical. I'm glad the smoke cleared up enough to ride. Though, I had a headwind both ways as the wind changed direction after I turned around. The last 30km were pretty brutal. I also tried out my "cat ears" and I think they do a decent job of cutting down on the wind noise. Can recommend, given that they're pretty cheap.

Total this year: 537km

[8tg]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:54 PM, RollyShed said:

Possibly the angle the picture was taken. However, sitting on the seat, one pedal fully down, is your leg, to that pedal, straight?

This is the usual method of setting up seat height.

It’s pretty close, I don’t like hunching over on the bike at all, so it’s either bring the bars up or the seat down

the quadangle is pretty good for seating position imo

 

speaking of, today I took the quadangle on a 20+ mile ride

though spread into 2 sections, one where I got home and realized it was only 17 miles

and another to go get the last few miles in and exact my revenge when I found where the car that almost hit me was parked at

took some fancy pics

 

broke the law

 

and remembered there’s trails back here in the woods and I should go get the cannondale tomorrow to go see what kind of shape they’re in, last time I rode back there I was like, 12 years old

 

[8tg]

I’m also still not buying a helmet because I’m using risking my life riding dangerously around town at high speed ignoring traffic laws to harass my dad into getting back in shape

i stopped smoking, cut out all caffeine, changed up my diet, spent almost $4000 on bicycles so I could go exercise in the finest drip
And my dad is like, he used to work at a Schwinn store, he had all the coolest mountain bike shit of the 90’s, used to go bomb through the desert in Utah doing downhill

And now he’s 50, fat, eats like shit, won’t quit smoking and hasn’t exercised in two decades

but the bike nerd is still in there, he’s super upset I don’t have a helmet, I ate shit as a kid once and destroyed a helmet which is now on display as an educational piece at the local bike store, we have family friends who’s kids have died (plural, more than once) crashing in the streets here

 

so I told his ass I’ll go buy a helmet when he does the same things, and I’ll go ride with him

 

he bought a hutch 26” frame and fork:

and is going to put together a bike, at which point I’ll go buy a helmet and ride with him

he lives in the most bike accessible place I’ve ever fucking seen and isn’t taking advantage of it

dude lives with full sidewalk, side street and bike lane connections with a no hassle ride Into town where there’s every store and service imaginable, bike parking everywhere, parks everywhere, and can straight line to the beach:

they live in Edgewood
I am genuinely mad at him and both my parents tbh for not taking advantage of this, I would kill to be able to ride a mile and a half to the beach whenever the fuck I wanted 

[mdk777]

I spent 30 years in the Area, Valparaiso IN.

It was only when I left that I realized what an angry messed up region of the country it was.

 

Having broken my neck on a bicycle (while wearing a helmet) I can tell you that the last 40 years of my life has been unrelenting pain.

 

So, maybe you should really think about that whole attitude thing you have going.

 

People drive like bikes don't exist.

 

You are the only one who will loose, not the driver, not your dad.

 

Just saying....your death wish would be the best outcome.

More likely a lifetime of disability and bitterness about how incredibly stupid you were. 

[8tg]

28 minutes ago, mdk777 said:

People drive like bikes don't exist.

This is a lame take, remind bad drivers they suck in any context. I key cars when I almost get hit on my bike and flash guns on the highway when people tailgate me with their brights on. Normal processes do not work, take abnormal processes to get results.

That person will probably be a little more wary of how they drive around bikes or at least me, as will multiple people that probably don’t tailgate with their brights on anymore out of fear of catching a bullet in their engine block.

 

The more things like this occur, the more of an issue it becomes for drivers, the more they’re aware of it. The scale of fucking around versus finding out, nobody has even shown them the graph yet.

[RollyShed]

When helmets were first becoming available those available in this country were rubbish so I bought one in California, 1985, when I did the 3,500 km ride up the coast to Oregon and back down to SF.

 

As for handle bars up and seat down, definitely the wrong way. Seat up to suit your legs and then the handle bars where needed / wanted.

 

$4000 for a bike !!!!

My expensive one was about $400 second hand. It was the one taken to Singapore and up to Thailand. It is the one I use for commuting and getting the groceries. A really good one, hard to remember so far back, possibly $100 for the Claude Butler 531 frame. Wheels I used to build my own and gears, I set those up. Saddles - Brooks leather ones.

[mdk777]

10 hours ago, 8tg said:

This is a lame take, remind bad drivers they suck in any context. I key cars when I almost get hit on my bike and flash guns on the highway when people tailgate me with their brights on. Normal processes do not work, take abnormal processes to get results.

That person will probably be a little more wary of how they drive around bikes or at least me, as will multiple people that probably don’t tailgate with their brights on anymore out of fear of catching a bullet in their engine block.

 

The more things like this occur, the more of an issue it becomes for drivers, the more they’re aware of it. The scale of fucking around versus finding out, nobody has even shown them the graph yet.

The more things like this occur, the more likely you are to be shot in the back...you know Gary is but miles away right?

PS, if you flash a gun at a car, you have just given them the right to run you over.

"He pointed a gun at me and I gunned the gas to get away as fast as possible....no I didn't stop to render aid...I feared for my life"

Not only do you not understand vehicle right of way, you clearly do not understand gun laws....you are a walking talking Darwin Award waiting to happen.

 

[YellowJersey]

Getting the thread back on track: 102km today in 4 hours 40 minutes. Hit 63kmph going down a big hill.


Total this year: 639km

[RockSolid1106]

I'm amazed by how stupid people are but one of them here is just next level.

 

Anyways. School schedule is kinda tight, so I don't get much time to take care of my fitness. I decided I'd bike to school when it's dry so I could at least get some exercise. It's going to start raining in a month, so I'll have to use the car again, but hopefully it made a decent environmental difference to use the bike than my car for the last 8 months.

I also got a mirror installed to my bike to be able to see the traffic behind me, so I can overtake people and other stuff. I find it very beneficial as I don't have to keep looking back over my shoulder every few seconds. It eventually even comes as a habit to me now to check the mirror every few seconds.

And it's summer now so the temps are pretty high. Usually it's about 36C(when I have to ride the bike), so I try to ride slow, in first/third gear(the road has a slight incline). I don't think there's much I can do other than ride slow tbh.

[seanondemand]

I spent most of 2022 away from home and my gear, so I learned just how fat and out of shape I got, between that and having our first kid. Even so, getting out on the MTB for the first time this season was a great day, aside from the smoke rolling in. I got about 800m of vertical in about 50km. I suspect @YellowJersey might know where this shot was…

[RollyShed]

4 hours ago, RockSolid1106 said:

I decided I'd bike to school when it's dry so I could at least get some exercise. It's going to start raining in a month, so I'll have to use the car again,

And when I was twice(?) three times(?) your age I'd be riding when it was wet. Simply dress to keep dry.

Care needed to be taken on a frosty morning as black ice could be "interesting". Yes, came off a couple of times on that. Snow was an excuse not to ride or even go to work and it happened about once a decade.

 

As for fires in Canada, we are sending firefighters to help out.

[YellowJersey]

@RockSolid1106 I've actually become better at handling the heat as I get older. Last summer, I was riding in 30C and up temperatures and didn't have a problem so long as I kept hydrated. I used to have a lot harder time dealing with the heat.

@seanondemand Can't say I recognise that spot, but I'm usually on the road or paved bike paths, not mountain biking. Whereabouts was that? The haze certainly seems similar to the smoke we've had recently!

@RollyShed Always appreciate the help. Too bad our current government is, without wishing to get political, handling the situation in a manner that can only be described as, "atrocious." (We're in the middle of an election, so they're taking the opportunity to rubbish the other parties) I'm hoping it's not a super smokey summer this year. Waspinator has plans!

 No riding today as I've got to work (just on break atm), but I'm hoping either tomorrow or Friday for my next ride.

[seanondemand]

14 minutes ago, YellowJersey said:

Whereabouts was that?

That’s the viewpoint on Merlin View trail at West Bragg Creek! So yeah, that’s Saturday morning’s smoke.