Monthly Archives: April 2009

Ear buds — do you use them?

Every organized ride has them — warnings that riders are not allowed to wear headphones during the ride.  The rationale can’t be faulted — if your ears are full of blaring music, you might not hear cars coming up behind … Continue reading

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A newbie’s first road bike (guest post)

Bike Noob reader Ramon H. recently decided to make the move from an old mountain bike to a new road bike. Ramon, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, has been emailing me back and forth about … Continue reading

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Filed under Bikes, guest post

Pumps vs. CO2 — something new

First of all, thanks for checking in over the past few days, even though I had no new posts. I was out of town — in Las Vegas for three days. At an academic convention. Now, there’s an anomaly. Picture … Continue reading

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Could my saddle be too firm?

I got out this evening for an 18-mile ride on the Veloway, which was about all I could handle after the MS over the weekend.  It was a good ride, just what I needed to ease back into the biking … Continue reading

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Filed under Equipment, soreness, Uncategorized

MS 150 Day Two: Success!

(For an account of Day One, see the previous post.) Jared and I got up at 3:45 a.m. to dress, pack, and head for breakfast. The buses would load at the ride headquarters hotel, and head for LaGrange at 5:30. … Continue reading

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MS 150 Day One: Washout

We probably could have seen it coming.  It had rained lightly in Austin all day Friday, and when I went downtown to load my bike on the truck and myself on the bus, it was still raining.   The check-in … Continue reading

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Time for the MS 150

Tomorrow’s the day. I’ll take off work early, head home and pack up my bike and stuff. I’ll drive to downtown Austin, where I’ll rendezvous with a bus for Houston. The bike goes on a separate truck, which will take … Continue reading

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When to replace a tire

My saga of the hard-to-seat tire got me thinking about tire replacement in general.  As I said, I felt it necessary to buy a new tire because of my upcoming MS 150, and I wanted it in time for last … Continue reading

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Filed under Equipment, Maintenance

Mounting a new tire

I set a record the other night.  It took me a full hour to get a tire mounted on a wheel. I bought a new tire to replace one that had some severe cuts on the  tread. Since I had … Continue reading

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Filed under Equipment, Maintenance, Rides

Coughing up the dough

Just out of morbid curiosity, I started keeping tabs this year on how much money I spend to feed my biking habit.  It’s barely mid-April, and I’m surprised.  Here’s a quick rundown: New helmet             … Continue reading

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Filed under Accessories, Equipment