My Most Recent Ride 2010 (Part III of the series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Wow, 12 miles uphill 7-20% grade...that is crazy man

I rode a nice flat 122 mile ride down here in southeast Georgia called the Sweet Onion Double Metric. Hot in the upper 80's with a little wind but not bad. The ride was to raise money for the home-bound in the three counties it covered, one of the stops was even at a convalescent home. Well supported with plenty of food and water, at the end you got a burger and baked beans.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Good for you Buddy. I didn't have any hills to climb but did face a 30 mph wind, but not in both directions!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I'd rather have a hill anytime. I hate wind, but a cool summer
breeze is nice.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

A friend of mine and I did a short 19.6 mile ride around Big Bear Lake in California. The ride itself wasn't hard, but since I live at about 90 ft asl, the ride at 6,500 ft asl was hard on my lungs. The climbs weren't too long (especially if they'd been down at less than a 1,000 ft asl) but the lack of air was very telling.

We had been up at Big Bear Lake since late Friday night, and rode starting about 11:30 AM. There was a very strong breeze at times, and the warmest it got was 51.

The views were gorgeous, but I didn't have a camera to take pictures with, lots of snow starting at about 6,800 feet. Lots of pine trees, and a very blue sky.

Curtis

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Not acceptable! An obscure but important rule for being a RRI member:
At least one rider in the group MUST carry a camera on non-routine rides, and the RRI member is obligated to post pics several times per year. Everybody get one mulligan; don't let it happen again.

I live at 1800 ft. el. I was helping build a new plant in Mexico some years ago. A Mexican engineer partner came here for a meeting. We were fairly even on the tennis court. Then I went to the site and we played tennis at his club in Ramos Arizpe at around 7,000 ft. Two trips across the court and I'm sucking wind. 5,000 ft. makes a LOT of difference.

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I actually got out for a ride today. Mostly, it was because Loke needed either a long walk or a run with the trike today since we're going out with Jens' parents this evening. It's kinda nice to come home and NOT find chewed shoes.

16.3 miles. Took Loke and I about 2.5 hours since I was coddling my knee and Loke runs a lot slower when he's bored. SUN and cloud mix, breezy at around 53 F.

I did a rambling sort of post on my blog, but no pictures since it was just more of the same old ground.

Terii

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Hah!



Alright, here's a company photo of my bike, when it was new.
(I have permission from Cruzbike to post this image.)

There.
That ought to do it.
Taking pictures slows me down, you see!



Oh, hey, yesterday afternoon I caught up to a DF rider, going uphill.
He was riding an older time-trial bike and was sporting
a little license plate zip-tied to the bottom of his saddle,
which read: "Faster than you".




-Steve

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Assume you passed him. You shoulda asked if you could take his little license plate as you rode by. After all, he doesn't need it anymore.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Got in a short ride yesterday. The weather here in Knoxville is GORGEOUS!!! 80 degrees and NO HUMIDITY! (Anyone who has been to the Southeast knows we are known for our high humidity levels most of the summer!!)

I only rode 10 miles but my brakes were squealing like pigs! (Deliverance reference.) I took them in last week for Doc to adjust. He worked on them but by the next time I rode they squeaked again. At the end of my ride, I rode back to Docs and he tried to adjust them for 15 minutes with no luck.

As a last resort he replaced the brake pads with new ones. (Though these pads were new also!) Squealing stopped! Had Doc go ahead and replace the back ones too.

So today I am planning a 20 mile ride up and down some good size hills which will give these new brake pads a good workout. We will see how they do.

Who would think brand new brake pads would cause this much trouble???

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Squealing brakes:

Look at the braking/friction face of your brake pads.
I betcha that they have bits of stuff, more than likely aluminum,
embedded in 'em.

If that's the case, your wheel rims will be scored.

I'm not a bike mechanic... just a motorcycle mechanic.

---

That D.F. rider I caught was right at the end of my ride,
So I was tired when I joined the chase.
Right after I'd pulled even with him and complemented his ride,
I turned off for home.
Yes, I know that that left him with the impression that he'd "won".
That's fun for me....
:evilgrinu:

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Went on anther short ride yesterday and did a Samsel. (That is, I got a flat rear tire.) I ride the greenway and at a turn around point in an auto parking lot, someone broke a bottle and there was very fine glass spread completely over the trail. A chard got me. I rode about a mile before I noticed my bent was riding "squirrely". Got off the bike and saw the rear tire was going flat. Then I rotated the tire I dug out the piece of glass. So patched it and went on my way.

One tip is I now carry latex examination gloves. They weight nothing and cost 10 cents a piece. I put them on before I start working on the flat. They get dirty and when I take them off, the dirty side stays in the center. I put them in my bike trunk. Then when I get home, I toss them and put a new pair in my repair kit zip lock bag. It sure beats riding with dirty, greasy fingers and hands!!! (Unless you like that sort of stuff!)

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Three words: Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

I just ordered two new ones this week. The rear one is worn down to the blue casing liner.

Gloves are a good idea. I also carry a pair.

I carry a patch kit and a spare tube. It's quicker to fix a flat just to throw in a tube vs. waiting for the glue to set, but ya gotta have a place to carry the spare. Also, a tube can be damaged beyond re-use (I've had valves blow off, tube split longer than a patch, old patch develops new leak; not a good idea to patch on top of a patch, etc.). Of course you guys with two size tires would have to carry two spare tubes. Also, carry a previously-used patch kit long enough and the glue sets up inside its toothpaste-style tube. Then you're really screwed unless there's a Wal-mart or some such nearby. Pre-glued patches work OK, but I've found they should be repatched with a glued patch ASAP, and that rarely happens.

I'd like to know if anybody out there has experience with the Air-Free Tires (molded polyurethane foam). You can get just about any equivalent PSI in most sizes, and they aren't very expensive. The install tool costs $25 but that's a one time expense.
http://www.airfreetires.com/category/frequenty-asked-airless-bicycle-tires/

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

No experience with them yet Dave but have read a few not so good reviews. Time will tell if they are okay or not.

For many years I rode with no extra tube and patched many tubes while on the road. I recall one year a tube that had 6 patches on it. It went flat so I fixed it but noticed how bad the whole tube was getting and was concerned I may not make it home. I was 90 miles away at the time! Fortunately I made it and then took that tube out and threw it away. It was then I started taking an extra tube with me. I'm sure I have had only one flat tire on the road since then. lol That was many, many years ago too.

One thing though. I always take a new tube out of the wrapper and then put some talc powder on the tube. I put the powder in my hand and then rub it on the tube. It is much easier to get the tube in place that way.

On the glue, yes it will dry up. I used to take along some rubber cement. It works like a charm on bike tubes. That is all we used to use many years ago and it still works today. If you want, you can apply the rubber cement, take a match and light it! Blow the fire out almost right away. Light it again. We always did it at least 3 times. Then apply the patch and it will stick really good.

Has anyone else done this?

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

It's been said that a properly applied patch is stronger than the original rubber. You probably threw away one of the best tubes you ever had!

Here in the south we light charcoal instead of tire tubes. The flavor is better that way. We call it Bar-B-Que.

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Was feeling real good when I hit the Riverwalk yesterday. I quickly spotted a target climbing a hill in front of me and caught him just at the top. He told me the Riverwalk was flooded up ahead and he was planning on traveling thru a neighborhood which isn't the greatest to get onto Fort Benning. I decided company would be a good thing and joined him.

Brad does triathlons and was riding a real nice carbon Orbea. He could hold his speed pretty well (20-21mph) on the flats but wasn't that fast on the uphills. After I had dropped on 5 or 6 pretty soundly he commented, "You know, all I have ever heard is that those things can't climb. You don't seem to be doing to badly." I just laughed and told him the Dragon wasn't his father's recumbent.

To his credit, he didn't draft any at all. Triathlons don't allow it so he worked the entire ride. We ended up with 54 miles with a ride average of 19.3 mph.