Jonas: look into BMX freewheels. I'm sure if they'll have them in the size you need as it seems BMX kids are getting into smaller and smaller gears. this might be a good place to at least start looking.
what gearing are you rockin' nowadays? I switched out to 47/15 for the track the other day and haven't changed, but it makes trying wheelies/skids a pain so I don't even bother trying anymore.
Trying to teach my little brother how to ride in the city, stressing three things:
- Pay attention to what's ahead of you, not behind you. if you keep looking over your shoulder for cars coming up on your left, you're going to get hit by a door or wrecked by a pothole. Those cars behind you are watching you, because you're in front of them, let them take care of themselves.
- Act decisively and predictably. If you're going to turn, look, give a little signal, then turn. Don't change your mind or your speed or cut your turn short halfway through. Even if you realized you made a mistake, follow through on it and get to a safe place, then correct it if you have to. Don't act squirrely and weave all over the place.
- You're either a car or a ped. Don't keep hopping on and off the sidewalk as it suits you, especially if there's a lot of traffic around. If you get shook up, it's okay to get off the street and take your bearings for a sec, but as soon as you hit the sidewalk, slow down to ped speed.
That being said, part of what makes riding in the city so fun is that you get to ignore all the rules, but only once you them. Like in the video above, cutting through stopped traffic and running red lights; bikes are versatile and adaptable, and shouldn't be totally expected to imit themselves to the behavior of other, more limited modes, right?
Nope, it's legal in Baltimore, I've asked several cops about it.
It probably should be against the law, though, it's not as fun and it's annoying as hell when you're walking and somebody's trying to ride their bike past you superfast. But it's good to know that you can jump up there if you have to.
there's a short section of my commute (less than two blocks) where I hop on the sidewalk, because the intersection traffic there is brutal, while going uphill at an incline that I'm not strong enough for yet. So I ride on the sidewalk as high as I can, then get off and walk to the top of the hill and wait for a good point to re-enter traffic. I hope I get to where I can take that hill as a vehicle, but it might take a while.
__________________________________
As of tomorrow, I will have gone 100 miles on my bike! That is more biking than I've done in the previous 23 years of my life combined.
NYPD's reason for outlawing bicycles on the sidewalk stems from the "gang activity" in certain neighborhoods. Kids would ride up on bikes and snatch purses.
This spills over to ticketing you if you are even straddling your cycle on the sidewalk. Regardless of your gang affiliation.
I just picked up [finally] my 55cm gang green Bianchi Pista and rode 12 miles from Tribeca to my house in Queens...first ride on a fixie through the city, and damn, I'm tired! It was a blast though and I can't wait to get back out tomorrow.
Speaking of which, does anyone know the best route from Canal and Hudson to Astoria/Queensboro Bridge? I rode up the West Side Greenway today, then had a less than desirable ride across 58th to 2nd Ave.
And I wish that my office had showers, as I was a sweaty pig after getting home today. I don't really want to be that sweaty when I get to work, how do the rest of you who ride to work clean yourselves off?
I bring a complete change of clothes, a hand towel, my makeup and deoderant to work with me. That way I can ride in clothes that I don't mind sweating in, park the bike in the office, and go change and towel off in the bathroom before there are many people in the office to see me drenched in sweat. This is currently carried in a backpack, but since that only increases the sweat level, I've ordered a pair of panniers to do the job.
i ride on the sidewalk sometimes. i have to feel safe. alarming a pedestrian is way safer for all than sharing a lane with a tahoe going 40 mph. if you give warning to pedestrians, they don't look too frazzled, plus i ride pretty slow, it takes me about 20 minutes to ride 3 miles.
A few pointers. If you're going to Astoria from Tribeca / Chinatown, just take a downtown cross street [Like Houston] across town and hop up on 1st avenue all the way to the Queensboro. It's a pretty easy ride. I don't really like riding on the West side. More cops out and more tickets are given on the west side for running red lights and such.
As far as being a sweaty pig when you get to work in the AM, I just bring an extra shirt. I ride in shorts and keep a pair of jeans in my filing cabinet.
In the REALLY hot months, i'll bring a pair of boxers with me to change into. You'll gradually become less sweaty with increased stamina and endurance. Eventually, with proper diet, you'll notice a loss in weight and an increase in muscle mass in your legs. More muscle and less fat usually means you'll sweat less because you're not as throughly insulated [not saying you were fat]...
Wear a helmet and I hope you're riding a brake if it's your first fixed gear.
postal: I'm getting a pair of Axiom Typhoons in grey. I had seen them online and liked them, and found some for a good price on ebay. They should arrive any day now, so I'll give a report next week.
Bike Tip of the Day: BEWARE the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. Those drivers are dicks!
one time i had a Valley Metro Bus driver who didn't want to share the road driving behind me honking when he could have just drove around me pfff but otherwise they are really good about bikes and nice racks too only problem is if 2 bikes are on you have to wait for the next one.
This guy cut me off so sharp this morning, passing me withing 6", and then I had to brake and turn to avoid a crash. I was exactly where I needed to be in the lane, and we were approaching a red light so my speed should not have been a problem for him.
I got his number and reported him. If he had slowed up for a couple of seconds, I would have been out of his way and he could swing into the stop no problem. And there's just no call for passing that close.
JP-thanks for the info, I think I'll give that route a try tomorrow. I used to do a lot of road riding and was in good cycling shape, but now I'm just skinny w/out a lot of muscular definition, which will come back once I start riding. I do have a helmet and a front brake, I'm not stupid!
Boston buses can get pretty sketchy, I had a double-long pass me (while I was in the far right of the far right lane) and immediately start to pull in for a stop. It was obvious that they knew I (and another that was riding with me) was there and did it anyway. I've gotten close to buses before, but that was just way too much. He almost got a u-lock through the side view.
that is y we ride critical mass (many bikers at the same time) to push for bike advocacy and hand out fliers about sharing the road. good fun and we get to have the whole lane
unfortunately - critical mass is becoming way too much of a lightning rod for anti-globalization-911-was-an-inside-job types. of which i am certainly one, but it makes riding critical mass less fun.
it should be ALL ABOUT BIKES!
obviously there are crossover issues but can you really expect people commuting home from their desk jobs in the downtowns of the world to make those connections while ghetting pissed at angry fixed-gear riders (of which i am also one) crashing their minivan windows while screaming little girls are sitting in the back?!?
peeps gotta' take it down a notch or else they'll all become like giuliani's new york. no thanks.
I was just informed that my bike is on an even longer back-order than originally planned! 2-3 more weeks of waiting. I'm going to be out of town for the better part of those two to three weeks, but still....that's annoying, dammit! =(
Yeah, I may look into joining the Santa Monica critical mass, or just wait and do it in Seattle. I think it'll also be awesome to do once I move because it gives me an opportunity to see the city in a different way (you know, without having to be anxious every second about whether or not I'll be run over.)
A cyclist got hit right outside my office today. None of us saw the crash happen, but we noticed a firetruck and ambulance (do they always travel in pairs?), and went to the window to see what was going on. He looked pretty banged up, they were bandaging his head, the side of his face was bleeding.... and this happened in a bike lane!
I've started riding with one ear bud in and no helmet for the summer. It's great not having health insurance, but at least I have At the Gates playing in my earrrrrrrrr
speaking of earbuds, I saw a BMX helmet at the shop the other week that had speakers in it. You plug in a feed from your ipod at the back, and you have music. I'm trying to get my bf to buy one so that he'll wear a helmet... he thinks they're 'uncool', but I'm trying to appeal to the tech geek in him and convince him to get that one so that his noggin will be protected.
My panniers came today! They are rather larger than one imagines from the pictures. I can definitely do a full grocery shopping trip with those, no problem. I'll probably only need one for an average workday.
Well, I just finished my first day of cyclecommuting in NYC! Halfway to work this morning I flatted and didn't have a pump or tube, so I took the subway from Queens to Manhattan :( Damn those 23's, I need to get a heavy set of 28's! Commute home was good, took me about an hour and while I'm definitely sweaty and tired, I'm not utterly exhausted!
yay sloring! Hopefully soon you'll start feeling the endorphin-high once you get to work. Hands down the thing that convinced me that this could be an every-day mode of transportation.
Initial review of the Axiom Typhoon panniers: My first impression was simply that these things are very big, and look nigh inpenetrable. They've got a roll-down clip closure, with a velcro over that, then a flap and clip over that. I don't think a drop of water can make it into one of these things short of hurricane conditions. I could do grocery shopping with the two of them easily, and only need one for the daily commute. I rode home with both of them yesterday (they were delivered to my office), and to work with only one. The imbalance of only one wasn't even bad, you get used to it after about ten feet. Either way, having the weight on the bike instead of my back was like losing ten pounds overnight. I'm taking the hills noticeably better with that weight off my back. Well, back to things specific about the Typhoons: they seem very well made, solid. The outside pocket is very convenient for keys and such that you want to access quickly. So far I think the only area with real room for improvement is the mounting system. It is the old style hook and elastic mount, which frankly I was a bit worried about. Twice on the way home I stopped to check on it because I heard a rattle, but it stayed put fine. Also, while the bags are stylish enough to carry as a bag/briefcase type thing, the exposed hooks make it uncomfortable to do so. I've seen some panniers that come with a flap that will clip over those when not on the bike, and that would be super-convenient. But overall they do their job VERY well despite these areas that could be improved. We'll see in a few months how they hold up to the rain, but I expect they'll do so well by the look/feel of them.
i got my first bike since...oh...maybe i was 12? a few weeks ago.
it's a cruiser bike. i live in culver city - recently moved a block away from the office so i get to walk to work each day. I wanted a bike that i could ride around the neighborhood in a leisurly fashion. there was a bike shop on the corner down the street selling cruisers for $120 bucks, so i bought one and rode it around all afternoon. They even threw in a free basket. score!
so, i keep my bike outside, but under a little carport. it's protected...but you know, not really.
when i ride it now, it makes sad noises. bear with me here - remember, last time i was on a bike i was 12 (you should have seen my wobble off from the store - i could hear people laughing).
sad noises. my guess is the come from the chain. everytime i push on the pedal i get these...rusty? scraping? squeaking? noises.
any advice on what to do? WD-40 the hell outta that chain? is WD-40 bad for bikes? should i wash it down?
If the shop was Palms Cycles (yeah, I'm in culver city too), then bring it back to them! Just ride up to their repair entrance in the back, tell them you bought it there a few weeks ago and the noises are concerning you. They should check it out for free.
In fact, any shop should do this if you just bought the bike, but I happen to know that Palms does because I got mine there too.
chubby's should take care of it for you (or tell you it's normal for that bike, which would suck). Most new bikes come with a service warranty these days, I know mine has a free full tuneup after 3 months, and a year worth of fixing any specific problems with it.
So - I'm thinking of getting a bike to commute on - And I am leaning towards a single speed set-up. Looking at a IRO Mark V frameset and thinking abouut getting him to include some parts on the build - wheels w/ flip/flop, headset, stem, bullhorns, BB - and the leaving the rest to myself - How are the IRO parts? hubs, headset (a-headset style w/ clip on stem), etc...? Whats a good gearing ratio for a moderately rolling terrain, I was thinking 42/17 - I am used to both Mtn and road bikes, even some BMX, so I am familiar with building/parts - how much should I do myself? Could you fit a 42 on the inner ring of a traditional road crank and put a guard on the outer one? - Thanks
I hit a milestone today: my commute by bike is now 3 minutes shorter than my commute by car. If it weren't for the time taken to change once I got there, I'd actually be saving time.
rationalist - thanks for the tips on the servicing! also, that's so rad you have saved 3 minutes! I'd be damn proud of that too. Now, there just needs to be fasionable wicking bike-to-work clothes so your 3 minutes turns into some down time. hmm, perhaps I'll make some suggestions to my fashion friends (having friends with fashion degrees finally comes in handy! well that and getting free stuff they design).
anyway. awesome!
i am going to read this thread religiously, perhaps i'll finally learn more about bikes so I can finally sign up for a triathalon (already got the running and swimming down...)
bicycles
Cool.
i will let you know when i get it ;)
now i am at 40 that video they get 58...
http://burro-zvobikes.com/images/BonnevilleShortweb.mov
has anybody here ever done Critical Mass? so fun
Jonas: look into BMX freewheels. I'm sure if they'll have them in the size you need as it seems BMX kids are getting into smaller and smaller gears. this might be a good place to at least start looking.
Pixel. I can now pop a wheelie from trackstand and barspin.
It's easy learning new shit when you haven't slept more than 3 hours in the past few nights..... work deadlines suck.
what gearing are you rockin' nowadays? I switched out to 47/15 for the track the other day and haven't changed, but it makes trying wheelies/skids a pain so I don't even bother trying anymore.
who's bikin the drive this weekend? (LSD that is)
I'm on 46:16 - I was on 46:15 [which is my winter gearing when I'm clipless]
"We Are the Cyclists, an Intermediate Stage between Humans and Pure Energy."
yeah, that's pretty funny.... Saw that on bikeforums last week...
soon to be 61:8.5 (ya i think that rolholff is a 8.5 at lowest it sure is smaller than a 10 (i love my internal 14 speed hub)
Trying to teach my little brother how to ride in the city, stressing three things:
- Pay attention to what's ahead of you, not behind you. if you keep looking over your shoulder for cars coming up on your left, you're going to get hit by a door or wrecked by a pothole. Those cars behind you are watching you, because you're in front of them, let them take care of themselves.
- Act decisively and predictably. If you're going to turn, look, give a little signal, then turn. Don't change your mind or your speed or cut your turn short halfway through. Even if you realized you made a mistake, follow through on it and get to a safe place, then correct it if you have to. Don't act squirrely and weave all over the place.
- You're either a car or a ped. Don't keep hopping on and off the sidewalk as it suits you, especially if there's a lot of traffic around. If you get shook up, it's okay to get off the street and take your bearings for a sec, but as soon as you hit the sidewalk, slow down to ped speed.
That being said, part of what makes riding in the city so fun is that you get to ignore all the rules, but only once you them. Like in the video above, cutting through stopped traffic and running red lights; bikes are versatile and adaptable, and shouldn't be totally expected to imit themselves to the behavior of other, more limited modes, right?
... you can get a fine for riding on the sidewalk...
I wish they did in LA. So tired of people riding on the sidewalk here. Or riding thr wrong way in traffic.
Nope, it's legal in Baltimore, I've asked several cops about it.
It probably should be against the law, though, it's not as fun and it's annoying as hell when you're walking and somebody's trying to ride their bike past you superfast. But it's good to know that you can jump up there if you have to.
there's a short section of my commute (less than two blocks) where I hop on the sidewalk, because the intersection traffic there is brutal, while going uphill at an incline that I'm not strong enough for yet. So I ride on the sidewalk as high as I can, then get off and walk to the top of the hill and wait for a good point to re-enter traffic. I hope I get to where I can take that hill as a vehicle, but it might take a while.
__________________________________
As of tomorrow, I will have gone 100 miles on my bike! That is more biking than I've done in the previous 23 years of my life combined.
NYPD's reason for outlawing bicycles on the sidewalk stems from the "gang activity" in certain neighborhoods. Kids would ride up on bikes and snatch purses.
This spills over to ticketing you if you are even straddling your cycle on the sidewalk. Regardless of your gang affiliation.
thats just like santa fe that banned skateboards hacky sacking and biking on sidewalks back in 1995 even.
so the tourist are more confortable
What's the price of the ticket in NY?
NYC shoots nets over Critical Mass bike riders and impounds their bikes so i hear.
I just picked up [finally] my 55cm gang green Bianchi Pista and rode 12 miles from Tribeca to my house in Queens...first ride on a fixie through the city, and damn, I'm tired! It was a blast though and I can't wait to get back out tomorrow.
Speaking of which, does anyone know the best route from Canal and Hudson to Astoria/Queensboro Bridge? I rode up the West Side Greenway today, then had a less than desirable ride across 58th to 2nd Ave.
And I wish that my office had showers, as I was a sweaty pig after getting home today. I don't really want to be that sweaty when I get to work, how do the rest of you who ride to work clean yourselves off?
I bring a complete change of clothes, a hand towel, my makeup and deoderant to work with me. That way I can ride in clothes that I don't mind sweating in, park the bike in the office, and go change and towel off in the bathroom before there are many people in the office to see me drenched in sweat. This is currently carried in a backpack, but since that only increases the sweat level, I've ordered a pair of panniers to do the job.
i ride on the sidewalk sometimes. i have to feel safe. alarming a pedestrian is way safer for all than sharing a lane with a tahoe going 40 mph. if you give warning to pedestrians, they don't look too frazzled, plus i ride pretty slow, it takes me about 20 minutes to ride 3 miles.
i found the free wheel i need i think....
new bike parts are so damn sexy
yeah, any suggestions on panniers? personal experiences? i was recommended this one
what are you gettin rationalist?
Sloring:
A few pointers. If you're going to Astoria from Tribeca / Chinatown, just take a downtown cross street [Like Houston] across town and hop up on 1st avenue all the way to the Queensboro. It's a pretty easy ride. I don't really like riding on the West side. More cops out and more tickets are given on the west side for running red lights and such.
As far as being a sweaty pig when you get to work in the AM, I just bring an extra shirt. I ride in shorts and keep a pair of jeans in my filing cabinet.
In the REALLY hot months, i'll bring a pair of boxers with me to change into. You'll gradually become less sweaty with increased stamina and endurance. Eventually, with proper diet, you'll notice a loss in weight and an increase in muscle mass in your legs. More muscle and less fat usually means you'll sweat less because you're not as throughly insulated [not saying you were fat]...
Wear a helmet and I hope you're riding a brake if it's your first fixed gear.
also try http://fixed.gr/nyc/ for information....
postal: I'm getting a pair of Axiom Typhoons in grey. I had seen them online and liked them, and found some for a good price on ebay. They should arrive any day now, so I'll give a report next week.
Bike Tip of the Day: BEWARE the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. Those drivers are dicks!
one time i had a Valley Metro Bus driver who didn't want to share the road driving behind me honking when he could have just drove around me pfff but otherwise they are really good about bikes and nice racks too only problem is if 2 bikes are on you have to wait for the next one.
This guy cut me off so sharp this morning, passing me withing 6", and then I had to brake and turn to avoid a crash. I was exactly where I needed to be in the lane, and we were approaching a red light so my speed should not have been a problem for him.
I got his number and reported him. If he had slowed up for a couple of seconds, I would have been out of his way and he could swing into the stop no problem. And there's just no call for passing that close.
JP-thanks for the info, I think I'll give that route a try tomorrow. I used to do a lot of road riding and was in good cycling shape, but now I'm just skinny w/out a lot of muscular definition, which will come back once I start riding. I do have a helmet and a front brake, I'm not stupid!
Boston buses can get pretty sketchy, I had a double-long pass me (while I was in the far right of the far right lane) and immediately start to pull in for a stop. It was obvious that they knew I (and another that was riding with me) was there and did it anyway. I've gotten close to buses before, but that was just way too much. He almost got a u-lock through the side view.
that is y we ride critical mass (many bikers at the same time) to push for bike advocacy and hand out fliers about sharing the road. good fun and we get to have the whole lane
unfortunately - critical mass is becoming way too much of a lightning rod for anti-globalization-911-was-an-inside-job types. of which i am certainly one, but it makes riding critical mass less fun.
it should be ALL ABOUT BIKES!
obviously there are crossover issues but can you really expect people commuting home from their desk jobs in the downtowns of the world to make those connections while ghetting pissed at angry fixed-gear riders (of which i am also one) crashing their minivan windows while screaming little girls are sitting in the back?!?
peeps gotta' take it down a notch or else they'll all become like giuliani's new york. no thanks.
I was just informed that my bike is on an even longer back-order than originally planned! 2-3 more weeks of waiting. I'm going to be out of town for the better part of those two to three weeks, but still....that's annoying, dammit! =(
Yeah, I may look into joining the Santa Monica critical mass, or just wait and do it in Seattle. I think it'll also be awesome to do once I move because it gives me an opportunity to see the city in a different way (you know, without having to be anxious every second about whether or not I'll be run over.)
A cyclist got hit right outside my office today. None of us saw the crash happen, but we noticed a firetruck and ambulance (do they always travel in pairs?), and went to the window to see what was going on. He looked pretty banged up, they were bandaging his head, the side of his face was bleeding.... and this happened in a bike lane!
those honks are in support
I've started riding with one ear bud in and no helmet for the summer. It's great not having health insurance, but at least I have At the Gates playing in my earrrrrrrrr
speaking of earbuds, I saw a BMX helmet at the shop the other week that had speakers in it. You plug in a feed from your ipod at the back, and you have music. I'm trying to get my bf to buy one so that he'll wear a helmet... he thinks they're 'uncool', but I'm trying to appeal to the tech geek in him and convince him to get that one so that his noggin will be protected.
My panniers came today! They are rather larger than one imagines from the pictures. I can definitely do a full grocery shopping trip with those, no problem. I'll probably only need one for an average workday.
Well, I just finished my first day of cyclecommuting in NYC! Halfway to work this morning I flatted and didn't have a pump or tube, so I took the subway from Queens to Manhattan :( Damn those 23's, I need to get a heavy set of 28's! Commute home was good, took me about an hour and while I'm definitely sweaty and tired, I'm not utterly exhausted!
yay sloring! Hopefully soon you'll start feeling the endorphin-high once you get to work. Hands down the thing that convinced me that this could be an every-day mode of transportation.
Initial review of the Axiom Typhoon panniers: My first impression was simply that these things are very big, and look nigh inpenetrable. They've got a roll-down clip closure, with a velcro over that, then a flap and clip over that. I don't think a drop of water can make it into one of these things short of hurricane conditions. I could do grocery shopping with the two of them easily, and only need one for the daily commute. I rode home with both of them yesterday (they were delivered to my office), and to work with only one. The imbalance of only one wasn't even bad, you get used to it after about ten feet. Either way, having the weight on the bike instead of my back was like losing ten pounds overnight. I'm taking the hills noticeably better with that weight off my back. Well, back to things specific about the Typhoons: they seem very well made, solid. The outside pocket is very convenient for keys and such that you want to access quickly. So far I think the only area with real room for improvement is the mounting system. It is the old style hook and elastic mount, which frankly I was a bit worried about. Twice on the way home I stopped to check on it because I heard a rattle, but it stayed put fine. Also, while the bags are stylish enough to carry as a bag/briefcase type thing, the exposed hooks make it uncomfortable to do so. I've seen some panniers that come with a flap that will clip over those when not on the bike, and that would be super-convenient. But overall they do their job VERY well despite these areas that could be improved. We'll see in a few months how they hold up to the rain, but I expect they'll do so well by the look/feel of them.
just for variety, here's a glimpse I just found online of how I spent my Memorial Day weekend-- on the dark and dirty side of biking.....
okay. bikes.
i got my first bike since...oh...maybe i was 12? a few weeks ago.
it's a cruiser bike. i live in culver city - recently moved a block away from the office so i get to walk to work each day. I wanted a bike that i could ride around the neighborhood in a leisurly fashion. there was a bike shop on the corner down the street selling cruisers for $120 bucks, so i bought one and rode it around all afternoon. They even threw in a free basket. score!
so, i keep my bike outside, but under a little carport. it's protected...but you know, not really.
when i ride it now, it makes sad noises. bear with me here - remember, last time i was on a bike i was 12 (you should have seen my wobble off from the store - i could hear people laughing).
sad noises. my guess is the come from the chain. everytime i push on the pedal i get these...rusty? scraping? squeaking? noises.
any advice on what to do? WD-40 the hell outta that chain? is WD-40 bad for bikes? should i wash it down?
this is my bike - but in the light blue. even though i'm a girl, i felt steadier on the men's bike.
http://www.phatcycles.com/Phundamentals/seabreezem.htm
If the shop was Palms Cycles (yeah, I'm in culver city too), then bring it back to them! Just ride up to their repair entrance in the back, tell them you bought it there a few weeks ago and the noises are concerning you. They should check it out for free.
In fact, any shop should do this if you just bought the bike, but I happen to know that Palms does because I got mine there too.
i got mine at chubby's cruisers on washington + la cienega. i'll take it to them or go to Palms Cycles - that is on Motor Ave., right?
ah, the irony.
chubby's should take care of it for you (or tell you it's normal for that bike, which would suck). Most new bikes come with a service warranty these days, I know mine has a free full tuneup after 3 months, and a year worth of fixing any specific problems with it.
oh, yeah, and Palms is on Motor, just north of Venice.
So - I'm thinking of getting a bike to commute on - And I am leaning towards a single speed set-up. Looking at a IRO Mark V frameset and thinking abouut getting him to include some parts on the build - wheels w/ flip/flop, headset, stem, bullhorns, BB - and the leaving the rest to myself - How are the IRO parts? hubs, headset (a-headset style w/ clip on stem), etc...? Whats a good gearing ratio for a moderately rolling terrain, I was thinking 42/17 - I am used to both Mtn and road bikes, even some BMX, so I am familiar with building/parts - how much should I do myself? Could you fit a 42 on the inner ring of a traditional road crank and put a guard on the outer one? - Thanks
I hit a milestone today: my commute by bike is now 3 minutes shorter than my commute by car. If it weren't for the time taken to change once I got there, I'd actually be saving time.
rationalist - thanks for the tips on the servicing! also, that's so rad you have saved 3 minutes! I'd be damn proud of that too. Now, there just needs to be fasionable wicking bike-to-work clothes so your 3 minutes turns into some down time. hmm, perhaps I'll make some suggestions to my fashion friends (having friends with fashion degrees finally comes in handy! well that and getting free stuff they design).
anyway. awesome!
i am going to read this thread religiously, perhaps i'll finally learn more about bikes so I can finally sign up for a triathalon (already got the running and swimming down...)
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