Author Topic: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition  (Read 40522 times)

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Offline MarquisDeSade

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The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Topic Start: February 17, 2012, 02:48:19 PM »
Since we've been talking about this in multiple threads on the board I figured I'd go ahead and start one now that nice weather is on the way.  Tomorrow I'm doing a test ride over to the stadium from the Danger Zone® before I go lift heavy things at the gym.  Hopefully when I get back these will be waiting for me at the hacienda:



Big props to Ali and Gburg for the recommendations and to Chief, Nathan, and MrsMorse for keeping me motivated on the wheels of steel.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #1: February 17, 2012, 02:54:10 PM »
You'll like them a lot. Did you buy the more puncture resistant ones? I would have, but I don't ride the old steel Raleigh like I used to. I use my feets for exercise now. Maybe when the weather gets nicer...

Since we've been talking about this in multiple threads on the board I figured I'd go ahead and start one now that nice weather is on the way.  Tomorrow I'm doing a test ride over to the stadium from the Danger Zone® before I go lift heavy things at the gym.  Hopefully when I get back these will be waiting for me at the hacienda:

(Image removed from quote.)

Big props to Ali and Gburg for the recommendations and to Chief, Nathan, and MrsMorse for keeping me motivated on the wheels of steel.


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #2: February 17, 2012, 03:01:14 PM »
You'll like them a lot. Did you buy the more puncture resistant ones? I would have, but I don't ride the old steel Raleigh like I used to. I use my feets for exercise now. Maybe when the weather gets nicer...

These are the ones I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AR680S/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

I was going to get these but decided to not go cheap since this pretty much my main way of getting around nowadays:

http://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Bicycle-Blackwall-26-Inch-1-95-Inch/dp/B002DX1DWG/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #3: February 17, 2012, 03:18:44 PM »
I've never been disappointed by a Michelin product. There is not a single other brand about which I can say the same thing.
These are the ones I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AR680S/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

I was going to get these but decided to not go cheap since this pretty much my main way of getting around nowadays:

http://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Bicycle-Blackwall-26-Inch-1-95-Inch/dp/B002DX1DWG/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2


Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #4: February 17, 2012, 03:44:14 PM »
There are some 100 psi kevlar beaded Ritchey slicks I've been using for years, but can't seem to find anymore (the now-defunct bike store at Dupont Circle must have bought a whole warehouse of them when they went out of production).  They would last forever in warm weather, but the sidewalls would start to crack in severe cold (<15F).  I don't think the mercury has gone below 25 this winter, so they would have been fine.     

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #5: February 17, 2012, 03:46:34 PM »
I was going to put off buying new tires for another couple of weeks but the current ones are starting to show the sidewall thread.  I checked with the bike shop across from my office and all they had were stiff Bontrashers (:spaz:) for $50/each. 

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #6: February 17, 2012, 03:50:05 PM »
$50 EACH?!  Does that come with a turducken??

I was going to put off buying new tires for another couple of weeks but the current ones are starting to show the sidewall thread.  I checked with the bike shop across from my office and all they had were stiff Bontrashers (:spaz:) for $50/each. 


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #7: February 17, 2012, 03:57:36 PM »
$50 EACH?!  Does that come with a turducken??

I'd love to support those guys but every time I go in there look for something they've either got it but want twice as much as I can get it next day aired to me from Amazon or have to order it, which will take a week.  I'm going to cruise over to a place in Capitol Hill tomorrow and see if they have some heavy duty intertubes for me new tires.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #8: February 17, 2012, 04:00:36 PM »
My house is literally 50 feet from an independent bike store that I would love to support, but $100 for a rear cluster that I can order online for $20 and install with my own tools is kind of a deal breaker.

I'd love to support those guys but every time I go in there look for something they've either got it but want twice as much as I can get it next day aired to me from Amazon or have to order it, which will take a week.  I'm going to cruise over to a place in Capitol Hill tomorrow and see if they have some heavy duty intertubes for me new tires.


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #9: February 17, 2012, 04:03:48 PM »
My house is literally 50 feet from an independent bike store that I would love to support, but $100 for a rear cluster that I can order online for $20 and install with my own tools is kind of a deal breaker.

I asked the guy today what it would cost for them to replace my triple crank for a single if I provided the crank and it was like $150.  No thanks, I'll watch a couple of YouTube videos and spend $60 on the crank and do it myself.  Yet another reason to ditch every thing on the bike except for a front brake.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #10: February 17, 2012, 04:08:46 PM »
I guess they would have had to replace the bottom bracket with one with a shorter spindle, but so what, that's not $150 by even the wildest stretch of the imagination (unless they are putting in a Phil Wood sealed bearing BB or one of those Gucci Campagnolo ones with the titanium spindle & ceramic bearings).  A Shimano LX cartridge BB costs $25 or $30, and I doubt they would have gone nearly that high on the food chain.
I asked the guy today what it would cost for them to replace my triple crank for a single if I provided the crank and it was like $150.  No thanks, I'll watch a couple of YouTube videos and spend $60 on the crank and do it myself.  Yet another reason to ditch every thing on the bike except for a front brake.


Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #11: February 17, 2012, 04:09:48 PM »
Of course I've been on bike hiatus for a couple of years...everything might have suddenly gotten a lot more expensive.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #12: February 17, 2012, 04:13:14 PM »
I guess they would have had to replace the bottom bracket with one with a shorter spindle, but so what, that's not $150 by even the wildest stretch of the imagination (unless they are putting in a Phil Wood sealed bearing BB or one of those Gucci Campagnolo ones with the titanium spindle & ceramic bearings).  A Shimano LX cartridge BB costs $25 or $30, and I doubt they would have gone nearly that high on the food chain.

I was going to provide all of the parts, they were just going to do the labor.  I'm just going to replace it all myself once I trade in my crapass textbooks.

Offline Slateman

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #13: February 17, 2012, 04:15:48 PM »
I have a bicycle. My wife and I go for bike rides.

That is the extent of my biking knowledge.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #14: February 17, 2012, 04:20:04 PM »
$100 or $150 worth of Park tools is a lifetime of freedom from bike stores.  The only thing I haven't been able to get down (yet) is the maintenance of the hydraulic disc brakes on my winter assault bike.  Not great at truing wheels either once they get a hop and are no longer round, but I can get most wheels more or less true unless they have been in a wreck.

Offline Nathan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #15: February 17, 2012, 05:51:41 PM »
This is why I don't go cycling:


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #16: February 18, 2012, 11:12:12 AM »
This is why I don't go cycling:

(Image removed from quote.)

That's pretty much what I looked like last year before I started going to the gym.  I still look like that on the bike but hey, at least I'm not sitting in the car, shoving freaking cheeseburgers down my piehole.  :P

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #17: February 18, 2012, 11:13:17 AM »
No riding today since my tires showed up and I don't have the inner tubes yet and a flat on the back.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #18: February 18, 2012, 12:07:18 PM »
What do you guys use for a comfortable seat? I can never get used to the feeling of a seat up my ass.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #19: February 18, 2012, 12:17:54 PM »
What do you guys use for a comfortable seat? I can never get used to the feeling of a seat up my ass.

It really depends on the type of bike and riding you do.  I use this on my commuter bike and it does a really good job:



For my birthday I think I'm going to get a Surly CrossCheck, which would be a faster and smoother ride, and get one of these:



Pricy, but great seats.

Offline Dave B

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #20: February 18, 2012, 04:24:04 PM »
i use capital bikeshare to/from the metro for work and bust it through the city streets, jumping curbs, weaving, and listening to deadmau5. its fun as hell.

the gym and biking is the only time i listen to deadmau5. i discovered it on pandora a couple weeks ago. it can make anything you are doing seem really cool like you are in a movie doing some sweet ass crime

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #21: February 18, 2012, 06:09:56 PM »
Switched out the tires and tubes and my bike now flies like greased freaking lightening.  Now my bike is faster, quieter, and stops quicker than ever before.  Great recommendation Gburg - these tires rock.

Offline Nathan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #22: February 18, 2012, 06:13:13 PM »
Switched out the tires and tubes and my bike now flies like greased freaking lightening.  Now my bike is faster, quieter, and stops quicker than ever before.  Great recommendation Gburg - these tires rock.

So I googled "greased lightning" to try to find a witty image to post, and this was one of the results :shock:


Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #23: February 18, 2012, 06:39:45 PM »
Yeah. Wait until you are riding with someone with knobbies. The noise alone will make you want to tell him to switch tires. :)

Switched out the tires and tubes and my bike now flies like greased freaking lightening.  Now my bike is faster, quieter, and stops quicker than ever before.  Great recommendation Gburg - these tires rock.


Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #24: February 18, 2012, 06:42:14 PM »
As far as I can tell, there's no such thing. :(

The problem is you have to try several to find one with the right spacing for your "sit" bones. I haven't been comfortable on a bike seat since I gave up racing criteriums in my mid 20s.
What do you guys use for a comfortable seat? I can never get used to the feeling of a seat up my ass.