Bicycles!

[DAKINECHICk]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

Liz, That Orbea is beautiful. Are you running SRAM Red or Dura-Ace?

Hey Alex, Thanks! I'm running dura-ace and am extremely happy! I've put plenty of miles on him and hope for a few thousand more.

[bhalv]

got a 2011 specialized stumpjumper comp 29er in lime and black
- random singles speed packed with white industries wheels and cog, race face crank, thomson stem/ seatpost. its pretty legit

[Kevin2109]

Been mountain biking most my life, had a Specialized hard rock 29er. Such a clean bike. Then I started to commute so I had to get a road bike, Got a fixie XD

[Apex]

Very shiny and clean...especially compared to my Langster:


I ride this thing everywhere. It now sports a Topeak Rack, lost the 2nd bottle cage (commutes normally don't need 2 bottles), I also added a small toolbag under the seat, which may be removed later on once I get a good commuter bag), and I changed the seat to the same kind I used on my Hardrock Sport 29er. The 29ers stock seat is awesome.

I also plan on getting some new platform pedals, maybe even some Power Grip pedals.

[Indy250r]

I've been riding my entire life. Here are my two current favorites:

[Mekkakat]

Rode all through high school on track, and commuted all through college. Rode all street/track bike. Mostly 10 and 3 speeds, but I had two fixies. Fun times!

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Indy250r

Brooks B17? How do you like it?

[Indy250r]

Originally Posted by Apex

Brooks B17? How do you like it?

Yep B17. It is like angles are gently cupping your bottom. Sometimes it takes some saddle time to get a new one there as it conforms to your anatomy.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Indy250r

Yep B17. It is like angles are gently cupping your bottom. Sometimes it takes some saddle time to get a new one there as it conforms to your anatomy.

Angels cupping your bottom? I SOOO have to get one of those! hahahahahahaha

I was considering a spring equipped model like the Flyer. I know it weighs more, but I figured the springs would help a lot on rough roads. Any experience with those styles?

[Indy250r]

I haven't ridden one with springs. Let us know how it works out if you get one. I have a Raleigh cruiser type bike I've been wanting to try one on.

[Xoulrath]

I just purchased a Cannondale Quick 6. I like it, but I can already tell I'm going to want to go faster.

Nice bike for the price. I wanted the Quick 4 but they had none in stock in my size at the dealer I went to. They had two stores in my general area and still none. Oh well. I'm pretty sure I'm going to save up for a Synapse now. Hopefully I'll have it by next summer.

I've not been able to ride the ZX as much lately. Between gas costs not allowing me to justify more than one tank a week for "fun" rides, and me not riding to work anymore since I need to take the car to bring my daughter along for school, I have been missing two wheels. It's nice to be back on two wheels again. The best part is that I can go on "fun" rides with no guilt and I can get into even better shape. Win-win.

[Apex]

Exactly!

I didn't get out for a ride this week. Fighting the AC problem at home, it just tied me up.

Hope to do a lot more next week. I hope to do a mountain bike ride and a road ride. That is, if all goes well. Depends on the weather and the heat levels and my ability to rehydrate.

Trying to talk a friend to go MTB riding with me.

[TnNinjaGirl]

Looking at a Trek y3 for my second bike. Man these things are as addictive as motorcyles!

[Apex]

I have four bikes and I still want another.

Trek 1.5= Main riding machine
Specialized Langster = strength building and commuting fixie
Specialized Hardrock Sport 29er = Hardtail good for fast trails
Trek/Gary Fisher HiFi Plus 29er = My main trail machine

I'd like a Surly Long Haul Trucker frame and build a bike off of that or a Trek 520 for the longer rides. Yeah it may be heavier, but it would be so much smoother and comfortable. I have enough bikes for now, but you never stop wanting more.

A typical "cyclist" will have anywhere from 3 to 7 bikes (from my experience). Even though with a good head on our shoulders, we could easily live with 2, one road and one mtb.

[masrace]

My bicycles:
Iron Horse Kumicho R w/ Travis (DH race)
Iron Horse Aniki (Trail/Light DH/DS)
Trail Pimp w/ Nixon (DJ/DS/Commuter)
Prototype/test mule Commenwealth Hardtail (DJ/DH/DS/Trail)

[Apex]

Houston weather this week: 100+ temps.

Did a ride yesterday. 50-miles in 3:20. I was cruising along fine until around 9:45am, then the heat just got to me badly. I had to stop at a local park to refill my water bottles. One to drink, one to shower me to keep the heat down. It was brutal. I can handle warm temps, but these are just crazy.

The wind also got to me in several sections, keeping my speed down.

Here were my stats the Garmin recorded:
Time: 03:19:59
Distance: 47.61 mi
Elevation Gain: 198 ft
Calories: 2,588 C
Time: 03:19:59
Moving Time: 03:17:03
Elapsed Time: 03:27:05
Avg Speed: 14.3 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 14.5 mph
Max Speed: 25.4 mph
Elevation Gain: 198 ft
Elevation Loss: 197 ft
Min Elevation: 127 ft
Max Elevation: 205 ft
Avg HR: 168 bpm
Max HR: 186 bpm
Avg Bike Cadence: 86 rpm
Max Bike Cadence: 127 rpm

My uncle said that "It takes guts to ride in this heat." lol

[Apex]

Figured my fellow cyclists would enjoy this one:
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nu...-ride-recovery

Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale

Summer can be tough on hop heads. A good pale often packs a thicker body and more malt to help balance the truckloads of hops that craft brewers pour into India pale ales and similarly hoppy beers. Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale, while infused with biting, citrus hop character, still holds a light enough body to quench thirst in oppressively hot weather. And even if nature hasn’t turned up the thermostat, the gentler 5% ABV (most pale ales and IPAs can hit 7%) makes for a great afternoon barbeque beer that won’t send you to bed early.

Our staff tasters say: “Crisp grapefruit and pine hop; very drinkable.”

Stone Levitation Ale

Levitation Ale opens with a big nose of fruity hops and pine. You'll be hard-pressed to find such an enticing invitation to drink from other session (low alcohol, easy drinking) beers. The flavor follows up with a mix of similarly hoppy grapefruit balanced with toasty barley. If words alone aren't persuasive enough, know that this beer was a gold-medal winner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the red-amber category against beers with far more weight and alcohol.

Staff tasters say: “Surprisingly light and crisp for a dark and hoppy beer.”

Dogfish Head Aprihop

Aprihop proves that fruit beers need not be sweet, sugary beverages that pander to folks who don’t like the taste of beer. Instead of masking the malts and hops, Dogfish Head uses apricots to complement its ingredients. This expert blend creates a big pale ale that balances sweet caramel grains with fruity (sometimes apricot-like) hops and the fruit. At 7% it can be a sipper for some, but we found it to be a richly satisfying beer.

Staff tasters say: “The perfect summertime IPA.”

Odell Easy Street Wheat

American-style wheat beers, while refreshing, tend to be boring. Largely stripped of the clove and banana in German hefeweizens, or the vanilla and orange of a Belgian witbier, the typical American wheat ale is little more than wheat bread in a bottle. Odell’s Easy Street Wheat, however, proves that the style is still worth imbibing. The aroma has light floral and citrus notes over sweet-smelling wheat and barley. There’s a mild sugar-cookie taste along with spicy bread dough.

Staff tasters say: “Smooth and light, but not too light.”

COAST 32/50 Kolsch

The German kolsch style hails from a country known for chilly lagers and wheat beer, and is an easily overlooked beer for the masses. But when brewed with the sort of care our friends at South Carolina's COAST Brewing gave their kolsch, the style becomes a deceptively deep and rich blonde ale. COAST's 32/50 Kolsch initially tastes earthy and spicy, but then rolls into dry, toasty grains with touches of honey and caramel. Mild German hops adds a lemon zest character to the finish.

Staff tasters say: “This is better than any kolsch I've had from Germany.”

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Dubbel

The highly revered Trappist monks of Belgium and the Netherlands undoubtedly create some of the world’s greatest beer. And though the Trappist order of monks spans the world, until Sierra Nevada came along to help, none brewed in America. Now, in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, California, the brewery that defined the American pale ale has launched a series of authentic abbey ales. The Ovila Abbey Dubbel is the first release and has a smooth nutty malt character with a mix of cherry and spice yeast character. Like classic dubbels, the body is dry and light, while the alcohol is higher than average (7.5%), so drink carefully.

Staff tasters say: “Tastes like I’m in Belgium.”

Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager

A fine German-style pilsner brings deep, complex flavor along with a crisp drinkability. Unfortunately, while most beers in the world are roughly based on the pilsner, few live up to the style’s potential. Metropolitan Brewing’s Flywheel dives into the often lost nuances of pilsners by pairing notes of floral and herbal lemon hops with yeasty bread-dough malts. Despite hailing from Chicago, this beer will make you hungry for a nice German brat and soft pretzel.

Staff tasters say: “Refreshing, but surprisingly flavorful.”

Bitter Brewer

This Minneapolis brewery made waves in the craft-beer world when it released its decadently bitter IPA Furious. And though Surly has largely made its name on the backs of big, bold beers like Furious, its Bitter Brewer shows its real brewing chops by creating the complexity of an IPA in a much smaller, less-alcoholic beer. Packed with a tongue-coating citrus zest and balanced by toasted malted, this American take on the English bitter ale style will please hop heads as well as any thirsty cyclists.

Staff tasters say: “A great and distinct fresh-fruit hoppiness.”

Narragansett Summer Ale

The storied Rhode Island brewers, known for New England’s Narragansett Lager, expanded over recent years to include craft beer offerings that include a porter and bock. Its latest addition, Narragansett Summer Ale, will please hop lovers and thirsty cyclists alike. Though the bitterness doesn’t compare to an IPA, the blonde ale still brings a spicy citrus-fruit character courtesy of Citra hops. The lower alcohol (4.2%) and lighter body of a blonde ale make the canned craft beer a welcome addition to any cooler or fridge.

Staff tasters say: “A simple but tasty summer session beer.”

Yazoo Dos Perros

A true session beer at only 3.5% ABV, this Nashville-brewed brown ale is a tastier alternative to other lower-alcohol dark beers such as Shiner Bock (4.4%), and Guinness (3.9%). In fact, this beer is light enough to hydrate you on sweaty day or after a long ride. And despite being lighter in alcohol than most light lagers, there's no shortage of flavor, with a tasty mix of nutty and caramel malts.

Staff tasters say: “Like Newcastle Brown, but better.”

New Belgium Le Terroir

Aged in oak barrels with souring yeast strains and then dry hopped in its final days, this American wild ale fuses an India pale ale with the tart lambics of Belgium. The big hoppy bursts tangerine and grapefruit blend wonderfully with the tart fruit character from the wild yeast to create a unique beverage in the beer aisle.

Staff tasters say: “Huge depth of flavor.”

[LazinCajun]

Bumping an old thread!

The other day I got sick of being flabby and I made up my mind to finally get back into shape by cycling. I'm looking to buy my first road bike, likely funded by selling the ninja (haven't been riding much recently :/ ). I'm formulating a goal to do some long distance rides next year, although I'm not quite sure what a reasonable goal is yet -- maybe just a metric century in 6-9 months (I'm *REALLY* out of shape!).

Since the local roads are decently hilly, plus I'm carrying extra weight and I'm not exactly fit to climb Alpe d'Huez, I'm either getting a compact or a triple. I'm leaning towards the triple, but I'm looking for input from the more experienced cyclists if anybody has suggestions.

I'm currently eyeing the Trek 1.5, maybe the 1.2 if I can deal with using sora shifters in the drops, unlikely but possibly the 2.1, the Cannondale Synapse alloy series, and maybe a CAAD8 5 or 6. What do you guys think about the differences between Tiagra and 105 grupos? I think that more than likely the Tiagra will more than meet my needs just fine while being easier on the budget, but is the 105 significantly more durable / better designed? I'm not concerned about component weight on the bike until I get my body's components significantly lighter

[Jono]

I have a Gary Fisher Tarpon. I try to hit the trails more than twice a week. It is hard with school and work, but I love mountain bike riding. Not a huge fan of riding on the road, but hope to try getting into it one day. I have never ridden a road bike so I only have experience riding my mtn bike on the street which isn't fun because the gearing is terrible for it. Anywho glad to see that other Ninjetters are also bicyclists.

[Lil_Green_Demon]

I've got a Mongoose bike I bought to ride to college, but then I ended up buying my Ninja 250R and ended up stop using the bicycle.

[LazinCajun]

I ended up getting the cannondale synapse 5. Forgive the junky cellphone pic:

[NDspd]

I ride a ****** Sekka road bike, but I want a Specialized Allez Comp. I also own a Trek 4500.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by LazinCajun

I ended up getting the cannondale synapse 5. Forgive the junky cellphone pic:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/...2e5de816_b.jpg

Nice purchase!

I see you went with the compact set. You can get up a hill using a compact, but the triple is by far easier. Regardless, if you find that the gearing is too difficult on ascents, go to the bike shop and they can drop in a granny gear to help you up those climbs.

If you pace yourself, you can do it on a compact with no issues.

[Apex]

I decided to change things up this year on the MS150 (ok, it is April 2012, but still it is within a year). I took my Hardrock sport and dropped some Bontrager H2 700x35c's on there. Now I have a road worthy mountain bike. It requires more work, but it will be fun to be one of, if not the only, mountain bike out there on road tires. Just need to put some bar ends on there. Then again, I may tough it out and keep the flat bar for fun.

I love torturing myself.

[cuong-nutz]

Figure I post up too. I just have an 2009? Marin Bolinas Ridge. I use to beat the crap out of it at the Anthills months ago but now it just sits hanging on my wall. It's ridiculously light.

[Apex]

What made you stop? I hit the anthills on occasion (closest trail to me). I prefer Huntsville though. There is a lot more sand which makes for a technical ride sometimes. Also, it is pretty long and I like the terrain a lot.

[LazinCajun]

Originally Posted by Apex

Nice purchase!

I see you went with the compact set. You can get up a hill using a compact, but the triple is by far easier. Regardless, if you find that the gearing is too difficult on ascents, go to the bike shop and they can drop in a granny gear to help you up those climbs.

If you pace yourself, you can do it on a compact with no issues.

Thanks!

On my test rides, I realized that even the ~10 pounds saved on the road bike, plus lower rolling resistance and clipless pedals made hills significantly easier than what I was used to. The hills around here are mostly short and rolling unless you go searching for longer climbs. Combine that with losing roughly 1.5 pounds a week, and I felt ok with a compact.

If it turns out to really be a problem, the bike shop I bought from has an awesome 30 day cash or trade return policy assuming it's still in like-new condition.

Finally, the bike shops around here seem to be allergic to stocking triples. I don't get it TBH.

[Apex]

Well it makes sense since the middle-to-higher end bikes tend to attract people who are very experienced riders. Many of these riders can muscle their way up a hill more easily than a typical person.

They actually had a triple in my bike (Trek 1.5) when I purchased it. I was tossing it back and forth thinking about which one to get. It was an easy choice since all the hills around me are tiny. I am so glad I got it...even after climbing some good hills. Too many gears takes away from the fun of riding. That is why I love my single speed.

[LazinCajun]

Even with all my gears, I only have a single speed -- slow.

Edited to ask: just out of curiosity, what are the gears on your fixie?

[Apex]

Stock it was 42/16. I dropped either an 18T or 19T sprocket on the back (it's 5am, I can't think straight). Needed a bit better gearing for when the wind is kicking your butt. hahaha

[cuong-nutz]

Originally Posted by Apex

What made you stop? I hit the anthills on occasion (closest trail to me). I prefer Huntsville though. There is a lot more sand which makes for a technical ride sometimes. Also, it is pretty long and I like the terrain a lot.

School. Work. Girlfriend. A few guys pointed me out that I'll like Hitchcock a whole better.

[Alex]

OK, he's not quite a ninja owner yet. But this is his second day on a bike after pulling the training wheels off the day before.

[LazinCajun]

Link to original page on YouTube.

["A"]

My road bike for the last 10 years, 12k mi.:



My trusty Mt. bike for the last few years, it's getting a bit heavy for my old age:



My daily commuter once I get off the bus/train:

[ally99]

Cool bikes, A! I love your daily commuter. Nice!

["A"]

Just put this together today, only got to ride it around the house a few laps:

[choneofakind]

This is my mountain bike. 2011 Giant Yukon FX. It's seen some good use at all the mountain biking parks in my area like Vulture's Knob and Westbranch and The Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation, and Quail Hollow. I still want to check out Rays indoor mountain biking park...

I just got into the work of full suspension mountain bikes with this bike, and it was the highest quality full suspension xc bike that was in my budget. I love it. It's a whole new feeling when riding compared to the hard tail.

I've got my eyes on a Trek Remedy since it has the full floater. I likely won't be able to afford it until a few years down the road from now anyways which is perfect, because by then, I'll be looking for better components and parts anyways.

[Apex]

"A", that is a unique rear shock mounting point. Very interesting...

["A"]

Originally Posted by Apex

"A", that is a unique rear shock mounting point. Very interesting...

Not a whole lot of info can be found on Balfa Cycles anymore..

They made great frames with steel rear ends that take more abuse than most aluminum counterparts. they were bought by Rocky Mountain back in 2007, nowadays only unofficial webpage by enthusiast remain:

Balfa Cycles

[Apex]

I just snagged a set of Wellgo City pedals and a Cateye Urban Wireless computer.
_

I didn't "need" a new computer, but I wanted a computer dedicated to the commuter. That way I can keep track of the odometer for parts maintenance and longevity.

I also got a set of Avid FR-5 brake levers.


Last year I upgraded the bar and stem on my Specialized Hardrock Sport 29-er to Truvativ carbon bars and stem (my commuter). I recently upgraded to 700x35c tires instead of the mountain bike tires. They roll very nicely, weigh less and still are rather comfy. I also got a Topeak Disc rack that sits on the back end and a set of Avenir Metro panniers. I can carry a decent amount of stuff now.

The reason I got the Avid brake levers was for my fixed gear/single speed. I am going to put my old bars and stem from the Hardrock Sport on the Specialized Langster. The road bars are rather uncomfortable for some reason. I think I am leaning too far forward and that is what is making it uncomfortable. So by going to flat bars, I will have a more upright riding position. This will make life more comfortable on the bike. I will take plenty of pictures of the "upgrade" and post it up on here. I can't wait to get started.

My next upgrade on the Hardrock commuter is a chain guard for the big crank ring. That way I will not have to go and put a strap around my drive-side pant leg.