^pics?

6/9/2011 1:19:00 PM

Whats a good Raleigh shop to look at road bikes?

I currently do everything at Flythe.

6/9/2011 1:51:23 PM

well...that all depends on what kinda road bike you are looking for

performance level?
expected knowledge level of shop?
price?
is fit a problem for you?

6/9/2011 3:04:38 PM

Quote :

"^pics?"

Track dropouts and fender eyelets and rack braze-ons make this a really versatile bike. Would make a great commuter. Can run geared or single speed (or fixed if so inclined)

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 11:40 AM. Reason : a]

6/10/2011 11:38:48 AM

Quote :

"I second the road bike with clip-on aero bars and the fit advice by ^ and ^^. I also recommend not getting a carbon frame, especially if you intend to keep this a while, commute on it, or retire it to a commuter when another bike comes along. Carbon has some wonderful characteristics, but they do not include good surface impact resistance, damage tolerance or repairability. Small cracks or nicks are likely to spread and require replacement of the entire frame. Excellent steel frames can be inexpensively acquired from a variety of places (Waterford Precision's Gunnar line for example), and well made aluminum frames can reduce the renowned stiffness while being more corrosion resistance. I've fallen in love with titanium, and though you can spend more than one fortune on custom ti frames, careful and patient shopping acquired mine for the same price I paid for the Gunnar it replaced. Save the carbon frame for the dedicated tri-machine you buy when you upgrade."

I suppose I should have also mentioned that I have a road bike, it's just old. in the last month I had it tuned up and it is solid. Old, but works great for any group rides, road bike needs. My commuter I'm not looking to replace. I love it.... wish I could go faster on it, but it's City, stop and start riding...

Thanks to ya'll for the advice. I am struggling with it as I think it is a great deal and have done a few more Triathlons this year and want to eventually do an Ironman... would love to have this bike for that goal... ya know?

6/11/2011 10:09:52 PM

pretty sure i'm going to wait til the fall to find a bike on CL.... there isn't much of a selection right now and i think i can survive my other two tri's on the bike i've got.

6/12/2011 9:45:29 AM

35 mile ride today- not too hot, nice breeze. Although this dude I was riding with made a wrong turn and we ended up on 70 for awhile...whoops.

Definitely nice to be out on Sunday mornings again .

6/12/2011 2:02:25 PM

Putting the back-up bike up for sale....

Cannondale R5000si
-Absolutely perfect condition, this has been a backup bike for the past few years, maybe 200 miles on it. No scratches or damage of any kind to any components. One small smudge on the down tube.
-56cm
-Black
-Dura-Ace group (9spd)
-Cannondale SI crank (lighter/stiffer than DuraAce)
-Mavic Ksyrium Wheelset
-Thomson seat post
-ITM stem
-3T bar
-15lbs,12oz. (no pedals)
-New cables, housing.
-Will include new bar tape, your color choice.
-$1900 (will include shipping if within lower 48 or delivery if between chattanooga and raleigh)

*pics to follow

6/20/2011 4:25:26 PM

I want to go on a long ride tonight, but considering the air quality blows, it's hazy, and it smells of smoke from the Pender Co. wildfires, I don't think that will be happening .

6/21/2011 6:08:46 PM

Well BTTT for one as it has been awhile!

I decided against the TT bike. I test rode it and hated it. well, I am sure in time I would have gotten used to the aero position but I wanted something more flexible and easier to just take out and ride. I have a lot of roads with nice bike lanes (and traffic) near my house and the TT was just to unstable to ride easily.

I purchased a scott CR1 Team bike and so far I love it. I did a lot of research before purchasing and since it was last year's model 2010 all white, I got it for a lot less than I originally wanted to spend.

Anyone have experience with Scott bicycles? couldn't find too many bad things about it... just the seat needed replacing!

7/10/2011 10:52:21 PM

They're pretty solid frames...other than that, it's going to be just as good/bad as any other bike with the components you have on yours. It's allllll about the components.

7/10/2011 11:15:48 PM

I'm in the market for a new road bike... looking for carbon fork & stays, alum. frame, ultegra 6700 components for around $1000-$1200, does anyone have any recommendations?

And yes, I search craigslist daily. I'm just looking for recommendations on brands and/or models that would fit the description of what I'm looking for.

Something like a Trek Ion Super
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/race_performance/ion/ion_super_compact/#/us/en/model/details?url=us/en/bikes/road/race_performance/ion/ion_super_compact

Thanks.

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 11:40 AM. Reason : .]

7/11/2011 11:37:20 AM

went with this:

Motobecane Sprint
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/sprint_x.htm

Quote :

"Frame - High Modulus Carbon Fiber SeatStays, Kinesis Double-Butted 7005 Aluminum, 2xH2O bosses, replaceable derailleur hanger Fork - Aero Kinesis Carbon Fiber TaperBlade with 1.125 inch threadless steerer Derailleurs - Shimano Ultegra 6703 Triple front and rear for 30 speed Shifters - Shimano Ultegra 6703 STI 30 speed Brake Calipers / Levers - TEKTRO R530 Black Polished Aluminum Dual-Pivot Calipers / Shimano Ultegra 6703 STI Carbon-composite Levers Hubs - Vuelta XRP PRO Precision sealed bearings, Black Anodized Aluminum w/QR Rims - Vuelta XRP PRO Black Anodized Aluminum, Double wall, Aero Rim/Spokes Crank - BottomBracket -Truvativ Elita Triple 52/39/30T Integrated / Truvativ GXP External BB Cassette/Chain - Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 Speed 11-28T / Shimano CN6600 (30 gears) Saddle - Skye Racing Turbo with comfort slot or Ritchey Comp Seatpost - Ritchey Comp 280mmx27.2mm Aluminum Stem - Ritchey Comp Threadless Aluminum, 31.8mm clamp, 1.125 Steerer Handlebars - Ritchey Biomax Comp Butted Aluminum Ergo Bar, 31.8mm Pedals - Road Clipless Pedals Compatible with SPD bolt pattern / 2-bolt sole pattern (cleats are not shoes) Tires/Tubes - Vittoria Zaffiro 700X23c (high pressure) / Presta valve tubes Color - Silver"

[Edited on July 13, 2011 at 11:24 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on July 13, 2011 at 11:37 AM. Reason : .]

7/13/2011 11:22:57 AM

I have a Motobecane!

7/13/2011 11:30:14 AM

I have a Windsor Wellington 3.0 and it was the best $400 I ever spent, saved about 50% on my current bike. I figure I'm saving at least another $600-$800 on a similar spec'd bike.

7/13/2011 11:38:39 AM

So does anyone else commute to work on their bicycle? any advice or tips?
I've been regularing riding into work 2-3 days a week since january depending on my work schedule and while I enjoy it I'd love to know what works for others!

7/14/2011 4:16:31 PM

I bike to work everyday, I've probably only missed ~10 days this year so far.

- Wear a helmet
- Obey all traffic laws, yes that includes STOP signs and knowing where it's legal/illegal to ride, some cities allow biking on the road and not on the sidewalk, other places it's sidewalk or bike path only.
- Always carry your lights (front & back) just in case you need to work late or it gets dark early
- Removable fenders (nice to be able to remove them in the case you don't need them)
- Get a bike path map for your area so you know where the bike lanes are and/or find the roads with the least amount of traffic on them
- Keep your bike well maintained, check your tire pressure every couple rides as it's a good way to prevent flats
- If you bike to work <3-4 miles and wear your work clothes, get some pant leg cuff clips (or velcro strap) rather than rolling your pants up.

[Edited on July 14, 2011 at 4:23 PM. Reason : .]

7/14/2011 4:19:15 PM

i need to get my ass back to biking to work...

^ how long is your commute?

7/14/2011 4:20:45 PM

2.5 miles, about 12-13 minutes depending on traffic

7/14/2011 4:24:06 PM

ugh that'd be a nice one for me.

i'm at 13 miles each way

7/14/2011 4:35:14 PM

Quote :

"So does anyone else commute to work on their bicycle?"

Yep, 14mi round trip. I just wear my riding clothes and then change at work. I absolutely love my CamelBak for this because I can carry my work clothes, food, etc in my backpack that I have attached to my bike rack. Since I don't leave from work until after 10:30 I have all kinds of lights and reflectors! I have a headlight, flashing taillight, another taillight attached to my CamelBak, reflective ankle straps, a reflective vest and these light up things that go on the wheel to light up my profile as well as reflective adhesives that I put on my helmet. I might give someone a seizure, but dammit they are going to see me!

The scariest parts of my commute are on Aviation Pkwy where it crosses over Lake Crabtree and there are no real shoulders, it's two lanes and there is only a narrow strip along the edge of the road. The other place is at the airport under the taxi runway where it's again two lanes, no shoulder and buses come through there.

7/14/2011 5:00:21 PM

^^Per commuting: I do it year round to school and work. 2.5 miles one way to work, 5 miles to school. If it's raining on the way to work, sometimes I'll walk.

Tips:
1) Appropriate bike for your situation: I run a Schwinn fixie with 42 x 17 setup with touring fenders, touring rack, and Axiom waterproof panniers with front and rear lights, and front and rear hand brakes, drop handlebars. In short, both roadies and fixie enthusiasts hate my bike. If I'm tired or need to climb up walls I move my panniers to my Surly.

Don't cheap out on tires, especially if the roads you ride on suck.

2) Appropriate gear: I carry a mini tool kit with hand pump, extra brake cable, and a rain jacket. Always. Gotta dress for success: Wellies in fall/spring rain, snow boots in winter, 10,000 layers year round as weather deems appropriate. I don't wear my road kit unless my ass really hurts from a long ride the day before.


3) Carry a cell phone and a map- I've got a Durham bike/hike map and it's helped me out in assisting other cyclists.

4) Know how to, at the very least, fix a flat and put a chain back on. And practice it several times before you're stuck, in the dark, having to do it on the Tobacco Trail with a flashlight in your mouth.

7/14/2011 11:58:25 PM

My new touring bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker 2011:


Got it new-used for $900 from some rich dude who bought the bike and realized it didn't fit. He also threw in new pedals, a pannier, $100 rack, two nice tires, and two tubes. So about $1500 worth of stuff.

Gonna use it as my daily commute as well as fully loaded touring later this fall. Rides so comfy.



[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 12:42 AM. Reason : x]

7/15/2011 12:41:53 AM

#1 is not a tip, in fact that's the worst f*ing advice i've ever heard. a fixie for 13 miles each way? that's absolutely absurd. front and rear hand brakes on a fixie? i'm dumbfounded on why on earth you would recommend that for anyone, including yourself. there's a reason why people hate on your bike.

#2 is again borderline absurd. go CO2, no one carries a hand pump anymore. 50psi isn't going to work on any sort of road bike unless you need to limp home 1 mile or less. extra brake cable???? seriously??? no mention of an extra tube, tire levers, or patch kit?

7/15/2011 12:45:30 AM

Disagree about the hand pump, I see plenty of people with them on their frames around here.
I carry both a hand pump and CO2 cartridges on my road bike after going through a terrible spell of flats.

7/15/2011 12:52:48 AM

maybe it's time to change your tires, fix your spokes, retape your rims, change the type of tube you ride, or get glasses. i ride everyday and only get one flat a month maybe, the equivalent of one flat maybe every 200 miles and i ride small 700c 23s

if you have panniers than yes a hand pump is fine i guess, but around here in CO, no road bike has panniers much less a hand pump. do you all actually bike your groceries home or go camping with your bikes? i'm curious as to how often you actually use them and why not just use a messenger bag or backpack instead? it sounds like you actually do a lot of "touring" type rides?

sorry, should have realized on a touring bike you're probably not running 130psi tires... disregard my hand pump comment if you're talking about 26" touring tires

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 1:20 AM. Reason : .]

7/15/2011 1:11:59 AM

The touring bike is brand new and most of miles I ride are on a Trek with 700x23s.

Maybe CO has better roads than CA, I don't know, but I do observe hand pumps like my Topeak micro Rocket are carried by more than a few riders on road bikes around here. I certainly thought C02 was the way to go until I had the misfortune of having multiple flats on a long ride and had to walk it in after using up all my cartridges.

But the point is I'm not the only one I see carrying a hand pump. For group rides they're not important but I like the piece of mind when I'm training or riding solo.

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 4:03 AM. Reason : x]

7/15/2011 4:01:44 AM

^ x however much I didn't say you should ride a fixie. I said ride a bike appropriate to your situation. This was the setup I experimented with and liked this the best for year-round commuting. If you like a new road bike, ride that. Mountain, go do that too.But definitely fenders and lights.

I don't know anyone who carries C02 cartridges except for newer road bikes. Most commuters I know carry hand pumps. Oops- forgot the patch kit and all the crap that goes with it (levers, etc.) I carry those too.

And most folks I see commuting around Durham use panniers- especially when it gets ungodly hot like now. Bags are also good but the setup wasn't working for me (causing back strain). And I go on longer rides and carry stuff like groceries home on my bike all the time.

.

7/15/2011 7:22:50 AM

looking to pick up a ~$40 "beater" bike to take to the beach...my "real" bike isn't great, but it's good enough that i don't really want to get it sandy and wet with salt water

i've found a 1993 novara arriba (steel), 1998/1999 trek 800 sport (steel), and a 1995 GT tempest (aluminum) all in good working order for around the same price (the novara is cheapest, actually...the trek and GT are $60, but i'm hoping i can talk them down a bit)

arriba: http://www.bikepedia.com/Quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1993&Brand=Novara&Model=Arriba&Type=bike
trek: http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1998&Brand=Trek&Model=800%20Sport&Type=bike
GT: http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1995&Brand=GT&Model=Tempest&Type=bike

thoughts?

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 10:00 AM. Reason : links]

7/15/2011 9:40:42 AM

well aluminum would hold up to the sea/salt water the best, but of course ride quality might suffer.

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 12:40 PM. Reason : .]

7/15/2011 12:39:37 PM

so much fail in this thread

7/15/2011 1:39:55 PM

^^ does steel usually offer a better ride quality? i did not know that (i am a biking noob, obviously)

so none of these super-cheap options offer significantly better components than the other? yes, i realize my goal is to keep it only for a short while and to abuse it, but who knows, i might keep it afterward

7/15/2011 1:50:00 PM

yes, steel has some flex but heavy, aluminum is stiff but lighter.... i mean the only other thing you may look at is what kind of dropout (horizontal vs. vertical) they have in case you want to make it into a fixie or single speed later.

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 2:09 PM. Reason : .]

7/15/2011 2:07:24 PM

^^ What are you trying to do with it? Cruise around the beach? How long are you going for?

7/15/2011 2:28:08 PM

^ planning on riding it mostly on the roads near the beach, not the beach itself...it's a couple of miles to some nice fishing and other things to do...i could walk, but biking is appealing and driving seems silly for just a couple of miles

7/15/2011 3:42:17 PM

for all the serious road bikers out there, what pedals/cleats are you running?

7/15/2011 6:06:06 PM

I have speedplays and I love them

7/15/2011 6:09:59 PM

I ride SPDs on my cross and mtn bikes. I like my SPDs, but they are not for everyone since they are pretty heavy.

I have ridden Looks and Speedplays before and I like both ok.

7/15/2011 8:12:46 PM

I use Speedplays (SPDs previously) with Specialized S-Works shoes, and I love them both. I'm definitely a Speedplay convert.

7/15/2011 8:22:34 PM

Speedplay zeros.

7/15/2011 11:26:24 PM

I've been taking an indoor cycling class and it's been kicking my ass, though I think I've done well.

Mostly the seat just hurts like a spiky brick in my ass. Any protips on seat comfort?

7/16/2011 12:21:31 AM

Yeah, I have a tip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EY7lYRneHc

7/16/2011 12:52:23 AM

LunaK, sounds like we have similar commutes, mine is 11 miles each way. I agree on obeying the rules of the road and carrying a pump/co2 and an extra tube. I'm riding a cannondale quick6 hybrid that is very comfortable and I have a bag on the back for carrying work clothes in with me. I have a shower available at work which makes things easier.

The route I take is through some sketchy neighborhoods so I alter between sidewalk and road, mostly road.

Always wear a helmet!!!

Does Anyone wear headphones while commuting?

7/16/2011 9:36:50 AM

I do, but I'm lucky. Most of my ride (say 11 miles or so of it) are trail. One of the nice things about living in DC I suppose.


I'm thinking about upgrading... I have a hybrid right now. Thoughts?

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1104605_-1_20000__400306

I know it's performance and what not, but I need to buy something on sale right now....

[Edited on July 16, 2011 at 9:42 AM. Reason : .]

7/16/2011 9:38:05 AM

Cleats: Shimano SPDs with mountain bike shoes. I never got into the feeling of the road shoes (didn't like how restrictive they were), and I like being able to walk around and have some traction on grass and such (helpful when on side of the road, or running during T1 and T2 in tris).

7/16/2011 12:30:26 PM

I will say that the reason I have the Specialized S-Works shoes is because I have very narrow feet, so the BOA lacing system they use is fantastic. With the 2010 and newer shoes, they have two dials that you turn to ratchet up the tightness very evenly and gradually, so it's easy to make the fit just as I like. Older models just had one dial and a velcro strap.

So for anyone else with narrow feet, that's my recommendation of a good shoe to try. I went to five or six different cycling shops and tried a lot of different brands, and those were the best I found for a narrow toe box and low-volume foot.

7/16/2011 2:50:16 PM

^^^ FWIW, it's rumored that the FUJIs and the bikesdirect.com bikes are the same bikes with different badges. The geometries are identical for alot of their models. I and several others have been pretty happy with the bikesdirect bikes. For example, this bike: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt2300_x.htm is pretty darn close in components and several hundred dollars cheaper than even the sale price of the one you are looking at.

7/16/2011 3:49:38 PM

Wow I've never seen that site before....

Guess the added price is putting it together.... But those are wicked cheap.

Thoughts on this: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/fens_xi.htm

7/16/2011 4:12:49 PM

The bikesdirect frames are made by Kinesis, one of the major frame manufacturers for lots of brands--Raleigh, Trek, Schwinn, Felt, etc. I ride one of their Motobecane USA Immortal frames and have been very happy with it. I've heard some complaints about bikesdirect but mostly about bikes in the $300-600 range; once you go above that, you start to see some really good deals with reasonable frames and good component groups.

7/16/2011 5:29:48 PM

^^That's a pretty good deal IMO. I have a dawes 29er single speed mountain bike that I was pretty skeptical about buying at first because it wasn't a brand name and I love it now. In fact, my dad owns an extremely similar redline monocog ( a brand name) that he bought for twice as much and the bikes are almost identical.

The assembly is pretty minimal. You put on handlebars, the front wheel and attach the brake/shifter cables (they are already routed). A friend of mine bought a motobecane phantom cross bike and had it together in about 30 min.

Most of the difference in cost is due to the fact they don't have any distributor/store front costs since it is online only and they have very little brand marketing costs. They also use last year's model components (except on the one you posted). I'm a big fan of the site and I hate to say it but it's tough to justify the huge added price of buying a name brand in a bike shop these days.

7/16/2011 6:13:03 PM