So, today was apparently the official start of the '09 Bicycling Season for me. Shootin' Buddy and I rode up the Monon Trail into Broad Ripple Proper to look at the hippies looking at art.
Then we pedaled back down to Locally Grown Gardens for the blogmeet, only we were about ten minutes early, so we pressed on several blocks south before turning around and arriving fashionably on time (-ish).
Then we pedaled back home.
Ow, my butt.
(Bobbi X has a preliminary blogmeet/blogshoot wrapup on her blog. More to follow, I am sure.)
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21 comments:
The rear-end pain resulting from that hippie collision in the crosswalk indicates you should invest in a bike with heavy-duty shocks.
That or padded shorts.
My Trek came with a suspension seatpost, and before I got that, I never thought I'd be able to ride without waddling afterward like I rode a horse for 150 miles, without pain in the seat area with all the pressure of my largesse compressed on a 2 cm spot, and without "that" going numb if I didn't stand on the pedals every five minutes to let the blood circulate, until I rode with that seatpost.
Please, treat yourself to a suspension seatpost, then, if that's not enough, get a gel seat cover. Here's some reviews:
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/suspension/suspension-seatpost/PLS_150crx.aspx
and here's some economical models:
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bike+seatpost&tag=googhydr-20&index=sporting&hvadid=1694921141&ref=pd_sl_68b8164k83_b
Your welcome.
wv: univesse - the place where people with deft skills and finesse live
can't wait to hear the significance of pedaling down there and then peddling home. the imagination runs wild...
jtc
crap...the editor sends the imagination back into the box...that was quick:o)
I used to ride with these pilots from Chico that would do 30 mile treks up into the Sierras, then on the way home we discovered "Le Croissant De France" and would stop in for a "snack" on the way home.
We got the name "Bulimia Breakfast Club" as it got so we only rode so we could eat the pastry after. :-)
Sorry I missed the meet, just got off work. My dinner came from a machine I think
If you want to take a bit of the rough ride out, a Thudbuster from Cane Creek is a pretty easy swap.
Jim
Tam,
Are you riding a road bike or a mountain bike?
If you're into skinny tires, check out a recumbent. The Infinityis made in Mooresville (or used to be...) and is good for a comfortable century.
Word Verification: gughth - the sound made by a standing cyclist with each pedal stroke on a long uphill climb.
Tam,
If you REALLY want to spice up that bicycle, you should try one of these engine kits (http://www.zoombicycles.com/).
At around $135 for the kit, it takes bicycle fun to a whole new level. I have a 35 year old Western Flyer with one of these engine kits and a Thudbuster Elastomer short travel seat mount to smooth out those 30MPH bumps. I like my pedal bikes, but my pedal / engine customized Western Flyer is my favorite, and you can actually pedal when you want some exercise. The kits are easy to install, and kind of makes me hark back to the very early motorcycle days when they were really just motorized bikes.
I also like the 100+ MPG it gets too...
"Ow, my butt."
Ok, there is a joke in there somewhere. Don't worry after I shot my USPSA match this weekend I am thinking of taking of biking. 5 misses, 2 no shoot targets, and a near DQ marked my fun for the weekend! LOL!
I have tried to bicycle a few times over the years. Eventually decided that if I am going to be mixing it up with Quebec's drivers--a more aggressive breed of the Bostonite or Atlantan cager--on two wheels, I damn well better have an engine under me. If I need exercise, I'll walk!
+1 on the recumbent. 30+ miles with no back, butt, neck, or hand pains. Of course, the "dork" factor is a bit high but you get used to it. Children stare and point but the drivers seem to give you a bit more slack.
I can definitely vouch for the comfort of the gel seat. And the value of the sprung post. (That's a whole nother rude joke waiting to happen). But in the meantime, a lot of places have gel seat covers, to modify/improve the ride quality of what you have without spending lots of cash.
For the riders here, is anyone packing while riding, and if so, using what as a holster? Thunderwear?
Strangely, it's not singletrack in the woods that is the concern, it's the community rail-trail sized corridors that seem to attract the occasional ne'er-do-well.
I use a Galco fanny pack. Nobody thinks anything about a fanny pack if you are on a bike.
I was always a bicyclist, through my 20s. Then something happened. I haven't ridden a bike more than a block in several years. I need a new bike. On Don Gwinn's advice, I'm thinking of a Giant brand.
Lately, I've been appreciating the lovely biking weather that is May, in that it brings to town the bike rallies, which mean significant off-duty bucks for Officer G, directing traffic.
"For the riders here, is anyone packing while riding, and if so, using what as a holster? Thunderwear?"
Blue Bianchi fanny pack. It is an ordinance violation to carry on the Monon Trail, so I never have. I know the police will always be there to protect me.
But when we divert off of the Monon magically a Smith 638 or 649 or Kahr P9 will appear in the fanny pack.
For early morning rides a J frame in a KL Null Cityslicker under your Wooby works fine.
Shootin' Buddy
So, what kinda bike you gots, Tam?
You know we're here mostly for the snark, but as RBA (Red Blooded Americans) we're also here for the gear!
My *season* started Jan 1st (ok, it never ends from year to year). I've already completed one century (a solo effort: Mile 0 of Blue Ridge Parkway to Mile 117 with 10k in climbing). Next is the MS150 in June. If all goes according to plan, I'll complete 4 centuries this year.
Biking was my first love. It and guns flipflop for the top spot periodically.
Chris
"So, what kinda bike you gots, Tam?"
A piece-o'-crap WallyWorld MTB. That was my basic starter rig last summer, fitted with a Bell saddle and a rear carrier from Bike Nashbar.
Bobbi and I have discussed spending a weekend trolling the pawnshops to find me a real bike for this summer and the years beyond...
If you know what you're looking at in the picture/description, Craigslist and ebay can be great places to get good bikes for little cash. I've seen some nice (well, nice back in the day...) bikes go for nothing. Recently, I saw a nice 90s vintage Trek 930 on Craigslist for $175. That was a $500+ bike in the early 90s (which would be a $1000 bike today) and this one looked like it was unridden and stored indoors.
Chris
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