Author Topic: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat  (Read 314856 times)

hadabeardonce

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1200 on: November 19, 2019, 12:41:36 PM »
Seriously considering switching to tubeless for my road bike if my failure rate doesn't start decreasing significantly.
In the short term switching to tubeless is asking for new problems and additional expenses... requires special tires, special rims, special rim strips, special valve cores, sealant, sealant injector... but long term they are pretty nice. Tubeless road stuff is still fairly new, so compatibility across manufacturers is spotty. I switched from Continental Gatorskin to GP5000TL tires in July and they've been nice, but getting them on my rims was incredibly difficult. Keeping surfaces clean while mounting everything is important along with choosing the right sealant.

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1201 on: November 19, 2019, 01:15:51 PM »
I have never used Slime tubes on my personal bike but I love them on the kids' bikes. My older kid seems to hit every thorn he comes across and especially back when he had a single-gear bike, I just had a hell of a time getting the rear tire back on right so that the chain wouldn't fall off. Switching to Slime tubes seemed to help a lot.

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1202 on: November 19, 2019, 02:25:19 PM »
Seriously considering switching to tubeless for my road bike if my failure rate doesn't start decreasing significantly.
In the short term switching to tubeless is asking for new problems and additional expenses... requires special tires, special rims, special rim strips, special valve cores, sealant, sealant injector... but long term they are pretty nice. Tubeless road stuff is still fairly new, so compatibility across manufacturers is spotty. I switched from Continental Gatorskin to GP5000TL tires in July and they've been nice, but getting them on my rims was incredibly difficult. Keeping surfaces clean while mounting everything is important along with choosing the right sealant.

Tubeless also don't work in the winter.  The sealants don't like cold.

Boofinator

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1203 on: November 19, 2019, 03:47:59 PM »
I had Armadillo tires (came with the bike), but I switched to Schwalbe Ones because I crave speed. That being said, I haven't been able to locate actual rolling resistance values for the Armadillos, so it might just be a figment of my imagination. (At one point in time I had thought I found rolling resistance ratings for the Armadillo Elites and they were significantly higher than even Gatorskins, but I can no longer find the website.)

As for Continental Top Contact IIs, holy crap, those look like tank treads. I'd venture to guess that my average time would be faster on my current tires even given a flat per week (been averaging about 70 miles per week).

I switched from Continental Gatorskin to GP5000TL tires in July and they've been nice, but getting them on my rims was incredibly difficult. Keeping surfaces clean while mounting everything is important along with choosing the right sealant.

I think I would take a couple painful tire mounts once every six months over my current rate of over one mount per ride (at least over the last week).

Tubeless also don't work in the winter.  The sealants don't like cold.

At what temperature does tubeless sealant stop working? My personal cold limit currently seems to be about at freezing temp (for the 20-mile ride), below which I'll simply take public transportation in the mornings and ride home when it is nicer.

robartsd

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1204 on: November 19, 2019, 04:18:51 PM »
I've been happy with my Schwalbe Marathon HS 420 tires for puncture resistance.

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1205 on: November 19, 2019, 07:16:33 PM »
At what temperature does tubeless sealant stop working? My personal cold limit currently seems to be about at freezing temp (for the 20-mile ride), below which I'll simply take public transportation in the mornings and ride home when it is nicer.

Not sure about exact temperatures, it would depend on the sealant I think.  Some sealants have anti-freeze stuff added to them that let them tolerate cold temperatures.  Above zero (freezing) I'm sure you would be fine.

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1206 on: November 21, 2019, 08:13:52 AM »
I broke down and bought a fairly expensive pair of rain pants.  I managed last year with cheapo gear, but after getting soaked a couple of times I sprung for an actual waterproof jacket/shell, which turned out to be a big improvement.  Decided it would be nice to have pants that I can slip over my work pants and reduce the amount of time gearing up/down (and drying myself) on those wet days. 

I also got a rain cover for the bike.  I have to park outside at work, and leaving the e-bike in the rain for extended periods isn't recommended.  Instead of fiddling with covering individual electric components (plus the seat, rear bag, panniers), I realized that it would be easier just to cover up the whole darn thing.

I read a webpage that talks about cleaning the battery contacts. Depending on your bike's design, the battery cradle can trap dirt and water.

Also some battery cases are multi-piece shells that aren't rain proof. One of mine is like that. A shower cap might be a fair solution. I've looked inside my battery and there were no problems though or signs of water.

https://electricbike.com/forum/forum/knowledge-base/batteries-aa/12542-luna-hardcase-battery-documentation

https://www.electricbike.com/water-proofing-trouble-shooting/
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 08:20:00 AM by Just Joe »

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1207 on: November 21, 2019, 10:05:54 AM »
Okay, I could use some help. I need to fix the problem of the limiter on my ebike. I thought it didn’t have one when I bought it and apparently the sales person at the store was misinformed and/or lied.

In any case, I’ve been researching and it looks like an BadAss Box 4 will work for my Giant Explore E. The only issue is that they ship all over the world except the US.

I can’t find it anywhere that will ship to me, even eBay. Does anyone have any idea how I can get around this?

Have you cruised the Endless Sphere website? They can get pretty technical but a source for what you want might be there somewhere.

ysette9

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1208 on: November 21, 2019, 10:24:22 AM »
Okay, I could use some help. I need to fix the problem of the limiter on my ebike. I thought it didn’t have one when I bought it and apparently the sales person at the store was misinformed and/or lied.

In any case, I’ve been researching and it looks like an BadAss Box 4 will work for my Giant Explore E. The only issue is that they ship all over the world except the US.

I can’t find it anywhere that will ship to me, even eBay. Does anyone have any idea how I can get around this?

Have you cruised the Endless Sphere website? They can get pretty technical but a source for what you want might be there somewhere.
Thanks for the reply. I ended up finding the Badass FB page and through that was able to get a link to purchase directly and have the product shipped to me. Yay! Installation was pretty easy. Much better than the open heart surgery required for the other tuners on the market.

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1209 on: November 21, 2019, 12:07:03 PM »
Just want to vent that I've had six flat tires in my last four rides. WTF!?!?!?

As far as I can tell, one (possibly two) was a pinch flat (my fault for being too lazy to fully air my tires and gawking at somebody being pulled over as I smashed over an uneven portion of sidewalk), two have been thorns, and the other two are a mystery.

I've switched over to slime tubes in hopes to stem the tide, fingers crossed. Also, props to the Tube Fairy, who stopped and gave me his spare tube when I was ten miles from home and had already used my spare tube on an earlier flat just a few miles back.

Seriously considering switching to tubeless for my road bike if my failure rate doesn't start decreasing significantly.

Schwalbe Marathon tires. No data about rolling resistance or anything else except that I have 2600 miles on them with zero flats. I'm riding the 50mm variety. I'm riding about 10 psi under the max inflation pressure on the back, about 15-20 psi under the max inflation in the front b/c I'm a Clydesdale. ;)

At 2600 miles on a former mtb bike with a middrive ebike conversion, the tires still have alot of miles left in them. I expect them to last another 2000 miles or more.

No traction surprises but I have not ridden them on ice or snow.

hadabeardonce

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1210 on: November 21, 2019, 12:15:59 PM »
"Personal Cycling" should be a term like personal finance. There are some general principals that can be applied to everyone, but many solutions should be tailored to the individual. For example, the topic of freezing/ice/snow is completely foreign to someone living in most parts California. "What is this 'winter' you speak of? Is that when the high temps are like in the 60s?"

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1211 on: November 21, 2019, 12:32:06 PM »
Thanks for the reply. I ended up finding the Badass FB page and through that was able to get a link to purchase directly and have the product shipped to me. Yay! Installation was pretty easy. Much better than the open heart surgery required for the other tuners on the market.

YAY! Glad you found the solution you wanted.

To everyone, I just finished reading the whole thread. LOTs of great info here. Added a bunch of things to my amazon wishlist for future reference. Bought a couple of things recommended here to make riding through the winter a reasonable possibility. I used to quit each fall about the time the cold wind racing through my light weight prob fleece or cotton jacket became too cold as I never liked riding in a heavy winter coat. Enter the windbreaker suggested in another MMM thread. Maybe suggested by GuitarStv. How did that bit of outdoor gear escape my awareness all these years? My family and friends all seem to gravitate to other solutions, none of which are bicycle/hiking oriented.

Rode to work a couple of weeks ago in the low 30s F using that jacket, fleece jacket, lightweight gloves, and jogging pants. Oh and merino wool socks under my hiking shoes. Totally comfortable. Won't need much more gear to ride year 'round b/c the winters only dip in the 20s overnight most of the winter.

Another gold nugget was the Map-o-Meter website. I think it was mentioned in this thread. I originally used Google Maps to build my route home to work.

Using the Map-o-Meter maps I found out today I'm riding about 8 miles each way with roughly a 775ft gain and a 740 ft loss. It said the steepest sections were 8% grades. Not too bad with the low gears I put on my bike.  The online maps say my work place is ~100 ft higher than my home address.

Just rode to do an errand at lunch time. Absolutely makes me question why any of us drive cars around so much for sub-3 mile trips, especially with ebikes available.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 12:41:01 PM by Just Joe »

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1212 on: November 21, 2019, 01:20:30 PM »
I tried out my cold weather gear this morning. It was about 26F and unusually gloomy for Denver, no sun and kind of spitting wintry mix. I was wearing the t-shirt and cardigan that I am working in today, my Primaloft leggings, snow boots with wool socks, a fleece, a rain shell, fleece gloves, and a balaclava. By the time I got going I was so warm, I was tempted to stop and shed a layer or two. Will adjust next time there's no wind.

Will be biking home in dark and snow, unless there is so much snow that I panic and find another way home. Looks like it should be just an inch or two of fresh powder, which I think I can handle.

Arbitrage

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1213 on: November 21, 2019, 04:08:43 PM »
I have to drive my car to work tomorrow, since I have a mid-day dentist appointment about 15 miles from the office.  I'm a bit bummed about it, but at least it'll be the first car commute since March.

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1214 on: November 21, 2019, 07:11:13 PM »
Drizzle on the way home tonight.  In my 50 minute bike ride home tonight I saw two accidents happen (one guy who rear-ended a police cruiser . . . one guy who pulled a u-turn in a busy 4 lane road and got t-boned) and rode past three other accidents.  Ugh.  It was like a frigging war zone.

Boofinator

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1215 on: November 22, 2019, 08:17:36 AM »
Wife was rear-ended yesterday on her morning commute. Hit-and-run, the guy/gal sped off. The bumper is trashed, but everything else looks comparatively fine and no apparent damage beyond cosmetic. Wife says her back hurts, but will probably be fine after some rest.

All this to say that I love not having to drive in to work.

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1216 on: November 22, 2019, 08:43:30 AM »
Had errands to do this morn. Drove part way, biked part way. In the rain. Loved it. Wish I could send the car home automatically so I could ride all the way home. Don't feel good leaving the car in town overnight.

TrMama

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1217 on: November 22, 2019, 09:25:17 AM »
Drizzle on the way home tonight.  In my 50 minute bike ride home tonight I saw two accidents happen (one guy who rear-ended a police cruiser . . . one guy who pulled a u-turn in a busy 4 lane road and got t-boned) and rode past three other accidents.  Ugh.  It was like a frigging war zone.

Ugh. That's a rough trip home. Glad you made it safely.

EscapedApe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1218 on: November 22, 2019, 09:35:39 AM »
*Best thing ever yelled out a car window at me: "GET A JOB, ASSHOLE!"

I laughed out loud in my quiet early-morning cubicle farm, got a lot of turned heads and furrowed brows.

Gonna be a great day at work today LOL.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1219 on: November 22, 2019, 04:01:33 PM »
Now that it is getting darker I’d like to light up my bike trailer like a Christmas tree when I take my kid to and from school. Can anyone recommend a cheap and easy way of doing that?

EL lights are fun and can be ordered for <$10 (although you get what you pay for, haven't had a unit last for longer than 1 year)
Also could get some wheel lights - https://www.monkeylectric.com/

Take a picture once you trick out your ride :)

ysette9

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1220 on: November 23, 2019, 08:42:00 PM »
Now that it is getting darker I’d like to light up my bike trailer like a Christmas tree when I take my kid to and from school. Can anyone recommend a cheap and easy way of doing that?

EL lights are fun and can be ordered for <$10 (although you get what you pay for, haven't had a unit last for longer than 1 year)
Also could get some wheel lights - https://www.monkeylectric.com/

Take a picture once you trick out your ride :)
Good suggestion.
Come to think of it, my husband did something like this to his old bike for burning man. I’ll ask his opinion.

TrMama

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1221 on: November 26, 2019, 10:43:08 AM »
Freezing rain and ice pellets on the way in this morning. Ugh. How long until spring? I think I'd rather have snow. Ice pellets really sting.

Also, I really need to see if we have some ski goggles that aren't tinted. I couldn't see a thing through the ice pellets and my watering eyes.

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1222 on: November 26, 2019, 11:27:47 AM »
We had the nicest weather in at least a month today for my ride in . . . 10 degrees and sunny!  No snow or rain!

Kmp2

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1223 on: November 26, 2019, 09:07:55 PM »
Ugh, we had some of the worst conditions!  Some serious lack of snow and ice clearing during a warmish snow last week resulted in a whole bunch of slick frozen rutts on the road, and frozen footprints on the pathways! Then last night and today we had more snow... hiding all the ice. If it was shear ice it wouldn't be so bad, but it's lumpy and sliding down the verticals, with no bite from your studs is sketchy. Add in some serious snirty pancaky snow and it was a slip sliddin' struggle!  Fat bike please...

Tomorrow I'm walking.

This snow/freeze/thaw cycle we've been having since September is starting to wear me down - I think I'd be happy for some sustained cold, packed snow to bike on... and less slush/fresh snow please.

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1224 on: November 27, 2019, 07:24:32 AM »
We had the nicest weather in at least a month today for my ride in . . . 10 degrees and sunny!  No snow or rain!

Gah, I knew things were too good to be true.


Had a car sideswipe me on the way home last night.  I think (although details are kinda fuzzy) that it hit either my arms or my handlebars with it's mirror, causing the wheel to spin 90 degrees to the direction I was travelling.  I was doing about 35 kph at the time, so this sorta launched me over the bars and I ended up cracking my helmet pretty spectacularly, landing on my left side, and sliding a good piece up the road.  Also whacked my left knee really, really hard.  Looking back at it, I was being stupid and not completely taking the lane - trying to avoid blocking traffic.  The driver was trying to squeeze through space that the vehicle simply didn't fit in.

To their credit, the driver peeled away immediately to make sure that he or she wasn't going to be in the way after the accident.  Several people from surrounding houses and from cars that saw the accident did stop to check if I was OK though.  They all said that I was very visible with the four lights in the back and the two in front, the neon orange jacket, and all the reflective stuff - so it's not like the guy didn't see me.

All in all, things came out OK.  I made it the remaining 10 km home.  Derailleurs weren't damaged, front wheel needs a little bit of truing, and the frame isn't bent.  I lost a lot of skin on the one side of my body, but managed to avoid any major tears in my jacket, jersey, or tights) and have a good amount of swelling on my left knee and wrist, but nothing is sprained or broken.  Swelling on the knee is a lot better than last night as well, where I could barely make it up and down the stairs to our bedroom.  My bar tape is a little scuffed, and I need a new helmet - could have been worse.  Sadly breaks my streak of not being hit by a car for five or six years (but continues my streak of having the car that hits me not stick around afterwards.)

Boofinator

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1225 on: November 27, 2019, 07:53:24 AM »
Glad you made it out ok. Drivers who don't stop after hitting someone are the worst.

Kmp2

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1226 on: November 27, 2019, 09:24:27 AM »
Yuck, hit and runners are the worst scum of the earth!

I'm glad your ok (ish), that sounds like a pretty spectacular crash (and not in a good way).


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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1227 on: November 27, 2019, 09:45:01 AM »
Holy crap, that sounds awful! Glad you're ok. You filed a police report, right?

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1228 on: November 27, 2019, 09:58:12 AM »
I didn't file a police report.  Nothing to file really.  I think the car might have been gray?  Nobody saw the license plate, or where it was going.  Pretty sure it was a car though.

TrMama

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1229 on: November 27, 2019, 10:17:39 AM »
I didn't file a police report.  Nothing to file really.  I think the car might have been gray?  Nobody saw the license plate, or where it was going.  Pretty sure it was a car though.

But the city and police can't do anything to improve road conditions or enforcement if they don't even know there's been an accident. Your local police force may even have a basic web form you can fill out on their website.

Arbitrage

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1230 on: November 27, 2019, 11:10:04 AM »
Ouch.  Sorry that happened; glad you're ok.  That helmet cam of mine might come in handy someday!  Of course, I might miss video of the license plate if I'm busy tumbling and skidding down the road, and most USA police don't care one whit about bikers and would probably ignore a complaint of this nature, but still!

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1231 on: November 27, 2019, 11:13:18 AM »
I didn't file a police report.  Nothing to file really.  I think the car might have been gray?  Nobody saw the license plate, or where it was going.  Pretty sure it was a car though.

But the city and police can't do anything to improve road conditions or enforcement if they don't even know there's been an accident. Your local police force may even have a basic web form you can fill out on their website.

I agree it's worth taking ten minutes to let them know, even if you can't describe the car. Wishing you speedy healing, @GuitarStv.

ysette9

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1232 on: November 27, 2019, 04:26:09 PM »
Wow, I’m sorry that happened. Good luck healing

BikeFanatic

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1233 on: November 27, 2019, 04:58:06 PM »
guitar steve there may have been security cameras in the area?

Kmp2

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1234 on: November 28, 2019, 08:41:12 AM »
You should definitely report your collision, if there's no report then it's assumed these events aren't happening.

You can also report near misses/thefts and collisions on this map here:
https://bikemaps.org/

I've seen this tool used for bike advocacy groups to get infrastructure built.

cari8285

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1235 on: November 29, 2019, 03:29:15 PM »
So. My bike lock has been giving me a hard time lately. I put the key in, try to turn, and it doesn't budge. I thought at first that it was so cold that it was frozen. But even when it's about 40 degrees out, it still doesn't budge. The last few weeks I've just been holding onto it for dear life and basically forcing it to turn. Well, last week I did that and the key broke (not inside the lock, thank god - more like the handle of the key broke). Anyway, has anyone ever experienced this? Do I maybe need to oil up the lock or something so that the key starts to turn again?

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1236 on: November 29, 2019, 03:38:35 PM »
So. My bike lock has been giving me a hard time lately. I put the key in, try to turn, and it doesn't budge. I thought at first that it was so cold that it was frozen. But even when it's about 40 degrees out, it still doesn't budge. The last few weeks I've just been holding onto it for dear life and basically forcing it to turn. Well, last week I did that and the key broke (not inside the lock, thank god - more like the handle of the key broke). Anyway, has anyone ever experienced this? Do I maybe need to oil up the lock or something so that the key starts to turn again?

I squirt bike lube in the key hole of my lock a couple times a year, and then work the key back and forth to spread it out.  I've had locks completely rust up and become inoperable before I started doing this.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1237 on: December 01, 2019, 12:33:17 PM »
I didn't file a police report.  Nothing to file really.  I think the car might have been gray?  Nobody saw the license plate, or where it was going.  Pretty sure it was a car though.

But the city and police can't do anything to improve road conditions or enforcement if they don't even know there's been an accident. Your local police force may even have a basic web form you can fill out on their website.

Piling on. My police contacts say that they'll take any/all information. They add it to their collision reports that directly influence their resource allotments.

Thanks for mentioning lane position and squeezing. It's definitely uncomfortable but I find it's easier when I repeat to myself "My safety is more important than their convenience. My safety is more important than their convenience." Plus it gives a nice rhythm to pedal to.
Glad you're up and walking!

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1238 on: December 02, 2019, 08:22:52 AM »
Glad you're okay Guitar Stv!

Rode with our 14 year old on my commuter route to town, around town, to the grocery and back in the dark yesterday. Teen did perfectly fine. Was enthusiastic about the whole ride before and after despite fatigue, cold and leftover puddles from the earlier rain. 18.4 miles.

Has asked to make the ride by themselves and we said of course. Plenty old enough to ride country roads to town and back. Wants to do the ride again today after an orthodontist appt. Sure! Will be daylight. Adjusted their brakes this morn (rear disc brakes dragging).

Our other teen wanted to ride with me over the weekend so we took the bikes out of town with us to Thanksgiving at relatives house. That ride we also rode ~18.5 miles. Much easier, flatter ride. Older teen was tired afterwards b/c they chose to ride their mtn bike the whole way. Fat tires, narrow seat, etc. Chose the mtn bike over my old "gravel bike" and the second ebike 'cause wheelies and jumping curbs

ysette9

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1239 on: December 02, 2019, 11:01:07 AM »
We did a ride a few days ago out of our neighborhood through larger and busier streets with my oldest on her bike for the first time. She did surprisingly well. She obeyed my commands to stay out of traffic and didn’t complain about being tired. We probably went 3 mi in total, so not a long way at all, but for a 5 year old I think it was a great first real ride. Every other bike ride we have had one or the other of us running beside her, so this required more trust on our end that she would pay attention.

robartsd

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1240 on: December 02, 2019, 11:10:14 AM »
I agree that a police report won't do a thing about this incident as there's not enough of a description to track down the driver even if the police were inclined to do so; but the data point might influence future resource allocation (by the police and/or traffic engineers) that could improve the safety of traveling by bike in the long run.

Thanks for the reminder to take the lane when it is unsafe for motorists to pass. As I once heard an urban cycling instructor say, cars honking at you is evidence that they see you.

Just Joe

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1241 on: December 02, 2019, 12:05:02 PM »
We did a ride a few days ago out of our neighborhood through larger and busier streets with my oldest on her bike for the first time. She did surprisingly well. She obeyed my commands to stay out of traffic and didn’t complain about being tired. We probably went 3 mi in total, so not a long way at all, but for a 5 year old I think it was a great first real ride. Every other bike ride we have had one or the other of us running beside her, so this required more trust on our end that she would pay attention.

Congrats! Start them young. I've ridden in traffic across town with both our kids when they were younger. It was at times nerve racking.

Start them young and then biking somewhere doesn't seem so quirky and weird later. Maybe it isn't weird where you live but around here 99.9% of the population sees bikes as a thing kids play with riding back and forth in front of the house.

Folks around here drive for just about everything. Ebikes makes everything totally doable.

Over the weekend saw another article about how a service worker walked ~5 miles to work and 5 more home again every day until someone gifted them a car. Wonder why folks like that won't just ride a bike? Alot cheaper to operate than a car on that income level.

TrMama

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1242 on: December 02, 2019, 12:16:02 PM »
We did a ride a few days ago out of our neighborhood through larger and busier streets with my oldest on her bike for the first time. She did surprisingly well. She obeyed my commands to stay out of traffic and didn’t complain about being tired. We probably went 3 mi in total, so not a long way at all, but for a 5 year old I think it was a great first real ride. Every other bike ride we have had one or the other of us running beside her, so this required more trust on our end that she would pay attention.

This is excellent! When teaching my kids to ride in traffic, I have them go first and I call out instructions from behind. Let's the kid set the pace (don't rear end them when they randomly stop to scratch their nose ;-) and I can see exactly what they're doing.

hadabeardonce

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1243 on: December 02, 2019, 04:22:39 PM »
Gah, I knew things were too good to be true.

Had a car sideswipe me on the way home last night...
Glad to hear you're feeling well enough to be able to post about it. Sounds like a really frightening event. Hope you're able to heal up without any lasting damage.

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1244 on: December 06, 2019, 09:49:50 AM »
Been biking to work every day for the past six months (since I started my new job). Weight is down, leg strength is up, net worth increased dramatically.

Bicycles really are money-printing machines.

hadabeardonce

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1245 on: December 06, 2019, 05:18:59 PM »
Been biking to work every day for the past six months (since I started my new job). Weight is down, leg strength is up, net worth increased dramatically.

Bicycles really are money-printing machines.
High Five!

Today was my 200th day of the year commuting by bike. I've only driven in 10 days... so I'm 95% cyclist, 5% motorist. Curious to experience how my fitness develops over the course of 2020.

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1246 on: December 07, 2019, 02:21:05 PM »
Slipped on a patch of black ice last night on the bike trail and went down, but fortunately I was going an appropriate speed for a librarian of a certain age (ie, very slow) and wasn't hurt.

I'm concerned that my rear light is super ineffective because it doesn't stay put. I think it used to have a mount, but that is long since lost or broken. It just has a clip now, and I attach the clip to my rear rack, but it always flips up or down so that the light is going either onto the wheel or up into the sky rather than behind me. I do not bike in a backpack, so I can't attach it to that.

I do bike in a reflective vest and my fenders are also reflective, so people using headlights can almost certainly see me. Still, it seems like I should have a working light. Any ideas?

GuitarStv

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1247 on: December 07, 2019, 02:26:45 PM »
Slipped on a patch of black ice last night on the bike trail and went down, but fortunately I was going an appropriate speed for a librarian of a certain age (ie, very slow) and wasn't hurt.

I'm concerned that my rear light is super ineffective because it doesn't stay put. I think it used to have a mount, but that is long since lost or broken. It just has a clip now, and I attach the clip to my rear rack, but it always flips up or down so that the light is going either onto the wheel or up into the sky rather than behind me. I do not bike in a backpack, so I can't attach it to that.

I do bike in a reflective vest and my fenders are also reflective, so people using headlights can almost certainly see me. Still, it seems like I should have a working light. Any ideas?

Get a new mount.  Planet bike sells replacement mounts for their lights that also fit some other brands I've had.

Honestly, a tail light is important enough that it wouldn't be a bad idea to run two (I've currently got two regular rear bike lights on my bike, and four tiny LED lights hanging off my backpack.  You really want cars behind you to see you.

Buffaloski Boris

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1248 on: December 08, 2019, 05:57:14 PM »
Slipped on a patch of black ice last night on the bike trail and went down, but fortunately I was going an appropriate speed for a librarian of a certain age (ie, very slow) and wasn't hurt.

I'm concerned that my rear light is super ineffective because it doesn't stay put. I think it used to have a mount, but that is long since lost or broken. It just has a clip now, and I attach the clip to my rear rack, but it always flips up or down so that the light is going either onto the wheel or up into the sky rather than behind me. I do not bike in a backpack, so I can't attach it to that.

I do bike in a reflective vest and my fenders are also reflective, so people using headlights can almost certainly see me. Still, it seems like I should have a working light. Any ideas?

Get a new mount.  Planet bike sells replacement mounts for their lights that also fit some other brands I've had.

Honestly, a tail light is important enough that it wouldn't be a bad idea to run two (I've currently got two regular rear bike lights on my bike, and four tiny LED lights hanging off my backpack.  You really want cars behind you to see you.
Dittoes on getting a new mount. You can also get a flashing LED safety vest from Amazon.

Two headlights, two tail lights, and a flashing vest. And I still want more lights.  I want to be seen!

TrMama

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Re: Start Biking To Work - cycling newbies chat
« Reply #1249 on: December 08, 2019, 08:07:40 PM »
Slipped on a patch of black ice last night on the bike trail and went down, but fortunately I was going an appropriate speed for a librarian of a certain age (ie, very slow) and wasn't hurt.

I'm concerned that my rear light is super ineffective because it doesn't stay put. I think it used to have a mount, but that is long since lost or broken. It just has a clip now, and I attach the clip to my rear rack, but it always flips up or down so that the light is going either onto the wheel or up into the sky rather than behind me. I do not bike in a backpack, so I can't attach it to that.

I do bike in a reflective vest and my fenders are also reflective, so people using headlights can almost certainly see me. Still, it seems like I should have a working light. Any ideas?

Yup, new mount and/or new light. I also run 2 rear lights, a tiny integrated light on the back of my helmet and 2 front lights. My commute is just long enough that sometimes one (or more) of those lights dies en route. This way I always have at least one backup. Plus a highlighter yellow reflective jacket. I like the reflective strips on the back of my arms so my hand signals will get noticed.

I even make my kids run 2 rear red lights when they bike to school and they're only allowed to ride at dawn/dusk. Not when it's fully dark.