OT: Cycling ... as in... riding bikes... as in... bicycles

[1.6180339887]

Do the Irish embassy know you're referring to racers as roadbikes ?

Shame on you.

[monkeyboy]

Ah bikes. Probably a bigger drain on my finances than music gear. If I get a ride in and make some music in a day, then that day has been a good day.

Here's my big bike for winching up and flying down proper mountains although I've got a road bike, BMX, XC bike, hack bike etc...

[contakt321]

+ 1 on bar tape

Not sure if it's everywhere or just NYC, but here it's totally in vogue to not use bar tape and I truly don't understand it.

Other than seeing more chrome, how would this be a good thing?
Then the downsides (cold in the cold, slimey in the rain, hands go numb, etc)

[scott nathaniel]

Every bike thread needs a scare story for the sake of counterbalance:
http://www.eunuch.org/Alpha/B/newaccident.htm

[8O]

Do the Irish embassy know you're referring to racers as roadbikes ?

Shame on you.

Hehe - just a little concession to our American readers... racers will always be racers... Talking of Irish racers, thought Nico Roche did pretty damn well in the Tour de France this year, good on him...

[8O]

Also: This.

[aqua_tek]

Every bike thread needs a scare story for the sake of counterbalance:
http://www.eunuch.org/Alpha/B/newaccident.htm

JEBUS! OK I'm selling the bike today


Very cool bikes, peeps! I'm afraid this is about to become an expensive hobby.

@contakt, we def need to hit the road man. Let's get in touch! And I'm def getting some bar tape today.
@hiddendriveways, I agree, I should get a helmet. I don't really intend to ride "like the wind", so the danger is slightly reduced, but some extra safety can't be a bad thing.

I also need to get a better set of locks. I think I have one decent chain and lock, but after seeing these vids, I definitely feel like the bike is way underprotected. It's just weird, thinking that I'll probably spend more on locks than what I actually paid for the bike.

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... l-warning/


That Hal guy is hilarious as well



Keep the advice comin!

[contakt321]

Every bike thread needs a scare story for the sake of counterbalance:
http://www.eunuch.org/Alpha/B/newaccident.htm

JEBUS! OK I'm selling the bike today


Very cool bikes, peeps! I'm afraid this is about to become an expensive hobby.

@contakt, we def need to hit the road man. Let's get in touch! And I'm def getting some bar tape today.
@hiddendriveways, I agree, I should get a helmet. I don't really intend to ride "like the wind", so the danger is slightly reduced, but some extra safety can't be a bad thing.

I also need to get a better set of locks. I think I have one decent chain and lock, but after seeing these vids, I definitely feel like the bike is way underprotected. It's just weird, thinking that I'll probably spend more on locks than what I actually paid for the bike.

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... l-warning/


That Hal guy is hilarious as well



Keep the advice comin!

Will hit you about hooking up next week fo sho.

DEFINITELY GET A GOOD LOCK!

Get the Kryptonite Fahgeddaboutit U-Lock (cheapest price is Amazon) and the Kryptonite cable to run through your wheels.

That's the rules man, if you have a nice bike, you need a good lock. NYC is the number one bike theft city in the country (Chicago is #2). 5 or so years ago I locked a crappy Mountain Bike outside the door of my building with a crappy lock and no bullshit was stolen within 2 hours.

Now that I have a nice bike (that glorious 86 Schwinn on the first page) I am not messing around.

[Tarekith]

I wouldn't even want a nice bike in NY, I hear so many sotries about how high the theft rate is there. Carrying a 30lb lock for a 18lb bike just seems like too much hassle for me.

[contakt321]

I wouldn't even want a nice bike in NY, I hear so many sotries about how high the theft rate is there. Carrying a 30lb lock for a 18lb bike just seems like too much hassle for me.

They steal even crappy bikes here. It sucks.

I think my Kryptonite is like 5 or 7 lbs. Just barely light enough to rock on my belt without pulling my pants off.

[8O]

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... e-locking/
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hal ... l-warning/


That Hal guy is hilarious as well

Haha - excellent videos - cheers for that! I should really get a secondary extension lock for my town bike... but I never lock my mountain bike or my roadbike racer as I never leave them out of sight, anywhere...

[OvertoneZero]

Biking is cool.. it would be tight to live in a town where cars were banned and it was just bikes and horses..

[8O]

...or doing my first century ride <gulp>.

Cool - on or off-road?

Just did my first century last year... here: http://www.berlin.de/mauer/mauerweg/index/index.en.php - it's the route of the old Berlin wall, pretty much exactly 100 miles.

My only tips for your first century - take lots and lots of food and drink and don't experiment with anything new - no new equipment, clothes or food choices - stick with tried and trusted. It's a great sense of accomplishment though, totally worth it - good luck!

[nylarch]

I'm a regular in Prospect Park mornings before work. Looking for a new road bike. Craigslist has been really frustrating - lots of nice bikes, people flaking out though when trying to seal the deal or just outright fraud. Been pissing me off.

Anyone do the Nyack weekly ride I've heard a lot of people talk about?

[Hidden Driveways]

They steal even crappy bikes here. It sucks.

That's the reason I had to buy my current bike, my free hand-me-down random Japanese brand hybrid was stolen when parked at 30th + 6th. I miss that valueless piece of crap.

After that I did the U-lock to frame & rear wheel with a chain around the front wheel through the U-lock. That works well, but yeah, cruising around with that much extraneous hardware is a drag. You come off a curb and make a big thwap! sound when you land.