I Love To Ride My Bicycle

(I mean, I get tired sick of wading through discussion of titties and big brother to find threads about computers and archeology and walking, but I don't think there should be a "I Love Digging and Rambling" board because Forest, Emsk and I would be the only people on it!)

NOT ALL OF US HAVE THIS OPTION.

(OK, SGS will hit me for that, but still.)

is that your real name by the way, billy dods? only it's a really cool name i think.

http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/classic-motoring/CarBra.jpg

Gem, yes it's my real name, glad you like it.

This is a good thing Mark, you do not want to look like Craig from Big Brother!

my back tyre exploded last night! it made me miss the gig :( thought it was a regular puncture (it was one of the noisy ones with a crack and a HISSSsss rather than just a slow quiet expiring) but i took the wheel off and stuff and pulled the inner tube out and blimey, the edge of the tyre - where it tucks inside the wheel rim - was all shot to fuck, all shredded and with METAL BITS STICKING OUT! cripes. not all the way round, just right by where the valve is. i carefully replaced the inner tube and rode home very, very gently (considered getting a new tyre there and then at evans but they were £15-20 and lovely barclay's bikes has them for a tenner and support yer local indie bike shop etc etc) and it was fine but wtf?? is this normal? i thought they just sort of, you know, wore out gradually. have i been doing something terribly wrong?

xpost with ed

nah, at work my bike lives out the back in a tunnel thing with no direct light, and inside the house at home, it had been in the sun on the way to work in the am and it was still nice and hot when it happened. i hadn't let air out, i had actually put a bit of air in the night before cos it had gone a bit squishy though. it wasn't like hard-hard though, specifically cos i feared the increased pressure...

...not because I want to start a new board, but because I want to talk about riding bicycles!

(mod req: can we just change the title to I Love To Ride My Bicycle?)

Also: I had the option to buy a beautiful '80s Italian track frame a few weeks ago for a stupid price. I passed it up because I am sorta poor (but not THAT poor). Did I make a mistake?

I could do with some overshoes or some nice winter bootees.

I'm doing tights under Pearl Izumi EXTREME FREERIDING shorts...as a commuter, it's great. As a "cool guy picking up chicks," it's, uh, stupid.

I can't wait 'till it's cold enough to pull out my ski helmet.

Ok so i went to go put my bike away for the winter and i noticed the rear cogs are beginning to rust. I've been storing the bike outside and rain must of somehow snuck in. I've only had the bike since the summer, can i clean off the rust with some citrus degreaser and then safely put it away for the season? or do i have someone remove the whole gear cluster and give it a cleaning? i do not have much money to send it to a shop.

Here's pave sector 1 of 3 in from Oct. The lovely cottonwoods on the left are about to be cut down because they are building a very high-end group of homes:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6797/10270009pshop5gn.jpg

Problem is there's a slight dull click coming from somewhere near the crankshaft every time i rotate the pedals.

Assuming you're sure it's not pedals, in order of pain in the ass-itude:

1. Check chainring bolts, ensure all are tight.

2. Pull crankarms, reinstall. Use or don't use grease on tapers based on whose disaster scenarios you believe. Of course, modern bbs don't have tapers, yay. Don't just tighten crankbolts without removing crankarms first, that is how overtightening, cracking, and ultimately, crankarm failure happen.

3. (Unfortunately, it's often this one)- Uninstall bottom bracket, thoroughly grease threads on bb shell. You may as well just do this one while you've got the crankarms off for attempt #2. If you've had to do this procedure to this bike before, consider using teflon thread tape.

If you're bike is still creaking, junk it.

When you say "rust," do you mean like a little tint of orangey wash on the cog, or do you mean like, thick, uhh--rust? Cause, if the former I'd just take of the wheel and give the cassette a little scrub with simple green and a wire brush or cassette cleaner brush. Then lube it and find it some shelter. If you've got real rusty-rust, then I'd remove the cassette, soak and scrub it. I'd also agree with Ed that a thorough examination and re-lubing of the whole bike is in order, because a rusty cogset seems indicative of some severe weathering. Usually, its the chain that gets rusty first, IME.

"Fred" is racer slang for non-racer bike dorks who wear ill-matching, non-bike-specific gear, like tall white tube socks, and typically champion retro-technology and recumbents, with dubious facial hair. They like to try to beat you up hills when you're just trying to get home at the end of a ride. They're usually fair riders, as they do a lot of it, they just aren't "cool," as the racers typically wish to imagine themselves as. I'm labelling myself fredly, since I'm commuting everyday in street clothes and am seen lugging panniers round the school. And I "raced" some guy in local team kit up a hill the other day.

Fred's are not like posers or wannabes, who mainly just dig dressing up in team gear, on light bikes, can't ride, and oddly are often fat, too.

I ride a Pista (with a spokecard from an alleycat, no less) and rock an ancient (6 year old) canvas timbuk2 messenger bag basically everywhere. And I consider purchasing Italian track frames.

yeah, it appears to only be surface rust. i am going to go the degreaser route and maybe a wire brush scrub, then a lube and shelter. i do not have the tools or the skills to take anything apart. thanks for the help everyone. i think the only reason the cogset rusted before the chain is due to my half-assed attempts at keeping it covered with a utility tarp.

Mind, Tuesday night I crashed by bike. Twice. Very sore. Although I was quite refreshed.

Guys that ride Rivendells with spare spokes taped to their chainstays, and generator light front hubs with Lumotec head units, as if they're about to ride a randonee brevet, that's fredly. Insisting that if you just tried a nicely faired recumbent, you'd admit their superiority to uprights...

Then there's just straight up bizzaros. There's a guy round here, who I haven't actually seen for a couple of years now, who rides an 80s vintage racing bike, downtube shifters, 6 or 7spd. He's always wearing chinos and a white long sleeve button front shirt, and has a gnarly beard about 10 inches long. And whenever I see him, he's riding up or down Deer Creek Canyon/High Grade, which is like 10 miles of climbing and 3000ft of vert. This guy I'd say climbs about like a high level amateur racer (like a lower Cat2 guy). He never says anything, he just keeps looking ahead, and he will try to catch you if he can, and will contest a sprint. Chinos and everything. We call him the canyon troll.

Other winter greatnesses: cx.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/89/100004crossstill0xy.jpg

Snow in Chicago this morning: kickass!

WENT MTBING ON SATURDAY AND GOT COVERED IN MUD, GOOD TIMES.

HERE IS A PRETTY SICK VIDEO OF SOME CHICKS ON FIXED GEARS...

http://www.vimeo.com/clip=8222

Fun is so totally the name of the game w/ cx. (But "Pain" is its middle name, baby. *arches eyebrows like Austin Powers*)

If they would just start really promoting lots of betting on it I actually think pro cross could be a good TV spectator sport.

Whenever I enthuse over cx to my non-rider friends, I feel like the hyperpretentious guy at my old office, who would go on about the greatness of squash. "Duuude, NORMAL AMERKIN PEOPLE are never gonna get big into squash, fuckin' k? It's not gonna rise again!" (plz note I am not speaking to the actual merits of squash thx).

What, like Keirin?

...I think you're right, though. Then again, I often say the same thing about World Cup skiing (alpine, obv) and just get blank stares. HOW IS 80mph ON BULLET-PROOF ICE NOT EXCITING TO YOU PPL?!

We have fairly sloppy mud round here, so it's pretty easy to get off. It just gets in all your bearings and fucks them up instead. Worst thing in the winter here is the Slippery Green Chalk of Death.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/Nightride4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/Nightride3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/Nightride1.jpg

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/9459/12030002edited6yf.jpg

A selection

1. In every hurricane spiral hides a silver lining.
2. Bikes rule.

I just got a flat. Twenty minutes after getting another one. And my hand pump is broken. And now I'll have to walk home. :(

Sorry giboyeux about the flat. I don't even know how to fix one, which is pathetic.

It's really cold and icy here, and as much as I like riding my bike, I really hate having a cold face. I have no problem with rain, just freezing wind and icy patches everywhere. Oh, and about five million snow-covered potholes plus drivers who are crazy enough as it is when the weather is good. Which is mostly to say I can't be bothered to dress up in 4 layers of clothes just to get to the store quicker.

This is true.

But getting two flats in twenty minutes just blows. Especially when it's cold and slushy in Chicago.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/park%20gp2%20patch%20kit.jpg

(they might not work so well at road bike tyre pressures though)

Ditto. It's weird: the last two blew out within BLOCKS of putting them in. Which either means that I (a) did something wrong (left a kink in or summat) (b) there's glass in the tube that I didn't notice (I checked) or (c) I over-inflated the tubes? It's weird: the only other time I've had this sort of luck was in that race, and the tubes that blew then were purchased from the same store. But I can't see how that could possibly make a difference.

BTW I would consider this an unlikely source of the problem g, but possible. Unlocated wire or glass in the tube casing is more likely. FYI.

In other news: I switched from 48x16 to 48x17 and I'm LIKING it. So much easier to pick through traffic.

http://webpages.marshall.edu/~ferguson36/dad.gif

Just seen this from cyclingnews.com:

Tour 2007 to start in London
The 2007 Tour de France will start in the British capital London, French business magazine La Lettre de l'Expansion claimed on Monday, January 23. The magazine reports that London has gone from a serious candidate for next year's prologue and grand depart to confirmed venue after an agreement was reached between ASO and London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

ASO has refused to comment on the report, telling the Associated Press it would not be able to confirm or deny the claim until Tuesday.

A London prologue would be the third time the Tour de France has visited the UK, but the first in the capital. In 1974 the Tour made a rather lackluster visit to the UK for a stage near Plymouth. After a long and unpleasant transfer an unhappy peloton paraded up and down an unopened bypass road. Very few spectators bothered to turn up and the UK's Daily Mirror covered the event with the headline "Tour de France: can 40 million Frenchmen be wrong."

The Tour's next visit, in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day, was a much happier affair. British rider Chris Boardman took the yellow jersey in the prologue at Lille and large crowds turned out to see him and the Tour race two stages from Dover to Brighton and Brighton to Portsmouth.

A Tour prologue in London is expected to take in the city's major landmarks, many of which are conveniently packed into the center. It would be followed by a stage heading for the east coast from where the race would transfer back to France.

Well, I'm excited anyway.

ihttp://www.likeabike.co.uk/images/mountain200.jpg

He loves it! Zooming up and down the corridor already, and lots of chucking himself off shouting CRASH! CRASH! at the top of his little voice, bless him.

http://www.likeabike.co.uk/images/mountain200.jpg

I'm a fair weather cyclist. Not getting out much at the moment.

Check out the redesigned 2006 birdy if you get the chance, Ed. I bought one for myself!

I don't think they're goofy at all, gibo! (declaration of interest - I sell them in my shop)

other than that, a beautiful morning for riding tho - wish i'd been on the south downs.

does anyone have any views on bike repair shops in london? My bike badly needs a service that I'm not proficient enough to give it but the rate charged at my local, brixton cycle shop (100 quid for full service) seems ridiculous?

a dustbin truck malevolently attempted to to slowly squeeze me off the road

God, I hate stuff like that. And there's little you can do other than get out of the way as fast as possible.

God, I hate stuff like that. And there's little you can do other than get out of the way as fast as possible.

and they do it a lot! this weird diagonal driving thing dude wtf are you doing?!

if it's gonna be debated in the h of c i guess there'll be more on this in the next few days.

i've only ever had my bike serviced at barclay's bikes on kingsland road (would use brixton cycles, you know i *heart* them, but yeah, it's just ridiculously expensive). they charged me £20 and the bike was fine - i don't think they did a whole lot to it but then that's not the point i guess... they sorted out the brake cables and made the wheels true and fixed my stupid mudguard, i dunno what else they did. there might not have been anything else to do. i have bought this

http://store1.yimg.com/I/motobooks_1882_18560329

with some of my christmas money. i need to have an i love my bike day, front wheel's been a bit squiffy since that knobhead drive into it last week.

Oh shit, I just went to the UK website, that thing is awesome. Must. Get.

To go back to your question Nick, I was on my commuter, which is an old Gitane CX frame with fenders, flatbars and a rack. I love that bike even though the frameset is leaden. I've even raced mtn bike races on it. It's just one of those "piece of shit, but completely awesome" bikes.

I'm now working downtown in addition to classes, so I'm getting to ride about 30 miles a day. Between school and office it's actually way faster by bike, much to one fellow intern's dismay. Yet when I told him to get a bike he gave me this helpless "but... that's WAY too hard to do" look. Sigh.

I very rarely get hassled in my commutes, but when I do (like tonight), it's always when there's nobody around-like NO traffic, with a youngish dude hanging out the window of a POS truck or car, telling me to stay the fuck off the road.

I found the USA importer. Erm, if I quit drinking for the year, I could afford this. :(

It does steer - you can turn the bars about 20 degrees to either side or something. So not enough that you run the risk that the front wheel wil tuck under you, but enough to get round most corners with a foot down, a skid and a bit of body english. One nice thing about the steering are the little felt buffers where the steerer meets the main frame - stops any little fingers from getting caught in there.

Danger-wise, there is always the risk that he'll fall of on top of something. Until they learn to stick their feet out to break their fall and keep them steady, they do tend to hit the deck a lot. Kids bounce though, so I'm not too worried!

And yeah, they are expensive. Was Bill's main present though, and we got a few generous relatives to contribute instead of buying him other junk. What with the adjustable height, it should do him until he's five, and he's got a little brother on the way too, so it should get plenty of use.

BTW have you seen this wee beastie?

http://bluecollarmtb.com/images/pugsley1.jpg

Looks awesome for snow and ice! Runs 4" tyres or something crazy, like a two-wheeled beach buggy or something. Would love one, just for the look of the thing, but still hasn't snowed here all year. :o(

ORDER PAPER FOR THE HOUSE OF LORDS
THURSDAY 26TH JANUARY
[At eleven o'clock]

[Prayers will have been read]
*The Lord Quinton—To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to ensure that bicycle users abide by the Highway Code.

Was Lord Quinton perhaps the irate old man on yesterday's phone in?

Those things are MONSTERS. I think they're made for backcountry biking...?

There was a dude who made something not so different about 15 years ago or so, I'm trying hard to remember the name. Tires were even wider than Surly, like 6 or 8 inches wide, but smaller diameter, and they would show rider able to easily ride around on the soft sand of the beach. Also, some of the bikes built for Iditabike had double-width tires.

Still debating the LikeaBike. We've also got another kid due in--wow, exactly a week, it could happen anytime. So at least we could pass the LikeaBike down.

I want to see a Surly built LikeaBike. For punk as fuck toddlers.

Iditabike is always fun to read about. Some of those reports from the racers are insane. This year's must start soon, eh?

We've also got another kid due in--wow, exactly a week, it could happen anytime.

Oh wow, good luck!! Boy or girl or wait and see? And juggling babies and study and everything else - gets hectic doesn't it?

Busy yup. Unfortunately, I am a notoriously inefficient person.

Check this out, I knew there had to be a knock off out there. Now if we can just get the Chinese building these--$39.99, but bike will last 2 weeks. (I visited a toy industry news website, and underneath an article about LIKEaBIKE, in the comments section, was a posting from a representative of a Chinese toy firm along the lines of "we are good toy-building company in China experienced with wood products call us or email us at this address!")

Hard to figure out just how big those Rolliriders are. See that there doesn't appear to be any height adjustment on the seatpost, but there are kids riding with extended posts on some of those pictures - maybe you have to buy a new one? Solid tyres - dunno if that's a big deal to you (I am a terrible bike tart though, but heck it is just a kids bike, and that's what I started with). But basically it looks good to me, quite comparable to the original LikeaBike.

What I was saying about felt buffers on the LikeaBike: looking down the bike on this photo, where you can see daylight between the steerer and the frame, that's where they'd be. Can't really imagine a scenario where you'd put your fingers down there riding along though, and you could probably bodge something yourself if you were bothered. Much difference in price?

http://www.rollirider.com/imgs/testimonials1.jpg

Not quite so concerned w/ solid tire, but height adjustment seems crucial. Kid is kinda big already, would hate for him to outgrow it before he's pedalling. The range of seat heights on Rollirider says 12" to 15". Do you think Bill's has more range than that? What to think of the spoked wheel version of LIKEaBIKE which is cheaper?

The difference is about 16 bottles of table wine.

Also - keep us posted with baby news!

From the Guardian:
Dangerous cyclists
Cyclists were posing a serious risk to peers when they crossed the road to come to the Lords, said former Liberal leader Lord Steel of Aikwood. Tory Lord Quinton complained that a cyclist had knocked down and injured his wife in Bond Street. Baroness Crawley, for the government, said: "The police can prosecute cyclists who ride dangerously, carelessly, ignore traffic signs or signals, cycle on the pavement or commit any other offence."

Dunno about you, but in a way, I'm *sort of* all for it - I get quite annoyed with cyclists doing twattish things. But to put it into perspective, I get totally bloody incensed with motorists doing twattish things that put cyclists lives in danger, and this is obviously what they need to be sorting out first. Dunno how you feel. What I was wondering though was, in your experience, are cyclists really that much of a danger to peds in London now? Ed? Markelby? Anyone?

it's all inflated bollocks. I cycle c. 40 miles a week in London and the only places you see cyclists going on pavements (the main ped complaint) with any regularity are where roads are too narrow or absence of cycle/bus lanes. one virtue of south london is big roads with big bus lanes, so generally plenty space. Absence of this in central london - and generally more twattish drivers - causes reverse.

it annoys me so much because no cyclist particularly wants to cycle on pavement, so if you provide the lanes then everyone's safer. good work's been done but still so much more to do...

tho it's prob not the most popular view round these parts the death of the routemaster has I imagine lessened cyclist/ped collisions. pesky hackney peds hopping off the 73 straight into oncoming bikes might be a bit less common.

bc otm re sorting motorists out first, more provision for cyclists etc - all of this echoes what i said in an email to you and yours (oh god... i am in my 30s before i hit 28) the other day.

death of routemaster may have made it less easy for people to hop off but tbh bus drivers quite often open doors not at stops if they're stuck in traffic anyway for people to get out (i am not against this but i wish the people getting off would LOOK before they did)... bendy buses, though, are the cyclist (or this cyclist anyway)'s worst nightmare. they are FAR TOO LONG, i'm sure the driver can't really concentrate what's going on at the back, there are three times as many doors for people to get off at, they do fucked up things around corners and um they are FAR TOO LONG, those fuckers go on for ever.

I've replaced all the individual bits of it before, ut nver removed the cups that go into the frame. They're puished in, no threads, but I reckon they're in there really tight. I'm thinkng of using a hammer to get them out, then force the new ones in, probably padded with wood.

Will that work?

Dunno anything at all about BMXs. Have knackered a few BB cups in my time though - watch out if they're plastic cos their dead easy to crack. Oh, and grease everything!

When I used to ride a scooter, far and away the most dangerous occupants of the road were cyclists, especially couriers, who I passionately hope are forced to change their ways if there is a new law.

The reason they were so dangerous is because you knew they were untouchable - it's one thing running into the back of a car, but it's another hitting a cyclist with 75kg of fast-moving metal (or worse, 1500kg if you're in a car). But because of this, a large proportion of the courier and professional commuter crowd feel they have carte blanche to nip in between traffic, to appear out of unseen gaps, and to be FAR more of an immediate danger to pedestrians than any motor vehicle.

I would say for every road law violation a car driver makes, a cyclist makes half a dozen.

(I'm sorry, but I REALLY loathe bike couriers. I've never known anyone to so staggeringly flout all possible applicable laws.)

Ooops, sorry I missed this! That route looks good though and the weather over the weekend was pretty kind for February. So how was it?

Hunter: Glad it's a success. Hope he had a happy birthday!

Markelby: Do agree with a lot of what you're saying. Would say though that in most of the bike vs. pedestrian crashes I've heard about recently, weirdly the cyclist has come off worse (including one fatality from a head injury). Peds do tend to have a habit of crossing roads with their ears rather than their eyes.

otm. argh why do they do this? and always hover on the kerb waiting to get into the road and behaving like yes, they ARE going to check to their RIGHT as well as their LEFT aren't they, and then amble right into your path just as you get level with them, and then act like YOU'RE the one in the wrong?

also we saw a small child on one of those likeabikes yesterday on tooting bec common. the kid looked delighted; his dad even more so.

i saw the other day that they are doing free bike security marking this week in soho but i didn't write the specific times and places down because i thought i could find it on the police's website (it's them that's doing it). however they're too clever to put it on their websites. people who work in the area, might you be passing some bike parking places anytime today, and could you check for me please? i saw billboards by the bike locks in soho square and on broadwick street. hm, i should ask about this on the watercooler thread too.

HI DERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZVNXeJTzk8

This was a fun race.

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/IMG_4442.JPG

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/IMG_4398.JPG

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/IMG_4880.JPG

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/IMG_4844.JPG

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/IMG_4910.JPG

they are going all the way around the edge of the country on these!

i saw a guy on a penny farthing in germany, riding around in the woods like it was the most normal thing in the world, with his gf on a mountain bike.

Is that true?? I'm trying to figure out the physics of that, but it's just too much for my fweeble bwain.

For me, if my feet can't touch the ground before my scrotum gets whacked, then that's not a situation I'm willing to submit to.

OK, I exaggerate a bit. It has these fancy german parallelogram suspension forks, which I could never quite get adjusted properly. There was always either play in the headset bearing, ir it was too tight. really frustrating, b/c I'm usually pretty good at adjusting headset and bottom bracket bearings!

Being my bike, I kept putting it to the back of the queue, 'till the other week, when I put it in the stand, and pulled the forks out. The manufacturers had forgotten to fit a crown race!!

I phoned them, and the guy said he'd send a new set of forks out. no sign of them yet, though, so it's hanging out the back in bits and I'm getting frustrated at not being able to ride it, plus I'm getting lardy through lack of excercise.

grr.

its v weird and pretty funny, they always like they are trying to do a shit or maybe hold one in. either way, whast the point?

(oh, and I believe we still have some business to attend to - was I supposed to be doing something? I am very forgetful :()

Ambrose - they probably are clipped into the pedals and consider it a hassle, albeit a tiny one, to unclip themselves.

im a bit depressed by there being such a sharp divide in britain of "cyclists"/"non cyclists". we seem to have built up a culture of people either cycling and taking it very seriously, wearing the gear, buying epxensive bikes etc (and in london i fear that this can also manifest itself in a rather unpleasant attitude), or never even dream of cycling and laughing at the idea and those that practice it.

the problem is that this marginalises it as a form of transport and in the public eye reduces it to the domain of obsessives. unlike Internet usage which has become a mainstream activity, this over the last 100 years is in reverse of the process of hardcore adopters giving way to mainstream acceptance. i.e. cycling was once a mass form of transport for anyone to take up, now is practiced by a hardcore. but it doesnt deserve this marginalisation! its an efficient cheap and quick way of getting round cities in particular. it is dangerous, and unpleasant in bad weather, but so is walking, and we still havent seen the day where the only people on the pavement are those in hiking gear and those extendable hi tech walking sticks.

in some towns you do see all sorts cycling about but these tend to be uni towns, or famously cycle friendly ones (York, Cambridge etc). I dont know what im proposing but im worried that cycling is viewed as a pretty marginal activity outside of London and the above, and this is in part due to the dedication/gear obsessiveness of its proponents.

or maybe i just feel inadequate cycling along with my suit jacket flapping in the wind....

http://www.chicagofreakbike.org/

http://www.google.com/search?q=new%20york%20tall%20bike%20black%20label&sourceid=mozilla2&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Stop planning this, and plan the Good Friday walk instead. :-(

The upside to me forgetting is that Sigma have just upgraded their entire range, and I have the new models in. I have the 9-funtion model 906 here, how does 15 quid incl P&P sound?

I don't have any length on my stem because I can't figure out how to raise the bloody handlebars :( It says "under the top screw then bang it with a mallet" but this doesn't actually do anything!

Maybe you should start a tradition so we never get confused - walks on Sundays, bike rides on Saturdays?

But true about Emsk... though she could go on bikeride and we could try to be good and rehearse without us? (Even though this means we get drunk and watch britpop videos.)

Anyway, sorry, this was just a suggestion to make things easier. Did not mean to delurk as I do not ride bikes!

Streetcuff Locks, any good?

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/social/dunwichfaqs06.shtml

i have just read that faq properly

it sounds SO AWESOME

bats!

tree-tunnel country lanes!

beach at the end!

chips!

legs not working!

places opening specially for the riders!

come oooooooon!

i just checked and i am free that weekend.

yeh this is a heavy ride no doubt, 200k/120m! but oh. my. god.

and nick b-but this is a nighttime when you would normally be ASLEEPING so you'r actually gaining extra time, amazing!

i live like a 2 minute bikeride from london fields. perhaps i will have a pasta party before the ride.

Haha, I wish! I've done a couple of overnight rides before and it's was a whole new world of totally bolloxed. Great fun though.

Because I'm not a mentlaist who rides when it's COLD.

actually maybe riding in cool evenings but still warm enough to just wear a t-shirt is BEST. or at 3am in midsummer immediately post-thunderstorm. either way, daytime riding in winter >>>>>>>>> daytime riding in middle of summer.

I think I shall respectfully differ on this one - especially when it rains. L-B was bloody hot though; and yeah, way too many people, getting out of London was really slow.

Summer riding? Yeah, that sucks...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/NickB.jpg

You are a complete loon. No matter how warm you get, the first 10 minutes DESTOY the SOUL.

Summer riding is ace - even when it's sweltering you still have the breeze in your face, and you can soak yourself in water and it feels brilliant.

no! bc you KNOW it will be fine. you just need to have faith! and it makes you go faster!

Anyone for:
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4218/tripleelevationsmaller6bb.gif?

I've never done, but considered it. I think the alternative of going in the other direction you'd just wind up on the border of Kansas in a wheatfield. No beaches :(

On cold: I've decided that, here, optimal commuting temp if you're wearing office clothes is between 32 and 38 degrees F. You simply will not sweat unless you're hammering, and if you wear a windbreaker and good gloves, you'll be fine. Once it gets above 45, you must start substituting your shirt et al., so that just sucks. I haven't figured out a summer commuting strategy therefore.

Summer riding is ace - even when it's sweltering you still have the breeze in your face, and you can soak yourself in water and it feels brilliant.
Yes! This is why running is just the worst to me. You just get sweaty, then marinate in it because you're not going fast enough to evaporate it. At least at my speed.

Maps like that, Hunter, remind me that I need to get a CX bike when I finally move out to Montana this summer.

too right, the best riding is when there's a hard frost burning off the fields in bright winter sunshine.

too right, the best riding is when there's a hard frost burning off the fields in bright winter sunshine.

Also, late night solo riding can be good--I commute home from school some nights after 11pm, hit some canal path etc. Even the normally busy secondary roads are pretty deserted and I feel unmolested and free. One night I forgot my lights and had to ride S. Broadway at midnight--nobody out but drunks and cops. And the folks at the show at the Ogden (I think it was Stereolab).

Sometimes if I'm bummed out I feel a little too free wheeling along, like a ghost.

So Anyway I have got myself some new Xero XCR-1s, cartridge bearings for easy maintenance and I won't have the same problem with the bearing races. I'll also drop 600-700g in the process.

My justification, a longer commute when my company moves offices, we're promised a shower too.

I think I might go mack and do something like Yarmouth to Lynn and back again in two days.

I still need to sort out a cargo carrying bike though.

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/3421/gitane6sd.jpg
"WUV"

There isn't really the hardcore cyslist/no one else dichotomy. I know tons of people who don't own cars and just get around on their cruisers or commuters. The mayor rides his bike to work every day. Oddly enough, a lot of the hardcore spandex-wearing people who bike up a mountain every day look like retirees.

I got a J.C. higgins cruiser a while back that I started refinishing. As soon as this semester ends I'm busting out the airbrush again.

I have no idea when it would have gone, either. I didn't check at lunchtime, and after work I wandered down to Leicester Square to see some friends. I didn't even check when I came back from that: I tried to see whether my new key-fob would get me into work so I could use the lavs, and then I went to the local pub when it didn't. My mind is cruelly trying to convince me that there was one more bike on the racks then than when I came back 10 minutes later...

Anyway, argh. Should I tell the cops tomorrow? Will they bother checking the security cameras (if there were were any, and if they were on)? At least I still have the main bit of my expensive light. Grr.

I got my new wheels today and they are great, only thing is they take a non-standard lock ring, so no riding on them until I get one sent, grrr. Well I can run the front wheel. I had to get yellow tires and bar tape to compensate for the loss of yellow rims

I reckon we should do a ride on the 21st of May. Who's in?

The bloke in Pedal It (18 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR) was as nice as he was a month ago, gave me a £25 discount, a free back light, and a promise that if I came back tomorrow, I could look through the bucket of discarded mounts and see if I found one that matched my nice front light (which was in my pocket at the time of theft). I mentioned my previous bike (a Decathlon) was a bit heavy, and so he sold me a Ridgeback, which is perhaps too light - I can pick it up with my ring fingers (not very far like, but still).

He sent me down to Halfords on the Old Kent Road, as he had done the first time for a helmet & reflective gear, only this time it was for a sturdier lock than the one he's previously sold me. It didn't seem such a trek this time, partly because I'm more used to cycling, and partly because hey, light bike. As I went in I heard some guy yell "Hey!", and it was himself again, advising me to get a good lock. It turns out that he was there to pick up his girlfriend, a Halfords employee, who he then plonked on the back of his motorcycle and drove away with. Hrm.

From the week after next I am intending to cycle to work and back every day. It's not a huge commute but it'll mean 80 mins a day on my bike through the summer and autumn (not winter unless my view on winter cycling changes radically!).

So, the questions are about sunglasses and shoes. I would love to buy some sunglasses that offer good protection from insects and grit as well as reducing the amount of light, but I really want them to be ones I can wear in real life and not look like a dick. I don't ideally want to spend a vast amount on them either.

Shoes - I have Wellgo clipless road pedals, apparently, so I need shoes that will work with this. But what size should I get? Should they be loose or tight or just fit like normal shoes? I am a UK 8.5 or so and tend to buy size 9 shoes - do I want size 9 bike shoes?

Any advice welcome!

What kind of cleats do your pedals take? Large Look road, or SPD style? The feel of the fit will vary depending on how rigid the shoe is. If you have SPD style cleats, get comfortable fitting shoes for your commute. I'd size them like normal trainers. If the shoes use Look-style road cleats, or some variant, obv. different story, you'll end up with stiff shoes that can be a little closer fitting, but these are crap for commuting. All the Wellgo's I've seen use SPD.

I went through a period when I got tightish shoes for all riding, particularly racing both road and cx. I ended up hating those damn tight boots, and getting rid of them.

I have two comments on setting up pedals for commuting. First, if you can, get pedals that are comfortable to ride on for 5 miles with just street shoes--just so if you need to do it, it is not a miserable thing. I use Time Atacs, they're pretty good for this. Shimano SPD, not so much. You can get pedals that are platform on side A, but SPD on side B. Second, if you are buying shoes for commuting, get them comfortable, but also as non-bulky as possible. When you get where you're going you're gonna probly stuff em in a bag, and if they look like hiking boots, they'll just take up needless space. I have a pair of 10 year old SPD-drilled Performance shoes. They were ultra cheap, but mainly, they're like a slipper welded onto a fairly soft sole. They look like cheezy velcro-closure sneakers, but they squeeze down to a very manageable size. I've commuted in them in 15 deg (F) weather, an hour each way. They're fine.

The Shoes question is an important one for me as well as my ten year old specialized lace ups are coming to the end of their days and I need something that I can walk around in a little without buggering over, fit a narrow foot and take a shimano style cleat (I have crank brothers egg beaters, which are crap to cycle on with ordinary shoes except with my walking boots on).

There's plenty of spd-compatible shoes that are fine for commuting, everyday wear, even dancing - but I would recommend trying before buying, I know dem online shops are dirt cheap but all manufacturers have slightly different sizes, and you can't be too certain where footwear's concerned.

The new high end stuff--fixed tubular spindles w/ outboard bearings seems pretty cool. Just remember that if you go compact you may want a new front derailler that conforms more closely to the shape of the smaller rings.

I've used a de facto compact set-up (110 Bolt circle, 34/50 rings) on my commuter for a long time, paired with an 11-23 in the back and it's a nice way to get a wide range of gearing. I don't understand why it's suddenly "the rage" though. It's just, like, people are making them out of carbon fiber now, so they must be cool.

I don't know if anyone out there will think this is as hilarious as I did, but if you've ever trained hard as a upper mid-level amateur and gotten blown out--it's pretty great. The stage race he is at is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and it is very hard.

Can you give a glossary for every word there apart from "or"?

FSA Gossamer Megaexo seems to be pretty good value to me. I'll be in the states next week s I might try and pick one up there.

I thought this would be enough information to buy an inner tube. It was not not. There were measurements on inner-tube boxes in inches and cm which did not correspond to each other, and the staff in the shop (Halford's) obviously didn't have a clue either.

Internet research has left me still more bamboozled. I do not want to know about the history of tyre sizes or the seemingly millions of sizing conventions and how 1.5 does not equal one and a half etc.

Can anyone tell me simply what size inner tube I need for the above described - my only - wheels?

Diameter of wheel x thickness of the tyre

For instance my tyres are 700x21. This is normally written on the sidewall of the tyre. Tubes are normally marked up on the box to suit a range of tyre thicknesses.

It sounds like you have a 26" wheel. A 26"x35 tube should fit most tyre sizes you'll encounter.

I have a couple of bike-related questions and you lot all know much more than I do.

1) my chain-wheel makes a semi-regular ticking sound as I ride (the harder I push, the more it ticks). There's no obvious friction that I can *feel*, but clearly it'd be better if it didn't tick. Is this likely to be small grit particles? There are no moving parts there, after all, but I thought I'd ask.

2) At the end of an hour-plus ride, I get a sore lower back, which doens't feel muscular though I guess it probably is. Are there back-stretching or strengthening exercise I can do that will specifically help with this?

I had a 3rd question too but it's slipped my mind.

Also, what Ed said.

For your back, there's a horrible exercise called dorsal raises that involves you lying on your front with your arms outstretched in front and raising your chest off the ground in a controlled way using your back muscles. It's gruesome and painful and you look like an utter tool to boot but it does work. Don't forget to do something like a set of crunches for your abdominals as well, just to keep your muscles balanced. Stretch afterwards by just doing whatever feels good, like curling up into a ball or something ...not that I ever manage to do any of this myself though mind you.

Your back shouldn't really be hurting that much after just a little while though, so I'd probably tinker with your position a bit first. Try moving the saddle fore or aft. Or you might be able to move the bars up or down if there are any spacers you can juggle with under the stem.

Splined BB:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/shimano%20bbes30.jpg

It just refers to the design of the interface between the BB axle and the cranks. Square ones just go a bit baggy and worn a lot quicker than splined for some reason, the physics of which is beyond me.

I would err on the side of feeling stretched out rather than hunched up as far as set-up goes though - the more upright you are, the more bodyweight your back is holding up and also the more direct the vibrations are that go up from the back wheel through your arse. Or something.

Is there any way to find out if I am SPLINED without taking my bike apart (NB right now I can#t even take off the pedals)?

Thus speaks a man who's never had to fit a set of cottered cranks!

A common cause of the problem barry describes is a knackered bearing in the pedal. If you can, prize off/unscrew the pedal end caps, squirt some grease into them, and replace the caps. It's a quick fix, but you'd be surprised how often it cures the problem.

but guys seriously it was awesome, you must all come with me next year.

In about a year it had gone maybe 7mm back and that's two lengths of chain so the whole chain probably stretched over 1cm.

If you ever swap an old chain for a new one lay them on the ground next to each other, pulled taut, you'll see the old one is noticeably longer.

Get a Kona Jake the Snake or Planet-X Uncle John.

Are you using the Tufo tubular/clinchers? I don't know too much about their behavior. But for a regular clincher, that's a _whole_ lot of pressure. You usually see that if you're on the track on tubies, or TTing on 18mm wide tyres. At 11 bar, you can forget about the likelihood of the sealant failing (which of course you're right it would), and perhaps instead consider your RIM failing, esp. if it is lightweight and worn.

um for me i think i didn't hurt after a day or two (also to work and back, about an 8.5 mile journey each way, made longer by the fact that for the first week i was constantly getting lost and having to double back on myself). personally i can't stand those nappy shorts, they seem to bunch up and make everything uncomfortable, but some serious bikeists swear by them (and if i were to do a long ride like dunwich again, i might try wearing them, at least after half way, due to blisters across pant-line on bum OW OW OW).

I have to admit, reading this thread over the months influenced me, also the utter enthusiasm of Grad-Student-Mountain-Biker-Dude I sat next to on airplane Saturday. I want to be ONE OF YOU!

or, get a BROOKS and never look back.

On the nostalgia side, the bike has a Manitou4 on it, in v. good shape. It is a CNC'd to nth degree marvel, perhaps the ultimate statement of its era? That crown! Those brake bosses! I had to call around to find legacy Manitou elastomers, and got a lot of dismissive mocking. When I found them, the shop gave them free, declaring them to be "hazardous landfill."

What's been funny - as I get to work and as I'm leaving, all these people are coming over to chat and check out the bike and comment on how great it is that I'm doing this. The other people who bike (most are in my dept. but work a different schedule from me) posted a lookout to see who the new bike was :) They were shocked it was me, and are being incredibly helpful and nice about my stupid questions.

Point being: not as much rolling singletrack, where a tiny gear would be irritating on the flats. Here it's just get a small one for the climb, and coast the downhills, if you're on a singlespeed.

Either way, I need SOMETHING other than my track bike -- it was great in Chicago, and is still my grocery-getter, but I need a CX bike or just a full-on MTB to take advantage of my new location.

Too bad I don't have $1500 :(

I bought my "new" ride for $75, then cut out the rear spokes and rebuilt. Total outlay: $125. Of course, it's Suntour XCPro, 7spd WITH THUMBIES. Old Giant Cadex carbon frame, small non-structural blem on top tube. Bottom line: it's perfect!

I haven't been riding mtb for 4 years really. I followed two 15 y/o kids down a loose babyhead descent yesterday, in a combination of amazement and derision of the skills required (apparently, none) when riding plush full travel w/ discs. Straight. Down. Hill. Warp 5. Hit whatever. Skid 15 yards into corners, accelerate out. VERY fast though. And nice kids.

This is the absolutely sweet Voodoo frame I've got anyhow (not me riding it mind):

http://www.whatmtb.com/images/WMB44voodoolge.jpg

The reason I got the Cadex is: bolt-on, flat plate dropouts. I talked to a local machinist, he's gonna do some track fork ends for me--pop those suckers on and I can dispense with a tensioner.

I still don't see how I'll do it in a 32/20. I've heard the SSers use really wide handlebars for leverage. I think gbx's point about the terrain here is good. You're either going up or down, there's not a lot of rolling terrain anyway. Maybe I can save up for a flip-flop hub and put a smaller cog on the other side.

No, not much time to ride. I took a month and a half off the bike to prepare for the bar exam. I hope to get a little more riding in, but if I have to choose between taking the kids to the local pool and going for a ride, the ride loses.

One of my buds just moved to Utah and is asking me if I want to do 24 Hours of Moab in Oct. I don't know if I'm up for getting ready for that. Last time I did it (97?) I remember thinking, "that's not really that FUN."

then on the way back i ran into EVERY single red light :(

Hunter: ***you have to do Moab!*** Have done a few 24hr races in the UK. Doing it as a team was a laugh but you spend most of your time sitting on your arse, which is good, but not what you're there for. Doing it as a pair was a killer, cos when your riding you're really hammering cos you don't want to let the other guy down, and then you never have enough time to rest. Doing it solo was awesome, you just have to concentrate on keeping it slow enough and trying to eat bucketloads of food without chucking up.

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/accessories/gloves/GVF124L.jpg

http://www.rapha.cc/images/products/stringback_gloves_primary.jpg

Outrageously bling.

Originally I thought aluminium but apparently steel is undergoing a revival. I'd be happy with either really.

I think my Redline cx frame was built by Kinesis, and it is really nice for bargain Alu.

OK, this company builds with different tubesets depending on the market. I don't think that I've ever seen that. Are they contracting out to someone in NA to fabricate for NA, who does not have access to the "R4" stuff?

I really want a Redline Conquest w/disc brakes u_u

my rear wheel got tacoed in an incident involving me, my bike, my friend, his bike, and some teens in a car with a .44 (true!), and I need a new rear wheel. I'm thinking about building it myself, but I need it done by Sunday, and mail order rims and spokes won't get here by then. also, i've never done it before.

xpost

What's a minor detail?

I'm PRETTY sure I have access to a truing stand: http://www.montana.edu/outdoorrecreation/bikeski.php

my buddies (both skilled mechanics and bike nuts) assure me that I can get a workable wheel just by following the "instructions" and sitting in front of the TV for an hour and a half.

...i don't have to worry about dishing shit, since all i've got is a track bike.

I've been asked to pass on the following press release " with the suggestion
that some of them [ie any press release readers] might like to come to
Buckingham Palace at 2.00 pm to greet the brothers at the end of their epic
journey ( or, if on a bike, at the Tower of London at 1.00 pm). We are
anxious to give them a warm welcome, and any help you can give will be
greatly appreciated. If you have a moment, do look at their website, which
is full of photos."

6,000 MILES LATER – EPIC TALL BIKE TOUR ENDS IN LONDON – 2nd September, 2006

On September 2nd, at 2.00 pm outside Buckingham Palace, a remarkable journey
will end. Will and Ed Stevens, two brothers from Highbury, will have
completed their charity ride round the coastline of Britain, rarely out of
sight of the sea – ON SEVEN FOOT HIGH BIKES!! This is the first time in the
world that these amazing machines have ever covered such a huge distance –
nearly 6,000 miles.

The brothers left Buckingham Palace at 1.00 pm on April 1st, and in the five
months of their journey, they have had incredible experiences, met hundreds
of fascinating and welcoming people, faced intense heat and violent storms
and been rammed by a joy-rider. They have seen Land’s End, Cape Wrath, John
o’Groats, Spurn Head and the Wash; they have visited the Isle of Wight,
Anglesey, the Isle of Man, Arran, Coll, Mull Skye and Orkney. Everywhere,
heads have turned and people have stopped to ask about their experiences,
and their amazing bikes. They have had over 60 articles in the local press,
as well as many interviews on radio and television. And there have been
over 21,000 hits on their website. (www.tallbiketourbritain.com)

Their target is to raise £30,000 to be divided between three cycle-related
charities –, Cycle-Magic, Re-Cycle and Sustrans (see Editors’ note for more
details). The brothers’ overall objective has been to increase general
awareness of cycling and to promote Britain as a tourist destination As
older brother Will says, “ it has been an exciting, eventful and challenging
five months. We are now convinced that we live in the most beautiful and
varied island in the world, and we urge everyone to ‘get on yer bikes’ and
explore it in depth.”

I want a new bike . . . a road bike. I was leaning toward the Bianchi Volpe, but now I'm thinking seriously about the Terry bike. I had trouble finding any reviews online...

Went into bike shoppe to order new rim...dude saw i had a track bike (wheel), and said that he'd get a new wheel together for me for Sunday (alleycat race...in Montana wtf?). I said I was gonna build it myself, and he LOANED me his BRAND NEW rear wheel. "Get it back to me whenever."

Now I am going to the beer store to reward him!

This time I'd barely gone 300 yards before the new tube blew. I was pretty annoyed by this point. I had thought the 1st blowout might have been caused by over-inflation; but as I fitted the 2nd new tube I noticed a hole the size of a grain of rice in the wall of the tyre.

So - could the blowout have been caused by overinflation the first time, which in term blew away a section fo the tyre wall; or was it the hole that caused the tube to herniate and weaken, hence causing both blowouts?

Either way, I am getting a new rear tyre on Monday. Fucking bike.

So, can you advise me what I should get at Evans Cycles - ideally not too much dearer! The wheel is 700x25.

squeeze the bead of one side of the tyre over the rim of the tyre, you may need a lever for the last bit. Make sure that if the tyre has a rolling direction you get it right at this stage.

insert the valve into the rim and loosely screw on the valve nut.

insert the tube into the tyre and lightly inflate

using thumbs and working outwards from the valve push the second bead over the rim ensuring the tube is not pinched. When it gets towards the end use the levers to do the last bit.

God that fucking bike is annoying me right now. I struggled on the way home from work too - even 4 days out of the saddle seems to sap half my fitness. Sigh.

i want a road bike.

A new pair of Tufo Elite LPS cross tires on its way to me now--way too expensive on my budget, but it is gear that I really really like. I am giddy with anticipation.

But I'm too lazy, and it's drizzly, and I'm too preoccupied with other stuff, to actually go ride my bike today. So I'll be fat and slow with great wheels.

I'm going to attempt the rear wheel this weekend.

also: I still want a cross-bike.

OK, so I take out the old tube, put in my brand spankin' new one. I start to inflate by pump to seat everything properly, prior to CO2'ing it. The weather looks reaaaally bad. I gambled by starting with sunscreen but no jacket. In Colorado, this is stupid behavior.

Hey, it's not inflating. Damn p.o.s. micropump. I almost never even carry it (I tend to travel really light. Too light). I bust out the CO2. PSHHHHHHHHHH! Hey, that's not inflating AT ALL. The quickflate thing is old and worn out, maybe it's broken. PSSSSHHHH!!!!!! No inflation at all. It worked, but...CO2 gone now.

Pull off tire bead. The brand new tube has a 1.5 inch ragged slash along the seam of the tube. Ohhh, that's sooo wrong. Examine old tube. Pump works enough to find hole in old tube. Uh, now what? I think a couple years ago I threw some glueless Park patches in my camelback bladder compartment (my minimalist camelback doesn't even have pockets). YES, glueless patches still there! Clean up old tube as best I can, but there is a seam 5mm away. Oh well, I stick patch on.

I try to pump tire up. It's the same crappy micropump. 300 strokes later, I have maybe 20psi in there, and it's holding...but the pump will put no more in, something's wrong with it.

Yes! Here comes that woman. I borrow her pump. It DOES.NOT.WORK. The thunder is on us, the temperature has dropped more. She hitches a ride with a fisherman for the loooong drive out to Sedalia. She takes my phone number to notify Mrs. Hunter that I'm a dumbass.

Yes! Here comes those 3 guys. I borrow a pump. 40psi in the tire. It's holding. It's been 45 minutes.

It starts to hail as I start riding. I can see my breath, and it starts to REALLY hail, biblically. Pea size. I'm bone wet, and shivering after standing still for so long. Close lightning strike. The ground is covered, the trail is a river with a coating of white hail floating down at me. It's a very interesting effect to see, like a teensy icebergs calved off a glacier. OK, 10 minutes into this joint, it's now marble size hail, and it hurts my arms. I pull under a tree. A truly excellent, and ultra low-key, singlespeeder who recently moved to Colorado(from that party of 3) comes through (wearing jacket). His comment? "I've never ridden conditions like this before." By the time hail lets up, it looks like winter snowscene, except the occasional aspen has leaves on it. I decide to stick with the party of three despite the slower pace.

It was quite an ice and mud bath, but I got back. The hitchhiking woman got back to the trailhead around the same time. She had been dropped at a bar, had a beer and a burger, then hitched another ride from Sedalia up to Roxborough.

The moral of this stupid escapade?

If you go into near backcountry, don't be an idiot, bring a jacket, and check your backup gear.

hopefully my bum will feel better now.

I hope no permanent damage gibo.

The bike is only 5 months old and under warranty, so I can take it to the shop for repair, though the mechanic is away tomorrow, and I want it mended asap as I am really getting into commuting on it. In would be prepared to have a go myself, though I expect I will have to buy a nice tool kit for doing it (excuse to purchase gear, anyone?).

Anyway - suggestions please? The few websites I have seen are suggesting tightening anything in sight with more torque than can probably manage without a bike stand.

i think i love her.

I'm surprised that stat is so low. I also find it really hard to stand up for the cyclists, despite being one, because badly ridden bikes make my blood boil more than almost any other road infraction.

(also, the piece in G2 yesterday about the distances motorists get to bikes was really interesting.)

good stuff!

I am still wearing my helmet whatever they say. I may be marginally more likely to have an accident but I'm a hell of a lot likely not to be brain damaged if I do.

I don't think you can say "oh why worry about X when Y is a much bigger problem" in any area of life. People cycling recklessly loses them the sympathy of drivers and pedestrians - it's hard to respect cyclists when so many of them drive like cunts (yes, cycle couriers, I'm looking at you you irresponsible baby-killing assholes).

cyclist should ride better it's true but they should still ride wheras car drivers should drive better or not at all. i'd be really interested in a statistic showing the number of people killed by cars not stopping at zebra crossings.

is this because the tires aren't pumped up enough? or is there something going on with the rim liner? or or ? or is it just a frustrating reality that gets my hands dirty every couple weeks, incl this morning?

omg, and i just read on wikipedia that we should be using front brakes almost exclusively anyway! how did i not know this? for real? i did that all yesterday anyway b/c i knew the back tube valve was bent and didn't want to end up walking. the front brake really works - and i was instinctively transferring my weight back anyway. is this right??

Also, the front brake does the bulk of the work, but I hope wikipedia also mentioned that if you're in the wet and hit a paint stripe or metal plate while using the front brake it's likely to be dire. Once you're in a front wheel skid you're usually on the tarmac before you even realize that you are in danger of falling. In contrast, with the rear wheel in a slide, you'll feel the rear wheel duck out from underneath you. If you're lucky and you quickly let off the rear brake, the bike will pop back up underneath you, if you're not too far gone. Indeed, if you are coasting and the rear wheel breaks away, you can get the same effect by resuming pedalling.

Practicing carefully on hardpacked snow is a good way to improve braking technique.

yes, wikipedia mentions that and it makes sense. i've experienced that rear wheel duck and pop many times. now with the regular front braking i feel safer really; it makes sense.

i am totally going to practice in the snow!

dear driver of the 159 going down whitehall at 10.10 this morning, registration plate lj55 bua, i know those mirrors on your bus make it look pretty and shiny - and we all want our buses pretty and shiny! - but did you know you can also use them to check if there's anything/anyone between you and the kerb, making it possible for you to avoid crushing or mowing down pedestrians/cyclists/mopeds etc when you're doing your all-important foxy diagonal manouevre closer and closer to the kerb? tricky, huh? you look pretty old. if you have any kids i hope one of them gets mangled by a careless bus driver in the next 7 days.

have a nice day!

I can be really dangerous using an air hose designed for cars on a bike. The flow rate is too high and it can bust valves or tubes really easily.

Is 30-40 minutes a day (plus more at the weekends on the rare occasions I have time) really going to make any dent in my lack of fitness?

also I might have found a kona jake frame plus forks, (also with an FSA compact crank and BB). So my cross ride might be closer, especially as I can reuse my old road wheels and destroy them with impunity. No disc mounts but can't have everything.

Here's a nice long ride if anyone fancies it - should have mentioned this a whole lot sooner:
Ride of the Falling Leaves

keeping tires super inflated seems to be solving my valve issue - braking with front brake is also helping, i think - though it was scary at first! way more effective though.

i like emsk's rants

The palms swaying gently in the breeze, the endless sunshine.

Gluing up tires is enough to put me round the bend. Really.

trick: don't pick one, tipping-point day where you put away the bike. keep it where you normally would in the summer, and take it out on nicer days, for quick runs to the store or something. you may end up using it more than you think.

...and i, for one, welcome our wintry overlords, but that's because ski season's coming up. also: figure-eight bike races out on the lake, holy shit

that's totally good advice, gbx - i was sitting here thinking about winter and how there are dry days where riding a bike wouldn't be out of the question as long as i bundled up really well. i actually own one of those commuter face mask things, which i would use - what i hate most of winter biking is having a cold/wet face.

hunter: i think the plan is for everyone to have studs, yeah, but it'll be open to whatever ride you've got. road, track, mtb, townie, whatever.

the crossover is going to be deadly. added bonus: we may try to do it up on hyalite reservoir, which is only accessible by snowmachine come winter. yeaahaw!

Seconded.

Full fenders rule for the soggy cold

you got QR, or did someone take a wrench to yr bike?

i've taken note re: face mask, will see what's best - maybe just a good scarf.
i walked downtown today instead of biking. it felt weird and slow. but i got to wear headphones, listen to music.

i got given a couple of really simple ones from vietnam or somewhere - just a couple of layers of cotton with something soft inside and a bit of elastic on either end, and they work pretty well wrt keeping noticeable dust and fumes and cold out of your mouth and nose. they're still too warm for a london winter really - might not be warm enough for you but it might be worth trying.

Cutty - commiserations on your wheel. May the curse of 1000 punctures befall the fucker who stole it.

http://www.swixsport.com/1_775-filer/image004.jpg

Now that my hair is pretty thin on top, I'll sometimes wear a thin skully under the helmet, or even a cycling cap.

Aaaanyway, I've got a 96 model Marin Muirwoods which has a lovely frame but needs a tart up and I was thinking of fettling it into a street hacker for running to the station/shops/low intensity rides in Epping forest etc. Am I best stripping it down completely and starting again or just replacing the odd component here and there?

I already know I'm going to replace tyres with something a little slicker, and I'd really like a re-spray, though I may just end up gafer-ing it.

ythoughts and suggestions are welcome (aklthough I don't think my legs are quite up for single-speeding just now)

Broken scapula, bruised ribs, broken Redline frame. Good pain killers. Wah. At least I don't need to worry about being distracted by cx this fall tho.

http://cyclescheme.co.uk/

stevem get a second hand one one off gumtree (try and make sure it ain't nicked!) or from pedal it in elephant & castle, then pick up some of the bike maps (tfl will send you 6 at a time for free but it's quicker to just pick them up in a bike shop) and learn the backstreets. bendy buses can be fucking terrifying so stick to quiet streets at first, but you get used to it and most professional drivers in london (taxis; buses) are, well, professional. though you still get the odd dickhead (haha see above).

my work are supposed to be doing the cyclescheme thing but it's a painfully slow process it seems. am losing patience but will chase it up.

As a cross/tourer/shopper?

(NB the surly is available with rack lugs)

Hunter, hope you're not in too much pain. get well soon and show, uh, the ground who's boss.

Steve, try the Charge bikes website they do a pub bike which I relly like the look of but am put off by the fact that it's single speed...

Porkpie - Depends how much you can salvage off it really, but if absolutely *everything* on it were knackered, it might well work out cheapest just to get a new bike, especially with the sales just about to kick in. Although TBH, this *really* sounds like a perfect candidate for singlespeeding to me!

Also I looked at a thing about fettling it and I'd need to buy shedloads of tools too :(

Didn't we just have summer/end of season sales? Am confused by vagaries of sports equipment retail scheduling. But if I have another chance to pick up a cheap frame that's ok by me.

http://www.chargebikes.com/bikes/stove/stove.jpg

it's a fat man's bmx really though innit?

Porkpie: There's a few bikes out there with quite stretched top tubes that might suit someone with a build like yours. You won't have to go for a super large size to get the necessary stretch then. Gary Fisher Genesis geometry frames spring to mind (don't think they're anything to do with Phil Collins), as do On-One Inbreds (looks like they've just sold out of the bog-standard Inbreds for now though - just the expensive ones left).

BTW, I had a first generation genesis Fisher SuperCaliber, and I really, really liked the geometry.

gibo, since you seem to like the heavy mutants, have you ever seen a Hanebrink Extreme Terrain? I hadn't seen one for about 15 years, but ran into a one last week. This one was vintage, but I guess they're still being made. Now that's portly!

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/81/c4/2002_Hanebrink_Extreme_Terrain-bikes-resized200.jpg

i think i saw a guy in town here with a surly pugsley

http://static.flickr.com/96/282644901_2af05842cb.jpg

Then White's Level on Sun, weather was better but a much harder ride - good practice but damn it was exhausting.

I choose the fourth, but my impression is that rec riders like the second.

http://www.onerailway.com/templates/NewsArticle.aspx?id=2465

still space for hardly any bikes but it's a step in the right direction.

look what my lovely uncle sent me:

Would you like my Woodrup touring bike. It’s the one I had custom made by a shop in Leeds a few years ago, so its unique: designed by me built by Maurice, the only one in the world. It is slightly too big for you, but not outlandish. The only bit you would probably notice is the long reach to handlebars. If you are reasonably bendy this won’t be a problem, except possibly on long descents where your neck and shoulders might ache from being overstretched. You could also fit a shorter stem which would solve some of the problem. The bike is generally a couple of grades up from the one you currently have, with a much better frame and some smoother components. You would find long rides and hills in particular quite a bit less work. The downside is that It has “Steve's Bike, Hands off” embossed onto the frame.

GRARGH pls can someone help with something simple. i know a site exists where people put their favourite cycle routes in - around cities, 300 miles across the country, off-road funs, whatever - for other people to use as a reference/be inspired by. i have been to this site and bookmarked it but in the meantime the computer went nutso and had to be rewhatevered and all bookmarks got lost. i can't find it *anywhere*. i searched through all my old hackney lcc emails cos i thought it was somewhere there, but apparently not. it's something really simple like bikeroutesuk.co.uk, but that's not it. it's not an official site i think (can't find it via links from lcc/ctc etc), it's just run by some bike dude. does anyone have the faintest idea what i'm talking about?

PLS DO THIS GUYS

The proposed new Highway Code says cyclists should "use cycle facilities
where possible".

If approved, cyclists will effectively lose the right to ride on the road
where there are alternative routes or adjacent facilities. This is also
likely to result in more abuse and intimidation from drivers.

Also, if a cyclist is knocked down and injured, the motorist's insurers will
be able to argue that the rider contributed to the accident by not using the
cycle facility.

Unless there is an unprecedented amount of adverse publicity to persuade the
government to re-write this version of the Highway Code, this will become
law.

If you want to prevent this, please join in registering your name on the
petition here and persuade others to do the same.

See http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes

OK HAVE DONE THX

I think I'm buying a new Brooks saddle this week!! SO EXCITED GUISE

I was excited when I found out they did mtb saddles then disappointed when i found out they weighed 500 kilos.

Has that petition been superceded by the one mentioned here?
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4568

"The new version makes clear that cyclists have every right to cycle on the road. Rules 61 and 63 state that cycle lanes and cycle facilities, are "not compulsory" and the decision to use them "will depend on your experience and skills".

obsessing over component weight is so unbelievably boring.

It must come as a huge relief that you can skip right over all those posts using the amazing scrolly thing! Best ILX-hack ever!

I got me new seatpost
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/cinelli%20rampost.jpg

Also, why are Brooks saddles so good? Comfy as? branding?

because they're classy

and comfy as