The Bicycle Thread - Every day is leg day.

[kidsafe]

I figured there might be at last a handful of serious cyclists on these boards, but alas there was no dedicated thread.

Post pictures of your whip, links to your Strava KOMs, videos of your close calls with motorists, gossip about the UCI World Tour, Olympic track cycling, or whatever else suits your fancy.

Here, I'll start with a photo depicting my Monday morning ride.



On top is a close-up of a hole in the sidewall of my brand new tire. The opening is greenish-yellow because I have a folded dollar bill acting as a makeshift boot between the inner tube and tire wall. The inner tube went out with a bang while I was riding straight ahead, so I was lucky. Yay for spare tubes and CO2 inflators I guess. Bottom half of the photo is my bike mid-repair: a Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc with SRAM Red eTap.

Rain sucks. Jagged rocks and twigs and other random debris strewn about after rain sucks.

[Deleted]

As long they stick to the side of the damn road, then the people can have their own leg day as often as they like

[DrMcNinja]

So I'm replacing my dead bicycle with this:



With good weather around the corner this will see much use.

[Sonatine185]

I don't know if this is related, but I watched one of the best animes ever about bicycle racing called Yowamushi Pedal.

Well I do bike on the stationary bike at the gym as well haha.

[kidsafe]

As long they stick to the side of the damn road, then the people can have their own leg day as often as they like

If there is no shoulder or a very narrow one the safest place for a bicycle to be is the middle of the lane whether you agree or not. When narrow lanes are involved, a cyclist hugging one side tempts drivers to make unsafe passes rather than simply changing lanes or waiting when it is safe to pass.

[Deleted]

If there is no shoulder or a very narrow one the safest place for a bicycle to be is the middle of the lane whether you agree or not. When narrow lanes are involved, a cyclist hugging one side tempts drivers to make unsafe passes rather than simply changing lanes or waiting when it is safe to pass.

But that dosent mean they should hold up the traffic in general, if its unsafe to pass, the dude/dudette that is cyckling infront should go to the side, and stop so the rest of the cars can pass.

i have seen so many people holding up the traffic for no reason its just making people angry in the long run.

but if there isnt a place for the guy to jump of the bike for safty, im pretty sure the cars behind him will understand that (By that i mean, if there isn't any place AT ALL)

[Deleted]

But that dosent mean they should hold up the traffic in general, if its unsafe to pass, the dude/dudette that is cyckling infront should go to the side, and stop so the rest of the cars can pass.

i have seen so many people holding up the traffic for no reason its just making people angry in the long run.

but if there isnt a place for the guy to jump of the bike for safty, im pretty sure the cars behind him will understand that (By that i mean, if there isn't any place AT ALL)

cycle at your own pace where you want to in the lane. Dont be pressured to move over, as that encourages dodgy overtakes and you having to ride in the shit at the side of the road. If there is a mistake, a car gets a dent, you get a coffin.

Never ever feel pressured to ride in a way more convenient to car drivers, ride where and how you are safest. always.

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I have a hybrid I am planning to trade out for a mountain bike for more offroad use, as I just bought a nice shiny new road bike for longer rides. Not sure on what kind of bike to get, dual suspension seams somewhat overkill to me, front shocks should be sufficient for pretty much most rides right?

[Deleted]

cycle at your own pace where you want to in the lane. Dont be pressured to move over, as that encourages dodgy overtakes and you having to ride in the shit at the side of the road. If there is a mistake, a car gets a dent, you get a coffin.

Never ever feel pressured to ride in a way more convenient to car drivers, ride where and how you are safest. always.

---

I have a hybrid I am planning to trade out for a mountain bike for more offroad use, as I just bought a nice shiny new road bike for longer rides. Not sure on what kind of bike to get, dual suspension seams somewhat overkill to me, front shocks should be sufficient for pretty much most rides right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZBKzkz6dFE

its people like this i talk about

[Deleted]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZBKzkz6dFE

its people like this i talk about

Most of those are fine, a lot are just ridiculously picky, like that bloke who is 2ft from a light when it changes and the video picks up on....every car driver on the planet goes through then. (and later).

I can do the same thing every day with car drivers and its much much more common to see them behaving badly.

I could voice over that video to point out the bad driving, of the person filming, like driving to close, and in a bus lane....but I won't.

Yes there are bad cyclists, there are bad car drivers. they are the minority.
There was a video like this of "cyclists shooting red lights", only a cycle group went and checked it, found footage from another camera, found that it was edited to deceive. You have to be very careful with videos like these.

[Hooktender]

The UCI is a bunch of retarded and ignorant twat-waffles trying to maintain the "traditional aspect" of something that has never been about tradition but about change, advancement, and improvement. Case in point; the recent disc brake scandal ban.

Edit: They are the stereotypical, pretentious, "upper middle class" douche-bags that make everyone hate road cyclists. The last decent thing I can remember them doing is starting a check for motors concealed in bikes.

[kidsafe]

The disc brake issue is tough. I think the UCI itself is more open to testing disc brakes than the riders. The manufacturers certainly want disc brake bikes out there.

[Gheld]

Most of those are fine, a lot are just ridiculously picky, like that bloke who is 2ft from a light when it changes and the video picks up on....every car driver on the planet goes through then. (and later).

I can do the same thing every day with car drivers and its much much more common to see them behaving badly.

I could voice over that video to point out the bad driving, of the person filming, like driving to close, and in a bus lane....but I won't.

Yes there are bad cyclists, there are bad car drivers. they are the minority.
There was a video like this of "cyclists shooting red lights", only a cycle group went and checked it, found footage from another camera, found that it was edited to deceive. You have to be very careful with videos like these.

I find most of the motorists around here are fairly considerate with cyclists. The worst are pedestrians on the multi use trails. They just plain don't give a fuck even when it's wide with a clearly marked center line.

[Deleted]

I find most of the motorists around here are fairly considerate with cyclists. The worst are pedestrians on the multi use trails. They just plain don't give a fuck even when it's wide with a clearly marked center line.

Yeah, to be fair I was being an arse back on purpose because I find the sentiment I was replying to absurd.

99.99% of people on the roads are fine, be they car drivers, bikers, cyclists, lorry drivers, whatever (except white van drivers....but I may be biased as 2 of the bastards have knocked me off my motorbike....). Even most pedestrians are fine (though some could do with being a little more aware).

Lets all agree to have a go at the dicks from all groups, not categorise one group by some rare extreme examples (except white van drivers obviously....)

[Hooktender]

The nicest guys are the truck drivers. Most of them here slow down/move over or if they can't give me a honk before they blow past. It's the soccer moms that are the worst. Best one I ever had was a semi driver that slowed down 10 km or so and let me draft him. Miserable ride on the back roads in the rain that had turned to hail and wind. The draft and warm air off the back of the truck...amazing...

[kidsafe]

You don't get pelted by stones that trucks kick up? Also I've had too many close calls trying draft behind autos/trucks. There's no telling when they randomly decide to brake. If I brake too hard in a corner on a descent, then I risk sliding off the edge of the road or worse, under the wheels of oncoming traffic. One of my sister's classmates died that way, though he was on a motorcycle.

[Hooktender]

Nah only if they drive on the curb. Never tried drafting a truck on a hill. But corners and straights are easy enough, just have to pat attention to the road ahead. they throw such a large window you don't have to ride their ass. And ya I've seen motorbikes bikes draft within 2-3 feet but that's just a death sentence. (nice Fuel efficiency though)

[Milchshake]

I used to think taxi drivers were the worst people to deal with on the road. Then Uber and Lyft happened. They love to hover in bike lanes looking for the person they're supposed to pick up. Or will suddenly dive into the bike lane to drop someone off.

Some drivers just have shitty spatial awareness. So go middle and preventative aggro these guys.

Y.T. from Snow Crash has a great philosophy for riding on the road.

For hilly commuting I love aluminum frame bikes, more for the stiffness than the weight.

[Yukupop]

cool one dude

[kidsafe]

I guess MMOC really doesn't have very many cyclists. RIP.

Here, have a pic of my bike as it is now.

[Aori]

I haven't been on a bike since I was hit by a van. I got away with just bruises and scrapes but the bike was totaled. So between fear and inability to buy a new bike, I just never got back on the road.