Hot answers tagged road-bike
27
To be honest, I think you handled the situation pretty well as it was.
You've got to get yourself to the bottom of the mountain safely and even in locales which have laws about deliberately impeding following road users you will have to allow people to pass in a manner safe for you, this isn't necessarily going to be immediately.
Seems to me that this ...
25
Reference - Cyclecraft by John Franklin
A cycle takes more than twice as far to stop using only the rear brake compared to using only the front brake, which will usually stop the machine just as quickly as using both brakes. Nevertheless, you should always apply the rear brake, and slightly in advance of the front brake, so that a slight skid at the rear ...
23
Rob, you are correct that a heavier bike will give you a greater fitness benefit over the same distance.
The only real counter-point I have is that the most effective bikes for fitness are the ones that get ridden. So, if some reason a lighter bike would more fun or appealing to you (while still be a "good enough" commuter), than a lighter bike could be a ...
18
I don't think this should be viewed from a strictly legal or normative point of view, so I'll give my impressions as a former driver and as someone with some experiences of overtaking cars downhill by bike, either on-road and off-road (unpaved roads).
First of all, if you drove like you were alone (hypothetically speaking), by no means you would endanger a ...
16
The last major technological improvement in standard bicycles was indexed shifting. The indexing part of this isn't that big a deal, but the feature also gives you the ability to shift under load (which is a big deal). I'm thinking this change occurred in the late 80s, but my memory for chronology is poor.
Yes, since then we've gotten V-brakes, carbon ...
15
Years ago when cars started to get ABS, the argument was that a skilled driver could stop quicker with it turned off, and there was proof of it. When Traction control came in a skilled driver could go faster with it turned off. When ESP became available, ditto. We all know that an unskilled driver benefits enormously from these aids, and it turns out not ...
13
Please accept my apologies on behalf of cyclists. Hollerin' something at a motorist who was trying to figure out how to handle an obviously unclear situation was inappropriate. Thanks for doing your best and not killing any cyclists that day!
In general, I agree with the other answers here that you handled this fine and there isn't some magic you could have ...
13
For the casual rider the simplest approach is to go to a bike shop and get a bottle of "chain oil". Apply the chain oil fairly liberally (drizzle it on while cranking the chain backwards, if the bike has a freewheel), then wipe the chain with a rag (while cranking backwards). If the chain is REALLY dirty, repeat.
For slightly more aggressive cleaning (on ...
11
Anywhere from a month or two to years and years; how long handlebar tape lasts depends on too many factors to really answer this with a number. Of course, how often you cycle is a factor, but how good the tape is and how well it's applied also makes a difference.
For example, gel tape is notorious for wearing quickly, as the gel gets pushed away from where ...
11
In "Epidemiology of bicycle injuries and risk factors for serious injury" by Frederick P Rivara, Diane C Thompson, and Robert S Thompson, the authors gave a questionnaire to 3,390 bicycle riders who had attended a hospital emergency department in the Seattle area.
They found that cyclists involved in a crash at a speed greater than 15 miles per hour were ...
11
I'd qualify myself as a "skilled" cyclist. I would not say that I only use the front brake 95% of the time.
When riding in a peleton it would be very dangerous to make any kind of sudden stop as you cause alarm and possible collision with people behind you. If i do need to slow in a group, I use only my back brake. It allows a far more gradual slowing and ...
10
Here's what I'd recommend
As others have suggested, you should avoid a stock bicycle. They're designed with the top of the bell curve in mind, and you're simply half-again as much man as the normal one. For more information on any of these topics, consult a bike shop!
Crankset: Since you asked specifically about them, I'll start here. The stiffest, ...
10
My opinion is that no one should be forced to either drive faster than they feel comfortable by any following vehicle. It's a principle of safety that everyone must feel in control of their vehicle. Likewise, I think no one should be forced to pull over by an impatient following vehicle.
When you chose to pull over and let the cyclist through, you did so ...
10
Firstly, 11 or 12 mph isn't that slow, especially if you're still working on improving your fitness. Try measuring speed in kph instead of mph, as it feels better. You can laugh, but we all do it!
The main thing you should look for in a new bike, IMO is that it fits you. This will improve your comfort. If you're comfortable you'll be able to go faster. Drop ...
9
Yes, in most cases normal prescription glasses sit too low on the nose for the purpose of shielding the eyes in road bike position. And as the speed increases, the need for effective eye protection grows, too. Consider either:
Getting contact lenses, and then you can wear bike specific glasses
Getting bike glasses with prescription lens inserts. In my ...
9
If you're looking for a general purpose bike for commuting and towpath riding, you probably want to avoid a standard road bike, they are very specialized and have very small tire clearance. Typically supporting tires no larger than 28mm and often lack mud guards or rack/pannier mounts.
However, touring bikes or steel cyclocross bikes (if they have rack and ...
9
I've always used both. Among other things, if you apply both brakes you're in much better shape should one of the brakes fail suddenly (eg, broken cable, unanticipated wet rim, etc).
But then, I've never pretended to be a racer.
Added: It should be noted that, unless you're riding like a maniac (or at least like a BMX rider), 95% (at least) of your ...
9
Cyclists in the road are subject to the same rules as cars. This includes speed limits, passing safely, signaling, all of it. He has no more right to "expect" you to pull aside for him than he does if he's driving his car. It's nice that you let him pass, but you were under absolutely no obligation to do so, unless you were going markedly slower than the ...
8
One thing that hasn't been mentioned, and probably trumps any mechanical advantages or disadvantages of disc brakes, is the fact that the UCI currently doesn't allow disc brakes in professional road races. This has a trickle down effect to you and me.
Most, if not all, of the national racing federations follow the UCI's lead on equipment rulings. This ...
8
Because fast is fun, and exercising for fitness is often not fun. Faster is funner. :-)
Or in more 'justifiable' form:
Making your fitness activities fun makes it more likely that you'll continue doing them, and gain the fitness you want.
A lighter and more responsive bike is definitely more fun, therefore if you're serious about fitness, you may want a ...
8
Most of the Garmin Edge series GPS cycling computers can display grade. The Edge 500 and Edge 800 (not the Edge 200) have barometric altimeters to determine altitude. You can then change or add a display data field to show the current grade.
Funny you ask as I just put added the grade as a display field this morning on a hilly ride.
It updates the grade ...
8
Well, you're a big guy, so a lightweight racing bike is probably not for you. You might want to look at touring bikes, and, in particular, some of the Surly models.
For the crank problem you probably should have a splined vs square crank, and you need to regularly check the torque on the crank bolts.
8
You will find the journey a lot less effort, as you are dramatically reducing the weight of the bike.
You will also be able to accelerate much faster, as the rolling resistance will be reduced through the use of thinner tyres.
Your gearing is likely to allow for faster speeds as well.
If you previously had suspension, you will notice the ability to ...
8
What do you expect to happen?
Not quite sure what you mean by "roadster", but I assume it's roughly the same as a "road bike" in the US -- what would have been called a "racing bike" 30 years ago before racing bikes got all high-tech.
The main distinguishing characteristics of such bikes are that they have a more "aggressive" riding position, a ...
8
Basically whatever works.
If you're trying to conserve energy it's foolish to push yourself going downhill, since energy lost per mile to wind resistance increases with the square of speed -- just take advantage of the "free ride" on a reasonably steep hill.
Going uphill depends a lot on your physical condition and how steep the hill. You first need to ...
8
Drop bars
The main advantage of drop bars is that you have a variety of positions for your hands, giving you options to make you more aerodynamic or just have a change if you get a bit sore in one spot. Additionally, having your hands 'pointing forward' is a more neutral position for your shoulders, where flat bars cause them to rotate outwards.
Related ...
8
I don't think so - I've ridden over 1/4 mile stretches of freshly poured asphalt with no apparent damage to my tires.
The asphalt is around 300 degrees F when it leaves the plant, but it will have cooled to 200 degrees or less by the time it's open to traffic (water will stand on the surface without boiling, so it's definitely below 212F)
Further, unless ...
7
They serve no purpose on the finished tire, but they are a consequence of a very important detail of the fabrication process.
While rubber is being injected in the mold, there are risk of air bubbles forming between the rubber and the mold, which can prevent the rubber from getting in all the intricate patterns of the mold, thus producing malformed tire.
...
7
There are several reasons for muscle spasms/cramps, but they basically boil down to one of two causes:
Some sort of bogus nerve activation
The inability of the muscles to "reset" themselves
The bogus nerve activation situation can occur because of some sort of nerve irritation, or due to one of several somewhat rare and rather serious medical conditions. ...
7
If you are looking to use your bike primarily as a commuter, then I don't think it's neccesary to get a Road bike meant for fitness cycling or racing. I'd recommend getting a bike that is going to a) meet your needs as a commuter and b) is built with quality components.
What are common needs or wants for a commuter?
Mounts for fenders - to keep you drier ...
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