Touring - New bike needs new stuff

Thanks for all the help on and off the board but I finally bought a new bike. I have posted here and there asking for advice and I finally got a 2004 Trek 1200C on close out. I have only rode it up and down the driveway but it seems to fulfill all my current needs. I will keep you all informed.

I did not buy a computer as I thought my ten year old Cat Eye Vectra? would work. But it looks like the mount on the fork is too small for the composite forks on my Trek.My old bike was steel and heavy so its forks were signifcantly smaller. I guess my first few rides will be without a speedometer. Any suggestions on a computer. I am riding mainly for exercise so I probably need one that has a heart monitor and cadence. Most of the reviews I have read sort of painted a bleak picture on reliability for these things. Are they all that bad?

I bought my bike to possibly do some light touring. That is why I posted this on the Touring forum. Any suggestions on a good rear rack. I want one that will take saddle bags. They had a Trek one at the LBS for $35 but I was not sure about it. This is a far off purchase. I need to get in shape first.

I also am looking for a good front bag that can be removed and used as a fanny pack. My wife wants me to use just any old fanny pack that we have laying around but I want one with the map slot with the waterproof cover. The little pack behind the seat I have from my old bike is an Advent and can barely carry my wallet. Most of the new ones I look at are also very small so I want a bigger bag up front.

I am very excited to be back into this. It is almost like Christmas time when I was a kid. This is going to be so much fun!

Hi,
it's cheaper if you buy the computer and heart monitor seperately.
I use a Planet Bike speedo. It's cheap, and it turns itself on.
You can get a basic Polar HRM for a reasonable amount. If you are going to get one you might want to get The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Indoor and Outdoor Cyclists. There is also a logbook with the same name. You can get a rack anytime. They are handy for carrying things. My commuter, my wife's bike and my sisters bike has the Planet Bike Eco Rack. It's a little lighter than most, a little cheaper than most at $25, and tough enough. If you want the lightest, my good bike has the 12 oz Tubus Fly rack.

But... don't worry too much about gear. You can pick the stuff up a little at a time. I would get some good cycling shorts, and helmet. There is a book your library can get you called Effective Cycling by Forrester. I found it very helpful when I started in riding again. Have fun!

Zip ties can solve most problems in life.
Larger bar bags, such as Carradice come with a shoulder strap, and are quite comfortable to carry around. You need some stiffening in the bag to maintain the shape and keep the bag away from cables and bars.

I do have a good helmet and some gloves. I have not done the bicycle shorts route yet. I am riding in some athletic shorts and a T-shirt. But after my first ride thru a hilly neigborhood behind mine I now see how out of shape I am. I had to take six or seven rest stops on a one hour ride. I have a little soreness here and there but nothing major. But the stamina is lacking. I know it has been something like ten years but it is a bit discouraging. I rode today and plan on riding tomorrow or the next. I figure two or three short rides (one hour) at a time a week until I get into some kind of shape. I am taking it slow. But I thought with all the work I do in the yard I would be a little better at this. :mad:

Hi,
you ask a 1,000 pople what works for training, you'll get a 1,000 different answers. Long easy rides are crucial. No more than one intense ride a week. And a steady hour long brisk ride is also a good idea. Which makes 3 rides, one every other day with the long one on the weekend. Sounds like a plan.

I'm pretty happy with my Cat Eye MSC3DX. They're getting less expensive too, now that there is a newer model with similar capabilities. Note that it requires a separate serial adapter to interface with a PC.