tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.comments2023-11-07T15:25:23.112-06:00commuterDudekGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14572371287751503718noreply@blogger.comBlogger571125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-16492944548935032542018-02-18T21:05:51.967-06:002018-02-18T21:05:51.967-06:00Outstanding post, you have pointed out some superb...Outstanding post, you have pointed out some superb points, I besides think this <br />is a very fantastic website.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-8271966670806971872018-01-04T15:56:07.288-06:002018-01-04T15:56:07.288-06:00What about a mini-wardrobe made from cardboard und...What about a mini-wardrobe made from cardboard under your desk? It could be a few inches wide and as deep as the desk, or the width of a hanger. Cut some holes to allow air to circulate, and include a solid freshener of some type to keep things smelling normal.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01297711649331756246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-32015946972529786572017-12-26T09:40:50.268-06:002017-12-26T09:40:50.268-06:00Just wanted to say I love the blog. I found the re...Just wanted to say I love the blog. I found the retrospec on amazon for a steal (little more than half what I planned to spend on a bare frame), but was a bit hesitant to order until I read your experience with the bike. I had planned on a parts bin build with a cheaper frame anyway, so this way I essentially get free budget parts to run while I slowly upgrade the parts I don't have. Thanks a lot!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-39500922587161826062017-11-12T10:55:09.455-06:002017-11-12T10:55:09.455-06:00I have never been a racer, I tend to stay away fro...I have never been a racer, I tend to stay away from organized group rides,I would be your classic lone wolf.<br /><br />I am a everyday bike commuter, my co workers look at me as if I am this mythical creature that they have read about, but never witnessed. I explain that riding in traffic is my drug, head winds are an ex girlfriend that I love to hate and tail winds are a mistress that I cherish.<br /><br />I have ridden the Tour de Cure and MS150 several times, these rides do not fulfill what I am after. I need self supported organization, I need to do these long rides on my own. As much as I like to socialize, I tend to desire that quiet place on my bike. The type of place where I can fight the inner demons while pedaling long straights of flats and never ending climbs.<br /><br />This is why I am strongly interested in your blog. I feel that 2018 will become the year that I finally branch out and join the weirdos.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06221935317682267644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-61468306794253591752017-10-11T20:18:05.015-05:002017-10-11T20:18:05.015-05:00I am also looking forward to 2018. Lots of intere...I am also looking forward to 2018. Lots of interesting stuff going on. If you were EVER interested in PBP, 2018 is a good time to ramp up the rides and figure them out for yourself. More information here: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/10-common-misconceptions-about-randonneuring/<br />Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761247194254618852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-70335787245167436722017-10-11T20:16:40.153-05:002017-10-11T20:16:40.153-05:00Should be a good year. A fine time if you ever th...Should be a good year. A fine time if you ever thought about PBP, to get some miles in and figure out this stuff. It is different for everyone. https://janheine.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/10-common-misconceptions-about-randonneuring/Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761247194254618852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-2322362438187956952017-10-08T18:52:34.524-05:002017-10-08T18:52:34.524-05:00Sadly I had a bad experience with my first and onl...Sadly I had a bad experience with my first and only RUSA populaire. I was normally more than good for the distance, but it all fell apart when the rider I was supposed to ride with, showed up with her BF on his tandem, and the last I saw of them was less than 3 miles in...it was also a complex route, in an area I had no knowledge of, and I was unaccustomed to reading cue sheets. It didn't help that the following day I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. The whole experience sort of soured me on RUSA. I guess even after all these years, it is still a sore point with me. I wish it wasn't the case, and maybe if I worked with a different group, I would have a good time. Monkeywranglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06732066232389894763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-45762098750087062912017-08-07T20:32:58.015-05:002017-08-07T20:32:58.015-05:00My husband suggested to me I should think about ge...My husband suggested to me I should think about getting new tires only because he was ordering some for our tandem. After checking my riding records I was shocked to see I had my original Espoir Elite tires which came on my Ruby Comp Compact I bought in 2013. Into my fifth year of riding them I now have 4,969 miles and not a single flat. That says it all. I typically ride 35-50 miles at pop, averaging 14-16MPH. I weigh 113 pounds. I guess that says it all for the quality of these tires!Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-39419263858088321532017-07-24T11:06:02.811-05:002017-07-24T11:06:02.811-05:00Magnificent website. Lots of helpful information h...Magnificent website. Lots of helpful information here.<br /><br />I'm sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious.<br />And certainly, thank you on your effort!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-65486702958279110262017-04-01T09:03:57.454-05:002017-04-01T09:03:57.454-05:00A really well written, informative review. Thanks!...A really well written, informative review. Thanks! A great read. Unfortunately my experience has not been as positive. I have had countless flats on these with my Specialized Allez, the the point where I have had a few others take a look. Maybe mine just aren't as well manufactured but fairly blunt pebbles are getting through them. Just bought a pair of schwalbe duranos - will see how they go.James Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108010300965111833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-58337626555004984872017-03-01T04:16:22.324-06:002017-03-01T04:16:22.324-06:00nice postnice postAsifur Rahmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774285357819615352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-60110112444747822712017-02-19T20:54:36.264-06:002017-02-19T20:54:36.264-06:00I have put 3500 miles on my bike in just 5 months....I have put 3500 miles on my bike in just 5 months. These tires have done great. I just had my second flat the other day. For $35 each I plan to go back with the Espoir Elites.Bennienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-4793955537410939852016-11-21T23:40:09.905-06:002016-11-21T23:40:09.905-06:00200 miles in with my Espoir Sport (OEMs) and picke...200 miles in with my Espoir Sport (OEMs) and picked up a rear flat that was not a graceful recovery. No debris to be found - just blew out on a turn. Maybe I should give the Elites a try instead.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-17178707173871153852016-10-28T09:18:36.495-05:002016-10-28T09:18:36.495-05:00Quite right, it certainly would have worked fine a...Quite right, it certainly would have worked fine and would have involved a LOT less labor; but, at least in my case, the saddle itself is quite thin (top-to-bottom) and the dowel and saddlebag ended up being too close to my backside while seated, especially while climbing or sitting up. The addition of the aluminum bracket provided enough of a standoff to eliminate that comfort issue... although, honestly, losing a few pounds from the rider would have helped, too. HAHA From a design perspective, however, using ONLY the dowel would be far more stable and have fewer failure points, for sure. On saddles with more padding, or more of a turned-down rear edge, the dowel would be farther from the rider and likely eliminate this issue entirely. There are so many good hacks out there, however, this definitely is not the only way to fly. Thanks for your feedback!kGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14572371287751503718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-35493586107886936872016-10-28T08:51:46.404-05:002016-10-28T08:51:46.404-05:00couldnt you have taken the dowel, filed a groove f...couldnt you have taken the dowel, filed a groove for the zip ties (in order to be able to center the dowel to the seat) and zip tied the dowel directly to the seat? e0richtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-3399783497688342642016-05-26T15:44:11.666-05:002016-05-26T15:44:11.666-05:00Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon the blog an...Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon the blog and wished to say that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing the blog posts.Abigailhttp://mountainbikeez.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-13767065292314368372016-03-14T15:32:58.998-05:002016-03-14T15:32:58.998-05:00Awesome post. Most informative. Thx! , Super! Th...Awesome post. Most informative. Thx! , Super! Thanks especially for the video! Isabellahttp://mountainbikeez.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-8997343484058560462016-03-04T00:43:00.301-06:002016-03-04T00:43:00.301-06:00About 15 years ago, I rode down the West Coast, un...About 15 years ago, I rode down the West Coast, unsupported, and looked forward to pulling out my little AM/FM radio when finally settled into the tent for the evening. Who knows what I would find as I lay there, slowly turning that dial. West Coast stations on AM from Canada and sometimes Mexico. Baseball games from San Francisco, Seattle, and even L.A.. One night, to my disappointment, the radio had somehow turned itself on while riding deep in the recesses of my panniers. I was faced with a dead battery and no evening entertainment. A new step was added to my daily morning ritual, and that was to remove the battery to prevent this from happening once more.<br /> And nothing beats a baseball game on long rides, be it on a bike or in a car.Burnseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01082166525989303740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-75329770826570619352016-02-15T13:05:16.876-06:002016-02-15T13:05:16.876-06:00I often use my Yaesu VX-2 handheld ham radio for p...I often use my Yaesu VX-2 handheld ham radio for picking up AM and FM broadcast. On receive with the speaker (or an ear bud) at a reasonable volume, it runs for 6-8 hours on a battery pack, but the packs are small and replaceable, and I have four of them always charged and ready to go. The bonus, of course, is that it's also a functional transmitter capable of engaging at least one local ham radio repeater from anywhere I happen to be on my bicycle. I keep a little stubby antenna on it at all times, but always pack my long, thin antenna in the pannier for longer rides in case I need to transmit.<br /><br />With regards to lighting: I can attest that little CatEye Micro (which you handed down to me) was boss for what it was at the time -- and NiMH AA cells had gotten to a pretty good point by the time I was using it every day. The dynohub and B&M Lumotec Lyt are absolutely a better option, though. We're living in an era where state of the art tech 5 years ago is often still magical to people like me today.Noahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15271155305943176738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-51234688184835209852016-02-14T18:14:44.373-06:002016-02-14T18:14:44.373-06:00I love the unknown when it comes to my radio on th...I love the unknown when it comes to my radio on the long rides. Two months ago I was doing a solo gravel 200k, and I spent an hour on the last section in tears listening to an NPR story about premature birth experiences. That would have never been on my ipod. Viva la radio!Steve Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11339724089342412137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-91268075126194005482015-12-26T23:26:31.490-06:002015-12-26T23:26:31.490-06:00Game ON, my good man. :)Game ON, my good man. :)kGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14572371287751503718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-57418423667178594402015-10-31T19:01:30.252-05:002015-10-31T19:01:30.252-05:00I could have wrote this post, perfectly describes ...I could have wrote this post, perfectly describes what I've been going through. I am ready for a DSR, and a cool 200k permanent with a partner or two. <br />Steve Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11339724089342412137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-67964749481878288422015-10-19T06:16:00.988-05:002015-10-19T06:16:00.988-05:00So many thoughts can come when resting in the shad...So many thoughts can come when resting in the shade and after a tiring race, eh? Anyway, the eventful rides usually make the best ones. And there's nothing better than sharing it with friends! Lisahttp://www.recreationspace.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-17659228236436916362015-10-15T01:28:35.455-05:002015-10-15T01:28:35.455-05:00Hey Bro!
Awesome write up. Totally got engrossed...Hey Bro! <br /><br />Awesome write up. Totally got engrossed reading it. I switched from a Mountain bike to a Single speed this year and building up on my SS strength , one ride at a time. My rides these days range from 25-30 miles 3 days a week. Reading your post sure made me confident that i can put in more miles on the SS. Pure cycling is what send me towards SS.<br /><br />Thanks one again for posting. <br />Partha<br />Mumbai<br />IndiaParthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00005403382271888445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17397413.post-9249827021601802712015-09-04T08:17:14.198-05:002015-09-04T08:17:14.198-05:00Yeah, I've used those in the past with varied ...Yeah, I've used those in the past with varied success... the only thing that I don't like very much is how they interfere with my knees/legs while climbing out of the saddle. If I can keep my body in-line with the bike while doing this, it's not a problem -- but, that reduces the efficiency usually sought by climbing out of the saddle in the first place. In one extreme case when I'd forgotten to close the zipper enough, I ejected my gel flask on a steep hill. It's been solved with smaller, tube-style handlebar bags, so I'm on the hunt for one of those now (timeframe relative to post; I've since found the "Andrew the Maker" local bag maker, and his small handlebar bag has proved perfect for my needs)kGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14572371287751503718noreply@blogger.com