Cycling Thread

[worth]

I don't have any lighting, but you really need a good setup. I did it a few years ago with a buddy of mine. we bought a $30 light and he went at 2am and got completely fukd. I rode a couple time in the day so I didn't have a problem. Only other thing is maybe set it up with your team that you don't ride at night. Don't they have a rental program for lights as well?

[peter12]

Threw some street slicks on my old old old Specialized Rockhopper, and now I commute to work. It is easily the best thing that i have done for myself, outside of marriage, in years.

[BurningYears]

Originally Posted by worth

I don't have any lighting, but you really need a good setup. I did it a few years ago with a buddy of mine. we bought a $30 light and he went at 2am and got completely fukd. I rode a couple time in the day so I didn't have a problem. Only other thing is maybe set it up with your team that you don't ride at night. Don't they have a rental program for lights as well?

Yea last year was my first and I tried with the 30ish $ 5 beam LED special from MEC and a head lamp and was not nearly enough. this year got a 550 lumin lamp for the front and it provides enough light on a night ride I did earlier this year. I think it was like 90$ or so, definitely good to have a head lamp in case you need to check out something on your bike and also good for being able to see where the bike isn't pointing. Definitely looking forward to being able to see this year.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by peter12

Threw some street slicks on my old old old Specialized Rockhopper, and now I commute to work. It is easily the best thing that i have done for myself, outside of marriage, in years.

So that was you I saw on the way to work today.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by BurningYears

Yea last year was my first and I tried with the 30ish $ 5 beam LED special from MEC and a head lamp and was not nearly enough. this year got a 550 lumin lamp for the front and it provides enough light on a night ride I did earlier this year. I think it was like 90$ or so, definitely good to have a head lamp in case you need to check out something on your bike and also good for being able to see where the bike isn't pointing. Definitely looking forward to being able to see this year.

Which one? I've got a MEC Zinger from my commuter, which is 480 lumen.


I was considering supplementing with one of these for my helmet:

http://www.mec.ca/product/5040-433/c...037&q=headlamp

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I'm racing 24 hours next weekend, and convinced it will be my first and last.

I don't really feel like shelling out a couple hundred bucks for lighting.

Anyone on here have some decent trail lights they want to rent out for some combo of beer and money?

Have you checked with mec about renting something?

Could always be one of those people that buys something and returns it as they have a liberal return policy.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by peter12

Threw some street slicks on my old old old Specialized Rockhopper, and now I commute to work. It is easily the best thing that i have done for myself, outside of marriage, in years.

Ha, that's the exact same setup I have...an early/mid 90s Rockhopper (that I bought used when I was 16), that a few years ago I converted to street tires. It's totally 90s retro...Chromo frame, early Rockshox, good old Grip Shift, even still has my Cat Eye Miti computer.

It's such a nice, comfortable, all-around bike. Ive considered getting a new one before, but I can't really see the point in spending $1k+ on a bike when the one I have seems to do the job pretty well.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Have you checked with mec about renting something?

Could always be one of those people that buys something and returns it as they have a liberal return policy.

It's so tempting to be "that guy" at MEC but I don't think I could look the customer service guy in the eye returning a high power bike light right after a very well known 24 hour bike race.

[bossy22]

I have the Jetlites x-52 and fu-2. http://jetlites.com/ Both about 900 lumens. I've had them a couple of years and have been flawless. Durable, good battery life. I have friends who buy the chinese lights every year for cheap, but they are cheaply made and don't really last all that long.

MTBR does a yearly bike light review that's pretty good.

http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/lights-shootout

A friend has asked to borrow my lights this year. She's doing it solo. If they don't need them, you can use mine. PM me in a couple of days to remind me if you haven't found anything.

[macker]

I do a fair amount of night riding but nothing longer than 2 to 3 hours so I can run my lights on the brightest settings always having a spare battery pack just in case that I have rarely had to use. I have tried the Klarus BK20 1,200 Lumen light, Cateye Nano Shot 600 Lumen and some of the MEC lights which never get used anymore. My favorite setup it a Solarstorm XT40 headlamp which is 2,800 Lumens with a Solarstorm X3 2500 Lumens entire setup I got from Gearbest for about $100 total. The other lights were at least twice as much and don't work as good. Likely get my next light setup from Gearbest again. Don't always have to spend a lot of money on lights!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Ha, that's the exact same setup I have...an early/mid 90s Rockhopper (that I bought used when I was 16), that a few years ago I converted to street tires. It's totally 90s retro...Chromo frame, early Rockshox, good old Grip Shift, even still has my Cat Eye Miti computer.

It's such a nice, comfortable, all-around bike. Ive considered getting a new one before, but I can't really see the point in spending $1k+ on a bike when the one I have seems to do the job pretty well.

The Rockshox Jenny's?!

As for dressing and commuting, I do wear a sport coat, and tie to work, but I do not cycle in such attire. No, I am the 20lb plus overweight man, in shorts and a tee shirt with a twisted grimace of pain and jealousy as everyone flies by me in their lycra onesies.

[Fuzz]

You mean Judy's? Probably more likely they are Mag 21's, or *Shivers* Quadras. I commute on my old 1997 Rocky Mountain Oxygen with Bomber Z2's. Love that bike.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

You mean Judy's? Probably more likely they are Mag 21's, or *Shivers* Quadras. I commute on my old 1997 Rocky Mountain Oxygen with Bomber Z2's. Love that bike.

Yes, Judy's. Of course.

[cracher]

Anyone else get a ticket for a bike rack yet?

Wife has a NS rack that, even when folded down, the metal post covers the plate. Got caught on 14th+southland area. Anyone have a solution (I really don't want to install/reinstall the rack 2 times a week)? Or should I just see it is a $150 yearly fee for full multanova immunity?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by cracher

Anyone else get a ticket for a bike rack yet?

Wife has a NS rack that, even when folded down, the metal post covers the plate. Got caught on 14th+southland area. Anyone have a solution (I really don't want to install/reinstall the rack 2 times a week)? Or should I just see it is a $150 yearly fee for full multanova immunity?

My wife got a warning. The officer suggested mounting the plate on the rack. I never did do that.

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by cracher

Anyone else get a ticket for a bike rack yet?

Wife has a NS rack that, even when folded down, the metal post covers the plate. Got caught on 14th+southland area. Anyone have a solution (I really don't want to install/reinstall the rack 2 times a week)? Or should I just see it is a $150 yearly fee for full multanova immunity?

I've heard of people getting out of tickets by photoing Police vehicles with bike racks showing that they too cover the plate.

Google there are a few local news articles about this.

[habernac]

I was about to add the same thing. Their own vehicles have racks that cover their plates as well.

[cracher]

I can just imagine that day in traffic court when some smart-ass shows a pic of a cop car with a covered plate haha. The fine is not worth the vacation day to fight it, so I guess I'll just pay it and hope to not get pulled over again.

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by cracher

I can just imagine that day in traffic court when some smart-ass shows a pic of a cop car with a covered plate haha. The fine is not worth the vacation day to fight it, so I guess I'll just pay it and hope to not get pulled over again.

The more people that fight the ticket and win, the more likely it is that cops begin to get it and quit pulling people over and ticketing them for it.

[tete]

Hi there, newbie cyclist question about the cycle tracks.

The 12th Ave. cycle track currently ends eastbound at 3rd St. SE. There is construction between 3rd and Olympic way/4th St., but there is what appears to be a pathway for pedestrians or cyclists for half of the block. If I'm cycling westbound on 12th heading from the river toward 4th, it's a wide street, I felt comfortable cycling there. But then I reach this, one block from the cycle track:



In order to properly reach the cycle track, should I turn right, go to 11th Ave, cycle one block on 11th and then cut back to the cycle track? I was very confused when I got to this point. There was no traffic, it was 9 pm, so I just ensured there was no traffic and cycled 1/4 block on the sidewalk and the rest of the block in the pathway to get to the lights but I know that wasn't correct.

Second question:

How do you turn left out of the cycle track and onto a residential street? Again, I'm talking 12th Ave, for example, here:

Spoiler for size of image

Spoiler!

In order to turn southbound onto 9th St going westbound, I have to cross over the eastbound bike lane folks, plus 3 lanes of oncoming traffic. Is the correct method to cross 9th St. and position your bike southbound and wait for a green light to proceed forward?

Thanks!