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| Author |
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keesan
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Biking item
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May 27 02:28 UTC 2002 |
Describe your experiences biking - the bike, the destination, the experience,
what you would do differently next time if there is a next time.
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| 103 responses total. |
keesan
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response 1 of 103:
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May 27 02:38 UTC 2002 |
We put together (from parts of abandoned or donated bikes) two 'new' bikes
to use on dirt roads, both open frame. Jim's is green with the purple front
fork from another (combined the good parts). Mine had mountain bike curved
handlebars which forced me to ride upright so we rotated it 180 degrees to
get the bars forward and lower, and then moved brake levers and shifters
around to match, and adjusted the brake levers closer and then the brake pads
farther and it all works nicely now except you have to shift two numbers to
get to one gear away. We got a nice early start on a bike ride at 4:00,
stopped for half an hour to talk to a neighbor back from the nursing home,
and then headed west to get to Frain's Lake which is about 10 miles east, via
Barton Hills.
The woods there are full of wild geraniums and the golf course full
of golf carts. We headed north up Whitmore Lake Rd (little traffic on a
Sunday) and then east for many miles on Warren Road, which is high quality
dirt. Many stretches have no potholes. We stopped just east of Dixboro at
the Audubon Nature Preserve to listen to bullfrogs, climb the observation
tower to see red and yellow birds, and explore the pitcher plants and poison
ivy. We continued east, turned a few times to get across the highway and
found Frain's Lake where there is not yet the promised county park. At this
point the sun was setting so we ate our pita and hummus picnic on the rocks
at the Preserve and biked furiously back on the nice dirt as far as Pontiac
Trail (paved but not too many cars until you hit town, at which point there
is a bumpy sidewalk - watch for overhead branches!). Four hours with very
little traffic until we got back south of the river. It is possible to get
back before dark from Frain's Lake if you leave just as the sun is setting.
The air cools quickly once the sun sets, and the low points are much cooler
than the hilltops.
At Warren and Vorhies Roads there is a large enclosed property wtih
an enormous house (?) on it and gates, and people driving around inside it
on a golf cart. Jim thinks this might be the Taubman residence - anyone know?
They have fence going through the wetlands.
Does Joy Rd have as little traffic as Warren Rd?
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jep
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response 2 of 103:
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May 27 02:56 UTC 2002 |
I've talked about it in the divorce item, but a week ago I got an Adams
Trail-a-Bike. It's a bicycle wheel with a seat and pedals, allowing a
child to ride along behind an adult and contribute to the peddling,
effectively turning the bike into a tandem bike.
It has allowed me to take my 5 year old bike riding, which has allowed
me to ride my bike at all. We've ridden around Tecumseh almost every
day. This is a great device for parents of a kid too old for a child
carrier or trailer, but too young to ride by himself. It comes with
two hitches that allow the Trail-a-Bike to be switched from one adult's
bike to another in about 30 seconds. A two-child model is available,
and there are models that have changeable gears (my son's has just one
gear). Mine cost $160 at the Adrian Cyclery. The Saline bike shop has
them for $170, and the bike shops in Ann Arbor all seem to charge
around $200 for the model I got. I recommend it very highly.
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jaklumen
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response 3 of 103:
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May 27 04:18 UTC 2002 |
I've seen a similiar product by another company at work, but there was
a recall.
I had the tires and tubes replaced on my bike: an old Sears Free
Spirit still in very good shape. It is heavy, but I have owned
another, and I know these bikes are warhorses. They will last and
last forever. I biked to work on Saturday.. about 3 miles, I guess.
I found on the way back that the shifter needs to be adjusted so the
rear gears will work. It keeps derailing and jamming on the lowest
gear setting. There's a bike store in town, so I will take it there
probably Tuesday, and no, Sindi, I do not trust myself to do it nor do
I have any friends to make the proper adjustments.
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keesan
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response 4 of 103:
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May 27 14:05 UTC 2002 |
For those who do want to save money and do it themselves (not necessarily you)
Jim says there are two screws (assuming this is a standard derailleur nota
3-speed) on the back side of the derailleur near the bottom. One is for
keeping it from jumping into the spokes and the other one is for keeping it
from jamming against the stays - they keep it from falling off the inner and
the outer edges, respectively (largest and smallest sprocket). The lowest
gear setting is the largest (inner) sprocket. Low meaning number 1 and the
gear you use to go up hills and he presumes you mean it is jamming against
the spokes (the wheel). Which end of yours is actually jamming? The
adjustment would be made with a straight or a philips screwdriver(the screw
is a small one which takes either type screwdriver). You can hold the rear
wheel up in the air and move the pedals by hand to see how each adjustment
has affected performance. I cannot manage to get Jim to tell me which screw
is which - he says he does not know if it is the large sprocket. Whichever
one is close to the limiter, he says. I have no idea what a limiter is. Try
both or get a book from the library on this subject.
Does anyone know how to adjust the newer 7-gear rear derailleurs that have
twist shifters? I have to shift from 1 to 3 to get to 2, and sometimes the
gear does not shift when I want it to, but rather a minute later when I don't
want it to (and makes noises in the meantime). Jim suggested I find a book
on how to adjust new bikes.
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keesan
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response 5 of 103:
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May 27 14:08 UTC 2002 |
The limiter is the thing the screw bumps against, he says. It's just a piece
of the parallelogram which is what a derailleur is. (Does that make it a
piece of the derailleur?). Yeah, the screws bump against part of the
derailleur but the inside adjuster only bumps when it is on the inside and
the outside one bumps when it moves to the outside. Inside being the largest
sprocket so if that is really the problem, look for the screw that bumps when
you are on the largest sprocket and maybe it is not bumping correctly so
adjust it to bump.
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clees
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response 6 of 103:
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May 27 14:23 UTC 2002 |
For those interested in my cycling stories I refer to:
http://home-l2.tiscali.nl/~sparhawk/cycling.htm
Beware: graphic intensive
You can spot me here and there on mountain slopes.
They are in an ever continuing process of upgrading.
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ea
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response 7 of 103:
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May 27 17:47 UTC 2002 |
I've got a (fairly new) Raleigh M-30. I mostly just ride around Ann
Arbor, I haven't done any thing longer than about 8-10 miles. (And when
I do ride 8-10 miles, it's usually something along the lines of 4 miles
to get to something, 4 to get home, not really a straight 8 mile ride)
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scg
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response 8 of 103:
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May 27 23:24 UTC 2002 |
The screws are often (but not always) labeled H and L, for high and low.
I don't know if I'd call 7 speed "newer." I think that was standard at least
10 years ago. New stuff tends have nine (or even sometimes ten, I think)
gears on the back.
Indexed shifting systems need to have the cable tension adjusted, since that's
what controls what position the derailleur is in when the shifter is in a
given position. There's a barrel adjuster where the cable enters the
derailleur, and often another one on the shifter or where the cable housing
ends on the down tube. If you unscrew the aduster, you increase the cable
tension, while if you screw it in, you decrease the cable tension. If
shifting into lower gears isn't working, it needs to be increased. If
shifting into higher gears isn't working, it needs to be decreased.
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danr
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response 9 of 103:
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May 28 00:40 UTC 2002 |
I'd like to invite you all to come riding with the Ann Arbor Bicycle
Touring Society (AABTS). We have all kinds of rides: long, short, fast,
and slow. To find out more about the club, go to www.aabts.org
(maintained by yours truly). Click on the "Calendar" link there to get
a schedule of upcoming rides.
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jep
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response 10 of 103:
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May 28 02:07 UTC 2002 |
John and I rode in the Clinton Memorial Day parade today. The Tecumseh
parade was at the same time, but I didn't know that.
Clinton has a very small Memorial Day parade, with the American Legion,
high school marching band, Girl and Boy Scouts, and anyone who wants to
ride a bike. I was sure John and I would be unique with our Trail-A-
Bike, and we were, but we weren't the most unusual entry among the
bikes. Someone else was riding a tandem recumbent bike. Wow...
I got some advice on how to set up the Trail-A-Bike to stay straighter
up; someone else had had one and saw John wasn't very straight in his
seat. Great, now maybe I can correct that problem.
I put new tires and tubes on my bike today; it's 3 years old and still
had the original tires, which were cracked and elderly looking. It's
the first time I've put tires or tubes on a bike since I gave up my
paper route when I was 16.
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jep
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response 11 of 103:
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May 28 02:09 UTC 2002 |
Does anyone use a recumbent bike? (For those on the fringes like
myself, it's a bike on which you lean back in a seat with a back and
push forward with your legs; the steering is kind of underneath you.)
I'd be interested in hearing more about them, such as what they cost,
whether people like them, etc.
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clees
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response 12 of 103:
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May 28 06:05 UTC 2002 |
One disadvantage of recumbent bikes:
when it rains your crotch is the first thing that gets wet.
(just wanted to mention that)
Can't think of any other major disadvantages.
Well, I woudn't want to ride a recumbent bike in the mountains.
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scg
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response 13 of 103:
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May 28 06:25 UTC 2002 |
Scott has one, I think.
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jep
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response 14 of 103:
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May 28 13:14 UTC 2002 |
re #12: I thought recumbent bikes were supposed to make riding easier
on any surface, by letting you get more power from your legs. I've
never tried to ride one myself.
I wonder if it's possible to rent one to try it out?
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slynne
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response 15 of 103:
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May 28 13:48 UTC 2002 |
I wonder if recumbent bikes are more dangerous since they are so low to
the ground and thus more difficult to see.
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keesan
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response 16 of 103:
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May 28 14:00 UTC 2002 |
Recumbent bikes are favored by people with back problems since it puts all
of your weight on your rear. Jim has never seen a woman riding one, just
middle aged, generally heavy, men. You cannot see as well from them.
My shifters don't work properly in either direction.
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scott
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response 17 of 103:
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May 28 14:08 UTC 2002 |
I've used a recumbent for the last 4-5 years. I got it because I had shoulder
problems riding a standard bike. Overall I like it better than a standard,
but there are some caveats.
Good:
1. Comfort. Recumbent riders refer to regular bikes as "wedgies". Plus you
don't have to strain your neck to look straight ahead.
2. Aerodynamics. Much better; I get going really fast on even slight
inclines.
Bad:
1. It's harder to lock the bike up or put it onto some car racks, due to the
nonstandard shape and longer frame.
2. Numb feet. Not all people have this problem, but by having the feet higher
up the circulation isn't as good. After an hour or so my feet start getting
numb and I have to stop periodically.
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gull
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response 18 of 103:
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May 28 15:33 UTC 2002 |
I have an old 10-speed Schwinn LeTour. By today's standards it's a
"heavy" road bike. (It's about 30 pounds.) I'm happy with it, though I
still have some work to do on it. The front wheel bearings need
repacking, and it needs a new seat.
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russ
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response 19 of 103:
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May 28 21:39 UTC 2002 |
I actually *passed* two people on a tandem recumbent the other day.
With my upright mountain bike and draggy mixed-use balloon tires, I
was pretty happy about that. I may not be fast, but I'm no slouch!
I've been thinking about buying a recumbent for some time, but I
haven't gotten there yet.
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scg
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response 20 of 103:
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May 28 23:11 UTC 2002 |
I've been seeing a fair amount of recumbents on the roads around here. They
decend really fast, but get really slow on steep climbs (most likely because
the riders can't put their weight down on the pedals while climbing).
I've never riden one. How are they for cornering, and for other things that
on a normal bike would involve shifting weight around?
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scott
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response 21 of 103:
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May 29 01:24 UTC 2002 |
Not so good for body-English things. Bunny-hopping is right out, for
instance.
The cornering takes some getting used to, and there's a choice between shorter
and longer wheelbase models. Shorter wheelbase, like I have, is more tricky
to steer and a little nervous at high speeds, but it does very tight corners.
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jep
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response 22 of 103:
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May 29 03:22 UTC 2002 |
My son and I went on a 7 or 8 mile bike ride, moving continuously this
time, rather than stopping like we did a few days ago. This one was
much more painful for me. I could barely walk; it was more of a
hobble. I don't remember it feeling like that when I went on bike
rides when I was a kid. Owwww...
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scg
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response 23 of 103:
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May 29 05:01 UTC 2002 |
Keep doing it, and it will get easier really fast.
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clees
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response 24 of 103:
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May 29 06:21 UTC 2002 |
I own a 'build it yourself' bike with a Faggin (Italian brand) frame,
Shimano shifters, campagnolo brakes, Shimano 8 speed (or is it nine?)
gear set with a triple (including a granny) on the front. 24 gear in
all. My friends laugh about that, but it gets me up the mountains
fairly easy. Since I can't compare between being a smoker and now I
have quit yet, I don't know how I will ascend, these days. I'll have to
go to the Alps first.
I have got a 3XPO, or something, mavic wheelset, look pedals. My tires
got a breaker layer (kevlar), it reduces the chances for a flat with
80%, but I guess works better than that. Veeery necessary in the
Netherlands, especially for the parts in urban areas. There is oads of
glass about.
As for clothing: sidi shoes, castelli shirts and bandanas, Giro helmet,
canondale shorts, craft underwear, gore wind breaker.
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