So what do you ride?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

So guys what do you ride and why??

For my part i,ve given up on motorcycles, never did like cars so, if i want to get anywhere now i cycle, and i love it, the whole concept of self reliant, self propelled transport is really important to me, since my son came on the scene i,ve really been interested in the world he and the rest of his generation are gona inherite from us, so doing my bit for the planet is something i,ve really taken to heart, and cycling helps me to acheive that.

so as for my rides...

i,ve got an old mtb fitted with a tow bar so i can hook my sons bike to mine as a sorta tandem.

but my main bike that i use pretty much everyday is a modified dahon vitesse d5 folder.

why a folder? well if you trying to live with out an engine ocationally you need to use public transport or taxi,s try doing that on a full size mtb/racer

sorry for the long post 

[Grant Lamontagne]

The folders seem interesting to me, but I like sturdy things.  The last time I looked at one they were pretty rickety, but then that was a while ago.  Are they really getting any better?

I'm not looking for anything I can take down a mountain, but I like something solid- I'm pretty hard on things, which is why I have SAKs and multis.  They can take the abuse, and help me fix the other things I break....

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

well i,ve had two dahon,s the first one was a tough old thing but would flex ALARMINGLY at speed, this one however is every bit as good as any full size bike but only takes up half the space, plus there is the shere gadget factor of them

[Grant Lamontagne]

How are the backsprings on it?



Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

theres good snap and the walk and talk are excellent

[Grant Lamontagne]

My old mountain bike used to flex alarmingly at speed, but then I did mention I was hard on things, and it was getting on in age.  I actually got a speeding ticket on that bike once.  It seems cyclists are also required to follow the speed limits, something I was unaware of until then.

Of course the cop thought I would just want to have an official record of how fast I was going- I don't rightly remember what it was, but I think it was 73kph in a 60 zone.  I was heading down a hill drafting a truck when I decided to overtake him, and the next thing I know a siren scares the living hell out of me and I almost wiped out.

But I'm feeling MUCH better now!   :grin:

Def

[I'm Still Bison]

 Hi there Micky D ! Dahons are apparently so popular now that apparently supply can't keep with the demand in parts of the country. back in the 60's there was a car mfgr. that  with every car sold also gave  a free folder,and I can't remember the maker or the bike.
 What I'm riding nowadays is a mid 80's Raleigh Wyoming, a 2006 Schwinn Sierra GS,and a 2007 Mongoose Crossway 250..don't knock the Mongoose..it is amazingly similar to the Trek 7.2 FX in frame and componentry,at about $130 cheaper.Right now I'm saxing my pennies for either the Jamis Coda Sport,or Bianchi Castro Vallley.
Welcome aboard,and tell us about some of your favorite places to ride.

[parnass]

RANS Gliss recumbent bicycle.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

well i,m lucky were i live as there are a lot of minor country roads and woods to walk through, so i tend to use one of my bikes to get me to the places i practice bushcraft.

having said that i have to negotioate several miles of urban sprawl, filled with psycho drivers, who sole mission in life is to end mine

good fun though

my dream bike would have to be a thorn raven! got to be the ultimate bushcraft vehicle

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

nice i,ve always wanted to have a go on a recumbent, how are they in heavy traffic?

i only say that as it seems to me that your visability is cut down on account of you being lower?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

My old mountain bike used to flex alarmingly at speed, but then I did mention I was hard on things, and it was getting on in age.  I actually got a speeding ticket on that bike once.  It seems cyclists are also required to follow the speed limits, something I was unaware of until then.

Of course the cop thought I would just want to have an official record of how fast I was going- I don't rightly remember what it was, but I think it was 73kph in a 60 zone.  I was heading down a hill drafting a truck when I decided to overtake him, and the next thing I know a siren scares the living hell out of me and I almost wiped out.

But I'm feeling MUCH better now!   :grin:

Def

73 kph! thats some tow! it feels weird doing those sorta speeds on something without all that weight and an engine!!

[parnass]

nice i,ve always wanted to have a go on a recumbent, how are they in heavy traffic?

i only say that as it seems to me that your visability is cut down on account of you being lower?

There are different styles of recumbent bicycle.  Most are much more comfortable than an ordinary diamond frame bike.   Sold my mountain bike because the 'bent is so much more fun.  No aches or pains after riding it even on a 30 mile trip.

Some recumbents are lower than others.  My Gliss is lower than a diamond frame bike, but not very low.   Heavy traffic can be perilous no matter what type of bike.  I have a day-glow orange flag on a mast mounted to the rear of the bike.  The flag and bike attract more attention than a diamond frame which is an advantage in traffic.


Check out http://www.bentrideronline.com and the forums at
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/

[I'm Still Bison]

What is it like to make the switch to a 'bent?  What kind of changes did you have to make?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

nice i,ve always wanted to have a go on a recumbent, how are they in heavy traffic?

i only say that as it seems to me that your visability is cut down on account of you being lower?

There are different styles of recumbent bicycle.  Most are much more comfortable than an ordinary diamond frame bike.   Sold my mountain bike because the 'bent is so much more fun.  No aches or pains after riding it even on a 30 mile trip.

Some recumbents are lower than others.  My Gliss is lower than a diamond frame bike, but not very low.   Heavy traffic can be perilous no matter what type of bike.  I have a day-glow orange flag on a mast mounted to the rear of the bike.  The flag and bike attract more attention than a diamond frame which is an advantage in traffic.


Check out http://www.bentrideronline.com and the forums at
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/

we have a LOT of pot holes in the uk, how well do bent respond to rapid changes of direction?

[Splat]

I've got a Giant Rainier mtb and a Specialized Allez Elite road, both are triples. I bought the Giant first about 5 years ago to get back into riding and, primarily, get back into shape. I was 6' at 235lbs. Nice corporate job, on my arse all day, eating a lot at dinner. The weight came on quickly. I loved riding again and went many places locally and down the shore with the Rainier. Then I figured since I was doing practically all roading with the Rainier I might as well get a real road bike. I've had the Speciallized for two years now and love it. I upgraded the shifters and derailleurs to Ultegra. I'd like to get a nice pair of Ksyriums this summer. I love this bike and it's helped me get closer to my  weight-loss goal of 185. I take the bike down the shore, to the mountains, but mostly local riding. I average 25-30miles per ride, sometimes 40. I'd like to do a century this year. We'll see how that goes. 

PS, Hammer Heed, Endurolytes and Gels are the cat's ass! 

[parnass]

... we have a LOT of pot holes in the uk, how well do bent respond to rapid changes of direction?

Short wheelbase recumbents (with the pedals ahead of the front wheel) can turn tighter and faster than longer wheelbase recumbents like the Gliss I ride.   You can buy or build a recumbent with suspension.   My Gliss has an adjustable air shock absorber in the rear.

[parnass]

What is it like to make the switch to a 'bent?  What kind of changes did you have to make?

Not sure what you mean here, though the biggest change might be in your bank account.  Recumbents vary widely in price but are generally more expensive due to the smaller number of them manufactured. 

I was in my early 50s when I switched from a diamond frame bike to a recumbent and my wife was in her 40s.  The best advice I got (and give) is to test ride as many recumbent models as you can before buying.  It is so much fun.

There are different styles and you might prefer one over another.  Short wheelbase recumbents (pedals ahead of front wheel) do not fit short riders as well as long wheelbase models.

[I'm Still Bison]

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, after riding a diamond frame for so long,and the habits you acquire,how was it to make the switch,learning a different way to ride. BTW,there's a regular on SOSAK,Andy Tyedye,that's a 'bent rider,I should get him to come aboard here.
And Micky D,I invite you to come to my town for a ride..I could match you pothole for pothole !

[parnass]

One difference between diamond frame bikes and most recumbents is that you cannot ride most recumbents with your hands off the handlebars.

A larger difference is that you cannot stand up on a recumbent to pedal up hill.  The pedals are in front of you, not below you.   You must downshift to lower gears to pedal up the hill.   

'Bents are slower going up hill but faster than diamond frames on level ground or going downhill.  I ride for leisure so I ride slowly.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

if i won the lottery i,d get one of these fo me and my son...

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/pino.shtml

how cool is that :grin:

best of both worlds perhaps?

[J-sews]

if i won the lottery i,d get one of these fo me and my son...

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/pino.shtml

how cool is that :grin:

best of both worlds perhaps?

Yikes! It looks.....exciting.    Which person does the steering?!

[Grant Lamontagne]

According to the site, the person in the back steers.  But still, that's about $5,000 US for a bike... you could take alot of limosines for that kind of cash!

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

but how cool is it!!

and yep the bloke in the rear stears and brakes, but at least you can keep an eye on your littlle one in front

[NutSAK]

I have 3 right now.  I only ride the Schwinn MTB and the Cannondale R1000:

1991 Cannondale R400 -- 3.0 Aluminum frame (6061-T6), Shimano 105 component group
1995 Schwinn S 9five MTB -- Aluminum frame (7075, double-butted), Shimano XT rapidfire component group, Ritchey clipless pedals, Control Tech stem & seatpost, AMP F1 linkage suspensin fork, Mavic rims (32 spoke).
1999 Cannondale R1000 -- CAAD frame w/Dupont Chromalusion paint, Kestrel EMS carbon fork, Shimano 600 component group (STI), Scott clipless pedals, Mavic aero rims (24 spoke)

I will try to get some pictures posted of these....

[I'm Still Bison]

NutSAK..is your Schwinn one of the ones built on a Giant frame? I  don't know exactly when the two parted ways.

[knife-man]

I have a donor bike arriving this friday hopefully .. so pretty soon I will be riding a "bent" with a bit of luck  :grin:.

Apart from that I'm stick with a cheap middle range mountain bike because I cant afford to replace my top of the range one.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

me niether but a divorce will do that to ya :grin:

are you gona be posting pics of it here or BB?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I have a donor bike arriving this friday hopefully .. so pretty soon I will be riding a "bent" with a bit of luck  :grin:.

Apart from that I'm stick with a cheap middle range mountain bike because I cant afford to replace my top of the range one.

becareful on the road though coz i really don,t think bents and uk roads/drivers really mix

[NutSAK]

NutSAK..is your Schwinn one of the ones built on a Giant frame? I  don't know exactly when the two parted ways.

I was not aware that Schwinn ever sold bikes with a Giant frame, actually.  I seem to recall that they had farmed out some of the frame assembly (welding) to Giant, but I'm not sure when that happened.  Do you know any more about that?  The S 9five frame is a design based upon the excellent 6061 "Homegrown" frame that Schwinn was producing at the time.

I was working at the shop at that time.  I remember Schwinn went into bankruptcy in 1992 and was purchased by Zell-Climark soon after.  The mid 90s were some of their best years, but they still couldn't hold it in the black.  I cannot tell you how disappointed I was when Pacific Cycle bought Schwinn in 2001, and they began showing up on department store floors.

[knife-man]

I have a donor bike arriving this friday hopefully .. so pretty soon I will be riding a "bent" with a bit of luck  :grin:.

Apart from that I'm stick with a cheap middle range mountain bike because I cant afford to replace my top of the range one.

becareful on the road though coz i really don,t think bents and uk roads/drivers really mix

It's not actually going to end up that low the saddle will end up maybe two feet lower if that .. Im going to stick a flag on it .. and the trailer already has a flag (aparently being bright yellow and 2 ' x 3'  isnt enough to get it noticed) and I don't very often ride without the trailer.

My G/f ram's into the back of my more often then car's  .