Flat Bar Road Bikes with Low Step-Over, i.e Mixte

On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 6:46:14 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 5:38:56 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/26/2015 3:49 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8:43:11 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/25/2015 8:36 PM, jbeattie wrote:

I have a shower at work, too, and have a zillion shirts, pants and some
suits for dress-up days that I keep in a closet and circulate through
the dry
cleaners in the lobby of the building. The trick is wearing cycling
clothes
that will dry during the work day.

Another trick is to wear ordinary clothes, and ride in slowly enough
that a shower and clothing change isn't necessary. I suspect that
option is much more popular.

We're talking about riding in the rain. If I ride slowly in the rain, I just get more wet...

Yep. As I said, I used to generally skip the bike if it was raining
when it was time to head for work. Of course, I don't live in the
mossy, mildewy North West, so I actually had days when it didn't rain. ;-)

-- and nothing short of a dry suit would prevent that from happening.
If I rode to work in my work clothes, I'd get diaper rash sitting around
in wet clothes.

My current rain garb is a Goretex jacket, synthetic jersey, Amfib tights
and Gore brand booties -- the best booties on the market, IMO.

When the discussion arises about "What tech improvements would you like
to see for bicycling?" I always forget to mention rain gear. But IMO it
would be wonderful to be really comfortable riding in the rain. So far,
I've seldom come close.

--
- Frank Krygowski

frank, if you buy midgrade hi tech hiking-backpacking-sea kayaking clothing in the light or ultra light areas you then have a wardrobe warming when wet cooling when not and tempered when drying for not that much $$$ if you watch the counter 1-2 month in REI/Campmor...esp Campmor as REI anchors in LaLa/computer lands where often daily trans in in a Carrera.

The cloth evolves yearly...shirts I thrive on are obsolete 6 years later with micro weaves and pumping fibers.

lllllllllllllllllllll

www.backpackinglight.com

https://www.google.com/#q=gear+lab

http://www.campmor.com/SearchDisplay...02&storeId=226

On 4/26/2015 2:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 2:21:30 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 12:49 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8:43:11 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/25/2015 8:36 PM, jbeattie wrote:

I have a shower at work, too, and have a zillion shirts, pants and some
suits for dress-up days that I keep in a closet and circulate through
the dry
cleaners in the lobby of the building. The trick is wearing cycling
clothes
that will dry during the work day.

Another trick is to wear ordinary clothes, and ride in slowly enough
that a shower and clothing change isn't necessary. I suspect that
option is much more popular.

We're talking about riding in the rain.

You need to move somewhere that it doesn't rain because you're not
commuting properly if you need to change clothes at work. I'm shocked
that you were not aware of this.

Even if I rode to work in "normal clothes," I would have to change in to other "normal clothes" when I got there. It's not like I'm going to ride to work in slacks or a suit. When I lived in SJ and worked maybe two miles from my apartment, I always rode in my normal clothes -- and you know what? Saddles don't do anything good for nice slacks. Since I'm going to change anyway, I might as well ride in bike clothes -- even if the moral majority of of Franklandia prefer to pedal in their civvies.

If you are in court, I'm sure his honor would give you a pass if you
explained the reason for your appearance.

On 4/26/2015 6:31 PM, sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 2:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 2:21:30 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 12:49 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8:43:11 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/25/2015 8:36 PM, jbeattie wrote:

I have a shower at work, too, and have a zillion shirts, pants and
some
suits for dress-up days that I keep in a closet and circulate through
the dry
cleaners in the lobby of the building. The trick is wearing cycling
clothes
that will dry during the work day.

Another trick is to wear ordinary clothes, and ride in slowly enough
that a shower and clothing change isn't necessary. I suspect that
option is much more popular.

We're talking about riding in the rain.

You need to move somewhere that it doesn't rain because you're not
commuting properly if you need to change clothes at work. I'm shocked
that you were not aware of this.

Even if I rode to work in "normal clothes," I would have to change in
to other "normal clothes" when I got there. It's not like I'm going to
ride to work in slacks or a suit. When I lived in SJ and worked maybe
two miles from my apartment, I always rode in my normal clothes -- and
you know what? Saddles don't do anything good for nice slacks. Since
I'm going to change anyway, I might as well ride in bike clothes --
even if the moral majority of of Franklandia prefer to pedal in their
civvies.

If you are in court, I'm sure his honor would give you a pass if you
explained the reason for your appearance.

I made the mistake of wearing "business casual" on jury duty. Because I
was the best dressed person there, in Dockers and a long sleeve shirt, I
was made jury foreman. Or maybe because I didn't fall asleep during the
trial they thought I was the best qualified.

On Sun, 26 Apr 2015 17:38:52 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

When the discussion arises about "What tech improvements would you like
to see for bicycling?" I always forget to mention rain gear. But IMO it
would be wonderful to be really comfortable riding in the rain. So far,
I've seldom come close.

I'd settle for being able to *see* while riding in the rain.


--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 12:49 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8:43:11 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/25/2015 8:36 PM, jbeattie wrote:

I have a shower at work, too, and have a zillion shirts, pants and some
suits for dress-up days that I keep in a closet and circulate through
the dry
cleaners in the lobby of the building. The trick is wearing cycling
clothes
that will dry during the work day.

Another trick is to wear ordinary clothes, and ride in slowly enough
that a shower and clothing change isn't necessary. I suspect that
option is much more popular.

We're talking about riding in the rain.

You need to move somewhere that it doesn't rain because you're not
commuting properly if you need to change clothes at work. I'm shocked
that you were not aware of this.

If by "commuting", you mean pootling around at pedestrian velocity for a
few minutes, then I agree with your assessment. However, if your employer
ISN'T paying you to ride to work (or you have to travel more than a few
km), then you just might break a sweat and a change of clothes and/or a
shower are a great idea. My commute is 27 km each way and I'm currently
riding about half of that while my legs come back from the winter break.
Sure, I could probably do it in my work clothes (and arrive looking
reasonably passable), but it might take 2-3 hours, during which time I
would be neither getting paid, getting fit, nor spending time with my
family. Scratch that idea.

sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 6:31 PM, sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 2:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 2:21:30 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 4/26/2015 12:49 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 8:43:11 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/25/2015 8:36 PM, jbeattie wrote:

I have a shower at work, too, and have a zillion shirts, pants and
some
suits for dress-up days that I keep in a closet and circulate through
the dry
cleaners in the lobby of the building. The trick is wearing cycling
clothes
that will dry during the work day.

Another trick is to wear ordinary clothes, and ride in slowly enough
that a shower and clothing change isn't necessary. I suspect that
option is much more popular.

We're talking about riding in the rain.

You need to move somewhere that it doesn't rain because you're not
commuting properly if you need to change clothes at work. I'm shocked
that you were not aware of this.

Even if I rode to work in "normal clothes," I would have to change in
to other "normal clothes" when I got there. It's not like I'm going to
ride to work in slacks or a suit. When I lived in SJ and worked maybe
two miles from my apartment, I always rode in my normal clothes -- and
you know what? Saddles don't do anything good for nice slacks. Since
I'm going to change anyway, I might as well ride in bike clothes --
even if the moral majority of of Franklandia prefer to pedal in their
civvies.

If you are in court, I'm sure his honor would give you a pass if you
explained the reason for your appearance.

I made the mistake of wearing "business casual" on jury duty. Because I
was the best dressed person there, in Dockers and a long sleeve shirt, I
was made jury foreman. Or maybe because I didn't fall asleep during the
trial they thought I was the best qualified.

Show up in spandex next time...

On Sat, 25 Apr 2015 11:23:50 -0700, sms
wrote:

I am going to encourage her to try the drop bars before I spend the
money on the conversion to other bars.

Perhaps adjustable bars?
http://www.humpert.com/en/bikeparts/gesamt/?ID_News=43
Looks useful for lane splitting and carrying on a vehicle bike rack.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 3:39:38 PM UTC-7, wrote:
jb....WHAT GORE JACKET YOU'RE WEARING and at what temps ?

many say wearing is isnot possible from overheating in exertion.

cross country skiing in shorts and long sleeve cool crew.....

are the Gore booties wrinkle proof in foot bending ?

Gore NB sneak I had showed extreme wear crinkles after 4-5 miles....more than enough damage from pedaling foot action to abandon the idea.

Commuter jacket is a Gore Alp X -- closeout from Nashbar. Rain training jacket is either my Showers Pass Elite Pro (bought on killer sale) or a Castelli Gabba jersey -- another smoking deal from Castelli USA here in PDX. Showers Pass is also here in PDX, and they have great warehouse sales. The Elite Pro is very well vented and it's packable in a jersey pocket. It is not as durable as the Alp X, but it breathes a lot better. I rode in light rain today in just a Gabba jersey (with a polypro t-shirt). It was in the high 50s/low 60s. It was a little warm, but not bad. in 50 degree drizzle, it's the perfect jersey. The Pro is perfect for heavier rain and oscillating conditions because you can pack it. If I could have only one jacket, the Pro would be it.

The Gore bootie uppers are in pristine condition after a year's use. The bottoms are shredded. I'm going to my favorite local shoe guy to see if he can sew-on something more durable than the fabric "soles." What I like most is that they come in giant size and fit easily over my MTB/rain bike shoes..

The PI Amphib tights are great, although I liked the old style better. The new design is too technical with built-in gators and stirrups instead of zippered ankle cuffs. It's like climbing in to a wet suit. They are too warm for any riding above 50 or so degrees, IMO. I'm fine with standard tights above the mid 50s, assuming I can keep my crotch relatively dry.

I cross-x skate skied in tights and polypro t-shirt and a wool jersey -- and a wool track jacket if it was really cold or a light rain jacket if it were snowing. You are generating so much heat, you can wear less than cycling in much warmer temperatures.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 4/26/2015 6:59 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 6:46:14 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 5:38:56 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:

When the discussion arises about "What tech improvements would you like
to see for bicycling?" I always forget to mention rain gear. But IMO it
would be wonderful to be really comfortable riding in the rain. So far,
I've seldom come close.

--
- Frank Krygowski

frank, if you buy midgrade hi tech hiking-backpacking-sea kayaking clothing in the light or ultra light areas you then have a wardrobe warming when wet cooling when not and tempered when drying for not that much $$$ if you watch the counter 1-2 month in REI/Campmor...esp Campmor as REI anchors in LaLa/computer lands where often daily trans in in a Carrera.

The cloth evolves yearly...shirts I thrive on are obsolete 6 years later with micro weaves and pumping fibers.

lllllllllllllllllllll

www.backpackinglight.com

https://www.google.com/#q=gear+lab

http://www.campmor.com/SearchDisplay...02&storeId=226

I think the demands on bike rain clothing are far greater than those on
rain clothing for hiking or paddling.

For example, the average power output (and therefore waste heat
production and sweat production) is much higher for cycling. And those
factors are also more variable, what with uphills and downhills,
imposing risk of getting too cold on downhills. At the same time, the
cooling due to windchill is highly variable, adding to the complexity.
Then there's the fact that the relative wind tends to drive the rain in
directions that seek every crack in one's rain armor.

Hiking is easier. I've done reasonably well hiking with just a big
umbrella for rain protection.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 4/26/2015 5:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:


Even if I rode to work in "normal clothes," I would have to change in to
other "normal clothes" when I got there. It's not like I'm going to ride to
work in slacks or a suit. When I lived in SJ and worked maybe two miles
from
my apartment, I always rode in my normal clothes -- and you know what?
Saddles don't do anything good for nice slacks. Since I'm going to change
anyway, I might as well ride in bike clothes -- even if the moral majority
of of Franklandia prefer to pedal in their civvies.

I remember when we were in Saltzburg, Austria on our bikes. I took a
blurry photo of a middle-aged guy biking home from work wearing his nice
suit, carrying his briefcase. I remember missing the photo of another
similarly-dressed gentleman riding while carrying an umbrella over his
head. I remember our family being passed in Oxford, England by a young
woman riding in a long flowery dress, using one hand to hold her big
straw hat on her head. In Paris, there were thousands of folks
negotiating rush hour on either the Velibs or on ordinary bicycles. The
only people I recall wearing dedicated cycling garb were gaggles of
(probably American) sightseeing tourists, riding in a group with a guide.

Of course, I have no idea how far the normally-dressed folks were
riding. Probably not far. But again, I think it's largely an American
(and maybe Canadian and Australian) thing to think that you _need_
special clothes to ride a bike.

The only time I had to change clothes after riding to work was when I
rode in late (like noon) during summer heat waves, to prepare to teach a
night class. And even then, I wore ordinary shorts and shirts instead
of bike-specific stuff. Seven miles, much of it downhill on the way in,
made that very reasonable. And I never had to impress any judges or
juries.

[Jay: Sorry for clicking the wrong button.]


--
- Frank Krygowski