Bike Forums - Today I (v2):

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Today I found out I'm not smart enough to position myself well in a race, and not fast enough to just power through it.

Got dropped with 2 laps to go :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huffandstuff (Post 18467031)

The rockhopper. Got a good deal on ebay for some ritchey wcs risers so said why not.

cool, I have some Ritchey WCS 0 rise bars with some sweep on my mtb.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffin Man (Post 18467295)

Today I found out I'm not smart enough to position myself well in a race, and not fast enough to just power through it.

Got dropped with 2 laps to go :(

Do it next time and make it a goal to get dropped with 1 lap or less :)

In all likelihood, you're probably plenty strong to at least finish a crit, and you just need to learn to ride smarter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMonk (Post 18467304)

Do it next time and make it a goal to get dropped with 1 lap or less :)

In all likelihood, you're probably plenty strong to at least finish a crit, and you just need to learn to ride smarter.

Yeah there was a pretty gnarly head/cross wind for over half the course, and I kept getting caught on the wrong side of the bunch, so I was in the wind a lot.

I haven't been able to upload ride to strava, but I'm pretty interested how fast it was going towards the end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMonk (Post 18467304)

Do it next time and make it a goal to get dropped with 1 lap or less :)

In all likelihood, you're probably plenty strong to at least finish a crit, and you just need to learn to ride smarter.

Uploaded the ride to strava. Hung on for a decent amount of time

racing has a lot to do with mooching off of other people while they do most of the work till you find spots to make moves

again!

yep.

the real fun starts at higher levels, where you have a squad of bros who are there specifically to let you mooch of them, in a trusting, consensual type of way :)

of course, you need to be willing to let your guy(s) mooch of you at least as often.

^^^Y'all have probably already seen this one, but it is worth another look.

Today I am going to deliver sandwiches for less than minimum wage in 8° temps. I do get to ride my fixed gear since the roads are clear so I have that going for me.

Today's ride home was about 4°F, also happy about the (moderately) clear roads. Weather report says it's supposed to be colder tomorrow so I'm debating whether it's time to break out the long pants.

[MENTION=394949]TenSpeedV2[/MENTION] and [MENTION=393028]hardboiled718[/MENTION] Hard men!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardboiled718 (Post 18467704)

Today's ride home was about 4°F, also happy about the (moderately) clear roads. Weather report says it's supposed to be colder tomorrow so I'm debating whether it's time to break out the long pants.

You wore shorts? HARDCORE!!

i had shorts on yesterday when it started snowing but it was in the 30s

im finding my threshold for pants to get lower and lower as time goes on, especially on the mtb. no winds and high intensity mean i need a lot less clothes

#hotlegs

I can't ride a bike in pants so I just do tights+ shorts all winter long.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rex615 (Post 18466651)

it is quite possible I got it wrong. Though if it was half spacing, I would have noticed...maybe.

Hey, if the wheel built up correct, no harm no foul. :thumb:

Still an impressive mod. Above and beyond.

Build looks fantastic, great job, tight little folder you ended up with there!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mconlonx (Post 18468089)

Hey, if the wheel built up correct, no harm no foul. :thumb:

Still an impressive mod. Above and beyond.

Build looks fantastic, great job, tight little folder you ended up with there!

Thanks again for the kind words. It was a fun project and a bike I actually will use. It is currently in the boot of my car. The upgrades even knocked a bit of weight off. The all steel crank and the coaster hub were particularly portly.

Took it out yesterday for a longish ride (bloody cold it was, even got a dusting of snow) and it rode very well in spite of my shivering and whining . Currently the gearing is very low (55 gear inches) but it is not meant as a fast bike, though I will likely raise it a bit.

Silly as it may seem, a fixed gear folder is lots of fun. It should be noted that i have restrained myself from calling it the "Fixie Folder" though it is a catchy name, since I do not want to offend any sensibilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rex615 (Post 18468254)

It should be noted that i have restrained myself from calling it the "Fixie Folder" though it is a catchy name, since I do not want to offend any sensibilities.

Oh for crying out loud. Just go full on balls out and call it a Fixy Foldy. :p

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet (Post 18468381)

Oh for crying out loud. Just go full on balls out and call it a Fixy Foldy. :p

Fixy Foldy, damn that is even better.:thumb:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huffandstuff (Post 18468029)

I can't ride a bike in pants so I just do tights+ shorts all winter long.

This is where I am with my stuff as well. Chamois, tights, then shorts over the top which really help cut the wind to the nether region.

Made decent tips in 2 hours and froze my hands and feet off.

I am approaching peak mid-winter lack-of-riding crazy-ness. I can tell because I start start looking at anodized aluminum valve caps on eBay out of sheer boredom. Also, I'm getting fat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rex615 (Post 18464095)

I carry an alcohol stove (made from a beer can) or an Pocket Rocket gas stove for more serious cooking.

For lightweight food you can't beat the dehydrated packets that REI sells for "Mountain Climbing Expeditions" the aren't terribly expensive and don't taste too bad.

Ramen also works but Udon noodles are better and probably a bit healthier.

Peanut butter and tortillas (flour) are easy to pack and keep for a while.

I worry more about water in some locations, I make sure to carry plenty.

I will also carry a can of mixed veggies to put in the soup or noodles. Sure it is heavy, but if you use the water then it makes sense because the empty can doesn't weigh much more than a plastic container.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mumonkan (Post 18464586)

before i got into the bikepacking i hadnt been camping since the boy scouts, so i know where youre coming from

just bring real food, my "treat yoself" items are avocados, coffee, and bourbon. if youre gonna cook, look for things that are simple and require you to basically just add water. i love couscous and oatmeal, anythign with a lot of flavor and sodium after a long day of riding. the best dehydrated meals brand is backpackers pantry - i highly recommend pad thai!

and like @rex615 says tortillas & PB are essential items. dont forget hotsauce either. gas station packets of this that and the other thing are great for camping

msr pocket rocket or trangia alchohol stove, cant go wrong with either

re: sierra sleeping bag - take note of the packed size, which is almost 12L in volume, thats essentially my entire seatbag. not a big deal tho if you just bungee it to a rear rack but something to keep in mind

Thanks for the tips guys. For my first trip, it doesn't sound like I need to pack very much and someone is meeting at the campsite with their car, so we're packing a cooler and heavy stuff with them.

I'm taking my panniers off another bike...I figure I should be able to fit a tent on the top, and then my sleeping bag on one side and air mattress on the other with room to spare in each bag. I'm thinking that should cover most of what I need, but will know more after the first trip.

^RIP the eagles had some classic tracks

Little bummed, I finally buckled and decided to wear pants on this mornings ride. Was sort of a pointless personal challenge to try and stick out the winter in only shorts. This morning I woke up and there was frost on my apartment window, which is the first time i ever saw or noticed that. weather report said the temp was around -5°F and windy. Gunna go back to shorts once it gets back up to 0

Booked flights to Thailand for a 15 day solo trip the end February. Now I need to book some hotels and figure out my plan. I want to fly to Cambodia for a few days. Anyone been to either?

Today I found this incredible story: