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Post Your Pearls That "Most" Others Don't Know or Do

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Post Your Pearls That "Most" Others Don't Know or Do

Old 05-04-20, 02:41 PM
  #101  
WhyFi
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Originally Posted by notmyke
I see a lot of people mentioning the stuff (tools, tubes, etc.) they have in their seat bags; am I the only person who's dispensed with the seat bag and carries the tool / repair stuff in a wide-mouth water bottle?

Easy to move from bike-to-bike, keeps a firm cap on how much stuff I can carry (tube, glueless patches, CO2 head/cartridges(2), Pedros lever, multi-hex tool); can mount it wherever (I have both frame mounts and a behind-saddle mount) - or even in a jersey pocket if need be; waterproof; easy to check contents (e.g., if it rattles a lot, I didn't replace the inner tube yet).
I used to have a Specialized KEG that I'd use in the shoulder seasons - easy to move between the road and gravel bike, etc. etc - but it would need to get put away in favor of another solution when it was hot enough that one water bottle wouldn't cut it. I got a Silca Premio roll and the KEG hasn't been used since.
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Old 05-04-20, 03:16 PM
  #102  
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Originally Posted by SethAZ
I love the idea of the cotton balls. I'd never have thought of that.
Any kind of rag will work. Even shop rags.
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Old 05-04-20, 03:27 PM
  #103  
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newspaper dryer

Originally Posted by goenrdoug
If you get soaked while riding, often the most problematic thing is getting your shoes dry by the next day's ride.

When you get home, immediately take the insoles out of your shoes and lay them out to dry. Fill the shoes with crumpled up newspaper. Leave them sit like that while you shower and so on. Change the newspaper an hour or two later, then again before bed, and you'll likely have decently dry shoes the next morning.
This works good for older leather shoes (addidas Eddy Merckx anyone ?) and gloves (after washing) , without ruining the leather. Slowness keeps shrinking uniform, stops cracking. Turtle speed for the win.
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Old 05-04-20, 03:28 PM
  #104  
Seattle Forrest
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I use the Garmin radar.
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Old 05-04-20, 03:54 PM
  #105  
Paul Barnard
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I make a couple of wraps with Gorilla Tape around one of my tire levers. I have yet to use it, but I figure with a tire slice it could pass for a make shift inside tire patch to get me home.
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Old 05-04-20, 03:57 PM
  #106  
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Originally Posted by notmyke
I see a lot of people mentioning the stuff (tools, tubes, etc.) they have in their seat bags; am I the only person who's dispensed with the seat bag and carries the tool / repair stuff in a wide-mouth water bottle?

Easy to move from bike-to-bike, keeps a firm cap on how much stuff I can carry (tube, glueless patches, CO2 head/cartridges(2), Pedros lever, multi-hex tool); can mount it wherever (I have both frame mounts and a behind-saddle mount) - or even in a jersey pocket if need be; waterproof; easy to check contents (e.g., if it rattles a lot, I didn't replace the inner tube yet).
For short rides in cool weather, sure. For long rides in the summer, I need all the water space I can get.
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Old 05-04-20, 04:16 PM
  #107  
crobertrose
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Quirky things...

I do the same....wipe my rolling front tire with my gloved hand. Use a water bottle to wipe the rear tire.
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Old 05-04-20, 04:28 PM
  #108  
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Just yesterday, I pedaled my Salsa Fargo across a Blue Stem Prairie, along a piece of single track. When I got to the top of the hill and out of the prairie, I stopped to check my tires fort thorns, burrs, and sticks. A jogging Dad and his pedaling daughter stopped and asked what I was doing. The Dad told the daughter to check her tires, too. About 20 minutes later, my rear tire started going flat. Ha! Yep, a tiny pin hole puncture. I usually do that quirky thing you mentioned but, this time, I did not find them all.
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Old 05-04-20, 05:58 PM
  #109  
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
Keep a roll of toilet paper in your car or gear bag. You never know when you'll need it or if the Porta-Potty has any.
Squares of newspaper are more compact, though less effective
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Old 05-04-20, 06:06 PM
  #110  
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Originally Posted by francis1
Squares of newspaper are more compact, though less effective
I always carry wet whipes. Besides your ass, plenty of other uses.
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Old 05-04-20, 06:23 PM
  #111  
Jan Feetz
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Unclick on the left side. Otherwise the tatoo indicates that your a newbie.
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Old 05-04-20, 06:40 PM
  #112  
Athens80
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Clean your chain. No tattoo.
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Old 05-04-20, 06:54 PM
  #113  
thepartsguy
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do you recall tire scrappers?

Originally Posted by datlas
On today's ride, it struck me that there are sometimes "quirky" things we cyclists do that are a good idea (possibly) but not commonly known or done.

Here is one of mine:

After riding near glass or even shardy looking grit, I reach down with my hand and briefly brush off the front and rear tires. This loosens any sharps before they get into the tread and, I believe, reduces the risk of flat tires. The down side is you may wear out your glove or even slightly injure your hand (if you use direct skin contact) but for me it's worthwhile.

I don't ever see my friends do this. It's a habit I picked up from my cycling days in Baltimore back in the 1980's where broken glass on the streets was common.

Feel free to critique and/or post your own gems of wisdom that are not commonly known.
Back in the day there were those wire and rubber things that went on the brake bolt. They rubbed on the tread to kick off any glass when riding.
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Old 05-04-20, 07:26 PM
  #114  
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Quirky pedal pads

For those using clip-in (Look or Shimano SPD-SL) road pedals, do you prefer the feel of zero-float cleats but want to be able to occasionally change your foot toe-in angle over the course of a long ride ? Then buy max float cleats and try this:

Cut a 40mm long section out of a 1.75 or 2.25 inch or larger tire tube, one for each pedal.
Cut a hole in one side of the tube for the pedal spindle.
Stretch the tube over your pedal, position it to cover the platform, stay clear of the clip. Bigger tube size involves less stretching and is thus easier. Pre-stretch and use a tongue depressor.

The layer of rubber between cleat and pedal dampens the pivoting. You will still be able to position your foot anywhere within the cleat float range, but you will no longer expend energy or muscular tension to hold it in that position through every crank rotation. It's a different feeling standing to climb, no more swivelling around like you stepped on a wet bar of soap. Another way to describe it is, you can throw a baseball harder if you don't have to worry about aiming it.

The tube layer thickness will make it harder to clip in and out. Practice unclipping a few times before first ride. You might need to back off the clip tension adjustment screw. And bump saddle height up a millimeter or two.

The rubber will wear down and need replaced every so often, but you can cut alot of these out of a single tube. Also tried gluing flat rubber pads directly on the pedal, but this actually is easier and lasts longer. I carry a couple of spares in saddlebag, and use them on all my bike's pedals, including trainer.

This is not for everybody. If your knees like and make use of the "float" pedal-swiveling freedom with each stroke, this might hurt your knees, don't do it. For me, it's the opposite, my knees like the stability through each revolution, and the ability to tweak to other foot positions without having to dismount and fuss with cleat screws.
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Old 05-04-20, 07:43 PM
  #115  
thepartsguy
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When riding on my trainer I've cut a water bottle in half to use it for holding the TV remote. It is easier than having to have it in a jersey or on a table.
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Old 05-04-20, 07:49 PM
  #116  
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
Keep a roll of toilet paper in your car or gear bag. You never know when you'll need it or if the Porta-Potty has any.
I keep an entire roll in my camera backpack. If I'm hiking or riding its nice to know its there. I got caught on a section of the Buckeye Trail a few years ago and I'm lucky I'd put some napkins in with the camera because It was drizzling and my thought was I might need something to dry the camera. That's not how it went.
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Old 05-04-20, 07:51 PM
  #117  
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like cleaning hands after a repair
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Old 05-04-20, 09:31 PM
  #118  
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When slowing down to a stop, we often downshift, anticipating the need for the correct gear to get rolling again. There was a period of time that I would do this without considering which position my chainring was in. Often times, I was in the big ring, leading to a downshift being in a big-big configuration (ie. cross chaining).

Now, whenever coming to a stop, I simply shift the front derailleur to the small ring. Whatever rear cassette gear I'm in, is not really a big deal.

I know this might sound silly, stupid or obvious, but it really does help.

Pedal On, Brothers.
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Old 05-04-20, 10:15 PM
  #119  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
I once found what appeared to be the last 6" or so of a lower front leg of a deer in the middle of nowhere ND. No other remains around. Figured it was left there by a coyote.
We rode by a mule deer hind quarter, turned around about 5 miles later and it was gone.
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Old 05-05-20, 05:03 AM
  #120  
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
All Shimano rear derailleurs that are 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 speed have the same amount of pull, and so are interchangeable. So there is no such thing as, for example, a "7 speed Shimano rear derailleur" all of them pull the same amount of cable per shift. There is a rare proprietary 8 speed Dura Ace shifter/rear derailluer combination, but I have never run into it.
Are they not designed for different chain widths? All of my bikes are 7-speed (so I have parts interchangeability) and I don't think the 9-10 speed derailleurs will accommodate the width of a 7-speed chain.
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Old 05-05-20, 06:00 AM
  #121  
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When you come to a fork in the road, take it
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Old 05-05-20, 06:47 AM
  #122  
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Paper copy

I keep a paper copy of my license, credit card. Medical card, and people to contact in my saddle bag.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I keep a cotton ball in my saddle bag so when I get a flat, it's a easy way to find if there's something stuck in the inside of the tire that will puncture the new tube.

I also have a expired driver's license in my saddle bag since I don't carry a wallet when I ride. That way I do have ID if needed, besides a BikeID on my ankle with emergency phone numbers.I once got stopped by a cop and harassed because i didn't have ID. (long story).[/QUOTE]
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Old 05-05-20, 07:20 AM
  #123  
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Originally Posted by lazurm
I keep a paper copy of my license, credit card. Medical card, and people to contact in my saddle bag.
I keep all of those in my phone case. It's much easier for me to access when needed, and far more likely to be found by EMTs.
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Old 05-05-20, 08:57 AM
  #124  
Fiery
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Originally Posted by notmyke
I see a lot of people mentioning the stuff (tools, tubes, etc.) they have in their seat bags; am I the only person who's dispensed with the seat bag and carries the tool / repair stuff in a wide-mouth water bottle?

Easy to move from bike-to-bike, keeps a firm cap on how much stuff I can carry (tube, glueless patches, CO2 head/cartridges(2), Pedros lever, multi-hex tool); can mount it wherever (I have both frame mounts and a behind-saddle mount) - or even in a jersey pocket if need be; waterproof; easy to check contents (e.g., if it rattles a lot, I didn't replace the inner tube yet).
How is this different from a saddle bag other than taking up space that could be used for an actual water bottle?
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Old 05-05-20, 10:16 AM
  #125  
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Originally Posted by Fiery
How is this different from a saddle bag other than taking up space that could be used for an actual water bottle?
I don't get all the hate for saddlebags either. I personally need to be able to carry two water bottles, and as I get into summer months where I'll be riding in temperatures over 100 degrees F even that isn't enough. I'll start with an extra water bottle in a jersey pocket, but if I go far enough I just have to have my wallet with me and plan on stopping at a gas station somewhere and refilling them.

The idea of wasting a water bottle mounting point just to avoid using a saddlebag is bonkers where I ride. And I struggle to understand the motivation for it. "It's ugly!" Says who? Is it uglier than having this huge lump on your lower back because you've shoved all the same stuff into a jersey pocket instead? Or have a tool keg mounted to the frame instead of a water bottle? As far as aerodynamics goes I have a hard time believing a tool keg mounted further forward on the frame and at a lower height is more aerodynamic than a reasonable saddle bag, since the saddlebag is in the lee of your thighs, the seatpost, etc. People are gonna do what they're gonna do, but as long as there's a need to be prepared to self-recover during long solo or group rides without external support, the saddlebag is just about the perfect option for putting the necessaries.
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