Pedaling with a D Lock: Leg Placement Solutions

[Chi Meson]

I mean, look. All the bikes on the rack are going to be a crappy POS. And then there will be your nice spankin new road bike with a D-lock on it. Hmmmm, which bike would I steal if I were a thief?

Have you ever seen a nice road bike on a bicycle rack before? I never have. People who own road bikes take it inside with them, they don't leave them outside on a bike rack!

I give it a week before its gone.

If you don't listen to anything else, listen to this: Take your bike inside with you when you go places for more than 20 mins.

Hey Cyrus! Have you ridden your new bike yet? Hmm? Send a picture of you pushing 40 mph, or I WILL come and take it!

On a completely different, unrelated matter, what state do you live in?

 

[Cyrus]

I rode it last weekend. It was great. It gliddddddes down the road.


Washington, DC.

 

[moose]

I assume unis are safer than other places to park? .

I don't know about other campuses, but I know that bike theft is HUGE at UA. It's hard to find someone who hasn't had at least one bike stolen.

 

[pivoxa15]

It depends on how well you maintain your tires and wheels. To reduce flats you must:

• Keep the tubes properly inflated (topping them off before each ride)
• Check the rim tape each time you change tubes
• Clean off your tires after going over any damp pavement or through any kind of debris
• Use good techniques for installing new tubes (avoiding putting strain on the valve stem, properly seating the tube in the channel to minimize the risk of pinch flats, etc.)

You can probably reduce your flats to less than one in 500-750 km with some care. I don't believe it's possible to get 4000 km between flats without being incredibly lucky.

The best investment you can make (for your own sanity) is a good frame pump (like the Topeak Road Morph), a good set of tire levers, and a Saturday afternoon spent learning how to change tubes and reinstall wheels. You do not want to be learning how to do this in direct sunlight, baking on the side of some highway.

- Warren

I am often shocked by how often punctures occur in the Tour De France. I assume they change tubes daily. But some still puncture on the day.

 

[Cyrus]

That's why they have a team car driving around behind them with extra bikes and tires.

 

[pivoxa15]

Chroot, you said road bikes are less resilient so not good for traveling purposes. But they would be less good to ride and train with too. However racers still ride a road bike for its speed. Even though I ride for traveling, I want the speed also. So I don't mind it being less resilient. The biggest difference between riding on road and training with no traffic or red light is the amount of braking one has to do. Does that do much damage to the bike?

Having said that, I think the amount of breaking one has to do riding on a bike trail is far more, especially if they are narror with steep hills and curly bends around corners.

 

[chroot]

No, braking doesn't damage the bike. Sure, you'll have to change the brake pads more frequently, but that's not really damage.

What I meant is that road bikes require somewhat more attention and maintenance (tire inflation, derailer tension, etc.) than do other kinds of bikes. This is due to the high-pressure tires and the precise, narrow chain and 9- or 10-speed casettes. Racing wheels are also nowhere near as strong or stiff as those of mountain bikes, and will need to be trued more frequently, particularly if they are used on rough pavement.

- Warren