Cycling Thread 2

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by KTrain

Yesterday at 85km of a 100+ ride from Okotoks, I crashed my bike. After entering the city I was on a path and was heading towards a connecting road. With the sun in my eyes I didn't see a chain in the shade stretched across the path to prevent cars from coming on to the path until it was too late. Chain hit the tire and I went over the bars. Landed on my hands and head (always wear a helmet).

My wife came and brought me to urgent care. No concussion thankfully but my hand wasn't so lucky. I dislocated my ring finger. Thankful, because of all my cycling, my wedding ring doesn't fit anymore otherwise things could have been much worse. No break.

Here's what my hand looks like today:



Here's what it looked like yesterday. Spoiler because it's really gross. Don't open if you're squeemish.

Spoiler!

One last warning...

Spoiler!

Yes yes and yes you warned us... but I cannot UN-SEE that now.
gross. like I'm surprised how much I was grossed out.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Gorgeous morning for a rip around Nose Hill. I love it up there in the fall. No people, most of the leg pokey things are dead, the lighting and colours are fantastic, and the ground is firm and fast. Crank up the PSI on the 29'er and let 'er rip! So much fun.

We've hardly had any moisture really for a LOOONG time... so everything seems to have died early perhaps? In any case I'm generally surprised at the lack of vegetation infringing on the singletrack trails in most NW areas. Trails are super super hard packed too. Definitely a great rip on the monster-gravel bike exploring places like single track in Ranchlands (around the school with the big hill), 12-mile coulee, Bowmont, Edgemont, little connectors here and there. Not to mention with that crazy wind it's more fun than road riding.

[Flabbibulin]

Sister in law passed an accident on 22 north of cochrane and suggested a pretty bad accident involving a cyclist. Damn.

Edit: yes, now being reported that cyclist was killed.

[KTrain]

https://www.cochranetoday.ca/local-n...medium=twitter

Upon arrival, RCMP located a 54-year-old Cochrane cyclist deceased. RCMP reported the driver of the vehicle that struck the cyclist, a 58-year-old Cochrane man, was taken by EMS to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police believe alcohol was a factor in the collision.

“There are signs that the driver of the vehicle may have been impaired by alcohol, we did enter into an impaired driving investigation,” said Corporal Troy Savinkoff of the Cochrane RCMP.

[Ryan Coke]

That’s a pi$$ off. Some drunk guy does a hit and run and then continues on moments later to take out the cyclist.

And it always hits closer to home when something like that happens in your local area.

[JR449]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

That’s a pi$$ off. Some drunk guy does a hit and run and then continues on moments later to take out the cyclist.

And it always hits closer to home when something like that happens in your local area.

Ran the person over like a deer

[Fuzz]

Another incredible afternoon for a ride around the city. Down on the pathways today. It's just to bad we get 10 months of winter around here, and can't ride bikes in October.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Another incredible afternoon for a ride around the city. Down on the pathways today. It's just to bad we get 10 months of winter around here, and can't ride bikes in October.

Fuzz... I'll accept your statement as a "trigger" and respond: I've ridden outside year-round for ~15 years. My winter riding has been all about the commute on both roads and paths (aka MUP), through all temps and moisture types. If anyone wants to ask anything about winter riding I'm happy to offer a few perspectives, suggestions, or advice.

[habernac]

I think Fuzz is throwing shade at the non cycling clowns who think the infrastructure is wasted because of "10 months of snow" bull####.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by KTrain

https://www.cochranetoday.ca/local-n...medium=twitter

Anyone hear anything further on this tragic incident? it's been super quiet in the news... actually not mentioned since the story broke.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

Anyone hear anything further on this tragic incident? it's been super quiet in the news... actually not mentioned since the story broke.

I got my haircut last week and the stylist is friends with the family of the man but she didn't have any other details other than what was in the news.

I haven't heard they about the cyclist that was killed over the summer by McKenzie Meadows Golf Club. Again by a drunk driver.

[RichieRich]

Brilliant day for an afternoon road ride out NW of Calgary despite that annoying gusty SE wind. Wish it was easy to attach a screen shot of the family circus route I did.
~80km / ~2.5hrs.

[woolymammoth]

Starting to look into a more expensive alternative to the cheap trainer i've been using indoors through winter for two seasons now, does anyone have a good experience or know of someone using the Elite Suito smart trainer?

[Northendzone]

had a bit of a frustrating expereince recently with my garmin tour edge computer.

so i had this unit for about 6 or so years, and the battery life was getting low, so i did some searching on the internet and found that the battery could be replaced and watched a video that made the procedure look relatively easy - so i ordered the battery for $40. Opened up my garmin and as i was gently prying out the internals, my tool lightly clipped some internal part that came off the circuit board - so i wound up making a mess of my unit and wound up chucking it out.

looked around at options and order a IG Sport model for $180 from Amazon. The unit itself was ok for the price and fit my garmin mount, but the app was crappy - so i sent that back to amazon.

then wound up buying a 520 from facebook marketplace for $220. Nice unit, fits the garmin mounts i have on all three bikes, but the map interface really sucks. i had just assumed the map part would work like my tour edge worked. The unit itself works nicely as it BT's to my phone (which now makes my $500 garmin fenix 3 somewhat redundant for biking purposes).

of course i can use trailforks on my phone in terms of directions, but it was nice having a map in my garmin - and given i could not really return the garmin, i am going to have to live with this and do a little more research on what i can load into it.

i guess my lesson is ultimately, not all garmins are created equally, and do more research into the model i am buying

[Northendzone]

yeah, the wind he last few evenings has not been fun, and it is getting to be legging weather in the morning when the wind is typically calm

[Northendzone]

i tested my outbound lights last night in my back yard, gives off a light similar to a car headlight. Lately I have been getting in my ride at around 4pm; however, soon it won't matter. I may go for a quick spin on my gravel bike tonight to give it a real world test.

Originally Posted by bossy22

Northendzone, when you get your light make a video of how bright it is out on the trail.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

had a bit of a frustrating expereince recently with my garmin tour edge computer.

so i had this unit for about 6 or so years, and the battery life was getting low, so i did some searching on the internet and found that the battery could be replaced and watched a video that made the procedure look relatively easy - so i ordered the battery for $40. Opened up my garmin and as i was gently prying out the internals, my tool lightly clipped some internal part that came off the circuit board - so i wound up making a mess of my unit and wound up chucking it out.

looked around at options and order a IG Sport model for $180 from Amazon. The unit itself was ok for the price and fit my garmin mount, but the app was crappy - so i sent that back to amazon.

then wound up buying a 520 from facebook marketplace for $220. Nice unit, fits the garmin mounts i have on all three bikes, but the map interface really sucks. i had just assumed the map part would work like my tour edge worked. The unit itself works nicely as it BT's to my phone (which now makes my $500 garmin fenix 3 somewhat redundant for biking purposes).

of course i can use trailforks on my phone in terms of directions, but it was nice having a map in my garmin - and given i could not really return the garmin, i am going to have to live with this and do a little more research on what i can load into it.

i guess my lesson is ultimately, not all garmins are created equally, and do more research into the model i am buying

I hear ya... my Garmin 800 (~10+ yrs old) touchscreen suddenly stopped working. Was thinking I'd buy a $30 AliExpress replacement... (still might). In the mean time I obtained a used 520 and expected some mapping function. It doesn't do live maps or I haven't figured it out yet. Does decently if I pre-make a route and upload and then follow it. But the beauty of the 8x0 and 10x0 series Garmins is their live mapping. Now I gotta pull out my phone and check the Map App.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

I hear ya... my Garmin 800 (~10+ yrs old) touchscreen suddenly stopped working. Was thinking I'd buy a $30 AliExpress replacement... (still might). In the mean time I obtained a used 520 and expected some mapping function. It doesn't do live maps or I haven't figured it out yet. Does decently if I pre-make a route and upload and then follow it. But the beauty of the 8x0 and 10x0 series Garmins is their live mapping. Now I gotta pull out my phone and check the Map App.

Were you ever able to repair it with the sticky tape?

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Were you ever able to repair it with the sticky tape?

Thanks for asking Fuzz. Much appreciated.
Actually I ended up putting that repair job on hold... basically I didn't get my sh*t together and order the replacement screen for the 520 off AliExpress (or my 800). Instead I bought one of them thar fancy electronics repair kits + electrostatic mat off Amazon and fixed/replaced some other personal electronic items like watches, iphone battery replacements, microwave internal fuse. The kit came with about 3 METERS of the double sided 2mm sticky tape. For now I've taken the ghetto-approach on the cracked 520 screen and used clear gorilla tape. nasty but effective and functional. Thanks for the reminder though... will get on ordering the screen then!!

[RichieRich]

With todays snow (grrrrr) here's a well timed couple of notes:

1. Good short history on the indoor bike trainer... and a plug
https://joefrielsblog.com/a-personal...indoor-riding/


2. Of course for winter riding ideally you have a job you can bike commute to, and you're willing to do so. The Bike Calgary website has a few good articles on winter riding. Really it's not that hard, just takes a stubborn approach, sucking it up, and getting past the first 10mins until you warm up and settle in.