[KLizotte]

REI carries some very reasonably priced commuter bikes with all the bells and whistles. If I recall correctly, they market them under their own brand names or something similar.

If you really loved your Dew, you could just look for another one of the same year. Would be cheap at this point.

[KLizotte]

It’s Dec folks!

[KLizotte]

@dkel 150285 wrote:

I called the Church of the Pilgrims, and the nice lady on the phone told me their parking lot is allocated to a nearby hotel during evening hours, so they can’t offer us any bike parking in the lot. It was a good idea, but no dice. Any other ideas?

Ask the hotel nicely?

[KLizotte]

@huskerdont 150274 wrote:

That’s the one where you can bike across the broken concrete below it instead if you wish, correct? That’s what I always do, but I can see why one would not want to. Years ago the canal was always high enough to seep across it, but it isn’t any longer. If on the bridge and you go down, it’s so narrow that yeah, you can’t avoid the railing, but the concrete needs care or wider tires like yours.

Huh, I’ve always taken the “low” route fearing picking up a splinter on the bridge. I’ve never done it during muddy/bad weather though. No problems during good weather on skinnies.

[KLizotte]

Don’t you just wish you were a cop off duty sometimes? Sigh.

Too bad you didn’t have a rear view camera. If you had caught the license plate and photo of the driver the police could have pressed harassment charges.

Try to stay positive Whenever I get down about the jerks, I think of all the nice peds and drivers I’ve encountered. Fortunately they outnumber the idiots.

[KLizotte]

+1 on the Spurcycle. Solidly built, easy to install, fun to ring. Does not “jiggle.”

[KLizotte]

I think mstone’s comments were out of line. I really don’t get the sense that she is “trolling”; rather just explaining her view of the world as a conscientious cyclist. I like the fact that she pointed out the difference between throttle driven e-bikes and those with e-assist. She has been polite and constructive in all of her comments. We should welcome those who are trying to constructively add to the dialogue.

[KLizotte]

@Judd 150125 wrote:

Pretty much everything at the GSA building right now.

Hey! We’re neighbors

[KLizotte]

I’m beginning to think cycling accessory companies are paying off state DOTs *not* to improve infrastructure just so they can sell us stuff.

(Just like dentists are really behind Halloween).

[KLizotte]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 150105 wrote:

I don’t understand the urge people have to argue and defend their actions under any circumstance. This morning I knocked on the window of a SUV parked in the bike lane next to an empty parking spot near the school on Commonwealth, I guess cause they didn’t want to bother fully pulling into the empty parking spot (???).

I was like “You’re blocking a travel lane and causing a hazardous situation, and all you need to do is park in that spot next to you”. He says “I have my hazards on”. And I’m like “Just park against the curb, move your car 4 feet to the right”. He says “I have my hazards on. I’m waiting for her”

Several iterations of this argument later I gave up with a “OK, I’ll report your vehicle to the police, have a GREAT day” and as I mimed getting my phone out of my pocket he drove away, presumably around the block.

If I was in his shoes I would just say “Yeah sorry” and pull my car into the parking space??????

Evil me is thinking you should have parked yourself and your bike right in front of him and refuse to move (you could have flashed your lights at him and said hey, “I’ve got my hazards on”) so he would have to drive around you. 😡

Sad me is thinking, egad, he’s raising a kid. What kind of lessons can he be teaching her?

[KLizotte]

Good god. How long does it take to turn all those lights on/off?! You need a universal remote!

[KLizotte]

Plus the number of racks in the area is abysmal. I know the stores are slated to be torn down for housing eventually (the leases were for 20 years) so perhaps that is why.

[KLizotte]

@huskerdont 150040 wrote:

Seems as likely as not, but then, my Incredibell goes “thunk” whenever it’s wet from rain. I mean, how long has the human race been manufacturing bells that folks are still making bells that don’t ring?

Just put a teeny tiny umbrella on it. Problem solved!

[KLizotte]

I’ve suffered from numbness in my hands for years; esp my dominant hand. Mostly due to using a mouse and keyboard so much at work. Biking exacerbates the problem (I ride drop bars). I went to Clovis at Fresh Bikes (Ballston) for a professional fitting and that helped a lot. He swapped out the handlebar for a narrower one; gave me a riser stem, put shims in the brake levers to reduce the reach, and adjusted the saddle. My saddle is now almost level with the handlebar; not aero but a helluva lot more comfortable. I’m only 5’2″ so Clovis had to “shrink” the bike to fit me; I was overextended originally.

Unfortunately the professional fitting did not entirely solve the problem so I’ve done some tinkering on my own.

I changed out the stock tape for gel/cork combination tape. Made quite a bit of improvement. Vibration is a bad, bad thing.

I always wear biking gloves (the kind with little gel pads on the palm).

When I feel my hand(s) starting to go numb, I make a conscious effort to loosen up my shoulders, neck and upper arms. I have a tendency to “scrunch up” my shoulders and stiffen my elbows. Remembering to “hang loose” has a made a really big difference in reducing numbness; my biggest problem is being not being diligent about technique.

It sounds like you might be pinching a nerve due to poor fit/alignment. Don’t think the pain is gonna go away with more riding, it won’t. I would highly advocate getting a pro fit from a reputable fitter. He or she can tell you whether the bike you are on is the right size and may be able to make adjustments that will help. Unfortunately the first time I went to Clovis he told me the bike I was on was too big for me and I had just bought it (short people problems). I sold it and bought a smaller size and that fit so much better! Your solution may not be that extreme but I doubt you will be able to fix this problem without a professional eye. You can try the LBS you bought the bike first to see if they have a professional fitter; they may offer you a free session.

Good luck!

[KLizotte]

@kwarkentien 149814 wrote:

Riding with the tank on his head: incredible. Trackstanding with it still there: priceless!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We finally found someone who tops Dirt’s tricks: Propane Man!!!!!!

Dirt, the gauntlet has been thrown.

[Author]

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