Post your bicycles/rides/pics/updates here! Mountain bike, roadie, recumbent, whatever as long as it's cycling related.

I'll start. I have a 2011 GMC Denali that I bought new.

...not what you think.

It's a road bike, my new way of getting exercise and saving money on gas. I've lost 18 pounds so far and my fuel costs have been cut in half. It will pay for itself in so many ways over time.







It's quick and easy to ride. I've hit a top speed of 37.1 mph on it so far, granted downhill. Very stable even at that speed. Odometer has about 60 miles on it now, I bought it two weeks ago.

Naturally though, I can't leave well enough alone. Care to guess what my first modification was?

Well, if you guessed a killer lighting system, you'd be right.





I don't turn on all the lights unless I'm in an area clear of traffic. Unfortunately, at least for the moment, bike lighting systems don't really believe in having a cutoff so you can see how this might be a problem.

But, since I do most of my riding in the dark, I have absolutely no problem seeing where I'm going. At 1250 total lumens, it's brighter than some motorcycles.
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-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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Nice truck lol. Love the bright light.

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2000 SSEi 4th Pontiac!! 231,xxx Current mods: Gutted AirBox w/ K&N drop in. Cleared Corners. Future mods: 3.5 pulley, 180* tstat, hi flow cat, solid motor mounts, Red-Tinted Turn Signal Tails, Projector Headlights, Turn Signal Mirrors.

What did put on for lighting? It didn't cost more than the bike did it... Did it? Do you just run a flasher up front when that mini star is not lit? I could count on two hands the number of times i've pulled out the bikes in the dark... Been meaning to try that again, but good lighting sytems cost deter me some..

While it's an entry level bike, as long as it uses standard parts you can run it for quite a while I bet. Keep in mind, many parts on that level of bike aren't going to perform well after a few thousand miles, cheaper parts fall out of adjustment fairly often once they're heavily used. You're more than capable of doing all the maintenance on your own, it's easy, and rewading.

However, In the end, the bike doesn't make you fast and fit, it's the engine!

One of the biggest ways to prolong your drivetrain is great chain maintenance. I've put the Krytech wax on my roadie (always used it on my MTB) and been very happy so far. Waxes help shed dirt, the more the merrier, unlike wet lubes.

#1 piece of advice i can give is to really get the fit dialed in. During the lowest part of your pedal stroke, you want around a 10 degree bend in your knee. 95% of riders have their seat too low, this makes your knees do a lot more work, and keeps you on shorter rides than you might be capable of.

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

Thanks GreySSEi!


You know your bikes !

The main light was a pretty good score I found on Ebay...it's an UltraFire SST-50 LED flashlight rated at 1200 lumens. The other light is just a cheapo halogen system that I guess is around 50 lumens, I don't know exactly how much, but it's enough to be seen, barely adequate to see. No flash function on the halogen, but the LED has a strobe. Talk about seizure inducing. Check it out though, a good Ultrafire flashlight and a mount (assuming you already have 18650 rechargeable batteries and a charger) will only run you about $50 or so.

You're spot on about adjustment. I've struggled with it for a while (cable stretch and all) but it seems that everything has finally fallen into place. Everything on the bike is pretty much standard parts so replacement (or more likely upgrades) won't be a problem. I've already replaced the bottom bracket because the original one made popping noises and I didn't feel like dealing with that on some longer rides. Everything else seems serviceable enough to last a good while but I'll replace what wears out with something better when the time comes.

You are also very right about maintenance...working on bikes is so much easier than working on cars. And thanks for the tip on the chain wax, I've just been using gun oil on my chain but I'm still learning. What roadie do you have?

Still working on getting the fit dialed in. I'm almost there. I guess I'm at the point now where I'm not sure if it's good enough or not, I've got everything adjusted to where it feels comfortable but I wonder if it could be better.
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-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

I've got an '07 (IIRC) Specialized Roubaix Comp Triple. Had a big chunk of coin saved up, and had to get back into cycling, my old mountian bike was done for really.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... &Type=bike


Just got accessories on it, and added the wheels, New bartape and cables for this season were nice over the stuff that was showing it's age.

I think we're due for a long running bike thread in the lounge...

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

The 10* bend, is that more of just before your knees are locked?

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Yes. it's hard to judge when you're stationary, because when you "pedal" with a foot on the ground, your ankle may bend more or less when actually riding. I was given a decent fitting at the store on the road bike when I bought it, but i've raised it half an inch or so many times over the past year, and only felt better. The more your knee is bending, the more work it's doing, and that's bad form.

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

I would switch to biking to work, But my job requires my car... It would give me a 2nd way of losing this weight of mine...

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Jacob, Dark Green 1997 SSEi "The Green Lantern" Over 268,000 Miles and Still Going Strong!

Mods/Stuff: INTENSE! FWI, ScanGauge 2, Mobil 1 HM Oil, Valvoline HM Transmission Fluid, Mildly Tuned PCM, Drilled 180 Thermostat, Cleared Corners, Silverstars, Chrome T-Stars, NGK Iridium Plugs, NAPA Belden Wires.

I think you could get a pretty good angle if you get on a treadmill and have someone protractor a line that is marked above and below your knee. Obviously you need to know how to ride a bike and keep a constant speed but it'd work.

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Well, a bike trainer yes. Treadmill just seems like trouble.

And honestly, super fine tuning of bike fit takes time, and some of it is personal preference. I'm still adjusting things 3 years after I bought mine.

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

Nice Specialized BonneMe! I agree with you about the fit, I'm still adjusting mine although I've only had it for three weeks rather than three years.

Update:



Converted to friction shifters! This is sort of like the "manual transmission" of the bike world. Not necessarily the best (that title is usually given to integrated brake/shifter units like the ones on BonneMe's ride) but it's a lot quieter, faster, and more precise than the shifters it is replacing. I gained some real estate on the bar as well, although I'll need to get some more grip tape to cover up the bare bar.

Other than that, I added a second water bottle cage for longer rides. Down 20 pounds now.

EDIT: Just came back from a test ride. It shifts GREAT. Super smooth and fast, and extremely precise. What a massive improvement, and the stock shifters weren't THAT bad.
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_________________
-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

From what I can tell in the pix, that thing had gripshift MTB style?!? Christ..

True STI Brifters (Brake/shifter) and not the trigger ones, was like item #1 I had to have on the bike when I was shopping. Also the external BB. When test riding, I took out a couple carbon bikes and was RUINED.

/runs off to lounge to start a cycling thread.

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

Yup, gripshift. Really odd on a road bike, but other than that everything seems to be properly set up for a roadie. It was probably done to save costs.

In all honesty, they weren't THAT bad, but the indexing on the MTB shifters didn't match up with the positions of the gears on the road cassette out back, so sometimes it would ghost shift or not quite shift when it was supposed to. Switching over to a real road bike friction shifter has made a night and day difference and it feels like a true roadie now.
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-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

I can imagine. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around how they got them around all the bends so easily. Interesting that they didn't line up with the cassette well..

What are they? How many speeds? I'm actually looking for some gripshifts to make an old bike I got a winter/beater bike. Gripshifts seem best with gloves, and my rapidfires on that bike have bit the dust.

Frictions will definitely be nice though, and some more bar tape will be a good addition. I just redid mine for the first time, a few online tutorials go a long way!

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

The bar is actually a two-piece setup...sort of a tube within a tube design with a bolt going through both to ensure that it lines up properly. The grip shifters come off easily once you separate the bar in the middle. It's a strong bar but as you can imagine with the overlap it probably weighs more than a standard road bike bar would. I may replace it with a regular bar if my local bike shop has a spare lying around (like from a bike someone upgraded to something else).

The original shifters are Shimano Revo MTB shifters, 21 speed (3 forward, 7 rear). You're welcome to them if you want them, but they will probably need new cables or at least new cable ends. They didn't work bad for MTB shifters, but between the frictions and these there is no comparison (on a roadie). I went on a group ride today of about 15 miles and while downshifting and braking at the same time was a little interesting the frictions were an absolute joy to shift. I can't wait for my next ride.

EDIT: Hey, I got photographed! That's me in the middle taking a swig of Gatorade.



Original site: http://aobike.shutterfly.com/10205#10200

Representin' the GMC Denali. You may note (and I truly was the only bike there with one) that my bike was the only one with a kickstand. I saw this as an advantage.
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_________________
-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

Rewrapped the handlebars today, found a good guide on youtube...



I wrapped it a little better than it was from the factory so that I have a little extra cushion where it counts (like up by the brake hoods). Also, I wrapped up the brake cables all the way to the stem to give it a cleaner look. It's shaping up to look like a good roadie...

As I mentioned in the preceding post it's an absolute joy to ride as it is now...I have 115 miles on the bike so far with no problems.
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_________________
-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

Looks good on the tape, maybe a little closer on a few wraps, but that's not a big deal. Mine had gel pads between the bar and tape, i left them there, and like them a lot. Maybe after some good weight loss i can ditch them.

Kickstands are NO advantage. That is the most ridiculous thing i've heard!

You're totally hooked! Better start saving for something bigger and better...

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud

Yeah, it was my first time doing a handlebar wrap, but it turned out pretty good. The new tape has a better feel and is squishier than the old tape.


Until it comes time for the group to stop for a break...I can park my bike anywhere while everyone else has to seek out a bush or a fence to lean their bike on.

But yeah...I'm hooked. I ended up riding 4 different times for a total of about 30 miles yesterday. Going to ride 14 miles plus who knows how much later today. I seriously can't wait until my first century ride or just simply taking a full day tour of the area. The only thing holding me back right now is the motor. Very glad I invested in a second drink holder for longer rides.

My plan is to ride the GMC until after I graduate and then get myself something nice. That is of course, assuming I haven't gotten totally obsessed and upgraded the GMC with better parts by then which is a very real possibility!
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_________________
-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

Well, might as well post another pic. I've added some more accessories (necessary stuff) and will be adding additional bags soon. I need more space for my tools and other stuff I need to carry since I'm going all over the place these days.

In this pic I had discovered a new parking deck which is why I took the pic here. Also found a new road.



Soon, I'm gonna get a micro camera which I'll mount on the bike and take a video of me going flat out over a local 3.5 mile bike course. Should be fun. The new bags are yellow and black so they'll match the bike, but they're not here yet.

This pic was taken in one of the local industrial parks:



It's interesting to think of all the places I've been so far. This bike has taken me pretty much all over this town and even into others. 229 miles on the odometer now.
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_________________
-Dan
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2012 Nissan Maxima SV Premium • Super Black • Charcoal • VQ35DE • Bose • Factory HID • 5000k LED Int/Ext
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__I n n o v a t i o n__T h a t __E x c i t e s

I probably got out for 70ish miles last week, I really should start keeping a log.

Geez, all these accessories we'll have to start calling you fred! (Bikeforums.com thing..)

/wannaberacermode

I don't know what your bottle situation is, but I can't imagine the stainless bottle is quiet, or easy to flip open on the run, and as a manager of a Walgreens, I can't imagine that stays put well over any bumps!

Protip: always take shots of the bike on the drivetrain side. We can discuss where to put the valvestems and cranks for the ultimate photo in a later class...

Lookin' good! Keep the rubber side down!

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Jason Z - Exposed Autos

2001 BMW 330i - Titanium Silver - Sport Package - 3 Pedals - Koni Yellow/H&R Sport
2006 Volkswagen GTI - (gone) Tornado Red - DSG, Stage II~280hp/325tq
1993 Pontiac Bonneville - (gone) Purple Pearl H4U/SLE. Loud