The Bicycling thread

[vark]

I am amused by this thread where seasoned adults are pontificating about something a person did as a 15 or 16 year old. Thus they are applying their wisdom gained from advanced age to actions of a teenager. Duh! I am willing to bet that it would be a very rare person on this list, if any exist, who I couldn't criticize for what they did as a youth if only they were brave enough to admit it. Leave the kids alone.

Yup. As kids we sometimes got towed behind vehicles on bicycles and skateboards, using a tow rope, to see how fast we could get going. Another thing my brothers and I did as teenagers “for fun” was build and detonate pipe bombs. Some of those really went “bam.”

Gee, I wonder how stupid that was?

 

[kurtr11s]

I am amused by this thread where seasoned adults are pontificating about something a person did as a 15 or 16 year old. Thus they are applying their wisdom gained from advanced age to actions of a teenager. Duh! I am willing to bet that it would be a very rare person on this list, if any exist, who I couldn't criticize for what they did as a youth if only they were brave enough to admit it. Leave the kids alone.

Hmmm. Since I'm the only one writing multiple sentences, I guess this is directed at me. I thought I was just chatting, no pontification intended. I'll shut up. I just wondered here because of the 'lockdown'. I'm a good lurker. I've been a member of this forum for at least 15 years and almost all of my posts have been in this thread.

 

[vark]

Question:

What GPS head unit to get?

Currently use an ant+ head unit with no GPS. My phone is my nav unit and recording device. Would like to have some nav info on the handlebars AND ability to record data (power, HR, cadence, speed) for upload to Strava. Prefer easy to use, I don't have much patience with electronic gadgets. Will use for both training and touring.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Can’t help you. I ride with a little computer that measures speed and distance by wheel rotations. It will show average speed too. It has other features including ability to show cadence and heartrate, but I don’t use them. At the end of a ride I look at the distance and average speed, and make a mental note.

I have no need for any other info. I don’t use location services on my phone. I have a good sense of direction, and can usually glance at a map ahead of time and understand the route.

I have ridden with people who are very preoccupied with logging performance data and mapping. I find it is a big distraction from the riding. They seem to spend a lot of time working with this date on their phones or computers at home. I guess some folks get enjoyment out of it. Definitely not for me.

 

[PGlaves]

Hmmm. Since I'm the only one writing multiple sentences, I guess this is directed at me. I thought I was just chatting, no pontification intended. I'll shut up. I just wondered here because of the 'lockdown'. I'm a good lurker. I've been a member of this forum for at least 15 years and almost all of my posts have been in this thread.

Before you think about leaving go back and read the thread again. It wasn't you. Then stick around. Your contribution to this thread is tremendous, and I haven't owned a bicycle since 1959.

 

[kurtr11s]

Before you think about leaving go back and read the thread again. It wasn't you. Then stick around. Your contribution to this thread is tremendous, and I haven't owned a bicycle since 1959.

OK. I haven't learned how to get my point across in few words. I'm always nervous that I'm even worse if I use a lot of words. I don't often post on forums.

 

[Omega Man]

Yup. As kids we sometimes got towed behind vehicles on bicycles and skateboards, using a tow rope, to see how fast we could get going. Another thing my brothers and I did as teenagers “for fun” was build and detonate pipe bombs. Some of those really went “bam.”

Gee, I wonder how stupid that was?

Nothing wrong with “stupid kid stuff”. It’s part of the growth experience. Some never learn the top of the stove is hot.
OM

 

[kurtr11s]

Nothing wrong with “stupid kid stuff”. It’s part of the growth experience. Some never learn the top of the stove is hot.
OM

My biggest catalyst for childhood bad decisions was Evel. Man did I get in trouble when my sister broke her arm on a bicycle jump that I made after watching either Evel or the Fonz jump something with a motorcycle. 'Don't try this at home' - yeah, right.

Guess where (Lee can't guess):

 

[henzilla]

A blog regarding the old days drillium fad



https://journal.rouleur.cc/the-beauty-of-drillium/

Today,it’s art to me that some folks spent a LOT of time doing for little gain... but back then it was cool.
I couldn’t imagine drilling a then very expensive for me Campagnolo derailleur. I freaked out when I scraped my Campy road pedals tangling with knuckleheads in a criterium race that were ten years older than me.

Have had things break, been with breakees with broken mtn bike seat posts and had some serious laughs coaching them back to civilization. I used to destroy rims when the tubular sew- up tires decided to roll off the rim when the glue got way too hot... took out my buddies more than once going for same corner at age 14 again... learned to be patient after fixing all our bikes a few times making sub minimum wage

 

[kurtr11s]

From the same museum.

Glenn Curtiss is a personal hero. He came from the small town of Hammondsport on the south end of Keuka Lake (one of the finger lakes in NY). This isn't too far away from where I live. There is a small but excellent museum dedicated to him there.

Over the years I have run into Curtiss exhibits and information while visiting (by motorcycle, of course) museums across the country (and Canada!). At the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Cape Breton, there is a discussion of Curtiss building the engine for Bell's attempt at first Canadian manned flight. At various aircraft museums, you can read about him as the father of Naval Aviation. From the Smithsonian, to Dayton, to the Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego.

To motorcycle and bicycle museums. He started by building bicycles. He was also a racer and long distance rider. He apparently rode from Rochester to Hammondsport regularly. Then he got into making lightweight engines to get the bicycle to go faster (to race, of course). His experience with light weight machines made him the go-to guy for engines to power dirigibles and, when they were effectively replaced with airplanes, the airplane motor guy. He was reportedly very antagonistic with the Wright brothers. It is ironic that their two companies are now combined into one: Curtiss Wright.

Anyway here is an example of a machine from a time right before the Y split between bicycle and motorcycle. Yes, there are still mopeds - but this was the original.

 

[kurtr11s]

A blog regarding the old days drillium fad

View attachment 78254

https://journal.rouleur.cc/the-beauty-of-drillium/

Today,it’s art to me that some folks spent a LOT of time doing for little gain... but back then it was cool.
I couldn’t imagine drilling a then very expensive for me Campagnolo derailleur. I freaked out when I scraped my Campy road pedals tangling with knuckleheads in a criterium race that were ten years older than me.

That is insane. I guess it is similar to building a model ship out of toothpicks. You have to do something when social distancing.

At least the material is aluminum. If you tried to do that with titanium, you would spend even more time sharpening drill bits.

 

[kurtr11s]

One more from the same museum. I have no idea why this bike would make it into a museum but I'm glad it did. During the oil crisis of the early '70s, my Dad decided to get a motorcycle to save gas on his commute to work so he bought a Suzuki GT185. When he would practice for his riding exam, I would join him and try to do the slow speed maneuvers on my bicycle.

I got the bike running when I was in high school and would take it for laps around our house (very rural) when my parents weren't home. By the time I was in college, the bike had sat with no love for a long time. My girlfriend's (now wife's) father is a very mechanically oriented motorcycle nut, and said that he would help me bring it back to life. Carbs rebuilt, pistons unseized, new tubes and tires, electrical gremlins debugged - all on barely any money because I was painting houses for cash and didn't have much of it.

It was surprisingly peppy because of the 2-stroke motor, very economical to run, I think I got about 80mpg. Michelle had a Honda Trail 90 and, together, we terrorized the country side. As soon as I started riding, bicycles were a thing of the past. I've heard the same story from so many of my motorcyclist friends. It took me about 10 years to really get back into bicycles.

So here is the bike that started it all for me. Good memories.

 

[henzilla]

Can’t help you. I ride with a little computer that measures speed and distance by wheel rotations. It will show average speed too. It has other features including ability to show cadence and heartrate, but I don’t use them. At the end of a ride I look at the distance and average speed, and make a mental note.

I have no need for any other info. I don’t use location services on my phone. I have a good sense of direction, and can usually glance at a map ahead of time and understand the route.

I have ridden with people who are very preoccupied with logging performance data and mapping. I find it is a big distraction from the riding. They seem to spend a lot of time working with this date on their phones or computers at home. I guess some folks get enjoyment out of it. Definitely not for me.

I too only use a Cateye currently with speed and distance/ average speed... used to want to know more and wore a HR monitor and had cadence on the bike computer. I can calculate cadence if need be, however, many years has me knowing where I am and on certain rides know if I’m in my zone. Sometimes don’t care. Just recently played with Strava, mainly to trace the route to mess with my runner adult daughters during the lock down when they show their runs.

Too each their own and I have ridden away from the folks who holler to stop so they can reset everything...I yell back I’ll be the rabbit and come catch me. I am that sarcastic wise guy in the serious group... go figure

 

[kurtr11s]

I too only use a Cateye currently with speed and distance/ average speed... used to want to know more and wore a HR monitor and had cadence on the bike computer. I can calculate cadence if need be, however, many years has me knowing where I am and on certain rides know if I’m in my zone. Sometimes don’t care. Just recently played with Strava, mainly to trace the route to mess with my runner adult daughters during the lock down when they show their runs.

Too each their own and I have ridden away from the folks who holler to stop so they can reset everything...I yell back I’ll be the rabbit and come catch me. I am that sarcastic wise guy in the serious group... go figure

I've been riding with a power meter since 2004. I record power along with HR and cadence on most of my rides - but definitely for rides I would consider workouts.

But, just like a motorcycle on a dyno, you can't delude yourself. That exhaust system might not really be giving you 20 extra HP. But if you don't put it on the dyno, you still tell your buddies that it SHOULD give you those 20 ponies .

If you ride a lot, you will be strong on the bike. If you ride a lot with focused training using a power meter, you will be a LOT stronger. But it is humbling when you start out or come off a period of inactivity.

I've been training long enough to tell what my HR is (generally) based on perceived exertion. I can also guess cadence pretty well. My power output changes with fitness. And that is the number I try to optimize. (Actually the number is power to weight ratio - power up, body weight down). Sometimes my HR is up relative to the power I'm putting out. That usually tells me I'm fatigued and I should rest a bit. Or maybe I'm dehydrated.

Maybe you are still asking WHY? Then you are like me when I ask why people change out the heads on airheads, higher compression gaskets, titanium valves, del ortos, or whatever power hop-up thing is the hot ticket. Jeez, it is an airhead, just get a fast bike! But just like those guys, I haul my old chassis out to the race track and put up against like minded oldsters and we punish each other and then laugh about the effort over a beer afterwards. While it seems casual, the training is serious business and I want to put my best foot forward when I toe the line. Even if I get my ass kicked. Going back to my airhead analogy - I wish I had the option to buy a new bike...

A nice side effect is that bike tours and non-racer group rides are pretty easy and fun.

The GPS is because I like to explore without taking maps. Had a situation yesterday when I was trying to get to a certain village and my phone didn't have data coverage. I could see where I was on the map - but didn't have secondary road detail. Not the end of the world but it would be nice to have. They are 'only' $200-300 or so.

 

[kurtr11s]

Remember Rocky 4 where Rocky goes to Russia to train 'old school' on a rural farm by running up snow covered mountains and lifting rocks in the barn. His opponent Drago is completely high tech, looking like Sting from the Police and getting the 'eyes' from Brigitte Nielsen. Everything was numbers and computer screens and technicians in white jackets with clip boards.

I wanted to be Drago. What a joke, no way Rocky beats Drago. That was fixed.

Show me the data!

 

[henzilla]

A few thoughts

Current times...Old advice



I have been humbled and joyfully the humble server



A Zen reminder!



Reminds me of American Flyers where Costner tells younger brother they are going to meet Eddie to train. I would have said “ go ahead and take the lead” and been in the back laughing my a$$ off!




Still laughing! Go harder!!!

 

[PGlaves]

A few thoughts

Current times...Old advice

View attachment 78262

I have been humbled and joyfully the humble server

View attachment 78260

A Zen reminder!

View attachment 78261

Reminds me of American Flyers where Costner tells younger brother they are going to meet Eddie to train. I would have said “ go ahead and take the lead” and been in the back laughing my a$$ off!


View attachment 78263

Still laughing! Go harder!!!

In fewer than ten seconds, "ouch."

 

[kurtr11s]

Good stuff! I think I have American Flyer on DVD. Should watch it again.

Years ago we were riding along the west shore of Seneca lake when a dog gave chase. We wicked it up but the dog wasn’t being aggressive it just wanted to run with us. We settled into a pace the dog could keep - pretty quick, maybe 17 mph? The dog just kept running. For miles. If it started to slow down I would encourage it, ‘come on boy’. I can’t remember how far but at least 3 miles. I think much more, though. Finally a car came along side the dog, someone called its name and it stopped and got in the car. I didn’t know dogs could do that. Most give it all they have for a quarter mile.

If you are training by having animals chase you, you don’t need power measurement.

 

[skibum69]

It's a wonder a lot of us lived through being kids!

 

[henzilla]

Low ramp compared to some of ours... yeh, too many stories from this stunt... and a few missing teeth( not me somehow)

 

[henzilla]

Had the pleasure and pain of meeting John Howard around ‘72. He led a ride from Boone’s Cycles when Dan was there and punished about 10 of us, I was the youngest amongst the guys I considered old at 30-50...one other fella named Fritz or Franz was a hammer who jumped behind draft vehicles and just disappeared a few times. We then drove to New Braunfels to watch him in a criterium with the big boys... crazy pace. What a character and inspiration
I think of him when watching American Flyers and the Olympic boycott it brushed on as well as the Red Zinger Colorado race which became the Coors Classic
I followed all the news of his speed record attempt and was in awe

https://pezcyclingnews.com/interviews/pez-talk-the-legendary-john-howard/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Howard_(cyclist)