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Biking Nerds Unite

brought it in to the shop this morning. got it all fixed up. i didn’t notice anything wrong with it on the ride home so i say they did a good job. the mechanic said if the chain starts slipping again, bring it right back in and they’ll figure it out. they didn’t charge me a dime because i bought the bike from them and that comes with two free tune ups. this was the 90 day tune up, though i brought it in closer to 60 days ago (i probably put more miles on my bike than the average rider). next free one is between october and december. they call that their fall tune up.
 
anyone record their rides? i've been using a gopro session, which is great but has room from improvement.

1. no in camera stabilization
2. 1080 is max res
3. battery is not removable

i ordered a gopro 8 black today. it addresses all those issues. 4k, the latest in-camera stabilization, and the battery is removable so you can have a spare a swap it out for long rides. bonus, it has a built in gps and saves the data in time with the video. i'm not sure what all you can do with that, but i know for sure you can have an overlay in the video that includes your speed and elevation. that will be cool for analyzing my rides. hopefully that feature can be toggled on and off in post, as my interest in the video is mostly an art project. i'm not sure what that art project is yet. i doubt the aesthetic involves a gps overlay.


30 day trial, so if the improvement isn't significant enough i can return it. 100 percent money back, including return shipping.

unlike most gopros, the session is waterproof without a case. same goes for the 8. that's important to me. the session has a mount you attach that isn't a full case. the 8 has a mount build onto the camera. so neither are bulky. and the gopro mount happens to be almost the exact same as the bontrager blendr mount -- which is what treks come equipped with stock -- so i don't even need a an extra piece to attach it to my handlebar.

look at what i mean ...

blendr.jpg


gopro-hero-8-black--59790199.jpg


see the double loop in the gopro and the two slots in the blendr mount above? they are the exact correct space apart. no idea if bontrager and gopro did that on purpose, but it's perfect.

the that piece fits in the stem like this ...

e5f477d2-3275-47c1-a186-03ec121de42c.jpeg


but that black part isn't needed. see how the black park connect to the stem with two loops? so you can skip it and connect the camera directly to the stem instead. that's how i have my gopro currently attached. and how i will attach the new one. the reason that first pic i posted looks like it sticks out so far is because most of it is sunk into the stem. really only 10 percent of it is visible, the loops.

that part i have circled in red. the black unfaded piece they are showing is superfluous. i don't have it. when i went to buy it the guy at the bike shop showed me how it was pointless. he was like, "i'll sell it to you if you really want it but it connects the exact same way a gopro connects so i don't even know why it exists."

check out my bike looking mean on the rack ...

IMG_2297.JPG


this is how you lock a bike ...

IMG_2263.JPG


IMG_2258.JPG


u-lock goes from the back rack around the back wheel rim, then you include a pedal in the u-lock. obviously the frame is in there too. the drivechain is facing the bike rack.

the back wheel cannot be removed because it is in the u lock.
the pedal being in the u-lock leaves no room for someone to wedge a hydraulic jack into the u. u cant slip the u over the pedal; it's too tight.
the drivechain is pressed against the bike rack so it would be very hard for someone to start removing compenents.
i replaced the quick release on my front wheel with a Pinhead lock. you can't remove it without a key. at least not easily.

most people lock their front wheel in the u along with the frame, which is a mistake. not only does not create a crowded situation with the components, but front wheels are cheaper.

of course if someone has an axel grinder, that's that. there's no way to protect your bike from an axel grinder.
 
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hydroazuanacaine said:
be nice to homeless people. i'm not sure of the connection, but somehow homeless people and cyclists are on the same team. we're both just trying to use the city.
Click to expand...

If by trying to use the city you mean trashing the city, then yea. I realize that people fall on hard times but a lot of the homeless people we have are transients from other areas who don't even try to fit in. They leave trash everywhere, camp on the sidewalks, fight and just generally cause an eyesore pretty much anywhere you go.
 
i had two interviews at bike shops today. one said they want to hire me. they said the owner has to approve all hires, but the manager said i'd be a great fit on the team and he's almost positive i'm gonna be part of it. said the owner usually comes in on friday, so he'd get it approved then and i should be god to start monday.

i said i wanted to do part-time -- 20 hours a week -- because i mean i'm a marketing comms manager and i shouldn't give up that career to work at a bike shop. the manager said that's perfectly fine, but there will be more hours available if i want them. it will be a great job while i get my career started back up.

the owner of other shop said the loved my passion, but the pay wasn't good and they didn't even have 20 hours a week for me. the owner said he could tell i was looking for more and that i should keep looking while he thought about it. i doubt i'll get an offer there. which is fine because i'm gonna take this first one.
 
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finally got my new gopro mounted properly. in a way that is secure but i can quickly remove when locking the bike up during errands. going over footage from it's maiden voyage now.

yesterday a friend from high school was in chicago so he visited with me. i took him biking (he used my '92 multitrek and loved it). he was a little nervous biking in city traffic but quickly got the hand of things. we had a blast. we even biked through grant park. got dinner part way through and called it a night around 9:30pm. it was great to be able to show him the city from the way i traverse. he kept on thinking we were lost, and i had to assure him i did this everyday and did not get lost in chicago (except for the north side, which as i have said before has some sort of bermuda triangle effect).

i have him a little bit of 3-meo-pce before the ride and a piece of nitrazolam, and he loved it. the 3-meo-pce to increase the sense of adventure. the nitrazolam to help his nerves with biking in city traffic. too bad i'm about out of 3-meo-pce. it served its purpose and there are always new things to try. i will save my last bit for IV, because IV 3-meo-pce is godly.
 
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Nice stuff!


I'm a big fan of city biking.

Been sometime though, still haven't fully fixed up my old road bike since the last drunken spill.

Has anyone seen @beagleboy lately?
 
i don’t know if anyone sees him in real life, but he doesn’t post any more.

if you don’t mind could you post a picture of your road bike when you have a moment? i love seeing peoples bikes. not pictures of bikes, but pictures of bikes that people ride.

edit:
what timing. she’s a beaut.
 
I'll see if I have an actual photo


Here's my bike when I'm on stims
IMG_20161113_140322.jpg


Here's a terrible photo
IMG_20161113_140335.jpg
 
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I enjoy a good rip around Vancouver for sure. Especially when the weather is nice, I'll ride my bike any time I have to go downtown and don't have to be dressed particularly clean cut. No traffic, lots of bike lanes, Stanley park has some nice easy ascents and decent downhill gravel trails.

The next big thing is definitely exploring the north shore, I haven't had a chance yet but I've heard nothing but good things. Did some super technical trail riding in Whistler with my old hard tail and it was a blast, never had the money to go full enduro but it's on the radar. I'd imagine with the right suspension set up, jumping might gain a little more height potential. Hopping with a hard tail I can only get about 8 inches or so of height. My technique needs some work.

And as far as the gear goes, converse with some knobbly pedals and a platypus bag does the trick. Light setup is such a pleasant ride. No lock, just water and an emergency repair kit. I bike a lot for commuting so a light pleasure cruise is somewhat rare for me, but when it's time I crush for as long as possible. It's a bogfest with food and clothes and the lock blah blah. Heavy = less fun
 
walked in my door from an hour ride downtown chicago from 12:20am to 2am. only 13 miles because much of it was spent exploring. i know my way around well enough that the gps helps me find new areas but i don't really need it in case it dies (which it won't). it was much fun. the city is not too crowded at that point of night. lots of lights. recorded in 4k. one of my batteries wasn't completely charged, so a bit of it was lost before i realized it died and switched them out. brought a 35mm camera with me too. cinestill 800t would have been perfect. the slide film i had in there instead will look pretty in its own way. forces me to practice a steady hand.

second or third time i've done that (in the am hours). chicago and biking were made for one another. put my pajama pants on and gonna start going through the footage now.

yo, DopeM. just noticed that pic. 2 of 3 are red Xs, but the one that shows is cool. so you're about the road bike, huh? look at that thin wheel. so aerodynamic. thanks for sharing. wonder what's up with the other two images not displaying.

i hope it is blood splatter. i got a few white tees died red with blood from biking. go hard.

Workihg_Class, you're talking about a type of biking i know nothing of. i only commute for transportation and road bike doe exercise and beating strava times. what kind of bike do you take on the trails?
 
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Post please ;)

Chicago at night is quite a gas !

I bought a new battery for my camera ($100.00+( wtf)) and can take quality photos again. This is a strange time indeed. If you pedal far North let me know, I live just North of doggie beach.
 
i talk during my videos and don't want to reveal too much, but i'll go through them for a few good segments to share. $100 battery? geeez, i got one extra for a total of two and a dual charger for like $40 from gopro plus's free month trial. if they get their cloud working right, i actually will continue my subscription into paid. it also ensures your camera, with like a $75 deductible. not sure what exactly my renter's insurance does for me there. my renter's insurance is mostly liability, as my bike is my property and if someone or something is damaged by it the policy covers that damage to an extent. both medical and legal. i pretty much use my renter's insurance as biker's insurance since i don't have care insurance. took me many hours to figure out the best policy. hopefully i don't have to test it.

what camera do you use?
 
It's an ancient Nikon D3 which is a full frame 35mm DSLR, I've been looking to get into a gopro or something like that for vids.
 
yeah, they got all kids of promotions going on right now. i researched them all extensively, new and used, before decide on the hero8 black. to i'd be happy to discuss with you. they're not cheap, but they're not pro prices either. and i use it everyday, so i didn't feel guilty going big for the 8. the the max is even one step above. it's all about 360 footage, which i'm not into. this gopro is an extension of my street photography. another way to capture the city. it's super wide angle lens, like a lot of the still cameras i use for shooting street.

the session 4 and 5 are really cool. i have one but am going to sell it now that i have the 8. 1.5" cube, completely waterproof without any case. but the 8 has some features i couldn't pass up. coming up with a way of mounting it that is stable yet removable in a flash was a challenge -- any electronics left on your bike in chicago wont be there when you get back -- but i combined a few products to create a system that works.
 
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I love the glass on my Nikon system but it IS stuck on still frame.

Street photography is my passion. I have friends that used to do it with range finder 35mm cameras which are great due to their size while retaining acuity. Most cool to find someone still into street photography.

Stay safe we'll talk ;)
 
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