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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Bicycle Thread

I've always thought it would be cool to take 2 bike frames, a little all. welding, a light wieght bench seat and abra kadabra, a bicycle buggy.

Maybe even a little basket for groc.

Plus I just wanted to contribute to a never ending thread.

Bob
 
Plannerbabs said:
Ok, a question for all you gearheads: if a girl wanted to buy a nice bike, for mostly city streets and the occasional trail, but only had about $350-400 to spare, what would you recommend? I'm lusting for a Cannondale Bad Boy, but that's way out of my price range. Doesn't have to be all fancy, either--the bikes with shocks all over the place are a bit squishy for my taste.
Click to expand...

I have my eye on a Giant. The model I want is a bit more espensive, with a few extra gadgets like an upgrade in the shifters and disc brakes. They do have some nice bikes in your price range, though.
 
Bruised Knee and Hand after a hard ride

Hey fellow road bikers,

Earlier this week I went on the season opener bike ride with an area bike group. Myself and 2 others got seperated from the larger group and ended up riding farther, faster and harder than the rest. The plan was to ride only 15 miles (since it was the season opener) however myself and the other two did 21 miles and still beat the rest of the pack back to the start by about 5 minutes.

Anyhow, I rode HARD, we had lots of hills and up until about mile 18 we averaged 21mph, at that point I got tired, knew where I was and was not going to get lost and in the last 3 or so miles my average dropped to 18.5 mph.

When I got up the next day I noticed two BIG bruises, one on my hand where my thumb and pointer finger meet and one just above, and on the near inside of my knee, at the point where my muscle (i think quad) meets my knee. They don't hurt and are not swollen. The only thing I can figure is I broke some blood vessels during the ride.

Has this ever happened to you? Is this common or something I should be worried about? How can I prevent this in the future?

Thanks and happy riding.
 
PlannerByDay said:
Hey fellow road bikers,

Earlier this week I went on the season opener bike ride with an area bike group. Myself and 2 others got seperated from the larger group and ended up riding farther, faster and harder than the rest. The plan was to ride only 15 miles (since it was the season opener) however myself and the other two did 21 miles and still beat the rest of the pack back to the start by about 5 minutes.

Anyhow, I rode HARD, we had lots of hills and up until about mile 18 we averaged 21mph, at that point I got tired, knew where I was and was not going to get lost and in the last 3 or so miles my average dropped to 18.5 mph.

When I got up the next day I noticed two BIG bruises, one on my hand where my thumb and pointer finger meet and one just above, and on the near inside of my knee, at the point where my muscle (i think quad) meets my knee. They don't hurt and are not swollen. The only thing I can figure is I broke some blood vessels during the ride.

Has this ever happened to you? Is this common or something I should be worried about? How can I prevent this in the future?

Thanks and happy riding.
Click to expand...

If this was your first ride in a while discomfort and bruising is to be expected (I'M NOT A DOCTOR) The pain lessens quickly in my experience. It is inversely proportionate to your miles ridden.
 
SGB said:
Elk Steals Bike, Film at Eleven
Click to expand...


Those crazy Swedes! That is a pic of a moose.

Any of you bikers have a source for bike tune up instructions. I've lost enough weight to ride my bike without looking like an idiot. The bike needs a little work as it has sat in the shed for a couple of years.
 
giff57 said:
Those crazy Swedes! That is a pic of a moose.

Any of you bikers have a source for bike tune up instructions. I've lost enough weight to ride my bike without looking like an idiot. The bike needs a little work as it has sat in the shed for a couple of years.
Click to expand...

Now if a small helmet wearing squirrel was helping him, I'd really be suspicious! ;-)
 
giff57 said:
Those crazy Swedes! That is a pic of a moose.

Any of you bikers have a source for bike tune up instructions. I've lost enough weight to ride my bike without looking like an idiot. The bike needs a little work as it has sat in the shed for a couple of years.
Click to expand...

These are really good books. I own the first one and have read the second.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance
or
Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

I also recommend Effective Cycling

Giff, you have my phone number - if things get really messy, just call. :)

I'll bet you have a great summer on your bike. In fact I'm sure of it.

This is just too cool not to share:
 
Just thought I'd let you all know that I did my first century (100 miler) of the year on saturday. Ride time was 6 hours, elapsed time was 8. We had a pretty good group that broke into smaller groups with similar riding skills and speed. The scariest thing was that my legs and lungs had it in them, I'd only riden about 200 miles before the ride.

I only wish that we had not stopped so much or we could have had an elapsed time of 6 1/2 hours.

Hopefully the other 2-3 centuries I plan / hope to do go faster.

I'll post some pics when I get them from the other participants.
 
donk said:
Just thought I'd let you all know that I did my first century (100 miler) of the year on saturday. Ride time was 6 hours, elapsed time was 8. We had a pretty good group that broke into smaller groups with similar riding skills and speed. The scariest thing was that my legs and lungs had it in them, I'd only riden about 200 miles before the ride.

I only wish that we had not stopped so much or we could have had an elapsed time of 6 1/2 hours.

Hopefully the other 2-3 centuries I plan / hope to do go faster.

I'll post some pics when I get them from the other participants.
Click to expand...

That's great. I'm somewhat new to the sport of road riding, however I have been a mountain biker for many years. My goal is to ride atleast 1500 miles this summer and do one Century by the end of the summer. So far the longest I have riden in a single pop this spring is 34.5 miles. It wasn't to difficult until the last 4 miles, I think the centry will be a killer.
 
Baby Boomers Push Sales of Recumbent Bikes

"I envision a day not too far away," Blevins said, "when recumbents will be standard, when people look at someone on a diamond frame and say, 'Wow, you still ride one of those?'"
Click to expand...

Envision it all you want Recumbent Hippie Dudes - the recumbent will always be the Rodney Dangerfield of wire donkeys. Nothing personal Decatur Hawk :)

Besides their ponytails always eventually get caught in the back wheel.
 
Plannerbabs said:
Ok, a question for all you gearheads: if a girl wanted to buy a nice bike, for mostly city streets and the occasional trail, but only had about $350-400 to spare, what would you recommend? I'm lusting for a Cannondale Bad Boy, but that's way out of my price range. Doesn't have to be all fancy, either--the bikes with shocks all over the place are a bit squishy for my taste.
Click to expand...

Just wondering if you picked out anything since I'm looking for something similar (although I'd get made fun of on a girl's bike). Maybe a Trek 7100 although I've yet to try anything out.

A Trek 7100 hybrid - that's what Lance Armstrong uses right? :-D
 
From the AP Wire, June 10, 2004:

'Ghostbikes' Draw Attention to Bike Safety

PITTSBURGH -- Late on a May night, a mangled bicycle painted a ghostly white was chained to a pole along a downtown intersection, with a large sign reading: "Cyclist Struck Here -- ghostbike.org." Eerie. And, the group behind the project hoped, an effective way of drawing attention to bike safety -- even if the bike display and others like it ran afoul of city sign laws.

Makeshift roadside memorials to victims of drunken drivers and other car accidents, often simple displays involving crosses, small signs and flowers, have been around for years. Now, biking enthusiasts around the country are spreading their own message of road safety.

Organizers of the Pittsburgh "ghostbikes," put up near 14 spots where cyclists have been hit in recent years, drew their inspiration from a similar project late last year in St. Louis that seems to have sparked the campaign.

A St. Louis cycling organization was unsure about what to do with a donation of several hundred bikes until group member Patrick Van Der Tuin, 25, saw a cyclist hit by a car in front of his house, and the idea clicked for "Broken Bikes, Broken Lives."

In August, Van Der Tuin put up a bike for the crash near his home. In the fall, he and his friends put up a dozen more bikes, all painted white, around St. Louis. This spring, another 15 or so went up.

"I was expecting it to gain attention to the problems we were having in St. Louis," Van Der Tuin said, but word of the campaign spread beyond the city's borders via the Internet.

In Cleveland, Kevin Cronin, 42, helped place 10 bikes around the city last month, National Bike Month, after learning of Van Der Tuin's project. He put up the bike displays on private property to avoid permitting hassles, removing them when the month was over.

Cronin's bikes did not mark the sites of accidents. They bore signs reading, "Share The Road, It's The law," and "Same Roads, Same Rights, Same Rules."

"Bike safety shouldn't be just a one-shot deal when somebody's hurt or, God forbid, killed in a car crash," he said.

Melinda Preston, whose son, Matthew Preston, 23, was killed in October 2001, couldn't get bikes, but put up posters last month saying "Cyclist Struck Here" at 12 sites around Tucson, Ariz., where 10 cyclists had been killed and two seriously injured. She placed the signs with another woman whose child had been killed riding a bike.

"I probably would not have done this had I not been the mother of a child killed," said Preston, of Tempe, Ariz. "We're hoping for people to start taking a look at how to be safe."

Most people don't realize how often cyclists are hit by cars, said Brad Quartuccio, 23, who works at Dirt Rag, a mountain-biking magazine published in Pittsburgh, and who helped organize the local project.

In 2002, 662 people died in accidents involving pedalcycles -- that is, bicycles, tricycles and unicycles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency doesn't track injuries.

After Dirt Rag ran a story about the St. Louis project, "a handful of us in Pittsburgh took a look at it and said it would be cool if we could make that happen here," Quartuccio said.

Quartuccio calls the Pittsburgh area initiative, which is not affiliated with the magazine, part public art, part safety campaign.

One of the area memorials is to Jim Rihn, an avid cyclist killed two years while riding in a Pittsburgh suburb. He was 55.

His widow, Carmella Rihn, said the project helps make drivers aware that cyclists also have a right to the road.

Public works crews have taken down most of the bike displays in Pittsburgh because of a city ordinance prohibiting signs on any city right of way, said Guy Costa, public works director. Costa said he supports the public safety message but that the sign ordinance must be enforced consistently.

Costa said no tickets would be issued for bikes still on display but fines of $350 would be levied for any put up in the future. Government agencies elsewhere have also removed bike displays.

In Pittsburgh and St. Louis, organizers said they would continue with their bike safety projects, but also hoped their campaigns would start making some difference.

"I don't want to be doing this, is the thing," Van Der Tuin said. "I can put out 160 bikes in my city. And I don't want to put out that many."
__

On The Net: http://www.ghostbike.org
 
Another Great Newsletter - Not for the couch riders or the endo crowd. ;)

Posted as a public service by el Guapo (a slow roadie) so that other roadies may know of its place in the world. I will not post anymore issues, thereby honoring the copyrights of the publishers. :)

RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter
Issue No. 149 - 06/17/04: Fix It Right
ISSN 1536-4143

Published every Thursday by Ed Pavelka and Fred Matheny
of RBR Publishing Company. E-mailed without cost or
obligation to roadies around the world.

If you have received this newsletter directly from us,
it's because you've subscribed. Thanks!

Please forward this issue to cyclists who may not know
about RBR. They, too, can sign up and get a complimentary
copy of our eBook, 29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies.

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To subscribe or change your subscription address, click
http://roadbikerider.com/manage-my-account.php

To be deleted from our mailing list, send a blank
e-mail to leave@roadbikerider.com from the address
where you receive the newsletter.

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Contents

1. News from Ed & Fred
2. Jim's Tech Talk: Packing a Bike
3. Scott's Spin: TV Trouble
4. Views You Can Use
5. RBR Bookstore
6. Ask Coach Fred: Which Cornering Technique is Better?
7. Try This on Your Next Ride
8. Commercial Classifieds (1 new)
9. Roadie Classifieds (1 new)

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Final week on RBR's free site: Our review of the nifty,
affordable Noose SL bike carrier that mounts to a
vehicle's factory roof rack.
www.roadbikerider.com/producttests.htm

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1. News from Ed & Fred

Coinciding with worldwide focus on the Tour de France
(July 3-25), here comes a book alleging a deep
relationship between Lance Armstrong and
performance-enhancing drugs.

L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong was
written by Ireland's David Walsh and France's Pierre
Ballester. It appears their accusation hinges on
statements by various people, including a former
Armstrong teammate, a team soigneur and, reportedly,
Kathy LeMond, Greg's wife.

The book claims that Lance used the banned
blood-boosting agent EPO during his late 1990s comeback
from cancer. It's unclear if it contends he's been using
illegal drugs more recently.

Armstrong has long been suspected of benefiting from
some sort of chemical enhancement by those who refuse
to believe a man once so sick could repeatedly win
cycling's hardest race.

Lance has steadfastly denied all accusations and has
never been penalized for a positive drug test. A
2-year-long French probe ended last year after finding
no association between him and illicit substances.

That won't stop the headline writers, of course. And it
won't hurt book sales, either.

As soon as excerpts from L.A. Confidential appeared in
the European press, Armstrong instructed lawyers to
begin libel proceedings against Walsh and Ballester,
their publisher and newspapers that have printed book
excerpts.

Add this to the list of stuff in his head just 16 days
before the Tour starts in Liege, Belgium.

A self-confessed worrier, Lance admits to feeling
stressed about a number of off-bike and on-bike
matters. Among them is being soundly defeated in a
recent mountain time trial by a pair of his top rivals,
Iban Mayo and Tyler Hamilton.

With pre-Tour racing now over, Lance is scheduled to
work on his time trialing position and do more testing
of his climbing bike for the key stage on l'Alpe d'Huez.

On June 30, he'll travel to Belgium to begin what
he hopes will result in a record-setting sixth Tour
victory -- and the end of off-bike distractions, for
a while.

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One thing that won't be on Armstrong's mind is the fate
of his team after the U.S. Postal Service's sponsorship ends
this year.

On Tuesday, he was back in the States to announce that
Discovery Communications, parent of the Discovery
Channel, is stepping in with a 3-year, $35-million
commitment beginning in 2005.

Why Discovery? The company says health and fitness
is a key interest among its one billion global viewers. It
intends to build upon Lance's fame by making him an
on-air personality.

That's surely a reason he has come out swinging against
the new doping allegations.

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How'd you like a $9,000 road bike for $100?

We thought so!

For a C-note donation to the Davis Phinney Foundation,
there's a 1-in-500 chance you'll be the winner of a
custom-made Serotta Ottrott with a Dura-Ace 10 group.

Check those odds vs. your state lottery.

The dream bike is being raffled as part of the
Foundation's first fundraising event, taking place July
30-31 in Cincinnati. Proceeds benefit the Davis Phinney
/ Don Krumme Fund at the Center for Parkinson's Disease
and Movement Disorders at the University of Cincinnati.

Phinney, the winningest road racer in U.S. history with
328 victories, was stricken with Parkinson's at age 40
in 2000. His foundation supports research aimed at
understanding, preventing and treating the debilitating
disease.

To see an Ottrott and purchase one of only 500 raffle
tickets being sold, click
www.davisphinneyfoundation.com/dreambike.htm.
You need not be at the July 31 drawing to win.

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The 23rd Race Across America starts on July 20 for solo
riders and July 21 for teams. The 2,958-mile (4,792-km)
course stretches from the oceanfront in San Diego, CA,
to the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ.

The solo men's field is headed by Wolfgang Fasching,
a 36-year-old Austrian bidding to become RAAM's first
4-time winner.

A record 97 cyclists are competing in the various
divisions, including the most-ever women, 15. Riders
range in age from 22 to 72 and represent 10 countries.

For full details and to follow the riders' progress,
click www.raceacrossamerica.org

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Quick Tip!

Time trials, criteriums and even some group rides start
fast. They require an effective warm-up to be sure you're
immediately firing on all cylinders.

But how can you warm up when you're in a place where
there's lots of traffic, people and roads you're not familiar
with?

Easy -- use an indoor trainer. Set it up next to your car
in the parking lot and pedal progressively harder for 15
minutes. Add a couple of 30-second sprints. Then spin
easily for several minutes to calm down.

Now you're ready to hammer from the gun.

One other trainer advantage: You won't be getting any
last-minute flats while warming up on the road.

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Tonight on OLN, episodes of The Lance Chronicles air
at 8:30 and 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by Road to the Tour
and the USPRO Road Championship.

Premiering on 6/21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT: Lance's Five
Battles Won, a documentary reviewing his Tour de
France victories.

Check OLN's latest cycling schedule at
www.olntv.com/htmlpage.asp?htmlid=24

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RBR Premium Site benefit No. 7: Uncle Al's Rants

For 15 months, shop owner Uncle Al Ardizone educated
and entertained RBR newsletter subscribers with his
technical knowledge and off-the-wall humor.

Now, Premium Site members have access to 180 of his
rants along with valuable roadie feedback. It's all fully
searchable to quickly locate topics of interest.

To see the other 9 benefits of Premium Site
membership, click www.roadbikerider.com/inside.htm

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2. Jim's Tech Talk: Packing a Bike

Dear Jim: I'm going to Europe with my sensuous and
smooth Trek 5900. I don't normally fly with it or I'd
spring for the best travel case I could find. But for
this one trip, can I just do a super job of packing it
in a cardboard bike? After all, a zillion bikes are
shipped all over the world in cardboard boxes, right?
-- Tim R.

Jim Langley Replies: I'd go with the cardboard box,
Tim, if you aren't planning to travel a lot.

Otherwise, the Trico Iron Case is a good choice because
it's easy to use and always ready to go. No need to
head to the bike shop for a new box each time. In fact,
you could rent the case to friends to help pay for it.
That's what I did before selling it on eBay for nearly
what it cost new.

If you decide to use a cardboard bike box, you must
take several important steps to safeguard your bike.
But there are still no guarantees. Baggage handlers
manage to damage bikes no matter how carefully they're
protected. And this includes bikes in plastic cases.
(I've had better luck with hard cases than soft ones.)

So, it's always a gamble. But you can improve the odds
by taking these measures:

---Use 2 boxes. One should be just the right size for
your bike. The other should be slightly larger so the
first box can fit inside. Reinforce them by putting
carpenter's glue under each flap at the bottom. When
the glue dries, the box will be stronger. Also tape the
bottom and edges -- every seam. This is important
because box bottoms often get banged up. Don't assume
old staples or tape are sufficient.

---Shift to low gear. You want the chain on the largest
cassette cog so the derailleur is as far inboard as
possible. Alternatively, unscrew it from the hanger and
enclose it in bubble wrap. Be very careful reinstalling
it so you don't strip or damage the hanger threads.

---Install a fork block. This is a piece of plastic
(available from bike shops) that fits between the fork
dropouts to reinforce the blades.

---Wrap with foam pipe insulation. Visit the hardware
store and buy enough to cover each frame tube and stay
as well as the fork blades. Tape or tie each section in
place.

---Bag small parts. Place the small items you remove
(pedals, front hub quick-release, computer, etc.) in a bag
or box. Seal it and pad it well, then lay it in the bottom
of the box between the fork and frame.

---Tie everything together. You don't want parts that
rest against the frame (front wheel, handlebar/stem,
seatpost/seat) to bang or rub it or the components and
damage them.

Obviously, it takes a while to box a bike like this,
but it'll give your Trek the best chance of arriving
undamaged. And that will let you relax on the flight
rather than worry about what's happening to it till you
get it back.
______________________________________

Former pro mechanic Jim Langley works full-time for a
provider of online content in the cycling industry. More
Tech Talk appears weekly on RBR's Premium Site.

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3. Scott's Spin: TV Trouble

I love the Tour de France. I just can't afford it.

Not the entry fee. (Is there an entry fee?)

No, I can't afford to watch the Tour on TV.
Specifically, I can't spare the 45 bucks a month my
swell cable company charges for the Bowling Channel,
the Annoying Celebrity Gossip Channel and 37 other
"premium" channels I don't want plus the one that I do:
Outdoor Life Network, home of the Tour.

So -- like a chunky sprinter who climbs with one hand
on his team car's door handle -- I must find other ways
to maintain contact with the peloton.

One option is to get chummy with someone who has OLN.

Naturally I want to see the live coverage, which starts
at 6:30 a.m. here in California. So I show up at my new
best friend's house around dawn with a box of Fruit
Loops. (Never come empty-handed.)

"Hey, Bob! I was just in the neighborhood and thought
I'd stop by. Mind if I flip on the tube? Say, those are
some nice pajamas."

A second option is to get somebody to tape the
coverage.

Advantage: less friendship wear-and-tear.

Disadvantages: (a) you have to spend 3 weeks avoiding
your moron cycling buddies who greet you with "Can you
believe what Lance did today?" and (b) you're at the
mercy of another person's VCR skills.

Nothing like settling in to watch the l'Alpe d'Huez
stage and getting 2 hours of bass fishing.

Of course, you can follow the action live online at
cyclingnews.com. But you'll probably have to log on at
work. Try explaining to your boss why you just vaulted
out of your cube screaming, "In your face, Ullrich!"

Hmmm, maybe it'd be easier to get premium cable.
Besides, I never did find out who caught the biggest
bass.
______________________________________

Tell Scott to pay the price at
scottmartin@roadbikerider.com

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4. Views You Can Use

We're stoked this week to unveil a new paperback in our
online bookstore -- Zinn & the Art of Road Bike
Maintenance.

The author, Lennard Zinn, is a framebuilder and
technical writer for VeloNews. We've been looking for
the best new home-shop book for roadies, and this is it.
Its 284 large-format pages (8.5x11 inches) contain 275
illustrations.

Books about bike components and maintenance procedures
are tough to keep current because new products -- even
new categories of products -- appear so frequently. We
searched the market and found that Road Bike
Maintenance is the most up to date of anything available
to consumers.

Just as important, this book is useful for newcomers
and experienced mechanics. Each procedure is coded
with a 1, 2 or 3 to let you know the degree of complexity
before you dive in.

Even so, almost nothing (even wheelbuilding) is too
difficult for a home mechanic who has this book.

Here's Zinn's promise:

"With a bit of practice and a willingness to learn,
your bike will suddenly transform itself from a
mysterious black box, too complicated to tamper with,
to a simple, understandable machine that is a delight
to work on.

"All you have to do is follow the instructions and
trust yourself. Don't let anything stand in the way of
rolling up your sleeves in the interest of improving
your bike's performance."

To show the book's style, here's a useful passage from
chapter 4, "The Chain." You can read more about Zinn
and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, see the table of
contents and view a sample illustration by clicking
www.roadbikerider.com/rbm_page.htm

Lubrication

If you want to get fancy about it, you can assess the
type of conditions in which you ride and choose a
lubricant intended for those conditions.

Some lubricants are "dry," which means that they are
formulated to pick up less dirt in dry conditions.
Other lubes are "sticky" and therefore less prone to
wash off in wet conditions.

Lubricant companies usually advise against switching
among types, and there is probably something to this
from the standpoint of maintaining particular
properties. That is, once you start using a "dry" lube,
for example, it's best to stick with it if most of your
riding calls for that type of stuff.

But from a lubrication standpoint, there are few, if any,
real incompatibilities among brands and types. The
main thing is to take care of the chain regularly. If
that means using a different brand of oil from time to
time, due to travel or changing weather, so be it.

Chain lubes are generally sold in spray cans and in
bottles. Spray should be avoided for regular
maintenance chores because they tend to spew too
much oil over everything.

The chain only needs a reservoir of oil inside each
link. On the outside, the thinnest film is sufficient
to keep corrosion at bay. More oil on the outside than
that will only attract dirt and gunk; it does nothing to
improve the function of the chain.

Next, Zinn gives his procedure for applying lube,
followed by how to avoid ever needing to clean a chain
with solvent.

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5. RBR Bookstore: Premium Road-Cycling Intelligence

15% discount for Premium Site members on every title!

The Ultimate Ride by Chris Carmichael (now in paperback)
Get fit, get fast, start winning -- by Lance's coach
www.roadbikerider.com/ur_page.htm

Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide for Cyclists (eBook, paperback)
Professional bike fit, injury diagnosis & treatment
www.roadbikerider.com/ap_excerpt.htm

ACE Training for Cyclists (eBook)
Altitude, Climbing, Endurance advice from Dr. Arnie Baker
www.roadbikerider.com/ace_excerpt.htm

Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Training (paperback)
Acclaimed as the "most doable" training book on the market
www.roadbikerider.com/rbt_excerpt.htm

The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling (paperback)
The keys to success in rides from 30 to 3,000 miles
www.roadbikerider.com/ld_excerpt.htm

Optimal Muscle Performance and Recovery (paperback)
How to grow stronger faster from tough training and events
www.roadbikerider.com/omp_page.htm

Pro Road Race Tactics for Amateur Cycling Teams (eBook)
Organize a team, train, strategize, race, kick butt
www.roadbikerider.com/rrt_page.htm

Strategy & Tactics for Cyclists (eBook)
Dr. Arnie Baker details the schemes that win
www.roadbikerider.com/stc_page.htm

High-Intensity Training for Cyclists (eBook)
The 2004 edition of Dr. Arnie Baker's go-fast bible
www.roadbikerider.com/hit_excerpt.htm

Psychling Psychology (eBook)
Dr. Arnie Baker tell how to get psyched up, not psyched out
www.roadbikerider.com/pp_page.htm

And more at www.roadbikerider.com/bookstore.htm

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6. Ask Coach Fred Matheny

Which Cornering Technique Is Better?

Question: When cornering at fast speeds, I know you
should coast with the outside pedal down and shift your
weight to it. But what should you do with the inside
leg -- point your knee into the turn or keep it in next
to the bike? -- Jay B.

Coach Fred Replies: Traditionally, riders have pointed
their knee into the turn, aiming it toward where they're
going.

The sharper the curve, and thus the more lean angle
needed, the farther out the knee would go. Many pros
still corner this way. You'll see it when watching race
videos or OLN's coverage of this season's events.

But there is another way. I first saw it used by
American pros Davis Phinney and Ron Kiefel in the
1980s.

Called "countersteering," it's done by holding the
inside knee against the top tube. You weight the
outside pedal heavily, press the outside thigh against
the saddle, and push gently against the handlebar with
the inside hand. All this results in the bike cutting
through the turn with a greater lean angle than your
body.

I've coached at Carpenter/Phinney Bike Camps where
Davis teaches countersteering by having riders
negotiate a slalom course in a parking lot.

He argues that it's the superior way, and I believe it.
I've followed both Phinney and Kiefel down mountain
passes here in Colorado. They fly!

Countersteering works on a mountain bike, too. I almost
came to grief a few years ago, trying to stick with
Davis on singletrack descents.

I've switched to countersteering and recommend giving
it a try. I like it better because it seems more stable
in tough corners.

It's also easier to change my line in mid turn if I
encounter gravel or sand. I simply let off some
pressure on the inside hand. The bike straightens, then
I re-initiate the turn by pushing again with my inside
hand.

To learn, use paper cups to make a slightly downhill
slalom course in an empty parking lot. Countersteering
will seem awkward till you break your old knee-out
habit, but once you get the hang of it you'll feel the
advantages.
______________________________________

Find your fix among 450+ Q&A in the Ask Coach Fred
archive on RBR's Premium Site. See all 10 membership
benefits at www.roadbikerider.com/inside.htm

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7. Try This on Your Next Ride

Make interval training fun!

Okay, we know that interval training isn't enjoyable
for most riders. They hate working hard, especially
by themselves. But intense training is the most
effective producer of top fitness, and intervals are
about as intense as training gets.

Fortunately, intervals don't need to be solo. You can
do them with a training partner even if your speeds
aren't well matched. Here's how:

Warm up and then draft your friend. Ease off to let her
open a gap of 100-200 meters. While she keeps a steady,
moderate pace, ride hard to catch her. Once you do,
spin easily in her draft for a minute to recover.

Now take the front position. She does her interval by
riding like you just did.

What if you're much slower than your partner? Simply
adjust the size of the gap. For example, start your
chase when she's 100 meters ahead. She begins her
chase after letting you open a gap of 300 meters.

The workout is over when each rider has chased 5-8
times. You'll find that these intervals are lot more
fun because you have a "rabbit" to catch, motivation to
keep the intensity high and someone to appreciate your
effort.

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8. Commercial Classifieds

>> Business owners! Your ad will be delivered to
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your logo or product photo. Get info at
www.roadbikerider.com/CAbizorder.htm
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NEW
Vietnam Charity Ride. 6-day, 300-mile ride
through north Vietnam. February 2005, fully
supported. www.kidsfirstvietnam.org
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mile rides through PA Dutch farmland on Sunday
Aug. 15. One of 50 best rides in the U.S.
$15 before July 15, $20 after. Fully-supported.
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9. Roadie Classifieds

>> Roadies! Sell your spare bike and gear on our
website. The cost is just $5 for 4 lines for 21 days.
It's fun, easy and effective to place a Roadie Ad at
www.roadbikerider.com/CAperorder.htm

Read details about the following items at
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RBR's free website has 18 expert articles to help you
ride with greater skill, safety and enjoyment. You're
welcome to use these articles without charge in your
club or bike shop newsletter or website.
www.roadbikerider.com/articles.htm

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Enjoy your rides! Look for the next issue of the
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All rights reserved.
Click to expand...
 
Woe is Me! My Riding Season is SHOT

The rear chainstay near the derailler SNAPPED on my precious this weekend. My lil' Specialized Festina Team Frame is TOAST. Just noticed it when I gave it to a friend to a stick a new bottom bracket in-he called me and said it ain't my bottom bracket.

Even if Specialized doesn't find a way to weasel out of the warranty (not that I am saying they will, but I am being gloomy and pessismistic here), getting a replacement frame will take weeks, if not a month or two.

I don't know if it's a bad weld, rough handling (doubtful), the fact that I'm pretty, shall we say, heavy, or just a flawed frame. I guess these things happen. I really don't want to have to buy a brand new franeset right now. :-#

Oh well. Maybe I shouldn't have sold my old bike to my next door neighbor.
 
BKM said:
Maybe I shouldn't have sold my old bike to my next door neighbor.
Click to expand...
Maybe you need to sneak over the fence late one night .... spirit it away to the chop shop ..... a quick respray ...... some guilty sympathy when your neighbour tells you the sad story of losing the bike o:) .... develop a plan to go on the lam if exposed ..... just you, your bike and the open road ..... finding sustenance and love where ever you stop :)
 
BKM said:
The rear chainstay near the derailler SNAPPED on my precious this weekend. My lil' Specialized Festina Team Frame is TOAST. Just noticed it when I gave it to a friend to a stick a new bottom bracket in-he called me and said it ain't my bottom bracket.
Click to expand...

Just don't say "I was just riding along" warranty guys hate that phrase (JRA).

Specialized is ussually pretty good about replacing things. They've replaced my water damaged computers twice under warranty.

If you are in tight with the guys at the shop you bought it from they might be able to work something out for you. When I broke my trek, I had a new frame in 3 weeks and the shop lent me a bike until mine came in.
 
donk said:
Just don't say "I was just riding along" warranty guys hate that phrase (JRA).

Specialized is ussually pretty good about replacing things. They've replaced my water damaged computers twice under warranty.

If you are in tight with the guys at the shop you bought it from they might be able to work something out for you. When I broke my trek, I had a new frame in 3 weeks and the shop lent me a bike until mine came in.
Click to expand...

That's what I've heard and hope. Its pretty obvious its a weld failure. After speaking to my friend, I may even go up a model a little bit-my one complaint about the bike has been it's quite twitchy on the descents, so going to the carbon fibre frameset with a more relaxed geometry may work better for me, as I am a pretty nervous (i.e., horrible coward) downhiller anyway. I'm hoping they'll give me the better frame, as the Festina frame was more expensive than the standard S-Works.

I can't even say it "broke while riding it." I rode the bike fine one day, three days later, I pull it out, get on the bike, and "thunk...thunk....thunk, the frame is broken. I thought it was the bottom bracket-I've never had a frame break before so it was completely out of my mind.

EDIT/UPDATE: IT LOOKS LIKE SPECIALIZED WILL BE COMING THROUGH!

I am getting a new silver S-Works Frameset. It will actually have a little more relaxed geometry and will be a bit less twitchy in the descents. My bike shop already ordered it, and it should be here in a couple of days. :-}

My good friend/co-worker will build the bike up for me (he builds all his friends bikes). So, except for missing a couple of days this week and one weekend, I'll be set. Its been unpleasantly windy here anyway, so...
 
Last edited:
My new frame rocks. Its like night and day for descending. Did a really fun, somewhat twisty ride, and I am totally impressed!
 
Another Cyburbanite (re)joins the bicycling crowd

Thanks to Donk, my old Norco Bushpilot is back on the road. Got a new helmet and some other needed supplies yesterday - now I just need to join the gym here at work so I can access a shower and a locker and I'm all set to start riding into work. Should be about a 45 min. ride each way, which is comparable to the time it takes to come in by public transit.

Felt real good to be back on two wheels again. I'm definitely not as agressive a cyclist as I was back in the day though.
 
Epic Rides

I just got back from my first truly epic road ride, I've had similar and worse mountain bike rides, but never anything like this on the road.

Got up today and watched the Tour. Feeling really motivated and figured I'd go ride 100k (60 miles). The weather when I left was perfect 27C, a little bit of wind, sun in the sky, a bit of humidity, nice puffy clouds. this would all change about 50 k in.

I stopped for a bite to eat and to make the turn home and looked over at the horizon, and it was black. Unfortunately, I had no choice and rode right into the blackening skies.

Rode for a few minutes in a drizzle, then bang, the thunder and lightening started, somewhat nerve wracking but not too bad. Then the hail hit. There is no feeling like being pelted with cherry sized pieces of ice. The rain was so thick I could not see, so I did the logical thing and hid under a bridge. To accomplish this I had to hop a guard rail and ended up huddling under a 12 inch over hang of the bridge, getting soaked by every car that pasted and pitched water over the edge. The reason I did not get better shelter is that road shoes are really hard to walk in and not designed for a cross country trek.

When the rain and hail subsided (mostly the hail) I noticed that not 1000 feet away was a Tim Hortons (doh, nut). I passed on Tims and headed through the downtown of this mid sized town. There had been so much rain so fast that the storm sewers were overflowing with little geysers everywhere. Then hell started, the wind came up and the temperature dropped drastically, so there I was riding into a strong, cold head wind, soaking wet. I was lucky if I was going 15 km/hr for about 20 minutes.

Finally the wind let up and I got my wind and finished up the ride in a relatively respectable time of a 3:38 with an average speed of 27.5 km/hr. if I had not had the head wind or the rain, I would have definitely set a new personal best for 100k.

Anyone have any similar ride stories they’d like to share?
 
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Donk, you deserve a medal! A while back I had a similar weather experience with a shorter distance, to top the ride off some pricks drove up on the side of me and spit on me while it was pooring hard rain.
 
Finally got off my lazy ass...

and took the bike into work today. Took about 50 minutes to cover 14km (8.5 miles). Would have been slightly faster had I figured out how to attach my stupid pannier bag properly - took me a couple of tries to finally get it right.

I'm begining to understand the transformation that overcame El Guapo ;-)
 
I too rode my bike in today, but it looks like the chance of thunder storms might make it an interesting ride home.
 
I just rode the Elroy-Sparta trail yesterday - 70 miles there and back. Nice trail, but the white trash rednecks in the campground in Wilton kept me awake. Talking about their GD pickup trucks till 2 AM. Every other word was f-this and f-that. (Tempered by screaming at their kids at the top of their lungs)

Nothing lower on the face of the earth than scumbags who violate the "campers code of ethics" by yelling and screaming or playing loud music during quiet hours.
 
Al Trautwig ordering a Super Value Meal...

With an indominable spirit that's only matched by natural hunger i'd
like to take command of the number five meal like few have ever
done before! A large coke is but a hint of what's instore for this
hunger ravaged gentleman who's tasted the penultimate, but
it wasn't enough, the memories persisted and when the timing
was right, he returned, but this time he's not just ordering a
meal, he's fulfilling a dream, a dream and a promise to his stomach.
A stomach that's not unlike one we might see walking
down the street, except for one big difference, this is Al Trautwigs'
stomach and it knows something that maybe other stomachs don't,
that it's not enough just to eat, it's got to consume!! Only a few
times in history has a stomach been so challenged by the effects of
metabolism and time, and not just any time, but a time that says,
'it's 2:30pm--and i'm hungary' 'that bagel was hours ago'
Luckily, or should i say, just as expected--that veiled request
got an answer, and the answer was a resounding "Yes".
A 'yes' that isn't often heard so much anymore, a 'yes' that...


"Sir, just drive up."
 
from the AP wire, July 26, 2004, 8:40 PM EDT

Bush pedals new program: mountain biking

Hightlights of the article -
And mountain biking, he said, has a certain "mind-clearing" effect.

"My right knee has finally had it," Bush said. "Running is really a painful experience for me now."

"Swimming is outside exercise, but you don't get the feeling of the wind rushing by you, nor can you swim your favorite piece of property," he said. Swimming does not offer countless ways to get injured either. Crashes are routine in mountain biking.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politic...,3987865.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
 
Well it finally happened this season, the $300 ride. :-@ This happens at least once a year to me. :-(

Went riding this morning, the joys of a long weekend, and bent a pedal spindle in the woods. I'll have to buy new pedals. Fortunately,I was able to ride out, the noise was horrible.

Weird thing is that I weigh less now than I have for almost 15 years and am riding less than I have in the past 3 years, but seem to be breaking more things????? (fork, shoes, wheels) I think it may be because whenI ride now, I ride really hard and fast and am taking more chances on both my road(86km/h down a hill) and mountain bikes(teeter totters and stunts).
 
Got new bike tonight so felt need to come on an brag.

2004 Orbea Starship Carbon w/ custom paint job. (yeah the sponsorship deal that was supposed to happen in March)

DA 10 Speed

Easton/ITM build kit

Velomax Circuit II wheels.

Gotta put it all together though. Still in boxes. Anyone know how to install a bottom bracket? Cut a carbon fork? I'm in over my head on this one I think.
 
Congrats on the new bike and welcome back. I almost posted a jenna comment with reference to you yesterday.

The fork is easy.

I assume that your headset is integrated, but if not it is about the same.

1) Install bottom crown race(special tool required or the right sized box wrench and a hammer)
2) Slide fork into frame
3) install a spacer or two on fork
4) adjust stem height to where you want it
5) mark the top of the stem location with liquid paper or nail polish
6) add a spacer or two above stem
7) mark that spot
8) remove fork from frame
9) tape the fork where you want to cut it (probably between the 2 marks to allow for adjustment through time, if not cut at the lower mark and skip the other step)
10) measure and confirm again, then using either a dremel tool with a cut off wheel or a fine toothed hack saw chop the steerer off. To make a straight cut use 2 stems as a guide or pipe clamps or the proper park tool.
11) clean up any frays with sand paper, then coat with clear nail polish
12) install the Star fangled nut or compression cap that comes with the fork
13) reinstall fork and stem and adjust headset

Depending on the fork(especially full carbon), I think I'd pay the $15 to have a shop do it.

As for the new durace cranks, not a clue. I assume that you install the cups(one side is reverse thread, drive side I think, I just know when I do it), slide the crank through and tension. It is supposed to be that easy.
 
Tranplanner said:
Don't listen to him Jeff, he couldn't even re-cable my bike properly! ;-)
Click to expand...

Ouch that hurts. I am sure that they have just stretched. If not it is the parts, the first sti shifters (especially the one for the front were really picky)

I'll fix them next time i'm down, the cables on all of my bikes are fine
 
donk said:
Ouch that hurts. I am sure that they have just stretched. If not it is the parts, the first sti shifters (especially the one for the front were really picky)

I'll fix them next time i'm down, the cables on all of my bikes are fine
Click to expand...

You know I'm just joking - I wouldn't even be on the road if it wasn't for you.
 
Tranplanner said:
You know I'm just joking - I wouldn't even be on the road if it wasn't for you.
Click to expand...

Of course I do, but I do have a tiny reputation to protect. ;) Bad day here.

Note the most important part of installing a fork is to measure a thousand times and only cut once, or maybe twice.
 
Presidential Candidates & their choice of Bikes

From the NY Times
Culture Wars, on Two Wheels

from the article -

One of the many differences separating John Kerry and George W. Bush is their choice of bicycle - not an especially presidential mode of transport, one might think, except that these are not ordinary bikes.

What this says about their political philosophies is best left to the analysts and the pundits. But a study posted recently on a New Zealand biking Web site suggests that downhill mountain-bike riders, like Mr. Bush, score considerably higher than cross-country riders on something called the Sensation Seeking Scale. (Road riders, like Mr. Kerry, are comparative wussies when it comes to sensation seeking.) Downhill riders are also more likely to drive a car too fast, and to have had a brush with the law.
 
Alright race fans, tomorrow morning, 7:00am EST the olympic men's road race is on.

If it comes to a sprint watch out for Gord Fraser.

Sunday is the women's race and mtb is next weekend with track most of the week.

EG posted a few pics of him on his bike, here is one of me in the woods.

I ussually am a totally anti fanny pack person, but need it to carry my camera and lenses as we were on the clock for the tourism department (tiny perk of this job).

173bleedin-med.jpg


The reason for no gloves, I forgot them. Please excuse the gash my leg, I had a pretty good fall earleir in the day.
 
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donk said:
EG posted a few pics of him on his bike, here is one of me in the woods.

I ussually am a totally anti fanny pack person, but need it to carry my camera and lenses as we were on the clock for the tourism department (tiny perk of this job).

173bleedin-med.jpg


The reason for no gloves, I forgot them. Please excuse the gash my leg, I had a pretty good fall earleir in the day.
Click to expand...

Workman's Comp, I hope! :)
 
Gonna get me a new arm bone!

Last Saturday my 15 year old son decided to wreck in front of me in a lane hogging skin-donating slide leaving me the option of doing an immediate endo and then I decided to plant all 231 lbs of my 40 year old Irish lad self upon my upper left humorous bone at about 30mph. It was nice weather and the road was recently swept. I stick the landing and mange to crawl off the road upon regaining consciousness. Today the uber-orthopedic god declares that I have enjoyed my old bone far too long and that it is time to get me a fancy new one. I asked for the Dura-Ace Carbon OCLV upper humorous bone, but all they have is a titanium low-bidder aftermarket job. Should I ask for free lifetime truing if this is all they offer in their shop’s selection?

Things I have learned from this experience:
1. Your Kid that says he knows what he is doing will soon wreck and take you down with him.
2. He will argue with you when you suggest that you both crawl off of the road and let the idiot drivers drive over your bike debris.
3. You really should let the ambulance take you to the ER if you have insurance. This is not the time to try to save money.
4. When they finially give you the really good drugs, your last desire is for good drugs - you just want it to all go away.
5. Nurses can be evil pricks in an ER if they evil bike harrassing *****es outside of the ER.
6. Half of the pain they subject to you will be to preemptively defend against a future lawsuit.
7. When they tell you that you cannot have any water to drink because "you might need an operation" - remember you just got off of laying on the blacktop from a bike wreck after a long bike ride - tell them to use their ****ing brains and guess which is more likely to kill me, mystery surgery death water or shock and dehydration?
8. After you get a bunch of morphine injections is the only time in your life you will be able to challenge the ER nurse to a game of Bicycle Pants: Guess Jew or Gentile with you wife in the room.
9. Pain gets more acceptable with old age.
10. You really want to know how you bike is when you are in the ER.

October 7, 2004 is "They cut into el Guapo day" - Think of the Children
 
el Guapo said:
I asked for the Dura-Ace Carbon OCLV upper humorous bone, but all they have is a titanium low-bidder aftermarket job. Should I ask for free lifetime truing if this is all they offer in their shop’s selection?
Click to expand...

Considering I know of at least 10 broken OCLV's (none crash induced) , and only seen one quality ti bike break (an early merlin - bad weld) I'd go with TI. Plus think of all the fun you'll have at the airport.

Sorry to hear your crash was so horrific. There is a hill I go down at 50 mph (80k) and am always scared someone is going to go squirrelly on.
 
:) Beautiful day here in SW Indiana for a bike ride -- 67, scattered clouds, no breeze.
Went out for 1 hour - felt good. :)
 
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