tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post5832838529424262401..comments2024-03-29T04:01:31.445-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Side by SideVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-30340012639968335902012-01-08T05:08:38.972-05:002012-01-08T05:08:38.972-05:00I also didn't quite find the right 'fit...I also didn't quite find the right 'fit' with the social cycling thing during my last attempt. I've got a few rides in my calendar for this year, so we'll see if my timing's a little better now! I don't mind single-file or pairs, but I find the latter works well at a slow pace if one feels like a bit of a chat!Ceciliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06345590524270302144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-79566384452980349832012-01-08T02:27:54.961-05:002012-01-08T02:27:54.961-05:00Surly publishes frame geometry that includes chain...Surly publishes frame geometry that includes chainstay length, wheelbase, and bottom bracket drop. Solving for front center in each frame size using Pythagoras and a calculator should be straightforward.<br /><br />Wish mfrs who go to the trouble of publishing geometry would give the front center.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-15005326729840425022012-01-07T18:45:20.862-05:002012-01-07T18:45:20.862-05:00Is that stainless thing next to the pastry a cream...Is that stainless thing next to the pastry a creamer or a thermo mug? If the latter I want one. If the former the SO wiill veto.Michael, The Black Squirrelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09221114487418473897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-62012019170868444212012-01-07T18:37:31.276-05:002012-01-07T18:37:31.276-05:00Wow, thanks MDI for the very thorough explanation!...Wow, thanks MDI for the very thorough explanation! TCO has been such a problem for me and I couldn't wrap my brain around it. Up to now, I've always blamed it on the fact that I have giant feet for a girl. I ride a 52 cm frame yet have size 12 feet. (Yes, size TWELVE.) But now I have a formula! <br /><br />Thanks so much!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-64131875945484345962012-01-07T18:10:39.076-05:002012-01-07T18:10:39.076-05:00Those tires I have are almost 2" so narrower ...Those tires I have are almost 2" so narrower 28mm might have less TCO with a 54. The thing to do is to measure the distance from the bottom bracket to the front axle (called front center) on a 700c bike that has the tires you want (and fenders you want) and no TCO, and then, armed with that measurement, go into a bike store and measure front center on a floor model. That will tell you right away if there will be a problem or not.<br /><br />When doing a comparison keep in mind that crank arm length (and to a smaller extent BB spindle width), foot position on the pedal, shoe size, and even BB height affect TCO. So it's possible to have TCO on one bike but not another with the same front center due to the above mentioned variables.<br /><br />Having said all that:<br /><br />The front center on the largest Surly XC is 64cm.<br />The front center on the 52cm Riv SH is 61.5cm.MDInoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44508175603242012922012-01-07T17:59:32.104-05:002012-01-07T17:59:32.104-05:00Heather - I tried a 54cm Surly Cross-Check at the ...Heather - I tried a 54cm Surly Cross-Check at the same time as the C-H was considering his purchase. The 54cm size has a level TT and a 72deg ST angle, just like the larger frames. Major TCO with wide tires and heavyish (though very stable) handling. I remember thinking that it was similar to my Rivendell (including a long TT - 56cm), only without lugs and with TCO. I think that the smaller frames, like Bekka's, are actually quicker handling, because of the steeper angles and compact geometry.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-63912270601297246892012-01-07T17:42:42.126-05:002012-01-07T17:42:42.126-05:00I don't see a need for a strict policy or anyt...I don't see a need for a strict policy or anything wrong with being influenced by people you're riding with - it's not like a question of the death penalty or reproductive freedom. ;) I generally prefer to ride single file, but I easily go along with anyone who wants to ride two-abreast, no big deal as long as cars can get around us (and usually someone drops back when a car approaches).Dottiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03984050970208363927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27958897786612260672012-01-07T17:16:19.699-05:002012-01-07T17:16:19.699-05:00Re: small frame sizes. The tiny surly cross check...Re: small frame sizes. The tiny surly cross check may ride very differently than your cohabitants due to size, physics and design issues that come up when shrinking a bike. Remember things are still designed with bigger people, and (sorry!) more often than not, men of a larger than average women size. My surly lht is 46cm and it has been such a struggle. Good well built bike, but not right. I had contacted bqp about their very good surly lht review and was told that in all likelyhood, while the average to larger frames are excellent, the smaller frames may have an issue with being overbuilt, sluggish etc..especially if you are a smaller lighter person. Also the new modern steel bikes are being built with oversized tubing, which are meant for larger riders, or bikes specifically for heavy heavy loads.<br />As Bekka may be fairly new to cycling in terms of experience and different bikes, she may be very happy with her cross check, but given a chance to ride something better, she may start to notice issues. Is she tall enough to ride any of your bikes?<br />Her blog is hilarious!Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37977801354533930062012-01-07T15:17:46.274-05:002012-01-07T15:17:46.274-05:00I put 28 mm high pressure tires on my Cross Check ...I put 28 mm high pressure tires on my Cross Check and can now use it for road rides with the club team. It's my one and only bike so it has to do it all, which includes sometimes putting the original 32 mm tires back on to take it into the woods to draw and paint!! Any links to you're mossy tree ptg's Bikeyface??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-54134595168911680362012-01-07T14:04:40.247-05:002012-01-07T14:04:40.247-05:00"She is planning to buy a proper road bike in..."She is planning to buy a proper road bike in spring/summer if this ends up being something she wants to do. "<br /><br />First my wife, now Bekka....your persuasive magic is very strong, Velouria of the Lovely Bicycle! <br />(cue evil laughter)<br /><br />Social riding is fun. My riding rules are "don't do anything that will surely get you killed or arrested." Be prudent but not overcautious or timid, as that can get you in trouble, too.Corey Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381826721030941179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-56531572626691686752012-01-07T12:10:16.373-05:002012-01-07T12:10:16.373-05:00Someone should mention my bar end shifters. Those ...Someone should mention my bar end shifters. Those slow me down before my tires do :) <br /><br />Yes this bike was bought to carry paints canvas and wander long distances in the suburbs/country doing landscape painting. May eventually become my commuter. Speed was never a concern, neither was road cycling until now... But new bikes are expensive and I don't want to buy the wrong starter road bike. I need to push this one to it's limits and see who I am as a cyclist first. Who knows, maybe I'll end up going back to biking through the woods to paint interesting mossy trees. (Well, I plan to keep doing that...)Bikeyfacehttp://bikeyface.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-52852397555993693142012-01-07T11:59:41.650-05:002012-01-07T11:59:41.650-05:00Re: the Cross Check. Do you know if it has a prob...Re: the Cross Check. Do you know if it has a problem with toe overlap? I think I finally have a full bike in my "spare parts box" and am thinking about trying to build up a bike myself for the first time. (More for the education of it than anything.) Don't want to spend a ton on a frame but don't want too cheap either. The Surly sounds like it might be a good bet for me. But like you, overlap drives me nuts. Any thoughts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-34195314058894980192012-01-07T10:56:25.521-05:002012-01-07T10:56:25.521-05:00Re tire width and Bekka's plans for roadcyclin...Re tire width and Bekka's plans for roadcycling... The Surly is her all around bike. It makes no sense to buy a new bike or even to replace tires before she decides whether she is even interested. I mean I did my first pace line ride on the Rivendell and only then decided that I needed a roadbike. The RSC women's rides are more relaxed anyway. She is planning to buy a proper road bike in spring/summer if this ends up being something she wants to do.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-32204373724538583642012-01-07T10:48:21.148-05:002012-01-07T10:48:21.148-05:00Gary - It is an Ostrich handlebar bag from Velo Or...Gary - It is an Ostrich handlebar bag from Velo Orange circa 2010. Attached to a Nitto front rack and also to the stem via a decalleur.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-13377677284951221212012-01-07T10:33:08.106-05:002012-01-07T10:33:08.106-05:00Hi Velouria,
Love your blog ! What kind of front ...Hi Velouria,<br /><br />Love your blog ! What kind of front (handlebar ?) bag is on your Rivendell ? Is it actually bar mounted, or is it supported on a frame mounted rack ?Gary from Dracutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-58888078675304625282012-01-07T08:40:33.381-05:002012-01-07T08:40:33.381-05:00I'm a fan of side by side cycling, it makes so...I'm a fan of side by side cycling, it makes social cycling much more enjoyable. But I only do so when such does not impede passing traffic (in either direction), whether that traffic is a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian, whether on road or path. I define impede as making it more difficult for others to pass as compared to cycling in single file, which i think is most consistent with traffic law. This can be complicated, to assess traffic in both directions and the size of the road, but then all rights have associated responsibilities.<br />This does mean on the narrow two lane roads common to the western suburbs, side by side traffic is not practical, unless there is very little traffic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14434254311488859982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-19322571858936086242012-01-07T08:17:21.948-05:002012-01-07T08:17:21.948-05:00Unless you make your living riding a bike faster t...Unless you make your living riding a bike faster than everyone else, pleasure should rank high on your list of reasons for being on a bike. <br /><br />If Bekka likes her tires the fact they may keep her a second or so behind someone on tires she does not like is meaningless.<br /><br />And say what you will about Jan's wide tire preference. His PBP times on a steel bike with Hetres impress me.Matthew Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10408057524387021992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-18512708371849290912012-01-07T08:08:03.611-05:002012-01-07T08:08:03.611-05:00We tend to follow Bill's line, often riding tw...We tend to follow Bill's line, often riding two abreast and singling out when road conditions dictate. We have a core team who have been riding together for 20 years and know who will want to go in front and who will want to drop into the line.<br /><br />I have stopped riding with one local club because I didn't like the way they rode. Nothing wild or extreme, just I wasn't comfortable with some of the traffic decisions being taken.Tim Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03277034044977018254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70635119176710825822012-01-07T04:43:20.721-05:002012-01-07T04:43:20.721-05:00A European complaining about us crazy Americans wi...<i>A European complaining about us crazy Americans with our fat tires, fenders, and racks? Weird or ironic?</i><br /><br />UK ain't Europe. Just ask Mr. Cameron.Robert Linthicumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04309652843831858990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-24223785219567697582012-01-06T23:34:06.168-05:002012-01-06T23:34:06.168-05:00It's true that the Jan Heine's studies on ...It's true that the Jan Heine's studies on tire rolling resistance have been wildly over-simplified and taken out of context by a great many commentators in cyberland.<br /><br />Wider tires are NOT faster when the riding involves a great many explosive accelerations, like typical riding in fast groups or in road racing.<br /><br />Wider tires are NOT faster in climbing.<br /><br />Those two factors alone can mean that wider tires could be slower, depending on the type of riding one does.msrwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-81972587720559776292012-01-06T22:44:12.385-05:002012-01-06T22:44:12.385-05:00Wow, that's awesome you got to keep the Van Ni...Wow, that's awesome you got to keep the Van Nicholas longer. That means an even more thorough review! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27951496508009966022012-01-06T22:30:04.437-05:002012-01-06T22:30:04.437-05:00I only returned the Van Nicholas yesterday actuall...I only returned the Van Nicholas yesterday actually. Thought I'd have it just for a weekend, but ended up riding it longer. The review will be up in a bit. I have another review already scheduled first and don't want to publish one right after the other.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-5320543388067842362012-01-06T22:21:25.449-05:002012-01-06T22:21:25.449-05:00Off topic, but just wanted to put a bug in your ea...Off topic, but just wanted to put a bug in your ear about the upcoming Van Nicholas review. (Back in December, you said you'd post it "in a week or so".) I'm considering the bike myself and can't wait to hear your thoughts!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-38394125038531892382012-01-06T18:18:23.260-05:002012-01-06T18:18:23.260-05:00^ It's lovelybicycle and here's a web vers...^ It's lovelybicycle and <a href="http://web.stagram.com/n/lovelybicycle/" rel="nofollow">here's a web version</a> for those who don't have Instagram. I do not always put my iphone pictures there though, sometimes I will upload them on flickr in addition or instead. Just click on the pictures in the post to go to my flickr account.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-90480084713614545342012-01-06T18:02:57.846-05:002012-01-06T18:02:57.846-05:00Velouria, have you already said what your instagra...Velouria, have you already said what your instagram handle is? Sorry if I missed it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com