tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post2179534391424085783..comments2024-03-27T05:14:23.738-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Staying Upright Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-1842671745668348862016-06-15T13:52:09.811-04:002016-06-15T13:52:09.811-04:00Lovely post. I love my upright bike and hte outdoo...Lovely post. I love my upright bike and hte outdoors. The sights, sounds, and smells can be overwhelming. Thanks for sharing.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16554815110083904119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-64065273192610811122016-05-19T05:43:54.898-04:002016-05-19T05:43:54.898-04:00Got it in one, it seems to me that Cats always hav...Got it in one, it seems to me that Cats always have the right idea.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09863952585099002599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-25260445442162578522016-05-18T17:10:35.732-04:002016-05-18T17:10:35.732-04:00What about recumbent bikes? They should be good in...What about recumbent bikes? They should be good in beating head winds. But I have never tried one. As I live in continental country (Slovakia) where wind is not such an issue.kryptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11542245050364716635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-13609098819220768332016-05-16T14:12:44.887-04:002016-05-16T14:12:44.887-04:00Exactly. I could not have said it better myself. I...Exactly. I could not have said it better myself. I recently moved to an area were anyone who is on a bike (there are many) is riding for the activity. As you said, there is a beginning and an end. As much as I enjoy this type of cycling, I far more enjoy the kind that is simply a part of life. Why ride for an activity when you can ride simply to be engulfed in the world around you? Thank you for this post. I am so glad that I am not the only one who feels this way. Amber Jade https://www.blogger.com/profile/08368722710704429860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-79073899749515246352016-05-16T06:52:00.320-04:002016-05-16T06:52:00.320-04:00Thirty mph winds are near the limit for smaller ri...Thirty mph winds are near the limit for smaller riders. In city traffic it would be foolhardy to even try.<br /><br />The baggage shown in the top photo is pretty much a sail. Or an air brake. Carrying the load the old British way, behind the saddle, makes much more sense in heavy weather. Some opinion would say a saddlebag can even perform like the old Oscar Egg tail fairing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-39136554761232354742016-05-16T04:48:23.219-04:002016-05-16T04:48:23.219-04:00I suspect the answer to the sunburn and sun damage...I suspect the answer to the sunburn and sun damage is the hole in the ozone layer.<br />While the big one is in the southern hemisphere I think there is a smaller one in the north and they are at the poles not the equator. <br />As an Australian I have also noticed that the sun in the mediterranean is much milder than here.EmiGremlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03676105788408538373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-82668240607295941362016-05-16T03:58:24.365-04:002016-05-16T03:58:24.365-04:00Yes, I find my road bike with a flat bar provides ...Yes, I find my road bike with a flat bar provides a more 'aggressive' riding position than my mountain bike, yet not to the extent of drop bars of course. The more upright position achieved by using other bar styles transforms these road bikes into great commuters and adventure bikes - I wanted a road bike already equipped with a flat bar for this reason - I actually like to see my surroundings while I ride.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-7331801482566263112016-05-16T03:43:30.898-04:002016-05-16T03:43:30.898-04:00If UV resistant materials don't work there, ma...If UV resistant materials don't work there, maybe sunscreen doesn't either.<br />spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-16457615876352720672016-05-16T00:33:36.933-04:002016-05-16T00:33:36.933-04:00The problem with drop bars is not so much tje drop...The problem with drop bars is not so much tje drop per se, but the roadie position they're put in, 6,7, sometimes 10 cm drop. Set up at a cyclotouring height, more or less level with the saddle or just below, they actually give great riding positions on the tops and in the drops. The best of both worlds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-4989549769888933392016-05-15T13:28:51.070-04:002016-05-15T13:28:51.070-04:00I found the fit much better when removing my drop ...I found the fit much better when removing my drop bars and installing a different stem and bars. Some might call it upright but actually it remains an aggressive riding position (upright bars don't have to be swept back) and much more comfortable than the same bike with drops. I must have a short torso so this was the solution. I've now got a nimble riding bike which fits like a glove and brings new enjoyment to riding. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-73342443540255165222016-05-15T08:45:48.421-04:002016-05-15T08:45:48.421-04:00Hmmm. Don't forget your sunscreen.Hmmm. Don't forget your sunscreen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-48720510474709798762016-05-15T07:33:39.409-04:002016-05-15T07:33:39.409-04:00That is really strange - surely there must be an e...That is really strange - surely there must be an explanation?spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-28157497972368487982016-05-15T07:29:03.210-04:002016-05-15T07:29:03.210-04:00Yes - I don't know myself how conversion influ...Yes - I don't know myself how conversion influences fit - though I assume if people change the handlebars it is with the aim of a more comfortable fit. The road bike I bought was created with a flat bar with integrated bar ends as I didn't want drop bars to begin with - beautiful little bike that fits like a glove.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55688600367196204872016-05-15T04:49:22.498-04:002016-05-15T04:49:22.498-04:00This makes sense but does not account for one othe...This makes sense but does not account for one other thing I forgot to mention: Things (as in objects) get sun-damaged here at a much quicker rate than I've seen elsewhere. Paint fades on houses and street signs rapidly. Flags and wind socks grow desaturated of colour and disintegrate with alarming regularity. Stuff like that. Using UV-resitatnt stuff makes not a dot of a difference. Everybody notices this, including construction companies from continental Europe. But no one seems to have an explanation. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-57070225614491163562016-05-15T04:41:46.339-04:002016-05-15T04:41:46.339-04:00I regret not having visited that part of the US wh...I regret not having visited that part of the US when I had opportunities; sounds lovely (except for the not being able to ride the Brompton part!).Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-64385530380511356462016-05-15T04:39:55.476-04:002016-05-15T04:39:55.476-04:00I am always interested in what those who convert t...I am always interested in what those who convert their roadbikes to upright bikes think of the fit afterward. Because if a roadbike fits the rider well in a modern road-race position to start with, chances are it will feel uncomfortably cramped when fitted with swept-back bars - the top tube is too short. <br /><br />The roadbikes that tend to make for the happiest upright conversions seem to be ones that use the older fit philosophy (longer top tube, higher bars), or, in modern fit terms - are too big for the rider to start with. Not sure whether I'm making sense here, but perhaps a topic for a future post. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-4926775709687539222016-05-15T00:32:24.509-04:002016-05-15T00:32:24.509-04:00That's very much like the weather we have in M...That's very much like the weather we have in Montara, CA approx. 16 miles south of S.F. on the cost. I lived in New Orleans for 65 years and never got use to the months long heat and humidity. On the northern Calif. coast I wear a cycling jacket all year long. But getting back to the upright position, I have a six-speed Brompton that I seldom use due to the headwinds and those 16 inch wheels. I feel as though I'm peddling for nothing. . . wind to the back is great. I need an attitude correction.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09710715433883677736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-87241097304732728292016-05-14T19:25:49.075-04:002016-05-14T19:25:49.075-04:00Always the contrarian…Today was 65F and I found my...Always the contrarian…Today was 65F and I found myself putting on the wool, including hat, because it was simply too chilly out with the wind blowing. I parked in my usual place to do some drawings and watch cyclists and notice two who were cycling against the wind. One with drop bars and the other with uprights. Funny thing is the one with uprights was in a more aerodynamic position. There are always variable at play which is the beauty of life and, I goes, bikes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-13566124449182373412016-05-14T17:37:04.758-04:002016-05-14T17:37:04.758-04:00I would go along with the contrast-based explanati...I would go along with the contrast-based explanation. That is, the air is cooler and so the sun feels hotter by comparison when it appears. Our skin doesn't sense temperature absolutely but only relatively so that fits too. And, by way of balance, I'd strongly argue that the 6pm sun shining directly on you in say, South of France, is way hotter than anything any time of year in Ireland. Lovely piece, by the way.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07614115222065803162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89960616833423620952016-05-14T16:35:26.093-04:002016-05-14T16:35:26.093-04:00I have seen quite a few modified road bikes around...I have seen quite a few modified road bikes around here, I like how they look - I bought my road bike with an over-size flat bar and bar ends - looks good and feels great.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-33451973729598555052016-05-14T13:35:56.579-04:002016-05-14T13:35:56.579-04:00This is a really good observation. My commute is i...This is a really good observation. My commute is in two halves (well, in thirds if you count the train journey in the middle). The first part is 6 miles on the road, head down-ish and going fairly fast. The last bit is 1.25 miles in town on the upright town mixte. The road miles, I am focused on the workings of my body, on muscle engagement, pedalling technique and cadence. The town bit, I am taking stock (morning and night) of my particular part of London, noticing things constantly, hardly aware of 'me'. It's a good mix, quite healthy I feel. Oh and of course road/traffic awareness at all times but the situations in the country and in the city are very different and so are the roadcraft skills required for each.Rebecca Oldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05979821146538393459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-54351745268162768992016-05-14T12:24:54.676-04:002016-05-14T12:24:54.676-04:00That's what I love about cycling. There are bi...That's what I love about cycling. There are bike setups for all kinds of weather-related and physical conditions to suit everyone. :)anniebikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737989268380822651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37313695091643476462016-05-14T04:45:49.237-04:002016-05-14T04:45:49.237-04:00Riding mountain bikes provides an upright position...Riding mountain bikes provides an upright position, which I love for the reasons you have described; quite apart from the fact that these bikes are just such fun and offer so much variety during a ride. For myself, riding should always be about the scenery - that's why I head out, to enjoy the great outdoors.<br />As for the 'heat' you are experiencing - goodness me - at 20c I am wearing a hoodie and long pants - but of course you are right, the same temperature may be experienced differently. I have lived in a town in a dry, semi-desert area of Western Australia where the temperature hovered on 50C during the long, hot summer, but found this more bearable than the cloying humidity of far North Queensland at 30C.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-72368517942938655492016-05-14T04:05:41.262-04:002016-05-14T04:05:41.262-04:00Wait, you're from Texas?
My impression is th...Wait, you're from Texas? <br /><br />My impression is that the Irish (all of them! as a homogenous stereotyped group!) simply appreciate the drama of it. Don't forget that until the television and smartphone bans were lifted by the Church in 2011, weather was one of the few available forms of entertainment. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-80795976141123966282016-05-14T03:54:47.573-04:002016-05-14T03:54:47.573-04:00Sometimes it's not a matter of speed, but of b...Sometimes it's not a matter of speed, but of being able to move at all. In a 27-30mph headwind, I found myself physically unable to propel a bike in an upright position, no matter how much I would have liked to. In a "milder" 15-20mph headwind, it was possible - but pedaling at barely above walking speed while having to put in grueling effort made commuting this way for long distances highly impractical. My first two winters here, such wind conditions happened for only occasional stretches, but this past winter they became the daily norm. Setting up a commuter with drop bars kept me cycling when otherwise I would have been walking or taking motorised transport. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.com