[thecyclingeconomist]

@Tim Kelley 25857 wrote:

Our limiter was the size of her head. We had to wait until 7 months before it fit her and at that point, sitting and holding her head up was just fine.

The nutcase was the only manufacturer that made one small enough for our daughter before age 1. I put a couple extra pieces of foam in to make sure it stayed in the correct position to protect my daughter’s noggin. I tried 3 others before settling on the nutcase.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@ponchera 7764 wrote:

I’ve read up on everything from the cheap instep to the “cadillac” models burley/chariot that run dor 500-600. I really don’t want to spend that much…

Buy used! The Cougar 2 is the best trailer on the market… period. We have a three year old and another on the way, and I know you said you wouldn’t use the other options, but I bet you would if given the option. We have the stroller, bike, jogger, CX-ski, hiker adapters, and it’s the most awesome thing ever. I’ve taken my daughter snowshoeing in Yosemite a bunch of times.

The stroller option is the best stroller I’ve used. Weather proof… and have been out cycling when it just dumped. She came out dry and snug.

I know that Burley has a good trailer, but the options on the Chariot and the suspension, durability just make it phenomenal. You can snag them used on craigslist or ebay for a significant discount. I also saw one at the recent “garage-sale” at REI down off of Braddock for $225.

I’ll be selling my cougar 1 and making the swap to the cougar 2 over the next year.

Here’s a video of snowshoe mode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkTKnrsSfQ4&feature=g-upl

Video of it in bike-mode (Skip to the last minute or so… realized that it’s not all of the chariot in this clip):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtVYoJ8HwLw&feature=youtu.be

[thecyclingeconomist]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1771[/ATTACH]

[thecyclingeconomist]

@vvill 32667 wrote:

I don’t see too many commuters on bikes that could fit 29×2.35s!

If you’d read: I never said that 2.35s fit a road bike, they are the best commuter tire for my current rig and anyone out there than can handle a 26X2.0 or larger IMO. I then went on to write what I recommend for a roadie commuter, and finally I wrote what I recommend for a clincher tire on a race bike.

Maybe we don’t see too many bikes that handle 2.35s because they are on the wrong commuter bikes… :p Once you put function over form, things change dramatically… it’s taken me 15 years and dozens of personal bike builds, on top of all the builds in the shop, to come to my own take on what what really works, and what doesn’t for: commuting, fun-rides, family-rides, touring, club-rides, racing, endurance (randonneuring and brevets: see rusa.org), single-track, CX, and downhill. Each requires its own tools, and tires are simply another tool.

[thecyclingeconomist]

I’m doing a wine-tasting tonight, so I’ll ask the pros what best pairs with gnats and rain-water…

😎

[thecyclingeconomist]

@jabberwocky 32644 wrote:

Sorry, I thought you meant run the Big Apples on one of their roadish frames (since pretty much any MTB frame will clear a tire that large). Sure, almost all MTB frames will clear a tire that large, but MTBs have lots of drawbacks as commuters IME (unless your commute is fairly short or over really rough terrain). I have a touring bike (a Soma Saga) running 1.6 Marathon Supremes, and while the larger tires are indeed comfortable, they certainly aren’t as quick as the 28mm Paselas I run on the fixie (and not even close to the 23mm Pro3s I run on the road bike).

It comes down to preference, of course.

I commute 100+ a week on my frankensteiner-29er… only been Cat-6’d twice in the last 12 weeks… and they were “Elites” whose egos couldn’t handle being passed by a guy with 2.35″ balloon tires… Mwhahaha. I don’t ride a MTB… I ride a full-suspension road bike… LOL!

[thecyclingeconomist]

Agreed… preferences are huge in the tire market in general.

For non-commuting purposes on my road bike, I now only prefer to run Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX. I alternate between the 700X23c and 25c depending on the best deal I can get online (these things are stupid pricey). But, they are wicked fast, sticky and reliable. If I simply can’t get a good deal on the EVOs, then I run their Rubino Pros. That all being said, I did pick up a pair of Michelin Pro 4’s for a steal ($24.99 each) online, and they do feel good, but I tend to prefer 25c’s for a bit plusher ride (even on the road bike).

[thecyclingeconomist]

I never said that these would fit on a road bike…

The thread was started with a question of the best commuter tire. So, as to not start another needless debate that has nothing to offer for anyone reading: for anyone NOT riding a road frame, the Schwalbe Big Apple is the best I have run. Insofar as Surly… if you use the LHT platform, you’re good to go with a 26X2.0. The rest of their road line; or any road commuter, I’m still a fan of vittoria’s… either their Randonneur or Voyager lines. I’ve had very good luck with the Randoneeur Pro. It’s sticky enough to feel comfortable cornering, but hard enough to give pretty good life.

[thecyclingeconomist]

Surly’s can take them… “Fatties Fit Fine”…Or, you convert 29ers into a beastly all terrain commuter…

But that’s not why I wrote the recommendation… as I said: they have numerous sizes. There are TONS of different studies out there that show that rolling resistance and tire-width specs aren’t necessarily correlated. Some of which have been done with pretty rigorous scientific methods. Running a larger tire at a slightly lower PSI can improve power transfer. In fact a Vittoria Open Corsa EVO in a 700X25c running at 110psi is faster than most 700X23c at 130psi. In fact, picking the right tire can mean a difference of over 20 watts in sustaining 19mph. (Brandst and Morse have some good data out there on this stuff).

In addition the contact patch on my 2.35’s isn’t noticeably bigger that on my former 700X32c Vittoria Randonneur’s or other 32+ width commuters; and these roll significantly faster, especially when compared with some of the other’s referenced (Armadillos are NOTORIOUSLY slow). The nice thing is; because of the size and pressure, the contact patch remains constant on these, even when in deep turns… you never feel unstable in corners.

The only thing that might add to puncture rates is the fact that I actively ride much more aggressively through areas that I would never take my road bike. Also, you’re telling me that in the last 1500 miles of riding; you’ve had less than 2 flats? And if so… you’re time is coming… we all know that flats come in bunches.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@WillStewart 8288 wrote:

Surprisingly (at least to me), Schwalbe has low rolling resistance balloon tires called Big Apples for $25 to $30 that absorb quite a bit of road/trail shocks without slowing one down, giving close to the effect of full suspension. I switched to them and am so pleased that I’m not looking back…

Note the reviews at MTBR.com and bikeforums.net.

I have ridden gatorskins, armadillos, and then about 25 others in the “road” category from fortezza to EVOs to sewups to STANS. For commuting, I must say that the schwalbe big apples in a 29X2.35 are about the coolest commuter setup I’ve ever had. Super plush, yet low enough rolling resistance that I can ride along at nearly my road pace once up to speed. They are HUGE, but run at a high enough PSI that they give a fast ride while allowing you to run over just about anything… including those random 6″ potholes…with no chance of a pinch flat.

The only flats I’ve had on these (now at about 1500 miles on this set) have been from a full sized roofing nail and a 2″ screw… can’t blame the tire on those.

They come in 26″, and 29″ (the same as a 700c)…

[thecyclingeconomist]

I have a few majicshine’s. The CREE-XML leds are pretty awesome. For less than $100, it’s hard to go wrong (even if the actual lumens are less than the rated max). I have had one short-out completely, but soldering on a new wire worked fine. The other two have worked for nearly 2 years, with no problems.

[thecyclingeconomist]

Thankfully, back on the bike today…

I love insects! Free protein hit… don’t have to carry a cliffbar on the ride if you aim for enough of the gnat swarms… delish!

Ok… so they are harsh, but I don’t think the gnats are any worse than the rest of the bugs right at sun-up/ sundown. They especially love to fly towards me when it’s pitch black out because of my lights…

[thecyclingeconomist]

@Certifried 32503 wrote:

…was, again, a drive.

I’m SO mad at myself. I only rode in once this week, at a time when my goal is to move to 3 days/week.

Today is so nice, too, I definitely could have rode today

Where do you ride from/to? Maybe if someone is waiting for you at your starting point, it’ll motivate you… one of us should be able to do that to support you!

[thecyclingeconomist]

http://www.bigwheelbikes.com/rentals.htm

I used them when I visited for the same exact purpose…

MAKE SURE TO BRING YOUR OWN: cycling gear (helmet and kit)…but also bring your pedals and shoes! I can’t emphasize this enough.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@Capable1 31728 wrote:

Yes and I’m glad I stopped you funny thing through I purchased a bicycle chain cleaner before I had the pleasure of stopping you to ask I used it which was self explanatory but now I’m not sure as to how much oil should be on the chain ugh lol.

Apply till thoroughly lubricated at each link on both sides… make sure to run the chain through each gear in the rear and up front… then wipe off the excess.

Make sure to clean regularly! Think of your drivetrain as an engine… except all the parts are open to the elements. If you let dirt accumulate, it literally acts like sand-paper, grinding off the metal (wearing it out)…

Get a good cleaner (simple-green degreaser) and do it every 400-500 miles, while whiping excess dirt off more regularly.

If you want to start reading upon on this stuff: go here… http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

[Author]

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