Rider_X

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114

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	location	Vancouver, Canada
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Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

	1,443 reputation	bio	website		visits	member for	10 months
114 badges		location	Vancouver, Canada		seen	Apr 18 at 16:30

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38 Comments

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Nov 7	comment	What's a good all purpose city commuting winter tire? Note that no tire will work on black ice. I have studded snow tires, which works great on thick ice or compacted snow that has turned to ice. Black ice is too thin for the studs to effectively bite into. The best you can do is a softer sticker tier, which will give a little bit of traction. Vigilance and a light touch is about all you can do on black ice.
Oct 15	comment	how come some cyclists look like they are making a 45 - 60 degree angle with their bodies and I don't? I would add you need good flexibility in your mid and lower back to properly and comfortably ride in the "flat-back" position.
Sep 29	comment	Are there any high power bicycle generators? @nickg - You didn't read my full argument. It is not that the lights output 800 lumen, it is that all dynamo lights on the market with an output 800 lumen have mirrors designed to shine above the horizon (for trail riding). I had wanted an 800 lumen light as well, but ended up using buying a 350 lumen light because it had the correct mirror. I also have trail lights (750 lumen) and there wasn't much difference in commuting application, because the 350 lumen focuses all the light on the road.
Sep 20	comment	How to choose between a race bike like a Madone and a classics bike like a Domane @Angelo - If you are unsure what class of road bike will work for you, I am uncertain building a bike with custom geometry makes sense.
Sep 20	comment	How to choose between a race bike like a Madone and a classics bike like a Domane @ThaRiddla - I still have my carbon bike from my days as a cat 1/2 racer. Occasionally, I think of getting back into racing again, but life is so busy at the moment.
Sep 17	comment	Is it possible to estimate road grade while riding? No, the Edge units self-calibrates. I live in a mountainous area, near the ocean and whenever I drop down to the ocean or head to a known peak it is pretty close to the true elevation. The manual doesn't seem to specify how it calibrates, but the best discussion I have found on it is here.
Sep 6	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups @Angelo - Thank you for the link, another James Spicer article can be found here as well. My goal is not trying to berate hub gearing (I love mine during the winter), but to better understand the appropriate application.
Sep 6	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups +1 to you sir. Thank you for the Kyle and Berto article this is exactly the type of information I was looking for. I did already have the Spicer article, but thank you for the reminder. I am finding google (or my googling ability) lousy for finding this type of info. Also your suggestion of using your "virtual elevation" method to get at drive train efficiency. Genius.
Sep 6	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups @Angelo - I use GPS bike computer to track my speed. That said, I also suspect a psychological component as I may be more discouraged on the less efficient bike (I still need to record power on the internal hub bike). I am not implying that I ride everywhere at 42kph, but the 32->42kph discrepancy was about where where I was topping on the different bikes while riding tempo on long flat sections. I can provide .tcx/.gpx files for confirmation, but fear of derailing the question, which asked if efficiency breakdown of different commute bike setups has been done before.
Sep 5	comment	Why are there almost no bikes with a single chainring? @jv42 - Ha ha! If only non-bike geeks actually knew this... Instead we get "What do I push to change a gear again?"
Sep 4	comment	Is it legal to pass a car on the right when that car is turning? +1 for a great answer. I will be saving this answer and referring others to it.
Sep 4	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups @OMGPonies - The main difference I noted was on the flats, where both have sufficient gearing and weight differences shouldn't be an issue. But for the record: the steel road bike weights 23 lb. and has a top gear inch of 109 (35-109), the internal hub bike weights ~28 lb. and has a top gear inch of (25-104). Both have drop bars and the same cockpit dimensions.
Sep 4	comment	Do Shimano Nexus hubs lose efficiency as they get older? You are correct in that I misread what you wrote about bearings, my bad. But you honestly should be change the chain by wear (which could be once very year or 2-4 times a year depending on your mileage and conditions). The 3-4 times I quoted was under heavy mileage and was cheaper than replacing a whole drive train, which would be required if I simply ran one chain that year. A stretched chain changes the pitch of the gears making them incompatible with a new chain.
Sep 4	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups @Kibbee - It's not gearing. Both bikes have nearly identical gear ranges, in fact the internal hub (11 speed Alfine) has a slightly extended range compared to the my steel road bike (2 x 10 speed - Sram Rival). On the flat I am spinning at a similar cadence and feel I am in the appropriate gear for maximal power.
Sep 3	comment	Relative efficiency of different commute bike setups The key is to measure the response in terms of a relative difference, replication and a paired design. For example, adding fenders to a basic bike setup required x extra watts to over the non-fender version to maintain a speed of y. You repeat the test more than once and randomize the order in each replicate. I am also willing to assume these components act independently and in an additive fashion, meaning you don't have to test all possible combinations.
Sep 3	comment	Do Shimano Nexus hubs lose efficiency as they get older? Have you had your hub repacked with grease at any point in the last 5 years?
Sep 3	comment	Do Shimano Nexus hubs lose efficiency as they get older? I am sorry but 20k is not too much to expect from a properly maintained hub. Also you should change the chain by the amount of stretch, which may or may not fall on a yearly schedule. I typically change the chain on my race bike 3-4 times a year, or approximately 2000 km, depending on conditions (rain, dust , etc). Finally, I hate to be pedantic, but chains have bushings, not bearings.
Aug 31	comment	Why are there almost no bikes with a single chainring? @amcnabb - The question explicitly states that author believed a single chainring and derailleur is enough for most people. I many flat areas I would agree. I know many of reps within the cycling industry, often times marketing decisions/sell jobs are really as shallow as more is better.
Aug 27	comment	What are the steepest, highest, most miserable road ascents in the world? @StephenTouset - Never did I ever say there no way to rank climbs (which for the record is somewhat subjective), but that asking for the steepest hardest climb in the world is an open ended pursuit. Jefromi seems to understand this point. I am not trying to be a killjoy, just trying keep the answers from becoming an awkward list (to quote amcnabb).
Aug 26	comment	What are the steepest, highest, most miserable road ascents in the world? Don't forget the climb on Highway 3 on the Hope to Princeton segment. That is 1500m over 50 km. On a fully loaded touring bike it kinda sucks. Then you can also drop off of Highway 3 not too far from Keremeos and ride up a dirt road to Apex Mountain (1500m over 20 km). Or you go ride up Mt. Baker for a similar profile. It is impossible to answer the question as there are too many options.