Let's see your sweet ride on two wheels! No motorcycles - there are already a couple of threads for those.

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2015 Cannondale Quick CX is my everyday bike for cruising around town and down our local bike path. It's been a good bike, but I'd rather ride something more colorful. This thing screams police bike. I'm currently shopping for an offroad ride, looking at used fat bikes.

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I'm a fan of the Cannondale brand, and my local excellent bike shop sells them, so that is a win-win for me. If I were buying an electric bike (which is a niche that is rapidly changing) I would heavily base my selection on the e-bike offerings of the store where it would be serviced. Similar to finding a mechanic you trust and asking what they recommend.

I love my new fat bike. You don't need a suspension when you're rolling on 28x4.6" tractor tires. It's a 2015 Specialized FatBoy that came with a second set of studded tires for winter shenanigans. I'm looking forward to riding year 'round.

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Carefree on a fat bike.

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I'm trying to level the playing field between my cruising speed and my wife's. So today I ordered her an e-bike with pedal assist. It can maintain a cruising speed up to 20MPH and I'm looking forward to trying to keep up with her. It's a Pace 350 by Aventon. I'll report back after we take a few rides.

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Hope everyone had a good one!
https://fat-bike.com/2020/09/global-fat-bike-day-2020/

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So who owns both a Spooky pin and a Spooky bike?
https://www.wearespooky.com/

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February ride in northern Illinois. Frosty fun! It's like sweaty snowmobiling.

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Here's my PSA on the importance of helmets:

“If you were a professional athlete, you just received a season-ending concussion,” said my neurosurgeon.

On March 9th, I knocked myself out for the second time in my life. The first time was in elementary school when I executed a face plant after launching off a homemade ramp on a push scooter in our driveway. That time I wasn’t wearing a helmet. This time I flew over my handlebars at Oak Street and Oakwood Lane and again broke my fall with my face. This time I split my helmet and had “summer teeth” as in some are in my head, and some are in the street. I got my broken teeth repaired on March 17th, I assume with dental-grade Bondo.

So what caused my latest crash? I don’t remember. I’ve watched enough X-Files to know lost time is 100% due to aliens. On the other hand, I don’t feel probed and I’m not sculpting mashed potatoes, so maybe not aliens. I had just transitioned from a busy street to what seemed like the relative safety of a sidewalk. A good Samaritan found me sitting beside my bike and spoke at me for several minutes before I eventually responded. I wisely accepted his offer for a ride home. I had been on a twenty-mile ride, and wrecked just a couple miles from home. I took a quick shower and set a shard of tooth beside the bathroom mirror in homage to The Fly.

My wife came home from shopping as I was dressing. “Rachael I need you in the bathroom. I crashed my bike and have memory loss,” were my first words to her. So off we went to Sherman Hospital. Sitting in an emergency room for twenty minutes with open wounds didn’t feel particularly safe during Covid. A CT scan that evening showed a mild brain bleed so I had to spend the night being monitored in intensive care with a follow-up scan scheduled for 5AM. I slept maybe an hour that night. The second scan showed the bleeding had resolved. A few hours later the director of the intensive care unit said, “I’ve never done this before, but I’m discharging you directly from the ICU.” Normally a head injury like mine earns three days in the hospital. The consulting neurosurgeon told me to stay off my bike for six to eight weeks. I heard “up to six” and Rachael heard a firm eight weeks.

At discharge we were told that I should minimize my time reading and staring at screens. But while I was lying in the hospital, I went online and researched “safest bike helmet” and ordered a replacement. I found that I cared much less about how it looked versus how it performed in testing. My new brain bucket is sitting on my desk as I write this, eagerly waiting for a first ride in May.

On March 15th we paid a visit to a neurologist in Chicago who said I should gradually reintroduce reading and screen time. Hence this little crash report to test out the old noggin. So, I’m on the mend and thankful for all the well wishes, food, and flowers. A week later, the only thing that still hurt was the road rash on my left knee. Once again, Rachael was a rock in another storm. She deserves every bit of love she receives from family and friends. For those who expressed concern for my bike, I only lost a bit a paint on the handlebars and I gave her a tune-up while I'm healing. So happy spring and remember this if nothing else: Wear a helmet!

A couple weeks ago I picked up a cheap single speed to refurbish while I recover from my bike crash. This Schwinn Racer has a steel frame and a coaster brake, like the Roadmaster bike I raced in the Little 500 in '96. It'll be my weekday commuter to and from the train station. What's new: paint, tires, tubes, rim tape, pedals, saddle (used), post clamp, grips, and bar ends. So the bike is no longer really cheap, but I like the way it looks and rides.

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My new ride: 16.8 pound fixed gear track bike to ride at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome.

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I've owned my fat bike for one year and put 744 miles of trails on it so far. All my bikes are fun, but this one is tops.

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This is a frankenbike I cobbled together for my winter commute in Chicagoland. It’s a combination of a 1992 Specialized Hardrock and a cheap retail cruiser bike. So this Hardrock is a single speed with a coaster brake and chrome fenders. I replaced the 130mm rear axle with a 175mm (24 tooth) and mounted 26x2 studded Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus tires. My slush slayer is ready for the next polar vortex and/or snowmageddon.

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First I did it on accident. Now I post the picture to see if anyone notices. You win a high five.

Another grey winter day in northern Illinois. Get out in it.

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Velodrome season has begun. Track racing is an experience not to be missed.

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2007 Trek 1500 that I picked up for training and Zwifting this winter. Photo taken before I raised the seat. 21.0 lbs. This bike replaced my '96 Cannondale R800.

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I've been Zwifting for about 6 weeks now and really enjoy it. I joined a racing team in my time zone and use our weekly race as one of my tough workouts. I'll certainly be in better cycling shape this spring compared to previous winters.

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Wow, a field of 8,000 sold out in 10 hours. Please share pics and description here when you return. Enjoy!..or at least finish.
https://mallorca312.com/en/news/#no-link

New to me 2000 Klein Quantum Race. Waiting for warmer weather in northern Illinois.

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I've been using this '15 Cannondale Quick CX as my gravel bike. Dale went on a diet this winter and lost four pounds of hardware but is still a beefy 30 pounds. That front fork is 5.5 lbs. So I'm in the market for a real gravel bike this spring.

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I'd expect no less in Leadville. Enjoy!

I too am a big fan of the coaster brake.
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2021/03/17/merry-sales-helps-bring-back-eagle-2-speed-coaster-brake-hub

If you'd like to see what your fellow Pinsiders are up to on Strava, here's a club to join. The more the merrier.
https://www.strava.com/clubs/pinside

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New ebike day for wifey. Townie Go 7D by Electra/Trek. She loves it. I just try to keep up.

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I picked up a used entry-level cyclocross bike to ride the 2024 Barry Roubaix. Here's a before and after shot showing what I did to get the bike dialed in for me. The previous owner rode it in one event and then kept it in his basement for years.

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