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General Category >> Upcoming Rides >> GDB Thursday night downtown Dallas ride
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Message started by FlyingLaZBoy on Sep 22^nd, 2011, 7:19am

Title: GDB Thursday night downtown Dallas ride
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Sep 22^nd, 2011, 7:19am

The GDB gang has a regular Thursday night ride that departs from Schlotzky's on Forest at 75 at 6:30, that goes through city streets over to Swiss Avenue, then Deep Ellum, through downtown then back to Deep Ellum, to AA center, then back up the Katy Trail path and back, finishing about 9:00 or so with ~32 miles total, with a late dinner at Tacos Y Mas nearby. Typical rolling speed ~15-16. Bring lights and reflective gear, it's dark by 7:30 these days!!!

I'll be doing it tonight, trying the "fat tire experiment" on the Xstream - I've put 2.25" knobbies on it...
http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/XSKnobby.jpg

If you're going to join in, I would suggest NOT using your 23mm road tires -- some of the streets aren't in the greatest shape, and there is the semi-occasional pothole you might encounter in the dark. But the ride is a lotta fun, and it's pretty unique cruising down Main Street downtown at night.... and the traffic lights are synchronized such that you can go from one end to the other without stopping... Here's a video:

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/th_RB332.jpg (http://s977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/?action=view&current=RB332.mp4)

Title: Re: GDB Thursday night downtown Dallas ride
Post by jayg on Sep 22^nd, 2011, 4:18pm

FlyingLaZBoy wrote:

I'll be doing it tonight, trying the "fat tire experiment" on the Xstream - I've put 2.25" knobbies on it...

Will those knobbies slow you down enough for us average RBENTers to be able to keep up with you? I'm thinking "no way". :)

Title: Re: GDB Thursday night downtown Dallas ride
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Sep 23^rd, 2011, 7:35am

Well, I purchased a set of 1.75" Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and put them on instead, figuring the knobbies were major overkill (plus, they were NOISY!!!). The MPs also have a reflective strip on the sides - nice for nighttime - and they're not so "knobby"! [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/IMAG0469.jpg

http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae256/pbrown8js/IMAG0470.jpg

Pumped the back one up to 70psi, the front to 60, and OH, MY -- what a nice ride they provide...!!! This is the first time I've ever tried a tire like this on a 'bent -- It's a bit of a push getting up to speed, but they roll surprisingly well, and I found myself INTENTIONALLY running over cracks and holes I normally try to avoid with the Duranos. [smiley=runover.gif]

I'm definitely a convert -- wide tires will be my night ride standard from here on out, whether through Downtown or the WRTrail/Lake!!! I may even look into some of those 2.3" Big Apples.... [smiley=chinscratch.gif]