RoadSkater.Net - Comments for "recreation"

Fined Grind: What's Next, Noiseless Skateboards?

In reply to Corpus Christi Grind Fine Smells at First Whiff:

To quote the character Howard, from the movie Network : I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!

I couldn't believe what you said that report was saying, Blake, so I googled that news article, and found another reporter, Abby Dunn with Kristv.com, who concurred, even if she did seem to contradict herself and the point in the same article!

Dunn writes: "The city council banned skateboarders from doing this on any city property at their Tuesday meeting, and now those caught doing it face up to a $500 dollar." (Um, Dear Abby, 'a $500' what, exactly?)

Ok, that's a relief: "...those caught doing it..."

But later in the next paragraph she states: "But now, police can site grinders, even if they're not seen causing damage." Oh for crying out loud. Don't journalists these days know how to spell 'cite'? Do college degrees really count for nothing? My kids' teachers can't spell lightning, and claim that Piedmont is an Indian word! Rant...rave...

So which one is it? Those caught doing "it", or those not seen causing damage?!

After viewing the related news video it became crystal clear to me. Skateboarders now will be fined simply for grinding, even if they are not necessarily causing damage. So no need for brick chips to be flying for these kids to get a citation.

How on earth are those in law-enforcement going to be able to honestly discern 'grinding' sounds from the regular slap-grind sound of someone trying to perfect a manoeuvre and temporarily losing control of the skateboard? I suppose if the board is up on a wall or some steps then ok, but what if they're on the regular ol' pavement? Are they gonna get cited too? Kids! Better video yourselves the whole time you're skateboarding downtown, because it'll be your young punk word against the stuffy old authority's.

What's next: noiseless skateboards? Professional journalists who can spell and proofread? Listen, I know I ain't perfect, but I'm not getting paid to write this drivel! No, what's next is the relegation of an otherwise mischief- and drug-averting pastime for teens, such as skateboarding, to a planned and expensive hobby in the confines of an 'appropriate' skatepark. They'll only be able to indulge if a parent drives them there or if they join a skateboard travel team. Hah! Pretty soon Skateboard Mom'll be the insult du jour.

Please Support SkateStrong, Mark and MS Research

In reply to Free(*) Skating Workshop in Raleigh, NC -- March 24, 2007:

SkateyMark this is awesome. I apologize for not being more helpful in the background on this when you asked for some help, and want everyone to know that you are the one who got this together without even much encouragement! It sounds really great and I'm very happy to hear you are hoping to VIBE this year for the Tour to Tanglewood to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society research and treatment.

This will be a great warm-up for the Eddy Matzger Road Show inline skating workshop in Greensboro NC Apr 6-8 (we need some sign-ups to make this happen!), and a great way to know how much or how little we've done to prepare for 2007 roadskating as spring arrives!

Thanks again for all you do in public and in the background to help people who can't enjoy skating the way we do. And thanks for so much encouragement to me along the way too.

Excellent Idea

In reply to Free(*) Skating Workshop in Raleigh, NC -- March 24, 2007:

Teaching skating proficiency, roping in new skate-addicts, getting cash for those suffering with MS and then possibly some more...it's wonderful! Way to go.

New York needs YOU!!!

In reply to NYPD's proposed rules for group skates / bike rides:

As a Jersey-girl, I have taken the time to respond to the "powers-to-be" because NYC has enough laws, rules, and regulations to govern street traffic already, and we need to skate NYC . . .

In my opinion, it's one of the best places to do a group skate. The public transportation system allows people to bail-out as needed. It has a great park system, some of the best sites, just enough hills and bridges to keep things interesting, and quite frankly some of the most considerate skaters on the planet! (I know, because I've been helped so many times!)

Putting all of that aside, it's really a matter of freedom to assemble. It's not for anyone's safety or well being. These additional rules kick-in at just 10 in a group. Aren't we all safer in some sort of group?

Take the time to make a difference. Everyone needs to skate NYC!

Greensboro Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop Greensboro NC April 6-8 2007:

The April date will be a great kickoff for the '07 outdoor season. My shorttrack ice season will have just ended a couple weeks earlier. I will do what I can to make it back to NC.

Jeff Barbour

Eddy in NC!!!

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop Greensboro NC April 6-8 2007:

Hmm . . . this date may actually work for this Jersey-girl . . . looking forward to more details!!! Claire

Maybe skatefarmer will tell us the straight stuff

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop Greensboro NC April 6-8 2007:

I think skatefarm.com is not ready yet and skatecentral.com doesn't show 2007 yet either. I just got the official notice today, but when I took Eduardo to the aeropuerto de Greensboro last Friday it was one of the topics we covered.

Much of the talk was about his visit to the Federal Magistrate regarding incidents on the Blue Ridge Parkway and his friendly discussions with the local Sheriff regarding our beloved sport of roadskating. I may have more on this later, but if you know Eddy, you know his approach is not as confrontational as others might wish or as you may have heard it described. I think he believes an informal approach in the beginning is best to demonstrate the safety and viability of our participation where bicycles are allowed.

Sometimes reporters unintentionally add their own spin to comments, as I am aware from coverage of comments I made about doing A2A on "the day we said we would" in 2006.

In any case, I'm hoping our new member, skatefarmer, will find time to post from around the world now and then.

Skateylove,

Blake

Eddy Matzger Inline Speed Workshop in Greensboro, NC

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop Greensboro NC April 6-8 2007:

Yes, this is terrific news for the local inline scene. Thanks for posting this Blake, and for what was quite likely a lot of behind-the-scenes work making it happen.

Where do I sign up?

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Speed Workshop Greensboro NC April 6-8 2007:

I'm In! Is there anyplace to officially sign up yet?

Great work getting us on the schedule!!! That's awesome!!!

- SM -

How to still skate low after 60 miles

In reply to Foolhardy Skaters Finish Four Miles of Sixty-Two at Dusk on Silver Comet Trail:

Funny how my mind was still able to convince my quads to bend as much as possible, even after 60 miles, so I could dangle my cell phone about a foot from the ground to try to shed some light on the skate path after dark! That's the kind of single-minded trick that works well on things like A2A ("My feet feel like they're bleeding to death, but no way am I gonna get a 'DNF', or let insert name here beat me!).

The Fix is In

In reply to Fix Your Bike, Even If It Ain't Broke:

Good eye on catching the bit about the dog and the fence in that picture! I totally missed it.

Regarding the question of "fixed gear riding vis-a-vis sprocketing," I'm not quite sure what you're asking. I see two ways to take the question, so two answers...: If the question is about fixed vs freewheel (coasting possible) riding, the answer would be that fixed-gear riding is a simpler experience. If the rear wheel is turning then you're pedalling. I feel more connected to the bike and the terrain. It also encourages, requires even, a smoother and more consistent pedalling stroke since there's no chance to take a even moment off. Being able to subtly modify speed by reversing pressure on the pedals is also pretty fun.

If you're asking about what range of gear to use, it's a compromise and a much-discussed one. I have my bike set up with a fairly short gear (40 teeth front, 17 teeth back) which I can grind up any hill in Greensboro, if not always comfortably. But I'm limited on top speed and will "spin out" (hit the limit of my pedalling cadence) on most reasonable downhills. And on a fixed gear bike, there's no choice but to keep pedalling no matter how fast you get going. A taller gear would mean less spinning out, but also more distress on climbs.

What I don't like: Obviously the need to compromise on gear choices is a big drawback, and the reason why multi-speed bikes have come to dominate. It's nice sometimes to be able to take a break on a downhill and just let gravity do the work. And while I can grind my way up pretty big hills with the gearing I use, Greensboro is a rolling city and doing this for a long time beats up my old legs pretty good. I don't think I could manage a daily commute this way for example. It would be too tiring, but it's a good occasional workout.

I should add that there are also people riding around on single-speed freewheel bikes, so they can coast down hills but can't shift. Looking at bike stuff on the web, it's sometimes confusing as to whether someone is talking about a fixed-gear (single-speed by definition) or one-gear freewheeling bike.

Long rides... An hour or maybe an hour and a half is about the most I've ever ridden fixed, so I'm not an authority on this. One thing I'd say is that it takes a while to settle into it if you don't ride fixed gear exclusively, so it feels more natural after I've been at it for a few miles. Since you're always pedalling, you're probably getting a workout faster. Lots of folks do centuries and other big rides on fixies, but I've never seen or heard anyone claim that they could ride further on fixed vs. free. Also the effects of fatigue are magnified, since you can't just select an easier gear to pedal.

Also, on a freewheeling bike I tend to stop pedalling and stand up on the pedals every once in a while, just to let some air blow through the saddle region and reposition my weight when I sit back down. It's harder to do this when I can't stop pedalling, so I guess I'd say that saddle compatibility and chamois quality are more important for this reason.

Icky severed finger business: The deal is that with a freewheel the crank can turn the rear wheel but the rear wheel can't turn the crank. The real danger is when you have the bike on a repair stand and you spin the crank by hand to get the rear wheel spinning quickly. With a freewheel, a finger between the chain and the chainwheel is no big deal. You might get a little ouchy, but your finger will stop the crank from turning. But without a freewheel, the inertia of the rear wheel (multiplied by the mechanical advantage of the crank and and sprocket) will keep the whole works spinning, despite having what-was-once-your-finger stuck in it. Serious buzz killer... It's probably less dangerous than an engine's fan belt with the hood up, as your dad can attest to. But it's definitely something to be aware of, that an average bike mechanic who doesn't see a lot of fixies might not be anticipating.

Braking: good! Real track bicycles don't have any brakes, and you can actually stop them just by resisting the turning pedals with your legs, and some badasses ride on the road like this, trackie-style. But this is a Really Bad Idea. You can stop a whole lot faster with even one caliper brake, and when dealing with car traffic or even a moderate downhills it really does help. A lot.

Toe clip usage: Some kind of shoe retention is a good thing. You don't want a foot to slip off a pedal while spinning hard, because it's just about impossible to get it back on without coming to a complete stop first. I've used traditional clips and straps, but I found that it was pretty hard getting my feet in them on my current fixed-gear bike, despite having used them for many years and generally being really comfortable using them. That has a lot to do with pedal-to-road clearance (ie, bottom bracket height and crank arm length.) If the toe clip on the free pedal smacks the ground every time around, it's tough getting it oriented properly to where you can slide your shoe in. I think using a clipless pedal system that you're really comfortable with is probably the best way to go here most of the time.

As for lights, computers, and other accessories, no differences that I'm aware of. There might be some issues due to frame style and choice of handlebars and such, but no difference on account of using fixed gearing vs. free that I know of.

Fixed Gear Fixation

In reply to Fix Your Bike, Even If It Ain't Broke:

Neat stuff. Great to see so many legacy machines out there, to use a pc (personal computer i mean) term. I loved the extra information conveyed by this photo:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/b/blasse.htm

The dog must've been in the flower beds and I don't know who made enough room for him to slip out, but there's a "fixed gear" kind of repair to the fence there too, with the red rope and white wire grid.

I have a few questions and even though I might guess the answers, better to ask. I hope there are no stupid questions:

What do you especially like about fixed gear riding vis-a-vis sprocketing, and
What do you especially not like about fixed gear riding, if anything.
How is overall experience different after a number of miles (beyond what I know immediately that there's no coasting for the feet and legs...when the wheels are moving the cranks are moving...and only one "speed" (gear)...how is the feel of a ride as a whole different after, say, an hour?
Severed fingers? Ouch. I guess this is more likely because there's no tensioner to give way if your finger or anything else gets in between the gear and chain?
What's the general ruling on braking systems, toe clip usage, lights, electronics, etc.? I assume most work for attachements only available at the period of manufacture?

Thanks for the interesting links to photos and info!

Fixed Gear Gallery

In reply to Fix Your Bike, Even If It Ain't Broke:

Related to the previous posting, a great source of inspiration for fixed-gear cyclists is the Fixed Gear Gallery website. It's mostly made up of pages contributed by readers, just showing their bikes and saying what parts they used and where they came from. But I think it's great fun to see how people have taken these mostly mass-produced items and made them their own with such passion. And the lines and forms of the bicycle in all its variations still have powerful and iconic associations, for me at least and apparently so for the site's 3500+ contributors too.

I can't begin to think of a way to summarize what's on the site or to say where to begin, but I'll put two groups of links here. Hetchins is an English brand of bicycle that was always known for its distinctive (even garish, some would say) paint and lugwork.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/aug/JohnKnight.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/b/blasse.htm

http://fixedgeargallery.com/2004/e/chadwick.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/coutts10.htm

Another interesting group of bikes are the "Keirin" machines, based on the bikes used in a Japanese form of track racing where frames and parts must all meet the strict "NJS" standards. These bikes are steel-framed and fairly traditional, but also have compact geometry and the fairly radical riding position of a real track bike. They are also, sadly, almost universally too small for me.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/apr/WesOishi_aol.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/apr/MichaelRaith.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/Etienne_3.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/tomity.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/oct/ArtVandelay.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/f/tamaru.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/dec/AaronPratt.htm

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/may/MookChigga.htm

Even the ratty Peugeot bike put together by the author of that Washington Post article can be found on the site:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/JimMiller.htm

It's hard to shepherd a diverse group of skaters

In reply to Philly '06: Best Skate Save I've Ever Seen and Done!:

Well what made things more confusing was that since the Friday night skate, some of the skate patrollers had gone to the trouble of stopping everybody prior to any relatively steep downhills to announce to the whole group that they needed to be alert and able to brake up ahead. Unfortunately, those hills, to us, were nothing really, plus they were in a straight-line witha run-out, mostly, and no treacherous downhills into cross-traffic. So by the Saturday night skate we were taking such warnings with a grain of salt. However, there was no warning that I heard for that particular downhill.

Mark and Artem were further back due to the sudden about-face of the group, and had to brake from the very top because of people braking precariously in front of them! So I'm sure to them, this particular downhill was a breeze and nothing to fuss about. Although I think Artem was sandwiched at one point between a left-most frenzied braker and an oncoming car...

I have never shepherded such a large group of diversely-skilled skaters, so I can't imagine the difficulty in accommodating everybody to where the newbies are safe and the experienced aren't bored.

Good and Bad of Philly Hills

In reply to Philly '06: Best Skate Save I've Ever Seen and Done!:

We'll be posting more on this I'm sure as we've located the spot and we'll make a gmap so you can look at the road in satellite view. Suffice it to say that I was on the edge of my ability, and thought I was beyond it briefly, with a person in front of me looking past the edge of theirs. But I found I had more skill or maybe luck than I was thinking.

One bad idea was when they played a cute trick on the group. This would have been a cute trick on the flats. It really wasn't in this case. They made most people think we were going one direction when in fact we were heading the other. So the people who wished to be at the back and tended to be slower were now at the front. We were hanging at the back because we just didn't care where we were and we were enjoying the frozen treats and water.

I saw some guys I knew flying down this hill and incorrectly assumed they'd been down it. That made me incorrectly feel more safe.

Anyway, I like when it's everyone together and I like that the best on Friday night and Saturday morning. Friday night should be a pretty moderate skate I'd say, and Saturday morning can be fun without being unsafe. I like the Saturday evening skate to be faster and hillier since we ride the buses out of town, but I'll say they warned us more strongly about much lesser hills than this one the night before. I think Saturday afternoon/evening is a good time to split the group the way they did Saturday morning, and not everyone should do the bus out skate perhaps.

And I like the Sunday skate to be lame and downtown and art museum and riverside and coffee and snackies.

That's just me. But the last Philly Freedom Skate was great regardless of any flaws, and I hope next year's Philly Free Skate will be just as safe (or more) and fun (or more). Philly's a great place for a skate fest!

Nothing compares to the icy water of LOVE fountain giving me an almost heart attack and pounding on my shoulders on a blistering hot sunny Philly day with so many happy skateyfaces about and so much crystal blue rippling color swirling about my feet and spinning around on Elizabeth's jersey.

Blake

Fun, for most!!!

In reply to Philly '06: Best Skate Save I've Ever Seen and Done!:

I've heard wonderful things about this year's Philly skate, wish I was able to attend. I love a little of excitement, but I also appreciate that most people need to go to work the next day. Much of what we do poses enough exhilaration for most, but I get concerned when the skill level disparity and routes are a little out of sync.

I remember one year, at dusk, going down a hill with serpentine curves, hearing the skaters in front of me screaming, but I wasn't able to see them. I was dragging and braking with every last bit of strength in me to maintain control. I realized at the next stop that the screams came from people that were in the woods because they didn't make the turns. This happened to be a Friday night, which in my opinion, tends to draw everyone, regardless of whether or not they actually belong there. Skaters that don't belong in a particular skate need to be more responsible, but also skate leaders, unfortunately, are saddled with the task of going above and beyond once the diverse crowd is in tow.