jackbombay

I picked up a Schwinn Continental this past spring when working out east, it had foam on the bars, and I really liked it, especially nice in the drops where more weight was on my hands...

Duragrouch

Bar foam, also known as Grab-Ons; I LOVED Grab-ons! Hard to find, last I looked. Started using when I got nerve pain in my hands from 3 hours of biking every evening. Went from drop bars to bullhorn, tilted up about 30 degrees with foam, and the thickest foam palm gloves I could find. Did very neat installation, cut tiny hole for brake handles to grab the band clamp inside the foam, totally covered by the hoods, even routed the brake cables inside the foam, looked great. (Tip for installing foam: Shave cream on the inside, they slide on, dries hard, at least it worked great with gel shave stuff.)

A year later I added first model Scott clip-on aero bars with forearm cup spaces to elevate to a comfortable height, that took all the pressure off my hands, when I could be on the aeros, which was only about half the time. Later, I bought a LWB recumbent for touring, but my gripe there is zero ability to stand on the pedals so more knee stress during climbing, I went back to conventional bikes, plus, long bents are a bear to get in and out of the apartment, especially stairs, if you don't have a garage to keep it in..

I still use high-mounted clip-on aero bars to prevent hand damage on long rides.

Duragrouch

All hail the 11-tooth cog! With a 52 chainring, it gives my 20" wheel folder a tall enough top gear to preclude the need for an internal hub gear as an overdrive (like they need on a Brompton with much smaller wheels), which greatly increases annual maintenance costs in rainy places (needs annual teardown and lube with marine grease). Not tall enough to bomb down hills, I need to coast, but that's OK. But yes, it's not a "road" bike in the true sense. But come to think of it, the 650c Litespeed set up for triathlons I found for a friend, definitely a road bike, probably needs/has an 11, I can't recall the smallest cog, I'll have to look.

I'm also a fan of triple cranks with a moderate cassette instead of single crank with a megarange. Including road triples; It adds so little weight, but it's really handy on very long climbs when you run out of wheaties. I converted my '89 road bike to a triple, best thing I ever did.

steelbikeguy

So much of the cold weather clothing on the market seems to be black.
I expect tights and booties to be black, but I see black jackets and just wonder why it can't be offered in something more visible. Cold weather implies overcast weather or night riding and makes high visibility a priority!

Lights certainly help, but being able to see the rider's torso makes it more obvious what the other road user is about to encounter.

Steve in Peoria (and I hope that this is something that bothers more than just a few folks)

Rocket-Sauce 

Overly ornate lugs.

Curlicues have no place on my bikes.

RobbieTunes

I think it bothers motorists, too. They resent us enough at times.
Wearing black at night also makes it harder to back over us to make sure there are no witnesses.

RobbieTunes

Cheaper than free weights....

RobbieTunes

Headset compensating.

RobbieTunes

You’ll really hate my newest bike.....

thook

looks like a columbine. yowza!

Cougrrcj

That's why have my cheap Harbor Freight reflective safety vest... Velcro straps... Fits over everything. Oh, and I STILL use my blinky lights front and rear! Front blinky because someone STILL pulled out right in front of me despite my steady headlight (less than 30' away) -- I'm certain because he was looking for a car-size object... So I since added a low-intensity white LED blinky to the front in addition to the steady 250 lum (on 'low beam') LED headlight...

Het Volk

I understand there are Q factor issues, especially with wider BB shells on some carbon bikes. But Triples to me, even with the less precise shifting as rear derailleurs, are simpler, less prone to damage, and a great solution for riders wanting that bail-out gear ratio when climbing. I think a triple is almost a requisite for touring bikes for loaded tours.

Cougrrcj

That depends...

My 35+year-old road-ridden bikes all have six-speed freewheels, so it is tough not to have jumps of 2t or more... My two road bikes have 13-14-15-17-19-21 and 13-15-17-19-21-24 because I live in the glacially-scoured lower Great Lakes (and I have a straight-block 13-18 in the parts bin should 'I feel the need for speed' ), the dedicated tourer has a seven-speed 14-16-18-21-24-28-32, and also has the advantage of a 28/42/45 triple. Yes, there are some gearing duplications across all three rings, but in flatlands I use the large/middle rings, and hills the middle/granny. It just makes sense to me...

My old beloved '75 Fuji - that was my ONLY bike for 35+ years until I got infected with the BF.net N+1 virus - wears a 13-21 six-speed and 28/40/48 triple...

Eric F 

Handlebar bags on a go-fast road machine. It seems to be a growing trend.

Steel Charlie

that's very hurtful

thook

maybe in his 80's he'll find himself overweight, in a diaper, and a carbon wheelchair eating lime jello

seypat

I got one of these in. I'll give it a try/review on a run later tonight and take a selfie for the forum.

https://www.noxgear.com/tracer360

steelbikeguy

can't hurt... unless you get the drivers wondering what you are and end up driving into you as they just stare at you.

only partly kidding... I've had people do that when I've been riding a recumbent. I think the term is "target fixation". I had to give them a signal to get back on their side of the road.
I've also had a teenage kid nearly run me over as he stared at my tail light one night. <sigh> He hit my pannier and came back to check on me.

Be visible, and keep a close eye on the idiots around you.

Steve in Peoria
(target fixation is what killed Lieutenant Murphy in my squadron in the Marines. He pulled up too late on a bombing run and flew into the ground)

steelbikeguy

that means more for me!! yay!!



Steve in Peoria

Ptcycles

Watching some doofus mashing around me huffing and puffing, looking miserable, and stoic. Once I found how to ride with cadence, it saved my life, better rides, better workout and a endless enjoyment. Just saying..

Het Volk

There is a reason he/she is passing you.

Het Volk

Love Hetchins

Het Volk

Where else do I hang the bag than on my aero bars on my $8,000 TT bike that I like to ride at 30 MPH on a local bike path where kids, moms with strollers and dogs also populate?

thook

in the pockets back of your shirt, silly. that way the uncomfortable sweat builds up while the load bounces about looking like a bad case of goiter. then all those pedestrians can really look at you strange.

oh, don't forget your air horn

seypat

My house is on a cut through street of the subdivision. It sits in a slight bend and hill section of the street. Cars/drivers routinely ignore the 25mph posted speed and get faster during off hours. During the holiday season, I wrap my mailbox/post in Christmas lights. Because of the bend, the lighted mailbox/post appears to be in the middle of the road from either direction. Cars approaching immediately slow down when the get within a couple hundred yards. When the lights aren't there, the speeds go back up. I've thought about installing something permanent, but haven't yet.