Road Cycling. Who's into it?

Eneryone I know who has been a serious cyclist has also had serious injuries!

Ahem, caution…extreme cycle nerd alert, I say again, extreme cycle nerd alert!
Yeah I enjoy riding, got to be careful though since my bloody discs popped in my back.
Can’t let this go without mentioning something, Eddy Merckx…legend

You know who else loves cycling? The Chinese!
Cycling is communism.

My trainer does race across America every year and teaches spin classes. I guess it’s helpful to have an evil trainer but I refuse to get on one of those spin contraptions.

I commute by bike. @Judi I’ve never had any serious injuries. Fell twice, once on snow owing to the weird behaviour of an oncoming driver. Other time was my own stupid fault.

@ragingloli:

No.

The Chinese ride bicycles.

This thread is about cycling.

@ucme:

Eddy Merckx.

The living legend.

You might appreciate this appropriately snobby site:

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Everyone take a note.

@SecondHandStoke Oh I know Eddy is still alive & kicking, still relatively young too.
He was before my time as far as watching cycling goes, but i’ve seen footage of him in the tour & giro, what a rider…what a man.

^ http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/the-prophets-prayer/

Wow, all that talent & he only had three fingers on his left hand, even more impressive.

I have four bikes.
Bianchi road
Fuji Aloha time trial With HED tri spoke wheels front and back.
Fuji road
Fuji trails
I’m generally a fair weather cyclist now since I’ve crashed and broken bones trying to cycle on ice. I use my time trial bike exclusively for Summertime triathlons.
During cold and nasty weather I ride my Pro-Form Tour de France stationary cycle. It is a lot of fun to ride it is almost like riding a real bike.

—Cetrtainly not those redacted who are too proud or lazy redacted to get out of their cars.

My dad was a keen cyclist in his youth; he competed mainly in long-distance time-trials including one 24-hour race. Now he’s 75, but he still cycles regularly. His most treasured posession is a Hetchins bike that was made some time in the 50s or 60s*. He bought the frame in a yardsale for £10, renovated it, and one day someone walked up to him in the street and offered him £500 for it. He said no.

* I have forgotten the date but my dad knows it, to the day; he contacted the company, gave them the serial number and they told him not only the date it was made but also what colour it was (red and black), and they sent him some free decals to put on it.

@downtide:

Does the Hetchins have the curly chainstays?

There’s no way I’d let even the frame go for anywhere as low as $500.

24hr TT. Your dad is Boss.

@SecondHandStoke yes, it does, that’s how he knew it was a Hetchins when he saw it in the yardsale.

@Hypocrisy_Central:

I’m just as proud of my car. I do the wrenching on it whenever possible as well:

Honda Integra 1996 (DC1)

Enkei RPF1 wheels 16“x7”, Black

Eibach ProKit springs.

Nitto NeoGen tires. 205.45.16

24mm front swaybar.

Energy Suspension shifter kit, front sway bar mounting and end bushing kits.

(It goes where I visualize it going).

Personally custom fabricated short shifter.

(Feels like a bolt in a well oiled rifle).

Mild weight reduction:

Terrestrial radio antenna assembly (plus motor) and cable delete.

Rear wiper and motor delete.

Hatchback carpet and floor delete.

Rear bumper beam delete.

Exhaust manifold cover delete.

Power steering delete.

Internal engine modifications are, in keeping with tradition, confidential.

Well, K&N Air filter and custom hybrid airbox.

One custom Lego Stig figure hanging from factory rear tow hook.

Had to make mine from Lego Astronaut. Some say now you can just buy them.

(sigh).

@downtide

I suppose a photo would be too much to ask.

A total work of art, it should be yours someday.

Is the Hetchins built? What’s on it?

I’m not a cyclist. Sounds too much like work.

I ride my bike around town because I hate driving. I have two bikes I switch between depending on what I’m doing.

I have a 15 speed mountain bike that was some special name brand, but I removed all the labelling so it wouldn’t get stolen when I lived in the ghetto. I don’t remember what it was anymore. Usually I ride my beach cruiser, though.

^ Specialized, Mongoose, Trek, or Cannodale sound familiar?

@SecondHandStoke
Ultracommunism, then.

@SecondHandStoke I have no idea whats on it, and I don’t have a photo. I’ll ask my dad about it next time I see him (probably Christmastime).

Could be Mongoose, @Hypo. That sounds about right.

@ragingloli:

Okay, let’s talk Communism and cycling for a moment:

For at least two Olympics the Soviet teams were forced to use Masi of Italy bicycles in competition.

Why?

Because not a single manufacturer in the USSR had a bicycle that could compete.

The lesson to be learned?

An oppressed people have no spirit to create a quality product.

@downtide:

Have fun!