http://www.bikeforums.net/ Welcome to the BikeForums community! Please introduce yourself to other forum members here. en Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:16:59 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/rss.png http://www.bikeforums.net/ http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604832-another-person-from-SoCal&goto=newpost Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:11:10 GMT from Southern Cali. seems to be a lot of us on here. btw, how do i get a profile picture? is there a certain # of posts, certain amount of time i have to be signed up, or is it for paying members? from Southern Cali. seems to be a lot of us on here.

btw, how do i get a profile picture? is there a certain # of posts, certain amount of time i have to be signed up, or is it for paying members? ]]> Introductions 3373jones http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604832-another-person-from-SoCal http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604786-Yo&goto=newpost Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:15:13 GMT New to the forum just checking in. I'm in LA now so we'll see how things go out here (vs. Austin, TX). ]]> Introductions jplancaster http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604786-Yo http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604757-Hello-from-riding-between-Brooklyn-and-Manhattan&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:30:37 GMT I'm a Missouri transplant to NYC and I've been riding since I moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn in 2002 - first a blue retro pedal-braked monster which got me from Greenpoint to the L train, then a navy blue Iron Horse hybrid propelled me to all points Brooklyn from Park Slope.

Most recently, a beloved Specialized Langster Seattle rolled me from Brooklyn to Manhattan and on vacation in CT and to the beach and just about everywhere until it was stolen on 1st Ave two Sundays ago outside the hospital where I work.

I'm looking for the next perfect bike, but looking for something sleek and a little bit cute that rides a little more aggressively than the Seattle did, and ideally something that can take fenders and a rack. The Langster San Francisco feels great but is ugly. The Specialized Globe Roll 2 feels a little aggressive but is adorable. What to do.

My shop for buying is Bicycle Habitat but I love Continuum for repairs though end up getting a lot of my routine stuff done at Brooklyn Bike and Board, which is near my house.

I can't wait to find my next new baby bike, but it has to wait until my work agrees to give me somewhere to keep it indoors since there are clearly shoppers in this 'hood who carry bolt cutters. Until then, I am miserable on the Q train, which is a rude awakening after living subway-free for 1.5 years. ]]> Introductions suzun http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604757-Hello-from-riding-between-Brooklyn-and-Manhattan http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604755-Orange-County-here&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:29:49 GMT Hi all! My name is Jorge and I'm from Orange, Ca. I was actually directed
here by someone that responded to a "for sale" thread that I posted
on Craigslist last night.

Anyways, just thoughT I'd stop by and check the site out.. . Cheers!! ]]> Introductions FreeLander http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604755-Orange-County-here http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604731-Hello-from-Stockton-California&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:55:14 GMT Hi everyone - I'm Keith, I've been on hiatus from cycling for the last 13 years or so. Up until I met my Wife I rode daily and put in 300 - 400 miles a week between training, commuting and riding a bike at work.

I ended up taking a job out of town which meant no more bike commutes, life got in the way, I ended up selling all of my bikes and gear. This summer I purchased a mountain bike and started riding again. You know, this is a heck of a lot harder than I remember it being, of course I was in my twenties/thirties back then, worked swing shift and was single.

I hope to purchase a road bike soon and start getting miles under my belt again to rebuild my endurance, probably not to the levels it once was but... ]]> Introductions obiwan kenobi http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604731-Hello-from-Stockton-California http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604706-Hello&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:35:29 GMT Hello to all I am a new member who resides in Walnut Creek, CA. As far as riding I have been riding since 5th grade, but only really stepped up my miles in April. I started riding metric centuries (8 so far) and have gone beyond twice (82 miles.) I have also joined a bike club and get more rides... Hello to all

I am a new member who resides in Walnut Creek, CA. As far as riding I have been riding since 5th grade, but only really stepped up my miles in April. I started riding metric centuries (8 so far) and have gone beyond twice (82 miles.) I have also joined a bike club and get more rides in for less buck. Living in the SF Bay Area offers many, MANY excellent places to ride, and with weather that allows nearly year round riding. My ride since 1988 was a Fisher Hybrid; a green CroMoly bike. In April 2009 I rode my first 62 miler with it. It was a struggle but I managed to get through it, but I also thought it might be time for a new bike. My LBS carried Felts, and I rode and loved the z70 - more money that I wanted to spend but less than I could have as well. My second Metric was WAY more comfortable, enjoyable and faster. I also ride in my backyard of Mt. Diablo on my Novara Pondarosa MTB. Recently I have "acquired" some vintage steel and am in the process of restoring, updating them as well. ]]> Introductions danec99 http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604706-Hello http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604660-orange-county-in-the-house&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:24 GMT hi all just wanted to say hello. im relatively new to the cycling world, been riding for recreational purposes but have recently opened my eyes to the sport of racing. im from orange county california and i ride a 07 cervelo R3 with hopes to begin my racing career with a few crits next season. im... hi all just wanted to say hello. im relatively new to the cycling world, been riding for recreational purposes but have recently opened my eyes to the sport of racing. im from orange county california and i ride a 07 cervelo R3 with hopes to begin my racing career with a few crits next season. im here to learn so expect a lot of questions from me soon. im sure the knowledgeable people on here will give me the answers im looking for. but anyway thats my story. hope i can meet a few good people who wanna ride on here!

phil. ]]> Introductions wiener http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604660-orange-county-in-the-house http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604605-hello-from-pittsburgh&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:25:12 GMT just joined here.......i live in greensburg, pa just outside of pittsburgh,pa......i just started into road cycling within the last 6 months and could always look forward to meeting new riders or anyone local wanna ride check me out......check back with you...... just joined here.......i live in greensburg, pa just outside of pittsburgh,pa......i just started into road cycling within the last 6 months and could always look forward to meeting new riders or anyone local wanna ride check me out......check back with you...... ]]> Introductions john01 http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604605-hello-from-pittsburgh http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604600-Rfb&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:08:09 GMT I just retired (at 62) and moved from Cleveland to Tampa. I'm interested in getting a modest bike and using it around my neighborhood near downtown and the nearby bay shore for fun, convenience, fitness and to satisfy my concern over environmental issues. I haven't owned a bike since I was a kid (also in the Tampa Bay Area) but have ridden a bit on friends' two wheelers.

I'm in OK shape, have a deep aversion to getting smacked by cars and don't want to spend a whole lot of money. I would certainly consider a second-hand bicycle but want it to fit my stature properly. I"m 6'2" and wear 34" inseam pants. Where I will be riding is pretty flat and densely populated. Traffic is heavy on all but a few strictly residential streets in the area.

Any tips for a cautious and frugal newbie?

RFB. ]]> Introductions fbentay http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604600-Rfb http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604540-Hello-hello-from-Saint-Louis-MO&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:19:58 GMT Hey fellow bikers. How is everybody? This forum has been the most help when trying to get real information on a road bike I rescued from a crappy and run down barn in Illinois. While there is virtually no info on the bike itself a few members on this forum have posted similar bikes and that... Hey fellow bikers. How is everybody?

This forum has been the most help when trying to get real information on a road bike I rescued from a crappy and run down barn in Illinois. While there is virtually no info on the bike itself a few members on this forum have posted similar bikes and that helped a ton.

I'm going to take some pictures here and post them on "rescued bikes" thread. But that's how I found this place and it's great to see so many people sharing their stories and information.

Very cool.

Best,
-Kenneth ]]> Introductions sleep/n\eat http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604540-Hello-hello-from-Saint-Louis-MO http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604481-Hello-from-Sunny-Florida-New-Port-Richey-Tampa&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:40:44 GMT I am not only new to this blog... but biking as well... I enjoy the sport very much... I like to go on longer rides.... 20 miles and up.... my longest day ride so far (in my 4 mos of biking) was 89 miles.... I have a bad foot/leg which limits my walking... but biking has given me a new freedom with... I am not only new to this blog... but biking as well... I enjoy the sport very much... I like to go on longer rides.... 20 miles and up.... my longest day ride so far (in my 4 mos of biking) was 89 miles.... I have a bad foot/leg which limits my walking... but biking has given me a new freedom with boundaries meant to stretch. Thanks for letting me be a part ... happy riding! Bill ]]> Introductions wm.mcqueen http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604481-Hello-from-Sunny-Florida-New-Port-Richey-Tampa http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604464-Hello-from-Spokane-Washington&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:40:42 GMT I've come across this forum a few times and have found some great information here. I keep meaning to sign up...

I live in Spokane, Washington. If you've heard of Seattle, we are nowhere near it, and nothing like it. Our summers are hotter and drier, and we get a fair amount of snow in the winter, which seriously limits riding from about now until mid-March most years.

I used to ride a lot up until I was about 20. In high school I had some routes I liked to ride, and on one of them I would occasionally run into a team out on a (training?) ride together. At the time I didn't think anything of the fact that I could keep up with them. I just thought it was cool riding with guys who could maintain MY pace, since none of the guys in my neighborhood could. I never deliberately tried to get in shape or get faster, I just rode a lot because I liked to ride. It never occurred to me to get involved in racing or any organized rides, if there even were any (rides) here back then.

My senior year in high school, one of the teachers put together a 500 mile ride over spring break that I and 24 other students participated in. To date it is still one of the funnest things I've ever done. On that ride, one other rider and I, who kept ending up at the front of the pack together, hooked up and figured out drafting- seriously, I had never done or heard of it. We just kind of figured it out on our own. Each day we would arrive at our destination 1 to 2 hours before the next group behind us. Here again, I never thought I was, or tried to be, anybody special, my body just worked well for bicycling.

That was a few decades ago. Over the years I bought a couple cheap mountain bikes, but didn't put many miles on. About 3 years ago I decided it was time to start getting some exercise. In my late 20's and early 30's I used to do some running to help keep in shape for motocross riding. I didn't have fond memories of running. A bike seemed like a much better idea.

Being considerably overweight, the riding position of a conventional road bike wasn't very comfortable for me, so I bought a 'hybrid' Giant Cypress DX. The extra weight of this bike was incidental compared to the extra weight on the rider, and the extra low climbing gears were great on the hills. After one season on this bike, I was ready for a road bike.

I picked up a Raleigh Grand Prix at a local bike shop in the neighborhood where I grew up, two days before they went out of business after several decades here. It was a bargain at over 50% off, but it was sad to see the shop go. I got my first bike there when I was 6, and several others after that.

I put 1000 miles on last year (2008) doing mostly 20 to 50 mile rides. I hoped to do many more this year, but had a knee injury this summer (non-bike related) and subsequent surgery, which was a major setback. I was back on the bike three weeks after the surgery, with the good leg clipped in and the repaired one just kind of going along for the ride. I rode in a local, 21 mile, fairly hilly, organized ride called "Spokefest" five weeks after the surgery. I had ridden that ride the year before, and it was really fun, so no way was I going to miss it this year. I know there are guys on here that ride that far one-way to work every day, but it was quite an accomplishment for me at the time, all things considered.

My aspirations for the future include using bicycling (along with diet) as my primary tool for some much needed weight loss. My goal is to do my first century by next fall, and then the STP (Seattle to Portland) at some point after that. I picked up a used trainer for this winter, but I need to modify it to fit my quick-release axle before the snow flies.

Anyway, sorry about the rather lengthy introduction. It looks like I got a little carried away here.

Thanks for making this forum available! ]]> Introductions Shedding100 http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604464-Hello-from-Spokane-Washington http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604447-Hello-there-people&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:58:00 GMT What's up? I recently moved to Los Angeles and have been amazed by the quality road riding out here. I grew up and raced as a teenager in Dallas, burned out and sold all my bikes. 15 years and 3 cities later I've gotten back into it. Haven't raced again yet but am seriously considering it. Problem is, racing equals me giving up my life. Is it worth it? Probably.

Cheers. ]]> Introductions MaisonSaysJump http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604447-Hello-there-people http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604398-Greetings-from-the-Pacific-Northwet&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:37:47 GMT Hi there. I'm posting this message because I was invited to, in the welcome note I received when I joined the forum. I'll be very surprised if more than three people read this thread. Think I'm a cynic? Prove me wrong and post a reply!

Maybe it's just because of my advanced (!) age - I'm soon to be 63 and have seen a lot. I'm definitely OTH: my 23-year-old son very discreetly takes it easy on me when we go out riding together. ;)

I grew up in semi-rural Michigan, and I really miss the open country and the large choice of lightly-traveled paved roads we had in (what we considered, anyway) the Midwest. I still go back for the occasional organized ride (primarily DALMAC, which I first enjoyed in 1975). My wife and I plan on returning in 2010 for the 40th-anniversary DALMAC, and the 35th anniversary of the first time I rode it. Not to mention our own 25th. We've lived in Seattle for 26 years, and the biking out here is different - a lot more traffic, and lot fewer choices of routes to get from here to there, what with being hemmed in by water and mountains and the urban environment.

After wearing out my early-70s Raleigh Competition (I bought it off a college student who wanted to get a car) and a 1981 Dawes that I bought from a biking buddy who had had it built so that he and I could do a cross-country Bikecentennial ride that year, in 2003 I took the plunge and visited Dwan at Co-Motion, and had their team build a custom Americano touring bike. It has served me well. Most of its miles have been racked up in daily commuting, and I'm still dreaming about repeating the cross-country trip - with my son, wife, whoever can get the time off to ride with a retired geezer. :lol:

We have a couple of tandems: a 25-year-old Davidson and an almost-that-old Counterpoint, a semi-recumbent where the stoker sits in front. Counterpoints were originally made in Seattle by a man who had a background in musical-instrument building and repair, but are now marketed under the Viewpoint name by Bilenky Cycle Works. We don't ride either one as often as I'd like to. In fact, we just don't ride as often as we'd like: both my wife and I are workaholics, and don't take much time for biking outside our daily commutes. Drat.

We're members of Cascade Bicycle Club and the Evergreen Tandem Club locally, the Albion Bicycle Club in Michigan, and the League of American Wheelmen Bicyclists and Bikecentennial Adventure Cycling nationally.

And if you've made it this far without falling asleep, write and ask for your official notarized copy of our "I survived the drivel" certificate... ]]> Introductions old_coot http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604398-Greetings-from-the-Pacific-Northwet http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604312-hello-from-Conejo-Valley-California&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:16:59 GMT hey im chris and i have been riding for a year now im from Thousand Oaks,CA i ride a Pacific mtn bike and a GMC Denali road bike my rides consist of 15 miles at 12-14 mph getting better! i ride my mtn bike more because im missing a part on my road bike that has not come in. im looking to... hey im chris and i have been riding for a year now
im from Thousand Oaks,CA
i ride a Pacific mtn bike and a GMC Denali road bike
my rides consist of 15 miles at 12-14 mph
getting better!
i ride my mtn bike more because im missing a part on my road bike that has not come in.
im looking to either join group or ride with others on weekends!
thanks! ]]> Introductions ChrizzleDizzle6 http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?604312-hello-from-Conejo-Valley-California