114 miles on a ~1970 Schwinn Continental. Rule number 5....
Oh, this bike is a super slow heavy bastard, and to make it worse I added a plywood box attached to the bike with rips of 2x4 all held together and to the bike with steel tie wire. I'd bet its right close to 40 pounds, and super flexible.
I recently posted about being bummed that all the rides I signed up for this summer got cancelled, and how I just needed to HTFU a bit, and uhhh, this ride the culmination of that. I'm feeling pretty fit, so I just went out and hammered all day, got a bit crampy from miles 70-85, but more water and food fixed it, finished the ride feeling good too, legs were down on power somewhat, but not crampy of hurting. The bike is way too big for me, I have negative 1" of standover height, so I flipped the seat clamp around to get the reach about right. https://i.postimg.cc/wBmd2kN1/AFE74F...B4AB4D6770.jpg Top of bear mountain, https://i.postimg.cc/SsLbFNDq/4B8AC8...0A05385BEC.jpg Google sent me on ten miles of dirt on the ride, https://i.postimg.cc/9MHHnqPJ/12756A...E52806E743.jpg I had a rugged headwind heading back south, luckily I was in these trees for 3 miles or so which were plenty tall enough to keep the wind away, https://i.postimg.cc/HW216nr9/4B45E0...3DE7FBB6A9.jpg My sweet plywood box stitched together with wire, https://i.postimg.cc/t4mX2TmM/A39F6D...5A814ED291.jpg The bike has a mechanical speedo/odo, it worked when I got the bike, but I oiled the drive cable and oil ran into the drive unit that contacts the side of the tire and made it stop working :-( Hopefully I can open it up and clean it out and get it working again, I was rather looking forward to checking my progress on a mechanical odo. I did a smaller ride a few days ago and its half way accurate, it recorded 10.4 miles fo 10.8 that I rode, I can grind down the drive wheel to correct the %4 error. Yea it also has a bottle generator and a light that work. https://i.postimg.cc/sxwFx6kN/75EF85...F8E787E796.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/hv4wk8Xb/5941AB...92F5EF3986.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/RZCFg2CN/90C1D9...4F68128776.jpg |
That’s a heck of a ride on a Schwinn Continental.
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Originally Posted by bikemig
(Post 21495308)
That’s a heck of a ride on a Schwinn Continental.
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Man, talk about proving the old saying "it's not about the bike."
How was the ride quality of the Continental? |
Best post of the year
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With this training you'll be able to ride non-stop on a bike that actually fits you properly. Nice ride!
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A very impressive feat! In fact, I'd be inclined to say that it's rather ridiculous, but I try not to point out the obvious...
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@jackbombay, that is all really impressive, and I hope you don't take this in the wrong way, but you are very stupid person. :lol:
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and no toe-clips...:thumb:
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I don't know what it's like to ride a too-big Conti, but in my view they are a comfortable ride. Heavy, obviously, but if you're racing nothing but the sun, that's not such an issue. You could ride hands-free all day, it's stable on descents, and the opposite of harsh.
Well done. |
Sounds and looks like a great ride. Good for you!
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Jack, you're my new hero, bumping Greg LeMond out of the top spot. You don't need to HTFU, you're already there.
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
(Post 21495314)
I flew out east for work, and there was supposed to be a better bike waiting for me, but there wasn't, and there has been a massive rush on any low priced bikes out here, CL has almost nothing and bike shops have sold ~%70 of everything in the store, its insane, this was all I could come up with, and, you'd fall over dead or laughing or both if I told you how much it cost! But I can't not have a bike for 3 weeks! I'm making my boss pay for it!
I respect the Continental. That was the Cadillac of 10 speeds when I was a kid. But, it may not be a bad idea to ask BF members in the area for a loaner. Much respect for the ride though!! |
Those bikes were ridden cross country "back in the day", especially during the bicentennial summer of 1976. Right now in the NYC area finding a deal on a used bike isn't easy, especially since garage sales out in the 'burbs ain't happening. Bikes sell within a few hours. The market had been a little slow the past few years. Not now, though. Nice ride up to the Bear Mountain Bridge. If you get a chance, check out the North County and South County bike trails on the other side of the Hudson. Flat old rail trails, and they get nicer as you go north. :thumb:
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Originally Posted by downtube42
(Post 21495466)
I don't know what it's like to ride a too-big Conti, but in my view they are a comfortable ride. Heavy, obviously, but if you're racing nothing but the sun, that's not such an issue. You could ride hands-free all day, it's stable on descents, and the opposite of harsh.
Well done. One thing that I'm pleasantly surprised by is the foam bar "grips", I know they are the hallmark of cheaper bikes, but man, these things are great! So comfy!
Originally Posted by delbiker1
(Post 21495575)
Sounds and looks like a great ride. Good for you!
Originally Posted by nomadmax
(Post 21495585)
Jack, you're my new hero, bumping Greg LeMond out of the top spot. You don't need to HTFU, you're already there.
I do have some arguably stupid, undeniably painful, big rides lined up this summer so I'm trying to get a lot of time on the bike to be ready for those.
Originally Posted by jjames1452
(Post 21495611)
I have a friend that I met through bike forums that works in Cincinnati every year. I lend him a bike for the 3-4 weeks he is there. He took a liking to my Trek 720.
I respect the Continental. That was the Cadillac of 10 speeds when I was a kid. But, it may not be a bad idea to ask BF members in the area for a loaner. Much respect for the ride though!!
Originally Posted by cycleheimer
(Post 21495625)
If you get a chance, check out the North County and South County bike trails on the other side of the Hudson. Flat old rail trails, and they get nicer as you go north. :thumb:
https://i.postimg.cc/90qVhTDX/B50-FA...F34306-ABA.png https://i.postimg.cc/HW6QdSBZ/B89-EE...CC00162-C7.jpg
Originally Posted by Piff
(Post 21495321)
Man, talk about proving the old saying "it's not about the bike."
Originally Posted by gugie
(Post 21495352)
Best post of the year
Originally Posted by SalsaShark
(Post 21495367)
With this training you'll be able to ride non-stop on a bike that actually fits you properly. Nice ride!
Originally Posted by Lascauxcaveman
(Post 21495420)
@jackbombay, that is all really impressive, and I hope you don't take this in the wrong way, but you are very stupid person. :lol:
Originally Posted by branko_76
(Post 21495431)
and no toe-clips...:thumb:
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Many bows of obeisance in your general direction.
Incredible ride. How’s your butt? |
Very impressive ride on that extra heavy Schwinn Conti+. What tires and pressure?? Im guessing the hubs were still pretty smooth?
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
(Post 21495702)
Many bows of obeisance in your general direction.
Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
(Post 21495702)
Incredible ride. How’s your butt?
Originally Posted by joesch
(Post 21495720)
Very impressive ride on that extra heavy Schwinn Conti+. What tires and pressure?? Im guessing the hubs were still pretty smooth?
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6700 feet of vertical???
This is impressive in so many ways. 114 miles and 6700 feet of climbing on a 40+ pound bike?? Wow.
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Originally Posted by Mark Isaak
(Post 21495797)
This is impressive in so many ways. 114 miles and 6700 feet of climbing on a 40+ pound bike?? Wow.
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That box on the back would be perfect for bringing your dog. If he likes to ride. And you have a dog.
Amazing! Inspires me to get my old Super Sport rolling again. |
I know that area. I've hiked all through Bear Mountain and Harriman. I've cycled on both sides of the Hudson and in upstate NY as well. NY has some of the finest bike riding I've ever seen. And there are some serious hills and climbs on the ride you did.
So is that Schwinn Continental a keeper, a permanent part of your fleet? Or was this just a temporary sort of New York dalliance sort of like a Sex and the City episode? Do you mind saying how much you paid for it? No big deal if you don't but I'm curious how bad prices are in NYC during the pandemic. |
Equal parts awesome and hilarious. Thanks for sharing. ;)
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Originally Posted by bikemig
(Post 21495832)
I know that area. I've hiked all through Bear Mountain and Harriman. I've cycled on both sides of the Hudson and in upstate NY as well. NY has some of the finest bike riding I've ever seen. And there are some serious hills and climbs on the ride you did.
Originally Posted by bikemig
(Post 21495832)
So is that Schwinn Continental a keeper, a permanent part of your fleet? Or was this just a temporary sort of New York dalliance sort of like a Sex and the City episode?
Originally Posted by bikemig
(Post 21495832)
Do you mind saying how much you paid for it? No big deal if you don't but I'm curious how bad prices are in NYC during the pandemic.
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
(Post 21495854)
Some great terrain around here for sure! I've been googling around for rides in the catskills, that's a bit more of a drive than I'd like from here, but I LOVE springtime with vibrant green foliage everywhere, and I'm sure it would be a ride I'd remember for decades to come, so a ~2.5 hour drive is tolerable in light of that.
Temp bike, I normally fly with my 1985 Dahon 3 speed folding bike, but my boss said he was going to buy a bike that I could use while here and then leave it with him for him to own, but the bikes he was looking at all got bought before he could get them, so when I showed up I didn't have my folder, and he didn't have a bike, and man, I've never seen CL so devoid of lower end bikes. I found a used bike shop online called Gallery 35, he said he had sold ~%80 of his stock over the last few weeks, this Continental was all he had that was even slightly appealing to me, and I was taking time off the clock to try to go look at bikes so picking one and getting it over with was really in my best interest. $165. I should be able to wring it out of my boss though and then leave the bike with him. The riding in the Catskills is very fine. I'd check out some of the local clubs and see if you can get their routes. I know the Mid Hudson bike club does some riding there. Also check out the Gunks for bike riding. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawangunk_Ridge |
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