Harradin Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I got into road cycling a few months ago, done 500+ miles now and I'm really enjoying it! I never realised how much of a difference cycling shoes/pedals make! Next on my list is better tyres, I keep getting punctures (3 in the last 2 weeks) so I think my tyres are done! I have to cycle for at least 30+ miles now or I just don't feel tired, unless I do a sprint! Luckily I like exploring Anyone else cycle? Link to post Share on other sites
somedude81 Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'm not a cyclist other than riding an hour every week but my dad is very much into it. He actually does races. He tried to get me into the sport but I just want to do it for fun. If you really enjoy it you should look into joining a team. You don't have to race, and instead would just do rides with other people who life to ride. Link to post Share on other sites
ufo8mycat Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Next on my list is better tyres, I keep getting punctures (3 in the last 2 weeks) so I think my tyres are done! Or something small in the tyre that is continuing to puncture the tube. I use continental GP4000s and replace them whenever they get a few nicks in them - usually every six months or so. 10,000km/year. 1 puncture to date! Hopefully. I always worry when I say that what the next ride will bring... Link to post Share on other sites
Keenly Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 People in the US tend to get pretty angry at cyclists. A lot of them expect to have all the rights and privilege of motor vehicles, yet abide by none of the basic laws governing them (Stopping at stop signs, for example) I hope you cyclists are more considerate in other countries Link to post Share on other sites
SpiralOut Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) I'm a cyclist. I got my hybrid bike last year and I love it. I commuted to work for 3 months this year. Now that the sun is setting earlier, I am taking a break from doing that. I will still go out on weekends, that's it now. I enjoy it more now that I am doing it for fun only and WOW what a difference it makes to go without a heavy load sitting on the back! My next goal is to get some leg sleeves to keep my legs warm in the cooler weather. I've looked into cycle pants and they are pricey. I think it makes more sense to get the leg sleeves, since the weather fluctuates in the fall. I haven't upgraded to the cycling shoes/pedals yet - I'm planning to do that for next year. I hope you cyclists are more considerate in other countries We have a bad rep in Canada too. I've seen other cyclists acting stupid and I wish they wouldn't do that. It gives the rest of us a bad reputation! Edited September 3, 2014 by SpiralOut Link to post Share on other sites
ufo8mycat Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 People in the US tend to get pretty angry at cyclists. A lot of them expect to have all the rights and privilege of motor vehicles, yet abide by none of the basic laws governing them (Stopping at stop signs, for example) I hope you cyclists are more considerate in other countries Motorists get really agro with cyclists here too it is a good fodder for the tabloid media cars v cyclists. There are bad eggs on all modes of transports. I hope motorists are more considerate in other countries too! I was in Mountain View earlier this year and did a bit of riding and the number of stop signs were crazy, they seemed to be used the way the rest of the world would uses roundabouts. But the traffic was awesome. I think I caused more confusion as I am used to heavy, obnoxious traffic that is trying to kill you so was really confused the drivers that were giving way to me. Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I hope you cyclists are more considerate in other countries Nope! They don't have number plates and are rarely held accountable so they keep breaking the rules. My pet hate is their not stopping at pedestrian crossings and red lights. I've seen two this morning, one pretty bad where she stopped the pedestrians from stepping off the pavement because she jumped the light so late. They stood there like sheep 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Harradin Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 If you really enjoy it you should look into joining a team. You don't have to race, and instead would just do rides with other people who life to ride. I have considered it, I might! Although I'm thinking of doing triathlons but it wouldn't hurt to join both! Or something small in the tyre that is continuing to puncture the tube. I use continental GP4000s and replace them whenever they get a few nicks in them - usually every six months or so. 10,000km/year. 1 puncture to date! Hopefully. I always worry when I say that what the next ride will bring... The first puncture, me and my Dad fixed them and checked the tyre and there was no debris, then after the second I went to a bike shop with the tyre and got it done by them so when I got the third puncture, I was confused! My friend has recommended I buy the Continental GP4000S II's, he's bought a set and he's really happy! My next goal is to get some leg sleeves to keep my legs warm in the cooler weather. I've looked into cycle pants and they are pricey. I think it makes more sense to get the leg sleeves, since the weather fluctuates in the fall. What I've done is buy compression clothes and wear them underneath my cycling clothes, on Monday in the UK it was rainy and not very warm but I was warm! If it helps I hope you cyclists are more considerate in other countries Nope! They don't have number plates and are rarely held accountable so they keep breaking the rules. My pet hate is their not stopping at pedestrian crossings and red lights. I've seen two this morning, one pretty bad where she stopped the pedestrians from stepping off the pavement because she jumped the light so late. They stood there like sheep In the UK, it depends from my experience! I've seen good cyclists and bad cyclists, good drivers and bad drivers. My biggest gripe is when I overtake people on mountain bikes, when there's a red light, they think its perfectly alright to jump onto the pavement and go through the red lights! I've only had a couple of issues with car drivers, one overtook me in the middle of a roundabout and forced me to stop or I would have hit the pavement! The other, I stopped to check where/how far I had gone and a van beeped at me as it came past and the people inside gave me w*nker signs and middle fingers, hadn't seen the van before in my life. Link to post Share on other sites
somedude81 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I have considered it, I might! Although I'm thinking of doing triathlons but it wouldn't hurt to join both! Wow, a triathlon is a ton of work. Good luck with that. You're probably in killer shape Funny enough, my triathlon is riding my bike to and from school, salsa dancing, and then surfing a couple of times a week Regarding laws, in the states, at least California, bikes aren't really expected to stop at stop signs. Just don't do it right in front of a cop. Red lights are a must. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Anyone else cycle? Yeah, still have my cross bike and do short stuff, usually when I'm at the coast. Probably a sign of age but I took off the SPD's and now just have regular pedals for cruising. No more high tech road wheels and racing tires, rather nice treaded cross tires with less pressure in them. Back in the day I used to use the latex tubes for centuries since they were pretty puncture resistant and light. Nowadays it's those brick thorn-resistent butyl tubes. My main focus in the past was endurance cycling, stuff like the climb to Kaiser (Pass), the Markleyville Death ride and similar. Helluva high. Any more, it's just cruising and taking in the sea air and views and stopping a lot for pictures and just to enjoy. Where I'm moving to has a lot of fire roads and abandoned rail grades so I'll get plenty of opportunities for getting close to nature on a bike. Perfect for my older body. Good luck in your pursuits. Oh, also, especially for endurance stuff, your clothing and seat can make a huge difference. Don't skimp on those. BTW, for training, 30 miles @ 20-25mph or so is a warm-up. Then we start to climb. It's fun looking at the altimeter to see how much elevation gain one can do in a day. I still marvel at what the human body can accomplish. Hope you have a great time. It's a hobby that can last a lifetime. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Harradin Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 Good luck in your pursuits. Oh, also, especially for endurance stuff, your clothing and seat can make a huge difference. Don't skimp on those. BTW, for training, 30 miles @ 20-25mph or so is a warm-up. Then we start to climb. It's fun looking at the altimeter to see how much elevation gain one can do in a day. I still marvel at what the human body can accomplish. Hope you have a great time. It's a hobby that can last a lifetime. How high did you get? Must have been awesome to fly down the hill afterwards! Wow, a triathlon is a ton of work. Good luck with that. You're probably in killer shape Funny enough, my triathlon is riding my bike to and from school, salsa dancing, and then surfing a couple of times a week I wish haha! I was heavily into judo and kickboxing competitively but a few months ago I had a medical scare and for 2-3 years I've been forced to give them up so I have to find new sports to keep me in shape during the meantime! I'm still on the fence though, I haven't quite decided whether I will do triathlons yet Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 How high did you get? Must have been awesome to fly down the hill afterwards! Most I ever personally did in a day was about 12.5K total (from my own altimeter) on the climb to Kaiser, which is a bit over 9100 feet in elevation. The excess is due to ups and downs going both ways from the valley. To train for that I had to drive to the pass, park and spend a couple days at altitude riding the road between Kaiser and Florence lake in the week or so prior to the ride, in addition to normal flats and hill training. I'm a lousy climber, being big and heavy (for a climber), so it was a lot of work hauling my ass up the hills. Yep, coming down was sure fun though. We'd get up to 55-60mph on the downhills. I recall, on one ride from Shaver to Courtright reservoir, a friend lost it on a long downhill and went over the side at the end and down the mountain and broke his collarbone and had to be helicoptered out. He was a great climbing buddy, a natural on the bike. All it takes is some gravel or a stick at that speed and it's over. Hence, fair warning when you start doing speed work. Things happen fast and there aren't any airbags. California is an amazing place to do on and off-road cycling. Bicycle camping was a passion for many years. Hit the trailhead and disappear for a week on the trails. That was why I bought a cross bike. Put the knobbies on it and low geared sprockets and enjoy the mountains. Link to post Share on other sites
Polak Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Anything on 2 wheels is fair game for me. Haven't really gotten into road-cycling; instead I absolutely love urban assault and also street trials (youtube Danny Macaskill). Mountains are fun as hell too when bombing down ravines. Here in the Appalachian Mtns there's plenty of action. Link to post Share on other sites
guest569 Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I got a very cheap basic bike about 5 yrs ago and had a lot of flat tyres so i got some new tubes that apparently have a gel inside that helps strengthen them against punctures.l lots of broken glass and little rocks etc. as for testing , brakes dont work now so i cant comment. Link to post Share on other sites
JDPT Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I purchased a seat with no "nose" for my brand new bike that never used lol Link to post Share on other sites
Author Harradin Posted September 12, 2014 Author Share Posted September 12, 2014 The Tour of Britain has been happening in the UK for the past week, the route they were on today is about 10 miles from me so I cycled over with a friend. We went to the top of a hill which is 10% (in UK terms) so quite steep, they were flying up the hill like it was nothing, it was crazy! Some of the pro riders had Strava (cycling app) on, they demolished every single timed segment by a country mile! The rides the pro riders did have been removed now though, but the speed they were carrying was unbelieveable. They are pros for a reason! Link to post Share on other sites
angel.eyes Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 I bought my bike several months ago. I love it! I found a few groups to bike with, and we mostly cycle around the countryside or on roads and bike paths that follow the beach. Now that it's fall, I'm planning some fall foliage bike rides. A few cities are very strict about cyclists following traffic rules. My brother was recently ticketed and had to go to court for a minor traffic infraction. Link to post Share on other sites
martaldn Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I am! cycling in London is a big challenge but fun at the same time - I got lost so many times but discovered so many cool places I wouldnt know otherwise! Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Anyone else cycle? Nothing serious anymore, mainly exploring like you describe. Throw the bike on the roof of the car or camper and, if an area looks interesting, head off to explore it more personally. The funny thing about having done more serious stuff in the past is that I can fall into the trap of my ego writing checks my older, out of shape body can no longer cash. Hit a few grades and anaerobic reality sets in. Enjoy! Link to post Share on other sites
Author Harradin Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 I am! cycling in London is a big challenge but fun at the same time - I got lost so many times but discovered so many cool places I wouldnt know otherwise! London looks like a lethal place to cycle! I live near London but wouldn't dare to cycle into London, I'll stick to my country roads! My bike's currently broken atm, the gear lever has messed up so atm waiting for a cheap gear lever on Ebay (the bike shop near me wanted £120 for a pair) so I can replace it but not many come around! Link to post Share on other sites
martaldn Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 London looks like a lethal place to cycle! I live near London but wouldn't dare to cycle into London, I'll stick to my country roads! My bike's currently broken atm, the gear lever has messed up so atm waiting for a cheap gear lever on Ebay (the bike shop near me wanted £120 for a pair) so I can replace it but not many come around! i know its a bit crazy here we are doing a massive march next Saturday in memorial of all the people that every year die in London ( still too many ) Link to post Share on other sites
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