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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Bicycle Thread

The Tour

It started this weekend.

Three weeks of over-the-top announcing, yellow shirts, crazed fans, painted asphalt, camping in the French Alps, more yellow shirts, wild helicopter shots, bicycle-decorated landscape, the Devil, spectators in polka dots, still more yellow shirts, podium girls, cycling used as an advertising medium, and did I mention yellow shirts?

I almost wish I had cable.
 
Veloise said:
It started this weekend.

Three weeks of over-the-top announcing, yellow shirts, crazed fans, painted asphalt, camping in the French Alps, more yellow shirts, wild helicopter shots, bicycle-decorated landscape, the Devil, spectators in polka dots, still more yellow shirts, podium girls, cycling used as an advertising medium, and did I mention yellow shirts?

I almost wish I had cable.
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And truthfully, I don't care if they ALL use drugs. I've run several marathons but I have to be on some kind of chemical assistance for mind and body before I'd try the Tour.
 
kinda of a silly bike related question, but for those of you who ride your bike to work, how do you avoid being sweaty messes, esp. the women?

i realize you can bring a change of clothes, but then how do you not end up with completely wrinkled clothing? or hair that has been squashed flat by the helmet?
 
Hints from Veloise

dandy_warhol said:
kinda of a silly bike related question, but for those of you who ride your bike to work, how do you avoid being sweaty messes, esp. the women?

i realize you can bring a change of clothes, but then how do you not end up with completely wrinkled clothing? or hair that has been squashed flat by the helmet?
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Morning shower. Put on riding clothes. Pack work clothes (poly & synthetic blends) in a grease-proof container.
Ride to work. (Be sure to load the clothing container.)
Check into the phone booth and transform. Shake out hair.

Mine is a wash 'n wear, drip-dry style and the only thing I do that's special is comb the part over the wrong way, so the helmet doesn't compress it flat. No one in my workplace to look at me anyway.
 
dandy_warhol said:
kinda of a silly bike related question, but for those of you who ride your bike to work, how do you avoid being sweaty messes, esp. the women?

i realize you can bring a change of clothes, but then how do you not end up with completely wrinkled clothing? or hair that has been squashed flat by the helmet?
Click to expand...

A lot will depend on how far you have to ride and what kind of terrain you are covering. I'm lucky to have a short (5 km) and flat ride so the lack of shower/change facilities isn't an issue.

My last commute (15 km) I had access to a shower and change room. I have a special pack that holds my clothes flat so they don't wrinkle. I also had a stash of clothes and shoes at work.

Can't help you with the helmet hair...just have to find a hairstyle you can manage.
 
Interesting approach to selling Real Estate -

HEADLINE: Agents peddle houses to bike-riding clients
Suburbs lose appeal for many cyclists
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080908/BUSINESS/809080305/1003/BUSINESS

HIGHLIGHTS:
Real estate agents and industry surveys indicate that home buyers are placing more importance on cutting their gasoline bills and commute times and that homes near urban centers -- and subway, train and bus stops -- are selling faster than those in the distant suburbs.

Pedal to Properties .... plans for nationwide expansion

Last month, Bikes Belong, a cycling advocacy group, conducted a 40-state survey that showed more than a third of stores are selling more bikes, and more than 95 percent of shops say customers are citing high gas prices as a reason for transportation-related purchases.
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When I was renting, I'd always check elements such as door swing and indoor storage.

Found a pic of my state's gov (and first gent) with their rides.
gov-bike.jpg
 
For those in the Detroit area, this will be a great weekend to get a two-wheeled (or three-wheeled or one-wheeled if you are so inclinded) tour of the city: Tour-de-Troit

I hope to be out there for the fourth year in a row... It's always a great time!
 
Any long distance bike commuters here? I'm moving to a new place next week and my bike commute will go from 3 miles to 20 miles each way. I probably won't do it every day but want to do it at least 2-3 times a week. I have a commuter hybrid that I use now but will probably want to take the road bike because it's so much faster.

We don't have showers at work, so.... have any of you in the same boat found a way around this? It doesn't matter so much in a 3 mile commute, but 20 may be a different story.
 
I've never ridden that far to work, but I used to live in Baltimore (climate/miles factor). Wore cycling togs to work, changed in the bathroom, wiped down with a washcloth. (Same as showering, just less water involved.)

If the place has A/C, the workday goes just fine. If it doesn't, everyone else is sweating, too, and they don't have a washcloth in the bathroom.

Oh, and if "personal" items in the lavatory are a big issue (they are here, where the poster child for OCD runs the show), get a towel bar for under your desk or behind your door.

HTH
 
I just bought a new bike. It was too good of a deal to turn down, plus I had the cash to do it. Hopefully it will motivate me to ride more next summer.
 
Had my bike stolen last week during broad daylight at school. Apparently they just snapped the lock. The kicker is I had spent $150 getting it fixed about three weeks prior. I had a cable lock which probably wasn't the best idea but I had yet to get the bike stolen after having left it in what I would consider higher risk times/places. I had had the bike since 8th grade and did have some sentimental value attached to it.
 
Ghost bike

This is a form of tribute to cyclists killed on the road. It's a (junker) bike painted white, and left at the scene. More here: http://www.ghostbikes.org/

The subject of this particular tribute was the victim of a hit-skip crash in a Detroit suburb. Some of the horrendous comments to the first piece ("this is Dee-troit, dammit! Get off the road!!") caused the reporter to dig a little deeper.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/COL27/809260362

Single mom, no car. (Shall I describe the metro area's mass transit system?)

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/COL27/809300337

Yeah, that's moi commenting in there.
 
Holiday light tour

This is pretty cool. Hines Drive is in western Wayne County.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxuy6dLipL8

Some years back a Freep columnist (paper edition) decried the gendarmes who threw their group out of an impromptu Lightfest walk. She pointed out the obvious: benefits of walking, Detroit mentality (drive to the corner store), etc. Nice to see that times have changed a bit.
 
Are any of you familiar with folding bikes (I think Veloise might be)?

I want to get one so that I can take the train to work rather than drive the 20 miles, since the office is about 4 miles from the train station. Only folding bikes are allowed on trains during rush hour. There are some serious hills between the station and the office, and while my Cannondale race bike can handle them easily, I'm not sure if a folder can. Is a folder a viable option for me? If so, any thoughts on which one might be good? I've seen a lot of the Dahons but have heard that the stems are flexy, which means that lots of climbing might kill one.
 
MacheteJames said:
Are any of you familiar with folding bikes (I think Veloise might be)?

I want to get one so that I can take the train to work rather than drive the 20 miles, since the office is about 4 miles from the train station. Only folding bikes are allowed on trains during rush hour. There are some serious hills between the station and the office, and while my Cannondale race bike can handle them easily, I'm not sure if a folder can. Is a folder a viable option for me? If so, any thoughts on which one might be good? I've seen a lot of the Dahons but have heard that the stems are flexy, which means that lots of climbing might kill one.
Click to expand...

I will inquire with my bicycle guru friend who has a folding bike that has traveled around town and around the globe with him. Will report back.
 
MacheteJames said:
Are any of you familiar with folding bikes (I think Veloise might be)?
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Moi?!? Surely you jest! I presently own three folders, and there was an original Hon (before the file cabinet debacle) in my past. (Almost replaced it last night but I was slow on the auction.)

I want to get one so that I can take the train to work rather than drive the 20 miles, since the office is about 4 miles from the train station. Only folding bikes are allowed on trains during rush hour. There are some serious hills between the station and the office, and while my Cannondale race bike can handle them easily, I'm not sure if a folder can. Is a folder a viable option for me? If so, any thoughts on which one might be good? I've seen a lot of the Dahons but have heard that the stems are flexy, which means that lots of climbing might kill one.
Click to expand...
Define "lots of climbing." Four miles is do-able on a Dahon unless your commute includes l'Alpe d'Huez.
(You know you're a Tour fanatic when you don't have to google up the spelling of that locale.)

One of mine is a Giant Halfway. It's very responsive and if it would fit on an airplane it would be my favorite travel bike. (Folds down not small enough to avoid baggage charges.) Bigger wheels, presta valves. Seven speeds, GripShift. Folds up easily, won't hurt a fellow train user. It was not popular, should be easy to find one in someone's far-flung attic. I found mine on rec.bicycles.marketplace from a posting a guy put up several months previously.

busbike.jpg


This how it looked fresh from the Greyhound box. No need for bubble wrap on a daily basis.

halffold.jpg


The bag is upstairs by my sewing machine, having suffered zipper failure on the recent trip to Mackinac Island. Holler if you want its dimensions.
 
Veloise, that Halfway is sweet. I've actually seen them before, a local bike shop sells them. I'll stop by there for a test ride. There's also a couple of others that I've been hearing about - the Xootr Swift and the Downtube series of bikes. Are you familiar with those at all? I've heard the Swift is an especially nice ride. There are also full-size folders that have mountain bike-sized wheels and full frames. Do you think that those are too big to take on a commuter train during rush hour?
 
MacheteJames said:
Veloise, that Halfway is sweet. I've actually seen them before, a local bike shop sells them. I'll stop by there for a test ride. There's also a couple of others that I've been hearing about - the Xootr Swift and the Downtube series of bikes. Are you familiar with those at all? I've heard the Swift is an especially nice ride.
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I try to stay away from retail establishments that sell human-powered crack, for obvious reasons. (I really need to take a shot of my bike dungeon.)
IIRC you are tall? Halfway might work better than a Dahon for you.

There are also full-size folders that have mountain bike-sized wheels and full frames. Do you think that those are too big to take on a commuter train during rush hour?
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Depends on how crowded the train is, and if you have full racks and fenders.

One of mine is a Montague, 26" wheels. When I lived in Baltimore 1984-86, I sometimes wandered down to DC, and at some sort of bicycle expo saw a guy walking around wearing a folded bike like a backpack. Said his name was Montague, and he'd invented a folding full-size bike. I wanted one ever since, and in '96 found one for a steal price in the local newspaper classifieds. Mostly it's good for fitting into the trunks of compact cars when well-meaning friends insist on giving me a lift home.

Look in the Things to do in OKC thread to see a link to a nationwide bicycle rental service. I would think that the thing to do is find one to rent for a week. You're near good train service; how likely are you to hop aboard and rail it to another city with your bike? Any chance of flying somewhere to ride an event? Might be worth getting a really good folder that will serve several different purposes, rather than acquiring them as I've done.

I have never had the money/desire to invest in a Burley folder, although for years I admired their sales rep's ability to bring it and his trade show display to big cycling invitational rides.
 
So this may be a silly question for all you bike gurus, but I am looking at getting a bike soon. I was on a mobile workshop in Minneapolis that really got my desire to ride going again.

I would like to have something that I could ride on the greenway to get groceries and at some point commute on. Right now I am afraid I live a bit too far from work to commute (17.5 miles) but I hope to try to either move closer or find a public lot closer to work and ride the rest of the way. I have my eye on a Trek hybrid, what do the rest of you all think?
 
Hints from Veloise

Here's my advice to a local from Urban Planet. (Must be something in the spring air...or the fact that it's Bike Month.)

...figure out what sort of riding you want to do. Kent Trails? Road racing? Training for your future career as a pedicab operator? And think about your budget.

Go to Store A and the salesfolk will ask you those same questions. See what they try to sell in you in your size, price range, and color. Take notes, and proceed to Store B.
Repeat. After about three places you'll notice similarities among the products, prices, and amenities. And you'll start being able to ask knowledgeable questions of them. Can you swap out the saddle? Free lifetime maintenance? Etc. (Suggest weekday afternoons if possible; they won't be as busy as after work hours or weekends.)

This will get you started, and paging through one of the bicycle buyers' guides (spend the few bucks on a magazine, easier than web sites) will get you going further.

{rentabikenow.com} You might try before you buy and do an extended test ride. (Just lapping a parking lot probably isn't sufficient.)​

Trek is fine. Hybrid is fine. Shop around a bit, staying away from big box $99 bicycle-shaped objects. Get you a rear rack and water bottle/cage, speedometer, lights for evening.

HTH
 
Mayor's Bike Ride

A few pics from tonight
biggroup.jpg


cpoint1.jpg


Self-defense (the comments are worse at tandem events)
sprocket.jpg


Hizzoner rode his own bike the whole 4 miles. Got him on mine for a photo op.
george2.jpg
 
rcgplanner said:
. I have my eye on a Trek hybrid, what do the rest of you all think?
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Sounds fine for what you are looking to do with it. My experience with hybrids is that most people either get more into cycling and buy something else after a couple of years, or decide it isn't for them. Either way, the minimal investment in a hybrid is a good way to go. Trek is a fine brand. Keep in mind that the brand is pretty much the name on the frame. Most frames come out of one of a handful of factories in Asia, and they are all pretty good. Don't get too worried about components or anything like that. In fact, I wouldn't worry so much about the brand of the bike or anything like that. At this stage, I'd probably go on the "feel" you get from the shop. Are the staff helpful, are they going to take good care of you? Ask some basic first-timer questions and watch for the eye-roll. If you see that, shop elsewhere. A good bike shop will be your partner in terms of getting into riding.
 
These Long John bikes by Velorbis are so seriously cool. I wonder if we will ever see something similar here in the States...:)
 
Veloise said:
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2009/04/bicyclists_need_to_stay_on_sidewalk

Pile on, everyone else is.
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Wow, that guy is a complete jack-hole. I couldn't tell if he was serious or a very lame attempt at satire. In Indiana, the hostility to cyclists is very sad. The Mayor of Indianapolis has done a lot to promote bicycling in the city, but the residents have a long way to go. When it was announced last fall that the City was embarking on a 10-year project to add new bike lanes, the comments in the paper were much like this jack-bag's. :-{

Faust_Motel said:
At this stage, I'd probably go on the "feel" you get from the shop. Are the staff helpful, are they going to take good care of you? Ask some basic first-timer questions and watch for the eye-roll. If you see that, shop elsewhere. A good bike shop will be your partner in terms of getting into riding.
Click to expand...

Veloise said:
Here's my advice to a local from Urban Planet. (Must be something in the spring air...or the fact that it's Bike Month.)


HTH
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Thank you Faust and Veloise, I am looking at a hybrid b/c it seems like a good choice for a first serious bike. While in Minneapolis, I got to see how much of a pleasure it was riding a decent bike versus the $99 crap they sell at Wal-Mart or Target. My next step is going to visit some shops and get a feel for the shops and their staff.
 
Looks like your CM is more of a community meet-up than stoner white kids with dreds and skateboards. (I used to partake of the one in Ann Arbor. The time a bunch of teens decided it would be fun to get arrested was pretty interesting.)

ETA: Pink Helmet Gal's Michigan sweatshirt is missing something...
 
Veloise said:
Looks like your CM is more of a community meet-up than stoner white kids with dreds and skateboards. (I used to partake of the one in Ann Arbor. The time a bunch of teens decided it would be fun to get arrested was pretty interesting.)

ETA: Pink Helmet Gal's Michigan sweatshirt is missing something...
Click to expand...

Supposedly 3,000 people partake in Chicago's summer masses. Of course it seems like it is disproportionately white hipsters, though all sorts of people ride.
 
According to Copenhagenize.com, they had 5,000 riders in Madrid for a sort of critical mass ride. Not a helmet to be seen anywhere, BTW.
 
Crash investigation

Today I checked out the site of Sunday's 3 am fatal crash. Pretty interesting to see this pavement marking:

<---
(o o)

Here's part of a message from my friends in blue:
“no head lights or taillights, reflectors on the spokes of both tires, one reflector on seat post turned forward, dark colored clothing.” And the guys downtown verified that the orange spray paint was the resting place of the victim's bike.

Plus he was riding on the sidewalk...had a flashing red, while the cross street had a flashing yellow. The motorist "did not see" the cyclist.
 
I just bought a foldable bike on-line. Cheapest one available. Looks like a walking stick insect. 6" wheels... Weeee!

50 years old. Haven't been on a bike since I was 12.

Can't wait.

:p:p:p:p:p
 
The City of Copenhagen unveiled the winners of their bike share competition yesterday. The jury noted in one of their comments that the city's population of 519,000 is outnumbered by bikes, of which Copenhageners have 560,000.

I like the spokeless one the best: LINK.
 
HEADLINE: For Bicyclists Needing a Boost, This Wheel May Help
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/science/earth/15bike.html?ref=earth

HIGHLIGHT:
designed a wheel that captures the kinetic energy released when a rider brakes and saves it for when the rider needs a boost. While technically sound, the wheel’s true challenge may be in winning over cyclists.

The new wheel uses a kinetic energy recovery system, the same technology used by hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, to harvest otherwise wasted energy when a cyclist brakes or speeds down a hill. With that energy, it charges up a battery inside the wheel’s hub.

The sleek red hub, called the Copenhagen Wheel,
Click to expand...


Sounds so promising. Would you buy it ?
 
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