Been biking since beg. of summer, wondering if anyone's out there to share experiences, tips, equipment recommends.

Have a TREK 1500 SLR road bike with all the Bontrager stuff on it. I bike on average 10 to 20 miles a day.

here is a link to my bike:

http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1500.jsp

nate1

I got back into biking in a big way this year. I started training early in the Spring (as soon as the snow melted), starting with 15 mile rides and working up to a century ride, culminating in Ride the Rockies in June. This would have been a 430 mile ride over 5 days, but one day was canceled due to snow, so we only did 330 miles. This was the first time in 19 years that a day has been canceled. The route profile can be found at http://www.ridetherockies.com/?page=route&sub=maps


I have ridden 3 other century rides around Colorado this summer, and my last century ride will be the CU Buffalo Classic this Sunday
https://aacnt.colorado.edu/bbc/index.asp


My bike is a Cannondale R800 http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4RR8T.html
In addition to the bike, I consider my heart rate monitor absolutely necessary.

I have been using a periodization program similar to how Chirs Carmichael trains Lance Armstrong. I did HIT training prior to this, and when I had my lactate testing done at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, Neal Henderson, Coordinator of Sport Science, explained that I, like most people that he sees, was chronically overtrained. This means that my body did not remove lactic acid efficiently due to the fact that I did not train aerobically by doing long, slow rides (called overdistance training) and was instead constantly pushing myself too hard. I followed the training program he outlined and found that while it's tough (a long slow ride is boooooring in my book), it really made a difference in terms of my ability to do a ride like Ride the Rockies. The entire program is based on your heart rate, and that is why the heart rate monitor is almost as important to me as the bike.


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Good lookin' bike. I was in the Hotter than Hell race here but it rained and I hate riding on slick streets. I haven't gotten into the Lance book, I think I'll check it out.

Most athletes eventually overtrain. I used to run like 20 miles a day, sick, ran myself into the ground. I have found the long, slow rides are better because you can work on technique and also it pretty simple, longer your on the bike = better rides

nate1

The route profile can be found at http://www.ridetherockies.com/?page=route&sub=maps

Holy crap, that is some serious climbing! Good stuff

Good lookin' bike. I was in the Hotter than Hell race here but it rained and I hate riding on slick streets.
nate1Hey, you were in my home town. A belated welcome. I didn't ride this year but other than wet streets early in the morning, the weather was perfect.

I used to ride bigtime...Now I'm just ready to ride, though I don't as much as I used too. I'm riding a Cannondale Road Warrior 1000 (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/01/cusa/model-1HS1Y.html) shown below mounted on a Cycle Ops Fluid2 trainer. I went this route since I'm riding around the city, with all of the city related road damage, and hazards. It's basically, a light weight, high end tank. :lol: (msrp $1599)

Hey, you were in my home town. A belated welcome. I didn't ride this year but other than wet streets early in the morning, the weather was perfect.

I live in Dallas, was going to drive up for the race but it was raining pretty consistant here that morning. I have raced in a few North Texas event while on wet pavement, I have only wiped out twice and both times I absolutely obliterated my right side. Bad call skipping but I had a club run the next day in Dallas so not all was lost. Witchita is the hottest damn place on the planet. Dallas is little more south but I would always play the TO golf tourney there when I was in high school, middle of July and just blazin'

I live in Dallas, was going to drive up for the race but it was raining pretty consistant here that morning. I have raced in a few North Texas event while on wet pavement, I have only wiped out twice and both times I absolutely obliterated my right side. Bad call skipping but I had a club run the next day in Dallas so not all was lost. Witchita is the hottest damn place on the planet. Dallas is little more south but I would always play the TO golf tourney there when I was in high school, middle of July and just blazin'Yep, I've always said there's two kinds of bike riders, those who have been hurt and those who are going to get hurt. I know what you mean about the rain, too. I rode in the MS150 in early May. We started out at the Frito Lay plant in Plano and wound up in Ardmore OK the next day. The first day of the ride, it was cold, raining, windy, and miserable. I rode 96 miles that day, all of it into a North headwind. There were only about 200 of the 1800 riders who finished that day. I wasn't one of the sane 1600 who caught the sag wagon! It was one of those events that's fun to look back on but miserable while it was happening.

Given good weather, it's a great ride, though. They have a big overnight party at Lake Texoma. I'll do it again next year.

[QUOTE=ThatOldGuy]The first day of the ride, it was cold, raining, windy, and miserable. I rode 96 miles that day, all of it into a North headwind. There were only about 200 of the 1800 riders who finished that day. I wasn't one of the sane 1600 who caught the sag wagon! It was one of those events that's fun to look back on but miserable while it was happening.

It amazes me that in the middle of a miserable ride like this, I will think "why the hell am I doing this.....never again" and then I am riding again the next weekend. Those of us who bike like this must have some serious type of brain damage.

I used to ride bigtime...Now I'm just ready to ride, though I don't as much as I used too. I'm riding a Cannondale Road Warrior 1000 (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/01/cusa/model-1HS1Y.html) shown below mounted on a Cycle Ops Fluid2 trainer. I went this route since I'm riding around the city, with all of the city related road damage, and hazards. It's basically, a light weight, high end tank. :lol: (msrp $1599)

Very nice bike. Cannondales may look like tanks, but I like the fact that they don't flex when your standing on the pedals cranking up a hill.

Biking is the coolest thing ever known to man. I'd take nice, slow (for me) bike rides
around my town every single day in the summer, minus weekends (well, even some
weekends.) I'd go about 14 MPH on a crappy Pacific Mountain <- MOUNTAIN, Bike and
just have a blast for about an hour. Never really pushed myself or tried to do longer
routes, just basically for fun. But heck, when else can you have that much fun and
still keep yourself in decent shape?

Very nice bike. Cannondales may look like tanks, but I like the fact that they don't flex when your standing on the pedals cranking up a hill.

Thank you. You've got quite the sweet ride yourself. When I was younger I used to ride close to 100 miles a day, on a traditional roadbike. I started racing mountain bikes back around 92-95 until I seperated my shoulder. When I picked up this bike in 01, I couldn't see myself going back to the drop bars and foward brake levers, and I knew if I bought another mountain bike I was gonna end up in the hospital again. So I went the hybrid route. I don't really consider this much of a hybrid though, because I typically don't envision an Mavic, Magura, Ultegra comps on a hybrid... :lol: It still weighs in at 21lbs though.

I was thinking about getting a road bike.. then I saw the price. I'd need perfect credit and a 6 digit salary for the loan.

I bike to work every day. And I mean every day, even in the winter. Studded tires. In addition, I bike for about an hour once or twice a week on or off road depending on my mood. I love it.

Below is a pic of my custom Merida(yellow) and a Magnesium Elite competition bike that was bought off Gunn Rita Dahle(female MTB world champion).

Both are incredibly nice bikes, but I really prefer the Magura Louise disc brakes on the yellow over the XTR disc brakes on the competition bike.

Both are incredibly nice bikes, but I really prefer the Magura Louise disc brakes on the yellow over the XTR disc brakes on the competition bike.

As an ex-racer...Very Nice :drool: :drool: :drool:

As an ex-racer...Very Nice :drool: :drool: :drool:

yeah...well...let's just say that I could get a pretty nice second hand car if I sold'em :whistle:

Yeah, my race bike was worth more than $3000. Luckily I had a couple of partial sponserships. It was a build up from a GT Psyclone frame. Do you do night rides also? I used to love night rides in the winter with the studded tires.

Anywhere...any time...I just love biking ;)

Both bikes were rediculously cheap...about 1500 for the yellow and 2200 for the Magnesium. Full price would've been pretty close to 10,000 for both. :p

It's so nice to know the right people at the right sports stores...

Some larger shops sell used bikes and occasionaly you can find a deal worth jumping on. I got my TREK 1500 SLR for $850, retails at like $1200, ah, something, just replaced the stem and seat, ever since has run fine.

How long does everyone ride on a given day/week?

3-6 hours a week depending on weather and what I feel like doing that given day/week.

3-6 hours a week depending on weather and what I feel like doing that given day/week.

Nice, yea try to get out at least every other day. I found on my lifting days I should bike and non-lifting days I can do my running, retains more muscle that way.

How Far does everyone go? ( forgot to ask that last time)

I found a new route where in about two hours I cover 50 miles, with only 1 decent down a hill.

nate1

I've got a couple of different loops I run, depending on mood. I ride SHIIT style...as in, I'm all out for about 30-45 minutes. I've got a 12 mile loop, that I can huff out in 30 minutes. Another one is about 7-8 miles that I do at a slower 40-45 minute pace.

I have a standard loop...25km on the road...usually do it in 45-50 mins depending on weather conditions. No idea really on the off road loops I go, but both are really intense

I found a new route where in about two hours I cover 50 miles, with only 1 decent down a hill.

50 miles in 2 hours!?!? That is really moving, at least compared to me!

I have an 11-mile commute to work that takes me about 35 minutes (which I sometimes extend to 20 or so if time and weather permits. The backpack with a change of clothes, etc., slows me a couple mph). I do that twice a week on non-lifting days, and then try to get a longer ride in on Saturdays (distance varies, ranging from 30-80 miles, with about 50 being typical), typically averaging about 18-21 mph.

50 miles in 2 hours!?!? That is really moving, at least compared to me!

I have an 11-mile commute to work that takes me about 35 minutes (which I sometimes extend to 20 or so if time and weather permits. The backpack with a change of clothes, etc., slows me a couple mph). I do that twice a week on non-lifting days, and then try to get a longer ride in on Saturdays (distance varies, ranging from 30-80 miles, with about 50 being typical), typically averaging about 18-21 mph.

I'm movin' on my loop, but with a south wind here in Texas, the majority of it is heading north or northeast, my average speed is about 22 to 25 so when I say 2 hours it's within 15 minutes or so. There is only one huge hill to traverse and It is at the end by my house. Part of my loop is over a damn where you can really get the cadence up.

Do you live in Nebraska? I attended there from 00' to 02' at UNL. Go to quite a few football games every year. Went to W.ILL game and have tickets to see Col. over Thanksgiving. I grew up in Dallas my whole life but my Dad graduated in Class of 69' so rooting for the huskers was required in his house, just a natural feeling anyway. Mami fans wouldn't know that

Any favorite/unique spots everyone rides?

I've got two routes I can ride. The names don't really mean much to anyone, but my longer ride is 14.25 miles which takes me by Lake Michigan and Muskegon State Park's BlockHouse (a replica of a fort).

My short route takes a cut off turn from the long route and is between 6 and 8 miles.

My bike is a Giant Iguana 640 (or 460)... I can't remember which. It's got a tire set that's between road tires and mountain tires.

Takes me approximately 59 minutes for the long route and 30 minutes for the short.

Lookout Mountain in Golden Colorado which from my house is about 31 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2500 feet. I try to do this once a week since I do a lot of mountain pass riding throughout the summer. Usually ride 50 - 150 miles per week depending on the time of year.

Road the CU Buffalo Classic Century this weekend and have felt too sore to lift. Being over 40 really sucks when it comes to recuperative abilities.

Do you live in Nebraska? I attended there from 00' to 02' at UNL. Go to quite a few football games every year. Went to W.ILL game and have tickets to see Col. over Thanksgiving. I grew up in Dallas my whole life but my Dad graduated in Class of 69' so rooting for the huskers was required in his house, just a natural feeling anyway. Mami fans wouldn't know that


I actually live in Texas as well (Austin), but I was born and raised in Omaha, attended UNL, and am a diehard Husker fan in the middle of all these Longhorns (my license plates say HUSKR1 and HUSKR2). I usually attend at least one road game (this year it's Oklahoma, what can I say, I want to attend the BIG wins :d_biggrin) and try to get to one home game (but probably not this year).

Go Big Red!

Guys, I do nothing near as serious as you guys, a little fifty-four mile race among brothers five times a year on holidays, with dinner as the winners loot. But as far as competitive goes, you have to know us. We normally ride in Ohio along the Little Miami river. Nice trip. I live in Western Pa. and on Memorial Day we rode U.S. Rt.30 to Shanksville Flight 93 memorial and back (72miles) through Laurel mountains. Not a race that time. Great ride. Pa. hills are much tougher than Ohio flats. I have an old junky 21 speed CCM mountain bike that I picked up on a trade for an old weight bench at 'Play it Again sports'. Absolutely nothing fancy but it rolls and has a seat and brakes. Love this thread!

Hey guys, I have just gotten interested in biking as not only a way of commute, but to exercise as well.

I was wondering what kind of bike you think would be good for me? I live in a pretty residential area, and the bike store employee recommended the Gary Fisher Utopia (http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=citypath&bike=Utopia)



Thoughts? Thanks a lot

I've got a Fisher- It's an OK bike for occasional use. If I was still riding lots of miles I'd prefer a road bike (rode Bianchis for years)- just cannot get used to the upright ride. Spent about $450 and it was plenty of bike for putzing around on.

They should be able to get you that bike for $650-700.

Heh, weird. I'm Nate, I'm 22, and I have the exact same frigging bike. :jumping:

Heh, weird. I'm Nate, I'm 22, and I have the exact same frigging bike. :jumping:

do you like it? what kind of exercise do you use it for? i am debating between it and a hybrid

do you like it? what kind of exercise do you use it for? i am debating between it and a hybrid

I absolutely love it. I don't consider it exercise, I consider it a hobby. However, when I ride it's either a weekend lazy type trip or it's a short burst of intensity after work.

Looking back I would probably get a hybrid because you ARE kind of constricted with a road bike. TREK makes a good bike, either way. :tucool:

oh............wrong kind of bike...........dang

:D

Just don't run us over and we'll be all set !

Hey Nate- from Noho? I'm sure you must do the bike trail from northampton to amherst?


Just don't run us over and we'll be all set !

One of my goals is to get back into Mtn. Biking. I have been riding a paved trail by my house as part of my work out. Part of my promise to myself is if I lose weight, get in shape, and keep riding next spring I am going to upgrade from my entry lvl Mtn. Bike to something more substantial.

Hey Nate- from Noho? I'm sure you must do the bike trail from northampton to amherst?

I'm actually from "Ware", but I went to school at Umass and yes, I do hit up the bike trail from time to time. The ride into up 116 into Deerfield from Umass is really nice...by Yankee Candle and the like.

Has anyone been out lately?

I've been picking it up lately, hardcore. The tour always inspires me to ride more.

I raced mountainbikes for about 4 years. I was the beginner state champion in 1997 and finished 5th overall in the sport class in 1999.
I used to put in a lot of miles on the road training for races. I had a collision with a car a few years ago and haven't been able to get back in the road scene again.
I ride every now and again but plan to overcome my road fear soon. I don't trail ride because my cardivascular conditioning sucks right now.
I own a 1990ish Klein Fervor , 1999 Trek 2300 SLR, and 2000 Titus Racer X. I've been through a Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo (1st mountain bike), Specialized Rockhopper, Klein Attitude, Klein Adroit, and (2) Klein Mantra Pro's. All have been broke or sold.
The Tour de France has got me pretty stoked on riding again. The tour just won't be the same without the "Boss" in it. Although the Americans are really making a good show so far far.

I have my hybrid bike ready to roll. I would like a Road Bike but a hybrid suits my needs better. TDF always gets mestoked but my schedulereally doesn't allow me to start until mid-July. Biking season for me will go from now until the snow comes in.

Me ride. Me race. Me tour. Me camp. Me like bike.

I used to be sponsored by Specialized back in the day. Met and rode with Lance in 1996, before the Cancer and the Tour and Ms. Crow. Have over 10,000 miles on my hybrid, and 5,000 more on my race bike.
I've ridden from Orlando to Miami, Philly to DC, and New York City to Boston... all of those were weekend camping trips. Rode from Seattle to Victoria BC and back in one week, 750 miles unsupported and alone.

I'm training for a back to back century weekend in September... the weekend after a half marathon run. I'm calling it a 350 mile month: 300 on the bike, and 50 on foot.

Training plan and bike pics are in the VIP section on JSF. Race results are on my SickOfBeingFat profile.