Discussion Board

There may soon be a new bike in my life. A co-worker is selling his Look 555 bike with Ultegra components. He is letting me ride it this weekend to check it out. My current road bike is a Miyata that is about 15 years old. The shifting is failing and I was told because of its age, there would be no choice but to replace the components or get a new bike, so I'm looking at a new bike. He wants around $900 for it.

Michael

Hi Chumly,

I know nothing about Look bikes. Apart from the obvious stuff like checking that the gears are changing nicely and the brakes are working effectively, check that the bike has been serviced regularly.

As it’s got a carbon frame (I think) check that very carefully, and then when you’ve checked every millimetre of it check it again. Carbon frames are light and strong but unlike steel and alloy frame they can suddenly fail which is very bad.

Utegra is a great group set and is easily the most popular among serious amateur cyclists.

I hope it works out well for you.

Preventing Theft

Locations
• Avoid locking your bike up in public places when possible. Leaving your bike overnight is a bad idea. The safest place is indoors in your workplace or home.
• Private car parks and back lanes are not necessarily better - although it is less public, thieves have more cover and can come and go without being noticed.


Thieves
This is not certified info however there are generally two types of bicycle thieves;
The Opportunity Thief will find your bike by chance and take the opportunity of stealing it. Perhaps they live in the neighbourhood or are passing through. These thieves may try and sell to a friend or ride the bike themself.
The Organised Criminal has better bike knowledge and will often target more expensive bikes. Sometimes bike events may be targeted or locations which bike riders frequent. These bikes are often transported out of town, sometimes interstate and are resold. Sometimes parts are changed to make distinguished bikes less recognisable.


Locks
• Use more than one lock when possible - a super heavy duty lock and a lighter lock. The more difficult and time consuming it is for the thief, the better the deterrent.
• Take off the front wheels and lock them with the frame and back wheels, particularly if you have quick release skewers.
• Always thread the lock through the frame (How often do I see bikes with just the front wheel locked)
• When possible, try and lock up as tight as possible so there is not much play in the lock - less leverage and more difficult to break.
• If your bike looks like the most difficult bike in the bunch to steal then this encourage the criminal to choose another bike.
• Always lock the bike up to something that can't be easily moved or dismantled. A common error is drain pipes which can often be dismantled per hand or temporary signage where the bike can be lifted up and then removed).

Bicycle Identification
• Etch a security number into the bike. Often this is done using an engraver and adding a security number underneath the bottom bracket. It is also a tell-tale sign of a stolen bike if the bottom bracket has been 'shaved' to remove the identification code.
• A laminated card with your name and contact details can be rolled up and inserted in the seat tube, bars, seat post or steerer tube so that if it is stolen and you see it on the street or in a pawn shop you can easily identify it.
• Take a note of your bike serial number, unique details and make a photo
• Personalise the bike with features that are unique to your bike (eg stickers and parts).

Anything Else
• If your bicycle is really expensive - seriously consider whether it makes sense to lock it up in public. Is it possible to buy a cheaper commuter bike?
• Scruffing up a bike and coating it with stickers can make a good frame look ordinary however is not a guarantee that it a thief wont recognise it for a good bike.
• Making your bike unique - The more individual your bike it - even just cosmetic changes, the easier it is to notice.

Guys,

This is a link to an Australian bike forum that I sometimes visit. If you scroll down the page you'll find an entry from KatiePink - the woman who finished dead-last in the 2010 Brisbane to Gold Coast 100 km bicycle challenge.

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=27836&hilit=brisbane+gold+coast+2010&start=300

It is an amazing story and highly inspirational. I hope you enjoy the read.

CADENCE

The most common mistake made in cycling and training for cycling, especially among casual cyclists, is to pedal too slowly while in a high gear. Instead a lower gear should be used and the pedalling rate increased.

Cadence is the term used to describe the rate of spinning in rpm. This the key to fitness and specifically to increasing aerobic fitness. To used an analogy, in body building low repetitions and heavy weights (anaerobic fitness) help build muscle bulk however do not improve stamina. Lower weighter and more repetition (aerobic fitness) increase stamina and general fitness.

Effect on muscle and blood pressure.
When riding with a good cadence (ie. more revolutions and with less pedalling pressure) and you contract the muscles, the muscle cells shorten and get fatter. When they get fatter, they put pressure on surrounding blood vessels forcing the blood out of them and towards the heart in a forward direction. This accelerates the flow of blood through the body while decreasing the workload on the heart, if the contractions are short and fast.

When riding in a higher gear with less pedalling revolutions the contractions are significantly longer. This causes a backpressure against the heart forcing the heart to work harder and slowing the blood flow through the body. This backpressure is OK for the short distances a racer may need to make a break, jump a gap or chase a group but it's work against the body for longer distances.

Speed and bicycle control
It is easier to control your speed and keep it smooth and steady when you spin. Pushing a high gear reduces the feeling for speed and your speed subsequently fluctuates up and down which results in quick loss of energy. Spinning will also improve your bike control.

It is generally thought that a cadence, the rate of spinning, should be between 80-100 rpm.

WOW! A cycling thread - I'm sooo excited! There is a lovely bike in my life - a white hybrid Azzura. It's sitting in my dining room, held up by the dining table. It's not doing me any good at all and it's not the bike's fault. And as an Aussie the weather is simply not an excuse (well Canberra does get cold but never snow type cold). Where I live is cycling heaven within a short drive in several directions with lots of cycle paths around lovely lakes (small lakes with the biggest being about 35k around).

I've been ill for a few years and with Type 2 diabetes and new meds (thyroid and Type 2) I do feel better but frankly I'm scared to get out there on my own. I worry about what I will do if the bike breaks down or gets a flat, and what I will do if I have a hypo (that is an excuse really, because bananas are easy to carry). It really is the thought of riding on my own. I always used to ride with a small group but that was through a fitness studio and I can't afford it any more, and I used to get embarrassed about slowing them down (I'm 57 and they were all in their forties and fifties). They now all do road riding which I'm just not prepared to do.

In these days of cell phones it shouldn't be such a problem, but I plan it all out and then can't get myself out there. I can find all sorts of excuses - too late, too wet, too dark, have to be at work early and on and on. And I loved it for the few years I was really into it.

Any ideas for motivating an old wheelie?

PS Love the articles!!

I recently purchased a new car (2011 honda Accord). Now i need to get a new bike rack. My old rack mounted on the trailer hitch. I am considering a Thule that clamps onto the trunk and can be locked in place. Anyone have any opinions and experience with different bike racks?

Michael

I have been a rather serious biker for years. My suggestion -- stick with a hitch rack -- they are by far the best. The best rack I have found is at http://www.raxterracks.com. I now ride a recumbent bike (http://www.bacchettabikes.com!). But, my BF and I both love this rack -- bikes go on and off in about 3 minutes. The strap on racks are a pain to get on the car and then you have to bungee cord the bikes on to keep everything stable ... until the rack loosens up and you have to stop and retighten the straps. The Raxter Rack holds the bikes upright and secure and easily adapts to all types of bikes. My BF and I load his mountain bike, my recumbent, or both road bikes or both mountain bikes and it is all easy on, easy off. Can't say enough good things about the Raxter Rack!

Happy Riding!

Sharon

I just had the trailer hitch installed so I can use my old rack. I will be looking for a new rack in the near future. The one I currently have is okay for now, but it is cumbersome to load bikes on and is an old design that is being made obsolete now. The rack clamps on the top bar so the bike can swing as I accelerate and brake. I use a bungee cord and foam padding to keep it from damaging the finish, but I will upgrade it soon.

Michael

We have Thule double rack that goes on the towbar (what you call a hitch?). Compared to our previous rack it is heaven to load and unload. Well worth the extra money to get rid of annoying straps. Even I can load and unload - previously a job my husband had to do for me. We decided against the roof mount because of the stories we've heard of collisions with bridges and the tops of garage doors. Besides the fact that I couldn't lift my hybrid bike high enough.

I think a roof rack is preferable only if you also canoe or kayak. It is my least favorite method for attaching my bike to the car. I will look at the Thule racks. I am expecting to catch a sale or membership discount at REI this month so I can get the best possible deal. In the meantime I'll use my current rack. I love the fact that I can pull the pin and take the rack off if quickly for improved gas mileage if I need to.

Michael

Rode my bike yesterday for the first time this year. I've been procrastinating getting back into cycling for some reason. Now that I've done it, I don't know why. I love cycling! I rode for about 90 minutes and covered roughly 20 miles. I'm a bit sore today, but mostly from sitting on the seat and my shoulders and neck from the riding position. I am also getting back into hiking and trail running. I love these kind of outdoor activities. If I had easy access to water, I think I would love canoeing and kayaking.

Michael

You should live in Oregon lots of access to rivers. I love cycling too. Going to take my bike out probably after little boy I watch goes home today.

Hi Everyone! I'm looking at maybe taking up riding again, mostly for the exercise and riding with my daughter. I used to be an avid cyclist when I was growing up and in my early twenties (late 70's/80's) even had an expensive ($2000) custom built touring bike I built myself (Campagnolo components throughout, Reynolds 531 DB tubing, fully lugged, extra light weight racks and packs, light weight seat and bars, built and trued my wheels myself with DB spokes and light weight rims, ran on 1" cotton tubulars, 15 speeds, etc... I.e., a dream touring bike for the early 1980's). But by the time my 30's hit, I was no longer biking (work, personal circumstances, laziness took over).

Now I'm thinking on starting up again. My daughter wants me to ride with her. But there are so many choices today that weren't available back in my day. We didn't have hybrids or trail/mountain bikes. We had typical racing bikes that you would modify a bit for touring and that was about it. So now I'm overwhelmed with the choices and I'm not sure beyond just the general exercise how serious I want to get with cycling again (and being 55 is of course another factor here).

So what I'm looking for is maybe some recommendations on what an old former rider should be looking for today. I'm thinking more of maybe a hybrid as its more upright sitting style will be easier on my back. Speed is not an issue, though keeping it light weight and nimble probably is. And I do want it to last at least for a few years to see if I really want to get more serious again.

So I don't want to spend a lot of money for this initial bike. I've looked at the mass-market bikes you can get at your regular mega-retailers and while they are cheap in price, they also look cheap in quality, heavy frames with rediculous tube brazing, cheap derailleurs, horrible brakes, etc (though they all seem to have 15-18-21 speeds,no doubt with so much redundancy in the gearing that you probably have about half that in effective gears).

I haven't been at any local bike shops as they are few and far between in my area though there is a Trek shop near by. So I guess what I want is a bike thats of good quality and will last a few years. I'm not at all familiar with bike brands today. However if a bit more expensive bike would be a better long term value then I would seriously consider it. So any recommendations?

Also back in my day there was no internet so buying/building your own bikes was generally done through mail-order catalogs. There were at least a dozen major high-end bike/component dealers that you could buy from. Are there any that still exist today that are recommended? I would suppose they all have websites as well.

Thanks for your help guys (and gals)!

Geo -- I, too, have been a bit of a bike geek for most of my life. I have a lovely Italian steel frame, all Campy bike I built up myself -- it's a sweet ride. But, I blew out my shoulder swimming and it just hurts to much to ride my Italian steed. (Although I do air up her tires from time to time and take her out for short rides!).

I highly recommend you look at a short wheelbase recumbent. Yes, they are a little chunk of change, but you can't beat them for a comfortable ride and the short wheel base bikes are nimble (and fast!) and such fun to ride. If you are concerned about your back -- there is no better solution. Plus, it is fun to see the teenagers on skateboards stop and stare as you ride by "dude, what an awesome bike"! There are a lot of choices when it comes to recumbents these days, but after literally years of research, I settled on a Bacchetta Giro20 -- and I love it! http://www.bacchettabikes.com. If you go to the forum on the Bacchetta site there is a "for sale" section, too. Also, look around on Craigs List and your local sites. It shouldn't be too hard to find a good used bike, at a reduced price from a new bike. Also, if you aren't near a bike shop, Bacchetta ships bikes, ready to ride out of the box -- they are a small company with can't be beat customer service.

I love mine! Good luck and welcome back to the road!

Sharon