You need to practice? I'm trying to imagine the scenario. Maybe a bean bag chair?

Well, I do fall, and I believe many others do, too. So I want the fall to injure me as little as possible. I do a "stage fall" which actors learn: ankle, knee, hip, elbow, shoulder. And when I do fall, I get up, and then I realize that it went pretty much according to my rehearsals, and it doesn't hurt much.

that is smart to practice. We spent the 1st week of DT in the LEO academy just learning how to fall. People think its weird but ive never hit my head duting a fall because of it.

I also practice driving a car with ABS: I find a snowy spot where I can afford for the car to slip in any direction. I slam on the brakes. The pedal vibrates, and I fight my reflex to let off the pedal, and I keep my foot down. I didn't get a chance to do it this past winter because the climate changed, and we barely had snow.

Isn't there a word for that? I think they call it tomballay..

I googled that and got weird results.

I think the word I would choose is "weirdo"

:lol:

Well, we are all weirdo in our own way. I always have to check to see if I have my "Jerk" shirt on when I'm riding, lol.

Just here to say welcome from a fellow female commuter! (there's only a few of us on this board I think) :welcome
I combine riding the train with my biking for now since there's no easy path to my workplace...until the powers that be finish the trail network that's in planning.

Practicing falling? Where do you guys come up with this stuff? Are you trying to drive off customers? :lol:

I am 69 years old. My bike is 50 years old.
I need new spd shoes and the tires need air.
Last year, I had three surgeries, thatś both hips and a pacemaker.
I expect to get back on the bike after a two-year layoff.

For a time, my average daily commute was 28 miles/day. 4500 miles in 10 months (in my 50ś)
For a 12 mile roundtrip commute, any bike will do.

Find a local bike shop (LBS) that makes you feel welcome and takes your questions seriously.
Explain what you plan to do with the bike and go from there.

fat biker

this is fairly recent in my experience... I normally do errands / commute on a drop bar and it was comfortable and I tended to stay on the hoods or the top of the bar and felt no problems seeing around me (however, I do cheat by using a helmet mirror).

I acquired a used trek 7000 hybrid and I like riding that as well, with one caveat: because the handlbars are wider, I actually noticed that I have to concentrate on keeping them straight whild using hand signals... I guess in using drops the bar is shorter, leverage is different, and I got used to that.

I don't think using a mirror is cheating in any way. I think it's a good idea. I've convinced at least two people to use mirrors, and they now use them regularly.

Time for a new bike. Triple crank 26ers are dinosaurs now.

If your HR has front suspension, which some years did, then I'd be looking for something lighter. Otherwise IMO it's a fabulous commuter platform. Fender and rack mounts, unlimited tire options, rugged, not super attractive to bike thrives. I commuted on one for years and it was solid. I even did a century on it, super comfortably.

Having said that, a hardcore bike commuter needs two bikes. Sometimes one is down for maintenance, and it would be a crying shame to drive a car for lack of a bike.
So do both :)

Disc brakes are awful nice for all weather commuting. If the second bike is different, it gives you some variety.

If you like the bike you currently have, ride it. Learning to maintain a bike will be a valuable money saving skillset as you aren't spending on labor costs. I would ride the HR and learn to regularly maintain it (essentially like you would with a car).

Investing in Mr Tuffy tire liners will save you so many flats, especially if you ride near major roads or construction sites where there would be fine metal shavings on the ground.

I think new bike are the best for you, and city bike with 6 x 2 gear will also help if you need speed or inclining road

Old specialized MTBs make great commuters. It's easy enough finding stout 26 inch tires and the bike is set up for upright riding even though the OP may wish to change the handlebars on his HR. Plus replacement parts tend to be inexpensive since it's old school technology. This is my 1988 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9e56144f30.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8ef76bb996.jpg

Looks like Steph's never come back. I hope she's riding.

Been reading this thread with some interest. I never really gave commuting by bike a ton of thought. I hate traffic with a passion, which is why I commute by motorcycle. We can lane split in CA, which cuts my freeway time by more than half. But as I've been riding more, I've explored routes that avoid street traffic. I knew that there were two river trails that led toward my office from home, but did not connect, requiring a lengthy street ride to go from one trail to the other. Through experimentation, I found a route to connect the two trails largely through a residential area, making it a lot more appealing. I've been playing around with the ride on weekends on my different bikes to see how long it would take so I can figure out how early I need to leave and am ready to give it a shot on a regular weekday. Among my newer Trek FX3, Electra Ticino 8-speed and my old '94 Trek 930 mountain bike, oddly enough the 930 is the bike I've found most appealing for the ride.

Here's how she looks after being lowered down from the garage rafters for the first time in about ten years, cleaned up and lubed. Since then, I've replaced the old, dry knobbies with Michelin Protek tires, replaced the old brake pads and she flies. I don't think I'll change much, if anything. The old bar-ends give some different hand positions, and I don't plan to ride in bad weather, so no need for fenders.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...92594a707f.jpg

It's been echoed throughout, but there's so much worth to learning to do some basic bike maintenance. The one thing I learned first is how to change a flat tire. Not only did it help me when I got a flat while out riding, it also meant I could get new tires and install them myself.

And, if I can send one more suggestion, start playing around with your tire pressure. It makes such a huge difference. Fast and comfortable is much more possible with the right tire pressure. The "Silca Pro Tire Pressure Calculator" is a great place to start!

And welcome to the commuting world! It's the best way to start and end the work day.

It is a great way to start the work day. When I drive to work and back home, I'm tired and angry from traffic and think everyone in the world is stupid or crazy. When I ride a motorcycle, my mind is singularly focused on everything around me in heavy traffic. It's the ultimate brain eraser, leaving me happy and ready for work in the morning or the family when I get home. I'm finding that when I ride my bike, I'm sort of pumped up and wired when I get to work. Now, it's the heat of summer, so riding to work is great, as it's still cool out. Riding home, I'm super heated and need to cool back down when I get home before I'm good for anything, but still a bit wired. Once I cooled off for a few minutes last night, I was good for a five mile hike with the wife.

- For reference, I'm in my mid-50s, weigh around 185, in "getting back in shape" mode and have a 12.5 mile commute by bike.

Bike mainenance is key. I've always worked on my own bikes since I was a kid, so fixing flats, adjusting gears, repacking bearings, etc is no great shakes for me. I'm using the Cyclemeter app to track my rides, and that 30-year-old steel Trek 930 is a bit faster than my new Trek FX3 that is lighter with narrower tires. When I put new Michelins on the 930, I stuck with a 1.95 width so I could do some light trail riding if I wanted to. I'm riding a paved river trail for a good part of my commute that goes under major cross streets and freeways, so there's some downhill and uphill spots along the way. I'm finding the 930 faster downhill and carries more speed back uphill than the FX3. I'm wondering if the rotational mass of the heavier tires is helping to do that a bit.

Also, I haven't touched the FX3 yet. The wide hand grips are comfy for resting my palms when cruising, but I don't have any options for hand positions, so maybe changing up the bars might be in order.

I want pics of the 930. I love mine, though I don't ride it often enough.

I need to take more pictures of it as it sits now. This is the only one I've taken since it's come out of hibernation.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8c6738831d.jpg

Nice.

Here's mine, a '94. I think. '95, duh!


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...19be4614d0.jpg
On the Hammond Trail Bridge

I'll have to take some updated pics of mine. Interesting that mine's glossy and has a different font on the graphics. I've seen pics of both versions, both '94 models. I remember buying mine new... and putting it on the trunk rack on my brand new '94 Saturn!

Also, I spent a few more days this week commuting on my new FX3. While I'm on paved bike trails for a majority of the ride, I'm playing around with the portion that is on city streets to see what's fastest and presents the fewest hazards in traffic.

My speed has averaged out to match the 930, but I really want to add some hand positions to the FX3. With the "Isozone" grips, I'd need adapters to put any kind of bar ends on it. I'd like to try bullhorn bars, but most I've seen are pretty narrow, around 440mm wide, which wouldn't leave much room for the shifter and brake levers.

I rode the 930 to work this morning and will leave it in my office for a while as "art". I'll take the FX3 home.
Since that older picture, I've put the new Michelins on it, which I do like, along with new brake pads and new pedals. The original pedals had plastic guts and after 30 years, fell apart within the first few rides. The new MKS pedals are the closest I could find to replicate the look of the originals in all aluminum.

My old bar-ends were a bit scraped up, so I put these on it recently, same style as what I put on it when it was new. She's a great rider, but there's a bit of vague shifting here and there, so I'll replace the old cables soon and fine-tune the derailleurs. It's still all original STX, but the shifter/brakes were switched out years ago with Alivio stuff.

The braking surfaces on the rims are pretty shabby, but are clean, and bring back some memories... I rode her in the L.A. Marathon for a few years back in the mid-90s (they let bikes run the route before the runners. Might still do, but I don't know). Both times it was rainy and sorta grimey, so the brakes got pretty roughed up.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f172e56846.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0b40e4743c.jpg



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30c237e173.jpg

That's because mine's a '95 (I confused myself) when the colors were "dry ice".

EDIT: Check out Velo-Orange; they have a few variations on the bullmoose bar.

Good morning Everyone,

Thank you for all of your replies. It's good to know what everyone out there in the community is doing and recommends.

Just an updated from my end. I've been riding in to work fairly regularly over the past few months and it's been going pretty well. But I am still at the crossroads of either putting money into my 1995 ish Specialized Hard Rock or getting a different bike. My Hard Rock will need new shifters, probably new wheels, etc...

A recent (this past week) setback was two flat tires. Riding in to work last week, I arrived without an issue (I thought), but when I was ready to head out, I noticed my rear tire was flat. There was a small screw or nail in the tire. I got that repaired over the weekend and even put on a more puncture resistant tire. Halfway in I got another tire. Bigger screw/nail this time. Very upsetting. There is some construction on my route in, but the road looked fairly clear. I probably should change my route? Or just an unfortunate coincidence?

Either way, that got me to thinking about getting a bike with even stronger tires. My colleague has what I think can be classified as a fat tire bike. It looks super heavy, but I rode with him and he was pretty fast. I'm not the fastest biker in the world though. My preconception of a fat tire bike is that they are slow and involve a lot of effort to get up hills and things.

Maybe not a fat tire bike, but perhaps something like mountain bike tires would make sense for me?

I've been looking at Surly bikes lately and kind of like them. I thought that my bike "knew" I was looking and that's why I got the flat tires :)...

Thanks again for all of your feedback. I appreciate it.