lil_spenty Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 ya'll seen that movie mash? how could you go that fast downhill on a fixed gear, thats insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twin123 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 ya'll seen that movie mash? how could you go that fast downhill on a fixed gear, thats insane. Seriously:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Universal TV shows two hours twice a day, every day. Been watching that on the regular. Danilo Di Luca is wicked fast on the climbs... intense to watch him keep up such a severe cadence for so many kilometers and then still have the energy to attack. Reminds me of how Paolo Bettini used to ride a few years ago. Inspirational stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Saying this and then I'm out... Track geometry makes a lot more sense in the city than people give it credit for. The industry has basically seen "commuter" / "city" bikes as mountain bikes with slicks for awhile. That's all fine if you're 45 and wearing a safety orange vest on your way to work, but for some twenty-something with a lot more stamina, no back problems, an urge for speed, and no real need for comfort, it doesn't really work. Having a higher BB, shorter chainstays for more instant acceleration, different rake and trail to give more "hand steering" and less "lean steering" and all that jazz, makes a lot of sense if you just like to ride like an asshole through traffic and do it regularly. Race an alleycat seriously on a real track bike and then race one on a road bike or cross bike, you'll see what I mean. When I get lazy in the city though, I way prefer being able to shift gears and squeeze a brake lever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I always did better in races on a road bike. I'm probably a lot closer to 40 than most of you so I don't feel the need to be uncomfortable for the sake of fashion (yes, that's pretty much what it's devolved into). I can see the reasoning behind messengers riding track bikes- after all, I did it for years- but everyone else? It's dangerous under the best of circumstances even if you know exactly what you're doing. The point is that everyone's luck runs out from time to time. Riding a bike with no brakes and weird handling in heavy traffic can potentially make your luck run out that much quicker. If more people understood that then I think I'd have a lot less anxiety about seeing so many track bikes on the road, but after you've seen some of the shit I've seen (girls riding wearing high heels and no helmet?) you realize how far the trend has filtered down to the consumer level and it's scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knim_One Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 well put Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I always did better in races on a road bike. I'm probably a lot closer to 40 than most of you so I don't feel the need to be uncomfortable for the sake of fashion (yes, that's pretty much what it's devolved into). I can see the reasoning behind messengers riding track bikes- after all, I did it for years- but everyone else? It's dangerous under the best of circumstances even if you know exactly what you're doing. The point is that everyone's luck runs out from time to time. Riding a bike with no brakes and weird handling in heavy traffic can potentially make your luck run out that much quicker. If more people understood that then I think I'd have a lot less anxiety about seeing so many track bikes on the road, but after you've seen some of the shit I've seen (girls riding wearing high heels and no helmet?) you realize how far the trend has filtered down to the consumer level and it's scary. I agree with most of what your saying except for the weird handling comment. My whole argument is that the handling is a lot closer to what is necessary in the city under a certain style of riding (constant start/stop downtown traffic vs. commuting through quiet residential areas and MUPs). Whether or not the rider is apt to handle that style of riding is another issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM4RT Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I see an advantage in having a geared bike for commuting. But I live on a hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twin123 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I am trying to make a choice between the redline conquest sport and the regular conquest. Compact double or triple. Also I am 6'4-6'5 and I see it only goes up to 60cm. I already ride a bike to small and this seems like it would still be pushing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecarwreck Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 sport. double. i'm 6'4" and ride a 61 ... i think you'll be ok on a 60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y.FRESHJIVE Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Universal TV shows two hours twice a day, every day. Been watching that on the regular. Danilo Di Luca is wicked fast on the climbs... intense to watch him keep up such a severe cadence for so many kilometers and then still have the energy to attack. Reminds me of how Paolo Bettini used to ride a few years ago. Inspirational stuff... could you tell me what stage this was? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Weird night at the track. I surprised myself and everyone with a solid flying 200m time (on a very shaky, sloppy line) and got placed in men's A cat for my first of the season, and then proceeded to lose all my sprints. I raced a really fast roadie who I've been looking up to for awhile (Joker, a Mr. S.B. from the G.L.'s), didn't initiate the sprint until the last 100m of the race, lost to him and then lost my next race on a 4-up. Another race tomorrow and this time I'm hungry as hell for some results... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japillahan Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 (girls riding wearing high heels and no helmet?) jesus; i saw this downtown mpls two weeks ago and my jaw dropped. sundress, fashion hair, oversize fashion (i guess) sunglasses, TRACK BIKE, hIGh hEELs and no brakes. i was and still am thoroughly perplexed. what/do people think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 If you want be be alarmed go to a college campus and watch the rising trend of fratties riding brakeless with no clips, seat too low, while texting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acer910 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 have a race tomorrow, im shooting for 6th. its only 6 miles of singletrack but i have no idea who else will be racing against me and what their times are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 If you want be be alarmed go to a college campus and watch the rising trend of fratties riding brakeless with no clips, seat too low, while texting. That's sort of what I'm talking about, but the "I've been riding fixies for six months, therefore I'm an expert and you can't tell me shit" types make me way more nervous than the folks who clearly don't have a clue. There's simply no place for hubris on a track bike. I think it's great that more people are riding bikes, but not everyone should be riding track bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knim_One Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 really nice seeing that some cyclists use logic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoiseuth Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 i rode critical mass last night. it put things in perspective. i generally get offended when people talk about hipsters. getting to the jump off yesterday made me hate young white people though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie McCracken Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 critical mass is like being at the mall during the jesus holiday, except on bikes. most the people that do critical mass suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Harris Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I just rode my bike around 80 miles today, may not be much at all for you guys. but it whooped my ass into shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 80 miles is a pretty long ride. Good job. I won the omnium today at the track! Fun times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japillahan Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 i often consider an anti critical mass-mass... or simply throwing things at them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Harris Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 80 miles is a pretty long ride. Good job. I won the omnium today at the track! Fun times. really? well there where a lot of breaks and it took up my day, overall im pretty happy with it. congrats on the win too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acer910 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 won first place in my class at the race today. i thougjht for sure id place horribly because the other people in that class were riding gary fishers and specialized's, i was on a walmart bike that cost about as much as one of their tires. but i led the entire race once we got into the woods. it was soaking wet too because it had rained for three days before the race, but i think it made the trail better because i didnt fall nearly as much as usual. the mud kept me from washing out on the turns, it wasnt slick mud just sticky mud and my CX tires did unusually well in the mud. it was fun, just wish it wasnt a charity race and i won something haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knim_One Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 i would say in general, critical mass events only make decent minded cyclists into "asshole kids" in the eyes of the public. Also, who wants to ride in a group with 50 people likely to crash there fixie into you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knim_One Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 i often consider an anti critical mass-mass... or simply throwing things at them this is a great idea. chill out on a couple rooftops along the crit mass route and send some water ballons full of red or pink paint down on the parade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoiseuth Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 the ride can be nice, the route i mean. this one wasnt. we went north then south then north then south. lame. then we always inevitably end up at damen/milwaukee/north (center of gentrification run its course) and people do their critical mass stance with their bikes over their heads. there were i must say some rather nicely kept 80s and 90s road bikes. the time of the track bike may be beyond us. ima be ready when all these kids are looking to get rid of their bikes on the cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecarwreck Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 i wrote a paper on CM last semester. i don't remember much of it so it must have been pretty shitty... but whatever. any recs for a fixed wheelset? i'm building one for my brother's birthday and don't have a ton of money... and i'm not about to give him any of the fruity colors he wants, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knim_One Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 oh cool ive seen some cool pink ones u should get thos 4 him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acer910 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 white ones always look nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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