Biking Nerds Unite

[Herr Döktor]

yup i am liking this thread. Biking is awesome when i ride its a pleasent feeling of freedom.

its my fav form of exercise as its not boring and you can go long distances so its practical. i jus wish i didn live in toronto not the nicest place to bike but hopefully ill move to b.c. soon.

I live in a suburb just outside of Toronto, but I love biking in the city. Blowing past the stopped cars at rush hour is the great, imo biking is the fastest way to get around any big city if you trust yourself to be aware of traffic. I love to race streetcars and buses when the roads are a bit clearer. Never mind at night riding through the abandoned streets whipping around corners at speed, one of my favorite things ever.

The mayor of the suburb I live in just so happens to be an avid cyclist as well, so we have kilometers of street trails and scenic routes through the forests making for some excellent riding. I've never understood what it is that people like about stationary bikes....I just can't stand the things, they feel so slow!

 

[beagleboy]

at night riding through the abandoned streets whipping around corners at speed

being a 10 y.o. boy with another friend in the wee hours of the morning when you've snuck outta' the house and are planning capers is the best.

this is a really good deal. $12 total for x3 36in by 2in of D.O.T. retro reflective tape


I use the duct brand weather all purpose tape to prevent cable rub on my bike. Its very cost effective when compared to the carbon fiber stick on patches or that leather sheeit.

link to the tape above and the clear duct tape
http://www.tapebrothers.com/Duck-BraAll-Weather-Repair-Tape-1-88-in-x-100-ft-p/stwa-281230.htm

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'm getting a bike very soon. Is there anything you guys think I should watch out for?
I'm 5'10 (172cm) but I have relatively long legs... what size should I get ? A 20"/L frame? I'm not looking for anything specific, just wanna know what to look for.

sorry if this is something i shoulda recalled from prior posts but...what type of bike? 20" is a short frame for bmx w/o a doubt, i mean i'm roughly 5'7" and i ride a 21" top tube, which most would call too-long for me, but really i have my handlebar-angle like 1/8" forward from what would be 'normal' for my fork-angle.. i also have above-avg upper body strength so think i'm a freak in that department which would account for the larger-sized setup.
How much do other types of bikes matter on frame size? I am a monster on fixed-gear, both on distance, speed and basic tricks, and I could conceivably give or take an inch on my tube length w/o any real detriment, but on bmx the difference is clear as day.. I can run a fixed gear off a 4 step w/o hesitation whether it's mine or a friend's, and the geometry is irrelevant; i cannot even imagine trying to worry about quarter-inches if i was just using the fixie for distance/speed riding..
//btw, congrats on your new mod-ship, just seeing that made me realize i haven't helped there in a minute so am gg and help some HL threads

 

[flyhighk]

Thanks
I bought a bike yesterday for 140$, don't even know what size it is though. I just tried and liked it. I'll take some pictures in a few hours and post them here.

EDIT : 26in wheels

 

[beagleboy]

good for you flyhighk!

Theres a few minor adjustments you might be interested in doing to get a better fit. It involves 3 points of contact with the bike: feet, hands and the "curve" of your back as you ride it.
You might want to have a friend there to help you because it would be easier.

-You can adjust the seat, sliding it forwards or backwards to get closer to the handlebars and especially you should want to adjust the angle of the nose of the seat up or down for your own comfort.

-You can loosen the bolt in the center of your stem ( it may or may not come out of the stem visibly. If it does tap it lightly with a hammer and it will go down. ) and adjust how high or low the handlebars are. There should be some writing on the stem that reads DO NOT ADJUST STEM PAST THIS LINE.

-From the picture I think that your handlebars have a "sweep" in them meaning they are curved for performance. You can loosen up the bolt on the stem that holds the handlebars and rotate the handlebars forward or backwards. What you are looking for here is to make the "cockpit" comfortable on long rides.

-You can loosen the bolt on your brake lever and move the lever up or down and closer or farther away from the end of your handgrip for better performance and safety. You want to have to only lift your fingers from the grip and "out" to pull the brake lever. Generally ( if your brakes are in good shape )you want to use a minimum of 2 fingers when braking, and in emergency stops you would use 3 or 4 fingers.

-There should be a threaded bolt coming out of the brake body ( the black part NOT the brake lever ) next to the silver cable adjustment knob. You can use a small allen or hex wrench and adjust the threaded bolt to make the brake lever closer to your fingers for better braking ability. You would have to undue the brake cable at the very end of your brake cable and leave the brakes undone while you adjust the reach of your brake levers to fit your fingers. Adjusting the brake levers should be a combination of how close the whole brake unit on the handlebar is to the end of the handlebar and palm position on the handgrip.

-Inflate your tires to the maximum psi that is stamped on the tires for better speed.

-Use a common household kitchen degreaser like "Orange Cutter" or "Turbo Citrus Power" on a rag or paper towel and clean the rims where the brake pads touch. Do this especially after riding in the rain to clean the oil. Braking performance will be much better.


flyhighk, one thing I know for sure about your bike is that the rims are going to warp a little bit due to it being an inexpensive bike and because new rims need to be ridden 75 or so miles and then trued or adjusted. I pay someone $10 per wheel to true my rims when they get a wobble in them.

Wow, that is a whole lot of basic bicycle info. My head is aching due to me having to condense all the random info I know into something of use and then tap it into my keyboard.

flyhigh, do you know how to change a flat tire?

I've seen some riders put a zip tie around one of their fork legs to use as a gauge how much suspension travel they are using.

 

[flyhighk]

That's a lot of useful info! Thanks a lot beagleboy you definitely know your stuff. I will do some adjustments tomorrow. I just read a couple articles on how to change a flat tire and it doesn't seem that hard.

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

I prefer helicopter rotor tape for frame protection. 3M makes one in a good size that with proper application will stay on forever. It is a bit pricey, but cheap compared to any brand name frame protector sets.

 

[beagleboy]

^Indeed, I just researched the 3m product you speak of on Ebay. Fuckin expensive. Its 56mm. I run 8mm tape ( that's 48mm less protection for my frame from others bikes at the Libraries bike rack ).
Fom the reviews from other bikers, I heard that the edges of the tape, being so thick, accumulate more grime and grit than the Duct brand tape.

Bmxxx: I found a 26in flavor of the Evil DoC

 

[Jabberwocky]

^that's a beast! are you riding that anywhere quasi-local this summer?

just put new chain/pedals on my bmx :D pedals are odyssey clears and chain is, after much research, IMO (one of)the best bmx chain (a KMC z510 or something, w/ nickel plating. I was convinced half link chains like shadow v2 interlock or cult's were better, and it almost seems counterintuitive, but it doesn't seem that . Either way the kmc 510 was noticeably heavier in-hand than a kmc 410. was unable to compare to a 710 kmc, which seems very popular amongst race/dirt bmx'ers) Also got a plastic Primo hub guard, but f'ing axle wasn't big enough for that+peg am guessing i just need a bigger axle but waiting for more info!

edit: I've also found 1st flaw on an otherwiser 95%+ bicycle, or at least am pretty sure.. it looks like there is a very slight bend in the fork, but i haven't verified it. It looks like it has the smallest forward-bend on its steerer-tube (fork&tube are a 1-piece, 4130/jap/seemless setup). I'm pretty sure but the only way i can verify this, is that i *think* the headset's upper bearing-cover doesn't make perfect lateral contact w/ the frame's race... i don't have any tool sensitive enough to measure. This would probably make sense, given how tall the kid was, and the fact that it had aftermarket bars because he supposedly bent the factory/OEM bars, so that's right in line w/ warping the fork. I'm too small and the warp is too small for this to matter much/all tho, so am still in love haha!

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

Fuck yea beagle that shit is rowdy. Popping off stuff with that is going to be fantastic! Your brake levers seem to be at a pretty crazy angle though.

Steel I wouldn't worry too much (I would still not be able to relax), keep an eye out for tears/fractures. You may also want to dismantle the headset to verify everything is ok.

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

Ah, cool bike regardless =)

It is true that it accumulates more grit around the edges, but since nothing ever is moving there it isn't a problem. I ride in an area where golf to softball sized rocks sometimes get kicked up into the frame. It also protects a few spots if I ever have to abandon ship. I'm not sure if under 25-30mm would cut it for frame protection. I just remembered, there are also a few english companies who make some similar tape, but a bit thinner/cheaper. If you read around there are a few companies that stick out for having decent quality.

 

[Jabberwocky]

beagle- I'm confused now, i thought that was yours too but I've never heard of Evil brand.. We've got 4 bikes here, our fixies are SE racing, my bmx is a United and my brother's is a WeThePeople.


Okay, I've got a question that I'm hoping someone can help me with.. I want to ride w/ 1 peg on my rear, on the drive-side, but that requires me to have a hub-guard in place (after my 2nd time doing grinds I realized how badly i was nailing my chain/driver, couldn't allow that!)
So, I bought/installed a hub-guard, but now there's only enough room for the axle's nut, not a peg+nut! And the 14mm axle isn't 1-piece, it's one of those 3-piece dealies, so I cannot just loosen the locknuts and take axle from the other side... Am really unsure how to approach this
this is the hub guard, as of right now i have only the hub guard on, and am riding both pegs up front which, clearly, isn't ideal!

 

[Jabberwocky]

I got it working now.. had to remove the plastic-peg's aluminum end-washer (that was permanently-affixed to it.. so will keep an eye on it for extra weakness) It bolts up proper, but the 1st two sessions both saw the rear wheel moving in the dropouts, so i'm afraid there may not be enough threads for the nut to properly bite it. I'm actually cleaning/lubing the bolt&axle now, and sand-scuffing the dropout and the far-side of the peg, to hopefully eliminate this play because at this point it'd need tuning every single ride

 

[beagleboy]

http://wheelsmfg.com/
they sell all sorts of specialty axles. I would give it a try.

 

[Jabberwocky]

it's looking like i won't even need to. after i removed the alloy-backing and inside-washer (leaving 100% plastic left of the peg), it barely fit but it's tight enough that, after a couple more sessions on it, it still hasn't budged. Peg still looks good, too (I was afraid of the peg being too weak when buying it, so am more worried now that i've removed part of the thing's structure, but it's held just fine so far. Will be wary of these pegs til they're shredded-through, tho!)

 

[Jabberwocky]

oh! I may've mentioned earlier in-thread that, more than wanting to sell that white mongoose, i'd prefer to give it to someone 'worthy' (ie, not give it to someone who wants their kid to have a generic bike; ie, give it to someone who's trying to do freestyle) Well, the other day I was riding w/ my brother hitting a local ledge when 3 younger kids came by- w/ 2 bikes! The 2 who had bikes were trying beginner tricks (these kids were like 12-14ish), and the 3rd said his bike was at his mom's...asked why/where, apparently his mom isn't local and he never goes there. Went home, returned on my bike w/ a bmx for the kid.
He was happy but probably not as psyched as I was, lol!

 

[beagleboy]

^ I know that feel.
Ive found that helping out grown women is the best because they will let you do pretty much anything to their bike....LOl, I usually ask people if they would like me to help them or if they are already fixing their bike alongside the trail I ask if they "need a tool".

is that ramp a local public works project?
It looks professionally made.
I found out I can get 18 yards of fill dirt delivered for $185. Is that a lot of dirt?

 

[Jabberwocky]

it's a great feel, right? Dude I was totally happier than that kid was, lol.

Your grown woman sentence, it...i... i probably am just a corrupted mind, but until the last 3 words of that sentence, I thought you were going somewhere else w/ that! haha
that is true tho, the more ignorant someone is, the greater leeway they give and, usually, the better something comes out. I'm the 'go-to' bike guy for anyone who's even neighborhood-acquaintance w/ me, so i know that feel!



Re the ramp in the picture, that's not my picture that's a google.image jpg, i was just trying to show the specific hub guard i have on.. FWIW, the thing has held up like a boss, i actually got close to an hour in today and it was almost entirely grinding, and there's still zero movement of the axle(/chain tension/wheel alignment), and the peg still looks solid/reliable

Re dirt- I have zero idea off the top of my head, but honestly i'd just call 2 or 3 other places to see what they quote for the exact same, then you'll know for sure. What type of dirt is this? cuz the main issue is the sand, and getting more sand dropped off is probably useless, unless i'm mistaken. I'm not sure how ppl build ramps here but i imagine we have no better choice than building the ramp w/ the local soil (ie, sand) and then 'topping-off' w/ something that has much more clay content. I'm really not sure man, I'm almost wondering if there's some shortcut soil-amendment that we could use to bypass needing clay, cuz where we are clay is much-$ since they have to truck that from out of the region. I saw a vid this afternoon on rebuilding ramps after a storm, and it made me realize how, in the NE, i could build a ramp whenever i wanted (and we did, we had several courses within 7 blocks of my home), whereas here they're a massive PITA. video: http://bmx.transworld.net/1000153127/features/how-to-patch-fix-a-dirt-jump-with-mike-saavedra/ LOL i love how their soil is same/better than what i grew up w/, but you just cannot do that w/ our soil haha!!

Honestly b., i'm wondering whether that course could get by while using the sand that's already in the yard (so the peaks are high, w/ sand from the troughs, which are below the ground-line), and just using a mix of (local/yard)sand + cement/mortar. I cannot imagine you'd need much 'crete to make our sand into something pretty solid, so the initial price would be far lower, only problem is the formed-concrete(mixed into the sand) wouldn't hold a bond/shape like clay does, so would need 'top-offs' w/ some regularity :/
[edit: although, at the same time, every 'top-off' would elevate the ramps, essentially making the course conform to an accelerating skill level, which would be pretty useful for a local ramp!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=AjVAemENLXY&v=TVXOvRIC4q8
this^ video is epic! It's a 3minute teaser clip for the newest OSS video that features their best 2 riders (churchill and begin), i HIGHLY recommend just watching the whole OSS video if you're into this (it's 30-40min, is on youtube under "ruin your whole summer"/bmx/oss" )
This crew ('OSS' or 'on some shit' is the best group i've scene outside of 'deadline'. I know i'm the only one who routinely posts about bmx, but if anyone has recommendations for bmx riders/crews, plz post On topic tho, Stevie churchill (younger/stalkier kid in the video) is one of my favorite riders, actually one of my favorite edits is his (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYrzNpwhUk4 it's an OSS/OnSomeShit edit that's him only, it's crazy - if you aren't interested in 4minutes, just watch the last trick he gaps (it's a 360+barspin over a HUGE stairway.. this is noteworthy cuz Brandon Begin actually tried doing a fakie-hop-360 over it, and wrecked really, really hard: [[NOTE: don't watch 1st 10sec of this clip if hard falls upset you / NSFL / etc ]] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjVAemENLXY

[edit: Really, even if you aren't into bmx, just watch the last 40sec of the 2nd video i linked, from 3:10 on. The kid does a 360 tailwhip over a HUGE set of stairs, then finishes by 360/barspin over a huge set, the same one b.begin got wrecked on in the beginning scene of the 3rd linked clip ]

 

[beagleboy]

Has anyone ever had any warranty experience with the manufacturer of their bike? How did that work out for you, what was your experience and did they treat YOU right in iyho?
I ride Jamis Parker full suspension bike. Its offered up as a do it all very aggressive/light downhill/4x bike that you can ride from the mountain and park or 4x race and then stop on the way home at the Coffee Joint.
I am going through the process right noaw of sourcing a new rear broken swing arm with a Jamis Bicycles Representative in my area.

Ive been riding a 1992 Japanese 4130 chromoly Univega Alpina Pro 26 inch. Its retrofitted with u brakes and has Shimano lx shifters and a mix of other very good components. Its very light ( sub 20lbs ) and I ride smooth 2.3 tires that handle up to 80p.s.i. I.ve got fenders for the front and the back as its my 2nd bike.

I'll post pics when I find my camera.

 

[beagleboy]

BMXXX, I watched the vid you linked. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=AjVAemENLXY&v=TVXOvRIC4q8]
I imagine your fit ass doing some of that stuff featured on the vid.

I haven't rode a 20in in 2 decades. It looks so cramped. I am thinking about either fixing my Dyno Slammer with a 1 1/8 aheadset and proper fork, running a slammed straight seatpost and cushy seat and putting my radial laced rims on it. It doesn't have the posts for a u brake. I need a 3 piece crank and small sprocket also.
...But, I am intrigued by the sub $300 beautiful bikes you can buy from pinkbike.com

It will be a nice contrast to my 26 in full suspension bike.