[GuyContinental]

@TwoWheelsDC 34861 wrote:

For sh*ts and gigs, I’ll propose a slightly less bike-y route…what about taking Metro to Federal Triangle, then jumping on CaBi at 10th/Constitution, up to E St. NW, then over to the CaBi station at 4th/D NW.

It’s not a bad suggestion at all- in fact I’m sure that she’ll do metro a few days a week. She took metro for 8 years before kids afterall, and we do live 5 minutes from two metro stations. CaBi is a nice hybrid (as is taking a CaBi to work downhill and then metro home). I’m trying to convince her that it’s safe enough and easy enough to be doable a few times a week- that in mind, 14th st might be the way to go, less direct but prettier and largely off roads.

[GuyContinental]

@bobco85 34449 wrote:

On the flip side, I wonder if people would understand me if I were to draft them, then thank them by saying, “Thank you for letting me draft you!” or if it would just leave some people confused (I have a feeling that the answer would be yes and yes in different cases).

With my early and opposite commute plus a pretty decent pace, I rarely get a draft- when I do, and the pace (and rider skill…) matches I’ll leap on it but I always thank my windblock “for the tow.” If they don’t want to be drafted or want me to take a turn a hand gesture usually does the trick.

I will admit that anyone that decides to draft me up the Hunter Mill climb (EB) *might* get a rather wicked pace for their trouble (and yes, I’ll destroy myself in the process)

[GuyContinental]

@Certifried 33907 wrote:

Why spend all the money in the first place? Saran-wrap kit!

I love the simplicity of it- just mount one of THESE next to the front door. 100% wind/water proof. Done.

[GuyContinental]

@KLizotte 33883 wrote:

Halloween is coming!

I’m sorry, does it really need to be Halloween to dress like Pee-wee or Superman? {hides cape under shirt}

I want a “nude” skinsuit that I can wear in the winter to scare the heck out of Ninjas

[GuyContinental]

@DaveK 33741 wrote:

In that vein, I’ve always had good luck with Freshbikes’ Ballston store and service. I’ve never bought a bike there but they take good care of me when I bring mine in for service.

I can vouch for the depth of experience of many of those guys, when the owner (a former bike mechanic manager) started the store he pulled in basically every NoVa/DC bike guy I liked- all of them are still there. It’s a pretty good sign. Now, that shop can be hella busy and I’ve heard rumors of some cursory work on basic tune-ups so I suspect that they can get overwhelmed but the skills are absolutely there. Also, they are probably the best shop in the mid-atlantic for bizzaro Cannondale repairs.

[GuyContinental]

4 seconds between a talented novice and pro level… yikes not a whole lot of room for error in track eh?

[GuyContinental]

@Greenbelt 33433 wrote:

Only 4 flats in 8 years? Dang, I need to lose some weight or something. Even with the superduperest tires I can find, I get 3 or 4 a year.

I went 4 years without a single flat, even stopped carrying tubes. Then I posted something like that here and have had 7 in the last 4 months. Oops.

Converted both my commuter and cross wheelsets to tubeless. We’ll see what new fun failures that creates…

[GuyContinental]

@thecyclingeconomist 33428 wrote:

The fork on that bike carbon (possibly full-carbon). Frame all aluminum (6061)…
That bike should NOT be wobbling at any speed; it’s a very nice mid-level road bike. You should be able to sit up and take your hands off the bars at 10, 20 or 40mph and have it just glide along smooth. You need to have it looked at very closely and explain clearly to the shop what’s going on.

What he said. The Cannondales (like yours) don’t use a traditional headset, instead the bearing cups are built right into the headtube and tightened using a bolt to an expansion nut in the fork. Your stem clamps to the fork but the nut and bolt actually hold the whole assembly together. If you’ve messed with your stem and tightened the stem bolts before the headset bolt you can artificially build in some slack where the stem contacts the headtube, particularly if you (or someone else) messed with it on a bench. (After checking for play per earlier posts) With the bike on the ground release the two stem bolts, release the headset bolt. Now, with the stem loose, torque the headset bolt and then the stem bolts. Check play again. If still there, it’s time to go see TBSFKAC (FreshBikes)

[GuyContinental]

It’s possible that your headset is worn out or (less likely) was loosened in the wreck. Pick up the front of your bike (rear wheel on the ground) and see if you can replicate the movement that you describe by holding the bar/stem and fork and moving fore/aft and side to side. If it has any noticeable play you can try and tighten the headset nut but it’s probably worn out. Replacement isn’t a big deal but it takes some special tools to re-seat the bearing races on the fork and depending on the headtube, to seat bearings. Price for a replacement depends on the bike set-up but I’d figure $40-$50 plus $25 for an install.

[GuyContinental]

@TwoWheelsDC 33158 wrote:

Oh. My. Gawd….they cleaned that bike with WD-40.

I had the same reaction… “Arrrghhhh!!! Please no! Make the bad girls stop!!!”

[GuyContinental]

@DCAKen 33146 wrote:

This line of reasoning always makes me roll my eyes. Why are you on a bike if you’re going to complain about the effort of pedaling? Would you accept this excuse from a driver who rolls through a stop sign or light to conserve gasoline?

Not that I totally disagree and do not condone ever blowing a stop fully, but I recently tried coming to a full, foot-down stop at every intersection on my commute. It was nearly 20 minutes slower than my fastest time (tailwind and lucky on the Elden, Maple, Gallows and Lee lights) and fully 10 minutes slower than my median. Heck of a workout too. Now there are a LOT of minor/major stops between Courthouse and Sterling (like 40 when you include private property) so this may be a special case, but still.

Riding for sport- totally ridiculous to complain about the speed ramp and extra exercise; riding a long way just to get home- less ridiculous to add up the time implication.

[GuyContinental]

Picture of a Pathlete:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1833[/ATTACH]

4500 miles…

(omits some nice MTB in WV and long road rides in RI but I. Am. Boring.)

[GuyContinental]

I’m in the crowd of folks that will drift a light/stop (if safe) but totally, completely expect to get a ticket if I’m caught doing so (one day the Reston – Herndon section will absolutely get me one). What’s bad news is that since I ride more than I drive, I occasionally have to fight the same impulse while in a car! Not quite sure why it’s intellectually any different to roll Highland & Lee in a car vs a bike at 5am, but I would NEVER do so in a car (I’ve had 1 speeding ticket in my life- 10 years ago*…)

In this specific case, I’d be righteously indignant as well and probably try and fight it. BUT at the end of the day a law that makes some objective sense, even if under a stupid interpretation, was broken so I’d suck it up and chalk it up as a cost of riding (offset by what I save in not driving!)

*OK, there was that damn camera on 395 downtown but that was just revenue bs so I don’t count it)

[GuyContinental]

@Jason B 32963 wrote:

^^^^
Great advice!!! I just noticed that my lockring was not totally screwed in after reinstalling it. That would have made me cry if I stripped it.
thanks

Try breaking a $700 crank… I mounted it’s sad remains above my bench with a sharpie note saying “Torque Much?” as a reminder…

[GuyContinental]

@Jason B 32941 wrote:

Anyone have any experience with a one key crank also called a self extracting crank? I have an older 7700 dura ace crank that is, from what I am gathering it is a one key crank. Is removing it as simple a Allen wrench cranked counter-clockwise. I have only had cranks that needed a crank remover. I can easily remove the dust looking cap, and even the bolt underneath, but when I leave the dust looking cap on with bolt underneath and try loosening it with just an Allen wrench, it will loosen for a few turns and then stop when I get to the dust cap. I just want some confirmation that things are going right before I start really cranking.
Thanks for any advice

Jason,

I have an old XTR crank set up like that and my newer FSA BB30 cranks work that way as well (as pictured in the Park link above) – the bolt pushes against the ring and backs the crank off the splines. It works great (in fact I wish that all my bikes were set up this way) although you need a pin spanner to properly mess with the lockring. What you DON’T want to do is back that bolt out unless the lock ring is fully in place & flush with the crank surface- it usually only has a few threads and they won’t hold against serious torque- ask me how I know this I also had what turned out to be a catastrophic failure last year with a seized hollowgram bolt (super light aluminum)- I hoss’d it so much that I broke the bolt AND forced the arm spline to de-bond from the crank. Although my issue was personal idiocy combined with overly light parts and a manufacturing issue with the carbon bonding, take heed- if it doesn’t want to go with reasonable torque, you might want to get in there with some PB blaster to break it free.

As a minor note, I also like to grease the contact surface (where it touches the inside of the lock ring) of the bolt and use a touch of lock-tite (blue) on the ring threads.

[Author]

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