TrojanHorse

You need to change your sig to "knight of wimpylandria"

Black wallnut 

DrIsotope

I dropped my first water bottle today. I didn't look down when putting the bottle back in the cage, and muscle memory tried to put the bottle where the cage used to be. Hit the ground, skidded, and tried to roll into a storm drain. I'm starting from scratch over heah.

Also, steel is real. And I totally get the draw of 1X.

jimincalif

Speaking of steel is real, my buddy has loaned me a mid 80s Nishiki Prestige, to ride with him at the Calif Eroica in April. It's set up with a triple up front and six speed in back and down tube shifters. Done a couple of solo rides with it now. Yes steel feels different from my Roubaix, but I can't say it's better or worse. Too many other variables like wheels and tires.

This is actually my first time ever with DT shifters. My 71 American Eagle had Suntour bar ends and my Schwinn Varsity had stem shifters. Must say I do appreciate my brifters more now. Also realized handlebars have changed quite a bit. The vintage ones are significantly narrower, with about two inches more reach forward than my carbon bars.

jsigone

I haven't rode my steel bike in likely 3 yrs now, just collecting dust in the room. I was meaning to modernize the drive train but never got too it. Columbus SL tubes. It has ol school 126mm rear spacing, I'd have to coldset or just wedge 130mm hubs to it

SugarMonkey

Could tell it was in the mid 60's in February in the midwest. I rarely see another cyclist when I'm out normally, but today, it was like everyone was out no matter what level of cyclist. You couldn't swing a bike chain without hitting one.

An there were the inevitable stupid drivers who are like "holy crap a thing on two wheels!! Do I run it over or what/~!?!"

RubeRad

Dangit, my tube tops are all in the wash and I don't own a speedo. I'll just have to go 'skins' in my tightie whities.

Yendor72

Out where we live the only tracks through the snow are mine and the spousal units. This past Sunday everyone with a pair of shoes or a bike was out. It was fun watching the roadies try to figure out why they couldn't drop the chubbies on the fat bikes. I love tail winds!

TrojanHorse

I have an old Bianchi sitting in the shed. I modernized the drive train back in 98 or so (9 spd ultegra) and frankly... 2 mm on each side, just wedge the new wheels in. No problems that I was aware of.

I'd leave it stock though, you'll appreciate it that way one of these days.

jsigone

I'm liking the idea of keeping it stock for now. It's a nice complete survivor. I have other modern bikes to ride, but I will need to do some basic maintenance on the bike. God know how old the shifter cables are, when on hills the downtube shifters move out of index and go harder gear. I'm not familiar enough with DTs to know if that is common or not. Also need fatter brake hoods, those slim 80/90's style suuuuuuuck after a while.

jsigone

jesus I hope this sells for asking price, I need to find a sucker like this

Vintage Schwinn circuit a clasic road bike. | eBay

jimincalif

Be sure to watch the video til the end.

Female cyclist catcalled by man in van chases him down and exacts her revenge | The Independent

TrojanHorse

Staged.

TrojanHorse

Raise the bars and ride in the drops like the old guys did. The drops on modern bikes are waaaaaaaay lower than what they used to be.

I don't think your shifters should move like that, but my memory of DT shifters are foggy. I think you can adjust the tension of the shifter to encourage it to stay put.

TrojanHorse

So my wife is doing a reverse sprint tri Saturday (Race on the Base). I have to take my son to some math competition so she's on her own with her friend. She hasn't ridden her bike outside in FOREVER! (Oh, a spin bike is the same thing... hah) Well, it'll be flat at least.

Last night I pulled her bike down and decided I should fix her flat rear tire. Some kind of OEM Schwalbe tire on some kind of OEM cannondale rim and OMG, I could not get that damn tire off the rim. Once I DID get it off, I decided I'd try putting a new tire on, hoping that a Michelin Pro4 would go on easier. Nope. I finally got the first bead on but for the life of me and my shredded hands, I cannot get that damn second bead on. If she had to change a flat, she'd be doomed, so I dug out my old powertap wheels and she'll be rocking those for the bike portion of the tri.

Anybody have any pro-tips for gettng a tire onto a stubborn rim? I put velox cloth tape in the rim way back when because the crappy plastic rim tape was causing flats, so I know I've gotten that tire off that rim before.

PhotoJoe 

My whole family is signed up for that, but I'm out for sure. If I need a wheelchair to get into doctors' offices, I don't think I can do a Tri! I think my girls are bowing out, too, for a long list of reasons. Oh well, mnaybe next year.

TrojanHorse

$100 a pop and you let them back out? I'd chase them down there with a wiffle bat.

RubeRad

Make sure the tube is completely deflated (open the valve and suck air out with your mouth if necessary). Squeeze the beads together all the way around to make sure they are riding as low as possible in the depressed center of the rim. Start opposite the valve, and finish at the valve. Replace the thick-ish velox cloth tape with Velo-Plugs, or perhaps Gorilla Tape (clear), or Kapton (sp?) tape

Then when it still doesn't work, use a Kool-Stop Bead Jack.

TrojanHorse

Cool! Dangit, I was at the bike shop today for some small parts and totally forgot to get that damn thing. Good thing I have to go tomorrow anyway.

Of course, who's going to carry that thing on a bike ride? Sort of defeats the purpose.

DrIsotope

If a tire requires a bead jack to mount, buy a different tire. I won't buy any tire I can't mount with thumbs alone.

jsigone

squirt some water on the side walls, not extreme amounts but the last 1/3rd of the rim that will be using fingers and levers on. Like the same rule using soapy water/sponge when mounting tubeless

Same rule on the side of the road, makes you work fast since you don't want it to dry and have to use more water that you may be running out of.

Yendor72

Kettle bell workouts are the devil!

Did a "beginner" workout (from a DVD) which involved a lot of squats. I bike 3-5 days a weeks, what are squats going to do to me right? Wrong! Hopefully I can do an easy spin tonight on the bike, my legs are still trashed!

I know, I know. See rule #5. As my wife told me last night, HTFU!

Jarrett2

Congrats and welcome to the dark side

TrojanHorse

Me neither, which is why that whole wheel is now leaning up against the garage wall and a different wheel is on the bike. I can't explain it - I've certainly changed flats on that wheel before, and the rim tape, so I don't know what's different now.

I rode with a guy um.... summer of 2015. Dude rode a fixie 140 miles that day. The portion of the ride with us was flat - up PCH to Carpenteria and back, but he started in the valley, so he rode that fixie up and over the hill twice. And kept up with us going 20+ mph all day. Crazy!

Anyway, he had HED belgium wheels and conti GP tires and punctured 4 tubes trying to get a flat fixed, and he was a very seasoned cyclist. Bad wheel/tire combo is no way to go through life.

jsigone

you have to be a wizard not to pinch a tube while mounting conti tires. My new GPs were TIGHT on my carbones, but I like the way the tire handles