Cycling
- Thread starter ddrueding
- Start date
fb
Storage is cool
I don't know, I haven't gone much faster than 25-28 mph. It adds a little bit of drag you know. 
Or maybe it's because I only have 48-11 on the bike?
But it's pretty safe, the aluminium frame and handle bars acts as a roll cage if things should go wrong. I actually tipped it over for the first time this weekend, but it was probably because it was empty and I was going too fast over a curb while turning.
Or maybe it's because I only have 48-11 on the bike?But it's pretty safe, the aluminium frame and handle bars acts as a roll cage if things should go wrong. I actually tipped it over for the first time this weekend, but it was probably because it was empty and I was going too fast over a curb while turning.
ddrueding
Fixture
Disassembled/Cleaned/Rebuilt the bike tonight, it can be a very zen thing.
I fitted the new K-Edge Garmin mount and K-Edge GoPro mount, swapped out my water bottle cages for ones that grip a little tighter, and replaced my blown rear tube/tire. Very relaxing. Then managed 20mph on city streets for 8 miles.
I fitted the new K-Edge Garmin mount and K-Edge GoPro mount, swapped out my water bottle cages for ones that grip a little tighter, and replaced my blown rear tube/tire. Very relaxing. Then managed 20mph on city streets for 8 miles.
ddrueding
Fixture
Did my usual 32 mile group ride along the ocean, then decided to ride the 20 miles home solo. That really hurt.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
Stretching your distances always hurts. Late this summer I was regularly taking 25 mile rides. Then I decided to try for 30 miles. It hurt. Once 30 miles was no problem, I went for 35. Again, pain. I only got as far as 40 miles by mid fall, and I think that would hurt pretty much no matter how much I did it. The most I ever rode in one day was 70 miles. The most in one ride was 60 miles (that took 4 hours). I could probably do more if I slowed down but what's the fun in that?
BTW, winter riding always is more challenging. I no problem averaging between 15.5 and 17 mph on most of my rides in warmer weather, but in winters I'm about 1.5 mph slower. I chalk it up to the denser, colder air and bulky clothing.
BTW, winter riding always is more challenging. I no problem averaging between 15.5 and 17 mph on most of my rides in warmer weather, but in winters I'm about 1.5 mph slower. I chalk it up to the denser, colder air and bulky clothing.
ddrueding
Fixture
I think what really did me in was that I had paced the original 32 to be my entire ride, including a sprint at the end, and then decided to tack on another 20. I would have been able to save some from the first ride without affecting my time too much, and managed the rest with less difficulty. Those speeds seem about right, 15.5 for the first stretch (including 1300ft of climb) and 14.8 for the rest. The ride started at 33F, so cold weather gear was in play.
Santilli
Hairy Aussie
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2002
- Messages
- 5,078
This morning riding a bike, at least in our area, puts you in the 6 degree wind chill area. Since yours was a tropical 33 degrees, it was only about 15 degrees on a bike. I did think about you this morning when I saw a frosted golf course out the front window.
fb
Storage is cool
It's -15C (5F) here today, a bit chilly but I only have a 10-15 minute commute so it's OK. But I wouldn't go on a 32 mile ride, at least not without warmer clothes and ski goggles.
ddrueding
Fixture
You are commuting on bicycle in -15C?
fb
Storage is cool
Yes, but it's not any worse than people who does cross country skiing in that temperature. Besides, -15C here doesn't feel as cold as -15 feels by the coast. The biggest problem is that I don't have a proper winter lube so the chain and gears gets stuck when it gets down to about -20. But that together with the studded winter tires means higher energy expenditure.
ddrueding
Fixture
fb
Storage is cool
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
Pretty cool looking. Kinda makes me wish I has a reason to wear them.
ddrueding
Fixture
Did 65 miles this weekend. Ow.
ddrueding
Fixture
Had a bit of a crash this morning. Paceline at 29.8MPH, I was second wheel. Guy in front did a minor brake check and I crossed up with him. Shattered the back of my helmet, bashed my hip pretty good, chipped a few teeth, and lost a lot of skin (shredded the shirt).
Glad my car key and S3 are mostly intact.
Here is a trace of the ride; I was doing really well....
Glad my car key and S3 are mostly intact.
Here is a trace of the ride; I was doing really well....
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
That's why I hate pacelines, I'd rather go slower and not die.
ddrueding
Fixture
The headwind along the beach in Pebble is 20+mph always (usually both ways). Doing it solo is too demoralizing.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
I rode to apairofpcs place in Coney Island in mid December. 17.5 miles each way. I was fighting ~15 to 20 mph headwinds for the entire east/west legs of the journey. Both ways. The wind changed direction while I was at his place. By the time I started riding home around 1 AM, thinking I would have a nice tailwind home, I encountered the opposite. It pretty much sucked. By the time I got to Hillside Avenue (a long upgrade averaging about 6%), I had to stop halfway up for a minute with leg cramps. I was spent fighting the winds. I actually averaged 13 mph for the entire round trip of 35 miles, which I guess isn't totally horrible, but it was an ordeal to say the least.
I feel your pain as far as the crash goes. I wiped out once hitting a pothole at 37 mph. Fortunately only road rash. I don't wear a helmet by the way, not that it would help if I hit my head at the speed anyway.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
Guys, I hate to tell you this, but teeth don't grow back ... not in humans anyway.
There's something about 'serious' cycling that brings out your inner nutter.
There's something about 'serious' cycling that brings out your inner nutter.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
DD likes to live dangerously.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
Except if you're Gordon Gecko ; sharks grow teeth all their lives...
That is consistnet with previous behaviours, although bicycling is not as dangerous as many other activities. We'll see how that goes since his wife is soon producing offspring.
ddrueding
Fixture
Before the crash ~10% of my teeth were not fully functional, now it's more like 13%. Not a big deal. And this is my first crash in nearly 2000 miles of riding, which I suppose I should be happy with. No medical bills other than a couple hundred dollars in bandages, tape, gauze, antibiotic ointment, etc. The crutches and cane we already had.
JTR, I'm not judging you or anything, you are your own person, but if I hadn't been wearing my helmet yesterday I would be dead. The entire back of it is crushed in at least an inch, most more.
JTR, I'm not judging you or anything, you are your own person, but if I hadn't been wearing my helmet yesterday I would be dead. The entire back of it is crushed in at least an inch, most more.
It could have been worse than death, serious brain injury.
It's crazy not to wear a helmet.jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
DD and Lunar,
The last time I fell off my bike was in 1996. No, that's not a typo. It's been 17 years and counting since I've fallen. I never had anything worse than road rash except once (pulled ligament on my left leg). Ironically, the pulled ligament happened in a crash at only 20 mph, and was my fault for fighting the fall, thinking I could land on my feet because I wasn't going that fast. The hard fact is the most likely thing to kill me while I'm riding is a car-bike collision (even that is fairly unlikely given that I ride defensively), and a helmet will be entirely useless in that scenario. I invite you both to do some reading: http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ Helmets aren't all that effective. In fact, when you factor in the increased risk of rotational injury, some studies are showing they don't prevent additional injuries at all. Dave, you can't be sure the helmet saved you. I can crush any bike helmet an inch by hand. It may have prevented serious injury. Then again, since the helmet increases the size of your head, you may have missed hitting your head altogether without a helmet. Crashes are pretty complex things. If I had to choose safety equipment when riding, it would be knee and elbow pads.
I tried a friend's helmet once but couldn't stand it. The chin strap was irritating, it partially blocked my peripheral vision, I overheated, and it also affected the way I hear sounds. I rely heavily on sounds to hear what's coming up behind me. I'll just as soon never set foot on a bike again if I had to wear a helmet.
I just want to add that there have been some scenarios where technically a helmet saved a person's life, but they still sustained serious head injury, to the point they were pretty much vegetables. I'd rather just die than end up like that.
BTW, I pretty much always ride alone, barring the occasional cyclist I might come across who decides to challenge me. That probably decreases my chances of crashing about a hundredfold. Too much can happen when you're on someone's wheel, especially on the wonderful potholed streets here. Remember I grew up in an era when bike helmets didn't exist, even for children. I don't recall anyone I know getting head injuries on a bike, although I do recall a good number of skinned knees and elbows.
All that said, if I did trail riding, I most likely would wear a helmet because the irregular course would make crashes almost certain, and the speeds would be in the range where helmets are at least marginally effective. I also wouldn't need to use hearing or vision as much because motor vehicles wouldn't be on a bike trail. It's all about using appropriate equipment for the conditions. Nearly all my riding is alone on mostly empty streets after 9 PM, at speeds well above those at which helmets are effective. A lucky rabbit's foot would offer about as much protection as a bike helmet under those conditions.
The last time I fell off my bike was in 1996. No, that's not a typo. It's been 17 years and counting since I've fallen. I never had anything worse than road rash except once (pulled ligament on my left leg). Ironically, the pulled ligament happened in a crash at only 20 mph, and was my fault for fighting the fall, thinking I could land on my feet because I wasn't going that fast. The hard fact is the most likely thing to kill me while I'm riding is a car-bike collision (even that is fairly unlikely given that I ride defensively), and a helmet will be entirely useless in that scenario. I invite you both to do some reading: http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ Helmets aren't all that effective. In fact, when you factor in the increased risk of rotational injury, some studies are showing they don't prevent additional injuries at all. Dave, you can't be sure the helmet saved you. I can crush any bike helmet an inch by hand. It may have prevented serious injury. Then again, since the helmet increases the size of your head, you may have missed hitting your head altogether without a helmet. Crashes are pretty complex things. If I had to choose safety equipment when riding, it would be knee and elbow pads.
I tried a friend's helmet once but couldn't stand it. The chin strap was irritating, it partially blocked my peripheral vision, I overheated, and it also affected the way I hear sounds. I rely heavily on sounds to hear what's coming up behind me. I'll just as soon never set foot on a bike again if I had to wear a helmet.
I just want to add that there have been some scenarios where technically a helmet saved a person's life, but they still sustained serious head injury, to the point they were pretty much vegetables. I'd rather just die than end up like that.
BTW, I pretty much always ride alone, barring the occasional cyclist I might come across who decides to challenge me. That probably decreases my chances of crashing about a hundredfold. Too much can happen when you're on someone's wheel, especially on the wonderful potholed streets here. Remember I grew up in an era when bike helmets didn't exist, even for children. I don't recall anyone I know getting head injuries on a bike, although I do recall a good number of skinned knees and elbows.
All that said, if I did trail riding, I most likely would wear a helmet because the irregular course would make crashes almost certain, and the speeds would be in the range where helmets are at least marginally effective. I also wouldn't need to use hearing or vision as much because motor vehicles wouldn't be on a bike trail. It's all about using appropriate equipment for the conditions. Nearly all my riding is alone on mostly empty streets after 9 PM, at speeds well above those at which helmets are effective. A lucky rabbit's foot would offer about as much protection as a bike helmet under those conditions.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
If cycle helmets are only marginally effective, why not wear motorcycle helmets? I agree they're bigger, bulkier, heavier, etc., but if the situation warrants?
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
Because they impede too much the peripheral vision and earing. On a motorcycle, you have mirrors, lights and you move at the same speed as other motorized vehicles. On a bike, you move slower, you don't have break lights and you can't indicate to other vehicles your intention of turning left or right (nobody makes the arm signs). Plus, you circulate on the side of the road rather than in the middle of it, so you're even less visible. All this underlines the fact that your best protection as a cyclist is your hability to see and hear your environment. Any protection that dimish this will threaten your safety rather than improve it.
ddrueding
Fixture
Must say I've never noticed an impairment from the helmet. In fact, I forgot my helmet once and went 5 miles before meeting up with a friend and he mentioned it. Of course, I'm running a pretty good helmet (Kask somethingorother, $500+, the part with the sticker is still on the side of the road). You can bet I'll be ordering another of the same tomorrow.
ddrueding
Fixture
And my take on things that make me most safe while riding are as follows:
1. Be visible: Lights, bright colors, whatever. Riding in a group helps considerably.
2. Be predictable: I do use hand gestures, but not the official ones. I make eye contact with the car I'm concerned about and point directly where I intend to go.
3. Be assertive: If there isn't enough space on that part of road/bridge for a car to pass safely, take the whole lane. If you are moving through a congested intersection, take a spot in the appropriate lane. This is a bad idea if you haven't managed #1.
4. Be identifiable: You are wearing a bracelet with name, emergency contact, and blood type, aren't you?
1. Be visible: Lights, bright colors, whatever. Riding in a group helps considerably.
2. Be predictable: I do use hand gestures, but not the official ones. I make eye contact with the car I'm concerned about and point directly where I intend to go.
3. Be assertive: If there isn't enough space on that part of road/bridge for a car to pass safely, take the whole lane. If you are moving through a congested intersection, take a spot in the appropriate lane. This is a bad idea if you haven't managed #1.
4. Be identifiable: You are wearing a bracelet with name, emergency contact, and blood type, aren't you?
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
I stay safe by giving myself an "out". Basically, I assume any vehicle will do the stupidest possible thing at the worst possible moment, and leave myself enough space to avoid the situation. I'm rarely disappointed in my assumptions. NYC drivers are horrible, but at least they're predictably horrible. Probably less than 50% signal for turns. Therefore, if I hear an engine slowing down, and a very slight drift to the right, I assume the vehicle will be turning right at the next intersection. I usually back off a bit to let them get ahead so they don't sideswipe me when they start turning. Everyone jockeys for position right after traffic lights turn green, so I avoid being there whenever possible by just treating reds as yields, getting as far away from the pack of cars as I can before they start moving. If cross traffic is too heavy that I can't run the red, I jack rabbit away about a second or two before the cars get the light. Usually I'm on the other side of the intersection once they start moving. Taking the lane is a crap shoot. Even with lights I have no guarantee anyone will notice me. Heck, a lot of drivers don't even notice other cars. As a result, I only take the lane when I can keep up with traffic. And I always check for cross traffic at intersections, whether I have the green or not. NYC drivers are notorious for running red lights, especially when they've just changed. Yellow seems to mean "speed up" if you're less than about half a block away.
I should put my blood type on my state ID card.
I should put my blood type on my state ID card.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
To add to what Coug said, motorcycle helmets would also be unbearably hot most of the time. People can tolerate them on motorcycles because they're not exerting themselves. I overheated wearing my friend's bicycle helmet when it was 38° F. I hate to think how hot a motorcycle helmet would be.
ddrueding
Fixture
after talking to my wife, putting blood type might not be a big deal. They have to test before giving you any even if you have it tattooed on your arm.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
Ed Orcutt, a Republican member of the House of Representatives in Washington State. He argued for a fee for bicycles to help pay for street infrastructure, but hit the brakes on Monday after much ridicule and outrage.
a) How do these dumb asses get elected?
b) Since when is a Republican concerned about pollution?
ddrueding
Fixture
Finding some way to get bicycles to contribute to the infrastructure they use makes sense, all other things being equal. But they aren't. First we would need to remove all the subsidies to petroleum powered vehicles, or at least add on enough taxes to neutralize them. Then we can calculate how much damage a bike causes to a road vs. a car, and how many bike miles vs. car miles there are per year. Once we know how much money we need to extract from the cyclists, then we can worry about how to get it from them. I propose a tax on bike tires (everyone needs them and it makes the tax roughly usage dependent).
I doubt it is worth much.
That's ridiculous. People working out at the gym breathe hard too. Some of them should be penalized for BO output, but that is not a greenhouse gas.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
More on Ed Orcutt here
When one of the Streetsblog readers wrote him a letter, he apparently "backpedaled" quite a bit:
First of all, let me apologize for the carbon emissions line of an e-mail which has caused so much concern within the bicycle community. It was over the top and I admit is not one which should enter into the conversation regarding bicycles.
Although I have always recognized that bicycling emits less carbon than cars, I see I did a poor job of indicating that within my e-mail. My point was that by not driving a car, a cyclist was not necessarily having a zero-carbon footprint. In looking back, it was not a point worthy of even mentioning so, again, I apologize – both for bringing it up and for the wording of the e-mail.
Second, please understand that I have not proposed, nor do I intend to propose, any tax – and certainly not a carbon tax – on bicyclists. There is little in the Democrat tax proposal that I support. However, the one aspect of the Democrat tax plan that has merit is their proposed $25.00 tax on the purchase of any bicycle $500.00 or more. I am willing to consider this because I’ve heard requests from members of the bicycle community that they want more money for bicycle infrastructure. The idea of bicyclists paying for some of the infrastructure they are using is one which merits consideration.
Since I have heard concerns about doing this via sales tax due to the impact on bicycle shops, I am very willing to work with the bicycle community to determine an appropriate way to enable bicyclists to pay for some of the bicycle-only lanes and overpasses. It is my intent to seek out your advocates in Olympia to see if there are other ways to accomplish this.
Again, I do apologize for the carbon line in the e-mail and any confusion it has created. I look forward to working on reasonable solutions to the problems cyclists are having with infrastructure.
And by the way, I post regularly over at Streetsblog as "Joe R."
When one of the Streetsblog readers wrote him a letter, he apparently "backpedaled" quite a bit:
First of all, let me apologize for the carbon emissions line of an e-mail which has caused so much concern within the bicycle community. It was over the top and I admit is not one which should enter into the conversation regarding bicycles.
Although I have always recognized that bicycling emits less carbon than cars, I see I did a poor job of indicating that within my e-mail. My point was that by not driving a car, a cyclist was not necessarily having a zero-carbon footprint. In looking back, it was not a point worthy of even mentioning so, again, I apologize – both for bringing it up and for the wording of the e-mail.
Second, please understand that I have not proposed, nor do I intend to propose, any tax – and certainly not a carbon tax – on bicyclists. There is little in the Democrat tax proposal that I support. However, the one aspect of the Democrat tax plan that has merit is their proposed $25.00 tax on the purchase of any bicycle $500.00 or more. I am willing to consider this because I’ve heard requests from members of the bicycle community that they want more money for bicycle infrastructure. The idea of bicyclists paying for some of the infrastructure they are using is one which merits consideration.
Since I have heard concerns about doing this via sales tax due to the impact on bicycle shops, I am very willing to work with the bicycle community to determine an appropriate way to enable bicyclists to pay for some of the bicycle-only lanes and overpasses. It is my intent to seek out your advocates in Olympia to see if there are other ways to accomplish this.
Again, I do apologize for the carbon line in the e-mail and any confusion it has created. I look forward to working on reasonable solutions to the problems cyclists are having with infrastructure.
And by the way, I post regularly over at Streetsblog as "Joe R."
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
Actually, wear and tear on the roads is proportional to weight to the fourth power, meaning bikes cause negligible wear. The only time it might make sense to have cyclists pay for infrastructure is when something completely new and exclusively for bikes is built. Even then I question charging for it because cyclists already pay for infrastructure through sales and income taxes. Also, to a large extent "bike only" infrastructure wouldn't be needed if automobiles didn't dominate the landscape enough to make sharing the road with them an exercise in Russian roulette. To charge cyclists extra for such infrastructure is like adding insult to injury. Besides, bike infrastructure is fairly cheap as these things go, even you go the full nine yards with full grade separation at intersections.
BTW, I suspect if we ran through the calculations you describe, include the health benefits of riding a bike, then it would come out that the government would be paying us to ride. Seriously. Riding my entire life may well save the government a bundle on Medicare once I'm old enough to start using it.
ddrueding
Fixture
I agree with all above that it would likely turn out to be a tiny amount of money, and would likely not even be worth collecting. But to be fair we are using the infrastructure, and should be billed out portion. $2 a tire or thereabouts would be my guess.