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First ride of the season



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 7th 06, 04:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

The snow is all but gone and so are the resulting puddles (lakes?). So
I decided to bike home after dropping my car in for service: first
ride of the year.

Well, I made a couple of mistakes. First, I forgot to check on the
current weather conditions, which turned out to be suboptimal: 30 KMH
wind from the north (half my ride home was north); -4C (windchill
-12C). The remaining puddles were now skating rinks. Second, I took
my father's old bike (Raleigh Twenty folding bike) because it was
easier to get in and out of my car. Unfortunately, it hasn't been
maintained since he died in 2001. Might as well have been a fixy with
a big gear.

So, I fought a stiff wind on a badly maintained bike. All I can say is
that I'll ride my own bike when I pick up the car.

I guess I'm a terminal case.

Jeff

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  #2  
Old April 7th 06, 07:45 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

wrote:
The snow is all but gone and so are the resulting puddles (lakes?). So
I decided to bike home after dropping my car in for service: first
ride of the year.

Well, I made a couple of mistakes. First, I forgot to check on the
current weather conditions, which turned out to be suboptimal: 30 KMH
wind from the north (half my ride home was north); -4C (windchill
-12C). The remaining puddles were now skating rinks. Second, I took
my father's old bike (Raleigh Twenty folding bike) because it was
easier to get in and out of my car. Unfortunately, it hasn't been
maintained since he died in 2001. Might as well have been a fixy with
a big gear.


The Raleigh is cute, but I'm replacing the SA AW 3 speed hub with 7
speed Sachs/SRAM hub myself. You forgot to mention that the brakes are
utter crap (though maybe you're not in a hilly region).

So, I fought a stiff wind on a badly maintained bike. All I can say is
that I'll ride my own bike when I pick up the car.

I guess I'm a terminal case.


Yup, sounds like you're a no-hoper. Still, you're in reasonably good
company here.

--
Dane Buson -

"Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact that a person can
be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a newspaperman, but if a
man doesn't drive there's something wrong with him." - Art Buchwald
  #3  
Old April 7th 06, 07:58 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

So the crappy brakes are SOP. Okay. I'd thought maybe it was due to
lack of maintenance. It was a great bike when my father bought it (ca
1970). Bikes really do last forever.

Winnipeg is used as the template for most billiard tables.

I ran the local marathon a few years ago: the difference between the
highest point on the course and the lowest point was 28 feet (yeah,
twenty-eight). And most of that was from the use of an underpass and a
bridge.

Jeff

  #4  
Old April 7th 06, 08:09 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

wrote:
So the crappy brakes are SOP. Okay. I'd thought maybe it was due to
lack of maintenance. It was a great bike when my father bought it (ca
1970). Bikes really do last forever.


Yup, it's because of the *super* long reach brakes. It's possibly to
make it better, but it would be a rather involved project. Still the
Raleigh is a nice little bike, Sheldon Brown has a page devoted to them
(if you're interested).

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-twenty.html

I'm working on making mine into a nice little travel bike. Mine fits in
a standard suitcase so I can fly without worrying about getting dinged
with a fee.

Winnipeg is used as the template for most billiard tables.

I ran the local marathon a few years ago: the difference between the
highest point on the course and the lowest point was 28 feet (yeah,
twenty-eight). And most of that was from the use of an underpass and a
bridge.


Sounds nice, I'm currently living in Seattle, so riding a bike is a very
up-and-down affair. I'd guess there's something like 800' feet of
cumulative climb just going to work, and slightly less coming back.

--
Dane Buson -
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.
-- Frank Zappa
  #6  
Old April 8th 06, 10:02 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season


Well, I made a couple of mistakes. First, I forgot to check on the
current weather conditions, which turned out to be suboptimal: 30 KMH
wind from the north (half my ride home was north); -4C (windchill
-12C). The remaining puddles were now skating rinks. Second, I took
my father's old bike (Raleigh Twenty folding bike) because it was
easier to get in and out of my car. Unfortunately, it hasn't been
maintained since he died in 2001. Might as well have been a fixy with
a big gear.

So, I fought a stiff wind on a badly maintained bike. All I can say is
that I'll ride my own bike when I pick up the car.

I guess I'm a terminal case.

Jeff


That low temperature was rough! But, the wind? 30 KM per hour is stiff? We
are having 30 MPH wind here in north Texas. I would kill for some 30 KMH
wind. But, you can keep the chill....

Pat in TX



  #7  
Old April 8th 06, 10:08 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season


wrote in message
ups.com...
The snow is all but gone and so are the resulting puddles (lakes?). So
I decided to bike home after dropping my car in for service: first
ride of the year.


And here I was bitching about 10c - 14c temps. Whereabouts are you riding?
I hear Nfld got 20 cm last week.


It was so sunny today I couldn't resist. Of course the temp was 1c. First
spring ride 14c; second 10c; third ride 1c!

The temps are going the wrong way!!!




  #8  
Old April 8th 06, 10:55 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

Year-round riding isn't as bad as many people think. In your case, you
weren't dressed for it. That's the key. Wool socks, ski gloves or
mittens, balaclava, and layers; and you could easily ride year-round.
Jim Gagnepain
http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/

  #9  
Old April 8th 06, 11:54 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season


"oilfreeandhappy" wrote in message
ps.com...
Year-round riding isn't as bad as many people think. In your case, you
weren't dressed for it. That's the key. Wool socks, ski gloves or
mittens, balaclava, and layers; and you could easily ride year-round.


Context is your friend!

As for winter riding; I've been cycling year-round for years. But these
were the first 3 rides of _spring_.



  #10  
Old April 9th 06, 01:04 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default First ride of the season

Context is your friend!
As for winter riding; I've been cycling year-round for years. But these

were the first 3 rides of _spring_.

Thanks recycled-one. You're correct. I was responding to the original
post.
Jim

 




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