Pacific Northwest - New bike and bad weather means no riding.

Ok, so I finally got it together and bought a new bike a week ago today. Its a brand new Cannondale Six13 in white. So stoked. However since then I've put 10 miles on it, that's right, 10!! I don't mind riding in the rain, but I do mind riding my bike in the rain. I just don't have the heart to get my new bike all dirty and have to listen to the sand grind away at the drive train as I pedal. Maybe I should have held onto my old bike until spring.... Anybody else having this no riding problem around here?

You need help.
Bikes are meant to be ridden.

You need help.




Of this I am certain.

Great bike, but you would have felt better if you rode. If you must ride... get a bike trainer or spare bike off Craiglist and have at it.... It might start snowing again and you could be stuck in your house for two weeks again, like I was here on Whidbey.

Great bike, but you would have felt better if you rode. If you must ride... get a bike trainer or spare bike off Craiglist and have at it.... It might start snowing again and you could be stuck in your house for two weeks again, like I was here on Whidbey.


True, and you need to get over that fear of getting the bike dirty. Face it, you live in the PNW, and rain is your constant companion.

Some fenders/mudguards might make you feel better, however.

East Hill

Ive been looking on craigslist for a cheap cyclocross bike as my second bike, Ive always wanted to try racing cross, but unfortunately I blew all my money and them some on my new bike. Maybe its time to sell this fat tire I have here...

That is a really nice bike. I was able to get my bike upgraded from 8 speed to 10 speed (my wife's Christmas present to me), including new cranks with Ceramic bearings. I was real excited to try it out before Christmas but was not able to because of the snow and heavy rain. I did take it out from my first ride on Friday and wow, it is so smooth. I really have not ridden the bike over the last 4 years. I love it. I just can not wait to get stronger to ride it longer. During the ride, 2 things happened. One, when I went over 25 mph (on a down hill) the back wheel would just scream! It turned out the the bearings where the cassette are were dry and when I leaned into corners, the brakes would squeal. I had to open the brake calipers up some to stop that. I guess that it is normal, especially when under power that the back wheel can "flex". I was told at the bike shop one of the reasons why the brake calipers can be opened with the lever was for this. I always thought it was just for taking the wheel on and off. Was I wrong!

New bike,great weather in OZ,lots of rides.

A year ago, when this bike was new, I promised I would never take it out on a wet, gritty ride....this bike was showroom clean Friday night. Took these pictures yesterday. Tonight it's clean again.

http://i40.tinypic.com/23vdojn.jpg



http://i44.tinypic.com/2cpf5af.jpg

I don't even like taking my now 3 year old bike out when it is wet. There will be plenty of opportunities to ride when it is dry, but maybe not until spring. There is one thing I don't miss about Seattle, and this year even my favorite saying about it doesn't quite hold "You don't shovel rain".

I love KPP. I've still got another three and a half years of coverage and the plan has already paid for itself several times with my commuterified Giant OCR1.

Really though, in the PNW you have two choices: ride your bike, or all your bikes, in wet/grimy weather, or have a bike your ride for those two months out of the year when you don't need to worry about that kind of thing. How much you clean your bike is up to you.

That, and get fenders. It doesn't look like the Six13 has eyelets, but you could at least get clip ons.

After all the snow, rain, and floods, the roads are in about the grimiest shape I've ever seen them. Am picking up some flat resistant tires for my commuter, as I've learned from experience that these conditions get me more flat tires than any other. My commuter is so grimy that it's hard to even contemplate all the cleaning I have to do to it!

For my next commuter, I'm strongly leaning toward the whole urban bike setup- IGH, full chain case, disk brakes. Changing a flat would be harder, but not having to do all this cleaning (maybe wiping down the frame) would be great!

Do you not make your kids go to school in the winter? I can see winter tires (shoes) but come on. It is a bike...I ride the same everything all year around.

I just don't have the heart to get my new bike all dirty and have to listen to the sand grind away at the drive train as I pedal.

Drive train = consumable

Bikes are made to be ridden. Dress warmly and have fun

Well you'd all be proud. Took out the bike for a spin today with the fenders, and now its got nice coat of grime. Oh well, at least I rode it. Gonna give it a good cleaning before my next ride on Wednesday.

Well you'd all be proud. Took out the bike for a spin today with the fenders, and now its got nice coat of grime. Oh well, at least I rode it. Gonna give it a good cleaning before my next ride on Wednesday.


:thumb: !

East Hill