The bicycling thread.

[Neodogg]

Still have my Gary Fisher - Big Sur from when I worked in a bike shop in college. I think it's a great hard-tale. I need to upgrade some componants, its all stock.

 

[nug]

It really makes you appreciate nature...sometimes.

I really lost focus on the fun and exploration side of cycling a few years back. I grew obsessed with numbers, performance, stats. I use(d) Strava and there's a ton of local strava segments scattered here and there. My rides became more about personal records (PRs) and breaking others records than then enjoyment of it all. Rides became a chore, I started getting an anxiety about me when I knew I was going to go attempt a "strava segment" on a ride the next day...country roads became a means to get to the next segment...I wasn't fun anymore and by end of season 2013, I was so burnt out, I didn't want to see my bike again.

This burnout resulted in my riding a local loop nearly all last summer...again and again, 20 mile sessions of this miserable loop. Rides became a workout for me, and little else.

This season, thanks to nearly 2 months of straight rain (may/June), my '15 season was shot as well. I decided it was time to begin enjoying riding again...went out and did my first 50 mi ride since early '14 basically to see if I could. For the rest of the time, I love a good 30-40 mile session...that seems to be the sweet spot where I can get done, go home, and still go about my day without being miserable.

If summer '16 is actually a summer and not a fucking monsoon like this year, I expect good miles out of my body...

Lots of riders get like this. Many of the people I know that ride always needle me saying my bikes are too heavy, or because I don't wear all the bike gear.

I always say the same thing: I ride to enjoy myself and get exercise. If my bike is heavy, so what? Means I have to burn more calories to go faster / longer, right? And who cares what I wear.

They're so many cyclists on the trails I use that just like to show off how fancy their gear is. It always makes me laugh because the majority of them are in awful shape.

I was at a rest stop and this guy is explaining to his buddy that the latest model Pinerello is so good since it's almost a half pound lighter then last years model with more dramatic aerodynamic technology. I look over and the guy talking has a giant beer gut stuffed into the mountains classification jersey. Made me lol.

 

[hyper]

I ride a fuji hybrid street/offroad, good speed on the road & proper traction for dirt trails.. I'll dig up pics later

 

[Electric Grave]

It really makes you appreciate nature...sometimes.

I really lost focus on the fun and exploration side of cycling a few years back. I grew obsessed with numbers, performance, stats. I use(d) Strava and there's a ton of local strava segments scattered here and there. My rides became more about personal records (PRs) and breaking others records than then enjoyment of it all. Rides became a chore, I started getting an anxiety about me when I knew I was going to go attempt a "strava segment" on a ride the next day...country roads became a means to get to the next segment...I wasn't fun anymore and by end of season 2013, I was so burnt out, I didn't want to see my bike again.

This burnout resulted in my riding a local loop nearly all last summer...again and again, 20 mile sessions of this miserable loop. Rides became a workout for me, and little else.

This season, thanks to nearly 2 months of straight rain (may/June), my '15 season was shot as well. I decided it was time to begin enjoying riding again...went out and did my first 50 mi ride since early '14 basically to see if I could. For the rest of the time, I love a good 30-40 mile session...that seems to be the sweet spot where I can get done, go home, and still go about my day without being miserable.

If summer '16 is actually a summer and not a fucking monsoon like this year, I expect good miles out of my body...

I know what you mean 'cause I do most of my commuting riding so once I set my route I start timing myself and try to get faster and what have you. Eventually the busy roads and commuting traffic got so monotonous that some days I just don't wanna do it. When that happens I change route, take some back roads, if it takes me longer then the more exercise I get out of it anyway plus it's a nicer prettier ride. 25 mile commute round trip from one point and 50 mile commute from another, I frequent the shorter distance more often than not but I still pull the 50 here and there. I've done cross country with a group 80 miles a day and a few 100 miles day with a break half way each day and random stops due to not being a competition but more of a fund raiser thing.

Another thing, riding also makes me listen to music attentively, I still keep my mind on the road but I make these playlists that hit the bill for me. Sometimes I do go for an album and loop it or random things up with one group or genre but for the most part I like dynamic shit, I listen to the ESP Galuda 2 OST, I think it's awesome but most of the time it's just metal.

Down in Bal Harbor FL just north of Miami by by the inter coastal, there's this hard packed sand long ass strip that crosses through surfside (another town) and part of another to end right unto south beach. It's awesome, just incredible, to ride right next to the ocean like that for miles and miles, I love it. Anytime you want you can stop and jump in the water. I'm not a complicated man, simple things like that make me happy 'cause no matter what the experience cannot get any better for me, that's pinnacle right there, riding on places like that, just awesome!

 

[NeoSneth]

I've been considering a real road bike for some time, but I used biking as a form of exercise. I feel like I would have to be out there longer and work harder because the bike is so much easier to move.

That's another reason i prefer my crosstrail. Great commuter, and i get a decent workout in 60-90 minutes with the hills around where i live.

 

[Sherlin]

Still have my Gary Fisher - Big Sur from when I worked in a bike shop in college. I think it's a great hard-tale. I need to upgrade some componants, its all stock.

Always wanted a real Gary Fisher. Back in college I worked with a guy at Ruby Tuesdays that had one. I think he owned a bike shop here in the Boro. I know he worked there. He also had a cool iguana. I ended up getting one of those instead. She died since then but I have another one now. Still never got that Gary Fisher.

 

[smokehouse]

I've been considering a real road bike for some time, but I used biking as a form of exercise. I feel like I would have to be out there longer and work harder because the bike is so much easier to move.

That's another reason i prefer my crosstrail. Great commuter, and i get a decent workout in 60-90 minutes with the hills around where i live.

I'll be the first to say, it's not all about the bike (yeah...quoted the douche, I know). With my comfort bike being nearly twice the weight of my road bike, I'm not that much faster on the road bike. Yeah, 2-3mph average faster, but I really believe that has more to do with riding position/frame geometry then anything.

I just think of the road bike as being more efficient. I put forth X effort, I see Y speed. Effort for effort, I will always being going faster in my road bike...but were still talking about the same heart rate/cadence though...

 

[voltronbadass]

Fiend Ty Morrow 21" TT Frame In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Fiend Embryo Forks In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Fiend Team Bars In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Odyssey Thunderbolt Cranks
Odyssey Keychain
Fit Mac Alloy Sealed Pedals
S&M Tuffman Sprocket
S&M Enduro Stem
FBM Pivotal Seat Post
Fiend Kevlar Fat Seat
Rear Wheel: G-Sport Ratchet Hub, G-Sport Birdcage Rim
Front Wheel: G-Sport Marmoset Hub, G-Sport Birdcage Rim
Animal GLH Tires
Odyssey Evo2 Brake
Odyssey Chase Hawk Grips
Banned Stash Compression Cap

This is my daily, been through many bikes and parts in the last 3 or 4 years to get to this combo, I dont like my bikes to look expensive, I do a lot of riding at night and in the city.

 

[nug]

Fiend Ty Morrow 21" TT Frame In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Fiend Embryo Forks In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Fiend Team Bars In Hammered Bronze Colorway
Odyssey Thunderbolt Cranks
Odyssey Keychain
Fit Mac Alloy Sealed Pedals
S&M Tuffman Sprocket
S&M Enduro Stem
FBM Pivotal Seat Post
Fiend Kevlar Fat Seat
Rear Wheel: G-Sport Ratchet Hub, G-Sport Birdcage Rim
Front Wheel: G-Sport Marmoset Hub, G-Sport Birdcage Rim
Animal GLH Tires
Odyssey Evo2 Brake
Odyssey Chase Hawk Grips
Banned Stash Compression Cap

This is my daily, been through many bikes and parts in the last 3 or 4 years to get to this combo, I dont like my bikes to look expensive, I do a lot of riding at night and in the city.

Cool. Used to bmx a ton as a kid. Sadly, I got rid of my rides, but I still have an old mono shock frame somewhere

 

[voltronbadass]

People often ask if the frame is heavy with that colorway/coating, its a new fangled plastic coating, not traditional hammertone/hammerite. It only adds about half a pound to the weight of a painted frame, the frame is still below 5 pounds. So Im guessing at worst it adds a full pound to the bike with the full colorway.

 

[ki_atsushi]

I used to bike all the time growing up, but I've decided that bikes hate me... last time I was on one I stood up to pedal fast and then the chain snapped. I immediately went down on my side and I skidded on the road about 20 feet. When I got up, about 2mm of the tip of my pinky finger was missing (it was trapped under the handlebars and got grated like cheese on the road, lol) and I had terrible road rash on my leg. I've had many accidents before that, but that was the last straw.

 

[smokehouse]

I used to bike all the time growing up, but I've decided that bikes hate me... last time I was on one I stood up to pedal fast and then the chain snapped. I immediately went down on my side and I skidded on the road about 20 feet. When I got up, about 2mm of the tip of my pinky finger was missing (it was trapped under the handlebars and got grated like cheese on the road, lol) and I had terrible road rash on my leg. I've had many accidents before that, but that was the last straw.

I'm very paranoid about eating it while riding and so far *knocks on wood*, I haven't had a major accident like you describe.

it's funny you should mention the chain thing...this happened to me all of the time when I was a kid, mostly when I dropped a chain off my front chainring, I spun out, racked myself on the top tube and biffed. With my current bikes, I haven't had this happen to me once. If your setup is in good shape and setup well, this will never happen. I'm riding the same chains that pros use and they can put down far more power to the pedals than I ever will...if they don't snap one, I doubt I will either.

 

[NeoSneth]

So who all wears a helmet for casual riding?

What's weird is i do not helmet when bicycling, but I always do when motorcycling. Helmets were a joke when I was a kid, and for some reason that sticks in my head still. It's good to see most folks are properly geared up for skateboarding and biking now, but I'm a rebel in that regard.

 

[smokehouse]

So who all wears a helmet for casual riding?

What's weird is i do not helmet when bicycling, but I always do when motorcycling. Helmets were a joke when I was a kid, and for some reason that sticks in my head still. It's good to see most folks are properly geared up for skateboarding and biking now, but I'm a rebel in that regard.

The answer should be...every time I ride. But...it isn't. I always wear a helmet when I road ride on my road bike...when I do a slow family ride or a short neighborhood session on the comfort bike? Never.

Like anything else, a good helmet is paramount, I currently have these two:

Giro Aeon:
http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/men/helmets/aeon.html

Insanely light and unbelievably comfortable. I literally forget i have it on at times. The giant wind flow holes do make an odd "woosh" sound that almost sounds like an oncoming car. I use this for hot weather riding.

Giro Air Attack:
http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/men/helmets/air-attack.html

Not as light as the Aeon...but it is still very lightweight. Airflow isn't as good as the Aeon, which I like for cooler temps. (having less airflow, it doesn't create that odd sound that the Aeon does) Two quick pieces of white masking tape and it darn near shuts down the airflow completely...which I do when it is cold outside.

Both helmets use their same retention system...which is superb.
http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/men/helmets/air-attack.html

 

[Sherlin]

So who all wears a helmet for casual riding?

What's weird is i do not helmet when bicycling, but I always do when motorcycling. Helmets were a joke when I was a kid, and for some reason that sticks in my head still. It's good to see most folks are properly geared up for skateboarding and biking now, but I'm a rebel in that regard.

I did at first. Just wear a backwards cycling cap with the bill flipped up now.

 

[IcBlUsCrN]

even though ive taken the past 2 months off I do ride a lot even race a little. past couple of years has been on mountain bike since for me its just a better workout vs time. i usually do ~2.5k miles ~300k feet a year. This year mostly been riding a trek fuel 9 29er. Im in so-cal and its great for mtb riding but i do go to utah,oregon at least once a year. Also been to whistler a couple of times. most of my riding is cross country with some all mountain. I used to love downhill and all mountain riding but as i get older i get more cautious and the downhill is less appealing.

 

[Electric Grave]

The answer should be...every time I ride. But...it isn't. I always wear a helmet when I road ride on my road bike...when I do a slow family ride or a short neighborhood session on the comfort bike? Never.

Same here, I only wear a helmet for serious riding, leisure riding not so much.

 

[Neodogg]

View attachment 27633

ugh, I need to update my shock and disc brakes

 

[Jibbajaba]

I ride my bike to work and back every day, which is about a 23 mile round trip. Bike is an '04 Pinarello Galileo w/ full Ultegra. I also try to go on longer rides (40-50 miles) on the weekends but my wife generally wants to come with me, and as much as I adore her she is a fucking boat anchor. I always try to push as hard as I can, and really suffer on the bike (which in my opinion is what endurance road cycling is all about) but she doesn't approach it that way, so I always end up not even breaking a sweat when we ride together.

 

[smokehouse]

I ride my bike to work and back every day, which is about a 23 mile round trip. Bike is an '04 Pinarello Galileo w/ full Ultegra. I also try to go on longer rides (40-50 miles) on the weekends but my wife generally wants to come with me, and as much as I adore her she is a fucking boat anchor. I always try to push as hard as I can, and really suffer on the bike (which in my opinion is what endurance road cycling is all about) but she doesn't approach it that way, so I always end up not even breaking a sweat when we ride together.

Suffering...its interesting you'd mention that.

I used to really be into suffering on the bike, but anymore I'll push when I need to and not when I don't. Its a long story, but I was really hitting the wall on longer rides...falling apart much after the 50 mile mark. Having some guys look at my numbers, it turns out I was just pushing too hard. I'd have HR #'s in the high 160's average and the effort was killing me. I was becoming more and more obsessed with my sessions, how fast I could go, my average MPH...the entire time never taking into consideration how mortal I am, how I have to live a "normal" life that doesn't allow me time to train like I would need to really shit and get.

So I slowed down and funny enough, things went better over the distance. Got my HR's down in the 150's and it made all the difference. Anymore, I'm perfectly happy with a 15'ish mph average 35-50 mile session. I'll go harder on a 20 mile weekday ride, but on the longer solo sessions, I needed to dial it back.

I still need to do more climbing...love/hate that shit but damn, I'm good at it. Not exactly sure what it is that makes me a good climber but I am...far better climber than I am an endurance rider...

 

[ki_atsushi]

I'm very paranoid about eating it while riding and so far *knocks on wood*, I haven't had a major accident like you describe.

it's funny you should mention the chain thing...this happened to me all of the time when I was a kid, mostly when I dropped a chain off my front chainring, I spun out, racked myself on the top tube and biffed. With my current bikes, I haven't had this happen to me once. If your setup is in good shape and setup well, this will never happen. I'm riding the same chains that pros use and they can put down far more power to the pedals than I ever will...if they don't snap one, I doubt I will either.

Yeah, it was a cheap bike with an old rusty chain... I guess I should have known it was coming. But I've had so many bad experiences on 2 wheels that was the last straw.

One time I hit a large raised crack in the sidewalk and it twisted my front wheel, punching me right in the solar plexus with my handlebar. I could barely breathe so laid on someones yard for a good 10 minutes.

Another time when riding next to a canal, I almost went in (would have been a disaster because it was about 10 ft. to the bottom) due to again running over something (probably a rock) that made my wheel cock to the left. I then proceeded to overcorrect and fly off the canal bank in the other direction, going 3 feet down and falling on my side. Skinned the hell out of my knee. Was better than going 10 feet off the other side though.

Anyways, as you can tell I'm not the most coordinated individual so I stay off things with 2 wheels. I had a lot more incidents that that too.

 

[Jibbajaba]

Suffering...its interesting you'd mention that.

I used to really be into suffering on the bike, but anymore I'll push when I need to and not when I don't. Its a long story, but I was really hitting the wall on longer rides...falling apart much after the 50 mile mark. Having some guys look at my numbers, it turns out I was just pushing too hard. I'd have HR #'s in the high 160's average and the effort was killing me. I was becoming more and more obsessed with my sessions, how fast I could go, my average MPH...the entire time never taking into consideration how mortal I am, how I have to live a "normal" life that doesn't allow me time to train like I would need to really shit and get.

So I slowed down and funny enough, things went better over the distance. Got my HR's down in the 150's and it made all the difference. Anymore, I'm perfectly happy with a 15'ish mph average 35-50 mile session. I'll go harder on a 20 mile weekday ride, but on the longer solo sessions, I needed to dial it back.

I still need to do more climbing...love/hate that shit but damn, I'm good at it. Not exactly sure what it is that makes me a good climber but I am...far better climber than I am an endurance rider...

This is probably going to make me sound like a psycho or something, but the suffering and subsequent cracking are not a means to an end for me, they're the point. I'm not trying to up my average MPH, I don't measure my power output, I just go ride until I crack. And I crack somewhere far away from home so that I have no choice but to find a second wind to get back. Like I want to give up so badly, but it isn't an option. So I think about Jens Voigt's "Shut up legs, and do as I tell you." or Tyler Hamilton's philosophy about embracing the pain instead of seeing it as an adversary.

There's a quote by Ayrton Senna where he said "On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further." I think that for me, cycling is the only outlet I have to do something like this. So I come home totally gassed and in pain from a ride, but the next day I have very little soreness in my legs, and I realize that my limit is a little bit further than I thought.

This is also why I only really enjoy riding by myself.

 

[smokehouse]

This is probably going to make me sound like a psycho or something, but the suffering and subsequent cracking are not a means to an end for me, they're the point. I'm not trying to up my average MPH, I don't measure my power output, I just go ride until I crack. And I crack somewhere far away from home so that I have no choice but to find a second wind to get back. Like I want to give up so badly, but it isn't an option. So I think about Jens Voigt's "Shut up legs, and do as I tell you." or Tyler Hamilton's philosophy about embracing the pain instead of seeing it as an adversary.

There's a quote by Ayrton Senna where he said "On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further." I think that for me, cycling is the only outlet I have to do something like this. So I come home totally gassed and in pain from a ride, but the next day I have very little soreness in my legs, and I realize that my limit is a little bit further than I thought.

This is also why I only really enjoy riding by myself.

I'll definitely push myself to suffer, that's for sure. I enjoy suffering on the bike, I really do.

My problem is that I was mixing two very different worlds...suffering ad endurance. There are very few people on this planet that can suffer and do marathon rides. Hell, even Ironman contenders do not push on the ride. I would set out to do a 3-4 hr ride then attempt to push myself hard during that session...which is a very bad idea. I had to understand that the duration IS the suffering. Never have I finished a 3-4 hr ride and felt fresh as a daisy. I was shot on Sat when I finished 50...it was hot, I rode strong...I gave a good effort. On the other hand, I definitely dialed it back at times.

As an example...I did a HARD 75 mile ride back end of '13 season. I gave it all I had...solo, average mph in the 18's, I gave everything I had in the tank on that ride.
When I finished I was confused, shot, cramping...I had to sit for a while before I even felt safe driving home in that condition. When I got home I was a goofy, distant mess. My wife was asking me if I was ok because I had that thousand yard stare look to me. I didn't land up getting back on the bike for nearly two weeks after that...I had no drive to do so. That was one of the most miserable experiences I had on a bike at that point.

Perhaps I was being a baby...but it changed me. I rode one long of 50mi season of '14 and that was it. Spent the entire season grinding out hard 20-30 mi rides top. I didn't even regain my will to ride long until last winter.

I've just had to suffer "smart" is all...

 

[cdamm]

So i was doing that basic 5 mile loop (up to a couple of laps now) as usual/ routine and stopped for a second to read the trail map sign. turns out there is a few exits (which i thought were entrances from the street) which lead to a series of other loops all over the suburbs which totals out around 40 or so miles. It's a fun discovery now that i know this thing can grow with my ability.

 

[Jibbajaba]

So i was doing that basic 5 mile loop (up to a couple of laps now) as usual/ routine and stopped for a second to read the trail map sign. turns out there is a few exits (which i thought were entrances from the street) which lead to a series of other loops all over the suburbs which totals out around 40 or so miles. It's a fun discovery now that i know this thing can grow with my ability.

Come to NorCal and I'll drag you around the countryside.