CBBaron

IN

4 hours ago, drc32-0 said:

About one week of driving/riding in LA traffic or Bay Area traffic you'll understand why they have legal lane splitting.

I was there 2 days and was really wishing I had a bike so I could split lanes, even though I never split in ohio. 

23 minutes ago, Wolfman1 said:

Never been a fan of lane splitting, it's too risky and Ohio drivers are all asshats! RIP brother!

Ohio drivers do seem to be more likely to be an asshat about that type of behaviour but lane splitting can be done safely. From the reports I'm guess these individuals were traveling at very high speeds and were probably going much faster than the cars they were passing. That is a very high risk. Passing cars slowed or stopped due to congestion with ~10mph speed difference is a safe and efficient manner to split. It appeared to be the norm for motorcycles I saw in the LA area. Ofcourse "normal" traffic in LA appeared worse than a bad rush hour in OH. 

Craig 

4 hours ago, Isaac's Papa said:

Anybody know of this nonsense is encroaching Slavic Village? Lyns has a track day at the Velodrome on Wednesday. 

I doubt the nonsense directly affects the velodrome, however traffic might be affected. They got so much messed up in downtown with traffic I expect I-77 to be a cluster most of the week. However as suggested you can probably take Broadway from I-480 without much problem.

On 7/9/2016 at 2:11 PM, Tonik said:

We are certainly one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  Assets per person in the US are high.  But our distribution of wealth is very top and middle heavy.  The have nots in the US really don't have fuck all.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/05/news/economy/poverty-world-bank/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States

You can google US poverty levels and world and country poverty levels and find more.

Misleading stats.

The World Bank defines poverty at living on less than $1.90/day. The US defines poverty based on family incomes but it over $4000/yr ($11/day).

Not saying there isn't disparity in the US but US poor is not the same as world poor.

Craig

2 hours ago, Tonik said:

Not so sure I am going to do it, but maybe.  I am concerned about my back.  It isn't  'bad' but it is borderline, I have to be careful with it to avoid trouble.

Anyway, what should I get?  Bad's VFR was my first thought, just to piss him off. But that is more than I would want to invest in a once in awhile bike plus it would need to have front suspension work to make it right for someone of my weight.

As someone who has a bad back, I will say your posture on the bike is more important than how much you lean forward, especially given you are light (unlike me). You need to be able to be in a comfortable riding stance and keep your back straight without hunching forward. If you have the flexibility and core strength to ride a supersport without hunching then your back won't be a problem as long as you train yourself to not slouch. If that is difficult for you, stick to more upright bikes. My problem with sportbikes is not my back but rather my legs. I don't have enough flexibility to fold my long legs to the position required to ride most sportbikes for any length of time. Which is one reason I like Adv bikes and dual sports.

I won't suggest which are good fast bikes as I havn't owned any. However Pauly's Multi is probably a good place to start for something that is comfortable and very fast, especially for taller riders. 

Craig

33 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

24 lbs.

Thats pretty porky for a SS.

I think my SS CrossCheck with fenders and Marathon tires was not much heavier.

I road that CrossCheck for years as my primary bicycle, including riding 60 miles of gravel hills on the Amish Country Roubaix last spring in Millersburg. I don't find the SS really much harder to ride, just a little slower on average. Mostly you have to let it coast more on down hills and be prepared to walk if it gets too steep on the climbs. Otherwise I do like the simplicity of the drive train. With minimal maintenance, it just works despite the conditions. Derailleurs get finicky about grime or corrosion from riding in muddy, wet or dusty conditions, and dont shift smoothly. The SS is much less sensitive.

Adding gears does mean much less walking 

I grew up on sweet tea but can't stand it anymore. Unsweetened is so much better. 

I think the only liquid my Dad's family ever drank was sweet tea. 

Have fun in the Smokies. One of these years I will be able to make this trip.

Craig

Getting dirty in Allegheny National Forest

Craig

HE Front loaders clean well, use little water and almost never have a problem with an unbalanced load.

However the design requires the main bearing be located in the back with a high load. And spin up requires careful control to balance the load using variable speeds. 

This means they are more expensive and can be more prone to failure.

HE top loads are cheaper and usually more reliable but are easy to overload and if you are not careful it is easy to get an unbalanced load that will not spin dry. 

Our last Kenmore (Whirlpool) front load lasted 10 years with no problems (2 adults 1 child), we left it with the house and got a new one when we moved. The gas dryer did have a sensor that needed replaced. 

Leave the door ajar when not in use to ensure the interior dries quickly.

Not sure why all the units have 50 different modes. We only use a couple different settings and can't see why we would need more. Ofcourse the modes are features they can sell in the store and are usually just cost the manufacturer software and a button.

I primarily ride a Salsa Warbird when cycling.

Ohio gravel grinders on facebook is very active with rides nearly every weekend. They are usually within an hour of columbus, so I havn't met too many of them. 

If you are buying new and not interested in cross racing I would suggest getting a gravel bike rather than a cross bike. Most have better clearance for the comfortable 40mm tires and a geometry designed more for long distance comfort rather than tight handling. I have been to a couple gravel races and many of the riders are on cross bikes with quite a few on hardtail MTBs. A guy on a road bike with 25mm tires took 3rd in the last race I ran. 

Gravel is a nice way to cycle as you seldom encounter autos and the scenery is often great.

4 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

You didn't underprice it. The goal was to sell it. You did that and someone got a cool bike for a sweet deal. I've had the fortunate pleasure of being on the receiving end of many good deals and I've always be thankful. Ride on and don't go to jail on that DR-Z. 

Really thats way I see it also. I felt I got a good deal on the bike when I bought it and got good use out of it. Anything I got out of the sale is just bonus. I think the buyer will really appreciate. Told me on the phone he hopes to ride it to Alaska next year! 

I'm usually a pretty sensible rider, but the bike does encourage pushing some limits. I already got yell at by a Harley rider for shenanigans

I'll have to learn to wheelie. It seems that is expected of supermoto riders 

Sorry guys it's sold. I have a deposit from a young guy moving to Ohio and looking for his first Adv bike.

I guess I under priced it as I had a lot of interest most willing to buy it sight unseen.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

16 minutes ago, Tonik said:

Woooo, a DR. Congrats.

DR-Z 

Thanks, I'm really enjoying it. Probably going to get me in trouble, though. 

Craig

Actually I have several PMs for the bike already. I posted here and on the Ohio thread on advrider. Apparently I under priced it

Oh well I feel like I got my money's worth from the bike, I hope she treats the next owner as well as me.

Craig

15 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

 

This is a smoking deal. She's got some scars and shows sign of being ridden as intended. However, it's mechanically sound as of last season. I can vouch for this bike. I think I want to buy it, actually. You guys had better make this go away by the time I see my CFO tomorrow evening. 

Also, thanks for the heads up @CBBaron. Jerkface.

Why would you want this? You already have the Multi with twice the hp.

Plus you know I don't baby it

1 minute ago, Tonik said:

Come to Sam's in Massilon this Saturday, looks like all the characters will be there.

I want to but have a family commitment that day. That's usually been the problem, not enough free weekend days. 

I have been meaning to meet some of you guys for years. 

I will need to go on one of these rides sometime this year. Atleast online it seems like there are a bunch of real characters. The only one Ive met is Pauly.

Craig

I figure I bought it for a good price and got alot of great miles out of it. 

Time to pass it on to someone else and hopefully get a new adventure rider out there  

I picked up a DRZ400SM and realized the old bike was mostly going to sit unless I sell it to someone else.

I'm selling my Vstrom.

2004 model with about 47000 miles. Its well used with some scratches on both sides from drops and other signs of wear and age.

Tires have about 50% tread left. 

Upgrades include, Madstat adjustable windscreen mounts, Givi crash bars, Admore brake light and turn signal, Oxford heated grips, a relay fuse block for the grips and DC power, headlight relay, Lithium battery, handlebar risers.

Asking $1200 firm.

Craig

1 hour ago, Isaac's Papa said:

Not State8, but the dealer once quoted me $500 to change the fork seals and fluid in my Ohlins forks. I was bummed, but since I was going to be in Juarez for a couple weeks and wanted to ride when I got home, I said I'd pay the rate. At least I get to ride, right?

Then they told me they'd have it for two months, at least. I chucked, bought the tools online while out of town and then fixed it myself when I got home. Called Ohlins in NC, bought two liters of liquid gold and a seal kit ($120) and then the tools ($30) and now I know I can service them myself. 

Dealerships are out of control these days. I'd rather not ride than be taken by some scrub with a Craftsman tool box. 

Luckily I know a scrub with a toolbox that does good work for very reasonable rates 

At some of the prices people have quoted on the thread I would learn to do it myself too. I'm usually lazy about doing "difficult" things on the bike myself but big prices for simple things changes the motivation.

Originally got a Garmin as a gift and thought the GPS as more of a gimic. However with use I like it more and more.

Thier new cadence sensor is really simple to install. 

The Edge 25 supports HRM cadence and will automatically sync to your phone. Plus it will display your phones notifications while you are riding. The nice thing about GPS base computers is no sensor is needed for speed/distance, so you can transfer the computer between different bikes and dont have to worry about setting up the wheel size.

Sites like Strava are nice to compare your rides to previous ones or to others who have ridden the same segments. For me trying to improve my time or move from 25th to 20th on a hill climb is extra motivation to push harder.

I seldom use the route guidance feature but it is nice to help you follow a route in unfamiliar areas or to make sure you keep on track when on an organized ride. Much easier than a que sheet.

Craig

Backroads and gravel around Portage and Geauga counties.

This is my Warbird on a particularly muddy day this winter.

My wife would love this. She is a big Cavs fan. I'd be up for a few raffle tickets.