Fixed Bike, Biking and Photography -- Pics and Two Questions!

tonylong wrote in post #12583010
Well, Julian, thanks for not ignoring me!

And, you know, this dang thread was your dang idea, and nobody has ignored you for starting it!

And, thanks for the confirmation on the break pads -- I'll call the shop and try to set something up!

What do you guys think of Martin's idea of bungee-cording the tripod/monopod to the frame? It seems like it could "lighten the load" on that backpack considerably!

I wouldn't recommend using bungee cords to mount your tripod on the frame. That's an accident waiting to happen. One bad move and your tripod could get stuck in the wheels causing you to flip over or even worse. So, if you want to lighten the load with the back pack, I would suggest a small rear back rack. You can use bungees here and put the tripod on top of the bag and you'll never have to carry anything on your back.

http://cgi.ebay.com …ain_0&hash=item​41494cb256

^^Btw, watch the video below. It's very helpful.

Belmondo wrote in post #12583026
Helmet cam!!

Heh! That's a fun thought! I have friends who like to wear those kiteboarding -- what could it hurt?

jdizzle wrote in post #12583060
I wouldn't recommend using bungee cords to mount your tripod on the frame. That's an accident waiting to happen. One bad move and your tripod could get stuck in the wheels causing you to flip over or even worse. So, if you want to lighten the load with the back pack, I would suggest a small rear back rack. You can use bungees here and put the tripod on top of the bag and you'll never have to carry anything on your back.

http://cgi.ebay.com …ain_0&hash=item​41494cb256

Good recommendation -- I've never done an actual bike pack like that. Thanks for keeping the ideas coming! I'll check out this video!

tonylong wrote in post #12583097
Good recommendation -- I've never done an actual bike pack like that. Thanks for keeping the ideas coming! I'll check out this video!

If you go toward the end of the video, you can also buy bags that attach to the sides of the rack.

Definitely a helmet too!

Story:

On Sunday evening a friend of mine posted on Facebook that her mother was in a drug induced coma in intensive care with a severe head injury. No more information. I saw this friend tonight and asked her what had happened. Her parents had gone out for a bike ride that afternoon. One street in town has a set of railroad tracks that go diagonally across the road. The are at grade level and have no barriers (train is always very slow and is rather infrequent). There are many signs and warnings posted and painted on the road that warn of the danger to cyclists. Even knowing about these tracks my friend's mother wiped out and took a header into the pavement and passed out. Father called 911 immediately and she was taken to the hospital. 9 stitches across her left temple. But while she was still in emerge she began to show signs of confusion and memory loss, then had a seizure. CAT scan showed clear, but she was sent to ICU and put into a coma on a ventilator for a couple of days. She is home now, but under constant supervision and will have a lengthy recovery.

All of it could have been prevented by wearing a bicycle helmet.

tonylong wrote in post #12583091
Heh! That's a fun thought! I have friends who like to wear those kiteboarding -- what could it hurt?

Go pro cameras are sick i shoot with them all the time in the water. Here is one of my videos i shot with it http://www.youtube.com …ature=channel_v​ideo_title

^^Plus one! I've seen/heard my share of stories of bike accidents w/o a helmet. It doesn't need to be expensive. Just something to protect the dome.

Fricks wrote in post #12583131
Go pro cameras are sick i shoot with them all the time in the water. Here is one of my videos i shot with it http://www.youtube.com …ature=channel_v​ideo_title

Fun stuff, Jake! Too bad I didn't have video of the ride I took on my daughter's bike last week wobbling like a 5-year-old! Err, umm, on second hand...

Too bad Julian can't see your post...!

tonylong wrote in post #12583158
Fun stuff, Jake! Too bad I didn't have video of the ride I took on my daughter's bike last week wobbling like a 5-year-old! Err, umm, on second hand...

Too bad Julian can't see your post...!

yap thats thw price you have to pay when your mean i guess he misses out on all the cool stuff

^^ROFL!!

Jill-of-all-Trades wrote in post #12583119
Definitely a helmet too!

Story:

On Sunday evening a friend of mine posted on Facebook that her mother was in a drug induced coma in intensive care with a severe head injury. No more information. I saw this friend tonight and asked her what had happened. Her parents had gone out for a bike ride that afternoon. One street in town has a set of railroad tracks that go diagonally across the road. The are at grade level and have no barriers (train is always very slow and is rather infrequent). There are many signs and warnings posted and painted on the road that warn of the danger to cyclists. Even knowing about these tracks my friend's mother wiped out and took a header into the pavement and passed out. Father called 911 immediately and she was taken to the hospital. 9 stitches across her left temple. But while she was still in emerge she began to show signs of confusion and memory loss, then had a seizure. CAT scan showed clear, but she was sent to ICU and put into a coma on a ventilator for a couple of days. She is home now, but under constant supervision and will have a lengthy recovery.

All of it could have been prevented by wearing a bicycle helmet.

Yikes, that sucks!

I've never been close to the biking community but have to some of the MC community and so many have similar stories. Even after bending to the helmet law these folks get busted up.

I did pick up a helmet yesterday and I just have to get a feel of what I'm doing here!

I also have no knowledge of night riding needs, so at least for the meantime I'm just not planning on doing any. And, I want to be real careful to know the terrain even for day time riding! That railroad track accident would definitely be something I'd avoid! Fortunately I'm quite familiar with all the tracks in any reasonable distance!

If you plan to ride at night, I suggest buying a set of LED lights. One for the front and rear. Here's one that's sold as a kit.
http://www.rei.com …-tl-ld130-combo-light-set

tonylong wrote in post #12583185
Yikes, that sucks!

I've never been close to the biking community but have to some of the MC community and so many have similar stories. Even after bending to the helmet law these folks get busted up.

I did pick up a helmet yesterday and I just have to get a feel of what I'm doing here!

I also have no knowledge of night riding needs, so at least for the meantime I'm just not planning on doing any. And, I want to be real careful to know the terrain even for day time riding! That railroad track accident would definitely be something I'd avoid! Fortunately I'm quite familiar with all the tracks in any reasonable distance!

I have ridden across that particular set of tracks before (with a mountain bike) and nearly went down myself. The aren't a "bump" issue, they are slippery. The front wheel slides out sideways and down you go. Fortunately I have lots of experience riding in mud and have good reactions when the wheels go sideways.

Riding at night requires a flashing red light on the rear of the bike, and a white light of some sort on the front. Plus the reflectors.

My red light is mounted right underneath my seat. I have a light mounted to my handle bars and I often use one of those clip-on ball hat lights. I put the visor on my helmet, so it clips right onto it. That way I can see where I look and not necessarily where my handlebars are pointed. Most of the reflectors are still on my bike and my helmet has that reflective striping stuff. I also try to wear light coloured clothes. (glow-in-the-dark pyjama pants work well, but that's a whole other story)

Along with the rear rack you can get a set of panniers that will distribute the weight nicely and give you more options for the tripods.

http://bicycletouringp​ro.com/blog/bicycle-panniers/

http://www.velojoy.com …ers-to-suit-your-commute/

Some come off and can be worn like a backpack, I am sure you could figure a way to either put inserts for your gear or mount your current backpack as a pannier.