Cycling (Road Bike) Thread

Thanks, I'll take a look at that!

 

Some video from this past weekend's (bicycle) races at Texas Motor Speedway.

40+/50+/60+ (age based): http://youtu.be/PP4Ap15rnKU
Cat 3/4: http://youtu.be/NTopMv0Lkys

 

http://youtu.be/aeCRnFq_9Lo

 

new bike I ordered today. I'm posting it here cause it is probably more road than off-road.

 

Very nice! I did make a cyclo cross thread but its been dormant for a while lol

 

just found this thread and figured I'd poke my head in and say "hello" =)

I just recently got into cycling because I'm sick of paying for gas to and from work as I'm only 4 miles away so I got this little daily rider and have been keeping a pretty good riding regiment.



(stock photograph, not my actual wheels)

I've never ridden with cleats before and when I first got it, it had flat pedals on it, but now I've installed some Speedplay Zeros and I'm lovin' em.

Longest ride to date has been 25 consecutive miles and I was able to keep a healthy pace the whole way but I need someone (and some damn time) to ride with!

 

I am actually not a fan of riding with people....unless you're the leader

Maybe 1 person is ok to give you someone to talk to, but riding with a group is too easy because the riders in front of you break the wind and you are riding through a dead zone, which means after 60 miles I feel like I have only gone 20 haha.

But 25 is awesome, keep it up And check out any bike clubs in your area.

A word to the wise: if you ride too close to someone and their rear wheel hits your front wheel, there is a high likelyhood that you will fall, resulting in a pileup if the people behind you can't avoid you. (which is another reason I don't like riding with other people).

 

I'm used to being on two wheels; I race motorcycles so I know the physics of crashes

I agree on the whole group pace though, when I go for casual rides on my powered 2 wheeler, I'm usually only with one other person because I don't want to deal with too much.

My buddy used to ride but now he's training for marathons so his time is pretty scant too.

Guess I'll just have to go put some saddle time in by my lonesome! My usual ride to work is a sprint just to see what I can do, and I know I have trouble keeping a steady pace but the cyclometer helps but I just need to get some miles on and get used to it.

My record as of yet was a solid 27mph for my 4 miles to work and I kept up between 18-23mph for my 25 miler.

 

Very slick! Want.

 

My first post in this thread. I read through some of it - looks to be some knowledgeable folks in here.

A little background. I've mostly been a Half Marathon and Obstacle Course (Spartan) runner. But I'm looking to shake things up a bit. I want to wade into the Triathlon world. My best friend (and trainer) is heavily into Triathlons, and has even completed 2 Ultramans. So I have some good people in my corner as I begin this new journey.

I'm looking to pick up a bike pretty soon. And I've had some excellent guidance so far. I have a possible bike selected, and thought I would ask for some opinions here. This is a link to the bike in question....

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/kestrel/kestrel_k4000_sl_ultegra.htm

I've read some reviews on it - and they seem mostly favorable. I'm going to try and find one at a bike shop that I can actually try - to check for fit and comfort.

So is this a good bike?

 

Thats going to limit you on your water bottles....unless you use a bottle holder that goes behind your seat (but do you want something going in your mouth thats been...back there...?

You may want to wait because shimano 5800 is coming out and 5700 bikes will drop in price. There is nothing wrong with 5700 and I think it's the best bang for your buck. (I have it and now that its broken I have no complaints)

But a DA/Ultegra bike on a carbon frame at 1700? That's VERY good and if you have the money it is a great deal.

But I am not sure what ultegra/DA is it....there is a noticeable difference between 6700 ultegra and 6800 ultegra. And the the same will probably be true about 5700 105 and 5800 105.

I am going to bet its 6700 as well as DA 7xxx (I forget the numbers) since it said 20 speed (which isnt bad)

DA 9000 is boss though as well as 6800 and the electric stuff (6850 and 9070) and the electric stuff will come to 105 eventually as well Not to mention SRAM has brought wireless components to the game.

 

And if anyone has a k-edge (bar mount not stem mount) they are not using....and gets my attention about it before I go to the lbs....I am in the market for one

 

I'll flat out admit - much of what you posted there is like a foreign language to me. I googled some of the items you mentioned. But I'm just not knowledgeable enough on bikes to really know. My best friend - and another good friend - are both extremely knowledgeable. So I'll repeat what you've said, to them.

As for the bottles. I'm not worried at all. I'll very likely do an aero bottle at the hand grips. And I don't mind bottles behind the seat. I don't tend to 'exhaust' much when racing in any sport.

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm really looking forward to learning about this.

 

Shimano has different levels

Shimano/noname/walmart junk ->claris/2300 ->Sora -> tiagra -> 105 -> ultegra -> dura ace.

That goes from worst to best.

105 5700 (the 5700 is kinda like an edition number) has been around for a good amount of time, but far from out dated.

The bike you're looking at has ultegra 6700 and dura ace 7900 (I believe), which is 20 speed (2x10)

ultegra 6800 got a huge make over, not only going to 22 speeds (2x11) but also in how smoothly it shifts (front and back), braking performance, and (at least for traditional road bikes) feel in your hands.

The last one won't really apply to TT bike.

The bike you posted is an awesome deal and at that price + a carbon frame, I wouldn't complain. The difference between 10 cogs in the back with 6700 and 11 cogs with 6800 is not a game changer by any means.

If you have the money I would get a normal road bike and a TT bike. For general purpose riding/training a road bike will be much better because it will let you get use to riding for extended periods of time and tell you even if you like riding.

You can get clamp on TT bars to mimic the position as well and if you decide you actually like riding and want to add it into your training, then get a TT bike. Most people I know who do tris have a normal road bike they train on and a nice TT bike for comps.

Bikes direct is ALWAYS having great deals.

 

Damn!! Thanks for that second posting. That makes it much easier to understand - for myself at this point.

That's some solid advice about 2 separate bikes. I just may consider that.

 

Be careful, it gets to be an addiction.

 

^^^^^^
Ah yes. I know this 'addiction' you speak of.

However - I'm pretty okay with it. I used to be addicted to sitting on my ass, and basically being a total waste. At one time I was well over 300 pounds, played online computer games day and night, and was running my family into the ground. I finally saw the light, and completely turned my life around.

These days I eat super clean - train a lot - do all kinds of races - etc. My health is top notch. My home business has never been better. And most important, my family is a smooth running (and healthy) machine.

I turned garbage addictions into kick ass addictions!!

 

Nice job on the weight loss

I suggest looking into a bike with new sora (has integrated brake/shifters) or tiagra. Also you will probably want race geo.

 

I'm not very happy with the Tektros that came on my bike and have never felt much confidence when riding on them.

Swapped in some koolstop to see if it made a huge difference and nothing, well, nothing to write home about.

Worthwhile to get new cables (I don't need 'em but if I'm doing an upgrade anyways...) and transition to Ultegra?

Various forums seem to agree that they outperform the tektro but hey, none of them publicly admit to owning a Tacoma

 

Also, finally got some proper riding attire (not gym shorts/running shirts) and holy cow have I been missing out.

Already got cat called at by some college girls so I call that a win in and of itself!