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05/01/2015 06:59:57 PM · #26 |
| Make sure it fits! Get it sooner rather than later. Start out with something basic - maybe a bit upright (hybrids are good) then see how much you like it and where you want to go. And you can always get more than one bike, eventually, to have different bikes for different riding purposes!! |
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05/01/2015 07:36:30 PM · #27 |
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05/01/2015 09:15:17 PM · #28 |
| This might be a good crowd to ask about something that came up the other day. I have a bicycle, but I rarely ride it, not because I don't like riding, but because the bike is so damn uglyâ€Â¦well, the bike itself isn't ugly, it's the super bright orange and yellow paint job that's ugly. I was going to take it apart as far as I can (meaning remove everything but the bottom bracket, fork and headset, mask all the bits I don't want painted, sand it a bit to rough up the surface and use a epoxy based spray paint to give it a nice coat of flat dark machine grey. Any advice? |
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05/01/2015 09:41:17 PM · #29 |
Wouldn't it be easier to get an orange-and-yellow riding jersey? ;-)
Note that those colors contribute significantly to your safety if you ride where there are cars or anywhere at night ...
Message edited by author 2015-05-01 21:43:21. |
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05/01/2015 10:36:07 PM · #30 |
If it is a cheap bike, spray away. If it's a nicer bike, it might be worth getting it painted or powder coated professionally. Got a pic of it?
My White Schwinn Crosscut is presently taken apart and I'm going to get it coated as soon as I can get some time during the week to take it to the place that does it. I'm expecting it to be about $150 to do the frame and fork. Here's some samples of the colors I was considering, if anyone cares to offer an opinion. I was leaning towards one of the purples or the dark green.
Message edited by author 2015-05-01 22:41:11.
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05/02/2015 12:22:13 AM · #31 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
This might be a good crowd to ask about something that came up the other day. I have a bicycle, but I rarely ride it, not because I don't like riding, but because the bike is so damn uglyâ€Â¦well, the bike itself isn't ugly, it's the super bright orange and yellow paint job that's ugly. I was going to take it apart as far as I can (meaning remove everything but the bottom bracket, fork and headset, mask all the bits I don't want painted, sand it a bit to rough up the surface and use a epoxy based spray paint to give it a nice coat of flat dark machine grey. Any advice? |
This guy, uses this stuff to do this. |
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05/02/2015 06:06:56 AM · #32 |
Thanks for your responses! I love seeing you avid bikers get excited to talk about riding. Spiff posted 4 times in 30 minutes!
My initial use for the bike will be a little ways on concrete to a nature park and then a little "off road" sort of. The roughest of trail will be a moderately maintained, and it'll be just outside of Toronto meaning, very little hilly bits. I would imagine most of the bike's use will be on concrete though, as it would be nice to make quick errands... and long errands too. There's a lot of stuff relatively near where I will be living. There's even an IKEA within a couple miles, maybe I should get a little wagon too. lol
I'm not in terrible shape, but I'm not in shape either. I think my lower back might thank me for getting a more upright bike, at least for awhile? How quickly does your body adjust to a more leaning posture (keeping in mind that I'm a couple years shy of 40)? After reading everyone's responses, I might lean towards a cheapy at first, or at least used? If I ask around enough, I might find someone with one in their garage that they'd lend me for the Summer. I love the idea of renting or a coop to test! And thanks for the links to online shops too, lots of do-dads and gadgets to look at.
As for my camera, I would like to bring it with me on occasion. I have an old Lowepro Slingshot, but imagine my back getting really hot and sweaty. Investing in a little point-n-shoot wouldn't be a terrible idea. Or maybe this is another point in favor of that little wagon I mentioned above; mobile studio FTW.
Physically, is there anything I should expect as I start to ride again? What muscles and joints will scream at me? Any newbie mistakes that are easily preventable?
I'm still a couple months out from getting the bike, but my brain is welcoming the idea of looking forward to the good things that will come from moving rather than the move itself, ugh. I'm also considering taking up crocheting, no joke. Winters are the real deal up there, croikey! |
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05/02/2015 08:25:35 AM · #33 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Wouldn't it be easier to get an orange-and-yellow riding jersey? ;-)
Note that those colors contribute significantly to your safety if you ride where there are cars or anywhere at night ... |
Reflective clothing and lights, my friend. |
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05/02/2015 09:02:33 AM · #34 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
If it is a cheap bike, spray away. If it's a nicer bike, it might be worth getting it painted or powder coated professionally. Got a pic of it?
My White Schwinn Crosscut is presently taken apart and I'm going to get it coated as soon as I can get some time during the week to take it to the place that does it. I'm expecting it to be about $150 to do the frame and fork. Here's some samples of the colors I was considering, if anyone cares to offer an opinion. I was leaning towards one of the purples or the dark green.
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It's a relatively old Cannondale F400, like the one in this pic 
Way back in 2000 or 2001 (I think), I got it directly from the insurance company when my old bike got stolen. At first I didn't think I'd mind the color, but I find it grating. |
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05/02/2015 01:07:50 PM · #35 |
| I think a cannondale is worth spending a little on for a nice.paint job. JMO, of course. |
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05/02/2015 01:32:09 PM · #36 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
Spiff posted 4 times in 30 minutes! |
I need to not be so shy about responding.
Originally posted by aliqui:
I'm not in terrible shape, but I'm not in shape either. I think my lower back might thank me for getting a more upright bike, at least for awhile? How quickly does your body adjust to a more leaning posture (keeping in mind that I'm a couple years shy of 40)? |
So you are young and strong. Good! Age isnt as important as you might think. I just turned 54 and rode my age in miles on my birthday. Actually did 55 by the time i got back to the hotel. Melethia has a few years on me and does long rides all the time. I prefer drop bars, my hands get numb from the way I hold flat bars. And my butt aches with an upright posture on the bike. But it is very much a personal preferences thing. I think a hybrid with upright bars would suit you just fine. Look for tires in a moderate to wide width. 28c to 35c width would probably be suitable.
Originally posted by aliqui:
Physically, is there anything I should expect as I start to ride again? What muscles and joints will scream at me? Any newbie mistakes that are easily preventable? |
Saddle height being too low is a common newbie error. You need to be able to get maximum mechanical efficiency from your legs. At the full extension of your pedal stroke, your knee should be just slightly bent. This means you will not be able to sit on the bike and comfortably keep your feet on the ground. This is fine. Straddle the top tube and when you push off, lift youself into the saddle. When you come to a stop, get off the saddle and straddle to top tube again.
Message edited by author 2015-05-02 17:56:23.
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05/02/2015 01:33:02 PM · #37 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
I'm not in terrible shape, but I'm not in shape either. I think my lower back might thank me for getting a more upright bike, at least for awhile? How quickly does your body adjust to a more leaning posture (keeping in mind that I'm a couple years shy of 40)?
Physically, is there anything I should expect as I start to ride again? What muscles and joints will scream at me? Any newbie mistakes that are easily preventable? |
When you first start riding, your muscles will not know how to work together efficiently. You can expect some muscles to hurt more than others, maybe even cramp up during the ride. Do short rides at first so if muscles do cramp up you can coast home. :D But then after your muscles learn to work together on the bike, the pain goes away & the addiction begins & your body will "feel like going for a ride." That's when you start to discover what kind of riding you like best.
For me, I liked long distance touring. I did 2 camping tours in beautiful British Columbia, Canada & was a bicycle commuter for years. The weakest part of my body was my hands. I had gloves with padded palms & used foam tape on the handlebars to minimize the vibration & stress.
It sounds like you might like 2 bikes. One more upright, with a basket on the handlebars for errands. The other one for longer rides with the camera. As you can tell from reading this thread, bike riding is a great sport with loads of opportunity for all kinds of gear.
Crocheting & knitting have their own addictive qualities--you will be able to make lots of hats, scarves, leg warmers, & mittens!
Message edited by author 2015-05-02 13:48:58. |
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05/02/2015 06:02:47 PM · #38 |
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Crocheting & knitting have their own addictive qualities--you will be able to make lots of hats, scarves, leg warmers, & mittens! |
Hey! She could knit some retro crochet-back riding gloves. There are very few on the market these days and they are my favorite kind.
Message edited by author 2015-05-02 18:03:05.
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05/02/2015 06:05:29 PM · #39 |
The miles per week thread hasn't seen any activity in a while, so I'll just leave it here.
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05/02/2015 06:19:03 PM · #40 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I think a cannondale is worth spending a little on for a nice.paint job. JMO, of course. |
I agree, but I'm not sure I want to invest more than a few bucks in this bike. It rides OK, but I'm not riding off road and the suspension can't be locked out so it's mushy when I accelerate even with high pressure road style tires. The other option is to sell it and buy a new bike, but I have champagne taste and a beer budget. |
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05/02/2015 06:23:00 PM · #41 |
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Originally posted by aliqui:
I'm not in terrible shape, but I'm not in shape either. I think my lower back might thank me for getting a more upright bike, at least for awhile? How quickly does your body adjust to a more leaning posture (keeping in mind that I'm a couple years shy of 40)?
Physically, is there anything I should expect as I start to ride again? What muscles and joints will scream at me? Any newbie mistakes that are easily preventable? |
When you first start riding, your muscles will not know how to work together efficiently. You can expect some muscles to hurt more than others, maybe even cramp up during the ride. Do short rides at first so if muscles do cramp up you can coast home. :D But then after your muscles learn to work together on the bike, the pain goes away & the addiction begins & your body will "feel like going for a ride." That's when you start to discover what kind of riding you like best.
For me, I liked long distance touring. I did 2 camping tours in beautiful British Columbia, Canada & was a bicycle commuter for years. The weakest part of my body was my hands. I had gloves with padded palms & used foam tape on the handlebars to minimize the vibration & stress.
It sounds like you might like 2 bikes. One more upright, with a basket on the handlebars for errands. The other one for longer rides with the camera. As you can tell from reading this thread, bike riding is a great sport with loads of opportunity for all kinds of gear.
Crocheting & knitting have their own addictive qualities--you will be able to make lots of hats, scarves, leg warmers, & mittens! |
The best advice I got when I was starting to ride was to ride with the bike one or two gears lower than you think it should be so that you pedal faster and when you pedal, think about making circles with your feet, not mashing the pedals up and down with brute force. For one, it's more efficient and two, it's easier on your joints. |
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05/02/2015 06:25:48 PM · #42 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Crocheting & knitting have their own addictive qualities--you will be able to make lots of hats, scarves, leg warmers, & mittens! |
Hey! She could knit some retro crochet-back riding gloves. There are very few on the market these days and they are my favorite kind.
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Yeah! Mine were the tan leather ones, I see they still make them.
Message edited by author 2015-05-02 18:27:27. |
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05/02/2015 07:01:20 PM · #43 |
surprisingly enough, my legs aren't really what gets tired and sore when I ride. It's more my shoulders/neck/wrists.
I agree with having your legs go around faster. My husband rode a lot when he was younger, so I watched him and started adjusting. I thought going around faster was stupid, but it is a lot better and not as wearing.
Also, small but dumb thing: make sure it's the ball of your feet on the pedals. For some reason I wanted to put the middle of my foot (right at the arch) when I started riding. I'm only mentioning it, because my husband and a couple other leaders took 14 boy scouts on a 228 mile bike ride over spring break, and he said a good majority of the kids were riding with their arches instead of the balls of the feet to begin with.
Regarding crochet vs knitting -- knitting has a ton more patterns and more flexibility. I do both, but just wasn't finding as much cool stuff for crochet, so I switched primarily to knitting.
Obviously you'll need water bottles (for biking, although you might as well stay hydrated while knitting :). I actually wish I had room for two water bottles on my bike, but the upright for short people doesn't really have space. I think I'll have to bring a bottle of aquafina in my bar bag, because one bottle wasn't enough for today's ride.
Biking clothes are actually worth it. I thought they were a gimmick, because they're pricey. But the padded biking shorts really are a lot more comfortable. The wicking shirts to wick the sweat away from your body are nice. This year I bought the long/warm biking "tights". Oh my they're nice for colder weather!! They wick, they breath, and they keep your warm.
Being significantly overweight, I felt quite self conscious when wearing the shorts the first couple of times. And even more so the first time or two in the leggings. I don't give a crap now. They're sooooo much better than jeans or shorts, I don't care how I look.
Biking clothes are pricey, so I got them a little at a time. But they are so worth it. I haven't ridden in anything else since.
A bell is fun. Because there really is an etiquette for riding. Which I didn't know before. When you're passing another rider, it's really nice when they say "on your left", because it can be a big surprise when someone is going passed you and you had no idea. The road/trails are a lot busier with runners/walkers/dog walkers/bikers. And so the bell can be heard farther away and most people know to move to the side when they hear it. I've spoken loudly a number of times when coming on groups that have taken the entire trail, and not been heard. The bell is almost always heard. Plus it's a fun toy. ;)
Still not sure about gloves. I have gloves for when it's colder, and they are really nice to have. I might try a pair of fingerless now that it's warmer. It actually was the thing my brother said was a must have when I started riding.
The nice thing about biking is all you really need is a bike and a helmet (oh -- I really really really didn't want to wear a helmet!! Seriously, I grew up riding a bike without out one, I don't need oneâ€Â¦ But roads are so much busier now. I've had close calls with cars. I know a kid that fell and cracked a helmet. I know an adult who just fell and cracked a helmet. If your head is hitting hard enough to crack a helmet, they probably would have cracked a head without one. Buy a helmet. But add the other things as you go along. Starting with the bike shorts first. |
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05/02/2015 07:18:01 PM · #44 |
Excellent advice, Wendy! Yes, bike shorts are worth it. :-) And if you're self-conscious, look around for shorts disguised with skirts over them. I have a pair of those and love 'em!
Wendy, you might want to invest in a Camelback or similar hydration pack, especially as weather gets warmer and your rides get longer. You can freeze the bladder with about 1/3 of the water in it, then fill it all the way up in the morning (you may have to thaw the hose, but it's easy to do), then the water stays cold all day and as a plus, it's cool against your back, too. They come in several sizes, so you can get what you need without it being too big, and it doubles as a small backpack when you don't need the water. I actually use an old camelback pack as a camera bag. They tend to be narrow and small, which is nice when you're not a big person.
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05/02/2015 07:38:28 PM · #45 |
I have a funny story to tell you...I used to ride biking trails that also included people walking with their dogs. I was used to shouting "on your left!" & other bikers would know to move over to the right, to give me room to pass. But I found out that people on foot just get confused & some people on bikes too. They seemed confused by someone shouting behind them & unsure which was left & which was right. I had several close calls until I learned to shout "BEHIND YOU!" That would make people stop & turn around, giving them enough time to get out of my way. Once you get rolling, especially climbing, you want to keep up your momentum
Oh, & another funny story...squirrels! I encountered not a few, & discovered that if I tried to avoid them they invariably ran back into my path. With squirrels, I discovered, the thing to do is increase your speed & take aim at their head. Their survival skills will get them out of harm's way. Cos I really didn't want to hit a squirrel with my front wheel. |
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05/02/2015 07:40:29 PM · #46 |
GLOVES! Wear gloves when you ride, please! Save yourself the suffering. If and when you crash, your instinct will be to break your fall with your hands.
If you're not wearing gloves, you can be rewarded with what can be described as exquisite levels of pain as the ER doc removes bits of sand and gravel from the flesh of your palms, first with forceps and then later with a soap and a stiff bristle brush. Then your hands get wrapped up and everything you do, you have to do with bandages covering your hands. Imagine trying to do everything for weeks while wearing oven mitts.
How do I know about this stuff? I had to learn this the hard way.
And wear a helmet too.
Message edited by author 2015-05-02 19:41:26. |
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05/02/2015 07:43:20 PM · #47 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Obviously you'll need water bottles (for biking, although you might as well stay hydrated while knitting :). I actually wish I had room for two water bottles on my bike, but the upright for short people doesn't really have space. I think I'll have to bring a bottle of aquafina in my bar bag, because one bottle wasn't enough for today's ride. |
I ride with a 100 oz Camelbak. Even in the winter, when I don't need the water it gives me a secure place for my wallet and phone.
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05/02/2015 07:45:17 PM · #48 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
GLOVES! Wear gloves when you ride, please! Save yourself the suffering. If and when you crash, your instinct will be to break your fall with your hands.
If you're not wearing gloves, you can be rewarded with what can be described as exquisite levels of pain as the ER doc removes bits of sand and gravel from the flesh of your palms, first with forceps and then later with a soap and a stiff bristle brush. Then your hands get wrapped up and everything you do, you have to do with bandages covering your hands. Imagine trying to do everything for weeks while wearing oven mitts.
How do I know about this stuff? I had to learn this the hard way.
And wear a helmet too. |
+1k
A crash is almost inevitable. |
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05/03/2015 03:28:10 AM · #49 |
Dress in layers. This way you can shed clothes as the day gets warmer or add more clothes as it cools down. Cotton clothes are not a good choice as they hold your sweat. Wet clothes will certainly make you feel chilled, especially with a wind.
You may want to learn how to change a flat (lots of utube vids on that).
Make sure the gears you have are capable of taking you over the terrain you want to tackle. Practice changing to lower gears when about to embark on a long hard climb. You want to do it right before the incline starts, not when it starts to get really hard to pedal. That's when you'll get knee injuries.
Know the rules of the road, especially in urban riding. Join a club to ride with people who can give you more tips and will help your stamina and skills grow.
Btw, Oregeon is a bike Mecca. There are lots of resources and support for cyclists there, and lots of trails and paths.
Try a bike tour. I recommend Adventure Cycling Assoc. for bike maps and guided tours. |
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05/03/2015 04:55:37 AM · #50 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
GLOVES! Wear gloves when you ride, please! Save yourself the suffering. If and when you crash, your instinct will be to break your fall with your hands.
If you're not wearing gloves, you can be rewarded with what can be described as exquisite levels of pain as the ER doc removes bits of sand and gravel from the flesh of your palms, first with forceps and then later with a soap and a stiff bristle brush. Then your hands get wrapped up and everything you do, you have to do with bandages covering your hands. Imagine trying to do everything for weeks while wearing oven mitts.
How do I know about this stuff? I had to learn this the hard way.
And wear a helmet too. |
Damn. And I thought it sucked when I was getting my thumb stitched after I sliced open the tip of it when I was trying to break a zip tie with a chef's knife. Yours sounds way, way worse. Was there a lot of scars?
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