Cycling - a chat about all things bike.

[Linus]

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.

How marvellous to see even more cyclists coming to join in the thread. I knew y'all had to be out there

Andrew...You might want to look at the women's compact frame bikes - they have crossbars like boys bikes. They're smaller frames, I know some short guys who ride them. They don't suit everyone though. I know girls who ride blokes frames because they're tall and the women's frames don't suit them. On the women's cycling forum I look in on quite a number of the women reckon that there's not much difference between the women's and men's frames in quite a number of the big brand names. We're talking road bikes here though not any other style of bike.

Diavolo... what was recommended for the saddle sores. Did you use Chamois Butt'r? Someone here has recommended Sudocreme for after rides. I can't afford a saddle fitting or the very expensive saddle they'd no doubt recommend.

Hey TickledPink... a triathalon, wow! Go you!! I'm not a fan of hills anymore now that I have 50% lung function, they really challenge me and I usually have to stop on the bigger inclines but like you I still make myself ride them. Once upon a time my training ground was the very hilly/mountainous Lake District (Cumbria UK)

honeybarbara... I loved cycling in Amsterdam when I used to visit regularly. Although riding after a coffeeshop visit was sometimes a errrrm! challenge

Yellow Band... There are far too many folks with bikes (those who own bikes rather than cyclists) who don't take any notice of the rules of the road and give drivers reason to think that cyclists in general are that stupid. I too follow the rules of the road, stop at lights etc and use clear arm signals, if one wants to be on the roads then one should follow the same rules as motorized road users. I would love an Airzound to wake up oblivious drivers.

I'm really glad that you guys share my exasperation with peds and motors. After coming back to riding after more than a decade I am quite alarmed at just how many more oblivious numpties are on the roads.

I am a very, very confident rider and will usually take up the primary position on the road when making manoeuvres because I believe doing so keeps me safer than being a more passive rider. I also refuse to ride in the gutter, why on earth would I ride over drain grids and potholes? I used to give a healthy kick to car doors if the driver cut me up or endangered me but I don't do that anymore because I too fear that they'll just stop and try to thump me. If a car passes me so closely that I can knock on their roof then they are endangering me so a knock on the roof usually wakes them up and generally gets me flip of the bird *shrugs*

Oh my Yellow Band, cycle lanes are another one of my soap-box topics.

I'm with you Linus, I don't understand why folks wear both headphones when cycling. If you can't hear anything that's going on around you then you're a danger to yourself and others. Although I do cycle with one side of my headphones in when I'm on the local National Cycle route - I'm currently working my way through Stephen Fry reading all the Harry Potter books - however I won't use headphones at all on the road.

[Diavolo]

Originally Posted by Linus

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.

OMG this one makes me crazy. I have to ride on the canal trail for a while to get off of the hill and down to the part of town where it's safer to ride. I'll be hollering "on your left" and they are oblivious to me. At this point I make a mental note that we're going to hit and am always thankful when we don't. Idiots.

I don't understand why you'd fuck up a perfectly good run by pumping noise into your head.

The idea of moving around outside while that plugged in is bizarre to me. I just think about that guy that got shot because he ignored the police instruction to get down on the ground and was found to be wearing earbuds. It was a police mistake that took his life but Jesus, the dude is still dead. Was the music that important? I don't get it.