The Bicycle Thread

Ya know. On the border where I live. We have conceal and carry laws. So it makes for more polite driving.

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Originally Posted by fatmac You don't even get a chance to ride up Ditchling Beacon with all the people walking up, I used to ride that area (& Worthing) quite often, it isn't too bad if you have the road to yourself. How did you like Turners Hill?

It wasn't that bad actually, people on foot kind of aligned themselves on the left hand side of the road leaving the rest for those who were cycling. The fact that most of the route was closed off for general traffic made it even better. Right after the Ditchling Beacon there's an amazing part when you roll down to Brighton downhill (I wish I had had a speedometer with me).

With Turners Hill I was still relatively fresh so managed to cycle all the way (at least as far as I remember)

I am looking forward to next year

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Got in my 18 tooth freewheel gear from China for the White Fixie with dual thread rear hub.
It is now a flip flop fixie. But with no brakes since it originally was a fixed gear fixie.

I have a best offer for a nice white rear caliper with everything but the handle bar lever.

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The Fuji mountain bike pickup in Austin is planned for the around the end the July.
Making up a parts list for while I am there.

Here is the bike work stand I built.

Nice!

I built a bike sling, for want of a better word, in the garage.

I put two eye-bolts in the ceiling about three feet apart and, for a hoist, I got a very light-weight boat trailer winch similar to this one. I used nylon clothes line and snap-lock hooks for the cables.

Works like a charm. I can lift the bike to whatever level is appropriate for what I'm trying to do. In the winter, I lift it all the way up and leave it there until good biking weather returns.

Thanks bro. It was a labour of love to do it.

My best offer was accepted for that one caliper and is bought and paid for.
I hope 15 bucks was not too much but he wanted more so I went with what I thought was fair for a openbox/new item. I am not sure of the brand name. I will see when I get it I guess.

My routine with bicycling for us older new 2 wheel bicyclists goes like so.
Like before I posted here. I take this slow to get my body adjusted.

I pedal to the barber shop to get my hair cut for the trip to Autin Texas next month.
He is closed because of dental surgery. No problem. Gives me a reason to pedal there tomorrow.
Then I pedal by the local movie theatre to see what is playing.
Nothing that interests me. Last time I went to a movie there was for the new Mad Max.
I get to leave my bike in the baby crying room used as a storage room inside the theatre.
The theatre is old school from when they had a orchestra play music for silent films back in day.

It still stands.

Trip takes about 30 minutes. I pedal at what makes me feel comfy. I do not push it.
It is hot outside here everyday. So I make a point to do this routine before noon.

If you push your self when you have not done a particular type of exercise for decades.
All you will do is hurt yourself and disappoint your self along with that.
Being comfy is the key to the fun part.

I do not understand a stationary indoor pedaler at all. But I understand some folks have no choice in the matter. Like on a ship. So you make do with what you have.

I do not understand a stationary indoor pedaler at all.

AFAIC, it's a substitute. I know that folks who go to gyms use them, but who needs a gym when you have free weights.

When it's under 60 Fahrenheits, I use one to help keep from getting fat(ter), mostly from November through March. As soon as it gets warm enough, though, I'm back on the Fuji.

Given where you're from, if you wish, I will happily explain the concept of "60 Fahrenheits" to you . . . .

Originally Posted by frankbell When it's under 60 Fahrenheits,

Is the most comfortable weather for bicycling outdoors.

When it is under 50, I bicycle with a knit hat under my helmet plus gloves, and wear a light jacket until I'm warmed up.

Under 40, is stretching it, but that doesn't always stop me.

I get severe breathing trouble from exercise when the dew point is too low. So typically that stops me from bicycling outdoors before the temperature itself would stop me.

Given where you're from, if you wish, I will happily explain the concept of "60 Fahrenheits"

Given where you're from, I probably can't explain the concept that some of us think 60F is around the middle of the comfortable range for shorts and short sleeves.

Grinning reading the replies. My blood is so thin that you both would collapse trying to hang with me outdoors for a day.

Which is normal. Your body adapts to your local environment. Under 60F I would be miserable. But I have a lifetime of riding motorcycles. Sometimes through freak snow storms in August running myself back to the desert from Sturgis South Dakota.
Then freak rain storms with massive winds in Northern New Mexico after that.

Difference is I am not pedaling. But moving through the outdoor air at 75MPH
While soaking wet and freezing. In proper clothing. But you know how that goes.

So no explanation of that concept is needed. Explanations of stationary bikes were very good how ever.

Thanks for the humor this morning for me. I'll take the cold explanations anyways
just because I like a good story. Thunder outside might cut into my bicycle time this morning I see.

I made my stationary bike statement out of being a ignorant desert rat that can ride year round.

I rarely bicycle for transportation--the traffic and roads once you get out my development are quite inhospitable unless you stick to the back roads and keep looking over your shoulder in maximum paranoia mode, so I'm commonly in my workout clothes when I ride.

When it gets cold, I just stick to five miles on the stationary three times a week and wait for spring.

I think I've ridden for transportation only once since I started riding regularly again, and that was to drop off and pick up my truck at my mechanic's, and he is accessible via said back roads.

Originally Posted by frankbell I rarely bicycle for transportation--the traffic and roads once you get out my development are quite inhospitable

I guess I lack the self discipline and/or the time to drive for transportation and separately bicycle for exercise. Now that we bought a fourth car, (for my wife and I, plus 3 sons who drive to work) I rarely need to bicycle for lack of a car.

The roads here are also quite inhospitable.

But in the EARLY morning about three times a week, my 20 minute drive to work is replaced by a 60 minute ride and mid afternoon (much worse traffic) the 40 minute drive home is another 60 minute ride. So I get two hours of exercise at the cost on one hour of time. I also find it easier to make myself do it, even though I don't feel like doing it, when it is for transportation. Also, the ride home takes some strong bursts of acceleration to merge in and out of traffic, so I'm exercising harder then than I would if I were riding for exercise.

I guess I lack the self discipline and/or the time to drive for transportation and separately bicycle for exercise.

Since I don't have a commute, it's rather easy for me to find the time. Plus I just really enjoy riding my bicycle.

On a larger note, I've found that, when I've been off exercising for a while (as when I had a house full of kids) and want to start back up, it takes about three months for exercising to go from a chore to a habit. During those three months, it does take a lot of discipline. After that, exercising turns into just something else I do regularly. Keeping that in mind makes those three months easier to deal with.

8 buck impulse buy today for the white fixie. I am having hell dealing with the toe clip pedals on it now and not falling.

GI combat boots I ride with play hell with getting in and out of those clips. But are good local desert feet gear. I don't have any skinny bicycle tennis shoes yet. I tried removing the clips but I did not like how
they turned out, so I decided to spring for some nice used ones at a bargain.

Countdown to driving down to Austin to pick my Fuji mountain bike is in a couple of weeks.
I am going down there with some shop beer stock/jar money, and am going to go nuts shopping for gew gaws.
Getting Jazzed for the trip.

Side note: This is more fun than I realized/remembered as a kid. I should have got into this
earlier.

Stationary Wooden Bike Stand Plans.

Milk Crate Bicycle Stand

I took the toe clips off my Fuji. More trouble than they were worth.

Riding with toe clips on a fixed gear bike is very much an aquired knack, better off getting shoes for clipless pedals, but personally, I'd stick with flat pedals.

Damn! Cheapo chinesey 15mm wrench is rounding off the flats on the chain drive r/h side pedal while trying to remove it.

Plan B by me is I am going to grab one of my good Harley 9/16 wrenches. I have lots of those. Take a grinder and do some 15mm shaping on it. I am using a cheater pipe and a 2x4 to try and remove it. My wife is holding the bike for me.

If plan B tanks.

Plan C is a propane torch on the pedal arm to expand the outside threads covering the pedal bolt. (ruins arm finish)

If Plan C Tanks. I am drilling out the pedal bolt coming in from the opposite end from the l/h side of the bike with a 1/2
hand drill. Drilling it out till very little metal shows attached to the thread on the inside of the pedal arm. Then use a
a drill punch to collapse the thin metal inwards toward the hollow area I just drilled out to separate the bolt from the female threads in the arm.

Hopefully Plan B works 1st.

Edit: I am not going to fork out 35 bucks for a Parker shop pedal wrench.
It is just the way I roll.