[elcee]

I’m partial to old (steel) Trek mountain bikes with rigid forks – 820, 930, 950.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/bik/3207047658.html

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3213373596.html

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/bid/3194337522.html

[elcee]

@Dirt 26482 wrote:

Y’all think you have “On your left” problems? I think this might qualify as a “Tail of woe.”

Hope all is well with y’all. We’re having fun in Africa.

Actually, the elephant is correctly following the local road rule. Vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road, and therefore pass on the right.

[elcee]

How about a different procedure: someone volunteers to “host” a happy hour. The host then gets to choose the locale. That’s it!

[elcee]

What I would do:

1. Check tire pressure. You may not need as much air as you think:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1378[/ATTACH]

http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/index.cfm?event=airpressure.view

2. Check bike fit, preferably with a professional. Raising handlebars by just 1 cm can do wonders for back pain.

3. Try wider and/or more supple tires. Old cheap tires aren’t fun to ride on.

4. Test ride other bikes.

[elcee]

@eminva 25421 wrote:

Greetings from New York City!

… There are other options, including sketchy guys accosting you on every corner near the park, …

A sure sign that cycling has arrived in the Big Apple!

If you have time, do the Greenway on the West Side.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/bikeways

[elcee]

@pfunkallstar 25474 wrote:

I haven’t taken the REI class, but you could probably pick up a lot of what they teach by going on a few group rides – maybe pick a slower pace group so you can ask questions. …

+1 on the group rides. You might check out Potomac Pedalers‘ “C” level rides – there are usually a few seasoned cyclists on every ride, but at the same time they’re not so competitive as to blow through every stop sign. Talk to the ride leader about what you’d like to learn and you’ll get more than enough advice.

[elcee]

It’s often very hard to isolate the problem. Easiest way to find out is to swap the seat post; if the noise disappears, then you’ve found your problem.

Buy a used alloy seat post from Phoenix Bikes. It’ll only cost a couple of bucks. Make sure you get the right size, though.

(Just a guess on the sound: since it’s a carbon wrap post, maybe the carbon weave and alloy are expanding at different rates?)

[elcee]

Try this

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=16589&category=784

or this

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=7424&category=784

Check that your handlebar diameter is correct for the bar clamp size.

If you’re maxing out your stem, might you need a bigger frame?

[elcee]

@bikesnick 25181 wrote:

i rode through here for the first time since it has been open.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1349[/ATTACH]

You see bollards, I see slalom course.

Now, if Danny MacAskill was here …
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1353[/ATTACH]

[elcee]

@rsewell19 25131 wrote:

Thanks to Kathy for such a great event, and such a pleasure meeting the rest of you. Wish I hadn’t attacked the Walter Reed hill with beer courage, those sliders nearly made a second appearance!

“He has to dig deep on the climb, looking for those extra sliders in his beer keg of courage!” (With apologies to Phil Liggett.)

[elcee]

The more bike reviews I read, the less I trust them. Not because the reviewers are incompetent, but I’ve realized that the “feel” of a bike is so personal. Two people, riding the same frame in identical sizes, will perceive different stiffness and comfort if there’s a 30 lb difference in body weights.

When I looked for my latest bike, aero just wasn’t a factor – my rides aren’t long or fast enough to make a difference.

I tried a Cannondale CAAD8: it’s sportscar fast and very exciting, but ultimately I found it too bumpy on our typical roads.

Specialized Allez: comfortable, but there was something about upright position that I didn’t like. Granted, the test bike had a lot of spacers, but its ride wasn’t magical enough for me to invest more time in it.

I finally bought a used LeMond Victoire, as it felt good right away … and more importantly, it brought a smile to my face.

Bottom line: try a lot of bikes, then work with the shop to make sure it fits.

P.S. I know none of these are carbon (!), but there here to illustrate my point.

I also forgot that I was intrigued by the Gunnar Roadie. It had all the specs, plus optional custom paint. Unfortunately, no one had a full bike to try, and I just didn’t want to leave a $1000 purchase to chance.

[elcee]

I’m fully intending to be there.

[elcee]

The best text feed is Live Update Guy (liveupdateguy.com), aka Charles Pelkey, formerly of Velonews.

[elcee]

@Certifried 24247 wrote:

I guess the real question I have is what I can do to one of these bikes. Ultimately what I want is a steel frame with mounts for racks, the reason I’m looking at “vintage” bikes. I also want new components on it; STI shifter/brakes, etc. I’m not even sure that can be done …

Some time in the transition from 7-speed to 8 or 9, the rear dropout spacing went from 126 mm to 130 mm. What this means is that you can’t get 9- or 10-speed STI into your vintage bike. You can still find used 7- or 8-speed STI brifters, but all of them eventually wear out and apparently aren’t easy to fix.

[elcee]

The guy who sells at the Arlington Courthouse flea market on Saturdays also lives in Alexandria. Maybe he’s your CL poster? I went to his house once to look at a couple of nice Andy Gilmour and Eddy Merckx bikes that rode too stiffly for me, but I thought were fairly priced. This was a few years ago, but you can try calling Dan at 703 859 6909.

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