Cycling/Bikes

[JohnRoberts]

@SSL thanks for the 411, I suspect the issue is cross-chaining... Next ride I'll try the middle front sprocket. The lowest gear is too low to be usable and the 2nd gear is unstable so hopefully using the middle sprocket will make the shifter happier.

I am inclined to ASSume that the bike was set up properly and do not rule out user error as I familiarize myself with the new technology. The middle sprocket will give me a little more speed on the down hills while I am not in any hurry.

I feel like adding a rear view mirror. While jogging I could easily hear cars coming from behind, but now with all the extra wind noise I don't hear the cars until they are right behind me.

JR

 

[SSLtech]

Good stuff. -Yes the lowest gears in the small ring (also known as the "Granny Ring") are really there for tackling some seriously stiff ascents... on the flat the middle ring is usually good, while on downhills the big ring is the best way to avoid your legs flying round like the clappers! 

These bikes are made to cover people living in billiard-table-flat palces like Florida, but also people in Colorado, where a short ride to the local park could include a serious uphill puff-&-pant, while the return journey would of course be a test of nerve (and brakes!) -So they generally put a wider range of gearing than most places will require.

Road-specific bikes generally have two-ring front setups, with ten cogs on the back (nowadays, most new bikes are coming with eleven!!!) and rather than going to a triple-chainring setup at the front, the current fashion is to use a "medium-large" and a "Medium small" chainring set... known as a "compact". This really is a "neither my arse nor my elbow" gearing set, but they figure that with ten or eleven sprockets at the back, you can use a lighter (and less fussy) 2-ring front end, and use the range at the back end to cover your hills etc.

Also, the rear "cassette" (the 'cog cluster') is interchangeable, and road racers can match gearing to their environment. -I use a spare wheelset rather than juggling sprockets, and I keep an 11-28 gear range on one wheel, and an 11-23 on another. -I've also got a 12-25 cassette (in-betweenie) that I can throw on. -I keep them mainly so that if my son gets to a race circuit which is particularly hilly, I can lob a '28' on there, but if he's on most common circuits, he runs his regular 25. -If there's a dead-straight smooth, flat surface, with no hills or tight turns, I'll throw the 11-23 on there, and he can duck-down, tuck-in and fight with a set of high-gears... but we've never done that yet!

More than applies to your situation, I'm sure, but you're a mind who likes to know how things work, I'm sure, and that's the general story behind how these things are geared. -And if you ever need bits, I may well have some.

 

[SSLtech]

Oh, and for hearing cars approach... different issue, but my typical speeds are in the 20MPH range, and the wind 'buffet' around your ears varies with wind angle (headwind/tailwind/crosswind and all points in between) -I've noticed that in much the same way that taping a pencil in front of a LDC can break up the blast wavefront, sometimes sticking a vertical index finger in front of an ear can break up the "wind noise" and allow me to hear approaching cars from behind...

Trouble is, this means one less hand on the handlebars, so I was fascinated to see that the same approach which is applied to 'Rycote' and similar directionally-sensitive microphones is now available for cyclists. -Basically, the "dead-cat" windshield (the "furry cover") material is now being sold in small Velcro-able sizes, so you fix it around your helmet band, and it works like a mini Rycote wind filter, and allows you to hear.

I haven't bought one yet, but since the material is avaiable at 'Michaels' and "Jo-Anne" craft stores, I was pondering either buying some, or making my own.

http://www.cat-ears.com

 

[SSLtech]

Oh, and by the way... on the subject of 'helmet accessories'.

I know you're riding on rural Mississippi roads, and sharing the roadway with cars etc. but you ARE using a helmet, -right?

An acquaintance of mine from the Liverpool music scene was killed a few weeks ago in a collision with a car. -It's presumed that the car driver was in the wrong, but I'm sure that's scant consolation for Alan's family...

If you don't have a helmet at least, I'll be happy to send one to you, or arrange for one that you can pick up from a bike shop near to you. -For the love of all that is good, I would HATE to encourage you in any endeavor which led to an injury... or worse. -I still remember the Jim williams and Bob Pease story. -And I love VW beetles.

By all means use a mirror, but -more importantly- wear a helmet! Not just you John, but ANYONE who cycles. -A fall can do SO much damage to an unprotected skull. Helmets are cheap, and lord knows I have spares, if anyone needs one in medium or small.. lemme knough.

 

[beatnik]

never forget the helmet!

buy one of these!

http://www.met-helmets.com/

proudly made in italy by.... my parents!

they are the best

 

[JohnRoberts]

That cat ears thing is very interesting... I may experiment with what I have around the house. I have one wrist sweat band that fits nicely over the ear straps on my bike helmet but that only takes care of one ear. I have a few beer can cozys that look like they would fit. Maybe I'll try one of each to see if one or both works.

I seem to recall something the looked like a small dentist mirror that could attach to the helmet for rear view.

====
Yes I am well aware of the danger of bike riding. I still have my old motorcycle helmet with one side scraped up from road rash. I've known more people killed on motorcycles than bikes. This is why I preferred jogging to bike riding. While jogging it is easy to hear traffic coming and get off the road, on a bike at any speed you generally need to stay on the road surface and share with the cars, we don't have paved or wide-flat roadside shoulders around here.

I tried riding the local roads with my previous 10 speed about 15 years ago while recovering from plantar fascitits and I'd swear some of the locals would aim for how close they could come without actually hitting me.    :

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

OK, I figured out what the gear alignment issue was... It is the same wheel centering adjustment... I centered the back wheel better and now second gear is quiet and happy..  I ran my loop using the middle sprocket and 1st gear wasn't as silly slow as with the small front sprocket. I have enough hills to climb that I will probably stay on the middle sprocket. 

I think I was making the quick release wheel clamps too tight... I am nervous about wheels not being tight, but apparently it is dialed in for them looser than I was setting them. 

So far my DIY attempt at cat ears was not successful, but promising.

JR

 

[SSLtech]

The general rule of finger for most quick-release levers is that they be set so that they begin to 'bite' at the point in their arc when they're approximately perpendicular to the frame... -i.e. approximately 90 degrees from their fully "closed" position.

Some brands of quick release, this feels almost painfully tight, and on one set of QR levers that I own (Bontrager SSR) this is insanely loose, so there seems to be some variation in how well manufacturers adhere to the 'convention'... but none the less, if you watch a few YouTube videos about "how to remove a wheel" or similar basic stuff, this is the guidance which is quoted in pretty much all of them.

>front sprocket

As a general convention, the words 'sprocket' or 'cog' are used for the rear gear options, and 'ring' for the front gear options... but it took me a while to learn this!

Sounds good that you've got the noise problem solved. -How is the geology/topology of your area? -I've never been.

 

[SSLtech]

Oh, and that strandy, fleecy, open-weave fabric that they use to make Rycote "dead cat" wind stoppers is available at most fabric/craft stores.

I may break down and buy some. -If it works for Cat Ear clones, I'll have so much left over I'd be happy to send some your way.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Sounds good that you've got the noise problem solved. -How is the geology/topology of your area? -I've never been.

It never struck me as being very hilly but I notice a huge difference between jogging and biking over the same exact roads. While jogging to negotiate hills is only a minor adjustment to stride length, on the bike uphill and downhill is night and day. Running down a hill still takes effort. So as a runner I would not call it very hilly, but on the bike I get to use all of the gears... I imagine riding somewhere flat would be very different.

Next I will experiment with some open cell foam, like used for speaker grilles... for my DIY cat-ears.

JR

[edit] I couldn't find the soft open cell foam I was looking for, so made one ear cover with some thin closed cell foam, and another from an old tshirt. The old tshirt was easily 6-10 dB quieter...  ;D  [/edit]

 

[SSLtech]

Yes, the "upward" gearing of a bike multiplies the terrain's 'mechanical advantage' against the rider.

Florida is billiard-table flat when you're walking/jogging... but I do puff and pant on a bike!

Heading home early today. -Going to pick up the young-un and go for a nice ride together. -Probably do the shorter (22-mile) trail route.

Do you use an android or iPhone at all? -If so I recommend using one of several free apps to track distance, frequency, estimated caloric expenditure, etc... 'mapmyride' is one that I use, but there's also 'Strava', 'Wahoo', 'Digifit' and several others.

 

[SSLtech]

never forget the helmet!

buy one of these!

http://www.met-helmets.com/

proudly made in italy by.... my parents!

they are the best

Are these sold in the USA? -I looked at the Stradivarius HES, and they look absolutely lovely!

(They're probably stupefyingly expensive... but good LORD they look good!)

 

[Andy Peters]

Do you use an android or iPhone at all? -If so I recommend using one of several free apps to track distance, frequency, estimated caloric expenditure, etc... 'mapmyride' is one that I use, but there's also 'Strava', 'Wahoo', 'Digifit' and several others.

I use Cyclemeter. I used to have the iPhone gaffer-taped to the handlebars, but then one ride it went flying off the bike and smashed to the ground. The replacement phone stays in the trunk on the rear rack!

A friend bought one of the Garmin GPS cycle meters so I looked into it too. It was not cheap.

-a

 

[SSLtech]

I don't ever use the phone for display. -FAR too distracting. I use a dedicated cycle computer.

Considering moving up to the Wahoo RFLKT+.

Hey John R, -send me an email to [email protected] and shoot me your street address; I'm pretty sure that I have a spare (wired) Cateye computer with cadence and speed sensors... It's yours to have if you want it.

I just use the iphone in a back pocket for logging, and since the change to iPhone 5, my wahoo dongle no longer works with the new connector interface, (not even with an adaptor) so I'm looking to use the RFLKT+ as a low power bluetooth 'bridge'.

All my bikes use ANT+ sensors, so I could pair ALL data (heart rate, power, speed, cadence etc) with map data and log all things over the course of the ride... this iPhone 5 move has put paid to that, so the RFLKT+ should get me back to that ability by 'translating' all of the ANT+ sensor data to bluetooth, which is then recorded 'natively' by the phone.

Keef

 

[PRR]

> How is the geology/topology of your area?

IF I remember the town... about 20 feet in 2,000 feet or 1% grade. More if he gets into the suburban hills, but IIRC he's more downtown.

My road is 2% grade. You don't notice when walking but there's a big difference on a bike. I guess the every-step up/down overwhelms the long-term grade.

I used to live in South Jersey, where any hill over 20 feet (not many) has a name and a story. "Mount Laurel" is, IMHO, wishful thinking. Long dead-flat runs, much like lower Florida.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't ever use the phone for display. -FAR too distracting. I use a dedicated cycle computer.

Considering moving up to the Wahoo RFLKT+.

Hey John R, -send me an email to [email protected] and shoot me your street address; I'm pretty sure that I have a spare (wired) Cateye computer with cadence and speed sensors... It's yours to have if you want it.

I just use the iphone in a back pocket for logging, and since the change to iPhone 5, my wahoo dongle no longer works with the new connector interface, (not even with an adaptor) so I'm looking to use the RFLKT+ as a low power bluetooth 'bridge'.

All my bikes use ANT+ sensors, so I could pair ALL data (heart rate, power, speed, cadence etc) with map data and log all things over the course of the ride... this iPhone 5 move has put paid to that, so the RFLKT+ should get me back to that ability by 'translating' all of the ANT+ sensor data to bluetooth, which is then recorded 'natively' by the phone.

Keef

Thanks... I'm not sure what I would do with a bike computer unless maybe it could take cat scans of my knee.  8) I used a heart rate monitor while running a couple decades ago but these days I just KISS.

I'm riding faster and faster and scarier and scarier... I had to use granny gear (low-low) to climb up one hill today, and coming back down that one was scary fast.... Another difference about biking vs running the wind tends to cool you more than while jogging so you don't realize how much you are sweating/working. I did notice afterwards that my socks were soaking wet and clothes were wet...

I still feel like I really need a rear view mirror... with my DIY ear covers I could hear cars right behind me, but I need to be able to see further behind when a car is coming from the front, because there is definitely not enough room for me and two cars on these narrow roads.  I need to know when I should stop and when I should pedal....

In am leaning toward a small helmet mounted rear view mirror, That should give a good field of view.

I had one guy today working in a field as I rode by yell out and ask me why I wasn't running.... that's life in the small towns.

JR

PS: maybe I need to design bike rear-looking radar...  8)

 

[SSLtech]

While jogging to negotiate hills is only a minor adjustment to stride length...

A question on this...

I ASSume that the stride is shortened on uphill so that the 'cadence' can remain somewhat comparable to running on the flat...?

I ask because my son has a race the day after tomorrow with about a quarter mile of slight uphill grade. -I was wondering if I should suggest that he shorten his stride a little to keep a familiar 'drumbeat'...?

It's the USAT regional race, so I'd like him to do well, but not if it demands exhaustion or at the cost of particular discomfort. I know nothing of running technique, but I know the course, and there's definitely a long, gentle rise on one part.

Oh, and the computer is basically a speedometer, which happens to also display cadence IIRC, and also keeps track of total mileage... -Basically a speedo/odometer, with cadence (RPM) tacked on.

 

[JohnRoberts]

While jogging to negotiate hills is only a minor adjustment to stride length...

A question on this...

I ASSume that the stride is shortened on uphill so that the 'cadence' can remain somewhat comparable to running on the flat...?

I ask because my son has a race the day after tomorrow with about a quarter mile of slight uphill grade. -I was wondering if I should suggest that he shorten his stride a little to keep a familiar 'drumbeat'...?

Yes, both the stride and pace are adjusted. While this may take practice the goal is to maintain a constant "effort", which may not be a constant tempo depending on grade. This is very similar to shifting gears on a bicycle. The actual work that we are doing while running is lifting our body weight with each step. When climbing a hill, the same amount of lift per foot fall will result in less forward distance covered, more or less... It is also important to make a similar adjustment for downhills to take advantage of the potential longer stride supported by same lift elevation.

I've been in many races where runners would speed past me on the uphill sections, and I would reel in many of those same runners who were going too slow on the downhill side. Be careful it is easier to get injured on the downhill side from too long a stride that is stressful on joints.

To put this into electrical terms it's like pulling power from a battery, if you pull out short high current pulses there will be more internal losses than pulling out low even steady current.

It's the USAT regional race, so I'd like him to do well, but not if it demands exhaustion or at the cost of particular discomfort. I know nothing of running technique, but I know the course, and there's definitely a long, gentle rise on one part.

Oh, and the computer is basically a speedometer, which happens to also display cadence IIRC, and also keeps track of total mileage... -Basically a speedo/odometer, with cadence (RPM) tacked on.

I only participated in one combination run/bike race years ago... I got soundly spanked during the bike portion but reeled some of those same people in during the run portion (it was a run-bike-run race).

I was never serious about biking on a regular basis, and now after a few weeks I am finding that my legs are getting stronger and I can pull taller gears on the uphill sections.. I am almost ready to shift up to the big boy front ring.  ;D Lately I just stays on the middle front ring.

I got my helmet mounted rear view mirror in yesterday so I'll be dialing that in today.  8)

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

I still feel like I really need a rear view mirror... with my DIY ear covers I could hear cars right behind me, but I need to be able to see further behind when a car is coming from the front, because there is definitely not enough room for me and two cars on these narrow roads.  I need to know when I should stop and when I should pedal....

In am leaning toward a small helmet mounted rear view mirror, That should give a good field of view.


JR

Bzzt wrong... the small helmet mounted rear view mirror while cute was too difficult to use. Maybe it's because of my old eyes, or it wasn't well located, but it would take me time to first focus in the small mirror, then focus on the image in the mirror at distance, then turn my head so it was pointed toward the road... When trying to check for cars behind me i do not have the luxury of spending seconds to look.

Plan B, I bought a larger handlebar mounted mirror, and it is much much better... Yesterday I even saw one car coming up behind me, before I could hear it. Since I can easily see ahead I just use the empty oncoming lane, until the car/truck passes.

I'm getting stronger and pulling the hills in higher gears, I may need to shift up to the top speed front ring to go faster downhill but I am still nervous about that. I've experienced road rash before from going down on my motorcycle, never a good reason to experience that more than once.

JR 

PS: I lost my DIY ear covers they cut down on the wind noise but also cut off the breeze that kept my head cooler....I don't need to hear now that I can see.

 

[SSLtech]

Yes, helmet-mounted mirrors are like dentist mirrors that place restrictions on head angle... the visible "cone" is pretty tiny...

I've used a handlebar-end-plug mounter mirror before now, and they're definitely easier... though much lower in terms of sightline. -If you can tolerate the high position of a bar mounted mirror, they're generally far more satisfactory.

My son has run two full-length triathlons in training for this weekend's race. -The last one he crossed the finish line and threw up while still on the timing mat. -Lay there for about thirty seconds while holding me in his stare and convulsing. -ABSOLUTELY heartbreaking, and I'm in no hurry to repeat that experience. EVER. -I told him that if it happens again, I don't want him to continue. He HAS to be able to race without hurting himself, or I don't want him to do it.

So he's run two full-length triathlons in training midweek, and wasn't ill. -last two years he's finished in third place in this race, so we have a consistent benchmark to see if this is helping... I certainly hope so.

Anyhow, it's not about speed, so don't worry about 'pushing' down hills... find hills to push UP and take the coasts downhill as a recovery opportunity if you can plan routes to match this approach. -If not, just back off and ride at whatever speed is comfortable or secure for you. A bike computer to monitor actual speed in real time can actually be very reassuring.

Heading to Europe next week... be back in about a month. -Taking the little fella to see his first Tour de France in person... also renting some bikes in the Italian Dolomites, and getting some hill climbing punishment!