Presta Valves: Worth the Trouble?

I'm dealing with the Presta valve issues that many a cyclist has had before, and I am finding that the old solutions are probably still the best ones. My new street bike came complete with presta valves and 700C tires, and I've had very few issues with them prior to last week. I went out on my first 10+ kilometer ride to the gym on the other side of my current town and I developed a slow leak in my front tire.
I had left my pump at home, and had no spare tubes, so I ended up calling a cab, driving to pick up my bike, and instead of spending a sweaty afternoon at the gym, I was wrangling with my local bike shop to get a great deal on some tubes. I ended up going with the Rubbers brand, by the way. Great 700C tubes and dirt cheap, ended up being about 4 dollars a tube.
Then back home to pump up and take test rides until I got to the right inflation pressure for my riding style.

I still had fun, but there was a definite sense of the opportunity cost of having a presta valve. I love my narrow rims and low rolling resistance as much as the next guy, but I really miss the convenience of Schrader valves. They are everywhere, easier to inflate, and much sturdier than Presta valves.

I'm likely to consider a Schrader conversion in the near future, or purchase a pump adapter to keep in my bike kit.

New Town, New Bike, New Bike Lock

I've recently relocated, and I've managed to track down a decent deal on a used bike.

While I've broken my rule of not paying over 200 dollars for a used bicycle, I haven't done too badly. I ended up dropping 300 dollars for a Fuji 2.1 Absolute, a couple of years old. I'm satisfied with the bicycle so far, but it has been so long since I had a bike without shocks that I am still adjusting to the stiffness of the ride.

I also had the opportunity to buy a bike lock for the first time since 2014, and I ended up buying a decent looking braided steel cable with a stacked steel padlock. I'm pretty happy with my purchase so far, and if I end up being satisfied after a month or two I'll post a review.

All in all I'm looking forward to starting to bike commute in the next month or so.

Recovering from Bicycle Theft

I've been dealing with a rather unpleasant experience that far too many cyclists have had to deal with. My bicycle was stolen recently from my parking area, and I am currently stuck driving.
The police department in my local area is overworked and underpaid, and while I was able to make a citizen's statement detailing my bicycle's details and the circumstances of the theft, I am yet to be contacted by a detective or have much to go on to conduct an investigation myself.

I am always of the philosophy to buy the least expensive tool that my ego and abilities will permit me to use, and my bicycle was no exception to this rule. A 10 year old mountainbike, I had been running hybrid tires on it and using it as a commuter.

Even though I paid 160 dollars for the bicycle, I am not particularly sad that it is gone. I would have had to sell it soon regardless, and as winter approaches I had only a few more weeks to ride before the snow descended and I was unable to bike commute.

I think that my greatest regret is that I left my bicycle inside of my car, as opposed to chaining it up outdoors or bringing it into my apartment. My car was broken into and the contents removed, including my bicycle, tools and bookbag.

While I am planning to replace the bookbag, the bicycle will not be replaced until next spring.

I will now focus on researching options for my next bicycle season!

Hitting the Trails this summer? Try cycling to the trail access!

I know that many people who love to ride bicycles also love to drive cars, but have you ever considered how unusual it is to drive somewhere to ride your bike?

I recall telling one of my friends back in college about a great bike ride that I had earlier on that week, several years ago. I described in grandiose terms the trail I rode on, the vegetation that surrounded me for the 15 or so miles of converted railway that I was using, and the people that I had seen, finishing up with a brief mention of the trip back home in my car. My friend, an avid fitness enthusiast, was interested in cycling, and immediately responded with a place that would be really fun to ride, just a long as I was "okay with driving somewhere to ride my bicycle".

At this point, I realized that there was another way, that I could simply ride my bicycle to the bike trail, but I was worried about traffic! I had talked myself out of the possibility of cycling the mile and a half to the closest trail access to my home, reasoning that the traffic was excessive, cars were going too fast to chance it, there were no sidewalks and insufficient curb, and it was all in all a poor choice. I was afraid to ride my bicycle on the open road because I didn't want to be hit by a car, but I was driving a car to ride a bike.

In any case, that got me thinking, and I decided to try cycling to the trail access the next weekend, and it was fine. I was safe, never struck, and I learned that the last mile and a half, after a 30 or 60 mile conditioning day, was a great way to cool down and relax before whatever activities I had planned for the evening. From then on, I try not to drive anywhere within easy riding distance if I'm planning to cycle when I get there, I just bike instead!

Spring Cleaning!

It's March, and with the advent of above freezing temperatures I am becoming more excited about riding my bike to work!


I have a lot to do before I am ready. I need to perform a fit test and inspection of my bike helmet. I also need to check all of the controls on my bicycle and ensure that I can stop, go, and shift gears without a problem.

Keep on Rolling!

I'm a cyclist for more reasons than just to keep fit. I simply love riding bikes, there's a great deal of joy associated with the activity for me and I derive considerable pleasure from tooling around, puttering over the different moving parts, and generally getting better at biking. The problem with cycling in my part of the country is that it's really, really hard to keep warm and stay safe in the winter time while riding a bike outdoors.

While I don't know if I could recommend it to everyone, especially those that live in warm regions, have walkable commutes, and/or are wholly dependent on cycling for their transportation needs, I decided to purchase a used car ( my current vehicle cost 800 dollars or so) and continue my cycling indoors for the winter.

I can maintain my cardiovascular health, simulate road conditions as desired, and even work on different aspects of my cycling technique so that I can be prepared to ride even faster and farther when weather permits. I have access to multiple styles of bicycle trainers, including stationary cycles and spinning trainers. I use the stationary bikes to improve my distance, with a  target of approximately 20 miles daily within one hour of biking, and the spinning machines to work on balance, cadence, and endurance. Balance comes from reducing my dependence on the handlebars to keep me straight in the saddle. Cadence improvements help me to chain the down stroke of one toe with the up stroke of my other (clipped in) toe, to allow me to maximize the efficiency of my work. Endurance work allows me to continue at higher RPMs with low resistance for longer periods of time, with the goal of  ultimately allowing me to ride farther, faster, and without becoming as tired.

I still feel like I'm too poor to afford a mag trainer, but if you have the budget for it, you can use one of those instead of an exer-cycle and save that gym membership.

I won't say that it's for everyone, and it's honestly somewhat perverse to me to drive to a place where I ride my bike, but that's the solution that I've found for now.

I'm open to suggestions if you have any!

Hopefully I can sell this commuter box once spring rolls around.

Running like a Well Oiled Machine Once More

I am not the most fastidious of bicycle owners. I buy my bikes used, and ride them roughly.

Dirty bicycle Chain ring from Mountain Bike World.com
Mine is a little better than this, it's a Shimano.

I most recently purchased a Trek 4500 on Craigslist, and while I have been happy with my bicycle's performance so far I must admit that it had gotten somewhat plaintive in its creaks and squeals of late.

I decided to do something about it, and obtained a lubricant. While in the past I have used all kinds of materials to lubricate my bicycle chains, from used automotive oil to graphite, this time I have opted to follow in the tire tracks of another cyclist out there and use WD40. After a thorough cleaning with soap and water and a heavy rinse with more water, I was looking at a gleaming chainring for the first time since I purchased this bicycle, and I was loving it.

From there, I coated each gear and sprocket in a light layer of WD40, and with a soft clean cloth applied a good deal to the chain as well, making sure to get in between each link and allow the WD40 to do it's penetrating lubricant magic.

Finally, I wiped off or allowed to drip away all of the excess WD40, and I was left with a nearly silent, clicking, wonderfully lubricated chain, compliant controls, and a smile on my face.

I can't wait until the weather is good enough for me to actually ride this bicycle again. Has anyone seen Indian Summer hiding around the corner?