MrSilverMaC Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 its daylight savings time of year again I think i am going to try coming in and leaving an hour earlier (pretend like daylight savings didn;t happen), but still.. the end of the bike season is drawing nigh You should win the lottery and winter here. Though this may not be the best year for it given El Niño and whatnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 I'm picking up a nice Italian (I think) road bike from a friend. I think it's worth almost a grand, but he's selling it for $200, because he got it free years ago. Question, I've never owned a road bike and it has those tiny little thin tires on it. The roads here are questionable at best and I will definitely be on dirt and rocks at time. Should I automatically ditch them or can they take a beating, hitting potholes and such. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 I think you'll need to (and want to ) ditch them. spend money on some wider, durable, tires. i went from using what over was cheap and available at Target, to gator skin hardshells... they are ridiculously expensive, but i went from getting a flat every 2 weeks or so, to not having any flats in all of 2014. (over 2,500 miles) (This year i got some flats again... but they came from the rimside--- be sure your rim is well lined, also!) You should win the lottery and winter here. Though this may not be the best year for it given El Niño and whatnot i used to live in california... and i missed the weather here (when i was there), more than i miss the weather there now. i LIKE seasons! although.... i wish winter was shorter, and spring and fall were longer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 I live 3.5 miles from work. That commute takes approximately 45 minutes by bus/subway, 30-45 minutes by car and 15 minutes by bike. I try to bike as often as possible. I live and work in cities that border Boston (north of the Charles) and the traffic is classic Boston: one-ways that make no sense, rotaries, "squares" (confluences of 3-8 different streets) and drivers who are either clueless or sadistic. I've been doing this type of commute for 25 years and have had only a few major accidents, two of which were broken bones (left elbow, left wrist). Otherwise, you bike quickly, keep moving, and control the lane when you reach a crazy intersection. I love biking to/from work. I add on distance on the way home, so I tend to do about 10 miles a day, which is enough for my old man body. If there is limited snow and ice I will bike during the winter. Here are the things I'd recommend: Heavy duty gloves or mittens. I used to have the lobster claw down gloves and they were great. A skull cap for days above freezing A balaclava for days below freezing Compression shirt under a t-shirt Light waterproof biking pants (kind of like tracksuit pants but a bit more snug) A light outer shell or jacket Waterproof shoes/boots that are warm Lights: I have a cheap Cat's Eye on the front, a cheap red flasher (maybe Planet Bike) on the back, two flashing skull lights on the front, and EL wire (purple) wrapped around the frame. The EL wire is cool because it has three settings: constant, slow flash and fast flash. My next purchase will be a six-color bundle of EL wires so I can be much more visible at night. I do have trouble with my lock freezing. Does anyone have a recommendation for that? this year i am finally tentatively biking past daylight savings time... i but a bunch of lights, (several clip flashers all over the place), two bright front lights, one that is set to flashing, and a headlamp on top of my helmet), and feel a bit better on that front... but it is still unnerving biking at dusk and in the dark. i can't see where the edge of the road is when cars are heading towards me, and i imagine that the cars behind me have a hard tome seeing me... quick question... what is a "balaclava" . I have just been wearing some a leg cut off of my daughter's leggings under my helmet. Fashion king, as always. today was about 30 when i left home... and my head was cold when i started (but sweaty when i got to work).... but my feet were ice! i couldn;t really feel 'em when i was walking to the showers. and ... my johnson was frozen too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Balaclava is a head covering that covers your neck, mouth and nose, with an opening for your eyes. Comes in handy from for not sucking in the cold air as you ride. You can also pull the part that covers your mouth and nose to be under your chin, if you feel like it. Wrap aluminum foil over your socks, before you put your shoes on. This helps with keeping them warmer. There are also shoe covers for bike riding, but I have not used them. You're on your own as far as the Johnson goes. It snowed around 7inches here on Saturday, and they don't take care of the bike paths here in the winter...so I hung the bike up, until most likely March/April. Which, pretty much stinks, as October/November was rainy and windy. Rides were already shortened or didn't happen. Stay warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 all too often on my own with the johnson.... this is the first year that i've even tried biking past daylight savings ... so the tundra-control things are all new i'll try the aluminum foil thing... and it looks like commando is out of the question until april. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Get some cold weather gear. Or put a sock on it. Unless having a frozen johnson is a fetish thing you are into. And remember to take off the balaclava before you enter a bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 everyone... hands up in the air! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSilverMaC Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 maybe you might like one of these McSluggo? http://m.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/winter-apparel/mens-deflect/16apparel-fall-2015deflect-topdeflect-reflect-hybrid-jacket-106189 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tshile Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 that jacket almost costs as much as my bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 that jacket almost costs as much as my bike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 it costs quite a bit MORE than my bike did but might be worth it... we will have to see. First step for me is bumping up the socks gloves and hat department ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSilverMaC Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 that jacket almost costs as much as my bike Yeah, pretty pricey, but less than a trip to the hospital for a bit of car damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSilverMaC Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 So aside from a sweet skins shirt my girl got me one of these: http://road.cc/content/review/137125-proviz-reflect-360-jacket Not as sleek as the specialized one but it feels good and while Im not sure what she spent on it (I realize my link has a price) I'm guessing it's a significant amount less than the $400 for the other one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 50 degrees here in the middle of February, no snow on the ground and a little breezy. Went for a ride today, didn't even need the base layer, just some gloves and long sleeves. Felt good to be back on bicycle, I'm sure the bike seen its shadow, and it will be six more weeks until I ride again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 i went to baltimore with my kids yesterday and biked from Johns Hopkins-ish to the aquarium, by non-linear, winding around, exploring routes. it was really nice! shorts and T-shirt weather well into the 60s i also bike commuted today for the first time since early december. Its amazing how fast your body drops into the crapper. hills that i didn't even bother to downshift for in August, i was at the bottom of my gears and chanting "I-think-i-can-i-think-i-can....". and my lungs, arches, wrists, hands, butt, eyes, and legs all hurt! but the weather was supurb! over 50 degrees before 7 am. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MassSkinsFan Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I just found this thread again, and had fun reading through. This winter in Boston was lame. Super lame!!! We only had one really snowy day (about 8 inches) and the whole area shut down. I think it was because after last winter the schools budgeted a ton of snow days and had to use some up. That in turn meant people with kids had to stay home, so businesses just decided to close. Unfortunately the roads were never covered in snow. I say unfortunately since I wanted to get the fat bike out in the deep stuff to see how it would go. Luckily, there was one other storm where we got squalls (about 6 inches) in the afternoon. People were sent home early and I used the time to do a little daylight riding in the snow. Since we're so far east here it gets dark around 4 in the worst part of the winter, so getting out early was a treat. The fat bike handled the snow fairly well except for one incident. I was rolling pretty fast down a very small incline on a street that is two-way but should really be one-way (lots of those around here). There were ruts in the snow from cars, but mainly just two (i.e. one car's tracks). As I picked up speed I saw pedestrians ahead in the street, walking in those ruts because people hadn't shoveled their sidewalks yet. So, as I approached I tried to go out of the rut I was in and into the deeper snow. As I did I felt the rear wheel losing traction and spinning faster. I reached the point where I knew I was going to crash, so I launched myself over the bars, tucked and rolled. It was pretty funny and definitely amused the pedestrians. Despite that, the fat bike was really good in the snow. I think I had the tires inflated too much. I normally ride with 15-20 psi in both tires, but was advised by people more expert that 6-7 psi is best for snow. I was excited for another storm so I could try that, but alas nothing since then. Lame. The upside is I've been biking all winter. During the discussion of winter gear there was one thing we didn't go over. I got a pair of these from my brother in law for my birthday, and they really work well: They're bar mitts (or pogies). They come with special bar end plugs that serve as an anchor point for an internal strap that connects to the inside bend of each mitt. Then, you slide them over the bars, brakes and gear levers, and voila you are protected. Pros: Unbelievable warmth - you can wear super-lightweight gloves Water and windproof Cons: Not secure - you have to remove them and take with you if you plan on running errands in an urban setting Take a bit of getting used to as far as your hands going in and out of them If you lock up your bike outside at night like I do, the bars will be freezing; you have to warm them up a bit before you head out Anyway, the sun is now up most of the days when I leave work and it won't be long until it's shorts and t-shirts for the commute. Here's to surviving another winter!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSilverMaC Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Glad to hear you weren't hurt on your tuck and roll adventure. Is there any worry of a pinch-flat at 6-7 psi? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 replaced spoke and a new tire on my way home from work yesterday..... $100+ you can;t do ANYTHING for less than $100 anymore. in MY day, you paid a nickel for a candy bar, a nickel for your soda pop, and a dime for your your new schwinn tire....... .......goils were goils and men were men. mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again........ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MassSkinsFan Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Glad to hear you weren't hurt on your tuck and roll adventure. Is there any worry of a pinch-flat at 6-7 psi? I would worry, but really only for drastic things like hopping curbs or massive potholes with sharp edges. I've had one flat so far, but it looked like a nail instead of a snakebite and came at normal pressure. After my hybrid which topped out around 85 psi I'm still getting used to 15-20 being the goal. But I'm not complaining, especially when I can roll over a curb at full speed without popping a wheelie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I was able to get out again this past weekend, upper 50s lower 60s. My only gripe was the amount of broken glass on the bike paths. Luckily, I avoided any punctures. Today, 8 inches of snow, and supposed to be in the lower 20s in the near future. Ride on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forehead Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 I couldn't resist the good weather any longer, finally broke down and got my entry level hybrid/commuting bike. It's a Kona, and per McSluggo's advice/past experience, I got those Gatorskin tires put on it. Just the bike and a helmet to start. I took it out for six miles yesterday and learned a few things. 1. I need padded shorts. Bad. I am walking bowlegged today. I am not as resistant to this sort of thing as it was when I was a teenager. 2. I've got a long way to go before I can maange the 25 mile roundtrip biking to work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSilverMaC Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 I couldn't resist the good weather any longer, finally broke down and got my entry level hybrid/commuting bike. It's a Kona, and per McSluggo's advice/past experience, I got those Gatorskin tires put on it. Just the bike and a helmet to start. I took it out for six miles yesterday and learned a few things. 1. I need padded shorts. Bad. I am walking bowlegged today. I am not as resistant to this sort of thing as it was when I was a teenager. 2. I've got a long way to go before I can maange the 25 mile roundtrip biking to work. That's awesome man. Congrats. And yeah, those first few rides can be rough. But I'm guessing that the fun of riding probably easily outweighed the soreness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 your ass gets used to the seat pretty quickly. you'll get up to 12 miles one way pretty fast too. i'm still at the point where a 10-15 mile ride has me tired-- that would have been a nice warm up for me at the end of the summer. give it time... (and get a good helmet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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