Any Roadies Out There

[ZiaHunter]

Any road cyclists out there. Topping Molas Pass (elev. 10,960 ft) during 2012 Iron Horse Classic.

1995 Merlin Road Titanium Frame
Shimano 7900 Dura Ace Components
Look HSC III Fork
Kinlin Neobium Rims, White Industries Hubs, Sapim SS spokes
Easton EC90 Bars, Stem and Seatpost

Been riding this frame since 1995 and was made by the original Merlin Metalworks in Cambridge, MA. Has well over 50,000 miles on it. Cycling definitely keeps me in shape for those elk hunts in the mountains of SW New Mexico.

 

[jbell]

Damn nice ride, but I like it in the dirt... Thats impressive as hell to be on a frame for that long, says a lot about Merlin. I remember back when your frame was new a riding partner of mine was on one of their "new" Ti mountain bikes, what a beautiful bike that was.

Get ya some bumpy tires and come over to the dark side - http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/showthread.php?t=96352

 

[MitchK]

I've got a custom steel bike made by Carl Strong. I've kind of gotten away from riding. Hope the motivation comes back with the warmer weather.

 

[jp8900]

I try to ride on the road when I can. Since I have been out here in Enid, Oklahoma for pilot training I havent had alot of time to ride. When I do I only brought my cross bike which is great for the flat roads and dirt roads they have here.

 

[The Lawn Ranger]

I think I am going to kick the dust and cobwebs of the old road bike.

2008 Seven Cycles Alaris SG (60 cm)
full Dura Ace
Easton wheels
Speedplay pedals

My time is so limited I tend to gravitate towards shooting.

I might have to give up some trigger time in the coming months....

 

[ZiaHunter]

All nice rides. If I ever replace my Merlin it will be with a Seven since it is the same folks who built the original Merlin's.

JP890:

Noticed the Sidi shoes. Only shoes I have ever worn and on my third pair of Ergo Carbons.

 

[jp8900]

Thanks thats the only brand shoes I have ever worn since 1998. I have a Seven 29'r Singlespeed that I love. Would really like to have a matching roadbike as well.

 

[seanh]

Going to start riding again...haven't ridden in just over a year. Got an older Leader 760 with Ultegra group...nice riding bike.

Anyone ever build one of the cheap chinese carbon's? I've seen some great reviews on them...also, some crap reviews but I think those are from people expecting 2K performance form a 500 dollar frame.

 

[jbell]

Thanks thats the only shoes i have ever worn since 1998. I have a Seven 29'r Singlespeed that I love. Would really like to have a matching roadbike as well.

Seven makes some sweet bikes! I ride with a guy who has a Seven IMX SL singlespeed that is so nice!! Throw a pic of the Seven up in the Mountain bike thread...

You guys have some very nice bikes posted up here lets see more.

 

[jp8900]

Seven makes some sweet bikes! I ride with a guy who has a Seven IMX SL singlespeed that is so nice!! Throw a pic of the Seven up in the Mountain bike thread...

You guys have some very nice bikes posted up here lets see more.

Its already in there on the first page

 

[jbell]

Ah, time to go back and check it out again...

 

[liyenhang]

A thread I can finally participate in!

Marinoni custom Piuma made of Columbus EL/OS with Campy 10 Speed Record circa 2002

Cannondale Super X HiMod with SRAM Rival

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi Mod Racing Red Team

Disclaimer: I'm in the cycling industry.

 

[bigmatt17073]

I'll start with a disclaimer. I am also in the bicycle industry and have a bad bike habit. In case you didn't notice I like steel frames.

De Rosa Primato Columbus EL/OS with 10 speed Campagnolo Centaur group- slightly older pic as it has different wheels

85' Eddy Merckx Corsa with mix of 9 speed Dura Ace/Ultegra/SRAM Rival. This is an old pic as it now has DA shifters and front and rear derailleurs as well as a first generation silver Rival crankset on it now. The De Rosa and Eddy Merckx have switched wheel sets.

83' Nishiki Seral Randonneur/commuter/long distance bike- only left from 83 is the frame and fork. This bike has a generator front hub and LED light.

Velo Orange Polyvalent 650B with SRAM Rival group. I built it last summer and commuted to work 40 miles round trip multiple times a week. I love this bike. Big fat tires soak up horrible Michigan paved and dirt roads, and a generator front hub with front and rear lights make it great for commuting or any ride. The large bag pictured on the above Nishiki is also used here.

72' Peugeot PX10 converted to 650B with a mix match of parts from multiple decades.

How about a dirt roadie? Kelly Knobby X Cross bike with a weird mix of SRAM Rival, Force, Deore XT, and Suntour drivetrain with Dt Swiss 240/Delgado Disc wheels or Stan's Iron Cross wheel set. This is an old pic as well as it has a different saddle, stem/bars, as well as a lower bar position.

And, I guess that will do for now. I also have a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike, vintage 77' Schwinn Volare, 76' Schwinn Paramount P14 track bike, Viner professional track bike, De Salvo fixed gear, and a new Waterford made Milwaukee polo Bruiser polo bike.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Riding at 11K ft is impressive. you should be able to fly at sea level.
I got on the bike today for the second time in this year. I was jonesing for a ride all day. By the time I got home the wind picked up to 10mph. only second ride in 5 months. I was riding 30 miles a day till the weather went bad and was working later. Time change puts a real wrench in the riding. usually dark when I get home. I got in 13 miles with a head wind or cross wind. A few strong gusts had me wanting a couple lower gears.
Any of you roadies using riding apps like Map my ride?

 

[seanh]

bigmatt...how fuck'n tall are you? holly crap, looking at that frame...what 7'? What's crank length 300mm?

Steel is great to ride but finding a great steel frame isn't easy these days...seems all the rage is Ti, Carbon the Aluminum.

Track bike? Crap, that had to get mentioned... I miss track riding. Wife was talking about my getting back into that a few weeks ago. We have a track at a park where she wants to start rollerblading/walking with some friends...at least they have bikes I can rent and don't have to purchase another ride.


haven't been able to rid the last week...too many things to do around the house. The times I have had to ride it's been too damn windy. I used to not mind at all but seeing that I'm just getting back into it after a year layoff--the wind sucks. 10mph or so is fine but when you're starting to get into the 25+, it really gets to be a pain in the ass.

I'm sitting here thinking of my last few rides...chose the wrong part of the day to go. The weather was been perfect, less the wind. I'd head out for a 20mi ride, wind quartering me from the front- sometimes direct but in general, not too bad. Only to have the wind switch so I've got head wind about 1/2-2/3 the time and quartering the rest. Yea, sound like a pussy...just don't have my legs yet and it's becoming more of a workout than a pleasure ride

Wish weather would be good tomorrow...only have an interview, a few phone calls and will be back home before noon. Maybe Thursday will be a good weather day.

 

[ZiaHunter]

Pushing the passes at altitude definitely takes some getting used to. In the Copper Triangle your first climb is Fremont Pass at 11,400. Climbing it early in the morning you are in the shade most of the way and then freeze on the descent into Leadville. Hardest thing to get used to when riding at altitude is recovering after a hard effort...just not enough oxygen. Training is going pretty well and riding 100+ miles a week in preparation for the Iron Horse. Durango to Silverton 50 miles with over 6,000 ft. of climbing and screaming descents. Turned 58 this year and plan on doing it as long as I can. Riding in the Southwest in the spring is always a bitch since you are always fighting the wind but as my friend likes to say "the wind is my friend it makes me strong". I think he is just rationalizing

 

[NUTT]

I've got a custom steel bike made by Carl Strong. I've kind of gotten away from riding. Hope the motivation comes back with the warmer weather.

Nice ride. I'm real fond of Carl's work myself.

The Strong isn't really a true "road bike" though; it has canti's and can easily handle 35c cross tires. I've got a bit of a thing for cross bikes...

 

[Rollinforce]

Just getting into it.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Rollinforcce,
You are gonna need a seat bag to store patch kit and other stuff. It is amazing how many times you will patch tires. I ride Continental gator skins and still get punctures. It's part of road riding. A second water bottle is good to have also.
When I started I didn't jump into it with a high dollar bike. I guess I should have cuz by the time I get done upgrading I will have the same amount into it. Guess it's like building a rifle, little here and a little there.

 

[Rollinforce]

DarnYankeeUSMC ,
I have all that stuff. This was just a picture from when I first picked it up. I needed a little time to get the money for spares, pump, bag etc. I spent enough money that day as it was. But thanks for looking out.

 

[HireHeroes_JB]

Holy smokes!!! Shooters and cyclists? This must be what the eternities are like. I ride a 2013 Specialized S-Works Venge with full red components. New mount for this race season and it is fast. Faster than me actually. If any of you live in CO, let's do some centuries, or just do some rides. Maybe we should start a SnipersHide race team, or charity team...

Interested?? PM me and i'll set it up. We can get some custom uniforms like i did for HireHeroes and MedAssets (where i work).

 

[Quark]

Late to the party. But not to the Road. Been a cyclist for over 35 years now. And have a *lot* of Bikes. Currently avg about 5,000 miles a year. Raced in the late 70's.

Old School:

Pinarello - full Campy SR
Olmo - Full Campy SR
Medici - Full Campy Record (Crit Bike)
Vitus Carbonne - Full Campy SR
Harry Quinn - Full Campy SR

New School

Specialized Tarmac - Gravel/Crit Bike SRAM mix - with Powertap
Specialized Crux - SRAM Red/Force
Specialized Transition - SRAM Red
Specialized SL3 Tarmac - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder
Specialized Allez - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder. Sub 16 pound Al framed bike
Specialized Allez - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder. Right at 16 pounds with Zipp 808's

And for fun

Colnago Tandem - Full Campy SR

quark

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

It seems like every week there is something I need or want. I think it wont be long before I have as much in accessories as the bike. I thought the tires on my F-250 were expensive till I bought a good set of bike tires.

I have had the thought of doing a charity ride for Wounded Warriors. Maybe something along the lines of getting pledges for miles ridden over a months time or something like that. I use a phone app that tracks my rides with gps. It will give you a ton of info on your workouts. This app could be used to verify mileage. Any one interested?

 

[ZiaHunter]

HireHeroes:

Ever ride the Copper Triangle? Great ride and plan on doing it again this year.

 

[Retooferab]

Here's my bike. I ride around 1000-2000 miles per year depending on my kid and other hobbies. Also mtn bike.

 

[LngRngShtr]

1997 Fuji Team 58cm 8 Spd Shimano


ran short of bar tape last go around so I split the colors at the brake hoods.

 

[ArmyJerry]

little cooler

 

[jhr1986]

Ever since I screwed up my shoulder I've had to quit lifting hard and it has been difficult to stay in shape - I used to not do any cardio (though I would keep my heart rate in the 120-140 BPM range throughout my workout, so I considered that my cardio time). Now cardio is about all I can do and I've been hitting the stationary bike for a while. I really need to buy a road bike, i figure that would be more fun than sitting on a bike in the gym. Do you guys have any suggestions for a good beginner road bike for someone who is just interested in using the bike as a piece of workout equipment and doesn't need all the latest and greatest advancements in road racing tech?

 

[Retooferab]

Ever since I screwed up my shoulder I've had to quit lifting hard and it has been difficult to stay in shape - I used to not do any cardio (though I would keep my heart rate in the 120-140 BPM range throughout my workout, so I considered that my cardio time). Now cardio is about all I can do and I've been hitting the stationary bike for a while. I really need to buy a road bike, i figure that would be more fun than sitting on a bike in the gym. Do you guys have any suggestions for a good beginner road bike for someone who is just interested in using the bike as a piece of workout equipment and doesn't need all the latest and greatest advancements in road racing tech?

Since you're in the Dfw area I'd go to bike shop and get fitted or you can get on competitive cyclist page and put in your measurements and see what size you need then get on Craigslist. There will be many to chose from in your area.

 

[liyenhang]

The new 2013 Sora and Tiagra STI shifters are a lot better than the older versions. Bikes with these parts usually start at around $850 and go up to $1200 for an aluminum frame and carbon fiber front fork.

There are basically 2 different road bike styles, one designed for more speed and the other more comfort. The comfort orientated one will have a taller head tube which will bring the handlebars up and back.

Go to your LBS and test ride a few bikes that have different parts, different brands and different materials. Most shops will fit you to the bike and offer you a discount for accessories or free service for a year.

Please keep in mind that you might be spending another $200+ on accessories like:
- helmet
- shoes
- pedals
- clothing
- fix a flat kit

I would definitely recommend getting a fix a flat kit, it's like going driving without a spare. Even if you don't know how to fix it, someone passing by will usually offer you assistance.

 

[Win70chris]

Here is my current ride. Sorry for the crappy pic.

 

[HireHeroes_JB]

Yes! That is a great climb. I'll ride it this year. Would like to ride it once in advance on a training ride. You up for that? I plan to do an easy 40 miles next monday before i catch a flight. Morning ride - start south of cherry creek, ride to REI downtown, then back. Just shy of 40, but it is fun to push it...

 

[HireHeroes_JB]

little cooler

Very cool. I have a 2012 CBR 1000RR.

 

[HireHeroes_JB]

HireHeroes:

Ever ride the Copper Triangle? Great ride and plan on doing it again this year.

Yes! That is a great climb. I'll ride it this year. Would like to ride it once in advance on a training ride. You up for that? I plan to do an easy 40 miles next monday before i catch a flight. Morning ride - start south of cherry creek, ride to REI downtown, then back. Just shy of 40, but it is fun to push it...

 

[HireHeroes_JB]

Pushing the passes at altitude definitely takes some getting used to. In the Copper Triangle your first climb is Fremont Pass at 11,400. Climbing it early in the morning you are in the shade most of the way and then freeze on the descent into Leadville. Hardest thing to get used to when riding at altitude is recovering after a hard effort...just not enough oxygen. Training is going pretty well and riding 100+ miles a week in preparation for the Iron Horse. Durango to Silverton 50 miles with over 6,000 ft. of climbing and screaming descents. Turned 58 this year and plan on doing it as long as I can. Riding in the Southwest in the spring is always a bitch since you are always fighting the wind but as my friend likes to say "the wind is my friend it makes me strong". I think he is just rationalizing

The wind is demoralizing. It's like your wheels are in peanutbutter. In CO, i road a heavy wind in the afternoon adn had to pedal hard DOWNHILL. Pain...useless pain. 58 and still pedaling and shooting? I want to be like you when i grow up.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

The only time the wind is my friend is when it's at my back for the last three miles of a ride that was three miles too long.

 

[ZiaHunter]

The wind is demoralizing. It's like your wheels are in peanutbutter. In CO, i road a heavy wind in the afternoon adn had to pedal hard DOWNHILL. Pain...useless pain. 58 and still pedaling and shooting? I want to be like you when i grow up.

Thanks and plan on doing so into the foreseeable future. I am still planning to make the trip up from NM to ride the Copper Triangle this year. Iron Horse was a great ride as usual this year and good prep for Copper Triangle.

 

[ChemE1975]

Does anyone in this thread race the road bike? That is pretty time intensive, I am not sure if you can shoot seriously and still race on the road. I am just getting into shooting but have been riding and racing road bikes for almost 20 years. I started out on the MTB but caught the road racing bug quickly.

 

[George Az]

I been riding a long time, roadie since 84, BMX in the 70's. For all this talk about shooting, keeping your heart rate in a healthy place is where shooting starts. Breathing. Being "in shape" is better for your shooting than you may think.

 

[djarecke]

I do, but I've become more fond of triathlon. Riding in a group always makes me nervous as I'm never sure how competent the other rider is. Other than that, it's a great workout and fun to be in the mix!

 

[djarecke]

Here's a photo of my current road setup:

 

[ChemE1975]

what are you doing with all those spacers on top of the stem...you gotta cut that steerer!

 

[Sam Lin]

Other than aesthetics and maybe aero, there's no issue with the spacers on top of the stem.

Sam

 

[ChemE1975]

Yeah Sam, I understand, I was giving a bit of a hard time. Good hearted of course. On aesthetics alone.

However, on a technical note and in all seriousness. If the steerer tube insert, either aluminum epoxy'd or an expander attached to the top cap, does not extend down far enough such that the stem clamping surface/steer tube interface are not supported internally by the insert, there is potential for cracked and broken steer tubes.

With the above in mind and recognizing that several integrated top cap expanders currently on the market would not, based on the picture, extend far enough down the steerer to support stem clamping, there is potentially issues other than aesthetic and aero.

 

[ChemE1975]

I should also say...djarecke, you have a nice rig. Be sure and put lots of miles on it!

 

[s2knate]

Lots of nice bikes in here. Ive been riding for about a year now after messing up my knees a while back. Currently have a 2013 Navaro with a Tiagra group. Nothing real special but it gets the job done. Figure when I reach my current weight goal it, ll be a good excuse to upgrade.

 

[Pester]

Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow. Those are very cool rides.

I sort of raced in the early 80's....never got out of 'Crash 4' and into Cat3. Never owned an Olmo but if I could have gotten the $ I darn sure would have. Those are very cool rides. Then, now, always.

Rode a LeMonde/Campy till it was stolen and then rode a Bridgestone/campy. Both had about the same geometry, steel and were good on the road.

How do you compare the old vs new in terms of ride ability? Not just weight/gearing but fit, performance, comfort.

Late to the party. But not to the Road. Been a cyclist for over 35 years now. And have a *lot* of Bikes. Currently avg about 5,000 miles a year. Raced in the late 70's.

Old School:

Pinarello - full Campy SR
Olmo - Full Campy SR
Medici - Full Campy Record (Crit Bike)
Vitus Carbonne - Full Campy SR
Harry Quinn - Full Campy SR

New School

Specialized Tarmac - Gravel/Crit Bike SRAM mix - with Powertap
Specialized Crux - SRAM Red/Force
Specialized Transition - SRAM Red
Specialized SL3 Tarmac - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder
Specialized Allez - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder. Sub 16 pound Al framed bike
Specialized Allez - SRAM Red with Quarq spyder. Right at 16 pounds with Zipp 808's

And for fun

Colnago Tandem - Full Campy SR

quark

 

[ChemE1975]

Pester, older bikes are a lot different than new age road bikes. Geometry was much more relaxed. In general, most bikes were much more flexible in terms of drive line efficiency. Also fairly comfy. Geometry, tube shape, diameter, thickness could be manipulated to tailor the ride of a frame, but over a much more narrow spectrum than today. Until the mid 80s with Columbus MAX tubing and some custom tube sets, none of the old bikes compare in efficiency. Different world. All of this doesn't even take not account weight, index shifting, STI, ergo power, carbon wheels, new clincher tire technology, etc. truly a different world.

Did this mean bikes are more or less fun in either era, hell no!

 

[LngRngShtr]

Added to the stable
2013 Raleigh Revenio 2.0 Carbon
10sp 105 Shimano
CycleOps Joule GPS computer
Lezyne micro light front and back
Speedplay X-3 Pedals changing to my X-2s soon the X-3s belong back on my fixie.


That makes 3 though I am looking into a Cyclocross or Mountain bike someday

 

[Desert Fox]

My wife and I just getting into it. Might as well start right. Her's is 2014 Specialized Ruby with Shimano 105 comp, mine is 2013 Cannondale EVO 2 with Sram Red comp.