Cycling - a chat about all things bike.
 

I've historical done long distance cycling rides (touring). It's been a while since I last did some riding (largely because of work travel). I'm hoping/planning to do a tour from Vancouver, B.C., to Los Angeles next year but may have to post-pone it by a year due to training requirements.

I'm not big on mph/cadence but do understand the importance of it, particularly cadence.

Oh.. I'd love to do LEJOG. That'd be cool.

I have a custom Gunnar Rock Tour that I got about 6 years ago. I also have a beater Mountain Bike that I had switched from geared to singlespeed. When I lived in Canada, I used to use this bike for winter riding and some training. I'm thinking of getting a Surly or Gunnar fixie or singlespeed for training purposes.

What about you? What do you use for training and/or touring?

I haven't been riding as much of late due to recovery from surgery. I have a few more weeks of recovery and some work travel to do before I can start up again. I'm hoping by mid-July that I can begin running and cycling again. I have plans for at least one century to do L.A. to San Diego and then a return century.

I don't have to worry about snow, salt and sleet like I had before in Canada, it's the nice advantage of living here now compared to Toronto. :)

LOL.. Biking in Canada was no easy feat (although it was mostly to and from work in the winter months). But ya, it's easier when the weather is nicer. And I prefer solo centuries and tours in general as it allows me to decide how much, how long and when to stop.

Rubbing my hands together and squealing. I just rode my bicycle home from work. I have lots of bicycles. As a teenager, I rode a sears free spirit, at the time, that was a decent bicycle. I think it was 10 speed. I took very good care of that bike and had it for years. But things do wear out. In one of my *rounds* of college days, I bought a Kmart Husky bike. The frame, as I recall, was heavy. It was 24 inches. I think that was the best $65 dollars I ever spent. I did things to it, to make it more user friendly, but rode it to death. Well, actually not to death, my brother fixed it all up and donated it someone who didn't have a bicycle. This would be about the time I started to understand I really liked bicycles. I bought a Specialized rock hopper. They built it at the bike shop from the frame up. The frame was 17''. (I was like, is this for a little kid?) I had so much to learn! OMG, that bike was so light compared my Kmart bike. I had the handlebars raised a little and didn't quite have mountain bike tires and rims put on it, think all season, all terrain. Then I learned about the importance of peddles. Anyhow, my learning curve took off with my love of this bicycle. I rode it in my first triathlon. (It was like having snow tires on, they could hear me coming) I still have this bike, and I still ride it. Love specialized. I also bought a specialized RAAM racing bike. I had an accident with it last summer. I was *training* around town, in traffic~just not smart~ and I fell. This is where I should start talking about why you should wear good gloves and a helmet, but won't....we've all fallen I'm sure. The bike survived pretty good. It is now hooked to a cyclops and my racing days may be over. I also have what I call my FEMME bike. It is a cargo bike.
I am forced to sit up like a lady, no more hanging out over the handlebars, it has a big basket on the front equipped with NICE lights and a horn, two mirrors. I admit, it's so old lady (think retirement village) even a wide seat
and I love that seat as I have no ass. Very comfortable. I no longer care what I look like riding this thing, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. I have also learned to just ride, no more speed racer. I ride by things now, and actually see them! It's so uncool, I don't worry it's going to be stolen. I can remember removing my seat from other bicycles and taking it with me. Its a shame, it took me falling and getting banged up, to wise up. But I ride, and I ride alot. nine and a half month to 10 months out of the year. I don't know how to work on them. I can put a chain back on if it falls off. I just found out i was doing harm using WD-40 on the chain.....
I should be using sewing machine oil.

Sorry, got carried away.

I used to .. many moons ago. I had a really nice Panasonic 12 speed racing bike - fire engine red, Shimano throughout. I am thinking about maybe "getting back on the saddle" again, but not to race or go long distance. My reality is I'm a bit too old for that kind of excitement again. ;)

You're never too old NJFemmie, I know quite a number of racers and speed junkies who're well into their retirements. I quite understand though, I'll never be a speed king again. :cheesy:

Do it, just get back in the saddle. Do you have any good trails near you? Does the U.S have anything like we have here with Sustrans http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-d...-cycle-network, it's a National network of off-road - not rough off road but just away from traffic - cycle paths and trails. I'm real lucky in that I have loads of miles of National cycle route 62 right on my doorstep - well 5minutes up the road to the sea front.

Keep us posted on your getting-back-in-the-saddle progress.

Happy pedaling




and with that I'm off out for a ride :bicycle:

You can't even imagine my delight to look at the new posts and see a thread about cycling! YEA!

I've been cycling for about 5 years now. I started out on a hybrid but that only lasted about a year and a half before I went out and got a road bike.

Me and my road bike just finished the AIDS/Lifecycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles. An absolutely amazing event that I would recommend to anyone who loves cycling.

I learned so much about myself and my bike on that trip. I'm already training for next year.

I ride three to four times a week depending on my schedule, a long ride on Saturday morning (currently climbing Mt. Diablo for time) a recovery ride on Sunday morning, flat on Tuesday, hills on Thursday.

We have some decent bike trails here - but I haven't really researched what's here yet in terms of cycling. I most definitely want to get back to riding - it was something I enjoyed to get out of my head for a while, while keeping myself in shape.

I no longer have my Panasonic, but Mare does have a bike that I plan on tuning up and making road bound. I may just even get myself another (lighter) bike.

Enjoy that ride :)

Welcome to the cycling thread Diavolo, the more the merrier as they say :chaplin:

Wow! SF to LA, that must have been a great ride...do you have any pictures? I hope you enjoy next years ride as much as you seem to have this year.

Go you riding a mountain for training, my lung disease means no more mountains for me sadly, although back in the day it was the very 'lumpy bumpy' Lake District and Cumbria that was my training ground....on notoriously un-lump friendly recumbents too!

Any bike is better than no bike at all. I look forward to hearing about your first rides back in the saddle.

I'm having a day off. After doing 10-12 yesterday I realised how sore my knees were from the 25 the day before so all I've done today is a round trip to the out of town supermarket - my bike is necessary transport as well as a leisure activity.

It was a gorgeous day yesterday
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...3/IMG_0164.jpg

I would love ro bike again,but I cant find anything that will work with my chubby body.I tryed a mountain bike but wasnt a good fit it was to short in length and the seat was a killer with my sictaica probs my left leg was going numb as was my tail bone,I even tryed isting diffrently..still looking though.I may have to just buy a regular old cruiser type bike with a big seat.I ride a sttionary bike at the health club,but would really like to get out and ride.We have a bkieing club hear that dose several rides a year..looks like a lot of fun.

Two of my friends from the Cleveland area have NICE bikes, and they are made for (using your words) Chubby folks.

I typed in bicycles for chubby people into the browser and 6 sites came up. I think this will be easy for you.

The term "Clydesdales" (men) and "Athena" (women) riders refers to heavier riders. These are bikes that are meant for riders that are well above the 250lb rider. Adding those terms in my result in a few more hits. :)

I cycle to work and back. In london, it was the only reasonable way to get around if you don't live near a tube station or if you didn't feel like spending massive amounts of money on the tube (expensive mode of transport). I also used to cycle to uni in vancouver, toronto and victoria. I gave up my car many years ago as I found I loved cycling much much more.

In Oxford, everything is so close, it's ridiculous to not cycle. I can cyle from one side of oxford to the other in about 40 minutes at the very most. I could cycle to work (by oxford airport about 7 miles away) as it's only about 45 minutes but I was working from home for a few months and I need to work my way back up to it again. Right now I do about 5 miles to work and then hop the bus.

I don't have the best bike so I'm not sure how much it's going to take, but as parts expire I get them replaced with better quality bits.

I can't cycle without a wide, plushy female seat. I get hideous ingrown hairs and swollen, sore glands in my crotch.

I have bursitis so if the seat isn't up high enough (re: I can juuuuust barely touch the ground with the very tip of my toes) it gets inflamed. If I have to stop I just hop forward and keep one foot on the pedal, one on the ground with the bar between my legs. Once it's ok to go again I push my foot down on the pedal, which moved the bike forward and gives me a lift back onto my seat.

My thought for the morning, as soon I will be getting on my bicycle to go to work......why did we, for all those years, ride on that silly wedge thing they called a seat? I think I did alot of standing. CRAZY! Be comfortable.

If this wide seat concept starts to catch on, I will once again have a quick release on my seat post and start taking my seat with me,,,,lol

ugh. Not a fan of quick release anything. I'd rather lock my tires to the bike with small U locks (london necessity or they would be gone when you got back to your bike whether they were quick release or not!). But I can't ever get the quick release tight enough to not slowly push the bar into my bike as I sit on it. Probably because of my fat arse. So it's a super tight bolt. Best thing to do in london (but outside london I never had a problem with people stealing my seats) was to put a few pieces of duct tape across a new seat to make it look like it's been torn and repaired with tape. Cover seat with plastic bag and tie handles (like a cheap rain hat) when not on it. It means people have to a) remove the crappy plastic bag (and generally people with money don't cover their seats with plastic bags) and b) seat is obviously damaged due to duct tape over it.

only way I managed to not get my seat stolen. But it did work!

I loved cycling in Oxford honeybarbara. Although I did only do it for a fortnight whilst on the oddest visit to a person I've ever had but that's a whole other story. :blink: It tickled me to cycle past where Roger Bannister ran the first 4 minute mile.

My wheels are quick release but I've bound the levers to the forks with multiple zip ties until I can afford locking skewers. I carry a plastic back between the rails of my saddle for such wet weather service as you mention honeybarbarbara.

Yellow band, I can't cycle with a wide saddle, they're uncomfortable for my for skinny arse and apparently quite narrow sit bones. I'm hoping that the new (rather much more) narrow saddle will do the trick.

Meeep! I think I did a few too many miles last week and should have built up a little more gently to the 25 miler. My arthritic hips and knees have rebelled so have just been doing some more gentle 5's and a 10 tonight but it was at the limit of what my sore joints could cope with. Live and learn, live and learn.

Happy pedaling :bicycle:

Well, let me say....a wide seat is different things to different people.

The seats my *chubby* friends have on their bikes, I couldn't use.

I have no ass at all. And I can not ride on that wedge. But I found a seat that is a seat, it's bigger than the wedge (and any gel seat i've ever had....)just like anything, one must shop around.

We are watching Le Tour de France as I type! I love cycling and found it to be quite addictive (thanks, Papa)! It can also be VERY expensive! :seeingstars:

I love to ride. There's nothing like it. I HATE hills. They are quite a challenge to me but I am gonna' keep trying cos Tennessee is full of them!

We have a room full of bikes! I love to go in there and just feel their energy......ahhhhhh

My favorite is the one Papa bought for me: a Trek Lexa C. Her name is Cheetah and she is a sweet ride! I had the pleasure of riding her in my first-ever triathlon in May. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Great thread! Thanks!

Mountain biker here! Cannondale lover.

*sob* I remember when my Cannondale got stolen! :(


In good news, however, I got my company's bike gear kit today (vest, jersey and shorts!)

I'll post pics when I get a chance but it's cool to have a company that is supportive of all types of activity (bicycling and running are the two top ones) and enough to allow logo/designs to appear on gear. :cheesy:

One of the big problems on the AIDS ride is saddle sores. It stopped me at 61 miles one day. Later in the ride one of the other riders suggested I have the seat "fitted". Apparently they have you sit on a gel mold thing that allows them to see the width of your sit bones and fit your seat according to that measurement. It made sense to me. As soon as I have a few extra bucks in my pocket I'm going to have it done.

Incubus, I'm the opposite. when I cycle in amsterdam (where my in laws are and we visit 3-4 times a year. they always give us their guest bikes so we can get around) I'm *always* impressed with how much easier it is on my body, those dutch bikes. I'm used to hunched over, pressure on my wrists, light weight quasi mountain bikes (city bikes). I do see people with dutch bikes in the UK and yeah, they look nice, yeah, they are Huuuuuge (for the tall and well built nordics), but they are impractical for any place that has a slight hill.

But jesus those things are comfortable for me. built like you could drive it into a wall several times, wheel locks, massive wheel base, completely covered to protect good clothing, high off the ground and wide seats for my ass and completely upright. I get no swollen bursitis pains, no saddle chafing, no sore wrists.

I *can* cycle to work, but I can't take the saddle sores (even with a moderately wide seat) and the aching wrists. So I have to work up to it.

I do love cycling in Oxford in many ways - cycling through all of the universities in the morning is lovely. All the side streets and many bikes... when it's sunny the gold gleaming of the sandstone buildings... but the thing I do not like is the people who drive in from the surrounding villages to work and back and their inability to drive *with* bikes. In London that was a good thing - people didn't crowd you. I was near suicidal on my bike and very gladitorial - I often zipped between double deckers, darted in and out of traffic and got very aggressive with people who didn't give me space.

here... even though it has a MASSIVE demographic of bike users, people seem to turn stupid about what a fucking bike lane is. it seems to mean, "pull into it when you want to turn that way or if you have a new car or are very intimidated about traffic getting too close to you."

I used to have an air horn on my bike - I may return to this for those cars.

Best thing about biking in Oxford - cycling home along the river, on the gravel pathways, after a couple of pints at the gay bar. Totally dark. In places can't see a thing. I find this amusing and slightly thrilling. I remember cycling on the gulf islands at night when visiting friends and camping - the same thrill of cycling in the complete dark...

Add two mirrors and a *top case* in the back and that will look very similar to my femme bike!

for TdF junkies
 

This is from bicycling magazine.....a slide show or Tour de France

http://ow.ly/5zsKh

people seem to turn stupid about what a fucking bike lane is. it seems to mean, "pull into it when you want to turn that way or if you have a new car or are very intimidated about traffic getting too close to you."

I used to have an air horn on my bike - I may return to this for those cars.

Best thing about biking in Oxford - cycling home along the river, on the gravel pathways, after a couple of pints at the gay bar. Totally dark. In places can't see a thing. I find this amusing and slightly thrilling. I remember cycling on the gulf islands at night when visiting friends and camping - the same thrill of cycling in the complete dark...[/QUOTE]


As I live in one of the top ten bicycle progressive cities, we even have police on bicycles....it is against the law to pull up on the left of a bicylist
and then make a right hand turn (essentially they'd run us over, common sense right?) but it happens all the time and I wonder just how the law is enforced. Anyhow, I wear a bright yellow, glow in the dark vest and people are so distracted, sometimes they still don't see me. So, just like you ...I have the air horn and I have annoying turn signals. Although they don't flash, they beep (air horn tweeps) I use arm signals with out fail, and obey all traffic laws. Recently, a distracted driver was doing all kinds of stupid things and I had to blast the air horn at him, and then he was all swivel neck and finally saw me (as if I had just committed a crime, he copped an attitude) I arm signaled I was turning left and put the turn signal tweeps on.....he then pulled up beside me and yelled out the window *you're fucking kidding me right?* :blink: It's always the guilty screaming victim. I ignored him, and he drove off. So yes, get that air horn back on that bike. Your life is more important. People are too busy
with dash board dining, talking on the phone, texting- I often wonder who is driving the car. I don't care how obnoxious my bicycle is. If you can't see me, you will hear me.

I'm going to have to have the polite bell for the pedestrians strolling and not hearing me cycle up behind them on the shared paths, it happens and I'd hate to make them jump out of their skins with an air horn, and the air horn for the *&^%$ cars.

I'm an extremely aggressive cyclist. I get road rage, yell at cars, flip the bird a lot, cycle at three times the speed of most people in oxford (london too ingrained in my cycle system). Most people here don't wear helmets, don't wear vests, putter at "leisurely light cycle" mode even on the way to school in skirts/heels. I wear bike greasy dirt stained jogging trousers with heavy shirt (for pissing rain in summer) and reflective tape, bright helmet and a very, very assertive, aggressive loud bike demeanour. I stopped kicking cars when I started cycling in London cause I was afraid of someone kicking the crap out of me, but if someone gets too close - even though I'm pretty good with tight spaces with my bike - I swear and tap the door with my toe.

I was wondering if there was a such thing as signalling lights for my wrists! you've answered that question. :D

Amsterdam. Different animal. No one signals. people talk on the phone/text while cycling. I have NO idea what anyone is going to do when I get to a corner and it's thick with cycles pretty much everywhere. Amsterdam scares the shit out of me whenever I cycle there! Basically the only way it works is to just do what you want and and it seems to rythm work. I'm not sure how...

You know, I gave up the airhorne. I used one for a while but it finally died. So I switch to a pealess whistle. This is awesome and deals with the pedestrians as well as the 14-wheeler trucks that sometimes potentially pass me.

I noticed that in California, a lot of people listen to their iPods with both headphones in their ears. I never understood why someone would do that.