Bicycles!

[Liist]

Cateye Strada Wireless is the way to go! I wish I had the one with the cadence meter.

Maybe I could move it to the commuter bike and put a new cadence Cateye on my Cannondale

Hand me downs from the race bike to the commuter. I like that idea.

[choneofakind]

But with wireless, don't you run into issues on group rides? And buying more than one battery at a time? bleh.


I run a Cateye Astrale 8 on my road bike. It's really nice having cadence, but I'm not sure it's entirely necessary. I do just fine on my mtb without it.

[Liist]

I don't run into problems at all on group rides with the wireless. I'm pretty confident that each receiver and computer have unique frequencies and it would be hard to find someone else with the exact same frequency.

Bringing in an Apple remote into a big lecture class on the other hand...

EDIT: As for the batteries, the Cateye consumes as much power as a watch. I hear stories of going several years before the battery needed replacement. And even if it does run out in the middle of the ride, it's no big deal.

[choneofakind]

If you like the cateye strada, they make a strada wireless that does both cadence and speed. It's the Strada double wireless.

That's one of the ones that I'm debating for my next road bike.

[Liist]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

If you like the cateye strada, they make a strada wireless that does both cadence and speed. It's the Strada double wireless.

That's one of the ones that I'm debating for my next road bike.

That's what I'm planning on getting, and then hand down the Strada to the commuter bike. Or maybe I should go all the way and get the Garmin Edge 800 and a power meter.

Race collegiate D class in the SECCC with me.

[choneofakind]

Collegiate D class? Bah. I don't even have a car, and I'm still working on getting a better bike. I might get laughed at if I show up to a race with a Dawes Road bike. Not to mention, I'll really struggle on climbs because right now I'm used to windy flatness, not the usual hills I ride at home Besides, you're in FL and I'm in OH

I would love to race some day though.

Does your cannondale have any sort of integrated sensor things in the chainstay or fork like Giant's RideSense or Trek's DuoTrap? I don't know a ton about cannondales tbh.

[Liist]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Collegiate D class? Bah. I don't even have a car, and I'm still working on getting a better bike. I might get laughed at if I show up to a race with a Dawes Road bike. Not to mention, I'll really struggle on climbs because right now I'm used to windy flatness, not the usual hills I ride at home Besides, you're in FL and I'm in OH

I would love to race some day though.

Does your cannondale have any sort of integrated sensor things in the chainstay or fork like Giant's RideSense or Trek's DuoTrap? I don't know a ton about cannondales tbh.

One of the more experienced guys says D class is super sketchy and should be for people who've never ridden a bike before. I'd rather start with D and see how I do since I'm a 220-pound fatass.

The Cannondale does not have any integrated sensors or any of that nonsense. Otherwise they can't claim how light the frame is!

[choneofakind]

How's it sketchy? Like inexperienced riders leads to more accidents kind of thing?

I'm 135. I'm not a fast sprinter because I'm not that strong, but I'm good at climbing.

[Liist]

You stick a bunch of inexperienced racers together for a mass start, a lot of missed clip-ins. You can imagine the how bad the corners can be. God forbid there's a bunch sprint at the end.

The guy said he was leading out the group for a tour of the criterium course, and was scared that they were going to rear-end him.

Sounds like the perfect group of riders for me.

[choneofakind]

Ewwww. That's called get ahead early.

haha, I use SPD mountain bike pedals so I can clip-in quicker coming off lights. I also like my mountain shoes better than the road shoes I had. I get shunned by road riders all the time, until we get to the hilly parts

[Liist]

Draft off the fast dude and outsprint his ass at the end. That's my plan at least. And I'll call myself a sprinter so I have an excuse for getting dropped on the hills.

I have SPD-SL for the Cannondale, SPD for the Specialized. My commuting shoe is pretty much a stiff sneaker with a spot for the SPD cleat.

As for getting shunned by the roadies, I'm quickly on my way to becoming one but my legs are too sexy to be shaved.

[choneofakind]

I used to use SPD-SL, and I didn't like how I could only clip in from one side. I also like the extra float I get from the mountain biking. It makes low speed balancing easier.

Spandex? sure. jerseys with pockets? sure. Helmet that weights like nothing? Definitely! But shaving legs? no! I'm a mountain biker who masquerades as a roadie. But I'm not a crazy weight weenie. Just give me components that work, and those extra few ounces will make my workout that much better

I do have tone legs, but running and soccer did that for me already, so I really didn't notice anything when I got more into biking. I just notice that when I go a long time biking and then switch to running, I run funny. I feel like I'm pedaling when I should be running

[choneofakind]

I just saw this on Youtube. I love the guy with the camera. He's like cussing at people and getting all feisty when they're in his way, and then when he gets in people's way, he's like, "terribly sorry mate!". Not sure where this race is being held though...

I also like how freaking slow they all are when the hills end. that's why I ride XC/trail, and likely the most aggressive bike I'll get is a trail bike or an all mountain bike, never a downhill bike. Those things are nutz.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Liist]

I'm a mountain biker at heart as well, but I have two road bikes because they're more practical for where I live. I'm interested in a Rockhopper and see how I like tearing up the trails and possibly do a few mountain bike races.

[choneofakind]

I personally like the MTB crowd better that the weight weenie crowd; so much more chill and relaxed. It's all about enjoying your ride and getting out there and flowing with the trail. Less about the equipment that you bring with you.

I've met the coolest people when I go mountain biking. I have like 3 parks that I ride at, 2 of them regularly. I've gotten to the point where I recognize dudes who are there, and we chat a bit and ride the trails. You get the occasional dickhead (like with any activity) but I've met some neat people on some neat bikes.

How far are you commuting? It might be an option to go with a mountain bike on slicks. They're much more fun/comfortable for campus/town duty anyways.

[Liist]

EDIT: Oops wrong thread.

I say you're riding with the wrong crowd if they're all a bunch of asses. In my experience the cool guys ride both mountain and road, and the few stuck up assholes there are ride almost exclusively road.

[choneofakind]

No not asses, they just tease. We all tease. Most of the guys I ride with back at home go to church with me. At school, I'm all alone. I need a riding buddy

But still, when the last time you saw a road biker out in a tshirt and baggy shorts with a camel back? Never. MTB guys are just super chill. It's also more fun hitting the single track for 8-10 miles than it is to road bike for 40 miles

[Apex]

Not all MTB riders are laid back. Several have these holier than thou attitudes and think they own the track. Sorry, I am not going to yell "rider" while I am on the side of the track, completely out of the way, not even remotely close the the track, and guzzling water out of my camelbak. Yes, I had a guy yell at me like "how dare you not tell me you are ahead of me even though you are nowhere near being an issue to my riding".

I told him to shut up and keep riding. He kept grumbling as he pedaled away. So I made it a point, when I heard/saw him later on that day (we were riding in opposite directions), to not say anything and just ride up on him. He started to yell, I started to smile...he just rode off, grumbling again.

What a prick.

There are plenty of people on both sides. I've come across more cool roadies than not, just like most MTB riders are pretty cool. There are always exceptions to the rule.

[Apex]

Double Post....YAY!

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Apex

Not all MTB riders are laid back. Several have these holier than thou attitudes and think they own the track. Sorry, I am not going to yell "rider" while I am on the side of the track, completely out of the way, not even remotely close the the track, and guzzling water out of my camelbak. Yes, I had a guy yell at me like "how dare you not tell me you are ahead of me even though you are nowhere near being an issue to my riding".

I told him to shut up and keep riding. He kept grumbling as he pedaled away. So I made it a point, when I heard/saw him later on that day (we were riding in opposite directions), to not say anything and just ride up on him. He started to yell, I started to smile...he just rode off, grumbling again.

What a prick.

There are plenty of people on both sides. I've come across more cool roadies than not, just like most MTB riders are pretty cool. There are always exceptions to the rule.

I don't understand your story?

[Apex]

Ok, simple cliff note version. A guy yelled at me for no reason, so I pissed him off on purpose.

[Jiggles]

K, but what's with the yelling rider thing

[Apex]

This only really applies to trails that you are free to ride in any direction.

When you approach a spot that is blind, say a turn or a drop, you yell "RIDER" to let people know there is a rider near by, so you don't run into them. Bad things happen when you go down a drop and not yell RIDER, and find out that another MTB rider was going down the other side of the drop, heading right at you at top speed. Not fun. So yelling rider is just a friendly way to let others know you are on the trail, and to be on the lookout for you.

There are quite a few blind turns and drops on the trails near me, so it is good form to let others know your position.

[choneofakind]

I don't have that problem. Only two of the parks I ride at are both directions; one of them is really easy to see because it's brand new and is really well cleared. The other has no drops, just tight stuff. The other one is where collisions might be an issue if it were both directions, but that's not an issue because it's only run in one direction.

Whenever I have someone coming towards me or I pass someone, I always make a point to say, "2 more behind me" or whatever to let them know that I have a couple more guys with me they should expect. I'm not big on the whole formality of yelling "rider" over every switchback and hill, but I'm also not retarded about flying past people. I make sure they aren't surprised when I come up on them.

I think Texas guys are just more abrasive about riding

[Apex]

I don't get bent out of shape over that kind of stuff. Honestly, I only kind of yell it here and there. For the most part, I know people sometimes get lazy, or just simply are not aware of the little things MTB riders do. I always slow up before a drop just to be sure nobody else is coming. That is the only time I truly yell it, because a collision in the valley of a drop can be fatal.

[choneofakind]

I'm going nuts. Monday it was freezing and snowed - leftovers from Sandy. Yesterday I got sick. No bueno. Today, it's like 40 and not raining - but I'm still feeling like crap.

I haven't ridden or ran in 3 days. normally I got 3 on/2 off, or 2 on/3 off, depending on how busy I am. UUGHH!! I'm going crazy. I'm also really stoked about going home and dicking around on my mtb over thanksgiving break. I'm not sure any trails will even be open/rideable since it gets snowy early near Cleveland, but I'll at least go dick around in the snow in my neighborhood and jump some stuff.

I can't wait till spring.

[choneofakind]

I think I just found the perfect way to mount a gopro on a bike. Buy a roll bar mount and you can put it anywhere.

Like this:


and it's pretty stable as well:

Link to original page on YouTube.

[choneofakind]

General Bicycle update for me:

I got some test rides in over break! I test rode a Giant Defy in both Carbon and Al form. Needless to say, the Carbon version won my heart. The weight difference is significant, but not my concern; the impressive part was how much vibration was no transferred from the road to my feet/butt. It was also rock solid (to say the least) when I got up and cranked up some hills.

I also got a chance to visit another shop (the one I dislike) and found someone who was actually helpful (helping with my opinion of them) and learned a little about different bikes. He suggested forgetting about the Tarmac and Supersix based on my interest in a comfort-based ride. He said the Madone is going to be a good option because of the geometry and the Roubaix. So right now, my list is Defy Composite, Madone 3.1, and Roubaix. They all look amazing in person btw except the weird paint scheme on the madone...

I also learned that I like the SRAM apex components for their smoothness, but the shifting would take some getting used to. That double click thing is new to me. I also learned that Shimano 105 is great as well, and new Tiagra is roughly comparable to old 105, so that might help with my budget a little bit.

I also got a chance to get the mtb out and test my nevegal/excavator combo on wet for once. They did great once again. The trails were all just damp clay until I got to the last section, which was straight up wet, but oh well. I had tons of fun. I love my MTB. I also played around a little bit with log sections, 2x4's, and cinder blocks around my driveway/backyard. I got some good practice on bridges and slow riding and getting over my fear of brigdes with turns/uneven surfaces

This thread needs more pics, so here we go:

[Confuzshuz]

road bike = go carbon
mountain bike = no carbon, unless you're rich and can afford to replace if you break it

I thought the Madone has a racing geometry.

I wouldn't count out the tarmac yet. The newer tarmac geometry has a slightly more relaxed geometry than the older tarmacs of several years ago.

I have an older allez which has a very similar, if not the same, geometry as the newer tarmacs and it's pretty comfy for me even though I have back problems. However, if I was is in the market for a new bike, I'd like something with a geometry between a roubaix and tarmac.

[choneofakind]

The madone with the H1 (I think) head is raised a little according to the sales guy.

But my test ride on the Defy Composite was beautiful. I could ride that thing all day.

[Apex]

H1 is conservative geometry for Trek.

I plan on taking out the MTB here in the next week or two. Since it is getting cooler, MTB is the way to go.

[choneofakind]

I was like 54 or something when I was out thanksgiving week. It hadn't rained in almost 2 weeks, and was absolutely beautiful in long sleeves and my old mesh mtb gloves that I use for MTB riding. I picked the best week ever to be home. Best part was there was me and 2 other guys using all the mtb loops. I had a peaceful ride; just me and nature.

[Apex]

Nothing like having the trails to yourself.

[choneofakind]

Cool video. Those rock gardens look terrible, but other than that, I want to ride it!

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Apex]

Even the rock gardens look like they are a blast to ride.

Then again, I'm a technical rider.

[choneofakind]

I'm ok with little rocks (think large grapefruit-small cantelope sized) in gardens. Those big things? Pass. I'll take all the little drop-offs and swoopy turns and climbs though

[Apex]

I have one drop off, if taken at a slight speed means a 10+ft drop with no contact to the ground. Major fun. Only problem is when you yell loudly saying you are dropping in, and someone comes the other way wearing headphones and doesn't hear you. Lucky for us, we both stopped in time. Bummer part...walking up the other side.

[Apex]

I may start putting some money away for this....

Trek CrossRip Elite

Only $1300. Slightly more conservative geometry, crummy shifters...but I can swap those out later, fat 700c tires and disc brakes. This thing would be all the comfort of a carbon without the price. Not as fast, but I am not concerned about that.

[choneofakind]

OH! I forgot to tell you, I saw one of those on campus the week before thanksgiving break.

It looks like a really nice commuter bike. Maybe not the bike I'd choose for sunday morning rips through the valley, but it would be great for biking to work or school.

Would you be able to put some tready tires on that and us it for cross riding on some single track?

[Apex]

Yup, tht is what it is designed for.


I am also debating. I still have my specialized hard rock sport 29-er. May just toss some road bars on it... Hmmm