Bicycle Enthusiasts thread

[cbhausen]

Gearhead here. Love riding and working on bikes. Own three. A Cannondale Quick flat-bar road bike. A Cannondale H400 touring bike. And a Catrike Expedition 30 speed trike. Usually do two centuries each summer. Belong to an old persons trike riding club, (Lowriders), and we have a blast. We often ride the Nickle Plate Trail on Sundays, but today we did 45 miles on the Panhandle Pathway Trail. Also love restoring old Schwinn's and fixing up bikes for friends. Planning a solo trip on the Katy Trail in MO, in the fall. 475 miles of riding and camping.

Three to four days a week, I hang out at Victory Bike Shop in Kokomo. It has to be the most politically incorrect place in all of Indiana. The owner is also a Class III manufacturer and dealer and has an FFL.

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Nice Catrike! I had one exactly like it and regret selling it. I’ve had several recumbents including a Rans Vivo and a Bacchetta Strada.

Glad I saw your post as I am considering buying a Cannondale Bad Boy 1 and I see Victory Bicycles is a Cannondale dealer.

Is it wrong for me to drool all over this $2000 bicycle?

https://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Bike/ProductDetail?Id=794906db-5bb4-4c36-b6dd-a98682c57be0

 

[Mark 1911]

Man I am pumped today. Far exceeded my goal of 100 miles for week ending yesterday at 192.5 miles. Put in another 26 miles this morning before the the rain rolled in.

Down to 181 from 192 lbs. Going down down to 155.

All my jeans in the wash this morning, all my 36 waist. So tried a pair of old 34s. First time I've slipped into those in at least 2 years, probably more!!

 

[mensajess]

If anyone is interested, the bike shop I work at part time has a Saturday morning group ride at 8am. We have 2 groups that split after 12ish miles, 1 group turns back for 25ish miles. The second continues on for 50 miles. We leave Gray Goat on the southside and head south into the corn fields of johnson county

 

[Mark 1911]

I've been hitting it hard this month, about 577 miles in for June so far. Have been getting in a combination of distance and intensity workouts. Have also been encouraging my wife to ride more often and have been going out on rides with her to get her motivated. When I ride with her it's typically shorter distance and slower pace, so I ride the mountain bike with her just to work a little harder than I would on the road bike.

I'm down an honest 18 lbs since I started on May 25th. I'm targeting another 25 lbs by the end of summer.

Here's a screen shot of my workouts from the MapMyRide app since I started....

 

[Bfish]

Congrats on the weight loss Mark! I got out and rode with my wife last night. I just got her into an all Carbon Trek and she took it out for the first time last night. Maybe one of these days I'll upgrade my bike but I'm in it for the exercise honestly and not the speed just like you.

 

[Ark]

Got a ways to go before I hit Mark's numbers, but I've been riding to work when I can and swapping 90ish minute rides for my daily runs a couple of days a week.

It's going pretty well. Riding beats running when it gets hot out. The airflow really helps. Things were tough at first but I'm already noticing my power output is up and my ability to sustain that output is growing. Hills that I used to gas out on at the end of the ride have gotten better. Just gonna keep workin' at it.

 

[Mark 1911]

Has been several weeks since I posted an update. Here's my July Calendar, I hit 780 miles for the month

Have gotten a little stronger since I started. Fastest ride so far, 37 miles at an average pace of 18.1 mph. Did 60 miles last Sunday at 15.9 mph average.

And the result of all that hard work? I am now down to 162 lbs as of August 7th. 31 lbs lost since I started my bicycling program on May 26th! My goal is to be somewhere between 145 and 155. Will have a better idea once I get down a little further and continue to consult with my doctor.

 

[Mark 1911]

Never thought there would be much mixing of gun technology and bicycle technology, other than carrying while riding.

But, sometimes an improvised solution turns out to be a perfect match.

Garmin makes a taillight for bicycles that has a built in radar (the Garmin Varia RTL510), and will alert the rider to cars approaching from behind on the screen of compatible Garmin Edge GPS units. The problem that a lot of bicyclists have with the taillight is that is is designed to mount on a seat post, and a lot of riders use saddlebags. So, I came up with a very strong and simple solution to share with those bicyclists who haven't found a solution yet, using a simple belt clip that can be ordered online. Being an engineer, I find improvised solutions can be very good, sometimes better than what's available on the market. Just thought I'd share this here for those interested:

Here's a very simple solution to mount your Varia RTL510 to the luggage loop on your saddlebag. This one works like a champ. Simple, strong, secure, and works as well or better than any product you will pay more for online.

Items you will need:

1. Metal Belt Clip. Order these online, typically used for gun holsters and knife sheaths. Ensure the width dimension is compatible with the loop on your saddlebag. Here’s the one I ordered as an example: https://www.amazon.com/Holster-Shea...tal+belt+clip&qid=1565102457&s=gateway&sr=8-9
2. Industrial Strength Velcro. I like the clear plastic variety typically used for mounting toll transponders to a windshield, but tons of products out there. Very strong, more than enough to secure the Varia, with plenty of margin for those nasty and bumps and potholes you didn’t see coming. But if you still want an extra measure of security for peace of mind, use the Velcro bundling strap material, Item 3.
3. Velcro Bundling Strap (optional). I used this: https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N3VDFMVXXH1QVXKJXQZS
4. Zip Ties. Optional

Using scissors, trim the Velcro to match the belt clip and the back of your RTL510 varia, but don't cover the quad-lock mount, just in case you ever want to use it. No artistic talent required.
Here’s some pictures of the final result. I used a short piece of bundling strap wrapped around the unit as extra security, but not necessary.

Note the Bontrager Flare RT at the bottom of the setup. It’s attached to a Bontrager belt clip, a $4.99 accessory you can order from Trek. The Bontrager belt clip is a perfect match for the notch at the bottom of the main belt clip. I secured the Flare RT to the main belt clip using two zip ties, one through the hole of the main belt clip, and the other to secure the two sides of the Bontrager belt clip (see pics below).

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Rode the Catrike yesterday with the local Lowriders club. Started out going from Kokomo to Peru on the Nickelplate trail. Had brunch at Gabriel's, and then took the county roads to Amboy and the Amish market. Then back to Kokomo. Total of 56 miles.
Our club has between 5 to 15 that ride every Thursday. We have around 35 on the mass email list. Most are retired and are between 50-80 years old. Normally leave our starting point and head to brunch. After that, the group splits in two. Some head back to the starting point. Some go on to another destination or two. We welcome riders from all experience levels. IM me if you want to be added to the email list.

 

[KittySlayer]

.Have gotten a little stronger since I started. Fastest ride so far, 37 miles at an average pace of 18.1 mph. Did 60 miles last Sunday at 15.9 mph average.

Those are some solid performances. Looks like your regular workouts are paying off. Good job!

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Nice Catrike! I had one exactly like it and regret selling it. I’ve had several recumbents including a Rans Vivo and a Bacchetta Strada.

Glad I saw your post as I am considering buying a Cannondale Bad Boy 1 and I see Victory Bicycles is a Cannondale dealer.

Is it wrong for me to drool all over this $2000 bicycle?

https://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Bike/ProductDetail?Id=794906db-5bb4-4c36-b6dd-a98682c57be0

I think Victory has one in stock. It is super cool. Dave at Victory is always willing to cut a deal, to make a sale.

 

[Mark 1911]

Those are some solid performances. Looks like your regular workouts are paying off. Good job!

Thanks for the encouragement. Did another 41 this morning at 17.4 avg. Feel better than I have in years!

 

[Hookeye]

I should go to Victory and hassle, er I mean chat, with Dave.
Aint been there for a while.

My next bike will be

https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/clockwork/2019

Only dealer in Milwaukee.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I should go to Victory and hassle, er I mean chat, with Dave.
Aint been there for a while.

My next bike will be

https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/clockwork/2019

Only dealer in Milwaukee.

Yep, Dave is full of opinions and has zero filter. But he is also one of the best all-round bike mechanics in the midwest.

When he and Tony get to ripping into each other, it is like watching a drama reality show about laughing inbred circus aliens from outer space. There is nothing quite like it.

 

[Hookeye]

Ive been in on a few LOL.

 

[Mark 1911]

After a slacker week of only 66 miles last week (due to bad weather and work related travel), this week is off to a good start. As of this morning (Tuesday), I've logged 126 miles since Sunday morning in three rides, total ride time 7.34 hours. An overall average speed of 17.2 mph for 126 miles. Part of that distance included a personal best 40km time (24.85 miles) of 1:21:27, or 18.3 mph. And even though my endurance and speed are slowly but steadily improving, I still seem to have hit one of those "plateaus" in the weight loss effort, have been sitting between 161 and 162 lbs for a few weeks now. I'm going to have to ride a few more miles in order to break the 160 lb barrier. Will easily break the 200 mile mark this week. And I've now set up a smart trainer in my basement, so the foul weather will no longer be a show-stopper.

 

[cbhausen]

I think Victory has one in stock. It is super cool. Dave at Victory is always willing to cut a deal, to make a sale.

I got a 2020 Cannondale Bad Boy 1 size Medium a couple of days ago through Victory Bike Shop in Kokomo. Dave had to order it in for me. I got a decent deal, too.

Out of the box the front wheel was way out of true (had about 1/4" of lateral runout over about 1/3 of its circumference). Dave looked like a virtuoso musician playing the harp when he put that wheel on his truing stand. Spin, pluck, adjust, repeat and in a few minutes the wheel was straight. He knows what he's doing.

A few short rides has me feeling like a kid again. I'm going to start commuting on it next week. Only 3.5 miles each way but hey, every little bit helps!

 

[Ark]

Bike commuting to work has become a full blown lifestyle thing for me this summer. Unless it's raining, or I'm just utterly and completely drained from nights and doubles, I'm riding to and from work. Pretty happy with myself.

 

[Mark 1911]

As of this morning, have logged 180 miles so far this week since Sunday. Here's this morning's 55-mile loop. Starts in Munster (just south of Hammond on the map, then around the loop through Dyer, St. John, Crown Point, Lake Dalecarlia, Cedar Lake, Schererville, and back to Munster.

Still haven't broken that 160 lb barrier, but the needle on the scale can't get much closer without dipping down into the 150s.

 

[flightsimmer]

While we're discussing bicycles, does anyone have a crank forward or stretch frame Beach Cruiser they don't want or need?
I'm looking for one.