The Biking Thread

[The Argonaut]

You're kicking ass, chud.

[Norah]

Thanks for bottom paging me.

[Chris_H_2]

Took yesterday off but went 8.1 miles today. Next time out will be at least 8.5, probably 9.

curious, but did you ever think about getting a road bike?

I bought this one:



It's a hybrid and I'm pretty happy with it. Performs well on the road and on some of the hard packed dirt/gravel trails around my neighborhood.

Awesome.

I can't tell, but is that a rigid or hard tail?

And be careful, once you get more addicted, the urge to upgrade increases.

[Norah]

9.2 miles today and I made it to the top of the giant hill without stopping.

[bune]

I almost don't want to tell you about my weekend:

125 miles Thursday
98 miles Friday
76 miles Saturday
108 miles Sunday

All to get from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA. Got lost so many times...stupid Google maps.

I started feeling kind of bad Saturday morning but it cleared up by the time I was on my bike so I didn't hink anything of it. Maybe water retention? Then the same thing happened Sunday and it was compounded with sneezing and runny nose (crappy things to have on a bike) so instead of stopping at my campsite (roughly mile 57) I decided to push through the 101-degree-day to home because a little discomfort on one day is better than doing it all over again the next day.

Went to the doctor yesterday and it turns out I have pneumonia.

You're kicking ass though. How's your contact points? (i.e. feet, ass, hands) Any numbness anywhere?

[Norah]

Well, I feel like a giant pussy now.

Contact points seem to be ok. My ass feels better now than it did a week ago.

[bune]

Naw man. I was in the same space as you four years ago, just starting rides to the bus station to get to work (roughly 5 miles) because of the cost of gas and then one day I was talking to someone who lives near me and found out he rides all the way to work (15 miles) and I figured that can't be too hard so I tried it one weekend. Wow, it was hard. So I just did what you're doing, gradually increasing my rides. Finally I could make it to work in about 1:15 without feeling like I was going to die. Now? I can make it to work in roughly 55 minutes depending on if the lights are with me or not.

Then I signed up for a 100 mile ride and it's just escalated from there. The next summer I did the Seattle to Portland ride (200 miles) in one day, the next was a 100 mile ride around here (it's really hilly) and this summer was the bike tour.

So keep at it. It's not like I'm setting any records or anything, I'm just out there enjoying myself. As long as you keep smiling while you're riding you're golden. It's when you're not having fun that it becomes like work and then you don't want to do it anymore.

I also signed up for a bike maintenance class so that I could maintain my bike without spending $80 a pop on small things. Sure there was some initial outlay but it's been worth it, especially when you consider taking care of the bikes of my wife and son.

[Norah]

11.1 miles today. Pretty soon I'm gonna be biking clear to the other side of the city.

[bune]

Finally got some pictures uploaded.

http://imgur.com/a/spU4t

[Norah]

Only 10 miles yesterday, which is the first time I haven't beat the previous ride's distance since I was doing sub 5 mile rides.

But today I did 12.4 miles and my legs are jelly.

[contamination]

I'd love to buy a new bike. I dreamed of getting a road bike when I was a kid, but ended up spending all my savings on Marin Muirwoods. I had that for more than ten years. Since then I haven't had a "proper" bike. I don't have a car, so I use either public transportation, walk or cycle. I've been thinking about getting a hybrid or "urban" bike. I'd like to get one with hub gears, because I want to have a bike that is low maintenance. Also, I don't need 16 or 24 gears, I got 2 now and even that's plenty. These are some of the bikes I've been looking for, though most of them are way out of my budget:

Creme Caferacer:


Creme Ristretto:


Pelago San Sebastian:


Marin Fairfax SC2:


Marin Fairfax SC4:


Foffa Urban Premium:


Cube Hyde Race:

[Norah]

13.4 miles today. Took a break at the coffee shop about 5 miles into the ride, sat outside and drank an iced coffee, and then resumed.

https://www.strava.com/activities/609395648

[bune]

Awesome. Strava is blocked here so I can't tell anything from that, gonna have to come back when I get home.

I love looking at bikes. It's hard because you know what you have is fine for whatever but then you get excited looking anyway. So weird.

Went back to the doc because I wasn't feeling better and I still have pneumonia. I've not been back on my bike since last Monday, got put on a battery of antibiotics and now I'm on another. Ugh.

[Norah]

Upped my game today and went 16.8 miles.

If you told me a year ago that this summer I'd be bicycling to the mall the next town over just for fun, I'd have said you're fucking crazy I own a car.

https://www.strava.com/activities/613320773

[Norah]

Planning to do 20 miles today. Walked out my front door and the raindrops started. Maybe I'll do an evening ride instead if it stops.

[Norah]

Boom.

https://www.strava.com/activities/617743322

[The Argonaut]

Now I know where you live.

[Norah]

There's no stopping me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/621960605

[The Argonaut]

THE SILVER LINE IS A BIKE!

[bune]

Sucks that work has blocked Strava so now I can't see your rides unless I'm at home.

I was in England for the last month and holy shitballs their roads are crazy. We were going to hire some bikes and ride around to make walking a little more bearable. Once we saw how bad the roads/drivers were we quickly tossed that idea.