SupraWes wrote: ignorant wrote: My wife and I have mountain bikes. I haven't touched a roadie in a while, but I now live less than 6 miles away from work. When It cools down(Charleston, SC), I might try biking to work.
Aww come on its not even really hot yet. Plus you will find out its not 6 miles by bike you will find shortcuts that you couldnt/wouldnt take by car.
Can't.. it's all through a subdivision as it is. Might be able shave off .5 miles, by cutting through parking lots.
But, I work in purchasing and work has no showers at the plant. If they did I'd do it, but I can't be smelly at work..
Hard to swing a leg over a bike when its 85-90 degrees @ 6:30am
ignorant wrote:
more like www.steepandcheap.com or www.gearengine.com
Now I'm really ruined, already bought a new Camelback. Fixed the SAC link for you BTW, Thanks!
steep and cheap has ruined me as well. I watch it at work all the time.. sending emails to my wife saying... HURRY should we by this?
Now here's something interesting. I work at a plant and at the main plant meeting a question was asked about a bike rack. So they said they'll put one in, but only if those who ride bikes stay on the sidewalks etc...
Had to go to the plant manager to educate him about the proper place for bicycles. Sidewalks are for walkers.
Since this is a bike thread, I'll post up a pic of the mid-'70s Mirella that I've been working on for the last week or so. Tomorrow morning I'm celebrating Father's Day with a leisurely 50-miler on this time machine:
Gotta pile up the miles on this thing, because in four weeks I'm doing a 200-mile weekend, the Mid-Michigan MS 150 fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and this is my chosen ride. My brother bought it in '79 or '80, rode it for several years, then parked it in his basement. He's got MS, so since he can't do the ride with me, I asked him if I could ride his bike. I've only put about 10 miles on it so far, but it's very comfy now that I adjusted the seat (down and forward).
I have a retro-modern blingtastic Ciocc roadie. Vintage bright red Ciocc frame, chromed stays, modern driveline components (2x9) but with downtube shifters. It's hot stuff!
Also a freshly built Zion 660 MTB that I need to get dirty.
Yeah, what about vintage road bikes? Any information out there? My dad has a couple hanging in his garage from college ('70s), and I've been entertaining the thought of restoring them. One is, I believe, a Gitane, which was evidently the hot poop back in the day. He said a friend stole it for him as a gift. Nice guy.
Any sources of info on old roadies?
ACarlson wrote: Any sources of info on old roadies?
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html
I have been riding/racing for the last 10 years (and I'm only 22). Riding bikes will change your life. After working at a shop the one thing that I hated to see was people buying bikes and then not using them. Here are a few tips off of the top of my head to make your riding experience better.
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Get fit on the bike. And I don't mean just having a guys look at you riding around the parking lot and saying it looks good. They should put you on a stationary trainer and take measurements and the like. A good bike fit is paramount in being fast and comfortable on a bike. The place you purchased the bike from should be able to do this if they are a good shop. If not, search around a find a place that will. They usually run around $100.
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Good shorts, or even better, bibs. Most people just buy the crappy $50 shorts when they start, but you would be shocked how much more comfortable a good set of bibs are. I haven't worn shorts in years because bibs are so much more comfortable. And make sure you wear them UNDER your jersey so you don't look like a tool.
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Find the right saddle. This can take some time, but if you are not comfortable on the saddle that came stock (and most stock saddles just plain suck) then don't hesitate to give some other ones a try. Most shops have good return policies with saddles so you can try them out for a few rides.
If you have any questions, ask people! After racing as a pro for a few years, I have learned so many stupid little tricks its crazy. I'm sure the people at your LBS know a few things that can help you.
Enjoy the ride!
question...
i have a schwinn moab2 disc
is it a dumb idea to get a spare set of wheels to mount roadie tires on if i want to road ride it?
where could i find a deal on the disc wheels?
i have a OOOLLLLDD custom fabbed niceroadie that im in process of restoring (it was my dads and its from the 70's IIRC), but it weighs a TON. and i think for serious rides the MOAB with road tires would be alot better (plus not too horrible on my back)
A spare set of wheels with road tires is a great idea. You could most likely get a set of spare wheels for around $150-200, maybe less if you go used. If you wanna be really trick have a set of 700c rims laced to disk mountain hubs, then you can run actual road tires...
What do you guys do for water? The stupid, little water bottles just don't cut it for me. After 5 miles, I'm dehydrated (and this is after loading up on water all day prior to the ride). I had a back-pack from Cannondale that held a crap-load of water and had the little sippy-hose, but I don't know where it got off to. I think I'm going to get another and pair it up with my bottle. Is it necessary to spend $100 on one of these things?
confuZion3 wrote: I think I'm going to get another and pair it up with my bottle. Is it necessary to spend $100 on one of these things?
$10 @ rei outlet
http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/765202
Sweet. I'll pick one of those up tonight when I get home. Thanks!
Eldukerino wrote: If you wanna be really trick have a set of 700c rims laced to disk mountain hubs, then you can run actual road tires...
any ideas on an internet place to order this type of stuff that would have good prices?
(the local adventure shop is a HUMONGO ripoff usually and a PITA, 2 month wait for a seatpost i ordered)
www.pricepoint.com
www.performancebike.com
www.bikenashbar.com
www.jensonusa.com
www.cambriabike.com
there are millions more.
Those sites are a good start to good inexpensive stuff. There are also a few places that will build wheels to order...check out www.prowheelbuilder.com for custom and hand build stuff.
As for the hydration, I usually just use two bottles and figure out the best places to stop and refill them. Coming from a roadie standpoint, I wouldn't be caught dead with a hydration pack on!
Eldukerino wrote: Coming from a roadie standpoint, I wouldn't be caught dead with a hydration pack on!
I don't understand that roadie thing. I drink tons of water 4-5 liters @ work everyday. I carry a 3l(100 floz) when I mtn bike, and usually drain it on a 12 mile ride. I couldn't imagine going for 25-30 miles on road with on 2 little bottles.
ignorant wrote:
Eldukerino wrote: Coming from a roadie standpoint, I wouldn't be caught dead with a hydration pack on!
I don't understand that roadie thing. I drink tons of water 4-5 liters @ work everyday. I carry a 3l(100 floz) when I mtn bike, and usually drain it on a 12 mile ride. I couldn't imagine going for 25-30 miles on road with on 2 little bottles.
Yeah. Why wouldn't someone ride without a hydration pack? That's a lot of water. There aren't that many good places for me to stop around my area to get water either.
what weirds me out about it, is there are guys riding around in Charleston SC, without hydration packs. Now they aren't fainting everywhere.. but geezzz.
i use my camelbak on longer trail rides (over 10 miles) because i have a hard time with bottles due to the wacky shape of my frame. in cooler weather, or on trail rides less than 10 miles, i rely on pre- and post-ride hydration.
on the road, i rely on bottles. in the heat of the summer, the camelbak blocks too much of my cooling system. i have 2 24-oz (iirc) bottles and i try to take a swig every 5 minutes, whether i feel like i need it or not. my 28-, 40-, and 60-mile rides go past a few stores where i can replenish if required.
Ha ha, I don't know what it is, but I guess there just is a unspoken style thing that goes along with being a roadie. In a mtn. bike, a pack is ok, but just not on a road bike. I have to concede that it all pretty much comes down to style, and the fact that carrying a bunch of weight on your back on a 4+ hour ride can be pretty uncomfortable. I usually go through 2 small bottles about every 2-3 hours on a ride, and less if its not hot out.
I know its stupid, but its just how I've always done it.
I am just about to retire my Schwinn Mountain bike.. I do about 30 to 40 miles a day and I have all but worn the poor bike out.
replaced it with a Trek 9700 OCLV. Gotta love Craigs List.
cleaned up and in her proper place in the lineup.
I finally got my bike back together after I busted a few parts last fall. For bars, I got a set of "gary" bars; they're a bit lower than what I'm used to, but they seem pretty comfortable so far. They're basically road bars with less drop, and well, only able to be ridden in the drops.
I would have purchased some bullhorns (that's what all the popular kids are doing nowadays! And they seem comfortable.) but they were $15 more.
