Cycling... Anyone here into it?

Dave Matthews

Dave Matthews

Dave's not here
A long time ago (when the earth was green) I was a motorbike enthusiast. Much road and dirt riding.
Then family started, and that was that.
After a while I wanted to get back into 2 wheels, and figured cycling was the thing to do.
Started with this...

Norco Lobos...



Fun machine and I still have it.
Then I got heavy into golf, and that lasted a long time.
After a nasty health issue I became out of shape. When I got that under control I found myself wanting 2 wheels again but figured I needed to start slow and easy, so...

I got an ebike...



A 2019 Giant Fathom E+2. I put a crap ton of KMs on it. I missed having rear suspension and bought this...



A 2021 Giant Stance E+2
So far I've put over 4600 kms on it and I couldn't be happier. Have lost 15lbs and looking forward to more.

Anyone else here cycling?
Doesn't matter if it is electric or acoustic.
Where do you ride? Got any pics?
Why do you ride?
Let's see! :-)
 
Here's yesterday's ride...

A ride of 27km.
Somehow I gravitated towards Watershed Park, and entered the uppermost trail.



Parts of the trail were a bit "hairy" with roots and rocks. A pedal strike almost put me into the bushes, but thankfully a quick dab allowed recovery...



I hadn't seen this structure before, or at least I don't remember it...



Then I dropped onto the greenway heading North...







Pretty rare to see a city truck on this path...



One of these things is not like the other...

 
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Today I had a plan to do a circumnavigation of Delta. That would include a stop at the office to say HI and antagonize those working. HA!
But... it was windy as heck. The wind was coming from the West, and heading West was miserable at Mud Bay. So...
As I headed South I decided to head East. Ahhh... the wind was with me... I had to get to 30km/h to even feel wind in my face!



Then headed South again to South Surrey...

Serpentine River that feeds Pacific Ocean...



Nico Wynd Golf course...



Nicomeckl River feeding the Pacific Ocean...







Now THAT'S a bike lane!



Too soon!!!





Done like dinner...

 
My partner and I have a brace of Aventon Aventures. We were in Acadia National Park over the weekend. Rode 38 miles of carriage road over two days. We do a lot of rail trail riding with some more off-road stuff, snowmobile trails and such. I don't care for mud and roots much.
 
Great bike collection and cycling trip pics.

A few years back I got back into bicycling having not ridden for years. Got a Giant Cypress DX then when the Giant developed an issue I realized I really should have a spare so first got a Wal-bike, then realized it was too small and got a Trek which I discovered I liked better than the Giant because of subtle differences of their comparative geometry and I liked the Trek's trigger shifter better than the twist shift on the Giant.

I'm set up with tools to be completely self-reliant on maintenance - probably have about as much invested in tools as in the bikes - truing stand, tensionometer for the spokes, bike repair stand, dishing tool, etc. etc. Even have an aluminum-bodied Park Tool chain scrubber. I've had others but the plastic-bodied scrubbers break down over time - I expect this one to outlast me. I bought one bottle of Park Tool Chainbrite but it's absurdly overpriced. A gallon of citrus degreaser concentrate at Home Depot costs around the same or less than a 16 oz bottle of the Park Tool stuff and when cut 50% works every bit as good at a fraction of the cost. I've got a collection of various chain lubes.

1695126359992.png

1695126211571.png

I built a 36-spoke wheel on the rear with triple-butted DT Swiss spokes after snapping a few of the factory straight-gauge spokes over time on the 32-spoke factory wheel.

Oddly my biggest maintenance project was that Wal-bike. I procrastinated in returning it beyond the limit of the return policy and ended up giving it to someone as a birthday present but I wanted to make sure it was in solid condition so I basically took it apart completely and gave everything a good looking over and was glad I did. Boxmart bikes have a generally bad reputation, what I found was that the main problem wasn't the components but the shoddy assembly and adjustment. I put Park Tool poly lube on all bearings - wheel hubs, pedals, bottom bracket, steering tube bearings - they all had only a quickly applied dab from the factory of some brown lube. I had to fix the dishing and spoke tension on the wheels - especially the rear wheel which wasn't centered on the frame which would have caused problems with braking and shifting - that chain needs to be properly aligned with the cassette to work, needs to be centered for the rim brakes to pull correctly. It's inexcusable that they sell bikes in this kind of condition and of course probably most parents giving them to their kids don't have the first clue about any of this and the bikes are never going to work right. I once saw a kid fall in the road when the pedal on his bike snapped off and it was on a blind curve up a hill - I thought for sure I was going to see him get killed - the only reason he wasn't run over is the next driver who came along had superb reflexes and stopped just in time. If it had been some old geezer with slow reflexes that kid would have been history. I know what happened - that pedal came from the factory with inadequate lube to begin with and his parents never even thought about maintenance as per above and he had been pedaling metal-on-metal until it snapped where the pedal shaft was scored.

Adjusted the shifting mechanisms. Lubed the brake and shifter cables, even took apart the twist-shifters and lubed them with Sil-Glyde. They're inexpensive shifters that weren't designed to be disassembled the way better shifters are but I figured out a way to take them apart and they work much more smoothly.

The hubs didn't have rubber dust boots like my other bikes so just for grins I fabricated some using molding rubber formed around the hubs and black Permatex silicone using clear nail polish as mold release. With further practice I could make them prettier but this was a one-off.

1695125547195.png


1695125691857.png
 
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Sky Blue Lou said:
My partner and I have a brace of Aventon Aventures. We were in Acadia National Park over the weekend. Rode 38 miles of carriage road over two days. We do a lot of rail trail riding with some more off-road stuff, snowmobile trails and such. I don't care for mud and roots much.
Click to expand...
Nice!
I wish we had more rail trails around here.
 
brassplyer said:
Great bike collection and cycling trip pics.

A few years back I got back into bicycling having not ridden for years. Got a Giant Cypress DX then when the Giant developed an issue I realized I really should have a spare so first got a Wal-bike, then realized it was too small and got a Trek which I discovered I liked better than the Giant because of subtle differences of their comparative geometry and I liked the Trek's trigger shifter better than the twist shift on the Giant.

I'm set up with tools to be completely self-reliant on maintenance - probably have about as much invested in tools as in the bikes - truing stand, tensionometer for the spokes, bike repair stand, dishing tool, etc. etc. Even have an aluminum-bodied Park Tool chain scrubber. I've had others but the plastic-bodied scrubbers break down over time - I expect this one to outlast me. I bought one bottle of Park Tool Chainbrite but it's absurdly overpriced. A gallon of citrus degreaser concentrate at Home Depot costs around the same or less than a 16 oz bottle of the Park Tool stuff and when cut 50% works every bit as good at a fraction of the cost. I've got a collection of various chain lubes.

View attachment 133346

View attachment 133343

I built a 36-spoke wheel on the rear with triple-butted DT Swiss spokes after snapping a few of the factory straight-gauge spokes over time on the 32-spoke factory wheel.

Oddly my biggest maintenance project was that Wal-bike. I procrastinated in returning it beyond the limit of the return policy and ended up giving it to someone as a birthday present but I wanted to make sure it was in solid condition so I basically took it apart completely and gave everything a good looking over and was glad I did. Boxmart bikes have a generally bad reputation, what I found was that the main problem wasn't the components but the shoddy assembly and adjustment. I put Park Tool poly lube on all bearings - wheel hubs, pedals, bottom bracket, steering tube bearings - they all had only a quickly applied dab from the factory of some brown lube. I had to fix the dishing and spoke tension on the wheels - especially the rear wheel which wasn't centered on the frame which would have caused problems with braking and shifting - that chain needs to be properly aligned with the cassette to work, needs to be centered for the rim brakes to pull correctly. It's inexcusable that they sell bikes in this kind of condition and of course probably most parents giving them to their kids don't have the first clue about any of this and the bikes are never going to work right. I once saw a kid fall in the road when the pedal on his bike snapped off and it was on a blind curve up a hill - I thought for sure I was going to see him get killed - the only reason he wasn't run over is the next driver who came along had superb reflexes and stopped just in time. If it had been some old geezer with slow reflexes that kid would have been history. I know what happened - that pedal came from the factory with inadequate lube to begin with and his parents never even thought about maintenance as per above and he had been pedaling metal-on-metal until it snapped where the pedal shaft was scored.

Adjusted the shifting mechanisms. Lubed the brake and shifter cables, even took apart the twist-shifters and lubed them with Sil-Glyde. They're inexpensive shifters that weren't designed to be disassembled the way better shifters are but I figured out a way to take them apart and they work much more smoothly.

The hubs didn't have rubber dust boots like my other bikes so just for grins I fabricated some using molding rubber formed around the hubs and black Permatex silicone using clear nail polish as mold release. With further practice I could make them prettier but this was a one-off.

View attachment 133337


View attachment 133340
Click to expand...
That kid got lucky fo sho!
I'm not as advanced as you with the maintenance, but I do use the same Park Tool chain cleaner. Works a treat!
Also really happy with Squirt wax lube.
 
I love to ride and ride regularly. Bicycle and motorcycle. Although since my youngest son moved here to Glenwood Springs, CO (where we're vacationing right now) I don't ride the motorcycles as much anymore since he was my riding buddy.

But yeah - I've got a Marin mountain bike hybrid that I've had for about 12 years that is the best bike I've ever owned. It's really a perfect bike for me in every sense: fit, ergonomics, shifting, breaking - its an excellent ride. I spend as much time as I can on it. Like a lot of us I imagine - bicycle riding was transportation as a kid. I rode everyfuckingwhere. I knew Newport Beach, CA like the back of my hand thanks to my bicycle and generous amounts of freedom from parents. That love of riding never left me. I still love it.

I'll post a pick of my ride when I get back home (assuming I remember).

(there's a photo above with a Honda CRF250L - I've got two of those. They've also been great bikes)
 
Those are nice pictures, Dave.
I can't quite see the point of electric bicycles, they're heavier. Might as well just get used to a regular bike.
I had a 27" wheel racing bike, as a boy, but the gear lever didn't work well, so i just went everywhere in 5th gear.
When I was about 21, my car was out of action, being fixed, so I bought a new racing bike to get to work. On the way home from collecting it, the chain slipped in-between the
two front cogs, and the gears never really worked properly after that.
Fast forward to around 2006, when mountain bikes were all the rage, I spent much more money on a new 'Cross' bike:
Bicycle2.png
It looks a bit ordinary, due to the full mudguards I specified.
This is the best bike I've ever had. Three cogs on the front, and I counted at least 7 on the back.
You change gear by pressing on up and down paddles. They still work perfectly today.
My usual bike ride is cycling accross town to the beach, by the scenic route.

Now, if you want to turn heads, forget muscle cars, turbos, and overhead cams, and the like.
Just get yourself an adult scooter with 20" wheels.
I've had a lot of admiring comments about this:
scooter.png
 
PorterhouseMusic said:
I love to ride and ride regularly. Bicycle and motorcycle. Although since my youngest son moved here to Glenwood Springs, CO (where we're vacationing right now) I don't ride the motorcycles as much anymore since he was my riding buddy.

But yeah - I've got a Marin mountain bike hybrid that I've had for about 12 years that is the best bike I've ever owned. It's really a perfect bike for me in every sense: fit, ergonomics, shifting, breaking - its an excellent ride. I spend as much time as I can on it. Like a lot of us I imagine - bicycle riding was transportation as a kid. I rode everyfuckingwhere. I knew Newport Beach, CA like the back of my hand thanks to my bicycle and generous amounts of freedom from parents. That love of riding never left me. I still love it.

I'll post a pick of my ride when I get back home (assuming I remember).

(there's a photo above with a Honda CRF250L - I've got two of those. They've also been great bikes)
Click to expand...
Yes, would love to see pics of your rides when you can!
Two of my fav motorcycles were a Kawasaki 400 2-stroke triple, and a Suzuki PE 175. Both crazy fun!
 
Slouching Raymond said:
Those are nice pictures, Dave.
I can't quite see the point of electric bicycles, they're heavier. Might as well just get used to a regular bike.
I had a 27" wheel racing bike, as a boy, but the gear lever didn't work well, so i just went everywhere in 5th gear.
When I was about 21, my car was out of action, being fixed, so I bought a new racing bike to get to work. On the way home from collecting it, the chain slipped in-between the
two front cogs, and the gears never really worked properly after that.
Fast forward to around 2006, when mountain bikes were all the rage, I spent much more money on a new 'Cross' bike:
View attachment 133349
It looks a bit ordinary, due to the full mudguards I specified.
This is the best bike I've ever had. Three cogs on the front, and I counted at least 7 on the back.
You change gear by pressing on up and down paddles. They still work perfectly today.
My usual bike ride is cycling accross town to the beach, by the scenic route.

Now, if you want to turn heads, forget muscle cars, turbos, and overhead cams, and the like.
Just get yourself an adult scooter with 20" wheels.
I've had a lot of admiring comments about this:
View attachment 133352
Click to expand...
I completely understand your thought on ebikes being heavy. Mine is. That said it has been a fantastic way to get my butt off the couch, and I take advantage of that way more often.
Besides... the fun factor is off the charts! :-)
The Mongoose is cool, but your scooter is amazing! Never seen one like it before. Never ridden one either. Always wondered if riders shift from using one leg to push to the other...
 
I have joint issues so I switched to electric in 2015. There are lots of great trails where I live and I have ridden thousands of miles. On my old non electric I could barely ride around the block but with the electric I can ride all day.
 
markmann said:
I have joint issues so I switched to electric in 2015. There are lots of great trails where I live and I have ridden thousands of miles. On my old non electric I could barely ride around the block but with the electric I can ride all day.
Click to expand...
Yeah, my right hip is starting to bark a little.
Riding helps to keep that at bay.
 
Dave Matthews said:
Anyone else here cycling?
Doesn't matter if it is electric or acoustic.
Where do you ride? Got any pics?
Why do you ride?
Let's see! :-)
Click to expand...
I've always owned and road some sort of mountain bike since the 80's. Love motorcycles too.

Due to some medical BS I haven't hopped on mine in around 4 years. Basically have 3 nice MTB's that have just been sitting on hooks in my jam room. Currently hanging down in Encinitas where e-bikes are crazy popular. A few different dealers with huge inventories. I plan on checking them out and may just join the club. Have a lot of places I can ride off road that are top drawer fun rides.
 
TAE said:
I've always owned and road some sort of mountain bike since the 80's. Love motorcycles too.

Due to some medical BS I haven't hopped on mine in around 4 years. Basically have 3 nice MTB's that have just been sitting on hooks in my jam room. Currently hanging down in Encinitas where e-bikes are crazy popular. A few different dealers with huge inventories. I plan on checking them out and may just join the club. Have a lot of places I can ride off road that are top drawer fun rides.
Click to expand...
Great!
There are so many choices for emtb now. You should have a lot of fun shopping! :-)
 
One of my earliest memories is learning to ride a 2-wheeler in a park in Birmingham during the summer of love when I was 4. My Dad took me to the park and once I set off, there was no stopping me. The one thing I remember about that day is that as I was riding, I saw a couple on the grass. I can't recall if they were snogging, but they were lying side by side and were doing something ! But I didn't care. I was riding my bike !!

I've had 6 major phases of cycling in my life. There was that initial '67-'71 spurt. Then there was '73-'76 where I really started discovering my environs. I used to cycle for miles, either with friends or alone. My parents wouldn't have been too pleased if they knew where I was or that I was on the road. Once, I got home so late {I was 12} and I had to explain to my Dad where I'd been and I'm lucky I didn't get hit. We used to do this thing called the cycling proficiency, which was like a course for child cyclists. It was like a mini driving course with a test at the end and you'd get a certificate which meant you could officially ride on the road. I missed mine when I was meant to do it at 11, and I ended up doing it at 13. To be honest, it was pretty meaningless {I'd been riding on the road for years at that point}, but I was proud as Punch when I passed mine !

Then there was the '84-'85 period, a 2-year period where I used to say that I cycled "for economic reasons," which was partially true, but I did really enjoy it. It was the first bike I'd owned that had gears. I went all over London and it was the first time I had total freedom of mobility. In those days, night buses had just started, but they were hourly, limited in where they went and they were disgusting, with people eating, drinking, throwing up, smoking, sometimes pissing, and they were always packed. So I'd meet my friends wherever we went and my bike was my travelling salvation. Whenever I listen to Rush's "Cygnus X1" I'm still reminded of a bike journey I did in the summer of '84 down to London's West End to meet some mates {we were going to watch what was then the trilogy of Star Trek Movies}. It was in that time that I got into listening to albums on the Walkman while cycling. It made journeys at 3 a.m. from Hendon or Brixton or Kilburn or the Isle of Dogs to Bounds Green along the North Circular Road or wherever, so much more enjoyable. I used to do this saving ring {it was called "Partner"} with these women where we'd put in a certain amount each week but that week, one of the contributors would get the whole pot. The first time it came around to my turn for the pot, I bought the bike. It saved me a transport fortune.

I had a car circa '86-late '87 but it had died by the end of that year so in Jan '88, I bought a bike {the one I had was stolen from the house I lived in} and that got stolen from a new place I moved to but a few months later I got another one with some redundancy money I'd received. This was my first mountain bike. I cycled until mid '95 and like a decade earlier, literally went everywhere. Then not long after, I got married and didn't cycle again until 2006. I'd had enough of running and tried to get back into cycling, but I found it really hard and sold the bike in 2009. I realized that the bike was too small and my legs were coming round too quickly, even in the toughest gear. But by 2011, I thought I'd better get back on the old bike again so I bought one and I've been riding it ever since. It was a large frame, in fact, the largest frame they made at the time. I was always told that one's feet should be comfortably able to rest on the ground when stationary. But I need the seat really high because I don't want my legs coming round quickly, so stuff that. I have long legs. If I'm still, my feet don't reach the ground ! It's been that way for me since the 80s.

But although I used to ride quite a bit, my riding went into overdrive in January of 2020, just after I started doing a paper round. Since then, except for when the bike has been getting repaired or the odd storm {I was not going out during storm Ciarra ! But I did get a decent song out of it}, I've ridden about 7 miles each day. That might not seem like much, but it adds up, keeps my heart in fair condition, gives me the opportunity to listen to my music {that's something I've loved about biking ever since I became an adult} and is a nice body stretcher. My route has a good combination of ridiculously steep hills, parkland {or at least it did until the lady at no.6 Stubbs decided she would take her daily exercise and collect her paper} and flat-ish ground. There's not much traffic while I'm out {6.10 -about 7.20 am} and I've made some interesting friends out on their walks or on their way to work. I've come up with a number of songs, lyrics, instrument parts and loads of ideas while I've been on the bike. It's a great time to think and talk with God, and I have come to like and appreciate the changing of the seasons. I particularly notice this in the way my clothing changes.
I used to like cycling with my kids as they were getting bike-savvy.
 
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