Author Topic: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition  (Read 40461 times)

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Offline blue911

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #100: February 25, 2012, 01:00:58 PM »
I don't need it, I have little respect for intellectual property.



Yep, sometimes I draw naked pictures of Minnie Mouse just to piss off Disney.

Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #101: February 25, 2012, 03:45:15 PM »
Pretty good ride today with MrsMorse over to the FDR Memorial.  A good warm-up ride for Opening Day:
(Image removed from quote.)

FDR was my favorite DC destination back when I was riding in from Alexandria.  Underrated memorial.

Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #102: February 25, 2012, 03:53:09 PM »
What's a good value bike for the 6'1" 375lb lower middle class fatty MDS? I used to love riding a bike when I was a kid and would ride all day, but that was long ago. I'd like something that won't break the bank, but will do well on hilly terrain and allow for some very mild off road shenanigans. My neighborhood is pretty much a big loop that seems to go up hill regardless of which direction you go.

Keep in mind with two car payments, a rather big mortgage, a 3 year old and the desire to be able to occasionally shoot my .45, cost is an issue :lol:

Find out when the next police auction is, they sell all the unclaimed bikes recovered from criminals.

Got my old Fuji Thrill in this way from Alexandria police - $100.  I had to put $20 into it, but still it's a low cost to what's a solid if basic ride.


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #103: February 25, 2012, 03:56:52 PM »
FDR was my favorite DC destination back when I was riding in from Alexandria.  Underrated memorial.

We're both getting close to biking everywhere and not taking the Metro when we have to head across the river into the land of savages and sycophants.

Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #104: February 25, 2012, 04:01:17 PM »
We're both getting close to biking everywhere and not taking the Metro when we have to head across the river into the land of savages and sycophants.

Wait till the Cherry Blossum festival.  Gridlock as far as the eye can see, but the cyclist is completely free to ride from the 14th street bridge to Hains Point and back up to the Mall, over to the Capitol, back to Lincoln and across to Roosevelt Island, wherever.  All the views and none of the stress.  Just watch out for clueless pedestrians.    :twisted:

Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #105: February 25, 2012, 04:03:54 PM »
That's a great little bike, just lock the front fork, get a better seat, and get these grips and you're set:


Why would you want to lock the front fork?  I want to sell my bike (Terpfan??) and get one WITH forks so I can ride a bit smoother.   15 minutes on the C&O towpath and my head is pounding from the vibrations.  Probably a result of my concussion history but in my case I'd like to dampen the vibrations on rough surfaces.  My bike's fine on pavement or soft earth.

Offline Nathan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #106: February 25, 2012, 04:10:29 PM »
Why would you want to lock the front fork?  I want to sell my bike (Terpfan??) and get one WITH forks so I can ride a bit smoother.   15 minutes on the C&O towpath and my head is pounding from the vibrations.  Probably a result of my concussion history but in my case I'd like to dampen the vibrations on rough surfaces.  My bike's fine on pavement or soft earth.

Because I'm a fat ass and they'd probably compress the whole way down when I sat on it.

Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #107: February 25, 2012, 04:20:11 PM »
Because I'm a fat ass and they'd probably compress the whole way down when I sat on it.

I know little about them but my son's Giant Boulder SE has variable compression, so you can stiffen it up if you want.

Another comment on value - people spend a lot of $ to shave a few ounces off the weight of a bike, but this is foolish if you the rider are carrying extra weight.  There's a lot more weight to be shaved off the typical rider than any bike.



Offline Terpfan76

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #108: February 25, 2012, 05:12:10 PM »
Why would you want to lock the front fork?  I want to sell my bike (Terpfan??) and get one WITH forks so I can ride a bit smoother.   15 minutes on the C&O towpath and my head is pounding from the vibrations.  Probably a result of my concussion history but in my case I'd like to dampen the vibrations on rough surfaces.  My bike's fine on pavement or soft earth.

Could be interested depending on $$$. Considering my ample girth, will it hold up to the test of fat? Also, it's hilly and a lot of rough black top in my hood.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #109: February 25, 2012, 06:06:05 PM »
You lock the front suspension when you're heavy to not lose energy transfer when you standup to pedal and/or going up hills.  Honestly, even when I was super thin and MTBing I hated front suspension, the same is true of seat posts with suspensions - all great suckers of energy transfer.  Nothing to do with saving of $$ but all to do wih not losing energy.

Offline CALSGR8

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Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #111: February 29, 2012, 08:15:31 PM »
So, increased the seat height on the ol' Trek and I can fly like the wind big time.  Definitely need a bigger frame on my next ride.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #112: March 07, 2012, 07:12:01 PM »
Wow, what a day.  Biked to work this morning (~7 miles) with no problems, even found a spot in the bike rack.  Started riding home today and stopped to take this photo:

By the time I got back on the road some assclown had decided to freak up 395 South to the point the pedestrian bridge was closed.  Wound up biking down to the Memorial bridge and crossing over there to the Mt Vernon trail.  Total miles ridden today: 16 miles.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #113: March 07, 2012, 07:13:10 PM »
No photo.

C'mon, MSD.
Wow, what a day.  Biked to work this morning (~7 miles) with no problems, even found a spot in the bike rack.  Started riding home today and stopped to take this photo:

By the time I got back on the road some assclown had decided to freak up 395 South to the point the pedestrian bridge was closed.  Wound up biking down to the Memorial bridge and crossing over there to the Mt Vernon trail.  Total miles ridden today: 16 miles.


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #114: March 07, 2012, 08:15:10 PM »
My "smelling the roses" shot from this afternoon:


Offline tomterp

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #115: March 07, 2012, 08:33:50 PM »
Wow, what a day.  Biked to work this morning (~7 miles) with no problems, even found a spot in the bike rack.  Started riding home today and stopped to take this photo:

By the time I got back on the road some assclown had decided to freak up 395 South to the point the pedestrian bridge was closed.  Wound up biking down to the Memorial bridge and crossing over there to the Mt Vernon trail.  Total miles ridden today: 16 miles.

I was biking across the Memorial one time and paused to look over the wall down into the river.  I'm always scouting rivers, prospecting for fish, but this time a powerboat emerged from under the bridge with a handful of nekkid bodies sunbathing on the floor of the boat, including one woman face up.   :shock:

Ah, the sights of Washington.

Offline Frau Mau

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #116: March 07, 2012, 11:56:46 PM »
I was biking across the Memorial one time and paused to look over the wall down into the river.  I'm always scouting rivers, prospecting for fish, but this time a powerboat emerged from under the bridge with a handful of nekkid bodies sunbathing on the floor of the boat, including one woman face up.   :shock:

Ah, the sights of Washington.

Crap, that was you?

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #117: March 08, 2012, 12:18:16 AM »
I used to occasionally see girls sunbathing topless in Rock Creek Park when riding up by the stables on Glover Road, but that was before the Ayatollahs seized power in 2000.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #118: March 08, 2012, 07:00:08 AM »
A couple of lessons I learned yesterday:

- no 26" tires
- no converted mountain bikes
- make sure the bike frame is the right size
- clipped in is where it's at
- get a super light laptop
- go to three spin classes per week

And last, but surely not least:

WATER.  Make sure to bring at least three liters of water and some form of energy (banana, energy gel shot, Peruvian gold).  I started my ride home yesterday after gulping down 20oz of water and 2.5 scoops of Banana Creme Muscle Milk® Light and a couple of pieces of beef jerky.  I had a 1L bottle of Xtend amino acid water mix but that only lasted until the halfway point.  Looks like I'm going to need to get two additional water bottle holders if I'm going to be doing this every day.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #119: March 08, 2012, 08:46:36 AM »
Sounds like you need one of those fancy-boy commuter bikes.
A couple of lessons I learned yesterday:

- no 26" tires
- no converted mountain bikes
- make sure the bike frame is the right size
- clipped in is where it's at
- get a super light laptop
- go to three spin classes per week

And last, but surely not least:

WATER.  Make sure to bring at least three liters of water and some form of energy (banana, energy gel shot, Peruvian gold).  I started my ride home yesterday after gulping down 20oz of water and 2.5 scoops of Banana Creme Muscle Milk® Light and a couple of pieces of beef jerky.  I had a 1L bottle of Xtend amino acid water mix but that only lasted until the halfway point.  Looks like I'm going to need to get two additional water bottle holders if I'm going to be doing this every day.


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #120: March 08, 2012, 01:13:23 PM »
Well, yesterday erased any doubt I had about biking resulting in rapid weight loss.  Between Wednesday (my usual weight in day) and today I dropped three pounds as a result of my commutagedon.  Today is a total off day (no weights, no serious biking) but tomorrow is shaping up to be at least an hour plus ride. 

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #121: March 08, 2012, 01:14:10 PM »
Sounds like you need one of those fancy-boy commuter bikes.
Yup, this is the one I've got my eye on:


Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #122: March 08, 2012, 02:23:13 PM »
I always found that 26" wheels are fine on pavement with the right rims and tires (like 1.5" wide/80+ psi). 

But obviously if it is full-on speed you want, you really need 700x23c with a minimum of 120 psi on nice light wheels.  It's  worth spending the money for good wheels, even at the expense of everything else.  Rolling weight makes a much bigger difference than say the weight of the frame.   

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #123: March 08, 2012, 02:26:05 PM »
Yes, you've posted that picture before, but it's nice to see it again. Bike money shot.



Yup, this is the one I've got my eye on:

(Image removed from quote.)


Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: The Cycling Thread - 2012 Edition
« Reply #124: March 08, 2012, 02:29:43 PM »
Surprising that it doesn't have at least a CF fork.  Alum forks (even the good stuff like 7005) have a very harsh ride, and are a nag on the wrists and shoulders on rough pavement.  You can compensate to some extent with padded tape, gloves, and so forth, but still...
Yes, you've posted that picture before, but it's nice to see it again. Bike money shot.