Bikes?

Evan Kirkendall

Evan Kirkendall

Senior
Jan 10, 2011
903
4
18
Abingdon, MD
www.harfordsound.com
Anyone here in to biking? You know, the pedal kind. :) I'm looking to get back in to riding again, and I'm looking for a new road bike. My 12 year old mountain bike has seen it's day, so now I'm looking for something that's a little more suited for the streets. The Trek 1.1 jumps out at me and looks nice, but seems to be on the pricey side. I'm just looking for something to do some casual riding- maybe 50-80 miles per week to start. Any suggestions? Things to look out for?



Thanks!
Evan
 
Re: Bikes?

Even,

My preference in road bikes are recumbents. Normal seats make my ass hurt after 25 miles, and my wrists hurt not much after.
With a recumbent, everything wears out about the same time. I made a trip from Minneapolis to the Black Hills in North Dakota with full packs doing 50 miles a day with no riding before.

The efficiency of the riding position makes for higher speeds with less effort, and long distance rides fun.

The long wheelbase makes for high speed stability.

The one below, which I built similar to the Easy Racer designs, is by far the fastest and most comfortable bike I have owned. I have owned about 20 bikes.
It is for sale because the very narrow tires make for little rolling resistance on paved roads, but don’t work well on the dirt road I now live on :^(.

I prefer the high handlebar position as shown.
Recumbents with handelbars below the seat are more streamlined, but riding them sweat does not evaporate from under your armpits and just drips down.

You can probably rent a recumbent in your area to see how you like it.
Takes a little getting used to, but I have not met anyone that has tried a good one and preferred a usual bike.

Recumbents were banned from bike races way back when a third tier biker beat everyone.
 

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I'm primarily a mountain biker myself, but my brother does a fair bit of road biking. Road racing and group rides are very cliqueish and my brother was cut off and purposely wrecked in two different races. Also there's always someone with a perfectly good bike that just bought a more expensive one. There are good used deals on bikes all the time.

Spend the money on a good seat and cycling shorts so your junk keeps working. A bad seat and long rides can cause impotence.

Around here I have more problems with groups of runners than I do cars, but I was run over by a green minivan when I was 16. You have to assume that everyone is trying to kill you.

Sent from my neural implant
 
Re: Bikes?

Biking is a great sport, glad to hear you are getting back into it. Safety, crash avoidance and fun are key. In my 55 years of bike riding, I have had a few high end road bikes, which were nice to ride on fast competitive club rides, but not the most comfortable or safest bikes I have owned. If you plan to do rides that spend much time over about 18 mph, the dropped handlebar position does make a big difference in aerodynamics. For less intense riding, I actually prefer to ride my 18 year old aluminum mountain bike with rack (bring food home), rigid fork (sprints and climbs better) and smooth road tires (BIG difference on the road). I call it my "re-cycle". The bike and I just fit each other, I am so used to riding it, plus I have spent many years tweaking the riding position. My road bikes have all had 700 x 25 tires, a little wider than normal, but I prefer the fatter 26 x 1.5 tires on the road, they just feel more secure. It is really all about personal preference, whatever bike is safe and you enjoy riding is the best. If you like the way your mountain bike fits you, you might be able to set it up for road riding for far less than a decent new bike would cost. If it is a well made bike, it might even last longer too. It is also fun to ride a bike I know well, that just goes where I think.

At low speeds below 18 mph or so, a mountain bike with road tires is not much slower than a road bike although it is significantly heavier. I can keep up fine with B rides on my mountain bike with road tires, with everyone else riding road bikes. These rides typically average 13-15 mph on moderately hilly terrain. I do admit I got a little bit of perverse satisfaction last week climbing a hill on my mountain bike when I passed an out of shape rider on a $9,000 Pinarello Dogma.

Off to do a quick road ride on my mountain bike...
 
Re: Bikes?

I'm 'bent like Art, for the last twelve years or so. My ride:

Giro with New Euromesh Seat half size | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I was forced to give up my regular road and mountain bikes by lower back pain, and it's been great riding-as Art poionts out, no butt pain, no neck, wrist, elbow, or hand pain. No numb genitalia(a very real problem is impotence and ED for serious bike riders).

That said, a 20lbs road bike is a sweet ride, and very expensive to duplicate in a recumbent. The aero advantages of recumbents are well known.

All the major brands have a range available, and honestly, you should check them for comfort and fit primarily, as materials and components will often be similar.

I'd certainly look for used bikes, but I've been riding and wrenching my own(and in a shop) since 1973. The main thing to look for is alignment and/or frame damage.

Best regards,

John
 
Re: Bikes?

On a sad note, I attended the wake of an old friend who on his morning bike ride was clipped by a driver going the same direction. Riding on 55+ mph roads can be hazardous...take great care.
 
Re: Bikes?

My #1 piece of advice: If a bike doesn't fit comfortably, it's not a good deal at any price.

For relatively short-distance casual riding I prefer my "daily driver" cyclocross bike to my road bike (I have a leisurely six-mile ride in to work, mostly along multi-use pathways). 'Cross bikes have beefier frames, more clearance around the wheels, and a slightly more upright riding position than roadbikes. However, they tend to be marketed to enthusiasts, with components selected accordingly--so if you thought the Trek 1.1 was expensive, then a new 'cross bike may not be anywhere near your budget.

Test-ride as many bikes as you can to get a good idea of what fits--not all "54 cm" frames are created equal!

Oh, and if you thought "gear acquisition syndrome" only affected sound humans...
 
Re: Bikes?

Evan Kirkendall said:
Anyone here in to biking? You know, the pedal kind. :) I'm looking to get back in to riding again, and I'm looking for a new road bike. My 12 year old mountain bike has seen it's day, so now I'm looking for something that's a little more suited for the streets. The Trek 1.1 jumps out at me and looks nice, but seems to be on the pricey side. I'm just looking for something to do some casual riding- maybe 50-80 miles per week to start. Any suggestions? Things to look out for?



Thanks!
Evan
Click to expand...

The Trek 1.1 actually looks to be on the inexpensive side for a road bike...

What type of mountain bike, and what condition is it in? I rode a (hardtail) mountain bike with city slicks (26x1.5 Specialized Armadillos) as a commuting bike for several years, for trips up to about 20 miles each way, and only upgraded to a 'cross bike because it was cheaper to do that than to replace the drivetrain and wheelset I wore out. A new set of tires can make your existing mountain bike a completely different animal on pavement.

I'll agree that the fit is the most important step, as well as a good seat. Test-ride as many bikes as you can, including some at the very top (or above) the range you are looking to spend. Differences in frame geometry can make a big difference (and if you have big feet, you may not like the cross bikes, as you may have interference between your foot and the front wheel). Weight matters, but only when you are accelerating. A heavier frame will handle "slower", but doesn't actually ride slower on flat ground or on long rides.

Oh, and rim brakes *will* destroy your wheels over time, so disk brakes are a good option if available.
 
Re: Bikes?

I've got an older Trek mountain bike. It's heavy & beat to shit. I've put thousands of miles on it, and it needs a lot of work to be rideable again. The suspension is worn out, the gear shifters struggle, and the alignment is off. I'm ready to put money in to something good & new. I'm home next week, and I plan on test riding quite a few different models. We shall see what happens!


Evan
 
Re: Bikes?

Evan Kirkendall said:
I've got an older Trek mountain bike. It's heavy & beat to shit. I've put thousands of miles on it, and it needs a lot of work to be rideable again. The suspension is worn out, the gear shifters struggle, and the alignment is off. I'm ready to put money in to something good & new. I'm home next week, and I plan on test riding quite a few different models. We shall see what happens!


Evan
Click to expand...

Just so everyone is clear, especially me, you are looking to ride on the road, not trails? As popular as mountain bikes are, and in fact they certainly caused a paradigm shift in the bicycle industry when they came to market, they really aren't suitable for the mileage on asphalt that you're looking at. I keep one of my old mountain bikes in the garage with baldies on the rims for errands and short rides. Switching to knobbies is easy if trail riding is in order.

Of course, while you're home this week, you get to watch coverage of the 100th anniversary of Le Tour de France in the morning live while having breakfast. The first stages on the island of Corsica was a very interesting change of pace.

I'm looking through the Baltimore Craigslist right now, haven't seen much in used road bikes, but I'll keep looking.

Best regards,

John
 
I have a Ritchey P20 hardtail that I put slicks on when I am exclusively riding on roads. I have to admit tho I haven't looked at any of the bike market since I purchased this bike so I have no idea what to recommend now.
 
Evan Kirkendall said:
I've got an older Trek mountain bike. It's heavy & beat to shit. I've put thousands of miles on it, and it needs a lot of work to be rideable again. The suspension is worn out, the gear shifters struggle, and the alignment is off. I'm ready to put money in to something good & new. I'm home next week, and I plan on test riding quite a few different models. We shall see what happens!


Evan
Click to expand...

No matter what you want to buy, make sure you go to a good bike shop and get fitted. It makes all the difference in the world.
 
Re: Bikes?

I just recently purchased a Giant road bike from a pawn shop and got a killer deal on something that somebody rode a couple of times and put it away. I cut the deal and then dragged in a few pieces of impressive looking junk gear (I've got racks of it!) and significantly off-set that price, taking the price of a $2K bike down to the sub $500 level. But to be honest I tried out probably twenty or thirty bikes over the course a six or seven months before I found one I thought fit well before getting set-up at my favorite bike shop. Patience paid off in my case.
 
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