Introductions - Hello from Washington D.C.

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View Full Version : Hello from Washington D.C.

Mr. Sweatypants
03-27-08, 08:26 PM
So uhhh... hi. First post.

Well, my name is Collin, I live in MD like 4 miles outside of the nation's capital, and i just recently in the past year or so got back into biking. I used to run like 4 or 5 miles every day as a warm up for fight training, but i've had some knee injuries so no more of that, and it was time to alternate jogging with biking.

At first I bought a 2006 Fuji Nevada 1.0 cause I thought maybe I would get back into mountain biking like when I was a teenager and got a good deal, but I ended up spending 95% of the time on the street. Got some hybrid tires and still it was too heavy and not fast enough. Plus, I was only using the highest 4 gears ever and found everything quite useless.

So just recently, I decided to bite the bullet and build a road bike so I could go faster. What started as a "let me build a cheap road bike" build turned into a "this is getting out of hand quickly" build... but I guess if you're gonna do something, do it right the first time. I guess I can't complain either, since piecing it together basically got me a bike for 1/3rd of what this woulda probably cost if it came that way from a store. So i ended up with a Kona Deluxe frame, all Ultegra components (9 speed cassette, single 53T front sprocket only, front brake only), Real Design Supersonic carbon wheels, carbon fork/handlebars/seat post/seat, and some other this and that, trying to be minimalistic. It comes in at 16.6lbs. and its a rocketship compared to my Fuji MTB. I'm really loving biking again. Besides all that, I race cars and motorbikes and I'm tired of driving a car around that gets 18mpg, so +1 more for bicycles and saving money... using it as much as I can. In anycase, nice being here. Pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/CamryDriftWagon/P1030664.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/CamryDriftWagon/P1030661.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/CamryDriftWagon/P1030660.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/CamryDriftWagon/P1030659.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/CamryDriftWagon/P1030654.jpg

East Hill
03-27-08, 08:37 PM
Nice job, although a lot of people don't like the Bontrager saddles. They seem to get worn out really fast for some reason (the threads catch and rub thin).

Nice use of matching blue on the tyres and pedals :) .


Welcome to BF!

East Hill

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t162/dminorwa/pinkstar.jpg
Mr. Sweatypants
03-27-08, 08:43 PM
Nice job, although a lot of people don't like the Bontrager saddles. They seem to get worn out really fast for some reason (the threads catch and rub thin).


thanks for the welcome, and yea... finding a saddle was THE most single hardest and worst thing for a road bike. way harder than for a mountain bike.

i tried a Selle, a Fizik, another Bontrager, a Serfas, and a Specialized... and finally this is the one that felt the most comfortable. If it wears out, I guess I'll have to live, but thanks for the heads up, hopefully it lasts. I'm just glad I found something at all.

i've been reading the forum all day at work, and no wonder there's a saddle swap thread. for the mountain bike it never really mattered to me or bugged me, but for the road and longer trips... i started noticing everything... butt bones, numbness, too wide near the front of the seat and it would rub my thighs, slope of the seat, etc etc... this Race X Lite CRZ+ seems like the keeper tho.