Has anyone here used Dynamos on their bike? I recently made a handlebar dock for my cell phone (you know, to use as a speedometer and gps) and I wanted to see if I could use a dynamo in conjunction with a voltage regulator to act as a usb charger so my phone wont drain battery while it's using the gps function.
I took my new bike on its first real ride yesterday: 15 miles to the old World's Fair park. Some observations:
1. The bike is very aggressively geared: I have yet to be able to use the top two. 2. Traffic lights and slow cars are the primary limiting factors in my average speed. 3. 100% useless on grass. 4. It takes almost no effort to maintain speed (compared to the mountain bikes I'm used to).
I rather like this thing, but I'll absolutely need a second bike if I ever set tire in the woods again.
I'm so glad I got a touring bike. It's great on the roads and paths, but I love being able to ride over grass. On Saturday I did the Berlin Fotomarathon, and it was pretty much a 14 hour bike ride. While riding I never felt uncomfortable, even though the next day I was really stiff.
On Saturday I did the Berlin Fotomarathon, and it was pretty much a 14 hour bike ride.
What sort of seat do you use? For touring and even mountain biking, I had this gigantic split-center padded seat. It was hilarious and ugly, but I could ride in comfort forever on that thing. It also softened the blow from the fact that I never had a dual suspension on trails.
The saddle on my old bike was just like that, massive, padded, and with a hole in the middle, I guess for ventilation. I was going to move it across to my new bike, but so far I've had no problems with this current saddle. It's not that big, and isn't very soft, but it seems to fit my skinny ass quite well.
The hole (in most cases) is to reduce pressure on your innards. Bicyclists have traditionally had reproductive issues, and these are in most cases tied to pressure from bicycle seats. The concave or hollow center puts the pressure back on the bones, where it should be.
Adam and I are pleased with our new bikes thus far, and other than sizing and positioning adjustments, we have made no modifcations to our Fuji Crosstown 3.0's. I thought I might need to purchase better tires or a more comfortable seat, but the tires perform well on pavement, grass, gravel, and dirt. Also, the seat quite comfortable. We do need to get water bottle holders and lights for the bikes, but we have avoided this by taking trips that go past placed to get water and not biking at dusk/night. The only real fail of taking up bike riding again is that challenging gradients kick up my asthma (which hasn't been an issue with other exercise in years), so I will have to go back on an inhaler and in the mean time keep to less challenging paths/roads or walk my bike up steeper hills. Since we live in a very hilly area, it is a major limitation on my riding and has to be dealt with soon.
I think, by the fall, I may be ready to attempt a bike trip to Beacon. It's easily doable in a day, but I'll have to build up my endurance. I don't know if I can reliably bike more than 30 or 40 miles currently with a light load. Next weekend, if I don't travel anywhere, I'll try to bike to Flushing and back, rather than just doing it one-way.
I think, by the fall, I may be ready to attempt a bike trip to Beacon. It's easily doable in a day, but I'll have to build up my endurance. I don't know if I can reliably bike more than 30 or 40 miles currently with a light load. Next weekend, if I don't travel anywhere, I'll try to bike to Flushing and back, rather than just doing it one-way.
I did 20 miles the day we went to see the wood block prints. Beacon is what, 60? We can probably do it one way, with a lunch break, and lots of extra water, if we start up on route 9.
I did 20 miles the day we went to see the wood block prints. Beacon is what, 60? We can probably do it one way, with a lunch break, and lots of extra water, if we start up on route 9.
Yeah. I was thinking take the train to Route 9 and start there. The interesting part of the ride is the part just past Manhattan anyway.
I got to Flushing pretty quickly, averaging a bit over 10mph including breaks. If we budget an hour for lunch and relaxing, I'd bet I can keep it at least at 15mph.
We wouldn't need to carry too much water: we could supply up along the way. I'd carry a bottle or two and a camelback.
A quick poll. By the end of the year, will Rym and Scott go on a bike ride together to Beacon and back?
Answer: A = Yes. It will happen. B = No. Rym will do the ride, but for some perfectly good reason, Scott will drop out. C = No. Neither of them will ride to Beacon and back. D = No. Rym will have other things to do, and just to spite Rym, and everyone who votes in this poll, Scott will do the ride by himself.
I was going to get a new bike, a hybrid probably the TREK Crosstrail, but decided to put it off a little bit and save some money. So I did a few things to my bike to make it more useful specially since I'm using it to go to work now, here it is. I know dual suspension sucks, but it's what I got for the time being. I tightened both suspensions to max rigidity. I got new tires, they are smooth in the middle for city use and have a little bit of the sides dented so you don't slip if you try to turn on the grass or gravel in the city. I got the little horns for the handle bars, and a nice comfortable sit. I still need to get the clip on bike shoes and pedals.
I recently had to get a new rear tire for my bike. I used to have knobbily tires, so I thought I'd get a smoother tire since I'm riding on asphalt or concrete 90% of the time.
I have made a terrible mistake. I can't drift it anymore! Even on soaking wet, butter smooth asphalt, it has too much traction! No matter quickly or how hard I slam the rear brake, when it locks up, it just grips harder!
What have I done.
And for you people who are really big on biking, no, I don't brake like that when I actually want to stop. I use the front brake like everyone else.
When you commute on your bikes, do you guys get to work all sweaty sort of like I do? I change, but I can't really take a shower here.
I sweat a little, but it's not like I'm drenched and need to shower immediately. I wear deoderant, and I don't smell bad. Thanks to the building's air conditioning I'm dry by the time I get to my desk. If you are sweating like crazy it could just be you're genetically predisposed to sweat more. It could also be that you are biking too hard. You're commuting, not racing. Save your hard work for the weekend or the ride home. Early in the morning use the low gear and take it easy.
Yep that might be it, last week when I started I didn't sweat much, but since I'm getting a better physical condition I think I have been pushing myself harder naturally. I'll try to take it slower on Friday. I didn't sweat that much, but a little more than it's acceptable to walk into my work place.
Comments
I have a duel bike and mums on there hybrid can pass me while riding on the road.
1. The bike is very aggressively geared: I have yet to be able to use the top two.
2. Traffic lights and slow cars are the primary limiting factors in my average speed.
3. 100% useless on grass.
4. It takes almost no effort to maintain speed (compared to the mountain bikes I'm used to).
I rather like this thing, but I'll absolutely need a second bike if I ever set tire in the woods again.
The only real fail of taking up bike riding again is that challenging gradients kick up my asthma (which hasn't been an issue with other exercise in years), so I will have to go back on an inhaler and in the mean time keep to less challenging paths/roads or walk my bike up steeper hills. Since we live in a very hilly area, it is a major limitation on my riding and has to be dealt with soon.
I got to Flushing pretty quickly, averaging a bit over 10mph including breaks. If we budget an hour for lunch and relaxing, I'd bet I can keep it at least at 15mph.
We wouldn't need to carry too much water: we could supply up along the way. I'd carry a bottle or two and a camelback.
Answer:
A = Yes. It will happen.
B = No. Rym will do the ride, but for some perfectly good reason, Scott will drop out.
C = No. Neither of them will ride to Beacon and back.
D = No. Rym will have other things to do, and just to spite Rym, and everyone who votes in this poll, Scott will do the ride by himself.
It's not like I'm the first person around here not to catch some sort of sarcasm.
I know dual suspension sucks, but it's what I got for the time being. I tightened both suspensions to max rigidity. I got new tires, they are smooth in the middle for city use and have a little bit of the sides dented so you don't slip if you try to turn on the grass or gravel in the city. I got the little horns for the handle bars, and a nice comfortable sit. I still need to get the clip on bike shoes and pedals.
I have made a terrible mistake. I can't drift it anymore! Even on soaking wet, butter smooth asphalt, it has too much traction! No matter quickly or how hard I slam the rear brake, when it locks up, it just grips harder!
What have I done.
And for you people who are really big on biking, no, I don't brake like that when I actually want to stop. I use the front brake like everyone else.