Just thought I would start a thread to get the discussion going. I know many people on here are into mountain biking but I have not seen much about the road going folks... I have been a bicycle fan since I was very young (used to builld BMX bikes and whatnot), but have not had a proper bike in my adulthood until a couple years ago. Then recently, I got serious and picked up a real road bike and set some goals about starting to take care of myself and being proactive about getting/staying fit. I am currently riding a challenging 13mi round trip to and from work 4-5 days a week and taking rides with the wife whenever I can. This is my first regular "cardio" routine I have ever had, and I am loving it. Who out there does the road bike thing? What do you ride? Maybe share your experience levels? Favorite trails around the cities? I would love to set up a 30mile-ish ride with a few people here that are somewhat on the same level...
My wife has been biking this summer and did a triathlon a few weeks ago. Here's a shot of her bike on my car: Since that photo I've put a second bike mount on the rack and have my bike up there too. Mine is just an old 80's road bike from Craigslist. We've been doing some short rides. Usually 10-20 miles, nothing too serious.
Funny... similar story here, Matt. Freestyle and bmx biked as a kid and teen then quit altogether until a few years ago. I traded car parts and labor for a rebuilt trek 420 (tangleds brother built it) and have been riding that to work most days. I also have a 7.x mile one way trip. Takes me anywhere from 22 to 30 minutes depending on weather and traffic. I also started mixing in cycling for my cardio days since hill sprints and jogging were starting to take its toll on my knees and shins. I use the freespinning upright bikes at the gym twice a week. My best so far is 14.8 miles in 30 minutes. My goal is to get to a sub 2min mile pace for at least 45min in the gym and sub 3min mile on my commute. Im actually getting a v02 max test done later today so that should help me write up a routine and meet my goals more efficiently. Here's one of my bikes from my childhood. I just picked it up from my parents house this past winter. I'm planning to fix it up this summer (new crank, chain, wheels, tires, maybe brakes). Not sure why I kept this one but... 1994 dyno air: Here's my daily driver:
Very cool. Part of my inspiration to ride is my boss. He completed and Ironman in France 2 weeks ago and is doing a Triathlon tomorrow. I like the roof rack Idea for our Forester. We have a hitch mounted rack, but I don't like how everything swings around back there. Also makes hatch access more difficult. My wife is currently the one with an older bike. I am going to wait a little bit so I am more in shape before we get her a fast bike so that she doesn't leave me in the dust, lol. Sweet bikes Sheen! I had a GT Performer of the same era. Frame was probably the same (looks the same and didn't GT make Dyno?) and mine had those same sweet wheels I need to use my cycling app to log my next long-ish trail ride. I am very curious to see my average speed on the smooth stuff where the bike really flies (2nd St, in NE Minneapolis sucks). Looks like there will be no riding with ultrafit Sheen, for now
Haha! My buddy's GT performer is what made me want to save my lawn mowing monies for the Dyno! lol, definitely not ultrafit. I prefer the 5-10min mile pace! I only really push myself when I'm by myself (bike, lifting, sprints, etc...). I'm not very competitive with others but hyper competitive with myself. What app are you using? Janet is practicing for her first 5k so I'm looking for an android app or a garmin gps watch for her... preferrably in a neutral color if it's a watch so I can steal it lol
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the rear racks that swing around on the highway either. If you're not very tall then a roof rack on a Forester might be tough. It's kind of a stretch for me to get our bikes on and off my lowered WRX. I'm about 5'8". My wife and I have the cheap odometer/computers on our bikes. We normally average about 15mph. I'll do closer to 20mph if it's flat/smooth, but the hills kill my average. Getting near 30mph like Sheen is doing is insane. Top finishers in most local triathlons seem to be in the mid/upper 20's.
I have gotten more into the skinny tires because i found it to be way more efficient for an actual workout versus mountain biking for me is more for fun. im slowly working towards a 100 mile ride in one day. i mostly ride on the "greenway" trails starting from st louis park and going where ever i want (when i am in the cities) or the Mesabi trail when i am in Hibbing, all on my single speed
That's 30mph in the gym. On the road I'm in the mid 20's . Low 20's if it's the day after softball/football lol Not even sure my trek can do upper 20s... There's no way in hell I'd ever be able to do a triathalon... maybe a sprint where you don't run more than a few miles and if I can use one of those kickboard things! What kind of triathalons is your wife doing? Are you planning to join her?
What gear ratio is your single speed fixie, hipster-brobrah? And how often do your skinny jeans get caught in the chain?
I used "Move! Bike Computer" a few times and it was okay, had a couple glitches and grammar fails though. People on the bike forums seem to like "SportyPal". I used it a couple times and so far so good. It can even automatically upload your workouts to their website so you can look at them all there. I am about 6' if I stand up straight, but this may be an excuse for me to lower the Forester, lol. Best I have averaged on the ride to work so far is 14mph. That is, of course, dealing with a couple giant hills, crappy roads, and multiple stoplights and idiots downtown.
Yeah, sprint triathlons. She had a tough time with the swim in her first one. I'm going to be doing one with her at the end of the month. I've been doing some half assed training lately. Haha. This is exactly what I think of when I see a single speed. But I do secretly want one... You might be fine getting it onto a Forester then. I can handle it without a problem, but a couple more inches of height wouldn't hurt. Sounds like you might be slow enough for me to keep up
Quoted for the lolz. Also, is it a normal single or a fixie? I wouldn't mind having a single speed if hills didn't exist around here. Fixies, however, I don't get...
Yeah, my coworker is a huuuuge bike nerd. He rides into campus from south minneapolis year round. He just built his first single speed last year and he absolutely loves it. Super low maintenance. All he really does is swap the tires and gear out between summer and winter. I secretly want to try it out sometime. I not so secretly want to throw things at every flat billed plaid shorts wearing fixie-hipster I see balancing at stop lights.
Fixies blow your knees out. Not worth it in my opinion. A few years back I took a trip up to Duluth. If you head up 61, there is some really nice trail along side the road that leads into Hinkley area. From there you can jump on some trail that heads all the way up to Duluth and beyond. The ride is pretty flat. 150ish miles if you don't get lost like me. I think I did 183 miles that trip in just over 9.5 hours. It is a great trip. A great sense of accomplishment. The century (100mi) in my opinion is similar to marathon. It's a head game. Nutrition and hydration are key along with a few spare tubes... Unfortunately I sold my Scott CR1 to fund the whole Subaru modding obsession. Now I'm rolling on a 1970 french made Motobecane Nomade single. This is the bike my dad used to tote me around on. Good memories. Anyone interested in Saturday or Sunday morning rides?
It would take me Saturday and Sunday to complete 150miles... probably well into Monday too lol It be up for some low key group rides on the weekends for sure!
My weekends are a bit tricky for scheduling, as I am a restaurant person. That being said, I am down with a low key ride for sure. Oh, and here is a pic of my ride, if you make it out amongst the shadows:
Ooooh! Shiney! You guys make me want a new bike... although i have zero need (or money) for one lol We should ahve a day where we trade bikes... then cars!
bro 46 toof crank 16 on the rear wheel(freewheel) my skinny jeans only get caught when they are not cuffed, or when i have had one too many PBRs riding home to my grungy apt in uptown. srs i love it because it is simple. it's nice because you cant get super lazy on it, but sucks when you want to go faster then the gear limit/i look like an idiot pedaling this fast hits.
lmf'inao! Yeah, I think a single speed would be perfect for someone like me who has a fixed route. I'd probably get really sick of it really fast otherwise. brb... hipsterbiking
Hey fellow riders, go on RAGBRAI this month and then eat at The Peanut Butter Jam. Tell the guy pouring the drinks (usually me) that you read this on MNSUBARU, you might get a free drink. www.thepbjam.com
bump bump i am in the cities this week with my road bike, and i am unemployed so i am free Tuesday. what trail are you thinking?
Let's ride from Chef Moleness' house to the Tuesday meet and back. I'm down for a 30mi-ish ride. And to comment on the 100-mile ride, I think that would take the better part of a day to do on a single speed. However, on a road bike with multiple gears, it can be done in an afternoon; and as someone else mentioned, with the right mindset. If you have other people you are riding with, it's actually quite easy. If you are riding alone, then the best thing to do is ride in one general direction for 50 miles. Then realize you need to get home and you have only one way of doing that. Staying motivated while riding alone is very tough. But it's easy with 10+ people, try finding a bike shop group that goes out regularly. ~Dan
I have no idea which trail in particular...but I know there are plenty of them around here, so I am open to suggestions. Ha! That is not a bad idea. It is about 10 miles each way, a little longer if we take the Grand Rounds route. (I am in Columbia Heights for those who don't know)
Can't make it tomorrow but I'm down for whenever else! I won't be riding in to work once the stupid fair starts so I'll need to get my pedal on.
Just took an 18mi ride with myself...felt great! Took the Victory Memorial Parkway and the Theodore Wirth Parkway to the North side of Cedar Lake and back home. I wouldn't mind picking up where I left off for a nice ride around the lakes... Sheen, I am almost always up for Sunday mornings (except this one, lol)
I put on about 400 miles this year on my ebike. I'm in St. Paul so I mostly frequent the trails in my area. Although not as many trails as the west side, there are still many good trails on the east side. If you haven't been using Google Map's bike trails, you should. It's a nice visual of recognized bike trails on their map, and you can study your route before heading out. A good trail to ride in the early morning or near sundown would be the Gateway trail in North Saint Paul. It's about 30 miles round trip from the parking lot across hwy 36 from the Fleet Farm. Other good trails I like are alongside the Mississippi river and branching trails up and down streams that lead into the river. Yesterday a coworker and I went on the river trail from downtown St. Paul to the King of Diamonds lounge and back. It's about 17 miles round trip. Would've stopped in but didn't have time and was feeling hungry.
I'm still down for a ride sometime. I live near Moleness, so I'm sure finding a meeting place should be pretty easy. But I haven't done any biking in several weeks, so I may be very slow....
Im still down. Anyone use or have used a bike trainer? Considering one for the winter. Might just get a budget spin bike instead though.
I have not done much lately myself. Trying to grow out an ingrown toenail, ftl. I could do this Sunday if it gets better by then, otherwise I plan on doing the Minneapolis parks and Rec 36mi thing on the 18th. I would really like to do the whole Greenway sometime this summer/fall. Apparently my Inlaws have a trainer in their basement that I am going to "borrow". I will let you know how I like it. I know there tends to be nice cheap used ones on CL pretty regularly.
Get rollers! They will make you track unbelievably straight and will get you in wicked shape. I used them all winter then summer came along and I was too busy to really ride my bike But this guy is crazy good on rollers, I wish I could do any of the "tricks" he can pull off.
I try to ride... I've been training for my fist "race" over the summer. http://dirtbagride.blogspot.com/ 80 some miles on the gravel roads round Clearwater.
Well, my toe issue appears to have just about grown out and I am out of shape but itching to ride before it gets real cold. Thinking about a short ride during the day tomorrow... Otherwise, I plan on participating in the intermediate rides hosted by Freewheel Bike next spring and then Tuesday Night Time Trials once I am feeling like turning it up
Son of a..... Figures I find this only after riding season is pretty much over (trail running is in full swing though). I ride road and have done a couple tri's. I also enjoy mountain biking (Lebanon Hills and Cuyana) and urban trials. Skate parks too; I'm usually the oldest one there by at least 15 years. Last summer a kid asks me how old I was. I told him, he said "my dad's almost that old." I said "he should come out here too." Kid replied "he's too fat." Anyway, my .02 on the rollers is don't get them. Get some other trainer that you don't need skill to use, then you can just focus on your conditioning on the trainer. I had a set of rollers and got OK (could do no hands) on them but never really felt stable/safe. Then, buy an STP and do some urban trials with me to really hone your bike handling Triathletes, consider putting the Green Lake Triathlon (Spicer, MN) on your schedule for next year, usually the first week or two of August. Sprint and Olympic. It's been a fun event the last two years. Steve
Yeah, the rollers look a bit to scary for me, lol. I plan on riding the trainer hard this winter and starting spring riding with a vengeance, as my season was cut short this year. I may even try this "yogging" thing and participate in the Minneapolis Duathalon next year. I look forward to riding with as many people that are faster than me as I possibly can next year
Got my first road-ish bike this summer. Picked up a 2010 Redline Conquest Classic cross bike. It was a lot of fun, and I put on quite a few miles on gravel, xc trails, and pavement. I was hoping to maybe try some casual cyclocross with it this fall, but that never happened. Unfortunately, I don't think it is quite cut out for the snow that the UP will be bringing... I am looking for a trainer, but the options are endless. Not really looking for rollers as I am more worried about conditioning at this point. Does anyone have any suggestions? My apartment is on the second story, so quieter would be better (but I also have a downstairs laundry/garage area that I could use).
I don't have a trainer at the moment but I really like the looks of the LeMond one. http://www.lemondfitness.com/product_detail/465/lemond-revolution If I didn't get a LeMond one, I'd probably go for a spinner bike (less wear and tear/dripping sweat on a nice road bike). It's little different style of riding but they're built for abuse. Steve
Bump from the way past... Does anyone have recommendations for clips on a road bike? I just purchased a '03 Specialized Allez Sport, and it has some pretty crummy pedals on it. I have 1/2 clips/1/2 flat pedals on my mountain bike that are Shimano brand, and I would like to get a second set for this road bike that would fit the same shoes (Specialized). Thanks in advance!
I assume you mean clipless pedals (in different cycling circles "clip ons" mean aero bars that clip onto road handlebars). Your current MTB has pedals that takes clips like this (could be either metallic color or black coated): If so you should be looking for any Shimano pedals that have the "SPD" system (any of them will work). Avoid SPD-SL (technically these are road pedals but you will require a 3 bolt compatible cycling shoe)
Yes! Sorry for the poor terminology. The shoes have those clips, so I am looking for pedals that would work with the same shoe. I will look around for the SPD Shimano pedals. Thank you!
