bought my first road bicycle last night...

[grove rat]

...but you wont catch me on any busy streets

picked this up from a friend for $100, looked on the website and the msrp is $329. he bought it on sale and rode it less than 10 times and it's just been sitting in his apt



it's not a fixie(tried to ride one of those a couple different times and damn near killed myself) and it is in brand new condition. i know i need to tighten up the chain and maybe lift up the seat a bit. other than some air in the tires it's good to go. oh it doesn't have any grip tape but i was planning on using some mechanix gloves, i have seen a lot of guys use them for biking

i live like a half a block away from white rock lake and the santa fe trail so that's what i'll be sticking to most of the time. i bought it cause i have a couple friends that ride for fun plus i could easily loose a few extra pounds

how much do bike racks cost? just the simple ones that attach to the trunk

[SlowLX]

...but you wont catch me on any busy streets

picked this up from a friend for $100, looked on the website and the msrp is $329. he bought it on sale and rode it less than 10 times and it's just been sitting in his apt



it's not a fixie(tried to ride one of those a couple different times and damn near killed myself) and it is in brand new condition. i know i need to tighten up the chain and maybe lift up the seat a bit. other than some air in the tires it's good to go. oh it doesn't have any grip tape but i was planning on using some mechanix gloves, i have seen a lot of guys use them for biking

i live like a half a block away from white rock lake and the santa fe trail so that's what i'll be sticking to most of the time. i bought it cause i have a couple friends that ride for fun plus i could easily loose a few extra pounds

how much do bike racks cost? just the simple ones that attach to the trunk

PM strychnine he might have his old bike rack from his Mazda, he takes about as long to get rid of things as I do.

[grove rat]

adjusted the bars, tightened the chain, aired up the tires and rode 11.3 miles last night with a couple of friends



only thing that bothered me was my butt, after talking to some friends that ride a lot they said it's just something you just gotta not think about and push through. my legs are fine, i am constantly up and down stairs all day at work

new parts checklist:
grip tape
wider pedals
add front brake or move rear to front

other than that the bike rides really good, i know i have nothing to compare it to but i enjoyed the ride('cept for that seat!) and plan on riding it a lot

[Sean88gt]

Get some riding shorts.

[ELVIS]

Get some riding shorts, and post pics.

WTF??? homo!

god bless.

[grove rat]

Get some riding shorts.

not no, but fuck no! i will wear my cholo dickies shorts though when the weather is warmer

WTF??? homo!

god bless.

lmao

[chuckacosta]

not no, but fuck no! i will wear my cholo dickies shorts though when the weather is warmer lmao

Lmao! I wear riding shorts. Trust me they help. HOWEVER, I still wear other shorts on top of them. If I spin at the gym I wear basketball shorts. If I ride on the road I wear cargo shorts. Again, reconsider it.

[kingjason]

Lmao! I wear riding shorts. Trust me they help. HOWEVER, I still wear other shorts on top of them. If I spin at the gym I wear basketball shorts. If I ride on the road I wear cargo shorts. Again, reconsider it.

You know they sell mountainbike shorts now with chamois. They look pretty normal but not near as aero though. LOL

[grove rat]

that's a good idea chuck thanks. how much do they cost?

[Strychnine]

(can't see the pics here at work)

only thing that bothered me was my butt,

1. get shorts
2. nothing underneath them (unless you get the basketball short style ones chuck mentioned)
3. get a good saddle. big and soft is not good. you have "sit bones" in your ass that should be in contact w/ the saddle, not the fat part.

(but yeah, just putting some miles on your ass will help a bunch)

http://www.specialized.com/specs/spec.jsp?speccode=bodygeometrysaddles

"The most important aspect of saddle fit is the sit bone (ischial tuberosities - the two pressure points you feel when sit on something flat and hard) width. These should be supported by your seat. If your saddle is too narrow, then the pressure will be on the tissues between the bones causing numbness and discomfort. If the saddle is too wide, then it will likely cause chaffing of the thighs, especially at higher pedal cadences. "

re: big cushy saddles:

" These seats are more comfortable for short rides, but the extra sliding and chaffing can cause discomfort on long rides. Also, these initially feel more comfortable because they distribute pressure from your sit bones to the tissue around them. This will feel good at first, but since these tissues include the perineum area, nerves, and blood vessels which can't handle this for long, the saddle will become very uncomfortable as the ride length increases."

1. If the saddle is too high, this will cause you to shift your weight from side to side. This can result in irritation to the perineal area.

2. Tilting the saddle slightly downward in the front will help alleviate pressure on the soft tissues. However, if the saddle is tilted too far down, you will place too much weight on your wrists and hands. The may result is numb hands and pain in the lower back.

3.Stand in the saddle occasionally and adjust your riding position from time to time. This tends to happen automatically with mountain biking, but you may have to make a conscious effort to do this when road riding.

I'll check on the bike rack when I get home later.

[Vertnut]

Adjust that saddle height where you have about a 5 degree bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If your knee locks, it's too high.

[Strychnine]

Adjust that saddle height where you have about a 5 degree bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If your knee locks, it's too high.

Definitely.

Another way to do it is to put your heel on the pedal centerline. At the bottom of the stoke your leg should be straight. When you go back to your toe you'll be around the correct bend.

Quick and dirty: If the front of your knee hurts your seat is too low. If the back of your knee hurts your seat is too high.

[kingjason]

Definitely.

Another way to do it is to put your heel on the pedal centerline. At the bottom of the stoke your leg should be straight. When you go back to your toe you'll be around the correct bend.

Quick and dirty: If the front of your knee hurts your seat is too low. If the back of your knee hurts your seat is too high.

This is spot on and how I did it for years. Just get close to wall and put one arm on the wall and prop your self up like you where riding. Roll the pedal backwards till it is at 6 oclock position. Your heal should just barely touch it at a resting position(not stretching for it). Since you would most likely not be clipped in when you first start riding you might need to lower the seat a little from there but not much. When you are clipped in you usually have a tad more stretch since your foot is a little further back on the pedals.

[chuckacosta]

You know they sell mountainbike shorts now with chamois. They look pretty normal but not near as aero though. LOL

Lol! Ya of course I know. I've considered buying them. But the only place I've seen them, that I like, is at my local bike shop. And they are HELLA expensive.

that's a good idea chuck thanks. how much do they cost?

You can buy a decent pair at Academy for ~$25. Canari brand.

[grove rat]

thanks for all the comments guys!


i just missed this deal http://www.mywoot.net/past/details.php?id=3948
i used to have one but gave it away to a friend cause i only used it once, plus it was given to me so no big deal