cycling questions

[jblosser]

[Mykill]

I just need to verify that I'll actually stick with cycling. And if I can get the wife into it, then suddenly she'll have a lot more appreciation for a more expensive bike.

So there's a lot that's "TBD" in this whole endeavor. In my mind, I'm going to hit the trails tonight and be blasting off sweet jumps right away. I also thought I would be sweet at tracking a motorcycle the first time I went out, and as I've said before, I'm finally almost as good today as I thought I'd be my first time out :-)

So I know it's not going to be exactly what I envision, but if the Huffy gets me started, and 90's Trek for $275 gets me through the year, THEN I think I can swing the $800 or so it will take to get something really "serious." I'm just not there yet.

I did the same thing with the bike I just bought. Its doing the job now but wow its a lot more difficult than I thought. Ive ridden 3 times now in a week and a half. Each time I have progressed a ton but I have fallen pretty good each time. I have beat the shit out of this bike so far and I plan to ride the piss out of the bike I have till fall/winter and then start looking for a better model on craigslist. So far Im loving it and the workout is much more difficult than pedaling around the bike path. If you find a good enough buy then if you dont like it you can sell it and break even...

[shittygsxr]

I did the same thing with the bike I just bought. Its doing the job now but wow its a lot more difficult than I thought. Ive ridden 3 times now in a week and a half. Each time I have progressed a ton but I have fallen pretty good each time. I have beat the shit out of this bike so far and I plan to ride the piss out of the bike I have till fall/winter and then start looking for a better model on craigslist. So far Im loving it and the workout is much more difficult than pedaling around the bike path. If you find a good enough buy then if you dont like it you can sell it and break even...

That right there is the reason your girlfriend will go only one time and be done. Go for the road bike and call it a day

[Mykill]

That right there is the reason your girlfriend will go only one time and be done. Go for the road bike and call it a day

I guess I should've also included I was very fatigued each fall and pushing harder than I should have been. I dont see his GF doing that. Each fall has resulted in some bruises and a couple scrapes nothing major all though I did leave the bike. All part of the learning process. I could go slow the entire time and never would have fallen but thats not fun

But shitty has a good point in that she is a lot less likely to fall on the road....

[shittygsxr]

Off-road riding is tough. Really tough. Road riding is tough. Really tough.

Stick to bike paths if you want your wife to enjoy it' date=' at all.[/quote']

there you go this is the most correct statement in this thread.

I for one get hobbies so I can spend time away from the wife. I would rather have 5k wrapped up in my bike rather than half as much in a bike for each of us.

[Pokey]

Funny. Try really riding a road bike for exercise on one of those "bike" trails(most are designated multi-purpose). You will hear endless people bitching about you riding too fast and passing without enough warning(tough to do when they have ear phones in), kids and dogs completely out of control, and people generally saying go ride on the street, this trail isn't for that kind of riding.

Road riding is easier to do as in, hop on bike and go, no putting bike on car and taking it somewhere. I live in a near perfect place for it. Most of my rides are 25-40 miles, and I usually only have ten cars or so have to pass me on any one ride. Yes, when I first started, it managed to help me drop all the weight I wanted, but I have somehow figured out how to still ride 60-100 miles a week and get fat.

Bikes have no business being on the "busy" public roads, and I am sticking with how I feel. I guess where I live is different, because there are some serious bike trails here with miles upon miles of hardcore trails.

[swingset]

Cars have no business being on the roads that bicycles occupied first.

The roads are now designed for and completely inhabited by cars and trucks, tho, and as a cyclist I'm keenly aware of this. I pay no registration, fees, or have any claim on the roads and I'm a slow-moving roadblock if I choose to ride amongst fast-moving traffic.

In a state where rail-to-trails and designated paths are so numerous, I can't wrap my head around why a cyclist would want to tangle with 6,000lb SUV's and idiots who pilot them, or stand in the way of traffic needlessly for enjoyment...unless it's a passive-aggressive need to stand in people's way. I don't have that, I want no part of it. I can never ride comfortably knowing how easy it is to be hit, and how I'm in the way of people going to jobs or doing business on the roads.

Whatever problems there might be on the bike paths, surely they pale in comparison to tempting death and serious injury from a cager. I ride the bike paths 3-4 times a week, and have never had a problem.

Edited July 11, 2012 by swingset

[swingset]

I'm using my bike to commute to work. The bike paths don't really go my way.

It negates some of my points, to you personally, but not all. You're still a guest of road designed for cars, engineered for them, and unless you have dedicated bike lanes you're in the way. You may contest that point, but it's true. You may feel justified in having equal ownership and right to the road, but that's only partially true. You have legal right, as a pedestrian does, but you use the roads in spite of contributing no fees or registration that other vehicles do.

If you do commute, do you ride using the whole lane, as a car would?

I know cyclists who refuse to ride on the shoulder, citing things like debris which is hard on their tires, or that doing so prompts people to pass them without going around, but not doing so purposely slows down traffic and forces everyone to work around you. Safer? Possibly, but then you're knowingly standing in the way of pretty much everyone else...and does that not bother you?

Edited July 11, 2012 by swingset

[RFM]

I have a bicycle or two as an excuse to wear spandex.

[Pokey]

I pay registration fees for 7 vehicles. I'll ride down the goddamn center of the lane if I feel like it. I have a legal right. The rest of your argument dies with that statement.

However' date=' because I'm such a sport... we don't have bicycle lanes up here. So, I use the road. I stay as right as possible, without incurring damage to my wheels or tires. If that means the driver behind me has to slow down or pass me on double-yellow.. then that's what it means.

[b']I don't ride on busy roads, either. Folks don't have any respect or patience for motorcycles. Why would they give a fuck about someone on a bicycle?

Cagers and motorcyclists have to deal with Harley pirates slowing them down enough as it is, and the spandex warriors make things even worse. People are total fucksticks behind the wheel, I don't even feel safe in my cage...............HELL NO for being on a non motorized vehicle on the public roads. For exercise I can't imagine too many activities that would burn more calories and put you in superior shape, more than riding off-road designed trails on a mountain bike. I do have a pretty decent road-bike, and I enjoy riding on the rails to trails.

[swingset]

I pay registration fees for 7 vehicles.

No' date=' you pay fees for your vehicles. That's like saying "Hey, I paid for most of the stuff in my shopping cart, I'll walk out with this .mp3 player because I paid for the other stuff!". No, you pay no fees to ride your bike on the road. Period. And, I don't either with the fees on my vehicles. [/color']

I'll ride down the goddamn center of the lane if I feel like it. I have a legal right.

It is your right, I agree, and like I said there has to be with some cyclists a "I get off on holding people up" element to insisting on being in the middle of car traffic.

However, because I'm such a sport... we don't have bicycle lanes up here. So, I use the road. I stay as right as possible, without incurring damage to my wheels or tires. If that means the driver behind me has to slow down or pass me on double-yellow.. then that's what it means.

Then I applaud you for not being one of those guys that gets off on riding in the middle of traffic. I don't either on the occasions I ride the roads.

I don't ride on busy roads, either. Folks don't have any respect or patience for motorcycles. Why would they give a fuck about someone on a bicycle?

You choose to avoid traffic because people are morons and it's not safe. You're making my case more than debating it, but that's ok.

Edited July 12, 2012 by swingset

[redkow97]

Well, I hit the "trail" last night on my brother's huffy.

A lot of trees have fallen in the last 10 years, but a Saturday spent marking the path and clearing small logs should be all it takes to make things fun again.

Just need to find a like-minded rider so I'm not bored all day.

[jbot]

but that whore DID have it coming. oh and did it come.

[wantahertzdonut]

It negates some of my points, to you personally, but not all. You're still a guest of road designed for cars, engineered for them, and unless you have dedicated bike lanes you're in the way. You may contest that point, but it's true. You may feel justified in having equal ownership and right to the road, but that's only partially true. You have legal right, as a pedestrian does, but you use the roads in spite of contributing no fees or registration that other vehicles do.

If you do commute, do you ride using the whole lane, as a car would?

I know cyclists who refuse to ride on the shoulder, citing things like debris which is hard on their tires, or that doing so prompts people to pass them without going around, but not doing so purposely slows down traffic and forces everyone to work around you. Safer? Possibly, but then you're knowingly standing in the way of pretty much everyone else...and does that not bother you?

It's really no different is someone has a horse and buggy on the road. Bikes have the right to be on the road.

As for taking the whole lane, I can't agree with that. Some riders do it in order to be a pain. I can't agree with it. Empty road? Have at it. Traffic behind you? Let them through. Everyone's happy, everyone gets where they need to, nobody gets mad. I don't get why people feel the need to stick a thorn in other people's sides.

With that said, I have been an avid rider and raced through my teens. Mostly off road but some on road. I prefer dirt but it's not always available. As for what to buy, you can ride your mountain bike on pavement, but you can't ride your road bike in the woods.

You can buy clothes, but I usually ride in jeans shorts and a t-shirt. I have proper clothes, but rarely wear them. Changing makes riding a process, so unless I'm going on a long ride, I prefer to just jump on my bike and go. If I'm driving to a trail, I'll dress.

Get a Camelbak or some type of backpack bladder. It holds more water, doesn't get dirty, and you can wear it under your motorcycle gear too.

[shittygsxr]

It's really no different is someone has a horse and buggy on the road. Bikes have the right to be on the road.

As for taking the whole lane, I can't agree with that. Some riders do it in order to be a pain. I can't agree with it. Empty road? Have at it. Traffic behind you? Let them through. Everyone's happy, everyone gets where they need to, nobody gets mad. I don't get why people feel the need to stick a thorn in other people's sides.

With that said, I have been an avid rider and raced through my teens. Mostly off road but some on road. I prefer dirt but it's not always available. As for what to buy, you can ride your mountain bike on pavement, but you can't ride your road bike in the woods.

You can buy clothes, but I usually ride in jeans shorts and a t-shirt. I have proper clothes, but rarely wear them. Changing makes riding a process, so unless I'm going on a long ride, I prefer to just jump on my bike and go. If I'm driving to a trail, I'll dress.

Get a Camelbak or some type of backpack bladder. It holds more water, doesn't get dirty, and you can wear it under your motorcycle gear too.

I can't believe I have to explain this to a motorcycle rider. If you ride the shoulder cars do not pass safely. If you ride in the lane they slow down and pass when it is safe.

If you have ridden more than 100 miles on a motorcycle someone in a car has tried sharing your lane.

[swingset]

I can't believe I have to explain this to a motorcycle rider. If you ride the shoulder cars do not pass safely. If you ride in the lane they slow down and pass when it is safe.

If you have ridden more than 100 miles on a motorcycle someone in a car has tried sharing your lane.

There's some logic to it, but it just makes you a purposeful road block.

I can't bring myself to stand in the way of traffic like that. Just don't have it in me, for the same reason I can't stand in the doorway of a store while people are waiting. I think you have to enjoy pissing people off....or you're utterly oblivious to your impact on others...neither is good.

If safety is the concern, why not pull over when cars approach from the rear? Why not yield to the faster pace of traffic behind you. I know cyclists have an answer for that too (I don't wanna break my momentum/rhythm....again, "all about me").

I might have every legal right to be in the middle of the lane, every safety-minded rationale on my side, but it's a dick move to hold up the rest of the world IMHO.

I'll take my chances on the berm, and let people pass me or find a better way of traveling.

Edited July 12, 2012 by swingset

[shittygsxr]

There's some logic to it, but it just makes you a purposeful road block.

I can't bring myself to stand in the way of traffic like that. Just don't have it in me, for the same reason I can't stand in the doorway of a store while people are waiting. I think you have to enjoy pissing people off....or you're utterly oblivious to your impact on others...neither is good.

I might have every legal right to be there, every safety-minded rationale on my side, but it's a dick move to hold up the rest of the world.

I'll take my chances on the berm, and let people pass me or find a better way of traveling.

I think you encounter different riders than I do. Most people that I encounter on my Saturday morning rides in the country often slow and politely wave as they pass by. Maybe seeing a group of people getting exercise and enjoying the outdoors puts them in a good mood. With as lazy and over weight as the US has become I hope the uptick in bicycle riding continues for a long time, lord knows this country needs it.

Next time you have to pass a skinny rider ask your self if you would rather deal with him or another overweight person blocking the door at walmart.

[swingset]

I think you encounter different riders than I do. Most people that I encounter on my Saturday morning rides in the country often slow and politely wave as they pass by. Maybe seeing a group of people getting exercise and enjoying the outdoors puts them in a good mood. With as lazy and over weight as the US has become I hope the uptick in bicycle riding continues for a long time, lord knows this country needs it.

Next time you have to pass a skinny rider ask your self if you would rather deal with him or another overweight person blocking the door at walmart.

I'm not opposed to riding, hell I did 20 miles of intervals this morning, what I'm opposed to is people riding believing they are on equal footing with cars - and I see that a lot around me (Granville is a big destination for group rides). Riding 2-abreast holding up lines of traffic, not obeying laws, riding out in the opposing lanes (I see that a lot, on big groups).

Yes, bikes are vehicles. Never argued otherwise but having the legal authority to do something is different than the douchiness to do it so that you're obnoxious and an impediment to everyone else.

Is this all of the riders I see? No, a good portion are regular folks enjoying themselves and don't make themselves into a roadblock but the sense of entitlement is pretty hard to miss and these are recreational rides mind you - no one I see is commuting on a $5000 carbon tri bike on the county roads with 25 of their friends in matching jerseys.

What's worse is Licking & Franklin counties have oodles of well-kept, extensive bike paths. They go all over the place, I know I ride them. The roadies won't use them, they'd rather ride on the road that parallels it and contend with traffic than use a bike lane. Tell me that's not about being seen and standing in someone's way. "Oooh, but on the path there are dogs and toddlers". Uh huh, which would you rather get hit by, a dog or a gas truck? It's all about safety I'm sure.

BTW, I ride paths all week long, at speed, and I've NEVER had a problem with pedestrians or dogs or anything else. I'm all about the fitness and enjoyment of riding....I love it. I don't love the idea that the roads belong to bikes. They don't. Not even close.

[swingset]

If another human being in a car can't appreciate the hard work involved in riding a cycle to the same place they're taking their Chevy.. then fuck them' date=' and they can wait behind me all goddamn day.[/quote']

If you can't appreciate that you might be holding up people who make their living on the road, who are on timetables, who have places to be because you choose to get your exercise on a road designed for their vehicles, then you might be a narcissist.

Are you a narcissist? You seem to have boldly taken the position that your wants trump everyone else.

I can appreciate getting into shape. Why do you think I ride?

Doesn't mean I have to cheer you, or accommodate you, for doing it slowly in front of me when I have someplace to be.

[Disclaimer]

The only real problem I have with cycling, is there's no engine.

[shittygsxr]

This weekend I will be attempting to block traffic in my spandex for 100 miles. Swingset I will send you the route so you can boo and hiss as I make my way through Granville

[Pokey]

Yes. I am a dick. Ask everyone that knows me. My dickishness exudes from every single endeavor I embark upon. Even something as petty as cycling.. I have to be a dick about it.

Does it ever occur to anyone that someone would not consider the feelings of others? Why the fuck would I spend my entire commute trying to accommodate the entire top half of this state? I don't give a shit where you need to be. I also don't give a damn if you're late for work.. and get fired. I have my own business to tend' date=' and your life is no concern of mine. If your entire commute is ruined by a fat guy on a bicycle.. then you should alter your commute. Do this to accommodate yourself and stop worrying about what the fuck I'm doing on your road. [/b']

Should 18 wheelers accommodate my Sunday motorcycle rides by staying off the 2-lane roads? Should blue-hairs accommodate me by not doing 45 in a 55mph zone? After all, I have the right to be on that road, and I have the right to drive it at the posted speed limit. Who the fuck does that old bitch think she is? Why is that goddamned truck trying to pass that other truck, all the while keeping the entire freeway backed up because he can only drive .275 mph faster than the douchebag he's trying to overtake?

Seriously, dude... it's a fucking bicycle. I think you need to relax and just enjoy the air conditioned comfort of your cage. You'll get by me.. just wait and see.

*Why did you switch "dick" with "narcissist"? Do you think you'll look bad for being a dick to a dick?

Proved your point.....you only care about your wishes and desires, so fuck the rest of us. If you choose not to enjoy all the bike paths "all over this fucking state", then you obviously really don't want to get into shape. But piss on the rest of us while you are ultimately satisfying yourself. You say you enjoy being a dick about almost everything, so what is the driving force behind that?

[jbot]

bwaaaaaaaaahahahahaahahahaaahahahahaa

[shittygsxr]

First' date=' the being a dick part was sarcasm. Didn't you see the stupid fucking smiley guy? Dumbass.

Second, no bike paths take me to work and back. I've already covered this.

Third, fuck you and fuck your commute. I ride bike paths, too. I just can't get to work via one of them.

I don't hold up any cars on my commute. There isn't enough traffic to hold up anywhere that I ride my bike. I don't live in fucked up Columbus, where every person behind the wheel is a self-centered, midget-dicked asshat that thinks they have the right to the whole goddamn universe because they drive a fucking car, or have a fucking job, or have a fucking date, or have to take a shit.

Fuck you. Fuck them. Fuck your commutes. Fuck all of them.[/quote']

Midget dicked.... Ha!

[fizzer]

First' date=' the being a dick part was sarcasm. Didn't you see the stupid fucking smiley guy? Dumbass.

Second, no bike paths take me to work and back. I've already covered this.

Third, fuck you and fuck your commute. I ride bike paths, too. I just can't get to work via one of them.

I don't hold up any cars on my commute. There isn't enough traffic to hold up anywhere that I ride my bike. I don't live in fucked up Columbus, where every person behind the wheel is a self-centered, midget-dicked asshat that thinks they have the right to the whole goddamn universe because they drive a fucking car, or have a fucking job, or have a fucking date, or have to take a shit.

Fuck you. Fuck them. Fuck your commutes. Fuck all of them.[/quote']

+1 billion, and I even commute by bike in the middle of Columbus. If my bike "holds you up", then you need to learn how to drive better. In years I have yet to have anyone yell or gesture to me that I was causing them any trouble on their drive, but maybe that's because I don't bike like an asshole. I stop at every damn place you have to stop, signal where you have to signal, and keep to my own little 2-3 feet of lane.

Also to the comment that bike trails are safer places to ride than the road, fuck that. People walk 3 abreast while on the paths, walk their dogs with leashes stretching across the damn path, and don't give a shit when you shout "On your left" from 20-30 yards away to let them know you're coming. Bike paths are okay to ride if you're only going 5 mph, but at 20mph I'll take the road every time.