If your bike has Presta Valves, a Vibrelli Bicycle Pump might be for you

 I have a bike with Presta valve tubes. This has meant that, in the past, if I wanted to inflate or re-inflate my tires I needed to either visit a place with a Presta equipped pump (havent seen one yet), use my trusty hand-held pump, or... actually that was it. I never had a Presta:Schrader adapter on hand, and this is my first Presta valve floor pump, so my only real option was to use my hand pump for all of my pumping needs.

That isn't necessarily that big of a deal for just topping off a tire once in a while, but unfortunately I was using 700c road tires to go all over the place on cycling trails and old streets, and I've had a LOT of punctures. I can recall 4 real punctures with thorns, glass or metal bits in my tubes, as well as 2 more slow leaks from no particular place on the tube and with no discernible issues from the tires.

I ended up throwing some money ($33 including taxes, a not insignificant sum) at the problem and impulse buying a pump off of Amazon a few weeks ago, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how it has performed for me. I picked out the Vibrelli Bike Floor Pump with Gauge, and as advertised it is actually a floor pump with a gauge. While the gauge goes up to 11 bar or 160 PSI, I've had it pumping my bike tires up to 50 PSI twice now with no issues and found that he gauge is pretty effective for identifying when your tires are full. I haven't calibrated the readings with a digital or a different analog pump, but from my subjective pinch test where I see how many additional fingers I need to use to be able to deform the sidewall of a fully inflated tire when I pinch it with my thumb and forefinger, I am able to consistently inflate to two additional fingers at 50 PSI, which was my target with my hand-held pump.

It's pretty easy to use. The cylinder is approximately 1 inch in diameter and 18-20 inches long, and it only takes me a couple of minutes of pumping to get up to recommended tire pressure on both of my 700c tires starting from new tubes. My pump also came with a needle to inflate sport balls and some kind of yellow plastic frustrum with tapered sides that I'm unsure how to use. It might just be a tool to deflate tires instead of poking a Schrader valve with a pencil and tapping on a presta valve tip.

Since I haven't thrown this thing in the car I can't say how sturdy it is under adverse conditions. I leave it in the corner of my living room next to my gear oil and it seems to be doing OK over there.

It comes with a few bike tube patches, but since I go through tubes like nobody's business, I don't think that I'm ever going to use them. The last time I tried patching a tube, I just ended up wasting my time and not getting to ride my bike for a few days while I was fiddling around with it.

Three years later, still not bike commuting

I'm in an enviable position compared to most cyclists.

I live in an area with minimal rain 8 months out of the year, pleasant temperatures year round, and I'm only 3 miles away from my workplace. I have a 15-30 minute ride to work if I take my bike, and while I don't have a dedicated bike trail there are bike lanes for >50% of the journey.

So, why am I still driving to my job 5 days a week?

It's not because I don't have a bike. I've had a great street bike for the past 3 years, my Fuji Absolute is still in great condition.

It's not because of the cost, since my workplace offers an allowance for employees that use alternative vehicles to compensate them for not taking up parking spots. They offer up to $20 per month that can be used to reimburse an employee for bicycle related costs including the bike, replacement parts, and shop repairs. You can save your receipts and get allowances for prior expenses, so I could have amortized my 300 dollar bike over 15 months and all of my replacement tubes, pumps, etc over the remaining 18 months since I got my bike and had all of my costs paid for.

What is really keeping me from bike commuting is probably a combination of laziness, fear, and inertia. I will expand on these below.

Laziness

In looking at a transition to bike commuting, I can compare my current "out the door" routine with the one that I used when I was bike commuting in the following table.

Commute Breakdown
Time	Cycling	Driving
2 hours before work	Eating breakfast, showering and getting dressed	Watching Cartoons
1 hour before work	Leaving my house	Eating breakfast, showering
45 minutes before work	Riding my bike in the fresh air	Getting dressed
30 minutes before work	Riding my bike in the fresh air	Leaving my house
15 minutes before work	Getting to work, locking up my bike	Just getting to work
10 minutes before work	Walking into work	Finding parking
5 minutes before work	At work	Walking into work
Work	Work all day, relax during lunch	Move my car during my lunch break closer to work
5 minutes after work	Walking to bike	Still working, usually
10 minutes after work	Riding my bike in the fresh air	Walking to car
15 minutes after work	Riding my bike in the fresh air	Driving home
30 minutes after work	Getting home	At home
45 minutes after work	Taking a shower	Watching Cartoons
1 hour after work	Watching Cartoons	Watching Cartoons
2 hours after work	Sleeping	Sleeping

In order to successfully bike commute, I need to actually be disciplined enough to prepare to leave home earlier than I need to for a driving commute. I can't comb my hair, drink coffee, or finish eating breakfast on my bike like I can in my car, and I also cant apply lip balm or keep an extra set of whatever I might happen to need in a frame bag. I also don't have a locker at work to store an extra set of business clothes in case my fresh clothes get messy after a fall, so it really isn't as convenient, despite the fact that it would essentially be free for me to ride my bicycle to work, and that it would save me almost 30 minutes of time every day that I currently spend finding parking, walking to and from various far flung parking lots, and moving my car.

At my last job, we had a locker room where employees could keep clothes and gear, and a break room where employees could keep various food and beverage products, and I used to keep relatively nutritious items there like milk and juice that I could consume after cycling or before going to the gym. My current workplace does not offer these features, and as a result I don't really keep much at work. One of my (shared) workspaces has a microwave for employees to reheat homecooked meals and a mini-refrigerator, so I added an electric kettle and keep some teabags there, but it's not really private or separated from a working area and I don't have enough room to leave food products in that refrigerator.

Looking at the table above, I'm not including gym visits on either schedule. I usually go to the gym after work if I drive to work, and would rarely go to the gym if I rode my bicycle. That being said, I cancelled my gym membership in March 2020, a month before the COVID 19 pandemic got serious, so I haven't been going to the gym at all in the past 6 months.

In addition to all of the above concerns, I am often ridiculously tired after work, to a greater degree than I was after a similar day at my previous job. I have often found it necessary to stop and nap in my car on the way home, and many days I don't actually leave on time.

Fear

I have a variable schedule, so I could be leaving home for work as early as 6:30 AM or as late as 6:30PM if I'm driving. I also have variable shift lengths, ranging from four hours to 12 hours in length. As a result, I could be coming home or leaving home while it is still dark, and unfortunately crossing very high speed and high traffic roads in poor visibility conditions is a real possibility for me.

While incidents of violent crime are not extremely high, there have been multiple historic accounts of pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle collisions on my residential street and in the surrounding areas. Despite a dedicated bike lane, there is still a serious risk of injury or death when cycling in the immediate vicinity of my home. 

I have also been cautioned many times about going out after dark in the area where I live and work, both for safety reasons and due to the risk of profit-motivated crimes. Unfortunately, I have many houseless neighbors that live on or around the properties adjacent to my home, and many of them would be more than willing to impose themselves on me for profit. To put it bluntly, I am often asked for money and or goods while walking or riding my bicycle, and I'm certain that this would happen more frequently if I increased the number of bike trips I make. When considering that I have little control over the times that I leave my home or workplace and therefore the conditions that I would be cycling through, I have in the past been discouraged from cycling to work.

Inertia

I've been working at my current day job for nearly 4 years now. After that much time, certain habits have become ingrained upon me, and I have settled into something of a routine.

It's hard to make an intentional change to a process that has accumulated over many years and offers several creature comforts.

Since I currently car commute, I've invested time and money in overcoming the challenges presented by driving to work and parking in competitive, overcrowded parking lots and structures, and switching over to bike commuting presents a significant learning curve compared to just keeping on my current, car-driving path.

That being said, if I transition into a fixed schedule position that has only daylight hours, and become more comfortable riding through my residential area, I might transition to cycling to work, but for now I'm a purely recreational cyclist.

Safety tips to help you Cycle Accident Free

I've been cycling for about 17 years now (since I was 9 or 10 recreationally, started commuting occasionally about 4 years ago, first tour 3 years ago.) 

I've never been in a car accident, but I've had a few mishaps due to terrain/bike management that usually amounted to a skinned knee or a jumbled up kit.

Here are a few of the tips that I've gathered to cut the risk of accidents, with cars, other cyclists, or even just myself

1. Try to avoid car-intensive pathways.

As much as possible, I try to cycle either on back roads with fewer motorized vehicles, recreational trails or bike paths with no motorized vehicles, or during off peak times like early in the morning when the numbers of cars is drastically reduced. While this can add an extra hundred yards or two to my trip length, minimizing the number of cars and other shared road users I encounter helps to cut the chances that I will collide with one of them.

2. Research your route

I've gone on short trips and long trips, sometimes lasting several days. Beforehand I make sure to develop a plan for where I'm going to go and the types of terrain I'll encounter, so that I am not surprised when I'm required to go over a train bridge or the road turns to gravel. If I ever have to proceed into "uncharted territory" due to short term construction in an area I haven't been before, I make sure to proceed with caution, and sometimes I've even gone back to avoid the potential hazards.

3. Stay Visible

High visibility clothing is a major factor in keeping yourself safe, and best coupled with a high visibility bike. I like to have lights and reflectors in as many places as I can: Front and back lights, red blinker in the rear, lights on my helmet, reflectors on the seat tube/bag, pedals, for a while I even had a big reflector on my backpack. Every little bit counts when you are riding in the twilight or at night, when drivers and other road users might be battling distractions or exhaustion.

4. Keep your eyes moving

Often times, especially on a long haul ride, you end up picking a spot about 15 yards in front of your bike and start riding into it. The exact length from your bike varies on the person, but this is a terrible trap, because when you stop scanning around for potential hazards and start shutting out the world, you set yourself up for a tumble or worse. Tunnel vision is as dangerous on a bike as it is for a car driver. You need to scan frequently to take in other road users, their speed, and potential hazards on the road itself.

5. Know your limits

The more exhausted you are, the less aware you are. I remember the last time that I met the gravel, I was at the tail end of 120 miles and dog tired, and I just didn't notice the dip in the trail I was riding for the first time. The last time I tasted concrete, I was trying to ride faster than my skills could take me, and I brushed the sidewalk with my front tire, sending me sideways and, had I been in a heavily trafficked area, into the path of a car. Luckily it was around 6AM in the middle of nowhere, so I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and kept riding. It's OK to work yourself at your limit, but not beyond it, or else you aren't being safe.

And of course, wear your helmet in case you end up eating pavement anyway.

Any more tips for avoiding accidents? I'd love to hear them!

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?

Riding Into the Autumn Months

I don't think that I am alone in relishing the transition between the seasons. The change in color of the leaves, the altered weather patterns, the shortening of the days and lengthening of the nights, all of these are a feature of the essential progression of time that highlights living in the temperate parts of North America.

But specifically as a cyclist, I particularly enjoy pushing myself day by day, week by week, to continue to ride my bicycle to work. As the days shorten and the weather cools, my morning rides are getting progressively darker and cooler, and are more likely to feature mist, rain, and eventually snow.

While I usually throw in the towel when weather dips below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, I have been known to just bundle up and keep going, and over time I've collected a set of gear to extend this period of commuting further and further. Construction grade gloves, parka-style winter gear, multiple layers of pants and overbuilt boots are just a part of the overall kit that keeps me feeling toasty.

Knowing that I am keeping myself fit, saving myself fifty cents- a dollar for every mile compared to driving a car, or three dollars a day in bus fare, just by riding my bike is a nice bonus too. Best of all, I don't need a gym membership just to get my cardiovascular exercise in.

Snag a ride on Craigslist and save!

I was doing a bit of research and found a great ad on Craigslist for anyone in the Boston, Mass area.

Someone is cleaning out their basement and claims to be disposing of 2 bicycles as soon as possible.

The best part is, they are free!

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/zip/5070736362.html

This is actually not a craigslist bike.

I've had a lot of luck finding bicycles for close to or actually no money on Craigslist over the years, and it has saved me a lot of money in the long run.

Even if you have to spend 65 dollars on a tune up, you will still come out way ahead if your bicycle only cost 100 dollars in the first place, and there are a lot of deals where your bike might even be free.

Spinning my wheels: Selecting a bike trainer that's right for me

I'm considering getting a bike trainer to practice with on stormy days and nights.

I've looked into it a little bit, and there are a lot of different options to consider.

One could go for a magnetic trainer, with resistance provided by pure physical magnetism, or a liquid or air based trainer that provides resistance with fluid resistance, which increases with the speed at which one pedals.

Another option would be to get a set of rollers, and just go to town in my basement or garage riding at a ridiculous clip.

Finally, I could buy a used spinner or exercise cycle, which would probably be pretty cheap, but then I'd have to find a way to bring it home. I'd probably be able to snag one on Cragslist relatively easily.

Has anyone out there decided on a trainer?

Any suggestions?

Cycling in not-so-good weather conditions

If you live in the Northeast and you like to ride, every once in a while you end up stuck on the wrong side of your commute during rain, light snow, hail, or heavy winds. While some would say that this is a perfect opportunity to use some of the money that you've saved from not driving to call a cab or take the bus, I like to take a different approach.

Instead of immediately giving up on the idea of cycling, I assess the potential risks versus the potential benefits of taking my bike as I had planned versus relying on public or private transport.

So long as I am not jeapordizing my safety by riding in situations where there is poor visibility, unsuitable road conditions, or a high likelihood of being hit in the head with something heavy, I usually try to tough it out.

Today is a great example. I made it to my destination this morning without a hassle, but the forecast says rain.

I should be fine on the bike path to get back home, visibility is likely to be good and there is little traffic or heavy wind. If it looks like things are a little hairy, I have my cell phone and the cash for a cab, so I have little to worry about.

If the weatherman is incorrect and the predicted shower is a true deluge, I might just try to hitch a ride with someone back to my place. Safety comes first.

Remember why you ride your bike. I ride my bike for fun first and frugality second. If I'm not having fun, I don't ride.

A thought on frugally purchasing tubes and tires

I will be the first to admit that it can be daunting selecting which tires and tubes to put onto your bicycle. If you ask online there are a lot of "wise old men of the forums" that will tell you to buy Gator Skins or some other more expensive tire, and either go tubeless or buy special tubes.

I have also found the mentality that will tell you to buy the cheapo Chinese tires and tubes and just keep repairing them until they fall apart.

I am actually somewhere in the middle (and below) both camps. I actually have never purchased tires individually for a bicycle, but I have purchased wheels with tires installed,and I've bought a number of tubes and patch kits.

In my opinion, tubes will pop and tires will get nails and screws in them. That is just the way of things. If you choose to go tubeless, you could still run over some broken glass or nails, or just come down too hard after a bump or pothole, burp a few PSI out of your tire and leave yourself running flat.

I recommend just holding onto your tires, whatever ones are on your bike, until you can't manage to keep riding them due to poor traction, and then replace them with whatever your local shop has in stock to fit your bike. As for tubes, they are very cheap, so I just keep an extra one on hand (duct taped to the top tube) and a pump strapped to my bike in case I need to replace on on the road or the trail. While I have run into this necessity before, I am usually able to walk to an air machine at a gas station and use my emergency cash stash in my seat bag to fill the replacement tube.

As for the cost, as I said I've never had to purchase tires, but I have bought well over 10 replacement tubes. My local shops sell replacement tubes for my wheel size for 2 or 3 dollars, and I normally buy 3 at a time.

Night Riding is Tons of Fun, but comes with a particular set of risks

If the frequent cars and high speeds of daylight driving have you turned off of the idea of cycling, trying night riding is a viable alternative, but there are a number of risks and benefits that you should take into account.

The Good:

Riding at night often comes with many fewer cars on the road, which means you have fewer vehicles to deal with. Depending on the road conditions in your area, these cars could be going faster or slower than they would in the day, and it's definitely worth looking into ahead of the ride.

Cooler temperatures are usually prevalent in the night time, and that can be a real life saver, especially if you live in an area where it is normally very hot during the day. Night riding can make cycling tolerable.

The Bad:

Visibility is decreased at night, and while this can be compensated for to a certain degree by lights on your bicycle, body, and clothing, you might still blend in with the dark, especially if your bicycle or gear doesn't have any reflective material.

Obstacles are common when riding at night. Many cars park in bicycle lanes, regardless of prevailing laws in the area, and there are also frequently disposal containers, construction projects, and in some cases animals all over the road.

Time constraints can be a limiting factor for many cyclists. This might be dependent on your length of commute, but I had a 90 minute commute at one point in time. If you can't really manage to leave home at 5 AM to get to your office by 6:30 AM and leave the office park area at 6:30 PM to get back home by 8 PM, it might not be feasible. I could make it work as a single guy with no dependents, but if I had children, responsibilities, or other commitments I might not be able to swing it.

Regardless of why you want to ride at night, there are a lot of things that you need to take into account for your safety. The most important of those are lighting and protective clothing.

Most states in the US require a strong white light in the front of the bicycle, and a flashing red light in the back of the bicycle.

In addition to that it is wise to add additional lights to your clothing, luggage, and bike in relevant positions, like along your helmet, on the edges of your handlebars, and attached to your backpack and panniers.

Spring Cleaning your Bike

I think that there are a lot of cyclists and casual riders that let their bicycles sit in the garage or, god forbid, out in the snow over the winter. It's a big challenge that can seem overwhelming to clean out and prepare your bike for a ride in the spring, and there are a lot of things to think about.

That being said, it's quite possible to spring clean your bike all by yourself, with only household tools and some elbow grease.

You'll likely need a few different things, I usually gather together a good plastic brush, some detergent, a few rags, and a clean container of water. I start out by trying to run the chain through the gears, and if the chain doesn't bind on any of the links there is no need to replace it. After running the chain through, clean it up by running the chain through a soapy rag. Scrub the gears and the sprockets with the brush and make sure to wash and rinse with soap and water.

Finally, you should rinse through the chain and the gears, and run the chain until it and the gears dry up.

Once the drivetrain is clean, you can hose down the rest of the bike and give it a quick wipe with a clean rag.

After your bike is all clean, you need to decide how you want to lubricate the chain and gears. I use used motor oil as lubricant, because I have a surplus and it's essentially free since I have a car. Other options include gear oil, graphite, WD-40, and petroleum jelly. It really doesn't matter what you use to lubricate so long as you clean regularly and lubricate regularly.

Back on the Trail

I made it back to my local bike trails this weekend.

It felt nice finally getting my tires dirty, but it felt nicer getting back to my apartment and cleaning up in the hot water. I got really cold while I was out, probably because I wasn't fully insulated against the wind and moisture.

Hopefully next time I head out for a ride of any distance I'll be in warmer weather, or warmer clothes.

Crowdfunding for Cyclists?

I've been a cyclist for recreation and commuting for several years now (time flies when you're having fun) but I've never really heard of collecting money in order to fund your travels, rather than earning money through temporary labor or a steady job and funding trips during your free time.

I recently stumbled upon an online community of travelers that doesn't share my preconcieved notions of paying your own way through the world, and instead travels on donations from charitable others. This site, fundmytravel.com, allows average and exceptional people alike to create donation pages and solicit gifts from donors to pay for their journeys. These can range from the modest request of a college student attempting to fund a journey abroad, to people looking to pay for a bucket list-style trip of a lifetime.

In any case, it really leaves one wondering whether or not it's possible to jump on that train, and pay for the ticket with donations.

A New Cyclist asks for Advice

While browsing the web, I came across a nascent cyclist that was really more of a runner, asking a question to the cycling subreddit about an upcoming ride. Here is a transcript of the post, and the discussion that followed:

Original Post by user oliverjudge:

Dealing with long ride as a novice cyclist

I'm in an odd situation where I'll be joining some experienced cyclists on a long ride on Saturday (60km). It was supposed to be a nice small ride but got blown way out of proportion.
So here' my question. It is a flat route, I'm going to try and get out on a bike on Friday to make sure I'm still okay on one, but I'll have no idea about endurance. I'm fit (I run).
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any tips or am I just going end up as a blob on the floor after 2 miles?

A brief listing of the comments will follow:

•  I would come up with an exit strategy.
•  I'm just piggybacking off the top comment, but don't go out planning on doing the entire ride. It's nice that people are being supportive by saying things like "wear padded shorts" and "eat enough" and "suck a wheel," because I'm sure as a non-rider, you have no idea what that means. The amount of time on a bike is what will kill you. Even if you have massive legs and great cardio, you won't average 30km/hr as a beginner...so we're figuring at least 2 hours on a bike. It's not the fitness/exercise that will get you, it's that being on a bike for long periods is painful. Even on carbon fiber custom fit bike, it starts to be painful after long periods. You develop hot spots on your feet from pedaling. Your hands fall asleep. Your elbows and core get tired. Your neck starts to hurt from the weight of your head/helmet. This isn't even considering how much an unconditioned ass will hurt spending that much time in a random saddle. It's just not a good idea. If you're interested in starting to ride, grab a friend or two who will tolerate going on short, slow rides with you until your body gets used to riding.
•  Poop your pants. It's the only way e: Trust me.
•  Exit strategy: forewarn them about an injury you have been rehabbing from and that if for some reason it acts up, you will drop back and ride home. Tell them not to worry about it and that you'll "catch up with one of you guys later on" 
• Either that or nut butter.
•  Ditto! THEY will be just as thankful for your exit strategy as YOU will! There will be no fooling experienced riders, but they will not be very happy if you bog down their pace (whatever that is!).
• Flat route, experienced cyclists.. sounds like it will turn into a hammerfest. I would go in with the disclaimer that youre only going to do a third of the ride 20km that way you can drop out without hurting yourself or bothering the group. That way you can still go but not damage yourself trying to keep up.
•  If by "novice cyclist" you mean "completely inexperienced" which is what it sounds like, then I agree with /u/oftie on finding a way out of the ride. It will ruin you. You need to work up to something like that, because cycling is a very particular activity in the stresses it places on your body. It isn't just a matter of cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance in your major leg muscles. If you don't ride regularly, going out for several hours will leave your neck, hands/wrists/arms/shoulders, lower back, legs (particularly the small movers), and sit bones absolutely fried. If you were just trying to make it 60km on your own, you could probably do it, but you'd still be pretty messed up for a couple of days. At the likely pace your friends will be going, it's doubtful you'll be able to keep up and finish the ride, and you'll be a hurting blob. Edit: Apologies if this came off harsh, just trying to be honest about what you're likely to experience.
• Every hard ride since I started 3 months ago, on the 2nd day after I ride I'm ALWAYS sore up and down my thighs. To where I burn walking up the stairs. I'm not even that out of shape, I've been riding 30-50mi per ride. But when I push it on climbs to place top 10 on strava I flood my thighs with Lactic Acid and I need to stop doing that. It puts me out a couple days after! Good stuff though.
•  Regular muscle pain should be expected, but shouldn't disuade someone from doing a relatively short and easy ride. Flat, 40 miles, and in a group that can pull him? Should be no problem for someone in good shape even if they aren't a very experienced cyclist. Yeah, he might hurt the next day, but that's kind of an expected side effect of exercise. I'd say it depends on the pace his buddies set. If they're trying to do a 25mph+ paceline then OP is going to get smoked. If it's a social ride knowing full well they have a rather inexperienced member then it shouldn't be a problem.
• Agreed. I've gone on several rides with very serious riders, and I'm always one of the slowest. However, go in letting them know you're inexperienced, and you may be surprised how much help you may get.

• Since you say you are fit and run regularly and the ride is flat, that should take most of the cardio issues out of the equation. It's usually hills that take novices out. However, you'd be surprised, biking and running use very different muscles. So your legs will feel it a helluva lot more than normal during and after the ride. So make sure you're fitted to your bike to reduce knee pain for example. Stuff like this doesn't show up in shorter rides. Then you take a long one and your knee feels wrecked, especially if you ride "clipless" where your shoe has a cleat that locks into the pedal (I know weird that clipless means you have a cleat that clicks and locks in). Also what are you riding? An MTB or racing style bike? If on a racing style, honestly, it'll be easier than you think in terms of cardio. They are so damn efficient. A couple things I would suggest are that you start toughening up that choda right now, and/or get some shorts with some padding. That will be your #1 issue on your first long ride in a long time. No matter how in shape you are, this takes out a lot of novices on their first long ride. A seat that feels good after 15 minutes of riding can be devastating after 3 hours in the saddle which 60km could take roughly depending on the bikes (MTB vs racing) and fitness how often you guys stop, etc. The same goes for your wrists and the pads of your palms on the handle bars. Again something that feels fine for 15 min rides can feel like your wrist is about to break after 3 hours. Heck a hear a lot of complaints even about neck pain from being in that tucked position for so long and having your neck cranked upward. If you don't ride clipless you'd be surprised at how much it helps you as a ride. When I start getting tired and beat up, I like that I'm locked in, so my sloppy legs don't come off the pedals and I'm just using the big muscles, and not the little stabilizing ones that keep your foot on the pedal. But if you've never ridden with clipless before, it might be a stretch to get comfortable with them in time. Doable, but a stretch. Lastly, your lower back, upper glutes will likely get sore/strained from the tucked position, especially if you do a lot of seated hill climbing, or in a racing bike in a tucked position. Most people that don't ride regularly don't have the flexibility in their lower back and upper glutes to do this without soreness. So I'm assuming you guys are gonna make at least 1 stop at some point. Take that time to stretch out your lower back. Otherwise, just take an extra break or two and you'll be fine. Maybe take pain killer and anti-inflammatory pre-ride? That helps with soreness and swelling as well. I know people that do a caffeine/ephedrine stack, as a pain killer anti-inflammatory pre-ride routine.