Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Today I said goodbye to the MTB!

Let's call it an early WW reward! Here are a few quick pics because we all know PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN :)

Just a few random snaps, I had a choice...ride for 30 minutes or take pictures instead, I went with riding! Now it's off to work.

2012 Specialized Secteur Sport Compact.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn275/GIRocknRoll/IMG_7403.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn275/GIRocknRoll/IMG_7404.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn275/GIRocknRoll/IMG_7401.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn275/GIRocknRoll/IMG_7405.jpg

Need to upgrade the saddle and eventually when I get over my fear of busting my a$$, clipless pedals!

The LBS has been amazing so far!

And HUGE thanks to paisan for walking me through everything and providing me with a wealth of information, without him I would still be lost!

Great looking bike. And the tires look like they can still handle some light trail duty.

As far as going clipless, I want to toss out a different option. Pick up a pair of Five.Ten bike shoes. The sole sticks to the pedal an simulates a clipless effect. The inner sole is also stiffer than most shoes and transfers energy to the pedal very well, but you can walk and hike in them perfectly. I just picked up a pair of Chase 5.10s and and very impressed. They also have extra heel support. Its almost like wearing high top Basketball shoes.

I took a few falls when I went clipless, never got really hurt, but enough to decide that I don't want to fall any more.

That's a sharp looking bike!

Lovely - congrats!

Awesome bro. Love the pics!

Nice ride, same bike as mine but different paint.

Congrats bro., the bike is great looking!!! Glad I could be a part of the process and help you out. If you ever make out this way for a ride I better get a shout out.

@paisan I will definitely be out that way a few times this summer!

@Daspydyn I will definitely look into them, thanks for the alternate suggestion!

Thank you everyone for the compliments, this has been a long process but I feel I am finally on the right track of where I want to be!

They needed a stem that long to fit the whole name on.

What size frame is that? 50? 52? It looks like you've managed to get the bars above the seat so don't go posting pics on the road forum. :D

Congrats on your new ride - it looks sharp!

It's actually a 58, the picture can be a bit deceiving, I took it at a pretty close distance as my garage is packed full of crap since I am moving.

The Road Forum scares me LOL, I should put a picture in their Hot r Not thread with mismatching water bottles, saddle bag and factory pedals :)

It's actually a 58, the picture can be a bit deceiving, I took it at a pretty close distance as my garage is packed full of crap since I am moving.

The Road Forum scares me LOL, I should put a picture in their Hot r Not thread with mismatching water bottles, saddle bag and factory pedals :)

Congratulations on the new bike!

BTW, I posted my photo in Hot r Not. They decided Not.

@Neil thanks! Look forward to riding again sometime this year with you.

Congratulations on the new bike!

BTW, I posted my photo in Hot r Not. They decided Not.

Must have been the bike. We all know you're downright purty!:lol:

Must have been the bike. We all know you're downright purty!:lol:

Purty what??? :P

A hate the roadie forum.

Must have been the bike. We all know you're downright purty!:lol:


The OP with his old steed, and the Iron Chef. (The Iron Chef is the guy on the right.)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421268_3143077268341_1607271639_2624043_1967169772_n.jpg

The OP and the poster formerly known as "The Historian." The OP and The Historian ride for the same team... and the same one-size-fits-all jersey.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/425210_3143077508347_1607271639_2624044_2349047_n.jpg

A hate the roadie forum.

No offense but they probably don't think much of you either. :-)

That was a fun ride Neil!

It rained all day today, no riding :( tomorrow they are calling for 40-50 mph winds, should be an interesting ride down by the beach.

Specalized FSR from the late 90's early 2000's? oooooo I love those! :D (looks like mostly LX group? even better!)

Sorry, Mountain Biking is in my blood far deeper and stronger than pavement. But, whatever, Biking is good no matter what!

Oh, and nice Secteur! Specialized makes great bikes, I am a huge fan, and have owned 3....

The Specialized FSR was sitting in a shed for 8 or 9 years, was offered to me one day so I took it and started riding, honestly I do not know anything about it....except that it got me into cycling and for that I was always love it :)

Rock: Piece of advice: Keep the mountain bike. Put slicks on it and keep riding it as well as the new road bike, The mtn bike will make you stronger. I think I have gotten better because of my commuting on the mtn bike commuter. Heavier bike in general, especially when panniers are stuffed.

neil: but there is soooo much of me to love! :)

Rock: Piece of advice: Keep the mountain bike. Put slicks on it and keep riding it as well as the new road bike, The mtn bike will make you stronger. I think I have gotten better because of my commuting on the mtn bike commuter. Heavier bike in general, especially when panniers are stuffed.

I say keep the knobbies on that FSR and hit the trails by the college. People don't realize how much riding trails can improve your shifting and bike handling skills. Plus having something different to ride keeps it fresh on the days when the motivation might be lagging a bit.

That is a great bike!! Good luck with it!

neil: but there is soooo much of me to love! :)

And that's what the Road Forum is all about.... love. :-)

gritter: I dont know where you get off judging that someone is going to break something. I saw a guy the other day that said he was 403 pounds and he was riding clips. He was doing damn good.

Dont judge a book by its cover!

gritter: I dont know where you get off judging that someone is going to break something. I saw a guy the other day that said he was 403 pounds and he was riding clips. He was doing damn good.

Dont judge a book by its cover!

This isn't an endorsement of Gritter's post, but I think he meant Rock31 might break a bone or two in a clipless fall, not break anything on the bike.

Whether you get over your fear or not, you'll still fall. Judging by your tight fitting spandex clothing and body proportions, you'll probably break something. In your case, I second the 5.10 shoes with flats.


gritter: I dont know where you get off judging that someone is going to break something. I saw a guy the other day that said he was 403 pounds and he was riding clips. He was doing damn good.

Dont judge a book by its cover!

I gotta agree with Isaac on this. What does rock's spandex and proportions have to do with whether or not he should ride clipless? The whole big people shouldn't (fill in blank) argument is getting tired.

With rare exception, when it comes to cycling the people on the C/A forum can do anything that anyone on the other forums can do. It might get done slower and it might take longer to train and prepare for, but it can get done. That's the beauty of cycling it's an inclusive sport, so stop making it exclusive. There's other forums that specialize in that mentality.

It's the Internet, I've heard worse.

Thanks Gritter for choosing me as your 6th post in over a year, I'm honored.

And when I do fall I'll be sure to pick my fat$$ up off the ground and get back on the bike.

Not sure what you expected to see in the Clydesdale forum :)

The tone of your first post said it.

And I'm 28, I feel that is still fairly young.

But we can now all move on :)

We should all be out riding anyway!

Yes, I was saying that being scared had nothing to do with the learning curve for myself. I am agile on a bike, but I had my share of (dumb) falls when learning clipless. I'd fall right over onto my elbows and knees, not being able to cushion the fall one bit, being locked in like that. Like a tall tree, slowly falling in slow motion, pulling up (instead of twisting out) on the pedals to no avail.

I was just saying that falling (dumbly) is just part of the learning process, and it can't be avoided, no matter who you are, or how scared you are.

I say dumbly, because I always felt so dumb, it's the falls that would NEVER happen if you had use of your feet on flats, and to me these types of falls must look very silly to the onlooker. These are the falls that made me feel very dumb and embarrassed.

I also think the bigger you are, the harder you fall - and when it's SMACK onto your knees and elbows, without any means to cushion it, judging by his age and size, etc. He'll probably break something.

When we're younger, our bones seem to be more flexible and learning this technique might be more feasible, because you WILL fall. I'm just saying.

Perhaps there's the odd man out there than learned clipless without a single spill, but that must be very rare. It's your body, and maybe you could practice in some soft mud, but I think I made silly falls at least five times, skinning my skin and bruising, before I REALLY learned. I was doing it on MTB, so maybe that made it harder, because I'd "stall" up a hill, and just slowly topple over, feeling like an idiot. YMMV. Good luck, no matter what you decide.

I've fallen riding clipless, and I've not broken anything aside from skin. Rock31 is in much better physical and structural health than I am. I think he would be fine with clipless if that's what he wants to do. Unlike some people here, I don't think your post was a flame, but I think your concern is needless.

We should all be out riding anyway!

Yes, and it's windy days like today that are made for Clydesdales. 40-50 mph wind gusts won't blow us bigger people into the gutter. Take that skinnies!!! LOL

It's the Internet, I've heard worse.

Thanks Gritter for choosing me as your 6th post in over a year, I'm honored.

And when I do fall I'll be sure to pick my fat$$ up off the ground and get back on the bike.

Not sure what you expected to see in the Clydesdale forum :)

Oh joy, Gritter brought out the Staten Island in Rock31. God help us all.....

Yes, and it's windy days like today that are made for Clydesdales. 40-50 mph wind gusts won't blow us bigger people into the gutter. Take that skinnies!!! LOL

Sorry, it would blow me into the gutter. I'm the SUV of cyclists.

OK, here's a photo of Clydes in Dunkin' Donuts:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431044_3143075148288_1607271639_2624042_1469714841_n.jpg

From right to left, Rock31, NeilB, chefisaac, Wfournier, and someone I don't remember..... :-)

Rock31 and I were the only riders to not use clipless.

OK, here's a photo of Clydes in Dunkin' Donuts:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431044_3143075148288_1607271639_2624042_1469714841_n.jpg

From right to left, Rock31, NeilB, chefisaac, Wfournier, and someone I don't remember..... :-)

Rock31 and I were the only riders to not use clipless.

HAHAHA. well played.

I've had enough of you clowns for the morning, I'm out of here LoL!

My street looks like a war zone from the wind and m headed to the beach....yea this should be interesting :)

There's "tone" in text? I'd like to hear me some of that. Written words have inflection? Interesting. Can you hear my Brittish accent too? Now, I'm typing in a Southern accent, do you hear it? How about this one? :p


One can, if one chooses, convey a tone in writing. Unfortunately most young people are tone-deaf when presented with prose. My guess as to the cause is poor education in schools and at home. Oh, and the word "British" contains a single "t".