[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Pogue Mahone]

Depressingly I think that's also going to apply to electronic gear shifting.

I can just sense it.
I'll hang on to my luddite ways for as long as possible.
Finally in x amount of years time I'll crack and my first thought will be:-

'wow should have done this years ago'.

I know what you mean. More and more people seem to be getting these - surely the £500 would be better spent on, say, new wheels?

I had a go on a mate's bike, expecting to say "Meh, what's the point?"

But it was brilliant.

 

[Pantani]

I know what you mean. More and more people seem to be getting these - surely the £500 would be better spent on, say, new wheels?

I had a go on a mate's bike, expecting to say "Meh, what's the point?"

But it was brilliant.

Brilliant yes, but what will make your bike faster. £500 wheels or electronic shifting? I think we all know the answer to that question. I'm still a very long way from investing in electronic shifters.

 

[Pantani]

Will this be the first Geek Giant?

I've got a sneaky feeling somebody had one once, but I have no idea why I would think that.

My commuter is a Giant too, a decade old OCR 4 that cost a mere £240. Though it is a bit like Trigger's broom now, only the frame, seatpost and saddle are original, and the saddle really needs to be replaced.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Brilliant yes, but what will make your bike faster. £500 wheels or electronic shifting? I think we all know the answer to that question. I'm still a very long way from investing in electronic shifters.

Pretty much my point entirely. They do feel good though.

 

[Stat Brother]

My commuter is a Giant too, a decade old OCR 4 that cost a mere £240. Though it is a bit like Trigger's broom now, only the frame, seatpost and saddle are original, and the saddle really needs to be replaced.

Ahhh, that all sounds familiar, now.

You, [MENTION=3697]sten_super[/MENTION] now Edna.

I guess the question has to be asked:-

Are Giant's the most popular Geek manufacturer?





and on a completely different note, this can't be good news:-

Halfords acquires Boardman Bikes
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/halfords-acquires-boardman-bikes-125396

 

[1066familyman]

There's a poll in need of NSC vote rigging.

T'is a shame it's one of our own, but nevertheless we need to make sure we take second place:-

http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?302815-Summer-Sporting-Events

Think you and Horton have been trying to rig the wrong poll...

...England to win the World Cup you say

 

[Stat Brother]

Think you and Horton have been trying to rig the wrong poll...

...England to win the World Cup you say

It's the price I pay for being a contrarian.

On the plus side, as the country marched towards it's bi-annual 'we're the greatest football team EVER' hypocrisy, I've never been wrong.
Sadly though it does mean I have to be Team England, while everyone else assumes they'll be home soon.

 

[Stat Brother]

I gave bikey a bit of a scrub down last night.

The only cleaning product I had in abundance was white spirit.

It's come up a treat, but if anyone throws a fag out of their car window tonight, I'm going to be the flaming, flying, cannonball.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Well, today, I cautiously ventured out for the first time with the SPD pedals fitted to the bike. I took it for a few loops of a nearby car park first, for a bit of a practice (but mainly in the hope that, if I was going to fall off, Del Boy style, I'd do it with no traffic speeding past). Then I went out for a little tester.

Had a very pleasant 18 mile spin in the early evening sunshine around the roads of Hurstpierpoint, Clayton, Ditching & Wivelsfield, & am pleased to report that I think I'm getting the hang of it

No falls yet, nor undignified halts on steep hills, so am pleased with that. I realise it WILL happen at some stage, but I'm pleased not to have come to a crashing stop so early in my road biking days

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Have you downloaded this ride onto Strava? If it's not on Strava, it didn't happen.

Not yesterday, as I didn't have it then, but I remembered to download the app this morning, so this afternoon's test ride was logged

 

[Stat Brother]

Well, today, I cautiously ventured out for the first time with the SPD pedals fitted to the bike. I took it for a few loops of a nearby car park first, for a bit of a practice (but mainly in the hope that, if I was going to fall off, Del Boy style, I'd do it with no traffic speeding past). Then I went out for a little tester.

Had a very pleasant 18 mile spin in the early evening sunshine around the roads of Hurstpierpoint, Clayton, Ditching & Wivelsfield, & am pleased to report that I think I'm getting the hang of it

No falls yet, nor undignified halts on steep hills, so am pleased with that. I realise it WILL happen at some stage, but I'm pleased not to have come to a crashing stop so early in my road biking days

It'll not be the first ride, because your to 'involved' with the pedals.
There's a sweet spot when your comfortable enough with your pedals but unclipping is yet to be habit.
Mix that with a longer than usual tiring ride, and boom hello tarmac.

Lancing seafront for me.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

It'll not be the first ride, because your to 'involved' with the pedals.
There's a sweet spot when your comfortable enough with your pedals but unclipping is yet to be habit.
Mix that with a longer than usual tiring ride, and boom hello tarmac.

Lancing seafront for me.

Indeed, 2 common scenarios -

- calmly approach stopping point (e.g traffic lights, junction etc.). Give foot a twist......still in....twist again....still in then furiously start to wiggle foot - at this point there is no chance of it disengaging as you're effectively pulling up too much and the pedal will stay locked in....then wobble....then fall over.

- go to move away from junction.....stamp on pedal....miss...stamp again....slow down......wobble....fall over. (shouldn't be too much of a problem with SPDs as they engage whatever and you can get enough pressure to move forward. Look are the worst for this.


A little tip - always take the same foot out, then you won't lean the wrong way. When i was first using clipless pedals as a kid, everyone told me you should take the left foot out at junctions etc. but I could get used to it and kept tumbling. I still only take my right out when stopping.

 

[Stat Brother]

Definitely a leftie clipperer.


Highlight of today's ride would have to be the blackbird who decided to fly 10 foot in front of my left shoulder.
He was there so long I even had time to look over my right shoulder to see if Dave Attenborough was there with a film crew.

It's happened before but never for so long as to properly study it.
Marvellous scenes.

 

[1066familyman]

Well, today, I cautiously ventured out for the first time with the SPD pedals fitted to the bike. I took it for a few loops of a nearby car park first, for a bit of a practice (but mainly in the hope that, if I was going to fall off, Del Boy style, I'd do it with no traffic speeding past). Then I went out for a little tester.

Had a very pleasant 18 mile spin in the early evening sunshine around the roads of Hurstpierpoint, Clayton, Ditching & Wivelsfield, & am pleased to report that I think I'm getting the hang of it

No falls yet, nor undignified halts on steep hills, so am pleased with that. I realise it WILL happen at some stage, but I'm pleased not to have come to a crashing stop so early in my road biking days

Good stuff Edna

Indeed, 2 common scenarios -

- calmly approach stopping point (e.g traffic lights, junction etc.). Give foot a twist......still in....twist again....still in then furiously start to wiggle foot - at this point there is no chance of it disengaging as you're effectively pulling up too much and the pedal will stay locked in....then wobble....then fall over.

- go to move away from junction.....stamp on pedal....miss...stamp again....slow down......wobble....fall over. (shouldn't be too much of a problem with SPDs as they engage whatever and you can get enough pressure to move forward. Look are the worst for this.


A little tip - always take the same foot out, then you won't lean the wrong way. When i was first using clipless pedals as a kid, everyone told me you should take the left foot out at junctions etc. but I could get used to it and kept tumbling. I still only take my right out when stopping.

Are you left footed by any chance IL?

My theory is that everyone was telling you to take your left foot out because that's what most people do, because most people are right footed (the poor things). So their left foot is the one they'll fell comfortable putting down for optimum balance (preferred standing foot in football terms is crucially linked to balance). I'm left footed and always only ever take my right out when stopping.

My only cleat fall to date (I've had some near misses as well) came when I had my left foot down (long story) whilst waiting on a hill for my daughter to catch up. I then had to shift the bike over for someone to come through on the inside. As I shuffled the bike over my weight shifted to my right side and over I went - smack!

My first near miss was in the kitchen as I tried cleats out for the first time Subsequent near misses have mainly been to nearly forgetting I even had cleats on.

 

[Motogull]

Highlight of today's ride would have to be the blackbird who decided to fly 10 foot in front of my left shoulder.
He was there so long I even had time to look over my right shoulder to see if Dave Attenborough was there with a film crew.

It's happened before but never for so long as to properly study it.
Marvellous scenes.

That's ace that is.
[MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION] is gonna like this...

I rode to work today. Had a really strange 'mechanical'. I was going up a little slope when I got spat out of the saddle. I got launched over the front wheel but somehow managed to stay upright and land on 2 feet legs akimbo with a lot of clanging going on. Initially, I thought one foot was not clipped in properly after stopping at lights at the top of a hill beforehand. So violent was it that it knocked my back wheel out. Mashed my cleats on impact.

Beat the traffic in, joined it out and could not believe how many cars I passed.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Good stuff Edna



Are you left footed by any chance IL?

No, although when it comes to football, I have 2 left feet.

 

[1066familyman]

No, although when it comes to football, I have 2 left feet.

Oh well, bang goes that theory then

Nine times out of ten, if you ask someone to balance on one foot for ten seconds you can tell which is their preferred foot in football without ever having seen them play. The ones that usually prove the exception to the rule are those that have been coached well from an early age and are good with both feet. They have good balance on either foot.

 

[Stat Brother]

That's ace that is.

[MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION] is gonna like this...

I rode to work today. Had a really strange 'mechanical'. I was going up a little slope when I got spat out of the saddle. I got launched over the front wheel but somehow managed to stay upright and land on 2 feet legs akimbo with a lot of clanging going on. Initially, I thought one foot was not clipped in properly after stopping at lights at the top of a hill beforehand. So violent was it that it knocked my back wheel out. Mashed my cleats on impact.

Beat the traffic in, joined it out and could not believe how many cars I passed.

What the f*** are you doing?
You know cycling is a non-contact sport, right.
That's contact with anything, road, pavement, hedges, ravines.

You need bubble wrapping


Oh and if you were surprised today try cycling to work on a damp/wet Monday.
It's always a good game to roughly total up the value of cars you care passing, hundreds of thousands of pounds.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

All good advice about using SPDs, I'm not too proud to ignore the experiences of others, even after a couple of years of riding with them.

Took a bit of getting used to at first, mainly the usual thought of getting wiped out if I couldn't get unclipped in time. As a 'leftie' I then rode for a while with only the right clipped in or unclipped way ahead of junctions or hazards. But well worth persevering with as it was like discovering a couple more gears, so much more bang for the pedalling effort.

The only mishaps have been putting my foot down on a greasy adverse camber and did the splits but didn't keel right over. The other time was during a pit stop mincing into a shop which had a wet polished floor and I did a Torville and Dean style pirouette, much to the amusement of the other punters. In both cases my downfall was a combination of wet surfaces and worn cleats. Needless to say I now replace them regularly.....

Good luck to Edna, here's to many happy years of road riding ahead. All she needs now is an NSC cycling cap......... Chapeau Girl!

Talking of cycling encounters with wildlife I nearly got taken out by a Hare that bolted out of a crop field right in front of me and somehow did not get lodged in my front wheel which would have been messy for both of us.

 

[Motogull]

What the f*** are you doing?
You know cycling is a non-contact sport, right.
That's contact with anything, road, pavement, hedges, ravines.

You need bubble wrapping


Oh and if you were surprised today try cycling to work on a damp/wet Monday.
It's always a good game to roughly total up the value of cars you care passing, hundreds of thousands of pounds.

I've got a rather large graze on my shin. Never mind. Could have been another gonad injury.

Stuff that ride in the wet. Its mostly on the A26.