Originally Posted by markm109
I'm a first year roadie - bought a fancy road/touring bike on clearance last fall and have ridden 1,700 miles so far this year. I just bought a used road bike as a second bike for use on bad weather days and through the winter, and have upgraded / replaced some parts and am learning how to adjust things myself.
Bike setups: Primary: Litespeed Blue Ridge, Ti frame, Full Ultegra, triple, 9 speed STI, Open Pro wheels
Second used bike: 1993 Schwinn Traveler, Cro-Mo frame, Full Shimano Exage EX300, 7 speed cassette, indexed down tube shifters, double Biopace, basic wheels
So hear are my questions:
First - what is a lug? Don't laugh, I know it's where different parts of the tubing come together but does every bike have them? Where the tubes come together on my Litespeed are smooth, however on the Schwinn there are metal "housings" that the tubes go into so you can't see where they acually join - is that a lug?
Second - What is wrong with Biopace? The LBS that I had put a new rear wheel on the Schwinn was surprised at the Schwinn - the bike looks brand new. The guy I bought it from had it in his basement and thought he may have used it twice - he never got into biking. They thought that it was a decent bike and I would have to spend about a grand today to get a similar quality bike. They liked the Biopace. However, on these forums, I could find nothing good being said about Biopace. I see the front rings aren't round, rather slightly oblong, but when I peddle, I don't notice any difference between the two bikes.
Third - Why can I climb hills on the Schwinn easier than the Litespeed? Or is it in my head? The Litespeed, having the triple you would think would make it easier, but I find the Schwinn is actually easier. The Schwinn's weight is about 4 lbs heavier than the Litespeed. Could this be from the Biopace?
Fourth - Geometry - the Litespeed has a compact frame and the Schwinn a traditional frame. What is the difference other then the slanted top tube? Is one better than the other?
Fifth - Why do other biker (hard core jesery) acknowledge me when I'm all decked out on the Litespeed, but when I'm riding the Schwinn w/o a helmet on recovery days they don't seem to notice me? (Sorry, that wasn't a tech question).
Sixth - How much improvement in performance would the Schwinn show if I put the Open Pro's from the Litespeed on it with the 7 speed cassette w/spacer? The LBS had a cool looking set of Dura-Ace wheels that would look real nice on the Litespeed.
Mark