Paultso

My main intentions for riding this bicycle was to bring it to the velodrome and train in central park where the roads are smooth, however I don't have a beater bike at the moment. At the same time, i absolutely love riding my Sonic to run errands in the city but the roads can get very rough. I'm pretty careful about riding around potholes, and never jumping curbs. However, sometimes the roads are just rough and it just feels like my bike is taking a beating because the ride is so harsh.

Do I risk cracking my frame by riding it out in the streets? Are aluminum frames known for cracking? I always see a lot of guys riding on cinelli vigorellis and mashes so I want to think its ok...What do you guys think?

Leukybear 

If you don't do any tarcking with it and limit curb hopping to a minimum or get hit by a NYC taxi; you have nothing to worry about your frame cracking.

I personally have a pista concept and a vigorelli which have never seen the velodrome and they have no damage from street riding aside maybe from minuscule microscopic paint chips.....

JesusBananas

Your frame will not crack, especially since you're just riding it around. It's completely fine. (Yes, I have biked regularly in NYC.)

Frankly, I'd be more concerned about riding such an expensive bike around just to "do errands." The best Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit lock won't do you any good if a thief really wants your bike.

Paultso

Thanks for the replies guys. If i run errands I never lock it up, I always bring my bike inside and sometimes I have to shoot the shiz with the security guard so he'll let me walk around with it.

I know this bike wasn't meant for city riding but its a damn great ride, and honestly I want to enjoy this bike as much as possible. Hopefully I dont get hit by a cab.

JesusBananas

What?!

Ah, cool beans then. You're lucky you can do that, and glad you have a bike you like.

LoRoK

I've cracked 2 steel frames (weld, not tubing) at the seat-cluster in the last two years. I do no tarcking about. Just too much man for the machine to handle.

ichitz

always ride defensively. NYC cabs are horrible. Ok not just cabs. 98% of new york cars AND pedestrians are horrible.

NateRod

ftfy

ichitz

^^^
haha. Any other day I'ld have wrote 99.9% but I feel like giving more people credit today because I was on the bike lane on the left side going up 6th Ave and this car in front of me was gonna make a left, thus needing to cross into the bike lane. I was already slowing down in case he's one of those that just doesn't care about ramming bikes on bike paths. But he stopped before entering the path, rolled down his window, and signaled with his hand for me to cross first. That was nice. But that was the only single nice car experience out of the other 492984762 bad ones.

JesusBananas

Better now.

What?
After biking in New York for so long, I can see why people hate cyclists so much. That isn't to pardon motorists who act like jackasses to cyclists, but it applies in the opposite direction as well. See (from bikesnobnyc):

*Waits for flaming*

Squirrelli

Old lady almost hit me once when I was on the bike lane...she didn't use signal or anything making a sharp right turn...
Are NYC cabbies THAAAT scary? Do they want to run you guys over?

NateRod

I'll give you that point. Totally true.

JesusBananas

Only if you're running a red light in heavy traffic like a French word for shower.

Lol at the board censors for caring about that but not about variations on "ass" such as jackass or *******.
(Sorry.)

MysticRats

Dude Fattubed aluminum frames rides soooooo sweet! I dunno maybe those fat tubes help dampen road vibe.

Yo that dude crossing on a reds a fuking ahole, I must admit I cross reds from time to time but no longer thru RUSHING traffic.
After doing it several times I caught a glimpse of the driver I just crossed in front of, the woman looked totally terrified!!
Afterwards I thought, what if that was my Mom or my Sister? Would I want that to happen to them?! I stopped rushing reds after that.

Oh ye, restaurant bicycle delivery people, are worse than cabs or peds!
I swear Im going to slam into one of those dudes going the wrong way one of these days.

JesusBananas

Yea, sometimes I jaywalk (jaybike?) when I'm feeling impatient, but I do it like I would as a pedestrian: when there are no f-ing cars coming.

ichitz

Yea, pretty much. I follow most traffic rules. I don't cross reds (unless i can't see any car coming), i don't go the wrong way on streets, i try to use streets with bike lanes, and I don't walk on sidewalks. I think the most scenarios when I feel like I'm about to get a heart attack or grab ppl by the collar and yell at them is
1. sharp turn into u without signal/looking
2. parking on bike path
3. parking just out of bike path but the open door remains in bike path
4. pedestrians who think u should yield to them even tho they're jaywalking
5. cars that get stuck in traffic while u can wiggle through, next time they catch up to you (if they do) they zoom by u almost hitting you as if to show that cars are ultimately still faster than bikes and that they are superior

LoRoK

+Infinity.

Scrodzilla

****, people do that here in the small town where I live...I can only imagine how bad it is in a place like NYC. Here, there's another dickhead move known as "the creep" where a driver rides your ass as though they are afraid to pass, regardless of how slow you may be going. Even when you signal to them that it's okay for them to pass, they refuse - opting instead to get mad and begin honking. That's when I pull out right in front of them. "**** you, you're not going to pass me? I'll show you how I'm entitled to the whole damn lane. Very S L O W L Y".