your daily bicycle log

i like this:

http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=599

one of my friends had this happen while he was on tour in europe for a month, the whole house was pretty much trashed.

rapha: our prose is purple, our dudz is posh.

All this belongs to you because you are not a normal person. You are a cyclist.

often correct.

bib tights: c or d? i always found those sorta mockable, but i cant say why. maybe cause i dont use tights much.

I wear them when it gets below high forties in temperature. They're great! I honestly feel more of an athlete the more gear I put on (100% psychological), and with a fleecy ("roubaix") lining they really do work, even well below freezing. The bibby bit keeps the lower back and tum warm - there's no danger of a drafty waist (which I hate in any circumstances). You can wear base layers in or out of the tights - the only nuisance is peeing (though the dhb brand ones I have have a zip to make it easier, though still tricky).

hunter you rockin leg warmers, i assume? this is my first winter without tights (no tights in my team kit) and i feel leg warmers do an adequate job, provided that your bib shorts are roubaix fabric

i wear tights every day

short sleeve t-shirt, jeans, trainers today.

sup

actually just knee warmers almost always. i've got a fleecy backed pair of them that work very well for me, esp with booties.

but the weather here is v. different to midwest and northeast. esp if the sun is out, the temperature feels about 10 deg warmer than back there, no joke.

no knee warmers this weekend:

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/untitled.jpg

i dont understand those temperatures

Hunt3r is getting and unseasonable warm 16˚C, whilst I get a high of -14˚C

hi dere i am in minnesota, btw

An accident-prone 30 miles today. First I went over a cattle grid and my cateye computer fell off. By the time I'd noticed, doubled back, and picked it up it had been destroyed (by cars running over it rather than the original fall). Later the chain came off (not a big deal). Then I punctured the back wheel near the end of the ride, when I was already on my way to the bike shop to try to get a replacement computer. Puncture so bad (large shard of glass) that I needed to have the tyre replaced as well. Quite an expensive ride.

What tyres are ilxfolks using (on their road bikes)? My bike came with Continental Ultra Race fitted, which I thought was worryingly slick for this time of year, and I'm not surprised I've punctured already (after only 300 miles). The new back tyre is a Schwalbe Lugano.

i like schwalbe but i use schwalbe stelvio plus for a training tire (tyre)

anyone got any cold weather lube recommends?

I bought a bunch of torelli open tubulars for very cheap for training and they ride really nicely. I'm not sure they're still available tho.

Just 19 miles this morning (too many things to do today). Very mucky again - I'm paying the price for not having a winter bike with mudguards. I'm not that fussed about the fact I get covered in mud / oil / dirty water, but I'm a bit worried about my components (that's not a euphemism).

What tyres are ilxfolks using (on their road bikes)?

My brother strongly recommended the specialized armadillo to me yesterday

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/all-condition-armadillo-elite-tyre-ec001822.

Said it was a joy to ride on.

Two hours (lol hardcore) yesterday. Was hard work, but no vomming. Am getting much better at tackling wet tree roots.

Did 2 hours halfway up the canyon- been weeks since my last rec ride. I taunted yall about the weather here, but I rode so early it was still below freezing the whole time :/

Celebrating the lack of beardcicles with my first steel city ride. Chain broke at the trailhead at the bottom of the gulch. Nicelady with a bike rack portaged me up to the iron city bike store. New chain then off again round the point. You know what sucks about riding in snow, submerged train tracks, a minor spill. Taking a break for a primanti bros.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotcommunist for live shots.

6 hours inside this weekend on the rollers :/

which I thought was worryingly slick for this time of year

Not sure what you mean. Slick tyres give you MORE contact with the road surface than treads, and narrow road tyres cut through water so you're never going to aquaplane. Are you also riding on mud (in which case get a tyre with a slick middle and knobbly outer) or ice (in which case don't get studded tyres as you'll only use them 2 days a year in a normal British winter)?

My brother strongly recommended the specialized armadillo to me yesterday

I have an Armadillo rear tyre on my Trek and while it's been fine (its predecessor, another Armadillo, developed a fatal hole in its sidewall though I never figured out why) it's pretty heavy and, I understand, slow-rolling. Comfortable though.

I use Schwalbe Ultremos on my main bike - they're light, completely slick and I haven't had a puncture in 2000 miles although the tyre surface is fairly cut up after 6 months commuting. They're at the expensive end, though.

i like this:

http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=599

― cutty, Friday, January 16, 2009 4:00 PM (3 days ago)

I quite enjoyed that because it's around the area I used to cycle a lot, Toy's Hill, Bough Beech, Goathurst Common and Hogtrough Lane. Still can't afford rapha gear though.

Thanks for the information about the tyres by the way, Mark - I'm getting a new bike and trying to work out which tyres I'm going to go with, so the more information the better.

Not sure what you mean. Slick tyres give you MORE contact with the road surface than treads

Really? I had this:
http://media.rei.com/media/682407.jpg
Now I've got this:
http://www.starbike.com/images/Schwalbe/hires/lugano.jpg
Without knowing the science I assumed that the latter would be more use in the wet/ice/muck/grit that we get in the road at this time of year.

srsly wtf: today 72 deg, tomorrow 72, thurs 68.

i wish i was able to go enjoy it

wtf indeed

I got doored for the first time today. I was in a bike lane in Chinetown. The woman in the cab got out and asked if I was OK, but was mostly angry at me and called me a nut. She hightailed it outta there and the cabbie took off as well. Luckily a friendly Chinese man came to my aid and had written down the cab license #. I dunno what to do with it though.... The cops probably won't give a shit considering all I have is a twisted handlebar and a swollen knee. I'm just glad I could ride home.

FILE IT

PAGING HUNT3R AND CUTTY ESQs, ATTYS AT LOL

she exited street side?

No, she exited in the bike lane, so it might have been my fault. It happened pretty

http://i42.tinypic.com/4zyis6.jpg

...quickly. Made a cool diagram though.

That is a fucked up place to drop passengers off, is that how it normally works? They're basically being dumped right in a lane of traffic, albeit human powered.

Cab driver awareness and respect for cyclists is well known.

I don't really blame the driver or the passenger for hitting me. It was just a shitty situation. But being berated before I had a chance to get my face off the pavement was lame.

I would totally blame the arsehole cabdriver for letting their passenger out into a lane of traffic. Ed otm, iow.

You should call it in to the T&LC. Cabbie should let passengers out where it is safe for other road users. When I have been in accidents with cabs, cabbies have lost their licences.

i saw a middle aged doof wobbling down the sidewalk run down a 4 year old today. the kid did not see him and darted into the bikes path... but that's why you don't ride on the sidewalk, esp in the middle of the city.

i dont think the kid was hurt too badly, but much shrieking

if you are not hurt, then no lawsuit. no damages. i suggest you see a doctor, though.

twisted handlebar and a swollen knee

never cease to be amazed at how this can be pleaded, if not proved

I'm normally limited to a couple of 1-2 hour rides at the weekend (got to do my fair share of looking after the baby), but the forecast looked very rainy for this Sunday so I thought I'd stay in tomorrow and go for a longer one today. I set off early and there was was still a bit of ice and slush around. On three separate occasions I found the road I was on closed off by the police because of an accident so my route got a bit chaotic (and longer than I was planning). In the end I did 52 miles in 3 hours 3 mins (just over 17 mph), which I'm pretty pleased at, but I'm aching badly now.

My racing license has turned up now, so I'll probably enter a criterium within the next two or three weeks and find out just how off the pace I am.

Stupid 40 degree weather yesterday fooling me into not wearing a bib under my three quaterlengths.

5 hours, 83 miles, 3,047 kilojoules. me hungee.

Nicely done. Was it a nice ride too?

I'm feeling guilty that my mileage has really dropped this winter. I'm getting soft and lazy. I need to HTFU!

ride was nice albeit the weather. cold. frozen snot on my face.

im fat and lazy and unmotivated. its almost a desperate cry for help. *sips coffee, considers worth of riding in 20 deg fog outside*

Fog would be a pisser, at least it is relatively bright and occasionally sunny here with the cold. (snow later)

yay i did 30 miles.

man i have been SLACKIN lately. ruined uninterrupted 3 year streak of commuting every day in favor of the bus, mostly because i've been too lazy to get up an extra 20 minutes early

also because -18F is some bullshit~~