Anybody here into biking?

[jasper]

I enjoy riding my mountain bike around but I am thinking it's time for a road bike since that's where I do most of my riding. Any suggestions?

[twtrbolvr]

Originally Posted by jasper

I enjoy riding my mountain bike around but I am thinking it's time for a road bike since that's where I do most of my riding. Any suggestions?

Dude. I was just about to post something like this hahaha. I'm a roadie. I was looking for people in Socal to ride with.

I have tons of suggestions on road bikes. What's your budget?

[Robertbog]

I just got a Fuji GT on sale for 459, hybrid, love it.

[Sara]

PM Ruffrider.. He's a biker dude.

[Josh49]

Check out this recent thread of mine - I've been updating it
http://e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122837

I bought the Trek 7.2 FX. Very happy with it so far. Wasn't ready to invest in a full road bike, so I went with this. E90post member speedgod who posts in that thread would be a great contact. He owns a shop and is an avid biker..

The hybrid has been great so far commuting to work, and doing some longer rides. I've really been enjoying it a lot.

[ae8t6ix]

I have a Fuji Roubaix I've been riding for over a year now. I typically ride a the bike trail from Irwindale down to Seal beach.

In terms of what to buy get a good frame, carbon fiber cost more but it's a softer ride, aluminum is heavier and more durable and easier on the wallet. Titanium is sort of the best of both worlds light and durable. Carbon fiber frames are strong but can crack if you crash.

Most important is fit, be sure the bike fits you well, you don't want to be over stretched on the bars or you knees feeling cramped from too small a frame. Take your time and if you have any other questions hit me up. Good luck.

[milomindrbindr]

Single speed roadie here. Haven't been riding half as much as I would like due to work, but I used to commute 150 miles a week on my bike when I lived in Orange County six months ago.

Here's my ride (Don't mind the seat angle or the pedals, both have been changed):



I pieced it together over a few months by doing research and scouring ebay. Then took it down to my local bike shop and they put the thing together for me since I didn't have all the necessary tools. I believe I spent about $600 or $700 all told for this little and extremely light beauty.

[335er]

Originally Posted by jasper

I enjoy riding my mountain bike around but I am thinking it's time for a road bike since that's where I do most of my riding. Any suggestions?

Two options:

First, if you have the money for a second bike, buy a road bike. Figure out what you can spend, and then figure out what fits you in that price range. Ask around to see if there are any leftovers. As the summer comes to a close, and the '09s roll in, you might be able to get a deal on an '08. Or, if you're really lucky, an unsold '07 or earlier.

Second, if you don't have the money for a second bike, get a second set of wheels for your mountain bike (including a cassette for the rear). Then put super skinny tires on the second set of wheels (like 1" or 1.25"). When you want to do some road riding, just swap out the mountain wheels for the road wheels. I did that set up for a few years, and it worked decently. You won't feel like you're wasting tons of energy just to get the big knobby tires rolling on pavement.

[ae8t6ix]

Milomindrbindr,

How do you like the single speed track bike? Been thinking of giving those a go as well.

[twtrbolvr]

Doh. I totally forgot. I have a 2006 Giant OCR1 laying around in my house. My gf upgraded to a TCR a few months after we bought it. Mint condition probably only 500 miles ridden on it. Upgraded wheels and saddle. PM me if you're interested.

Btw I have a Cervelo Soloist Carbon...

[milomindrbindr]

Originally Posted by ae8t6ix

Milomindrbindr,

How do you like the single speed track bike? Been thinking of giving those a go as well.

It's actually a single speed ROAD bike. I converted it to single speed by taking all the gears off the cassette and buying a single speed spacer kit I found on ebay.

I really like it, no gears to mess with = 0 maintenance . Although sometimes I wish I had more gears to go a little faster.

[TK-421]

specialized allez triple


i loved that thing and it was fast as balls. then some jackass stole it from my garage the one day i leave it open to air out from a water leak

[magmd]

[jasper]

wow, thanks for all the feedback!

my 1st thought was to get road wheel/tire combo for my Gary Fisher but a friend told me that chain gets especially "married" to rear gearset and that I'd be better off to simply get slicks or another bike...

now that I've been researching bikes for awhile I'm getting excited about zippin-around on a full on road bike

I don't mind spending some money if it's a good bike and I'll get some good use out of it

the Specialized Roubaix is looking particularly nice... it's probably way more bike than I need though

[dth656]

or you could get a cyclocross rig. i've been eyeing a few, but i'd want to ride one for a day to see how it feels.

[335er]

Originally Posted by jasper

wow, thanks for all the feedback!

my 1st thought was to get road wheel/tire combo for my Gary Fisher but a friend told me that chain gets especially "married" to rear gearset and that I'd be better off to simply get slicks or another bike...

now that I've been researching bikes for awhile I'm getting excited about zippin-around on a full on road bike

I don't mind spending some money if it's a good bike and I'll get some good use out of it

the Specialized Roubaix is looking particularly nice... it's probably way more bike than I need though

If you do go the money saving route, don't sweat the chain/cassette issue. They do tend to wear at the same time, but you could replace the chain, and I bet that would resolve any problems.