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I like bikes. My kids like bikes. They tell me that I should buy more bikes. My six-year-old has come up with a new formula to replace "n+1"; it is "dad, I think you should get... three more bikes. But that's it." So I bought two new bikes, and then I asked her how many bikes I should get now. She said, "Hmmmm, I think, yeah, it's three more bikes." So now apparently the correct number of bikes to own is n+3. I need to build a bike garage. After riding all summer, my brother-in-law and I attempted a 50-mile ride on Labor Day one year. We had to bail at about 40 because, as he told me, "my legs are fine but I'm pretty sure my taint looks like a smashed tomato". I submit this for consideration for the next thread title.
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Jul 25, 2020 17:35
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 20:30 |
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Lead Pipe Cinch posted:\Also, I was messing with the grip selector on Ergon’s website and it recommended a couple models with bar ends, any thoughts on these for hybrid bikes? I’ve only ever used flats, so I’m not at all familiar with using ends. First: awesome that you're cycling again, welcome back! An ancient too-big bike is better than no bike at all. I have Ergon GP-5 grips on two bikes; they are awesome. They add two hand positions to the one you've already got, which can be great for both comfort and leverage (such as when climbing hills). They are somewhat expensive but, in my opinion, worth the money if you can swing it.
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Jul 27, 2020 03:47
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Spikes32 posted:I've got a big head and need to find a helmet for it, but can't test them out in person at a store now. Does anyone know of a brand I can look at that'll have XXL sizes / have accurate dimensions for their sizes? I have a large head (64cm) and have had a hard time finding helmets that fit well. Bell makes some extra-large helmets that have fit me. Their XL model used to be the Triton, which got replaced by the XLV. I'm not sure what it's called now, but that's probably worth looking into. (Report back!) I also have a Giro that fits, though not as comfortably as my Triton. Not bike-specific, but I have a Nutcase helmet for scootering/riding while looking like a skateboarder and it fits my large head very well, so that might be another brand to look into. becoming fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Jul 27, 2020 |
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Jul 27, 2020 17:43
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Quite A Tool posted:I’m in the market for a bike to ride with my wife who just picked up a new Journeyman. I’ve found an older (‘09) Stigmata that fits the bill at $750 with a grip of goodies but he ran too fat tires at some point and hosed up the chainstay pretty good. I’m a chunk monster at 260, how bad is this and am I going to die if I ride this bike? You will probably not die, but I would not ride that bike, and I sure would not pay money for it. That's saying something because otherwise it takes basically no convincing to sell me a bike.
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Jul 29, 2020 04:58
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spf3million posted:Not that it helps you when they are out of stock but if you're looking at Diamondbacks, the corporate discount brings that bike down to $2,750. I didn't know that this was a thing. I'm sure my smaller company has nothing set up with Diamondback, but what a cool feature for those that do. I picked up a Diamondback Insight STI-8 a few years back on deep clearance from REI and it's been a fun knockaround bike/way to learn the Nexus IGH. I like that bike a lot.
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Jul 30, 2020 17:14
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Hi, bike folks. I'm a pretty casual cyclist so far, doing like 2 or 3 outings weekly of 20-30 km each time, though in June I did 605km for Strava's 600km challenge because I wanted to see if I could do it. To add to what FireTora and Ola have said, I really like the Ergon GP-5 grips. They are a bit pricey ($70 USD MSRP) but they would be a simple addition to your current setup and would give you three hand positions instead of the one that you've currently got. I run them on a couple of bikes with flat bars and find them to be very comfortable with no wrist stiffness or pain. Certainly worth looking into, and would not require new shifters or anything else - just slide your old grips on, install these, and go ride.
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Jul 31, 2020 21:57
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Modal Auxiliary posted:Tag yourself, I'm the 145 inches of brake cable housing. I am the downtube friction shifters.
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Aug 2, 2020 02:25
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former glory posted:I had a nice long ride today in good weather. My area has a lot of road cycling traffic and cars are usually pretty good about leaving the full lane of space to pass cyclists given how common it is. But today, I got buzzed by 3 cars who tried to squeeze in the pass while oncoming traffic was coming up at a hill - one guy in a merc pretty much left me 6" going fast as hell. I worry that some day I'll just be killed by one of these impatient psychos. What's a way to fight back? I have a Go Pro and could just mount it to my stem and report, but I doubt the cops would give a poo poo... or would they? bicievino posted:I also make a habit of waving to drivers. I think it's good to put positive energy in to the world. Exactly what bicievino wrote, with the addition that I'll also make it a point to look out for drivers that are waiting behind me by checking hills/curves and waving them by with a thumbs-up to signal "you're good to go, I know you're there, it's safe, no oncoming traffic". I do frequently get waves or the occasional quick tap of the horn as they pass, which I interpret as a "thanks for looking out, have a safe ride" sort of gesture. I do the overwhelming majority of my cycling on roads shared with cars and while I do occasionally have a jerk pass too close, this is pretty rare all things considered. When you need to, take the lane. It is legal in all 50 states in the United States (so I have read - I have not actually gone and investigated this). When there is oncoming traffic, when you are going around a blind turn, when you are going up a blind hill, take the lane and do not give them any room to think "I can squeeze by". I think it's rarely malice, I think drivers just don't realize how dangerous it is. Don't give them the opportunity to squeeze by. Take the lane when you need it.
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Aug 2, 2020 06:01
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Maybe some negative is in order.
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EvilJoven posted:That was me and yes it's hilarious when certain men outright refuse to buy a small frame even though they can't comfortably stand over a medium. My dad did this with poor results. I am a hair under 6'0.5" tall (184cm on-the-dot) and my anatomical inseam is 34.5" (87.5cm); back in 2009 when I was getting back into cycling after fifteen years of wasting my life playing Quake, I went into a Performance shop and walked out with a size Large Schwinn Searcher. It fit me pretty well and I got a lot of use out of that bike before selling it to a friend. Anyway, my dad is 5'9" tall with short legs, so his anatomical inseam is probably under 30"; he went into Performance and demanded a size Large Schwinn Searcher because that's what I'd bought. The folks there tried their best to talk him out of it but he was adamant; I tried to talk him into a Medium but nope, if his son rides a Large, so does he! He eventually got his way and came out with this bike that's much too large for him. He made it a few years without serious incident, but finally he rolled up to a stop, couldn't get off the saddle, couldn't get a foot down, and went over right on his shoulder. He was probably 65 at the time and overweight and this wound up being a proper injury that kept him off the bike for quite a long while. I no-shame ride a Medium Topstone. Buy a bike that fits, folks!
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Aug 6, 2020 17:33
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ON SALE
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:This is really funny btw. "I hunch."
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Aug 6, 2020 18:04
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e.pilot posted:I was going to wait until this was a bit more finalized to post but it’s moving a bit faster than I expected and there’s a minimum order of 10 so trying to get as much interest as I can. I'm in.
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Aug 7, 2020 07:24
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I was riding last night a bit after sun down. It was dark, I had lights on. I was descending a road I know very well, going 30-33mph according to Strava. I hit a bat. It flew into my right bicep and was either stunned or killed by the impact. At first I thought it was a really big bug, then I thought "that must have been a bird", then I looked down at my arm and saw the bat plastered there by the wind resistance from my speed. I shook my arm and it fell off. I didn't stop to retrieve the body/capture it if it was still alive and I'm currently regretting this. I was ten minutes from home. I came straight into the house, washed my arm with soap and water, and then used hand sanitizer all over my arm mostly to test for any stinging which would indicate broken skin. I didn't feel any stinging. I do not believe I was bitten or scratched, but I definitely had two or three seconds of physical contact with a bat. I do have a bit of eczema/psoriasis on my inner elbow near where the bat hit, and this may or may not count as "broken skin". I have no indications that this bat was rabid. It was shortly after sundown, the bat was likely looking for bugs, our paths crossed. Still, I am a bit concerned about possible exposure to rabies. I'm dumb and don't currently have a primary care physician because we've switched insurance (five years ago) and I'm reasonably healthy so I just haven't gotten around to it. I'll fix this soon (tomorrow when offices are open) and relate the situation and get a medical opinion, but in the meantime: anyone here hit a bat and actually got medical advice? Was PEP recommended or was it "eh, you're fine"? I am probably over-thinking this but with the stakes being so high, even with a very low likelihood of exposure this is firmly in my head for the time being.
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Aug 9, 2020 20:23
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I have an appointment tomorrow morning to see my newly-appointed primary care physician. From https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/type.html: quote:The contamination of open wounds, abrasions, mucous membranes, or theoretically, scratches (potentially contaminated with infectious material from a rabid animal) constitutes a nonbite exposure. Again, because it hit my bicep/inner elbow, and because I have eczema/psoriasis on my inner elbow which may be considered broken skin, I think it's probably prudent to talk to a medical professional. I suspect I'm gonna wind up getting the shots simply because the stakes are so high and no doctor wants to be the one that allowed a rabies death to occur when they're so easily preventable.
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Aug 10, 2020 16:12
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Twerk from Home posted:Look at it this way: while you're actively getting the course of rabies vaccine shots, you can confidently hang out with any more bats that you run into. Gonna start riding my bikes in caves, gently caress yes. Is r/cavecycling a thing yet, and if not, which one of us is starting it?
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Aug 10, 2020 18:03
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Lawen posted:As someone who knows nothing about bicycles and is trying to figure out how to be less sedentary in the age of covid, I think there’s room for improvement in the OP. What EvilJoven said, but also: bikes are awesome, and if that's what gets you riding, then everyone here supports it. If you get bitten by the cycling
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Aug 11, 2020 18:58
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DELETE CASCADE posted:i recently bought a bike. an ebike no less. yes, i had to wait 2 weeks for rei to assemble it. but no, it was not impossible to buy a bike. you can walk into that same rei right now and buy one of the many bikes on display if it happens to be the one you want. bike stores still exist and they still have bikes in stock! This might be true at your REI, but at my local REI, literally every bike hanging on the racks was already sold. They had three bikes that were unsold when I walked in, and two by the time I left (I did not buy it - was there for a hydration vest). My LBS, with which I have a very strong relationship, has me waiting until January for a Trek FX 3 Stagger for my wife's aunt. This shop has pulled strings to get me the bike I wanted on several occasions, but there are very few strings to pull right now. You're right in that it's not impossible to buy a bike right now, but it's also true that, if you are in the market for a bike and find one in your size that you like, you should buy it because supply still sucks and demand is enormous. Also, it's worth pointing out that this is less true the bigger your budget - it's reasonably easy to find a 2021 Emonda SL 7 for $5500 or an e-bike for $3500, it's a lot less easy to find a Verve 3 at $800. becoming fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Aug 12, 2020 |
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Aug 12, 2020 01:14
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Bat/Rabies update - got checked out by my (new) primary care physician today, she recommended me for the post-exposure prophylaxis at the local hospital; I called them, they referred me to my county's Health Department, and the rabies specialist there agreed that physical contact with a bat, especially at a spot of broken skin, was an exposure and that I should receive the PEP. I went to the ER and after waiting a few hours for the on-site pharmacy to send down the human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) and the first vaccination, I received my shots. They dose the HRIG by weight, and for me (6'1", 210) this was 14cc spread out over five different shots - left quad (3cc), right quad (3cc), left delt (2cc), and then repeats in my quads. In my right delt I got the first dose of the vaccine. I'll receive the second dose Friday morning, the third dose next Tuesday morning, and the fourth (final) dose the Tuesday after that. The HRIG costs about $15,000 USD before insurance pays their share, and each dosage of the vaccine is about $300 USD. My quads are sore, my delts are sore, but I probably won't develop rabies and that's some relief. As a point of information for the thread, every single healthcare professional that I talked to about this instantly and adamantly stated that I should receive the PEP after physical contact with a bat, even when no bite or scratch was believed to have occurred. The rabies specialist at the Health Department didn't seem to care whether the skin was broken - "You and the bat touched, we don't have the bat to test, that counts as an exposure and you are getting the PEP." Lessons learned - If you hit a bat while riding your bicycle, try to collect it (without physically touching it ideally) so it can be tested for rabies. If you don't collect it, but you made physical contact with it, you are probably going to need the post-exposure prophylaxis, and this will cost you somewhere between a crankset and two new top-of-the-line Tern GSDs depending on how good your health insurance is. This is by all accounts still preferable to contracting rabies, no matter how badly one wants a Tern GSD.
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Aug 12, 2020 03:06
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EvilJoven posted:Starting to think the doctor I went to just wanted to stab someone in the rear end. Yeeeeep. I was sitting in the ER today thinking about how lucky I am that I happen to make a pretty good salary and have good health insurance. I’ll pay somewhere between $380 and $1200 out of pocket, depending on how the vaccine from the health department gets billed, and while that’s certainly money I could spend on something else, it’s not enough that it’s even a question of whether or not I’d get the treatment - I’ll happily pay it and have the peace of mind that I won’t develop rabies... but there’s a significant portion of America that is uninsured or underinsured, and for those folks there may be an actual question of whether to just chance it and live with the risk that they might some day develop rabies. I was varying levels of worried about this for three full days, I can’t imagine waiting out an incubation period that’s been known to last as long as eight years. Three days kinda sucked, imagine going through the stress of trying to figure out a way to pay for it, deciding that you can’t, and then going “welp, I guess I just hope I don’t die”. I guess with something like rabies, if you can’t afford the treatment you just get it anyway and deal with the bills/collections later. So instead of the stress of “will I die a horrible death?” it’s the stress of “will I survive this medical-debt bankruptcy?” Anyway, not trying to make this a Big Thing but basically Don’t Touch American Bats, It Is Expensive.
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Aug 12, 2020 04:08
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Done and submitted.
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Aug 12, 2020 19:28
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kimbo305 posted:Would anyone be interested if there were women's cuts options? I can volunteer to try to set up a similar group order if 1) there's interest 2) I can get an Aliexpress vendor to do the women's custom design. My wife needs some more cycling kit. You could put me down for one.
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Aug 12, 2020 23:32
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numberoneposter posted:who's riding bikes this weekend? I had been feeling pretty poo poo after getting rabies shots three of the last four days, but by this evening I was feeling pretty ace, so I went out for a relaxed 22 miles. I fully intend to ride both days this weekend, rain or shine. My informal goal is 100 miles each week but with the muscle soreness I'm only at 27 so far. I doubt I'll hit 100 this week with a newborn but I'm gonna take an honest crack at it. moctopus posted:I had a ride I did not enjoy today and it killed my desire to ride during the weekend. To cheer myself up I might go for a bike ride tomorrow. This is definitely the right answer.
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Aug 15, 2020 05:44
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Korwen posted:
I think your bike is cool, thanks for sharing. Don't worry about age - you should feel comfortable putting a little bit of money into it if you like it overall. Knockaround bikes are awesome. Tires, tubes, cables if you need them (do you actually need them?), all of that is fine to do. Getting some bar ends to have more hand positions is another cheap upgrade worth considering, though by no means necessary if you're not experiencing any discomfort.
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Aug 16, 2020 01:45
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 20:30 |
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kimbo305 posted:Last attempt to round up interest on the Trash Miles women's kit. If we get to 4, you can double my order and my wife can have A/B day kits.
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Sep 10, 2020 03:53
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