05fjrbluedevil

Well hello to all,

My name is Michael,

I'm looking to start riding a road bike, other than a nishika road bike that I had back in the 80's while stationed at new river air station I have not ridden them very much, at least nothing that would be considered what the road bikes of today are....

I have always just purchased mountain bikes from department stores and used them to ride around if I felt like taking a brisk ride around the block....

However for the last year and a half I have lived in section of town that it seems that is all I see every day dozens to more folks out riding here and there on their road bikes...

So I now wish to pursue riding a real road bike....

East Hill

Hello Michael, I take it that you no longer have the Nishiki? Too bad...I have five Nishikis, and love them all. If you want to relive some memories, there's some good threads going on about Nishikis in the Classic & Vintage forum .

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

phatmonkey

Hy Michael, I live in Kentucky too. I don't know where in Kentucky you live, but if you're near Lexington, check out Pedal the Planet. It's a LBS that will take care of you. I have only been riding about 3 months, but I have learned a lot from them and the forum. Welcome to the cult.

05fjrbluedevil

Hello again,



Yes the Nishiki was traded for a leather jacket, leaving service and did not feel I needed to keep it and transport it, I wish I would have... It was the nicest bike I had ridden to that point....



Yes, I am in the Louisville area of Kentucky... I had been watching people for the last 1.5 years ride their road bikes around and decided it was time to start riding again so I got out my 6 year old cheap Target store mountain bike and took it for a ride....



I have some really great roads for riding close to the house, except for the narrow roads... So any way, I decided to tackle a big hill for my first ride, I have jog it before and the first time I did I had to stop and walk a while then jog walk then jog, I got to where I could jog out and back 2.5 miles each way, then once again stopped doing anything... i.e. couch potato.... So I was once again getting to the 220+ range, even though I carry my excess weight well in clothes, man I just decided it stops now, I remember when I was 24 and got to 205 after getting married, becoming a couch potato.... So I sold my golf clubs, bought a mountain/cross bike at ToysRus and began riding every day... I dropped 50 pounds in a few months.... I remember getting a child seat and installing it on the back of the bike and would take my son on rides everyday... Wow how the weight just dropped off.... Then again became a couch potato for the next several years and the weight came back so at 30, I started jogging and it came off again, then of course coach potato came back and so did the snowman.:0)...... Well enough of that, I thought so I took off on my ride, shifting down to the lowest gear possible I struggled to make it up the hill, as I am reaching the top of this hill I look over my shoulder and see another bike moving toward me, so I try as best as I can out of shape to force this 43 pound bike and my 220 pound self up over the top of the hill and here comes this young teenager singing a song, hands off the bars, heck I even think he had a ipod or cell phone going, man that was not fun, I thought to my self.... So he catches and passes me, I think that is okay, I'll catch him since he will get tired and I will not stop until I do, so as I am gaining on him about a quarter mile later, he must hear my music as I had my phone clipped to the bars and listening to music... So he gets up out of the saddle as I am on his 9 and just pedals off, then I'm thinking dam....



so I guess I will catch him again, so he is back sitting on the saddle, no hands riding along and I finally catch him

I'm on his 9 and then 10 then 11 then 12 then I am passed him, we are both up pedaling, kind of racing I guess... man that was fun, he must weigh 80 pounds + less than I and I know that bike is more than likely 2/3rds the weight of this beast... So as we are going we come to the drop, no back down this hill the last time I was on a hill like this was as a 7th grader, going down that hill I was riding my friend sisters swinn and pulled the wrong break in my mind and went flying over the bars and as I was approaching the point of contact rolled in mid air to hit on my should instead of my face and head, result, broken bike, broken collar bone, kids on bus that had backed across the road at the bottom all up on one side laughing at me, so I get up and my friend comes back and he pushes broken bike back and I push his bike back about 1.5 miles to his house get my baseball glove and walk about 1.5 miles home, shoulder hurting do not know why as a kid you just know it hurts but not why, maybe I was in shock and did not know it, so anyway, here I am going down this hill the guy keeps going as fast as he can and me knowing that I am not ready to whip out at 44 going down this hill so I back off, I'm thinking I'll get him on the next climb, well as I am gaining on him he gets up out of the saddle and keeps going.... I gaining I'm gaining, darn, I'm out of gas, so I dismount and walk bike the rest of the way up this hill.... besides I did not have a helmet and was not looking to get hurt... so back on the bike still climbing but this is not the steep part of the hill, then as I am gaining momentum, out of no where here comes this giant snowser, barking barking , I'm think great I am not prepared for this altercation, he'll be able to take me so I remain calm and keep pedaling thinking man I wish I had some kind of protection, so finally I get past him and continue to the end of the road where I promptly dismount and walk a bit, then mount again and now I have to ride back, by the way I never did see that young man again... that sure did show me how out of shape I have become...well this time I have picked up a few rocks and am carrying them in my non bike riding pants pocket, man I sure do wish I would have had bicycle appropriate gear on for this ride as I totally underestimated how hot it was and how tough this was going to be, heat index this day was over 100....So I get going and didn't see the dog again either.... well I make it home, five mile ride complete, I have since riding every other day for the next week and now I am trying to ride everyday... Some times when I finish I get my stuff and go golfing walking the course...



So now that I am up to about 10 mile rides, I have noticed that my knees have been bothering me, so I have been reading as much as possible about adjusting riding style and bike settings, so in the last two weeks I can not believe how quickly my progress has improved...



I am thinking now that I need to get a better ride, I really do not want to continue to ride my 42 pound mountain bike with I guess they are 2.5 inch knobby tires, as I think this is what is hurting my knees, by the way now it is just my left knee that hurts, it kind of feels like someone is trying to stretch something on the left outer portion along my knee... I keep adjusting the seat height and pushing it back a bit and have noticed it is better, but I think I must have tweaked it a bit on that first or second ride missing a shift or thinking I could stay in a higher gear going up that hill, really struggled to rotate the pedals and have had to stop and dismount adjust gears settings and then continue, so now I have an acking left knee...



So now about the bike I should get, I really want to ride a long way, would like to ride with groups since it seems they are abundant around here, but mainly want to get in shape, I think after this weekend I will break the 200+ pound mark if I keep eating right(less junk food, smaller portions and more fruits as snacks....)



I am what you call an extremist, when I decide to do something I go all out, I really did not like that fact that I could not keep up with someone more than half my age or the fact that on a longer ride the second ride for me that I was past by two people on great light weight road bikes....I didn't care that they were able to pass me other than I felt if I had a nice road bike maybe I could have joined along with them until I got to my turn off, but in stead they were there then gone...



So as I am looking for a nice bike at a good price, where does one begin, I like to go fast ride far and then be done with it, for now...



I guess I would like to maybe join others on group rides as well.....I would like to get something nice, but really do not see how these bikes can cost so much, since I have always just made do with store bought bikes, since I would only ride to get in shape then stop riding, but now I'm thinking that I want to ride more often, maybe every other day or every third day....



So I went out looking at bikes at the local bike shop and have tried to search the net, I am confused, I guess there are better components, I guess I want the best, but maybe do not need or better yet have a hard time spending this kind of money on a bicycle.....



So I have looked at trek, specialized and will check out some others today after work across the river in Indiana....



every time I go out on the net and look I seem to see some on line offers and do not know if that is the way to go... seems the on line vendors will provide a better list of components for the same type of bikes I have been looking at, but of course for less $$...



So if you were buying and wanted a better than entry level bike would you go with something off line or pay more locally?



Is there a better time to buy a bike local and get a better price????





thanks for listen to my story and assisting me as I try to join your ranks as a healthier, happy cyclist....

Hefty

Welcome! I beat you to the Forum by a few hours. I am grateful that you and Phat Monkey have shared a little. I am in a similar situation on weight with age and I appreciate knowing that there are more out there like me.
I have a solid Bridgestone bicycle but I am divided between upgrading it and getting a newer road bike.

Good luck and thank you again.

East Hill

That was a lot to read! Very interesting though, and you are already finding out how much improvement can come in just a few weeks. As you get fitter, though, progress is not as rapid. Oh, and it's a shame that you don't have the Nishiki, I do love all my Nishikis .

Back to your questions, though. What kind of bikes does your local LBS offer?

East Hill

05fjrbluedevil

Well the locals sell trek, lamond, specialized, canondale,fuji, klein, swinn and some more that i have forgotten.

I really want to be able to ride for a long time and am up to 19+ miles on very steep hills that go on forever in my opinion... currently i have been riding this..... the last two rides were a blast, I was really moving along okay, then a ruck past me and i decided to get up out of the saddle and try to keep pace with them as they slowy keep moving out of my sight in the distance, man that was fun, so fun in fact as i wasn't paying attention and looked over my shoulder for more traffic, that wasn't there i ran off the side of the road, good thing i was on this;








i was able to save it and keep from going mtb'ing down the teen foot drop off in to the trees and corn fields....I felt so good in fact afterwards i added another climb which is straight up when i am out of the saddle i feel as though i am riding on the front wheel. anyway that day was a 15+ mile ride...

Then two day latter I went for another ride this time extending it to over 19 miles, man it was fun and with a mile to go off at my 10 oclock were a little heard of deer, just three of them like a little family i guess. so as i see them and they make eye contact and my mtb is cracking and squeeking along they are 250 yards in front of me and 50 yards off to the left, they are startled and i can tell... So I call out its a race as i know they will choose to run toward the road to go up the hill side in to the country side.

So i am giving it my all i keep calling out its a race as they are sprinting for the opening and i know they will try to cross my path in front of me or behind if i get there first, so here we are they have the angle to theri advantage but i have already reached top speed and they only need afew strides to get theirs, so as we are getting to the spot where our paths will cross the big one crosses, one giant leap and he is clear of the country road i am traveling on, I am appraoching at max speed as the second one crosses, then the bambi goes to cross just 5 feet in front of me and as i pass them they are all on my right now headed up the hill the little must have struck a tree and fell down all of this only five feet from me as i zip on by.... Man that was fun i thought to myself afterwards.....

So now i have added this to my stable and will pick it up friday, i can not wait to see how much better this is to ride......with a 12/27 and a 50/34 on it...

East Hill

You have got a great way of retelling the events of the day! Too bad there are no photos of the deer. But the photos of the Fuji make up for that!

Can't wait to hear how you do with the Cross Pro .

East Hill

05fjrbluedevil

Well, I might have to get one of those cameras that go on your helmet....

Yeah it is fun riding a bike again, it is funny how as kids this was our first thoughts of freedom and once we as adults start riding again how exhaulerating it is, especially when you are out there, it is hot, you are thinking that you are done and need to walk then something happens to motivate you to go on or you make up your own excuses to continue on the ride, I remeber how when the first ride, i could not even get up the second hill with out dismounting and walking the bike up the hill and now i can ride out and back and then go on to another hill set that is as bad or tuff and make it out to the end of the road and ride back....


i only hope that the internet has not caused me to purchase a $$$$, ride if it is not as fun as the bike I have..... I only hope it affords me the opportunity to ride along with some group riders and hope that since it will not have road tires on it it will not discourage me or make me fill i need to purchase some wheels for it..... but the set up will be all road, i am hopeful that the compact crank will work going up these hills and i do not feel like I am starting over..... I may change to the fuji team if that is the case but hope not to.....

East Hill

I know there are days when I just really don't feel like getting out there--you know, rain, cold, misery. But as soon as I get on the bike, I feel better. For some reason, if it's raining it's really fun to get out on the mountain bike and just get muddy .

A helmet cam...yeah...

East Hill

FujiRocker

Hey, I also live in Louisville. You should give the guys at Clarksville Schwinn a try. Talk to Bob, He will do everything he can to make you happy.


Eddie

thetemples

Bike Depot Downtown.. Just got my Jamis Satellite there.. Great prices and service.