New rider from Chicagoland!
06-30-12 | 04:36 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Chicagoland
Bikes: Bianchi Nyala/Trek 820 - Hybrid
New rider from Chicagoland!
Hey everyone! The name's Rich, and I am a very new rider.
Of course I rode bikes as a kid, but one day in Jr. High, I went down a steep hill on my junky Huffy MTB and broke my arm. It nearly ruined riding for me.
Fast forward to this year. I went to NYC for vacation and I rented a bike. It was Biria CitiBIKE, and I flew on it. I had so much fun and I wanted to keep on having fun. I had no idea that a properly set up bike would ride so dang good!
I get home from vacation, and I decide to do Bike the Drive with my sister, dad and cousin. I didn't have a bike, and I'd never ridden that long. A friend of mine had an abandoned Trek 820, he said I could have it. I threw on some Forte slicks, new hand grips, and a nicer saddle, and I rode. I got about 18 miles in before my legs gave out. This is also how I found out how small that frame was for me (13").
After that I decide that I want to do this more. It's fun, it's great exercise, and it'll get you where you want to go! I did a couple more rides around town, and my buddy said I could have an old Bianchi Nyala that he pretty much neglected. I didn't hesitate! He left it outside for a couple years, so it was pretty beat, but the frame was good, and it fit me well.
At this point, I use the Trek as a donor bike, and swap out a lot of parts onto the Nyala. It shaved a good 3lbs off of it. The only thing left that's Bianchi is the stem, the shifters, brakes, cables, fork, seat post, and front deraileur. Most of the rest is Bontrager from the 820. Other parts include 1.25 Forte Metro K's, Forte Softtail saddle, and Shimano Acera rear deraileur (from 820). Last night, I christened it the "Trianchi Eigala."
I am doing Chicago's L.A.T.E Ride tonight, and I'm so pumped. I plan on doing more with the bike. I want to strip it down all the way and powder coat the frame, and get some nicer components in there eventually. I hope this bike stays with me for a long time!
The goal is to have a full on touring/hybrid/commuter bike. Road bike qualities with MTB comfort.
Here you can see the "finished" (for now) bicycle, and the Trek donor bike in the back.
Of course I rode bikes as a kid, but one day in Jr. High, I went down a steep hill on my junky Huffy MTB and broke my arm. It nearly ruined riding for me.
Fast forward to this year. I went to NYC for vacation and I rented a bike. It was Biria CitiBIKE, and I flew on it. I had so much fun and I wanted to keep on having fun. I had no idea that a properly set up bike would ride so dang good!
I get home from vacation, and I decide to do Bike the Drive with my sister, dad and cousin. I didn't have a bike, and I'd never ridden that long. A friend of mine had an abandoned Trek 820, he said I could have it. I threw on some Forte slicks, new hand grips, and a nicer saddle, and I rode. I got about 18 miles in before my legs gave out. This is also how I found out how small that frame was for me (13").
After that I decide that I want to do this more. It's fun, it's great exercise, and it'll get you where you want to go! I did a couple more rides around town, and my buddy said I could have an old Bianchi Nyala that he pretty much neglected. I didn't hesitate! He left it outside for a couple years, so it was pretty beat, but the frame was good, and it fit me well.
At this point, I use the Trek as a donor bike, and swap out a lot of parts onto the Nyala. It shaved a good 3lbs off of it. The only thing left that's Bianchi is the stem, the shifters, brakes, cables, fork, seat post, and front deraileur. Most of the rest is Bontrager from the 820. Other parts include 1.25 Forte Metro K's, Forte Softtail saddle, and Shimano Acera rear deraileur (from 820). Last night, I christened it the "Trianchi Eigala."
I am doing Chicago's L.A.T.E Ride tonight, and I'm so pumped. I plan on doing more with the bike. I want to strip it down all the way and powder coat the frame, and get some nicer components in there eventually. I hope this bike stays with me for a long time!
The goal is to have a full on touring/hybrid/commuter bike. Road bike qualities with MTB comfort.
Here you can see the "finished" (for now) bicycle, and the Trek donor bike in the back.
