[Joe Chapline]

@creadinger 5924 wrote:

I took some pictures but not sure how to post them on here….

When you create a new post, you should see a little icon that looks like a paper clip among the tools above the text field. Click that to attach photos to the post. It will show you image files you’ve already uploaded, if any; click the “Add Files” button in the upper right, then the “Select Files” button to upload image files. There’s also a “Manage Attachments” button below the text field whe you’re writing a new post; I think that does exactly the same thing as the paper clip icon.

You should also have the ability to edit your own existing posts. Click the link “Edit Post” under the text. Then click the “Go Advanced” button under the text field to get the paper clip icon and “manage attachments” button.

[Joe Chapline]

@Tim Kelley 5824 wrote:

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel. That way you don’t have to worry about carrying chalk around if you aren’t changing it at home!

Plus, I’m told, it looks more “pro.”

Good tip. You would need to be careful not to flip the tube over in the process of fixing the flat — although if you lose track of which way the tube went, you would still have only two small areas of tire to check.

[Joe Chapline]

I don’t bother patching tubes any more; I keep a supply of replacements on hand. In the past though, I found that if the repair didn’t leak right away, it would probably hold up until the next puncture. A lot of my repairs leaked right away, so I gave that up.

SerialCarpins had a thumbtack in his tire, so that was easy to find. A tip for when it’s not so obvious: When you take the tire off, mark both the tire and tube with a piece of chalk before separating them, so you can see where the tube was in the tire. You can find the leak in the tube by putting a little air in it. Then you can find the corresponding spot in the tire to look for the cause. When it’s a little piece of glass, it helps to know where to look.

[Joe Chapline]

@Dirt 5767 wrote:

I see that what people are in their cars is not always what they are as people.

…or what they are as talking dogs. Here’s Goofy as a Jekyll-and-Hyde driver in a 1950 Walt Disney cartoon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCg

[Joe Chapline]

@Usern Ame 5719 wrote:

It seems to me one of those heavy duty chains that cost $60-$100 is the best bet.
Alot of the reviews on Amazon seem to imply the bike can’t be stolen with those chains, not sure if thats iright.
Also, wont bike thieves go after a better bike even if it means a couple more minutes. My bike isnt top of the line but its not a schwinn either.

I have one of Kryptonite’s chain locks, and I think they do rate it the most difficult of their locks to defeat. (I tried to confirm, but their site, kryptonitelock.com, is not iPad-friendly.) However, the lock weighs 9 pounds, I think, and it’s not as easy to carry as a U lock. It might be a good choice if you can leave the lock attached to the rack rather than carry it around with you.

[Joe Chapline]

@Riley Casey 5657 wrote:

Just to illuminate my miserably poor understanding of the subject… Does anyone know how localized or granular something like smog is? Do pollutants disperse and equalize very quickly or is there a substantial difference between riding on a major six lane rush hour artery and riding just a few blocks away? I know that even on very bad AQI days that I can easily detect a qualitative difference in the air along the 200 yard stretch I do alongside the park each morning. That however is just a few minutes after crossing upper 16th Street .

I do NOT know, but that won’t keep me from posting. Just an observation: I’ve looked at lots of air quality reports over many years, and I’ve never seen any attempt to make them very local. Air quality maps depict areas that cover whole states.

[Joe Chapline]

@eBikeDude 5656 wrote:

Could anyone fill me in on related policies of generally accepted rules of conduct, e.g. regarding mentioning of this company’s name, what they’re doing commercially, etc? I want to behave properly. What’s acceptable, and what’s not? Thanks!

As long as the topic has something to do with bicycling in the Washington, D.C., area, we don’t have any problem with talking about businesses. If forum members want to discuss it, that’s great. We have deleted outright advertisements for gear, but those posts had no local connection and were not intended to start a discussion. If you have any particular concerns, feel free to send me a private message or use the “contact us” link (bottom right).

[Joe Chapline]

Thanks for the recommendations. I ordered a pair of Endura Singletrack shorts and liner. One reviewer mentioned the problem with other shorts getting caught on the saddle, and that these won’t. Nice that extra liners can be ordered separately.

I also ordered a pair of Zoic Ether shorts, which had good reviews and were on sale.

[Joe Chapline]

Thank you, Senior Member ACC, for your great contribution to the forum.

[Joe Chapline]

@CCrew 5379 wrote:

Bunch of rookies I’ll tell ya. GPS doesn’t lie. Mach 3 on a bike :

Max Speed: 2,401.5 mph

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/52498466

And don’t ask me how the heck I did it !

But only for a fraction of a second.

[Joe Chapline]

@Greenbelt 5346 wrote:

Slightly off the already weird topic, but I’d appreciate tips from night trail commuters on what lights to get, and any other tips (besides watch out for critters). Next winter, I want to start riding home after dark (can’t get off work early enough to get through the trails before full dark). Do you use both a helmet-mounted light and a big handlebar mounted light too?

I know there have been posts about light recommendations before, but I can’t find them at the moment. If anyone has some recommendations, or happens to know where the previous posts are, please start a new thread under “Bikes and Equipment.”

[Joe Chapline]

It looks like you got a steal.

[Joe Chapline]

@TDB 5278 wrote:

Thanks again for all the advice. I perused maybe 10 local and not-so-local bike shops and found out a lot more about what i wanted / needed and met some very helpful people. In the end I stuck with the craigslist route and managed to come out with my soul intact. And a great deal on a Cannondale R700.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/2468488937.html

The gentleman went down to $350 due to the damage on the crank, which I believe can be repaired easily enough by either going in from the back side of the crank with the pedal to clean out the threads, or Ive got friends with large tap sets to re-thread the 1 or 2 jiggered threads. Aside from the mildly amusing detail of the front tire being a schrader valve and the back a presta, i am wholly pleased with the results of my search. Now, to training…. huzzah!

Please post a picture when you get a chance — the Craigslist ad has been removed since the bike was sold. No problem about the tire valves, it’s just the tubes.

[Joe Chapline]

Thanks for sharing the story. Best wishes to your lovely wife, I hope she recovers quickly.

[Joe Chapline]

I haven’t tried a noseless saddle, but I’ve read that you lose some control over the bike. With a traditional saddle, you’re sort of holding on to the bike with your legs. With the noseless saddle, you’re just perched on top of it.

[Author]

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