| Tires! |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|12:33 am] |
New to the community and have a question. My Trek 820 finally gave up the ghost and I purchased a 4300 in anticipation of taking up the trails again. Unfortunately my body hasn't agreed with this thinking yet. I need to drop a couple of more lb's and build some more muscle/endurance.
Part of the plan is to also commute to work. Obviously my current lugged tires aren't going to hack it very long on the 11 mile commute. My question: Would you please recommend a "cross" tire that would last longer on the pavement? A portion of my route is gravel so a straight slick isn't going to cut it.
Thank you! |
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| Recommendations? Advice? |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|01:08 am] |
| [ | Jammin' to |
| | Feel So Numb by Rob Zombie | ] |
So... I'm a mountain biker. I have a pretty nice Ironhorse: Maveric 1.2 (it's a custom edition I think... It's like a 2, but it's hardtail like a 1), I can't find the exact model anywhere online. I don't have any pictures, but if you go to ironhorsebikes.com, bikes>2007 models>maverick 3, just imagine it without disc brakes, and blue instead of black.
Anyway... I was wondering about handlebar ends/extensions. The curve-unders, like are on roadbikes... Do they make those as extensions that I could attach to my bike? If so, would that be a bad idea?
I was also looking at these http://www.bikepro.com/products/barends/barends_ritchey.html.
Are they more comfortable than the standard bars?
If I get the curve-unders [what are they really called?], will I lose any stability when riding, or would it improve?
Also... are their any advantages to having disc brakes? |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:45 pm] |
mmmm....biking...
I guess my question is this: I've been riding home from work four nights a week for a few months now.... I've got a decent bike--a Bianchi of some sort--and in the beginning, it was hard--about half of it is uphill enough to kick my ass--but eventually it started getting easier, i can get home in less time, i don't have to switch to the easiest gears to go up and over the bridge (portland is full of bridges!) ....
...and then somehow, in the last few weeks, my muscles have left me. Seriously, going up the same hills and over the same bridges as i have been for months is kicking my ass so much and i'm breathing so hard and having to pull off and pretend to make a cell phone call as the other bikers pass me just so i don't look like as much of an idiot. its killing me. i really want to be good at this and i also NEED to be, because I don't drive...and once it gets into the chillier/rainier season again, its going to get even more difficult to convince myself to use the bike instead of the bus.
Its about an eight and a half mile ride. I want to be awesome on my bike. Whats going wrong? Anyone have any advice? |
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| rant |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|12:39 am] |
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someone tell me what's more explosive; gas pumps, or the price of the liquid gold itself? |
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| help. |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:01 pm] |
hello everybody. first time poster and I'm hoping I can get some good advice from people who know (no guesses please).
I'm an avid bicyclist and I use protein powder. should I take the powder BEFORE or AFTER rides?
thanks!!
b |
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| Twitter, digested by birdcage.pl |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|11:59 pm] |
01:24:39 | — | lip started swelling tonight after not doing anything all day. |
19:24:43 | — | I should just get a couple of bigass (tm) sata drives and stop dicking with all these IDE + LVM |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:31 pm] |
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All right, my lovelies, tell me- where in Chicago is there a coffee shop that has FREE wifi (no Starbuck's!) and is open past midnight? |
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| recipe |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|07:34 pm] |
19:26] Dance n ur Bones: also, make a blanket of ground beef
[19:26] Dance n ur Bones: but be careful cause that shit is on recall
[19:26] Dance n ur Bones: anyway
[19:26] Dance n ur Bones: make a blanket
[19:26] Dance n ur Bones: season and make a blanket
[19:27] Dance n ur Bones: keep it flat
[19:27] Dance n ur Bones: on top add shredded cheese, pounds of cheese, chopped onions, bell peppers, and other delicious veggies as well as some more bacon.
[19:27] Dance n ur Bones: then
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: you roll that shit up like a map or some schematics or blue prints
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: keep that shit neat
[19:28] disaster: can i use ground turkey?
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: yes
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: but beef is preferable
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: THEN
[19:28] disaster: rad
[19:28] Dance n ur Bones: you wrap that tube with bacon
[19:29] disaster: omg
[19:29] Dance n ur Bones: i know, i came too
[19:29] Dance n ur Bones: were you looking up at the moon just now
[19:29] Dance n ur Bones: because if so, we were jizzing and cumming at the same time
[19:29] Dance n ur Bones: wait
[19:29] Dance n ur Bones: jizzing and looking up at the mooon |
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| Biking while female |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:05 pm] |
Ok, guys. I know there are some girls in this comm, and this post is for them. I'm putting my question behind a cut, so if you still click and are offended, it's your own fault.
( Bike girlies, help! )
Now, to make this all-gender friendly, if any of you live in Arlington, VA, you should go by the Bike Arlington website, it's awesome. They give out a bike map that is one of the best I've seen.
Also, since I'm a follower, anyone in the D.C./NoVA area want to hang out and bike around? I'm still kind of a newbie, out of shape and I've never gone a really long distance. So, if all those caveats don't scare you off, drop me a line! |
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| oh hai i haz a cam and boredom, lol. |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|06:41 pm] |
 
amirite?
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| New Delhi says sup? |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|04:49 am] |
Since everyone else is doing it lately:
My humble urban bike, a Firefox Viper. Aluminium frame, disc brakes that suck, average shocks, Shimano gears, gorgeous paint job and decals, hella fun to ride.
Firefox Bikes is a new Indian bicycle company trying to take our country to the next level of cycling.
Here, a bicycle is something you ride when you can't afford a moped or motorbike or car, nothing more. It's sad. But in cities like New Delhi (where I live) and Bangalore, thanks to the congestion of traffic, pollution, rising gas prices and a new generation of increasingly unhealthy Indians who sit at computers all day and get absolutely no exercise, there's a movement on to slowly challenge that old bias.
This is the first ever sighting of a real bicycle path in New Delhi from a few months ago, about a minute's ride from my house. That boxed contraption with wheels is a cargo rickshaw, basically a pedal powered cargo tricycle. This was put up with a new city-wide initiative to encourage public transport, introduction of a metro rail, massive discounts on purchases of electric cars and so on. The traffic is so bad that I can easily get places faster on my bike than by car, and I'm not even in shape yet (I've only been riding for three months).
Finally, a pic during a recent ride with other rare bicycle nuts in New Delhi who I met through Yahoo and Google groups. This was taken outside the Parliament House place thingy. At least one of these guys rides to work to spread the gospel of the bicycle as a perfectly viable mode of transport for people who aren't in fact dirt poor.
We get stares and the most horrible, unpredictable, chaotic traffic on planet Earth to deal with. The BBC said it best when they said cycling on Delhi streets should be considered an extreme sport by itself. But on the other hand I think we're witnessing the birth of a full blown cycling culture and movement within Indian cities that are choked with traffic jams, pollution and zero opportunities to get anything resembling exercise.
If you're ever in India and need to buy a good bicycle or would just like to meet some incredible bicyle fanatics, check out Bums On The Saddle, a bike shop set up out of pure love of cycling by my awesome friend in Bangalore, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rohan_kini, who has been on the radio and TV as pretty much Bangalore's bicycle evangelist.
Just thought I'd say hi from my part of the world. Feel free to add me, etc. :D
-Marcus in New Delhi |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|05:30 pm] |
JULY 4TH BBQ/////// 2-6 PM + A NEARBY AFTERPARTY
1744 W 18TH ST
CHICAGO, IL 60608
312.850.
2574
//////FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW. GOLDENAGESTORE. COM |
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| traffic |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|05:45 pm] |
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my commute to work is sort of shit i have to ride down a very very busy road with 3 lanes 1 way and 2 lanes going the other, how do you make yourself as visible as possible, also in that instance to you think it is saver to ride on the edge of the outer lane or take a lane all for yourself and ride right in the middle of that lane. In michigan i know we have the same rights of a motor vehicle however im not sure how much of the public is tolerant of this. I read somewhere that taking a lane all for yourself is the safest thing to do but im not sure if i wanna try it. |
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| my otis |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|03:05 pm] |
Bought this 80's Peugeot touring bike recently here in Regina, Saskatchewan (Otis is his name!):
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| Nursing Programs |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|04:47 pm] |
Does anyone have a particular reccomendation of any 2 year nursing programs at a community college?
thanksssss |
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| new!! |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|01:15 pm] |
hey so i just joined this community and thought i'd post a couple pictures of my baby and me:
so these are a year old, but bike looks the same. He's an 80s Univega, with almost all original parts, and well loved. I bought him from an old man who stopped riding him and left him in the garage...he gave him to me for $100 because he wanted the bike to be well loved. I'm thinking this summer I'll give him a fresh coat of paint and remove any rust that the last owner allowed to accumulate. I use this bike to get everywhere, he is my lifeline.
since im posting, i might as well ask: anyone in the Sacramento/Davis area who wants to go on rides with me? and that isn't a fixie snob? or wouldnt mind gears tagging along? |
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| Critical Mass Houston - One Less Car |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|12:18 pm] |
I made a video from a critical mass ride in June; just last Friday. Can you tell I love riding my bike?
I'll have to show you my bike stereo too, it is hot.
Critical Mass is what you make of it. If you think its crappy, be a responsible leader. If you can't be, then ride the byways with your clique or your tunes.
We owned the streets. I made this video from moments I captured. Enjoy. One Less Car!
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|01:15 pm] |
| [ | Chillin' at |
| | detroit | ] |
| [ | Jammin' to |
| | blessed--simon & garfunkel | ] |
i got an old 83 schwinn from my friend for free. i got it all fixed up but it keeps having small problems.
now the bearings on the back wheel are off... i have no bike maintenance skills or real knowledge despite the fact that it's my only mode of transportation and the potholes around here are horrendous.
how bad is it that the bearings are off for the back wheel? how much longer can i ride it before getting it fixed and is it going to f up the bike to continue to do so?
there is only one bike shop in this city and it's not very close to where i live, so this is why i ask. |
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| New to Group - here is my ride |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|12:54 pm] |
Hi All -
I joined on Monday. Man this is an active community.
Well, here is my baby. I got her (used, with only 42 miles) in February. I haven't thought of a name for her though.
Since I've had her I've put 450 miles on her
It's a 2007 Trek WSD 1000 47cm (yes, I'm a shorty)
I <3 this bike :-)
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| Cheapskate? How about a free trip to NY? |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:09 am] |
So...you want a de luxe trip to broadway shows in New York?
A Chorus Line have an amazing contest and they call it "Be the One"!
The object of the contest is to upload an online audition and those who garner the most votes online will be selected as "The One" and awarded prize packages including the chance to win a grand prize trip to broadway!!!
The online contest is in conjunction with the ACL tour and each cities contests doesn't begin till a few days before the opening of ACL in your city....so check the official website often and keep in mind the tour schedule that I also included below.
The winners on each stops will be pooled together and a grandprize winner will be chosen from them for a chance to a paid trip to NY and a premium seat to a Broadway show!
Swanky deal huh?
Post your own audition, when the tour is near your city, at auditions.achorusline.com
Here's the tour schedule, so you could get ready for the contest.
( Read more... ) |
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| shipping a bike |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|08:43 am] |
Hi, meet Olivia.
Question.. I'm moving from SF bay area to upstate NY. I don't own a car. I want to bring my little beauty. Does anyone know how much it costs to ship a bicycle? Or if there are any specifics that I need to know when shipping one?
Also.. Does anyone here live in upstate NY and rely on a bicycle as their only mode of transportation? Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks! |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|08:44 am] |
Please excuse the fact that I am not familiar with bike terminology! I bought a used Schwinn Predator last night, it has a problem where the pedals/gear go into the bike. I think that's called the bottom bracket? Anyways the whole pedal/gear thing is just sitting freely in there, and moves side to side slightly. I'm fairly certain that it's missing parts from somewhere inside of there but I have no idea what that stuff is called or how much it would cost to fix it? There are a couple nice locally owned bike shops in my area that I've had friends refer me to but I'd really like to know about how much this is going to cost before I bring it down.
So, has anyone had this kind of thing fixed before and if so how much did it cost you?
Thanks! |
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| 7 minutes of Most Excellent Claymation Violence |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:29 am] |
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| Adjusting front brake |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:10 am] |
Hey, guys. I feel like a dimwit for asking here but my web searches have failed me.
Basically, here's the problem. One of the shoes on my front brake doesn't fully disengage from the wheel when the brake is released, which causes the wheel to intermittently rub against the brake pad and slows me down and makes me a sad panda.
I believe the brake type is "linear" or something like that. The cable comes off the handle bar, into the housing of the first brake pad, then threads straight through to the other. It's not cantilevered and certainly doesn't look like an older caliper brake. If I face the front of my bike, it's the right brake pad. I've tried squeezing the brakes closed using my hands (i.e. bypassing the cable and the brake lever), and it's the same result when I open them.
I have a temporary remedy for this, which is to reach down and nudge my front brake assembly once I'm stopped, but it's getting old. Can someone please explain to me how to correct this problem? |
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| shifting |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|09:48 am] |
| [ | Feelin' like |
| |  cranky | ] |
Hello,
I'm new to the community with a question of my own. We've recently moved to a community with a killer hill. I'm riding an LL Bean hybrid and have no problem with the hill when my chain is on the smallest gear in the front and largest in the back. (I call this first gear as it reads 1, on my left hand and 1 on my right hand. Also the "lowest" gear. Correct me if I'm wrong.) The problem is getting into this gear as I ride up the hill.
When I begin the hill I'm in a higher gear. Say 2 on the left and 6 on the right hand to get up some speed. As the hill becomes more difficult I try to down shift. Usually I'm unsuccessful. There is too much tension on the chain, the front derailer will not swith the chain onto the smallest cog and it clicks and clacks in between the middle and smallest cog, sometimes coming off all together.
Is this my shifting ability or is it a problem with the front derailer? Advice? Thanks so much. |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|10:45 am] |
Can anyone come up with a secure, funky, Heath Robinson, cheap, homemade way of attaching a single 5.5mm alen key to my Charge Stove (pix below somewhere) so I have it handy for adjusting my saddle hight?
- I could get a quick release clamp but where's the fun in that? |
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After putting this in ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) bikepirates by mistake, |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|08:29 am] |
This is how I roll:
An almost bog standard 2006 Trek 3900, with a few bits added here and there. Not the most thrilling thing, but I've ridden it for seventy miles in one go before, and done over a thousand in total. I really should ride it more. |
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| Quick size question |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|12:03 am] |
Just a really quick about sizing.
I'm about 5'2 -5'3 and was wondering if a 49 or 52 is a better size for me.
Thanks everyone! :) |
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| Twitter, digested by birdcage.pl |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|11:59 pm] |
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[Jul. 2nd, 2008|11:50 pm] |
I just recently bought a Specialized Allez and the dust cover on the front wheel is loose and rattles. When I went back to get fitted the guy said he had fixed it, spent about five or ten minutes working on it, but it's back to rattling around. I'll probably go back on Sunday to get it fixed again but what if it still comes undone? Would I have to pay for a replacement? /: Does it seem fishy that I waited so long to go back without even giving a call to inform them about the matter?
Anyway, I still ride it and have put in quite a few miles on it since purchasing it (13.6 in an hour the day I got it).
Here's a picture though it doesn't look any different than it would at a store:
I named it Tomas.
Another thing, I was wondering if anyone in this community happened to live in or around Rochester, NY and was going to be attending and/or volunteering at the Rochester Omnium in August. |
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| hi hi hi |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|09:47 pm] |
hi i just joined
and this is horse
xoxo
w |
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[Jul. 2nd, 2008|08:20 pm] |
for the past two days, i've been standing at a table near the door signing people up for the new ralph's card. sometimes, it gets pretty dead and i get to just chill and watch people. i get to watch people. i watch them sample the salad bar with the same fork they just put in their mouth. i get to watch them freak out when the alarm goes off and after i give them the "okay" they keep standing in the door...making the alarm go off...wondering why it's not shutting off. when we make eye contact, three things may happen.
1. they will smile and say hi.
2. they will awkwardly smile and keep going.
3. they will look away really fast and pretend we did not just make eye contact.
this one man was standing by the door and his wife comes over, "DO YOU WANT TO GO TO JAIL, JOHN?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!". She yelled at him. it was kind of cute.
the old men who come in every day for their lunch flirt with me...make ridiculously cheesy jokes. i play along...they're adoreable. they call me babe. "hey babe"
i chit chat with the older mexican ladies that are usually house keepers. we talk about the economy, where my parents are from, whether or not i'd make a good match for their sons.
the black guys ask me what i'm mixed with..."what are you? and black and what? YOU'RE ASIAN, AREN'T YOU?!"
"hey babe"
i get to watch people circle the parking lot multiple times looking for their car. it's not that big of a parking lot, how does that happen?
it's summer, we're starting to get more and more sun burned tourists. in my mind, they are all from florida. i don't know why. if they are white, blonde, red faced, they are from florida.
i went in at 7am this morning. i haven't worked an early shift in about a year. maybe not that long but it's been a while. this kid William works in the mornings. he does the imaginary laser at the automatic sliding doors....and pretend he opened them with his laser. -i got something in my eye, it's red, watery, and burning- most of us like to pretend we opened the door with our MINDZ but we keep that to ourselves. this kid shoots at that shit with his invisible lazer.
the fishermen come in in the morning and buy a bunch of breakfast burritos, whiskey, and beer. there's this dude that comes in all the time, i see him during my regular shifts in the evening. he looks like a vulture, personified. he's long and skinny, hunch backed, long face, walkes with a bobbing rythm and always wears pitch black shades.
also, i got accepted at the college of my choice. i will not be attending this fall but hopefully in the future. |
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| Upgrade after accident? |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|10:51 pm] |
Hi all, just joined and wanted some advice. I was run over in a roundabout today by an unobservant (but very apologetic) gentleman in a car. Fortunately, I came out of it without a single scratch but my bike was dragged under his car in the accident, breaking the chain and bending the front wheel out of shape (possibly more).
It's a used bike and I've been wanting to spruce it up a little anyway, so now seems like the right time (when I actually need new parts as opposed to just wanting them). I have a Schwinn Transit, 80's - 90's, not sure about the exact model/year, which I use mostly for getting to work or around town, with the occasional nature trail trip. I'm thinking about upgrading to those very thin, light road bike wheels/tires, and was wondering about the pros/cons/prices involved with doing this.
Suggestions, advice? |
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| New Fixed Gear |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|10:12 pm] |
Hey all, just joined the group today. This is my new bike, its a masi speciale fixed gear in a 56 cm frame. Its the third or fourth one I've owned and I love it. Sorry about the stock picture haven't got a digital camera. |
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| DANG! this is an active community |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|06:49 pm] |
| [ | Chillin' at |
| | Eugene, OR | ] |
| [ | Jammin' to |
| | Redd Kross 'annette's got the hits' | ] |
I recently posted about AIDS/Lifecycle. this was my 2nd time doing SF to LA. the last time was in 1999! in between, I started to ride less and less
but I'm riding more often again.
heres a pic of Mertz at the top of the 'quadbuster'
interested to hear from cyclists in Portland especially, as well as 'speed geeks' and Critical Mass peeps
XOX
FxM |
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| $531 Studio for Sublease in Uptown/Buena Park |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|07:50 pm] |
Available starting now, August, or September.
THE DEAL
I need someone to take over my lease which ends in January. After that you can renegotiate your own lease. It's a great apt, but I've had some changes in my personal life which allow me to be flexible with a move in date.
THE APT
ALL utilities included in rent
Hard wood floors
THE BUILDING
-Secure building; buzzer entrance
-On Site Management
-Laundry room downstairs
-Elevators
THE AREA
-Conveniently located near the Redline
-Minutes to the lake front path and Montrose Beach
-Jewel-Osco, Walgreens, two gyms, banks, dry cleaners, Borders, and a public library are all within walking distance.
917 W Eastwood Ave |
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| Short torso, long legs fitting |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|06:33 pm] |
I believe about 50% of the women have short torso and long legs. (A smaller number of men do too.) After seeing the other posts as of lately, I figured you guys may appreciate seeing how I deal with my short torso and long leg fitting problem.
(Click on the images to enlarge them.)
This is Specialized Allez, a small compact framed stock bicycle. As you can see, the seat post is long for my long legs. I traded the stem coming with the bicycle for a $40 adjustable stem so the handlebars are higher. (Side note: I don't recommend the baggage you see there...they are not well designed. I am just using them merely to destroy them first before buying something 10 times better.)
For those wanting to spend serious dollars, this is the Titanflex, which is not found in bicycle stores. I bought mine before even mounting one of these things, but I knew it to be the bicycle I really need for long distance racing and they are lighter and cheaper than Softride. The top tube is adjustable. (For long distancing, comfort is more important than weight. Thus, I needed the handlebars to be fully adjustable and this $230 LOOK brand stem does the trick.)
For those wanting to spend even more serious dollars, a customed bicycle is a way to go. As you can see, my customized bicycle doesn't have a long saddle post and the handlebar is at a normal height from the frame. I never could find a stock bicycle with dimensions like this.
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| bike party! |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|05:15 pm] |
Hello fellow bike lovers!
My name is Jo and I'm from San Jose, where the sun is shining and the roads are flat, lucky us. My housemates and I started a group called SJ Bike Party. The third Friday of the month we get together with people that also love bikes and we go on a ride. It is a night ride with a fun home built bike stereo on a trailer that pumps out music, lots of lights and laughs. If you are from the south bay and want to join in just look us up. If you aren't but want to know how to start your own bike Party in your town or just build a stereo or cool lights talk to me.
We have silly themes for our rides, the last one being intergalactic bike travel, eat your heart out E.T. It was the biggest ride yet with 70 people. I can't always get to the rides but I am involved with all the planning so I could help other who want to get involved with their bike community where they live.
Everyone is welcome, cruisers, mountain bikes, recumbents, road bikes, fixies... we even have a guy skateboard, we figure if you are powering your own wheels we want you to come party with us.
We aren't as political as critical mass, though many of our riders go up to San Francisco to join in that monthly ride. We just know to put the fun between our legs and hop on a bike. |
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accomplished
