Popular Post thewoodwhisperer Posted April 21, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I'm more like a wanna-be cyclist. I picked up a hybrid bike this year (Specialized-Crosstrail). I get about 10 miles a day though the heat will soon put an end to that. But I definitely fell in love with cycling this year as a form of exercise and yet another hobby of sorts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Eric, I second the suggestion to wear padded, leather palm gloves. The help prevent the numbness, and reduce the gravel-picking after one of those slow side-tumbles when your shoe clips get sticky. Another very useful accessory is a helmet mounted mirror. Turning to check behind you makes it easy to get off balance, or swerve. Also, learn to glance under your armpit, not over your shoulder. And I'm sure you know (or soon will!) to wear shorts & scivvies with ONLY flat-sewn seams! There is a very good reason that cycle shorts were invented! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I have some decent gloves but they don't seem to do much to fight off the numbness. Need to try some others. I think I'll try to raise my bars just a bit and tinker with my seat position a bit too. I just put a mirror on my left drop-bar last night and I'm gonna give a shot tomorrow. I really don't want a mirror on my helmet but I will if I have to. Looking back at traffic is definitely bad news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: Eric, I second the suggestion to wear padded, leather palm gloves. The help prevent the numbness, and reduce the gravel-picking after one of those slow side-tumbles when your shoe clips get sticky. Another very useful accessory is a helmet mounted mirror. Turning to check behind you makes it easy to get off balance, or swerve. Also, learn to glance under your armpit, not over your shoulder. And I'm sure you know (or soon will!) to wear shorts & scivvies with ONLY flat-sewn seams! There is a very good reason that cycle shorts were invented! Is this before or after he takes off the training wheels? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisphr Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I have some decent gloves but they don't seem to do much to fight off the numbness. Need to try some others. I think I'll try to raise my bars just a bit and tinker with my seat position a bit too. I just put a mirror on my left drop-bar last night and I'm gonna give a shot tomorrow. I really don't want a mirror on my helmet but I will if I have to. Looking back at traffic is definitely bad news. Numb hands might be because of fit, or maybe you have a Kung fu grip on the handle bars cause you are just starting out and nervous about crashing, I know I was when I first started. You'll relax those hands with time. You don't want to know what I think about adding a mirror... There are unwritten rules among cyclists. Some designed for safety while others can be somewhat snotty etiquette and fashion rules. I've succumbed to the arrogance. If you want to add some extra fun to seek out some local group rides. Most bike shops organize weekly rides and will communicate the performance level so you don't get in over your head. Safety in numbers, makes the ride more social, and you will learn pack riding skills and other things (the unwritten rules) in a fun environment. There are unwritten rules among cyclists. I was wrong. I forgot the rules are written down. Rule 5 is my favorite, applies to both cycling and life. http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Those rules crack me up. I've only made it through about 20, but I can already tell that cycling is full of snobby pricks just like woodworking. 16 hours ago, chrisphr said: You don't want to know what I think about adding a mirror... There are unwritten rules among cyclists. Some designed for safety while others can be somewhat snotty etiquette and fashion rules. I've succumbed to the arrogance. And just like woodworking, there's a balance that has to be struck between cool factor and common sense. I adhere to aesthetics as much as possible until the consequences are too great. I don't think safety glasses make me look like a badass but I'm not gonna gamble my glassballs over it. I wear them, always. This is the mirror I put on my bike... It was the sleekest and least obtrusive mirror I could find. I give it about a 7/10...cars that are far away you can't really see because the mirror is so small, but at least it lets you know if you're clear to peek over your shoulder and get a better look. It probably breaks the cool kids' rules, but they can suck it, I'm not gambling my life to be cool. Side note...I don't get Strava. I deviated from a mapped route this morning and it just stopped tracking me for about a half hour. And why doesn't it tell you where you're supposed to go, instead of where you've already been? Unless I'm missing something, that's stupid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 What can Strava do that plain old Google Maps doesn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Or Map My Ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Yeah I don't know the differences. I was told by my buddy to sign up on Strava so we could "follow" each other. It feels awfully facebooky to me which means it was most likely a bad idea. I wanted an app to map my routes and track my rides. So far it's doing neither of those things well, but it's probably operator error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 29 minutes ago, Eric. said: facebooky I expect you to start posting your dinner on here on a nightly basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Just now, Llama said: I expect you to start posting your dinner on here on a nightly basis. and personal eulogies for recently dead celebrities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisphr Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Those rules crack me up. I've only made it through about 20, but I can already tell that cycling is full of snobby pricks just like woodworking. Exactly! None of the "cool kids rules" conflict with safety. The only down side to the mirror is it is unnecessary weight/gadgetry and most experienced cyclists would say it adds no safety benefit (and it is a noob stamp). I can sense a car is behind me and there is really no reason to look at it, stay to the right so they can pass when safe. If you are making a left, turn your head to look. If you want to add some safety, get a red blinking light to face rear and a white blinking light to the front. It is more important that cars see you more than you see them. I don't think Strava has a way finding function it is just performance tracking. Route, elevation, speed, estimated calories, compares your performance to previous rides all kind of cool stuff tracked over time. I didn't have a single friend in app for the first six months I used it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 On 4/22/2016 at 11:21 AM, Eric. said: Those rules crack me up. I've only made it through about 20, but I can already tell that cycling is full of snobby pricks just like woodworking. And just like woodworking, there's a balance that has to be struck between cool factor and common sense. I adhere to aesthetics as much as possible until the consequences are too great. I don't think safety glasses make me look like a badass but I'm not gonna gamble my glassballs over it. I wear them, always. This is the mirror I put on my bike... It was the sleekest and least obtrusive mirror I could find. I give it about a 7/10...cars that are far away you can't really see because the mirror is so small, but at least it lets you know if you're clear to peek over your shoulder and get a better look. It probably breaks the cool kids' rules, but they can suck it, I'm not gambling my life to be cool. Side note...I don't get Strava. I deviated from a mapped route this morning and it just stopped tracking me for about a half hour. And why doesn't it tell you where you're supposed to go, instead of where you've already been? Unless I'm missing something, that's stupid. Just now catching up with this thread...I have the same mirrors on my bike, I like them a lot. My single 'crash' so far has been from turning to check traffic after hearing noise directly behind me...no major injuries, but the mirrors have helped. Do you like them? Strava isn't meant to give directions AFAIK. I just use it to record how far and how long I ride, and most importantly compare times for different segments. It also is a bit facebooky in that lots of people use it just to 'watch' what routes and times their friends are recording. This gives me a rough idea of whether I am actually getting exercise and improving my health or just going for a leisurely ride. Both are acceptable, but at different times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 12 hours ago, JosephThomas said: Just now catching up with this thread...I have the same mirrors on my bike, I like them a lot. My single 'crash' so far has been from turning to check traffic after hearing noise directly behind me...no major injuries, but the mirrors have helped. Do you like them? I avoid busy streets like the plague, but the route(s) I usually ride requires me to do a few miles of suburban traffic to get to the trails/backroads that comprise the majority of my riding. I love the mirror for those few miles, but after that it's fairly useless. It's unnecessary on the gravel trails and I don't really look at it ever on the backroads...like Chris said, if a car is coming up behind you, you can kind of sense it. Either that or you're dead. But in suburban traffic with all the sounds and whatnot, it's nice to have it so you can take a peek without looking over your shoulder. I haven't had the chance to ride more than a few times since the tree fell on the house. And now it's getting too hot around here for me to even want to. I plan to do a lot of riding once the house is put back together and the weather breaks this fall. I have a Peloton spin bike downstairs that I ride 5-6 times per week. It's convenient and cool in the basement. And yeah I've since found out you're right about Strava...it's not a GPS navigator, it's just a tracker. I wish it were the former, that would be cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 Eric, any phone with google maps is a pretty awesome navigator. No specialty device required. Even Walmart carries a decent handlebar mount that works with most phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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