xkcd

by **joeframbach** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:16 am UTC

This morning it hit -19C in Pittsburgh, and naturally, my car didn't start when I had to be at work in 10 minutes. Oh well, this is the first time I've tried to start it in 2 weeks anyway. So, back on the bike I go! I'm glad my car is keeping me on the bike. I think I like it better this way.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:35 pm UTC

Biking in -19C, my word that must have been painful :shock:

by **blackrose** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:11 am UTC

joeframbach wrote:This morning it hit -19C in Pittsburgh, and naturally, my car didn't start when I had to be at work in 10 minutes. Oh well, this is the first time I've tried to start it in 2 weeks anyway. So, back on the bike I go! I'm glad my car is keeping me on the bike. I think I like it better this way.

Sorry to hear about the car. I fell for you. I live in hilly Virginia and it's pretty cold here as well. Thank the lord I only have to go a half mile to the academic buildings on campus. I daresay teh downhills are less fun than the uphills. It gets soooo cold.

aside: I plan on doing some touring this summer. I'm thinking that the outer banks of NC would be fun. Or I might Just trek from SW VAto Williamsburg, and then up to DC. Either way, I'll probably be supported by family who will be taking in the scenery/ touristy stuff and meeting with them after 50-70 mile morning/day rides.Fun times ahead. woo!

by **Baron** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:54 am UTC

Q: I'm looking at getting a new mountain bike for DH, as I got into it about a year ago and flying down trails on my solid frame has become a jarring mixture of "ohcrapohcrapohcrapthere'sabigdrop/corner/jump" and adrenaline as my riding skill has increased. I think it's safe to say my bravado has outgrown my bicycle. So can anyone recommend me a decent hardtail DH model to check out? I'm looking at GT and Trek bikes atm, wondered what else was out there.
Cheers.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:55 am UTC

DH Hardtails don't exist, the closest you'd get is an All Mountain or A Dirt Jump bike, Sorry. You might find a full suspension bike in the £800-£1200 area that would improve your DH experience more than a more expensive HT. Also go read up about Head[tube] angle on bike frames.

by **Baron** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:53 pm UTC

I sorry, but I beg to differ, I have come across several freestyle DH hardtails bikes while browsing shops.. yeah I've been having a look at full suspension bikes as well, but tbh I'm looking at spending no more than 1200-1300NZD, which I realise is far less than you're quoting - however a quick browse suggests to me that we also pay a lot less for our bikes here in NZ than in the UK.

Will look up headtube angles now, cheers for the tip.

by **blackrose** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:33 am UTC

Baron wrote:Q: I'm looking at getting a new mountain bike for DH, as I got into it about a year ago and flying down trails on my solid frame has become a jarring mixture of "ohcrapohcrapohcrapthere'sabigdrop/corner/jump" and adrenaline as my riding skill has increased. I think it's safe to say my bravado has outgrown my bicycle. So can anyone recommend me a decent hardtail DH model to check out? I'm looking at GT and Trek bikes atm, wondered what else was out there.
Cheers.

Have you considered switching out your front fork to something with a bit more oomph? Maybe adding a suspension seatpost would help as well. I hear that cane creek thudbusters are pretty awesome and they look cool too.

by **Baron** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:32 am UTC

Yeah I did, but I really need to swap out my V-brakes for Hydraulic discs front + rear as well, so thought I might as well just get a new bike as the rear part of the frame is going to be difficult(ish) to swap out without a decent amount of customization to fit the new wheel and brakes. Those thudbusters look cool

maybe I'll get one anyway. Cheers.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:52 pm UTC

Baron wrote:I sorry, but I beg to differ, I have come across several freestyle DH hardtails bikes while browsing shops..

Wow, Lucky you I spent years trying to find one and never could*; found several Dirt Jump and 4X bikes that could easily be modded into a DH'er, but never a pre built one.

* I then got wussy and became a Cross Country/Cyclocross fiend.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:29 pm UTC

this summer I will be going cross country over the Alps for about a week and a half.
Is it worth buying a suspension seat-post?

@Theerikkitwars you have a new avatar, where was it taken?

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:11 pm UTC

Paranoid__Android wrote:this summer I will be going cross country over the Alps for about a week and a half.
Is it worth buying a suspension seat-post?

Depends on the terrain. The steeper and bumpier, the more likely you'll appreciate it.

Paranoid__Android wrote:@Theerikkitwars you have a new avatar, where was it taken?

At the start of a normally nice scramble 50ish vertical meters from the summit of Pen yr Helgi Du, during the accent from Ffynnon Llugwy.
It was covered in veriglas (thin sheet ice), and powder snow. Which made something normally very easy, exceptionally scary.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:41 pm UTC

hehe, I've just did something similar on scafell and then scafell pike the next day. There was lots of deep snow and I went horrendously ill-equipped.

anyway I think I will buy a suspension seatpost, may aswell be safe.

by **Baron** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:27 pm UTC

TheKrikkitWars wrote:Wow, Lucky you I spent years trying to find one and never could*; found several Dirt Jump and 4X bikes that could easily be modded into a DH'er, but never a pre built one.

* I then got wussy and became a Cross Country/Cyclocross fiend.

Admittedly they were in specialist MTB shops, they may have been custom built ones by the guys instore? who knows. On another note, I just got leave to go away for a week mountain biking at Eskdale park. Fun times.

by **MotorToad** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:19 am UTC

New toy. I'm not sure what I think about it, yet.

by **Baron** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:20 am UTC

I think it would be cool if you could pre-program it with letters, as well. Like maybe "Just pass already, Douche!" (or more practically, "Pass NOW") for when you have those annoying cars who sit just behind you for 10km because they're not confident enough to pass you. You all know the ones I mean.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:05 am UTC

Well, as I said earlier I will be going on a 400 mile bike trip, the weather predicted is very cold (probably below 0C) and possible snow...

should I delay the departure date or go ahead with it?

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:10 am UTC

Paranoid__Android wrote:Well, as I said earlier I will be going on a 400 mile bike trip, the weather predicted is very cold (probably below 0C) and possible snow...

should I delay the departure date or go ahead with it?

Cycling in snow and ice can be grim, very grim.
But camping in the same conditions can be catastrophicaly grim.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:24 am UTC

Yeah, I think I'll have to forget the camping bit, but I wont delay, I'll just plan my route so that I can sleep at friends houses.

Dammit

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:53 am UTC

Paranoid__Android wrote:Yeah, I think I'll have to forget the camping bit, but I wont delay, I'll just plan my route so that I can sleep at friends houses.

Dammit

Do your tyres have acceptable purchase on icy roads, or compacted snow? if they don't then plan to stay away from: Steep hills (esp. down), Heavy traffic, and ungritted minor roads. That should make it less grim to ride.

by **Swivelguy** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 4:49 am UTC

With studded tires, ice is inconsequential. Deep snow is trouble, especially if it has auto tire tracks in it, which try to force your wheel to stay in the track. Deep tread helps.

Cycling is a 12-month activity here for me in central Illinois. Just make sure you have the right clothes and the right equipment and it's quite enjoyable. Beware of brake and shift mechanisms freezing up - I ride fixed gear only in the winter for this reason.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:44 pm UTC

Swivelguy wrote:With studded tires, ice is inconsequential. Deep snow is trouble, especially if it has auto tire tracks in it, which try to force your wheel to stay in the track. Deep tread helps.

Cycling is a 12-month activity here for me in central Illinois. Just make sure you have the right clothes and the right equipment and it's quite enjoyable. Beware of brake and shift mechanisms freezing up - I ride fixed gear only in the winter for this reason.

Outside of the deepest darkest bits of wales and Scotland, heavy snow is never a real problem here, but due to lack of preparedness a 25 ft patch of ice can close a motorway and cause £800 000 of damage.

by **joeframbach** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:11 pm UTC

I'm going to cross-post here, since this seems to belong in both threads.

Here's more info on P__A's charity. Donations from xkcdia are the best kind of donations.

Paranoid__Android wrote:well as everyone is posting their charity/fundraising pages i'll post mine.

doing a ~320 mile bike trip, and im leaving on friday : )
There are some more details here.

And here's something about mine:

joeframbach wrote:Ends July 2009
Once again I am cycling the 150-mile ride to end Multiple Sclerosis (see the OP). I wrote a little blurb about it here (the site is still new, sorry for lack of content). Donations can go here! Again, donations are tax-deductible and I can send a receipt. Thank you!

by **akashra** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:39 am UTC

TheKrikkitWars wrote:DH Hardtails don't exist, the closest you'd get is an All Mountain or A Dirt Jump bike, Sorry.

I think maybe you should tell that to the people who are running in the 'Hardtail' category of the Australian National Championships (Downhill). Speaking of which, I'll be competing in the final round (XCO) next weekend, where better than 5th could give me a national series. Tough ask though - currently sitting 3rd in the series.

For those of you have are battling with snow, maybe you want to look at something like the Surly Pugsly.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:44 pm UTC

akashra wrote:
TheKrikkitWars wrote:DH Hardtails don't exist, the closest you'd get is an All Mountain or A Dirt Jump bike, Sorry.

I think maybe you should tell that to the people who are running in the 'Hardtail' category of the Australian National Championships (Downhill). Speaking of which, I'll be competing in the final round (XCO) next weekend, where better than 5th could give me a national series. Tough ask though - currently sitting 3rd in the series.

Certainly there havent been DH hardtails readily available in the UK pretty much since the dawn of Full Suss.

You still see people with old, homemade or geometry modified frames tearing it up, but they are generally super ballsy, a bit odd, and slower that the people riding Full Suss. I really like the idea of a DH hardtail, but will probably concentrate on getting a cyclocross bike first.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:41 pm UTC

Ahh, just finished a four day bike trip. (325ish miles)
My legs hurt, my bum hurts, my hands hurt and my arms hurt, but it was worth it

I hate cycling up hills

especially when you think you are at the top but your not

by **joeframbach** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:23 pm UTC

Paranoid__Android wrote:Ahh, just finished a four day bike trip. (325ish miles)
My legs hurt, my bum hurts, my hands hurt and my arms hurt, but it was worth it

I hate cycling up hills especially when you think you are at the top but your not

Pics or it didn't happen.

by **Paranoid__Android** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:38 pm UTC

erm...I did most of the organising/planning the night before and forgot the camera

I can take a picture of the cycle computer/speed/distance measurer thing though, that says 325.77 miles

by **Baron** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:32 am UTC

Been away MTB'ing, once again on the solid frame. Eskdale Park in Napier is really nice, ~900 (Acres or Ha, I can't remember) of forestry timber. I got sore pretty quick but it was well worth it. In 4 days I never covered the same track twice except for those I wanted to do again - there were certainly a few of those

by **Team503** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:59 pm UTC

Paranoid__Android wrote:erm...I did most of the organising/planning the night before and forgot the camera

I can take a picture of the cycle computer/speed/distance measurer thing though, that says 325.77 miles

I really need to pick up a bicycle and get on this bandwagon.

On a side note, Paranoid__Android, you're quite fit (that's the word you Brits use, yes?)! Too bad you probably don't bat for my team, but still, you're a hottie. :mrgreen:

by **Paranoid__Android** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:29 pm UTC

Team503 wrote:On a side note, Paranoid__Android, you're quite fit (that's the word you Brits use, yes?)! Too bad you probably don't bat for my team, but still, you're a hottie.

er... No, I don't 'bat for your team', sorry do disappoint.

by **akashra** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:20 pm UTC

And I thought I deserved points still riding when it was 4C the other morning. Damn North American weather, that's just crazy.

Edit:

And on another note, I haven't mentioned this even on my own weblog yet as I was pretty disappointed with second, but... yeah.

by **Swivelguy** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:00 am UTC

So, anyone else counting the days to RAGBRAI? It'll be my first time for the big one, though I've been on other tours.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:30 pm UTC

Though I've posted this elsewhere, this HAS to be seen here, it JUST HAS TO!

Inspired.Danny MacAskill

by **akashra** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:32 am UTC

Meteorswarm wrote:What do you guys think of the first bit of this article? CVT for a bike? I can't find any more information about it, but it seems pretty neat if it's not obnoxiously heavy.

SRAM have had a CVT hub for ages, and yes - as you described, it's obnoxiously heavy.

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:58 am UTC

akashra wrote:
Meteorswarm wrote:What do you guys think of the first bit of this article? CVT for a bike? I can't find any more information about it, but it seems pretty neat if it's not obnoxiously heavy.

SRAM have had a CVT hub for ages, and yes - as you described, it's obnoxiously heavy.

I was under the impression that you still had to shift yourself on the geared hubs, they're not obnoxiously heavy, their intended purpose is for utility bikes carrying really heavy loads, where frequent shifts under tension would result in dropped chains and if you're going to attach heavy shiz to your bike, then you dont need light components.

In any case, it's development then helped develop the planetary geared crankset (Hammerschmidt) that promises to revolutionise off road cycling as soon as they become affordable (as opposed to £547) so it must have some good.

by **akashra** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:37 am UTC

SIGS is different to their CVT stuff.

As for Hammerschmidt, I'll be taking on factory sponsorship from a major bike/frame manufacturer in August this year (when the race season kicks in for me). I was considering running Hammerschmidt on my XC Enduro Race bike since the 2010 frame design supports the new front bracket mount, which would be geared as though it were 22/36 or 24/38 rather than running a standard 22/32/44 triple. So far I've heard only positive things, the only downside being weight and that SRAM/Truvativ only do 5mm increments on cranks (I run 172.5mm).

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:28 am UTC

akashra wrote:SIGS is different to their CVT stuff.

As for Hammerschmidt, I'll be taking on factory sponsorship from a major bike/frame manufacturer in August this year (when the race season kicks in for me). I was considering running Hammerschmidt on my XC Enduro Race bike since the 2010 frame design supports the new front bracket mount, which would be geared as though it were 22/36 or 24/38 rather than running a standard 22/32/44 triple. So far I've heard only positive things, the only downside being weight and that SRAM/Truvativ only do 5mm increments on cranks (I run 172.5mm).

I'd very much like one, but it's a tad out of my price range... a good friend of mine spent hours convincing* me that I could realisticly run a 24/38 hammerschmidt on the same 11 speed campagnolo rear setup that he uses on his road bike, whilst the bike shop owner looked on in anticipation of a nice sale (and allowed us to part dissassemble, and reassemble a very expensive demo bike as a proof of concept), unfortunately we overlooked the fact that my frame doesn't have ICGS, though if hammerschmidt's drop to a sensible price I wouldn't be adverse to simply welding the IGSC tabs on.

*Well, sort of, I still think it would be a little fragile. And using a normal chain could well cause adverse wear on the 11-speed cassette

Edit, I've now located myself a nice '99 Stinky Primo frame, Planning to build it over the summer from second hand bits, but a decent fork to fit it will probs cost more than the frame and shock together, shudder.

by **steelmole** » Fri May 15, 2009 7:15 pm UTC

I'm planning on doing a cycle tour this summer. Possibly Land's End To John O' Groats (one corner of Britain to the other). I cycle everyday, but only a leisurely commute so I'm going to step up training when I'm past my exams. I've only done ~50 miles before, so I'm hoping to ease into it.

Any tips from more experienced cyclists?

by **TheKrikkitWars** » Mon May 18, 2009 11:56 am UTC

Tips:

by **Paranoid__Android** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:30 pm UTC

I'm leaving tomorrow for the Alps on a nuts, off road, 11 day trek- and I get up to 2600 meters at one point :mrgreen:

I am feel scared and a bit(very) under prepared but I think I will make it.
hopefully the weather will be good

P__A

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