Cycling Thread

[Bigtime]

Enjoying riding the road bike today and hopefully tomorrow. It's been a great first season with it, but I'm sure I can adjust back to slogging away on my old bike (which has become the winter bike).

[KTrain]

After putting a few kms on it this weekend, I moved the road bike to the trainer and calibrated it. It'll likely stay there until the spring. I'm going to be doing larger variety of training that I just can't do on a normal commute. Especially in the winter. The cross bike is now my main outside ride and will likely only commute a few times a month now.

I also quietly crossed the 9000km mark this morning.

My friend mentioned that's almost 1.5 times across Canada. Which has planted the seed of attempting that one day...

[Northendzone]

if you were to average 100k per day, then that is likely somewhere of 3-7 hrs per day of riding depending on weather conditions, terrain etc for about 50 days - seems pretty manageable

hard part of would be how do you efficiently deal with mechanicals in the middle of nowhere, assuming you are not followed by a support vehicle

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

if you were to average 100k per day, then that is likely somewhere of 3-7 hrs per day of riding depending on weather conditions, terrain etc for about 50 days - seems pretty manageable

hard part of would be how do you efficiently deal with mechanicals in the middle of nowhere, assuming you are not followed by a support vehicle

There was a company coordinating cross Canada, full-supported rides for the 150th anniversary. That would have been a fun way to do it.

Looks like they're organizing them again. Vancouver June 20 to St. John's August 31. 7550km for $5849.91.

Travelling to all 10 Canadian provinces
Total days — 72
Riding days — 60
Total distance by bike 7,635 km (4,710 miles)
Daily average 129 km ( 80 mi.)
Longest day — 174 km (107 mi.)
Optional Mile 0 start trip(Victoria)

That's a little too much time to take off work though.

http://www.tourducanada.com/Fees.html

[worth]

Do it yourself unsupported, it's so much more rewarding. You can spend 6 grand on a supported tour when you're 60.

I've done 3 multi-day self supported tours from 4 days up to 2 months. You can go basically everywhere on a bike, if you have a mechanical issue and don't have parts, people will help you all over the world.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by worth

Do it yourself unsupported, it's so much more rewarding. You can spend 6 grand on a supported tour when you're 60.

I've done 3 multi-day self supported tours from 4 days up to 2 months. You can go basically everywhere on a bike, if you have a mechanical issue and don't have parts, people will help you all over the world.

That's the plan. Getting the time to do it is the challenge. Likely won't happen until the kids are out of the house in 10+ years.

I'm going to build up to it and test the legs first with two or three day endurance rides. The plan for next summer is to ride to my parent's place in St. Albert. 350km. Going to try to do it in a couple days.

[habernac]

Ride home is gonna suck today. Enjoyed the push in, though.

[Bigtime]

Yeah, today was a day that I could have rode the road bike in and probably need the winter bike for the ride home. Slogging northbound into that wind sucked.

I think one guy heading southbound (not you Habernac) was gesturing for me to turn off my front light. What's up with that? I've got it at the lowest setting and angled down to the path, this rider also turned his light off as he approached me. Something I've never seen anyone else do before.

Frankly I'm not going to try and switch off my light with mitted hands every time someone is coming my way. I just focus my sight away from their light so my eyes are fine. Thoughts?

[habernac]

That's ridiculous. If it's on strobe, I get it, because that's just annoying on the pathway.

[worth]

There's no way I am turning my light off and on like high beams on the pathway. Seems pretty silly.

I took the road bike. I am likely going to regret this.

[Northendzone]

i would not turn off my light either, it is just something you have to live with

[Bigtime]

Ok glad I'm not crazy, I could even understand it if I had my light pointing up too much but I'm pretty obsessive about getting it at the perfect angle for pathway coverage and not being too close that I can over-ride the light when going faster.

[Northendzone]

I suppose if this action becomes a "thing", then you could always use you hand to cover your light - but then you risk passing someone in the dark and only having one hand on your handle bar.

you can't aim your lights on a bike perfectly, sometimes you are going to get it in the eyes.

[Bigtime]

I was thinking of covering for him, but I wanted two hands on the handles as that north wind was buffeting me like crazy.

[habernac]

Don't give him the satisfaction

[KTrain]

This is where Strava Flybys come in handy. If they're on Strava you can see who it was and shoot them a message with proper safety/etiquette.

[Lubicon]

Do you turn your headlights off on your car when another vehicle approaches? So why would you do it on your bike. Like you said Bigtime, just divert your eyes elsewhere momentarily just like you do driving a vehicle.

Disclaimer - I do not ride but this seems like a no brainer to me.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by KTrain

This is where Strava Flybys come in handy. If they're on Strava you can see who it was and shoot them a message with proper safety/etiquette.

Yeah I checked the Flybys, nobody else on my route this morning. This time of year the only flyby'er I'll get is habernac usually, but I won't see his until he uploads after the afternoon commute.

[habernac]

yeah, definitely wasn't me.

[Bigtime]

Yeah it wasn't you for sure, guy with big yellow mitts on and no helmet.