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Hello! Bike selection question. Last year because of Pestilence, the gyms closed, and since the weather was nice, I bought a bike. My wife did, too. They're simple 7-speed hybrids, and they are OK. Mine is a Giant Cypress, and I've put a lot of miles on it. My longest rides have been about 25 miles or maybe a little more; I think my longest ride is 28 miles, and I had a decent break halfway through that one. I've also learned what I like to do on a bike, at least at this point:
Oh, and I can't justify spending four figures on a bicycle, which kind-of pushes me out of road bike territory. I'm not a fan of drop bars, and I I've been told that I would get used to them, but I'm also 45 and my lower back starts to hurt after a couple of hours of walking around. (I don't get winded or tired; it's just the back pain.) I can't imagine being hunched over too far, but sitting full upright, while not causing me any pain, is getting a little old. I've been looking at some Giant and Trek models in the "fitness" category, which is like a hybrid but a little more on the road side, with a lighter frame, flatter handlebar (or adjustable), 2- or 3- gears on the crank, etc. I'm not married to those brands; they're just ones I've checked out. On the Trek side, I liked the FX, and Giant had a couple of ones that I liked, Escape and FastRoad. Of course, I need a Medium frame, so there's nothing in stock anywhere. Is there anything I should be considering?
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Jul 2, 2021 23:18
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Vando posted:Trek FX and Giant Escape are pretty much what I'd recommend, except of course you've run into the 'new bikes don't exist in 2021' problem. What are you finding particularly limited about your current bike? If it's just the position and the gearing, you may be able to tweak a few things to make life better while you wait for something newer to find its way back in stock. What are the actual % grades in your area (I know you eyeballed them instead of checking because 50% is almost certainly not a thing)? A bigger cassette may help there, and if you can lower your stem that should help the feeling of being too upright. Positioning isn't ideal for when I'm actually trying to go a little fast. A lot of my riding is on the MCT Trails, a lot of which have long, relatively flat stretches along the river, on top of berms, etc. I've only got seven gears, and I frequently find myself in 7th pretty quickly with nowhere to go if I feel like pushing myself. And because first gear is basically a "granny low" gear, it's really like a 6-speed with a special-use extra low gear. Other than that, I do like the Cypress; the local bike store pointed me in the right direction, seeing as how I wasn't 100% sure how much I'd enjoy biking outside the gym, what kind of riding I liked the most, etc. The shock-absorber-equipped seatpost smooths everything out nicely, and that granny-low gear makes climbing up those hills in town a lot more doable. I have no problem waiting for something a little better to be in stock at the store; in fact, the salesman who showed me several models (none of which were in my size) suggested that I do just that instead of buy something that fits my height but isn't suited to what I want to do, like a mountain bike. As for the grades, I don't know if I have a way to easily determine that, but I ride a lot around a town that is built into the bluffs on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. Going from the main drag to the upper part of town requires going uphill on a very steep grade for several blocks. It might not be 50%, but that's not far off in spots, and even driving up those hills isn't fun, especially if you have a manual transmission. There are many parts of town with similar climbs followed by steep declines, but they generally only last a block or two. This makes in-town riding more like weight training than cardio.
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Jul 3, 2021 01:40
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vikingstrike posted:I am almost certain they are not close to 50%. You’re likely underestimating how steep a road even 20-25% is. Maybe. I've never measured them. But these aren't typical hills you find in an average city. There were cliffs (limestone bluffs) where a lot of the old part of this town was eventually built, and as a result, there are inclines where some folks used to use their parking breaks at the stop signs. A lot of those roads are brick-paved, too, because everything about downtown has to look like it's 200 years old. So fun for riding.
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Jul 3, 2021 02:36
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Coxswain Balls posted:You can probably look it up on Strava to see what the grade numbers are to give people a better idea of what your riding conditions are like. It's not that people are doubting what your roads are like, but 50% is really unlikely and would lead to incorrect recommendations. I "rode" a 40% grade once and it was impossible to ride my touring bike without the front wheel lifting off the road. No, I get it. But, I don't really know how to get the grades without looking up elevation data and doing math, and... no. I mean I know trig, but no. I looked at Strava, which now really wants me to start paying them, and I didn't see an elevation option on the map. Map My Ride doesn't, either. The point is, a lot of the town isn't good for riding because of steep hills, and it's about the only town I frequent that is as messed up as it is. One block is a flat residential neighborhood. Then for three blocks, you're riding your breaks downhill, dodging deer that are running out of the thick woods on both sides of the road. Then up a steep hill, and you're in a normal residential neighborhood again. The terrain makes this town weird. Some of it is kinda-doable, but a lot of it isn't unless you're a way better biker bicyclist than I am. That's why I limit my town riding and mostly head out on the paths, which look nice, aren't populated by the state's 4th worst drivers, and don't wear me out after five miles.
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Jul 3, 2021 03:29
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EvilJoven posted:The hybrids mentioned usually come now with two gears on the crank instead of 3. For most people this is a welcome change but if your hills are as extreme as you say you may want to get different rings for the front so you have a better climbing gear or switch to a 3x front ring because the climbing gear will be a much better climbing gear than on a 2x crank. This change will add about $80 to the cost of the bike if you choose but the shop might let you trade those parts in. Yeah, if I were several inches shorter or a few taller, I might have an Escape right now. Speaking of the Escape specifically, I know that both the disc and rim brake varieties come with either 2 or 3 gears on the crank; I think that's even in the name of some of those and the Trek models. I really like the idea of that third gear on the front, because the sprocket was absolutely tiny. For shits and giggles, I could fire up a preposterous gear for a comedy shot of me pedaling away at 1 mph. I was able to try the angle on a few bikes that were in my size, though not the models I wanted (like the Roam, which is nice, but not what I'm going for), and it felt pretty comfortable. Some of the Escape models have adjustable angle stem, which would be cool, too. Coxswain Balls posted:RideWithGPS should also let you do it with a free account by just clicking a start and end point, with a handy chart for grade and elevation info. Really? I tried the routes on Strava, and the only ones I saw were along the bottom of the town, which is pretty flat. But, I downloaded RideWithGPS the other day, and I haven't used it yet. I'll have to check it out.
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Jul 3, 2021 05:03
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cebrail posted:I started the day with an involuntary 20 minute break and the realisation that this new route I was riding has one drawback: Lifting bridges are sometimes, um, lifted. This reminds me of a place not far from where I grew up. The Joe Page Bridge in Hardin, Illinois is a vertical-lift bridge, the only one I've seen around here. Somewhere on my hard drive are some pictures I took of it from a boat on the river. They also grow a lot of tree fruit in the area--peaches, apples, etc.
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Jul 3, 2021 16:14
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ElMaligno posted:
A couple weeks ago, I did a short 10 Mile ride. But, I forgot to turn off my tracker, so when I got in the car and drove home, it kept going. I averaged about 30 miles an hour that day.
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Jul 4, 2021 00:51
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The only thing I know about valves is that my bicycle tire pump really really likes them. My wheels have the generic rubber valve things that most American bikes I've seen have, and my bicycle pump holds onto them for dear life. I have to flip the lever and then wiggle like hell to get it out the stem, and the whole time I can hear precious ounces of are leaving the tube. I guess one advantage of a comfort hybrid is that the tires work fine with a wide range of pressures?
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Jul 12, 2021 21:57
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Well, I was able to snag a Giant Escape. It's the version with the 3-gear crankset and the same 7-speed cassette I'm used to. Over 20 pages ago, someone mentioned watching out to make sure I got more than two gears up front, and I did. The lady at the bike shop said that a lot of people only shift to the lower gear up front when climbing, basically treating it like a 7-speed when riding flat. And that sounds great, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't going to calculate all the gear ratios and see how many true gears I have, and what kind of madness I'd have to go through in order to cycle through them in order. Then again, I like math, so that's just me, probably. The test ride was fun because for the first time ever, my standard riding position is low enough that I could properly lean into corners instead of having to slow way down if I have to do more than the most gentle turn. The flat bars lower me plenty, and with my recent diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy (cycling is one of the few things I can do sitting that doesn't hurt), I'd be nervous about getting even lower. The wheels seem to roll a little bit more effortlessly, and they're very much designed mostly for pavement, which is almost all I ride on. Also, I went from a medium frame to a large frame, which further adjusts my position. And no, I didn't do that all willy-nilly. I'm 5' 11" with shoes on, which is at the top edge of medium frames and the bottom edge of large frames. My body loves to do that. My glove size is also right on the edge of every manufacturer's L and XL. Same with underwear. (Hats are a different story--I have a huge noggin, and I have to special-order ball and trucker caps.) I've taken it on a few very short rides around my neighborhood, just to get used to the new shifters. It's a little lighter than the Cypress, but the big difference is in my position. I find it much easier to climb now. I plan on taking it on a short five-mile ride today, since it'll only be in the mid 90s. But, I can't go to the gym and lift any weights for a little bit, so I may as well do this. Maybe I'll decide which cancer charity I'll ride for in September. St. Jude wants me to do 150 miles, but the American Cancer Society thinks I've got 250 in me.
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Aug 24, 2021 20:01
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Ha! Of course someone made that. I'm guessing the grayed-out combinations are the physical limits of the chain. Thanks! I may have to try to commit that sequence of gear selections to memory.
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Aug 24, 2021 20:47
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Oh, I'm mostly kidding. If I went through the ratios in order, it would be more of an experiment than anything else. Just for laughs. I just took the Escape out for a 5-mile grocery run. The Upper Hometown terrain is going to be a good tutorial for learning how to best deal with 21 speeds, with all the quick hills interrupted by frequent stop signs that can't be ignored. I'm already finding out how nice it is not always having to go up and down one speed at a time when going from decent to ascent. I wonder if there are quick-disconnect trunk rack connectors. I have a pannier I like using on errand runs, but the rack is on my old bike, and I didn't feel like moving it over for this run. If be nice to be able to remove it quickly if I want to ride without it. I went with a backpack this time.
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Aug 25, 2021 01:37
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First real test of the Giant Escape is done. All this week, I've done 5 - 10 miles runs, with the 5-mile ones mostly in my absurdly hilly part of town, and the 10 mile ones on proper (and mostly level) bike paths. This morning, I planned on doing a 20+ mile ride and really seeing how it works. But, my wife wanted to ride with me, and that's rare these days thanks to her RA, so we did a 19 mile ride, but at a pretty slow pace. I was happy to ride with my favorite riding buddy, but the last few miles were hard for her, so while she recouped at home, I went on an additional 18 mile ride. It was along a levee bike path along the Mississippi River, one of my favorite scenic rides (if you like rivers, you get it), and I went as hard as I could after doing 19 miles as a warm up. I really like this bike. I'm in a much better position compared to the Giant Cypress, at least how it goes to producing some power and getting down without having my elbows way out. Yeah, it's no road bike, but it also didn't cost $1K, and the selection of gears was more than adequate. I had a little neck strain from the new position, but not as bad as it'd be with a proper road bike. And, I can carry some cargo on this, so it's also good for doing errands around town. Are there better bikes? Sure. This one seems to be a good all-arounder, especially since I intend to use it for exercise and occasional local errands. Thirty-six miles is a daily record for me. This is one positive thing I've gotten out of COVID-19. If the pandemic hadn't happened, I'd have never had trouble getting into the gym, and I'd have never had a reason to buy a bike, and I'd have never realized that there was this much fun to have on one--especially in my county, which weirdly has taken the time to pave and maintain many miles of dedicated* bike paths. * Joggers and walkers also use these paths, but... whatever. The only weird thing is that when you shout "BIKE ON YOUR LEFT" before passing them, the joggers either don't react because they have earbuds in, or they actually move to the left, even though that's where you want to go to pass them.
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Aug 29, 2021 02:44
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Pedestrians walk on the right side of the trails here. That's actually one of the rules, that everyone stays on the right and passes on the left. You are supposed to announce when you're passing, and while unofficial, "on your left" or "bike on your left" is what 99% of the people on the trails have somehow settled on. And to be fair, anyone who's been on the paths more than a few times knows what to do when they hear that. It's the newbies who move to the left, and when you don't shoot by them on the right, they figure it out. A bell's not a bad idea, though. Or one of those klaxons (horns that go "ah-oo-gah").
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Aug 29, 2021 22:20
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Pittsburgh Fentanyl Cloud posted:The city of PIttsburgh repaved a bike trail between the warehouse area and the park on South Side and made it wider. People are now driving their cars on that trail as a short cut Thanks for repaving the trail and not putting the jersey barriers back, Pittsburgh. Many of the MCT trails I ride frequently are wide enough for a car, though not by a lot. To keep cars off of the parts they shouldn't be on, wherever a path crosses a road, there are posts placed to either side and in the middle of the trail. The middle one can be unlocked and folded down to allow for lawnmowing equipment or, in some sections, limited vehicle traffic. (There are a couple spots on some of the trails, especially along the river, that coincide with roads that are occasionally used by utility company vehicles.) That approach seems to work well enough.
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Aug 30, 2021 00:59
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Shadowhand00 posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dehop4T13Uk I haven't seen that video before, so thanks for sharing. I love it. I've encountered most of those people on the trails.
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Aug 30, 2021 13:45
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DrankSinatra posted:I've been resting off some mild quadriceps tendinitis this past week, so that I don't have to spend even more time resting later on, and riding vicariously through this thread. All the ride pics make me feel happier about sitting here and icing my knee. Bikes are good, keep riding 'em. Well, let me see if I can help. Keep in mind I'm a relative newbie and novice bicyclist. Most people in this thread should be able to ride better than me, but I have my fun. I even avoided a snake and passed two nuns on the trail today. And let me cut someone off at the pass: Edgelord McGoonacuddy posted:"WHOA, SNAKES AND NUNS? WHY SO REDUNDANT! SOMETHING SOMETHING CATHOLIC CHURCH IS SNAKES SOMETHING SOMETHING ROOT OF ALL EVIL!" Yes, yes, you're very daring with that hot take. OK, ride pics. Starting point: Piasa Park in Alton, Illinois. It's been a minor goal to ride the entire Vadalabene Bike Trail and then ride back to Grafton (> 25 miles) or Alton (~ 40 miles). Today was sunny and bright, and it's been a long weekend, and I have a sciatica thing going on that only goes away when I walk around or ride my bike. So, 25 miles is a pretty good ride for me. Starting point is below. I have actual bike shorts under the cargo shorts; I picked up that tip from someone in TFR.  Taking a quick rest 10 miles in at Elsah:  This bit of trail in Grafton is often underwater, but today, I rode this section slowly and listened to the wake from the boats in the  End of the line trail at Pere Marquette State Park. Of course, the folks at Pere Marquette think this is the beginning of the trail, but hey, whatever. After this pic, I went back to Grafton, where I met my wife for some well-earned fried catfish and a full-calorie Pepsi.  The last five or so miles actually go up into the bluffs a bit. I'll take more pictures of that section at some point, but there aren't a lot of places to stop safely because there is nowhere to pull off the trail, and since it's such a winding path, stopping isn't all that courteous or safe. That section starts right after Grafton, and it's the only part that isn't basically totally flat. So, I rode the only challenging part of the trail twice, and right at the end. Fun!  My stretch goal is to do the entire River Bend, riding past the confluences of the Illinois and Mississippi (which I did today) and the Missouri and Mississippi (which I've done a dozen or more times). I can connect this trail to the aptly named Confluence Trail, and hopefully I can do that before it gets too cold to ride. tarlibone fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Sep 7, 2021 |
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Sep 7, 2021 01:45
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iospace posted:Me: Oh I can go for a ride today! I did my first 30+ mile ride a couple days ago. On a fitness hybrid (Escape). My legs right after the ride: "Hey dude, that was awesome! You're so fit! You could have gone a few dozen more miles if the sun weren't setting!!" My legs three hours later, after some pizza and rest: "Oh, by the way, you did so well today that we each put on 50 pounds of muscle, so good luck learning to walk again."
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Sep 18, 2021 17:08
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Wonder if I can get this in before I'm probed? Mississippi River = Best River.  Newt: the MCT Trails kitty! See him on Goshen or Nickel Plate. If he wants you to. But don't be me and forget the treats you bought just for this cat. (If you stop, he'll try to get your attention, jump on your bike, and hang out for pets, scratches, and of course, treats.)    Deer on Nickel Plate. The Brave:  The Skittish: 
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Sep 19, 2021 04:58
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Coxswain Balls posted:Put a basket or porteur rack up front so the strange cat can join you on rides. Before you know it you'll be traveling the world together. I would never deprive Newt's staff (some would say "owners") nor the wonderful folks who frequent the MCT Trails of a chance to have a moment's fun with Newt. (His tag reads "I LIKE TO ROAM".) But, that story has so much "awwwwww" that, well, it made my jaw fall off.
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Sep 19, 2021 06:28
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Sab0921 posted:But also lol at this flat bar/flat pedaled Fred. Pittsburgh Fentanyl Cloud posted:Sleepy Joe's antiquated side-pull rim brakes, very disrepectful! ... but I have flat bars and flat pedals! ... and rim brakes, too! Wait... am I the... President of these United States of America? ... I mean, I'm in my mid-40s and I've graduated to disk disease in my back, so flat bars make sense, and I'm a novice bicyclist at best, so flat pedals make sense... and my doctor says that my ankle issues preclude jogging or even extended treadmill exercise--"Low to no impact, Tarli," he said. Multiple times. And I finally listened when the dx of diabetes came in and it was easier to drop 130 pounds than think about giving myself insulin shots. Gee Manently, I'm the worst at bicycles! I'm a Fred. My bicycle is a Fred. I chug down the path and they point and laugh at Fred. Fred's ridin' Fred, Fred's ridin' Fred....
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Sep 21, 2021 02:00
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I never feel like I sweat a lot, but that's because I'm moving at a decent enough clip that the sweat evaporates. On really hot rides (above 90° F with 80% humidity or so, or as we call it in the Midwest, "a relatively dry, cool July day"), the heat hits me all at once when I stop somewhere to take a quick break. The real fun is when the sweat suddenly finds my eyeballs. When I'm lucky, it takes some sunblock along for the ride. Then I get home, and the sides of my face (and parts of my clothes) are covered in white, crusty powder that tastes really salty. Anyway, I drew a thing in Ride With GPS.  Fifty miles. The main feature here is that I'll get to see all of the scenery on the loops, and it won't be one of those rides where I get on a trail, ride, then turn around and ride back. I do those along the river a lot, and while they're fun (I like river scenery), I prefer loops. This route does double over a couple of segments, but it's not just riding to one spot and turning right around to immediately ride the same path again, so it's not as annoying. I do wish that the local paths made some larger loops that didn't involve lengthy road segments, but hey, this is better than what some places have. This is 15 miles longer than my current longest ride, so this could be a goal for next year, but with global warming, maybe I can do it this year. I've done a few 30 mile rides now, and a 35-ish mile one. I should probably try a 40 mile ride first, right?
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Sep 28, 2021 06:14
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Polo-Rican posted:I've taken lots of 35 mile rides and just took my first >50 a few weeks back. It was fine! In fact I felt more energetic after the 50 than after the 35s, because I made more of an effort to stop a few times and eat snacks along the way Hmmmmm. This trail does have a Culvers somewhere near the 2/3rds mark, I think. I mean, it's literally right there along the bike path. My buddy and I were joking about the chances of succeeding in a long ride after scarfing down a butterburger, some fries, and a frozen custard shake. I'd probably have to call the wife to tell her where to pick me up! I'll keep an eye on the weather. We already plan on eating at the new Five Guys that just opened in the town where I'll be starting and finishing.
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Sep 28, 2021 18:06
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Well poop. Every time I check the forecast, it looks a little worse. Best chance is a day with scattered showers, or next weekend. I wish Wednesday wasn't my big meetings day, because I'd call off.
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Sep 29, 2021 00:52
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The forecast suggests only scattered showers tomorrow, and it'll be mostly dry until later in the evening. So, I re-did my route to make sure my rest stops appear as POIs and are in my cue sheet. Ride with GPS makes doing that a little complicated, but I have the hang of it now. I love having a half day on Fridays. I should be on the trail by noon. It may sound silly for a guy to be this excited to try a 50 mile ride, but in my 45.77 years, I have never really set an actual, well defined athletic goal beyond losing 50 pounds (I lost 130) and adhering to a gym schedule. And to think, it was the pandemic stopping me from going to the gym that all but forced me to buy a bicycle (albeit a comfort hybrid) that wasn't a Walmart special deluxe model and actually go out and ride. (My main cardio for the last few years has been recumbent or standard exercise bikes because years of obesity did some damage to my ankles and Achilles tendons. My doctor said "no impact," and once I asked if that meant just easy exercises because I'm an idiot, I knew it was bikes for me.) I have some Kind bars for snacks (chocolate peanut butter energy bar, and two lower carb protein bars--dark and extra dark chocolate, nut, and sea salt), some sports drinks that have what plants crave, and... well, the other usual stuff. tarlibone fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Oct 1, 2021 |
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Oct 1, 2021 04:56
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1st rest stop at 25% of the ride. I planned for this to be just outside of a really good Italian restaurant I've eaten at a couple times with my wife. That, perhaps, was not a great idea. It smells amazing here. Edit: OK, adding rest stops was a great idea. Halfway point, about 1 hour later. Not setting any speed records, and the wind has picked up. 1 hour 9 minutes later, 76% on the dot. Here's a picture from Horseshoe Lake. 
tarlibone fucked around with this message at 21:13 on Oct 1, 2021 |
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Oct 1, 2021 18:59
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At the very end, there is a tight little triangle on a hill that you have to navigate if you want to cross under a busy road, and my cue said "turn left" when it really meant to turn left later, so that SNAFU added a mile to the ride. But I did it. It was all cool until around 43 miles, when the final gradual climb began. I made it, but man, am I beat. Just got everything put away. Time to relax.
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Oct 1, 2021 23:39
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Pretty fun ride today. Only 20 miles, but the temperature was right on the edge of too cool (it barely got up to 60° F/16° C) for my kit. I'm going to have to take back a couple decades of poo poo-talk about cycling kits, because man did that make a noticeable difference. Definitely have to say it's worth the money I would have had to have paid had I not had a bunch of reasons to conjugate the verb "to have" in as many tenses as possible Amazon Bux laying around.  Thanks to Lord of the Pants for suggesting this brand. They had a matching jersey, and my wife loves me in blue, so it wasn't hard to pick out the color. Also, they were inexpensive, which is always nice. The fun part was 10 miles in, when I saw a pair of portable signs indicating that the TRAIL was CLOSED due to MEN WORKING. In the nearby parking lot, a couple guys were loading up heavy mowing and cutting equipment, so I figured they were done and went on ahead. A couple miles later, I saw the reason the trail was (apparently still) closed: there was a truck on the trail, and a guy was laying down tar snakes. I'd never seen that done before. It was kind-of neat to see how that was done. What was less neat was riding on the rough grass for the next mile to avoid loving up a bunch of tar snakes and getting that poo poo all over me and my bike. But, that's on me for being a trail scofflaw. Thankfully, my fitness hybrid is perfectly capable of handling going a few inches off the trail; it was bumpy, but it didn't slow me down much. And the rest of my Amazon Bux threads are just plain exercise clothes, so no more fashion show.
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Oct 27, 2021 03:40
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BraveUlysses posted:sun's out Hey, there are some dark tunnels on that route. You gotta have your high beams on.
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Oct 27, 2021 13:16
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Did another 26 miles today in my kit, but yeah, it's time to put the kit away for the season. I averaged 21 miles per hour on the first few miles, and this MUP is on top of a levee along the Mississippi... so when you're in your highest gear expending no effort going over 20 mph for a few miles? Yeah... that's tail wind. I should've kept that in mind, but I didn't, and the ride back up the levee against a strong headwind on a day that didn't get above the mid-50s (14° C) was torture; my legs and arms were getting numb from the chill. Best part of the ride came at about the halfway mark. Most people wouldn't be on this particular trail on a windy, partly cloudy day. It's right on the river, so the wind is stronger and cooler than anywhere else. But, I came up behind a group of 8 or 9 people taking up the whole path, walking a couple of dogs and generally being a happy, walking, ridiculous group of pedestrians. I announced myself with the standard "On the left," and I poo poo you not, each one of them stopped, turned around, realized what was happening, and then shuffled evenly to both sides of the trail. And I don't mean that the ones on the left side went left and the ones on the right went right. Well, some of them did. But the rest of them moved the other way. I'm amazed, amazed, that they didn't very slowly knock themselves over as they got out of my way. I'm glad I called out as early as I did. This is why I need a camera on my helmet or something. I don't go on exciting rides like some of y'all do, but I go on pretty ones, and 72.441% of the people I encounter are hilariously idiotic. Many of them probably assume that about me too. The difference is, they're wrong.
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Nov 1, 2021 02:59
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They put up a bunch of informational signs along one of the trails I ride recently, and I got pictures of all of them. My wife met me at the trailhead and asked me to pose for a picture in the coolest pose I could muster. So I went with not one, but two thumbs-up. I'm glad I went with the fleece-lined pants and jacket today. This does mean I'll be doing more riding in the fall, because I love the fall. We didn't get great foliage colors this year, but that doesn't matter to me a whole lot, because I like this time of year so much.  
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Nov 8, 2021 02:24
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I had to rent a UHAUL today to move some big furniture, and they had the oddest thing for sale: a Takara Kabuto, for the low low price of $199.95. It had blue tires and was painted neon green. And I don't mean they were selling some random bike that some jackass left in a rental. I mean, this thing was for sale there. It had a proper UHAUL cardboard sign, price tag, UPC bar code, etc. It was displayed on one of the many bike carriers they sell. And I get that--they sell all kinds of trailer hitch accessories. It was such a string thing to see for sale at a truck rental store.
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Nov 15, 2021 01:53
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I plan my routes manually with Ride with GPS; that's been working well for me. I didn't know that vibrations could hurt my phone's camera, though. Dang. I really like that mount; it makes my phone infinitely easier to access during my ride, and I like Mrs. Ridewithgps telling me when I should turn on the McTrailname Trail.
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Nov 17, 2021 05:38
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marshalljim posted:They make top tube bags with a clear compartment for your phone (touchscreen compatible, maybe?) They're all cheap and look pretty cheesy, though. Stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089YX9SGX/ Before I got my handlebar phone mount, I had one of those. I still have one. It is a little cheesy, but it works OK, and you can usually use the touchscreen without much of a problem. I don't know if that will work through my new gloves, but I know that with fingerless gloves it was fine. The problem, though, is that my new phone doesn't really fit very well in the top part of the bag, and I've got one that seems to be about the same size as all the others. My wife's is actually a little smaller. Now, we do have the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is a fairly big phone, but my last phone, the S10+, fit in there perfectly fine. Before I got a mount, I had multiple instances of the fit being so tight that it was pressing the volume down button, and I missed some cues and mile updates. Also, I like to take pictures. It's a little tricky to get the phone out of the top portion of those top tube bags quickly. With the mount, it's not an issue at all.
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Nov 17, 2021 15:37
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ExecuDork posted:/\/\/\ I found my mount finnicky enough that I almost never pulled my phone out for a picture. The elastic straps pushed on buttons, and there was nowhere to grab the phone without part of a finger on the screen, leading to odd behaviour if the phone was on. I expect to take more pictures when my phone behind a zipper rather than under a rubber band. My phone mount is the Delta Smartphone Holder XL, and it's mounted to the stem cap. It makes is ultra-easy to remove the phone for quick pictures--just turn the lock knob to unlock it (if you locked it), grab your phone, slide it up a little to clear the bottom lip, and then you're holding your phone. I do have issues getting my fingers on the screen which can make weird things happen if the phone is on, but this is a Samsung S21 Ultra--that's just something you deal with on these phones because the Edge screen is annoying. Here's the thing about most of the cheap tube top bags: assuming your phone fits under the clear plastic lid/cover, the thing holding it up against that plastic cover is usually a couple pieces of very wide hook-and-loop material. This makes it very secure, as you need the phone up against the plastic cover in order to have any prayer of using your phone while it's in the bag. But, it makes it tedious to remove and re-install the phone, and doing so will almost always bring up random apps, change the volume, etc. Honestly, it got me looking at a Garmin 130+, but that only syncs up so well with RWGPS. (The routes can be sent to the little device, but I don't know if you can import the ride from the Garmin to RWGPS. Some Garmins allow this, others don't.)
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Nov 18, 2021 02:52
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A surprisingly warm day today, about 70° F (294 K), so I took another ride down the Confluence Trail. Did about 25 miles. I waited all last winter for a warm day between December and February; we usually get one or two. Never happened. It was nice to get back on the trail today, especially after a week of being sick, and another week of it trying to linger on before my immune system finally killed it.
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Dec 4, 2021 00:38
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Today was really warm for my area, so despite the wind, I went out just to say I did a ride on Christmas Eve. It was almost 70° F, with brisk winds at what felt like 300 miles per hour. At one point, I actually shouted for mercy because a gust almost knocked me over. Things calmed down a tiny bit after that, so I guess Mother Nature thought I'd had enough. Sixteen and a half miles on a day that should've been a little too icy for my liking. Now I'll feel better about all the cherry cordials and ham I'm going to eat.
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Dec 25, 2021 00:33
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Finally was able to get back on the trail today. December was crazy--I had a decent ride on Christmas Eve, although it was pretty windy. But it was warm. Crazy for my area (in and around St. Louis). But January was cold, and February had warm Mondays and Tuesdays followed by storms that kept snow, sleet, and ice on the trails for the weekend. Not today, though. The wind was insane; by far, these were the hardest 10 miles I've done in a while. Then, after cleaning up, I went to Ye Olde Locale Bikee Shoppe and looked at road bikes. I love my Escape*, especially for riding around my hilly, crappy-road town, because I can get somewhat low but also sit up a bit and watch out for idiots on the side streets (of whom there are a lot). But that 50 mile ride was fun, and I'd like to extend my range some. Also, I got a kick-rear end bonus at work, and that money ain't gonna spend itself. I figured an entry-level road bike should do me. Not much was available at the shop today, but they got on the computer to check for expected deliveries. Considering budget, availability, and everything else, I decided my best best was to put in a deposit on a Giant Contend AR 3. The shop said one should be ready for me in July*. Seriously, "July-asterisk," because there have been and may be delays. But, they expect to have two coming in, and one of them is now spoken for (by me). They put me on this wild contraption to get an idea of what my ideal size should be, and we're going with ML. Medium was clearly too small, as I could easily knee my elbows if I weren't paying attention, and L would work but wasn't as ideal. So that's what's coming. That wacky machine was something else. I had no idea. I know this isn't the best bike in the world, but I feel like I'm going to be getting my money's worth, and Giant has been good enough for me so far. I'm not going to start racing or anything; top of the line equipment will be wasted on my old buttocks. So for the next few months, I'm going to do what I call training. * my son, who is autistic, was with me at the store. The salesman was asking how my Escape was treating me, since he sold me that bike last year, and my son said we'd driven there in it. This was the first time I realized that the model name of my bike and my automobile just happen to be the same.
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Mar 6, 2022 04:01
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My very first proper road bike will be arriving in July. And, like all bikes you spend more money on, it comes with less stuff that you need. Specifically, pedals. Even entry-level fancybikes don't come with God drat pedals. So, I have a question, and keep in mind I've only been riding regularly for a couple years now: do I absolutely have to go clipless & special shoes, or can I at least get my sea legs under me with flats and then work up to clipless? I'm not going to lie. This is the first bike where I'll be in a serious rode bike position. My Escape gets me about halfway there, but when I was at the store a month or three ago and I got up on their frame size finder thingamajig, it really hit home what my position will be. I'm excited and nervous. When I first got my Escape, I had two spills caused by me going up a pretty sharp grade with no starting momentum while also being totally unaccustomed to where my center of gravity was when I wasn't sitting almost perfectly upright on a regular hybrid. The reason these were minor spills and not serious ouchies was because I could get my feet off the pedals... nearly in time. Am I crazy for thinking that flats first and clipless later is a good idea?
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May 30, 2022 02:19
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Sphyre posted:I don't really think there's any point in starting off with flats if you intend to use clipless pedals in the future Fair enough, but I don't know if I'm going to ever want clipless. I don't plan on racing or anything. I just don't want something that just isn't functional. But, when you talk to super-serious cyclists, it's like when you talk to anyone who's entrenched in a hobby you're just getting into. They've been into it for a long time and think you should start with the things they wish they'd have started with, regardless of price or learning curve. My goal is to have a bike for long rides, and maybe to surpass my personal 50 mile record. I have no plans on competing.
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May 30, 2022 05:13
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dema posted:It may take a while for unclipping to become muscle memory. But, initial learning should only be a few minutes to get a feel for clipping in and out. Especially if you can start on a stationary bike with clipless. Cost isn't the main issue for me right now. I mean, I'm a firearm owner who is into reloading to "save" money on ammo. Believe me when I say I've spent more money on less useful stuff! This is all good advice. As a guy who still feels very much like an outsider to all of this, clipless pedals are one of those things that look like something that only the pros use. Of course, when I'm out on the trails, I'm not examining anybody's feet, so maybe they're more common than I perceive. Thanks for all the input. I think I like the idea of the pedals that are flats on one side and clipless on the other.
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May 30, 2022 16:37
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