will47

Skull 5010xx, 29 waist 8 months or so of wear (not costant, but pretty close - definitely more than any other jeans). About 2-3 warm soaks and 1 wash.

You can see these when they were new at http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=419071&postcount=1446

ive been wanting some skulls (5010xx 6x6) for a while, but all this talk of jeans falling appart is making me consider saving up some extra cash and getting some flatheads (frontiers or regular) instead or something

I let Kiya talk me into getting the flat heads and then took them back to get Skulls the next day... I just don't care for the boxier cut of the Flatheads. I have been happy with my decision so far... but I don't think you should let the stitching be the deciding factor.

Look at the pictures, or try them on, and figure out what cut will work better for you. If you get the Skulls and the stitching falls apart, you can always get them fixed.

Mine are ~ 3 mos and holding up Ok - the patch on the back and one piece of the stitching in the crotch are starting to come out... given that I ride my bike in them a fair amount, and have been wearing them almost every day for those 3 months, I think they're holding up pretty well.

My gf did have to get the stitching in the crotch of her Lindas fixed.

Does anyone make (messenger) bags that has a built-in specific feature to carry or hold a U-Lock?

There's a pocket on the side of the Bailey Works bag that fits a mini-U perfectly. Or put it in your back pocket.

i don't think you need a lot of float, you just need to adjust your cleats to a position that's comfortable. i'm getting a little bit of float on this pedal, and i have a bad left knee. i found once i dialed in the cleat position, having it fixed in one spot was more comfortable than some wild irregular stroke pattern when my feet weren't strapped down super tight.

A lot of folks say that the Speedplay and Eggbeater ones are better if your knees are bad, but harder to get used to if you're used to pedals that have less lateral float (I guess it feels a little like gliding on ice or something). Since I'm not used to either, I've thought about trying the speedplay ones.

I'm also intrigued by the MKS "EZ" series, which lets you switch pedals quickly and w/o tools. They're similar to SPD, but not compatible.

Here's my work in progress. The brake lever and saddle still need to be changed out.

Old (probably late 70s) Nishiki Custom Sport, Iro hubs, Sugino crankset, EAI track hub (48x17).

fixed. lake mtb shoes with shimano double sided pedals. had to carve out some of the shoes' lugs around the cleat plate before the pedals would fit.

Which model pedals? Can you use them as platform pedals as well (on both sides)?

Can you walk "normally" on the shoes? I'm wanting to go clipless, but doesn't seem worth it for my 1 mile commute and my usual 4-6 mi rides around town unless I don't have to change shoes. Ideally, I want something with a lot of float, like egg beaters or Speedplays (bad knees).

isoform posted some pics somewhere in the page 70s - she's taller than me, so her fit's a lot cleaner.

And don't forget my gf's:

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=354989&postcount=1103 (new)

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=419037&postcount=4297 (2 months)

and Kerry's

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=440903&postcount=120

Anyone wear a helmet? I've decided that there are somethings I don't want to live through so I usually don't but then I read this.

I wear one... they look stupid, but necessary evil. I have a Bell Faction.

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/productDetail.asp?prodID=7

mine is the dumb Tony Hawk one, because that was the only black or grey one they had at the store. It's pretty cheap ($30-40), and doesn't have that weird pointy look that some of the regular bike helmets have.

The Citi is pretty nice too:

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/productDetail.asp?prodID=9

(there's also the Metropolis, which is similar, but more expensive, and with an adjustable headband).

I've seen some people make convincing arguments that helmets aren't that important, but I know a woman whose ex-husband fell off his bike and has had major brain injury as a result - injuries he almost definitely wouldn't have had if he had been wearing a helmet.

I did see one study that shows motorists give bikers w/o a helmet a wider berth.

Not really sure if this is the correct place to be asking this, but can anyone help a beginner out? Not looking to get into fixies or anything, but just want to get a bike for recreation and some occasional commuting. I haven't really ridden a bike in the past 7-8 years, so I'm a bit rusty. The bike will probably see road as well as light trails. I would like to keep it in the $300-$400 range. Any input/suggestions?

I don't know how well it would handle light trails (do you mean paved ones or dirt?) Anyway, check out the Kona Smoke - I think about $350ish... the gf has one and likes it a lot. Good value.

Check Craigslist too, if there's one for your area. You could probably find a used Bianchi hybrid / cruiser type bike for pretty cheap. I've seen a couple on the LA Craigslist recently.

Wearing Slim Jim at Size 29 .

What size should i get for Skulls 5010xxx ?

I dont want the Skulls to be too tight yah.

I have a 29 in both; I don't find either to be too tight (I'm not really slacking the Slim Jims too much). The Slim Jims are probably a little bigger, at least the way I wear them. There are pics of me in the Skulls earlier in this thread (they've loosened up a little more since then). I have a good 3/4" to 1" slack in the waist; the fit is good, but not what I would consider "too tight".

Slim jims @ 3 weeks (should take a newer one; they're way more faded and a bit more stretched now)

Skulls at 1 day, pre-soak:

lets talk bike locks?iv never had a decent bike to lock up so just wondering what everyone uses bits you lock to each other etc,basically minimising people nicking bits off bike.

I use one of these locks:

http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?cid=1001&scid=1000&pid=1100

recommended by the folks at Orange 20. Before that, the guy at another bike shop had said basically "well - all locks can be broken easily, so just get a cheap one", so I also have a cable / combination type lock. I use this sometimes if I can't get the u-lock around anything.

The u-lock is pretty short, so I usually lock either the top of the frame (near the handlebars), or sometimes the rear wheel. Supposedly, the shorter ones are a little harder to pry open.

I try not to worry about it too much... maybe if my bike were worth insane amounts of money I'd worry about it more, but sometimes you have to trust humanity at least a little bit. I don't usually bother taking off my lights, locking my helmet, etc. etc.

we have to ship the cross version to US.

so, just only US.

Canada is Red Tab.

Europe, Oceania, Asia, Africa, South America...... are Red Tab too.

How long before some enterprising Sufuer volunteers to let people ship red-tab skulls to their house and then re-ship them to the US (for a small fee, of course)?

dont they used the poly cotton blend thread though? when i was deciding between FH and Skull that was one aspect that kiya mentioned, pretty sure he said the skulls were the poly blend and the flat heads were 100%cotton..

Pretty sure Shinichi said they were cotton here: http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showpost.php?p=195758&postcount=144. He even offered to send thread for those who want to get their jeans fixed or do their own repairs.

The gf has had thread unraveling from the bottom hem of her Lindas for a while. http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?p=366217#post366217

Mine are still new, but I'm sure they'll start falling apart soon, especially since I've been riding my bike (hello crotch holes). My plan is just to try and get them fixed if and when that happens.

When I was in the shop, Kiya said that the Flat Heads would last like 10x longer, which is one reason that I went with them at first (especially since I've already seen the problems that other folks have had with their Skulls falling apart). But then I decided to go with the cut that I preferred, and worry about the falling-apart-jeans problem when it comes up. And maybe having done a soak early on will help a little?

Is a bike in Los Angeles actually worth it? I'm hesitant towards getting a bike here, because it doesn't seem as practical in other cities.

Depends where you live exactly, and where you're trying to go, but I think so. It's not as bad as you'd think. I see a ton of people getting around on bikes, and I have several co-workers who bike. Also, in LA proper, you're allowed to ride on the sidewalk if you can do so safely. Since most of the time no one's walking anyway, you can sometimes cut onto the sidewalk for a little if riding on the street isn't practical.

Most of the buses have bike racks on the front if you want to bike some and ride some, and you can take your bike on the Metro.

thanks ml, i'm gonna go to a friend's shop that may let me do the work on my old bikes there; to save some money and get some free lessons. otherwise, the khs and pista were the two i was seriously considering even though they're both a little more than i originally planned on spending.

Where do you live? A lot of cities have bike co-ops that will help you build a project bike from spare parts and what have you. I don't know that much, but the Bianchis are at least very nice looking, and I've been happy with mine so far.

The Kona stuff is a good value - I think they have a not-too-expensive fixie model.

w

You just have to go down to Orange 20. When I rolled up there on Saturday night there were a bunch of dudes hanging out drinking beers. So I'm pretty sure they just kick it hard all day. And they're open until 10 so it's no big deal. I think the cog came out to 120 bucks or something.

Orange 20 is great! They usually sell stuff a little below other places, and the guys are pretty nice. They took forever to get my gf her Kona Smoke (and kept forgetting her name), though. Their hours are convenient too, and they're not usually *too* patronizing (TJ is the nicest). They have these great superbright red flashers that you can see like a mile a way - I actually got a compliment on it from someone in a car biking back from yoga tonight.

Make sure to get ice cream at Scoops across the way when you visit.

This combination (plus the Bike Kitchen) is one of the things that I'm sad about from selling out to the west side. However, the 1 mile bike to work is a lot nicer than my old commute.

w

Crappy cell phone cam picture of my Bianchi Milano cruiser. It's an 8 speed.

For messenger bags, I don't think you can beat the quality of Chrome.

I saw a LOT of these around town when I was up in SF this past weekend. I don't personally love the look of the Chrome bags (esp. the buckles), but they do seem very popular. I am kicking it posenger style with a Bailey Works bag that I LOVE so far, from Orange 20 in LA. They have a great selection of mess bags, and will usually sell them a little below list.

Mine is a grey superpro w/ yellow lining, like this one:

I really like the cross-strap.

I also like the Freight Baggage ones, and I've heard their backpacks are great.

I really like the top right and bottom left ones from the image on their main site:

Those are an ideal fit. You might warm soak, simply because they're obviously going to stretch, but the silouhette is perfect right now.

Yeah - I am on the fence about the soak. I don't want them to get too much shorter (yeah - can try to stretch them a little), as the length right now is pretty much perfect... but I do want to keep the top pretty tight.

I don't think they'll shrink a whole lot anyway (b/c they're Sanfordized), but if they do, they'd presumably shrink more up than in. So I'm leaning towards a cold or warm (but probably not hot) soak sometime this week.

Got Skull 5010s at Self Edge. Originally got the Flat Head 3001s but just couldn't get over the little duck tail in the back (even if it would go away, I think it would have been too loose for me in the butt and thighs). After looking at some pictures of the Flat Heads w/ some wear, I'm not totally convinced that the more boxy cut is for me. I still might get a pair of the Flat Heads at some point, but the Skulls were the most comfortable and best feeling to me, so after making sure the gf wouldn't get too mad about me biting her styles, I exchanged them.

1 day, no soak (yet).