snowy

Yay for collapsing in a heap! My bike is currently out of commission with a front derailleur issue; I've been gone on holiday so I haven't taken care of it yet (rather, my SO hasn't had a chance to look at it yet). I expect to have it fixed by this weekend, but I won't get to go riding until Monday at the earliest anyways.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Supple Cow

I can't see well enough in the picture, but if that bike has horizontal drop-outs, you can convert it to a fixed gear. HO-LY MO-LY is that like crack. I got on my friend's new bike at the end of April for all of 7.4 seconds, fell off of it a couple of times while trying to get my feet into the pedal straps and then found myself HOOKED FOR LIFE. I dipped into my rent money two days later and ordered one on sale for $300 at Bikes Direct. Let me tell you, it was the best $300 I've ever spent in my life. Hands down. I ride that sucker to school every day (when school's in session) and a lot of evenings when I get home from work too wound up, I go out and just tool around the neighborhood for a couple of hours. I should post pictures of my new shirt as soon as I get to doing my laundry... it has a picture of a bike and says "PUT THE FUN BETWEEN YOUR LEGS"

ASU2003

Where did you get that shirt? I want one.

I'm going to be riding a lot tomorrow. I even have a bicycle date with a cute girl.

filtherton

I think my bike cost about $500 altogether. I bought the frame and the drive train components myself and then my awesome roommate bought the parts for and put together a wheel set for me. I like it a lot. It's a fixed gear Surly Steamroller.


Sometimes they shut the freeways down.

I also know people who wouldn't even consider buying a new bike, but since I live in a pretty bike friendly town, there are many cheap used bikes to be had. If you go that route, or actually even if you don't, you'd probably be better off if you also familiarize yourself with the most common maintenance tasks, like changing a flat.

A lot of people who ride fixed gears swear by them. They are about as simple as you can get with a bicycle without going back to the 1820s.

canuckguy

great pic!!

Here is my trusty steed. She does me well for around town cruising. Did 45km today out and about in the heat....

A Rocky Mountain Fusion, IRC metro road slicks, velo computer...

Attached Images

IMG_0211 [800x600].JPG (45.9 KB, 237 views)

MexicanOnABike

I go to work every day with my roadbike. best thing i could have got for myself.

What is everyone's top speed?

mine has been 47km/hr on flat ground and just over 50km in a hill.
I'd like to practise keeping these speeds for longer periods of time if possible. The last time i went over 45, someone was driving(SUV) behind me for a long time all impressed. it was nice. "dude! you're going 45! "... -I know.

__________________

- Movie Reviews - Ratings-

Psycho Dad

I've taken it back up after a 24 year hiatus. I've rode 20 miles today, and am getting ready to go for another ride this evening. The Marin Coast Trail I recently bought though is not half the Bike my old Takara 960 was. Man I miss that bike.

__________________
Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

GSRIDER

I've always been a casual rider. Never into the spandex nor pretending I was in the Tour De France.
Sadly I moved out to the suburbs where the mentality is "the more gas the better". Not the greatest place for bicycling. However this hasn't stopped me from using my bike for all my errands. My kids are also on two wheels. They ride to the video store and the grocery store with me. My youngest son just started BMX dirt track racing. He has the most expensive bike in the family.
I ride a 15 y/o Fugi Mountain bike. My wife rides an old rock hopper. My daughter has the sweetest ride of all, I picked her up an old 70's huffy banna seat bike. 9 bucks!!!! then the 60 to get street worthy, still worth it.
i spend hours on craigslist looking for old bikes. I wish I had expendable cash cause I would fill my garage up with bikes and try and get everyone in my nieghborhood on two wheels.

__________________
No signature at this time.

wez312

I just recently got back into bike riding. Used to do a lot of it when I was younger. You can definitely tell a difference between a walmart bike and a bike store bike. I think the biggest reason to buy from a bike store is that they know what they're doing. This means you'll get a bike that fits you, is made more for what you're going to use it for, and most importantly, if something does go wrong they'll be there to help you fix it.

Craven Morehead

I ride casually, usually to go work out or a 7 or 8 mile ride in the evening around town. The town has put in some bike paths which are very welcome but very crowded at times. Last Sunday evening I came up on a couple walking on the bike path. So I rode off the path and after I got by them I wiped out trying to get back on the path. The bike path's surface was about 2 inches higher than the ground level. The grass was high enough that I didn't notice until my front wheel hit it. As I was falling I extended my hands to break my fall and I thought for sure I'd break my wrists. Luckily I didn't. I have a really ugly looking right knee. Plus other scrapes elsewhere. While I was lying in the weeds, face down the guy I just passed said "are you OK, sir?" Sir? Damn it, I was face down in the weeds with a bike helmet on and I still looked like a sir to him! Hurt worse than the scrapes.

Wear a bike helmet, regardless. I popped my head pretty hard and it saved me from much worse injury.

canuckguy

Ouch, glad your ok! Hey at least they did not laugh at you! Do you have a bell? There a must have on multi-use pathways. I do notice one effect with the bell though, that everyone seems to just fucking stop what there doing and turn around. So instead of just moving over to the correct side of the path they stop, turn and then SOME times get out of the way...

BTW add gloves to that must wear along with a helmet Craven!

Gloves give you padding on your hands against the handlebars, better grip if you get sweaty and if you take a header they get ripped up and not your hands.

On friday night we had some big storms pass through and I went out for a ride Saturday morning, I came up to a long patch of mud very quickly and tried to steer out of it but it was too late. My back brake locked up and i went surfing on one foot and the bike half on it's side. I did manage to stay on my feet and was amazed at no damage to me or the bike!

Today my neck is so freaking stiff when i turn my head to the right! Could feel it all during my ride today, luckily the lady friend is coming over to massage it and several other aches and pains out...

rickybob69

Good on ya evilbeefchan
I got back on the road bike this past week after recovering from pneumonia... (However the heck ya spell it)
It is a 20+ year old Miyata 710. New bars/tires/tubes/cables and brake pads.
Let me tell ya the guys who I tear by on their $5k+ bikes didn't look to thrilled....
**until they saw me almost puking 5 blocks later from pushing it hard!**
I have a long way to go!

redneckdude

A little a bout my bike. I ride a Trek 460, circa 1984. I bought this bike at a place called Helping Hands which is a thrift store. I paid $20. Tuned it up. To date I have only put about 800 mi. of it as I haven't had much time to ride. I have put a set of clip on pedals, a computer and a new saddle. I recently had to put a new set of wheels on it as I ahve now joined the over the bar scar club. While riding with some friends and at about 30 mph just kinda run off the road. I crumpled my front tire and broke a rib. as a result. Other than that the bike recovered very well. I have put about another 150 mi on it after the crash.

The bike is an old steel frame and I really love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and when I get done traveling I will buy a new bike but will always keep my steelie. I too can't stress the helmet issue enough. When I went down, my hips hit first then my shoulder producing a whipping effect with my head. I broke my helmet, adn believe that if it hadn't been for my helmet the crash may have been fatal.

I love to ride, I just don't have time, and I feel like the king of the world after riding 25-30 miles.

Scot

__________________
Just think 6 feet above the ground is better than 6 feet below ground!

Craven Morehead

Yep, going to pick up a bell. Actually was considering that before I wiped out. And now that I have, I'm also thinking about gloves, too.

Takes all the fun out of visiting the Titty Board when your palms are all scrapped up.

Tirian

I've been riding too. Started for the 2007 MS bike tour in my town, and have been keeping it up more or less since. My favorite two riding routes are 30 or 40km respectively. I have an old roadbike donated by a friend for the MS cause. I add a new part or two, and keep it going. Wiped out in training this spring on a night when my left pedal and crank fell off, then (after reattaching) I almost hit a porcupine, and finally lost it on the pea gravel 20 feet from my garage. That hurt! So I second the gloves and helmet advice! Wearing one protects your brain, and proves you have one.

I'm getting interested in garage hacking of bikes.

My two boys and I just came into the house from testing our first build, a Spin Cycle.

To see what I am talking about - check out atomiczombie.com.

Cycling ROCKS ! Human powered vehicles - lets go !

rickybob69

Holy crap! atomiczombie.com...... I'd be up now starting to build, but 4:52am might have me pissing off neighbors with the grinder going!!!
Where are the pics of the spin cycle ?

Tirian

Here is mine. Still somewhat prototyped the seat will be upgraded and the metal painted someday.

Vigilante

I ride a BMX-type single speed around the trails here. Love it. My wife has a $80 walmart special that she's been using for a couple of years, seems to work fine for her. We have about 70 miles of concreted "greenbelt" that we go on, which I ride with no hands because it makes me work harder. I have no idea how many miles we cover, but in the texas heat it doesn't take long to wear down

I'm saving up for a mountain bike at the local shop, about $750, but it sure felt nice when I tested it.

__________________
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

biznatch

This bike shop in Boulder, Co hooked me up with a Giant mountain bike, the model name was Boulder (strangely). Thing was awesome, they understoo. I was on a budget and didn't try to upsell me. So I'm not sure if Full Cycle is all over the country or just local, but they're good guys.

__________________
Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread

snowy

Looks like their only locations are in Boulder and Fort Collins, but what's funny is that we have a bike shop here called Full Cycles (Full Cycles Bike Shop - Call Toll Free 866.752.9010) and they're really awesome too. It's the closest bike shop to the university here, and the guys are incredibly helpful. Plus, if you need a simple repair done, they'll show you how to do it and the labor costs aren't bad at all. It's nice to have an easy-in-easy-out bike shop so close to campus.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

MexicanOnABike

is that serious!?!? i want to see videos of you on it! looks fucked up!

__________________

- Movie Reviews - Ratings-

roachboy

i ride an old motobecane super mirage.
it was an excellent city bike---out here in ruralia, though, it's a little heavy.
today was my first ride on mountain bike clip pedals.
i managed not to fall off when i stopped.
i almost decided to make it a fixed gear, but think at some point i'll opt for a lighter frame instead.

most excellent photo, filtherton.
admirable action as well.

__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

Supple Cow

Can anyone recommend some good winter cycling gloves? I'm on a budget, but if it's something under $50 for AMAZING I can splurge. I'm the type to get numb/painful fingers throughout winter in my faux leather gloves and often get clammy in mittens. Ideally, I am going to keep riding to school when it gets cold this year because I'm going to plan ahead and buy the proper gear.

roachboy - You can convert mountain bikes into fixies!?!?! I thought most mountain bikes had vertical dropouts...?

Tirian - that looks hot, but the first thing I thought was OUCH. My ass is so bruised just looking at that flat wooden surface and thinking about all my weight sitting back on it. Hope you get the upgrade soon!

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

AquaFox

i looove cycling! I'll ride all day and night if i had the time...



buying a bike is like buying a car... the more you spend on it, the more you'll get from it...

__________________


...AquaFox...

Vigilante

Haha ate concrete today riding around in the rain. I hit a clay patch and then didn't consider that fact when I took a sharp turn right after that. Front wheel went out from under me and I slid several feet. My knee looked like hamburger and below my elbow was rubbed through the skin. Ah well, just got up and rode home LOL. Did a number on the shoulder though, that's gonna hurt for a while, but hey, at least I can still ride

__________________
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

snowy

Supple--I got some gloves from Specialized last year for less than $40 from my local bike shop that rock my socks. They're highly water resistant, wind resistant, and keep my fingers toasty warm. I too get super-cold hands in winter, so it helps a lot. I love them so much I wear them sometimes when I'm not biking. http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=34677 They also make heavier gloves if you need them, but these did the trick through an icy cold winter.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

eribrav

Another realtively cheap approach to this problem: Get a pair of silk or polypro liners that go under your regular gloves. (Make sure your regular gloves are big enough to accomodate the liners without cutting off the circulation to your fingers or this "solution" will make things worse, not better.)
Then you have regular, weatherproof gloves over a liner. Should keep you warm and dry, and when you start to sweat you remove one of the pairs of gloves for a while until you cool down.

roachboy

sc: my old blue motobecane is a road bike.
the pedal clips are mountain bike clips because they're smaller and you can plausibly walk around a bit wearing the shoes.
it's a clippity-cloppity walking.

__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

Supple Cow

Thanks for the tips, guys! RB - I just reread your original post and now realize that you said mountain bike pedals. Heh, big difference. I guess I've been dreaming of a fixed gear mountain bike since I got my Windsor Hour because I'm like the princess on the pea when I ride that thing. I can practically feel it when I run over ants.

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

surferlove007

How did I miss this...
Well I'm a big rider when I have the time, and when my car was having problems I road the 5 miles to and from campus in Lubbock. I love my bike, it's been great. I got a brand new road bike for my graduation present. It's a Mercier, I sized myself at a local shop and my dad ordered my bike online for me. It's about a $1800.00 bike (we didn't pay that much!), but completely worth the money. It's been nothing but wonderful for me.

Here's James and I at the Moonlight ramble which goes 20 miles through downtown Houston in October. It was a blast!

Dammitall

Seven years ago I purchased a cheap steel (heavy!) mountain bike for $100something from Wal Mart when I was living temporarily in Florida... and left it there when I moved a few months later.

Two summers ago I visited one of our three local bike shops and purchased a Trek 7.2FX for about $400. I was struck immediately by how much lighter this bike was, with an aluminum frame and no suspension. I started cycling the four miles each way to and from our local transit center as part of my commute to work and kept it up pretty consistently through the summer, fall and spring.

After a year of "research" on bike commuting blogs and forums, I set my heart on getting the extremely versatile Surly Crosscheck, which I picked up from the other local bike shop a week ago. That trip to the shop cost me about $1,300, between the bike, clipless pedals and shoes (a first) and some other accessories (rear rack, two bottle cages and a bell).

I love this bike! The pedals have taken some getting used to (only a couple of near falls) but overall the upgrade has been totally worth it. Riding for me feels fun, exciting and liberating, and even moreso on my new ride. At the end of this month I'm doing my first long(er) distance ride, 45 miles in the LiveStrong Challenge. I am nervous about going that far—my "training" hasn't yet amounted to distances much over 15 miles yet and there's not much time left—but I'm still excited.

Attached Images

n121453_35072630_9345.jpg (60.8 KB, 122 views)

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

Dammitall

I'd like to try riding fixed gear someday. I'll probably fall but that's half the fun, right?

They make stickers, too.

Attached Images

mcs149b_450.gif (28.5 KB, 118 views)

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

filtherton

Nice bike, spinelust.

I too recommend trying out a fixed gear. I don't want to say that they're more hardcore because I don't want to feed into the all the bullshit bravado that a lot of fixie riders seem to have, but they're definitely more something. It's nice to brake with your feet (though I still have a front brake for the unexpected). I almost fell the first time I tried it; it definitely makes you rewrite your muscle memory.

My problem right now with mine is that I overused a chain and deformed the teeth on my drive train. I got a new chain, but it isn't deformed like my gears, so that when I pedal it makes an annoying "settling" noise. I guess next time I won't wait until my chain is completely fucked to replace it.

Supple Cow

Yeah, that's the one! My shirt's like the sticker but more vertically oriented.

I just noticed we're almost neighbors! You can come try my bike out anytime if you want a taste of the crack.

__________________
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
(Michael Jordan)

Vigilante

Ugh, not a fan of fixed-gear bikes. But I rarely ride street though, so that may be why.

__________________
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

Sensei Crap

Some really nice bikes on here. I ride a Specialized Tricross Sport, using it to commute the 15 miles from home to Uni. It's ideal for me because as a crosser it can take going on dirt tracks if i feel like a detour, and handles extremely well in the wet. As you can see i don't have clipless pedals but i've never used them before and am a tad unsure about them.

I'm also thinking of getting slicker tyres for it as the Borough CX tyres are quite big for a road bike.



Of course my dream bike, that I one day hope to own is the Specialized Tarmac Comp 06. That is a sweet looking bike.

Dammitall

Supple, thanks for the offer. I'd be happy to take you up on it at some point.

Sensei, ditto on having a Cross bike, and nice choice with the Specialized. Would you ever consider going clipless? And having mentioned that your Specialized handles well on wet roads, does it take fenders and are you considering getting them?

I had fenders on my last bike. They did surprisingly well in keeping the wetness off my legs and clothes in the rain but occasionally went out of alignment and started rubbing against my wheels. I'm not yet sure if I want to get them for the Surly. From what I understand, they also make removing the wheels a bit of a pain.

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

Sensei Crap

I want to upgrade to cliples as soon as I have the opportunity, as i hear they really help on the hills. Would be a damn shame not to, because I live in Cornwall, Britain, and it's all hill.

As far as Fenders go.. no way. I think it would ruin the aesthetic of the bike, and i don't mind getting wet. Having said that, I don't know if you can fit one on anyway.

Anyone use Bikely and mycyclinglog.com?

Dammitall

I figured I'd post some pictures taken after finishing my first long distance ride today: the 45 mile LiveStrong Challenge ride along the winding, hilly roads of Montgomery County, PA. The weather today couldn't have been more perfect for it.

Attached Images

	CIMG4905-copy.jpg (56.2 KB, 55 views)
	CIMG4906-copy.jpg (57.5 KB, 55 views)

__________________
If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]

snowy

Awesome, spinelust!

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau