any 2 wheelers?

Terry Larsell

I rode the Washington Bike Ride last week, 275 riders and full support riding a big loop north of Spokane. I logged over 500 miles and 32,000 verticle in seven days.

Getting up and packing the tent is the hardest part for me but most folks are on the road by seven. My three buddies and I usually were the last one's out of camp at 8:30 or so, then we rotate a pace line to break the wind and end up catching up with a good portion of the group.

I ride an all carbon Giant that I put together with some new and some E bay parts, it weighs just under 17 lbs and eats chip seal vibration like you wouldn't believe. I'm pushing 3,500 miles for the year so far, can drink all the beer I want and not suffer the gut if I just keep the ratio at about 7 miles per beer.

Bought and old mountain bike recently and put slicks and high rise bars on it. I've been using it to run into town lately, my form of petrol protest, relief. You see more and meet more people when you get out of the car.

I'm 52 and my dads still pedaling 2,500 mile per year at 82. It's never to late to start...

Unknown

any bicycle riders out there?

I've renewed the passion of bike riding with my 80' era ten speeds. Felt every bumps jolt to my bones. Tested ride the Trak 7200 bike, oh what a feeling... pricey but worth it? Any opinions from the fellows wallies as well the outsiders? Thanks again...

Bob Vennerbeck

bike 'racks' needed for tradespeople

I live and work on a fairly steep hill with a Home Depot a few blocks away from the bottom - almost every weekend I see a retired gentleman pushing his bike up the hill with a couple 2x4's lashed along the seat post and handlebars - and once a younger (braver, stronger, more foolish) man RIDING his bike up the hill with a 6-panel wooden door balanced on his head and gripped in one hand - new fangled digital cameras never turn on fast enough when you want them to..
Happy biking - we may as all well learn to enjoy it!

Vbob

Paul Fredricks_9

After not riding much over the last few years (mostly Mtn biking) I rode my brother-in-laws Copi in the Oil Heat Cares 30 mile event at NAOHSM. WOW! This bike has the best of every component on it. It weighs 16 lbs. I never would have made it on my old 10 speed.

A week ago I spent a day mountain biking on Killington in VT. Gondola ride up, bike down. What a blast!

klaus

Funny you should ask!

I've done mostly mountain biking over the years with my sweet bride and kids. Everyone was gone a couple of weeks ago and for some reason the idea of a bike ride on a Saturday evening really sounded good. Nobody along to ride with so I got out the late 80's era Bianchi. I really forgot just how light and nimble it was! I also forgot I NEVER tightened down the toe clip straps while riding through town! The car didn't stop and I had to quick, couldn't get my foot out and now I have a broken wrist! For real! First broken bone I've ever had in my life (almost 50 yrs). At least I didn't get ran over.

Not sure if I learned my lesson though, as soon as it's off I'm goin' right back out. I can't wait!

hot_rod

suspended bikes are great!

Max had a nice one until it got ripped at collage. it was so much nicer to ride compared to my old hard tail Univega It's on my list for santa this year a nice light full suspension bike.

Suspension t does steal some cranking power, they tell me, but I'm not racing anywhere. I like the cool looking mini disc brakes, also. Grab a bike magazine you'll see some wild stuff out there these days.

hr

JohnNY

12 miles this morning

I've been riding a late 90s Giant Sedona mountain bike and was looking around for a cruiser to ride around the bike paths here in NYC.
I really like the simplicity of the cruisers and they are *super* comfortable.
But then, as I've been riding this summer, I realized all I really need on my mountain bike is a slightly elevated handle bar and a more comfortable seat.
Got the bar last week, getting the seat today.
I'm getting faster too, I averaged 16mph over 12 miles this morning. That's not bad for a 39-year-old seasonal rider.



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JJ_4

My Cruiser...

I took a Huffy that I bought for $75 twenty years ago and made it more friendly to ride.

First was the narrowest tire that would fit on the 1.25" rims...100psi street slick with kevlar belts. This was a vast improvement on the drag inducing ballon tires.

Then I fit "bmx" handlebars for a more upright position and better control. After that I changed the seat to a typical mountain bike seat on an extended seat post (which on this Huffy 1/2" steel plumbing pipe was the only thing I could find that fit). The seat post made a huge difference because most cruisers seat you too low and don't allow full leg extension like a road bike.

I also added front and rack mounted rear baskets....enought to carry 2-3 bags of groceries. Finally, a generator driven lighting system (cheap at $30).

This has been a great bike that I can fly on desite its 40# weight. Besides...I consider the extra weight as a built in workout. Also, not a target for theives!

Dave Yates (GrandPAH)_11

60 miler last week

Finally broke down and bought a new bike week before last. It's classified as a "comfort series" with shock asorbers and a nice fat padded seat for my fat arse. Added a neat little electronic computer gizmo that clocks speed and distances traveled. Put in 60-miles last week while on vacation in OC, MD. Bought Lois one too, but she managed to get pneumonia and has been too sick to ride.

jp_2

Trek bikes

I am on my second Trek, like them a lot, take a good beating and keep going. I have a 6500 that suits me well enough.

JohnNY

IRONICALLY>>>>

My f*cking bike just got robbed.

Swear to god.

This city dares you, every day, to spend another night here.

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Unknown

Racing Frame

C'mon guys, grab a modern racing frame and see what bike riding is all about. There's nothing wrong with a mountain bike [Lance Armstrong is racing one now] but nothing compares with flying down a major hill on a racing frame at speeds close to 50 mph.

My 20 yr. old Serotta was a heck of a bike but old technology. I bought a medium priced aluminum frame w/ graphite forks about a year ago and my old bike hasn't been out since. The difference in the ride is astounding.

In truth, it doesn't make any difference what you do, ride bikes, swim, run, etc. Get yout heart and lungs pumping and you will feel 20 years younger.

Love life and shine!!!

MIke_Jonas

Of course I ride on two wheels

Sometimes three wheels.

EMB

Modern road bikes

You're in luck if you haven't ridden a road bike in a few years. Go carbon for comfort!
Most of the better frames have a sloping top tube which has the advantage of better torsional rigidity so you won't feel so much flex when you get to the BC climbs. Also, the type of carbon makes quite a difference. If you're a 140lb climber the ultra stiff high modulus might be what you need. However, if you value comfort go for low modulus which you will find much more compliant.
Components:
Shimano ultegra or dura-ace will feel crisp and intuitive out of the box. Campy takes a little time to 'bed in', and has a fanatical following. As far as I know, only eight Tours de France have been won on non-campagnolo equipped bikes.
Get yourself a really good saddle like Fizik (but not a cheap version)
If you have a lot of hills consider getting a compact crank like a 50/34, with a 12/27 cassette on the rear.
Make sure the pedals you get have some 'float' to protect your knees.
The bottom line will set you back anywhere from 2K to 15K, but no matter how much you spend, the fit is most important. Just like sizing boilers rules of thumb won't get you exactly what you need.
Local high end bike shops that should have the neccessary equipment to get you on the correct size bike.

Happy riding,
Enda

hot_rod

If weight is a concern, consider..

a unicycle. Anybody see Mike Tierney ride his 36" through the room at Wetstock? He rides on the ski hill trails with a unicycle and has done most of the Colorado passes on one wheel.

hr

ScottMP

Cannondale

is my favorite. Trek is great, so is specialized.

Scott

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Paul Fredricks_9

When I was a kid I used to do a paper route on a unicycle. I still have one, pull it out about once a year, though I'm no where near as good as I used to be.

Judy Garber told me about Mike at Wetstock. Very cool.

Uni R_2

Moving to the velo mecca

Moving to northern California. The cycling there is amazing. I won't miss having a real winter but I sure will miss my Prestige.

I like the long distance sport touring (as long as it isn't over 24 hours since I hate sleeping with a finish time ticking away). I'll most likely be focusing on climbing for the first year out there. I'd like to be able to climb Townes Pass with a double. Diablo over near Walnut Creek is a wonderful climb of 3500' and the first time I did it I saw a bobcat the size and color of a good sized Golden Retriever and it wasn't just exhaustion.

I started riding a road bike just before the last big blackout. I got a ton of riding in that week. It's amazing how fast you can move up from 25 miles to 250 miles in a day.

Unknown

250 miles a day

You're a good man. 150 miles is my best in one day. I've seen some do 300 on a century ride day but I never had the desire to do it.

Fly high!!

EMB

Digression

This thread has kind of missed answering your original question. Find someone who can provide you with accurate fit measurements, either your local bike shop, or a sports medicine clinic. The sports medicine people will base their calculations on comfort and ergonomics, and because you experience either back or neck pain while riding, your health insurance may even cover the significant costs involved.

Once you know what fits, either go to your local bike shop, or go online to bikesdirect, and find something in your budget. little upgrades can make a big difference, just don't trust the guy who has you stand over the bike and tells you that if you have two inches between the bar and your nu#$ you have the right size.
Enda

klaus

Ragbrai

Check out RAGBRAI for one of the original week long rides across the state. Usually works out to about 450 to 500 miles for the week. I've done it several times quite a few years ago. My 12 yr old and I are talking about doing it together next summer. Iowa really goes all out for this. All the small towns try to out do one another. And anyone that thinks Iowa is flat just needs to ride a bicycle across it to prove otherwise!

http://www.ragbrai.org/

siggy

good road bike is like a good mod/con

quiet, efficient, and a pleasure to operate.

I cycled quite a bit in college. Then came marriage, kids, house, etc. Old bike hung in garage, unused for about 22 years. My son then got involved with road racing and time trialing. He managed to get to the nationals his senior year in high school. His persistence got me back into it. Slow at first, but now I'm doing about 2200 miles a year and weekly time trial racing all summer. Great cardio-vascular exercise without the bone-jarring of running. Some of the fastest guys in my cycling club are mid-50s to mid-60s. They easily blow away the track star teenagers in 10 miles against the stop watch. I managed to break 25 minutes (24:59) on our semi-hilly 10 mile course this summer. A 53-year old fellow I remember from high school is doing that course in under 23:00. He rides 300 miles a week to make this happen. You can check out our club at www.mvbc.us

The current state-of-the-art technology in road cycles is amazing. Carbon fiber frames, sealed ceramic bearing wheels, and precision components. All add up to 15-16 lbs. It's like piloting a high performance airplane with you as the engine.

Only wish I could cycle all 12 months in upstate NY.

siggy

Unknown

24 mph - great

Never did much time trialing but I always wanted to - like you, I find it hard to get enough free hours to ride as much as I'd like, especially in upstate NY. Summer is short and pretty soon it's dark in the AM and dark when I come home at night even if I dared to ride on icy roads.

I'll check out your club. Maybe I can find time to ride over in your area.