Baby's first city biking impressions:
Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
I found a place nearby today that sells secondhand bikes. They had a Klein Attitude with what I think were Pace RC36 forks for a suspiciously small amount of money.
Back in aus, was riding my ancient hybrid that my parents had neglected for three years, but now my sister has loaned me her mostly-carbon road bike since she can't use it at the moment.
I found a place nearby today that sells secondhand bikes. They had a Klein Attitude with what I think were Pace RC36 forks for a suspiciously small amount of money.
Sorely tempted.
...to tip off the police that the store may be selling stolen merchandise?
0
Options
UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
Baby's first city biking impressions:
Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
As someone in a similar place but a few weeks ahead I have some suggestions for the last one. I get on/off my bike from the left side, so when I'm pulling up to a stop I'll put my left leg down by both leaning the bike slightly in that direction and standing on my toes. to help balance this way and make starting back out easier, I'll also make sure my right pedal is towards the top/front of the arc, rotating the pedals backwards if necessary to do so. This both gives me something good to push on to start moving as I shift my weight back towards that side, and somewhere to rest my right foot while stopped.
I found a place nearby today that sells secondhand bikes. They had a Klein Attitude with what I think were Pace RC36 forks for a suspiciously small amount of money.
Sorely tempted.
...to tip off the police that the store may be selling stolen merchandise?
I don't know.
It's one of those things where it's probably worth a fair bit to the right buyer, but at the same time it's got to be at least fifteen years old. There were a couple of similar hardtails from less exalted brands for slightly more. If you just wanted a decent mountain bike it probably wouldn't be your first choice.
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Baby's first city biking impressions:
Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
As someone in a similar place but a few weeks ahead I have some suggestions for the last one. I get on/off my bike from the left side, so when I'm pulling up to a stop I'll put my left leg down by both leaning the bike slightly in that direction and standing on my toes. to help balance this way and make starting back out easier, I'll also make sure my right pedal is towards the top/front of the arc, rotating the pedals backwards if necessary to do so. This both gives me something good to push on to start moving as I shift my weight back towards that side, and somewhere to rest my right foot while stopped.
Bah, that's far too sensible. Just wobble around like a dingus doing trackstands when you have to stop. It really impresses everyone around you! Especially when you fuck up and fall off, and scratch and dent the nearest car, then get up and ride off as fast as possible in the opposite direction so the car driver can't get your details for their insurance claim...
+2
Options
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
Baby's first city biking impressions: Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
When you were a kid and rode around all day no issue your ass was made of rubber as were your bones. I'm afraid biking as an adult is much less forgiving to the tuchas. If you are serious about bike commuting you should consider investing in some proper apparel. For long rides padded shorts are a godsend and if you're looking something that looks more like street clothes Levi's has a "commuter" line of clothing that I don't think is padded but the seams and stitching are oriented in a way that's more bike friendly. You'd be surprised how much that helps.
Baby's first city biking impressions: Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
When you were a kid and rode around all day no issue your ass was made of rubber as were your bones. I'm afraid biking as an adult is much less forgiving to the tuchas. If you are serious about bike commuting you should consider investing in some proper apparel. For long rides padded shorts are a godsend and if you're looking something that looks more like street clothes Levi's has a "commuter" line of clothing that I don't think is padded but the seams and stitching are oriented in a way that's more bike friendly. You'd be surprised how much that helps.
You need to kind of break your ass in to cycling - it's a bit like getting used to a new pair of shoes. If you're new to riding you will get a bit of discomfort, but it shouldn't be outright painful.
That said the saddle also needs to fit you, it's possible to get one that is a shape that doesn't work for you and will be uncomfortable no matter what. The thing to check is whether your weight is resting on your sit bones or if it's all resting on the squishy bit in between. The latter is not good and will lead to great pain and numbness. Excessive padding can actually be a problem with this as well - if you're sinking into the saddle then it'll put pressure on that area no matter what.
+3
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Yep, your saddle needs to fit your pelvis so that your sit bones are taking the weight. Otherwise you can cause permanent soft-tissue damage to your nether regions (you can actually literally fuck up your dick or clit).
Saddle should start off pretty much perfectly horizontal, and go from there; like everyone else said, you should be sitting on your sit bones, not any other other squishier bits. I'd recommend against the big squishy foam/gel-y ones, you end up with too much of yourself sinking into it so the load goes on places it shouldn't.
One thing that fixed-gear bikes are good for is learning trackstands, because they're much easier when you can roll back to order -- and once I'd got the positioning with that, I could transfer that to freewheel bikes with a little bit of an upslope to get the rollback, and then onto less and less until I had it. For a while I'd do trackstands at the lights all the time to get practise in, but now I know how I don't bother any more, because it tends to confuse cars who don't know what I'm going to do -- but putting a foot down makes it clear that "yes, I am waiting here for the lights / my turn at the intersection / etc".
Hey, bike thread!
I started working at a large retailer a few years back, which I will only refer to as the Spot, and ended up taking over what passes for our bike department. After a few years of youtube-assisted self learning, I feel I've become a decent, if rather basic, bike mechanic, and having purchased myself a discounted return Schwinn road bike, I've really tried to get into riding more this summer, in part due to the encouragement and shared expertise of a much more experienced young woman I've made the acquaintance of.
Really looking forward to shopping for a proper ride next spring(which I've promised myself I'd do if I can keep up the riding through the fall).
Any of the Twin Cities riders here have a shop in particular they would recommend, the cities are lousy with them and a recommendation or two would be helpful.
+1
Options
Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Hey, bike thread!
I started working at a large retailer a few years back, which I will only refer to as the Spot, and ended up taking over what passes for our bike department. After a few years of youtube-assisted self learning, I feel I've become a decent, if rather basic, bike mechanic, and having purchased myself a discounted return Schwinn road bike, I've really tried to get into riding more this summer, in part due to the encouragement and shared expertise of a much more experienced young woman I've made the acquaintance of.
Really looking forward to shopping for a proper ride next spring(which I've promised myself I'd do if I can keep up the riding through the fall).
Any of the Twin Cities riders here have a shop in particular they would recommend, the cities are lousy with them and a recommendation or two would be helpful.
I got my bike from the Erik's in Dinkytown and they treated me very well. A good friend of mine was also well treated by Flanders in uptown. It sort of depends on your budget - what are you looking for?
0
Options
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
It is the end of season so depending on how much you're willing to spend you can save a ton on a proper ride. I was at a shop near the state park I rode at Labor Day weekend and the $1400 Felt on sale for $950 kind of made me wish I waited for the end of season. But then again that's significant jump from what I did pay and being a medium sized guy I probably would have struggled to get the right fit.
Hey, bike thread!
I started working at a large retailer a few years back, which I will only refer to as the Spot, and ended up taking over what passes for our bike department. After a few years of youtube-assisted self learning, I feel I've become a decent, if rather basic, bike mechanic, and having purchased myself a discounted return Schwinn road bike, I've really tried to get into riding more this summer, in part due to the encouragement and shared expertise of a much more experienced young woman I've made the acquaintance of.
Really looking forward to shopping for a proper ride next spring(which I've promised myself I'd do if I can keep up the riding through the fall).
Any of the Twin Cities riders here have a shop in particular they would recommend, the cities are lousy with them and a recommendation or two would be helpful.
Ask around and visit them, then ask questions of the staff. You'll either get a good feeling or a bad one. You're also going to end up partially choosing by product line as certain brands will fit and others will not.
0
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
It is the end of season so depending on how much you're willing to spend you can save a ton on a proper ride. I was at a shop near the state park I rode at Labor Day weekend and the $1400 Felt on sale for $950 kind of made me wish I waited for the end of season. But then again that's significant jump from what I did pay and being a medium sized guy I probably would have struggled to get the right fit.
Oof, I feel like it's the beginning of the season here. I've been getting excited that it's 75 in the mornings, but it's been like 90% humidity, so I still get to work sweaty as balls...
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
And, to be fair, he also a lot of pretty solid advice about bikes in general once you get to the main part of the site. For instance, http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html, where you can confirm that, yes, 27" road bikes _do_ have larger wheels than "27.5 inch" or "29 inch" mountain bikes, for historical reasons.
+2
Options
ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
It is the end of season so depending on how much you're willing to spend you can save a ton on a proper ride. I was at a shop near the state park I rode at Labor Day weekend and the $1400 Felt on sale for $950 kind of made me wish I waited for the end of season. But then again that's significant jump from what I did pay and being a medium sized guy I probably would have struggled to get the right fit.
Oof, I feel like it's the beginning of the season here. I've been getting excited that it's 75 in the mornings, but it's been like 90% humidity, so I still get to work sweaty as balls...
Sales season I mean not bike season. Not sure where you are but it's end of the fiscal year Oct. 1st and most of the US bike manufacturers rolled in their new models within the last month or so. Next year's version of the bike I bought in May went up almost $200.
That looks heavenly. I want to ride my bike in greenery, but greenery that is not a rough trail.
Also, I did some more riding, and I think the bike seat may not be awful. I think my bones are sitting on the wide part of the seat, but I sometimes shift myself forward when I ride and that puts more pressure on the crotch.
And as for trackstands, if they mean no movement while balancing or very minor movement, seem dang hard and will take me quite a while. Luckily I got some practice putting my full weight on the raised pedal without putting my butt on the seat when starting, and I was able to get decent momentum without wobbling too much. Now I have to learn proper etiquette. I was going to wait my turn in place behind cars at a stoplight, but I think it was going to end up slowing down traffic overall so I would just pull up and stop all the way at the front traffic line at the stoplight.
Southwestern Virginia, about 15 miles outside Blacksburg. The first picture is on the way to Kentland Farm (a research farm operated by the local university) and the last is the New River at Big Falls / McCoy Falls. (There are more scenic spots on the river, but none with more college kids, climbers (there are some cliffs above the railroad tracks just behind the camera), and kayakers.
(One of my favorite summer rides is to bomb down to the river, swim for a bit, lunch and laze around on the rocks in the sun, and climb back up into town. Backroads 95% of the way.)
I'm leaving the country tomorrow and will have to say goodbye to my sister's carbon fork road bike. And my own is living in a storage unit for who knows how long. I am bike sad.
My bike was in a storage unit from late June up until this weekend. It's still hanging out in my trunk because I have not unpacked my apartment enough to find a space for it. Once I do get it out (and pump up the extremely flat tires), I plan to take full advantage of living in a real city that is bike friendly in more than name alone, although I do live in the hilliest possible section of my city.
So I have had a couple of bikes pass thru lately. Trek 7.3FX, Trek Marlin 5, and now a Schwinn Swindler from good ole wally world.
I sold the 7.3FX awhile ago but I still have the Marlin for off road work and the Schwinn for just riding the bike paths. The Schwinn is actually my favorite lol.
So we get stiff once in a while. So we have a little fun. What’s wrong with that? This is a free country, isn’t it? I can take my panda any place I want to. And if I wanna buy it a drink, that’s my business.
It got cold around here (but not quite cold _enough_) and I hadn't put the studded tires on yet; went out to ride to work, saw the road looked like this, and caught the bus instead..
Once it stays cold enough that new snow doesn't melt and refreeze into ice, things will be much more manageable -- but studded tires are always the most knuckle-busting ones to mount and unmount, and in the cold that is doubly no fun. (that said, one of the most fun things I've done was riding a fixed-gear with studded tires on a frozen lake -- enough grip to make it rideable, but enough control to get some really really long skids as well. The pressure ridges were a bit offputting, mind you)
I had 100m of elevation gain over a kilometre at my last job so this one is looking p damn sweet I tell you what
ALSO I found out there's a bike shop/repair place right outside my soon-to-be apartment, and it looks pretty good on casual inspection!? I'm way too excited about this.
I'm not sure how to get google maps to give me this at a decent size, but the basic idea should come across. (yes, I cycle to work uphill both ways, but also downhill both ways so it sort of comes out even).
Posts
Ow, my butt. I find a lot of my weight sitting on the cock part of the cock and ball shaped bike seat, not sure if that's correct.
Ow, my neck/hands. I'm going to have to get into bike-shape.
I really need to get better at reducing weaving because I'm terrified of straying outside of bike lanes. Maybe that control will also help me to avoid these terrifying 6 inch wide utility holes I keep seeing at the edge of our streets.
I'm regally going to have to get smoother about starting from a stop for when I start commuting. I never had my bike seat adjusted before where I can't stand with my butt on it, and I made a fool of myself at a stop sign this morning.
I found a place nearby today that sells secondhand bikes. They had a Klein Attitude with what I think were Pace RC36 forks for a suspiciously small amount of money.
Sorely tempted.
It's dreamy!!
...to tip off the police that the store may be selling stolen merchandise?
As someone in a similar place but a few weeks ahead I have some suggestions for the last one. I get on/off my bike from the left side, so when I'm pulling up to a stop I'll put my left leg down by both leaning the bike slightly in that direction and standing on my toes. to help balance this way and make starting back out easier, I'll also make sure my right pedal is towards the top/front of the arc, rotating the pedals backwards if necessary to do so. This both gives me something good to push on to start moving as I shift my weight back towards that side, and somewhere to rest my right foot while stopped.
I don't know.
It's one of those things where it's probably worth a fair bit to the right buyer, but at the same time it's got to be at least fifteen years old. There were a couple of similar hardtails from less exalted brands for slightly more. If you just wanted a decent mountain bike it probably wouldn't be your first choice.
Bah, that's far too sensible. Just wobble around like a dingus doing trackstands when you have to stop. It really impresses everyone around you! Especially when you fuck up and fall off, and scratch and dent the nearest car, then get up and ride off as fast as possible in the opposite direction so the car driver can't get your details for their insurance claim...
When you were a kid and rode around all day no issue your ass was made of rubber as were your bones. I'm afraid biking as an adult is much less forgiving to the tuchas. If you are serious about bike commuting you should consider investing in some proper apparel. For long rides padded shorts are a godsend and if you're looking something that looks more like street clothes Levi's has a "commuter" line of clothing that I don't think is padded but the seams and stitching are oriented in a way that's more bike friendly. You'd be surprised how much that helps.
Also a nicely padded seat.
That said the saddle also needs to fit you, it's possible to get one that is a shape that doesn't work for you and will be uncomfortable no matter what. The thing to check is whether your weight is resting on your sit bones or if it's all resting on the squishy bit in between. The latter is not good and will lead to great pain and numbness. Excessive padding can actually be a problem with this as well - if you're sinking into the saddle then it'll put pressure on that area no matter what.
Also, watch this:
Buuut yeah I never do them street-riding, I can just imagine myself weeble wobbling onto a Lexus or something.
Especially given how often people creep up next to me even when they shouldn't be because there's no bike lane.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Also mtb 4 life
One thing that fixed-gear bikes are good for is learning trackstands, because they're much easier when you can roll back to order -- and once I'd got the positioning with that, I could transfer that to freewheel bikes with a little bit of an upslope to get the rollback, and then onto less and less until I had it. For a while I'd do trackstands at the lights all the time to get practise in, but now I know how I don't bother any more, because it tends to confuse cars who don't know what I'm going to do -- but putting a foot down makes it clear that "yes, I am waiting here for the lights / my turn at the intersection / etc".
I started working at a large retailer a few years back, which I will only refer to as the Spot, and ended up taking over what passes for our bike department. After a few years of youtube-assisted self learning, I feel I've become a decent, if rather basic, bike mechanic, and having purchased myself a discounted return Schwinn road bike, I've really tried to get into riding more this summer, in part due to the encouragement and shared expertise of a much more experienced young woman I've made the acquaintance of.
Really looking forward to shopping for a proper ride next spring(which I've promised myself I'd do if I can keep up the riding through the fall).
Any of the Twin Cities riders here have a shop in particular they would recommend, the cities are lousy with them and a recommendation or two would be helpful.
I got my bike from the Erik's in Dinkytown and they treated me very well. A good friend of mine was also well treated by Flanders in uptown. It sort of depends on your budget - what are you looking for?
Ask around and visit them, then ask questions of the staff. You'll either get a good feeling or a bad one. You're also going to end up partially choosing by product line as certain brands will fit and others will not.
Oof, I feel like it's the beginning of the season here. I've been getting excited that it's 75 in the mornings, but it's been like 90% humidity, so I still get to work sweaty as balls...
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
(from Sheldon Brown's site, which also has the definitive guide to chain cleaning.
And, to be fair, he also a lot of pretty solid advice about bikes in general once you get to the main part of the site. For instance, http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html, where you can confirm that, yes, 27" road bikes _do_ have larger wheels than "27.5 inch" or "29 inch" mountain bikes, for historical reasons.
Sales season I mean not bike season. Not sure where you are but it's end of the fiscal year Oct. 1st and most of the US bike manufacturers rolled in their new models within the last month or so. Next year's version of the bike I bought in May went up almost $200.
There are worse places to end up, even if it means climbing back out of the valley to get home.
Edit: that top image ended up mclargehuge for some reason. Fix'd.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Also, I did some more riding, and I think the bike seat may not be awful. I think my bones are sitting on the wide part of the seat, but I sometimes shift myself forward when I ride and that puts more pressure on the crotch.
And as for trackstands, if they mean no movement while balancing or very minor movement, seem dang hard and will take me quite a while. Luckily I got some practice putting my full weight on the raised pedal without putting my butt on the seat when starting, and I was able to get decent momentum without wobbling too much. Now I have to learn proper etiquette. I was going to wait my turn in place behind cars at a stoplight, but I think it was going to end up slowing down traffic overall so I would just pull up and stop all the way at the front traffic line at the stoplight.
(One of my favorite summer rides is to bomb down to the river, swim for a bit, lunch and laze around on the rocks in the sun, and climb back up into town. Backroads 95% of the way.)
So I have had a couple of bikes pass thru lately. Trek 7.3FX, Trek Marlin 5, and now a Schwinn Swindler from good ole wally world.
I sold the 7.3FX awhile ago but I still have the Marlin for off road work and the Schwinn for just riding the bike paths. The Schwinn is actually my favorite lol.
Once it stays cold enough that new snow doesn't melt and refreeze into ice, things will be much more manageable -- but studded tires are always the most knuckle-busting ones to mount and unmount, and in the cold that is doubly no fun. (that said, one of the most fun things I've done was riding a fixed-gear with studded tires on a frozen lake -- enough grip to make it rideable, but enough control to get some really really long skids as well. The pressure ridges were a bit offputting, mind you)
its a joy to ride
man i dunno if this is just my florida living talking but compared to the roads around here thats nuts
Yes that is 25m of elevation gain in half a kilometre straight outside my front door.
ALSO I found out there's a bike shop/repair place right outside my soon-to-be apartment, and it looks pretty good on casual inspection!? I'm way too excited about this.