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Interesting… I like the walking analogy.

I’ve always liked the idea of a fixie too, esp for the clean/minimalist/efficient aesthetic (which is part of riding a bike really) but I have bad knees and having to (help) brake with my legs or go downhill at a very high cadence scares me a bit. I don’t have very strong leg muscles either so I think I’d have to go something like 44/18 or even lower. Also there’s lots of hills around me so that’s intimidating as well.

@Dirt 20723 wrote:

That can give you the feeling of a single speed for sure. I’ve ridden with people on mountain bikes who did that to get the feeling of it. It is still different though. With a true single speed, the mindset is a little different in that you couldn’t shift if you wanted to. You’re either gonna honk up that hill or walk it.

Yeah I tried to “single speed” a couple times on my MTB last year and always ended up shifting halfway up the Custis/Rosslyn hill. It’s hard to get past the mentality of having shifters/a cassette.

@jabberwocky 20718 wrote:

Just to repeat, I have two fixies that I’d be happy to loan to any shorter folks who wanna try one. The first is a 50cm Milwaukee Orange one, the other is a 52cm Lotus Legend. Good for folks in the 5’4″ to 5’8″ range.

I might take you up on this one day. I think I could fit on the 52cm. I’m 5’9″ but have shortish legs for my height.

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@jrenaut 20731 wrote:

The bike is downstairs in the garage so I can’t check, but will the 15 or 16 be marked on the cassette? Or is there a standard size for gears 1, 2, 3 etc on a 12X26?

Check the SRAM website. Pretty sure they have info on that.

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I would like some cool jerseys but I don’t have any (yet). Most of mine are either really plain, or they’re Hincapie brand Tour de California ones I got on clearance (super comfy, but I always feel poseurish in them). I tend to invest more in shorts/bibs. I commute in bike gear normally although if I’m carrying a backpack I will often go with a MTB top or any shirt as long as it’s a “technical”/synthetic material that doesn’t accumulate moisture since I won’t need the back pockets.

I also thought this thread was going to be able cycling without many clothes on given the hot weather we’ve recently had.

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For elevation: since it is based on barometric pressure, it’s sensitive to temperature changes. I *think* (based on anecdotal evidence) if it gets warmer as you ride it will underestimate the gain, and if it gets cooler, it will overestimate… someone else can consult Boyle’s Law… in any case, this could also explain why if you stop for a while your elevation will change – it is unlikely that the air pressure will stay constant while you are stopped.

The temperature sensor on the 500 also consistently overestimates the temperature in my experience.

I have an elevation point set near my house to try to get the elevation correct but I still end up with negative elevations a lot.

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I have a Garmin 500 with cadence sensor/HRM and I have to say it’s been my best bike-related purchase for a while. I enjoy having the ride data a LOT and it’s motivating and rewarding. There are things I don’t like about how the device works but the overall utility far outweighs those niggles.

I was actually running it in parallel with a Cateye wired cyclemeter (I think an Astrale for months and compared mileages every trip for a while. The Garmin would always be slightly less because it records based on GPS/hitting start (not exactly sure how) as opposed to a wheel magnet but the difference could usually be expressed as a small fraction of a mile. The longer your ride, the less significant that difference. IMO it’s not significant enough to worry about. Ideally you have to make sure it finds the GPS satellite location before you start riding.

I have heard if you run a cadence / speed sensor with the 500 it is more accurate than pure GPS mileage (can’t verify this because both my main bikes have the sensor).

The only time the 500 let me down was a solo ride in NC when I put in a course to follow and at some point the device froze, and I didn’t realize, so I rode maybe 3-5 miles before realizing that happened, and I ended up missing a turn. You can see the straight line in the map where the Garmin was frozen.

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@Tim Kelley 20527 wrote:

We take anyone! Strava…RideWithGPS…Daily Mile…Garmin Connect…..

Speaking of these, anyone interested in making a Strava “club” for BikeArlington?

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@KLizotte 20506 wrote:

Thanks for all the info, even though I’ve lived in Arlington for 10+ years I have never driven or riden through that part of town (!). It looks like I’ll skip the ride down 41st; doesn’t sound all that pleasant or anything to brag about though I may eyeball it from the top. I will tackle the rest of the hills provided I get my clipless shoes in time (they are on special order).

The 41st St pic by TwoWheelsDC is funny – makes it look like a speed bump!

Here‘s an old poorly made/unedited video I took climbing 41st earlier this year. Camera is mounted on the left of my helmet so it’s a bit shaky. Gives you a better idea though.

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@mllwhnp 20424 wrote:

As far as touring vs road – my road bike (Orbea Volata) has no room for racks or other encumbrances. It likes to go fast. I bought a cross bike for commuting (Bianchi Zurigo – aluminum frame with carbon fork/seat stays). It takes racks and will do almost anything on/off road. I can ride it forever without getting uncomfortable. A lot of people buy cross bikes and put road tires on them for touring/commuting. I have knobby 34s on my Zurigo and I get around great. Any cross bike (Kona Jake/Jake the Snake, Bianchi Volpe) will work for touring/errands/commuting. The Kona Sutra is a dedicated touring bike with front and back racks already installed. A lot of people like steel for a more stable ride (i.e. for touring). You don’t have to have carbon.

That Bianchi sounds awesome. I like the wide gearing on it too, 34/32 low gear!

I sometimes think I should’ve gotten a more commuter-centric road bike, as 28-35mm tires would really be a nice option but then I wouldn’t have done all the longer road/group rides as easily. In the end, all it means is… more bikes

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The only part I really don’t like is getting from DC to VA. My 2 main choices are
– Key Bridge/Georgetown – too much PM traffic (vehicular + pedestrian)
– Roosevelt/MVT – Roosevelt path is ridiculously narrow and also really close to vehicular traffic, MVT has slippery bridges

Minor complaints:
– N Yorktown Blvd’s bike lane paint is all but faded away and the surface is pretty bad in spots, esp for a hilly road. Cars also don’t always realize how fast bikes can go there.
– 29/Military/Quincy Rd intersection

Really though what irks me most days is other drivers/riders. Some guy on the W&OD today was barreling past me at 20mph+ just as I turned my head left to look behind me to pass a lady with a stroller. If I hadn’t looked he would’ve hit me. I shouted “call your pass!” but got no response. I saw he had earplugs in. Not even ipod earbuds that sit in your ear with a bit of room, but nice sound isolating earplugs. I caught up to him but he made no acknowledgment of anything around him, and I had to turn off to take the Custis. Oh yeah, and he didn’t have a helmet He did have a good pedal stroke at least.

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@GuyContinental 20418 wrote:

I got nailed Sterling to Herndon and then stopped at EFC.

You might have passed me as one of the “huddled.” Just East of EFC the hail got me and then two massive lightening strikes (within 100′) made me decide to sit it out under one of the larger bridges. I kept thinking about the t-storm post and “your body is a circuit…” Honestly and truly, DO NOT RIDE IN LIGHTNING.

It sounds like a lot but it’s well worth it for component longevity and only takes about 10 minutes

Thanks. Yeah I regret not at least doing the chain this morning. Definitely sounds dry

I was out on my bike from 3pm to 7:30pm in some way or another… I did make the odd stop so I wasn’t always in the thick of it, but I definitely got some of the worst parts.

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Yeah I smelled that too. Pee-uw!

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The LBS really should get the fit closer to right when they sell you the bike. But I also think a LBS doesn’t expect each and every customer to really ride the bike a lot. A lot of bike owners don’t ride their bikes much. They’re businesses and they have to balance costs with customer service/satisfaction. But on the other hand, when I got my first road bike (last year), the salesperson at Performance told me to get a “M” based on my standing height above the top tube. :rolleyes: I just insisted on the “S”. I’m quite sure I knew more about that particular frame’s geometry than they did, even though I’d never really ridden a road bike at that point…

It is really hard to know that much about fit though when you have little-to-no experience on a road bike. If I went to a fitter I bet there would be mild-to-medium changes to a slew of things – in particular cleat/pedal position, but I think/hope I at least have my frame size right – around 535-540mm effective top tube seems to work – my hybrid is around 565mm …which was measured based on standing height above top tube. There are some decent online tools that can suggest frame dimensions for you – one I remember using was http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

If I ever get a “dream” bike I will probably get a fitting beforehand. No point otherwise.

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I had this afternoon free (from home duties) so I decided to do some exploring/”errands”. Ended up being a bit of an impromptu outdoor adventure – I also took the overland route to cross Wilson.

Was there hail? Maybe it was just heavy rain but it felt a bit harder than that.

I wasn’t sure what to think when I rode by the clusters of trail users huddled below a good number of the W&OD underpasses.

Don’t have to wash the bike now but wondering if there’s anything special maintenance-wise I should do. I’m pretty sure the whole rear derailleur cage and a good portion of the 20″ wheels were submerged in points.

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“Hybrid” is a very broad term, at least to me, and covers everything from flat-bar road “sport/fitness” bikes to disc brake/belt drive/IGH commuters to utility and touring bikes.

I agree that often the ones with cheap front shocks that look basically like a 90s MTB with front shocks are not that great. They’re sort of “not good enough to be a bike of any particular purpose” hybrids.

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http://www.climateride.org/blog/washington-dc-finale-bike-rally

Quote:

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MAY 23rd, 2012 – There are three ways to participate:

1:30 PM – Meet up with Climate Riders in downtown Silver Spring and ride the last 18 miles with the “Green Peloton.” Riders will be gathering on Ellsworth Drive in Downtown Silver Spring, MD between 1 pm and 2 pm. Riders must depart Silver Spring by 2:15 pm. Note: we don’t all ride together until we reach the staging area at the Thompson Boat Center, so you can find the Climate Ride support staff in Silver Spring, say hi, and then ride the Georgetown Branch of the Capital Crescent Trail to the Boat Center.

3:15 PM – All riders will gather at Thompson Boat Center (corner of Rock Creek Parkway and Virginia Ave NW) at 3:15pm for a 3:30 en masse departure to the US Capitol. Be sure to arrive with a bicycle for this segment. FYI – you can pick up a Capitol Bike Share bike near the Boat Center and then return it to a station near the Capitol later. Use the iPhone app to determine availability. Note: Riders will pedal all together up Constitution Ave. to the Capitol Reflecting Pool/Union Square in front of the U.S. Capitol (at 3rd St NW)– please obey traffic laws and stop for lights.

~4:00 PM – Rally at the Capitol and Greeting of Riders

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We will have a photo opportunity at the Capitol with photographers.

Thompson Boat Center is only 10 mins from my work, so I’ll probably show up there. I’ll be on my black folding bike.

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