[Crickey7]

@TwoWheelsDC 94139 wrote:

Don’t worry, it’s not just you. I haaaaaaaaaate racks. Granted, there are a few select times they come in handy, but those times are so seldom for me the handiness doesn’t outweigh the ugly.

Me three. Backpack over rack.

How does that raincover work, anyways?

[Crickey7]

Sounds like local law enforcement has been breathing down their necks. If the alternatives are that the ride does a little more self enforcement, or the po-po step up their enforcement, then this letter, harsh tone and all, is a reasonable compromise. And have some sympathy, because being an organizer for a big ride is hard work.

[Crickey7]

Note that the 2015 models are hitting the shelves right about now, so the 2014’s are getting marked down. Bad time to sell a used bike.

[Crickey7]

Bicycle Blue Book value seems right to me. Not a rare bike, component specs in the low to medium range, no special cachet about it. You can’t let sentimental value cloud a realistic assessment of what someone might pay for it, when someone could walk into a Performance and buy a 2014 model right now with comparable specs (but much newer and better functioning components) for not much more than $500. Tiagra and similar SRAM components has benefitted hugely from trick-down of technology in that time period.

[Crickey7]

@FeltZ85 93823 wrote:

Does anyone use Reno Road > 34th Street in the morning? I have been thinking about it as an alternative to going straight down Connecticut Ave. My intuition tells me it would either be gridlock, or the cars would be going 60 mph and I’d just be a moving target.

I’ll sometimes use the stretch between Military and Fessenden, then hop over to Connecticut. My take on the lower stretches, until you get past the Cathedral, is that the numerous short steep segments you start hitting after Van Ness make you shed too much speed so that you’re creeping up the hills. And the big speed disparity with cars might be annoying, at the very least.

I don’t find Connecticut so bad, personally. I think drivers there are generally considerate. And every cyclist in the region has to experience cruising southbound on the Taft Bridge at least once–it’s one of the absolutely coolest things there is.

[Crickey7]

@Supermau 93680 wrote:

My original commuter was this old 26″ hardtail MTB. It’s now relegated to dirt only. Nothing special but it got me there! I have to admit it started to feel like dragging a dead mule on those long commutes even with road tires.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6544[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6545[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6546[/ATTACH]

That’s a pretty commonly recommended entry commuter setup (see recent article below).
http://www.bikecommutercabal.com/convert-your-mtb-to-a-commuter/

I did it myself for a couple of years, when I discovered my road bike was not up to the rigors of commuting. Still, I wonder at the notion of spending money converting a mountain bike into a role it’s only so-so at instead of getting a more suitable ride from the start. The commuting offerings now are far superior to what I had available in the mid 90’s.

[Crickey7]

At the end of the CCT, in the new park that’s been built along the river, there is a fountain with arcing jets perfect for cooling off.

[Crickey7]

They know it’s selfish, they may not know it breaks an actual unwritten code. So here I am. Writing it.

[Crickey7]

Shoaling is a manifestation of every individual’s desire to maximize their own well being. The constraints are when doing so impinges on another’s. The author claims the shoaler doesn’t do that, but that claim is laughable on its face. Only one rider can be in front, which most people feel is the best place to be. If someone shoals, then they have in fact forced other people to wait, to ride in more crowded settings, and so on. There’s also a logic to the placement. If I was unlucky enough to miss the light, then my consolation prize is to be in front. If I arrive last, then I haven’t been waiting yet, so I can wait a little longer than those who have. And the rule imposes order where the alternative is a succession of self-serving leapfrogs or people edging forward to the very limits of safety.

I can’t believe anyone would be so brazen as to defend it.

[Crickey7]

My 2003 BB Ultra has a Truvativ crank. And I don’t know about that parts spec on Bikepedia, becuase mine had a bunch of crappy CODA parts that died one by one and were replaced.

[Crickey7]

My Bad Boy was one of the original “Dark Angel” models, so the cranks are probably different, but I found only “Vuelta” brand rings fit.

[Crickey7]

I had to replace the middle chainring about every 8-10k. It was a little tricky, but not too bad. It would definitely start skipping when it was worn.

[Crickey7]

Claims an install time of 20 minutes, which is only about ten minutes less than what it took me. The extra time was for recovering from dropping the socket wrench onto the middle of my forehead.

http://www.curtmfg.com/part/11383

[Crickey7]

Is always an option. Not the cheapest, but you can install on almost any car and not worry about falling off. You can lock the bikes to it with a cable lock.

[Crickey7]

The coyotes got ‘im and left only the light.

[Author]

Posts