We have a bike thread about rides but those seem to be mostly populated by super heros who ride hundreds of KM a day and go up YMS like it was downhill.
how about a thread for newbie bikers who just want to share stuff about bikes and biking?
and maybe get some advice and general know how, etc.
ok i can go first, me i moved back to the city after 20 years and got another bike. Had a bike 20 years ago and now of course not as fit as I was 20 years ago. Have a lot more hills i have to walk up instead of bike up as I remembered i could do then.
am thinking of an electric class 1 bike but waiting for prices to come down to where mere working stiffs can afford. my current trek is 650 for example and i dont want to spend 1800 for a similar trek electric (not top of the line mind you just more like bottom of the line).
anyways that will allow me to cycle up hills instead of walking up them. And my theory is that i will end up generally doing MORE exercise not less.
Currently once or twice a week i ride down to the beach and ride back, about six miles and do it in 50 mins or so. Averaging a laughable 6 miles an hour (barely faster than walking) and averaging heart rates of 120bpm or so,maxing out at 160 or so. Doing better as I had been maxing out at 180 bpm and thats not good.
a year ago had a flat and good thing wifey was about and came to the rescue in the prius. Took the tube out,saw a small cut and decided best fix was just to buy and put tire GOOP in it. it has been working well, except of course need to check the rear tire before every ride but it had been holding up at least for the day of riding, even to sausalito and back.
OFF today so had a bike ride in the morning and pumped up the rear tire as usual and came back a ok. It was very winter like in the morning but by the PM it became summer like so wow, lets do the ride again.
half way rear tire went flat. I half rode and half walked home, knowing that i should not ride on a flat tire. but I did half way.
took the tube out, didnt see any damage, just the same small cut and also saw a small pinprick that was stopped by the goop ,but basically the goop had run out. Thought why not be more proactive this time and get a patch and patch up the hole and get goop to re goop the tires again.
got the goop and the patch and patched the tire and inflated to 50psi and all seems good. Then thought wait i need to let all the air out and put goop in it.
Did that and was pumping up the tube again when at near 50psi the tube exploded.
Maybe it was not beaded properly or perhaps i had done internal damage to the tube when i rode it flat? Donno, but half the 14 dollar bottle of goop ended up on the garage floor.
Also thought maybe i should get a new tire because maybe the tire got bigger after i rode on it flat and the inner tube was smaller and thats why it blew?
Found Target had 700c x 38 tires for 20 bucks and inner tubes for bout 4 bucks. Went there at stonestown but saw it was only available online. Waited at the starbucks for an hour while my online order was processed. Kinda dum huh when you are at the physical store but yet have to order online so you can pick up the items at the same physical store you are at already eh?
Anyhows the tube was out of stock but i got the tire.
Came home realized my current tire is fatter at 700c x 42 and the new tire is slimmer at 700c x 38. I guess it will be interesting to see if my speed goes up a bit. Since i mostly ride on the street. I have a hybrid bike but i mostly do street and some paths in GG park and thats it. No real mountain biking or gravel.
IF the 700c x 38 works out better i will replace the front tire too to be the same
Currently plan to ride with the skinnier tires on the rear because these Bell tires made in taiwan can hold up to 75psi and i usually put 50psi on the rear and 40 on the front. Made by INNOVA tires of taiwan.
The tires on the bike now are made by Chaoyang in china and are rated at 55psi max pressure. So maybe the new tires will be better.
Next ride will be sunday when the tire is installed as the part is due around thursday/friday.
may be a bit funny with wider tires in front and narrower in back? or maybe since i only go no faster than 11mph on a downhill there wil be no difference?
what say you , bike experts?