A post about bicycles
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I've actually typed some or all of this post like... three times now and always lose focus halfway through. This problem is compounded by (A) lack of reference material to my so-called "hooptie bike" content (RIP Oppo) and (B) no saved drafts on the Hyphen.
So.
Bikes. Specifically bicycles.
For a brief background, earlier in the year I decided I wanted a cheap bike, so I bought a 60s Schwinn for $20, fixed it up, and rode it a bunch. When that one needed to go to the shop I bought a 70s Schwinn for $25, fixed it up, and rode it some. When it was pointed out that both these bikes were too small for me, I bought a 80s Centurion Ironman for $80, fixed it up, and have been riding it pretty much exclusively. I ended up stripping the 60s Schwinn for parts and selling it for $150 on Craigslist and swapped the parts over to the 70s Schwinn to make it the "not so fair weather" bike.
Well I'm still working on them and I'm still mostly enjoying it. I passed the 100 mile mark on my 3rd Hooptie Bike, the 80's Centurion Ironman and am really enjoying it. Against my better judgement, I've kept the drop bars on it and really gotten used to them. I even rode on the drops when a strong headwind was making riding miserable. The bike is comfortable, quiet to a fault, and fast.
Complaints?
Well the tube mounted shifters are kind of a pain and it looks like at some point someone swapped the front cogs around, which I think I'd like to swap back. Other than that, none really.
The 2nd hooptie bike, a Schwinn World, has been less successful. Frankly I haven't done much with it since getting the Ironman up and running. Last weekend I swapped the fenders over from the 60s bike to the World, a process that reminded me why I hate fenders. Refitting the rear tire after putting the fenders on was an exercise in "OH GOD WHERE IS IT RUBBING NOW!?" that was the same with the 60s bike too. Maybe it is problem with the fenders? Fitting the front required modification to the bracket for reasons I don't fully understand.
That process exhausted me to the point that I didn't want to, and therefore didn't, swap the drop bars to straight like I'd planned. And so it remains.
With the weather getting crappier, but still rideable, the thicker tires and fenders on the World will likely make me start riding it again soon.
Other Bike-Related Thoughts
Bone conduction headphones are awesome
I was skeptical at first, but I've really come to like them. For those unfamiliar, they're headphones that transmit sound into the bones around your ear, more or less, rather than into the ear. What you lose in fidelity you gain in the ability to hear stuff going on around you. I bought them to ride with as they'd enable to me to listen to music but also hear the people/things around me. They aren't great for riding as between sunglasses, headphones, and helmet there is a lot going on around my ears. Still, it works. I've also started using them in my office and when wrenching for similar reasons.
Still not totally used to road bikes
I grew up on mountain bikes. My only memory of riding a road bike was my brother telling my I was going to fall and die if I touched anything that wasn't pavement.
Come to find out that is one of the few things he was not wrong about.
Which is to say I am still astonished at how easy it is to unsettle one of these bikes. I've hit some tree debris (seeds and things) in a corner and felt the back end come loose. I've hit an acorn going straight on and felt the whole thing get unsettled. This sort of makes sense as the tires are very small and very high pressure, but being used to mountain bikes... wow.
Riding in moderately-cold weather sucks
Having owned a Dune Buggy, you'd think I'd know this but yeah. I took the bike out in 55 degree and it sucked. While my legs, feet, and core were fine, my ears were ice cubes and were shooting pain into my head and neck long after the ride was over. I did a do-over yesterday with a helmet liner with ear flaps and that seemed to have solved it, though that was the tipping point at which I can no longer ride with bone-conduction headphones as there is just too much crap in/on/around my ears, which made riding less fun overall. Not sure what sub-50 degree riding is going to look like though. I still haven't switched to riding in pants, so I'm pretty sure I can keep my core/legs warm, but the ears are going to continue to be an issue. I know at some point I'm going to have to quit for the winter and/or buy a trainer, but for now I'm just trying to jump on it on warm days.
I still don't own spandex
Or at least for non-fetish reasons. (I joke! ... probably...) Not having any problems with being uhh... saddle sore after my short rides. I imagine if I were one to do 50+ mile rides this would not be the case, but on 10 - 18 miles, no issues.
Construction sucks
My goal was to get into a shape where I could ride this big loop around the river. That was dashed as apparently the city has torn all of that up for rehab. I assume the flooding a few years ago took its toll, either that or it is part of Phase 2 of the Gathering Place. Or both. Either way, now that I am able to make that ride, the ride is unavailable. Such is life I guess.
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You know we put on around 1k miles on the bikes last year and I never had an issue riding in blue jeans or my Fox MTB shorts depending on temp. Maybe it only bothers certain people?
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@AkioOhtori Roadie/tri guy with a collection of spandex... For cold (I am in TX and cold is a thing I hate) it depends on the temp. Over 50 I just add to my upper body, under 50 I'll add lower wear and one thing for my face.
50-60 gets normal spandex, longer knit socks (up to calves), a long sleeve breathable undershirt (removable sleeves if the temp is supposed to gets into the 70s so I can remove them), a jersey and full finger gloves, and a helmet liner (again, unless it's supposed to get 70+)
Under 50 I add leggings, shoe covers (I have clip-ons), another shirt (sleeveless), swap to a long sleeve jersey (so long sleeve shirt + undershirt + long sleeve jersey), and an UA balaclava. That's key because it covers ears completely, front/back neck, can pull it out from under helmet and just use as a gaiter, can cover my nose if it's super cold (sub-30s). Sunglass arms fit under it and no reason some sort of small headphones couldn't either. Would wear under my moto helmet on cold days and had no problems w/tree style ear plugs.
Look at grabbing a balaclava from somewhere. Love mine - moto, biking, running, hiking, cold vessel decks, cold yard work, etc etc.
https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/p/headwear/mens-ua-heatgear-tactical-balaclava/1257995.html -
"I still don't own spandex"
Get some mountain bike shorts with a liner chamois. I have used Troy Lee and Zoic, they are both good, they look like normal shorts but you can do the miles with comfort. -
@akioohtori the 'unsettling' thing and your bikes dislike of road debris is entirely due to its geometry and your position within it.
Primarily, the steep angle of the fork and head tube and the shortish reach (saddle to handlebars). This is what they did back in the day to make the bike manoeuvrable. The issue is that it makes the handling skittish and likely creates toe overlap (your toes risk coming into contact with the front wheel whilst turning and pedalling...which would be bad).
These days, endurance and commuter road bikes are a bit more stretched out, head angles are slacker, head tubes are longer, reach is longer... handling remains excellent but stability is much improved. They are so much better bikes...
You probably wouldn't even recognise a mountain bike now if they didn't have fat tyres! Even compared to my 2010 era XC mountain bikes, the 2020 breed is something else entirely...and the improvement in their capabilities and their capacity to make the rider look even more competent than they deserve is quite amazing.
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You know, they make bikes with really good suspensions and even some that power themselves to very high speeds. They are called motorcycles. Best thing is that you don't even need to wear spandex- that's actually highly frowned upon on a motorcycle.
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why even live when no carbon aero bike
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@akioohtori I did a review of Aftershokx bone conduction headphones on old oppo. Yes, they are great for riding safely. My ears get cold too, and my fingertips. I use a headband over my ears if it gets below 60F.
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@rider Haha get out of my head! Just finished a motorized 2-wheel thing post.
Nah, bicycles for exercise and nothing else. I've lost weight but need to lose MOAR but hate all forms of exercise except biking, apparently.
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@silentbutnotreallydeadly I would have thought the geometry of his old beater would be pretty forgiving, but the Centurion is another story. It may not exactly be a crit bike, but it's likely to be pretty squirrelly. And that's what he says he spends the most time on.
I think he needs an all around or even a touring frame.
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I love this so much-really would like to fix up some oldies myself. Rode a '85ish MTB this summer for a while.
Couple notes that may or may not help:
"I was going to fall and die if I touched anything that wasn't pavement." isn't actually true once you really get the hang of things. Cyclocross and gravel bikes are basically tweaked road designs (oversimplifying grossly here) and I've done some stupid tough singletrack on mine haha. Tires, as always in life, are key.
On clothing: I find padded spandex shorts are great with sweatpants over them once it gets cold out. And layering+gloves is key.
Keep in mind if riding in the drops is tough, that's why the brake levers are flared. Switching between the three positions is really helpful. But also listen to SBNRD and Chariotoflove, cause it sounds like your main bike is super aggressive geometry wise. A $1k modern gravel or touring bike with relaxed but fast geo is a magical thing, though fixing up classics may be more fun for sure.
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@chariotoflove said in A post about bicycles:
@silentbutnotreallydeadly I would have thought the geometry of his old beater would be pretty forgiving, but the Centurion is another story. It may not exactly be a crit bike, but it's likely to be pretty squirrelly. And that's what he says he spends the most time on.
I think he needs an all around or even a touring frame.
I've both an old Super Elliot commuter from the late 60s and a very similar criterion bike to @AkioOhtori from the late 80s...and they are both squirrelly in the handling but for different reasons (in my opinion).
The beater has a steepish traditionally raked fork coupled with a long head tube and a short top tube so you sit more upright but long rear stays which which leaves your position on the bike forward and with a high centre of gravity while the criterion bike is more stretched but the fork angle is insanely tight, the head tube is short and the rear stays are very short - it's fast and manoeuvrable but skittish and a rough ride for a steel bike.
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I am a bit of a cheapskate, so all of my bikes until the Jekyll last year have been used...
Currently riding: 1996 R400 (64cm) and 2018 Jekyll AL3 (XL).
On the R400 (road-life):
Summer: I have spandex/lycra mix extra long shorts and tall jerseys for summer riding. I have fair skin, so I ride with long sleeve jerseys, lest I get a bicycling farmer's tan.
Winter: I have a nice bicycle-specific Hi-Vis jacket. It is a windbreaker on the front facing surfaces and fleece on the rear... This allows some of the moisture to escape. I wear fleece/flocked long spandex and put on insulated booties to keep those tootsies warm. Dual layer spandex skull cap under the helmet covering the ears, too. I have a couple of pairs of gloves depending on the temperature.On the Jekyll (Trail-life):
Summer: I have Urban MTB shorts with a Chamois insert - must have insert. Jerseys are similar to road duty.
Winter: In the 50's (F) I wear single layer of Eddie Bauer trail guide Pro cargo pants with the chamois inside. I also put on a long sleeve base layer or two under the jersey. In the 30's and 40's (who rides colder?) I put on the fleece/flocked long spandex under the eddie bauer guide pro cargos, and have waterproof booties - gotta keep those tootsies DRY. I have a less obnoxious colored MTB cycling jacket for trail duty - same configuration as the road jacket, though. Skull cap over the ears. Gloves are must!Stay hydrated with NOT iced water winter and summer. Enjoy the ride ! Don't stop and lolligag. Get and out and ride !
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@akioohtori If you want exercise, get a dirt bike. It's the best full-body workout you'll ever get. Bicycles are good training for it, I'll admit- you need to get those legs working!
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@rider Both are fun, but a dirtbike isn't a real workout
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@akioohtori the World Sport has a more relaxed geometry and should be less squirrelly. My old road bike that only sees trainer duty these days is a World Sport.
The key to riding in cold weather is wind protection. I rode many winters up there with a good wind-blocking hat that covered my ears (helmets weren’t a thing yet). Good gloves were also important. For a top layer, I just wore a windbreaker. I also rode in jeans. They didn’t do much to stop the cold, but I didn’t have anything warmer and I had to wear jeans for school anyway.
Proper cycling jackets block the wind, but have pit zips and a back vent that you can open up if you get too warm. Regular cycling shorts will freeze your willie. I haven’t had to ride in the winter in a long time, but when I was commuting, I’d wear a pair of wind-blocking pants over sweatpants over cycling shorts. I was often too warm when I got to the office.
If you decide to buy a trainer, spend the dough and get a smart trainer and a subscription to Zwift. It’s a lot more fun than just grinding away in front of the tv. Zwift will adjust the resistance on the trainer as the road grade changes. It’s not super realistic, but it works well. It also has workout modes that will adjust resistance based on a predetermined workout regime. Think spin class without the loud music and yelling. It’s the only thing that makes indoor riding tolerable.
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I've only worn spandex in one way - as the padded inner part of baggy mountain biking shorts. It takes a certain type of body for spandex to not be aggravated visual assault on bystanders and I do not have it!
I've been riding a 2007 Kona Major Jake cyclocross bike since buying it new. It replaced my Cannondale M800 which I loved as well. About half my riding was paved road and my offroad riding was pretty mild - only the occasional drop or tree-trunk jump - so a cyclocross bike is the best solution for me. But, damn... I wish that the UCI had allowed disc brakes back when my Kona was built. I had to upgrade to a set of Paul brakes to get the braking even equal to the power of the old M800. I've also got a 1993 Cannondale Track I bought as a used frameset around 1998 (previous owner was a velodrome racer and he kept all the rest of the components for his new bike). That one does take some extra care when riding because of the toe overlap on the front wheel.
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@nowhere Oh hey we're sort-of bike twins! I looked at Jakes but ended up with a '21 Rove a few months ago, fairly similar but aluminum and 650b wheels with 47mm tires. At about 600 miles three months in, hopefully many more both hitting backroads and stepping the tail out on dirt and gravel.
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@spacekraken https://www.sportsrec.com/550270-does-dirt-bike-riding-help-you-exercise.html
https://www.dirtbikeearth.com/is-riding-a-dirt-bike-good-exercise-whats-the-calorie-burn/
It's not a high-intensity workout, but 5-6 hours with a heart rate around 130 is a workout. And it really depends on what kind of terrain you ride, the bike you're on and how fast you're going.
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@rider Oh cool, 400 cals/h doing motocross is about the same as a mid grade road ride, not bad. Hard cycling is like 500-600 on road, more if you're going through the same terrain on an MTB.
I'm usually doing 1000' climbs in minutes and much more high intensity, but it makes sense that reacting and wrangling a bike off road could be pretty decent, a lot like horseback riding maybe (have both both of those, but I find cycling more of a workout, maybe cause I live next to several massive climbs lol)
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@rider or a stand up jet ski
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@spacekraken Trust me, there are a lot of ways to make riding a dirtbike more of a workout than riding a road bike. Imagine downhill MTB except the bike weighs 230 lbs and you're wearing motocross gear.
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@rider Yes for sure! But pushing yourself on offroad uphill is the real fun
I have a local climb where it's dirt offroad ascent for about half an hour (heart rate 160ish) and then a road drop where you can clear 40mph-pretty fun for no assistance from motors.This is not at all saying dirtbiking isn't fun, or a workout-I've gotten to ride a friend's little 125cc thumper and it's an absolute blast, can only imagine how fun something with a bit more power is. I just like the suffering/feeling of satisfaction of doing techincal rides running purely on whatever I had for breakfast LOL
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@silentbutnotreallydeadly said in A post about bicycles:
You probably wouldn't even recognise a mountain bike now if they didn't have fat tyres! Even compared to my 2010 era XC mountain bikes, the 2020 breed is something else entirely...and the improvement in their capabilities and their capacity to make the rider look even more competent than they deserve is quite amazing.
Sounds like cheating then! Im just jealous because I cant afford it. Im only into biking if I can spend zero dollars on it. Skiing is already my expensive outdoor hobby so I cant have another one. Im just happy to have disc brakes and a bike that weighs less than 30 pounds. Anything else more modern is too extra for me!
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@spacekraken Mountain bikes do look like fun, and I'd like being able to go places where loud motors aren't welcome. Dirt bikes can be a little hard on the terrain, too, which is never good. What are your thoughts on MTBs with electric boost?
