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MacPac posted:Got rained on hard on todays commute, equal amounts rain and splashing from passing cars. Found out that my fav arcteryx jacket somehow pools water 2-3 cm high in the breastpockets. Other then that it was easy going with plenty of wool on, exchanged some thumbs ups and grins with the other bad rear end people commuting on bikes. Nothin' better than meeting a fellow cycle commuter on a day where the weather is absolute dogshit and exchanging that little "hell yeah" nod
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Oct 28, 2020 21:43
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Never take a day off bike commuting
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Oct 28, 2020 22:53
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Yeah it's been a wet couple of weeks here as well. I need to get a new rain jacket, I have two and they are both leaking. Legs, feet and head stayed dry though the worst of it though. Hands were... warm at least.
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Oct 28, 2020 23:02
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Mauser posted:Never take a day off bike commuting  (The last time I did was when I had to move the car for a tree coming down)
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Oct 28, 2020 23:16
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Mauser posted:Never take a day off bike commuting Been a little over 3 years since I've taken anything but a bike to/from work. Gotta keep the streak!
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Oct 29, 2020 00:02
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Last night's commute home was the real test of my new brake cables & pads (and, mainly, my ability to set them up and adjust them properly). It started raining about mid-day and never really stopped, culminating with a hail-and-fury storm lasting about 20 minutes, fortunately about 20 minutes after I got home. My ride was just some rain and an annoying headwind. I didn't even bring my rain jacket so I got soaked but the exertion kept me warm enough. If I'd dawdled, I would have needed to shelter under a bridge or something for the hail, it was nasty. My brakes worked fine, but this morning I had to adjust the rear pads because if I squeezed hard while moving, one pad would pop under the rim. It would not pop under if I was standing still, fiddling with the brakes, I had to be moving. That was a slightly unhappy surprise. Plenty of trees and major branches down today, including two completely across the path. Security was blocking access to the road to the sports complex on campus. I was walking my bike at that point this morning, because after 3 weeks I am still not close to conquering the hill this university perches atop. The security person said (imagine a strong Aussie accent) "That's a downhill bike, then, yeah?" and after my brain wrapped itself around the concept, I agreed. I'm the Local Legend for a segment of my (downward) commute - 300m of gravel path paralelling Elm street that starts with a gentle curve and ends with a narrow, rough-timber-top bridge with a central rail at each end (i.e., go slow) - and, occassionally, a duck on the railing. I guess I'm the only person who regularly risks that descent. XIII posted:Been a little over 3 years since I've taken anything but a bike to/from work. Gotta keep the streak!
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Oct 29, 2020 00:18
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I have no commute, and I must bike. It's been about two solid years for me and then COVID hit at I'm working from home indefinitely at least into the next year, but I mask up and ride around town or go to the lake park and just ride full speed for an hour and a half or two around the loop every day when it's not raining. Leftover previous hurricane is coming in tonight, so I guess I'll have some really uncomfortable twitching legs in bed tomorrow night
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Oct 29, 2020 00:19
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ExecuDork posted:My brakes worked fine, but this morning I had to adjust the rear pads because if I squeezed hard while moving, one pad would pop under the rim. It would not pop under if I was standing still, fiddling with the brakes, I had to be moving. That was a slightly unhappy surprise. Have you spun the rear wheel to see if there’s a real high point somewhere? Having the entirety of the pad face miss the brake track seems off.
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Oct 29, 2020 00:41
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I took a week off bike commuting due to a neck injury and when it thought about it, it was the longest stretch I've been off my bike in about 5 years.
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Oct 29, 2020 18:11
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Mauser posted:Never take a day off bike commuting Before COVID I'd take Amtrak and the folder up to LA from San Diego country. All I had was the bike to get around. So yeah, no days off from Bike Commuting: The wet:  The hot: 
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Oct 29, 2020 18:28
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kimbo305 posted:Have you spun the rear wheel to see if there’s a real high point somewhere? Having the entirety of the pad face miss the brake track seems off. I find adjusting brakes very fiddly. Tightening the nut on the bolt seems to cause all the parts to move a little, and I don't have enough hands to hold everything still and turn the wrench. This is obviously a matter of practice and attention, which is why I was able to solve this problem in 5 minutes standing in the driveway. Now, I feel like I have to move the lever a bit further than I'd like before the front brakes start to really grip, so this weekend I'll fiddle with them, too. The rear wheel is either not "true" or not seated exactly right in the frame. I pushed it as hard as I could into the frame - so the ends of the axel were as far into the C-shaped bracket as possible - and it's not far enough off that I feel it when riding. But if I hold it up and spin the rear wheel there is a distinct wobble, so I have to set the brake pads a couple of millimetres further out than I might prefer. This goes under the heading of "this bike is not worth getting tip-top" on my list of Things About My Bike.
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Oct 30, 2020 01:13
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ExecuDork posted:I find adjusting brakes very fiddly. Tightening the nut on the bolt seems to cause all the parts to move a little, and I don't have enough hands to hold everything still and turn the wrench. quote:Now, I feel like I have to move the lever a bit further than I'd like before the front brakes start to really grip, so this weekend I'll fiddle with them, too. Right now, after the adjustment, you probably increased the pad gap. You reduce the pad gap by either using barrel adjuster if available or by opening the brake cable clamp bolt and pulling through cable. The tighter the gap, the more evenly your pads need to be balanced side to side.
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Oct 30, 2020 01:52
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Koth posted:I took a week off bike commuting due to a neck injury and when it thought about it, it was the longest stretch I've been off my bike in about 5 years. Ok, so I said two solid years, but I did take about a month and a half off out of a recommended 2 months in a splint for a bike-related wrist injury. I couldn't loving stand it and finally started riding again, but my wrist did take about 5 months before I could open the window or wash my back with it. VideoGameVet posted:Before COVID I'd take Amtrak and the folder up to LA from San Diego country. All I had was the bike to get around. So yeah, no days off from Bike Commuting: Hells yeah. I still need to get some waterproof pants for winter rain, but otherwise my commute is normally humid as hell summers on 90-100 degree days or disgusting slushy days in the 30s during the winters. Spring and fall are great though.
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Oct 30, 2020 04:44
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ExecuDork posted:I find adjusting brakes very fiddly. Tightening the nut on the bolt seems to cause all the parts to move a little, and I don't have enough hands to hold everything still and turn the wrench. This is obviously a matter of practice and attention, which is why I was able to solve this problem in 5 minutes standing in the driveway. Now, I feel like I have to move the lever a bit further than I'd like before the front brakes start to really grip, so this weekend I'll fiddle with them, too. You have cantilever brakes which are a pain to adjust and generally bad in many peoples' opinion. When I brought my first bike with cantis into the bike co-op, they advised me to take them off and replace with the cheapest v-brakes they had. It worked: much easier adjustabilility AND responsiveness. You need to replace the whole setup (incl. levers) though. I've found with some cantis you can, if you're very careful, line up the pads the same way you would with v-brakes (loosen them a bit, squeeze the brake lever and then tighten.) The big difference, as you've found, is canti pads will move laterally as you squeeze them against the rim. But you can tighten them so that they 'stick' a little, then very gently squeeze the brake lever until the pads hit the rim. If you're careful you should be able to get them flush with the rim without inadvertently moving them laterally. Alternatively, listen to Calvin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_tDym0G6zo&t=335s Al2001 fucked around with this message at 12:17 on Oct 30, 2020 |
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Oct 30, 2020 10:57
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Al2001 posted:You have cantilever brakes which are a pain to adjust and generally bad in many peoples' opinion. When I brought my first bike with cantis into the bike co-op, they advised me to take them off and replace with the cheapest v-brakes they had. It worked: much easier adjustabilility AND responsiveness. You need to replace the whole setup (incl. levers) though. Yup. That's the video I watched a couple of months ago when I first started working on this bike. If this beer I'm drinking doesn't completely steal my motivation, I will mess with my bike today. Otherwise tomorrow. I like weekends.
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Oct 31, 2020 05:31
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Good luck! I've probably renovated a dozen cheap 90s mountain bikes (with the most basic, least-adjustable canti brakes) and I still get very irritated by them!
Al2001 fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Nov 1, 2020 |
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Nov 1, 2020 18:14
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Whew, I dodged a bullet today. I begin work again tomorrow after two weeks off and I hadn't ridden my bike due to the ongoing pandemic. I went down to put my saddle bags in place, make sure my tires had enough air, and tweak the brakes, only to discover that my front tire was completely flat. I figure it had been punctured or something, but we had an extra inner tube so I was able to replace it, but I'm glad I checked today instead of discovering that at 6 am tomorrow.
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Nov 1, 2020 19:28
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Of all the activities you can do during the pandemic, I think cycling is probably one of the best options. I've just been avoiding heavily trafficked areas and mountain biking for the moment Edit: and I wear a cotton scarf over mouth and nose because I can just shift it around when it gets too wet from my breathing whereas a mask feels like I'm waterboarding myself after 20 minutes
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Nov 2, 2020 00:05
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So it's between 5 and 10 degrees celsius when I go out riding these days. I'm still just wearing shorts and a t-shirt but I've added a buff for my neck and some good thick gloves. I don't get too cold and on the plus I don't really sweat which is nice. But I do find that I'm SO tired. It could be work, but I can't help but wonder if I'm not just wearing myself out riding in the cold like that? My commute's still 10 km one way (20 round trip) so it's just weird how worn out I'm feeling.
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Nov 7, 2020 12:02
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How many weeks have you been riding the same commute? Were you doing it regularly before the weather cooled off? It is possible that with the extra cooling you are getting, that you’re working harder without hitting a natural backoff point, namely sweating.
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Nov 7, 2020 12:13
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kimbo305 posted:How many weeks have you been riding the same commute? Were you doing it regularly before the weather cooled off? Maybe. I started biking regularly in September, the first or so, when the school year started. But prior to that I would run regularly about 12-15 km every weekend and less once or twice during the week. I did ride once with a windbreaker which led me to sweat, but then that became very cool and clammy and I didn't care for it. I prefer staying dry if I can.
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Nov 7, 2020 12:15
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Your goal would be to dress a bit warmer and ride a little slower, so the extra layering traps more heat from less physical effort. You’re dialing down the exertion to the point where you’re still not sweating.
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Nov 7, 2020 12:36
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Are you losing weight? I find that if I'm losing weight fairly rapidly, I'm also quite tired.
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Nov 7, 2020 13:23
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kimbo305 posted:Your goal would be to dress a bit warmer and ride a little slower, so the extra layering traps more heat from less physical effort. You’re dialing down the exertion to the point where you’re still not sweating. That sounds reasonable. It's true that when it began to cooler I was getting to work faster, mainly because I could go faster since I wouldn't sweat as quickly. I think my record is 25 minutes give or take and on average it takes me 35 or so minutes, not counting prepping my bags/unpacking them. I could probably stand to go a touch slower. I have noticed now that I'm biking in the dark in the early morning and evening, that I go faster, probably from fear... I have a slight phobia of getting attacked by a wild animal. There was nothing terribly dangerous in the suburbs of Connecticut, growing up, but I did have some close run-ins with raccoons and skunks when I was younger, and once came across a coyote from a fair distance. Only the raccoons really hissed/snarled at me before running away because raccoons are dicks but yeah. Not that anything like that lives in the Paris area, I'm more likely to get bothered by a person, but still, there's a good part of my ride that takes me by some woods with no lights so I just go fast and don't slow down after that. Other possible routes add some 5 more kilometers that I'm not willing to do personally. Struensee posted:Are you losing weight? I find that if I'm losing weight fairly rapidly, I'm also quite tired. Maybe? We don't have a scale and it's not my priority so I never check. I was in well-enough shape from the running (I'd do up to 15km on the weekend, but I could do more, it's just that I'd usually get hungry and running over 2 hours is really just time-consuming and I have stuff to do), that biking full-time now didn't feel like much of a change.
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Nov 7, 2020 14:29
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iospace posted:Does anyone know of any tubeless, studded tires? Thanks in advance! Apparently Suomi just came out with some tubeless ones, that come in 35, 42, and 50. https://suomityres.fi/en/products/routa-tlr
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Nov 7, 2020 16:51
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FireTora posted:Apparently Suomi just came out with some tubeless ones, that come in 35, 42, and 50. Those are awesome. I want to buy a pair, and I live in SoCal. :|
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Nov 9, 2020 19:25
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FireTora posted:Apparently Suomi just came out with some tubeless ones, that come in 35, 42, and 50. Is there any place to order them in the states?
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Nov 9, 2020 20:43
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I would be surprised if there is. It looks like Modern Bike sells a couple of their tires so they might be able to order them. You could try emailing Suomi, they would know for sure if they have any 'authorized' retailers, otherwise I'm sure one of the shops in Finland would be willing to ship to the states if you can make it through their website.
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Nov 9, 2020 21:17
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Here's my testimonial. In July I bought a non-rideable bike at the Tip Shop, the store beside the municipal waste disposal that rescues potentially-sellable items from the pit and sells them for a handwave, a shrug, and a pocketful of change. The new manager there says he used to race bikes and he wants to turn the Tip Shop into a place people can go to get parts for their old bike for cheap. I picked up a bike for me and a bike for my wife for $120, which is pretty much the maximum possible spend at the Tip Shop if you're not backing up a dumptruck and a bulldozer to the gate. Advice from goons in the various bike threads helped me get mine rideable - my wife's bike is still languishing in the garage with rotten tires and untested components. I replaced a few things and discovered, much like I had been assured, that much of basic bike maintenance and repair is quite simple and you don't need special tools for most of it. I got my bike rideable but not completely finished before the end of October and I started riding it every day to work.  Celebrating an avoided Day Zero by Martin Brummell, on FlickrMy commute is not long, about 6.5 km through municipal multi-use paths and then up the 70m hill the university perches on. That hill still kicks my rear end, every day I get off the bike and walk up the last, steepest part. Some day I'll be in the saddle the whole way, but not today. Just this bit of exercise has been a major improvement for me. I'm commuting, not training, and I'm not a particularly competitive person so I very rarely push myself higher than a 7 for exertion. I find the feeling of being out of breath with sore muscles distinctly uncomfortable and while I have access to a shower and I have spare clothes at work, I'd much rather just sit down and get to work when I get to work. People here and other places are quick to say that "it doesn't hurt less, you just go faster", and while that is certainly one possible approach, I have been (mostly) able to ramp down the pain but maintain the same overall speed. These days, I get off the bike on the hill when I feel like a 6, rather than a 7, and it's roughly at the same point. From a commuting point of view, this is very good for me. After a month of riding every work day (and a couple of fun rides on weekends), my junkyard frankenbike developed a problem that would cost more at a shop to fix than the bike is worth - basically, it needs an entire new drivetrain. When the shop called me to chat about this, I decided to buy a new bike. I had been thinking of a new-to-me, probably used, bike as a christmas present to myself but the used market here is awkward - it's a small city, far from major centres - and I don't have a car (that died at the end of July, a separate story of stupidity, mistakes, and regrets). So a new bike, after my decision was reinforced by the annoying bus service here. For a week I rode the bus again, just as I had back before I got my old bike rideable. Having experienced a month of the freedom of scheduling that a bike gave me, the one-per-hour municipal bus service was just no longer acceptable. I bought this last Friday, and rode it to work directly from the shop.  New bike. Norco Storm 5 by Martin Brummell, on Flickr(parked at the tree marking the spot I usually give up on the ascent and walk the rest of the way) Overall, I've been commuting by bike for 5 weeks, and I love it. I've spent a bit more than $1000 Australian dollars (about 0.73 to the greenback) on EVERYTHING bike related to this point, including a bunch of things that transfered over to the new bike like lights, lock, and helmet. I'll get my old bike rideable over the next little while and maybe get back to commuting on it and save the mountain bike for pure fun. However, I've been taking my MTB on the university's trail network, just the easy trails, and I've been really enjoying that 20 minutes of rocks and roots and tight twisty trails before I head home each day. Anyway, if you are considering biking to work or school I would certainly encourage you to start. What I did worked out very well for me, I was able to try this idea out for pretty cheap (old bike plus everything needed to ride it regularly ran to about $350 or $400 AUD, not all spent at once) and decide I liked it before spending more money on it.
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Nov 19, 2020 04:03
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We've gotten to the part of the year where Montreal's weather alternates between periods just above zero and just below zero with the precipitation changing between snow and rain pretty much at whim (the endless freeze rain is coming). The roads are disgusting and even walking can be a challenge in the muck sometimes. In the past I'd leave my bike at home during the Winter'ish months and take the bus but with "the situation" there's no way in hell I'm packing myself into a metal tube everyday. My bike is equipped for winter with fenders, studded tires (35c Winter Marathon Plus) and excellent lights and I was having no trouble with the first cold flash we got that iced up the roads but this goop is causing me a ton of trouble. Its fine on the trafficked roads where car wheels have plowed all the crap off to the sides; I take a lane and go but I have to ride through a few quieter streets to get to and from home and they're pretty much paved in this muck. Its ice mud and the wheels get no traction in it. I can get rolling pretty well but my wheels are skidding and fish-tailing all over and when I get to a rut from cross traffic (gently caress intersections in this weather) there's a good chance my front wheel just slips right out from under me on contact with this "snirt" mountain. Not my image but imagine this but another inch deeper. I haven't fallen yet but its pretty much a full body workout keeping myself upright as the bike is dancing around under me; steering more with my thighs than the bars. Is there anything I can do to make this less miserable or is it kind of like riding a horse and you get use to it and relax into the random shifting over time? I'm not sure I can handle a few more months of this if its going to be hell every time. My commute is only 8km and only the first kilometer is all crapped up like this but 10% of the route is taking 90% of the effort. I'd really like to not get back on the bus and I really like riding in the winter when its just snow and ice (and the looks of horror from drivers strokes my ego). Its fun when its fresh. 
Sauer fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Nov 26, 2020 |
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Nov 26, 2020 19:15
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I remember that kind of snow. I haven't ridden in it for years but I feel your pain. It's my second least favourite* type of riding surface. Absolutely no grip, and no help from the studs. There's nothing even close to solid for them to grip, that stuff doesn't compact at all, it's like a dry gritty dirty slush. I've never ridden a fatbike, but I'm guessing one of those would possibly provide flotation enough to stay on top of it. You could try airing down your tires as low as you dare and see if that improves things at all. *my very least favourite riding surface would be formerly deep slush full of wiggly tracks from previous bikers that has frozen into solid ice , possibly with some thaw water or a light sprinkling of dry powder snow on the surface to lubricate your tire/road interface properly, making it is impossible to steer since your tires follow those tracks no matter what you do, meaning it's all about weightshift bicycle wrestling trying to stay upright on a pre-determined semi-random course trying to limit the amount of times you fall and smash various body parts on the rock hard, uneven ice.
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Nov 26, 2020 22:23
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Sauer posted:We've gotten to the part of the year where Montreal's weather alternates between periods just above zero and just below zero with the precipitation changing between snow and rain pretty much at whim (the endless freeze rain is coming). The roads are disgusting and even walking can be a challenge in the muck sometimes. In the past I'd leave my bike at home during the Winter'ish months and take the bus but with "the situation" there's no way in hell I'm packing myself into a metal tube everyday. My bike is equipped for winter with fenders, studded tires (35c Winter Marathon Plus) and excellent lights and I was having no trouble with the first cold flash we got that iced up the roads but this goop is causing me a ton of trouble. Its fine on the trafficked roads where car wheels have plowed all the crap off to the sides; I take a lane and go but I have to ride through a few quieter streets to get to and from home and they're pretty much paved in this muck. Its ice mud and the wheels get no traction in it. I can get rolling pretty well but my wheels are skidding and fish-tailing all over and when I get to a rut from cross traffic (gently caress intersections in this weather) there's a good chance my front wheel just slips right out from under me on contact with this "snirt" mountain. Not my image but imagine this but another inch deeper. This last Wednesday morning was pretty much as crappy as it gets in a Montreal winter, since it takes the ploughs longer to get into the swing of things at the beginning of the winter. Most weeks are way easier, but it's definitely more tiring than fair-weather riding. You've got the right idea with steering with your thighs and relaxing into the way the bike moves on its own in those ruts, and your body will get used to it, to a certain extent. Your equipment is spot on, too.
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Nov 27, 2020 01:17
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(Quote is not edit)
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Nov 27, 2020 01:19
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Invalido posted:
Oh yeah that's the worst
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Nov 27, 2020 02:16
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with that kind of poo poo condition is it better to have extra weight over the rear tire with the panniers or loading it all up in a backpack? I am way more comfortable with the weighted backpack that's got a couple six packs than I am with the loaded panniers, but I have much more experience with the former
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Nov 27, 2020 03:24
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I'm pretty used to both but panniers become way better when you get to the point of like, camping gear, or a big load of groceries that fills two whole panniers. For a 12 pack either is fine imo
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Nov 27, 2020 03:29
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We call that icy muddy slush Brown Sugar. It's terrible to ride in and full of sand and salt so it eats bikes. You get used to riding on it but it's still pretty arse. Polished compacted snow OTOH is heaven to ride on when you have studded tires.
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Nov 27, 2020 03:32
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Great, thanks folks that's a lot more reassuring. Once it all melted a bit and became more liquid it was no big deal and back to being fun.Mauser posted:with that kind of poo poo condition is it better to have extra weight over the rear tire with the panniers or loading it all up in a backpack? I am way more comfortable with the weighted backpack that's got a couple six packs than I am with the loaded panniers, but I have much more experience with the former I find paniers better in almost all situations. Used to use a backpack all the time but getting the weight off my upper body and to a lower center of gravity is much more helpful when things turn to hell. I do keep that rack top bag on my bike nearly all the time even without paniers; its just nice to have a place to put all your stuff and I can stash a rain slicker, ski goggles and all that in there when the weather will be marginal and maybe sorted might need them or not. Sauer fucked around with this message at 13:25 on Nov 27, 2020 |
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Nov 27, 2020 13:21
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I got hit by a car on my way to work last week, my bike is totaled. Still waiting on the insurance assessor to put a value om my bike. It's 3 months old. I rather liked that the bike I had came with a dynamo, rain guards and a rack for saddle bags. I'm thinking about trying to salvage what I can from the bike and putting it on a new, cheap bike. Is there any functional difference between aluminium racing frames?
Struensee fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Nov 27, 2020 |
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Nov 27, 2020 16:39
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| # ? Jun 7, 2024 14:05 |
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Generally everything will swap over, wheel compatibility is the biggest issue since we now live in the world of qr and multiple thruaxle standards. So if you're keeping the wheels make sure the new frame has the same standard.
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Nov 27, 2020 17:09
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