Yarrr Mateys

Just gotten back from cherry beach and the adventures therin with my little one. Some nice icy, slushy, wet areas. She's getting the hang of spinning through crap and gunk. There are some nasty bits out on the trails near where the path meets up with the aquaduct, soakers for both of us. Cherry Bridge being closed we rode back along the tracks then a touch of Lakeshore. She's such a trooper on her SS MTB, we almost match.

awwww

me and ronin met up at ideal at around 3:50 but you had already left. After he got off the phone with you we were joking about you training at high park. I was like "Why the hell would wes want to do that?"

I tried once and didn't see how people could really train there...

Well yeah, I feel like I need to get out there and do some riding as I'm doing a couple mtn bike races in April, but I didn't have time to go on a proper ride out of the city. Thought I'd give the park a try for variety. Anything but more stationary trainer time.

Hey guys!!!1 hehe

so, im new 2 the whole bike scene, and im wondering if you can hwlp me out. :D :)

I have a pretty high end Supercycle Tourna, and ive heard about a lot of people turning strreet bikes into fixed wheels.

im just wondering if you guys coud gimme a list of things that id need to turn my Tourna into a fixed wheel. :)

My b-day is coming and my mom is asking me what I want, it wouls be gr8 if you guys could hook me up with tour toronto connections. :D :D :D


o, heres a picture if it helps.
:eek: :eek: :eek:

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/...0_CC_5908d.jpg

Ahhh, a beautiful ride looping around the Spit this afternoon, around Cherry Beach-didn't see you there TJ, too bad-and Queen out to Vic Park and back. Some serious puddles, had to do a few legs in the air moments to keep the feet dry on the spit. I must have been blessed today, no stupid drivers, bike lanes were clear and well the roads in T.O. do suck.

Fenders rule. Nice and dry, except for the small heart shaped sweat stain. Glad I have the week off so I can enjoy the wicked weather.

there is a 17km loop that goes in and around high park that the local roadies use for training that i used to ride all the time for training when i lived across the street; it's got some nice hills and a great switchback in there. next time we're out riding remind me to show you.

yo man....welcome...this link has some info on conversions...

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

What time were you at High park? I took a few laps around the short course on my utility bike. Blasting through the puddles was fun, It's got wide fenders so I pretty much didn't get wet.

Today was an exception crowds wise I think, being a nice warm sunday and all. During the week it's quieter and although the short course (around the ball fields and pool) can get boring pretty quick there's some good climbs on the Eastermost side of the park and the loop around the pond (Up ellis and then across bloor) is an awesome loop.

High Park blows. If you want to do laps, go to the CNE. At least the only obstacle there is horse ****.

And yes, that hill just outside High Park - I believe the street is called Ellis- is awesome!

Nice day for a ride. Danhalen, Shimbot, Shiznaz and I did a bit of a tour after work. **** ya! Spring is here!

Given the bike has vertical dropouts (where the rear wheel fits in), there are some challenges with this bike. Chain tension in a fixed gear bike, because there is no derailleur, is done by moving the rear wheel back. You can't do that in a bike with a vertical dropout unless you buy a special rear wheel with what's called an eccentric hub or replace the bottom bracket with an eccentric bottom bracket. These are expensive options. An eccentric hub will run you around $200, That's for the hub only. You'll pay more to have it built into a wheel. Once that's done, the only other consideration is replacing your crankarms if they're long (say 175 mm). Because you can't coast on a fixed gear, if you're cornering, you can catch a pedal if the crankarms are long.

Before you consider turning this bike to a fixed gear and drop that kind of coin, consider if you'd be interested in going in one gear all the time, which is what you have to do if you're on a fixed gear. Try that on your Tourna but setting a gear that works for you and keeping it there, without shifting. If that's okay, my recommendation is to look around for an older road bike, one with horizontal dropouts - check Sheldon Brown's page that duppy posted to see what I mean. This is the time of year that a lot of bikes are coming up on Craigslist and chances are you could snag one for not too much. Then buy a decent quality fixed rear wheel, which will likely actually cost less than the hub. Then you'll have a better bike for riding fixed for less than if you convert your Tourna and you'll have two bikes, to ride whenever you feel like doing one or the other. Conversions on modern road bikes can ge challenging, relatively more expensive, and aren't the best option, IMO.

And welcome :D

Cavit8 -> thanks for the rear wheel. I owe you one.

Hell ya! It was beautiful out there. That was a nice ride. My newly resurrected track bike rides SO nice. God I love that bike. I'll post some pictures when I take some. I really should have taken some today with the nice sunlight making everything look nice and shiny...

I think it's a front wheel :D. Not a worry, I'm using the crankset off your old road bike on my winter beater.

I was there around 3:45-4:45. I don't really know the proper loops there either, that might be part of my problem. I promise to give it another chance on a better day. Someone should sketch out the loops on http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

There needs to be a nice firefox widget that says "go out and bike". I was inside all yesterday until I left to my parents for dinner. Once I got outside I thought "damn it's nice out." but by then it was too late.

D-oh!

I was there earlier than that... I think 2:30-3ish.

I swear I posted a gmap route last night showing one of the loops.. but apparently I should lay off on the pot.

Anyhow, Here's my favourite loop: 'round the pond

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=765081

You climb about 100 vertical feet between Queensway and Ellis (do this route in a clockwise direction) Then you lose all of that elevation and climb it again back up to Bloor over the course of less than a km. Awesome downhill followed by a decent climb.

Short loop:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=765096

A somewhat decent loop. Basically one small hill on the Western side. You can whip off a bunch of laps in there for a warmup and then go for the pond loop or keep going south on Colburne lodge road and you're on the lakeshore trail in no time. I live in Parkdale- so when I'm riding this loop I always cut out on Center road when Its time to go home and there's an awesome downhill on that. I can hit 70kms on my road bike (even got up to 63 on my city bike yesterday!)

I haven't tried Spring road many times, but I think you could combine that and center with the short loop and make a pretty decent loop with some good climbs in it.

go figure the first warm week and its supposed to be raining!! ghetto!

awesome.. thanks brad! Apparently I was doing the short loop yesterday, except I came in via High Park Blvd and up Spring Rd, and then rode home along Bloor.

Man alive was it nice out yesterday! I rode by Ideal but it would seem the time change put me there after everyone had left. So I went out to Danforth and Vic Park and looped back to Parkdale via Queen. In all I think I rode about 9 hours this weekend! w00t for spring!

My legs actually are a bit sore today for the first time in ages. I took the fixed gear out for the first time since January yesterday and did some nice little climbs during a tour of moore park, forest hill and rosedale. Man its nice to be able to power past the cars on my commute again and not just spin out and be forced to coast. Although I did try to coast on my fixed gear yesterday which was a bit of a shock. Anyone got an extra front brake caliper they want to sell me? I've gone all soft over the winter.

I don't but this guy is selling some road brakes/levers.

http://toronto.craigslist.org/bik/292417865.html

If you are going to ride there I guess I will have to do a tour of Parkdale, St. Jamestown and Jane & Finch.