Cycling bikes

Word up, i think bikes are the best way to get around town. Faster than getting the bus because you don't have to stop every 2 minutes, faster than a car because you can just hop up onto the pavement and skip traffic lights. I love bikes, got a new one today with thin tyres just for commuting, i suppose you could call it a road bike. It's the first time riden I've ridden one and things are not going well, i've only ever ridden mountain bikes for the first 30 years of my life on earth. I thought it would be a smooth transition but i'm completely jarred by the set up of road bikes. I thought i'd take those curly handlebars in my stride but it's like learning to ride a bike all over again. My hands are juttering around all over the handlebars looking for the breaks, posture feels weird and crouched, it took me a while to figure out how to shift back up the gears (nudge the breaks). Hot dang!

Tell me about your bikes, dawgs, no matter how crass and rusted they may seem.

The bicycle is man's greatest achievement

I ride an ancient (~1978) Bridgestone a bit like this one:

and

A 1990 or '91 Trek 520 a bit like this one:

Nice, that Submariner has the thinnest frame on a bike i've ever seen, and is that a second set of brakes nicely situated on the handlebars? I knew old bikes had those, why don't new ones! Trek looks pretty lush also.

I was thinking of getting a new bike, like a Cannondale Quick somethingorother, when (if) I start making decent money again.

I'll probably get fatally doored a week later, but you only yolo once.

Are Cannondales actually deece?

i went from a hybrid (basically a super heavy mountain bike) to a cyclocross road bike with bar end shifters (a surly cross check). steel rides more comfortably than any aluminum/carbon i tried. i also found the dedicated tektro brakes far more comfortable than any of the sti/brifter combos i tried. i got hit and my crosscheck was totalled so i got a surly pacer fram (slightly more compact than a cross check) and otherwise built it up like the cross check. i thought i'd like being more compact/going faster but i should've just gotten another cross check. i only rarely do workout rides and instead use it for commuting 20mi/day in city streets and while it may be a bit faster it's far less comfortable.

looking to get a beater steel frame and build up a single speed for commuting more comfortably and streamlining my pacer for strictly workout/organized rides.

  On 9/26/2015 at 2:11 AM, baph said:

I was thinking of getting a new bike, like a Cannondale Quick somethingorother, when (if) I start making decent money again.

 

I'll probably get fatally doored a week later, but you only yolo once.

 

Are Cannondales actually deece?

Cannondale definitely makes good bikes, but you end up overpaying a lil bit for the name, even though they are made in the same Taiwanese factories as all their competitors' bikes. Of the big companies, I generally think Giant gets you the best bang for your buck, since they actually own a lot of those factories.

  On 9/26/2015 at 12:04 AM, Schlitze said:

Nice, that Submariner has the thinnest frame on a bike i've ever seen, and is that a second set of brakes nicely situated on the handlebars? I knew old bikes had those, why don't new ones! Trek looks pretty lush also.

Yeah older low and mid range road bikes normally had a secondary set of brake levers for people who weren't used to that style of riding. You can a more modern style called interrupters put on any current road bike though. They have about the same stopping power as the main levers and are all around great/safe.

They're installed like this:

  On 9/26/2015 at 2:23 AM, juiceciuj said:

i went from a hybrid (basically a super heavy mountain bike) to a cyclocross road bike with bar end shifters (a surly cross check). steel rides more comfortably than any aluminum/carbon i tried. i also found the dedicated tektro brakes far more comfortable than any of the sti/brifter combos i tried. i got hit and my crosscheck was totalled so i got a surly pacer fram (slightly more compact than a cross check) and otherwise built it up like the cross check. i thought i'd like being more compact/going faster but i should've just gotten another cross check. i only rarely do workout rides and instead use it for commuting 20mi/day in city streets and while it may be a bit faster it's far less comfortable.

 

looking to get a beater steel frame and build up a single speed for commuting more comfortably and streamlining my pacer for strictly workout/organized rides.

The CrossCheck, bruh...

I've wanted one of those for ages, but I'd never be comfortable parking it anywhere.

Just biked in to say something about my bike.

Look at this beautiful bastard:

His name is Bucephalus and he's made from a few different bikes.

  On 9/26/2015 at 2:23 AM, juiceciuj said:

i went from a hybrid (basically a super heavy mountain bike) to a cyclocross road bike with bar end shifters (a surly cross check). steel rides more comfortably than any aluminum/carbon i tried. i also found the dedicated tektro brakes far more comfortable than any of the sti/brifter combos i tried. i got hit and my crosscheck was totalled so i got a surly pacer fram (slightly more compact than a cross check) and otherwise built it up like the cross check. i thought i'd like being more compact/going faster but i should've just gotten another cross check. i only rarely do workout rides and instead use it for commuting 20mi/day in city streets and while it may be a bit faster it's far less comfortable.

I was looking at the Surly crosscheck when i was deciding what to get, i ended up going for something kinda similar to it (apart from having disc brakes and aluminium) orange rx9, a cyclocross, it's got the same kinda no-nonsense frame and components. When i took it out today it was weird, thebars will take a bit of getting used to had been considering a hybrid for ages but had been swayed by some MTB guys who have been getting into CX lately. I took it out of the box put on the wheels, bars, and seat post and dashed off without reading the instructions. Took me about half an hour to figure out how to move up the gears, lol

My fleet:

Doublename, i think we don't see brakes like those anymore on road bikes because they are extra weight, but it is weight well spent, a few extra grams for peace of mind

yeah i never lock my bike up for terribly long. at work it's kept in a private garage and it's inside at home. i mainly want a beater single speed because i'm really lazy about maintenance and i ride in the rain a good bit and i know my laziness is causing loads of extra wear on my components.

any of you guys on strava?

also i almost immediately scratched off all my surly logos so it was just a plain black frame. the logos have proven to be much more difficult to get off the pacer and i've grown progressively so the stickers are only half scraped off. fully intend to leave the "fatties fit fine" on the rear triangle if i ever do scrape the rest

Cycling is my number 1 hobby apart from tunes. Has been since I was a kid. I just have a top flight cannondale hardtail and a bog standard cube for commuting, so I never take my nice bike out and need to lock it up (some cunt would just boot it if they can't nick it I'm sure). Never done the whole roadbike/lycra thingy, not really my cup of tea, and I want to get away from traffic as much as possible.

I've never actually owned a car in my life (though I got a licence). I am thinking of doing the Great Divide Mountain Route in a few years time, but I won't say too much about that just yet as its a few years off and I don't like talking about big plans until it's almost concrete. They say you should do the GDMBR with 2 other people and not alone, just in case you run into trouble. All of my mates would not be able to do it because of family and job commitments. So I may have to go looking for people.......

Ive always picked up used 80's steel-frame road bikes since college, a nice tall frame to fit me. heavy as a bugger but i dont mind. i find they are great for the occasional commute as well as longer rides when i want to throw on the bike shorts and get out some weekends. 40mi rides are about the most i do, other than one bike touring trip, which is another story.

since moving my current setup is one of these, might post photos of my ride later if i can get around to it! https://www.google.com/search?q=panasonic+sport+deluxe&safe=active&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMIssWh3YOUyAIVR9QeCh36kwPl&biw=1366&bih=634

Also worth mentioning though, the used 80's bike thing is mostly due to tight budget.. if i had a few more disposable $$ would love to upgrade my steel rims to alloy (steel rims become just about worthless in the rain) and the paddle brake levers with proper interrupter levers (see above post by doublename, those are where its at).

My bike is absolutely destroyed from daily use, have to put new breaks on, new shift system and two new tires, at this point I wonder if its worth just buying a new one cause the repairs are gonna cost me as much as the bike.

Real bikes ftw! (too many around me says "bike" and mean "MC") My own scott sub20 is unfortunately deeply hidden in our labyrintic (?) basement atm so it hasn't been used for 6 months or something... I walk instead, less stuff to maintain and service. 15K steps a day!

  On 9/26/2015 at 12:37 PM, Deer said:

My bike is absolutely destroyed from daily use, have to put new breaks on, new shift system and two new tires, at this point I wonder if its worth just buying a new one cause the repairs are gonna cost me as much as the bike.

Yep been there many times. It gets to point when you can't polish a turd!

I love my bike. It's a Marin bear valley, I paid £70 for it last year and I clocked up 1100 miles on it up to December.

I use Strava to map my rides, is anyone else on it? It's a decent motivation app imo.

This is my trusty bicycle :)

We're doing Dalby forest in Pickering, UK in November.... Can't wait!!!!!

one of these:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aRyw0UjJdoo/T2zuDYstOGI/AAAAAAAACmc/C5r_PPyrYN0/s1600/IMG00875-20120322-1608.jpg

Its heavy but solidly built german bike, i wouldnt really recomend one I cant say I'v fallen in love with mine.

I ride it to work, 7 miles each way

These look lovely.. http://www.fieldcycles.com

We should do a uk watmm bike ride trip, next spring/early summer. Hah, yes indeed! Maybe a day trip, maybe a weekend. Churn those pedals and down some pints on the way. It could be good. Very much my cup of tea.

Worth thinking about...

what do you guys think about single speed bikes?

  On 9/26/2015 at 3:01 AM, Braintree said:

Just biked in to say something about my bike.

 

Look at this beautiful bastard:

 

 

His name is Bucephalus and he's made from a few different bikes.

Handsome.

Claud Butler Majestic

My backup bike whichI actually much prefer to ride to my main one, every now and then I have to patch her up to keep her going. but i dont have to worry about damage or theft and i've had it since forever.

btw it has mudguards now and the brakes only work in a very vague sense.

  On 9/26/2015 at 8:23 PM, yek said:

what do you guys think about single speed bikes?

Pretty useless unless you live in a flat town where you don't need to change gear.

I like these bike pics, the retro bikes look in very good condition for their age. The early 90's Marin looks mint, what a bargain for 70.