Any road bikers here?

pair of Blazers - 100% correct, a saddle can make or break a ride. Reviews on that carbon Airone were five star. The seat was hard for me to use for anything over 15 miles. If I went further, the next day I couldnt ride or sit casually at my desk!
 
jsatek said:
pair of Blazers - 100% correct, a saddle can make or break a ride. Reviews on that carbon Airone were five star. The seat was hard for me to use for anything over 15 miles. If I went further, the next day I couldnt ride or sit casually at my desk!
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had that problem a few times. best one I ever had was a Selle Italia turbo in black buffalo hide. I have a super turbo on my rodie now, almost the same but lacks the flex the other one had. I have to go get some pics now.
 
And to get back on the detailing track.....



Both of my bikes have Zaino Z5pro maintained with Z8 after each ride and an occasional squirt of FK1 425. A light wash with ONR when I ride in the rain followed with some Z8. The seat gets Zaino Z10 every month. I use only Pakshak microifber towels and applicator pads.
 
Oh yeah, detailing...



Ridley's just got some AIO/SG. Showing some light marring. :(



Seven has nothing. Not sure how to treat titanium and natural carbon weave.
 
before you guys flame me keep in mind I built this bike in '85 and its had ALOT of time and miles put on it.

a little history on it bought frame and component group after my other bike was stolen. put together at the shop I was working for at the time. I also built the wheels, my 3rd set.

last real ride I did was in 2000 for MS NY 65mi + to and from the house like another 20.



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jsatek said:
Scottwax - a 20mph average speed is strong. I dont know what the hills are like in your area of TX, but where I am an A rider averages 22mph in the hills.



I average 18 in Westchester/ CT and 22mph in Central Park / NYC. I typically ride 30 miles three nights per week. then I do a fast club ride (Gimbels) or I do a 55 on Sat and or Sunday through North Westchester.
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Yesterday, I was running around 18 in the flats. Where I ride, there is a two mile section with some quick up and downs and a few mild grades. The rest is relatively flat. Honestly, after such a long layoff, I am suprised I got my speed back up to a halfway decent level as quick as I did. I am sure skating pretty regularly the last several years helped though. I think I can be averaging close to 20 in the flats within a month or so of regular riding. 26-27 like some of the other regulars on those trails? That's doing to take sometime!



Y'all have some seriously nice bikes! Mine wasn't cheap when it was new but nowhere near some of machinery I see in this thread! :eek:



My bike weighs 20 pounds, is there really enough advantage (assuming regular long, fast rides) upgrading to a mid level, 15 pound bike? Are they really worth the $1500-2500 price?
 
OK, here's my current ride. Pretty much all custom from parts I bought off eBay and elsewhere. Steel frame, as little carbon as possible, and I set it up for comfort with the super-high stem. I can't get a bigger frame, my body is all legs. In a couple years I'll probably swap out this frame for a custom one...but I'm loving this setup all the same.



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Scottwax said:
My bike weighs 20 pounds, is there really enough advantage (assuming regular long, fast rides) upgrading to a mid level, 15 pound bike? Are they really worth the $1500-2500 price?
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If most of your riding is on the flats, the weight difference will probably be less noticeable. But when you hit the climbs a lightweight bike does make a big difference in my experience. What's great about the Seven is it's a light bike but has direct power transfer through the pedals. Every revolution feels as if it's going directly to the ground.



I'm not sure if you could find a complete 15lb bike in the $1500 - 2500 range. Although I could be mistaken. Maybe there's one out there. But more likely that would be the price for the frameset alone. Then you could build it up with lightweight components. Probably looking at $4 - 6k for a quality lightweight frame built up with quality lightweight components. Even then, 15lbs is tough to get to. 16 - 17 lb range is easier to achieve.



And yes, I think it's worth it. :)
 
For pure sex appeal, I always liked the Titus frames with Exogrid. They're a work of art when you see them in person.

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Yes, that's titanium with a carbon fiber insert.

Titus 07



My personal road bike is on the far end of the spectrum from that Titus. It's a 21 year old Trek 660 with a Reynolds 531 steel frame and old-school Suntour Superbe Pro components. At the moment it's a bare frame and hanging in the basement waiting for me to finish a repaint. Just to make you feel a little better Scott, it's also 23 lbs. I'm not too worried about that considering how much weight I need to lose before I concern myself with how much my bike weighs. I spend a lot more time on my mountain bike anyway.
 
I was looking at Aegis awhile back but I like the flex of TI better.

Velobard that sound like the one I had stolen. I couldn't get my hand on another 531 frame settled on a Columbus SL. found and bought the Suntour Superbe pro group and built from there.
 
pair of blazers:



REMEMBER: biking is the a sport where equipment doesnt count. Legs and heart are all that matter. I ride with a bunch of IB guys that roll up in 6 class Benzitos and custom fitted Colnagos or Pinarellos and cant even climb a 1 mile hill in Armonk.



Hill legs beat ca$h in biking. Though its always fun to have the toys.....
 
pair of Blazers, certainly no flaming here. Your whip may not be the latest hi-tech wonder but it’s still a sweet riding machine and will go as fast as the next guy’s (as long as the motor’s runnin’ strong ;) ). Steel is real!



The only complaint I have is that it’s too pretty for that pump clamp. Have you thought about getting a pump that fits the frame peg?





PC.
 
How practical are "road bikes" for everyday transportation?



I have always just owned mountain bikes. Do you have to worry very much about gravel on the roads and potholes?



Unless you are on well-paved bike paths, mountain bikes are the better option? And no. I don't plan on taking the road bike "off-road" :p.
 
Quickstrike said:
How practical are "road bikes" for everyday transportation?....
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Very, if your everyday transportation is on paved roads.



Quickstrike said:
…I have always just owned mountain bikes. Do you have to worry very much about gravel on the roads and potholes?….
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It depends on how severe they are. I hate riding my skinny slicks on a gravel road but it’s something I rarely need to do. Potholes aren’t too bad around here. I can usually dodge them.



Quickstrike said:
…Unless you are on well-paved bike paths, mountain bikes are the better option? …
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Probably, for most people anyway. (I think everybody should have both. :) )



Quickstrike said:
… And no. I don't plan on taking the road bike "off-road" :p.
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Funny you should mention that. There are a lot of guys around here with cross bikes**. On dirt roads and relatively smooth or non-technical trails they’ll easily blow away any mountain bikes.





PC.





**for any non-bikies reading this, cross is short for cyclocross. It’s a form of off-pavement racing where you use bikes that look much like road racers but are set up with beefier frames and thicker, knobby tires and such for dirt.
 
the other pc said:
Funny you should mention that. There are a lot of guys around here with cross bikes**. On dirt roads and relatively smooth or non-technical trails they’ll easily blow away any mountain bikes.





PC.





**for any non-bikies reading this, cross is short for cyclocross. It’s a form of off-pavement racing where you use bikes that look much like road racers but are set up with beefier frames and thicker, knobby tires and such for dirt.
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My thoughts exactly. You can get more street appropriate tires, but they'll be a little bigger and better suited to rough stuff you can run into in urban combat. There are also somewhat similar bikes with upright or flat bars that run similar size tires (about 700-35 or so) that would do as well. Those tires will handle bumps much better than a 19-25 tire and will be more efficient on the street than fat tires on a mountain bike. I also know more than one person who has a basic hardtail mountain bike with 2 wheelsets, one with thinner, smoother road tires and one with fat knobbies. I will say that fat tires have certain advantages in some situations and can make things like storm grates easier. If I wanted a tire for both on a mountain bike, I'd pick something with an inverted tread. That's also a good choice in the snow.
 
My Trek MultiTrack 750 would be a great commuter bike. Good compromise between a road bike and a mountain bike, if a little heavy for my tastes (28 pounds or so).
 
Quickstrike said:
How practical are "road bikes" for everyday transportation?



I have always just owned mountain bikes. Do you have to worry very much about gravel on the roads and potholes?



Unless you are on well-paved bike paths, mountain bikes are the better option? And no. I don't plan on taking the road bike "off-road" :p.
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I used mine to go to and from work 15 mi round every day for yrs on NYC streets. not friendly at all to a 19mm-20mm wide tire. I would recommend 25mm-28mm tires w/Kevlar belts in them those were great for me. I just happen to like the narrower tires but boy I went through a lot of tubes w/them. the tires in my pics are 20's from Continental.

the other pc said:
certainly no flaming here. Your whip may not be the latest hi-tech wonder but it’s still a sweet riding machine and will go as fast as the next guy’s (as long as the motor’s runnin’ strong ). Steel is real!



The only complaint I have is that it’s too pretty for that pump clamp. Have you thought about getting a pump that fits the frame peg?
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yeah I have but I've had that one so long I just wont give it up.

Steel is real! so true.

you guys have some really cool rides.

jsatek said:
biking is the a sport where equipment doesnt count. Legs and heart are all that matter. I ride with a bunch of IB guys that roll up in 6 class Benzitos and custom fitted Colnagos or Pinarellos and cant even climb a 1 mile hill in Armonk.
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yeah I know what you mean.
 
jsatek said:
pair of blazers:



REMEMBER: biking is the a sport where equipment doesnt count. Legs and heart are all that matter. I ride with a bunch of IB guys that roll up in 6 class Benzitos and custom fitted Colnagos or Pinarellos and cant even climb a 1 mile hill in Armonk.



Hill legs beat ca$h in biking. Though its always fun to have the toys.....
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This is soooo true. When I was a teen I took my biking very seriously. My budget was my big limit, but I didn't let that stop me. I rode the wheels off my Schwinn Varsity, many thousands of miles. The frame was so heavy and flexy isn't wasn't funny, but I time-trialed against guys on all sorts of fancy European frames, Cinelli and whatnot, and held my own respectably well. I remember once where after a race was over a guy was holding his mega-bucks Italian bike and staring at my scratched, rusty yellow Varsity laying in the grass and shaking his head, wondering how I came in ahead of him.
 
velobard said:
This is soooo true. When I was a teen I took my biking very seriously. My budget was my big limit, but I didn't let that stop me. I rode the wheels off my Schwinn Varsity, many thousands of miles. The frame was so heavy and flexy isn't wasn't funny, but I time-trialed against guys on all sorts of fancy European frames, Cinelli and whatnot, and held my own respectably well. I remember once where after a race was over a guy was holding his mega-bucks Italian bike and staring at my scratched, rusty yellow Varsity laying in the grass and shaking his head, wondering how I came in ahead of him.
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:LOLOL too funny!



My Schwinns (Tempo and Le Tour) were decidedly low tech compared to today's bikes but I put some serious miles on them, completely trouble free. Lugged frames, center-pull brakes, etc. All trends pretty much dead now but I really enjoyed riding both bikes.



BTW, great ride tonight! I didn't get home in time to get a really long ride in but I got in 17 miles and in the flats, I was pretty steady between about 17.5-20 mph. :)
 
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