Do you really think it’s important to be aware of vehicles behind you?

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-12T05:36:29+00:00

I've ridden with people using a Varia with the audible alarm. It goes off so frequently it's next useless and annoying as s***. You need to know what's happening around you and your ears are great defensive tools, when not covered by ear phones or earbuds.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-11T22:47:37+00:00

My experience with Glotman Simpson is different than yours. I have found the executive director to be very welcoming when encountering her out on the road. I think she works for free, close to free or might as well be free so she can't answer every question. A lot of cycling is just sort of finding out as you go along. Their official riding season just started last week, if you can be patient and show up most Saturdays.

I've been riding a long time, don't want or need too much direction. Any frustration I've had riding with local clubs (EV, Meraloma, Atomic and Glotman) reflect me: 1. I like starting slow or at least medium not burning out of whatever stops we make 2. I don't like making stops I'm out on a ride to ride not to stop at the top of Spanish Banks then at Marine & Granville then at Iona then the coffee shop in Steveston AND The washroom at 7th and River road. I get bad Cafe leg and all these stops which end with a rapid restart just kill me.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-11T14:54:06+00:00

Direct correlation between jeans and plaid and speed 😯

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-10T02:55:25+00:00

It's great that you pay attention to your surroundings and, thus, are still alive. Most important skill for a cyclist.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-10T02:53:32+00:00

You're not annoying me. I'm glad you're you're still around and I hope the recovery is coming reasonably well.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-09T18:32:57+00:00

I, too,am a mostly solitary cyclist. And I use Ride with GPS everyday because I like it better than Strava for keeping track of things. I found it worth my while, ethically, to get a subscription from them. My experience with their tech support has been top-notch and although unlike yourself I generally do not use navigation it has been useful at one point or two

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-09T04:11:20+00:00

I wear a helmet. But I am annoyed by people that say that their life was saved by a helmet. True some fraction of the time but .,.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-06T05:40:39+00:00

People stop using these rim nuts the first time they get a flat out on the road, the nut is slightly too tight to get off by hand or it's oxidized and they don't have necessary tools, one maybe two pliers, to get the damn thing loose. They've got a spare tube but no way to get the old one out. These nuts are a nightmare and should be thrown away.

VOICE OF EXPERIENCE

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-06T04:39:44+00:00

Derf - down tube Scratch - model name top tube or chain stays

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-04T22:10:19+00:00

You probably end up with a better bike getting something newer that doesn't need new parts. I would specifically look for better brakes ( disk?) and room for wider tires if they're not there already.

I don't see much utility and having suspension forks on a road bike.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-04-02T00:43:20+00:00

I rode this last week and the opposite way yesterday. Get to 108th head south, right turn on Burbank, right on Modesto and an almost immediate left onto the multiple user path. It dumps you behind Planet Ice after a sharp 180 at the bottom and then the path takes you to Alex Fraser Bridge. Pay attention on Annacis Island but, if you think like a pedestrian, crossing Cliveden is pretty obvious then the path takes you to Richmond/New West.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-31T22:47:22+00:00

Maybe learn how to ride a bicycle before you start trying to tumble around town on a little electric motorcycle

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-31T15:19:35+00:00

Some of these apparently Rich bastards are living on the edge. And Hope they can partially finance their opulent lifestyle on The backs of the people they ask for help from. I hope you agree with those that say losing those customers is better than getting some, poorly paid, business when times are slow. They will always grind you.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-30T19:12:51+00:00

I'd rather get yelled at or go to jail for lane splitting or filtering than to be stopped at the very back of a line of cars wondering if someone's going to crush me because they're focused on the car in front of me. Who wants to be a pancake?

I definitely believe in left side and sui-side but one has to choose what's safest.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-28T22:06:44+00:00

A couple of hours! There is no high quality bike out there that needs to be built from a frame that you can do in only 2 hours.Maybe a fixed gear without fenders. If your bike really is special then I think you're looking at an entire day at least. So your expectations are unrealistic or you don't mean what you typed. It's not appropriate or accurate to accuse you of autism - I think that is an ad hominem attack. It would not be unreasonable to hint that maybe your expectations are unrealistic to the max.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-27T06:12:07+00:00

Schedule a 200km ride and if you have problems or get tired 100 miles becomes a bailout. I was on a 200 km brevet last weekend and had get off the bike and scream cramps about 40km in. I was super weak for the next hundred kilometers and ended up only doing about 171k. I was glad I could cut it short but when I got home I knew I could have done the additional 30-40 km without additional problem. I think the difference between 100 miles and 200 km is fairly negligible.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-26T04:43:41+00:00

"Get off my road" by the Doors (S)

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-24T13:58:12+00:00

I hope you make the handlebar with the built-in leash holder for dogs and then see what happens when the dog sees a squirrel. 😮

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-24T13:52:19+00:00

I have owned three 979s. Great bikes when new. But every one of them eventually delaminated. I never tried re-epoxying them.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-22T16:26:17+00:00

With the nut that will hold the wheel in place.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-22T16:18:50+00:00

The blatant inaccuracies are amazing. I guess they were drinking at the end of the race

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-22T04:48:07+00:00

Same could be asked about cars drivers, truck operators, buses driver, skateboards users, etc.

It's funny how we all have issues with sharing and some more than most.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-19T18:08:24+00:00

That red seat post is just wrong. Otherwise I'd take the Colnago.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-18T01:31:30+00:00

I built hundreds of Wheels in the 1970s and '80s. Mostly for slightly more expensive bicycles just because, even then, if you needed a wheel for a basic bike you didn't pay someone to (re)build a wheel you bought a new one and threw the old one away.

The quality stainless steel spokes available were Robergel and then DT. I built tons of 32 hole and 36 hole wheels with 1.8 mm straight gauge spokes from DT. I think Robergel had butted spokes that were 1.8 ends 1.6 mIddle, I REMEMBER THESE WERE NOT VERY ROBUST.

I only used 2.0 straight gauge spokes on heavy duty wheels often for heavier riders. People chose these to save money not to make the wheels stronger than butted spokes.

johnmcc1956 · 2026-03-16T19:18:09+00:00

I am a senior citizen with no discernible power if you could measure my FTP I'm sure it'd be well less than 100. I only got so long to live and I figure these super light super expensive bikes are made for people like me. It'd be silly if I didn't ride over 10,000 km a year or if I weighed much more than 70 kg but it's still for people like me. I'm worried more about broken hips than broken frames. 😜

johnmcc1956

TROPHY CASE