Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Not even two weeks on the job...

And my bike sounds like a freakin' Grandfather Clock--

-Creaky bars, probably cracked (Aluminum Fuji stock)
-Drivetrain sounds like it has a body stuck inside; occassionally pops and creaks and the chain sounds like it's made of the most obtrusive substance you could think of
-Front wheel makes some craaazy whirring noise every now and then, hitting a bump will start it up and stop it at random
-Etc.-- Basically, my bike went from being in decent condition for ~8 months of age, to being ready for a full body overhauling.

All of these things have me freaked out, and on top of that, I never knew I'd have a special place in my heart to hate people that throw their gum on the ground, never have I known how much you can loathe a ****ty stock saddle (Help me remedy this, please), I'm actually questioning the fact that Converse Allstars are my main shoe (advice here would be sweet as well), etc.

In addition, in 7 days of actual work I have learned to have a true fear for car doors, less reverence for traffic lights, and I realize that a size L BaileyWorks isn't as big as it looks, when it counts.

----

Beyond those interesting predicaments, I am absolutely in love with my new job. I got hooked up by a friend who needed someone to cover his mornings and have seemingly fallen into a long term part-time job. I've gone through all the paperwork and am contracted for at least a year's worth of employment. I'm working the morning route that starts with payroll drops and gets POD's on top of that. It's proving tough keeping my head wrapped around when the best time is to split from my route and do an on-demand, while still making drops where I can so I don't have to pass the same place twice. Downtown Richmond basically works in the sense that if you are going north or west, you are going uphill. so i try to start at the top and work my way down. I hear the route I have gotten my hands on is a good one, and feel even more stoked to know I got a sweet deal. I average something like 15-20 drops every morning between 8 and noon, so I'm going to have a decent paycheck considering I'm part-time.

The first week of work was what will probably be the hottest week of the year, so I know I can withstand that with not too much problem... What worries me is winter!

I'm really stoked to be a part of the Richmond mess community... all the guys around here are cool as ****, and even most of the security and office people I deal with are super nice... but that's probably just because I look like a 16 year old kid. I try to be polite and have good relationships with the people I've gotta see at least once a week.

That's really all I can think to say so far... I'd been meaning to make a post like this for a few days but hadn't really had the chance to collect my thoughts. I'm still 'new' and adjusting, so I will have many more thoughts to come.

Shoes - either Sambas with double straps (assuming you roll with clips and straps) or clipless. Seriously one of the greatest cycling inventions since the "safety bike."

Bags - always nice to have too much bag. I own a RELoad Courier and don't do mess. work. My girlfriend has dubbed it the "Mother****in' huge bag."

I would reccomend an overhaul, and for a saddle - Brooks is a safe bet, but it never hurts to experiment. I find mountain saddles to be (generally) pretty comfortable.

And invest in a few (at least 2) pairs of cycling shorts. You need to wash 'em after each use, so have at least one backup pair. I own the Nashbar Monday shorts ($20) and a pair of Pearl Izumi Microsensors ($90). The chamois in the Mondays wore out in about two months of very light riding (no more than once a week), and I've only had the PIs for two weeks, but I can already feel the difference. And wearing them under pants/shants is no problem at all.

Good luck!

Welcome to the mess.
Tech the ride hard, get stiffer soled shoes, as above try a few saddles to find the one that is yours, and a BIGASSED bag. When not filled with work can carry many beers. Enjoy and repeat. Winter is a money maker as all the summer riders go away.

The last time I had a WTF whirring front wheel noise was the sticker Panaracer puts over their label rubbing against my fork. Of course, I noticed that in the first few days of riding but whirring can come from weird places.

As for saddles, your best bet is to try a ton. Also experiment with different bar setups to find out what is really comfy.

do yourself a favor and get a brooks. you'll break it in real quick, probably within a week.
you'll love it.

How well do brooks saddles last in the rain?

treat the leather, it's your best friend for life

i've never had a problem with mine. if your butt is on the saddle it's fine, and it can get wet (as long as it's not submerged) and dry out just fine.

i would use proofide with it if i was riding heavily in rain.

sidi dominators and some eggbeaters, a reload courier/deluxe, and a selle san marco (take your pick- regal, rolls, aspide, rever, all good) you should be set.

get a pac!

Go clipless! It's the best, esp. for those big climbs.

I second the clipless suggestions. Definitely worth a try. And once you try it, you won't go back.
Congrats, you're doing great it seems.

I do some messing, too, and I'm scared of winter as well. For me, the sucky bit is that I won't get more money at all. I have a fixed pay, delivering contracts and stuff for a single company... I hope they won't be too busy in the winter.

-Creaky bars, probably cracked (Aluminum Fuji stock)


Or just need tightening. Make sure you put the same tension on all the screws. For your amount of riding, a torque wrench might be worth the investment. I've heard that a bit of grease at the mating surfaces helps, although I haven't tried it.

i feel yr pain. i dont even do mess work and i know my bike went from being completely smooth & silent on those early morning rides to the same thing yr describing.
prob just nyc streets and that east side 'bike path' [and i use the terms loosely as it's more like a gauntlet of potholes at one point] taking their toll.

How well do brooks saddles last in the rain?

I had a B-17 narrow and LOVED it. I butchered it, looked just like this: http://fixedgeargallery.com/articles/brooks2.jpg

It held up really well, but chopping off the sides definitely compromises the saddle's structural integrity. For many months it was great, but then I got caught in a long downpour on a long ride, and the saddle softened and basically collapsed at the point where it flares out.

My advice: treat it well with the saddle wax, top and bottom, especially if you decide to alter it.

I wouldn't break in a brooks on the job, but that's me. You can probably get away with it since you're only doing 4 hours a day. Get the cover, it's $20 or so, and keep it jammed /strapped up under the saddle so you always have it, and then throw it on when needed.

And go clipless, you will never regret it.

yeah, i don't think i would ride a butchered brooks too hard in the rain.

damn all this talk of brooks saddles and clipless pedals... and i'm trying to get my hands on some new drops as well... i'm excited but horrified at the prices

I second the clipless suggestions. Definitely worth a try. And once you try it, you won't go back.
Congrats, you're doing great it seems.

I do some messing, too, and I'm scared of winter as well. For me, the sucky bit is that I won't get more money at all. I have a fixed pay, delivering contracts and stuff for a single company... I hope they won't be too busy in the winter.
that's horrible :(

"And invest in a few (at least 2) pairs of cycling shorts. You need to wash 'em after each use, so have at least one backup pair"

---I once worked for 6 months straight without washing either of my pairs... it wasnt such a good idea..

"do yourself a favor and get a brooks. you'll break it in real quick, probably within a week.
you'll love it."

---Agreed!

Thats pretty rad you scored a job in RVA, thats a tight knit messy community... a little to hipster and elitist for my liking, but right on. hows that big climb do ya 10+ times a day?

damn all this talk of brooks saddles and clipless pedals... and i'm trying to get my hands on some new drops as well... i'm excited but horrified at the prices

Check your bars to see if they are cracked before you replace them. The vast majority of handlebar creaks are from the stem not the bars. If it is your bars just get some cheap road drops... More comfort at a fraction of the cost anyway.

Go throught the bargain bins at you LBS for saddles till you find one that works for you.

Clipless doesn't have to be insanely expensive. $70-80 will get you some good quality stiff shoes. Dominators are nice but not a necessity.

i'm going to go against the masses and recommend
a selle italia slr/slr xp. it doesn't have a break in time
like the brooks and you don't have to worry about it
getting wet. yeah, it won't live as long as a brooks that's
in mostly dry conditions, but its no where near as expensive
and probably the most comfortable saddle i've ridden.

+10 for eggbeaters

recommend
a selle italia slr/slr xp.
probably the most comfortable saddle i've ridden.
Can you realistically ride an slr xp without padded shorts comfortably over longish distances? It's by far and away the sexiest saddle in existence, and I'd give an arm and a leg to be able to ride one. I'm not sure I'd give my gonads, though.
How "soft" is an XP? How deep can you push it in with your thumb? I ride a BBB Compdesign (slr xp clone, basically) now, and it's too hard. Oh, to add another guide-point: the Selle Italia Signo Gel Flow is far too hard for my ass. A Fizik Arione would be cushy enough, but it's ugly.
(I can't manhandle an xp in a shop, because... welll, our shops suck and don't carry good stuff like that)


Oh, OP: do you have a quill stem or threadless? If it's a quill, then probably the stem is what is creaking. Solution: remove, de-rust, grease, reinstall, profit. Remove the bars from the clamp, too. Clean the surfaces, grease lightly if you feel like it, reinstall with a lot of torque.

I'd suggest wearing padded bike shorts under your regular shorts regardless of what saddle you choose. And while I've never used the slr xp, my experience has been that the most padded saddles aren't necessarily the most comfortable. I used a lot of different saddles and my favorite is the flite, just enough padding for me and a classic minimal design. I love the idea and look of the brooks, but have always been wary of how they hold up in the rain, and if you're a messenger you will definitely be riding in the rain.

And this depends upon where you're working, but most messengers aren't on the bike for very long periods of time. Lots of on and off all day. And I'd assume that in a small city like Richmond you'll do a lot of shortish runs, with maybe some distance here and there. Comfort definitely matters, but not in the same way that it would on a road bike where you're on the bike for hours at a time.

If you go spd, I can't say enough good things about sidi shoes. Dominators are great, and worth every penny, but even the cheaper ones are very high quality and will last a long time.

---I once worked for 6 months straight without washing either of my pairs... it wasnt such a good idea..

uh... :eek:

in warm weather, the bacteria builds up fast in your shorts. if you don't wash your shorts, you'll end up with all kinds of great jock itch, infected saddle sores, UTIs, and a really, really smelly taint.

Can you realistically ride an slr xp without padded shorts comfortably over longish distances?

at first, after switching from a flite, i found the slr xp not so comfy,
but after a few days it was great. one day i rode with padded shorts
and it was like on a cloud. there isn't much padding (obviously 30 grams
more than the slr). but for me, its not so much about the padding
on saddle, it's how much flex it has.

Thanks... I'll have to go check one out. Funny how doing some messing justifies spending all the money I earn there back into the bike.

OP: it's not too bad. I basically substitue a guy once every two weeks when there are classes at university, and a couple of times in the exam period if I can. At least I'll get my bike fix in the winter...