warwick.hoy

Hey All,...

My name is James.

Well I must say this is a very impressive forum,....lots of subforums to go through but seeing as I just registered I figured my 1st post ought to be an intro post of sorts.

I've been on the hunt for a good commuter bike and posted a thread on a different; non bike related forum that I frequent and this site popped up over the course of that discussion. Tonight I bought a bike. It's a fixer upper but I'll save that for the appropriate thread.

A little about myself,....well I'm growing a little disenfranchised with the current fossil fuels (and especially the Gulf) situation and figured since I work about 1.5 miles from where I live I should start riding a bike to work,...or at least walk. While I could feasibly walk to work riding a bike to work would be a good compromise between not driving and sleeping in till the last possible minute. I looked at what was affordable as an new entry level and well there were a few bikes that caught my attention; I grew impatient and decided to pick up something serviceable from CL.

I have a wife who also works quite close to home and I'm hoping to get her into cycling as well although she is resistant of any vehicle that she has to be in control of. She is a receptionist at a non-profit mental health agency. She too loves her job, but she also does lots of other cool things. She is a retired (not intentionally) glass artist, she makes hoola hoops, her own salves, balms and hand cremes. She and a friend are really into apiary as well (beekeeping) and they keep a small hive out at the friends property. I'm amazed at the health and vitality of all the plants on their property thanks to the bees. They are way cool

I'm a cook at a lunch cafe called TASTE. My boss is delightfully English and is really awesome which makes a normally mundane job very enjoyable. I don't make much but she fits me in so I can get as many hours as possible.

I also play bass guitar in a few bands around town but the gigs are slowing down. It's difficult in this town to maintain a practice studio without angering the neighbors as well as working to pay the bills and not finding much time to write, so it just takes time to get a set together before hitting the stage. I play a little guitar as well but that's just for personal enrichment. I have a dangerous addiction to Effects Pedals (I could probably sell my collection of pedals and finance a good bike) and off the wall instruments (didji, Tibetan singing bowls,...thumb piano). I love music of all types, bands like Radiohead, Umphrey's McGee, Phish, STS9, Nerve, I could go on all night .

I love canoeing and am trying more and more to get into the outdoors which. I don't do much TV although I watch a lot of Ice Hockey. My immediate family hails from the Philadelphia area so my team is the Flyers who had an exciting run but fell short for the Stanley Cup. Movies are kinda tired these days too but I know a good one when I see one.

Anyway,...that's me in a nutshell,...thanks for reading (sorry if it's TL;DR) and thanks to all the Mods and Admins that make this wonderful site possible,...see you on the boards.

10 Wheels

Welcome James to Bike Forums.
Very Nice bike. Nice pics
Very Nice Intro.

warwick.hoy

Thanks for the welcome.

Perhaps a little about my riding history,...or lack thereof. Well let's face it,...I'm 31 and I've never owned a real bike. Lot's of Wal/Kmart disposable crap, but never anything decent.

I've posted a bit in the C&V Subforum,...including pics of my new ride which is a 70's Phillips with an AW 3 Speed Hub. Fun bike for sure but I'm really in the market for an '09/'10 Hybrid. The Phillips will hold me over till I can save up.

Fir

Welcome, James!
All sounds good, and so happy to hear that out of the horrible catastrophe in the Gulf, someone is willing to give up or reduce car commuting. I would echo one other poster who wondered why you need a commuter if you have a pretty vintage 3 spd? but perhaps you have big hills there. It's pretty flat here.

I used to think the old 3 speeds weren't really serious bikes. I think that is because in the old days we only got to drive old clapped out ladies models (what teenage boy wants to drive a "ladies model"?) and they didnt have a racy image back then, etc. But recently I had an eye opening experience: I timed my commute and discovered my 3 speed Sports was statistically as fast as my lightweight aluminum Scott Mtnbike over the 6 km. Statistically meaning I dont have a decent second hand on my watch... But you can certainly find a lighter bike with more sophisticated componentry on the other hand.

anyway, happy trails!

7speed

James, I recommend you try a full-size guitar.

:-)

(Ha, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use a favorite joke.)

Have you come across this blog: https://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/

It's pretty good. I read it regularly and I've never even been to Washington!

warwick.hoy

Thanks for the welcoming words. My commute is short but consists of a slight grade at the end of the return trip; it's a coast to start out with on the way in =D. I tried it out for the first time today and it was slow going on the way back. I definitely need a lower gear for that grade. There are even steeper hills heading north and south but they aren't on my regular commute. For the moment the Phillips will do.

Grrrroooooaaaaan,....=D

I have yet to peruse that blog but I definitely will. The cycling community is thriving in Spokane. The car dominates but there are still commuters. I have a coworker that rides her bike to work which was sort of an inspiration for me to ride to work. Considering my commute is short it only makes sense. I don't have to pay for parking (10 bucks a week) that's less gas use and wear and tear on my car.

There is something for everybody here,...a 37 mile long paved trail (as well as another paved trail that I'm unfamiliar with),...off road areas for MTBing. There's the FBC (*ing Bike Club,....sorry I know this is a family friendly site,...I didn't name it.) Which is a large group of people who meet up and bar hop on their bikes. I see a lot of really expensive road bikes and people in spandex. They always seem to meat up after rides at a pub in my neighborhood.

We also have a really great non-profit called Pedals 2 People. I thought about buying a bike from them but decided to leave that for someone less fortunate than I. I will support them by donating some stand time and a chance to further learn the ins and outs of my bike,...(so far I've been doing the work myself but I'd like to rebuild the hub and do some more intermediate work).

On the flip side,...I went out on a casual ride downtown and was yelled at by some yokels in a red pickup (I've owned my bike for 48 hours and I'm already getting cat called by rednecks). I guess I should grow a thick skin, spend some time educating myself as to etiquette and local laws and then throw them out the window since I and my fellow cyclists will be the only ones aware of them (pardon my cynicism but part of the reason I'm biking to work is because most people in this town don't drive well).

This is a wonderful and welcoming site. Seems like cyclists are a quirky bunch so I should fit right in. =p

Thank you guys for the warm welcome.

Fir

You might want to consider a 20 tooth cog? But I'm sure you've considered it. I swapped our Raleigh Twenty to a 22 tooth and you can just about pull stumps with it, but now me feet don't keep up with the freewheel on downhills. I got a 20T for my Sports. Looking forward to trying that, especially as I haul waggons sometimes.

warwick.hoy

Thanks for the tip. I hadn't considered that but I'll look into it.

Today was my first commute into work which at 1.7 miles was a breeze. So worth it not to have to drive. The is a slight up-grade the last two blocks on my journey east (before heading south another 2 blocks to my destination). Couple that with the up-grade the final 6 blocks of my return trip,...my legs are a little tight.

I've been perusing the Advocacy forum and well as the local BAB (Bicycle Advocacy Board). The laws here are convoluted and basically aside from the helmet law (which I'm currently breaking,...I know I plan on getting a helmet) and staying off of limited access highways,...they state that cyclists have to follow all the same rules as motor vehicles,...and that's it,...that's all we get.

What should I be concerned about when it comes to cyclist etiquette? I'm sure there is a lot of common sense sort of stuff but what are some of the finer points. I know I'm not going to avoid impatient drivers but what can I do to minimize my run ins. FWIW My commute consists of Downtown area at speeds of 25 MPH (that most people don't abide).

Scenarios that I'm unclear about deal with one ways IE: Today I got in the far left hand lane on a one way approaching an intersection that was right turn only. I then signaled my way over (light traffic) right hand lane approaching an intersection that had a left turn only. My thought process being that I didn't want to impede the progress of cars that could take advantage of the "free" turn, or be in the way of those turning when the light changed.