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I over did my bicycle purchases

Old 03-30-14, 11:25 PM
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I over did my bicycle purchases

Guys, I took my 1st ride on major roads today. 30-45 mph limit. Hated it! All this time I have been riding side streets and sidewalks. It looks like I will be selling my Sirrus LTD soon as I have no need for a road bike with flat bars as my Cannondale Hooligan is probably much better for just riding sidewalks, jumping curbs and away from main streets. I don't see any enjoyment wondering if a 18 wheeler is going to run over you since you don't have a prayer of gassing it like a motorcycle and getting out of trouble. 2 cars messed with me today and got close for no reason.
I have been riding motorcycles for 10 plus years.
So it looks like another hobby I overdid and went overboard with in a short period of time. You guys must remember I bought and sold a bunch of bikes.
I will post some pics of my new Hooligan when it comes in next week.

All in all I think its safer on a motorcycle than on a bicycle period. I wear a full face helmet, and proper gear. I think bicycles are fun but not for me in the road cycling sense.
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Old 03-31-14, 01:49 AM
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A few thoughts:
Don't ride on sidewalks.
If you feel there is no safe way to ride the road and you absolutely have to ride on the sidewalk:
Find safer roads or quiter trails or paths.
Riding on sidewalks is not done for many reasons including safety and respect for pedestrians.
When done right, cycling is safer than riding a motorcycle. Statistics prove that.
May be you could find fellow cyclists and ask them where they ride their bikes in your neighborhood.
May be you could even ride with them.
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Old 03-31-14, 06:57 AM
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You don't have any multipurpose paths near you? That's where I usually go and see a lot of uniformed road bikers even. I also bike the roads in the local metro parks--different type of driver there. But I would agree with you about not wanting to bike main streets--it's just a matter of time before you get hit, IMHO. Much rather drive my bike 20 minutes to the park and be safe and enjoy the biking without having to fear for my life.
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Old 03-31-14, 07:07 AM
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Don't give up so easily.

Concur about sidewalks. If you are older than 10 years old, it is not a safe place to be. You are much more at risk of being hit by a car riding on the sidewalk than you are on the street, which is where cyclists should be (unless you are riding in a bike lane or path.)

While it is no fun to ride on main arteries, and I try to limit my exposure on those places, I enjoy finding residential or cycle friendly routes to get where I want to go. They are not always the most direct route, but that is part of the fun.
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Old 03-31-14, 07:16 AM
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I mainly ride on the multi use paths and take the bike there with my car. I agree, sharing the road with those who don't share is not a comfortable feeling. I'm lucky, there's some wonderful trails very close by so it only takes a few minutes to get to a safe place to play.
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Old 03-31-14, 07:20 AM
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Scared-D Cat!

Bicycle Commuting and riding on major thoroughfares is most certainly not for the faint of heart. There are definitely certain health risks involved. I've had several accidents and an even greater number of near misses

OTOH, daily cycling makes my life more worthwhile living. I wouldn't have it any other way!

However, in a way, I do see your point!

Last edited by WestPablo; 03-31-14 at 07:26 AM.
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Old 03-31-14, 07:20 AM
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Do you have a rear view mirror? Seeing what is behind you, like on a motorbike, really helps you adjust.

If someone is not moving over, I find a drunken stagger usually gets their attention.......................
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Old 03-31-14, 08:56 AM
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I am not going to give up the hobby, way too fun on a warm sunny day. Just that being in Seattle, there is completely no need for 2 bikes for a recreational rider.
The Hooligan has 20 inch tires, weighs 4 pounds heavier than my Sirrus.
Its been raining so much this month in Seattle that I almost had to put the motorcycle back on the battery juicer.
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Old 03-31-14, 10:01 AM
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Theres gotta be somewhere between sidewalks and state highways where you can ride. Join a club or go to a group ride to get familiar with some routes.

As for the Hooligan as an only bike, IMO I would stick with a 700c hybrid due to the obstacle eating large diameter wheels. I personally would only choose the Hooligan if I lived in small apartment, up many flights of narrow stairs, in a major city, and without too much bike theft.

Regular hybrids make excellent only bikes. I would recommend to stop buying and just ride - off the sidewalk
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Old 03-31-14, 10:19 AM
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A while back I had mentioned something about you buying and selling so many bikes in a short amount of time. You yelled at me.

I can relate to not being keen on road riding, which is why I will never buy a true road bike. Too many idiots out there. For me, my Quick isn't a road bike, it's a pavement bike and gets used for sightseeing on coastal roads with the wife on her bike.
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Old 03-31-14, 12:30 PM
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I've got no issues with riding on sidewalks.

For me it only isn't practical when there are too many people on the sidewalk.
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Old 03-31-14, 12:43 PM
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Went for a leisurely ride with my wife around Folsom Lake yesterday. As we were leaving a line of cars came up from behind us. I let my wife know, and we scooted over to the right. The fourth car in the group buzzed me, then my wife. It was driven by an older gentleman. He must have misjudged the distance between us and the right side of his car. In any case, we had absolutely nowhere to go, as the road narrows right before the park exit. We were stuck. I don't know what we could have done differently -- but I do know, that I was pretty miffed about the whole thing..
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Old 03-31-14, 01:35 PM
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Originally Posted by AdelaaR
A few thoughts:
Don't ride on sidewalks.
If you feel there is no safe way to ride the road and you absolutely have to ride on the sidewalk:
Find safer roads or quiter trails or paths.
Riding on sidewalks is not done for many reasons including safety and respect for pedestrians.
When done right, cycling is safer than riding a motorcycle. Statistics prove that.
May be you could find fellow cyclists and ask them where they ride their bikes in your neighborhood.
May be you could even ride with them.
I share OPs pain...I also hate to ride on a streets, unless far away from the city. Rear view mirror helps a lot, to see your potential killer without turning back all the time.
Many city sidewalks in my area double as a bicycle routes, and I can ride many miles without seeing any pedestrians. It all depends on the area of course.
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Old 03-31-14, 01:48 PM
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Well Seattle is not too bad of a city for riding on the street. Its not like the East Coast cities where there are people everywhere on the streets, like Boston or NYC. I live in the middle of Seattle and its still pretty easy to be in areas where there are no people walking on the sidewalks. Those who know Seattle know that major avenues like Pacific Hwy or Aurora Ave have no people walking them unless you are destiute and cant afford bus fare.
And the sidewalks are even more lonely once you go to Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond. Its a car culture out here. Capital Hill, Downtown, U District, those are areas where you find people on the street.

If the Hooligan is as fun as the reviews say, I would be willing to sell the Sirrus for 1k.
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Old 03-31-14, 01:59 PM
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Learn how?

I can say that I and the people that have learned how to deal with motor vehicle traffic are safer, more comfortable, and can get around in most traffic situation very effectively. I assume that you may have had to take a motorcycling skills course; required here in California. How about looking into bicycling courses? Try bikeleague.org or CyclingSavvy for some good tips and classes. You may be surprised by what you'd learn.

Originally Posted by cbr9927
Guys, I took my 1st ride on major roads today.
- snip -
All in all I think its safer on a motorcycle than on a bicycle period. I wear a full face helmet, and proper gear. I think bicycles are fun but not for me in the road cycling sense.
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Old 03-31-14, 03:13 PM
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Cycling with cars is definitely scary at first. However, confidence goes a long way. If you are afraid of people getting close, ride in the lane if there is no bike lane. Make eye contact with drivers when you intend to signal and move into car territory.

Believe it or not, riding in a lane is quite a bit safer than riding on the side of the road. Only if there isn't a bike lane and it isn't a high speed area.

Last edited by MaggieJayne; 03-31-14 at 03:17 PM.
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Old 03-31-14, 04:10 PM
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Going from a motorcycle to a bicycle is a big jump. I burned through a couple sets of brake pads dragging my brakes down the steep hills on my commute until I got used to riding at speed. You also get used to the cars. In bad traffic,I much prefer my bicycle to my motorcycle.

Here in DC,our local bike advocacy group,WABA,has classes on city riding. They take small groups out onto the streets to get folks used to dealing with traffic. Check around and see if there's anything like that where you are.
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Old 03-31-14, 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by dynaryder
...In bad traffic, I much prefer my bicycle to my motorcycle.
I also prefer my bicycles over my motorcycles because my bicycles only run out of gas when I do!
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Old 03-31-14, 04:47 PM
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So is a 2013 Sirrus LTD mint never dropped or scratched worth 1k on the used market?
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Old 03-31-14, 10:34 PM
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Originally Posted by cbr9927
So is a 2013 Sirrus LTD mint never dropped or scratched worth 1k on the used market?
Sounds like a good deal to me! Good luck with that although I think you're crazy. However, the longer you keep it and don't use it, the more it depreciates.
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Old 03-31-14, 10:38 PM
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What size is the bike? Can you post some photos of it?
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Old 03-31-14, 11:04 PM
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I cant believe your getting rid of your Sirrus after getting rid of your Giant Escape just a few months ago. I really do not think the Hooligan is going to make you any happier.... 20 inch tires and only one fork ?? You will be selling the Hooligan within 2 months as well.
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Old 04-01-14, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by deerfly
...which is why I will never buy a true road bike...
I used to say that too! ... and look at me now
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Old 04-01-14, 01:19 AM
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Originally Posted by lopek77
I share OPs pain...I also hate to ride on a streets, unless far away from the city. Rear view mirror helps a lot, to see your potential killer without turning back all the time.
Many city sidewalks in my area double as a bicycle routes, and I can ride many miles without seeing any pedestrians. It all depends on the area of course.
Indeed it does depend greatly on the area.
I truly feel sorry for you guys having to cycle in such conditions where cars are king and the only safe place is the sidewalk.
For me, cycling around in the cycling Mekka of the world, such things are hard to even imagine.
What about joining a group ride?
What about the laws concerning groups in your areas?
Here in Belgium the law is as follows:
A group of at least 15 cyclists is considered to be one big vehicle and is supposed to act as such.
This means that a group of 15 isn't even actually allowed on bike paths, but should ride on the street, but not on highways, obviously.
It's comparable to slow motorized vehicles like tractors and since this area is somewhat rural compared to the rest of the country motorists are used to both tractors and groups of cyclists blocking their way all the time
A while back I was riding my car (I have to, for work) and I was stuck behind 3 (yes just 3!) cyclists on a major road!
Those cyclist were followed by 5 or so cars and even two motorcycles with cameras and everything.
After quite a long time, when I was finally able to pass them, it turned out that it was Tom Boonen testing out the course for one of the spring classics ... that sort of stuff is almost considered normal around here

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Old 04-01-14, 06:04 AM
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Cycling laws also depends on the area. Bicycle is considered as a toy by many US drivers, even if you ride on 10k bike. In Michigan squirrels life is more important than cyclist life... It seems that people just hate us here. They don't want to share roads with cyclists. It sucks...
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