Tag: handlebars

My Interesting Ride Today

On By Michel McDonaldIn Bike, Cycling, ExerciseLeave a comment

I went on my ride this morning but I found that I had a few problems.

  • As I was riding the bike I got to where Kaiser Permanente hospital is and their lights were shining on me and I went to look at the computer to see what time it was and to see how fast I was going with my new tires and seat but the screen was blank.  So I pulled over to find out what the issue was.  When I put the wheel back on the front fork I put it on backwards so my magnet was on the wrong side of the wheel lol.  So I put it on the correct side and spun the wheel but it still didn’t work.  It’s because of what my pimpled front tire did to the computer wire, it stripped it so there are wires that are exposed so it doesn’t work now.  So today I have no reference of how fast I was going or how many calories I burned.
  • When I left the house I didn’t notice that my back wheel had a bump to it.  As I was riding on the bike trail I could feel the bump and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do about it because it’s a brand spanking new tire.  When Darrin bought me the new tires he also bought me new tubes that had the presta valves.  My front wheel is brand new (26×2.00) but my back wheel (26×1.95) is the original wheel on the bike so since they are both different sizes they both won’t accept presta valve because the presta valve tubes have this big ring under the valve.  The regular tubes that you buy don’t so I just had to change the tube on the bike trail then all was good.
  • And now my new seat lol.  Yesterday when I first put the new seat on I rode it down the street then had to come back to adjust it.  Then I rode around a bit and had to make an adjustment here and there and I thought I had it all worked out but I guess I didn’t.  So on my bike ride this morning I think I pulled over 3 times to make adjustments.  I finally got it to a comfortable position.  I had to raise my handlebars though because even though the instructions are to lower the seat by 1 inch I did that yesterday and my legs were bending too much so I put it back so today all I had to do was raise the handlebars and that fixed that issue.

Since my computer didn’t work today I’m going to have to write down an old time when I used to go 16 miles so I can at least have something to write down.  I’ll have to fix that wire today so that I can use it tomorrow.

“The Bicycle Seat” website that I got the new seat from say to give it at least 3 weeks and considering I’ve already given my old seat and the gel cover to a neighbor I have no choice but to give it 3 weeks lol.  I can’t ride any other way.  But I do want to give it some time to get used to because I’m not numb today in the naughty parts but my butt is killing me lol.  My arms are killing me too ugh.

Bike Cam Vid Done

On By Michel McDonaldIn BikeLeave a comment

I got my bike cam video on the computer without issue (YES!).  I found 3 good songs to put in the video and used my Adobe Soundbooth to mix them like a DJ would lol.  I added the song then sped up the 20 minute video to 8 1/2 minutes so it fits with the songs.  It’s all ready to go, I just need to get it on YouTube.

I was a bit disappointed that the video was shaking so much, I mean from side to side because of the handlebars but when you are riding a bike you can’t keep it from doing that lol.  It is physically impossible to get the video to be still constantly the entire time.  Especially when it’s mounted to the handlebars.  If it were mounted on my helmet then perhaps that would be different but on the other hand every time I move my head up or down or left or right or behind me, the video moves too so it sees everything I look at which would be way more annoying lol.

Nashbar Townie Basket

On By Michel McDonaldIn Bike1 Comment

Last week I bought this product for my bicycle from nashbar.com for carrying my groceries.  I got the rack for my birthday from Chips cousin and her girlfriend so all I needed was the bag.

The bag I got is called a Townie Basket and it’s small enough to carry a bag of groceries so I don’t have to keep wrapping the bags around my handlebars.  The more specific grocery I wanted to use this for was for the 2 gallons of milk I always buy because it’s cheaper to buy 2 gallons than 1 at $3.69.

So I got the bag today and put it on immediately which only took maybe a minute to figure out how it goes on.  I went to Albertson’s right away and got my 2 gallons of milk along with some other things that I needed which I ended up having to carry in my grocery bag on the handlebars… I’m gonna need another one for the other side lol.

The only problem is that with 2 heavy gallons of milk it was sagging outward.  I was petrified that they would fall out as soon as I hit a bump in the road or a pot hole, not paying attention to the road and watching the milk instead might make me accidentally hit a pot hole or a CAR lol.

Well, here are the pictures of the bag.  The first one is of the bag folded up on the rack, the 2nd one is the bag open and the 3rd one is of it with its handy dandy rain coat or as I like to call it, it’s shower cap.

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Ok, now to fix the problem with this bag sagging outward I had to think about how I was going to do this.  I remembered the metal with the holes I used to make it so the rack was secure on the bike so I grabbed the roll of that stuff and held it up then bent the top of it over then I held it on the clamp in the tool shed and cut off a piece, then I cut a 2nd piece.  Then I went back over to the patio table and started drilling holes in the hard plastic in the bag so I could screw these things in place and then I put it on the bike rack.  Viola, it doesn’t sag anymore so I don’t have to worry about anything falling out lol.  Well, for now anyway.

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It’s a really dark picture but you can see that it’s not black, it’s the silver or gray thing on the right.  Not only does it stay on the rack but because I used the pliers to curl it over the rack bar I know nobody will be able to steal it lol.  It’s too much trouble to be able to steal now.  I mean because it’s only on with bungee at the bottom in the 2nd rack hole then with the 2 metal pieces (the black one on the left) so it’s very easy to steal but not anymore.

So if I have any other problems I’m going to have to put a hole on the outside of the bag into the plastic and put a hook there so I can hook a bungee on the outside then hook the other side of the bungee cord to the other side of the rack to make damn sure nothing falls out.

Edit: While I was watching Stargate SG-1 today I was thinking of how I could make this even more secure to the rack, not so that it doesn’t make my milk fall out but secure as in security.  How do I keep people from trying to steal it?  Bracket it to the rack.  See, there are these straps at the bottom that you are supposed to put the rack through, the metal sticks that get screwed to the wheel part of the frame, those are supposed to go through these straps and you would think that those would be velcro so that just in case your rack doesn’t allow you to put them through, then you could just undo them with the velcro.  So I came up with something a little more permanent.

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This picture is taken from the inside of the wheel, as you can see the spokes on the right and left side.  I bracketed the bag to the rack so it would never be easy to separate.  Well, I mean it would if I was trying to but a thief couldn’t easily do it and the guards at the grocery store know me and my bike so they would know if someone was trying to take something off my bike anyway.  But this would definitely slow them down lol.

And to top it all off, I put an eye hook in the outside of the bag, you can see in the first 2 pictures, there is a little silver rectangle, that is the logo of the company I bought it from.  Well, I screwed the eye hook just below that logo so that I could easily attach a bungee cord to it then the other end of the bungee could attach to the other side of the rack.  This way everything will stay inside the bag and not fall out.  The neon yellow shower cap will be able to protect it with the bungee cord in place so that isn’t an issue.

“Stuff”

On By Michel McDonaldIn Products I LikeLeave a comment

We went to Snider’s Cyclry today to get the parts for my bike.  I got a new stem that has an extension so that my handlebars will be high enough so I don’t have to raise them as much to get height.  I also had to buy new hand grips because in order to take the old stem off and put the new stem on I have to take everything off the right side of the bar to slide it through.  I don’t really have to take the grip off the other side but then it will be lopsided so I really kinda do have to.  All that was $25

Then we went and got my glasses frame which was $35.

And lastly we went to Target to buy a new computer because the magnet fell off the spokes when I had my accident and when I was putting the bike in the car today to go to Snider’s the wire snapped so I needed a new one.  But instead of buying another 20 function computer for $15 I bought the 12 function because I don’t need that computer, just the parts.  The 12 function computer was only $10 and I would’ve spent that on the magnet plus $2 on eBay which would’ve been a total waste of money.  While I was in the bike department I bought a new rear view mirror that goes on the rubber grip on the outside of the bike, not on the inside so I will now be able to see and I bought gloves with the tips missing.

10 Speed

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

I decided last night that instead of getting my bike fixed right away or when I get money I want to go to the thrift store where we saw that 10 speed road bike for $20 and see if they still have it.  I’ve wanted to have 2 bikes at the house so if Darrin ever decides he wants to go bike riding for weight loss then we can go together.

I also wanted a 10 speed road bike because that’s what the majority of the people are riding on the bike trail.  I think that a 10 speed is a lot faster because it’s lighter and it will give me less pain in my legs, I think.

I still want to fix the handlebars on my mountain bike but just when I get the money that’s all.  I don’t want to fix it myself because I really don’t know what I’m doing.  You gotta take the rubber grips off of the handlebars first and I just don’t want to do that because they have the roadmaster logo on them.  I also would like to just bring it in to the bike store so they can look at it to make sure everything is in good condition.

My mountain bike can keep the lock on it and the lights with the generator because I might want to ride that to the store (when it’s fixed) at night and I’ll need the lights and the lock.  But I will transfer the computer over to the 10 speed and the frame bag.  The frame bag really doesn’t work in the mountain bike because the frame is too small for a frame bag.  I was barely able to keep my water bottle on it because with the bag there the water bottle was sticking out and I’ve been terrified that it would eventually pop out into traffic.

I’m actually looking forward to getting a 10 speed road bike because I think it would be easier to ride and I think I would go a lot faster which would mean that I would burn much more calories.  If I went faster I could probably ride the 18 miles in a lot shorter period of time and burn a ton of calories in the process.  And rest less.  Yes, I’m very excited about this.

Bike Maintenance

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

Yesterday when I came home from riding my bike I tightened the gears on the handlebars and fixed that but decided today was the day I was going to do maintenance on my bike.  I wanted to get some degreaser and cleaner for the gears on the back wheel and the chain and scrub it all to clean it then put some new grease on it but I need Darrin to take me to the bike store.  I don’t want to ride it there because it’s kinda far and I don’t want to have to have bottles of cleaner and grease in bags hanging on my handlebars.  Yeah I know I could use a backpack but that’s ok.  I’d rather be driven there.  I’d also like to walk through the store looking around and not worry that my bike is getting stolen.

What I did do today was I took the back wheel off because it has been wobbling and I know it’s not supposed to do that.  Before I figured out how to fix it I noticed that the ball bearings were getting close to falling out.  That’s not good.  I knew that I am lucky that I finally got around to fixing it because if it got any looser that I’d be in trouble.  I got it tightened but too tight so I had to loosen it hehe.

All fixed but not lubed up so hopefully soon I can get the cleaner and grease and get that done.

It’s Too Cold

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

I’m waiting for the heat to kick in lol.  I just went to my bike to the cyclo-computer to find out the temp outside and it says 49.5 degrees.  Hell to the no.  No freakin way am I going out bike riding when it’s this cold.  But I’m dying to get it over with lol.

Why is it either too hot or it’s too cold?  It’s never in between!  The only time of the year that it’s in between is 1 month before the summer heat which usually starts in May and 2 weeks after the heat is over in the end of September to the beginning of October.

Now, keep in mind that I love the cold.  I can’t wait for the cold every year but when it gets this cold and I have a purpose for being outside then I’m not so sure about it anymore lol.  I do know one thing is for sure, I’m gonna need some bike gloves.  I didn’t get them because they were a little much and I have bills to pay but now I think they are really important for my ride.  Especially when it becomes really cold and it hurts to hold the rubber grips on the handlebars.

Normally when I go bike riding I wear a regular t-shirt and a pair of shorts.  I don’t wear pants or a jacket because it gets too hot for that.  Even when it’s cold outside I still sweat in them.  And the ride is so long that my head is usually soaking wet.  Which is also not good when it’s this cold outside because it could cause me to catch a very bad cold.  I’m going to have to wait until it’s at least in the 60’s outside.  That’s what the temp usually has been the last few weeks that I’ve been riding and that’s ok.  And perhaps if I have to wait until noon for the temp to be up that high then so be it.  I just don’t want to miss out on riding because it’s too cold.

High Seat

On By Michel McDonaldIn Cycling, ExerciseLeave a comment

When I came back from my ride the day before yesterday I raised my seat up a lot but I guess not enough because today I rode my bike and I was still in pain when I got home and I noticed that my leg was still bending as I was riding.  Your leg is supposed to extend fully when it gets all the way down.  If your seat is too low it can cause an injury to your back and/or legs.

Well, when I lowered my seat I lowered it all the way then I realized how to raise the handlebars but I never raised the seat again.  Big mistake.

So anyway, this morning I thought it was high enough but it wasn’t and I came home from my ride in a little bit of pain in my legs.  Not as much as before but I raised it even higher and got on it and it was perfect.  My legs straighten completely.  Hopefully tomorrow I can keep going past California Ave instead of turning right.

My goal is to get my muscles strong enough to where I can ride the bike for long periods of time but having my seat so low was counter productive to my progress.  The longer I am able to ride the more calories I will burn and then I can just go back on with my life.  When I was a kid, teen and young adult (in my 20’s) I was very active.  Either running from bullies (junior high) or riding my bike to and from school, to and from work, to and from Hollywood via North Hollywood, to and from Simi valley via Canoga Park.  Point is I was active and active means skinny.  I never gained an ounce.  I could eat and eat and eat and believe me, I was a hungry guy and I never gained any weight.  So, hopefully, I can keep my eating habits but exercise it all off with the bike.

I also wanted to add that I am so excited to have my Dell DJ back.  I went too long without it and I’m so excited that I got that battery for $10 + $7 shipping.  I nearly bought the same battery from another retailer for $25 and another was selling the same thing for $50.  I almost gave up until I went on eBay.