suddenly quite whiny!Joined: 24 Aug 2007Posts: 345Location: Cap Hill
Yeah yeah, I knew I'd get shit for that. I'm just pissed because I got my first flat in like 5 years on that gravel and then I had to be the douche holding up everyone else.
Chris
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:56 pm
Joined: 18 Aug 2007Posts: 222Location: Seattle (Downtown)
Seven wrote:
Yeah yeah, I knew I'd get shit for that. I'm just pissed because I got my first flat in like 5 years on that gravel and then I had to be the douche holding up everyone else.
First flat in five years? All things considered, that's not bad at all.
I had my first .83 flat within two weeks of riding with the group, and felt like a douche because I didn't have any of the equipment necessary to fix my tire. I owe it to everyone for lending a hand and a spare tube!
BTW, that was the last ride out to Alki beach, followed by some bar up in Ballard (the name eludes me). If the person who lent me the tube speaks up, I would be more than happy to return a new one to you sometime.
SeditiousCanary
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:13 pm
sorry, can't make it!Joined: 26 Jan 2006Posts: 2315Location: Fremont Troll
Chris wrote:
BTW, that was the last ride out to Alki beach, followed by some bar up in Ballard (the name eludes me). If the person who lent me the tube speaks up, I would be more than happy to return a new one to you sometime.
If it was the 5th of July (the last time I recall us going to Alki), then I think it was me. I carry extra tubes just for that reason. I'd be very happy of 20% of us carry the number of tools I do. I just wish I had a pump worth a damn.
Chris
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:24 pm
Joined: 18 Aug 2007Posts: 222Location: Seattle (Downtown)
SeditiousCanary wrote:
If it was the 5th of July (the last time I recall us going to Alki), then I think it was me. I carry extra tubes just for that reason. I'd be very happy of 20% of us carry the number of tools I do. I just wish I had a pump worth a damn.
That was probably the night. Of course, I think that there were at least three flats that night; mine happened while everyone else was speeding up to Ballard (the BoxCar?) for the after-party.
Yes, I have learned that it is good to have tools on hand. :-) Since then, I've made it a habit to always carry at least one spare with me.
SeditiousCanary
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:28 pm
sorry, can't make it!Joined: 26 Jan 2006Posts: 2315Location: Fremont Troll
Chris wrote:
Of course, I think that there were at least three flats that night; mine happened while everyone else was speeding up to Ballard (the BoxCar?) for the after-party.
Not me then. I have never been to the Box Car and had a wrecktastic solo ride home which Molly saved me from.
vaticdart
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:08 pm
Joined: 02 Aug 2007Posts: 649Location: Inside a Bell
Seven wrote:
Yeah yeah, I knew I'd get shit for that. I'm just pissed because I got my first flat in like 5 years on that gravel and then I had to be the douche holding up everyone else.
Hey, I'm just glad I got to help out someone on my second ride. That was me with the pump and the light... and yelling "FLAT!" like a doofus.
I didn't think much of the gravel either, but honestly it was a bit more interesting than just taking the BGT. I imagine I'll probably get a flat long before I hit the 5 year mark.
_________________ If the river was whiskey I'd turn myself into a duck, I'd dive to the bottom and never come up.
Happy Stick Person
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:56 pm
Joined: 20 Sep 2006Posts: 1168Location: Leschi
Dear n00bs,
please inflate your tires to the recommended PSI before coming out to ride. if you are still getting alot of flats, please invest in some tires that don't suck.
thanks...
and gravel is better the faster you go.
J
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:02 pm
Joined: 03 Aug 2007Posts: 179Location: by that one arco am/pm
for reals- i am like the slowest fattest slow ever and even i (i!) enjoy a constitutional on gravel.
_________________ god damn problem bees
vaticdart
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:45 am
Joined: 02 Aug 2007Posts: 649Location: Inside a Bell
Happy Stick Person wrote:
and gravel is better the faster you go.
I did notice that. Keep up a good clip, and for the love of Jehovah, don't brake hard.
_________________ If the river was whiskey I'd turn myself into a duck, I'd dive to the bottom and never come up.
keyholefish
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:06 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 268Location: somerville, ma
n_claw wrote:
East Coast Notes:
In Cambridge/Boston the local bike geeks ride heavy chopper bikes and have mechanicals every three minutes, and NO ONE, not anyone (not even the fixie kids!) has a pump. Stupidness? Yes.
Also: they ride 6 to 8 miles per hour and it made me want to gouge out my eyes with a tire lever. and THEY DON'T DRINK BEER?!
Boston drivers don't honk at cyclists, even when you're splitting lanes like craziness.
More:
There are more fixie hipsters in cambridge than capitol hill.
Drivers don't honk at cyclists because they're can see us. Yellow, white, and dashed lines on the road are irrelevant. It's actually easier to ride because you can assume everyone is unpredictable.
Also when passing on a country road, they prefer to play chicken with oncoming dumptrucks, rather than wait.
I am saddened by this news about the slowness and non-drunkeness of boston bike geeks.
Foo
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:20 am
Joined: 27 Jul 2007Posts: 583
Riding in gravel is actually quite easy if you do it right, even on skinny tires.
Keep your weight light on the seat or get off the seat entirely. That goes for gravel, dirt, ice or any other squirrelly road conditions where the bike is liable to go in directions you don't want it to. Learn to pedal smooth circles (this applies to both clipless and open pedal) with your tush an inch or two off the seat. Don't try to stand and hammer like you're going up a steep hill. Keep low so your knees stay bent (allowing you to have fine control of the bike's motion) and pedal smoothly so you don't spin the wheels out.
Getting off the seat lowers the connection point of you to the bike down to the pedals, lowering the pivot point for the bikes movement. Also, this decouples the bike's motion from you so that you can move in a straight line while the bike can move around as the tires hit funny stuff. The trick is to let the bike kind of 'float' under you. Imagine you're flying through the air over the bike in a straight line and the bike is allowed to move and pivot around under you. Use the handlebars to keep the bike as upright as possible as it floats under you.
If you do this, the bike can be doing all sorts of crazy fishtailing and zig-zagging under you and you'll be fine. If you are sitting hard on the seat in the same circumstance, your weight on the seat as the bike moves sideways will cause it to shoot out from under you.
It's a single-track technique when you're riding across rain/ice-covered tree roots and mud. I can vouch that it's very, very effective. I once hit black ice one morning and had my bike spin so it was perpendicular to the direction of travel and got it back under me without falling down.
Remington
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:49 am
Joined: 23 Jan 2006Posts: 457Location: Remington Country
vaticdart wrote:
We can always follow in the timeless words of the Dwarves from Myth II: "Make a hole!" Alas, my satchel is all out of exploding bottles, so someone else will have to supply those.
Someone else played that game? And why would you quote such an obscure source here?
Foo
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:59 am
Joined: 27 Jul 2007Posts: 583
Ummm, because we've a big bunch of nerds?
vaticdart
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:07 pm
Joined: 02 Aug 2007Posts: 649Location: Inside a Bell
Remington wrote:
vaticdart wrote:
We can always follow in the timeless words of the Dwarves from Myth II: "Make a hole!" Alas, my satchel is all out of exploding bottles, so someone else will have to supply those.
Someone else played that game? And why would you quote such an obscure source here?
The real fun is when you go into x16 speed and start chucking bottles into a body of water for a few minutes, then lay a string of satchel charges from dry land into the water. Mmmmmmmm-mmm, flying zombie parts everywhere.
_________________ If the river was whiskey I'd turn myself into a duck, I'd dive to the bottom and never come up.
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suddenly quite whiny!
Joined: 24 Aug 2007
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Location: Cap Hill
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sorry, can't make it!
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