Desperate, I rode my wife's bike to work...
12-11-06, 08:22 PM
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Desperate, I rode my wife's bike to work...
...and it was fun.
I usually ride a 60 cm Trek Portland, but that has a broken chain and I'm rebuilding my beater. It was a nice day and I didn't want to take a shuttle van or the T. So, I figured I'd ride my wife's 44.5 cm Trek 7100 hybrid.
I jacked the seat as high as it would go and didn't try to make it go faster than I comfortably could. That meant spinning the teeny cranks at about 50 rpm, going about half my usual speed. Sitting bolt upright in the wind on the 700x38 tires, I felt like the ultimate Fred.
I do 22 miles on Mondays and I could see how doing this regularly on this bike would hurt knees and wrists. The ride was not too bad and it was fun taking it easy in the upright position.
Just as I was approaching home, I caught up with my wife walking out boys back from school and gave a big pee-wee "Ha-Ha." Scared the bejeezus out of her.
I usually ride a 60 cm Trek Portland, but that has a broken chain and I'm rebuilding my beater. It was a nice day and I didn't want to take a shuttle van or the T. So, I figured I'd ride my wife's 44.5 cm Trek 7100 hybrid.
I jacked the seat as high as it would go and didn't try to make it go faster than I comfortably could. That meant spinning the teeny cranks at about 50 rpm, going about half my usual speed. Sitting bolt upright in the wind on the 700x38 tires, I felt like the ultimate Fred.
I do 22 miles on Mondays and I could see how doing this regularly on this bike would hurt knees and wrists. The ride was not too bad and it was fun taking it easy in the upright position.
Just as I was approaching home, I caught up with my wife walking out boys back from school and gave a big pee-wee "Ha-Ha." Scared the bejeezus out of her.
12-11-06, 09:00 PM
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I don't know that I could comfortably do 22 miles on my wife's hybrid, good man!
12-11-06, 09:11 PM
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Heh, you shoulda stuck some ape hangers and angled 'em way out to stretch yourself out a bit.
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12-11-06, 11:54 PM
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Got pics?
My knees hurt just thinking about that.
My knees hurt just thinking about that.
12-12-06, 01:24 AM
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Man, props to you for doing that much distance.
My girlfriend rides a 43cm fuji track and I don't think I could ride that any reasonable distance without getting frustrated.
My girlfriend rides a 43cm fuji track and I don't think I could ride that any reasonable distance without getting frustrated.
12-12-06, 02:49 AM
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I did a similar thing a few weeks back (over 5 miles though) and had a great time. Her bike is a comfy MTB that's never been off road - huge saddle, suspension seat post - and it brought back memories of riding BMX's in my youth. It also drew attention to how badly adjusted i'd let my own brakes become when the first time i came upto some lights, the rear wheel left the ground!
It then proceeded to leave the ground on a number of other occasions too...
It then proceeded to leave the ground on a number of other occasions too...
12-12-06, 06:26 AM
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Egads! My wife rides a hybrid slightly smaller than my bike and I can not even ride it. I suppose if I jacked the seat up. However, a woman's frame would emasculate me 
12-12-06, 06:33 AM
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Hmm. I rode my wife's powder blue Electra Townie about the neighborhood to do some errands. My son has disowned me. But ya gotta feel secure in your manhood to ride an Electra Townie.
12-12-06, 09:14 AM
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I've borrowed my wife's bike a couple times when my fleet was smaller and I had some mechanical issues. I have 4 bikes now, so the risk isn't so high anymore.
When living in Japan, I bought a bike for my 10 year old son. I didn't have a car, so I rode it home. Probably 20 miles through the city of Yokohama. I was riding through the Motomachi shopping district and saw a guy I worked with standing on the corner arguing with his daughter. All he would have had to do was look up. Seeing me on that little bike would have made his day.
When living in Japan, I bought a bike for my 10 year old son. I didn't have a car, so I rode it home. Probably 20 miles through the city of Yokohama. I was riding through the Motomachi shopping district and saw a guy I worked with standing on the corner arguing with his daughter. All he would have had to do was look up. Seeing me on that little bike would have made his day.
12-12-06, 10:00 AM
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I've taken my wife's bike out for test rides after tuning it, but the suspension sags so much that it's not a good ride at all. If my bike was busted and I needed a spare, I'd probably just steal parts of her bike. One 700C wheel is as good as another...
12-12-06, 10:04 AM
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The hub size changes according to the speed. My wife's bike is a 8 speed while mine is a 9 speed. I believe her wheels won't work on my touring bike
12-12-06, 10:22 AM
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My girlfriend's bike is a DB1500 stationary 'bent. I can ride it as far as I want and still never leave our living room.
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12-12-06, 10:41 AM
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I don't think I could easily get away with riding my wife's bike unless I became immune to ridicule.
12-12-06, 11:36 AM
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GATC
I rode my wife's bike last week to take my son to K while my bike was back in my office 'cause I had a company car checked out. Hers is the right frame size for me, but seat was low. Actually it was geared just right for maintaining my son's 2.5 mph pace too.
12-12-06, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Bike_UK
...huge saddle, suspension seat post - and it brought back memories of riding BMX's in my youth....
I definitely got the feeling that if I mashed on the pedals to try to get moving, I would hurt my knees, so I didn't. Far from KOPS. I was riding KOHT. That's "knee over head tube."
