zigdon

1,598 reputation

427

bio	website	peeron.com
	location	Berkeley, CA
	age	40
visits	member for	2 years, 7 months
	seen	Feb 26 at 21:43
stats	profile views	14

Hacker and Cyclist, been writing perl code for since the mid 90s, cycling as an adult for 10 years or so. Sold my car on 2/10, full time cyclist now!

	1,598 reputation	bio	website	peeron.com	visits	member for	2 years, 7 months
427 badges		location	Berkeley, CA		seen	Feb 26 at 21:43

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39 Comments

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Dec 27	comment	Cheap alternatives to avoid tire punctures Are tubeless tires actually better for this?
Sep 7	comment	What should I carry on day trips for emergencies? That's about covers my kit, except that I still carry a hand pump (catalog.alamedabicycle.com/product/…). I find it works quite well even with presta valves, and the high volume/high pressure modes actually allow filling a new tube to a reasonable air pressure in no time.
Jun 21	comment	Does the chain direction make a difference? If it's long enough after the question is asked, you can post the answer you figured out.
Jun 18	comment	Non U-Lock that can be mounted for carrying? I wouldn't lump the cable locks with the heavy chains. Since the chain doesn't need the metal to be flexible, it can be made from much harder and stronger steel than cables. The weakest part in chain locks is usually the lock itself, and if you get a tiny U-lock, that's pretty secure. Might be as heavy as your bike, but it is much better than a cable.
Jun 18	comment	Non U-Lock that can be mounted for carrying? Cable locks take about 5 seconds to cut with a small tool, I wouldn't lock anything I care about with one of those.
Jun 18	comment	Non U-Lock that can be mounted for carrying? Might also be worth noting that since it folds so small, it might fit in much more places than even the smallest U-locks.
Feb 16	comment	Why are battery-powered lights so popular? I actually have 2 sets of lights for 3 bikes - all the bikes have mounts for the lights installed, so depending on what I'm riding that day, I can just toss the lights on that bike. No need to readjust the mounts.
Feb 16	comment	Safety data: Which is safer, head/tail lights which blink or emit a steady beam? I'm not sure I'd say "usually" - I think in most places in the US where a light is required, a blinking light counts as well.
Feb 11	comment	Terminology index It's already the top question in the 'faq' tab, on the questions page. Not sure if there's a way to 'feature' a question.
Feb 11	comment	How much maintenance? Heh, fair - I usually take it in every few months (3-4 or so). My daily commute is about 15mi, plus whatever else I ride around town for errands and friends. My routine stuff that I do is clean the chain deeply, adjust the brakes and derailleurs.
Jan 31	comment	How bad is road salt for my bike? I have ridden my bike through many winters, and haven't had it at all destroyed by the process. I'm sure there are ways to help protect it, but as long as you clean it periodically, the bike didn't seem to suffer. (Trek 1200c, 5 years of Boston winters).
Jan 26	comment	How do I efficiently shift gears on a road bike with downtube shifters? I've seen DC do it, and it's kinda horrifying and cool at the same time.
Jan 24	comment	What advanced cycling skills are useful for a commuter or city rider? It's called track standing, and while a useful skill, careful when you do it at lights. It makes it a LOT harder for cars to know what you're doing, and I've often seen people inch forward into the actual intersection (or other lanes) without really noticing.
Jan 14	comment	Will my road bike fit in the racks on a public transit bus now that I have put fenders on it? Ha - I never did try taking your folder on the buses. I think I'd opt to fold it and either take it on the bus or store it under it. I don't like how short the wheel-bar is on the rack, though I guess it's not that bad if you hook it PAST the stem on the frame, instead of to the wheel.
Jan 13	comment	How do you deal with flats in the winter? I would still walk to some shelter, where I could then fix the flat in ~0F instead of -20F :)
Jan 3	comment	Installing a lock mount on a carbon fiber frame Trying this, using a set of clamps from twofish. It holds okay, and seems stable enough. Just a bit too much of a hassle to put it on and take it off the bike. We'll see if I get used to it, or just end up leaving it in my bag.
Dec 20	comment	Listening to audio without obstructing ears I've used similar covers in the past, and found them to be absolutely useless. YMMV, of course.
Dec 3	comment	Training on a bike path Looks like the question got truncated? Could you please edit it to complete your question?
Nov 17	comment	What headset/radio products exist for bike-to-bike communication? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice-operated_switch - basically, instead of having to push a button to transmit, you just speak into the mic, and it'll automatically start transmitting for you. Useful on the bike, where you don't want your hands to be busy with buttons while riding.
Nov 12	comment	What advanced cycling skills are useful for a commuter or city rider? Interesting. I was commuting for 5 years in Boston, throughout the year, from Belmont to Back Bay. Oddly enough, I haven't really had any bad experiences with drivers there, while on the bike - they were always much nicer to me on a bike than when I was driving :)