You're right. I weighed it the other day after a PM I got and it ended up being 19.7 lbs. Of course, it has heavy-ass nashbar pedals, generic aluminum bottle cage, aluminum cockpit, a heavy gel saddle and generic training wheels.

You could probably get it down below 18 lbs with some upgrades. Not bad for a non-carbon bike.

2/3/2011 2:02:17 PM

oh yea, definitely an admirable weight given the build

2/3/2011 2:06:03 PM

I went on a 30 mi group ride Saturday morning, after doing weight training and playing underwater hockey on Friday. I was DYING! And the group was going pretty fast that day. I kept getting dropped and the ride captain had to come back for me I can usually keep up with that ride so I was a little upset. But my legs felt like jelly. I ride near the beach in Charleston so it's always super windy, if I get that little gap and lose the draft it's really hard to get back.

2/13/2011 9:57:51 AM

^yep. took me a while to learn that it's always worth killing myself to close a small gap to get back in the draft and then rest rather than fall back.

2/14/2011 9:44:04 AM

I'm going to be in Raleigh / Durham this weekend, anyone know of any group rides? I'm looking around online but I'd like some personal input if possible. My Charleston ride is 30 miles, averaging 18-19 mph (although it's flat as a pancake so I'm a bit nervous about the hills)

suggestions??

2/17/2011 5:04:36 PM

holla at the guys/girls from the spin cycle in cary

its been a few years since i was in the area, but i seem to remember them having a fair number of rides throughout the week

2/17/2011 5:15:08 PM

If anyone is interested in a bike ride to the beach, there will be one to benefit the Bethlehem Children's Center in Winston Salem, NC. Dates are May 19-21st. Leaves out of Midway, NC and ends at Ocean Isle, NC.

112 miles the first day
~60 miles the second day
~30 miles the third day

Plenty of time to train! PM me if you want more information!

2/17/2011 5:45:12 PM

Cycling Spoken Here in Cary will have a Saturday ride

2/17/2011 8:17:50 PM

thanks guys, I ended up going on the cycling spoken here ride.

PS ... any advice on a mirror for a road bike??? I'd prefer one that attaches to the handlebars

2/24/2011 7:38:40 PM

Too bad I can't teleport Nerdchick to Durham for a riding partner....mine bought a house and has gotten obsessed with fixing it up. It's time to make some new roadie friends. Maybe I should go hang out with the Tarwheels again?

2/24/2011 10:34:21 PM

^ I knowwww! the roads where I live are pretty awful too. (think Capital Blvd bad) I have to drive 30 min to get to my group rides, which feels so ridiculous! But Durham has so many nice country roads.

2/25/2011 6:20:49 AM

I'm looking for a bike to use for trails for overnight cycling trips (for example, the B&O Canal trail from Cumberland MD to DC). I don't want to spend a lot of money as I have a nice road bike for my daily rides and I don't think I'll be doing these too many times during the year. What are some good options?

2/25/2011 9:39:32 AM

That depends on your definition of alot of money. It sounds like a cyclocross bike would fit your needs (light trail and some touring). Unfortunately, used cyclocross bikes are hard to come by around here. I have been checking.

I recently had a great experience with http://www.bikesdirect.com. If you know your size and can work on your own bike, they are the best deal around IMO. Some people shit on them because they don't have the name brands like Trek and Specialized, but the fact is 90% of the bikes sold in the U.S. are built in a handful of factories in China. I like to support the local bike shop, but I can't justify paying 2-3 times as much for similar specs as I would find on that site.

2/25/2011 10:30:31 AM

Cycling spoken here is for Floozies

2/25/2011 12:56:58 PM

^don't be a bike snob. good for you, you ride a fixie, it doesn't make you any more knowledgeable about bikes. no one is stopping you about talking about 'cycling' they way you want.

^^I've had my Wellington 3.0 for 3-years now, over 3,000 miles on it, still working great. (my daily commuter, plus a 100-mile century + training on it)

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/wellington3_IX.htm

Best $400 I ever spent.

But now I'm looking for something a bit higher-end.

[Edited on February 25, 2011 at 1:22 PM. Reason : .]

2/25/2011 1:13:42 PM

I just bought this BMC Race Master. They're on sale at Competitive Cyclist.

3/7/2011 5:27:06 PM

what do you guys think of this bike??

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/archive/21wsd#

I found a used one for $675 in Cary. (they go for about $1100 new) Right now I have a Specialized Sirrus that's about 10-15 years old and pretty heavy. I'm excited about the upgrade but not sure if I should hold out for something cheaper. Also I'm worried that I'm not "fast enough" to have a nice bike, I always scoff at slowpokes with nice equipment.

3/8/2011 2:48:08 PM

That bike isn't going to gain you any "why does she think she can ride that bike" type of stares at a local group ride if you can do anything over 15 mph for 10 miles.

3/9/2011 6:43:45 AM

^++

It's a good recreational road bike. Do you have specific bike-needs, or are your requirements mostly cost based?

You will be able to grow in ability on that bike. No one will mock you for riding too much bike. If you do manage to "out-grow" its abilities, you will have a good idea of what you want in your next bike.

3/9/2011 10:23:42 AM

Yeah I wouldn't worry about getting a lighter bike. The only one who's going to notice is you, and how much faster you might be going. I would look at you funny only if you are like the people in my first sprint tri, who insisted on using aero bars and full carbon for an 11-mile bike leg, and I sailed past them with my normal commuter fixie.

(I have since upgraded to better bikes for my road riding).

3/9/2011 10:45:15 AM

^haha, same thing happened to me (although I'm on a cheap $400 road bike) in the Chicago super sprint tri. It was like a 6-mile, 2 loop course, still finished in the top 10%

So anyhow I love my commuter road bike and have put probably 3,000 miles on it. Love it. But I'm looking to upgrade a little bit, I am currently on Sora/2200 components and looking at going up to at least 105 or Ultegra components, 56cm frame bike. That's about all I know. Will most likely do all endurance rides, century rides, climing, etc. A lot of the courses are in the 80-100-mile range with 6-7,000 vertical gains. Definitely looking for something that will last, not for racing, something in the $1,200-$1,500 range for a complete bike.

I've riden a Giant and feel really comfortable on their frames. But I've always had my eyes on a Trek (my mountain bike 790 was a beast for 15-years for me back in the day) and Specialized, but would love some recommendations. That BMC looked pretty nice but the complete bike was in the $2k range.

Thanks.

[Edited on March 9, 2011 at 2:02 PM. Reason : .]

3/9/2011 1:55:25 PM

^I'd look used on Craigslist. That's gonna be your best bet. That price range is probably going to get you into an aluminum frame/carbon fork with 105s if you are buying new from a LBS. You should easily be able to find a slightly used bike with ultegra or higher that could last you forever.

I just picked up a 2005 Felt FX1 cyclocross bike that I am gonna use for road riding with an extra wheelset and full dura ace gruppo for around a grand. The thing has barely been ridden and looks brand new.

^^ The funniest people at triathlons are the people who have aero helmet, $3k aero bike with aero bars and then spend the whole ride sitting up on the bullhorns like a damn sail in the wind. I'm no bike snob, but I will definitely laugh at those people.

[Edited on March 9, 2011 at 3:16 PM. Reason : d]

3/9/2011 3:15:05 PM

thanks for the advice guys! My dad said pretty much the same thing ... "Don't worry, that bike isn't too nice. Not like it's a three thousand dollar bike or something." And I said, "But Dad, it's a one thousand dollar bike!"

Guess I'm not used to the prices! Sounds like a grand is about normal for an entry level road bike. Last summer I started riding the old Specialized with my dad on the weekends (he's an "A group" guy who was very kind and waited for me at the top of hills ) Now I go on group rides in Charleston. I recently broke 30 on a flat for the first time!!! Sure I was drafting but who cares. I'm really enjoying cycling and I feel ready for an upgrade!!

3/9/2011 3:48:18 PM

^ If you can hang on someone's wheel at 30 no one will be scoffing you on that bike. You shouldn't feel bad about riding the 105/ultegra mix on a mid-range aluminum that Prospero is looking at. Now, if you're on carbon with SRAM Red with full team kit on, then I might scoff if you weren't pulling occasionally. But I don't understand people who pay to wear someone else's team kit anyways.

^^^ I second the craigslist browsing, especially if you feel comfortable identifying likely problems, know what you want, and can be patient.

Alternatively, if you are comfortable with your own upgrades, you can buy a frame and upgrade parts as they fail or you find them on sale. It is likely the total cost over time will be higher than a good deal on CL, but you can reduce the up front cost, and have a completely custom set up with the parts you choose. Works best if you like working on the bike.

3/9/2011 4:02:06 PM

yea, pretty much what I was thinking. there are a LOT of nice bikes on CL in CO, but i'll keep looking.

3/9/2011 4:05:58 PM

LOL ... 90% of the bikes on craigslist here are beach cruisers

3/9/2011 4:36:29 PM

^ I feel you there. I'm in need of a new geometry frame and I probably could have found one on CL in the Raleigh area within a month or so. But down here (im in E. NC) , Im guessing I could go for years and not see the supply of used bikes available such that one of them will be one for me.

3/9/2011 6:37:42 PM

^Have you tried a Ridley yet?

3/10/2011 8:35:42 AM

Trek is offering most of the road models in different geometries

3/10/2011 1:15:25 PM

what's a compact bike?

3/22/2011 5:19:53 PM

probably meaning compact crank

50/34t vs. 53/39t

hopefully its not referring to those ridiculous 20" wheeled/60cm travel bike things

3/22/2011 6:19:27 PM

A "classic" road bike frame has a top tube parallel to the ground. A "compact" frame has a sloping top tube, and often is described with an "effective" top tube length, or what it would be if it was straight.

A compact frame will probably have more standover. They may be lighter, but will require a longer seat post, so a direct frame comparison is misleading.

http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/measure-frame/road-bike

3/22/2011 8:15:43 PM

So I just bought a used bike (thanks JSteen! ) Sadly I've only been able to ride it once since then cause I caught a nasty bug. My bike shop charges $75 to do a fitting ... is that worth it? can I do it fine myself using a guide from the internet? just seems like a lot of money to me

3/31/2011 4:27:47 PM

If you have already bought the bike, a fitting would be a waste IMO. Fitting is best to help you choose the frame. Just make small adjustments as you ride it until it fits comfortably.

3/31/2011 5:10:48 PM

Fitting can mean many different things. I agree with ^, if you've bought the bike, the bike store fitting is of substantially less value. However, if you start to develop pains that you can't adjust away, you should go find a good fitter, which might be your bike shop, and might not be.

You can also have a fitting done from a performance perspective, I know a guy that paid out the wazoo for a pro-cyclist level fitting and mini-training. He's also old, retired, with a few artificial joints, and still a hell of a rider. He found great value in the trip in both improved comfort and performance.

3/31/2011 7:22:36 PM

Damn bike collectors.

I'm looking for an older cro-moly classic frame, preferably with touring geometry. Mostly I've been trying to find an old Raleigh, Trek, or one of the Japanese brands from the 80s. But the used bike market where I live is crazy expensive.

4/7/2011 1:25:27 AM

^
My boyfriend is currently magnetically drawn to a brown vintage Bianchi in our co-op that is his size (~ 52-54 cm). I had to talk him out of it, and remind him we have a dozen other bikes at home that need fixed or need to be re-purposed.

Needless to say, we are bike hoarders, particularly of old lugged steel 10-speed frames.

4/7/2011 12:17:56 PM

^^ got an 80's-ish italian (some obscure brand that I'm not hipster enough to have heard of) frame w/ a brand new bottom bracket and singlespeed crank I'd be willing to part with. road frame that was used as a tri bike.

[Edited on April 8, 2011 at 3:00 AM. Reason : they're all gonna laugh at you]

4/8/2011 3:00:13 AM

^awesome name!!!

4/8/2011 3:59:25 PM

started back up tonight since laying off for the most part since christmas. felt good. my legs felt great but my lungs were really lacking. i hope in a month i can get back to the fast group rides on the weekends.

4/9/2011 8:48:51 PM

got in a short ride tonight. only did 17 miles. i think i am going to lay off 2 days a week this year instead of only 1.

4/10/2011 9:32:58 PM

Quote :

"^don't be a bike snob. good for you, you ride a fixie, it doesn't make you any more knowledgeable about bikes. no one is stopping you about talking about 'cycling' they way you want. ^^I've had my Wellington 3.0 for 3-years now, over 3,000 miles on it, still working great. (my daily commuter, plus a 100-mile century + training on it) http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/wellington3_IX.htm Best $400 I ever spent. But now I'm looking for something a bit higher-end. [Edited on February 25, 2011 at 1:22 PM. Reason : .] "

No. It's really for Floozies. I ride mountain, road, fixed and occasionally cyclecross as well as build my own/fix my friends bikes on the side. But thank you for you assumption.

4/13/2011 3:59:35 PM

^ Isn't a floozie a girl who sleeps around a lot? So that shop's for sluts? Lolz.

4/13/2011 4:39:12 PM

just throwin it out there...but if anyone needs/wants a set of custom wheels built for them, Id be more than happy to do a TWW member discount

pretty much any combo you can think of, i can make happen.

(plz to not waste my time asking for nonsense like twisted spokes or radially laced rear tandem wheels, etc.)

4/13/2011 4:52:51 PM

Quote :

"^ Isn't a floozie a girl who sleeps around a lot? So that shop's for sluts? Lolz. "

He was saying this thread is for floozies.

4/13/2011 5:06:04 PM

I think he's saying that responding to a conversation during the actual conversation is for floozies. Either that, or he's annoyed people have been talking about bikes while he's been gone, and he really just wants to talk about floozies.

4/14/2011 1:24:21 PM

Sort of related to biking- a guy on foot got mugged last night on the Tobacco Trail here in Durham. Now, all the fair-weather cyclists are flipping their pants off about possibly getting mugged in the daytime while they ride their comfort bikes up and down the trail. Sigh. Still, be observant and be careful when commuting.

First road ride of the year coming up on Sunday! My bike is tuned and ready to go....now I have to find some people to ride with. My old riding partner is currently having a cycling bromance with some cyclocross dudes (totally cute, but if I hear about how great these guys are again, I'm going to puke).

4/14/2011 10:08:21 PM

Anyone have any suggestions on getting a beginner bike for ~300 bucks? I'm leaning towards a Schwinn Hybrid. Don't have tons of extra money right now, but I'll invest in a better bike next year if I keep up with my biking this year.

4/15/2011 9:27:52 AM

Princess: What do you wish to use the bike for? Are you riding greenways recreationally, commuting occasionally, running for groceries, barhopping, alleycatting, hillbombing?

I would strongly advise not purchasing a bike from Walmart, or another big-box retailer. The quality of assembly is horrible, possibly dangerously so. I would only ride a bike from a big-box store if I had someone I trusted to reassemble it properly.

If you know someone who can check a used bike out with you, then Craigslist will have plenty of interesting options. Otherwise, I would suggest visiting some local bike shops (or REI or Performance Bikes) to see what they offer. The primary value you are purchasing is service. Most shops will offer some kind of tune-up a few months after you buy the bike, and may offer other things. They should be friendly, listen to your needs, offer suggestions within your stated needs without pressuring you to buy anything in particular or to buy something more expensive.

Definitely check out some local bike shops. There are many good choices in your range, and you'll be much happier, in the long run, getting good service with the bike.

4/15/2011 10:39:31 AM

It'll be a recreational bike for the most part. Around the neighborhood and on the greenway. I'm thinking I'll be going to performance bikes, because that's where my bf got his bike. Do I need to worry about a lot of gears for cruising the greenway near falls of neuse?

4/15/2011 10:44:48 AM