Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and cycling

Bus bent my bike; am I stuck with the damage?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:18:18 -0800

Locked my bike to a post, and a bus sideswiped my bike. Am I stuck with the damage? I stupidly locked my bike to a garbage can near a bus stop. A bus driver trying to squeeze past a left-turning car clipped my bike and pretzeled my wheel.

The damage is probably about $300 (unless the frame is bent in which case it's $1500). I don't have insurance. I do have photos of the scene of the collision, and two witnesses. I've made a report to the Toronto Transit Commission, and in three weeks I'll know what their claims department thinks of it.

Has anyone else tried to claim property damage from a Canadian transit system? What should I expect? If their claims department says no, what should I do?

Any not-legal-advice would be much appreciated

Slimpstreaming behind a random?

Tapioca — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:32:55 -0800

Do you think it is rude for Alice (a commuter cyclist) to slipstream behind Bob (another commuter cyclist, who doesn't know Alice)? By 'slipstreaming' I mean riding in the wind-free pocket behind the lead cyclist. Hope I've got the terminology right - think I've also seen it called 'drafting'.

Does it depend on headwind speed? Length of time? Other factors?

(I tried to frame this a neutral hypothetical. This happened on my morning commute today, but I'm deliberately not revealing whether I was Alice or Bob)

you'd look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two

Juliet Banana — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:57:32 -0800

My boyfriend and I really want to win Most Stylish Couple at The Sadie Hawkins Style Ride in one week. Any suggestions? (previously) There is no way on earth we are winning Fastest Couple; normally I wouldn’t even participate in a ride since I’m the speed-racing equivalent of a child riding on the sidewalk or a pedicab, but it’s a short ride (~3 miles), you can skip checkpoints and hop to the bar if you’re not concerned with winning Fastest Couple, the money goes to a good cause, there’s beer at the end, and I really want that pair of Seagull Bags.

I have a teal&orange little boy’s bike from the late sixties or early seventies; it’s a Schwinn Stingray knockoff. My boyfriend has a yellow Schwinn Varsity.

So, how do we dress? I’m a girl with most of my somewhat eccentric wardrobe obsessively cataloged online, if you know where to look for it. My boyfriend’s most distinctive features are a blonde handlebar mustache and a collection of brightly colored skinny jeans. We’re riding at night in Chicago’s November, so all-black clothing is probably not genius, and moderate warmth is a must (it’s not snowing or anything and I generally heat up on my bike, but it’s definitely tights&hoodie weather).

The best idea I’ve had is my boyfriend dressing like an olde timey admiral with a captain’s hat and me dressing like a pirate with a pirate’s hat,with my eyepatched sock monkey riding in my jolly-roger-outfitted bike basket. This really isn’t that costumey for us (I’ve worn both those hats to shows and he wears that captain’s hat everyday to work) but given the timing I worry it’ll look like we just reused our Halloween costumes.

I have access to two bright and colorful wardrobes, a million accessories including a backpack shaped like an owl and a sombrero, and pretty much every store in Chicago proper including craft stores and a bunch of resale shops in Boy’s Town. So, what other themes could we go for to look like a super-stylish matched cycling couple?

them's the brakes...

hairgelburrito — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:16:30 -0800

I've just changed the disc brake pads on my bicycle and now the calipers won't 'grab' onto the metal disc enough to brake effectively... ...the calipers still seem to move correctly, but I noticed a fluid leak when I pushed the callipers into the forks and I've lost a lot (but not all) of the pressure in my brake lever.

i'm running a shimano slx disc brake system and would very much like to fix this myself: my local bike shop will take at least a week before they can do the repair and I'm loathe to be without my bike for that long. can anyone offer any advice?

I'm guessing the either the system needs bleeding, or the seals need replacing...?

thanks in advance!

I can't believe there's no app for that!

Silky Slim — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:48:46 -0800

Could I possibly use my iPhone as a bike computer? Yes, there are some biking-related apps for the iPhone, but they all seem to rely on GPS. Mine is a 1st gen iPhone, so I can't use those. But even when I eventually upgrade to a 3G S, it just seems slow, inaccurate and wasteful (not to mention silly) to rely on satellites in outer space in order to track the speed and distance travelled on my bicycle.
A Google search reveals that some genius in Japan created a hack for this last year, but alas, it hasn't evolved into a consumer product to the best of my knowledge.
I'm sure there's a simpler way to achieve this using Apple's Nike + iPod doohickey. It's a physical accessory that wirelessly counts clicks from your running shoe. Couldn't it be modified to count blips from a wheel-mounted magnet? Has anyone tried it?
Or will I have to... gasp! ...buy an actual bike computer and use two devices where one might have sufficed?
Thanks in advance for any further info.

Biking in the rain

rabbitrabbit — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:19:51 -0800

Questions about bike gear for the rainy season. I live in the Portland, OR area and I've been biking to work since April. So, I'm about to hit my first rainy season and I would like to arm myself to successfully continue biking at least into the fall and hopefully through winter, too.

SHOES: My main question is about shoes that make biking in the rain not a chore. I have been using toe clips and Converse all-stars this summer, but that will absolutely not work with the rain, so I'm going to need to either get waterproof shoe covers, or buy waterproof shoes. And if I buy waterproof shoes, maybe I ought to just upgrade to clipless pedals and shoes? Also, I think I like the velcro straps so I don't have to deal with laces, but I'm not entirely sure what the pros/cons are there.

JACKET: I have a chartreuse bike jacket that has been good for cooler mornings, and it dries fast so it will be good for early on in the fall, but I am going to eventually need some kind of heavier jacket, I think. But I'm afraid that anything heavier will = more sweat, which I don't want (no shower at work). Is there something warm, waterproof, breathable, AND visible that I can get?

FENDERS: I ride a Specialized Crossroads, so it has the overlap. I kicked out my front fender early on in the summer and haven't yet replaced it because it's been unnecessary so far, but I'm going to need a new front fender or maybe one of those things that attaches to the front tube (not sure what it's called exactly) to deflect water. If I get a new fender, I guess it will need to be super-tough since I don't 100% trust myself not to kick it by accident again. Do those things that attach to the bike instead of the wheel work well, would that be a good option?

What other things do I need to bike in the rain? Waterproof gloves? A helmet liner? Goggles which don't let rain bead up on them? Etc.

I've seen this and I've seen this, and both were helpful though they're a bit old now; is there new stuff out there that is awesome?

Also, any recommendations for a bike shop to buy this stuff at? I've heard River City is good. I would love to be able to try out the clipless pedals before I buy, is there any shop which would let me do that?

Free as a bird

ghost dance beat — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:25:19 -0800

What is the most lightweight and/or the most vented bicycle helmet that you can buy? I am looking for the most comfortable helmet possible - one that almost feels like you're not even wearing it (impossible, I know). Let's assume I am not concerned about any country-specific safety regulations or certifications. Any recommendations of brands or specific models?

I need general advice about bicycle commuting and specific recommendations for Seattle.

GPF — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:11:27 -0800

I need general advice about bicycle commuting and specific recommendations for Seattle: where to live for commute to UW, bike shop recommendations, must have equipment, neighborhoods to avoid, good routes and trails, and the like. I'm planning a move to Seattle. Lots of good threads on the green about Seattle info and bicycling info. The Seattle department of transportation maps and guides seem fantastic -- any personal experience you could add to using them would be much appreciated.

I'm considering using a bicycle as my main commuting vehicle to the University of Washington. Obviously, closer is better but closer means higher rents and more undergrads -- right? In searching for places to live, I'm trying to gauge how far from UDub I can get and have a tolerable commute. I'm a pretty good judge of my fitness and stamina for it, but I don't have any idea which neighborhoods make for a convenient ride. As in, I'd prefer an hour long ride on an easy trail to a twenty minute ride on a hilly five-lane road. Are there any definitive architectural encumbrances (e.g. bad bridges, freeway crossings, etc.)?

Bonus for family friendly parks nearby and cheap rents. Double bonus for specific apartment or landlord recommendations.

I'd also love some recommendations for bike shops - especially ones that trade in used gear and cater to the commuter.

Help me get the pedals off of my bike.

suckerpunch — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:14:24 -0800

Help me get the pedals off of my bike. I ended up buying a 'fancy' road bike along with the Long Haul Trucker that you folks told me to get earlier. Stupid, yeah, but it was ON SALE and oh man I couldn't help myself. Anyway.

Something in/near the cranks started creaking a week ago, so I've been disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling every piece that I can. (While I am not sure, it is probably not the crank itself. The bottom bracket was rebuilt near the end of May by a competent mechanic, and I've only gone three hundred miles on the bike since then.) I'm told that, sometimes, creaks that you think are coming from the crank are in fact coming from the pedals, and that, to solve that, one would need to... take the pedals off, clean them, regrease them, and put them back on. I figure, no harm in trying.

The pedals on this bike are absolutely frozen stiff. I can't get them to budge a millimeter.

I can see the threads on the inside of the hole where the pedal bolt (if that's the correct phrase) screws in, so I can see which way the bolt needs to spin off. I'm used to seeing grease around the edges of most bolts and fittings on well-built bikes, but I'm not seeing any on the pedal bolts, which may explain the pain in getting the pedals off. (Every other fitting that I've seen has been greased.)

I only want to get the pedal off on the non-drive side of the crank, since that's where the creak sounds like it's coming from.

I do not have a bike stand. I do have the correct tools to do most jobs on a bike, including a torque wrench.

Even if the pedal is not the cause of the creak, I'll be happy having tried, and happy knowing some tricks on how to get the pedals off efficiently.

Headphone recommendations for road cycling?

Señor Pantalones — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:34:46 -0800

[cycling] best headphones, preferably not buds? A few years ago, a company called Slipstreamz introduced something called "The Slip" which mounted earbuds outside the ear on a windscreen and allowed the best of both worlds -- hearing your environment and hearing your ipod. They appear to be out of business (or at least hard to find, and their server has been down since I started looking).

I've tried riding with both forms of iPhone buds (the plug-style and the pre-plug disc-shaped "buds"). They block too much environmental audio, and I'm not comfortable being that detached from my surroundings.

What are you using? What do you like or dislike about them? Would you recommend them?

Thanks in advance. Bonus points for iphone-friendly (e.g., mic on the cable) recommendations.

Sorry I have to ask, but no "don't do it" safety responses please. This is a specific question for people who choose to ride with headphones.

Cyclic

mippy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:39:33 -0800

I have a beautiful, but not roadworthy, 1980 Raleigh Caprice. Now the evenings are lighter, I have the opportunity to purchase a new bike through my work's Cyclescheme and get myself both fit and cycling at a competent level. Help a new cyclist decide on a bike! SO is suggesting a bike like this , but I fancy something like my Caprice, like the ones at Bobbins or a Pashley Princess. As I only learned to cycle last year, I'll be cycling near my home and in the park for now, not cross-country, and I much prefer a drop-tube frame.

Bicycle Light Needed

Juicylicious — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:01:18 -0800

I need a front light for my bicycle that can attach to a basket (as opposed to handlebars). It seems that all bicycle lights are designed to attach to handlebars. This doesn't work for me because I use this mesh basket, which I highly recommend btw.

Does anyone know of a light that does not attach to the handlebars? I cannot be the first person to need a product like this.

Disc brakes for a commuting bike?

Captain Rayford Steele, Tribulation Force — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:56:39 -0800

What kind of disc brakes and brake levers (if necessary) should I get for my new commuting bike? I'm going to be building a new commuting bike using a Soma Fabrications Double Cross DC frameset. I've never had a bike with disc brakes before, so could use some advice.

What disc brakes should I look at? Think good quality but not wildly expensive. I already have regular wire-pull-type brake levers but I'm not sure that they can be used with discs, so if you have lever recommendations that'd be helpful too.

I'd also appreciate any thoughts on wired versus hydraulic disc brakes... a few years ago, when I was paying more attention to the market, that was the major distinction between cheaper and more expensive discs, though I'm not sure how things have changed in the interim.

No more (bike) junk in my trunk

fijiwriter — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:41:51 -0800

Shopping for trailer-hitch mounted bike rack for my road bike, with room for two additional ones. What should I look for? Who do you recommend? Who or what to avoid? I've grown tired of putting my road bike in the back of my SUV, so I'm shopping around for a trailer-hitch-mounted rack. I've seen my fair share of Yakimas and Thules, but I really love how the Saris models look.

But seriously, what should I know? What should I look for? Currently, I have a road bike, but I can foresee needing space for two more bikes for my family or cycling trips with friends.

To add more confusion, I don't currently have a trailer hitch, so I'd need to get one - it looks like 1.25 or 2".

Side-question: can I make do with a standard gate-mount rack, rather than such a big $$$ investment for a hitch and rack?

FWIW, it's a '97 Ford Expedition, with factory roof rack (which I don't want to use), no trailer hitch.

What type of bike should I get for pulling a trailer?

winston — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:31:28 -0800

I'm planning to buy a bicycle for myself and a trailer for two children to ride in. For the bike, I'd like to get something like a simple three-speed cruiser, but I've been told that I'll need more gears to pull the trailer. What do I need to look for in a bike to make it a good trailer-puller? The kids are currently 20 lbs and 30 lbs.

I'd like a bike I can sit upright on.

I'm planning to buy both the bike and the trailer used.

I'm not especially athletic but not in terrible shape. I walk about half an hour a day. Most of the cycling will be short distances without steep slopes.

Please help me find a cycling specific training plan.

sequential — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:20:12 -0800

Please help me find a cycling specific training plan. I am currently gathering information on training plans. There are two sites I am looking at specifically: activetrainer.com and Cyclo-CLUB. Unfortunately, I haven't found any useful reviews of either site's products. Does anyone have any experience with either site's plans?

I'm also open to any suggestions: books, coaches, other sites, and so forth. What I am looking for specifically are training plans that include strength and core training specifically for cyclists. I am already following an on the bike training plan, so any additional cycling workouts would be useful, but not necessarily critical.

One last word, since it's bound to come up, Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible is an excellent resource that I already own. As useful as it is, it does not contain a training plan. Instead, it contains the tools to build your own training plan. Though I am a dedicated and a motivated athlete, I have found am much more likely to succeed if I have a clearly defined plan than if I am left to choose my own adventure. I tend to over train and not get enough variety or sport specific training if left to my own devices. As such I am looking for a ready to use training plan.

Thank you for your help.

Bicycle == Decongestant ?

benign — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:12:25 -0800

Why does riding my bicycle clear my stuffy nose? I've had a cold for the past few days, and when I wake up at least one nostril is totally blocked, and no amount of blowing will unblock it. One side also remains blocked throughout the day, though sometimes the sides switch. However, after about two minutes of cycling (on my way to work, in the gross Beijing air, FWIW), both sides of my nose are unblocked. At this point, I can either breathe fine, or blow my nose (freeing prodigious amounts of gunk) and then breathe fine. I would really love to know why this happens, but can't think of any good reasons, and a cursory googling turns up nothing.

What frame and forks should I look out for?

stackhaus23 — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:01:59 -0800

Fixedgearfilter: I'd like to build a single speed bike, but I have no idea what frame and forks to buy. I recently went to San Francisco and while out there I was surrounded by Fixed Gear bikes and they were awesome. I currently ride a 1950s single speed Schwinn and would prefer that setup to an actual fixed gear. But since I've only ever ridden cruisers and bmx bikes, I don't know what frame and forks to buy.

So... I'm 6ft tall and I need to know what kind of used bicycle would make a suitable donor for a frame and what size it needs to be roughly. I'd also prefer straight forks so recommendations for those would be amazing. I won't be using lever brakes so the smoother the frame the better!

Thanks in advance...

Fat guy on a little bike?

bluejayk — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:30:54 -0800

Is this bike sturdy enough for a 280lb man? I am buying a new bike in the next few days. I want something for city/suburban use, 99% of my riding on pavement. I'll be commuting (no more than 5-10 miles) and occasional weekend rides of (I hope) 25-30 miles.

Previously I owned and loved a Trek 7200 hybrid, but I noticed that my arms and hands started to get numb or painful after rides of about 20 miles. So I'm looking at something more 'fitness oriented'.

I tested this Schwinn Le Tour GS yesterday and I loved the feel, very responsive and zippy. I really prefer having drop handlebars so that I can switch hand position.

However, I'm a big guy (280, give or take) and I'm wondering if this kind of bike might be a bit delicate for someone my size. The salesperson didn't seem to be worried about it, but I figure worst case for them is that I have to pay for lots of extra maintenance. My understanding is that the frame will be plenty strong, but the wheels and/or spokes may get bent out of shape and need to be trued more often. Is that likely?

Also, I'm confused about what category this bike would be in: road bike, cyclocross, touring bike, etc. The category itself is not that important to me, but understanding what aspects of a bike make it better or worse for different uses is important to me.

If only it were as simple as changing the oil

EatTheWeak — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:41:38 -0800

I could use some help loosening up for my return to cycling. After a very long interval away from bicycles, I am returning to two-wheeled transport for both fitness and commuting. I was hoping some veteran Mefite cyclists might recommend a few stretches for the hips, legs and lower back. I'm feeling a lot of tension through these areas, and am hoping to learn some stretches ideal for loosening these regions up.

Escaping Toronto with a bike in tow?

anthill — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:06:14 -0800

How to escape the Greater Toronto Area for multiday bicycle tours? Difficulty: no car. My girlfriend and I just bought a tandem touring bike, and we're both keen to get out to the Ontario countryside for some summer tours. The catch is we have no car.

I know that the GO Train is one option for downtown cyclists trying to escape, but from what I can tell only the Lakeshore line runs trains that fall outside their rush-hour bicycle ban. The Lakeshore area is pretty nice, but I'd rather get to the Barrie area to access Tobermory, Parry Sound, or Algonquin.

Any tricks for escaping the GTA on a low carbon footprint would be much appreciated.

How do I rate/review cycling products?

ISeemToBeAVerb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:52:32 -0800

I was recently asked to review/rate some new cycling products (frames, pedals, saddles, etc...) for my friend's blog and I'm trying to figure out a good set of overall criteria to base the reviews on. Something like this: Criteria 01 Criteria 02 Criteria 03 Criteria 04 Overall Score Any suggestions as to what I can base my reviews on? I was thinking build quality might be one good criteria, but I'm struggling for more.

Bicycle Data for Portland, OR

georgemandis — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:11:37 -0800

Where can I find data about cyclists in Portland, OR? I've been doing some research about cyclists in Portland, OR. Everyone talks about how bike-friendly Portland is, and how the number of people commuting to work by bicycle is 8x the national average. I can't for the life of me find any actual data that shows these things.

I know the census bureau conducted a study a couple years ago that produced the stat about people commuting to work, but I can't even find that report - just articles mentioning it. I've been all over census.gov to no avail.

Can anyone point me to some "real" data showing the bike-friendliness of Portland?

I need bike pants!

Mid — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:52:59 -0800

I'm looking for winter biking pants So I'm new to this whole bike commuting thing. I've been at it since the summer, but now it's getting cold and my usual outfit of shorts and a fleece isn't working. I need some pants. But, I don't want to be that guy who shows up at work with all kinds of crazy bike-racing spandex on. Suggestions? Here are some more particulars:

--Need something warm. I don't ride when it rains (at least not on purpose) so waterproof is not that important.
--Would prefer not something super-spandex style, unless you tell me that tights are much better for some reason.
--I ride home at night, so visibility is a plus
--Would like to order it on line for less than $100.
--I have to ride up an elevator to my job with lots of people in suits, so an old pair of sweats would be less good than something that looks kind of "nice" in a sporty kind of way.

Steel or aluminum bike frame?

rocketman — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 10:14:02 -0800

I'm looking to purchase a new bike, but I don't know what frame to get. Steel or aluminum? My current bike is a 1970s Gitane steel touring frame that I found in a trash heap two years ago. It's been a trooper, but it's also heavier than most mountain bikes sold today, and as I'm doing a lot of riding, I think I've earned an upgrade.

Over the past two years I put about 1500 miles on this frame, and while I plan to keep it around and use it for a repair/learning bike, I want a new bike.

Currently, I'm looking at buying a Trek 1500 with Shimano Ultegra components - the LBS has a fantastic price on it ($900), and I test rode it and loved it. It's an aluminum frame with a carbon fork and seat stay, rides like butter, and fits me really well. I have this bike on hold, but have to make a decision within 30 days about whether or not to buy it, though I will probably make a purchase in the next week, as I'm training for some pretty long rides in the near future.

A friend has advised me against buying this bike, and told me I can get a bike that's just as good off eBay, and for about 400 bucks less. While I believe him, he's a bit of a steel partisan, and I'm not sure steel is right for me. Or, I'm sure a lighter steel frame would be great, but I don't really have the time and energy to devote to watching eBay auctions and trying to snipe a frame that may or may not be as good a fit (which doesn't even begin to cover the possibility of eBay fraud or the fact that buying from my LBS would include free scheduled service and other perks for establishing a relationship). Obviously a new steel frame is going to be out of my price range (I've decided that the 900 bucks is as high as I'll go).

But at the same time, if I buy this aluminum frame and need to replace it in a couple of years, I'm going to be mighty pissed. I try to be careful about how I spend my money, and want to make sure I'm making a good investment. That said, I ride on pavement exclusively, don't jump curbs, avoid potholes, and generally just want to go fast. Since I'm not very hard on a bike, wouldn't aluminum be adequate?

Anyway, all this is a way of calling for a showdown between the different frame partisans. If you're going to convince me that steel is the way to go, you also have to convince me that it's definitely worth the extra effort I'm going to need to invest in buying a frame, outfitting it with the right components, having it assembled, etc.

Thanks for your help!