[GovernorSilver]

@KWL 147667 wrote:

You have somethin’ in it for 3-letter forum names? Twern’t I. I’ve been known to Idaho stop signs, but always wait for red lights and never, ever shoal. And you’d never be able to pass me with hardly any effort. (yeah, right…).

Mystery bearded dude (forum name unknown) was definitely doing under 10 mph – that’s how I was able to pass him effortlessly. I don’t think I’d be able to pass either of you 3-letter forum named studs. 😎

Forgot to mention one particular cyclist who passed me yesterday morning. I was amazed how she was able to move at that speed while appearing to be expending even less effort than I normally do – she was pedalling so slowly and smoothly. And on a cute, pink flat bar bike at that – all it was missing was handle streamers. No, the color definitely wasn’t Glitter Dreams.

[GovernorSilver]

I think I may have seen KWL or dbb this morning, but I’m not sure. Ok, I admit, it’s because of the beard.

I doubt it though because this guy shoaled me on every traffic stop – he’d get in front, then I’d pass him with hardly any effort. I didn’t mind, actually because it was lovely weather, and it was kind of amusing.

He also blew red lights.

[GovernorSilver]

BicycleSpace’s FB feed says 16% off on Brompton bikes. You have to click the “Get Offer” button.

[GovernorSilver]

@trailrunner 147287 wrote:

I grew up in the severe weather of a beach community in southern California, and got everywhere on my bike when I was a kid. On those frigid winter nights when it got below 50 F and I was riding home or to a friend’s house (without gloves or a jacket, of course), I often debated this exact question.

This is similar to the old dilemma of walking or running in the rain, which we actually analyzed as homework in one of my college math classes.

Sounds like a fun problem to solve. What was the solution?

I grew up in So. Cal as well, but didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I got here. 55F used to feel like freezing to me.

[GovernorSilver]

[GovernorSilver]

@hozn 147277 wrote:

The problem is that if you’re pedaling faster you are also moving faster — and the wind is what makes cycling cold(er). And if your circulation is not that great (as mine apparently is not), then this doesn’t help feet or hands (though 50° isn’t terrible).

Fair point, though by the time I passed King St. in Old Town, I was enjoying the breeze more than suffering from it. Yes it was chilly but my body was also heating up from the effort. I should probably pack the cycling gloves although I didn’t notice any problems with my hands this time. Last year I wore them once the starting temp dropped under 50F.

[GovernorSilver]

Interesting that some people actually feel colder after an hour of riding.

I’m usually burning up by the end of my hour ride, if the temperature is above 45F. But that’s because of the topology of my typical morning route. It starts with a hill descent – that’s when being dressed like it’s still summer when it’s 50F kind of sucks for me. But then I’ve got a little climb to warm me up, and the climb up to Washington St to warm me up some more. The finisher is the climb up Louisiana Ave – it’s a nice gentle slope but riding in traffic motivates me to pedal harder than I would on the MVT – followed by the descent down northbound N. Capitol St. into the “zoo” (buses, unpredictable taxis and utility vehicles), with possible sprints to try to beat the light on K St.

I’m sure it’d be a different experience if my commute ended in a steady descent with light traffic, with no climb involved on the previous couple of miles.

[GovernorSilver]

I guess there is a benefit to standing all the time while climbing, after all.

One trick I found this morning to riding faster:

Dress like it’s a hot summer day when it’s about 50F. The cold will make you move faster, because the only way to get warm and stay warm is to pedal harder . Seriously, my Strava mph average went up by 2 mph this morning. The downside is because I pedaled harder, the climb up Louisiana Ave. was harder than usual, due to being fatigued sooner from the harder than usual effort.

[GovernorSilver]

@GoldieE46 147038 wrote:

interesting GovernorSilver
My local experience was…take this bike, now get on it, ok, now lift it up. Yes, you’re 63cm. Go outside and ride it.

Mine has varied from shop to shop. I’ve noticed a lot of shop sales people do tend to just say your size is XX cm after asking you your height. There was one guy who even told me to go ride a Specialized Allez Sprint DSW without bothering to check on size or anything – he was just in a hurry to get rid of that bike – which must have been a poor selling model because Specialized removed it from their website. That model was a single chainring (aka “1x”) road bike – a bit of a curious design for a road bike not meant for single-track racing. You see 1x on a lot of mountain bikes and CX bikes, but almost never on pure road bikes. But, I digress…

The experiences I’ve had shopping at Bikenetic and Proteus are probably not the norm. You can tell those shops are run by people who love, love, love cycling and enjoy talking about it and helping others with the cycling life. They want you to try lots of bikes and don’t mind doing the extra work – every single bike had its tires, saddle, etc. checked before I got to ride on it.

[GovernorSilver]

It was actually during a climb up a hill (I think it was going up 15th St NW, from U St) that I realized the bike I was test riding really was too small.

Spokes Etc. seems to have several sales a year. They currently have several Trek and Specialized road bikes on sale.

I bought my road bike from Proteus in College Park, during their Small Business Saturday sale. Maybe they’ll do another one this year. I recall riding a variety of sizes in the 52-56 cm range – the co-owner who worked with me encouraged trying a variety.

[GovernorSilver]

@GoldieE46 146977 wrote:

thank you all for the extremely amazing answers/suggestions.

Yes, I did go already and like I said the store recommended 63cm. It felt super awkward at first but maybe because this was a new posture for me. So should I go with what feels right or what they suggest for my hight?

the guy with the red bike has not answered yet:(

Ultimately you’ll have to live with the bike you buy – until you sell it anyway. Keep in mind that stores and people tend to match you with a particular size bike based on just your height, but the real answer might be different, depending on the measurements of your arms, thighs, torso, etc. The owner of the bike shop that sold me my road bike made doubly sure that the bike was indeed the right size for me, by checking all the measurements and making sure the bike could be adjusted appropriately. You could stand next to another 6′ 2″ person and there might be differences in the lengths of your thighs, torso, lower legs, etc.

Keep in mind also that while drop bar bikes encourage more of a lean than flat bar bikes, there is actually a variety of positions on road bikes. Mine was designed with a “relaxed” geometry, meaning one should be comfortable riding it for hours, whereas other bikes were meant for racing postures (more aggressive), all the way to the extreme lean of triathlon/time trial bikes.

What might “feel right” for you right now might not feel right later. I thought a 51 cm bike was ok for me, until I came back a couple of weeks later and tested the bike again, and the 2nd time noticed how close my knees were to the handlebar – a fairly uncomfortable, cramped feeling I didn’t notice before. That’s why I think it’s a better idea to wait until you’ve test-ridden more than just one or two bikes – in my case I had to ride at least 5 before I had a much better idea of what “feels right” for me.

[GovernorSilver]

@GoldieE46 146904 wrote:

I see. It all makes sense now. I already went to a bike store (not a Bianchi) and the guy insisted to go with a 63cm which felt super awkward…no bad, just strange.

Dunno if this helps, but when I went shopping for my first road bike last year, just about all of them felt awkward to me at first. I was used to riding in the more upright position that one gets on flat-bar bikes, whereas road bikes encourage more of a forward lean.

I only say this because you said you’re new to road bikes. You might want to test ride a bunch of them before making a final decision. I test rode about 10 road bikes. By the time I got to the 5th bike, I was more comfortable with riding on road bikes and was thus better able to ascertain a good fit for myself. If you buy from a store, try to buy from one that will give you a basic fitting, just to have the saddle, handlebar, etc. set in places that are right for your body.

[GovernorSilver]

@notlost 146776 wrote:

LL Bean has their Timberline Roll Up bag for sale – $30!

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/112187

It is 1200 denier polyester with thermoplastic elastomer back coating, making this highly water resistant, but not 100% water proof.

Might make a decent commuter bag for someone.

I see footwear is on sale as well – timely as my one pair of good hiking boots is starting to come apart a bit at the seams, needs repair, and does not have good grip on wet tile (such as one would find at our Metro stations) or metal stuff (like my platform pedals).

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/7955?page=mens-footwear-on-sale&nav=ln-298

Speaking of Twin Six, I like my Artcrank Tech Bike Cap. It actually does a better job with sweat management than the two Halos that I also picked up at REI.

[GovernorSilver]

The flash flood warning in Fairfax Co. caused me to chicken out from cyclo commuting. When I first moved into my neighborhood, Huntington Ave. used to flood more dramatically after rainfall like we had starting last night. Drainage has gotten a lot better over recent years, but I’m still harbor some distrust for that street. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it for me when I cycle.

[GovernorSilver]

Thanks everyone!

I only have one Bike To Work shirt, and it’s way too nice to use up on bike maintenance right now.

[Author]

Posts