Topics

1

Gear Talk / Seat posts

« on: June 16, 2010, 09:46:31 pm »

I've been having LOTS of problems with my seat posts. Since it's a comfort bike, it has a shock in the post itself. First, I had an issue with the fact that my seat, over time, kept going down. I replaced the post quick-tightener with a old-school clamp... That helped (readjusting weekly instead of every couple of hours).

Next, I bent the bracket that holds the seat on the post... It was a cheap steel one that came with my first post... So I replaced the seat post with one that has a much more sturdy mounting bracket.

Now, the gasket/seal/something at the top of the shock on my current seatpost is broken, and it's only a couple of months old.
 
At 225lbs I'm a big guy, but not huge... This is getting a bit crazy. Thoughts? Tips? Tricks?

2

General Discussion / Cycling Trip Planner

« on: June 14, 2010, 09:40:29 pm »

Hey folks,

Last summer, I went on my first real touring trip (You can read about it here: http://www.schreurs.us/adventures/maine2009/). I went unsupported / camping, and I learned about how to properly prepare, how much food / water I needed, and more.

As I'm starting to train up for my next trip, I decided to put some of the things I've learned (from the gear list on the above page) into an interactive planning page. I've put a prototype of the page up here:
http://www.dracosoftware.com/misc/cycling.php

Is there anything y'all think I'm missing? Other advice that should go with this (Maybe a list of training commandments along the lines of "Thou shalt not eat spicy food before exercising")?

3

Gear Talk / Bicycles for off-road riding

« on: March 24, 2010, 04:33:34 pm »

Ok, so I'm thinking about upgrading and getting a new bicycle. I'd love some thoughts as to what folks are using, and have found to be good/bad.

I do a lot of off-road riding. I'm not a mountain-biker who's hopping logs or doing any crazy-pants downhill suicide runs, but I'm also not happy just sticking to pavement. I'm often doing unpaved bike paths, rail trails, canal towpaths, and such. Sure, I run into the occasional mud-pit or fallen tree, but that's really a small fraction of my cycle time.

I'm currently using a Raleigh comfort bike which I've given more rugged tires. It's a 24 speed, and I use the entire gear range. Last summer I rode 250 miles in Maine, and it did pretty good. I'm fairly happy with it, though I'm NOT happy with the number of stock pieces I've had to replace (The tires had an issue on the bead line, my bike shop had to replace so many spokes at no charge, that they eventually just gave me a new rear wheel).

I'm just over 6" tall, and so I've been considering getting a 29" bike. However, I'm a bit concerned about the body position for long rides, plus the lack of available parts when I'm riding in more rural areas.

My bike seems to be a decent fit for the riding I do, but I sometimes get the feeling I'm at the upper-end of my bike's capacity/durability. Does anyone have some thoughts or experiences that might be enlightening?

4

General Discussion / Prep for my first trip

« on: July 24, 2009, 12:34:53 am »

Ok, I'm planning my first trip of significant length... From Bar Harbor ME to Boston MA or so. I'm in pretty good shape, and I've started increasing the length of my daily rides to get ready for the trip. I'm a bit under-trained I think, but I still have some time, and I am actively working to make sure I'm not training whilst on the trip.

Bike's been looked over, and I have a solid camping gear list, with some bike bits thrown in. I already have a trailer, I'll be picking up the Adventure Cycling map soon.

The BIG question I have is this:
Since my start point is not my end point... What do I do with my car, and how do I get back to it?

~D