[NicDiesel]

@baiskeli 99374 wrote:

Well, yes, it is difficult sometimes. Some people want to ride their bikes home, or collect change as part of their job, or whatever. And some people can’t afford to move or get a job in a safer area. If it were that easy to avoid being a victim of crime, we’d have very little crime.

Now you’re on the Dulles Troll Road.

[NicDiesel]

@baiskeli 99370 wrote:

There are holsters for that, including bike-mounted ones.

If I’m not in Texas and I’m riding next to someone with a bike mounted holster that’s loaded I’m finding a new place to ride.

[NicDiesel]

@baiskeli 99369 wrote:

The problem I see in that situation is a false sense of security – they may have thought that carrying a gun was all they needed to do to protect themselves. I imagine having a gun in your hand makes alot of people do stupid things that backfire, as was just suggested in the Zimmerman case.

If you need to carry a firearm at all times to protect yourself in your day-to-day life you need to do some self-evaluation unless you are “in theatre” or are exploring gentrification in Camden, NJ. It’s a violent world, at times, and if a place has a reputation for being violent avoid it unless you like violence. It’s not that difficult.

[NicDiesel]

@jabberwocky 99355 wrote:

Most people I know who carry much prefer concealed because they would rather not advertise they are carrying. Some people react weird to it. Its not “I want to show everyone I’m not to be screwed with”, its “I have it as an absolute last resort”.[/quote]

In a former life I had a job that involved entering sketchy neighborhoods in east Richmond late at night to empty and refill change machines that required a CCW and I made it a point to keep it concealed at all times, even during the summer. Everyone knew that the “change man” was carrying and we never had a single issue during my tenure. We all came out of firearm and CCW training knowing that even showing our weapon was a last resort and that firing it had to be a life and death situation but we also avoided any situation during shifts were issues could occur.

@jabberwocky 99355 wrote:

This whole thing is a weird conversation to me. I know some people who carry on the MTB when riding in remote locations, but its a really hard thing to do on the bike in such a way that the firearm is secure but available.

Right, most of the people I know that carry when they mountain bike or tour don’t have them readily available or loaded until they set up camp. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m usually loaded down with a bag or panniers, a helmet, glasses, and a ton of stuff that would make accessing a weapon (any weapon) next to impossible if I got surprised on a trail. I can’t imagine someone really believing you could ride with a concealed firearm in a way that you could access it if the situation presented itself.

@skins_brew 99359 wrote:

We are not talking about what Zimmerman did before the physical confrontation. We are talking about a tragic situation where someone was able to use a CCW while in the middle of a struggle.

The point you’re missing is that most reasonable people would not put themselves in a situation where they’d need to draw a weapon CCW permit or not. I don’t ride down 6th Avenue super late at night when I’m coming home from Lake Calhoun or downtown because there’s a chance some drunk or idiot might be a pest or hassle me so I add another two miles to my ride and take the Greenway. If the trail isn’t safe not using it until it’s properly addressed by the authorities or a trail watch is an option, not going loaded waiting for a situation to present itself isn’t.

[NicDiesel]

@skins_brew 99343 wrote:

Zimmerman.

The guy is a jackass but the fact of the matter is that he was able to draw his firearm and eliminate the threat while getting physically assaulted.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook.

Can someone delete this thread, it’s went off the rails…

[NicDiesel]

@skins_brew 99332 wrote:

100% not true. I am not going to mention the cases because people will go nuts, but there are several cases that exist where close quarter struggles have ensued and a concealed carry weapon has saved it’s owner from gross bodily harm.

List them or it didn’t happen.

[NicDiesel]

@hozn 99310 wrote:

Heh, yeah, I think in MN I would actually buy a snowbike/fatbike — and probably studded tires too! Good luck out there!

Thanks, I should hit 1,000 miles this year here which isn’t that bad considering I only rode for about five months. Fortunately I think I’ve found a way to get a fat bike to work with my heft so if I can get the right price I’m going to get one of these for an early 40th birthday/multiple Chankamas presents:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7004[/ATTACH]

[NicDiesel]

@hozn 99239 wrote:

Oh, it’s not the weight that makes them suck, but suck they do.

I debated not putting studs on but it’s going to be in the 20s, snowy, and windy for the next two weeks here in South Canada™ so it’s studs or no riding. Hopefully I can do 15 miles with them on tonight without struggling to keep a 10mph pace. I need to cruise over to St Paul today and pick up a pair of these so my feet don’t freeze:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7002[/ATTACH]

Also, if you’re in the market for ski/snow goggles I picked up a pair of these at Costco yesterday:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7003[/ATTACH]

They won’t fit over glasses (get the Oakley Ls for that) but for $30 with an extra lens they’re a good deal and seem like they’ve got enough venting to keep from fogging up during long rides.

[NicDiesel]

Since it’s going to be in the 20s from now until probably March here I broke down and got a Lazer winter helmet and some studded tires yesterday.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6986[/ATTACH]

Now I just need to order my Wolvhammers and I’m set.

[NicDiesel]

I didn’t ride this past winter (worst winter in modern history in the Twin Cities) due to leg and back injuries, but having ridden a little during the “spring” here are a few things I’m doing this winter to stay on the bike:

– Everything MUST be breathable and have vents. Do not go cheap on this unless you like being miserable. I ruined two winter jackets in April when I got back on the bike.
– Vented cycling glasses are good down to about 20°, below that it’s time for goggles.
– Get winter cycling shoes that are breathable, waterproofed, and comfortable. The Wolvhammer SPD boots (http://45nrth.com/products/footwear/wolvhammer) are a bit of overkill for anywhere south of Chicago but here, where you have snow/slush for at least four months out of the year, they’re perfect.
– If you ride 100 miles a week between December and April expect to replace your chain every five weeks if you don’t clean it after every ride and every eight weeks if you do.
– Wide, low pressure tires are your friend. Get a fat bike if you can.
– N+1 definitely is a rule you must follow. I’m building up a second Cross Check so I can have one with wide studded tires and another with just super wide tires.

[NicDiesel]

@lordofthemark 96594 wrote:

No interesting interactions with motorists, but one with a cyclist – headed south on the MVT, somewhere near the airport, I was passing a jogger – appropriately – called my pass, checked on movement in the opposite direction, went left just over the yellow line to pass. When all of a sudden a hard pedaling dude in a red jersey speeds BETWEEN me and the jogger – no call, fast and close, and on MY RIGHT (but the jogger’s left, of course). I just managed to call out “hey fred!” but I don’t think he heard, and I’m not sure it even made sense. Grrrr! I know I pass fairly slowly, but I do think that was one of the jerkiest moves I have seen on the MVT.

Good to see the MVT hasn’t changed any. I had a guy do that once that wound up crashing out right before the airport to Crystal City.

[NicDiesel]

@dkel 87783 wrote:

Rode this home from Bikenetic tonight!!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5839[/ATTACH]

What size did you end up getting?

[NicDiesel]

Got the front Ortlieb panniers so now I’ve got a full matching set.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5811[/ATTACH]

[NicDiesel]

@hozn 87256 wrote:

I used to have a high rate of failure with my previous phone (HTC One X), but pairing and syncing now Just Works™ with my Moto G (Google phone).

The sync works with Garmin Connect pretty much instantly when I hit save on my Garmin 510 and I’m using a Samsung S4. If you use Tapiriik you can sync Garmin Connect and Strava (and Dropbox) automatically for a few bucks a year. You can also sync them on-demand through Tapiriik but it’s worth the $5 a year for Tapiriik to do it for me automatically.

The only knock on the Garmin 510 is that the touchscreens, at least in one of the batches from 2013, go dead after about a year of heavy use. Mine happened to be in this batch so I’m sending it back for a refurbished replacement today. Outside of that they’re great units and well worth the investment.

[NicDiesel]

We’re buying a place and I’ll finally, after years of rentals, have a place I can build a bike workshop. Since we’re a one car family and will have a two car garage I’m curious what everyone would recommend as “must haves” for a bike workshop. Keep in mind that this space will not be heated so at least two months out of the year (January and February) I can’t really leave anything that will freeze. I’m starting from pretty much nothing so here’s the list of things I’m planning to buy right now:

Park Repair Stand
Park Pro Wheel Truing Stand
Park Pro Tool Kit

Is there anything that you all could think of that the Pro Tool Kit doesn’t have that you’d need to do most repairs and builds?

[Author]

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