UPDATED: Cyclists: I was almost run down by a 7 ton Bus

[Dessert Tears]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DaShen
That really is quite pretty! :thumbsup: I drool everytime I see it. You should get some silver Ksyrium or Shimano wheelsets for the added, Bling Bling. Screw the Zipp or Carbon wheelsets, they aren't as pretty.

The wheels I have on there were custom made for me by a guy named Mike Garcia. I heard about him through BikeForums.net, they rave about his wheelsets over there and after calling and speaking to Mike on the phone I know why. He takes the time to ask you what you ride, where you ride and how you ride to help you determine what would best suit you. He uses quality components and really is a top wheel builder IMO. I wanted a good strong wheel that was both stiff and light weight. My wheels weigh a tad under 1800g which is about 200g lighter than the Alex wheels my bike came with but these are stronger and stiffer (the blue powdercoated rims added about 30g to the total weight of the wheelset). I paid $330 for the pair and that included shipping.

I honestly don't see me spending $600-800 on Ksyriums. If I want a pair of bladed spoke aero wheels I'll probably buy another set from Mike Garcia. He sells a Niobium rimmed wheelset that is lightweight, aerodynamic and quite a bit less expensive too.

Check out BikeForums.net and see what those guys have to say about Mike Garcia before you buy a set of machine laced wheels. Like I said, I've heard nothing but good things!

Ksyriums are sort of light, sort of aero, very durable, and somewhat overpriced. The biggest problem with the Ksyriums is their boxy, relatively heavy rim (Mavic OpenPros are lighter) that makes the bladed Al spokes on the SL not much good aside from looks. They are strong, though - the Elites are fine for training for nearly anyone, and training on the SLs for <150lb riders is not unheard of. The prevailing opinion is that a good hand-build with proper components can be lighter, stronger, and cheaper than Ksyriums pretty easily.

Are the Ultegra cranks too flexy for you? How is that Polar CS-200 working out? I was looking at the CS-200cad, but I didn't want to be a Polar early-adopter, and the Sonic-Link data upload sounds sketchy.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Flatscan

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DaShen
That really is quite pretty! :thumbsup: I drool everytime I see it. You should get some silver Ksyrium or Shimano wheelsets for the added, Bling Bling. Screw the Zipp or Carbon wheelsets, they aren't as pretty.

The wheels I have on there were custom made for me by a guy named Mike Garcia. I heard about him through BikeForums.net, they rave about his wheelsets over there and after calling and speaking to Mike on the phone I know why. He takes the time to ask you what you ride, where you ride and how you ride to help you determine what would best suit you. He uses quality components and really is a top wheel builder IMO. I wanted a good strong wheel that was both stiff and light weight. My wheels weigh a tad under 1800g which is about 200g lighter than the Alex wheels my bike came with but these are stronger and stiffer (the blue powdercoated rims added about 30g to the total weight of the wheelset). I paid $330 for the pair and that included shipping.

I honestly don't see me spending $600-800 on Ksyriums. If I want a pair of bladed spoke aero wheels I'll probably buy another set from Mike Garcia. He sells a Niobium rimmed wheelset that is lightweight, aerodynamic and quite a bit less expensive too.

Check out BikeForums.net and see what those guys have to say about Mike Garcia before you buy a set of machine laced wheels. Like I said, I've heard nothing but good things!

Ksyriums are sort of light, sort of aero, very durable, and somewhat overpriced. The biggest problem with the Ksyriums is their boxy, relatively heavy rim (Mavic OpenPros are lighter) that makes the bladed Al spokes on the SL not much good aside from looks. They are strong, though - the Elites are fine for training for nearly anyone, and training on the SLs for <150lb riders is not unheard of. The prevailing opinion is that a good hand-build with proper components can be lighter, stronger, and cheaper than Ksyriums pretty easily.

Are the Ultegra cranks too flexy for you? How is that Polar CS-200 working out? I was looking at the CS-200cad, but I didn't want to be a Polar early-adopter, and the Sonic-Link data upload sounds sketchy.

One of the guys I ride with has a Specialized Tarmac Pro with Ksyrium Elite wheels. He's probably 6'2" and about 180lbs. He rides on those wheels all the time, in fact, he was commuting 5 days a week on that bike for about 6 months or so.

I have Dura-Ace 7800 cranks on my bike. It came with FSA Gossamer cranks which are entry level at best and nothing more than a cost savings on the part of Felt, same with the Tektro brakes (which I replaced with last year's Dura-Ace 7700 brakes-much smaller and a bit lighter I'm sure-they definitely stop better although I think that's more a factor of pads than the calipers themselves). I think the flexiness I noticed in the bike was more from the wheels than anything else. I'm happy with the Dura-Ace cranks though.

I haven't tried the Polar upload yet. I love the fact that it's fairly inexpensive, wireless and has cadence and heartrate. I just added the cadence sensor last weekend and turned the feature on. It has been flawless. The menus are a kind of strangely laid out but once you get used to it it works fine. I :heart: my Polar CS200.

I'm getting ready to go on a 30+ mile ride down the coast in about an hour. It is a beautiful morning for it! Not a cloud in the sky, nice and sunny, should be about 70 degrees today. I rode 35 mile yesterday morning in similar conditions.

 

[AsiLuc]

I've read only half of this thread, but I agree with you. In the traffic people should generally chill out more. In the Netherlands we have more bikes than cars and it works fine because we go easy and don't have small streets. In a city, bikes rule. Faster and easier than cars

 

[cryptonomicon]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
- He calls me a 'Long haired fvcking Yeti'

best part

 

[cryptonomicon]

Originally posted by: imtim83
Do you all think people who abuse the road by trying to run off cyclist should be forced to ride a bike for their punishment?

no they have to ride a razor to work

 

[Regs]

Thats what you get for being on the road with a childs toy. A helmet makes no difference.

 

[DaShen]

So any update on the situation?

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: Regs
Thats what you get for being on the road with a childs toy. A helmet makes no difference.

AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! HAHAHAHAH!!!!

OMFG, I hope you're being sarcastic. "Child's toy", AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

As a fellow cyclist, I say it depends on the street. In the United States, at least in the State of Florida, a bicyclist has the same rights to the roadway as any other vehicle. (They're not allowed on restricted highways, however.) I wouldn't ride my bike on a busy street with a high speed limit and five lanes going each way, but I WOULD ride it in a residential street with a <30mph speed limit. Either way, no motorist has the right to be an asshole.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: RedRooster

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

:thumbsup:
Why do bikers think they're vehicles? I don't know if they're brave or just stupid.

Shoulda pulled over and let him by. I understand your predicament with the fine, but get the hell out of the way.

In Oregon bikes are vehicles, and have to obey all the same traffic laws. I could no more ride on the sidewalk than I could drive my Camry on the sidewalk.

I was with you for a while, but that's a little extreme.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: jagec
As a cyclist, I think that the sidewalk is a much safer place for bikes, BUT I acknowledge that stupid laws often make it illegal, so other drivers should try to understand...

It's pretty impressive that you were able to determine the exact weight of the bus just from looking at it, though

It was an engineering assumption.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: Regs
Thats what you get for being on the road with a childs toy. A helmet makes no difference.

AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! HAHAHAHAH!!!!

OMFG, I hope you're being sarcastic. "Child's toy", AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Child's toy? Tell Lance that! Tell half of France that! Sh¡t, tell most of China that!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: shimsham
so who cares if im late for work, as long as "cyclists" get to ride their bikes, eh?

oh no wait, i should plan to leave 10mins earlier so they dont have to get off the road...designed for cars. my bad.

Who really makes you late, the bikes or the other cars?

whoever is holding up traffic. slow drivers are just as bad, imo. but its a 5:1 ratio of cyclist that wont get over for 10secs to relieve the build up of cars behind them. last week i was late 2 times because the same guy wouldnt even move over to the edge of the road and let cars pass.

actual driving time to work is 10mins. i give myself 25 to account for traffic, and usually im 5-10 mins early.

I would have loved to hear that conversation with your boss.

Whiner: Sorry I was late twice. There was this guy on a bike, and I had to slow down, like, a lot.

Whisersboss: Leave earlier.

Whiner: But you don't understand! It wasn't my fault! He should have stopped and gotten off his bike every time a car passed. It was SO inconsiderate!

Whinersboss: Leave earlier.

Whiner: I can't believe you are making me take responsibility for my own actions!! This is an outrage!!

:roll:

Why the eye roll? If someone's late and they explain to their boss that the same biker is making them late day after day, I believe that's pretty much the reaction they're going to get.

because it wasnt even worth typing this explanation for someone whos just trolling and calling me names, but ill do it for drpizza, as i respect you around here.

thats the first time ive been late since ive been working this job. no one said anything about day after day. im no kid, and i know when i need to make adjusments. im a manager there, so its ok if im a little late. ive been friends with the owner for 12 years, so its not like hes going to fire me. i, personally, dont like to be late, and up until this cyclist showed up last week id never had any problems.

he just wanted to be a smartass and was hoping for some "pwned" quote, so i really didnt want to waste my time. i shouldnt have even posted the roll, but the whiner comment got under my skin. im not whining, just trying to bring the points from the other side. the other posts ive made show that im not trying to bash cyclists, and have no problem sharing the roads. but motorists and cyclists need to use courtesy and common sense to make it as safe as possible for all.

I understand your point. Been there, had that happen wayyyy to many times to me. It's especially bad for my wife heading to work in the morning. In the morning, there is a decent amount of traffic on the two lane road. It's 55 mph from our house all the way to the interstate (then another 12 miles for her in a 65 mph zone). You wouldn't believe the number of old people who drive at 35 or slower in the 55mph zone. It's incredibly aggravating. Sometimes you have the opportunity to pass in the three brief passing zones, other times, you're stuck behind them for quite a while. They can easily add 6 minutes to your time. Worse yet is when one of them gets behind an Amish buggy and won't pass... speed drops to 15 mph or less for a while. (Most people pass them even in the non-passing zones; there's plenty of room as they tend to ride as far onto the shoulder as possible. The amount of frustration is incredible, especially when you know it's going to cause you to be 1 minute late. But, unfortunately, when my wife or I are late for something as a result of the traffic, it's also as a result of our avoidance of arriving way early. (Recently though, I try to be 35-45 minutes early, and it's only a 5 minute drive for me.)

 

[mrrman]

way to go !!

 

[ColdFusion718]

keep us posted

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: AsiLuc
I've read only half of this thread, but I agree with you. In the traffic people should generally chill out more. In the Netherlands we have more bikes than cars and it works fine because we go easy and don't have small streets. In a city, bikes rule. Faster and easier than cars

That's because American drivers are morons.

 

[Tarrant64]

Has there been an update as to what happened yet?

 

[mechBgon]

I just got my Niterider Flamethrower last night, charged it up, and went out for a quick test spin in the neighborhood last night. First motorist to see it coming the other way flashed their high beams at me, turn that thang down!! :evil: Can't wait to see what it's like on a snow-covered roadway... I may need sunglasses

Yes, I commute by bicycle all winter, studded tires and all My city is in a bit of a valley, and in the winter we often get a temperature-inversion situation going that traps the air over the city. Under those conditions, auto exhaust contributes to some pretty unhealthy air, I think we ranked third-worst in the nation under those conditions. So by not using my car to drive a short distance (~5 miles / 8km) to/from work, I save the community a significant amount of CO2 production, plus pollution from a cold engine, and of course I save what it costs to park and buy gasoline. I do produce a little CO2 myself, but I've got an arrangement with the local trees that covers that.



edit: ooops, my mile-to-kilometer conversion skillz are weak this morning

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I just got my Niterider Flamethrower last night, charged it up, and went out for a quick test spin in the neighborhood last night. First motorist to see it coming the other way flashed their high beams at me, turn that thang down!! :evil: Can't wait to see what it's like on a snow-covered roadway... I may need sunglasses

Yes, I commute by bicycle all winter, studded tires and all My city is in a bit of a valley, and in the winter we often get a temperature-inversion situation going that traps the air over the city. Under those conditions, auto exhaust contributes to some pretty unhealthy air, I think we ranked third-worst in the nation under those conditions. So by not using my car to drive a short distance (5 miles / 3km) to/from work, I save the community a significant amount of CO2 production, plus pollution from a cold engine, and of course I save what it costs to park and buy gasoline. I do produce a little CO2 myself, but I've got an arrangement with the local trees that covers that.

:thumbsup:
I take the bus for the same reason.

Downtown is too far away for me to bike.

 

[FrustratedUser]

News?

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
News?

Yeah, I know, no updates at all.

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I just got my Niterider Flamethrower last night, charged it up, and went out for a quick test spin in the neighborhood last night. First motorist to see it coming the other way flashed their high beams at me, turn that thang down!! :evil: Can't wait to see what it's like on a snow-covered roadway... I may need sunglasses

Yes, I commute by bicycle all winter, studded tires and all My city is in a bit of a valley, and in the winter we often get a temperature-inversion situation going that traps the air over the city. Under those conditions, auto exhaust contributes to some pretty unhealthy air, I think we ranked third-worst in the nation under those conditions. So by not using my car to drive a short distance (~5 miles / 8km) to/from work, I save the community a significant amount of CO2 production, plus pollution from a cold engine, and of course I save what it costs to park and buy gasoline. I do produce a little CO2 myself, but I've got an arrangement with the local trees that covers that.



edit: ooops, my mile-to-kilometer conversion skillz are weak this morning

That's a wicked light. How much did you cough up for that?

And OP, UPDATE OR BAN! (I hope you weren't hit by a bus, which of course could be keeping you from posting)

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I just got my Niterider Flamethrower last night, charged it up, and went out for a quick test spin in the neighborhood last night. First motorist to see it coming the other way flashed their high beams at me, turn that thang down!! :evil: Can't wait to see what it's like on a snow-covered roadway... I may need sunglasses

Yes, I commute by bicycle all winter, studded tires and all My city is in a bit of a valley, and in the winter we often get a temperature-inversion situation going that traps the air over the city. Under those conditions, auto exhaust contributes to some pretty unhealthy air, I think we ranked third-worst in the nation under those conditions. So by not using my car to drive a short distance (~5 miles / 8km) to/from work, I save the community a significant amount of CO2 production, plus pollution from a cold engine, and of course I save what it costs to park and buy gasoline. I do produce a little CO2 myself, but I've got an arrangement with the local trees that covers that.



edit: ooops, my mile-to-kilometer conversion skillz are weak this morning

That's a wicked light. How much did you cough up for that?

And OP, UPDATE OR BAN! (I hope you weren't hit by a bus, which of course could be keeping you from posting)

HIDs are hella expensive.

I just use LEDs, but I don't bike on pitch black roads at night. Dangerous.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I just got my Niterider Flamethrower last night, charged it up, and went out for a quick test spin in the neighborhood last night. First motorist to see it coming the other way flashed their high beams at me, turn that thang down!! :evil: Can't wait to see what it's like on a snow-covered roadway... I may need sunglasses

Yes, I commute by bicycle all winter, studded tires and all My city is in a bit of a valley, and in the winter we often get a temperature-inversion situation going that traps the air over the city. Under those conditions, auto exhaust contributes to some pretty unhealthy air, I think we ranked third-worst in the nation under those conditions. So by not using my car to drive a short distance (~5 miles / 8km) to/from work, I save the community a significant amount of CO2 production, plus pollution from a cold engine, and of course I save what it costs to park and buy gasoline. I do produce a little CO2 myself, but I've got an arrangement with the local trees that covers that.



edit: ooops, my mile-to-kilometer conversion skillz are weak this morning

That's a wicked light. How much did you cough up for that?

And OP, UPDATE OR BAN! (I hope you weren't hit by a bus, which of course could be keeping you from posting)

HIDs are hella expensive.

I just use LEDs, but I don't bike on pitch black roads at night. Dangerous.

It's actually not bad if you have a few buddies with you. Drivers will generally give you more room than they do during the day as they're not sure WTF the mass of lihts coming down the road is.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Flatscan

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DaShen
That really is quite pretty! :thumbsup: I drool everytime I see it. You should get some silver Ksyrium or Shimano wheelsets for the added, Bling Bling. Screw the Zipp or Carbon wheelsets, they aren't as pretty.

The wheels I have on there were custom made for me by a guy named Mike Garcia. I heard about him through BikeForums.net, they rave about his wheelsets over there and after calling and speaking to Mike on the phone I know why. He takes the time to ask you what you ride, where you ride and how you ride to help you determine what would best suit you. He uses quality components and really is a top wheel builder IMO. I wanted a good strong wheel that was both stiff and light weight. My wheels weigh a tad under 1800g which is about 200g lighter than the Alex wheels my bike came with but these are stronger and stiffer (the blue powdercoated rims added about 30g to the total weight of the wheelset). I paid $330 for the pair and that included shipping.

I honestly don't see me spending $600-800 on Ksyriums. If I want a pair of bladed spoke aero wheels I'll probably buy another set from Mike Garcia. He sells a Niobium rimmed wheelset that is lightweight, aerodynamic and quite a bit less expensive too.

Check out BikeForums.net and see what those guys have to say about Mike Garcia before you buy a set of machine laced wheels. Like I said, I've heard nothing but good things!

Ksyriums are sort of light, sort of aero, very durable, and somewhat overpriced. The biggest problem with the Ksyriums is their boxy, relatively heavy rim (Mavic OpenPros are lighter) that makes the bladed Al spokes on the SL not much good aside from looks. They are strong, though - the Elites are fine for training for nearly anyone, and training on the SLs for <150lb riders is not unheard of. The prevailing opinion is that a good hand-build with proper components can be lighter, stronger, and cheaper than Ksyriums pretty easily.

Ksyriums are definitely not heavy wheels and they're stiff as a board. Not something for everyday riding, but they kick butt for crits or hilly road races.