patrick.net

I used to follow that race (great divide), but realized that I'd never have the time to finish it on a bike at my pace, so did it on a motorcycle. Lot's of fun, but a bicycle would have been ideal.

YesYNot says

I used to follow that race (great divide), but realized that I'd never have the time to finish it on a bike at my pace, so did it on a motorcycle. Lot's of fun, but a bicycle would have been ideal.

Yeah, to actually "race" the great divide, you have to do at least 100 miles a day on rough terrain. It starts June of this year, so maybe I'll reconsider for next year. The other option is to enjoy the ride, and extend it 50+ days and visit all the landmarks/points of history on the way down.

Good news is, I bought my wife a bicycle a few weeks ago, and she's been riding all over town. She now actually prefers riding than driving - even when towing the kids. Hopefully, the only thing the car will be used for is distance commutes (for her), and days when time is tight.

Nice thread Vincente.

I have several bikes, I use this one for hauling, riding in the rain, or at night.

The bike frame is weatherproof, being chrome-plated with black paint on top. The brakes are sealed drums in the wheel hubs - no loss of braking because of a wet rim.

I like long crusies through my area's scenic coastal neighborhoods, country roads and quant towns. Thus the handlebar mounted Garmin 5in GPS and the MP3 player with speakers.

This bike is heavy but very stable. I ride sitting straight up with hands by my side, even when turning corners. I only need to touch the handlebars for tight turns. Very comfortable with the 40 PSI tires and the large seat.

For you "Trek" and "Specialized" weenies, here is a real bike:

It is a Cannondale Rize One Carbon, built in good ol' USA. Note the front wheel - no fork, but a strut like an airplane nose gear:

I did change out the seat from a wispy "Fis'iks" to something more comfortable, I also put on the GPS and Entertainment:

This bike is extremely light, rides smooth even over rough terrain, and is suprisingly quick for dual suspension trail bike. It has hydrolic brakes, tubeless tires, and extremely smooth shifting.

Vincente, Joshuatrio,

What is your aversion to fenders?

And Josh, does that chainguard work well enough so you can wear long pants without a band on the ankle?

HeadSet says

What is your aversion to fenders?

Weight? Don't need it?

I mean really if it's raining buckets I'm probably not biking. Or if I must bike through the rain I'm wearing rain pants & jacket, and not that concerned about road spray.

My chainguard on the Atwood works fine, I never tie up right pants leg.

HeadSet says

What is your aversion to fenders?

And Josh, does that chainguard work well enough so you can wear long pants without a band on the ankle?

Nice rides !!! Really like both of them.

Almost bought a Cannondale..... Test rode a few Cannondale Quicks a while back, but I didn't like the rider position. It was VERY upright/vertical - almost grandma style and the pedal crank arms felt really short - as in you couldn't really "put your body into it" - not sure if that made sense or not. Probably just the model though. My father in law has a few of their road bikes and they only weigh around 14-15 lbs. INSANE !

Don't have to worry about a chain guard. I ride to work in shorts/tennis shoes, shower at work, and change before the ride home : )

Fenders: while functional, they make any bike look old-man(ish). Plus, I like the big stripe that the rear rooster tail leaves. Makes me laugh in the rain. Basically, the rain doesn't bother me.

joshuatrio says

Don't have to worry about a chain guard. I ride to work in shorts/tennis shoes, shower at work, and change before the ride home : )

Enviable, all cyclists would love that arrangement. I cannot commute like you, but I do keep an $84 Walmart Mongoose XR75 at work. I like to go fror a spin mid-day to clear the head.

Surprisingly,the Mongoose is not a bad bike - it has an aluminum frame, dual suspension, and Shimano 21 speed components. The worst part of buying from Walmart is the abysmal assembly work. If you do not mind reassebling and re-adjusting, not a bad way to get a cheap additional ride. I did of course, add a big seat, entertainment, and GPS.

Do you ride during the winter? I ride all year, even if I need gloves and a ski mask. I will even ride in snow, but not on ice. Fortunately here in coastal Virginia, snow/ice is maybe a 4 day per year event.

joshuatrio says

Fenders: while functional, they make any bike look old-man(ish).

How about white walls?

I cruise at 12-15 mph on that heavy black bike and even at that slow speed any spray grit from the front wheel that hits the legs stings then itches later - thus the fender. It was a challenge to get those fenders to fit, since I put 40 PSI tires on in place of the original 65 PSI tires.

How fast do you fellows cruise?

HeadSet says

Do you ride during the winter? I ride all year, even if I need gloves and a ski mask. I will even ride in snow, but not on ice. Fortunately here in coastal Virginia, snow/ice is maybe a 4 day per year event.

I ride all year. But in Central CA it's pretty much 65 every day. Low 30's in the morning, and 60's by the afternoon. It can be a little bitter in the AM, but the ride home is usually very comfortable.

My clothing for the morning consists of padded shorts, tshirt, long sleeve tshirt, sweatshirt and thin beanie cap under the helmet - two pairs of gloves. The trip home is usually a tshirt and shorts.

HeadSet says

How about white walls?

Depends on the bike. I do like your black bike (Mongoose?) though. It's clean. Would definitely ride that.

HeadSet says

I put 40 PSI tires on in place of the original 65 PSI tires....

Seems low - mine are running 120-125 psi currently.

HeadSet says

How fast do you fellows cruise?

Not sure. Don't have a computer on this bike yet. However, from timing myself, with stop lights for 8.5 miles, I was at about 17mph. If there were no stop lights and stop signs, it would have been higher. On the average day, when I'm not in a rush, it's probably around 15mph. The thinner tires roll nicely.

On the old mountain bike, the average speed was around 10-12. But that thing was a tank.

Headset, how often do you ride that nice mountain bike? Do you do a lot of trails?

HeadSet says

How fast do you fellows cruise?

Not something I usually pay attention to, I don't think of myself as a fast biker. But since you asked, today I ran MotionX GPS on my phone on the commute to work.

Avg speed 12.1 mph
Max speed 21.7 mph

I'm curious what the weights are on y'alls bikes and if you think that's a big speed factor for you? Both of mine are heavy steel bikes been wondering if going lighter would help a lot or not.

HeadSet says

How about white walls?

Me likey! Anything to break up the boredom that is the typical rack bike.

What is that first bike anyhow? All I see as identifying marks is UKAI on the rim.

Like the accessory electronics rack how's that put together?

Vicente says

What is that first bike anyhow? All I see as identifying marks is UKAI on the rim

joshuatrio says

I do like your black bike (Mongoose?)

I got that bike when I was in the Azores (islands 900 miles west or Portugal). It was built by an enthusiast who needed to sell. The frame is fully chromed and made in England. The fenders are English "Blue Mountain", brakes are English Sturmey Archer.

The chain ring is mildly ovoid instead or round, which is like being in a slightly higher gear during the pedal downstrokes. That black triangle at the apex of the top tube and seat tube is not just storage, it is a shoulder rest for carrying the bike. This bike was designed to go over unimproved roads in any weather, even places where you may have to carry the bike a bit,

Very nice bike!

Curious though, that derailluer seems to be rather far forward, even alowing for the chain being on the largest chainring and largest rear cog. In the technology I am familiar with, that chain appears to be a couple of links too short. Is this some new fast shift device?

joshuatrio says

Seems low - mine are running 120-125 psi currently

You Sir, are a die-hard road cyclist!

Generally, the lower the PSI the bigger the tire. Big fat "Cruiser" tires are typically 40 PSI, almost as big "Comfort" tires are 40-65 PSI. Tubeless Trail Bike tires like on my Rize One are 35-55 PSI.

I have another ride, a Cannondale road bike, that has a 20 cm gum wall tire on front. That rubber band takes 110 PSI. I never knew anyone ran 125 PSI. Your bike must really do well at translating pedal stroke to speed. But with that non-curved fork and rock hard PSI, you must feel every grain of sand you run over. Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

HeadSet says

Very nice bike!

Curious though, that derailluer seems to be rather far forward, even alowing for the chain being on the largest chainring and largest rear cog. In the technology I am familiar with, that chain appears to be a couple of links too short. Is this some new fast shift device?

Thanks ! The rear derailleur goes that far forward when the chain is on the largest chain ring. When on the smallest one, it's reversed the other way at the same angle.

Factory chain. But yeah, it shifts lighting fast. Way different than the old mountain bike. The angle of the pic may not be helping. In fact I'm looking at the bike right now and it doesn't look like that.. Weird.

HeadSet says

I have another ride, a Cannondale road bike, that has a 20 cm gum wall tire on front. That rubber band takes 110 PSI. I never knew anyone ran 125 PSI. Your bike must really do well at translating pedal stroke to speed. But with that non-curved fork and rock hard PSI, you must feel every grain of sand you run over. Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

WE NEED PICS OF THE ROAD BIKE : ) !!!!

It's a pretty bumpy ride, but the carbon fork helps absorb some of the road. I can deal with it - my guess is that some of the hills around here I'm pushing over 40+mph on the downhill !! Especially if the old hardtail clocked in at 32.5 !!

HeadSet says

Or is there some design in a Specialized frame that absorbs shock?

The fork looks to be carbon, which helps a good deal. I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike....the difference in ride quality compared to the previous steel frame was surprising. I resisted getting carbon because many people talked about how plush steel is, and how harsh carbon is...my experience has been 180 degrees opposite of that.

joshuatrio says

WE NEED PICS OF THE ROAD BIKE : ) !!!!

May not be what you are expecting. This is a vintage late 80's Cannondale racer, back when Cannondale was pioneering aluminum frames. Not as advanced as your late model Specialized. Notice where the shift levers are.

Hows this for a thin tire?

Vicente says

Like the accessory electronics rack how's that put together?

Not as skilled and professional as your Atwood mod. My mod is more Hardware Store than Bike Shop.

I used luan plywood, 1/2 plywood, rubber lined clamps, and #10 bolts.

I was not able to find a commercial mount that would hold the GPS and "Entertainment" securely and with some cushion, as well as fit on a handlebar crowded with three headlights, shifters, and a bike computer.

Very nice ! I love the classic road bikes. One of my father in law's Cannondales has the shifters like that.

Something about the classic ones that look so much cleaner than the newer ones out on the road that are all decal'd out with stickers/logo's everywhere. That looks like a nice ride.

Vicente says

I'm curious what the weights are on y'alls bikes and if you think that's a big speed factor for you? Both of mine are heavy steel bikes been wondering if going lighter would help a lot or not.

If that 21.7 mph was on flat land on a steel bike, you are a pretty good pedaler (especially if you were pulling two kids in that cart). Bike weight and stiffness do make a difference in speed. With my bikes, using a a comfortable cruise cadence, flat land, little wind, I do:

Heavy steel loaded frame Black Bike: 15 mph
Rize One Carbon: 18 mph
Cannodale Aluminum racer: 22 mph

I would say that if you rode an aluminum or carbon bike you would see a noticeable speed increase.

joshuatrio says

Headset, how often do you ride that nice mountain bike? Do you do a lot of trails?

What I like to do with that bike is to take it out to a scenic areas like a coastal town, then ride around for a few hours enjoying the view. I took it to Smith Mountaim Lake last summer, which had the steep trails that kind of bike was designed for. I can go up the steep trails fast, but coming back down quick without going over the handlebars is tricky for me. Lots of rocks and roots to flip over. I have some much tamer wooded trails near where I live, but I mostly ride roads. Chesapeake Ave in Hampton is servral miles of scenic waterfront, as is Riverside Drive in Newport News. We also have Capital Landing Trail, which is an off-road bike path from the colonial capital Williamsburg to today's capital Richmond (about 60 miles). I want to check out the Tobacco Trail bike path in central VA, which was built along an old railway. Nearer to me, Colonial Parkway runs from Yorktown through Williamsburg to Jamestown. Colonial Parkway has no intersectons, lots of waterfront on the York River, and historical sights.

swebb says

I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike..

Pics?

HeadSet says

swebb says

I ride (among other things) a full carbon road bike..

Pics?

I second !

joshuatrio says

I'm pushing over 40+mph on the downhill

Better get those brakes fixed!

Seriously, that is really cool. How fast can you go back up that same hill?

HeadSet says

Seriously, that is really cool. How fast can you go back up that same hill?

Heh - like 5-10mph... and my legs are burning !

My contributions :)

My bike was a garage sale find and cost $20 but Its the best bike I've owned. Its from some brand I am not familiar with. A mid-80's Nishiki 10 speed men's bike with curved handlebars. I reckon this would be a prime candidate for making a hipster bike but I left it original. Only thing I did was the handlebars had nasty crumbly foam on them so I removed that and now just have plain aluminum handles. The frame is very well-made and solid. It rides really well and even though its pretty heavy by today's standards it feels light to ride.

edvard2 says

Its from some brand I am not familiar with. A mid-80's Nishiki 10 speed men's bike

Nishiki is the company that also made the Schwinn bikes at that time, built in Japan. I had A Nishiki myself, bought at the Atwater Bike Shop (CA). Had it until it was stolen.

edvard2 says

Only thing I did was the handlebars had nasty crumbly foam on them so I removed that and now just have plain aluminum handles.

Why not wrap with tape? Better grip than aluminum, less scorching on the hands when bike gets left in direct sun on a hot day.

I'll have to get some pics of it. But this one is some sort of edition and is signed by the builder. It literally says: " Built by:" followed by the name I can't recall. It also has some sort of cursive writing that says " Made in Japan", which I thought was sort of odd.

Vicente says

Why not wrap with tape? Better grip than aluminum, less scorching on the hands when bike gets left in direct sun on a hot day.

Its not that bad. The handlebars have a mirror finish and that pretty much reflects the heat. When its cold I wear box handler's gloves. I sort of like the look too, plus I hate it when tape gets all nasty from use.

Ok. I just looked it up. I believe mine is a "Nishiki Kokusai"

Gentle Readers,
I go into the local bike shop to get a new 700 tire, tube, and wheel rim liner. The sales guy shows me Botranger tires tightly folded into a carton. He says they are "color coordinated" for the bargain price of $60. Ok, I'm open to suggestions. (Why my wife likes to keep me around, anyway.) These wonderful $60 tires have the clincher beads busted on them from being folded. I gently replaced this revolutionary design in bicycle tires back on the rack. I wouldn't want to damage such a wonderful product.

I looked at the tires in the racks below and found the Botrangers I wanted. Kelvar puncture resistant and everything. Not folded. $40 which is still a little much, but I really needed them.

My lesson from this encounter at the counter: I try not to look like an idiot, but for the most part, I fear I'm failing at it.

Dammit.

Regards,
Roidy
P.S. Geithner says we are making money from the TARP. I wonder if he needs bicycle tires?
P.P.S. I will post pix of my bike when I get the back tire fixed up. 1980 Peugeot.

Roidy says

These wonderful $60 tires have the clincher beads busted on them from being folded.

I looked at the tires in the racks below and found the Botrangers I wanted.

You should have walked out and found another shop.

Vicente says

You should have walked out and found another shop.

Dear Vincent,
Yes, I should have. One problem though, I live in a one horse town in N. Louisiana. One bike shop unless I want to wait on an on-line delivery of a bike tire.
Dammit.
Regards, Roidy

My lesson from this encounter at the counter: I try not to look like an idiot, but for the most part, I fear I'm failing at it.
Roidy nice post. I feel your pain. Last time I visited the shop I walked out with teflon coated brake cable (did I really need that)? And buying a rear wheel. Uhhh, no... that would cost more than the value of my bike. The guys in the repair area took pity on me and mounted the cassette for me after I got the house brand wheel (versus we'll build you one for an arm and a leg). They do end up being helpful, but you have to ask. Bought some new pedals and they let me borrow the tool to unscrew the old ones and put on the new ones(no thank you, I'll take the cheapest plastic ones). About the only accessory I've got (besides gear for hauling the kids) is Specialized Nimbus tires. Almost no flats, although I lost a chunk of tread from one of them, but I convinced the bike shop to replace it.
Headset, you definitely win the 'pimp my ride' award.

Bike parts are for some reason ridiculously overpriced. But it could be due to a lot of people being "into it", as in they're the same type of people who probably buy $6 loaves of gourmet bread and drive $60,000 cars.

I needed a new set of tires a few years back for mine. Seeing as how I seemed to always get punctures in the old ones I decided to go with some Kevlar tires. Anyway, there were a zillion different kinds. I wound up buying some generic n-name brand for $20 each. Some of these tires were as much as a car tire or more. Ridiculous. 3-4 years later the tires I bought are just fine.

edvard2 says

Bike parts are for some reason ridiculously overpriced. But it could be due to a lot of people being "into it", as in they're the same type of people who probably buy $6 loaves of gourmet bread and drive $60,000 cars.

I needed a new set of tires a few years back for mine. Seeing as how I seemed to always get punctures in the old ones I decided to go with some Kevlar tires. Anyway, there were a zillion different kinds. I wound up buying some generic n-name brand for $20 each. Some of these tires were as much as a car tire or more. Ridiculous. 3-4 years later the tires I bought are just fine.

Yeah - I may need to replace my crankset - fortunately it's only $27 on amazon.

My boss rides a $5k + Bianchi and is telling me I need a $500 crank..

Some people are just infatuated with having the latest and greatest super carbon titanium crap - that really doesn't make a difference.

Bike parts can go from cheap to super expensive. Don't "love" bikes... Love riding.