THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: greenMonkey on 30 May 2008, 18:23
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So, it seems like there hasn't been a thread about cycling around here for a while, and with the weather getting nicer I thought it was time for one.
I personally am just really getting into road cycling as a sport. I started last summer in France, riding some of my friend's bikes, then bought my own shitty 20-year old steel road bike when I got back to the States. I rode that for the remainder of the summer and all of the fall, then stopped because of bad weather and time constraints. This spring I got back on my bike, and as of last week have finally purchased a better bike. It will be nice not lugging so much weight up hills or having my chain fall off and jam randomly. I got an amazing deal on a last year's ('07) LeMond Tourmalet, and I'm waiting for my local bike shop to get some Sidi Genius 5 shoes in my size, which will then be equipped with Speedplay Zero clipless pedals. My goal for this summer is to do at the very least 100 miles a weak, but I think I should very easily be able to surpass that. I live in Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis, and this coming fall I really want to participate in both the St. Paul Classic bike tour and the Tour de Minneapolis. I really enjoy cycling, because it's very fun, and it's a great way to see the outdoors and hopefully get me in shape.
I'd be curious to see how many people here use a bike on a frequent basis, either for commuting, getting around town, or as a sport, etc.
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I am planning on buying a bike when I get back from Canada! It is a five-minute drive and a tiring forty-minute walk to work, and riding will be a nice compromise between the two. I was going to see if I could find an older style retro bike at a garage sale, but perhaps I might be better off getting something more modern now that I think about it.
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I bike whenever I get the chance; I find it's a great stress reliever. Living in London there is a substantial area of flood plain surrounding the river, as such the city turned it all into public parks and wired bike paths through the parks across the entire city. It's one of the things I really love about this city.
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Biking is the best thing for for a finely sculpted ass.
...Or so I'm told.
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I live in Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis, and this coming fall I really want to participate in both the St. Paul Classic bike tour and the Tour de Minneapolis.
Shit dude, I'm in St. Paul and I've done the Classic for the last two years. We should hang!
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I cycle all the time. My aim is to cycle the 10 miles into work and back every day of the week (works out at your 100 miles a week). This will last a month and hopefully by then I will have achieved some level of fitness. My bike Is alright, the crank is really shit an prone to bending, and the bike as a whole isn't designed for road use, its more designed for semi off road. As a summary to this post, I like cycling and some evenings when i am bored i will go out and explore my village on my bike.
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Kat and I plan to buy bikes in the next couple of months! I haven't biked at all since I was about 14 though.
I expect a lot of aching leg muscles.
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Minnesota people. Dude. Where were you two when I was trying to find someone to carpool with to Tronno?
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I never learnt how to ride a bike.
Although I can ride the fuck out of a exercise bike and do it on a daily basis.
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I cycle to work, and to the local shops, and have done for much of my life. Last summer, when my job was in central Oxford, this involved cycling through over two feet of flood water for a couple of hundred yards, or taking a two mile diversion.
Pictures (http://cassland.org/album/July2007Floods/).
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I have cycled loads basically since i was 3ish? Then again, i do live in dutchlandia, where cycling is like, the norm, so eh
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I ride everywhere. Melbourne is a great city for cycling because it's incredibly flat, and where I live in the inner north there are masses of quiet side-streets and dedicated bike lanes. For those of you who care, this is my bike:
(http://www.inlisub.com/assets/Bike1.JPG)
The black thing strapped to the underside of the cross-bar is the battery for the main light. This is what the front of the bike looks like when the main light is off:
(http://www.inlisub.com/assets/Bike2.JPG)
This is what it looks like when the main light is fully charged and on:
(http://www.inlisub.com/assets/Bike3.JPG)
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Oh yay, bikes! I just got this refurbished 70's/80's road bike for my birthday- it still needs some work on the back brake, and I'm having trouble getting used to the central shift instead of a strightforward click thing with numbers like on mountain bikes. I really love it though!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/redglasscurls/Narcissism/281319778_953134340_0.jpg)
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It's weird that this thread popped up, because I was just about to open one when I saw it.
Just recently, I got to ride an old Schwinn that was super lightweight and had thin wheels. It was really fast, and seemed like better transportation than my skateboard, so I'm really liking the idea of owning one. I think I'm gonna try to find one used, but not so much so that the brakes might fail, or the chain falls off on a regular basis. How much would something like that cost?
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i never had a bike when i was a kid either. i really wish i had had an opportunity to learn, though, because even though i don't mind walking, guelph is wonderful to bike in during the summer. i guess most places where the majority of the population are students and can't afford cars are.
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Jposh, look at craigslist ads for your area and you can probably get a pretty nice one in the 100-175 range:)
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I have a bike, it is a nice one, some sort of Raleigh bike that isn't a street bike, but doesn't have quite as knobbly tires as a mountain bike. I used to ride it a lot more than I do now, I usually walk most places I go now, unless it is a few miles away. In the winter, though, it gets to be too cold and icy to bike anywhere.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/wizzard1708/RidersatLighthouse2.jpg?t=1212262611)
I am 3rd from the left. This was after a 20-mile ride at the beginning of last summer, I'm going to do the same thing next weekend at Long Beach Island in NJ.
I use this unicycle almost every day during the school year and it will be my traveling companion this coming fall.
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This was after a 20-mile ride at the beginning of next summer,
!!
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i never had a bike when i was a kid either. i really wish i had had an opportunity to learn, though, because even though i don't mind walking, guelph is wonderful to bike in during the summer. i guess most places where the majority of the population are students and can't afford cars are.
Ditto. I learned to ride about two years ago because my town is so small you can literally bike anywhere easily, but even after learning, I'm just too uncomfortable with it to actually use it, so I walk.
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So, I mentioned Road Bikes to my dad, and it turns out he has a really nice one in his garage.
It weighs about 15-20 lbs, it's tires are the thickness of my middle finger, and it's handlebars are wrapped in some colored rubbery stuff, that I really like the combination of.
He's giving it to me!
(if I promise to start wearing a helmet...)
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I've always worn a helmet since I got hit by a bus. Helmets are good, wear them.
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Yeah, seriously. Looking cool vs. not getting killed - really, that shouldn't even require any consideration.
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What?
Helmets? In my humble, and rather dutch opinion, the kinds of accidents that youd like to have a helmet for, are also the kind of accidents where that helmet makes you presentable in the coffin...
Also, bicycle safety lies much more in (car) driver concience. (and teaching little kids that truckers can see fuckall, so stay away from those)
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Helmets? In my humble, and rather dutch opinion, the kinds of accidents that youd like to have a helmet for, are also the kind of accidents where that helmet makes you presentable in the coffin...
When I got hit by a bus the helmet likely saved me. The bus rear ended me so my bike slid out under me and I went flying/rolling through an intersection smashing my head several times along the way. If it wasn't for the helmet my brains would have been paint on the road.
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Yeah, I have fallen off bikes a couple of times and the helmet cops a lot of the brunt. I am glad for helmets even though they make you look silly!
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Minnesota people. Dude. Where were you two when I was trying to find someone to carpool with to Tronno?
Well, I don't actually have a car, so...
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I really love to cycle, however my town has far too many hills to make it enjoyable. And the city I'm moving to is essentially built on a big hill and the drivers there are fucking insane and hate cyclists(Halifax)
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When I got hit by a bus the helmet likely saved me. The bus rear ended me so my bike slid out under me and I went flying/rolling through an intersection smashing my head several times along the way. If it wasn't for the helmet my brains would have been paint on the road.
You know, I keep hearing and reading stories about helmets saving people's lives, but I still refuse to wear one. I don't know why, probably just stupidity.
I do however plan on retiring my shoe and getting real brakes. Rather, I'm still going to wear the shoe, but I'll have real brakes too, you know, to have the option.
If I find a camera before this thread dies, I'll post a picture.
Or necropost. People like that around here.
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Paul, what the hell are you? Some kind of bicycle-riding amphibi-man?
My boyfriend rides a lot of downhill bikes, and he built his own carbon-fiber frame recently. He also designed a continuously variable transmission to go with it. Basically I am second banana to all bikes, therefore I am jealous of them and refuse to ride them.
Here he is on his Bike of Adventure. (http://filebox.vt.edu/users/madunca1/brilliant%20boy.jpg)
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I ride my bike everywhere, basically.
I don't have a driver's licence, and I'm growing doubtful about whether I'll ever get one. Danish car taxes are absolutely unreal, plus the fact that I'm moving to a big city in a little while speaks loudly against owning a car.
Plus, the part about cycling giving a finely sculpted ass is true.
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I'm jealous of you guys, I live in an extremely rural hilly place and not only are the hills too steep to cycle up, the roads are also always covered in bits of spiky bramble and pebbles and stuff that the tractors knock off. Also I don't fancy coming round a corner downhill and having my brakes fail just as I meet a car/tractor/milk tanker.
I cycle a lot in the summer though. One year we went to France and we cycled 50 miles in two days. I went back to school and told my teacher (I think I was about seven at the time) and they didn't believe me, but it was true. I've never been so tired, or so tanned.
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There's an amazing bike shop in Boulder that I went to last month. It's University Bicycles, so if anyone's living around Boulder, CO and looking for a nice bike, I definitely recommend going there. We brought my boyfriend's sister's bike there and there was talk of getting everyone a bike of their own.
I don't know where we'd ride them, as we live in a rural place and mountain biking seems a bit extreme. The sister mentioned above goes to her friend's house to ride because they have a track near their house.
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I just fell on my bike for the first time in years. It was great. I guess the road's shoulder was smaller than i thought! I am trying to get in enough shape to cycle to my internship which is a town and a bunch of hills away. But it's getting much better.
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Yeah, I went on a 12.5 ride yesterday (short for me, I didn't have the time or energy to do a longer one) on my old bike (I'm waiting until I get my shoes to do any serious riding on my new bike). The roads near my house are really crazy hilly. In 12.5 miles I had at least 120 ft of elevation change. I looked it up online at mapmyride.com, which is useful for figuring out distances, routes, and elevations.
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I got bored yesterday and went on an adventure with my bike and my camera, I'm in the process of editing the images now. I'll post them in a bit.
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Paul, what the hell are you?
Mad, that's what. I once drove my car through a flood, with my wife and three children in it, after dark (there was no other way home; the radio was saying not to travel). The water swamped the engine, so I used the starter motor to wind the car out to the other end (about 50 yards), by which point the water was a couple of inches deep in the inside of the car. It then took 20 minutes (in the dark) to get the electronics dry enough for the car to be able to run again. I wasn't entirely popular until we got home...
As for cycling though those floods - I just wore beach sandals and rolled my jeans up to the knee.
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Yeah, I went on a 12.5 ride yesterday (short for me, I didn't have the time or energy to do a longer one) on my old bike (I'm waiting until I get my shoes to do any serious riding on my new bike). The roads near my house are really crazy hilly. In 12.5 miles I had at least 120 ft of elevation change. I looked it up online at mapmyride.com, which is useful for figuring out distances, routes, and elevations.
Man, I biked this road in the middle of my 22.5 yesterday called 7 hills road. It didn't lie. Seven. Massive. Hills.
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I did another short one today, 10.75 miles, with my dad. It's great having someone to ride behind in the wind. It's amazing how much a difference riding in someone's slipstream is.
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I guess I'm going to build my next bike. I really like the look of the Diamondback mountain hardtail overdrive pro '08 and I love my current diamondback, it's really tough, but I don't need a lot of the stuff on there like disc brakes.
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I like to bike, Try to whenever I can. I use a cheap Mountain bike I got from a retail store.
I've replaced everything on my bike except for the frame.
I've been hit twice by cars. The first time, a van broadsided me, the helmet helped. The second time, a car clipped my front wheel, and I landed on my elbow, the helmet was useless, cause my head didn't hit anything.
Building a good bike is expensive, mostly cause the bike frames are so much. Get one second hand, sand it down, and paint it the way you want, then go from there
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Paul, what the hell are you? Some kind of bicycle-riding amphibi-man?
My boyfriend rides a lot of downhill bikes, and he built his own carbon-fiber frame recently. He also designed a continuously variable transmission to go with it. Basically I am second banana to all bikes, therefore I am jealous of them and refuse to ride them.
Here he is on his Bike of Adventure. (http://filebox.vt.edu/users/madunca1/brilliant%20boy.jpg)
ok I'm alittle jealous of you right now. I'm only able to see that frame online. Did he have that at Interbike? I'm having a hard time remebering what magazines or where online I read about that frame.
and oh yeah I ride bikes. I have 4 atm commuter, road bike, dh bike and trail bike.
A customer of the bike shop I work at just gave me his bike + gas motor kit that he paid for us to install a couple months ago. I know it defeats the whole cycling purpose but its pretty cool.
Drill king hills are fun ^^
greenMonkey speedplay pedals are cool and ride nice but just a word of warning the cleats are sort of expensive to replace if you walk around alot in your cycling shoes. Nice choice on the Sidi's btw, i wear Zetas for my road riding and Eagle 6 for Mtbing.
edit: oh yeah I'm just alittle bit north of you guys just on the other side of the border in Thunder Bay, Canada.
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How's the cycling in Thunder Bay? I'd bet the place is riddled with all kinds of trails through the bush.
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I never learned to ride a bike as a kid. The last time I tried (early this year) was about 1am and I hit a lot of trees. The final straw was when I rode into the corner of a step of a WWI memorial, puncturing the tire and flying over the handlebars. Did I hit the statue? I don't recall. I just remember being on the floor.
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I prefer cycling over hilly roads, because whilst the hills may be crap on the way up, they are shit loads of fun on the way back down. Cycling on the flat is just monotonous and boring.
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How's the cycling in Thunder Bay? I'd bet the place is riddled with all kinds of trails through the bush.
yeah we have lots of really fun mtb trails and even the road rides are pretty fun with a nice mix of climbing and flat road.
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Hi all, I'm very into cycling and have been for about two years now but I'm talking about mountain biking! Not for me, the garishly coloured lycra nor the death of otherwise finely honed fashion sense, no no. I'm much happier racing on a downhill run in full protective armour or for that matter doing a 30km cross country route and sweating my fat ass off :-) Any other frothing mountain bike nuts out there?
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I prefer cycling over hilly roads, because whilst the hills may be crap on the way up, they are shit loads of fun on the way back down.
Yeah but taken to an extreme that logic is kind of crazy. When I was in northern california two weekends ago, we drove on Las Lomas road to get from Napa to the coast, and we passed many bikers. That's a tiny road that winds a dozen miles up a mountain, and then winds a dozen miles back down on the other side, with maybe two places to pull off and take a break along the entire length of it. Not only would it be insanely hard to bike up in the first place, but losing control on the way down would result in you plummeting to your death.
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Probably not practical in that situation. It's alright over here in Scotland though, theres always loads of passing places and even if there aren't any if your on a bike it's easy enough just to pull over to the side and let stuff past. I doubt there are any inclines/declines as long as the ones you are talking about over here as well.
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Yeah but taken to an extreme that logic is kind of crazy. When I was in northern california two weekends ago, we drove on Las Lomas road to get from Napa to the coast, and we passed many bikers. That's a tiny road that winds a dozen miles up a mountain, and then winds a dozen miles back down on the other side, with maybe two places to pull off and take a break along the entire length of it. Not only would it be insanely hard to bike up in the first place, but losing control on the way down would result in you plummeting to your death.
Actually, I saw the same thing in the Reno area when I was there two years ago. When I told my uncle about it, he said that they actually have a sort of "Death Tour" where they bike up and down five different mountain passes. Eesh.
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losing control on the way down would result in you plummeting to your death.
Which is why you don't lose control!
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Here's a crazy descent: Clicky. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kZSzB4kEE8)
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The flat areas can be dangerous as well
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/06/03/2004454741.jpg (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/06/03/2004454741.jpg)
A car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico's northern border city of Matamoros, Sunday June 1, 2008. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when a driver slammed into a bicycle race.
Changed the picture to a link because it's quite distressing, especially given the fact that somebody died in the crash. - Inlander.
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Here's a crazy descent: Clicky. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kZSzB4kEE8)
Oh dear oh dear, that's not a crazy descent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo) <-This is a crazy descent!
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Wolf, that picture is horrible. It is like that amusing scene from Meet Joe Black but not funny at all.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo) <-This is a crazy descent!
holy fucking shit, that part near the beginning where the guy is weaving through trees while zipping along a raised wooden walkway is possibly the most badass thing I've ever seen.
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Lunchbox, you are right it is not funny, that's why I put the tag showing that someone died in the accident. I put it up because when I saw it I couldn't stop thinking about it. How did no one see the car coming, why didn't the guy with the camera yell a warning, why wasn't the road closed to vehicles.The picture itself is just so unreal. Sorry if I offended anyone.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxqUQa7jUo) <-This is a crazy descent!
holy fucking shit, that part near the beginning where the guy is weaving through trees while zipping along a raised wooden walkway is possibly the most badass thing I've ever seen.
...and that's mountain biking! :D
The guys in that video are all pro downhill racers, the thing is, you can try this at home. Just be sure be sure to wear the right protective gear. What the hell did I do before I discovered mountain biking :-) weeell sat on my ass in front of the computer on the inter wub, that's what.
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That looks like fun! The race crash is upsetting.
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Phil what o you ride for a dh bike? have you watched seasons yet? It blows Roam and The collective out of the water.
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Yeah I watched seasons, awesome stuff.Though I preferred the soundtrack of Roam. I certainly connected with Steve Peat's experience of a British winter :-( As for what I ride, I ride a Specialized Enduro SL Pro (the 07 model). In fact that's me in my avatar on the bike at an MTB place called Chicksands in the UK. I also use the bike for cross country and 4x, gotta love an all-mountain bike :D lightweight for the climbs tough as hell for downhill.
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cool man enduros are nice bikes. I've heard of chicksands before, I am a huge fan of the Earthed series of vids. One day I would like to make my way across the pond and see what its like over there. My three main bikes atm are my Santa Cruz Bullit for DH, Santa Cruz Cameleon for xc, am, dj, 4x/whatever and I just got a new Cannondale SuperSix at the start of the season for my road riding efforts ^^.
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Nice!
Now for a story about my absolute bad luck and stupidity. Today I got my shoes and got my clipless pedals put on my bike. I biked home from the bike shop, then got my road kit on and started off. About a minute later I realized I had neglected to pump up my tires, so I turned around and came back. I pumped up my tires, clipped in, got 20 ft out of my driveway and wiped out completely on my side. I got distracted and hit a patch of bad road, and lost control of the handlebars. I was initially super worried about the bike, as I had bent the brake/shifting assembly on the handlebars in a fair amount. I thought I might have damaged the carbon fork, which would not be good at all. Fortunately, I was able to take it back into the shop and they checked it out and said everything looked alright, and fixed my handlebars. So now my shifting assembly is a little scratched, and my bar tape is a little scratched too, but the rest of the bike is fine. I am also sporting some respectable road rash, but nothing significant enough to keep me from riding tomorrow. I feel fortunate that it happened in my neighborhood and at a low speed, as I have some friends who have injured themselves pretty spectacularly on bikes, and an acquaintance of mine recently went over the handlebars and broke her collarbone.
EDIT: Now I know why super intense cyclists shave their legs. Peeling bandages of or hairy legs with road rash = REALLY NOT FUN. I've also got a big splotch just below my hip that has been bugging me since I got it, even after I cleaned it and bandaged it. But now that I've crashed it can only get better, right? :) Also, sometime in the next few days: pictures of my bike and stuff.
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Man, I had a similar stupid thing happen about a year ago. I was biking this rad trail along the Chippewa up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and I biked about 45 miles until I got a flat. And stupid me forgot to pack along a spare tire. I had to walk the remaining 4 miles in my bike shoes.
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Why did this thread have to start now?
It's being all rainy, and i want to go ride.
Also the fact that it gets dark around 5-6 these days isnt too good. Thats my usual biking time in summer, when its all cooling down.
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What the hell did I do before I discovered mountain biking :-) weeell sat on my ass in front of the computer on the inter wub, that's what.
How did you get into it? Because it looks like one hell of a alot of fun. Was it just a case of googling local clubs and then rocking up all 'Hi I'm skinny and unfit but have no fear of injury and would like to give this a shot'?
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What the hell did I do before I discovered mountain biking :-) weeell sat on my ass in front of the computer on the inter wub, that's what.
How did you get into it? Because it looks like one hell of a alot of fun. Was it just a case of googling local clubs and then rocking up all 'Hi I'm skinny and unfit but have no fear of injury and would like to give this a shot'?
Nope, it was a friend of mine who was well into it. I said 'hi, I'm fat and unfit and I need a workout that doesn't bore me into a coma, I'm also terrified of injury' and he said 'tee hee, have you thought about mountain biking, it's very mellow :evil: ' . Slowly but surely I've built up the guts to do jumps and dropoffs and developed the skills. Cross country riding can be as extreme as you like, or not. It's about what you enjoy. There's something very special about being amongst nature rather than the urban jungle I usually inhabit and there's something very very special about scaring seven kinds of shit out of yourself going off a six foot drop :D Give it a shot dude, explore the world of MTB you'll never be the same again!
cool man enduros are nice bikes. I've heard of chicksands before, I am a huge fan of the Earthed series of vids. One day I would like to make my way across the pond and see what its like over there. My three main bikes atm are my Santa Cruz Bullit for DH, Santa Cruz Cameleon for xc, am, dj, 4x/whatever and I just got a new Cannondale SuperSix at the start of the season for my road riding efforts ^^.
That's some serious bike you're riding! Santa Cruz DH rigs are really outstanding. As for road riding, I don't do it, none of the fun of cross country and the added danger of blind dumbass drivers!
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If anyone wants proof that unicycling is way cooler than biking, view the following videos. (Warning: those particularly susceptible to having their mind blown should be cautious.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPznTbus3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZBgFz4m46U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_EiOkoEee0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj1sH6t3gwA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hXgo1gtvPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtJZVHkhm-M
OK I'll stop now.
(20-mile ride tomorrow! I'm pumped.)
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Today, is not off to the best of days. I missed the bus, so I ran home and grabbed my bike, and biked off to work. First, I hear a grinding noise and discover that my gera-shifter is bent, so I click it down to the lowest gear, and spun my legs uncontrollably with out gaioning any momentum (curse you hills). I turn to get back onto the bike path, and a car parks in the bike lane in front of me, while another blocks the entrance. I am forced to come to a complete to stop, turn into the traffic lane, get around the car, and stop again to get around the blocked entrance. After I sto the second time, a car bumps my back tire, and I'm sent sprawling to my hands and knees. The guy gets out an apologizes. I just frown, take stock of my bike (nothing is bent or broken) tell him I'm fine, and take off on the bike, all the while thinking "damn I'm so late." I whish I had thought of the gear shifter. I take a quick look at the time, realize how truly late I am for work, shift the gears back down, and pedal my ass off. Then the chain breaks. I'm 4 miles from work, my leg is cut, my chain is broken, and I am all kinds of pissed off.
Maybe it is time for a new bike.
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Well, I just had my second crash is 3 days. I took a corner too sharply too fast, went off the road into some gravel, locked my front brake and went over the handlebars. So now my other brake hood is bent, but thankfully I don't think anything else is messed up on my bike. I've got some scrapes and my knee is pretty damn swollen, but thankfully I didn't hurt anything vital. I'm taking the bike in to the shop (for the third time in three days, they must think I'm crazy) later today to get it fixed.
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Nope, it was a friend of mine who was well into it
Damn, this is pretty much the thing that stops me trying things that I reckon could be really cool. I don't think I know anyone who does a whole lot of the things I'd like to try and getting into things is always easier through people.
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If anyone wants proof that unicycling is way cooler than biking, view the following videos. (Warning: those particularly susceptible to having their mind blown should be cautious.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPznTbus3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZBgFz4m46U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_EiOkoEee0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj1sH6t3gwA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hXgo1gtvPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtJZVHkhm-M
OK I'll stop now.
(20-mile ride tomorrow! I'm pumped.)
Now there are some people who will never reproduce :D Each to their own I suppose, unicycle freeride now I've seen everything :-)
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How do you people keep falling off? I never fall off. Not that it'd matter if I did, a car knocked me off a few years ago and parked on my front wheel. It's only barely slightly buckled and I've still been riding it fine for 3 years. Woo steel monster!
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A combination of stupidity and not being used to how my new bike handles. My old bike was a 25 year old huge steel-framed monster: it absorbed everything I put into it without any wavering but was heavy as hell and slowed me down quite a bit on climbs. My new bike is aluminum with a little carbon: it's much lighter and livelier in handling, and is much faster. I'm still not used to the new geometry of the bike as well as how it corners, accelerates, etc. Those things in combination with my complete lack of caution regarding riding have caused my recent crashes.
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Although I myself am really not a bike person at all, the boy enjoys buying the rusted out old retro style bikes and doing them up lovely to sell. This one is his (although when he has time he plans to make a SUPER BIKE I think), and it was always both cute and amusing to watch him ride it up and down our driveway with his hair streaming out behind him, and the joyful expression you would expect to find on a 6 year old doing the same thing.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/ebony_willow/100_1948.jpg)
I personally just love the seat.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/ebony_willow/100_1949.jpg)
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Dear Cycling thread:
I left my story off on Friday not quite reaching work. Well, I did reach work, very late. I tossed the bike into the back, by our attic space stair/doorway. Due to a sudden emergecy, my sister dropped off her car for me to use, while she went about 200 miles out of town to help my parents. So, I drove home. This weekend was spent slaving away in the hot sun, and working on school projects, so I did no have time to fix the bike. This morning, I drove to work, stopped off at my bike shop, which is just across the street from my office, and bought a new chain. I went to class, then ran home to drop off the car and school accessories. I then caught the buss and competely forgot my camel back, hat, helmet and gloves. After work, I affixed the new chan onto the bike, and bent the gear shifter back into place. I pocket the broken chain for use at a later date, and I begin the trek home. I spend the first mile cursing my lack of hat/helmet. I spend the last nine miles panting and breathng hard as I go up hill in lare curves sending me two miles out of my way to the north, and south of where I am heading. A ten minute bike ride takes 25 minutes, and man am I out of shape, and it pisses me off. My goals for the rest of the month, bike a lot more and get into shape. I should go buy a larger camelback, so I can take it to school, with my books in it.
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ebony, that bike is PEEEEEEEEMP
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Hmmm.... That is one weird and not-practical bike.
I mean, where the hell do you hold your case of beer?
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I want to know how the hell you'd ring that bell. I mean, every time you went to use it bystanders and onlookers would think you were scratching your groin!
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Maybe that's what he WANTS you to think!
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I used to cycle everywhere, I knew all the short cuts and back streets that would get me to my destination as quickly as possible. Then some git stole it.
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The moment my Cannondale gets to To., the fun begins. Leaving Manhattan means being able to bike without being hit by 9 yellow cabs and then having your broken body chewed on by a rabid rat. It is also means bike lockers (yay!) and being able to leave your bike outside for more than 5 minutes without some ^%#^&er bending the wheel.
To. people, where are the good routes? I'm thinking 20-40 miles at the beginning and then ramping it up once back in the swing.
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I mean, where the hell do you hold your case of beer?
I discovered recently that my collapsible bike basket holds two six packs of beer perfectly. They fit so well that I am damn sure it is not a coincidence. There isn't even wiggle room for the beer to get jostled about. Most of the avid cyclists I've known have also been beer enthusiasts, so I guess It's not THAT surprising.
All I know is, it's pretty awesome for mini beer runs. I need to buy another of those baskets. You know, for symmetry.
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whoo bikes! I MTB occasionally and commute to work when I'm not working 80-90 hours a week - I ride hard and by the time I'm actually at work I'm sweaty, have to take a shower. There's only one so I have to get in before everybody else if I dont want to wait in line, and I have a hard time getting up at 7 if I'm overworked and stressed. I currently use my cannondale rush for everything - for commuting I have a rack + bag, road tires, and dinotte lights, but it's pretty easy to rip everything off in 20 minutes or so and switch to fatty tires for the trail. I don't really like having to use a post rack for full suspension though - it's not too stable. The bike is also just heavier than I'd like for road duty, and the suspension is just extra weight. I'm thinking about getting a swobo otis to use as my commuter bike.
P.S. wear your helmet. You look stupid but alive.
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Biking in Chicago is great. The city is as flat as a floppy disk, so you can get around easily on any old piece of junk, including my early 1980s Schwinn Traveler with squeaky brakes and a rear derailleur that won't shift into top gear. Of course, a lot of the drivers are inobservant jerks.
Biking 32 blocks (4 miles) is quicker than the bus or El, and maybe 33% longer than driving.
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Whee, I biked without crashing. Hopefully more biking tomorrow. So far I am falling woefully behind my goal of 100 miles a week, but I was gone for three days and the weather has been really bitchy lately.
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I BMX at the moment. Well, I say I do but I ride so rarely. I should get back into it. Seeing all these freeride vids makes me want to get back into mountain biking. Problem with mtb here is the lack of trails. There are plenty but they're an hour or so out of town by car. Urban riding is pretty fun though.
I rode my BMX for about 20 minutes today and I definitely feel a bit better. I really ought to bike a bit more. Should grab myself a proper helmet and lock. Hmmm....
Definitely disappointed by how small my bunnyhops are now. Can barely manage a foot... :(
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I BMX at the moment. Well, I say I do but I ride so rarely. I should get back into it. Seeing all these freeride vids makes me want to get back into mountain biking. Problem with mtb here is the lack of trails. There are plenty but they're an hour or so out of town by car. Urban riding is pretty fun though.
I rode my BMX for about 20 minutes today and I definitely feel a bit better. I really ought to bike a bit more. Should grab myself a proper helmet and lock. Hmmm....
Definitely disappointed by how small my bunnyhops are now. Can barely manage a foot... :(
I'm amazed that in NZ there are no trails close to town. Even where I am in sunny London I have trails 5 minutes from my house. You need to get some mates together rent a van and drive out to your trails, trust me you'll be hooked!
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This better not be a page break.
Today I cycled the ten miles into work and back. It was pretty good but some of the road surface is a pile of shit. I've come to the desicion that my mountain bike isn't to good for cycling on the road, plus the crank (is that the front three gears?) is all shitty and i have to keep bending it back into place even though i'm hardly riding my bike hard. Next week is cycle into work week so I'm gonna measure my weight at the start of the week and measure it after and see if there is any considerable difference.
Bikes are fun
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I didn't bike to work today cause my legs were so sore from chasing after the bus yesterday on foot (a bad step pulled something in my leg). But, I was stretching out my legs here at work, and all this biking has seriously toned my legs fucking up. I can actually see the contours of my muscles and shit. Its awesome. It makes me want to run home and bike around town.
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Wind is my worst enemy when cycling. I went for a 20 mile ride today, and it was really intense because it has been windy as fuck all day long. It almost made some of the hills unbearably difficult; I at one point was in super low gear, just crawling up a very steep incline, and then once I reached the top I didn't even really get to enjoy the descent because the wind pretty much canceled out the benefit of going downhill.
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I'm amazed that in NZ there are no trails close to town. Even where I am in sunny London I have trails 5 minutes from my house. You need to get some mates together rent a van and drive out to your trails, trust me you'll be hooked!
I used to ride out there every weekend but since I moved into town and sold my car that's cut back significantly. When you say trails you mean like mtb trails right rather than dirt jumps? Cause my nearest dirt jumps are probably 45 minutes away too.
Christ, even my nearest skatepark is a 30 minute ride away (no biggie, I don't mind riding 30 minutes at all). Things are spread out here! Auckland is one of the biggest cities in the world geographically so it makes a degree of sense.
Plus I literally live in the absolute middle of the city. Concrete and steel.
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(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r309/van_donk_III/bike/P1010012-2.jpg)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r309/van_donk_III/bike/P1010024-1.jpg)
I'm currently riding this for in the mountains. It's the best fun. Note the sparklesscent paint, it was a labour of love, but I live to customise things. I also use an old sunn frame to get to work on, about a 6 mile journey each way through the city. Pedesto slalom is a sport of kings. I love to ride my bike, I just wish I had more time to ride more trails!
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I'm amazed that in NZ there are no trails close to town. Even where I am in sunny London I have trails 5 minutes from my house. You need to get some mates together rent a van and drive out to your trails, trust me you'll be hooked!
I used to ride out there every weekend but since I moved into town and sold my car that's cut back significantly. When you say trails you mean like mtb trails right rather than dirt jumps? Cause my nearest dirt jumps are probably 45 minutes away too.
Christ, even my nearest skatepark is a 30 minute ride away (no biggie, I don't mind riding 30 minutes at all). Things are spread out here! Auckland is one of the biggest cities in the world geographically so it makes a degree of sense.
Plus I literally live in the absolute middle of the city. Concrete and steel.
Yeah I meant MTB trails. You do dirt jumping as well? I've never really gotten into that, I'm more into downhill with a little freeride on the side. As for the joys of the concrete/urban jungle, I know what you mean. Fortunately I have a large area of trails near me called Hampstead Heath where a lot of guys ride even though it is technically not allowed :evil:
Van Donk, that's what I call a bike!!! A Big Hit, no? None of your, lycra wearing screaming bender roadie nonsense :-)
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Yeah, it's an old ass bighit, but I've yet to discover a bike thats more planted and agile on the steep stuff. I had a foes for a while but I just like the feel of this one better. I would buy another one, but then I'd have to paint it. :lol:
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ok so now I feel compelled to post my mtb's ^^
Santa Cruz Cameleon
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/realcrohnsy/chameleoncheck.jpg)
Santa Cruz Bullit
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/realcrohnsy/DSC00906.jpg)
Racing the Bullit
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/realcrohnsy/will1.jpg)
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(http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v66/103/87/608788/n608788_32005035_1291.jpg)
This isn't actually me, this is my friend, but I was on that ride.
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thats awesome!!! i wish i could do that
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ok so now I feel compelled to post my mtb's ^^
Santa Cruz Cameleon
Santa Cruz Bullit
My work here is done! :D Those are some badass bikes you have there...as for the road riding, why would you do that to yourself?! :-)
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Road riding is a completely different kind of fun, some would call it suffering, than off road riding.
Phil I also neglected to post my road bike so this might explain why I like to road ride a little better ;)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc9/realcrohnsy/DSC_0229.jpg)
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Road riding is a completely different kind of fun, some would call it suffering, than off road riding.
Phil I also neglected to post my road bike so this might explain why I like to road ride a little better ;-)
Ok Crohnsy fair enough *drools* Carbon Fibre frame? I think road riding would be great if it weren't for the cars, I used to ride a bike to school and got knocked down 4 or 5 times. It's a great way to put down the miles and it would be a really good outlet come the winter but I don't fancy 'negotiating' with 2 ton metal monstrosities for the right to live :D
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Bujiatang/IMG_4499.jpg)
I rode out to Hopkins two weeks ago.
The ammo box is what I carry the camera in. The other bags I lug food and a change of clothes in. The Midtown Greenway is an awesome place to cruise, but people are friendlier closer to the river I think.
Nothing says shadenfruede like drafting someone in spandex though. I hate it when people damn near clip your handlebars without so much as a "passing on the left." I can ride 18-20 for about 15 miles before need to take it easy. I'll draft the bastard till he's blue in the face. ever ride with an anarchist brake caliper? thats me--the grinning goon on an old french road bike BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
seriously though folks, etiquette is not a sign of weakness.
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Got to respect a man that has a Kierkegaard quotation in his signature. He's marginally less opaque than Heidegger :D
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Yeah Phil full carbon frame, frame, fork, pedals, handlebar, and post :D
I'm getting depressed its been pretty much raining where i live non stop for the last 2 months making for a terrible trail conditions and wet roads :(
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Rain on the trails does bring about one of life's great joys...MUD! There's nothing like doing downhill runs through sketchy mud when the bike is trying it's utmost to throw you off!...It occurs to me that I'm quite strange... :D
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crohnsy that Cannondale is gorgeous. What's the componentry?
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crohnsy that Cannondale is gorgeous. What's the componentry?
Thanks greenMonkey.
The bike is pretty much just a stock SuperSIX 3
which means as far as spec goes it has
Full carbon frame and fork
Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset
Maxxis tires
Cannondale SI carbon cranks 53/39
Ultegra 12-25 cassette
Ultegra SL derailleurs
Ultegra SL brakes
Ultegra SL Shifters/brake levers
Easton EC 70 bar
Control tech Scandium stem
Control Tech Team Issue seat post. Carbon wrapped
Fi'zi:k Arione Mg saddle
The extras I've put on are the Crank Brothers Quattro Ti Pedals, Nokon shift/brake housing ( for those that don't know its aluminum beads that connect together), Cateye Strada Wireless Computer, and Axiom silver Carbon cages
All told Just under 17 lbs including pedals cages and computer. ^^
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Here's my bike, apologies for the not-so-good picture.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2595157487_f89b715ccc.jpg)
LeMond Tourmalet
Aluminum frame, carbon fork and carbon seatpost. The gruppo is pretty much all Shimano 105, except for the brakes which are Cane Creek. The wheels are Bontrager Select, with Bontrager Race Lite tires. I added stainless steel Speedplay Zero pedals, a Sigma computer (can't remember the model), and some Bontrager composite bottle cages.
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Nice ride green bet she zipps around pretty well. Just one thing i noticed you have reflectors on your bike still, did you know they slow you down 2mph per reflector?
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Yeah, I should probably take those off. I don't ride in the dark or anytime near dawn or dusk. I literally just got the bike two weeks ago, so I've been more concerned with getting used to how it rides and handles. Thanks for the heads up though.