Frank Krygowski <
frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
On 6/7/2025 4:07 PM, Mark J cleary wrote:
It occurred to me lately that as I ride I notice my ability to do 180
degree turnarounds is not what it once was. I would say a few years ago
I never have it a thought. I would out riding the narrow 2 lane chip
seal that exist in Illinois. It is not really wide enough that 2 cars
passing in opposite directions can take a full lane. You need to mover
to the edge of the road.
In a car that is fine but no narrow bike tires I don't want to go in the
soft stuff got to say on pavement. I used to decide to do a turn around
and get a place where the road was wider at point and then just do the
189. I notice now that the balance on the bike is not the same. I really
have to be careful and ideally it is probably better to just stop and
physically turn the bike around.
I even notice now that dismounting is not quite the same. Granted it is
not problem but I can tell the reflexes and general aches of the body
respond slower. Even the act of un clipping is not quite as smooth. I
use shimano road shoes and like being clipped in but it seems never to
be as smooth as I think It should.
ANyone of you oldsters have notice this? Invent and app that can track
your smoothness on the bike? DO they exist.
I know of no such app, but while I don't have your problems, I'm sure
such things will eventually inflict us all. Age happens.
The iPhone can apparently tell walking this said like on Thursday when I’d gone very deep and was limping as I’d used up all of the little grey cells, but app shows it to be fine. Likewise for shits and giggles I’ve done a few IQ or brain training apps and well they are junk! All say very different
things and I’ve had extensive cognitive testing as you might imagine, which is verifiable and all that.
See also the sleep apps and so on, at least that’s what the folks who research that sort of thing, which I used to occasionally get to see talks
and so on pre covid.
Or in other words don’t believe everything on the internet!
About clipping in: I've mentioned that in about seven decades of avid
riding with hundreds of various cycling friends, I've personally known
only one guy killed in a bike crash. It happened when he was coming to a stop, topped at zero speed and hit his (helmeted) head. His widow
strongly suspects it was because he couldn't unclip. His clipless pedals
had been giving him some problems.
There is clipless and clipless ie a SPD with the tension wound right down
is very easy to clip out. Some road clipless systems are generally a royal
pain and the advantages are hard to measure!
Is there a lesson? If nothing else, do what's necessary to make clipless
work perfectly. Otherwise use some other pedal style.
What tyre sizes are you running Mark? Does make a difference in terms of stability particularly low speeds.
Or perhaps new bike frame ie something gravely with 30/40mm tyres might
feel a lot more secure.
Roger Merriman
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