Re: I did my first century today.

[[email protected]]

Bill Baka wrote:
>
>
> Uh,
> I my case a sore rear, and kind of tingliness in my wrists that keeps me
> changing grip position.

Perhaps you're gripping too hard? I used to ride pretty intensely.
Also, you should just get a recumbent bicycle. It's
sooooooooooooooooooooo comfortable. Or at least get an upright with
full suspension. I find that, even on an upright, good suspension
really takes the edge off bumps and shocks! But recumbent's really the
only way to go, especially for a sore rear end.

> That and the fact that I do live far enough out
> in the country I have to carry a back pack or something for the extra
> food and water.

For all day riding, panniers are best. Load up on some MREs and water
and you're good to go!

> I have tried about 6 different saddles and none seems to
> fit the 100 mile criteria, and I have no clue why my hands get the
> tingles after about 20 miles straight riding. That is about the point
> where I get off and stand and shake my hands to get blood flow going again.

You should get a recumbent for sure. Yeah there's such a thing as
"recumbent butt" and "recumbent feet" but I've only had it ("recumbent
feet," or slightly numbing feet) a handful of times in about two
thousand miles so far.

> The only psychological factor that stops me is the nagging feeling that
> I have something important to do at home or something, which is usually
> not true.

That also reminds me: I'm probably going to be single my whole life!
Can't imagine being tied down to another's demands -- especially when
trying to enjoy a day of cycling and exploration!

Can't wait until people can bicycle on the moon or even Mars...I wonder
how that would be like!! Less gravity...less effort...more travel?
More speed?? Gotta watch that oxygen....

> Bill Baka

 

[Bill Baka]

[email protected] wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>>
>> Uh,
>> I my case a sore rear, and kind of tingliness in my wrists that keeps me
>> changing grip position.
>
> Perhaps you're gripping too hard?

Only on the off road sections where I have to.

I used to ride pretty intensely.

I still do, even as an old timer. My grand kids won't even try some of
the stuff I do on a bicycle.

> Also, you should just get a recumbent bicycle. It's
> sooooooooooooooooooooo comfortable.

That is a distinct possibility for the exercise on the road. Impossible
for some of the deer trails I ride way back in the boonies.

Or at least get an upright with
> full suspension. I find that, even on an upright, good suspension
> really takes the edge off bumps and shocks!

I had one but only the front suspension really worked. I had to hit a
3G+ bump for the rear to even move.

But recumbent's really the
> only way to go, especially for a sore rear end.

I will agree to that, for general road use.
>
>> That and the fact that I do live far enough out
>> in the country I have to carry a back pack or something for the extra
>> food and water.
>
> For all day riding, panniers are best. Load up on some MREs and water
> and you're good to go!

I have some metal, foldable racks on the rear and I can take an ice
chest in one and a gallon jug of cold water in the other, plus 3
standard water bottles. A plus is that I can take my 35mm camera and
about 3 lenses too. One water holder is one the front fork, held on with
auto heater hose clamps. It is a Fred job, but only takes about 5
minutes to take off all the junk.
>
>> I have tried about 6 different saddles and none seems to
>> fit the 100 mile criteria, and I have no clue why my hands get the
>> tingles after about 20 miles straight riding. That is about the point
>> where I get off and stand and shake my hands to get blood flow going again.
>
> You should get a recumbent for sure. Yeah there's such a thing as
> "recumbent butt" and "recumbent feet" but I've only had it ("recumbent
> feet," or slightly numbing feet) a handful of times in about two
> thousand miles so far.

The only thing I have had happen to my feet is getting cooked from the
heat coming off the asphalt.
>
>> The only psychological factor that stops me is the nagging feeling that
>> I have something important to do at home or something, which is usually
>> not true.
>
> That also reminds me: I'm probably going to be single my whole life!
> Can't imagine being tied down to another's demands -- especially when
> trying to enjoy a day of cycling and exploration!

Tell me about it. 27 years of marriage and she keeps telling me to act
my age. Huh? I am acting how I feel, which is a lot closer to 30 than
60. I can't get her or my daughter on a bike to save my (their) life.
>
> Can't wait until people can bicycle on the moon or even Mars...I wonder
> how that would be like!! Less gravity...less effort...more travel?
> More speed?? Gotta watch that oxygen....

I wonder how fast you could go on a paved surface on the moon with zero
point 0000 air resistance? 100 MPH, 200+, or faster until your Oxygen
gives out? Great to dream about, but then reality hits.
There was some crazy guy who tried to ski down Mt. Everest and even with
a drag chute behind him he was hitting close to 100 MPH. I didn't see
the whole story so I don't know if he made it or killed himself.
Bill Baka
>
>> Bill Baka
>

 

[Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman]

Bill Baka wrote:
> ...One water holder is one the front fork, held on with
> auto heater hose clamps. It is a Fred job, but only takes about 5
> minutes to take off all the junk....

You can upgrade by referring to said attachment devices as "Jubilee
Clips" [1].

[1] <http://www.jubileeclips.co.uk/>.

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain

 

[Bill Baka]

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> ...One water holder is one the front fork, held on with
>> auto heater hose clamps. It is a Fred job, but only takes about 5
>> minutes to take off all the junk....
>
> You can upgrade by referring to said attachment devices as "Jubilee
> Clips" [1].
>
> [1] <http://www.jubileeclips.co.uk/>.
>
Same exact thing but jubileeclips does kind of sound cooler.
Whatever works. I am famous for duct tape and RTV Silicone fixes.
Bill Baka

 

[NYC XYZ]

Bill Baka wrote:
>
>
> Only on the off road sections where I have to.
>
> I still do, even as an old timer. My grand kids won't even try some of
> the stuff I do on a bicycle.
>
> That is a distinct possibility for the exercise on the road. Impossible
> for some of the deer trails I ride way back in the boonies.

Clickez a <http://cybercondor.free.fr/> pour voir quelques bents tout
terrains! (Et remarquez que les casques de bicyclettes ne sont pas
exigés!)

> I had one but only the front suspension really worked. I had to hit a
> 3G+ bump for the rear to even move.

Well, I guess you need one which is adjustable! Get the best air
shocks you can afford...really makes a world of difference. I've got a
$400 DT Swiss rear shock -- and it's worth every penny! I've put it
and the front Meks Carbon fork through many a New York City pothole,
and they have never ever failed me.

> I will agree to that, for general road use.

Vive les bents extrêmes sur <http://cybercondor.free.fr/>!!

> I have some metal, foldable racks on the rear and I can take an ice
> chest in one and a gallon jug of cold water in the other, plus 3
> standard water bottles. A plus is that I can take my 35mm camera and
> about 3 lenses too. One water holder is one the front fork, held on with
> auto heater hose clamps. It is a Fred job, but only takes about 5
> minutes to take off all the junk.

Goodness, no wonder you have a sore rear! How about a trailer, then?

> The only thing I have had happen to my feet is getting cooked from the
> heat coming off the asphalt.

Wow, are you biking in sandals through Death Valley?

> Tell me about it. 27 years of marriage and she keeps telling me to act
> my age. Huh? I am acting how I feel, which is a lot closer to 30 than
> 60. I can't get her or my daughter on a bike to save my (their) life.

Hmm. In "Tandem and Recumbent Rider" I've even read of wives who gave
up cycling after marriage and kids!

Then again, maybe when your wife said to act your age, she was
referring to you and younger girls! Seriously, I no longer wonder why
everyone wears sunglasses all the time. =)

> I wonder how fast you could go on a paved surface on the moon with zero
> point 0000 air resistance? 100 MPH, 200+, or faster until your Oxygen
> gives out? Great to dream about, but then reality hits.

I wonder about flying off a ramp, too! And landing!

> There was some crazy guy who tried to ski down Mt. Everest and even with
> a drag chute behind him he was hitting close to 100 MPH. I didn't see
> the whole story so I don't know if he made it or killed himself.

Um, which part of Mt. Everest? Sounds impressive, until you realize it
can't have been but very low near the base.

Surely you've seen this, right:
<http://www.jumpingpixels.com/bicyclespeed.html>?

> Bill Baka

 

[Bill Baka]

NYC XYZ wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>>
>> Only on the off road sections where I have to.
>>
>> I still do, even as an old timer. My grand kids won't even try some of
>> the stuff I do on a bicycle.
>>
>> That is a distinct possibility for the exercise on the road. Impossible
>> for some of the deer trails I ride way back in the boonies.
>
> Clickez a <http://cybercondor.free.fr/> pour voir quelques bents tout
> terrains! (Et remarquez que les casques de bicyclettes ne sont pas
> exigés!)

Interesting site. I wish my French was a little more up to par but I got
most of it. The first photo of a guy going dirt gonzo looked like it
would take me a lot of miles to get to that point on a bent. Still, it
wasn't as radical as the trails I take in the back woods in the mountains.
>
>> I had one but only the front suspension really worked. I had to hit a
>> 3G+ bump for the rear to even move.
>
> Well, I guess you need one which is adjustable! Get the best air
> shocks you can afford...really makes a world of difference. I've got a
> $400 DT Swiss rear shock -- and it's worth every penny! I've put it
> and the front Meks Carbon fork through many a New York City pothole,
> and they have never ever failed me.


A New York pothole? And you didn't just fall into the subway system?
Those holes are famous.
>
>> I will agree to that, for general road use.
>
> Vive les bents extrêmes sur <http://cybercondor.free.fr/>!!
>
>> I have some metal, foldable racks on the rear and I can take an ice
>> chest in one and a gallon jug of cold water in the other, plus 3
>> standard water bottles. A plus is that I can take my 35mm camera and
>> about 3 lenses too. One water holder is one the front fork, held on with
>> auto heater hose clamps. It is a Fred job, but only takes about 5
>> minutes to take off all the junk.
>
> Goodness, no wonder you have a sore rear! How about a trailer, then?

A trailer would do me no good since the dirt roads I take tend to be
wash boarded severely and going even 25 MPH on the downhills just about
rattles the fillings out of my teeth. A trailer would have to have it's
own suspension for that. I also take deer paths (literally) that are
only about 6 inches to maybe a foot wide and on the side of a 60 degree
slope. I would have to de-trailer before those. I have gotten so far
into those that I have had to leave the bike and just hike to see where
it went. You just can't ride when the uphill pedal is hitting the dirt
and a crash would mean a nasty fall bouncing down the hillside to the creek.
>
>> The only thing I have had happen to my feet is getting cooked from the
>> heat coming off the asphalt.
>
> Wow, are you biking in sandals through Death Valley?

Not exactly, but it did stay over 100 for a large part of June and July
this year and I am not a morning person. By mid afternoon the pavement
gets plenty hot. Even the TdF this year was reporting on pavement
temperature.
>
>> Tell me about it. 27 years of marriage and she keeps telling me to act
>> my age. Huh? I am acting how I feel, which is a lot closer to 30 than
>> 60. I can't get her or my daughter on a bike to save my (their) life.
>
> Hmm. In "Tandem and Recumbent Rider" I've even read of wives who gave
> up cycling after marriage and kids!
>
> Then again, maybe when your wife said to act your age, she was
> referring to you and younger girls! Seriously, I no longer wonder why
> everyone wears sunglasses all the time. =)

I wear polarized UV blockers with 20% pass window tint film on them and
it is still almost too bright. The UV will hurt you eyes after you turn
40 but most young people think they are invincible until they get older
and things start to catch up. My dad was an outdoor addict and never
wore sunglasses ("They are for sissies.") and he had to have cataract
surgery at 65.
Moral,
Do wear sunglasses.
>
>> I wonder how fast you could go on a paved surface on the moon with zero
>> point 0000 air resistance? 100 MPH, 200+, or faster until your Oxygen
>> gives out? Great to dream about, but then reality hits.
>
> I wonder about flying off a ramp, too! And landing!

Fast enough and you might hit escape velocity. Human powered launch vehicle.
>
>> There was some crazy guy who tried to ski down Mt. Everest and even with
>> a drag chute behind him he was hitting close to 100 MPH. I didn't see
>> the whole story so I don't know if he made it or killed himself.
>
> Um, which part of Mt. Everest? Sounds impressive, until you realize it
> can't have been but very low near the base.

I saw part of the video and he started from the top or very near. It
could probably be googled or maybe there could be a link on ask.com, the
new kid on the block.
>
> Surely you've seen this, right:
> <http://www.jumpingpixels.com/bicyclespeed.html>?

Yeah,
I just watched it again, including the wipe out. 163 KpH is what 110 MPH?
I saw that the bike broke in two on the front end but didn't see him hit
that big a bump. I am only trying for a computer measured 60 MPH, not
100. That exceeds my sanity limit, but I did notice they had him
standing after the wipe out and he looked like he didn't know where he was.
Ouch.
Bill Baka
>
>> Bill Baka
>