Posts by Andrew Wells58

Hannah Barnes24 said:The whole route? Or just by the mosque?

So, you take the new downtown area along the riverbank, hit the stairs—carry it over the bridge, then follow the bike path in the opposite direction😁. Then it's the university library, a little more bike path against the flow, the pedestrian tunnel, the main stretch, past the Chinatown area toward Main Street, turning right onto Broadway, hitting the mosque, then moving through the residential blocks near the old district
.
Last year, I pretty much rode this entire loop on my Trek, and honestly, it wasn't even half as intense, even considering the patios, pedestrians, and cars pulling out onto the road.

Let me see... after Liberty Bridge, you head east along the embankment. Near Youth Bridge, you drop down to the road running alongside the river heading toward the suburbs and eventually toward the power plant. Just before the plant, near that small greenhouse, you turn left onto Grand Avenue and head roughly north. You'll pass a church on your right, and after that, the mosque will be on your left, though it's a bit further out. If you keep going, you'll pop out on Industrial Way near the intersection with the highway, close to the Ford dealership. From there, follow the bike path along Commerce Street until you reach Martice Street. It’s a longer trek, but it’s actually quite a nice ride. Maybe try it on a weekend so you don't get too distracted by the scenery in the suburbs or the river views. Oh, and watch out for the mosquitoes.

hiddenviper17 said:I usually cruise between 10th and 12th gear. My lowest is probably around 4 (big oof lol), and my highest—when I'm heading down through the Mayo Clinic area, which is always such a mess!—hits about 17.

I'm not really sure how many gears your rocket ship actually has, but from what I can tell, those numbers don't seem all that high. I guess the more important thing is whether it feels like you're straining against something heavy, like pumping water out of a well, or if it just feels light, like spinning a sewing machine or a hula hoop. (I mean, my analogies are probably thirty years out of date, but hey, we try 🙂 ) Maybe hitting around 50 RPM would be a decent starting point for you; if it isn't, I guess you should just shift down.

Donna Wells74 said:P.S. Yeah, this is definitely one of those "commuting by bike" threads. I actually plan on doing it, but I need to fix up my old beat-up bike first. I’m a bit worried about leaving a new one out; our building has an outdoor parking area, and while the receptionists can see it from inside, I guess I just don't feel comfortable leaving it at the mercy of street thieves for 8 hours. Mmm, maybe I'll need new brakes, tires, a chain, or gears... we'll see if any of that is actually necessary.

See, I told you that you buy way too much gear and barely ride at all. 🙂 Now you can't even go for a ride because your bike is too expensive, so where does that leave us? 🙂 You’re basically like Bat Zivojinovic chasing Stefica Cvek in that old movie. It's all talk, all talk... you say you'll do it, but nothing ever actually happens. 🙂

I mean, we love having you hang out here with us, but until we get a report from a reliable source like Shangrica saying they actually saw you out on two wheels, we’re just counting you as a "maybe."

hiddenviper17 said:Only one of my knees is bothering me haha 😂

Is that on a straight leg? 😉

Anyway, you mentioned being able to touch the floor with your fingers while on the saddle, which I guess means your seat isn't quite high enough yet. Maybe you could try raising it gradually, bit by bit, until you get used to it. But honestly, the most important thing is training yourself to move correctly; otherwise, you might always feel stuck relying on those fingers touching the ground.

The old veteran is giving some great advice on how to get started, and there's even a little video here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/starting.html

Just practice your movement slowly. Once you get the hang of it, you can raise the seat a little more, and after a while, you'll be doing great.

Also, if your knees are acting up, maybe check if you're spinning at too high a cadence.

hiddenviper17 said:I guess I’m just not that great. 😁

The only part that actually trips me up is the bridge over V. Holjevac, though I assume that isn't much of a deal for you guys. 😁

Plus, my knee has been acting up for three days now. 😢

Don't sweat it too much. Are you getting ready for Tour de France? For me, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge felt like climbing the biggest mountain ever back when I first started. Just keep riding, and eventually, it'll all click.

Arthur Ross said:So, what’s actually better in the long run—a backpack or panniers?
For work, I usually carry jeans, some tees, socks, an extra cycling jersey, shorts, sometimes some paperwork in a folder, maybe a snack, my wallet... and stuff like that.

I'm no expert.
I guess a backpack seems like the better bet since it doesn't mess with the back of the bike, but I've never actually ridden with panniers, so I'm just guessing here without any real experience.

I don't see why you'd have to choose. Just grab some panniers at Walmart for $20, strap them on your bike, and ride them until they fall apart. If it fits, shove it in the panniers; if not, toss it in a backpack.

hiddenviper17 said:I don't know about you guys, but it really bothers me that there isn't a smarter way to handle the Youthful Spirit Bridge. Having to lug my bike up those stairs is such a pain. My bike feels pretty heavy to me, and while I can manage to lift it, I wish they had designed it more like a mid-sized bridge—something like the V. Holjevac—where you could just ride straight into the city without any hassle. Plus, that little downhill stretch from the middle of the bridge toward the Lisinski center is actually quite lovely. 🙂

Speaking of bridges here in Chicago, I guess I should say thanks to whoever was responsible for removing those "bumps" on the Veterans Bridge. The asphalt used to be full of those protrusions. In the summer, it was kind of an eyesore when I’d look over the river and catch a glimpse of some local, and there seemed to be quite a few of them. But in the winter? Once everything gets covered in snow and ice, navigating those bumps becomes a total adrenaline rush for someone my age!

And while we're talking about snow and that whole messy cycle of melting and freezing, it would be nice if the bridge were cleared properly during the winter. It's a major artery for cyclists, 🙂 and everyone knows how easy it is to slide out on it.

cosmicscout9 said:I'm thinking about biking to work tomorrow, but it was -3 degrees this morning and I was freezing just walking in the jacket I'm supposed to ride in. I mean, I have the afternoon shift tomorrow, but still, tonight is going to be a struggle... uh... and 14 milesit's one way only...

I guess if the jacket doesn't block the wind, you'll freeze, but if it doesn't breathe, you'll just sweat through everything. I actually made it through last winter in a cheap jacket I picked up at a $33Walmart.

But gloves are huge for me—if anything freezes, it's always my hands. And yeah, obviously a scarf and a hat or a beanie too.

Arthur Ross said:took off my undershirt and my second jersey, swapped to a tee, pulled off the headband, and just left the buff on.
It’s hot again.
The backpack is killing me; I’m sweating like crazy.
I think I need to start looking into panniers.
Every day it's just shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and sneakers. My back is completely soaked.

How do you guys carry your gear?

I use cheap panniers ($17) that I won't replace until they literally fall apart (maybe after six months of daily riding). I save the backpack for my laptop or anything else sensitive or expensive.

I guess I rarely take my laptop out of its case. It’s a great setup, but honestly, I always keep it tucked away in my backpack—it just feels like the safest way to make sure everything stays properly cushioned.

I picked up those mini sausages for the front bumper, and man, what a total fail. It’s like they're stuffed with nothing but paper napkins or something.

If anyone knows where I can pick up some decent front bike racks and mounts without breaking the bank, let me know. I'm all ears!

Sean Myers31 said:Do the companies you work for have actual bike storage, or do you just leave them right by the entrance?

At my current job, there is a spot to lock them up, but some people just lug them upstairs and leave them sitting in the office or out in the hallway. It’s getting pretty crowded lately, so I guess I almost miss the winter when I could park however I wanted. 🙂

My last company didn't have any facilities for bikes at all.

45-year-old male.

Back in high school, I was pretty serious about rowing—during the season, I’d put in a couple of hours every day, sometimes even twice a day. In college, I hung out at the club gym a bit and used my bike as my main way to get around. Then came about 20 years of long workdays fueled by office snacks and beer, which eventually landed me at 350 lbs two years ago.

Lately, I’ve been watching what I eat, walking more, and using my bike for commuting again. It helped me drop a good amount of weight, and it actually brought my blood pressure and sugar levels back down to a healthy range.

My goal now is just to maintain this, and maybe tone up a little over the next year (you know,
pushups and stuff like that).

My motto: steady progress within reasonable limits.

Kate Roberts10 said:If it's raining before I head into work, I just don't go. It's really not worth being soaked all day, especially since it's such a pain to lug around a whole extra change of clothes and I don't own one of those full-length raincoats. But if the weather is just kind of unpredictable, I'll grab my light raincoat and drive like a maniac to try and beat the storm. By the time I'm heading home, I don't really care anymore—even if I end up catching a cold...

+1

By the way, I finally tracked down those old beat-up boots I was telling you about over at Dick's Sporting Goods—$15. They probably wouldn't hold up on a serious trek, but for just grinding through the city every day, they're actually pretty great. They aren't much to look at, but they handle the rain well, and I honestly never take them off once I'm out.

I guess I’ll just add that I always carry my laptop in a backpack on my back. It seems like that's where you get the least amount of vibration and impact.

I’ve been commuting to work for about a year now, including this past winter. For me, the hardest part is when there are huge temperature swings during the day—like just recently, it was around freezing in the morning and then shot up to 65 by the afternoon. If it happens to drizzle in the morning, you run the risk of being soaked all day long.

Joe Biden, I haven't taken my gear off once. I picked up some cheap stuff at Target for $17, and honestly, I feel pretty silly for not grabbing another set while they were still in stock. I’m seeing the exact same ones in other stores around $50 now. You can find really high-quality versions for $250, though maybe they're almost too nice for my taste—I'd hate to deal with the risk of someone swiping them.

I also carry a backpack and a small pouch in my car. As for the backpack, it’s nice if it has a slightly higher-end mesh material on the back, along with some padding and air channels, though I guess that's not a huge deal either.

Lastly, if you happen to have a decent-sized locker at work, maybe you could bring in a larger supply of clothes once a week to rotate through. That way, you can wear them down gradually and just take them home to wash.

Walter Miller45 said:What do you mean by 10–20 meter bounds? I don't think those are tied to belly fat or anything.
(During my workout, I sprint for 10 minutes straight, then take a 2-minute break, and I can pretty much do it again.) Is it better if I just run the distance at a normal pace and then do one sprint??
The distance is about 40m

Maybe bounding exercises have different names now than when I was younger. Basically, you do a long jump step, push off, and land on the other foot, repeating that until you hit your 10–20 meters. Honestly, I always hated that drill 😁. Regarding sprinting, the whole idea is to go so hard that you feel like you’re gasping for air before you actually slow down. Just adjust the intensity and the distance to fit what you can handle. If you want more technical details, maybe Google some info on HIIT, but definitely listen to your body and ramp things up gradually.

But you should definitely include bounds, and just slowly increase both the distance and the number of reps.

Walter Miller45 said:Not interested???

You just run a few hundred meters at a steady pace, then hit a hundred-meter sprint, then go back to a light jog, then sprint again. Maybe toss in some 10 or 20-meter lunges or heavy carries in between, and just keep going until you're completely spent and can't even stand up. It’s definitely helpful to have a few buddies around to push you through it.

Walter Miller45 said:Hey everyone!
I play handball and I'm 14. I'm looking for ways to boost my conditioning—specifically how to hold my sprints longer, since I play wing.
I'm also wondering how to increase my vertical jump by about 20 cm. Right now, my max jump at school is 3.90m, but I'd love to hit 4.10m 🙂 if anyone has some advice, please let me know. 😁 😉
Thanks in advance!

Maybe try some frog jumps and interval sprint training.

hollowdrifter3 said:My bad.

😂

Yeah, I'm rubbing my eyes too. Am I really on Lennon? 😉