Cycling (bicycles)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Knotahippie
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I don't normally ride on the sidewalk, but some stretches of road can be very unsafe with cars. I don't see a problem doing a stint on the sidewalk if nobody is walking there. People do need to understand the safety priorities with pedestrians, cycles, and cars. That the weaker or more vulnerable gets the most consideration, seems to work pretty well.


It's easy and cheap to ship bikes, they are being sent all over the world. Often you can send a whole bike in a frame box, with some assembly later required. I suppose Brendon would need a bike shop or knowledgable friend to put it together, and a good chance to oil and grease if required. Some special tools are required for dis-assembly, but not necessarily to put back together. Pipe insulation sold at a hardware store works good around the frame tubes for protection, plus bubble wrap and the cushioning is sufficient. I have a bike crazy friend, a collector, with poor English ability, so he would ask me to order used bikes for him. He has received many bikes from various places in Europe and the states to here, and never any damage, to my knowledge. I recall one frame from the Netherlands that came with balloons packed in around it. They had deflated somewhat.
 
brendonv said:
I'm looking for something for local transportation, and mostly training for motocross. I tried mountain biking but I find I really hate driving places to go ride, I'm more of a what's out your front door kinda guy. Less time driving I'm happy.
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You might do good with a 'cross bike. They are great for commuting, still pretty light and fast, and you can take them on trails as long as it's not too hairy. Cyclocross is pretty big in the NE and has been gaining popularity recently, should be some good shops for it up there.
 
pigwot said:
Brendon,
How tall are you and what length inseam pants do you buy? I have a customer who has known me since I had bike shops back in the '70s.
He had hips replaced and was hoping to get back to bicycling; bought a brand new Giant TCR bike and never used it.
Asked me about selling it for him and dropped it off.
The frame measures 21" from the bottom bracket axle to the seat post binder bolt.
It's a Med/Large Giant TCR.
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Just remember that a lot of frames have sloping top tubes now, this can make comparing the geometry a little difficult. Sometimes they will give you an "effective top tube" number.
 
top_notch said:
I worked as a mechanic in a shop for about five years, and for the every day rider 105 is great stuff.
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+1. No need for a rec rider to go higher $$ than that. Save your dough for tires/tubes and the like.
 
woodworkingboy said:
It's easy and cheap to ship bikes, they are being sent all over the world. Often you can send a whole bike in a frame box, with some assembly later required. I suppose Brendon would need a bike shop or knowledgable friend to put it together, and a good chance to oil and grease if required. Some special tools are required for dis-assembly, but not necessarily to put back together. Pipe insulation sold at a hardware store works good around the frame tubes for protection, plus bubble wrap and the cushioning is sufficient. I have a bike crazy friend, a collector, with poor English ability, so he would ask me to order used bikes for him. He has received many bikes from various places in Europe and the states to here, and never any damage, to my knowledge. I recall one frame from the Netherlands that came with balloons packed in around it. They had deflated somewhat.
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Most shops can build a frame up to where all the buyer has to do upon getting it is insert the stem/bars, mount the pedals and seatpost/saddle, and put on the wheels. The derailleurs should be already adjusted. Just have to fix your seat height and fore/aft, maybe tweak the bars. Not hard to ship. When a shop gets a full bike from the factory, it will basically be like this anyway.
 
If I had a place to park it, I'd want one of these.

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I love it when the gas prices go up because its good for business and it also gets me on my bike more. I have been going and doing a lot more estimates, shopping trips, and other little trips on my bike. It really is a great way to get around, so efficient. Within five miles I can get anywhere within five minutes of a car. I was thinking about this thread a little on my way home from picking up some odds and ends from West Marine. I always get honked at and there are always the angry people that yell at me to "Get on the Sidewalk". Most of the time it is people in big huge trucks with a bag of groceries in the back. Anyway, I move pretty fast and I had a tail wind and I was cruising This guy comes speeding by super close and blasts his horn accompanied by some profanities. So all right, that got me a little road raged so I picked up my pace and snuck in behind a van that was behind the truck and drafted it. About a mile down, the cars became a little congested and I was able to pass on the left. I carry a whistle in my helmet and as I passed the open window of the guys truck, I blasted my whistle in his ear. Oh man he about jumped out of his skin. Anyway, that felt great but it only made him mad and he actually then tried to run me off the road. He actually seemed like he wanted to kill me then. scary.

It cracks me up though that people in trucks think that where they are going is so much more important than where I am going. Its also funny because as a biker I watch the traffic and I see that what really slows the road down and congests life for everyone is the big over sized vehicles.
 
I hear ya Kevin. You meet all kinds on the road, and being on a bike makes it pretty easy to tell where they are coming from. Late Friday is bad, lots of stress out there. You can hear it too, the way people gun their engines. Sunday tends to be a lot more casual, except for the perpetual nut cases. Road rage isn't really a thing here, lucky in that regard. Some people do pull over and get out and bow. :lol:
 
Last year I was riding with a buddy and a little honda civic zoomed by and cut in on us even though there was no oncoming traffic. I thought he was going to hit my handlebars and how my buddy who was in front kept up amazed me. I flipped him the bird and he slammed on the brakes. I accelerated and got up beside him and told him to pull over so we could sort it out like men. He then pulled out a gun and hung it out the window. Me being the dumb ass that I am asked him if he needed a gun to fight a guy wearing tights:lol: Her floored it and took of, better outcome than me getting shot. Yup road rage is never a good idea........
 
I like that. Its funny the difference in perspectives when your on a bike. I was talking with my brother in law who started complaining about bicycles in the road, very nice guy but I realized that he himself might clip me or blast his horn in my ear. On the road we are like enemies..
 
Funny thing is, I live on a busy road with no shoulder, I wouldn't ride from my house for anything. Last year 3 riders got hit on it, dangerous as shit, 55mph limit and narrow and busy. When Im driving my knuckle boom towing the wheel loader it pisses me off when I get stuck behind a cyclist going up the hill as there is no way I can get past them. I bet when I ride on their road I piss them off too:|::?
 
Crank It UP!!!

:rockon:

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When I'm on a bike, I don't want special consideration. I just want people to follow the law; pedestrians, cyclists, then cars, that is the priority in the law. I sympathize with people's impatience, but it is tough titty.
 
Bicyclists often ride our mountain side roads up here. A dangerous en-devour. No real shoulder or bike lane. Narrow roads with blind curves often 40 plus MPH travel. Amazing more don't get killed. You come around the bend and one will be climbing a hill middle lane. Scary stuff. I used to be a pretty avid rider back in the day, but I was damn careful where I rode. I would not ride on most our roads here.
 
I'm not a jerk to cyclists on the road. However, when they have a large clear to shoulder to ride on, and mirrors on their handlebars, but insist in staying in the middle of the lane and creating a dangerous scene for me because traffic is coming head on at me and the cyclers won't move over, I act like a jerk off.
 
One time in AZ I was driving my plumbing truck along a 6 lane road on my back from a job site. A bicyclist with mirrors cut right out in front of me as such that I really had to brake hard almost skidding. He got to watch a 20 foot length of schedule 40 1 1/4 PVC slide right out of my pipe rack toward the crack of his up raised ass. The look on his face was priceless as it came to a stop with in 6 inches of tickling him :lol:
 
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