Jaysus cycling! (3 Viewers)

What are the options?
the two options were my two genesis equilibriums (i liked the first so much i bought a second even though i didn't really need it). one disc brakes, one with rim brakes.
as it turns out the pannier won't fit the disc brake one - i thought it might, even though it's specifically a non-disc pannier, but the problem is with the rim braked bike, the mount points high on the seatstays are pretty much level with the brakes, so i'm going to have to get creative with the mounting struts.
 
the two options were my two genesis equilibriums (i liked the first so much i bought a second even though i didn't really need it). one disc brakes, one with rim brakes.
as it turns out the pannier won't fit the disc brake one - i thought it might, even though it's specifically a non-disc pannier, but the problem is with the rim braked bike, the mount points high on the seatstays are pretty much level with the brakes, so i'm going to have to get creative with the mounting struts.

Ha. I was hoping there'd be some way to make an argument based on my experience. I've no idea. I messed with a few configurations and eventually decided one bike was going to be a workhorse for shopping and touring and the other was going to be stripped out to be a fast bike with as little as possible on it. The bikes were already essentially built for these roles anyways though.
 
the struts are designed to be bent, but i'm probably going to have to bend them where there's already a 90 degree twist in them:

i'm up to six bikes now, i need to sell at least one. the reason i tell people i bought the second equilibrium is that i picked up a secondhand brooks B17 about 18 months ago, in pristine condition, because it was going cheap; but didn't have a bike to put it on. so i had to buy a bike to go with the saddle.
 
the struts are designed to be bent, but i'm probably going to have to bend them where there's already a 90 degree twist in them:

i'm up to six bikes now, i need to sell at least one. the reason i tell people i bought the second equilibrium is that i picked up a secondhand brooks B17 about 18 months ago, in pristine condition, because it was going cheap; but didn't have a bike to put it on. so i had to buy a bike to go with the saddle.

I had that rack and I broke it. The welds down near the axle snapped but it did finish out the tour with a DIY repair done with roadside electrical cable. (there is always electrical cable on the roadside for some reason.
 
I had that rack and I broke it. The welds down near the axle snapped but it did finish out the tour with a DIY repair done with roadside electrical cable. (there is always electrical cable on the roadside for some reason.
I have a Blackburn rack on the shopping / hack bike, and I've put really heavy stuff on it. Like too heavy, frame flexing stuff, and it's been alright. They don't make the rack any more it seems, but they are called the Blackburn Expedition 2 Rear Rack.


Really strong, if you can find one.
 
I'm realizing my lovely apartment actually looks like shit.

So I've got the absolute bare minimum of bikes. A daily driver, with mud guards and little enough to go wrong. An absolutely ridiculous full suspension Commencal that frightens me when I see it, and an old race bike I brought over and rebuilt.

And the little one's bikes. I always wanted a BMX when I was young, so I got them BMXs. A black BMX but with pink sparkles, because it matches my daughter's earrings, and a violently orange one with close to a one-to-one chain ring / sprocket. And rubbish brakes it turns out.

Then suddenly you're at 5 bikes. And we're being stingy here. But that's sort of the tip of the iceberg. Obviously there's a spare frame, a few sets of wheels, several bikes worth of components in boxes. And tools.

I was out on a night ride with the creatures, looking for bats which we found none of, and when I was hauling the back bikes up to the apartment I caught a glimpse of how not shit and hoardery my place looks when it's not a bike parking lot.

Obviously I can't get rid of any of the bikes, but I should probably do something before some reality TV cunt comes knocking. I need a garage I think.
 

We don't have NYC here but god so much of this is familiar nevertheless. @flashback how is cycling out your way, Washington DC, right?
Yeah, I was in NYC for a few years, now DC.

Emm... like, it's hard to know. I would say it's "fairly bad" here. I'd say it's about the same for DC and NYC. There's a bit of an attitude here that if you're riding a bike, it's because you can't afford a car and therefor are poor, and therefore should get out of my important way. One thing that's not great in the US generally is it's more or less fine to drive cars hammered, as long as you don't get caught.


I used to ride bikes a lot, and in tight groups at a reasonable enough pace. I think (even though I'm fat and useless now) I've retained a bit of that comfort, or ability, just because I've spent so much time on bikes and motorbikes. What I'm trying to say is that what I consider to be more or less grand, other people are less happy with.

I crash, but it's normally because I make a mistake. I've seen a number of accidents with cars, but it's been ages since I was actually knocked off by a car. There's lots of tricks and things you can do to avoid being hit. It's either luck or something else, but I can generally force drivers to see me, and this seems to keep me from being hit.

I think a lot of bike accidents are because riders are not completely confident, or too polite, to put themselves in the position of being seen. Not that it's their fault, but there's tricks to it. Having said that, I'm remembering that a couple of months back a driver clipped my arm with his wing mirror, I caught up with him, asked him what his game was, he tried to blank me, so I ripped the wing mirror off the car. This resulted in... an altercation. Not my proudest moment. Thought I'd left that stuff behind me.

(I'll presumably get ploughed into by a truck on the way home.)
 
I've done the much more gentle folding of the mirror, or I knock on it when I'm passing like knocking on a door as those new cars have auto folding mirrors because the world is one big rotating moron.
 
I've done the much more gentle folding of the mirror, or I knock on it when I'm passing like knocking on a door as those new cars have auto folding mirrors because the world is one big rotating moron.
that was my initial response.

Initially I just wanted to chat, tell him he clipped me, and go about my business. But he blanked me, rolled up the window, and tried to shunt me with his car.

Then I went fucking apeshit.
 
there is no point in trying to talk to a driver, no matter what they've done to you. they will always be on the defensive about it / not feel like they are in the wrong. they are, after all, driving their very important car to their very important thing that they have to do, in the way that roads were meant to be used - roads that they've personally paid for, unlike you cheapo waster cyclists. now get out of the way.

seriously though, (imo) there's no point in trying to admonish the motorist that pissed you off. nothing good can come of it. they're never going to apologise to you. the guards don't give a fuck either. actual revenge or move on.
 
i have had two or three occasions which ended well after initiating discussions.
worth noting that on each of these occasions, there was an open window through which to talk.
there's no point in trying to respond to a driver through a closed window. just smile and wave at them if they are shouting at you, or else - more fun - cup your hand to your ear and mouth 'i can't hear you' repeatedly.
 
I keep toying with the idea of getting a few fridge magnets done up a bit like the 'could do better' ones from national school that I can quietly stick to the back of moron drivers cars when I catch up/pass them out. I figure a magnet wouldn't do any damage beyond ego.
 

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