things I learnt today....

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Mulger bill
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Mulger bill » Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:50 pm

QR springs need some care in assembly lest one spend inordinate amounts of time wondering why the wheel will not sit right :oops:

Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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casual_cyclist
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby casual_cyclist » Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:23 pm

When you are grinding up a long hill in the country, breathe through your nose. Flies don't taste so great.

When you are flying down the other side of that long hill in the country, breathe through your nose. Flies don't taste so great.

A bug hitting you on the nose at 50+km/h really stings! :twisted:
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Cardy George
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Cardy George » Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:13 pm

Well, last Saturday morning............

Light Drizzle to a cyclist is a torrential downpour to a non-cyclist.

Loaded the MTB up with the trailer and Two Year Old, smothered the thing with Antlers & Tinsel, set off for the Tour de Pants promo ride for the General Pants Store opening. Got to Light Square (Adelaide) to be informed the "Long" (12km - 45 min with aforementioned trailer & 2yo) ride has been cancelled due to the weather.........

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cavebear2
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby cavebear2 » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:14 pm

I'm a bit late with this as I was riding yesterday....anyway I've learnt that if I've got a hilly ride and the correct gearing then on the 'up bits' I'm better off standing more or less for as long as it takes to get to the top of the steepest bits.

For me that would be 39 x 24 or 21 for the lesser grades and 39 x 27 for the steepest. Mind you, if the grade stays above 15% for too long I'd love to go with a compact crank with appropriate cogs on the back....say 34 x 26?

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twizzle
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby twizzle » Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:42 pm

If you are riding up a 12% grade in 32C & humid conditions with your jersey unzipped, and it feels like something is biting you under the HR monitor strap... stop and check. Because now I've got a row of bites where the little *&%^$%#$ took his revenge for being squashed between me and the strap. I hope it died. :evil:
I ride, therefore I am. But don't ride into harm's way.
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...

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robbie d
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby robbie d » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:37 pm

well this was sunday a week ago,
I learnt that even when the temperature will get to 34 and it is nice and warm at 7:30am, gorge road when you get into the valley is still cold, leg warmer cold. As a follow up to that, 90km is still 10 short of a century.

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trailgumby
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby trailgumby » Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:29 pm

Hmm. Outback Rider is still one sheep short in the top paddock.

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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Baalzamon » Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:59 am

If your brooks saddle has a gap on the back of the saddle near the rivets. You need to retension it.
If your brooks saddle tension screw does not work, then the tension screw needs to be clamped by a benchtop clamp with cloth over the leather.
Reading Zinn road bike before attempt a fix on Front derailleur works :mrgreen:
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sixx
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby sixx » Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:30 pm

If you're gunna be a d!ckhead and pull mono's clipped in, don't change gears ... it's only fun until someone loses an eye.

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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Baalzamon » Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:57 am

A hammer will work on stopping the tension screw moving on brooks saddle :mrgreen:
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gorilla monsoon
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby gorilla monsoon » Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:56 pm

Visually impaired pedestrians really do appreciate it when you ride up behind them a bit slowly, cough to announce your presence and suggest they might be straying a little too far to the right on the shared path (the path I use has a centreline, I wasn't being greedy).

After that we had a quick but good chat and we both have a new mate on the trail each morning.
Not my circus, not my monkeys

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Pavlova
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Pavlova » Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:11 pm

casual_cyclist wrote: A bug hitting you on the nose at 50+km/h really stings! :twisted:
Found this one out for myself today (at about 40kmh). Big bugger, felt like a small rock but was buzzing so I assume it was alive and flying. Also, played dodgems with numerous dragon flys on bike path just north of Glendalough train station - you try to dodge and after about 4 or 5 realize that they are quicker (probably smarter too) and fly out of your way just before impact. I suspect this is the insect world's version of playing chicken and would look funny to the casual observer who say a cyclist dodging, weaving, ducking etc.
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Wino
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Wino » Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:58 pm

This morning tried to install some new pedals to go with my new RD86 shoes. Replaced the first one easily. Tried to take off the second pedal, which was very difficult - no actually impossible! Tried new tools to get more leverage (which I went down to the hardware store to purchase) - no joy. Tried soaking the nut in WD50 as it was stuck - no joy. Tried again with lots more force - slipped and stabbed my hand onto the crank teeth! Blood everywhere. No joy! Tried swearing at it - didnt improve anything. Still stuck. Frustrated I popped down to the LBS in defeat. Local bike dude says "oh there is a different thread on the left and right" :oops:

Things I learnt: the right and left side of your pedals unscrew in different directions.
Things I learnt: proper cleated shoes are great!
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Mulger bill
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Mulger bill » Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:01 pm

Sorry Wino but I ROFLMAO'd :lol:

Guess how long it took me to get the BB cups out of an old Ital frame? :oops:

Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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trailgumby
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby trailgumby » Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:21 pm

:idea: wino perhaps needs a copy of "Zinn and The Art of Road Bike Maintenance"

Don't worry, I did similar a few weeks ago with the hub cap on the Lefty front wheel hub on my son's bike. D'Oh! :oops:

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Wino
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Wino » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:03 pm

Mulger bill wrote:Sorry Wino but I ROFLMAO'd :lol:
Shaun
Just bringing a little joy into peoples lives.
trailgumby wrote::idea: wino perhaps needs a copy of "Zinn and The Art of Road Bike Maintenance"
Father Christmas has hopefully received my letter by now. And Ive been a good boy (sort of) this year.
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twizzle
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby twizzle » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:50 pm

twizzle wrote:If you are riding up a 12% grade in 32C & humid conditions with your jersey unzipped, and it feels like something is biting you under the HR monitor strap... stop and check. Because now I've got a row of bites where the little *&%^$%#$ took his revenge for being squashed between me and the strap. I hope it died. :evil:
The little a^&$#@le from the other week had a friend. And it's bloody hard to kill some biting insect down the side of the bibnicks in the middle of a crit without getting dropped.
I ride, therefore I am. But don't ride into harm's way.
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...

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Sweeper59
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Sweeper59 » Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:26 pm

Don't get a Thai massage if you are sunburnt (learnt after spending an afternoon on Patong Beach, Phuket).
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby casual_cyclist » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:11 pm

Interval training during my daily commute is less effective than it could be due to stop signs :twisted:

But I also learned that some interval training is better than nothing. Also, it's fun and at least I got in 1 decent sprint.
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ve safari
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby ve safari » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:54 pm

I dislike headwinds more than I hate climbing. Tough call, but there you have it.
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby casual_cyclist » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:20 pm

ve safari wrote:I dislike headwinds more than I hate climbing. Tough call, but there you have it.
+1. I was doing sprints into a headwind today. Not nice.
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trailgumby
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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby trailgumby » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:39 pm

Don't try to tough it out. Take your pain meds.

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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby rkelsen » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:05 pm

Riding on slicks in the rain on a bike with no mudguards and a seat with an anatomic cutout is not fun... unless you like frozen nuts :(

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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby Nobody » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:13 am

Two things today:

1) If you ride in 34 to 36 degrees C you should not expect to finish your usual ride. :oops:

2) When you see a car stopped on a single lane road with a second car waiting behind it, you should expect the second car to pull out beside you without warning just as you are passing it on the right. :roll:

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Re: things I learnt today....

Postby fatherofmany » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:15 am

Riding in the rain, downhill and hitting the front brakes on a path covered by wet leaves gives you that 'pucker moment'
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