found that on reddit.com. So true. Pretty funny though.

9/10/2010 11:16:11 AM

has to be reposted for this page, that's hilarious.

9/10/2010 2:42:52 PM

If you're going to spend that much on a kid, you might as well and go ahead and have custom shoes
made for him/her. The tennis shoes really ruin the picture for me :-p, although I imagine they're doing
a duathlon or the like.

9/10/2010 4:55:26 PM

^^ I'm fairly certian that is a photoshop. "Lightweight" dosn't make 24" wheels.

Is anyone racing at the Carolina Cup tomorrow? (I'll be in the Men's Cat 5)

9/11/2010 10:38:30 AM

Just bought a specialized tricross-sport. Pretty pumped to start riding and get in better shape.

9/11/2010 12:23:22 PM

Ive done the Carolina Cup a couple times in the past, always had a blast.

Usually got spanked pretty good

9/11/2010 2:59:03 PM

the preseason cross race last week went relatively well so i signed up for the real deal.

TOMORROW! There's already 82 guys prereg'ed in the Cat4 noob group with me. This going to be insane.

My goals:
1. to not die.
2. to have fun.
3. to not DNF.
4. to not finish last.

Wish me luck!

9/11/2010 5:44:37 PM

Isn't cyclocross taking off as "the next big thing"? I'm not sure what the last "next big thing" was, fixed gears? Anyway, Bicycling magazine has done a few big spreads on them in Aug and Sept., seems kinda crazy and insane.

I'm happy to hang my road bike up over the winter and just commute over the winter; dealing with the elements last winter made me want to just do spin classes.

9/13/2010 4:41:08 PM

its blowing up in the US, but its been big in europe since the '50s-60s.

I guess its the combination of mountain biking and crit road racing, can't beat that. I saw a cross race in Cary actually a couple years ago.

All i know is it was a fun as hell

9/13/2010 6:59:30 PM

I race Cross (but I don't pretend to be fast). It is fun, but hell...about 1/2 to an hour of "OMG I'm about to puke!" The season is intense, but short. NC has a good series (I race VACX), but they haven't yet posted their schedule.

9/13/2010 7:55:59 PM

Here in Boston and the NE area it runs from September through February. Yes snow events are a given. i can't wait.

I'm already signed up for Glaucester and Providence which are really big national events.

9/13/2010 9:23:35 PM

Anyone installed panniers before? I picked up a nice set of Cannondale rear panniers at a flea market for $5, but being used I didn't get any instructions.

They have hooks on the top that hook on the rack on my bike...No problem there. From the middle to the bottom of the bags there is this weird spring enclosed in a plastic tube thing. I suspect it is supposed to hook to the bottom of the frame or something, but it's way too short to reach anything. Should I just affix a nylon strap or something from the spring to the bottom of the frame near the rear dropouts?

9/14/2010 12:59:16 PM

How likely would it be for me to get laughed at and/or get dropped like a chump if I were to ride a mountain bike at a cross event?

I have ridden road bikes/tri bikes/mountain bikes for several years so I am less worried about my fitness, but I don't know enough about cyclocross to know how necessary a dedicated cross bike would be.

9/14/2010 3:21:50 PM

Skack, that bottom spring thing usually hooks onto some point on your rear rack near the dropouts. I've done it onto the rack hardware bolt too, or the axle, and have also tied it down to the frame with straps, on my various setups.

9/14/2010 3:44:27 PM

^I'd give it a shot and see how you do. Might not be as bad as you think.

Lots of people start out on mountain bikes, but eventually you'll want a cross bike if you get more competitive.

9/14/2010 4:01:41 PM

^ Thanks...I'll check it out again when I get home. I'm pretty sure I'll have to rig something up because the spring wouldn't come close to any attach points. After doing some googling it seems like that is common when intermixing racks/panniers. Shouldn't be a problem though.


I ended up buying a Novara touring bike from REI a while back. Kinda funny because I have always blasted them for being overpriced, but it was on sale at about 20% off and it had a lot of features that I wanted. I've got to say that I love this thing more than any bike I've ridden since my days riding BMX. It's a perfect fit, very comfy, and the Reynolds steel frame feels great. It's on the heavy side, but nothing flexes and it feels like the power transfers perfectly from my legs to the rear wheel. I love it.

9/14/2010 4:10:04 PM

TWW cyclists I need some help! I need to get my gf a birthday present and I know she wants some of the clip pedals for her bike. She just started biking and rides about once per week with a group and has done one triathlon. She wants the pedals and shoes that you clip into (not the cages) and I assumed that was something she should pick out and make sure the shoes fit etc... so I am fine getting a gift card. I just wanted some advice on what bike store around has the best selection? is online the best place to get these? should she get some with the cages instead since she is a beginner? how much cash monies should I expect to be dropping? and any other general advice you might have for me.

9/14/2010 6:50:39 PM

I don't see any reason that she needs to graduate from platform pedals to toe clips before going to clipless pedals. Clipless are the most efficient way to pedal, but they're a pain if you use your bike for casual riding. If she does things like taking the bike to the store, gym, etc she might want to look at either clipless pedals that have a platform pedal built in or toe clips. There are some platforms to click into the clipless pedal and make it into a platform pedal, but I haven't been able to find them for sale anywhere. A local bike store might know where to get them though.

Just be aware that almost everybody busts their ass at least one good time with clipless pedals. It usually happens just when you get comfortable clicking in and out of them and you stop putting a lot of thought into it each time you come to a stop. Something will happen where you need to put your foot down and the pedal won't unclick. You'll come to a stop and just fall over. It's pretty much guaranteed to happen so make sure she's aware of this and she doesn't dwell on it when it happens.

[Edited on September 14, 2010 at 7:10 PM. Reason : s]

9/14/2010 7:09:48 PM

Quote :

"How likely would it be for me to get laughed at and/or get dropped like a chump if I were to ride a mountain bike at a cross event?"

I did my first few cross races on my mountain bike. No one heckled me. I finished last at the time, but that was 2 years, 30 pounds, and 4000 miles ago. I'm much faster now. I got my cross bike off Craigslist for a few hundred bucks.

9/14/2010 8:43:09 PM

There were a few guys on mountain bikes at my last event as well. no big deal at all.

9/14/2010 11:35:09 PM

hey guys, I've just started riding again after being off the bike and being a lazy slob for the last 18months . I'm not trying to be speed racer, but just get back into shape and I've set a goal for myself to do a MS150 ride next year. To track my progress and for extra motivation I'm recording my rides/routes using a gps tracking app with my phone that exports .gpx files. Dumb question here, how do i go about using those files? Is that what people use to make the elevation graphs and all that?

All I have are mountain bikes. I haven't been back out to trails yet but I'm riding an old specialized hard tail with disc brakes, beefy Time ATAC pedal, and road slicks on the street for now. I might swap out a rigid fork if i can find one for cheap. What are your thoughts on road rides using this set up terms of mileage on the mtb versus mileage on a proper road bike? I know ultimately all that really matters is time in the saddle, but it would be cool to have rough comparison.

[Edited on September 15, 2010 at 7:51 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2010 7:51:14 PM

^^^^ the clipless pedals is what she wants i think. i was just wondering if there was a bike store with a decent selection or if online was by far the best place to buy them? or how exactly would be the best way to go about getting them for someone as a gift? thanks for your help

9/15/2010 9:20:00 PM

toe clip/cages are a death traps. definitely go right to a proper a clipless pedal. A Shimano M520 is a great pedal and cheap. You can adjust the tension to determine how loose or tight they are and SPDs have a good positive click to know you're in.

I'd try on shoes locally, though. Just hit up Performance in Cary.

9/15/2010 10:09:43 PM

Why do you say toe clips are death traps? I have thousands of miles logged in toe clips and I am still far more comfortable in them than I am in clipless pedals. The only reason I switched to clipless at one point is that it's a more efficient way to transfer power. With my newer bike I'm sticking with toe clips just to avoid the hassle of changing shoes every time I hop on the bike.

9/21/2010 12:05:00 AM

^ Danny, I'm also not sure why you find toe clips to be deadly. Maybe the old metal ones from the 70s that are hard to get out of with modern shoes, I agree with, but not the bigger plastic ones they sell these days. I've never had a problem getting out of mine, even with my waterproof knee-high winter boots.

I much prefer toe clips to clipless for safety in everyday situations- I've heard of a few beginner roadies panicking and twisting or breaking ankles learning to unclip, and also falling over at stop lights or slow speeds. I guess I was overly paranoid, so I bought MTB shoes with SPD cleats and pedals- they're easy to get in and out of with any kind of shifting of the foot.

9/21/2010 12:52:28 AM

I don't think they are death traps per se, but in order to have them give you any real benefit on the upstroke you have to have them adjusted tight enough that it can be difficult to get out of in a pinch.

Clipless pedals do take some getting used to, but after the learning curve, I also believe they are ultimately a better solution. Then again, if you are just tooling around town, you only really need platform pedals.

^ Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying, but SPD cleats and pedals ARE clipless and aren't the death trap toe cages that danny is talking about.

[Edited on September 21, 2010 at 8:56 AM. Reason : d]

9/21/2010 8:50:24 AM

^ Yes, I realize the SPD system is clipless. I guess I should clarify that I commute in cages because I really can't be bothered to change in and out of shoes with cleats 10+ times a day with work and class and running errands, etc. like most people. I do have clipless pedals for tri training and long rides, but they're the MTB variety so I can pull out easily and don't have restricted heel float.

9/21/2010 11:18:39 AM

my goofball ss hipster city bike has toe clip cages (good MKS ones, too), but i still don't like them. In order for them to be at all effective as far as pedal stroke, you need to tighten the strap. If the straps tight, its hard to get out. note, be sure you know how to thread the buckle on these straps, it does NOT go through twice like a normal belt buckle say. you simple have to lift the buckle upward and it lets the strap lose and you simple tug the strap to tighten. It works quite well unless youre in an emergeny situation because thats not happening. I've crashed once and almost a bunch of times in Boston in some crazy situation where i couldnt get a foot out and down. I guess the solution is to ride them loose, but then there's hardly any point to having them at all.
http://www.yellowjersey.org/how2clip.html

Clipless (like SPD, etc) release hands free and in a natural stepping out motion. thats kind of a big deal. i ride my SPDs on single track mountain bike trails, cross races, and road rides, i've never even come close to an "oh shit my foots stuck" moment.

9/21/2010 9:27:09 PM

Another shoe-related question:

Are any brands particularly good for men with thin and narrow feet? I'm about a size 46, so not too short on length, but I feel like my shoes (Shimanos) are still a bit loose even with the straps pulled as tight as I can. I'm losing a bit of power when my foot shifts inside the shoe when I start to pull. Would some of the European brands maybe be better, should I consider trying to find a 46 in a woman's design, or what?

9/24/2010 12:56:19 AM

^ I had the same problem with shimanos and I got a pair of Carnac (a french brand) Tri shoes that fit much more snugly. As with the clothing, I'd imagine you will find a slimmer fit going with euro brands.

9/24/2010 8:48:04 AM

^,^^ i have the same problem too. I wear 13s and have Shimano 48s, but they are too wide/voluminous for my feet. i have to pull the straps so tight they stick out really far and look goofy. ha. so actually last week i got some cheap flat shoe sole inserts from CVS. I put them under the Shimano insole simply to take up some space. They fit a lot better now and the straps look normal when tightened up. its not perfect, but it'll do for now.

9/25/2010 11:50:58 AM

^ I wore a pair of specialized shoes for a few years and had good luck with them. Mainly for mountain biking with egg beaters, but, despite my pencil-feet I never foot like I wasnt planted firmly.

9/25/2010 9:10:13 PM

i've been using the same pair of specialized shoes with time mtb pedals going on 6+ years. they're beat to hell but i they work really well for me. thicker socks will help with better fit. i'm not a big fan of those thin cycling socks in general.

[Edited on September 25, 2010 at 10:31 PM. Reason : they're]

9/25/2010 10:31:21 PM

I did my second cross race today, i'm getting better. Did i mention that this is really damn fun? I'm hooked.

My next two races are Gloucester and Providence, big national weekend events. woot!

9/26/2010 10:45:43 PM

just got home from 24hours of booty in atlanta. felt good to ride since i have been off the bike 60 days. there was a hill there that pretty much kicked every ones ass. worst part is the lap is only 1.5 miles and the hill was on each lap. bob roll rode a lot of laps. good times.

10/3/2010 9:41:48 PM

My buddies want to order cyclocross racing kit with the Durham Bike Co-op logo on it. All
black with the co-op logo in some contrasting color. W00t!

I might go ahead and order a jersey too while they're at it. Hopefully Jack and Josh will be kicking ass
this season.

10/3/2010 10:37:45 PM

cool i joined NEBC so now i have some rad cycling team kit. feel so fast!

This past weekend was the GP of Gloucester, it was amazing. Gloucester is an old fishin/harbor town and the course was at a park overlooking the bay. The bay has cliffs surrounding it with big old houses on it. Sail boats on the water, nice day. So nice.

It was a national even and the course was pretty hairy. I crashed twice which is about par for the course from what i gathered. so fun though and my progress is continuing to improve.

This weekend i'm doing both days of the Providence race, another big national event. Should be fun!

10/4/2010 10:33:44 PM

how many of you all ride fixed in here?

Here is mine

10/7/2010 12:56:50 PM

not me, i like my knees

10/7/2010 2:50:09 PM

hey... i am thinking about getting a bike with the goal of driving it to work every day. work is about 6 miles away on fairly flat road. I'm a big dude.

any recommendations on a good starter (cheap) bike for this type of usage?

10/7/2010 3:36:42 PM

I dont know why people say fixed is bad for knees. I ride 20 miles a day. It's my main transportation. I've entered cycling endurance race with it etc and placed well. Never have had sore knees *shrug*

10/7/2010 3:48:03 PM

^ My fixie's been hanging up since school started, but I'm going to bring it down again and stick a rack on it for winter commuting. I shredded the rear tire on hot pavement, so I've been waiting on a replacement from QBP.
I ignore the brakeless freaks and run mine with 2 cyclocross brake levers and sidepull calipers, and Planet Bike fenders.

10/7/2010 3:56:48 PM

Yeah at least you have a front brake. But fixies are pretty stupid IMO.

10/7/2010 4:00:05 PM

I just enjoy catching carbon bikes and walking them out. Nothing beats fixed for a climber. Yeah front brake is nice. Not trying to replace rear every week or die in an accident where I can't stop fast enough. I have a road bike too, but I only used but 2 gears on it ever.

10/7/2010 4:03:06 PM

i rarely ride my SS any more, but it has a flip flop rear hub. I almost always ride free, but maybe i'll flip it back to fixed for kicks. There's a BIG hill near my place t hough that i easily hit like 35mph going down freewheeling.. that'd be hairy fixed, i don't know if my brakes work well enough to slow me down to comfortable spinning speed. i can't get up it on my SS so either way i'm walking it up.

10/7/2010 6:19:56 PM

You got it. Just don't lose confidence. Riding fixed makes you stronger.

Did I say I like passing people on 3k+ bikes on my fixed?

It's a different way of doing things.

I need to go down 1 more tooth in the rear.

10/7/2010 7:57:40 PM

I rode my singlespeed in the MS150 a few weeks ago. 200 miles with one gear. Freewheel hub though.

I averaged ~19.7 mph. I love this bike...and beat most of my teammates with geared bikes haha

10/7/2010 9:30:49 PM

Yeah but you could average a lot better on a geared bike. More efficient and better for you. It's not healthy riding a single speed all the time. Especially on your knees.

-my average after doing the MS150 for 5 years in middle school and into highschool was higher than 20mph. I like fixies and all but for serious biking you can't beat having gears.

IMO it's harder using a fixie in a draft line too. It just seems to throw shit off.

Yeah sure everyone likes to say if you ride a fixie you can beat people on geared bikes but think about that statement for a second. If you're beating people it has nothing to do with you riding a fixie, it has to do with their lack of ability. If someone knows how to ride a geared bike they're just going to switch to the most efficient gear to overtake you. A geared bike becomes a single speed when you stop switching gears. The whole "I can beat you on a fixie" makes no sense whatsoever. If you can beat someone on a fixie it means you could beat them even more with a geared bike.

Bragging about being a fast rider on a fixie is like bragging about running with extra weights. You're less efficient but that doesn't mean you still can't beat people who are that much weaker than you to start with.

When it comes to racing and getting from point A to point B as fast as you can it all comes down to efficiency and it's relevance to cadence and speed. If you take two people of equal strength the geared bike will always win in a race because it's simply more efficient.

[Edited on October 7, 2010 at 9:54 PM. Reason : s]

10/7/2010 9:33:49 PM

^well no shit, sherlock...lol...Of course I'd be faster with gears.

I didnt say I was FASTER on a singlespeed, just that I could keep a pretty respectable speed for 100+ miles at a time. To be completely honest, I built this bike to ride with my slower teammates and ex-gf. This way i'd at least get a workout when riding slower speeds.

10/7/2010 10:11:49 PM

Yeah I feel ya. I was really only responding to people who like to brag about how much faster they are on fixies. Not necessarily geared toward anyone in particular. But yeah my dad used to ride his mountain bike on the MS rides with me so it'd be more of a challenge for him. So that makes sense in regard to the fix providing a handicap.

10/7/2010 10:37:49 PM