Comments for Heavy Metal Cyclist http://heavymetalcyclist.org Exploring the relationship between heavy metal and bicycles Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:18:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on New Bike Week by Ben http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2011/10/20/new-bike-week/#comment-230 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:18:05 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=187#comment-230 Hi, Ted.

I just posted a slideshow of pics from just after the build. I’ll craft another post with the complete build details later.

I like the Alfine a lot. It has some problems that I suspect are user-error (a friend and I built the bike ourselves) that I’m certain will be fixed when I get some maintenance done by a pro on the hub, but those issues are very minor and the hub has worked out great.

The range is pretty wide and has served me well in Seattle. However I did take the bike on a recreational ride out in the Sammamish Valley and the foothills and the gearing was not low enough in that situation. If I was climbing a lot of hills I would want a smaller chainring (I’m rocking a 42t chainring with a 20t Alfine cog on the hub), or a hub with a lower gear, like a Rohloff. The hub is generally very quiet, almost silent, but the gears do slip occasionally as a result of the aforementioned user error =) I suspect that set-up by a pro, and regreased that the hub would be whisper quiet all the time.

I’m using the JTek Alfine barend shifter which also works great. I wanted drop bars on my commuter, but didn’t want the fugly and pricey Versa brifters. I haven’t been disappointed and would recommend the JTek shifter if you wanted a barend shifter for your Alfine.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and thanks for reading. =)

Cheers,
Ben

]]> Comment on New Bike Week by Ted http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2011/10/20/new-bike-week/#comment-229 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:38:21 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=187#comment-229 Hey Ben,

Just stumbled across your blog amongst search results for “Steelwool Tweed”, great stuff!

I have one request if you don’t mind – please post pics of your Tweed! I’ve been riding one for a couple years and am just about to take it to Cambodia and Thailand for a month. I’m also curious to hear your thoughts on the Alfine hub. I’ve been playing with the idea of an internally geared hub for a while now.

Happy trials,

Ted

]]> Comment on Winter commuter bikes by Ben http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/11/05/winter-commuter-bikes/#comment-40 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:09:43 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=71#comment-40 Thanks, Mistie. Those are classy-looking bikes. Very utilitarian. I like the wooden box, which makes carrying your backpack, take-out food, or other items super easy. Not exactly what I’m looking for, but more people should know about Bowery Lane Bicycles as they look like an attractive option for a lot of people.

]]> Comment on Winter commuter bikes by Mistie http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/11/05/winter-commuter-bikes/#comment-39 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:42:02 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=71#comment-39 If you are looking for an affordable, quality made “dutch style” commuter bike you should check out http://www.bowerylanebicycles.com

They are made by hand in american, out of american steel using solar power and they only cost $595.

]]> Comment on Back Pain and Physical Therapy (Or, My Triumphant Return to Cycling) by miles http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/07/06/back-pain-and-physical-therapy-or-my-triumphant-return-to-cycling/#comment-25 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:35:33 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=42#comment-25 hi ben

thanks for the info! i am heading to my lbs today (getting a new saddle, etc. in preparation for my long rides). they do very basic adjustments there and i will definitely ask them for recommendations on getting a basic bike fit. i just want something comfortable for long rides and commutes on my long haul trucker

i did have a physical therapist i like, but she doesn’t do anything bike-related

thanks, again! take care
-miles

]]> Comment on Back Pain and Physical Therapy (Or, My Triumphant Return to Cycling) by Ben http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/07/06/back-pain-and-physical-therapy-or-my-triumphant-return-to-cycling/#comment-24 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:53:41 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=42#comment-24 Miles: I see Diana Spring at MTI Physical Therapy in Fremont, and she also did my bike fitting. However there are a lot of physical therapists around Seattle that do bike fits, too: Proformance Rehab in Eastlake, Sound Physical Therapy in Delridge/West Seattle, Virginia Mason Team Medicine, and others.

My bike fit was just on a stationary trainer, watching for inefficiencies in my pedaling, and doing some measurements. If you want super-fancy fits with adjustable bikes, lasers, computers and all that, go to a pro fit shop. Ask your LBS for a recommendation. Unless you’re a racer, though, I think going the physical therapist route is probably your best bet, as they will do what is most comfortable for you. Both physical therapists who do bike fitting and pro fit specialists should take into account your style of riding and your cycling goals, however. If they’re not listening to you, take your business elsewhere.

Cheers,
Ben

]]> Comment on Back Pain and Physical Therapy (Or, My Triumphant Return to Cycling) by miles http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/07/06/back-pain-and-physical-therapy-or-my-triumphant-return-to-cycling/#comment-23 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:53:08 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=42#comment-23 hi ben

who is your physical therapist? i also ride a lht and, coincidentally, was just speaking with a friend about getting a bike fit before doing some long rides in september (ms ride @ mt vernon). i came across your blog doing a search for the above

i love my bike, but am still constantly tweaking saddle position as hills really work my knees

]]> Comment on About by Ben http://heavymetalcyclist.org/about/#comment-21 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:02:52 +0000 #comment-21 Hey! I probably should have looked to see if there was another blog called “Heavy Metal Cyclist.” I only looked at domain names. At any rate, we appear to be safe: yours is on Blogspot, mine is hosted on WordPress. If you ever choose to shell out for a domain, at the time being, .com and .net are both available. And you’re right, we have quite the distance between us. =)

Melbourne seems like a great city. I hope to visit some day. If you’re ever in Seattle, drop me a line and we can ride some bikes and drink some beer. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you keep reading!

]]> Comment on About by James Kent http://heavymetalcyclist.org/about/#comment-20 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:27:00 +0000 #comment-20 Dear Heavy Metal Cyclist,
I’m emailing you out of fear. I started a blog last year with exactly the same name as yours and with almost exactly the same intention. Said blog fell apart soon due to laziness on my behalf, but the name Heavy Metal Cyclist is to this day my name on various bike and metal related forums etc. I had always wondered whether anyone else had tried to join the two passions, and i’m glad to see that your attempt has been far more frutiful than my own. Seeing as you are in Seattle, and i am in Melbourne, Australia, i figure we probably won’t get in each other’s way. Best of luck with your writing!

]]> Comment on Flipped stem on Surly LHT by Back Pain and Physical Therapy (Or, My Triumphant Return to Cycling) « Heavy Metal Cyclist http://heavymetalcyclist.org/2009/06/22/flipped-stem-on-surly-lht/#comment-14 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:53:18 +0000 http://heavymetalcyclist.org/?p=29#comment-14 [...] in regards to my back (and, really, the rest of my body). The bike fit helped a lot, I think. I flipped my stem, which gave me some more reach. I’m also thinking about buying a stem a centimeter or two [...]

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