Post: #26

(06-24-2014 12:34 PM)birdie num num Wrote:  Some riders avoid the slime filled tubes because it adds weight. That's probably a factor if you are a competitive racer, but insignificant if you are a recreational rider. My bike has tires with kevlar belts. That has greatly reduced the amount of flats.

I don't know about insignificant. Rotational weight is the first weight you will be pleased you saved on a bike- and you need to start at the outside of the wheels with the tires. This leads to quicker, easier acceleration.

You want the lightest tires and tubes you can get, but still retain some puncture protection. Kevlar belts as you mention are great, and the better quality tires have kevlar rather than steel beads for weight saving.

I would carry a spare tube rather than a repair kit- quicker as you don't have to wait for the rubber to vulcanise, and you don't need to worry about not doing it right and having another flat in twenty minutes.

Be sure to check the tire for what caused the flat in the first place. Another good tip is to use talcum powder inside the tire and all around the bead to stop the tube sticking to the rubber, and to make it much easier to get it on the rim. Another plus is that it makes it look like you can afford a really good coke habit...

Post: #27

Here comes the cliche question:

Slim tires for speed OR fat tires for stability?

Slim tires - run faster, less traction and stability. I laugh when I see roadies (road bikers) fall when they turn too fast.

Fat tires - run slower, better traction and stability. It's sad when roadies pass me as my tires are too three times as fat as theirs.

This is a picture of my Big Apples, great tires!

Post: #28

Those look like great tires. I wanted to switch to a fatter tire this winter but I was too cheap to spend the cash. I ended up riding on my pizza cutters all winter through the snow almost everyday. It wasn't ideal, but still faster than walking.

I never gave any thought to the difference in speed I have with thin tires, that's probably why I am always passing people.

Post: #29

(06-24-2014 03:55 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  Here comes the cliche question:

Slim tires for speed OR fat tires for stability?

Slim tires - run faster, less traction and stability. I laugh when I see roadies (road bikers) fall when they turn too fast.

Fat tires - run slower, better traction and stability. It's sad when roadies pass me as my tires are too three times as fat as theirs.

This is a picture of my Big Apples, great tires!

As I live in a beach town and my work is down the coast and then inland, I have a significant amount of area that I "could" ride which is off the road (or with a SIGNIFICANT bike lane) that has a nice view (the ocean).

When I was in between cars for 2-3 weeks I borrowed a friend's older mountain bike. It rode ok but had off-road type tires that definitely weren't all that efficient. I had a catastrophic tire blowout (not just a slow flat) while flying along on my way back home and had to walk it the rest of the way (after calling all my friends who had trucks/bigger cars without success). So I took it to the bike shop and just had the whole thing tuned up/serviced and bought a pair of tires like those Big Apples above.

Man, that thing FLEW afterwards!

My commute to work in the car was the better part of 20 minutes door to door. While not the ocean view route, the route I took was interesting enough and I had it down to 35 minutes to work and only 30 minutes back. I also had the same benefits others have mentioned, that I got to work with energy and after work I forgot about all the things that annoyed me that day because I was pedaling my ass off.

On cool days I arrived with a light bit of sweat, on hot days I'd be a little more sweaty, but I'd just walk around and air-dry while drinking cold water and I'd be fine the rest of the day. I keep toiletries in my work bathroom and I don't have to be have dress clothes on at work so it worked out fine.

I've been seriously considering buying a decent road bike or a fixie (with a hand brake) to start commuting this way again, both for being in better shape, but also being less stressed.

People looked at me weird that I rode my bike to/from work, but I didn't give a fuck. This is just an extension of the "bubble" mentality of living in a beach town, where I walk, skateboard, or bike to where I need to be, since everything is pretty much right where I live or close by.

Any advice from you riders on whether I should just buy an old road bike or if a fixie is a good idea? How many 100 dollar bills do I have to spend to find a decent used bike that won't need a complete overhaul service?

Post: #30

(06-24-2014 04:08 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  Those look like great tires. I wanted to switch to a fatter tire this winter but I was too cheap to spend the cash. I ended up riding on my pizza cutters all winter through the snow almost everyday. It wasn't ideal, but still faster than walking.

I never gave any thought to the difference in speed I have with thin tires, that's probably why I am always passing people.

Get a mountain tire instead of a fat tire. Fat road tires will suffer the same fate as skinny road tires, road tires will spin in muddy or snowy surfaces.

Mountain tires, known as knobbies, offers better traction on muddy or snowy surfaces as they have more "places" to latch on the surface.



The Rustler wants your pizza cutters. I've never been on skinny tires, only fat roadies and knobbies.

Has anyone been on both skinny and fat tires? Can you tell a difference? How do skinnies feel like?

Post: #31

I would go for an old road bike instead of a fixie in case you encounter hills.

Mountain bikes are nice, but they suck for commuting, even with road tires.

Oh yeah, I forgot.......the bad thing about skinny tires is that they puncture more often. Not to mention, if you hit something they offer less shock absorption. Fat tires offer more shock absorption.

Post: #32

Those knobbies look heavy, I bet I would feel the difference there for sure.

I've seen these ridden in the winter around here


On the topic of old road bike vs fixie I would go with the old road bike. I have a fixie and wish I would have done that. There are some cool 70s bikes that I think would look dope with some deep V rims on them.

Post: #33

(06-24-2014 12:34 PM)birdie num num Wrote:  Some riders avoid the slime filled tubes because it adds weight. That's probably a factor if you are a competitive racer, but insignificant if you are a recreational rider. My bike has tires with kevlar belts. That has greatly reduced the amount of flats.

Flats are a pain in the ass, but they are simple to fix once you learn the process. Just carry a mounted pump and one of those under the seat pouches, as posted above, and stock it with a tire repair kit. There are probably tons of YouTube videos on how to fix a flat. You can practice with an old tube to get the hang of it.

Don't let the fear of flats limit your rides or leave you stranded on the roadside. Who knows, you might meet a damsel in distress who needs her flat repaired. Bike game on!

There isn't enough slime in the bike tires to make much difference, only 3 oz in a MTB tire and even less in a high pressure road bike tire. A water bottle weighs more than a whole container of Slime.

Post: #34

My road bike with super skinny high pressure tires takes a third of the effort my MTB does. When my son and I ride , him on a MTB and me on my 1981 Nishiki road bike he struggles to keep up and is pedalling like made while I'm still coasting. The ride is a lot harsher on the skinny tires but the trade off is worth it around town.

Post: #35

In a city go for a hybrid bike. Hybrid tires are much faster than mountain bikes, but they don't puncture easily like road bikes. I've road my hybrid for years, and despite all of the crap that ends up on the road, I've never gotten a flat.

Also, very important as far as not getting hit by opening car doors- Never rid your bike adjacent to a parked car. Keep your bike far away enough from parked cars so that if one opens up a door you won't get hit.

Yes, this may mean taking the center of the lane so that cars can't pass you right away, and yes this may anger drivers. But you not get killed is more important than a driver saving five minutes on his trip.

Post: #36

(06-24-2014 04:27 PM)AneroidOcean Wrote:  Any advice from you riders on whether I should just buy an old road bike or if a fixie is a good idea? How many 100 dollar bills do I have to spend to find a decent used bike that won't need a complete overhaul service?

This is what I wanted to do. It would take some work, but it looks cool.

Post: #37

(06-25-2014 09:55 AM)General Mayhem Wrote:  

(06-24-2014 04:27 PM)AneroidOcean Wrote:  Any advice from you riders on whether I should just buy an old road bike or if a fixie is a good idea? How many 100 dollar bills do I have to spend to find a decent used bike that won't need a complete overhaul service?

This is what I wanted to do. It would take some work, but it looks cool.

Never like the idea of single speed bike, I'm thinking of getting an old road bike with a strumley archer 3 or 5 speed hub. It'll still look clean, but a lot more practical in towns like mine with hills

Post: #38

I love mine but hills aren't a factor in my commute. I just like the look of a vintage bike on new wheels.

Post: #39

Recently I started using the online program www.mapmyride.com to measure the distance of my rides. It also gives the elevation gain and gives a rating for climbs. My bike already has a cyclometer, but it doesn't measure elevation gain. It's also fun to see the route on an actual map.

There are probably several similar online programs. Is anyone else using a mapping site?

Post: #40

If you guys like the "fixie" look go with one of these hubs if you want to haul ass..

[attachment=19431]

I'm an expert on all this stuff if you have any questions.

Edit: Just read lovejoys post just looked at picture (as usual)

Post: #41

El Mech how is that hub different than a standard hub?

Different gear ratio?

What's up with the cable?

Edit: Just kidding, after looking at the picture closer I realized it's the strumley hub. I'm still curious as to how they get three gears to fix in there.

Post: #42

(06-25-2014 05:06 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  El Mech how is that hub different than a standard hub?

Different gear ratio?

What's up with the cable?

It has 5 speeds. The ratios will change depending on what size sprockets you use. The cable looks like a mini drum brake.

I'm not using these hubs myself as they are heavy but so are old steel frames.

I hate to say but newer carbon fiber frames are the best. I rode a S-works carbon epic (specialized) full XTR and will swear it's the best thing on the planet..

Post: #43

I live in a city with more bikes than people.
Bike parking at central station:


For me it is my everyday means of transportation in the city.

And yes sometimes you don't remember where you've put your bike.

We also don't have hills here, so a wrecky bike without gears suffices.

Post: #44

Okay I looked it up. They have some interesting stuff.

It's too bad the newer carbon frames look goofy. I'm sure they ride like a dream though.

Post: #45

(06-25-2014 02:54 PM)birdie num num Wrote:  Recently I started using the online program www.mapmyride.com to measure the distance of my rides. It also gives the elevation gain and gives a rating for climbs. My bike already has a cyclometer, but it doesn't measure elevation gain. It's also fun to see the route on an actual map.

There are probably several similar online programs. Is anyone else using a mapping site?

I just use Endomodo on my phone. It maps my ride, gives me elevation, speed, distance, highest/lowest point, among other stuff.

Post: #46

Any thoughts about using a cyclocross bike for a one-bike-does all solution? I'd just ride around for fun, maybe some longer rides here and there. Thinking about Ridley X-Fire.

http://www.backcountry.com/ridley-x-fire...-BLA-S52CM

Post: #47

(07-04-2014 05:27 PM)B00G3r Wrote:  Any thoughts about using a cyclocross bike for a one-bike-does all solution? I'd just ride around for fun, maybe some longer rides here and there. Thinking about Ridley X-Fire.

http://www.backcountry.com/ridley-x-fire...-BLA-S52CM

I have a cheap cyclocross bike which I use for everything. Not quite as fast as a road bike, but great for commuting and it handles better on unpaved trails. As long as it fits right, should be a great bike.

Post: #48

if you're primarily using your bike for commuting/ traveling around your respective city, i highly recommend getting a fixed gear bike. despite the initial steep learning curve you'll hit while getting acclimated to the idea of the pedals being in constant motion, you will soon get the hang of it and will likely never go back to riding a bike with a freewheel.

in short, fixed gear refers to the cog being directly tied to the motion of the pedals.
the cog is that little gear piece attached to the back wheel that has a bunch of 'teeth' on it and the chain rotates around it. on a fixed gear bike, that piece doesn't have a bearing in it and it is fixed to the back wheel.
therefore, the wheel does not spin independently and you are unable to coast.

so, on a fixed gear bike, if you pedal forward, the bike moves forward.
if you pedal backwards, the bike moves backwards.
this allows you to do track stands (balancing upright with both feet on the pedals at a standstill)- this is helpful if your waiting at a stop light... once it hits green you can bolt off. plus it looks cool.

some fixie riders opt to go break-less and use the force of their legs to stop the pedals in order to slow down.
i highly advise giving yourself at least a year riding fixed before you lose the break.
you can work your way up to break-less by using a combination of your leg strength and front break to stop.
overtime you'll develop the feel for locking out your knees (thus hampering the pedals to spin, which in turn forces the cog to cease motion) and skidding to a stop.

i ride everyday rain, snow or shine.
i hate walking and waiting for the bus, so biking is the obvious answer for me.
it depends on the layout of your city though.
i live in boston, which is a very small city so i can hit any point on the map very quickly.
i have a part-time bike courier gig delivering food around the city.

don't concern yourself with not being able to get up hills.
your legs will strengthen quickly and you'll be bombing up the hills.
i recommend not bombing down hills till you've got a good feel for breaking.

just remember, as long as that back tire is in motion, so are the pedals.
the connection between you, your bike and the road is very powerful.
you must stay alert and in control at all times.

ride a fixed gear bike + squat twice a week and you'll have the strongest/ sexiest legs on the block.

ditch the notion of needing gears.

get a helmet.

Post: #49

Our town has recently started labeling streets as bike routes, maybe they'll actually put safer ways to ride with traffic soon. Other than that we have some old trails running through parts of town with tunnels going underneath the streets!

I ride a three speed cruiser with a coaster brake, one of those derailer free shifters, I guess it uses those little drums inside?

Post: #50

Personally I don't get the whole deal with Fixies, to each their own I guess. You're limited to a gear ratio that allows you to climb the steepest hill in your area, hardly a very efficient arrangement. Might as well mount an old one speed coaster bike hub in a light weight roadbike frame, it would only weight a couple of ounces more and would not require any more maintenance than a fixie, plus you'd have a built in brake.