41
If one bike has a rear rack, you can attach the second bike's front wheel with a bunch of bungies and tow it. I've done this, and it worked fine.
Now I have a cargo bike, and the towing is simpler:
27
Walk :) Safest.
I do this from time to time (usually when one of the kids have 'forgotten' their bike), and find it easiest to do as pr above, but with a little variation.
If the transported bike is lightweight and otherwise allows it, simply 'wear' it as a backpack, putting your arm through the big triangle. Once it's on, you can determine if it will Work....
26
More than likely it is normal and frankly your legs probably aren't used to it. 17 miles is a long way for a beginner so I would pat yourself on the back for that.
You may also benefit from a proper fit from a bike shop. As a lot of beginners either have their seat too high or too low which can limit your power and actually cause you to tire quicker, ...
24
I had the same "motivation" thingy when I tried to keep my wife motivated in joining me during weekend rides.
First we did a really short and slow trip around the city (about 4 or 5 km at such a slow pace that my legs were hurting).
Then I tried to combine cycling with other activities we both liked. Being both foodies, I tried to find, in every outing, a ...
22
If you are reasonably firm at riding one-handed, you can drive them home by riding one of them while pushing/pulling the other one beside you with one hand.
Let's assume that the bike you will ride is called A and the one you push/pull is B.
First decide, which bike is better to be ridden and therefore will be your bike A and which hand is better to get ...
22
Stuff To Use:
Silicone based lubricant - for all weather conditions - especially good to use in wet or in winter - it's water resistant. It's thicker than teflon based and it's sticky (dust catches onto it making a paste - needs to be re-applied when dirt accumulates).
Teflon based lubricant - for dry conditions only, thinner and runs smoother than silicon ...
22
While specific shopping comparison questions are off-topic here due to their tendency to become obsolete, there is a perfectly good generic question here where these two bikes can be used as examples, so I will take that angle on it.
The two bikes in question have similar price points, but the braking system on the disc one is eating a lot more of the price ...
18
In addition to the answer by @Nate, I also commend you for putting in 17 miles after a 24 miles ride. Don't beat yourself up over struggling a little.
Be sure you allow plenty of recovery time. You do not get fit exercising, you get fit recovering from exercise. If you do not allow time to fully recover, you will struggle to get fitter. Two days after a ...
17
Treating "competitive cyclists" as this single unified group (with three subgrouping) belies some prejudices. Like all walks of life there are a diversity of people, all with different motivations, morals and life experiences. As such there is no single correct answer your various questions.
For example:
are people in pelotons generally friendly, ...
15
I believe your bike has a double crankset with 50-34 chainrings.
The general advice is to attempt to avoid cross-chaining, i.e. avoid the big ring and biggest 2-3 cogs in the rear, and avoid the small ring and smallest 2-3 cogs in the rear. There is actually some empirical testing that shows that these combinations create higher friction in the drivetrain, ...
15
You've got off to a great start, well done. Several answers tell you how to improve quickly, and they're not wrong. But you'll see plenty of improvement just by riding often, occasionally pushing yourself, and resting when you feel the need after a hard effort.
Riding daily to work/school/college if reasonable, with something for fun some weekends is hugely ...
14
Chain lube goes on the chain. It's liquid and it drips on. We used to use "oil" for this but now there are lubes that a better engineered to provide lubrication without collecting dirt, washing off in the rain, breaking down chemically, etc. You also use this kind of liquid lube on brake pivots, derailleur pulleys and pivots. Probably not the same stuff you ...
14
Yes, 4km is good, especially if the road is hilly. Any new form of exercise is difficult at the start because it uses muscles you're not used to using, in ways you're not used to using them. It's completely normal to be tired and a bit sore. That's your body's way of saying "OK, I've done enough – ive me a break for a bit," and it's important to ...
14
You almost certainly have a 7 or 8 speed freewheel hub. They can do this, especially 8. Google those terms along with broken axles.
8 speed freewheel hubs had some years of prominence circa 2000-2001 and then were rejected by the industry because of these problems. They have now made a return due to manufacturers answering the pressure to fit so many other ...
13
Prioritize more:
Tires -- the bike must allow me to use the tires I want to use. I used to have a road bike that did not allow any tire wider than 25mm. Any bike that cannot use 35mm tires is useless to me. Some people are still under the illusion that narrow tires are fast, wide tires are slow; there is a bunch of research that indicates this is not ...
12
The key is to know your intended use. Knowing what you don't want also helps. But also a bike has a wide variety of applications, like a car.
Main (non BSO) adult bike types (people are always trying new ideas, or marketing approaches, so this is intended as an overview)
Road (racing) bike. For those who want to ride as fast as possible (for them). The ...
12
I'd invest in a pair of bike shorts.
Casual riders going short distances on big comfy saddles can get away with casual or regular sports clothing. You won’t be able to do that riding significant distance on a sports saddle.
Bike shorts have padding, obviously, but are also constructed so there is no seam between rider and saddle. Regular sports shorts ...
11
One possible way is to ride one bike and push the other. One hand goes to handlebars and front brake, the other grips the second bike by the handlebar stem.
This is slow and clumsy, of course, but if you are able to ride the said route with no hands, you should be able to move both bikes as well.
11
You don't need such a repair service. There is a different, more practical solution: a loan bike.
In The Netherlands, most bicycles are used by commuters, so expediting wouldn't work. However, there are also many places that rent bicycles. A good bike shop can simply have a couple of dozen bicycles on hand that they then loan out to a (regular) customer, ...
10
Adding to James Keuning's answer:
The way I think about lube and grease is that basically, grease is for things that don't get taken apart as much, and lube is for parts that get more care, more often, and are usually more easily accessible. This absolutely does not mean that bikes do not need grease or that it isn't as important as 'lube'.
I use lube on ...
10
Ghostride it, so long as you're not dealing with high speeds or heavy traffic:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Ghostride-a-Bike/
And make sure you have a soundtrack:
10
As one comment has indicated, you may need to evaluate if cold this extreme is even safe to ride in. If you determine that is is, there are several issues you'll need to address.
There are a lot of questions here about winter cycling. I went through question with the winter tag. Here are some of the ones applicable to your situation:
Breathing may be a ...
answered Jan 27 '14 at 3:50
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10
Replace "cycling" in this question with any competitive sport. How should we know if it's right for you? How should we know what the community of cyclists near you is like, or whether or not you'll get along with them?
Enter a race. Did you have fun? Enter another one. Or don't. Your call.
10
It never gets easier, you just go faster.
— Greg Lemond
It actually sounds like you are doing great, that 30km ride was 50% longer than your previous largest ride which is pretty significant.
Just sticking with it is a big part of the equation here but, there are lots of training plans out there like https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/training/cycling-...
10
I'm going to focus solely on the issue of mechanical disc versus rim brakes.
All else equal, I would prefer rim brakes to mechanical disc. Mechanical disc brakes (and the hubs, and possibly the frame as well due to increased manufacturing complexity) are more expensive than rim brakes. This means that if the bikes have the same price, then the one with disc ...
9
I didn't get proper bike shorts until I was routinely riding over 100km. Before that (and still for commuting) I just went for whatever I would wear in the gym. However cheap gel-padded (not foam-padded) shorts from ebay have been very good for me. I haven't seen them in real shops but tend to avoid real shops if possible.
If you're in gym shorts, it's ...
9
No, that person was confused and you have it right. A new 700x25 tire will fit the same as what you have. Often 40 year old wheels will need new rim strips while you're at it.
9
The rough side should face the frame dropout.
The roughness is designed to increase friction with the frame dropouts. This type of knurling works because the frame dropouts are un-hardened, either low-allow steel or aluminum. On the other hand the knurled washer is probably hardened (or at least harder) steel. Thus the knurling can 'bite' into the softer ...
8
Don't make any major mechanical changes to your bike the day before the race. If it ain't broke, don't fix it- at least not at the last minute. You will end up kicking yourself for it. Make sure you've had plenty of riding time on your bike's current configuration.
Bring tools and tubes, but pack light. Bring a small/medium sized multi tool, a tube, ...
8
I think this working is highly dependent on where you live, and I don't think it would work in most places. You need enough people in the market who would use this service (which probably don't exist in most places). And people need to be willing to pay the premium you need to sustain to have this type of business. Bike shops aren't exactly very profitable ...
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