Common cycling myths
#76
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Iowa ain't flat! Been there done that.
What I find interesting is that many of the grades in the eastern mountains are much steeper than the ones in the west. Back in my racing days we would get the occasional racer from the west coast here in the east, if the humidity didn't kill them the steep grades would. The grades aren't as long and the overall elevation is lower.
Aaron
What I find interesting is that many of the grades in the eastern mountains are much steeper than the ones in the west. Back in my racing days we would get the occasional racer from the west coast here in the east, if the humidity didn't kill them the steep grades would. The grades aren't as long and the overall elevation is lower.
Aaron
Yeah, back east there are some really steep grades. I lived for a few years in Springboro, just north of Cincinnati. Lots of hills, and around Fort Ancient it was especially steep. Western Kentucky also has plenty of steep grades and just for fun, the highway department often doesn't label just how steep the grade is!
Hills though are (IMO)_ a big part of the reason why our bikes look different than the Dutch bikes. It's also the reason why it can be tough to get people out commuting by bike. If they aren't in really good shape they wind up walking their bike up hill, after hill, after hill...and lots of folks don't want to do that! To tackle those hills it's easiest to have at least 21 gears and light alloy frames---quite unlike the Dutch bikes.
#77
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Ever been in the NE part of the state? IIRC the 2011 or 2012 Ragbrai had more total elevation gain than some hilly bike race out west.
Aaron
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
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SF does have a lot of hills, but not all of them are killer steep. It also has a lot of relatively flat areas. People quickly learn the little detours around the really steep places; you can even get a bike map that shows them.
#80
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I don't know of places that have a lot of unavoidable steep hills, where bicycling is popular. But there might be some that I don't know of.
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Hardly. Just because there are step hills in a city doesn't mean many bike commuters or transportation cyclists include them in their bicycling travels; no more than cycling commuters have to swim across rivers or lakes within the city limits.
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It doesn't matter if you like hills or not, most people do not get really good at hill climbing by bicycle, they find a new route or a new mode, or never consider using a bike for a route that requires much steep hill climbing.
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Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
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San Francisco and other costal cities with hills are big on the electric assist bikes. That's one way around the problem.
#85
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There are so many...
My favourite is that if you ride a bicycle you won't be able to get a date.
So the beautiful lady on the city bike waiting in the box looks at me and says... you know you have to be wearing a helmet if you want to get into my box.
I married her the next week.
My favourite is that if you ride a bicycle you won't be able to get a date.
So the beautiful lady on the city bike waiting in the box looks at me and says... you know you have to be wearing a helmet if you want to get into my box.
I married her the next week.
#86
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There are all kinds of adaptations you can make to overcome a limitation like steep hills. SF was the center of the mountain bike revolution in the 1970s, wasn't it? Also Seattle and Vancouver are hilly aren't they? And, as wahoonc points out, so is Iowa
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@harshbarj
Maybe because you actually have hair on top, or more than just a little like I do. For me the helmets shading makes up for blocking some of the wind.
I gotta admit though that I'll leave the helmet off also now and again.
Maybe because you actually have hair on top, or more than just a little like I do. For me the helmets shading makes up for blocking some of the wind.
I gotta admit though that I'll leave the helmet off also now and again.
Last edited by wphamilton; 06-24-13 at 08:48 PM.
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SF wasn't part of mountain bike development. Most folks who were venturing up and down the dirt trails were in Marin, Santa Cruz or Alameda Counties. The main thrust of bike development was from Marin. SF was just the closest city to the action.
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Cyclists in the TdF climb the Alps and Pyrenees, doesn't mean many Frenchmen commute up or down them very often, even if they have one of those revolutionary S.F. "mountain" bikes
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I wonder if there will be a surge in electric assist bikes that will change some of this. I would love to be passed by a 250 pound grandma while climbing a hill. Of course she must wave as she goes by.
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More myths: cyclists don't pay road taxes. helmets make your head hotter. Road bikes sacrifice comfort for speed. Thinner tires roll easier. Air drag doesn't matter if you ride under 20 mph. Leaning forward more takes the weight off your hands. Crashing is inevitable. Racing isn't about speed (ok, that one was gratuitous ) Hills never get easier (they do if you don't keep speeding up!). Chains are always cheaper to replace than cassettes. Commuter A wearing jeans on an aluminum bike can't afford a car. Cyclist B wearing team insignia on a carbon bike is wealthy. A and B are always different people, belonging to antithetical groups. Bicycles should be on the sidewalks. Bicycles should stay off the sidewalks. Riding on MUPs is dangerous. Riding on roads designed for motor traffic is dangerous. Someone's bicycle accident will raise someone else's taxes.
Cars hate cyclists (cars are inanimate objects). Cyclists are deviants. Motorists are lazy or ignorant. CO2 from your heavy breathing is as bad or worse than CO2 from vehicles. Your calories cost per mile as much as diesel fuel, maybe more. Bicycle commuting is time consuming. ... I think this is a dangerous topic because it just goes on and on ... and every "myth" risks insulting someone, so my apologies in advance!
Cars hate cyclists (cars are inanimate objects). Cyclists are deviants. Motorists are lazy or ignorant. CO2 from your heavy breathing is as bad or worse than CO2 from vehicles. Your calories cost per mile as much as diesel fuel, maybe more. Bicycle commuting is time consuming. ... I think this is a dangerous topic because it just goes on and on ... and every "myth" risks insulting someone, so my apologies in advance!
NOTE: I have 100% VA care; he's gonna pay it, regardless!
But there's a BIG myth: a bike crash WILL result in TBI, and the taxpayers will end up paying for long-term intensive care. Such BUULLLLLLL-SH*****.
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heh, I find that to be the case in small towns. When I head back to my home town I often see middle-aged disheveled men with a look of disgust on their face, riding the sidewalks while there is a designated bike path 5 ft away from them. What else could it be besides a DUI?
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The same myth revolves around winter cycling. But if you travel to Minnesota in January, you'll find ample evidence to the contrary.
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heh, I find that to be the case in small towns. When I head back to my home town I often see middle-aged disheveled men with a look of disgust on their face, riding the sidewalks while there is a designated bike path 5 ft away from them. What else could it be besides a DUI?
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Of course, everyday cyclists don't go out looking for the Alpes d'Huez on their daily commute. But they are able to navigate around the steep hills and generally manage to adapt. They have mountain bike gearing and they learn how to tackle the hills they do need to climb.
The same myth revolves around winter cycling. But if you travel to Minnesota in January, you'll find ample evidence to the contrary.
The same myth revolves around winter cycling. But if you travel to Minnesota in January, you'll find ample evidence to the contrary.
#98
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Myth: Tailwinds are a thing that exist.
M.
M.
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slight mod here, the reason people who wear normal clothing and commute to work is because they lost their license due to too many duis. apparently lancelots are exempt from that perception.
i don't drink and get that attitude, but the attitude shifts when they talk with me a minute. drunks have
negative attitudes and i come off positive.
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cycling myths
1. cycling forums contain actual information
2. deep carbon wheels will make you faster
3. More expensive helmets are safer
4. A&S is about advocacy and safety
5. love to tell "dropped a roadie" stories on the internet because you are secure and happy.
6. old stuff is better than new stuff
7. new stuff is better than old stuff
1. cycling forums contain actual information
2. deep carbon wheels will make you faster
3. More expensive helmets are safer
4. A&S is about advocacy and safety
5. love to tell "dropped a roadie" stories on the internet because you are secure and happy.
6. old stuff is better than new stuff
7. new stuff is better than old stuff
I would add:
8. I need "stuff" in order to enjoy my ride (therefore the bike that costs $300 is about 60-70% of what is spent before leaving the bike shop)
9. Cycling is dangerous
10. Traveling more than X number of miles is unthinkable, "you must be crazy"
Last edited by Ridefreemc; 06-26-13 at 09:37 AM.