Joined: Jul 16, 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1825 Location: High Point, North Carolina
Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 2:05 am Post subject: Any cyclists here?
Even thought I might get another one in the near future, I've always enjoyed riding my bike everywhere I went. _________________ My blog:
http://roygerdodger.tumblr.com
Joined: Feb 13, 2010 Posts: 18786 Location: the island of loveable toy humans
Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 2:58 am Post subject:
i spent a pretty penny [but it was a bargain on sale for 1/2 price!] on a giant hybrid bike, with a custom XL frame for my XL frame. this bike enables me to take any hill without breaking a sweat or even having to stand. i get 25 miles per battery [it has two] per charge, on average hilly terrain where i live. the only downside to this bike, is that it weights a ton [over 60#!] and it is too big to fit inside the back of my honda, so when it has to go into the shop for any reason i have to borrow a relative's pick-up truck to haul it in. other than dead batteries or rain, i have no excuse to not go out and bike someplace. since i was able to bike consistently [more or less] i've lost 20#, too. everybody should have a giant hybrid bike, even out of shape people [like me, at the beginning] can ride it with no trouble at all. the seat it came with is for skinnie minnies so i had to replace it with a typical fatassed middle-aged person's seat, but other than that it has a gooey front fork suspension, a seat-post suspension and a bump-absorbing mass to its frame, and it rides acceptably well over most roads.
i loved riding my mountainbike when i was younger.
I could not do that any more after a meltdown/anxiety attacks/diagnosis.
But now i'm really enjoying my hybrid.
Joined: Feb 13, 2010 Posts: 18786 Location: the island of loveable toy humans
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:56 am Post subject:
riding my giant suede keeps me in nearly as good shape as when i was able to swim laps. if it weren't for my bike, i don't think i could maintain my fitness level nearly as well. walking will only take one so far, in that respect.
Joined: Nov 12, 2011 Posts: 6990 Location: Living in Faulkner's nightmare
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:17 am Post subject:
I can go ok on a flat straight road with no traffic. But uphill is out because I'm not in good enough shape and downhill is out because I'm afraid I'll go too fast and wreck. Anything with traffic is out and I just push the bike along while walking because my balance isn't good for that anymore.
However, in my late teens and early 20's I really enjoyed riding my bike.
One of my problems with the balance on the bikes now are the handlebars. I don't have my own bike, nor would I spend money on one for the small chance of me riding it, but I learned to ride on one of those from the late 70's that had the curved handles almost like a rams horns. A ten speed. That is the only bike I ever rode until my daughter got a mountain bike for Christmas from her fiance's parents. The handles are too wide and I have no control over them.
Even if I was given one with the right handles and "feel" it's pretty hilly here so I wouldn't have anywhere to ride it except around my block.
Don't quit riding it if you enjoy it, because when you want to start again you could very well be too out of shape to do it, like me _________________ Frances
Joined: Feb 13, 2010 Posts: 18786 Location: the island of loveable toy humans
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:34 am Post subject:
OliveOilMom wrote:
I can go ok on a flat straight road with no traffic. But uphill is out because I'm not in good enough shape and downhill is out because I'm afraid I'll go too fast and wreck. Anything with traffic is out and I just push the bike along while walking because my balance isn't good for that anymore.
it took me a good year of daily riding before i was in good-enough shape to do hills. i still avoid traffic whenever possible.
OliveOilMom wrote:
Even if I was given one with the right handles and "feel" it's pretty hilly here so I wouldn't have anywhere to ride it except around my block.
it is very important to fit your bike to your frame. adjust the seat height so where you must stand on your tippietoes, or else your mechanics will not be condusive for maximum pedalling power, and also if you sit too low that is hard on your back and hips and knees. also adjust your handlebars so that you don't have to bend-over unduly, or reach too far. bending over while riding is very hard on the wrists and elbows/shoulders, so adjust the handlebars so you can be more upright, so that your backside upon the seat supports the majority of your weight. inflate your tires to their optimum range which should be between 40-60 psi, as this will make your pedaling substantially smoother and easier. consider getting a seat post suspension as well as a more comfortable bike seat, because after all, your rump deserves some comfort for the weight it must bear while riding. [not calling anybody fat here]
OliveOilMom wrote:
Don't quit riding it if you enjoy it, because when you want to start again you could very well be too out of shape to do it, like me
out of shape can become in shape if one sticks to a daily [or at least most days of the week] routine, which includes interval training to improve your aerobic conditioning [IOW your body's efficiency processing O2 and calories]. and also important, is to remember to gently stretch your hamstrings and achilles tendons after a bike ride, or else you will become stiff.
Although I was late in learning to ride a bike without training wheels, today I ride at least a few miles every day (putting more on it than I do the car). I have two mountain bikes, though I am looking to purchase a proper road bike soon. One of the MTBs has racks on the back so that I can transport items, such as groceries while getting exercise (instead of sitting in traffic).
On campus, it is the ideal way to get around. No worrying about finding a place to park (when working, I park in the office, and all buildings have plenty of bike racks) and faster than taking the bus. With the campus wide speed limit of 20 mph and bike lanes on nearly all roads, it's easy to merge into traffic, pass other vehicles, take lanes, and (if you're not careful), get pulled over for speeding on a bike.
There is one section of road on campus that has a bit of a grade. I'm in good enough shape that I can ride right up it, while everyone else gets off and walks. _________________ "Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I" - Pink Floyd
(and then the tower cleared me for take off)
Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Age: 22 Posts: 108 Location: With my beautiful dragon types....
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:47 am Post subject:
Used to ride bikes with mom and brother ALL THE TIME! Soo fun~^^ Sadly, my bike broke down...don't have the money for a new one, either.....and my mom can't ride anymore either cuz of her foot and all
Also, I need to have my mom with me when I ride a bike. I've been known to be strange/reckless on one due to my autism...0_o; _________________ "I am the *human* who will surpass God!"
Funny I should come across this topic and I was about to make one!
I use to love bicycling all the time when I was younger, we had a nice pair of mountain bikes but they were either lost or stolen, probably the latter :rolleyes:. I jog a lot but seriously miss having a decent bike, especially because we live out in the country and its just so pretty out here. I was almost considering getting a cheap bike with potential birthday funds coming up but after doing some googling I think it might be wiser to wait or ask for something good for Christmas.
What's a good all around bike that isn't several thousand dollars that I can use for commuting occasionally and for fun riding at the beach or mountains? Everyone says to expect to spend 300+, I'm in no way an expert and its been a long time. I miss my bike and don't remember what type it was.
WillMcC wrote:
On campus, it is the ideal way to get around. No worrying about finding a place to park (when working, I park in the office, and all buildings have plenty of bike racks) and faster than taking the bus. With the campus wide speed limit of 20 mph and bike lanes on nearly all roads, it's easy to merge into traffic, pass other vehicles, take lanes, and (if you're not careful), get pulled over for speeding on a bike.
Joined: Feb 13, 2010 Posts: 18786 Location: the island of loveable toy humans
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:20 am Post subject:
NeueZiel wrote:
What's a good all around bike that isn't several thousand dollars that I can use for commuting occasionally and for fun riding at the beach or mountains? Everyone says to expect to spend 300+, I'm in no way an expert and its been a long time. I miss my bike and don't remember what type it was.
(clicky)this giant suede bicycle is the one i ride and i recommend it highly. but mine is a 2008 model, the newer ones have been decontented and the price increased [capitalism- PHOOEY! ], so you will want to spring another $300 for a better internal gear hub with at least 5 speeds like an SRAM] as well as a cushy suspension seat post, your back will thank you for that one.
NeueZiel wrote:
Whaaaat? Are you serious?
in america, there are lots of very picayune bike laws. i've heard of people being ticketed for not carrying ID, for speeding, for standing on the pedals, et al.
What's a good all around bike that isn't several thousand dollars that I can use for commuting occasionally and for fun riding at the beach or mountains? Everyone says to expect to spend 300+, I'm in no way an expert and its been a long time. I miss my bike and don't remember what type it was.
(clicky)this giant suede bicycle is the one i ride and i recommend it highly. but mine is a 2008 model, the newer ones have been decontented and the price increased [capitalism- PHOOEY! ], so you will want to spring another $300 for a better internal gear hub with at least 5 speeds like an SRAM] as well as a cushy suspension seat post, your back will thank you for that one.
NeueZiel wrote:
Whaaaat? Are you serious?
in america, there are lots of very picayune bike laws. i've heard of people being ticketed for not carrying ID, for speeding, for standing on the pedals, et al.
That's just awful, maybe I'll just stick to the country, scenic routes and fun stuff and stay the hell away from the city. Though bike commuting does sound really fun, thanks for the heads up and link! That's the perfect price for what I was looking for!
I'm a pretty gung-ho advocate of bicycling for transportation. I'm one of "those people" with a Share The Road button on my messenger bag. I used to have a single speed (fixie as some call them) when I made spending money as a delivery girl in College Station and Austin TX, usually put in 20+ miles a day. I had to sell that bike when I moved but I'm in the middle of building another one. I've also got a BMX bike that I usually ride around the neighborhood when I need fresh air or take out to the dirt trails to get some flight time. I've got a KHS commuter/road bike (my fanciest one ) that I use for errands or hauling things, and I've got two mountain bikes (one of which is out of commission after a particularly rough trail ride). Biking is my main outlet for just about everything, so I've got bikes for every situation.
I rode a few bikes up until the early 1980s when I was in my early twenties. Since then I have only ridden one bike, a 1977 Schwinn Sportabout ten-speed. Most of the tens of thousands of miles I've ridden on it since then have been "no hands" while I simultaneously play guitar. I ride as I play; I play as I ride.
Here is a video filmed about six months ago.
_________________ “When you ride over sharps, you get flats!”--The Bicycling Guitarist, May 13, 2008
Soo fun~^^ Sadly, my bike broke down...don't have the money for a new one, either.....and my mom can't ride anymore either cuz of her foot and all 
], so you will want to spring another $300 for a better internal gear hub with at least 5 speeds like an SRAM] as well as a cushy suspension seat post, your back will thank you for that one.
) that I use for errands or hauling things, and I've got two mountain bikes (one of which is out of commission after a particularly rough trail ride). Biking is my main outlet for just about everything, so I've got bikes for every situation.
