Skoper

Hello everybody!!

I have been monitoring this board for the past few weeks, and decided to join.
I just moved into a house that backs a Rail Trail (Macomb Orchard Trail)
So I decided cycling would be a good, and conviente way to loose some weight.
I am at about 320, and want to get down to about 240-250.

Anyway I am currently riding a Gary Fisher Wahoo.
I now realize that I should have gone a different way, since all of my riding is on rail trails.
I put city tires on there, and that helped, but I'm just not getting the speed I am looking for.

So here I am looking to buy another bike.

I have been debating over a few different ones
Trek 7.3fx, 7.5fx, 7500
Gary Fisher Utopia, Montare, Mendota

And then who knows I may want a road bike.

I already now have 2 MTB
94 Hardrock
07 Wahoo.

I really do not want to have to but another bike for a while after I but the next one.

Please help

bdinger

Changing the bike will only do so much for speed, changing the legs is the way to go . Seriously, if you want to build up speed, just keep riding. A bike is only going to do so much for your speed. Also, speed is a good thing, but also a bad thing. Keep in mind that chasing the speedmoter is not the best way to get a good workout in. I know this, but I still do the same thing .

JoeMetal

+1 That's great advice.

If you still think you need a new bike though, I would suggest going with one of the Trek FX's. I have a 7.2FX and a guy I work with just got a 7.3FX. They are certainly great bikes.

Skoper

I can travel @ about 13-15mph, but I want 20+mph
I ride everyday, and usually put on anywhere between 10-15 miles a day
I ride to work everyday @ 3 miles each way, and then a go for a dailly night ride
and then try to do a distance ride 2 x's a week.
I am at 15 miles, and will do 20 this week.

I had somebody tell me to put a road cassette on my MTB for more speed... Ever hear of that?

adrien

that would only make a difference if your issue is that you're running out of gears (as in going too fast for the highest gear on your bike). That usually only happens on long downhills.

VTRoadie

I can ride just as fast on my full suspension 35lb mountain bike (w/ slicks) as I can on my 18lb roadbike. The mountainbike is faster down hills, the roadbike is faster up hills.. but it really evens out. The bike isn't going to make you THAT much faster. My biggest gain was from a rigid frame (full suspension isnt fun UP hills).

Winter76

I realised a full 30% speed gain when I switched from my Giant to my Marin. My Marin is similar to a Trek 7.5FX, the only downside to this was that I got to work sooner, so now I've found a new route from work that doubles the commute. D:

fifthcircle

Look at the new 29er mtn bikes. You might like them. The bigger wheels roll a bit faster, and you still have the mtn bike ability. Plus you could have two sets of wheels, one with road bike tires and one with knobbies.

I think that the bike makes a big difference. Not so much on how fast you can go, but how motivated you are to go "play" on it. I know that I almost need to buy at least something(shoes, pedals, new bike) once a year to stay motivated.

bdinger

Unless you are in FLAT lands, it will take awile to work up to 20+ mph averages on any bike. Even if you are in FLAT areas, then it will still take a bit of work. Now, that being said, you would see an increase with the bikes you listed but not enough to make you happy. You'll just end up/continue to be frustrated with your averages as - that kicker again - it takes lots of mileage/muscle build/work to work up to 20+ mph averages over any distance.

Now, someone else pointed out that a fast bike may help get you on the bike more. If there is something about your current one that keeps you off it, go ahead and change it. Just make sure to take a long time riding the choices you had to ensure they are right. You don't want to spend lots of money on a new bike, just to find out there is something about the new one that annoys you worse than the old one.

Bill Kapaun

Not sure of the exact specs on your bike, but I'll assume your BIG RING is a 42 and you have an 11-32 cassette?? You mention street tires, so in order to obtain 20 MPH, your cadence needs to be-
71 if tires are 26x1.5"
73 if tires are 26x1.25"
You need to up your cadence.
If your goal is to lose weight, it's calories burned, not MPH.

Skoper

Thanks for all the advice.
It sounds as if I should just stick with the Wahoo.
I may look into an extra set of wheels I can swap out.

I love riding, and there is nothing wrong with my bike.... I guess I just wanted more.
Just like guitars you are always looking at your "next" one even though there is nothing wrong with the one you are playing with.

I guess I may just stick with what I have, and play PIMP my bike now.

I probably need a riding partner more than a new bike

paulwwalters

Yeah I'm a drummer and I know all about wanting more gear. When I got my new kit 3 months ago, even then I was thinking about the next thing to get. Ahh materialism.

Halthane

ah... musicians have it so cheap... i did pro-audio for a while... that gets expensive...

three in a row... this thread has sucessfully been hijacked

jaxgtr

A smart man once said, "a bikes speed is only as good as the motor". Another smart man when asked how he got so good said, "Ride Lots"

Wogster

Okay, bike improvements, first tires, knobby tires suck up a lot of energy, as do suspensions, you can run out of gearing, biggest gearing gains are in the front not the rear, most MTBs have triples 42/32/22 being the most common, hybrids tend to run 48/36/26, and road bikes tend to run 52/42/32, and doubles are an option, with 52/39 being common, however road bikes can go higher. Cassette wise, the highest your going to get is an 11 tooth, and many MTBs have that. Now a larger big ring means you may need to swap the front derailléur for a more road oriented one.

Biggest gains are always made in "the engine room", and the first thing that engine needs is to lose any unneeded pounds, and the best way to do that is to ride a lot, just below the anaerobic threshold, and watch what your stoking it with. Your bicycle's engine has three fuel supplies:

1) Muscle Glycogen, this is what you use when you need a very fast burst of energy, the problem is your fuel tank is very very small.

2) Liver Glycogen, similar to fuel #1, but stored in the liver, this fuel tank is larger, but still small, and typically when it's empty you bonk, runners call it hitting the wall, when it's empty then your bike instantly feels like it's made out of solid lead, and your towing an elephant.

3) Fat, well your fuel tank is large, about 80 lbs worth , but it takes time for the body to process it, into usable energy, you do this at between 60% and 70% of your maximum heart rate(HR). The best way to find your maximum HR, is to talk to your doctor, and have a heart stress test done. This is far more accurate then numeric formulae you find online. Your doctor can also refer you to a nutritional expert who can work with you on what your eating as well, as food is future fuel, diets are for people who read trashy magazines, you want a new life long eating plan, not a diet.

A cheap wrist mounted HR monitor can tell you when your in the ballpark about HR, if your HR is too low, then you can ride harder, if your getting too high, then you can slow up a bit, until you recover. I will admit, sometimes your half way up heart attack hill, and your HR monitor is telling you, your at 75%, you think screw it, stand on the pedals, and go full steam ahead (reaching the top, is the greatest feeling in the world).

Off days should be planned, not last minute, days you don't feel like riding at all, decide to make it a short one, you end up having the best rides on those days.