Bicycling for a better life

My Bikes and Stuff

My Road Bike I have had this road bike, Trek Madone 5.2, for about three years. I have to say that for the money spent this is the worst bike I have ever owned. It's not a horrible bike, in fact, I love to ride it. But it has had more than its share of problems. The rear wheel has been replaced four times, fortunately (after two and a half years) the dealer and Trek rep replaced them at no charge. Either spokes would come loose to where the tire would rub on the frame, or they literally broke - not once, not twice but, so far, 6 times. Two in one ride. I also had to buy a new middle chainring for a broken tooth two weeks after it was adjusted (I am not accusing anyone but I have never had to replace a chainring in 25 plus years of riding). But I have to give credit to the dealer and Trek rep, they continue to work with me on the issues.

But it is my current road bike and as I said I love to ride it. The stock seat was the first seat that has actually fit me well. I still get a little sore but that is mostly from chaffing. The bike is incredibly light, although I don't really concern myself with that as a lot of people do. As you can see from the picture I carry additional stuff with me which can add another 20 lbs or so. So maybe having the light bike is good.

I got the three chainring model because, well, why not? If I ever need the additional hill climbing power it's there. But I have only used the smaller chainring once. I was coming home from a 50 mile ride on a 97 degree day. Most of the last five miles to home are up hill. Less then a mile, at the steepest part, my legs cramped up. I was sure glad I had that extra gear. Later on I ended up going to the hospital for de-hydration (in my 25 plus years of riding, that was a first, too).

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My Touring Bike I love this bike, too, my Novara Safari, sold at REI. It's a bit heavy but it is built strong. Nice big tires for rolling over bumps and gravel, racks for plenty of gear. In this pic I have my day packs. I have larger bags and panniers for overnight.

It is geared for touring with a heavy load, so it is slower than the road bike. But you don't feel like you're pulling all that gear either. Some people don't like the oval handlebars but I played around until I got them in a comfortable position. It is nice to be able to move your hands around on long rides.

What I Take I get a kick out of most riders who think they need to go as light as they can. In fact, you rarely see any bags on a bike unless it is a commuter. I don't worry about the weight mainly because I ride partly to workout. So the added weight, and less aerodynamics, give me a greater workout. I have always ridden with a bag so I wouldn't know the difference anyway.

I have tried smaller bags in the past but I was always trying to make things fit. This bag is great. The brand is Topeak which I bought at REI. The rack clamps onto the seatpost. The original was a carbon seatpost so I had to replace it with an aluminum one (again, more weight). I have not had a single problem with it. The rack has a track that the bag slides onto and clips at the front so it is incredibly easy to take on and off. The panniers are part of the bag as well. The only unfortunate thing about the rack is the side rails that support the panniers are an additional cost.

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I never depend on someone picking me up, unless of course something major/unrepairable were to break. I carry the following:

tire pump, CO2 pump and cartridges, tire levers, tube repair kit, extra tube, gauge
I carry both an extra tube and repair kit. I have had more than one flat on a ride. Usually, on the first flat I just swap tubes. Of course, if I have a second flat I have no choice but to repair it. Sometimes the tube can't be repaired such as when the leak comes around the stem - then you have to have an extra tube. I use the tire pump to get the initial air into the tire to check for leaks then top it off with the CO2. I cut a short piece of an old two inch tube to put each cartridge in so that they don't rattle.

My CO2 pump is really quite simple yet very effective. It is a simple nozzle that screws onto the cartridge. All the way on is off, back it off a bit and it fills the tire. In fact, I have left the nozzle on and used the leftover later. I purchased 25 cartridges on EBay for less than a dollar a cartridge. A lot less expensive than in the store and they actually work!

multi-tool with allen wrenches and spoke tool, extra wrench and allen wrenches
Multi-tools are nice but not necessarily easy to use since you have several tools bundled together. If I know I will need to adjust the seat or something I will take that wrench or tool as it easier to work with one tool.

electrical tape
Sometimes I may even take a little wire. You never know when something might break and you have several miles yet to get back home or you don't want to leave a part behind.

spokes and spoke nuts
My Madone has been my only bike where extra spokes were a necessity. There are fewer spokes on the Bontraeger wheels so when one breaks, or even comes loose, you can't ride it - the tire rubs on the frame. The spoke nuts are stored with my other tools, the spokes I run along the rack frame using pieces I cut from an inner tube to hold them in place.

Tool Bag I have my concerns about the environment so I not only try to save from throwing something away but I like to save money as well. My tools go into a bag that my underwear came in. Yes, that is new, clean underwear. It actually had a zipper on it. Everything fits so why would I go buy a new bag? I also carry a rag with me, you always manage to get a little dirty making a repair. The pump, spare tube and tool bag all go into one of the side panniers.

Extra Clothes Even during the summer it can be cool starting out so I may start off with a long sleeve shirt but will shed it before too long. The other pannier is where I usually store extra clothes and a bottle with a little powder drink if I am going on a long ride.

Stuff In the main compartment I keep reading glasses - I am nearsighted and wear contacts which then take away my nearsightedness. I also put in snacks, cell phone and anything else I may think I need like extra batteries for my GPS.

Winter Bag And that is just my summer bag. My winter bag is larger. I will carry extra clothes and rain gear and lights. In the winter I layer starting with my usual summer clothes consisting of polyester shirt and bicycle pants. I usually start out with additional layers and shed as I go. Normally outside layers are long non-absorbing pants, long-sleeve shirt or light fleece. For rain gear I carry a rain jacket, booties and a helmet cover. I also carry full finger gloves. I don't like wearing rain gear because I get too hot and sweat can eventually turn on you and make you chilled, so I only carry it until it rains. Hence, the bigger bag during the winter season for all my stuff.

GPS GPS devices come in many shapes, sizes and flavors. My favorite is the Garmin 60CSx. The reason I like it is because I can use it for hiking, biking, driving and boating (it is actually rated for 30 minutes in water). I have the optional bike mount. You will notice a homemade accessory bar I made mainly to get the GPS off of the handlebars - vibration and hard bumps are absorbed better.

I don't use the GPS to find my way but more for recording where I have gone. Then I upload the information to my computer. I can display the route on a map (or even in Google Maps) and use it to plan future rides.

The GPS I purchased at REI and glad I did. I had one for about a year and it would start conking out after about an hour into the ride. REI exchanged it with no problem.

Normally, I just use my bike computer on my road bike but occassionally I take my GPS if I am exploring a new route so that I can record it.

Water I usually take two water bottles. One is missing in the picture above as I stole the cage to use on my other bike. But if I am riding close to the cities I can usually find water. I drink about one of these bottles per hour.

Oil and the Chain I don't care much about bike weight but if anything is causing friction like an old chain it's wasted effort. So I usually oil my chain every other ride, every ride if I have ridden in the rain. I also have a tool to check for chain wear and usually replace the chain about 2,000 miles.

Helmet, Gloves, Shoes and Shades Wear a helmet.

How anyone can ride without eye protection is beyond me. Bugs, rocks, debris flying through the air are great ways to lose an eye. Yeah, I may look goofy but I can still see...

"On your left" is a warning of the past, hardly used anymore. I have a little mirror tucked inside my shades so when I slow down and someone tries to sneak up on me - I know you're there.

I wear bike gloves most of the time as they help reduce the amount of wrist pain and numbness. Sometimes I shed them to smooth out the farmer's tan.

I don't like to be noticed so I don't care for the Look pedals and shoes - the cleats protrude and you can always hear a cyclist walking. I use Shimano SPD pedals and cleats where the cleats are recessed. My shoes look a bit more like casual shoes instead of biking shoes. So when I commute they can double as my regular shoes.

I recommend getting pedals and cleats. Your shoe literally clips into the pedal and rarely will it come out accidentally. They take some getting used to. I remember when I first got mine. Coming to a stoplight I had a little trouble getting my shoe off. I don't know if anyone was watching but I managed to get my cleat out as my knee was about six inches from the ground. I saved my body but not my pride. But once you have ridden with them a few times you won't even notice and would never go without them. With cleats you can gain a bit of power by actually pulling up on the return stroke.

Uses for Old Tubes I mentioned that I use old tubes for things like storing CO2 cartridges and attaching spokes to the rack. I also use them for attaching cables like the cable for the cycle computer. I even attached the sensor with a piece of old tube. They are strong but yet you can easily remove them when you want to clean the bike or something. I have an endless supply and I can cut them to just about any length. Plus, they don't scratch or leave marks on the bike.

Tube pieces can also be used to "tie" things together. For instance, my tire levers came loose as a set of three. I slide two levers into a piece of tube, then slide the 3rd in between the first two. They fit nice and snug.

No Aerobars I don't see the point of using aerobars especially riding around Seattle. Yes it gets windy but to tell you the truth I see people using them with the wind. How are you going to improve if you keep making it easier for yourself? The wind is part of the training. Unless you plan to do a century or longer and need to conserve as much energy as you can, I see no point in using them.