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hangfour wrote:I'm a cyclist. I've ridden my whole life (commuting to work). Now that I'm retired I ride every day (and I carry while riding). I even have an NRA sticker on my bike ... not that many of those in Austin. Don't worry about the 'negative' comments about your first bike. After you have ridden for a while you will know more about what you need and what makes you happy (while riding) than anyone on any bicycle forum. Glad to see that there are other cyclists on this site.

I agree with H4. Its really not that important what your first bike is. As long as its safe and you don't have worn parts. As you ride more you'll learn what frame type you would prefer as you move up in quality. Most start with some sort of steel or aluminum frame bike. Aluminum has its merits. Most move up to Titanium or Carbon as they both give differen ride qualities. If you ride on a lot of rural roads with chip seal, you'll appreciate the vibration absorbtion of carbon. (thus the carbon front fork, carbon seat posts, carbon wheels, etc.) I ride a Griffen which is composed of a military grade Boron Carbide material. Strong as aluminum but absorbs like Carbon, and light as they get.

Component prices can vary, but get as much as you can afford. Shifters, brakes, cassettes, and deraillueres all get abused over time and are subject to adjustments. You'll have fewer problems with higher level components.

All that being said, it won't be worth much to you unless the bike is properly fitted to your frame. If you haven't done so, go to a reputable shop and be sure the bike is adjusted properly, even your starter bike. You could end up with hip, knee, ankle pains unless the bike is setup for you. Its a relatively inexpensive investment to ensure you have many hours of quality riding.

Griffen wrote:

hangfour wrote:I'm a cyclist. I've ridden my whole life (commuting to work). Now that I'm retired I ride every day (and I carry while riding). I even have an NRA sticker on my bike ... not that many of those in Austin. Don't worry about the 'negative' comments about your first bike. After you have ridden for a while you will know more about what you need and what makes you happy (while riding) than anyone on any bicycle forum. Glad to see that there are other cyclists on this site.

I agree with H4. Its really not that important what your first bike is. As long as its safe and you don't have worn parts. As you ride more you'll learn what frame type you would prefer as you move up in quality. Most start with some sort of steel or aluminum frame bike. Aluminum has its merits. Most move up to Titanium or Carbon as they both give differen ride qualities. If you ride on a lot of rural roads with chip seal, you'll appreciate the vibration absorbtion of carbon. (thus the carbon front fork, carbon seat posts, carbon wheels, etc.) I ride a Griffen which is composed of a military grade Boron Carbide material. Strong as aluminum but absorbs like Carbon, and light as they get.

Component prices can vary, but get as much as you can afford. Shifters, brakes, cassettes, and deraillueres all get abused over time and are subject to adjustments. You'll have fewer problems with higher level components.

All that being said, it won't be worth much to you unless the bike is properly fitted to your frame. If you haven't done so, go to a reputable shop and be sure the bike is adjusted properly, even your starter bike. You could end up with hip, knee, ankle pains unless the bike is setup for you. Its a relatively inexpensive investment to ensure you have many hours of quality riding.

No doubt. Sorry if I came across as the elitists we're trying to avoid.

I've done the Frisco to Fort Worth MS ride twice. I haven't done it for a couple of years, but it was certainly an experience worth having.

For clipless pedals, my advice (and the direction I took) is mountain pedals/shoes vs road. Unless you're one who plans to get on and ride ride ride, the MTB shoes give you much better options for walking around. Some of the road shoes can get pretty uncomfortable if you have to hoof it at all, and I've been told that walking on them may damage them?

I have a pair of cannondale roam shoes and SPD pedals on my Giant. It's a good combo for me. The shoes are utilitarian and not obnoxious looking like so many shoes these days are. (if you think you might want to consider a similar route, go to your LBS and ask the clerk what shoes the local bike patrol officers usually get when they come in)

thanks for all the advice everyone. the guy that sold me the bike (who also works part time at a bike shop) helped get everything fitted to my frame. i'm about an inch taller than him so there were just a few minor adjustments... moved the seat up about a half inch and back about an inch, and adjusted the handlebar angle up a bit to take the strain off my neck and shoulders until i get more accustomed to it.

i can already tell i'm going to need the clipless pedals, it's just a matter of when i have some cash to get them and the shoes. i ride at Terry Hershey Park and although there aren't any "real" hills, some of the uphill sections can be pretty difficult to climb while only being able to push down with one leg at a time. that'll probably be the only upgrade i'll do to this bike and then start putting money aside for something newer/better if i still find myself riding frequently a year from now. and if i don't use that money for a new bike, i'll just have to treat myself to a new gun

does anyone know of other areas to ride on the west side of Houston? i drive through Memorial Park some evenings on my way home from work and see cyclists in that area pretty often, and the guy that sold me the bike said he likes to ride at Bear Creek Park. Terry Hershey Park is most convenient to me, about 100 yards from my house, but the tree-lined bike path isn't so good for my allergies (i had a severe reaction 2 days ago to sucking in all that pollen, after a mile i felt like my lungs were on fire, took a couple hours for the pain to go away).

rmr1923 wrote:anyone here taking part in the MS150 from Houston to Austin next weekend? i recently got into cycling and plan to participate next year.

and on a related topic, does anyone know of a good cycling forum that's (mostly) free of snobs and elitists? i tried a couple cycling forums but rather than receiving constructive advice on training and places to ride, i just got bashed on my poor choice in a starter bike.

I just LOVE those types. It is just SO MUCH FUN to bloody the noses(figuratively) of those types and it is just so blasted Easy that I get bored with them. When I tell them that that sets off another round of fun. I can keep them going in circles and spitting and stuttering for weeks.

OldCurlyWolf wrote:

rmr1923 wrote:anyone here taking part in the MS150 from Houston to Austin next weekend? i recently got into cycling and plan to participate next year.

and on a related topic, does anyone know of a good cycling forum that's (mostly) free of snobs and elitists? i tried a couple cycling forums but rather than receiving constructive advice on training and places to ride, i just got bashed on my poor choice in a starter bike.

I just LOVE those types. It is just SO MUCH FUN to bloody the noses(figuratively) of those types and it is just so blasted Easy that I get bored with them. When I tell them that that sets off another round of fun. I can keep them going in circles and spitting and stuttering for weeks.

snobs or cyclists??

rmr1923 wrote:

OldCurlyWolf wrote:

rmr1923 wrote:anyone here taking part in the MS150 from Houston to Austin next weekend? i recently got into cycling and plan to participate next year.

and on a related topic, does anyone know of a good cycling forum that's (mostly) free of snobs and elitists? i tried a couple cycling forums but rather than receiving constructive advice on training and places to ride, i just got bashed on my poor choice in a starter bike.

I just LOVE those types. It is just SO MUCH FUN to bloody the noses(figuratively) of those types and it is just so blasted Easy that I get bored with them. When I tell them that that sets off another round of fun. I can keep them going in circles and spitting and stuttering for weeks.

snobs or cyclists??

Snob cyclists or snobs of any sort.

Ran into a D.A.R. once and a Mayflowerer once. Real snobs. Made the comment that some of my ancestors were here thousands of years before theirs and I wasn't impressed by their "lineage" in the least. They were just a bunch of "Johnny come lately's".

It really irritates snobs when they discover that their opinions are not valued in the least. The worst thing you can to to one, from their viewpoint, is to laugh at them. That is actually quite easy as their opinions are usually quite comical. You do know that you just CANNOT FIX STUPID.

update: things took an unexpected turn when my wife decided she wanted to go shopping for a road bike. the Forge CTS 1000 is a little more suited for someone her size, so we sized her up on it and it fits her a LOT better than it fit me. so i went to a couple local shops and took test rides to see what i did and didn't like, and what size i need (56cm... the forge is about 50cm), and i decided i'd go with an older bike as a starter for myself. just picked up this Trek 1200 for what i think is a good price, especially considering all the upgrades (wheels/tires, carbon fork, Shimano 105 front/rear derailleurs, etc)

[quote="rmr1923"]update: things took an unexpected turn when my wife decided she wanted to go shopping for a road bike. the Forge CTS 1000 is a little more suited for someone her size, so we sized her up on it and it fits her a LOT better than it fit me. so i went to a couple local shops and took test rides to see what i did and didn't like, and what size i need (56cm... the forge is about 50cm), and i decided i'd go with an older bike as a starter for myself. just picked up this Trek 1200 for what i think is a good price, especially considering all the upgrades (wheels/tires, carbon fork, Shimano 105 front/rear derailleurs, etc)

From what I can see, you got a great starter bike. Someone knew to add a nice Selle saddle and the carbon forks, and you'll benefit from that. If it fits good, you're ready to go. The only thing I might suggest is this - I didn't see a bike computer on the bars, and that's something you should consider. It helps to know your cadence and speed as you ride, particularly if you want to keep your RPMs in the 90 - 100 range. You can also then track your distances, Averages, etc, as you go longer and longer. A second bottle cage would be of benefit as well.

Good riding!

I had a great time at the BP MS 150! I even got a great sun burn!

For any of you cyclists who may have rode in the 150, or will, thank you for riding!

Congrats on the new bike! 105 is a fantastic starter group for a beginner with plenty of growing room.

I found a forum today that I'm trying out: http://forums.mtbr.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://forums.roadbikereview.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for mountain and road, respectively.

thanks guys, i'd like to get a nice computer for the bike but at the moment had to settle for one of the cheap Bell speedometers from Academy. i was early in the process of setting aside money for a new bike, so this thing completely blew my budget after i got cycling shorts and shoes/cleats. i need to move the brakes/shifters forward, they're in a real awkward upright position, and since i have to unwrap the handlebars anyway, i'll probably re-wrap them in a different color (can't decide between solid white or a red/black "cork" look). i'll post some pics when i'm done with all that.

and now that i think of it, i'll probably need a shorter stem after adjusting the brakes/shifters.

Nice lookin new ride! Congrats.

well i've been riding the Trek for about a month now and absolutely love it. i'm definitely appreciating the previous owner's upgrade to the carbon fork and 105 components, plus the lighter wheelset. i'm not too fond of the Selle Italia seat at the moment, i figured i'd adjust to it over time but it's still not that comfortable. i'm getting hand-me-downs from some riding buddies at the moment, just got a like-new Origin8 Pro Fit saddle so i'm going to give that a try, he only wanted $10 for it and it feels a bit better than what i'm riding at the moment so we'll see how that goes (i'm wearing cycling shorts btw, i caved in to the spandex after fighting it for a few weeks).

i've also decided to re-paint the bike. the factory red paint has faded quite a bit and the decals are knicked up, so i found a guy who will do a custom decal set for me. i'm painting the bike black, and generated this rough sketch (attached below) in photoshop last night of what the color scheme will be like with the decals... + white seat and white handlebar tape, i think it'll come out pretty good.