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| Join in the fun; The Calorie-Count Cycling Club... |  leinad |
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| #1141 |  platypius |
May 05 2008 01:53 |
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I've been away due to a lack of time. The shop where I work was bought out at the end of February. So, since then I've been (after getting rehired by the new owner) working on a new website, selling old inventory on eBay, working long hours to get the shop organized as the new owner wants it, etc. We went from being an "everything" bike shop to a "Tri & Road ONLY" bike shop.
I have a 2008 Masi Alare that came with Sora/Tiagra stuff on it. I've replaced all of that with Ultegra and moved the Sora stuff to my Marin road bike. I've also discovered that the Brooks B17N saddle is the most comfortable saddle on the planet. One of our distributors had a close-out on old Cinelli frames. So, now I own a NOS 1999 Cinelli Aliante. I've built it up with Campy stuff (also close-out or old stock from the store) ranging from Veloce to Record. The wheels are carbon Torelli Aspects. I haven't ridden it yet, sadly. Last new bike purchase is a 2007 Haro Mary SS (29'er singlespeed). We're getting rid of all of the mountain bikes for close to nothing, so I decided I'd better keep one for myself. Now for Shop Talk: Beware of buying anything with Shimano 105 STI Shifters this year. They are having very bad luck with them. We've gotten in 5 bikes that had the shifters stop working after about 20 shifts. Of the replacements we ordered, 3 didn't work out of the box. We've also had 3 bikes come back after a few hundred miles with broken 105 shifters. Sora is fine, Ultegra is fine - it's only 105 for some reason. QBP has noted a failure rate of over 50% on the 105 STI levers.
The company who owns Mongoose and Schwinn - and tossed them into Wal-Marts across the country - now also owns Cannondale. Is the world ready for a $97.83 Cannondale sitting on the shelves of Wal-Mart? I'm sure most of you already know it by now, but SRAM added ZIPP to it's collection of companies. SRAM now owns TruVativ, Avid, RockShox, ZIPP, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.
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| #1142 |  aovermy |
May 06 2008 16:20 |
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My partner got himself a bike for Iowa. He's not into exercise or fitness or anything, so I'm excited. He got a Schwinn Sidewinder, which is the very same bike I have in Iowa, and I've had good luck with mine. We went for a ride together on Saturday and Sunday. Nothing exciting, probably 1/2 mile all together on each day. Then his legs were sore. I took the ride with him on Saturday, then took the Bluff Rd fork of the MRT (Mississippi River Trail) and really enjoyed it. The weather was perfect! It's just a 4.5 mile ride to the end of it, then 4.5 miles back (because it ends at a state highway, and I don't like to ride on highways). It's a pretty, scenic ride and quite hilly so I get to use my gears a lot. In Chicago, I'm making it a habit to ride to the grocers once a week. It's a 2.5 mile trip roundway, but it's at least something. The route I take is side streets, so I'm also getting pretty good at shifting down before the stop sign so it's easier to take off. I wish there were marked bike trails in Chicago, does anyone know of a good site for finding bike trails? Thanks. |
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| #1143 | autismjtm |
May 07 2008 01:49 |
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Big announcement (drum roll please): I am riding with my son!!!! He got a bike Saturday at his birthday party and we got adult training wheels for him (for those of you who don't know, I have a 12-year old autistic son). So he rode it on the sidewalk Saturday. Well disaster struck when one of the training wheels got stuck between the pavement and the grass. Down he went! Then came the tears and a big bruise on his chest. He told me that he would never ride again (this is what I feared would happen). Tonight I told him that he could only have a cupcake if he went for a ride with me. I promised him that we would not be going fast and that since I was with him, we could ride on the street where the training wheels would not get stuck. Off we went. We were going so slow that I had a hard time keeping my balance. Slowly he gained confidence and we worked on staying on the right side of the road. Because of the autism his hand/eye coordination is pretty bad so it is going to take a while but we have all summer to work on this. I am so excited! No more Mr couch potato.
Jane |
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| #1144 | ssbuckeye |
May 07 2008 02:01 |
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Hey Everyone,
I'm new to this forum. I just bought a road bike (my first) so that I can ride with my fiance who has been into biking for some time now. I'm soo excited, its ridiculous. I bought a gently used Torelli with ultegra components for $650. The bike is in amazing shape and what's more its 44cm with, something we were having an incredibly hard time finding (I'm 5'0") in my price range. Went on a 20 mile ride today with the boy. The weather was awesome, the scenery beautiful, and all in all it was great. So hopefully you'll see me on here more to get advice with all of you veterens. ~Suzi P.S. autismjtm--that's awesome for you and your son. Milestones are great things, I'm happy for you!! |
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| #1145 | aovermy |
May 07 2008 05:42 |
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Jane, That's great that your son got back up on his bike after falling. I get the whole riding so slow that balance is hard. That's what I had to do when riding with my partner. He's not used to riding or any kind of exercise and he finds it really hard. I finally just shifted into a lower gear so I could stay with him without falling over! |
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| #1146 | ssbuckeye |
May 08 2008 01:12 |
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I have a question for the ladies that I am sure has been covered.
For those of you who ride road bikes, how many of you have a saddle designed for a woman? Right now, I have the seat that came with the bike but my bum (and the vicinity) is pretty sore. I am trying to determine if this is just something to deal with because I am new or if the special saddles are actually much more comfortable. I'm completely fine waiting out the pain until I get used to it, just wanted to check on everyone else's opinion. |
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| #1147 | autismjtm |
May 08 2008 01:40 |
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Thanks for the encouraging words about my son. I just found out that our local Harley Davidson store is having a big thing on Saturday where the police will be teaching people about motorcycle AND bicycle traffic safety and laws. I will be there with my son. He will probably love all the cool bikes there.
ssbuckeye, you may want to invest in some bike shorts. They are padded in just the right spots for that sensitive bum. Jane |
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| #1148 | clharr |
May 08 2008 02:09 |
Original Post by ssbuckeye: Everyone is sore when starting. However, a woman's saddle might help. Women's hips and 'sit bones' are in a different place than men's. So, if after 4 or 5 rides, you still hurt, buy a different saddle. |
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| #1149 | oit |
May 08 2008 03:53 |
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Not a woman, but a general comment - If there has been a large gap of time inbetween riding, you will be sore for a little while until you get used to it again, so give it a couple of weeks of regular riding before you head to the bike store for a new seat. Another thing, try to get the most comfortable angle for your seat too, the height is obvious, but the tilt back and forwards can make a difference to your comfort too. Otherwise, then as suggested, bike pants, and/or a new seat! |
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| #1150 | platypius |
May 08 2008 04:11 |
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Not a woman either. As "oit" said, it may take a while to get used to it. Cycling shorts are a necessity. I'm not kidding. :p Women's sit bones tend to be farther apart than men's. As such, their saddles are usually wider and the nose is shorter. Do NOT buy one of the squishy saddles. I know it might seem counter-intuitive to buy a less squishy saddle, but it isn't. Squishy stuff can bunch up in places you don't want it, causing you even more pain than from a firmer saddle. A too-wide saddle will cause problems too, as you'll get chafing in places that cyclists normally don't. What you need is a saddle that will support your sit bones, and not be noticeable anywhere else. Terry makes some nice Ladies saddles. WTB also has a very popular one - the "Speed-She". Lookin has some saddles that are supposed to be comfy. Me, I'm old-school....I have a Brooks B17N leather saddle. It fits my butt bones perfectly, so I haven't had a bit of pain since I installed it. Also....congrats on finding an AWESOME bike for a great price. That's one hell of a first bike!
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| #1151 | hkd_bear |
May 11 2008 03:07 |
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RE women's bike seats and discomfort. 1. Make sure you are in padded shorts, and women's specific at that - the difference in them being the placement of pad seams and width of pad that is different for men and women. 2. The only saddles I can ride are ones with a hole in the middle - see Selle Italia website models SLC, SLK, Lady, XO. (there are other brands, like Specialized, this is just by way of example) 3. The amount of padding is important re. the amount of time you spend in the saddle. If you are spending longer times, padding can actually be a detriment - because, the padding allows your parts to shift around on every pedal stroke - I find I'm comfortable on LESS padding, and to that end, have always found women's saddles clunky and too padded, and I have always ridden men's race saddles. (in fact, I ride the SLK and pretty much hate everything else I've ever tried) 4. Everyone is different and once you buy and use a saddle it's tough to return. Try to gain some experience on different saddles before committing to buying... |
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| #1152 | ssbuckeye |
May 14 2008 02:23 |
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Hey everyone,
Thanks for the advice. I bought some good biking shorts and they helped a bit. I am going to wait it out a while before passing any judgement on the saddle. Besides, I like it. Its the original that came with the bike and it has a pretty nice embroidered crest on it. hkd--thanks for the congrats. I'm really excited about it. I bought it from the same shop that my fiance bought his current bike from, and both of us got great deals. If you're ever in Ohio definitely check out International Pro Bikes in dayton. |
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| #1153 | defrog3 |
May 16 2008 23:58 |
Original Post by platypius: The company who owns Mongoose and Schwinn - and tossed them into Wal-Marts across the country - now also owns Cannondale. Is the world ready for a $97.83 Cannondale sitting on the shelves of Wal-Mart? Platypius, this is just very disappointing news. I have a Cannondale 700 that I just love; I hope that the quality of the Cannondale brand doesn't start to deteriorate as a result of this! I'm new to this forum, I'm just getting back into exercise, etc. I've ridden 45 outside miles this week at an average 13mph pace. I'm pretty happy with this start. |
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| #1154 | jc343 |
May 17 2008 12:10 |
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Defrog: Welcome to the club. That is a pretty good start back on your riding. I have been building over the last 3 years. I started with some low numbers, probably less than 45 miles per week but ended up riding 3000 miles in 2006 and 4000 in 2007. I was up to 175 miles per week this year until a cold brought me down. I have to start building again because I am committed to a 2 week 800 mile adventure in June. As to bikes ending up in Wal-mart (and Target and Sports Authority), there is no need to worry. Both Mongoose and Schwinn make and sell higher end bikes that you won't see in those stores. That $97.83 Cannondale will no doubt make a good starter bike and would probably become a pretty decent bike with a $1000 upgrade in parts. In the meantime, it's a win-win situation Cannondale picks up some extra income on a high-volume, low margin business and people who aren't going to invest a lot in riding bikes will get a name-brand ride. My question is about the LeMond bike situation. I have read a little about the fracture between LeMond and Trek. It has been developing for a while. LeMond will probably end up being the big loser. Is the LeMond brand worth saving?? There are a lot of LeMond fans out there but the same is true of Trek, Specialized, Giant and other high end brands. Greg apparently came up with a good design, but is the design so good that world would really miss it if it disappeared?? |
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| #1155 | krrpt08 |
May 17 2008 13:22 |
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good morning :) I'm not a die-hard cyclist but I do really, really enjoy it. I have 2 Specialized bikes... The 2006 Specialized Hardrock for local trails and the 2007 Specialized Globe for work. I love riding trails around here but really don't like doing it by myself and it's tough since I have to pack up the bike and such and it's hard getting my b/f to get his lazy butt out the door... I know... excuses excuses. However, my good friend and I have made a pact with each other to go on at least one bike trip a month this summer. We live close to the old tow path in Ohio so it would make for a great overnight trip... I'm also a commuter and travel 8-10 miles to and from work starting after Memorial Day (boo rain...) I really enjoy it and am seriously considering making this a year-round routine... just need the equipment and motivation to do it :) My commute is pretty easy... no big hills or anything crazy... last year I was riding around in high gears thinking I was building muscle... this year I'm going for shorter time... maybe I'll go for a ride today... if it isn't raining... I was just looking over posts and saw something about dogs... last year I almost got attacked by an ankle biter and it scared the crap out of me! I just heard it snarling and pulled my knees into my chest and watched the crazy little thing in my mirror.. I was going about 18mph and it was putting up a fight to keep up with me! terrifying.... yesterday while I was jogging another ankle biter came barking out of some bushes... luckily it was on a chain but it almost got me... aovermy... I can't remember the website, but it was in the new Women's Health magazine... something about finding trails near you... nothing else exciting I suppose... I probably will just lurk around here since I never really have anything too useful to say ;) |
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| #1156 | jc343 |
May 25 2008 03:49 |
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Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend. This has been a brutal weather year -- and it's not half over yet. I was doing great on my endurance training and then I had to clear drains in the middle of the night because unexpectedly heavy rains were pushing water into our house. This seemed to bring on a cold -- probably run down already from the training load. The net result was a 10 day break in my workouts. I commuted 3 days this week. It went reasonably well, except that I felt like I was working awfully hard after switching from 28C tires to 32C tires. Today I set out on what could have ended up being a century ride but I got a late start and had to cut it short (72 miles). I rode with a small load -- more than my typical road excursion weight but less than commuting weight -- in order to start getting in shape for a planned excursion at the end of June. The extra weight slowed my down a bit (14.5 mph versus 15.5 mph) and, according to my HRM, pushed my heart rate out of my fat burning zone -- in other words, I spent about 4 hours this afternoon working on my lactate threshold. |
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| #1157 | aovermy |
May 27 2008 20:50 |
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I had a great Memorial day weekend. I took the bike out on Bluff Rd and actually decided to take highway 2 rather than turn around. I took that to a county highway which I took for 7 miles till it intersected with another county highway that would take me back home. It wound up being a 23 mile ride according to mapmyride. Beautiful terrain, lots of hills to test my shifting abilities, cows, elk (it's a farm, I almost rode off the road trying to determine what that critter was), and horses. Not too heavy of traffic either, maybe a car passed me every 5 minutes or so. The next day I went out on another county highway and did a 15.5 mile ride. I discovered the difference between riding into the wind and riding with the wind. The return took me 25 minutes longer due to the wind in my face. I also discovered that while the 6% grade is difficult riding going up, it was white knuckle scary coming back down. The 23 mile ride was my personal best for distance. I'm not going to win any speed contests, but I had fun and burned some calories. And my basic Schwinn (Sidewinder, I think it does have some kind of suspension thing going and it's a 21 speed) bike is working pretty well for the type of riding I like doing. |
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| #1158 | jc343 |
May 28 2008 03:14 |
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Aovermy: Sounds like some great rides. Actually, you get to used to those downhills pretty quickly. It sounds like you are doing road riding with a mountain bike. Hope you don't have those knobby tires -- they are great for traction on soft surfaces but they are literally a drag on a road. I went through some horse/cow farm country on Saturday's ride. One cow actually flipped her ear at me when I said "Hi!". But the best cow -- or part of a cow that I saw that day -- was the steak on my steakburger when I took a break at Burger King. |
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| #1159 | aovermy |
May 28 2008 04:49 |
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The tires are wide (maybe 3.5 cm) and they do have a lot of tread on them. They worked pretty well for riding on a gravel road (well a road that someone got tired of maintaining so dumped gravel over broken up pavement) a while back. They seem to work OK on the road too. I think Schwinn classifies the bike as an all terrain bike, I just don't think I would trust it on an actual mountain or too rough of terrain. Mmmm, steak burger. Yeah, I like looking at cows, but I also like sirloin steak! The elk was just freaky though, because I'm pretty sure they're not native to Iowa. Good thing I didn't see the bison or I probably would have had to stop and do a double take! The question I have is, how do they keep the elk in their fenced in area? I mean, I've seen deer jump 6 feet and elk are like deer on steroids aren't they? Surely they can jump too. Oh well, the thing is Iowa is sweet for bike riding. I just wish Chicago had as many options. |
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| #1160 | ssbuckeye |
May 30 2008 00:23 |
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Hey all,
Memorial day weekend was great. The boy and I went out on a 32 mile ride in the country near my parents' lake house. It was beautiful out, 60 degrees and sunny. A bit windy, but that just made things a little interesting. I had to get new tires last week because the tires that came on the bike were pretty worn and one tore. S bought them for me as a "welcome to the biking club" gift. He's so sweet. The weekend is supposed to be nice again, so hopefully I'll get in some more riding. I'd love to get up to a half century pretty soon. Have a good one!! |
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