^even though i already posted about my bikes from bikesdirect i'll say it again, I love my Windsor, it's lasted well over 4,000 miles and it's been a great first road bike....and posted above the Motobecane I just bought. I just couldn't justify the cost even though I've REALLY wanted a Trek or Specialized for my second bike, the prices were always 40-50% more expensive... bikesdirect are worth it, even if you pay $50-$100 to set it up and true the wheels it will still save you hundreds.

[Edited on July 17, 2011 at 12:40 AM. Reason : .]

7/17/2011 12:39:14 AM

I recently bought an old (late 70's or early 80's) Miele 12 speed road bike on craigslist for $50. The guy got it new back in college for $700, let it sit for the past several years, and recently spent $150 tuning it up and getting it ready to ride while telling himself "I'm going to start riding again!" Well, that didn't happen, and I got a sick deal on a great bike (butted frame, Sugino crank, Shimano ? components, new tires and tubes). I'll post pics after I clean it up.

Now, my old late 70's Peugeot is now my project bike. I plan on ripping all of the original Peugeot components off of it, eventually powder coating the frame, and turning it into a single speed. Anyone have recommendations for cheap wheels with a flip flop hub? It still has the original 27" wheels on it. Or any other recommendations as to what I should do to it?

7/18/2011 8:33:31 PM

i have no recommendations on your bike, but your dog is awesome

7/18/2011 8:53:01 PM

If I were you I'd keep the Peugeot as is but I tend to like vintage bikes if everything is in good working order.

My project bike is a Bridgestone T700 I bought for my girlfriend as a school commuter:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1988/pages/bridgestone-1988-23.htm
I'm replacing the head-set, stem, handlebars, and breaks to make it more comfortable for her.

7/18/2011 10:51:00 PM

Everything works fine, it just needs a thorough cleaning. The chainrings are a bit rusty, I'm sure a new bottom bracket/drive train would make a world of difference, but I don't have a lot of money for projects, which is why I was hoping to keep it simple.

The Miele rides/feels better, so I feel like it would be silly to have another vintage 10 speed laying around, which is why I wanted to make it a S/S.

7/19/2011 12:49:59 AM

anyone have any recommendations on a good pair of shoes for a fairly casual biker? My longest ride has been 3 hours, and we just ride around the neighborhood and on the greenways.

7/24/2011 10:08:44 PM

Bontrager and Specialized both put a great deal of ergonomic research and design into their product to properly position the foot. Many others simply use standard foot molds and throw a set of cleat mounts on them and call them cycling shoes.

There are plenty of brands but these two will be a good place to start looking. Just like any other type of shoe, there are going to be some models/brands that fit better than others. Do yourself a favor and try on a few before buying.

7/25/2011 6:26:00 AM

Bontrager and Specialized both put a great deal of ergonomic research and design into their product to properly position the foot. Many others simply use standard foot molds and throw a set of cleat mounts on them and call them cycling shoes.

There are plenty of brands but these two will be a good place to start looking. Just like any other type of shoe, there are going to be some models/brands that fit better than others. Do yourself a favor and try on a few before buying.

7/25/2011 6:26:00 AM

For my commute to work I have a pair of cannondale "mountain bike" shoes. they lace up like regular shoes and have a normal looking sole.

For casual use I'd recomend the mountain bike style no matter who makes them as you can walk around in them pretty easily if you say go to a bar or store on the ol' bicycle.

7/25/2011 9:07:55 AM

i think i've decided on this one:



http://bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/ventnoir_x.htm

7/25/2011 9:43:46 AM

I don't think I'd go with that one...

7/25/2011 9:50:58 AM

why?

7/25/2011 9:51:20 AM

been so damn hot i have not ridden in weeks!

7/25/2011 10:32:08 AM

^^ The only thing I can comment on are the Tiagra/Tektro components- solid, if unspectacular performance (I've got those various models spread out over an older Giant road bike, a Surly LHT, and a Specialized mountain bike). I just checked out some reviews and they recommend staying away from both if you get into a lot of heavy racing/training, but seem to be fine for people doing recreational riding and commuting. Also the weight weenies seem to hate Tiagra compared to 105/Ultegra.

7/25/2011 10:42:57 AM

well shit - i really wish that i knew more about actual components.

i want to get something under $1k that i can use to race, mainly triathlons with a century ride here and there.

i was looking at their tri bikes and they don't have many in my size (54)

le sigh

7/25/2011 10:44:38 AM

^Yeah I ride a 50 cm frame in most road models, so you can only imagine how much fun it is for me to find new bikes in my size. My shorter women cyclist friends have to ride some weird size wheels to accommodate their short bits- one girl rides a 24" wheel in front and 27" in back on an older vintage road bike, another rides a 43-44 cm (?!) frame with 650bs(methinks).

I'm not saying the Tiagra group is bad, just that it may not stand up to your expectations. You could always buy Tiagra now and upgrade the groupo later as circumstances dictate, but personally I'd shell out the money now and buy a better-component bike, because it is annoying to switch components out and re-adjust everything.

7/25/2011 11:03:59 AM

Those components are fine.

The triple crank is a little overkill for the applications you are talking about.

7/25/2011 11:04:38 AM

oh okay

i feel like anything that i get is an upgrade from the fuji hybrid that i'm riding now....

yes i used that for a century ride

7/25/2011 11:05:55 AM

^ Damn girl. That's impressive. I'd start screaming about mile 50 for it to go faster.

7/25/2011 11:29:21 AM

I have Tiagra components on one of my bikes. I do plenty of long rides 65 miles + I never have any complaints and hasn't let me down yet. IMHO it takes quite a bit of riding to "outgrow" components on a proper road bike.

7/25/2011 11:47:55 AM

Yea, I've done a 100-mi. Century on Sora components and toe cages before, it's doable if you have your bike well-tuned.

Did Vail Pass this weekend, a nice 2600 vertical gain @ 4-5% grade and about 34 miles or so R/T... loving the Motobecane Sprint and went SPD w/ Shimano R087 shoes and makes a huge difference

Copper Triangle in 2-weeks!

[Edited on July 25, 2011 at 12:46 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2011 12:28:01 PM

Quote :

"Damn girl. That's impressive. I'd start screaming about mile 50 for it to go faster."

hahaha thanks. i actually maintained about 20mph for most of it - which is decent.

i had a few road bikes comment on how impressed they were at how fast i am on it

i'm going to keep it for commuting to and from work - some sections of the trail around on the route are just too rough for me to feel comfortable taking the road bike on it til i'm more used to it.

7/25/2011 1:27:12 PM

This summer I dusted off the unicycle that I had filed away for about 10 years. I used it mostly to get around campus while in school, since I had to park far off campus and didn't want to deal with the hassle of dealing with a bike rack all the time. Toss a unicycle in the trunk and I was off and it beat jogging speeds hands down. Plus it never winded me like running does.

I've gotten weak and doughy during my extended time off, but I'm trying to make a comeback. I also had to buy a new tire (wore a hole all the way through to the inner tube while in college). I went from a 24x1.75 to a 24x2.3 without changing the petal arm length so hills are a little tougher to get up, but it's a lot faster on flats.

I've got about 50 miles over multiple outings logged so far. The trails around my home are getting really boring and the distance really isn't doing it for me any more. I'm looking for a nice place with paved trails - maybe in the 5-7 mile range for starters. Longer after that. What are some good places?

Shelly Lake is fairly decent, but can be crowded. You kinda have to catch it on off hours or when the weather really sucks (like now). I think I remember the trails near Lake Crabtree being close to 5 miles round trip. Any others?

[Edited on July 25, 2011 at 9:53 PM. Reason : -]

7/25/2011 9:52:58 PM

Really...
A Unicyle?


Really?

7/25/2011 10:27:24 PM

hahahahahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faM4QuPPo34

[Edited on July 25, 2011 at 11:00 PM. Reason : [-]

7/25/2011 10:55:39 PM

My mom bought a unicycle at a yard sale last year and then got mad when neither myself nor my 33 year old brother wanted to ride it.

I secretly plan to learn to ride it when nobody is around though.

7/25/2011 11:42:14 PM

Yeah, really. If you went to NCSU during the same era I went chances are you saw me at some point. Hated the attention though, it really was just a tool to get to campus in minutes without breaking a sweat or fiddling with a bike rack. Plus it was kinda fun.

Now I find I'm more of a trekker, looking to extend the length of my rides. Not really looking to approach what this guy did though:

http://www.cygnus-software.com/papers/stp/index.htm

Which is borderline insane. Having a 24" wheel doesn't help me, for real marathons I'd need one of those unicycles with a 36" wheel, but I don't plan on getting one any time soon, if at all. Still I'd like to get up to where 10 miles is fairly routine.

I know of a few good trails in the area
Shelly Lake - mostly flat, you can do multiple 'laps', but crowded

Lake Crabtree - completely flat IIRC, but only 5 miles. I guess I could do it twice. Actually what re-sparked my interest in getting back on my unicycle was seeing some dude while I was on a walk out at Lake Crabtree using a unicycle to "mountain unicycle" the bike trails that are on the west side of the lake. He had a unicycle with a huge tire - never saw anything like it. 5 weeks later, here I am.

The 3.5 mile greenway near my house. 75% of this ride is either going up a hill or coming down one. I guess it's building the muscles back though, but I'm thoroughly bored with it. I've been walking that greenway for years, and it's way too short a ride.

Looking for other trails, some new scenery. It doesn't have to be flat, but it's certainly got to be longer than 3 - 4 miles.

^Go for it. Someone that learned to ride a unicycle the hard way (just going out there and trying until they got it) taught me to ride. His tips helped me miss out on all the pitfalls that he experienced while learning. I've only had two accidents. One while learning, the other while more experienced - I was wearing chucks (hardly any tread), it was raining, and my foot slipped off the pedal when I was going at a fairly good clip - I came down right behind Sullivan.

[Edited on July 26, 2011 at 7:50 AM. Reason : -]

7/26/2011 7:25:54 AM

^

http://www.trianglemtb.com

Garner and Harris are good. Umstead is fun but needs a 36". Cary sidewalks are always fun.

Did you master everything at LCCP? ...like Loop 6.

[Edited on July 26, 2011 at 10:11 PM. Reason : .]

7/26/2011 10:09:59 PM

^The unicycle I have right now isn't equipped for off-road. Wrong frame, seat, and tire. I'm mostly stuck with paved trails on my current setup.

The plan is to buy a nimbus 29" muni once I get back in shape. Plus I've got a few things I'd like to learn before I start 'mountain unicycling'.

It seems like a 36" wheel would require a bit more leg strength than I've got right now, since it's essentially the equivalent of upping the gear on a bike. Increasing my wheel size by just one inch via tire selection made a huge difference on speed and on my ability to go up steep hills. I guess I could increase the crank arm distance, that might alleviate some of the affects of upping the tire size.

7/27/2011 9:50:20 AM

Copper Triangle on Saturday!

Quote :

"The Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle course is a spectacular 78-mile loop cresting three Colorado Mountain passes - Fremont Pass (elevation 11,318’), Tennessee Pass (elevation 10,424’) and Vail Pass (elevation 10,666’). The course passes three ski areas and is littered with historic mining outposts and camp Hale, the training ground for the famous 10th Mountain Division. The total elevation gain for the course is 5,981 ft."

w00t! I'm completely unprepared though. <sigh>

8/1/2011 4:55:50 PM

^ What's a little long ride without some pain?

8/1/2011 5:28:19 PM

I feel ya on that one!

God speed dude

8/1/2011 5:52:43 PM

Quote :

"The course passes three ski areas and is littered with historic mining outposts and camp Hale, the training ground for the famous 10th Mountain Division the bodies of would-be cyclists."

8/2/2011 10:12:52 AM

haha, it's not that bad once you're acclimated, climbing is actually fun.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge:
http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/

Unfortunately I'll be out of town the final stages when they get closer to Denver, but who knows, I might see if I can make it up for the Vail TT stage.

8/2/2011 11:05:23 AM

new bike is out for delivery today

8/2/2011 11:33:45 AM

which one did you go with? i'm blind.

Got my Motobecane tuned up last week and it's smooth and light, I'm lovin' it.

[Edited on August 2, 2011 at 1:38 PM. Reason : .]

8/2/2011 1:37:39 PM

haha no worries.

i'm gonna take it over to my shop i use on thursday to get it put together and get everything adjusted.

already thinking about upgrades (well mainly speedplay pedals and aero bars)

that's all i've thought of so far

8/2/2011 1:42:13 PM

you may consider a new saddle... they aren't the 'best'.

8/2/2011 2:39:57 PM

oh okay.

i didn't even think about having to break in a new seat. my ass is not going to like me

8/2/2011 2:44:53 PM

still offering TWW discount on custom wheel builds.....

8/4/2011 11:19:28 AM

Hey Luna, how's the new road bike?

I'm finally getting around to building up a cross bike from scratch. I found an old abandoned 52 cm steel-lugged Gitane frame that someone stripped and powdercoated white at our shop, and a 700c wheelset w/o cassette (TBD).

What do bike nerds think of this type of setup:
single ring in front, 8 or 9-speed cassette in back, with bar end shifter
Schwalbe Marathon plus tires (32c)
drop bars
both road and cross levers
old-school long reach calipers

If braking really is a concern, I may get some help in brazing on some canti mounts, or may switch to a mtb frame, although nice aluminum ones in my size are hard to come by at the shop. I'd like to try some races for a season on a frankenbike before committing to a nice frame.

8/4/2011 11:19:55 AM

That sounds awesome.

Switched my Windsor to a 42/16T SS last weekend. It's fun for the flat 5-mile R/T commute I do everyday.

I have to say I'm still not a fan of SS/fixies for cross-town or on any rides longer than 5-10 miles because it's still frustrating as hell to only go one-speed when I know I could easily go twice as fast with the proper gearing, on the flip-side it's a tad more versatile than previously thought if you are strong and have a proper gear ratio.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 11:26 AM. Reason : .]

8/4/2011 11:23:17 AM

i'm actually picking it up fro the office at my apartment complex in about 30 minutes and taking it to be built

8/4/2011 11:26:51 AM

How is Old Reedy Creek Rd > Old Reedy Creek Trail in Umstead? It looks like one loop (cutting through Weston to get to Lake Crabtree then circling back to the 40 park entrance) is about 7.5 miles. I'm looking for some beginner off-road here. Real beginner.

If memory serves me, it's a wide gravel road, but it's probably been a decade since I've seen it. The wide gravel road is sure to bore me, but I think it might be best for starters.

Just looking for some beginner trails in the area. Also thinking:
Hog Run Trail at Harris Lake - I don't know a thing about that area
Eagles Spur at Jordan Lake - Again, never seen it

Also have a concern about getting flattened by speedy/advanced mountain bikers.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 1:02 PM. Reason : -]

8/4/2011 12:33:51 PM

^^^ I like the SS/fixie concept in the winter. Less crap to break, and since my wheels have sealed cartridge hubs, the only thing I have to worry about often is lubing my chain and maybe adjusting my brake pads, and maayyyybe truing the wheelset up again in the springtime and re-packing bottom bracket (it's not a cartridge). Low maintenance rules .

8/4/2011 1:51:11 PM

Quote :

"Just looking for some beginner trails in the area. Also thinking: Hog Run Trail at Harris Lake - I don't know a thing about that area Eagles Spur at Jordan Lake - Again, never seen it Also have a concern about getting flattened by speedy/advanced mountain bikers."

I really enjoy Harris Lake. There are separate trails for super-duper easy, somewhat intermediate, and slightly advanced. No one is going to run you off the trail. Everyone that I've come across is really courteous. Just remember 1) that if you need to stop to take a break just make sure you and your bike are off the trail, 2) yield to those going uphill towards you, 3) just pull off the side of the trail real quick if it looks like someone wants to pass you as they'll probably just be nice and keep following you at a safe distance until you do. There are always going to be assholes who might try to run you over, but they're usually off riding illegal trails.

Also, there's an official mountain biking thread here:

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=477701

8/4/2011 7:17:39 PM

Thanks, I'll have to check it out.

8/5/2011 6:18:56 AM

so i'm a little concerned about the bike. there was a big hole in the box when i took it over to the shop to have it assembled. i was clear with them that if anything doesn't look right, notify me right away and then i can contact bikesdirect..

i hope it's okay :-/

8/5/2011 8:10:02 AM

I'm sure it's fine. They packed my bike in really well. Came out perfectly. What'd you end up settling on?

8/5/2011 8:59:55 AM

the motobecane vent noir

http://bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/ventnoir_x.htm

8/5/2011 9:06:01 AM