The joy of bicycling (from the perspective of a group of car enthusiasts)
- Thread starter Grinder34
- Start date
Holy crap dude... :shock:
Alin
Diehard Car Enthusiast!
Those are some serious legs, man! Wow!
You guys should just copy and paste your bicycles and information from other threads into this one. I'll get a picture of my bicycle in the coming days.
Some questions that came to mind yesterday!
-How do you time your meals in preparation for cycling? Do you eat in advance? Do you eat after you ride?
-How do you time your hydration? Do you periodically sip? Do you drink half a bottle before you ride and the other half during a break or after you finish riding?
-How often do you check your tire pressures?
-How often do you lube your chain?
-How often do you check brake pads?
-How often do you clean the rims (if you don't have disk brakes)?
-What is the optimum way of breathing? Inhaling and exhaling entirely through your nose? Entirely through your mouth?
-How do you keep pace at 20+ MPH for extended periods of time (30-60+ minutes)? Is it through just continual riding and exercising and built up stamina that you acquire over time?
You guys should just copy and paste your bicycles and information from other threads into this one. I'll get a picture of my bicycle in the coming days.
Some questions that came to mind yesterday!
-How do you time your meals in preparation for cycling? Do you eat in advance? Do you eat after you ride?
-How do you time your hydration? Do you periodically sip? Do you drink half a bottle before you ride and the other half during a break or after you finish riding?
-How often do you check your tire pressures?
-How often do you lube your chain?
-How often do you check brake pads?
-How often do you clean the rims (if you don't have disk brakes)?
-What is the optimum way of breathing? Inhaling and exhaling entirely through your nose? Entirely through your mouth?
-How do you keep pace at 20+ MPH for extended periods of time (30-60+ minutes)? Is it through just continual riding and exercising and built up stamina that you acquire over time?
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Written into the quote above.
^ What he said! Plus, I'm a big proponent of eye protection. Bugs and stones flung up from vehicles will mess you up. Getting hit in the eye is one thing. Getting hit in the eye and curb planting yourself because of it is even worse.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Agreed, I always wear glasses and at least half finger gloves. The gloves give some padding for shock absorption in normal riding and also can save your skin if you have to lay the bike down. My cheap gloves have survived 2 crashes and did a great job protecting my hands from road rash.
Before it is asked, yes many cyclists shave their legs and it is for 3 reasons:
1. They think it looks good (if your legs are muscular from riding a lot).
2. It can be more sterile in the event of an accident resulting in road rash (easier cleanup, lower risk for infection)
3. Less air resistance...believe it or not this has been tested to be true, but we are talking 1-3 watts of savings which I would personally think is within the margin of testing error.
**I do not personally shave my legs but do keep them "trimmed" and having gone done a few times over the past few years I am happy that I do. My wife gives me shit about it which is funny, but did comment when riding with me one day that my calves looked really nice so I've got that going for me :lol:.
I will write up another post with some do's and don'ts, terminology, and general etiquette that I have come across over the last few years.
Alin
Diehard Car Enthusiast!
Thanks for all the input, guys, as it's much appreciated! Keep the do's and don'ts coming! :tup:
Yesterday, I rode a little over 17 miles. Today, I rode 20.5 miles, which is a new record for a ride/day. Today, I also crossed the 200 mile mark (currently at 211.5 miles on the odometer). I feel like I can do a 50 mile day with a break in between as of right now, but I'll need like 5-7 hours contributed to riding and the break.
1) How the hell do your asses not hurt after 20+ mile rides?!
2) How can you prevent your ass from hurting after prolonged rides? (Granted, I ride mainly on sidewalks/parkways with bumps almost every second.)
That's all for now.
Yesterday, I rode a little over 17 miles. Today, I rode 20.5 miles, which is a new record for a ride/day. Today, I also crossed the 200 mile mark (currently at 211.5 miles on the odometer). I feel like I can do a 50 mile day with a break in between as of right now, but I'll need like 5-7 hours contributed to riding and the break.
1) How the hell do your asses not hurt after 20+ mile rides?!
2) How can you prevent your ass from hurting after prolonged rides? (Granted, I ride mainly on sidewalks/parkways with bumps almost every second.)
That's all for now.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
1. Good saddle, good cycling shorts, good fit on the bike
2. Your ass hurts if A. You are not sitting on your ?sit bones? which can be fit or the seat itself. Some people require certain seats. Contrary to what you might think, a stiffer seat with less padding will likely feel better during/after a long ride. B. You are riding in standard semi loose underwear and baggy shorts. Cycling shorts are not the most flattering on everyone but they make a HUGE difference in how you feel during/after a ride. A brand like Pearl Izumi offers multiple styles with good quality without being as crazy expensive as the top brands.
Alin
Diehard Car Enthusiast!
While the frame seems large enough, and the seat adjustment extending beyond what I could fully utilize, I do feel the handlebars are somewhat low... I don't have any other cylindrical pieces to attach to the already three or four added on that came with the bicycle to raise the handlebar height. I'll get you pictures soon, so you guys can actually look at what I'm working with.
Yes, baggy shorts most certainly. :lol: My ass ached after the 20 mile ride, but after about 15-20 minutes, I was fine again. I didn't have any issues with my short rides, though (5-15 miles).
Yes, baggy shorts most certainly. :lol: My ass ached after the 20 mile ride, but after about 15-20 minutes, I was fine again. I didn't have any issues with my short rides, though (5-15 miles).
Eagleye
Tinkerer
The more flexible you become on the bike, the more power you will be able to put out in a more aerodynamic position. Aerodynamics are a large part of speed in road cycling.
I noticed earlier you mentioned riding on sidewalks, you really shouldn't do that. A lot of people, beginning cyclists and non cyclists, seem to think this is where bikes belong, but it is not. This is hazardous to pedestrians and the cyclists themselves. I'm not saying never ride on a sidewalk, but they really aren't made for bike travel. Not only should cyclists ride on the road but they should ride just inside the lane, not on the line/shoulder of the roads. By riding in the lane you increase your visibility greatly, reduce risk of punctures due to road side debris, and you will notice the space you are given in 90% of cases will be more than if you ride on the line or the shoulder. Generally people see little reason to move over or give a cyclist more space if their lane is unobstructed.
I noticed earlier you mentioned riding on sidewalks, you really shouldn't do that. A lot of people, beginning cyclists and non cyclists, seem to think this is where bikes belong, but it is not. This is hazardous to pedestrians and the cyclists themselves. I'm not saying never ride on a sidewalk, but they really aren't made for bike travel. Not only should cyclists ride on the road but they should ride just inside the lane, not on the line/shoulder of the roads. By riding in the lane you increase your visibility greatly, reduce risk of punctures due to road side debris, and you will notice the space you are given in 90% of cases will be more than if you ride on the line or the shoulder. Generally people see little reason to move over or give a cyclist more space if their lane is unobstructed.
Grinder34
Track Monkey
Yeah, sidewalks are not really a bike's place, go on the road or a bike trail. If there's a significant shoulder, use that...but dont toe the line between in/out of the main driving lane.
As Tyler said, own the lane. If you're on the line, cars will feel like they can stay in the lane to pass you. And if someone in the oncoming traffic does something silly, the car next to you is likely to swerve into you sending you directly to the hospital. Or maybe they're incompetent and don't know how wide their car is, and beam you with a side-view mirror. It's just a risk not worth taking.
If the passing cars feel like they have to PASS you, they'll be far more inclined to do it safely. And you're probably 1) on streets with a speed limit of 35-ish, 2) going 15+ and 3) traffic is light, so passing should be easy. If any of those 3 conditions are NOT met, maybe re-evaluate. And if there's a huge shoulder, use that, well out of the driving lane.
Interesting read: https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle/
As Tyler said, own the lane. If you're on the line, cars will feel like they can stay in the lane to pass you. And if someone in the oncoming traffic does something silly, the car next to you is likely to swerve into you sending you directly to the hospital. Or maybe they're incompetent and don't know how wide their car is, and beam you with a side-view mirror. It's just a risk not worth taking.
If the passing cars feel like they have to PASS you, they'll be far more inclined to do it safely. And you're probably 1) on streets with a speed limit of 35-ish, 2) going 15+ and 3) traffic is light, so passing should be easy. If any of those 3 conditions are NOT met, maybe re-evaluate. And if there's a huge shoulder, use that, well out of the driving lane.
Interesting read: https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle/
Eagleye
Tinkerer
I like the concept of the pool noodle, but I've got to be honest...no way in hell I would ride around with one haha. Same goes for the mirrors that attach to your helmet. There are just some things I can't get behind. I've never had a car "surprise" me and feel no need to have a mirror on my bike. Even electric cars have significant tire noise that can be heard on the bike. I try to wear fairly bright colors and use a taillight (in flash mode) at all times. My buddy that rides a lot more than me was clipped by an old lady's side mirror and messed him up pretty good. Riding on the road is a risk you have to assess for yourself. Personally I do a lot of my riding in the basement on a trainer racing people virtually in Zwift on my iPad. It's fun, safe, fairly inexpensive, and I get a great workout.
Grinder34
Track Monkey
For a mirror, I got one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017WP7XU/
Way more palletable than a helmet mirror or typical bar mirror. Though for me at least, any mirror is pretty much a "there's definitely a car there" device. I always turn and look before turning, moving out into a lane, etc...
Eagleye
Tinkerer
Good call, that is the only mirror I have seen that I would be able to use. It looks to work pretty well the couple times I've seen it in person.
Eagleye
Tinkerer
So I was trying to think of some other info to drop in here but nothing is jumping out at me, so if anyone has questions relating to equipment (bike frames, wheels, tires, tubes, seats, cycling computers, power meters, sensors, helmets, etc), riding etiquette that hasn't been covered (riding with others, bike laws, etc), or general questions please fire away and I will do my best to answer all of them.
Grinder34
Track Monkey
1) How much do you get out of the saddle when riding? It looked like a fair bit on that Strava segment you posted. I've been out of my saddle once since I started biking again, and didn't much care for it.
2) What is your preferred clipless pedal/cleat system and why?
3) How many bugs do you end up eating on a typical ride?
2) What is your preferred clipless pedal/cleat system and why?
3) How many bugs do you end up eating on a typical ride?
Eagleye
Tinkerer
1. I got out of the saddle to accelerate quickly (coming out of turns, slight rises in the road, the final sprint to the end of the segment). Typically it is reserved for climbing above a 5% grade (if the climb is fairly short), accelerating out of turns or from a stop, and sprinting. I wasn't super comfortable with it at the beginning but then I did a couple of rides, one of them 10 miles, where I wasn't allowed to sit. It gave me some confidence and added stroke efficiency. In general it is good to focus on your pedal stroke from time to time, whether seated or standing, to eliminate unneeded movements as they rob speed and power.
2. I prefer the Shimano SPD-SL pedals because they have an easy clip in, a good base for when I ride in sneakers, and they are fairly inexpensive compared to some other options.
3. Too be honest not many at all. I breathe mainly through my nose and out of my mouth, but I still get a few now and again. It's my arms and legs that are comically gross after a humid ride in the evening. My mind typically wanders to..."well I'm glad they aren't on my car" :lol:
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