Bicycle Fans - official thread for people who love riding th

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  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
    Basically, clipless pedals (and cycling shoes,) makes sure 'all the effort you put into pedaling it transmitted through your crank,' thus it is more efficient and you arent waisting energy compressing the spongy bit on the bottom of your trainers/shoes etc.

    Technically, if your bike is fittted with 'gears' you lose about 10% of the efficiency being inputted due to friction, if your bike is a fixed gear/single gear bike this is much reduced. Compare this to cycling on 'normal pedals' with shoes on, you can lose upto 25% in wasted energy; friction, compression etc. etc...

    Cheers :smile: Bit worried still about the whole falling-off thing but I guess it all comes with practice!!
  • campbellcjdm
    campbellcjdm Posts: 97
    I just finished 185 miles down the C&O Canal trail from Cumberland MD to Georgetown VA :bigsmile: Went with my youngest son & the boy scouts (18 boys). Wonderful weather, rain at night, mud in the am - made for 'air conditioning' on the 'underside' (if ya know what I mean). We had to wash the bikes twice because the mud was interfering with the gear shifting. Made for a great workout. But now my body wants to eat like it is going to ride for 2-8 hours each day LOL :laugh: Now I want to keep riding!!
  • Somnifac
    Somnifac Posts: 30 Member
    I found "The Flying Scotsman" DVD on eBay for a couple of bucks.

    Anybody else rooting for ABC to win the Tour?

    (Anybody But Contador) ;-)

    Not going to happen. After the way he looked @ the Giro, he's on a whole different level. He made it look like the rest of the GC contenders weren't even trying.
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    Contador Cocktail:

    1 liter of whitewash
    500 ml oxygenated blood
    20 mg clenbuterol

    Don't know if we can post pics here but I'll try. If it doesn't show, the pic is of AC with an enormous glass of some pink liquid.

    <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v638/ThisPerfectDay/?action=view&current=contador.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/ThisPerfectDay/contador.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
  • Somnifac
    Somnifac Posts: 30 Member
    If more than half of the guys out there are clean, I'll eat my cassette.

    And my belief is that the reason AC gets the crap he gets in the US is due to:

    A. The way the cycling press/media presented the whole LA vs AC thing.
    B. AC is a horrible interview in English. If he were more fluent, and didn't sound like he was constantly huffing helium, his image would probably be better over here.

    Don't get me wrong, there are other guys I'd like to see win, but I can't say that it wouldn't be exciting to see someone win all 3 Grand Tours in one year, as AC could possibly do (based on how he's looked thus far).
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    I am 100% in the ABC club!!!!

    Dope or no Dope.... he is still a jerk.... I'll pick anyone but him, heck, even Alexander Vinokourov, one of the legendary dopers....

    go Andy!!!!
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    My feeling has nothing to do with LA, or how he interviews, with or without helium. It has everything to do with how you see Andy have a mechanical and you take off up the climb, or you have to "steal" a victory from a teammate at the line, who is not a GC contender... and can't give him that simple luxury of a stage win. Low class fella in my book.
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    *It has everything to do with how you see Andy have a mechanical and you take off up the climb*

    Yes, that took a high level of douchebaggery.
  • Somnifac
    Somnifac Posts: 30 Member
    I read the "chaingate" episode differently. The way I saw it, he was already on his way. If an attack is underway, and stuff happens behind you, well, that's racing. But I don't expect to change anyone's mind, especially a year on from the events. Everyone sees it the way they see it at this point.

    And AC definitely gifted 2 stage wins in this year's Giro. It's funny how things like that can be overlooked.
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    That is cycling, pick your favorite and it makes good drama. No matter if it's Lance, Cipollini, Boonen, Voigt, that famed pirate, Hincapie, whoever, they are all in spandex and whether they are heroes or villains is mere perspective.
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    Well, I decided to go with the Trek! Rode it home, what a difference from the "old lady bike"!! Wheeeeeeeee!!!

    I decided against the Felt because while the Garmin paint job kinda looked cool, I thought of the guys that have the street cars painted like NASCAR team cars. Every time I see one, I think "What a douche!" I realized if I bought that team issue bike, *I* would be "that douche" but with a bike!! No thanks!! LOL
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    Good call!

    I totally agree on the team issue bike, they are very seasonal, especially plaid. Don't want that label!!!

    Why a fixie.....

    Well, I took my road bike out last night after doing a lot of training on my fixie this year, let me say woohoo was it fun! My two mid week rides were on the fixie, with absolutely no carbon, a scant 26 lbs, and unforgiving nature to ride 18mph all the time. The first hill on the road bike was like.... zoom, up I went, wow, that was easy! Let's do that again! I have the habit to pedal all the time, like corners, down every hill, and keep the gas on...... Fun, Fun, Fun

    Have a great weekend everyone.... for me there is a long forecast of chainrings and open road.
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    I gotta take the bike back in tomorrow for some adjustments. They have a tiny parking lot for test rides so it's really hard to tell whether something fits you or not. Riding home I was pretty scrunched up and it was hard to unclip at stops. So they'll take care of that for me, even if it means swapping for another size.

    After I talked to them and made the appointment I realized "OMG, the Tour will be on!!!" Thank goodness for DVR!

    Have a great weekend, rain! And everyone else, of course!! Not doing anything here for the holiday. I'll drink a lot of wine and imagine Fabian Cancellara whispering "Lay-o-pard" in my ear...LOL!!

    </bikesl*t>
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member

    I'll drink a lot of wine and imagine Fabian Cancellara whispering "Lay-o-pard" in my ear...LOL!!

    classic!

    How to come back on that....:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    My bike adventure this morning: I went back to the bike shop to have some adjustments done. They had me riding the bike on a trainer while they watched and took measurements. Got it adjusted so it's a lot more comfortable now.

    I was riding home and I got about a mile and a half from the shop when I hear CRUNCH and the pedals start spinning. I thought the chain fell off so I got up on the sidewalk and was going to put it back on. No chain. I look back to where I heard the noise and there in the very busy intersection was my broken chain.

    So I had to walk back to the bike shop, in my bike shoes (SPD, luckily!), pushing the bike. It was 85 degrees out, not terribly humid, but hot enough! Got back to the shop and they put a new chain on, a better one than it came with...yay!! And I was there just in time to watch the end of Stage 1 of the TdF. :o)
  • BryanAir
    BryanAir Posts: 434
    I hit my 1000th mile since starting bicycling again in mid April. At my 1010th mile I got another flat :explode: .

    I am seriously considering getting a nice road bike to make the miles fly by a little faster.
  • CDGolden
    CDGolden Posts: 343 Member
    I hit my 1000th mile since starting bicycling again in mid April. At my 1010th mile I got another flat :explode: .

    I am seriously considering getting a nice road bike to make the miles fly by a little faster.

    1000 miles in the last 3 months....Great Job
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    Wow, that's a lot of miles...great job!!
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
    I hit my 1000th mile since starting bicycling again in mid April. At my 1010th mile I got another flat :explode: .

    I am seriously considering getting a nice road bike to make the miles fly by a little faster.
    Fantastic!
  • knittedbike
    knittedbike Posts: 8
    1000 miles Seems a long way away...only just back on the bike proper for many years and - first time since April. Then i knew I needed to lose some baggage and build some core strength...

    I ride tandem and I only just now have the confidence to go for it (without apologising) and not worry about being 'carried' home! Great ride sunday all around beautiful sunny Lancashire... Can't wait for the next one...
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    I hit my 1000th mile since starting bicycling again in mid April. At my 1010th mile I got another flat :explode: .

    I am seriously considering getting a nice road bike to make the miles fly by a little faster.

    Well done... I'm close behind you :wink:
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    I just did my usual hour ride for the first time with the Trek. It only took 30 minutes! :-D
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    I just did my usual hour ride for the first time with the Trek. It only took 30 minutes! :-D

    Excellent! Good going!
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    I went out for another 90 minute ride. I can't stay off this thing!!

    Cloggsy, do you have a Boardman bike?? I've never seen one.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    Cloggsy, do you have a Boardman bike?? I've never seen one.

    Yup :smile:

    I've got a 2010 Boardman Team Carbon

    1268323082226-1sqbh9zcedaof-500-90-500-70.jpg

    :glasses:
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    My bike adventure this morning: I went back to the bike shop to have some adjustments done. They had me riding the bike on a trainer while they watched and took measurements. Got it adjusted so it's a lot more comfortable now.

    I was riding home and I got about a mile and a half from the shop when I hear CRUNCH and the pedals start spinning. I thought the chain fell off so I got up on the sidewalk and was going to put it back on. No chain. I look back to where I heard the noise and there in the very busy intersection was my broken chain.

    So I had to walk back to the bike shop, in my bike shoes (SPD, luckily!), pushing the bike. It was 85 degrees out, not terribly humid, but hot enough! Got back to the shop and they put a new chain on, a better one than it came with...yay!! And I was there just in time to watch the end of Stage 1 of the TdF. :o)

    Doh! That's a heck-of-a chain dump! Don't see that very often.

    cloggsy71, that's a nice looking ride! The Ritchey wheelset looks great too.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    cloggsy71, that's a nice looking ride! The Ritchey wheelset looks great too.

    Thank you SIr :blushing:
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    Cloggsy....NICE!! :::drool:::
  • RunRideRay
    RunRideRay Posts: 1,536 Member
    Following the lead, to lead with my bike as the profile pic. It's my Madison fixie, not a single piece of carbon on her, love it. I have a couple other bike pics on my profile...my road bike, a Trek 5000, GF Erwin I built into a monster cross with 29er wheels. It's 100% badass. I use the GF for long bouts of gravel and rough terrain, plenty of that in the midwest. I have 2 other bikes.... but they are my secret weapons against tyranny and oppression, to be revealed when appropriate.

    Ray
  • TeteDeLaCourse
    TeteDeLaCourse Posts: 100
    Well, you guys are making me drool with your great bikes but I'm in love with my new Trek! :-)
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