Fifty Plus (50+) - go tell it on the roadies......

...actually, better not tell the roadies. i just finished the conversion of my road bike today.

it now has fenders (gasp!), rat traps (gasp, gasp!), a kickstand (oh, dear god, man, have you lost your mind?), and racks are on the way.

and on my other bike (that already had rat traps and racks) a soma sparrow bar is on the way.

guess i'll have to get a bigger "spare parts" box for the clipless pedals, shoes and such.

and when the conversion was done... i jumped on the bike without changing into shorts, jersey, shoes, gloves, etc and just rode! i felt like a KID again. a thoroughly freeing experience.

have a great day, all,

be well.

jim

You can have your kickstand - I've got one on the bent and it's great when it does it's job but I've had many falls off the stupid thing and can't remember the last time a non-stand bike fell over (trees and fences are sooooo stable) but I'm sold on the other stuff you've added.

My commuter has mudguards because I don't have to ride in rain very often, I'm often on wet roads which are the real problem - I don't like wet shoes or wet trousers.

Rack? Why carry stuff on your back? Especially when I usually have over 10kg of text books in the bag and/or a set of good clothes that I don't want creased, not to mention the thumping great big U-lock that won't go inside the frame triangle because of the daft way they mount them these days (we've got a restricted choice here in Oz at the moment and they're flamin' useless - the shops say 'no-one buys them' and I can understand why).

Rat traps because I like to get off my bike and walk without having to change shoes. My SPD shoes used to do that but the rubber soles wear faster than the steel cleats and so I'm now walking on my cleats. Besides, the new flat soled shoes for bmx and mtb are very comfy when you're in them all day but only part of the day on the bike. I did try the new mtb pedals with spikes all over them but rat traps are far better.

I'm not a flat bar fan but got some bars with about 5 degrees pull back which also allows me to tilt them down just a little. Then I added those funny ergo grips, the ones with the big pad for your palm. I suffer a lot from numb hands, probably that carpal tunnel nerve. Those big grips haven't fixed that but they're brilliant - if I can get half an hour of comfort with my dicky hands they'll help anyone.

I've adjusted the bar ends on my flat bar so they support my entire hand, then slid a nice, thick handle bar grip over them :D why leave them bare?

I've got a ... wait for it ... bell :eek:
No, people don't magically listen to the thing, but it's the ONLY thing that says 'bicycle coming' so if the bipedal road furniture is inclined to listen, they're more like to act as though a bike is bearing down on them and less likely to turn around and stare ... by which time you're deciding to wear out brake pads or simply to 'wear them' (run them over). Really, it works more often than speaking or yelling or horns ... but still less then 50% of the time.

Brooks saddles with kakhi shorts or jeans - none of these padded panties for this little black duck. Similarly, I tend to wear real shirts these days.

Tossing the high pressure, 'roadie' tyres and fitting Vittoria Randonneurs magically made my bike stable on gravel, not to mention more comfortable and less flighty at the front end an paved roads.

See Jim, you don't have to fit a track cog to 'fix' a road bike ... though that's a good option too.

Richard

I have had my mountain setup that way for years. I use it to just go see a friend, go shopping, just ride around slow stopping to talk to people, getting a hair cut and gust for the hell of it.
Call it my city bike.
The big lock slides between the rack and the ice bag on the top of the rack!

Just a get around bike.

Or you could have kept the road bike as it was and bought a new bike specially set up for city-rough road-commuter-errand riding. The N+1 rule must be obeyed.

And lose the kick stand. Really, just remove it and we'll never speak of it again.

could you make it a fixie and really be a kid again?

Richard: thank you kind sir. A Bell? what a wonderful idea. i'll have to go get one. "bipedal road furniture." i love it. it rains a lot here, so mud flaps are the order of the day for anybody who rides daily. i agree that trees and fences are stable. would you believe we have absolutely no trees in the shopping area of our little berg? no fences either. occasionally, i can get away with leaning against a wall or a shopping cart rack, but that option is not always available. hence, the pokey thing sticking out from the side of the bike.

Burr: my mtb is also set up the same way. i use my bikes for everything. i am about 90% carless (some would say,"careless.") at this point. eventually, i would like to achieve 100% carfree (carefree.) but i still have two young sons in school. must wait another year or two. and the grocery store is 25 miles away. but even that is do-able on a bike.

Cone: does it help any that the kickstand is painted to blend in with the frame? i couldn't afford to buy another bike, so i converted my favorite to a set-up that is usable in more situations.

have an awesome day, all.

be well,

jim

garfield, i am toying with that idea! where i live is completely flat. there isn't two feet of difference in elevation in the entire town. for now, the bikes both seem to stay in the middle chainring and middle cog (42/14 i think for both).

be well,

jim

You can have your kickstand - I've got one on the bent and it's great when it does it's job but I've had many falls off the stupid thing and can't remember the last time a non-stand bike fell over (trees and fences are sooooo stable) but I'm sold on the other stuff you've added.

Sounds like your kickstand leg may be a bit too long. My bent leans a bit when I use the kickstand and it has never fallen over when using it. I use that real nice one that attaches to the rear triangle and has a wide rubber foot on it. Hacksawed it to get the leg length correct.

OTOH, I bet my Bridgestone upright has fallen at least 15-20 times over the years when leaning up against an object.

Whatever works for you and makes you ride more is good. Myself, I am a firm believer in the N+1 doctrine. I love having bikes set up for comfort on casual rides, but I would never consider being without a good, fast road bike. Everything else is icing on the cake.

dawg: if i had the money, i would also be a firm believer in the n+1 doctrine. however, bikes are not cheap, and i don't have a lot of money.

be well,

jim

You can have your kickstand - I've got one on the bent and it's great when it does it's job but I've had many falls off the stupid thing and can't remember the last time a non-stand bike fell over (trees and fences are sooooo stable) but I'm sold on the other stuff you've added.




+1 on kickstands being the primary culprit in bicycles falling over.

Without one, I place the bike solidly against a post or fence, or, failing all of that, GENTLY on the ground.

with one, the wind, or someone coming by or whatever knocks the bike over and it lands NOT gently on the ground!

...with one, the wind, or someone coming by or whatever knocks the bike over and it lands NOT gently on the ground!

...and because the kickstand is on the left, the not so gentle fall is onto the drivetrain.

Whatever works for you and makes you ride more is good. Myself, I am a firm believer in the N+1 doctrine. I love having bikes set up for comfort on casual rides, but I would never consider being without a good, fast road bike. Everything else is icing on the cake.

+1

I plan to keep the Roubaix for that reason as my go-fast bike on rides that need it, or just whenever I'm in the mood to change from my blue jeans (the LHT) to my little black dress. :) But my almost-every-day ride will be the LHT.

I understand about the $$$ factor though.

My Peugeot and my mountain bike both have rear racks, and all of my bikes have old school toeclips and straps. I have had lightweight mudguards on Capo #1 and on the Peugeot, but they got destroyed in various mishaps, such as catching a piece of wood in the wheel spokes. I would definitely consider getting replacements. The only place we differ is kickstands -- I simply am anti-kickstand, perhaps because I have seen too many nice vintage Reynolds 531 frames with crushed chainstays.

A bike is a bike and set it up how you want. Doesn't matter providing it works- but those Kickstands. Tree -wall- fence and even laying on the ground save a lot of damage. And a bike falling off the stand with a loaded pannier can have lot damage done to it.

dawg: if i had the money, i would also be a firm believer in the n+1 doctrine. however, bikes are not cheap, and i don't have a lot of money.

be well,

jim

I completely understand, but if there's a will, there's a way to comply with N+1. I have only bought 3 new bikes in the last 16 years. Most of my additions involve picking up used bikes or frames for very little money and fixing them up or building them up with a combination of parts I already have laying around and new or used parts I buy as I need them. Sometimes I'll swap parts from one of my bikes to another, often completely changing the purpose and personality of the bikes.

At times when money is tight, I focus on making something new out of what I already have. When a little extra money is available, I add something new to the mix.

Being able to do most of the wrench work myself is a big plus. I would have a hard time if I had to pay someone to do all the work I do on my bikes. Plus I would miss out on most of the satisfaction I get from building and modifying my fleet.

Being able to do most of the wrench work myself is a big plus. I would have a hard time if I had to pay someone to do all the work I do on my bikes. Plus I would miss out on most of the satisfaction I get from building and modifying my fleet.
Exactly. That's the other half of this hobby I enjoy very much.

exactly. That's the other half of this hobby i enjoy very much.
+2

Talking about kick stands,

I have "flick" stands on all my bikes and they work better then a kick stand as long as you can find something to lean against.

It's Tuesday morning here so I will ride after I listen the your Monday night football and do some "Honey Do's". I keep the road bike inside the pickup ready to go. I'll just give my two mile route hell for 45 minutes and it's in the 90's here.

Most of my friends and I had small bells on our mountain bikes especially for deer hunting season. Also came in handy to bug the hell out of your "friends" hehehe.
My "ride to work" bike, an old Trek ATB, has a kickstand and rack...for my lunch bag, etc. Would not be without either.
I used to make fenders out of house wiring as the frame and duck tape as the fender material. Worked great on the bikes that did not have ready fender bosses. Was also very cheap and disposable.
A friend makes his own fenders out of wood he gets from a cabinet maker he knows. Thin strips of cherry etc. He made a steam box to steam them into shape. They look amazing and last a good long time with care.

I have a ice cream bell on my touring bike, city bike and a donger on the road bike. Drives the locals crazy, I have them by my thumb and they can't see them.

I completely understand, but if there's a will, there's a way to comply with N+1. I have only bought 3 new bikes in the last 16 years. Most of my additions involve picking up used bikes or frames for very little money and fixing them up or building them up with a combination of parts I already have laying around and new or used parts I buy as I need them. Sometimes I'll swap parts from one of my bikes to another, often completely changing the purpose and personality of the bikes.

At times when money is tight, I focus on making something new out of what I already have. When a little extra money is available, I add something new to the mix.

Being able to do most of the wrench work myself is a big plus. I would have a hard time if I had to pay someone to do all the work I do on my bikes. Plus I would miss out on most of the satisfaction I get from building and modifying my fleet.

+3

I have stabilized at 7 bikes - on per day of the week. Three have racks, two have panniers. I just bought a garment pannier (for shirts). Three road bikes have fenders, two are full fixed. The MTB has full removable. One bike has DIY dual halogen lights. The cross bike can sport studded tires, and has an electric assist kit.
These bikes were built up from parts on sale and/or craiglist and garage sale finds. The funds were 90% from fixing and reselling additional bikes. I tend to rework bikes in my size range. :D