So many benefits to riding a bicycle......
- Thread starter Stanford Guitar
- Start date
A couple of years ago I moved out of Toronto to a town of about 25,000. It is literally surrounded by bike paths. Of course, I had to get one.
How many times have you used the headset press? I had a Park press but moved it a few years ago.
Tele-friend
Tele-Afflicted
For me cycling means recreation, but most importantly gives me the feeling of freedom like no other thing - when you are in the saddle, just the road, bicycle and you.
My goal is to do about 3500 km (2175 miles) per year and at least 100-120 km per weak (62-75 miles).
My goal is to do about 3500 km (2175 miles) per year and at least 100-120 km per weak (62-75 miles).
Stanford Guitar
Friend of Leo's
I use it a few times a year to press fit bottom brackets in some of my mountain bikes that are not threaded, and of course headsets.
Skully
Doctor of Teleocity
I save so much money, stay healthy, and just enjoy life by riding a bicycle nearly everywhere I go.
Walking or Biking to Work Could Make You More Productive
New research shows that a bad commute can set the tone for the entire day.www.bloomberg.com
I sweat so much when I exercise, riding a bike to work would be completely unfeasible. Also, I work from home.
Last edited:
trapdoor2
Friend of Leo's
About to return to the fold. It will take a while to get my legs in shape, I haven't ridden in 3-4 yrs. Yah, BAS. I have 4 recumbents and a '74 Raleigh I resurrected into a flip-flop fixie/single.
Back home, I had 10mi of beautifully paved MUT just a short walk down the street...and the city was expanding it every year. I knew the city well and biked the local marathon route every weekend, centuries occasionally.
Here, I have a 3mi loop in the neighborhood and short, paved trails scattered thru the area...but dangerous to ride the roads here.
Back home, I had 10mi of beautifully paved MUT just a short walk down the street...and the city was expanding it every year. I knew the city well and biked the local marathon route every weekend, centuries occasionally.
Here, I have a 3mi loop in the neighborhood and short, paved trails scattered thru the area...but dangerous to ride the roads here.
Attachments
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Totally on @Stanford Guitar and the article's point. I made big lifestyle changes about when I joined here. I common sensed myself out of health problems, prescriptions, and into size 32 pants. The elevated heart rate really helps set my tone to be a better leader and think out problems.
The sad part is I can't commute as often as I'd like. Still, for 16 years now my feet or a bike do an easy 10 to 100+ miles a week that would be a car for most people.
This past weekend I gave the Fargo a MUCH needed bath and tweaked the panniers to mount lower. The photo is a reminder to get the house stained again and maybe finally replace the garage door.
I also tweaked my setup via a new briefcase I just put by itself on one side and carry lock, tools, and whatever else on other side. In addition, I got some Lands' End pants with some stretch that are very commute friendly. I can walk in looking less like a tourist or hiker.
The Fargo has been a fantastic bike and is my wife's favorite. It is a 2016 gen 4 we got barely used and the photo doesn't show just how used it has gotten since.
The sad part is I can't commute as often as I'd like. Still, for 16 years now my feet or a bike do an easy 10 to 100+ miles a week that would be a car for most people.
This past weekend I gave the Fargo a MUCH needed bath and tweaked the panniers to mount lower. The photo is a reminder to get the house stained again and maybe finally replace the garage door.
I also tweaked my setup via a new briefcase I just put by itself on one side and carry lock, tools, and whatever else on other side. In addition, I got some Lands' End pants with some stretch that are very commute friendly. I can walk in looking less like a tourist or hiker.
The Fargo has been a fantastic bike and is my wife's favorite. It is a 2016 gen 4 we got barely used and the photo doesn't show just how used it has gotten since.
My wife and I ride often. We have TT style bikes which we ride on the roads, mainly when getting ready for races. We ride gravel bikes mostly off road. Gravel is much safer and gets you out into nature. There are so many cool gravel roads to ride. The rails-to-trails movement has been great for connecting places without the danger of cars and trucks.
Last edited:
Love that shot! It says so much.
buster poser
Poster Extraordinaire
I live a perfect distance from work to do it (3.1mi) and most of the way is paved with wide trails and bike lanes. That last half mile is not (see below), and people do not drive slow through that section.
County land near a biz/industrial park, ain't no bike lanes going in here any time soon, sadly. Won't risk it.
County land near a biz/industrial park, ain't no bike lanes going in here any time soon, sadly. Won't risk it.
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
Our area has a Fortune 500 firm that moved to our specific municipality and very successful firms in the area. Fortunately some including the one that moved the HQ mandated good infrastructure including quality of life infrastructure. There's a pathway network in the industrial park connected to the overall conservancy and bike/ped network.
In some areas here places just like what you show have had bits of trail added. There is a lot of grant money available so some firms put up a little and community organizations put up a little and they got problems like this solved.
The Walton Family Foundation has a lot of grants for the planning and training part. Same for some others funded by bike industry and successful benefactors. If someone repeats what we did you could have your bike route and possibly a MTB and sports play area in or near this photo. At this point there are lots of examples for selling employers to participate. The businesses get a real payback for having more active and fit employees. They get a tool to help attract top performing lower cost staff. Where we have the good pathways, employers consider it a tool to aid keeping staff.
Before you realize it you'll be wearing spandex.See! This is what it becomes, a literal bike shop in his house. Let this be a lesson for those of you out there thinking … hey, I should just get one starter bike (like the Squier of bikes). Next, you will be looking for shop and storage space next to @Stanford Guitar ‘s shop/storage space
I need a nap after reading all of these bicycle post.
A friend commented to me once that the happiest he has seen me was the two years I was in college, working at a bicycle shop, riding everywhere because I didn't have a drivers license.
@Alex_C rails-to-trails? If by that you mean turning old railway lines into trails, that’s what we have around my county. Nearby towns have been connected this way.
imwjl
Doctor of Teleocity
I thought it was public service effort not doing that but confess it helps to cut the drag when I do some more epic two wheel travels. My standard uniform is wear sports oriented street clothing over bike liners or a swim suit or whatever is right for the job.
This is maybe sexist, but my wife says just reality. At our age fit women generally look better than fit men in spandex. A whole lot of bikers (exercise, commuter, MTB), runners and walkers are visible from my kitchen window. I follow the data and see she's right.
Go for a bike ride. It's an instant trip to childhood even if that's a brief moment. It looks like Bakersfield has bike rental options.
I got into riding again about nine years ago when I had a job close enough (six miles each way) to ride to work. There was a locker room and showers at that job and I really enjoyed the experience. Two years ago, after having changed jobs and gotten a much longer commute, I finally bought myself a nice bike that I thought would get me riding for fun in summer evenings and weekends instead of commuting to work.
Tubeless tires have been my downfall. A lot of people - who I assume are daily riders - think they're great, but I can't keep air in them for more than a couple weeks at a time. I've been to one bike shop twice and another three times in the last year and a half trying to get this problem solved. They'll hold air for a few rides if I'm riding regularly, but then if the weather or my own laziness keeps me off the bike for a couple weeks (or more, in the winter), they go "dead flat" while sitting in the garage. The weight of the bike from above causes the tires to dismount from the rims and I can never get them them to "stick" again and hold air. It's always another trip to the bike shop, and I don't think that's how this is supposed to work. Yes, I've been on bicycle forums and YouTube trying to find answers. And yes, I top off the air pressure in my tires before every ride - I'm not just letting them sit untouched and thinking they'll hold air like automobile tires. I think I just don't ride often enough to justify tubeless tires.
Meanwhile, my wife and kids' bikes and my old bike with tubes never go all the way flat, even in the winter when the bikes are hanging up from the garage ceiling. I guess the answer is obvious - go back to the older tech that has worked for decades and quit being grumpy about all the time and money I spent chasing something that the internet said was better.
I agree with the comments that bicycle GAS is just as bad as guitar GAS, if not worse.
Tubeless tires have been my downfall. A lot of people - who I assume are daily riders - think they're great, but I can't keep air in them for more than a couple weeks at a time. I've been to one bike shop twice and another three times in the last year and a half trying to get this problem solved. They'll hold air for a few rides if I'm riding regularly, but then if the weather or my own laziness keeps me off the bike for a couple weeks (or more, in the winter), they go "dead flat" while sitting in the garage. The weight of the bike from above causes the tires to dismount from the rims and I can never get them them to "stick" again and hold air. It's always another trip to the bike shop, and I don't think that's how this is supposed to work. Yes, I've been on bicycle forums and YouTube trying to find answers. And yes, I top off the air pressure in my tires before every ride - I'm not just letting them sit untouched and thinking they'll hold air like automobile tires. I think I just don't ride often enough to justify tubeless tires.
Meanwhile, my wife and kids' bikes and my old bike with tubes never go all the way flat, even in the winter when the bikes are hanging up from the garage ceiling. I guess the answer is obvious - go back to the older tech that has worked for decades and quit being grumpy about all the time and money I spent chasing something that the internet said was better.
I agree with the comments that bicycle GAS is just as bad as guitar GAS, if not worse.
hemingway
Poster Extraordinaire
Works for me. I'm a mountain bike guy, even on London roads - ESPECIALLY on pot-holed London roads.
I do a lot of off-road riding in the parks and forests near me (and yes, London is full of parks and forests). And it's also my primary A to B transport method.
It's also great when I have one of my frequent spells of lousy health. Riding at a modest pace is really energy efficient. You basically fly to where you need to be.
So if I am well enough to really go for it, it's great. If I'm not, it's still great.
I do a lot of off-road riding in the parks and forests near me (and yes, London is full of parks and forests). And it's also my primary A to B transport method.
It's also great when I have one of my frequent spells of lousy health. Riding at a modest pace is really energy efficient. You basically fly to where you need to be.
So if I am well enough to really go for it, it's great. If I'm not, it's still great.
