Biker thread

[GBA]

Leukaemia patient completes gruelling penny farthing ride across Australia

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1548&u=/afp/afplifestyle_health&printer=1


SYDNEY (AFP) - A British leukaemia patient rolled into Sydney after a gruelling fundraising ride on a vintage penny farthing bicycle across the Australian outback.

Lloyd Scott, 43, set out from Perth in Western Australia on October 13 on what many saw as a crazy mission to raise one million pounds (1.9 million dollars) for the British charity, Children with Leukaemia.

To do it, he had to cross the hot Nullarbor Plain on his awkward, uncomfortable bike for 12 hours a day along the longest, straightest road in the world.

The penny farthing, an ungainly-looking bicycle with a front wheel much larger than the back one, was popular during the nineteenth century.

As he reached Sydney's Bondi Beach seven weeks and one day after he began, Scott admitted he was only one third of the way toward his financial target, but still hopeful of reaching it.

"It's worth the pain because there's a very personal message from me as well, the fact that I actually had leukaemia."

The former firefighter was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in 1987.

Following a successful transplant which sent the disease into remission, he dedicated himself to raising money for Children with Leukaemia through a series of endurance events.

In a previous charity effort he completed the London Marathon in a deep-sea diving suit.

Scott said many people might find his latest adventure a "bit barmy (insane)" but it was worth it.

"I mean, someone today will probably be diagnosed as having leukaemia and they can say 'Oh, that guy who rode the bike across Australia, he had leukaemia.'

"It might instil a little bit of hope or inspiration or encouragement and that's something we can rarely give somebody else."

He said that in many ways the ride, and suffering the disease, were similar.

"Both of them are pretty slow, painful journeys and I was in hospital for the bone marrow transplant for roughly the same amount of time I was on this ride.

"At times I did think: Am I going to make it? Same as in the hospital but fortunately, like the illness, I am going to come out the other side."

[Gaius Millhelm]

A fellow cyclist! Cool :-)

What kind of bikes do you own?

My road bike is an entry-level Le Monde from about ten years back, recently decked it out with a fresh Shimano Ultegra grouppo.

My mountain bike is a GT i-Drive Ruckus that I bought last year on exitwound's recommendation :D

[Gaius Millhelm]

This time of year, EW and I both find ourselves on our stationary trainers all too often (we talk while riding our trainers almost every day, on AIM/iChat); how about you, GBA?

[GBA]

Well..........

Lets see, I got a Trek 1000 road bike I mostly ride on centuries
A Giant hybrid I changed gears and bars on that I use for touring.
Hopefully doing 500 mile around Illinois next year, for my mid-life crisis. :D
Got a Fuji folding mountain bike that I've pretty much replaced everything on that I use for grocery getting and cruising around the city, got it from Marlboro, when I used to smoke.
Then on the trainer is a Schwinn Tempo, also rebuilt, aero bars, Mavic rims, new gears. My cousin found it in the alley behind his house with the serial numbers ground off.
When I'm on that I watch TDF, Vuelta Espana and Giro d' Italia videos with the sound off and blast music on the headphones. :D

[exitwound]

A folding Fuji MTB?! Jeez, you have a death wish?!

Folding road bikes are scary enough, but a folding mountain bike -- made by Fuji, who have one of the worst failure rates of any frame manufacturers I'm aware of -- is terrifying to me!

Then again, I'm the guy who's broken over a dozen fixed-frame bikes, so go figure :?

[GBA]

A folding Fuji MTB?! Jeez, you have a death wish?!

Folding road bikes are scary enough, but a folding mountain bike -- made by Fuji, who have one of the worst failure rates of any frame manufacturers I'm aware of -- is terrifying to me!

Then again, I'm the guy who's broken over a dozen fixed-frame bikes, so go figure :?

Well, your a mountain biker, riding on trails, etc ?? yes?

I'm using mine for ghetto crusing, the only frame stress I put on it is curb hopping, and maybe too many groceries.

[Nyar]

A folding Fuji MTB?! Jeez, you have a death wish?!

Folding road bikes are scary enough, but a folding mountain bike -- made by Fuji, who have one of the worst failure rates of any frame manufacturers I'm aware of -- is terrifying to me!

Then again, I'm the guy who's broken over a dozen fixed-frame bikes, so go figure :?

Well, your a mountain biker, riding on trails, etc ?? yes?

I'm using mine for ghetto crusing, the only frame stress I put on it is curb hopping, and maybe too many groceries.

my brother n law thought there was a smooth ramp up the curb and didnt notice the curb itself when he hit it head on....flew over the handlebars and the top of his head hit the metal post of the stop sign. split his helmet in two and gave him a headache. would have split a skull otherwise.

[Funky Monkey]

my brother n law thought there was a smooth ramp up the curb and didnt notice the curb itself when he hit it head on....flew over the handlebars and the top of his head hit the metal post of the stop sign. split his helmet in two and gave him a headache. would have split a skull otherwise.

Any halfway serious rider has been there at some point. At the last Packet Dojo get-together @ exit's family's cabin in the white mountains, Gaius and Exit talked a bunch of the rest of us into riding some of Exit's spare bikes....I managed to completely shatter one of Gaius' spare helmets by crashing before we even got to the trail head!

I got right back up and felt fine....didn't even realize I'd landed on my head until I stood up and the helmet fell right off in about ten pieces!

[GBA]

Any halfway serious rider has been there at some point. At the last Packet Dojo get-together @ exit's family's cabin in the white mountains, Gaius and Exit talked a bunch of the rest of us into riding some of Exit's spare bikes....I managed to completely shatter one of Gaius' spare helmets by crashing before we even got to the trail head!

I got right back up and felt fine....didn't even realize I'd landed on my head until I stood up and the helmet fell right off in about ten pieces!
White mountains, Arizona ??

[Gaius Millhelm]

Any halfway serious rider has been there at some point. At the last Packet Dojo get-together @ exit's family's cabin in the white mountains, Gaius and Exit talked a bunch of the rest of us into riding some of Exit's spare bikes....I managed to completely shatter one of Gaius' spare helmets by crashing before we even got to the trail head!

I got right back up and felt fine....didn't even realize I'd landed on my head until I stood up and the helmet fell right off in about ten pieces!
White mountains, Arizona ??

Negative; New Hampshire. Just south of Lake Winnipesaukee (you'll see it on any decent high-resolution map, it's the biggest lake in New England).

[exitwound]

Any halfway serious rider has been there at some point. At the last Packet Dojo get-together @ exit's family's cabin in the white mountains, Gaius and Exit talked a bunch of the rest of us into riding some of Exit's spare bikes....I managed to completely shatter one of Gaius' spare helmets by crashing before we even got to the trail head!

I got right back up and felt fine....didn't even realize I'd landed on my head until I stood up and the helmet fell right off in about ten pieces!

OMG, I'd almost forgotten about that :oops:

You scared me half to death; out of the corner of my eye, I thought that was your HEAD coming apart when you stood up :shock:

[Gaius Millhelm]

Any halfway serious rider has been there at some point. At the last Packet Dojo get-together @ exit's family's cabin in the white mountains, Gaius and Exit talked a bunch of the rest of us into riding some of Exit's spare bikes....I managed to completely shatter one of Gaius' spare helmets by crashing before we even got to the trail head!

I got right back up and felt fine....didn't even realize I'd landed on my head until I stood up and the helmet fell right off in about ten pieces!

OMG, I'd almost forgotten about that :oops:

You scared me half to death; out of the corner of my eye, I thought that was your HEAD coming apart when you stood up :shock:

You and me both! :shock:

Luckily I was stupid enough to make you let me finish the ride without a helmet, that was the most fun I ever had while I was also in searing pain (heart/lungs/legs) :twisted:

[exitwound]

With all the snow on the ground, I am beginning to think often about my Nokian ice tires....2.3in wide, 337 studs per tire....world-class construction for low-pressure operation without the need for tube-shields....

Too bad they're only so-so on snow; they're mostly meant for riding after ice storms, or on lakes. You need positively HUGE tires, much bigger than normal bike frames/forks even allow, to get very far in fresh powder on a bicycle.

[Anonymous]

With all the snow on the ground, I am beginning to think often about my Nokian ice tires....2.3in wide, 337 studs per tire....world-class construction for low-pressure operation without the need for tube-shields.....
Went to a seminar last week here, on how to ride in the winter, at a bar no less. :roll:
They recommended riding thinner tires, less resistance in the snow and allegedly handle better, I don't think I believe them.
Oh, and studded tires are illegal here, on bikes too. :roll:

[Gaius Millhelm]

Went to a seminar last week here, on how to ride in the winter, at a bar no less. :roll:
They recommended riding thinner tires, less resistance in the snow and allegedly handle better, I don't think I believe them.
Oh, and studded tires are illegal here, on bikes too. :roll:

Weird. that makes no sense to me.

[GBA]

Went to a seminar last week here, on how to ride in the winter, at a bar no less. :roll:
They recommended riding thinner tires, less resistance in the snow and allegedly handle better, I don't think I believe them.
Oh, and studded tires are illegal here, on bikes too. :roll:

Weird. that makes no sense to me.
Didn't make sense to me either, the guy also said if you do ride mtn bike tires, keep they fully inflated.
That didn't make sense either, I figure let a little air out for better traction.

But then I don't go by 90% of what this dude said, like, take the whole lane when riding in on unplowed streets. :roll:
I generally ride in the ruts cars have made, and get out of the way when I see one coming.
Bike vs 10,000 # car, bike loses every time.

[exitwound]

Didn't make sense to me either, the guy also said if you do ride mtn bike tires, keep they fully inflated.
That didn't make sense either, I figure let a little air out for better traction.

But then I don't go by 90% of what this dude said, like, take the whole lane when riding in on unplowed streets. :roll:
I generally ride in the ruts cars have made, and get out of the way when I see one coming.
Bike vs 10,000 # car, bike loses every time.

Yeah, in the winter it can be very hard to see cyclists, and most white-bread americans don't quite expect to see a biker out on a frozen snow-covered road....

[GBA]

Yeah, in the winter it can be very hard to see cyclists, and most white-bread americans don't quite expect to see a biker out on a frozen snow-covered road....

We're lucky here, our Mayor rides, and has installed alot of new bikes lanes, along with $500.00 fines for driving or parking a car in them.


I sit by the front window and have coffee every morning, see these dudes go by everyday rain, sleet, blizzard, etc.
In suits and ties no less.
I was talking to someone about it and they said they're like Mormons(forgot the exact religion) and don't drive cars.

Hey, you ride trainer in winter, yes?
Mountain bike or road bike on it?

[exitwound]

Yeah, in the winter it can be very hard to see cyclists, and most white-bread americans don't quite expect to see a biker out on a frozen snow-covered road....

We're lucky here, our Mayor rides, and has installed alot of new bikes lanes, along with $500.00 fines for driving or parking a car in them.


I sit by the front window and have coffee every morning, see these dudes go by everyday rain, sleet, blizzard, etc.
In suits and ties no less.
I was talking to someone about it and they said they're like Mormons(forgot the exact religion) and don't drive cars.

Hey, you ride trainer in winter, yes?
Mountain bike or road bike on it?

Mountain bikes on trainers were possible when everyone still rode hardtails. You'd have to swap your knobbies for slicks, but it could be done. Now that I ride a long-travel full suspension bike -- and also own a decent road bike that just needs a saddle that won't further abuse my "ex-professional-cyclist's prostate" (and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about) -- I wouldn't dream of it.

I don't really have the trainer set up at the moment because of the aforementioned saddle design issues, but I should get around to it anyway in the next couple of days once we finish re-organizing our wee apartment.

I'll just have to stand up and pedal off the sandle a bit :roll:

[GBA]

So..........

Are you a cleaner ??

My tenant cleans his after EVERY ride, but then he rides a $7,000.00 Kestrel.

I clean mine when it gets filthy.
Once of twice in the summer, more in the winter.
But not after every ride, maybe after every 3-4, depending how bad it looks.

[cranius]

i like dirt on my bike but i own a crappy one so no surprise there

[GBA]

5 more shopping days!!
http://bicyclegifts.com/index.html
:D :D :D

[GBA]

Lets go !!
http://www.pedaltheplanet.com
:)

[exitwound]

So..........

Are you a cleaner ??

My tenant cleans his after EVERY ride, but then he rides a $7,000.00 Kestrel.

I clean mine when it gets filthy.
Once of twice in the summer, more in the winter.
But not after every ride, maybe after every 3-4, depending how bad it looks.

Totally depends on how much I've been riding, and in what weather. On my road bike I rarely go out in conditions that would make it very dirty....

I try not to get my mountain bike all mucked up because it has so many (expensive) moving parts....

But yes, when they get dirty, I clean them. Obsessively, sometimes :roll:

[Nyar]

http://papayou.com/menu/MIKOO/FUN/4/12-poulak.jpg

[roguestar]

OMFG :shock:

[GBA]

Lance puzzled ?


http://team.discovery.com/puzzles/puzzles.html

[roguestar]

heh 8)

[GBA]

Well..........

Planning ond doing GIT next month, here's my checklist, so far.
http://www.bikelib.org/trails/git/


Bicycle Gear

Bicycle
Two water bottles and carriers
Rear pannier carrier and bags
Front pannier carrier and bags
Handlebar bag
Front light with spare batteries and bulb
Flashing rear safety light
Security lock
Pump
Extra straps or bungee cords to secure gear

Tools

Compact screwdrivers to fit bike
Allen wrenches to fit bike parts
Tire irons
Spoke wrench
Six-inch crescent wrench
Spare tube
Tube patch kit
Spare gear and brake cables
6 spokes to fit your rims
3 in 1 oil

First Aid

First aid kit
Chamois cream
Ace bandage
Pencil and emergency report form
Emergency Phone Numbers and money for a phone call

Clothing

Bike helmet -- if you have a brain, protect it!
Long underwear (lightweight tops and bottoms. Synthetic is best or wool / synthetic/cotton blend)
Cycling shorts -- I prefer the baggie outers with pockets to the tight Lycra geek look
Cycling socks (two to three pairs--I like those made by ThorLo)
One pair long pants
T-shirt (cotton / synthetic blend such as those made by Sierra Designs or Patagonia or synthetic such as Tekware by The North Face)
Fleece, Polartec or wool sweater
Bathing suit
Insulated hat
Fleece or Polartec jacket
Cycling gloves
Rain suit (jacket and pants)
Warm gloves for around camp
Windbreaker
Cycling shoes
Camp / hiking shoes

Personal

Quick drying towel
Soap and shampoo
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Hair brush
Shaving kit
Compact mirror

Camping Gear

Compact tent with rainfly
Sleeping bag and pad
Backpacking stove and fuel
Coffee pot
Coffee cup
Cooking pot
Cup, plate and eating utensils
MRE's

Miscellaneous

Wrap-style sunglasses
Multi-tool knife
Waterproofed maps
Waterproof matches
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Hat
Nylon cord
Camera and film

[Gaius Millhelm]

edit: prepare for ownage, fools :devilish:

[GBA]

edit: prepare for ownage, fools :devilish:

HAH!

I ain't a-scared of no yuppie scum.
:razz:

[Badgirl]

edit: prepare for ownage, fools :devilish:

HAH!

I ain't a-scared of no yuppie scum.
:razz:

yeah yeah....I can hear your knees knocking together like castanets :razz: