Moving from Idaho to Houston has required me to realign some of the outdoor activities that I liked. I enjoyed different seasonal mountain sports up north that just don’t adapt too well down here. I started getting into road cycling late last summer. There are organized rides every weekend here since the weather is temperate enough all year to ride. I was surprised to find there are also some very nice places to ride outside of the Houston metro area. There is a vast network of well maintained, light traffic farm to market roads around here that pass through some nice farmland and wooded areas. You still have to be cautious of the occasional red neck bubba who thinks its funny to roll up behind you in a pickup doing 70 and lay on his horn right next to you. Some people I ride with have had beer cans or bottle checked at them too. And really, some riders deserve it too by not being considerate to drivers.

I’ve been training for the Houston MS150, a road ride from Houston to Austin which is about 180 miles over two days. My twice weekday rides are usually 20 miles each. A weekend ride has been between 45 to 60 miles. I’ve been trying to raise the bar to reach the 90 miles per day of the MS150. Yesterday was the big milestone. I pedaled 101 miles yesterday, breaking the coveted ‘century’ in road biking. Total riding time was 5:45 and I averaged a little over 17 miles and hour but with breaks the ride took all day. I’m 4 lbs lighter this morning, but I’m sure most of that is lost water. Still, I think some fat went with it. And thankfully I’m not that sore.

Anybody else ride road bike here?

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I just want to know why bicyclists don't use the FUCKING SIDEWALK!!
Could you please explain that to me?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Large Filipino
I just want to know why bicyclists don't use the FUCKING SIDEWALK!!
Could you please explain that to me?

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Exactly the reason why. In fact, a cyclist as as much right to the road as any other commuter. Depending upon the road situation, there are even times when someone in a car is not allowed to pass a cyclist and must maintain a safe distance behind them.

Bondo, more power to you and good luck with your training. I generally ride a bike everywhere I go but it's out of necesity. Also, I am into older collectable bikes (think ape hangers though instead of drop bars.) Some of the high-end road bikes from the past bring a good penny in the collector market but most that are found are just junkers from the 70's bike boom. What particular model are you running and what sort of mods have you done to it?

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I was not aware of this.
Now I feel bad when I turned right that one day to go to the Coors Plant for a tour and free beer and a bicyclist hit me.
I kept going,laughing my head off while the passengers looked in horror that the dude couldn't unbuckle his feet from the pedals and fell on the ground.
He was ok,though,I think.

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I was riding my bike across campus one fine sunny day, when a telephone company van pulled out of a side street square in front of me (he had a stop sign, it was a through intersection for me), and I whacked into it at about 25 mph. Not fun.

My front wheel was demolished, my forks were bent, and I had a good sized gouge on my left thigh from the brake handle bracket I had affixed there as a gripping point for my hook. Not too mention the bloody nose and two black eyes from being planted face first in the sheet metal.

I ended up with a nice new bicycle, a nice crisp check for $5,000, and all medical bills paid. The telephone company driver ended up with a nice spot on the local unemployment line, a $500 fine for failure to yeild, reckless endangerment, and leaving the scene. That went nicely with his 90 days in the county jail.

LF, you deserve to be beaten. With a bicycle chain. 60 lashes sounds about right.

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simon is easily one of my favorite asylumites

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...that would be cool.

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But you see,he was riding on the street.
I didn't pass him.
I had my turn signal on.
He was running like a bat out of hell and aproached my blind spot.
If he was riding on the sidewalk,he would have stopped.
I would have stopped.
HE even realized it was his fault.
Cause he didn't cuss at me.
Or anything.
And I parked 10 feet away.
So I didn't leave.
Maybe he was a mute.
I will never know.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Tefl
What particular model are you running and what sort of mods have you done to it?

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Thanks for the support. I began riding an early 90's vintage Bianchi Forza which was a good steel entry level bike at the time. However, I let the bike sit for the better part of 10 years before I started seriously riding again last summer. By winter I was ready to upgrade. I currently riding a stock Felt F70. The bike has great components for the price. Aluminum frame, carbon front fork and rear seat stays, and 105 components. If I do any upgrades, it will be a carbon fiber seat post and a better saddle. I'm very pleased with everything else.



I know it pisses some people off but cyclists have a legal right to the road. Still, most people don't realize this and I'm not about to test my legal rights on the road against two tons of ignorant steel. I ride very defensively for that reason. However, a lot of cyclists, myself included, also ignore rules of the road that we are legally required to follow. A cyclists must obey all traffic signs. I'll blow a stop sign, though, if there is no traffic around. LF's rider probably shouldn't have been attempting to pass a vehicle on the right, but you should have at least checked to see if the guy was ok.

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I did actually.
I yelled "What The Fuck is wrong with you??"
And he just waved and carried on after I got out of my car and started approaching the Coors plant.

But I have to apologise for adding this to your thread.
In actuality,I can only DREAM of riding the way you do.
Damm seat gives me hemmoroids so I stopped riding a while back.

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Yes.
I'M FAT!
wa...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Bondo
I'm very pleased with everything else.

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Like this?

Needs tires and tubes.
Changing the rear tires are easy-nothing to remove except the tires.
And check out that seat!!!
I'll shine it up one day,maybe drop the gearing some.

Attachment: 100_6256 copy.jpg.jpg
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Maybe a Briggs and Stratton on the rear......

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I have seriously thought about getting a 3 wheeler, with decent gearing and pedal clips. Since I cannot feel my feet, keeping them on the pedals without clips might be rather problematic.

Might be a way to get some needed exercises.

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Not a bad little trike there LF. Worksman Mover Tricycle M2626 Series, new from the company starts at $710.00. You should part it out and sell it on ebay. You'd be amazed what people will pay for Workman parts.

Here's a pic of the army using the exact same model.

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Woah. I didn't realise how much that thing was worth.
And it's military worthy.
I think I'll just fix it up.
(check out my drum front brake. That pic didn't have that.)
Now I'm motivated!

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quote:

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Originally posted by SimpleSimon
I was riding my bike across campus one fine sunny day, when a telephone company van pulled out of a side street square in front of me (he had a stop sign, it was a through intersection for me), and I whacked into it at about 25 mph. Not fun.

My front wheel was demolished, my forks were bent, and I had a good sized gouge on my left thigh from the brake handle bracket I had affixed there as a gripping point for my hook. Not too mention the bloody nose and two black eyes from being planted face first in the sheet metal.

I ended up with a nice new bicycle, a nice crisp check for $5,000, and all medical bills paid. The telephone company driver ended up with a nice spot on the local unemployment line, a $500 fine for failure to yeild, reckless endangerment, and leaving the scene. That went nicely with his 90 days in the county jail.

LF, you deserve to be beaten. With a bicycle chain. 60 lashes sounds about right.

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I got a flash of his van # as he pulled out, gave it to the campus cop when he arrived. Campus cop called city cops, they were at the gate to the phone company yard when the guy pulled in, they arrested him for fleeing the scene of an accident.

Under Oregon law anyone can issue a traffic citation, police officer must assist you in preparing it properly. I got the city cops to help me file the charges the next day, then had to be in county court for the hearing. Fortunately, the pics of the van taken by city cops when they impounded it, and the schwinn blue paint embedded in the deepest part of the crease in the side made it pretty clear what happened.

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Anyone here ever gotten a biking under the influence ticket?

-m

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quote:

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Originally posted by SimpleSimon
I have seriously thought about getting a 3 wheeler, with decent gearing and pedal clips. Since I cannot feel my feet, keeping them on the pedals without clips might be rather problematic.

Might be a way to get some needed exercises.

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And no pedals!

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Defeats the entire purpose then, doesn't it?

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Bought one of these last summer....

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I like that design, skalie, except it pivots both wheels and the bin structure as a unit. With that handlebar arrangement making tight corners would be a true pain for me, especially when turning right.

I'd prefer a king pin, half-axle, connecting rod design, whereby the wheels pivot together like an auto but not on a common center.

Last edited by SimpleSimon on 03-14-2005 at 11:30 PM

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