Hippie has a new ride

[Serum]

Those are great numbers Hippie! did you managed to get some good miles ahead, in front of the group?

I just returned from a rather intensive 45 miles off road. We didn't push it as hard as last week, but the colder weather is killing me. (last week was about 8-10C hotter) I'm way better in the heat. my heart rate is lower, power output is higher. The cold just isn't my thing. Seems like my body is fighting to reach the right temperature. (i've got small sweetspot, with cold i'm shivering like a Chihuahua, and in the heat i'm like a tropical rainstorm) Still, i'm way stronger in the heat though.

I got a new group set for my cannondale, a nice sram red. I personally favor sram over shimano in terms of shifting precision. I'll get some pics of it online when she's finished.

The season has kind of ended for me; with all the rain coming, i start to run more. It's a tad more intense, but it helped me maintain my condition for riding. The combo works miracles for me. 2 runs a week, in combination with one slow ride for a longer distance.

[rchippie]

Originally Posted by Serum

Those are great numbers Hippie! did you managed to get some good miles ahead, in front of the group?

I just returned from a rather intensive 45 miles off road. We didn't push it as hard as last week, but the colder weather is killing me. (last week was about 8-10C hotter) I'm way better in the heat. my heart rate is lower, power output is higher. The cold just isn't my thing. Seems like my body is fighting to reach the right temperature. (i've got small sweetspot, with cold i'm shivering like a Chihuahua, and in the heat i'm like a tropical rainstorm) Still, i'm way stronger in the heat though.

I got a new group set for my cannondale, a nice sram red. I personally favor sram over shimano in terms of shifting precision. I'll get some pics of it online when she's finished.

The season has kind of ended for me; with all the rain coming, i start to run more. It's a tad more intense, but it helped me maintain my condition for riding. The combo works miracles for me. 2 runs a week, in combination with one slow ride for a longer distance.

No i did not get ahead of the group. Most of those miles were with the group, except for the miles i rode too the ride & home from the ride. My Madone has Sram Red as well.

Also i got a Job at the local Bike shop FULL time as a Mechanic & sales.

[rchippie]

Hi everybody. I just got another new bike. It is a 2011 Trek FX 7.5 http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2011/archive/75fx. I got it to commute back & fourth to work at the Bike shop. I also got it because my van is acting up, & i want to be sure i have Transportation.

[pinkpanda3310]

Congrats on the job Hippie, must've missed that post You must've been stoked considering this is your #1 passion.

The weather is coming good here (I don't really ride in the rain), actually has been coming good for a while. Just too f@#ing hard getting out of bed. I called Dad and lined up a ride with him to give me some motivation so I've been twice this week

Also, Dad went in the cape to cape mountain bike race. He has had the bike for a while but this is the first time he used it like this. He was totally amped about it during and after the race. Out of 725 registrations he came 439th (not all finished). In the masters (over 45) he came 223rd (out of 361). There were only 14 in the master 3 (over 60's) I think he came 8th or 9th at the end of race.

So I'm thinking my next birthday pressy is gonna be a mountain bike 'cause he keeps sayin' I would love it and we should go together next year

Any recommendations for offroad bikes? do's, don'ts?

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by pinkpanda3310

...Any recommendations for offroad bikes? do's, don'ts?

Depends on what you mean by "offroad". Are you gonna do extreme downhill true mountain runs? Or do you want something you can take on grass but mostly will run on smooth trails? In my case, offroad means light flat trails, but mostly paved bike paths. I'm a heavy guy, so I wanted a frame that will withstand the weight plus be able to do the occasional thing like go down shallow stairs and off curbs.

If you plan to do a lot of flat/smooth trail riding, I recommend something where you are sitting more upright (handlebars are a bit higher) or you'll get a crick in your neck.

Go to several shops and hunt around. Ask questions and see which place truly seems like they give a crap. Some will say anything other than what they sell is crap, while a good shop will give you good advice. Tell them what you want and how you plan to use it.

Test drive several bikes and see which feels most comfortable - on the terrain you plan to ride if possible.

Other things:

- Disc brakes: I like them. They are more expensive, but worth it IMO. They don't get gummed up with leaves and crap nearly as much and they feel more linear. If you do get them, make sure they're both on front and back.

- Shocks: Me, I'm old school. My first Trek never had any shocks and it lasted many years. I figure they were just another failure point, but all bikes have them now. Some have them only in front, some both front and back. Make sure the front shocks are BOTH adjustable (a Specialized bike I looked at could only adjust one of the forks). I opted for no rear shocks, but my seat has springs so it's fine for me. Again, I run mostly on smooth surfaces, so it works for me. And for those times where I run on rougher stuff, I just stand on the pedals and let my legs act like shocks.

- Shifters: Decide between grip or thumb. I personally like the thumb-style. Try both on your test drive and see which one suits you. Some shops will swap the shifters out for the kind you like if the bike model you're looking at has the wrong kind stock.

I ended up with a Trek 3700 disc model. Had all the features I wanted, and decent price. It's an entry level bike, but my old Trek was too and it lasted well over 10 years (closer to 15 actually).