Search results for:

To be more exact: there are about 200 guys and 5 girls in the NYC fixed gear community. Those 5 are awesome, though.

I did a solo run up to Cambridge yesterday and ran into a couple of fixed riders going the opposite way by the river Lea. Was wondering: was it anybody from here?

kilgore_trout [quote]SMEEAR i agree
they fell heavy to lift but once on you waist you dont notice them
im just scared of what could happen to your hips in a crash?

if i keep it in my bag my shoulders kill me, yet i can do 50mile rides with it around my waist no problem.
i was riding a critical mass once and this german lady rides up to me and flat out says "you will break your ribs" and i have NO idea what the fuck she was talking about, and then she pointed to my chain.
i usually don't wear it low on my hips, i tend to keep it above my hips - almost resting on top of them. the few times i've gone down with it on the worst that's happened has been my love-handle-area getting pinched in between the chain and a bit of a bruise.[/quote]

I used to do that, it's more comfy than carrying it anywhere else on the bike but stopped doing it out of concern for what happens if I crash. I would think that it's pretty unpredictable where on your body the chain and lock will end in a crash and both hips and ribs are vulnerable. The only major bones I can think of that are closer to the surface are shins and skull. Then again some people don't wear helmets...

Apparently triathlon shoes are really good in the rain because they have a neoprene liner. Second hand info, I don't have any myself.

tallsam [quote]. For the truly dedicated, a home made bike steady cam:

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY%3a-Bicycle---Steady-Cam---mount/

thing is the results are really not all that great, considering the amount of time he must've spent making it.[/quote]

It's not a real steady cam. There are no counterweigths and no dampening. Springs alone don't help that much.

Another annoying thing about handlebar mounted cameras is that when you pedal standing up to accelarate and pull up on the handlebars you will get a left-right swinging effect.

tomiskinky Just get one of these?

http://www.shinyshack.com/product.php?prid=211171&pn=Action-Camera-ATC2000-%20-2GB-SD-Card&gaw=8pp4f&gclid=CMj75bTuz40CFQfmlAodvB6k6w

I've tried one of these Oregon Scientific helmet cams (albeit the older ATC-100) and they are really crappy. You can get much better results for practically the same price by using a regular digital still camera in video mode. I've recorded quite a lot of video with a Nikon S1 attached to my handlebars. For an example, see here.

Yes, there is a lot of rattling, although it's partly due to the fact that at the time I made this movie I hadn't yet figured out how to get the attachment right, and that the road surface was particularly bad. I agree with everyone else that a helmet mounted cam would be better, but I couldn't find a good mounting kit. The rider would also have to train himself not to move his head left and right much to avoid the nauseating swinging effect. Luc Brunelle must have had to practice for months to be able to make such amazing videos.

The de facto standard mount kits for anything other than helmets are made by RAM. They claim to have some degree of shock absorbtion.

View angle is a major issue. On ordinary cameras like the one I made the video with the angle is far too narrow, which has the tragic consequence that the motion actually looks slower than it really is. On the other hand, object appear closer than they are in reality.

edmundane i am normally very aggressive in overtaking because that's actually what keeps me safe. ride right, reach the ASL as soon as i can so i don't get trapped between cars at lights. i jump lights for the same reason. when u're slow u're always the most vulnerable because it's harder to keep your balance. if not i stay behind in the middle of the lane like tommy do. buses are best in winter they keep you well warm whilst you draft.

And they give you lung cancer + artherosclerosis. One reason I am agressive about overtaking buses and trucks is jsut to avoid having to breathe in the fumes.

winston Fit is the most important factor...

You may also want to bear in mind that a £120 helmet has exactly the same material, production and distribution costs as a £20 helmet....

That's not not entirely true. Some higher end helmets, like the Giro Atmos, have a carbon fiber skeleton, that's how they get away with having so many vents. It only makes a difference in warm weather, though.

I have a Langster and actually quite like the way it handles, but have still not reconciled myself to the poo colour. It's hard to imagine any colour less appealing. If anybody figures out a cheap way of repainting it, let me know.

The finish line photo reminds me of this story that's been going round the boards lately.

Credits to grant from the NYC forum. Taken at the "Broadway Bombing" alleycat on 4/7/07. There's more, but I think this is the one that captures the speed the best.

kboy I live up in Dalston and really like it. Getting a bit arty farty but still a great place. Good value for money too i think, and if you want a bit cheaper go more towards stoke newington or Hackney central. Around mare street / london fields is nice too

Regarding bike routes I commute Dalston - Mayfair every day and I ride:

Dalston - Balls pond road - essex road - Rosebery av - theobalds road - High holborn - Shaftesbury Av - Mayfair

Record times: dalston - mayfair: 22mins, Mayfair - Dalston: 19mins

I was thinking about Dalston. I am working in Russell Square, so it would be really close for me. It says something about the traffic in London that a ~3 mile journey takes you 20 mins, though.

roland [quote]risi Thanks for all the advice. Any good routes out to the North?

As far as traffic lights are concerned, I am puzzled because most cyclist here seem to obey them, even in cases like turning on to a roundabout where you can easily slip by.

Blimey... That's a can of worms.

As with making tea in a pot, queueing for pleasure and being constanly amazed by the weather, I like to think stopping at traffic lights is one of the marks of a true British Gentleman.

When else does one find time in heavy traffic to light a pipe and smooth down the tweed?[/quote]

Oh, in that case I understand everything.

Thanks for all the advice. Any good routes out to the North?

As far as traffic lights are concerned, I am puzzled because most cyclist here seem to obey them, even in cases like turning on to a roundabout where you can easily slip by.

SE is a huge area. Which neigborhoods or postal codes? I don't want to move somewhere boring.

I've spent the last 3 years riding in NYC, and I found that taxis are the least dangerous species on the road there. Being a taxi driver in a grid structured city is one of the most boring jobs imaginable, and most NYC cabbies seem to be pretty zombified and sedate, or at least predictable. Of course about 70% of the vehicles in Manhattan are taxis, so if you have a random conflict with anyone, chances are good that it's going to be a taxi. The one thing that's scary about taxis is that they have extra long passenger doors and people keep throwing them open without looking, so there are lots and lots of doorings.

Having just moved here from New York City, one of things I noticed in my first week of cycling in London is that it is much less obvious what the fast routes. In Manhattan there are certain avenues, like 1,2 and 9, where you can easily ride uninterrupted for 30 blocks at a steady 20 mph. Here traffic seems to be much more stop and go, but I am sure there are arteries that are faster than other roads. What are the main routes that you guys use for getting in/out of the city? One of the reasons I'd like to know is that it might influence where I look for flats.