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Today May 2022

Surgery done and day 4 of recovery. By far the hardest thing I've had to do in my life, but the hospital has gone above and beyond to make sure I'm taken care of so that's been really good. Drank a Pocari Sweat today, so a small step towards normalcy!

Keep riding strong folks. Can't wait to recover and get back on myself!
 
My MTBs have not been ridden in about a month...
I normally would have trying to get to the MTB park on the weekend, but...
I am coaching my daughter Baseball team and oddly - I enjoy that too much to take a game off.
sigh... I guess I need to just convince the wife I need a 4th off road drop bar bike.

I actually would love to have a Surly Big Dummy for beach trips this summer.
 
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I expect its not that different from a kick scooter. Maybe like standing on the bike on a hill climb.
 
a lot to report on, as this is quite a different experience from your regular cycling. duh

- size
as mentioned already, it really is quite big. it just barely fits on my home stand, and also into the building lift (either propped up on the rear wheel or both wheels on the floor. me and the bike take the whole lift easily, and actually have to negotiate a lot for it to happen). it's bulky and on the heavy side, and there's nowhere to grab it. so it's kinda tricky to move about. I have to shoulder it like a barbell to get it on and off the home stand! haha

- stability
the long wheelbase and wide handlebars (72 cm!!) make it very stable. but only as long as you keep both hands on the bar. I succeeded in briefly removing one hand here and there, but could not get a bidon and drink for example, while riding. the feet are narrowly placed way down below, and if it only gets to one arm way out to the side, it can get tricky. I've seen people shooting videos with one hand while riding, so perhaps it takes some getting used to and I'll be able to do it eventually

- gears
I was constantly at the top of the cassette on flat. so 48 front, 11 or the next cog up in the back. at least 4-5 gears heavier than what cycling at similar effort would mean - because of much lower cadence. I still don't have any speedometers there, but based on feeling alone, probably already at about 30 kmh one is "overspinning" 48 - 11. I did not mind at all the gaps between the gears - it only has 8 speeds. if anything, because of low cadence, if the gears were closer together, one might have to shift 2-3 at a time. so I think the gearing 11-34 works perfectly for terrain like arakawa, where I'm mostly gonna be riding it (i.e. flat with just short up/down sections). if you find yourself getting tired, the instinct is to downshift. but you actually need to shift up on this thing, as lower gears just mean dropping in a quicksand and getting out of breath for no real traction on the road. instead, shift up, drop the cadence, let the gravity do more work and catch your breath back

- intensity
I have lost a lot of aerobic fitness over the past several years, but even accounting for that, this thing is much more of a workout than seated cycling is. I don't see myself riding more than 60-90 minutes a day for the time being. getting towards the end of a weight cutting period right now, so just the right amount to get that extra bit of caloric deficit going. the core, glutes and thighs work much more, and in a very different way too, so it will take some getting used to. but in terms of posture, I love it. my goal of upright torso and open hips is met!

- general
people will stare (we all knew that). it feels divine with a tailwind or downhill. uphill and headwind - take an educated guess. 10 seconds into the ride, I instinctively lowered my hips to sit down - a no no! I am finally towering over all other cyclists on the river!

@Cactaur well it's made by a company that initially started by producing outdoor ellipticals. but this one is not elliptical in stride, but just like a regular bike - circular. but there are many elliptical models too. I don't like their small wheel diameter tho. not to mention they're more expensive, and much more moving parts to maintain etc. so this was a perfect hybrid for me between a city bike or similar and an elliptical.

finally, I have to return once more to the handlebar. it's seventy two centimeters wide!! with a tailwind, that wide of a grip and such a high position, this is how I felt like on the river today

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hi everyone! I think most of you have met my new bike by now. her name is elli, for those of you who haven't.

she's a real beauty isn't she? I love her just the way she is, don't get me wrong. but we did both agree we needed to customize some bits, right darling? so toe cages had to go on for safety and tactile feedback on just where my feet are on those huge platform pedals, which aren't much ladylike are they now honey? of course, the counterweights to the cages too, to counterbalance the pedals...

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then the bell, yeah I know, I'm not a fan of it either. but it's mandatory, kinda. come on, what do you want me to do? there's still some people out there, we know the type right, not just a bell, they need a friggin bullhorn.

and the speedometer, come on, it's such a great fit on your stem! you'll love it, I know you will. the sensors and the magnets were a bit tricky, I agree, but what can I do when you got such a small clearance between the cranks and the chainstays eh!

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oh the frame bag eh? we're back to the frame bag again? so yeah, you'll carry a few small items for me, but who do you think does all the pedaling in this relationship? is it really too much to ask to put a phone, keys, wallet, some tools, there in the bag for you to keep? oh man...

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the grips? yes I'm getting new grips, so what? it's me who has to deal with all the pressure up there while you're just cruising. can't I have a few more hand positions for comfort and balance? and the mudguards? what?! I thought we already discussed that. have you seen your BB area after all the spraying today, even when it's been relatively dry. well I can tell you it is not attractive at all! mudguards it is!

OK if you're gonna behave like that you can sleep on the bike stand tonight right! sheesh
 
Yesterday about 2:20 (45km), today 2:00 (39km) and some sprinkles. The forecast is saying an early ride may be okay tomorrow, then rain for a couple days.
 
I was thinking exactly the same thing myself @jdd . was lucky enough to get two dry days and sneak in two rides on the new bike, and am hoping to be able to take a short break from work in the morning if it's dry, and try to beat the rain. because the weather goes downhill from tomorrow afternoon apparently, for about a week or so
 
I expect its not that different from a kick scooter. Maybe like standing on the bike on a hill climb.
Quite different, I imagine.

1) On a kick scooter at least one of your legs remains firmly planted on a platform that doesn't move. On @luka's bike your feet are on rotating pedals. Not really the same thing!

2) Standing on a hill climb, your arms point down, parallel to your legs on the pedals. On this bike the bars are ahead of you so the arms are horizontal not vertical like the legs. This has a number implications:
- on a hill climb you can push the pedal while pulling back on the handlebar to counteract. This doesn't work at all if the directions are 90 degrees apart.
- pulling on the handlebar from above doesn't affect steering. Pushing or pulling on a handlebar set up for an upright posture does turn the steering.

So I'd be surprised if it was much like a kick scooter or standing on the pedals on a hill climb. It's in a category of its own.
 
that's right @joewein , very salient points. a category of its own indeed. in terms of effort and movement pattern, I'd say this thing mostly resembles climbing stairs perhaps

to @Cactaur 's defense, his initial comment was comparing the bike to an elliptical gym device. don't know why he edited it later, and made my response nonsensical haha
 
The ride I did on Tuesday cut my front tire. The sealant did its job and I got home without worry. Actually, I hit a PR on the way home. I was pretty happy with how the sealant handled the issue and woot! Home.
Yesterday I grabbed the bike to head out. I added air to the tire and could hear a faint hiss... :(
So I swapped wheels and headed out on the 700x38s.
I forgot how much softer they rode and how much traction they have on a corner.
I also forgot how I give up a little bit of speed too...
I just wanted to get out last night, so I did a very modest pace and kept my heart rate under 130 for most of it.
Yup... a lazy ride!
When I got to Enoshima, I decided to take the same photo I usually take in the morning.

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she's a real beauty isn't she? I love her just the way she is, don't get me wrong. but we did both agree we needed to customize some bits, right darling?
She's hot; and when you've got it, flaunt it.

Careful when thinking of riding on a sidewalk when the cops might see you. I may have got this wrong, but I think I've heard that riding along a sidewalk on a bike exceeding such-and-such a width is illegal, regardless of all the details (of lane separation of cyclists and pedestrians, of age of the cyclist, etc) -- details that of course most people (definitely including me) anyway don't know/remember/understand.
 
Yesterday about 2:20 (45km), today 2:00 (39km) and some sprinkles. The forecast is saying an early ride may be okay tomorrow, then rain for a couple days.
Hoping the weather is wrong for Saturday and it's going to be cloudy - have my eyes on a Miura ride, with the Gazebo fish and chips the prize.
 
thanks @microcord , but I don't think stickers will come into play really! haha

72cm handlebar is wide for me, coming from road cycling background. but it's actually on the narrow side in the MTB world, so I'm sure if there are width limits for riding on the sidewalk, they will definitely allow 70-something cm. this one might be on the verge of breaching any rules on bike length, if there are such. 15 cm longer wheelbase than my Lynskey!
 
@luka , I believe that there are indeed rules about bike length, and that it's these (rather than any rule about propulsion by more than one person) that for decades effectively illegalized tandems almost everywhere. But my understanding is very hazy, and quite possibly it's utterly wrong.

Electrified maternal chariots designed to accommodate one parent and two sprogs are legal; and Elli can hardly be longer (or heavier).
 
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