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I Want To Ride My Bicycle [Bike Thread]
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los gatos/saratoga is generally a bike friendly town. (the bike lanes on hwy 9 are ginormous). Los Gatos Creek trail is always a good choice though cause going all the way to Lexington resevoir is pretty cool. Whats your bikeshop of choice? I like the Off Ramp in Santa Clara on El Camino
japan, the grinding noise from your rear hub is likely shitty bearings. You can get the hub rebuilt and it will go away. Mavic mtb wheels are awesome, I love me the Crossmax. Don't know about the lower end ones, though.
As for the impotence thing being a myth... Andy Pruitt would like a word. It's not entirely factual, but it's not entirely a myth, either. Saddles can press against your arteries and reduce bloodfloow to your junk, which can lead to decreased function over time. This is why you only ever want your sitbones to touch your saddle.
I was told that you wanna have a U-lock and a cable lock if your bike's gonna be out of your sight for more than an hour or two. If you have quick-release wheels, take the front wheel off and sit it next to your back wheel. Use the U-Lock around the front and back wheels, and make sure that it goes through the center part of the frame. Then thread the cable lock through the entire thing (wheel then frame) and through the bike rack.
At least that's how I remember it being told to me. Anybody?
Yes. This is the best way to lock your bike up, period. If you have a long shackle U-lock, you don't need a cable lock. If you have locking QR skewers, which I highly recommend to ANYONE, you don't need to take your front wheel off and you should just lock your bike up through your rear WHEEL (not frame) and whatever you're locking it too.
I went to Wheel Away on Hamilton in Campbell. They seemed pretty knowledgeable, and dude steered me towards my current bike, which I'm digging.
I'm like a block and a half away from the Los Gatos trail, and I'm trying to figure out if there's a way that I can take back roads and trails to get to work, or if I'll have to brave surface streets.
They've been rebuilt already. They're cup and cone, so that just means new ball bearings, new grease, and adjustment. I think the crap they've been ridden through has finally done for the actual bearing surfaces. The fact they're slightly out of radial true may have exacerbated this.
This time around I'm going to get something with cartridge bearings, that are less of a pain to rebuild. It's basically down to either the Crossrides or Mavic 717 or DT Swiss rims on a hub that is still to be determined. Probably Halo Spin Doctors, I don't think I can stretch to Hope Pros.
The bearing surfaces, the races, can also be replaced if the hub allows for it. But I agree, get something with cartridge bearings if your hubs have already needed to be rebuilt and it hasn't held. DT Swiss/Halo Spins would be a good combination. What's your price range for wheels like?
An old Cannondale CAAD-5 frame
Campy components
Bianchi Levitation wheels/hubs
Bianchi carbon stem/bars/fork
Other random stuff.
My cross bike is a Voodoo Wazoo, and I love it so much. I use a single primary and 7 on the back. I shift with an oldschool toptube lever, which gets a lot of weird looks but it works for me.
A kid I work with just built up a Surly Karate Monkey with a 1x9 gearing... I don't get it, myself. If I'm going geared, I'm going all out or I'm sticking to ss.
For a while I meant to upgrade the components to something more proper, but I never got around to it. Now I like it just the way that it is.
The races aren't replaceable. To their credit, I suppose these have held up pretty well, given that they're the OEM rims that came with the bike. They have proven to be really vulnerable to crap, though (which is why I'd rather avoid cup and cone bearings)
Budget is variable, but I'd like to keep it under £200 if possible. The problem I'm finding is that there are only a couple of options for cartridge bearing hubs below that (Halo Spin Doctors, and to a lesser extent DT 240s). The Crossrides come in a bit cheaper and lighter than a Spin Doctor build, as well as the fact that I wouldn't be running disc hubs on a V-brake equipped bike.
Disc hubs will travel with you if you ever decide to migrate over to disc brakes, though, which is something to consider. That sucks about not having replaceable races on your hubs, I fucking hate rebuilding hubs and generally just sell my wheels instead of doing it.
Those DT hubs aren't bad, too.
I guess I meant a properly adjusted saddle. I just hear the "bicycle saddles cause impotence" myth thing all the time.
Another thing that's related to sitbones is to stay away from overly soft saddles. They may seem comfortable when you first sit on them, but because they form to your ass they put pressure where there shouldn't be any and quickly become uncomfortable.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
The same thing applies to gel pads. God I hate it when people ask me for those. Yes, I will sell you one, and yes, you will use it. No, it will not make your saddle any more comfortable. Shape > padding when it comes to saddles.
As long as they don't have too much padding. The best part about padded shorts or short liners or whatever is that the padding keeps your boys out of the way a little better.
Basically you want a saddle with some give to it, but not enough that you sink into it. Brooks saddles are ideal for this, but they require some break-in, so they aren't for everyone.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Los Gatos and Saratoga are okay to bike in, and really I never had too many close calls in Campbell / San Jose. The thing is -- I stayed off the road as much as possible (nobody walks in that area, either, so you pretty much get free rein).
If you can take Los Gatos trail for any portion of it, I recommend taking it as much as possible. Much better at nights, much quicker than navigating lights / traffic, and you might see my moms and you can say what's up for me.
Honestly, disengaging both wheels anytime you park your bike sounds a bit excessive, but then again this summer I'm working on an Air Force base so I guess I'm not exactly in a high-theft area. Also, my bike is an ancient piece of shit, although it's got sentimental value and hey, it gets me around.
I just figure running a chain through both wheels, the frame, and the bike rack is sufficient.
You're not disengaging the rear wheel when you do this. You're just putting the front next to it.
THIS is a bike (after some saddle adjustment, though I might just toss it for a Brooks)
at $80 it's a steal. Frame is made from STEEL! Not carbon, not titanium, not that god awful aluminum, but good o' comfortable steel that'll last FOREVER and will not make your kidneys bleed! The only thing I need to change is the handle bars and the front derailer shifter. Getting a taller stem and some trekking bars, and a friction shifter cause index shifters sucks for the FD.
After that it's going to remain ugly untill I find another bike worthy of my attention. Once I find another bicycle, I"ll acid dip and powder coat the frame and turn it into a xtracycle
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Maybe I should buy one, and rent it out once people cant afford gas anymore...
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Eh...not really. If it's any taller then the top tube will, one day, give me a very bad day. Guess I'm one of those weird guys that have to make compromises here and there, but in the end the bicycle is comfortable and it'll be even more comfortable with some cockpit adjustments. I'm not planning to win any races, and I dont plan to do 8 hours touring on this bike, so it is what it is and one day I'll find that flea market beauty.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Most annoying.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Ah, well I'm going for a more upright style ride. Thinking about getting some north ride handle bars and an adjustable stem.
What I find annoying is that there is no 'middle ground' between the bad quality of Wal-Mart product, and the million dollar super pumps of the LBS. That goes for bikes in general. I mean how in the world can a LBS try to sell me a $15.00 tube, with a straight face, is beyond me.
I'd recommend one of these, an awesome riding position and very fast. Carries 25kg on the rack.
Get a used Silca pista/superpista pump. Everything on them is replaceable and they work great.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
I moved to Austin from south texas, so getting used to the hills has been a bit challenging. I could ride 15 miles in S TX and have an elevation change of about 10 ft. It's been an eye opener here, but at least I've grown accustomed to it.
Been using it to bike to work 3-4 days a week (17-18mi round trip). It's sad that Austin is supposed to be a bike friendly city, but I think it's terrible here.
I got 5 bike for the moment, but the only one I use for now are these one.
Stumpjumper FSR expert
Nothing to say beside awesome fun
Really nervous and amazing bike all around.
Globe centrum sport
single speed and great urban bike for the really small price (599$can)
Right as we talk im building my own trail with bridge, river crossing, burns, drop off and more all that in my backyard, im really lucky to have all this space. I will try to upload some picture tomorrow.
chains are cheap though, $20-40.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer