Update: I road home too

"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
04/29/2020 at 20:30 • Filed to: None

there are a lot of interesting things in these numbers. I did cut a corner through a parking lot but I can;t imagine it cutting half a mile off. I’m guessing the energy output is so different. Maybe that is because of the different in going there being slightly uphill vs home downhill. It still seems like a lot. I also don’t believe I hit 39.8 mph. I could but I think I’d need a damn big hill to do it.

DISCUSSION (50)

pip bip - choose Corrour > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:03

up hill mainly or down hill?

OPPOsaurus WRX > pip bip - choose Corrour
04/29/2020 at 09:08

up hill, going home should be (slightly) easier

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:15

I’ve ridden my bike to work a few times when I haven’t needed to transport kids also. It makes little or no difference being MTB because it’s about 3.5 miles with a ~5 00' elevation drop. When I drive , by the time I find a parking spot and walk to my office, it takes me about 11-12 minutes home-to-office. Because I can ride my bike right to the door of my building, the time is almost exactly the same.

Now, going home is a different story. 20 minutes and I’m huffing and puffing.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:15

The commute to my previous office was 9 miles, about 35-40 minutes depending on how I felt. It’s a nice wake up in the morning.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:17

Wrong answer. Uphill, both ways, in the snow....

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 09:18

In late April?

Poor_Sh > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 09:20

BACK IN MY DAY

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:23

You can greatly improve your MTB commuter experience with the right set of tires. When my MTB was my only ride, I had a second set of wheels with a pair of Kenda Kwests mounted. I would swap them out for wheels with knobbies when I wanted to hit the trails on the weekend.

I liked the setup so much that I bought a cheap MTB without any suspension to serve as my primary commuter after I finished college and got a “real” job. I also had a road bike that I could use, but for commuting over the roads I had to ride , the MTB was the better tool.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 09:38

Fine. It was Uphill, BOTH WAYS, and it was so hot you could FRY AN EGG right on top of my helmet!

Durn whippersnappers.

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion
04/29/2020 at 09:39

I’ve only ridden a road bike once or twice. I couldn’ t believe the difference it made. The only good thing with the mtb was the walking trail I took. It was good that it took me off the busiest stretch of road, but there was a section of it that was not paved and was an old railroad, with wood ties. It was only a few hundred feet but it shook the shit outta me and I can’ t imagine a road bike making it.

dumpsterfire! > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:40

i wanna start doing that again, but my skinny tire commute is 19 miles and takes me over an hour. so my lazy ass will probably not.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 09:40

it snowed last week. I don’ t remember ever having snow this late. It didn’ t stick but it still came down. It s been in the 40's too which is unusually cold.

OPPOsaurus WRX > dumpsterfire!
04/29/2020 at 09:41

yea, thats more than I would attempt.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:42

Which state?

OPPOsaurus WRX > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 09:45

I wouldn’t want to have to swap tires a lot so i’d probably get a second set of wheels. At that point I’d probably be better off just getting a craig’s list road bike. For the most part the roads are pretty smooth.

thoser wheels only look like they come in 26's, I have a 29.

100 psi??? holy crap

facw > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 09:57

One of my coworkers joined us for a 100-mile ride on a mountain bike, so apparently it can be done.

I biked some when I had a three mile commute (especially after my car flooded in Harvey), but the combination of Houston heat, Houston road debris and Houston drivers made it pretty undesirable. The drivers in particular, only about a half a mile of that ride was on busy streets, but there were still so many close calls, and incidents of assholery...

MA drivers seem much better behaved, at least over here on the west side of the city.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 10:21

I’m in MA halfway between Boston a nd Cape Cod

OPPOsaurus WRX > facw
04/29/2020 at 10:22

yea my biggest concern is the idiot drivers around here. The roads are not too bad. I dont see myself doing this a lot in the summer.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 10:42

In my case, it was an issue of only having enough room for one bike. At the time, my MTB was really nice, so a second set of wheels with tires was only ~10% of the cost of the bike. You can get the Kwests in 700c if you choose to go that route. There are probably more options, but here are the choices as I see them:

1. Buy new tires and swap them as needed.
- Pain in the butt if you’re riding dirt every weekend.
- Requires at least half an hour to swap tires
- Cheapest option

2. Buy a second set of wheels and tires and swap them as needed
- Easier than swapping tires
- Still a pain in the butt if you’re swapping them often
- Considerably more expensive

3. Buy a dedicated commuter bike
- Most expensive option

As for that last option, a MTB without suspension makes for a fantastic commuter. They are cheap. With a set of slicks, they are efficient. Being more robust, you don’t have to worry about potholes or jumping curbs or other big road hazards that will take out a road tire. Bigger tires at lower pressure are a lot more comfortable than skinny tires at high pressure. There’s usually braze-ons for racks so you can get that backpack off your sweaty back. In short, they are great machines for commuting.

An alternative would be a cyclocross or gravel bike. Room for bigger tires is the key here. My “road” bike is a cyclocross bike with 700 x 33 slicks. It’s a lot more comfortable than my old Cannondale R-600 ever was. My second “road” bike is a late ‘70s / early ‘80s Schwinn World Sport road bike set up with 26" MTB wheels with Specialized Nimbus semi-slicks. I use it mostly on the trainer since the long-reach brakes don’t perform as well as the cantis on my cyclocross bike.

Anyway, I can see I’m rambling. There are a number of cheap options to consider before plunking down cash for a road bike which might not serve you well as a commuter.

OPPOsaurus WRX > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 10:58

I’d be more worried about poking a tube or stretching the tires out if I’m pulling them all the time. I’m probably not going to do anything, but I’d love to have a road bike just to reduce the effort as much as possible as its just for getting to work and back. any other time i’d be choo sing the dirt over the roads.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 11:24

Damn that's a flat ride! If I were to ride that far from home I would change about 2000 feet in elevation lol

VincentMalamute-Kim > facw
04/29/2020 at 11:25

Your co-worker is a monster. I’ve heard that about Dallas/Houston drivers. But MA drivers are nice??!

I moved from Milwaukee to Colorado. Drivers here are an order of magnitude nicer.

facw > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 11:35

They are pretty nice where I am. I’ve never felt like drivers see me as someone who shouldn’t be on the road. And on the local bike trail, even though most of the crossings with roads are signed with stop signs for bikes (really should be yields), most cars will stop and wave you through anyway.

In any event, the most impressive rider on that century was a guy on an E lliptigo, who I’m pretty sure finished ahead of my team. Old marathon runner type whose doctor told him that running was too hard on his knees, so he was doing the elliptical on wheels instead.

VincentMalamute-Kim > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 11:37

I’m surprised at how thoroughly I’ve followed your advice in your last three paragraphs. When I was working, my commuter was a used 1987 non-suspension Trek Antelope mtn bike with slicks, fenders, racks, and at least 5 0,000 lumens of lighting by a sealed lead acid battery.

I’m slowly stripping it of all that for use as an indoor trainer now . Currently I’m looking for a modern road bike with maximum comfort as the main goal. T he new gravel bikes with low gearing, wide tires, rack mounts look enticing. It would still be 100% road use.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 11:39

Near Rt 3? I grew up in Foxboro so know the area fairly well.

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 11:41

Do you mean an actual mountain bike with full suspension, low pressure knobby tires weighing about 30lbs? In which case, wow!

OTOH, my old commuter bike was a very efficient mountain bike. See my response to @ TheRealBicycleBuck if you’re interested in detials. Slow but doable.

One benefit of commuting by mtn bike is that it’s like running with weights. You get stronger faster. When you switch out to a good road bike, you feel like Greg LeMond.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 11:44

Hanover, so the ride was from H anover to Rockland. I used to take the
Rt 3 shit show when i worked up in Q uincy

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 11:47

Kinja'd!!!

more cross country mtb than down hill. front suspension only, but big k nobby tires. its defi ni tely more at home on dirt.

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 12:07

That one doesn’t seem that bad for commuting. Even with knobby tires. You’d get used to used to it. And stronger.

VincentMalamute-Kim > facw
04/29/2020 at 12:10

I’m just shocked given the stereotypes about Massachusetts.

There’s always those outliers. I’ve been passed on canyon climbs by 7 5 year olds. And s ome lady who had given birth 3 weeks earlier.

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 12:14

Yea, the dream would be to have a lightweight road bike so that I show up to the office with as little sweat as possible. It wasn’t that bad. I road a similar bike in Boston but it was 26". It’s much nicer out here that there aren’t any taxis and buses.

TheRealBicycleBuck > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 12:26

I’m glad I’m not just some crazy guy on the internet!

I’m also glad that you mentioned what I left out - fenders and lights. The only picture I can find of my MTB commuter was taken just after I wrecked it by hitting a dog.

Kinja'd!!!

I t looks like there isn’t much damage, but the front wheel resembles a sin wave, the front fork is bent at the head tube and the down tube is bent right behind the head tube.

Anyway, you can see that it had the fenders and lights I forgot to mention.

VincentMalamute-Kim > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 12:34

Looks a lot like mine - I had the rear rack, panniers, extended bullhorn handlebars, suspension stem, fenders extended with cut up milk jugs.

Nom De Plume > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 20:48

Nice is a reach. Lacking the homicidal tendencies of drivers in TX I’d believe. There can be a very broad line between how someone in street clothes riding fairly politely gets treated and the rage inspired by “roadies” in lycra as well.

I think your issue was riding in Milwaukee proper. At least heading South and West, when you break free of that ring of sprawl gentile manners pervade. What really goaded me into commenting was the lack of speeding/traffic tickets received on a bike in WI.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 20:59

I did the same today! But forgot to start my gps until I was already a mile down the road. Keep doing it and you actually get some fitness.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/29/2020 at 21:04

I’ve been running and some m ountain biking so i’m don’ t think these are too bad. I’m sure I could cut some off. I think the biggest thing is the bike. I got passed by a guy on a high level road bike like I was on my first ride ever.

Nom De Plume > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 21:07

E -bike?

Cheapest road bike frame you can find that fits you and wheels more expensive than you feel are justified. Saddle matters quite a bit too. 15 miles a day is about right for using a road bike.

Nom De Plume > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/29/2020 at 21:12

You and Highlander are both pretty low on my list of people to listen to ride reports from right now. At least I have a local cat4 hill and some short steep stabs up the side of a river valley (+ all the important downhill KOM as a final piè ce de ré sistance on my time here).

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 21:18

Unless you’ve synced a power meter to Strava, it doesn’t have all the info for the power equation. Your mass and I assume things like wind resistance, etc.

OTOH, it measures peak mph and distance accurately for me. Otherwise, I was really impressed by your 39mph on a mtn bike this morning. Yeah, it took a 12% grade for me to hit 51mph and scared myself the first time I did this hill. Monday, I took the downhill at a much more sane 46mph peak.

Kinja'd!!!

VincentMalamute-Kim > Nom De Plume
04/29/2020 at 21:23

I ’m in lycra and most of the drivers here give me at least 3'. It’s the tourists especially in RVs that give me issues.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Nom De Plume
04/29/2020 at 21:52

an e-bike would be pretty cool. for the number of times I do this, it probably isn’ t worth it. I’m guessing once it gets warmer, i’ll just sweat too much, altho if I had an electric bike i wouldn’ t sweat..... off to CL

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 21:58

What are you using to capture GP S on your rides?

OPPOsaurus WRX > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/29/2020 at 22:02

Strava on google pixel 3a

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/29/2020 at 22:09

i think I hit 39 mph full out down hill with a tail wind. that must have been a tough first half. I only have the free version. the wind seemed to be stronger against me on the way home.

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/29/2020 at 23:30

I only have the free also. My thought is to use the power ratings as an overall judge of my fitness levels by doing the same course during the year.

First half - yeah. I consider that climb pleasurable suffering.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/30/2020 at 09:11

That could account for a lot of the error you’re seeing. Consumer-grade GPS (seen in phones, watches, hand-held GPS units, etc.) has a natural error of around 33 feet. More expensive units used for mapping have hardware which helps to correct for errors, but also use either real-time data correction or post-processing to get the error rate to less than a foot.

Consumer-grade GPS uses a few tricks to try to improve the location data. They’ll analyze nearby network signals, whether that’s cellular, wi-fi, or bluetooth to improve the location information. Cellular signals can be traced to fixed tower locations. Many wi-fi signals can also be traced to a fixed location. So me bluetooth signals can also be traced, but those aren’t as common. Once the location of a signal is known, either by connecting a known wi-fi network to a known address or by cross-referencing location and wi-fi signal data from many, many devices, the location of a specific device can be improved by noting what other signals are being picked up and how strong they are.

Another trick is something you’ll be really familiar with - snapping. If your device is near a road and moving at speeds expected of a car or a cyclist, the device will try to improve your location information by snapping you to the road that is part of your expected route. I see that a lot with Waze. If I deviate to a parallel route like a feeder road, Waze will show my on the primary route until I make a turn that tells Waze that I’m definitely NOT on the route that it expected.

The great thing about snapping is that the tracking will improve as the route becomes more he avily used and more data is collected. Right now, there may not be many cyclists using your route, so Strava is having to learn what that route really looks like. Keep riding the same route consistently, and Strava will do a better job of tracking your progress.

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/01/2020 at 07:29

ha! Our local bike shop is right next to a semi-active RR track, but it makes for a great test place to get a feel for how the suspension works. Riding 2 bikes back-to-back you can really feel the differences. It’s also a fun little exercise to ride across the tracks at 90 degrees, the spacing makes it kinda hard, just enough that you get a feel for the geometry of the bike because of how you have to hop it across... if that all makes sense.

I wanna go biking but it’s pouring rain.

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion
05/01/2020 at 08:52

it makes sense. There is a pair of tree roots that are spaced like that, you almost have to bunny hope over them. thats a good area for testing a bike though.

its also pouring here.

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/01/2020 at 09:48

I’ve been trying to re-create some of the harder obstacles I see on local trails, on my new land. Around here, mastering the tricky technical stuff is half the battle, being in shape only gets you so far. On the other hand, I can outclimb friends who are in better shape than me, because I don’t get tripped up by technical stuff.

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion
05/01/2020 at 11:48

same here. I’m really good at climbing and love the technical stuff. I still like downhill but not as much. I’m guessing that partly is due to an unintended lesson in gravity i had a while back.