The biking thread

DustDriver
With fall beginning I'm thinking of buying a high power front light.
Current favorite is this one:
http://reviews.mtbr.com/magicshine-mj-872-2013-mtbr-lights-shootout

One of the best bangs for the buck looking around online.
Just have to get my friends convinced to do the same. I want to keep mtbing during the week on forest trails.

I will try to strap my current light, which is actually a flashlight on a bar mount, to my helmet. It has a very good throw, but the beam isn't as wide as the Magicshine light.

Woah, i just use under $5 LED flashlights and tape then to the front and back. Too poor to buy actual biking front & rear lamps.
 
Yeah i rather enjoy it being dark when i ride at night. I only use lights so driver see me and cops don't stop me. Yet i only use my bike for "recreational use" rather than actual "transportation".
 
On a forest trail with potential hazards like fallen trees/branches and rocks, I'd like to see as much as possible :P

I would probably turn it to the lowest setting for road use. I want the cars to see me, so blinding them would be counter-productive.
 
On a forest trail with potential hazards like fallen trees/branches and rocks, I'd like to see as much as possible :P

I would probably turn it to the lowest setting for road use. I want the cars to see me, so blinding them would be counter-productive.
Not seeing the potential hazards is most the fun!


[EDIT] Having bough a beater of a Franken' bike off a colleague nearly a year ago, I finally started fiddling with it. The wheels were off and the calipers were tight, so that was my first mistake. In the process of sorting that the already spongy brakes are worse so I'm going to have to do a bleed. More fiddling, fun fun.
 
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Unaware of injuries, I did a 22km trip to several Walmarts, come back home and thighs, knees and upper shin are in pain. That's what I get for not being physically active on a more regular basis.

Must've overdid myself. Applied Voltaren for two days and it's almost all better, though it hurts a bit to stand for about a minute. I didn't think about what my legs were going through, I only kept thinking about how much energy I had left during the trip. :indiff:
 
On Sunday I did the biggest ride in the world ever in a biblical storm for a mountain rescue charity...do I win :D

76km and about 2,000m climbing in 6hr 53mins, Strava is lying saying it was only 72.6km

http://app.strava.com/activities/82654698 The comments give a bit of an idea to how it went

V cool Veloviewer 3D thing, the gridlines are 1km squares

r1084.png


Managed to pedal up everything that was ridable and didn't bonk or get cramp. I finished in joint 84th out of 195 entrants with 23 DNF's, the winner did it in 4hr 12mins and someone crossing the line after 10rh 40mins!!!
 
Nicely done, Neal! Pretty much dead center of both finishing position and time. I'd be damn pleased with that! Especially at our advanced ages! :dopey:
 
Pretty interesting. I was thinking about riding to college every once and a while, but my clothes would be ruined by my torrential sweat. If it finally cools off I'll probably consider it again. Fall needs to hurry. I need that cool weather in my veins.

I just made the mistake of riding to school. My bookbag made sweat collect on my back. I have an Oral Communication speech so I hope I don't smell like old deodorant. :|
 
I cycle, have an old Sekine Road bike. Plan to get a Trek Madone 2 series with Tiagra shimano parts. Looking forward to it. I started this summer, so far have gotten a lot fit and slimmed down. But that was not the intention, I just liked cycling.
 
I cycle, have an old Sekine Road bike. Plan to get a Trek Madone 2 series with Tiagra shimano parts. Looking forward to it. I started this summer, so far have gotten a lot fit and slimmed down. But that was not the intention, I just liked cycling.

Never heard of Sekine. The Trek you speak of looks nice. It'll be a major upgrade from the bike you currently have so good luck getting it.

I started casual cycling during the summer and I stopped riding for mainly exercise since I can't burn away 30 pounds cycling all year. I guess I can say health wise I'm fit. I can knock out miles.
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Continental GP4000S? I just forked over a good deal of cash for a set, and so far so good. I really like the added grip and low rolling resistance. However, I also noticed quite a few people in other forums stating they've had sidewall blowouts with these tires. Anyone know why this might be happening?
 
Yeah currently have them on my bike.

Just checked on Strava and I would guess (as I didn't add them right away) that I've done around 1000km on them. No problems here whatsoever, in fact I think they are fantastic and will be replaced with another set when the time comes.

Looking at the wear indicators on the front and back it looks like they have hardly done any work. I probably will swap them over though as the back does show a little more wear than the front.

As for the sidewall punctures I as you was concerned when I purchased mine. A lot of trawling around the net and the best answer I could come up with was that there was a bad batch produced. Many guys report doing thousands of km's on them without even a normal puncture.

Pretty sure you'll be fine. 👍
 
So this morning I became an accidental competitor in the Criterium at the Australian Masters games.

Out for my usual ride on a Saturday morning I came across a road closed sign/barricade, assuming it was just some roadworks I rode through it and continued on my normal route.
Rounding a corner I noticed quite a few people lining the sides of the road and a guy focusing his camera on me. :odd:
Once the people started yelling come on only two to go I looked further up the road to see a start finish sign over the road. A quick glance over my shoulder and I noticed around 20 riders in a bunch bearing down on me. At least I was in the lead. :sly:

As there was no option to dismount and get off the road right at that moment I upped my pace a little, crossed the finish line, quickly dis-mounted and made a haste and embarrassing exit over some grass to another road that wasn't part of the track. :embarrassed:

Still it felt good to cross the line to cheers. :lol:
 
:lol: :lol:

I hope, nay pray, there is a pic somewhere someone took of you 'winning' infront of the chasing pelaton!
 
Nice one Shaun :lol:

Since I've joined Uni, I've upped my riding a bit to at least two weekly 40+ mile rides, and a spot of hill climbing whenever I can, thinking of getting training in and maybe racing in the spring! Though that is a long way away.

An example of this slight sufferfest on friday, about 94km, but across Dartmoor, which is notoriusly hilly and windy, with 20% ramps everywhere :ouch: Legs went after around 70km, which made the rest fairly painful. But it all helps!

Oh and the Tour of Britain came through Exeter a while ago, so I got these shots:

534334_588003334597577_11930698_n.jpg


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Since I've joined Uni, I've upped my riding a bit to at least two weekly 40+ mile rides, and a spot of hill climbing whenever I can, thinking of getting training in and maybe racing in the spring! Though that is a long way away.

I've noticed that on Strava.
Some impressive efforts there mate. 👍
What sort of racing are you contemplating?
 
I've been hiding in the shadows following this thread for a while now, figure its time to introduce myself. At 39 yrs, 5'8" and 150 lbs, I've only just started eating right and exercising a little more then a year ago. I vary my exercise between mountain biking and jogging and try to do one of those 3 times a week. Was at 165 lbs a year ago, while that's not horribly over weight, fatigue and general age is what motivated me to start, and now I've never felt better. I just last weekend participated in my first mountain bike race, 10 miles on an amateur trail through the woods. It was actually the inaugural MTB event at our local BMX track that happens to have a large undeveloped county park surrounding it. There were several technical hills, log area's and twisty sections to push through, very exhausting (for me, anyways). I finished well in the back, but I finished, which was my entire goal for the weekend. Although I was completely exhausted immediately afterwards, after walking for a bit and a protein shake I felt that I really enjoyed the experience. While it's the end of the season here in the northern U.S., I'm looking forward to participating in many more next spring. I'm riding a Trek 4300, it seems to have good reviews for a beginner and I actually was able to acquire it through an incentive program at work so it was no 'out of pocket' money.
 
I've noticed that on Strava.
Some impressive efforts there mate. 👍
What sort of racing are you contemplating?

Much obliged, the recent one over Dartmoor practically killed me though. Riding solo into 20mph headwinds for miles is a no-no :scared:

Racing a bunch of categorised races with the Uni hopefully, possibly representing the University at Multi-Uni meets, so anything from crits to team time trials. Just got to up the mileage and lose body mass to do that.

Easier said than done for one of them :lol:
 
To bike or not to bike, that is the question?

Some point next year I will be emigrating to Thailand. I want to take my bike so the logical thing would be to ride it there, right? My only issues are luggage and terrain.

My road bike is made to go fast on flat roads, not cross rough terrain but the journey to Thailand crosses Laos for 200km and I know for a fact from other riders I've met that the road is not asphalt but dirt. Also, being a road bike I can't fir a rack and therefore panniers meaning that I have to carry my luggage in a bag. I don't mind carrying a bag but for 2000+km and with my sleeping bag, which is bulky, I'm not sure it'll be comfortable.

That said, the only possession I own is my bike and its kit so moving house, home and country on a bicycle isn't exactly a big deal to me.

What do you guys think? Any suggestions?
 
A recall on the Cube Edition Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres that came with my bike means I get a new pair for free!

Shem, unless you can sort a decent carrying system for your luggage, I'd give it a miss.
 
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