Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with biking

Help, My Bike Has Gears!

therumsgone — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:10:19 -0800

After many years of riding single-speed cruisers with coaster brakes, I'm upgrading to a hybrid road bike. What do I need to know? Snowflakey details: I used to live in a California beach city, where it was always 70 degrees and the roads and bike paths were well maintained. I commuted to my college campus by bike, logging about 4 miles per day. I usually brought a notebook and maybe a textbook or two, which easily fit in my bike's front basket. The bike was heavy and my pace was slow, but I didn't really care because my commute was so short.

I moved from California to Chicago, IL, and quickly realized the cruiser was not an appropriate city bicycle: it was slow and uncomfortable, and because of its cheap construction it fell apart when I started to commute 6 miles to work. I learned my lesson, and decided to purchase a Specialized Vita, which is a women's road hybrid. It seems perfect for my needs (fair-weather commuting, picking up food from the farmer's market, running errands around the neighborhood). The only issue: this is more bike than I'm used to, and I want to transition from beach cruiser to "serious bike" as smoothly as possible.

I'm 5'1, female, and I exercise about 6 hours a week, so I'm in fairly good shape. I'm also pretty informed about urban bike safety, and always wear a helmet. I'm mostly concerned about changing gears, braking, upgrades, and maintenance.

Gears: I drive a stick shift, and I understand that my bike gears are conceptually similar, except that there's more redundancy and I'm the engine. Much of the stuff I've looked at about cadence is over my head, and seems to be geared towards triathletes. I really just want to know which of my bike's 3x8 gears are appropriate for Chicago's flat streets (I understand this will be a ballpark estimate), whether I need to switch my gears while biking around the city, and how to tell when I'm pedaling at a non-ideal rate.

Braking: I remember from my childhood days that using just the front brake is a good way to flip over the handlebars. Should I use both brakes all the time? Should I mostly use the back brake? How do I brake quickly to avoid any hazards?

Upgrades: I've already purchased front and back "be seen" blinky lights. I'm planning on getting a handlebar mirror, horn, basket (for my small purse), and a rear mount so that I can use a crate or panniers (to carry groceries). Should I consider upgrading the tires and saddle eventually? Do I need fenders? Is a back fender necessary if I've got a crate on the back? Are there any other upgrades that will make my ride more awesome?

Maintenance: Beyond regular (annual?) tune-ups at my local bike shop, it seems that I need to oil the chain and keep the tires inflated. How do I oil the chain? Do I need to buy a pump, and do you have any recommendations? Is there any other maintenance I should be doing regularly.

Thanks in advance!

Why do my lips get all gross when I'm biking?

rhiannonstone — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:09:34 -0800

I get a gross sticky buildup on my lips whenever I ride my bike, similar to the buildup I get on my lips when I'm sick. I used to think it had something to do with not being hydrated enough, but I've since gotten a handle on what I need to stay hydrated and it still happens. Then I thought maybe keeping my mouth closed would help, but it doesn't. It happens year-round, on rides both long and short, and whether or not I'm wearing anything (like balms or glosses) on my lips. Why does it happen? Can I make it stop, or am I forever doomed to constantly wiping my mouth on my gloves or the inside of my collar?

Biking for the uninsured.

Wordwoman — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:38:26 -0800

I do not have adequate health insurance, am self-employed, and any injury that might prevent me from working steadily would be economically problematic (ok, disastrous). I also would like to begin riding my bicycle again as a form of exercise and enjoyment. Would the health benefits of biking outweigh the risk of injury? I would be primarily riding on designated bike trails, not public roads. I'm somewhat paranoid because a friend (with good insurance, fortunately) had a mishap on a bike trail that required surgery. I don't know how common such mishaps are. What would you do in my situation?

Am I woefully unprepared for my first metric century?

rhiannonstone — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:06:20 -0800

I've signed up for a cycling event that will be my first metric century (100km/~65mi). Last year I was regularly riding 20-40 miles at a stretch on the weekends, and then I did a 50-mile ride and felt great after. So when I signed up for this one, 65 miles didn't seem particularly daunting. However, that 50-miler was last year, and between illness, weather, and travel I pretty much took the winter off from cycling. I've been doing regular training rides since early February, but none of my rides have been longer than 25 miles (but I usually feel great after). The metric century is this coming weekend, and I'm torn between skipping it because I might be unprepared, and going for it anyway because I'm already registered and why not try? Cyclists of Metafilter, what do you think--am I woefully unprepared? Should I try anyway? Have you done anything similar and felt great/terrible about it? More details below the fold. Relevant: I'm not and don't aspire to be a racer or pro cyclist. I'm overweight but in decent health, and I'm a slow but steady rider. This is a casual ride and they're allowing plenty of time to finish, and assuming I could maintain my current average pace I could finish the course well before the cutoff time. The event is is very well-supported, with rest stops and SAG wagons. The course isn't particularly challenging, terrain-wise. It's not a charity event so I don't feel beholden to donors, but I honestly don't know if I will feel worse about myself for not trying or for trying and maybe not finishing.

Sources for plus-sized hiking/travel/comfortable pants for cycling?

rhiannonstone — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:30:17 -0800

I live in jeans and on my bicycle. I don't mind biking in jeans for short distances, but I'm finding myself doing a lot more bike riding in situations where I need something more presentable and versatile than bike shorts, skorts, or yoga-type pants, but more comfortable than jeans. (And it's not my bottom that's the issue, so wearing padded liner shorts under my jeans is not the solution I'm looking for.) The obvious answer here is pants designed for traveling and hiking, but I'm having a hard time finding any in my size (2X). I found some cargo pants at Old Navy that looked promising, but even though they're in my size they don't fit because they're super low-rise. REI has exactly one pair of plus-sized adventure travel pants and I have them, but I'd like more options. Do you have a recommendation for comfortable hiking/travel pants in plus sizes?

Camping before the parks open

backseatpilot — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 05:49:25 -0800

I'd like to take a couple of days in late April/early May to bike from Boston to Provincetown. None of the state parks along that route are open until Memorial Day. Is there any way I can still camp overnight along the route, or am I going to need to find other accommodations? I was hoping that this trip could be sort of shakedown ride for future, longer trips so camping would be preferred if possible. Will there even be people at the parks that would notice me if I snuck in for an overnight? Or am I better off just finding a hostel?

Relatedly, after Memorial Day the parks only accept reservations with a minimum 2-night stay. I've noticed the bookings get pretty full on weekends throughout the whole summer, and I'm wondering what my options are if I do this trip again later in the year. Are there campsites set aside for walk-ins? How else can I arrive somewhere by bike and ensure I have somewhere to pitch a tent for one night?

Now that WeEndure is shutting down...

notsnot — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:18:47 -0800

Now that WeEndure is going away, I need somewhere to track my exercise. There are a number of places that have biking and running, but not swimming. I'd prefer simpler to the more complex sites like MapMyRun (which, again, doesn't do swimming, from what I can see). I have seen this and wondered what things are out there, four years later. Bonus: a place that I can dump all my WeEndure data into so I hit the ground running. (I swear, sometimes it's only the threat of not having any data to put into WeEndure that forces me out the door to exercise.)

Rain booties for friend's enormous feet and platform pedals

MonsieurBon — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:36:41 -0800

My roommate bikes about 4 miles to work. His feet are size 13 and he uses platform (flat) pedals. He wears pretty chunky shoes. We live in Portland, OR. For HolidayGiftingTime I bought him some Sugoi Resistor booties, but within a month they have shredded and ripped to the point of uselessness. What are some other options for the large-footed, shreddy-pedaled biker? Are there any booties specifically for platform pedals? I think the key is that the replacement booties need to not have any material around the ball, arch, or toe.

I'd like to not spend more than $50. I'd like to buy them from somewhere with a decent return policy.

Alternately, if there's some $7-$10 surplus military or just plain cheapo option, that might work, and he could just replace them on his own after I buy him a starter pair.

I am also open to alternative ideas. There is no way my roommate will spend $100 on his own for bike shoes, though.

Bicycle, Bicycle, Wine, Bicycle, Dolmade, Wine.

letahl — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:06:31 -0800

Recommendation for good international LD cycling trip in March/April? I've done some self-guided cycling trips, some of which I made the route for and some organized. I'd like to do another with my boyfriend in late March. One or two weeks. Somewhere abroad. His first, but he's super game.

I tend to like to travel in developing or middle tier countries, but nothing too volatile per the vulnerability inherent in cycling. Well, I've done a couple cycling trips in France and love it there, it's just a little pricey. Also, we'll need to get the bikes wherever we go. Through an agency or routing it ourselves is fine. I do like the agency aspect when they'll arrange for housing in Timbuktu and sometimes move your bags, but we're a little conservative on the funds at present, so my usual pick of Bike Tours Direct is out of budget.

Recommendations as to a place or itinerary? Or a resource that would enable us to mull over some options? Gorgeous Mediterranean waters are not out of the question. But the weather -- we must have nice weather. I don't want to be piling on the layers to battle icy headwinds. I'm more of a leisure bicycler, having wine with lunch and stopping to poke around funny old buildings and such. You know the 50 mile a day program. We both enjoy the finer things in life -- culture and food and history.

So what do you think? Vietnam? Turkey? Elsewhere?

Thanks for any thoughts!

Save my feet!

amycup — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 23:09:33 -0800

The arches of my feet hurt quite a bit during my spin classes. What can I do to alleviate the pain? I've recently gotten into spin classes and my arches hurt in class. So far the pain has stopped as soon as I'm off the bike, but it's bad enough that it's seriously bumming me out. I was having this issue in cross trainers with pretty stiff soles and cages. I recently got a pair of mid level sidi shoes with look clips to see if that would help but I'm still experiencing issues. Has anyone else gone through this and found a solution? I really love spinning and don't want to stop but I also don't want to give myself a permanent injury.

Can't Stay in a World Without (bike) Gloves.

Danf — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:21:22 -0800

Winter 2012 -- Help me arrive at work, via bike, with functional hands. I currently have these from REI, and this morning, for the first time this year, I was reminded of their inadequacy in colder weather. And when it gets down to around 25F, they are very inadequate.

So what is your latest, greatest glove for cold/wet weather biking? What works for you?

Thanks.

Fitbit for people who walk and bike?

ManInSuit — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:05:35 -0800

Do you have a fitbit? How to you deal with biking and/or other activities that fitbit does not measure well? Or is there a better tool for this? I recently got a fitbit one.

I'm someone who walks a lot, and bikes a lot, both for exercise, and as my main way of getting around.

The fitbit, as far as I can tell, is very accurate at logging walking and running, but no good at all for logging biking or other activities.

For some activities, it's pretty easy to just take the fitbit off and log the activity manually. (eg: If I'm going on a half hour bike ride for exercise).

But it's really hard for the day-to-day biking and walking stuff. For instance - I may go out on a series of errands that involves getting on and off my bike a few times, each time doing some walking. Of course, the fitbit logs the walking very well. But it logs just weird numbers for the biking.

It seems like a hassle to log each separate short bike ride as a separate "activity". The hassle is compounded by the fact that, near as I can tell, I have to be careful to know the exact right time I went on the bike, in order to ensure that the activity doesn't get counted twice.

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with this? Alternately: Is there anything out there that's like the fitbit, that would let me measure my biking and walking without too much effort?

Tips for urban cycling as aerobic/cardio workout?

ManInSuit — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 07:57:14 -0800

Tips for urban cycling as aerobic/cardio workout? After years of doing a very boring regimen of aerobic exercise (doing sort of self-invented step aerobics in my home, after giving up on the hassle of going to the gym and doing ellipticals), I discovered, from using a heart rate monitor, that I can get a higher heart rate from biking fast than from my home exercise routine. While the home exercise regimen felt like a laborious chore, the biking is really fun! Exciting!

I've biked as my main means of transit for around 15 years, but never thought of it as a way to do a cardio workout. What I've started doing is: Three or four times a week, I put on the heart rate monitor, get on my bike, and ride fast for 20-25 min, watching my heart rate and trying to keep it in a good exercise zone. (Still trying to figure out what that is for me. I think 120-140).

I'm trying to learn more about this.

Most of the resources I've seen are for people who want to race. I don't care at all about that. I'm not an athlete and don't want to be - I just want to have a regular routine to keep my heart and lungs in okay shape. I'm a 44 year old man, six feet tall and around 220 lb (hoping to lose a little of that), with a resting heart rate in the high fifties. I'm in Toronto.

I'm looking for tips from folks on the green:

- Is this a good way to get your regular high-intensity aerobic workout? (I also walk a ton, and do a bunch of biking for transit. So I get lots of low-to-medium intensity cardio already. But my understanding is that you need a bit of the high-intensity stuff, too.)

- Are there folks here who do this?

- How much of a problem are stop lights? I notice when I stop at light, the HRM shows my heart rate plummeting surprisingly fast. Does this defeat the workout? Are there any good workarounds?

- If you do this - are there any specific tips for being safe? I worry a little that my focus on riding fast is going to increase my risk of an accident.

- Any other general tips?

- Any good resources for people who do this sort of exercise?

Thanks! Any info is much appreciated!

Can a second accident affect a yet-to-be-settled case?

nonmerci — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 10:11:08 -0800

YANML, but please help me weigh the benefits of filing a police report about a car-bike accident when a settlement is still in process from a previous accident. The question might be confusing, so let me explain.

Situation #1: My partner was hit by a van last night while biking home. The van ran a stop light, and both he and the van were going around 5 mph. The van sped off before he or any of the passers-by could see the license plate. He was considering filing a police report, but he is unsure for the following reason:

Situation #2: About 10 months ago, he was in a worse accident, where a car hit him in a different area, also while biking. That settlement is pending, and they are paying for his health insurance, etc. He had right of way in this instance (as in the above), has a lawyer, etc.

He is concerned that if he files a police report about situation #1, then situation #2 will be affected. Mostly, he is concerned that he might not get a settlement as a result, or that his health problems from the first situation will be blamed on the second (he suffered a separated shoulder from situation #2--he is fine as far as we can tell from situation #1), etc.

His parents think he should absolutely file a police report regardless of these concerns. What do you all think? Will it hurt him to file? Does it matter? As far as I can tell, nothing will happen if a police report is filed, since police here don't spend much effort on bike-related crime or accidents. I know you are not our lawyer, but any advice would be appreciated.

Should I get a fatbike?

rocketman — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:33:47 -0800

Should I get a fatbike? I'm a year-round bike commuter in Madison, WI, with additional recreational rides here and there on evenings and weekends. I own two road bikes, a tandem, a monstercross bike I use as my commuter, and usually have some weird project bike going for whatever reason. So I'm sort of into bikes.

Since I suffer from depression, getting my exercise is really important, and especially in winter. My riding tapers off a little during winter: the rec rides get cut out 100%, and the commuting slows because of either conditions or inertia. Some folks have suggested that I get a fatbike for both. I've test ridden a Surly Moonlander for ten minutes, and while it was a ton of fun, I'm not sure if those ten minutes would endure long enough to justify the price tag.

Here are my concerns:

1. A bike mechanic friend of mine said the high Q-factor of a fatbike would wreck my knees in no time. I didn't think it would be a problem since too low a Q-factor can irritate my hips, so I normally ride with some spread. This same friend didn't believe that a low Q-factor would cause hip problems.

2. Will tires still be available in these sizes in, say, 20 years?

3. My commute is 11 miles one way, though with a fatbike I could take shortcuts I'd never dream of taking today. Still: is this too long a distance to be riding on a fatbike?

4. Most of my ride is over pavement, and most of that is bike path. In winter, the paths can get pretty hairy. My thinking is that hitting the snow when the ruts and ice are treacherous would keep me from walking my bike too much. Is this magical thinking?

5. I understand the key to a fatbike is appropriate tire pressure for the riding surface. Would the variable conditions of winter riding dictate that I constantly dismount to adjust my tires? If so, I'd just keep riding the monstercross with studs (ugh, how I hate studded tires).

Any insight or opinions would be very helpful!

What to do in Santa Rosa?

rhiannonstone — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 19:42:52 -0800

What interesting things should I see, do, eat, and (maybe) drink in and around Santa Rosa this weekend? I'll be there primarily for a bike ride* but will have a day before the ride and a day after to do other stuff, as well. I'm particularly interested in great places to eat and somewhere my partner and I can get mani-pedis. I'd also love to know about neat places to shop and any really, truly amazing wineries you love.

We'll be driving there from Berkeley, so stuff in-between is cool, too.

Already on the agenda:

Coffee at Flying Goat
Dinner at Cyrus
A visit to Seghesio winery

*And, hey, any other MeFites doing the GranFondo? Look for me with the purple bike and the purple hair, and probably a bright orange jersey. I'll be riding the Piccolo route, and staging with the Intermediate Beginners.

Transporting Bikes From DC to Fort Lauderdale

fancypants — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:27:18 -0800

What's the best way to get five people, their camping gear and five touring bikes from Washington, DC to Fort Lauderdale and back again? After nearly a year of planning I'm finally taking my dream bike tour in December. We're using an Adventure Cycling map and starting from Fort Lauderdale and riding down through the Keys and back across to Fort Lauderdale after taking the ferry form Key West to Fort Myers. I've done a fair amount of bike touring, but never a trip that's started and ended so far from home and I'm totally stumped about how best to transport the tourists, our gear and our bikes from DC to Florida.

The three options I've figured out are as follows (with pros and cons):

OPTION A
Drive from DC to Fort Lauderdale with our bikes.
Pros: Very slightly cheaper than flying. We wouldn't have to take our bikes apart. Roadtrips are fun.
Cons: Would add an extra day to the trip on each end. Where would we put the car while we're riding? Will hotels let you store a car for a week and a half if you have a reservation on either end of the trip? Are there other spots in Fort Lauderdale where you could leave a car safely for that long?

OPTION B
Fly with our bikes checked as baggage on the plane.
Pros: Would have our bikes immediately upon landing.
Cons: Expensive (between $50 and $200 each way depending on airline!). Would have to disassemble and box up bikes. Difficult to get boxed bikes to and from the airport.

OPTION C
Have our bikes shipped to a bike shop or our hotel in Fort Lauderdale before flying down.
Pros: Less expensive than checking bikes as luggage. LBS could help reassemble our bikes.
Cons: Dependent on reliability of FedEx. Would have to disassemble and reassemble bikes. Would have to ship bikes early as the trip begins on a Sunday (no FedEx delivery) due to campsite availability.

Which of these options makes the most economic and logistical sense? If you have traveled with your bike, which would you recommend? Which would you avoid? If we check or ship our bikes how amenable are hotels to storing empty bike boxes for a week or so until we get back? Or would we have to acquire a new box from an LBS in Fort Lauderdale for the trip home? Are there any bike tourist-friendly hotels or awesome local bike shops in Fort Lauderdale that could assist with these logistics?

I can't wait for this trip, but the details of getting there are starting to give me heart burn. Help me, bike tourists of AskMe!

Bonus Question: Before I leave I'll be taking my beloved touring bike in for a tune up. Is there anything in particular I should have the bike shop guys look at and/or potentially upgrade before we depart?

Can I buy just the end of a bike pump or just the inside of a bike helmet?

cmm — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:17:39 -0800

I have a 20 year old bike pump and helmet. The pump had a rubber nozzle end that is eaten away. The helmet had some felt that is also crumbling. Can I buy just these bits or do I need whole new equiptment? My wife is getting into biking and so I dusted off my 20 year old bike and got it going again as best I could. I got new inner tubes and tires and cleaned up the chain and gearing and things seem passable.

My old full size floor stand bike pump doesn't work. Upon further inspection, the rubber where the tube coming out of the pump meets the nozzle has disintegrated. I can easily take this bit off so it seems likely I can buy just that bit and not a whole new pump, but I can't seem to find out how to buy just that bit.

Likewise, my old Giro helmet seems fine, but when I wear it, I get black bits all over me. The styrofoam seems ok but there are these felt bits inside for comfort and they are disintegrating as well. Can I buy just the comfort insides to a bike helmet so I can re-velco them on or do I have to just buy a whole new helmet?

Couch to 5k for biking?

Proginoskes — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:45:00 -0800

Is there an equivalent of the Couch to 5k program for biking?

It is possible to be a skinny lardass?

supercres — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:33:25 -0800

I have literally (yes, literally) never stepped foot in a paid gym in my life. I'm a 27-year-old male, who (despite being almost rail-thin) is only "in shape" enough to bike-sprint the 1.7 miles to work, then back in the evening. It's time to change that, so I signed up for the small, limited (cheap!) gym on campus. Other than "get the professional help of a personal trainer", what should I do there? I used to do long bike rides on the weekends (35-70 miles), but some sort of injury to my knee (previously) sidelined me and I never got back on the horse, despite commuting every day. (I also never got around to getting the bike fitting...)

My goal isn't to bulk up. I tried that one summer in college with this book, but a guy can only eat so many 1-pound pesto/egg/cheese meatloaf-burgers and accompanying entire bags of spinach. Time-consuming and expensive. (Plus, my HDL cholesterol is low, and the wife doesn't eat mammals. Excuses everywhere.)

Instead, I just want to get generally "in shape". I don't want to wake up 30% heavier in ten years. I want to improve my posture (I slouch), lower my resting heart rate (73 right now, sitting at my desk; never lower than ~64), maybe lose a inch of belly-softness (or replace it with muscle), and generally get all those positive energy and mood benefits of exercise that I hear people talk about. "Runner's body" would be ideal, I guess? (Though I don't really like/have much experience with running.)

My inclination would just be to ride the stationary bike for a one-hour high-intensity workout on weekday mornings (though not so high to aggravate my knee again), then longer on the weekends. I'm intrigued by free weights, but I really would be starting from zero, and I'm not sure if that helps with my current fitness goals.

(Side question: do people riding stationary bikes at the gym wear cycling shorts? Is that a ridiculous question to ask?)

My dream is to get in shape enough to do some solo bike light touring (on the order of 60-100 mi/day, not heavily loaded) without totally bottoming out and dying.

Any thoughts, MeFi? I'm really a fitness neophyte, and I don't want to hurt myself or waste my time. If the answer is, "Pay the damn $75 to get an assessment and a couple PT sessions!" that's totally valid. So is, "You're beanplating! Just get off your ass and do ANYTHING!"

(Previously, which is pretty close. My wife's sort-of-similar previous Q, which didn't turn out to be a good long-term fit.)

Thanks!

Bike problems

LSK — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:53:15 -0800

BicycleFilter: So I don't know anything about bikes. Help me fix these problems with mine! So, I bought a very, very low-end used bike and it's got problems.

- The problem that came up today that didn't happen yesterday: when moving forward, a grinding/scraping happens somewhere in the front. It's a heavy vibration and it keeps the bike from moving forward. I think the wheel is scraping against something - but what? And how do I fix this?

- The recurring problem: Often, when on the first gear, pedalling is inconsistent and a clicking noise is audible. This doesn't happen on the second gear. (It's a three-gear bike; I haven't yet needed to go above second gear.)

I hope these descriptions are clear - I have nearly no vocabulary for bicycles.

I vant to PAHMP. ME. AHP.

Evilspork — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:14:47 -0800

I vant to PAHMP. ME. AHP. While I was in the Army, I fell about six feet from a vehicle flat on my back. Because of this, I've been in pretty much constant pain since then and have gained about 80 pounds. Right now I'm pushing 300. I hate this.

A couple years ago I started going to a gym, doing cardio and some weights, and lost about 30 pounds. I went at it too hard and fast, though, and I burned myself out on the extra pain that I just couldn't cope with then gained all the weight back and then some. I don't want to burn out again.

Right now I'm working up ideas for stuff I can do physically, then slowly ease into them. For instance, with weight training I wouldn't be able to do something like a squat, but could do leg presses as my back is braced on the bench. Same idea for arm shoulder exercises, as long as the bench is supporting most of the weight.

(Un)fortunately I've got nothing but time, being unemployed and on disability. Yay?

I've got three groups going now: stretching, cardio, and weights.

1. Stretching

Part of my problem is that I've been a lump in front of a computer for several years now, and it's not doing my back any favors. I've supposed to have been doing normal stretching, but that's one of the things I'd just given up on out of despair and the extra pain.

Under this I'm lumping stuff like yoga and tai chi. I figure a regular yoga class would cover basic stretches, and also the extra flexibility motions that yoga goes into. Pilates was another option I haven't looked into yet. I want to work on core strength, also, so my back is better able to support me in general.

2. Cardio

The last time I was doing well on a recumbent bike, and had worked up to an hour at pretty high resistance. I'll do this again. Swimming is another option, as my doctor has said being in the water will take strain off my back. I vaguely know the basic strokes, but haven't swum for about 15 years. Any suggestions on which strokes to try?

3. Weights

Part of the goal here is to make me look like less of a lump. I'm not overly concerned about a number in how much I weigh (obviously less than now), but rather how I feel and how I look. My legs look fine, but I've got chicken arms slumpy shoulders from losing all the muscle I used to have. I want to focus on my upper body so my proportions don't look as out of whack as they do now, and also that it would be fairly easy to work into because of the stability issues I mentioned above.

Thanks for any ideas, thoughts, or suggestions on what to add!

What kind of bike light is best?

254blocks — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:54:54 -0800

What kind of ~~bear~~ bike light is best? I'm looking to get into biking, so I'm trying to upgrade my bike with some gear. Right now, I'm looking for a bike light, but I'm getting really mixed answers about how bright (in lumens) it should be. I'm just going to be biking around town - not in the woods or anything like that. I'd like a bike light that is bright enough for me to see, but NOT so bright that it blinds car drivers. A lot of the advice I've seen on biking forums is stuff like, "Get the brightest light you can find, cars will respect you more." That sounds like terrible, terrible advice, not to mention dangerous to boot.

So:

1) How bright (in lumens) should I be aiming for when riding around town at night? I tend to ride on sidewalks, not the road. I have nothing against brighter, just don't want to be blinding anyone.

2) There are lots of different styles of bike lights - some with a very narrow beam, some with a wider beam. For example, this light (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005D7FXMA/) seems a little narrow, and is USB rechargable, which is nice. Is there a certain style I should be going for?

Any suggestions for lights are obviously welcome. Thanks!

How can I make sure I am ready for a 200km bike ride?

chrillsicka — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:19:27 -0800

What do I need to prepare for an approximately 200km bike ride? I'll be biking from Montreal to Stowe, Vermont in late July. I'll be biking with another cyclist who has biked across Canada before. A friend will be driving down with all of our camping gear and driving us both back at the end of our camping trip.

What do I need to prepare in terms of equipment? I have some of the gear I need but a comprehensive list would be really helpful.

What should I do to make sure my bike is ready for the trip?

What can I do to make sure that I am physically capable of making the trip? It'll probably take about 2 full days in total, we estimate.

What do I need to know to improve

Scientist — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:03:50 -0800

If I wanted to make a paying hobby out of restoring and updating old bikes, what are some resources that would help me improve my skills, research the right bikes/components, and find the right places to buy them? In implementing some of the recommendations made in my last question, I came to the realization that I love working on bikes. There's something really satisfying about the process, about working on a machine that is simple enough to be comprehended, complex enough to be interesting, and which rewards a day's work with tangible, pleasing results. I really like everything about it -- doing maintenance and repairs on my bike and my fiance's is one of my favorite "chores".

I've been toying with the idea of turning this into a paying hobby of sorts. The idea would be to buy a couple of old bikes with nice frames but which need some TLC, and restore/update/modify them to make them into awesome all-purpose street bikes for commuting, bar-hopping, and all the other stuff that the fashionable young things of this city like to do with their two-wheeled steeds. Then when I was done I'd turn around and sell the bike to make back my costs plus a bit extra. I'm not looking to make this a full-time thing, just basically a hobby that happens to make a little bit of money in the bargain.

I think this would be a nice way to take my bike-mechanic skills to the next level. I'm not worried about being able to turn out bikes quickly or anything, I'm happy to learn as I go and take my time in order to get things done right. I do know how to do basic maintenance -- I can adjust a transmission and brake system, clean a chain, clean and repack a bottom bracket, true a wheel, etc. I have all my tools and I have a place to work. I know about Sheldon Brown's most excellent website (RIP), and I know that you can find tutorials on YouTube for just about any procedure you'd care to name. (Although if anybody has links to other good resources about how to build and maintain bikes, I would absolutely love to see that here.)

What I don't know is what I'm looking for. I know I like older road bikes, but I feel like I could be better at sorting the wheat from the chaff in the world of used bike purchasing. I'm mostly interested in road/touring/commuter bikes, rather than mountain bike, BMX, or cruiser styles. I know that a lugged frame is a sign of quality construction, that I like steel better than aluminum, and that serious rust is a deal-breaker. I don't really have a great concept of what brands are good/desirable, or what else to look for in selecting a serviceable frame that will form the foundation of a bike that somebody will eventually want to buy from me. I'd love to hear advice on this topic and/or get links to other forums or resources where I could research the subject. Also if anybody knows of some good frame-painting tutorials then I'm all ears (although I'm leaning toward keeping stock paint jobs and just cleaning up the frame or maybe giving it some protective laquer if it's missing significant paint.)

Also, I expect to be buying some components for these bikes. I'd be replacing worn-out saddles, upgrading old brake systems, modernizing and modifying transmissions, swapping out handlebars and tires, putting on racks, that sort of thing. The problem here is that I haven't the foggiest idea how to go about effectively shopping for that sort of stuff. I mean, I know roughly what style of components I'd be looking for, but I don't know anything about brands or models or where to go to get a good price. This is probably the area in which I am most deficient and would welcome any and all wisdom that you can provide on the subject.

Finally, any other relevant advice that you feel might be be of value is welcome. Thanks in advance to all of you for your gracious assistance. I will pop by periodically, as I'm sure there's plenty here that I'm not able to think of yet given my ignorance. I look forward to whatever edification you can provide.

Oh, and please understand that I do intend to first try out this advice on my own stable of bikes before I go and sell somebody some haphazardly cobbled-together monstrosity. I wouldn't sell somebody a bike that I wasn't totally confident about and willing to stand behind. Nobody deserves to ride a crappy bike.