Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cycling

Is Copenhagen really all that?

photoslob — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:13:24 -0800

Is Copenhagen really as awesome as it seems? After this post this morning on the blue I'm once again thinking of visiting what seems to me the perfect city. I read a piece in Monocle magazine recently proclaiming Copenhagen to be the most livable city in the world and ever since I'm been completely crushing on the place. I'm also an avid cyclist and it seems that Copenhagen is a mecca for anyone who wishes to embrace cycling culture.

So, I guess what I'm asking is what are the drawbacks of visiting/ living in Copenhagen besides it being expensive?

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?

Should I attempt a long bike ride even though I'm sick?

misskaz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:45:27 -0800

I had plans to ride my bike from Chicago to Milwaukee tomorrow with my husband and two friends (about 100 miles). Now I've come down with a pretty bad cold. Should I cancel or try to power through? Have you ever done a lot of physical activity while recovering from a cold, and how did you fare? Pros:
I really, really, really want to go on this ride. We've been planning on it as a capstone to our season all year. I think it will be fun, and it would be a nice accomplishment (my first century). I rode a metric century a couple weeks ago and other than being sick, feel fairly well prepared. We are planning to take it easy anyway as not everyone has really trained as much as would be ideal for such a long ride. Although we'd like to make it before sundown, we can take as much time as we need to complete the ride. We've already made the hotel reservations to stay in Milwaukee overnight and bought the Amtrak tickets to get back home the next day.

Cons:
I'm sick. I have a bad cold and feel, frankly, like crap today. I'm congested, going through boxes of tissues, and tired. The ride is just the four of us - bailing mid-way will be difficult, if not impossible. (There are no Amtrak stops mid-way; the only chance to bail is the final Metra stop which I think is in Kenosha.) There's a 30% chance of rain in the morning and it will be fairly cold (high in the upper 40s).

I think I know the smart thing is to stay home and wish the others well, but the idea of it is so disappointing that I would like to know if anyone else has done something like this and survived - and even enjoyed him/herself. Also, any tips for feeling better quickly, riding under such circumstances, etc., would be appreciated. I'm already taking Cold-Eeze and doing the usual rest, chicken soup, and fluids bit.

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!

Help put the tradewinds in my britches.

letahl — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:35:12 -0800

I want to do a 2-3 week cycling trip in a foreign country around New year. Need suggestions as to locales/routes. Details inside. HWMO and I want to do a little foreign (i.e., non-US/CAN) travel around the New Year. Have done a few long distance cycling trips in the US and Europe, and loved it. But now it'd be cool to... branch out. We would love some suggestions as to which countries to look at or even routes to consider. Here are some general qualifications:

1) We are both into history, archaeology, and natural goodness (waterfalls, unique ecosystems, etc). Oh, and delicious food/wine.

2) We'd rather avoid temperature extremes. You know, winter cold or blazing heat. Neither is fun to cycle in all day.

3) No tour companies. I like doing things my way, having some flexibility in the schedule, and not being a pansy. We will need to rent bikes for the duration, though. Preference to hybrid bikes/routes.

4) Some people call me a space cowboy, but most call me El Cheapo. So while a place like Australia would probably be awesome to do a cycling trip, it'd also probably be out of my price range.

5) An average mileage around 50 per day, if you care. So maybe a total trip mileage of 600-800.

6) A place with a backpacker's sensibility of safety. I've traveled fairly extensively, but usually on train or bus or whatever, and obviously you are more vulnerable on a bike. I'd rather not go cycling and disappear into the Congo or something in the process.

7) Two or three weeks. As I mentioned, around New Year 09/10.

If we don't go cycling, we'll probably just go bum around India for a few weeks, but I wouldn't imagine its a cycling destination. Tell me if I'm wrong.

Any ideas/comments/lewd remarks, MFs? You people always have something to say. I love it.

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.

Great destinations, routes and experiences in and around Toronto.

maudlin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:54:55 -0800

I want to go to there, but I need your advice on where "there" is. Starting point: Toronto. Range: any land within 100 km (60-ish miles) of High Park, but I can go further for something really special. Means of transport: my trusty steed. Time frame: now until November-ish. I'm looking for great routes or awesome destinations, urban, rural or suburban, like the best roti in Scarborough, a tiny potter's studio somewhere in Peel, or a gorgeous path by some body of water that isn't Lake Ontario. I want to go somewhere to do something neat, like picking apples or riding horses. And this is not Torontofilter or bikefilter. I'm looking for creative ideas from anyone, anywhere. If you're from the GTA or any place within reach, what places, routes and experiences would you recommend? For example:

- A great view or nearly-secret thing that few other people know about. I never got around to the secret swing, and I regret it.
- The best [meal / farmer's market] in [area of your choice].
- Galleries are an obvious choice for me, but beyond that, is there, say, a raku studio nearby that gives demos or classes?
- Some place I should go to with my camera or sketchpad, or else.
- Where is a movie or tv show being filmed right now? I don't care about star-stalking, but am curious about the ebb and flow of work on site.

If you're not from around here, what kind of place or experience do you have in your neck of the woods that I should try to find locally?

Restrictions: very few.

- These have to be day trips, thus my soft limit of 100 km (200 km round trip). However, if need be, I can justify taking a train partway to get to someplace great and back in one day.
- I favour free or cheap over expensive, but can justify spending some money on an awesome experience.
- I can carry a fair amount on my bike, but there are limits, so I don't think I'll be furniture shopping any time soon.

Otherwise, suggest away!

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?

I know the fifth anniversary gift is wood, but...

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:54:41 -0800

Is there a known Best Winter Hat for Cyclists? For our fifth anniversary, I want to buy my husband an awesome hat to wear while he commutes to work on his bike. We live in the snowiest neighborhood in Cleveland, so it needs to have the following characteristics:

-Somewhat waterproof
-Super warm (he's pretty much bald)
-Extraordinarily attractive
-Not too flashy (he's a pretty conservative dresser.)
- it would be for under-helmet use

Let's assume money is no object, even though it is.

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?

Blogs for bike commuters

Brittanie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:45:16 -0800

Recommend some bike commuter blogs I live in Houston. I have recently resolved to start commuting by bike about 3x a week (more if it's feasible). I live on one of the busiest streets in the city, but I have an almost direct route, a really good bikeways map and alternate route, and all the gear I think I need so far.

What I'm looking for now is tips, in the form of blogs which I can subscribe to, on commuting by bike. I don't have time right now to read through 5 different websites or books. I would like my tips in easily-digestible nuggets.

I've read these posts and found them very helpful. More along the lines of those hints, product reviews, news, etc., please! Bonus points if the blogs relate to Houston or Texas.

Right now I ride a hybrid bike (you should see our potholes!) and I'd like to wear street clothes/work clothes as much as possible. Tips on making this work in the Houston heat are especially helpful.

Where would a rusty old bike rider like me find a easy and good bike?

jonathanstrange — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:34:51 -0800

I'm thinking about getting a bike to ride to work on, but I have no idea where to start, or what to look for. I'm living pretty close by my work, and have been walking to and from work most days. It's not a bad walk, half an hour and I'm there, but if I had a bike it would take 10 minutes or so. Well, half an hour at first, and hopefully 10 minutes after not too long a time!

The thing is, I haven't ridden a bike in about 8 years, and I know that they say that you never forget, but I'm a little nervous about it - as I'll be crossing one of the main roads into Melbourne's CBD, in peak hour, and I'm quite rusty, obviously.

Also - I have no idea what kind of bike to get. I know nothing about bikes, prices, where to get, or what to look for. I'd probably prefer something second hand, I'm not fussed if it's the newest latest thing, I just want a comfortable little bike that will get me from A to B with a minimum of fuss, and if it looks cute and retro so much the better.

Where should a novice like me look for a bike in Melbourne's CBD / Southbank / South Melbourne area? I can travel further, and have heard rumours of places near Carlton / Fitzroy that will have bikes.

Also - What should I look for in a bike? What kind of bike will suit my needs? and how much would I be looking at spending on it?

How can I fix my fixed gear bike whose rear cog rotates with the chain when I pedal?

Hates_ — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:58:04 -0800

How can I fix my fixed gear bike whose rear cog rotates with the chain when I pedal? Recently my fixed gear bike has developed a problem where the rear cog spins freely. So pedalling gets me nowhere :( If possible I'd rather try and fix it myself as bike repairs here in London seem to cost an arm and a leg.

Is it simply a case of pedaling backwards to somehow re-tighten the cog? I can't see this being a solution as surely it would just become lose again with all the forward pedalling? How are cogs even secured to hubs?

Looking for a 65-70 mile cycling route near Frederick, MD

jquinby — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:47:33 -0800

Maryland cyclists: looking for a 65-70 mile route/loop in (or around) Frederick. Hivemind: I'm heading up to Frederick, MD, to visit family next week but am also training for a century in late August. Next week is supposed to be a 65 mile long-ride, the last until the The Big Day.

I've looked at the cue sheets and maps at the local club site, (esp. this ride from Monocacy MS to Antietam) but would also be interested in hearing from anyone else in the area as regards routes with moderate hills and (if this is possible) light traffic.

We'll be staying near the C&O Towpath, but it's unfortunately not paved. Road is best but I'm OK with paved greenways as well.

Assaulted on a bicycle, what should I have done?

lordrunningclam — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:03:55 -0800

I go cycling about 3 times a week for about an hour to hour and a half for exercise. Sunday I was riding my bike through probably the best neighborhood in town, in the bike lane, when some kid threw a plastic water bottle at me from a passing car. It glanced off my arm and kept going, after splashing part of it's content of wet cigarette butts and ashes on me. I've heard from a few rude drivers before, but this is the first time anybody ever threw anything at me.

I had my cell phone, but by the time I processed what had happened, he was too far ahead of me to read his license, I'm mildly nearsighted and I wasn't wearing prescription glasses. Has anybody else had anything like this happen, and report it to the cops? What did the cops do? Even though it didn't hurt, it didn't even sting a little, it seems to me this still counts as assault.

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.

I need to buy a new bicycle.

nostrich — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:03:18 -0800

I need to buy a bicycle. What do I need to know? My bicycle is just about on its last legs. The plastic wotsit attaching the rear gear cable to the gear change snapped a long time ago, and has since been held somewhat in place with super glue and duct tape. This has introduced various other problems, to wit: the actual gear you are in is one higher than what the dial says, changing gear works intermittently and badly, and the chain frequently slips if you attempt to pedal too hard (I ride uphill to work, so this is unavoidable). If anyone can offer any insight into fixes for this, permanent or otherwise, consider that question part b.

So I'd like to buy a new bike. All I need is something that can get me from point A to point B (3.2 miles away) twice a day. I've never bought a bicycle, so what do I need to know, apart from making sure it has two wheels? And how much should I be willing to spend? Am I being realistic in hoping to keep it under £120? I'm in the UK, by the way.

Some details: The bike will only be used for a relatively flat commute twice a day. In about 3 months (if all goes to plan) I'll be moving to the US, and will probably leave the bicycle behind. But if it's feasible (is it?) to get the bike shipped to the US with me, it would then also get used for the occasional bicycle ride (on the road, no mountains or anything) with my fiancé. I am also hilariously unfit at the moment (commutes are helping), so the lighter the bike is the better.

What did you wish you knew going into your first triathlon?

neilkod — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:55:56 -0800

What did you wish you knew going into your first triathlon? I just registered for my first triathlon on Sunday. It's a sprint distance. Ocean swim. I'm a beginning swimmer, a fair runner, and a very experienced cyclist. I don't know anything about transitioning or any of the other aspects of triathlons. I'd love to hear all relevant tips and tricks.

If it helps, I'll be competing in atri suit, asics running shoes, and typical CF-soled cycling shoes. I don't have triathlon-style cycling shoes. I have a decent pair of speedo goggles.

Bonus points for anything that'll turn me into a better swimmer by Sunday morning.

Help me bike more than once every 4-5 days!

nerhael — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:08:50 -0800

How to recover faster after cycling? I feel like 3 years ago, I never really had this problem, but now, I consistenly feel like my upper legs have no energy left for several days after a 30-40km ride, with an average speed of 25km/h. For instance, my last ride was Saturday, and even today, 5 days latter, I can feel the tiredness walking around the office.

Possibly pertinant details about me:

30 years of age
Male
190ish lbs
Lacto/Ovo veg (Included this as I'll say on avg I get 30-50g of protein a day, which I think is low?)

Diet would be:

Breakfast is hit and miss, if I hit, Just right with soy milk, or 2 eggs with toast.
Coffee x 2, lots of water during the day.
Lunch around 12:30ish
Cycle at around 6:30
Would eat dinner 30-60 minutes after that.

I'm not sure what the issue is, but assume I'm either not eating well enough, or I'm going too hard for my current fitness level.

Any help appreciated.

Montgomery's Tavern & beyond.

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:00:11 -0800

Torontocyclingfilter: I'm planning a 50 mile ride this weekend. Is Yonge St. a good call? So I'm looking at doing 50 miles on Saturday morning, and I was thinking about just heading straight up Yonge. Are there any areas I should look out for (particularly above Eglinton)? Is this even a good idea? Are there better routes out of the city?

Note: I am in good shape, and a regular cyclist in the city. I'm comfortable in traffic, but looking for ways to increase my distance.

Help me, O Exercise Gurus.

canadia — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:26:01 -0800

Burning calories while exercising: how important is how much effort you put into it? Does difficulty enter the equation, or is it all time and distance? Here's an example of what I mean: I've been riding my single gear bike to and from work for the past month on a route that is rolling hills that go as high as a 7% incline. It takes me about 40 minutes to get 5 miles, and I'm huffing and puffing for most of the trek. A few hours later, after standing on my feet all day, I turn around and bike home, which takes me roughly an hour. As I get more used to the ride and it becomes easier, does the amount of calories I burn drop, since my heart rate is no longer skyrocketing, or does it go up, since I'm going faster?

What counts as "moderate" exercise? Does all my heart-pounding biking count as "leisure," since I'm only going a total of 10 miles? Do calorie calculators take effort into consideration, or is "difficultly" measured by how fast you go in a certain amount of time, regardless of your heart rate?

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.

Prescription sunglasses for cycling -- recommendations?

Wild_Eep — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:39:56 -0800

Looking to update this question: For the glasses-wearers out there, who makes good prescription sunglasses geared toward road cycling? In 2005, it appears the big players in prescription sunglasses were Oakley, Rudy Project, and Bollé. Now I see that the bike catalogs have gotten hip to the game and are offering choices too.

What have you tried, and what did you like?