Cycling

[Petra]

vm, I have an old early 1980's "executive" bike that is heavy as a moose on steroids - none of this light-weight pansy-assed titanium stuff (that I admit to covetting every time I have to ride up a hill), but what I love about it is that it has a chain guard and proper mud guards - so you can ride it to work wearing dress pants (or skirt, if you're a girly-purse) without getting your hems caught in the oily chain and getting mud sprayed up your back in the rain. It's a beast of a thing, but I love it. Comfy seat, too. :smug:


Cycling is a great way to get around - and if you use it to duck up to the shops, whip 'round to see your mates, and that kind of thing, you won't even know you're getting fit by exercising at all!

[BDS]

I ride to work most days on my steel-framed Bianchi road bike. It's a little heavier than some modern road bikes, but it's comfortable and responsive. I've taken it for rides up to 130 miles in a day and comfort is important. A couple of pounds of weight is trivial (unless you're racing) compared to comfort. Removing a couple of pounds of weight improves acceleration and up-hill speed -- but it doesn't improve speed on the flats.

I think bike gloves add to comfort (especially on a long ride), and they protect your hands if you fall. Toe clips (or clipless pedals) are essential for rides of any serious distance -- I wouldn't even ride around town without them, now that I'm used to them. It's impossible to have an efficient "spin" without them. My biking friends say that clipless pedals are a major improvement over toe clips -- but I've never used them partly because I ride my bike around town a lot, and it's nice to wear regular shoes. On long rides I sometimes wear my old soccer shoes -- the stiff leather uppers allow you to tighten the toe-clips painlessly, and the cleats hook into the pedals so you can spin efficiently (I'm sure clipless pedals and biking shoes are even better, though). Just don't forget you're wearing them when you come to that first stop light, or you won't be able to get your feet out of the pedals, and will topple over sideways -- always embarrassing.

It astounds me (here in Eugene, where it never snows) that anyone would go to a gym and ride a stationary bike, when you can get the same exercise riding around town, and actually get somewhere, too. I never wore a helmet until a couple of years ago, when a collision with a truck resulting in 20 stitches to my forehead persuaded me to buy one.

I'l bet there's a good market for used bikes in Austen. I wouldn't even think about a hybrid bike. Drop handlebars are a must. My son has a Trek with triathalon handlebars -- it's definitely faster than my bike (the triathalon handlebars are very efficient for long distances) but it's not as comfortable for riding around town (triathalon handlebars are terrible for bike-handling -- you wouldn't want to ride in that position around town).

[Clutch Munny]

Originally Posted by BDS

(triathalon handlebars are terrible for bike-handling -- you wouldn't want to ride in that position around town).

That's for sure. I took a Giant OCR with aerobars for a spin, and tried getting down into the tuck. Wow. A stray hiccup and you can go ass over teakettle! It's so twitchy, I can't imagine using the aerobars on any road with much car traffic.

[BDS]

"Aerobars". That's the word I was looking for!

I see lots of young, studly bikers riding fixed gear racers these days. I've ridden them once or twice, and they're very fast and fun to ride (although only a masochist would actually own one to ride around on.)

"Fixed Gear" bikes (they probably have a name that I can't remember, too) are the ones where the pedals go around every time the wheel moves. There's only one gear, but the "fixed gear" action promotes a very smooth spinning stroke, so they're good bikes to train on, occasionally. Sprint racers ride them in the Olympics.

If you ever get a chance to ride one, straddle it before starting (if you try to "scoot-start" it will buck you off because the pedal will move as you start scootering).

[Clutch Munny]

Naw, tri-bars is also a word for them, and fixed gear bicycles are called fixed gear bicycles (occasionally "fixies").

You see them a bit in springtime hereabouts, as the racers try to get their spinning tuned up for the season.

[viscousmemories]

I had a 10-speed with curly handlebars when I was a kid, but the bikes I've owned as an adult have all been mountain bikes. For a period of time in my early 20's, my bike was my primary mode of transportation. That was true again when I lived in Pacific Beach a few years ago - the same bike I have now. The main reason I've bought mountain bikes is that I haven't treated my bikes very delicately (jumping curbs and such) so I wanted durability. I'm more interested in comfort and efficiency now, and prepared to treat my bike better.

[inland wave]

I didn't realize you were an avid cyclist, that is way cool, vm.

[Watser?]

Originally Posted by pepperspray

vm, I have an old early 1980's "executive" bike that is heavy as a moose on steroids - none of this light-weight pansy-assed titanium stuff (that I admit to covetting every time I have to ride up a hill), but what I love about it is that it has a chain guard and proper mud guards - so you can ride it to work wearing dress pants (or skirt, if you're a girly-purse) without getting your hems caught in the oily chain and getting mud sprayed up your back in the rain. It's a beast of a thing, but I love it. Comfy seat, too. :smug:


Cycling is a great way to get around - and if you use it to duck up to the shops, whip 'round to see your mates, and that kind of thing, you won't even know you're getting fit by exercising at all!

I have one of those typically Dutch utilitarian bikes too. Mine has 3 speeds, well technically it does, because the 2-gear is fucking up lately (which is of course the one I use most).
I use my bike for getting around town, although sometimes I go for a bike ride if the weather is good.

[Dingfod]

How about a 7 or 8 speed bicycle with no chain?

http://www.dynamicbicycles.com/

[The Lone Ranger]

Do you have one of those, Dingfod? I'd love to hear from someone who owns one, because that looks like a great idea, and according to the website, they're no more expensive than bikes with chains.

Next time I go down to the local bike store to price bikes, I'll have to ask about chainless bikes.

Cheers,

Michael

[Dingfod]

I don't have one NOW, but I'm thinking about getting one. They claim the drive is 94% efficient, which is only slightly less than the usual 97% claimed for a chain drive in very well maintained condition, which can drop to where mine is now, about 75% (even less when the chain pops because links stick).

[Crumb]

Wow those are cool, Ding!

And not very expensive. If I was going to go with a bike. (which I have been thinking about) the Runabout looks like it would be a great choice! I'd want to ride a chainless before I bought one though.

[Clutch Munny]

It's still damned cold, but a big rain washed the salt off the roads, so the road bike has come out. So long, winter beater; hello summer cruiser!

[BDS]

Year-round biking here in Eugene, Oregon (if you don't mind the rain). We're number 1!!! (No thanks to me, who bicycles, but only recycles so my son won't yell at me.)

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/113/top10cities

I did get fired up from reading this thread, though, and put in 40 miles yesterday -- 15 at lunch, and 25 after work. It felt great. I'm going to go for another 15 miler after work today, although I didn't ride to work, because I wanted to go to the driving range on my lunch hour.

Life is good here in Oregon.

[The Lone Ranger]

Say, Clutch, do you know anything about these chainless bikes?

I asked one of my colleagues who's really into biking, and he was skeptical. He said that he's never seen one and that no one he knows uses one. He seems to think that if they were as good as advertised, he and his fellow bikers would at least have heard of them.

On the other hand, a quick web search disclosed that there's a store nearby that sells them. Can't hurt to go take a look ...

Cheers,

Michael

[Dingfod]

It's not a new concept, shaft-drive bicycles date back to the 1890s, it's just that new "space age" materials make it possible to be light, compact and efficient; the Shimano 7 and 8 speed in-hub gearboxes help too, much better than the old 3 or 5 speed models.

[Crumb]

There is a store here in Portland that carries them, too! It would be cool to test one out this weekend.

[Dingfod]

On the other hand: the belt drive bicycle.

[Crumb]

I wonder what kind of gearing system those use...

[Dingfod]

3 speed hubs as far as I can tell.

[Dingfod]

Biomega Copenhagen shaft drive bicycle is another option.


For the rugged offroader:

Jeep Rubicon All-Wheel-Drive bicycle

[Clutch Munny]

TLR, I don't know anything about them. But I have to say that Ding has totally piqued my curiosity!

[Dingfod]

Nevermind me, I just like quirky alternative technology, like rotary engined cars and motorcycles. Hell, I thought the AMC Pacer was a good idea.

[Clutch Munny]

Back in the saddle:

[viscousmemories]

My curiosity is piqued too. Very interesting, Ding.

I'll get out there on my bike this weekend. My co-worker helped me figure out some good routes in this area.