Bicycle riding

[MoValley John]

To keep the Covid 19 thread on track and because I discovered a few bike riders on the forum, I thought Id start a bike thread. I got nothing to add right now, am doing 20 miles, maybe 40 this afternoon.

[MoValley John]

I dont have a very expensive bike, probably midrange. I bought it last fall to replace an old Trek. I bought the 2019 Giant Toughroad slr 1. $1350 out of the box, another $120 for tires. It's mostly still stock. It's alluminum with carbon forks and seat post. 2x10 gears Deore groupset. I chose the bike because I do quite a bit of rails to trails and many limestone trails are too rough for a standard road bike. The only change was I got rid of the offroad tires that it comes stock with and put on a set of 700x32 Kenda's. I have a friend that had his much more expensive Cannondale shredded on a trail from Springfield to Lincoln, so this bike does a great job for the type of riding I sometimes do.

The only changes I want to make id probably a little larger front chainring and I think I should have bought the Toughroad with drops. As it's set up, I have the seat set at the right and the bats as low as they can go. I know many purists hate bar ends, but I have a small set that let's me lean a little more forward. Im very happy with the bike, next year I might by a set of carbon drop bars and levers and I should be good to go.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

I like your pannier set-up. That would be great for touring. Also like your cell phone holder and the mountain bike bars. I helped start and was captain of our MS-150 team at AIG for 5 years. That particular ride takes you from Houston to Austin in two days. First day is 100 miles and you camp the night in LaGrange. Back then there were around 10,000 riders (they have 20,000 people participate when we don't have a pandemic these days), the second day you get to go through the Hill Country on your way into Austin and they had some hellacious hills in Bastrop (I believe they restrict the ride through the state park where the hills are these days). I think I did about 6 of them when I was in my late 40's and early 50's. The first year we had the team, we raised about $5K for Multiple Sclerosis, the last year I was captain we had grown it to 20K, and the last year they had a team, I believe they hit right at 40K. Best I remember, the team went away when AIG took a bailout during the Great Recession and cut their corporate support for charity of any kind.

As for my bicyles, I have a Lynskey pro-cross that I had built a couple of years ago. It has road bars, everything built to make the bicycle as light as possible (it weighs 18 pounds, which is a little heavy, but I will sacrifice some of the weight for the ride). Bought the frame new on ebay, took it to my LBS and had them prepare a build sheet for me (the shop I used in Houston will do this for you for about $100).

Then I went out on the internet and found my groupset (2 by Ultegra with disc brakes), carbon fork, handlebars and so forth (all on sale) and once I bought all the items on the list, I took the components into the shop and had them build it for me.

I also have a 2003 Marin Team Titanium that I built similarly. It has a Marizocci SuperFly shock which was state of the art when I built the bicycle and has a triple chain-ring. Most of the components are Shimano XT and I got a few when I bought the groupset that are XTR. You can't get parts for that shock now, so its days of going heavy off-road are over with. Right now it is my backup bike, as my Dahon MuLX (the folder) is in the shop with a busted quick-release brake frame. Bike shop says they can't get any components to fix my bike because the general bicycle shortage and he told me today that he could not keep bikes under $1K in the store.

Its nice to see at least a few businesses prosper during these tough times.

PS: I rode 21.5 today, at a little slower pace than yesterday.

[MoValley John]

20200531_143656.jpg20200531_144100.jpg Went to have lunch with my wife, 17 miles. Snapped a few photos on the trail. We are six blocks from the trail, all residential streets, no major intersections. Once on the trail, it's all trail until the trailhead across the street from the outpatient surgery building. Not everywhere in Omaha is this accessible, but my wife is lucky, this is a great, short ride. She does it everyday that it's not windy, cold, raining or snowing outside. She will ride when its hot.

[MoValley John]

I like your pannier set-up. That would be great for touring. Also like your cell phone holder and the mountain bike bars. I helped start and was captain of our MS-150 team at AIG for 5 years. That particular ride takes you from Houston to Austin in two days. First day is 100 miles and you camp the night in LaGrange. Back then there were around 10,000 riders (they have 20,000 people participate when we don't have a pandemic these days), the second day you get to go through the Hill Country on your way into Austin and they had some hellacious hills in Bastrop (I believe they restrict the ride through the state park where the hills are these days). I think I did about 6 of them when I was in my late 40's and early 50's. The first year we had the team, we raised about $5K for Multiple Sclerosis, the last year I was captain we had grown it to 20K, and the last year they had a team, I believe they hit right at 40K. Best I remember, the team went away when AIG took a bailout during the Great Recession and cut their corporate support for charity of any kind.

As for my bicyles, I have a Lynskey pro-cross that I had built a couple of years ago. It has road bars, everything built to make the bicycle as light as possible (it weighs 18 pounds, which is a little heavy, but I will sacrifice some of the weight for the ride). Bought the frame new on ebay, took it to my LBS and had them prepare a build sheet for me (the shop I used in Houston will do this for you for about $100).

Then I went out on the internet and found my groupset (2 by Ultegra with disc brakes), carbon fork, handlebars and so forth (all on sale) and once I bought all the items on the list, I took the components into the shop and had them build it for me.

I also have a 2003 Marin Team Titanium that I built similarly. It has a Marizocci SuperFly shock which was state of the art when I built the bicycle and has a triple chain-ring. Most of the components are Shimano XT and I got a few when I bought the groupset that are XTR. You can't get parts for that shock now, so its days of going heavy off-road are over with. Right now it is my backup bike, as my Dahon MuLX (the folder) is in the shop with a busted quick-release brake frame. Bike shop says they can't get any components to fix my bike because the general bicycle shortage and he told me today that he could not keep bikes under $1K in the store.

Its nice to see at least a few businesses prosper during these tough times.

PS: I rode 21.5 today, at a little slower pace than yesterday.

You must not have kids at home, you have a crapload of bikes. The front of my bike came with all the racks, I removed the fronts because I'll never use them. My original Trek I kind of had built. It was a hybrid with shocks, but other than being heavy, was a nice bike. On that bike, I switched the forks changed out and the groupset switched to Shimano 105's. It was a great bike, but too much on the mountain bike side.

My wife rides a Specialized and my spare is a used Cannondale three ring 29 speed circa 2005. I switched from Trek to Giant for a couple of reasons. 1. My LBS sells both, but loves giant, so there's that bias. 2. Trek seems overpriced for the same component bike. 3. Giants just seem to fit me a lot better. 4. Trek outsources 90% of their alluminum frames to Giant anyway.

I'm not so into it that I'll spend $2,500 on a bike, but I have toyed with the thought of an ebike. I tell myself I'd only use it on windy days, but the honest part of my brain tells me I'm bullshitting myself.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

That trail is really pretty. We have one I like here, not quite as scenic, but lots of oak trees. You see deer regularly if you ride early in the morning, and I saw a coral snake on the trail one day. Right now, I'm staying away from that one due to social distancing. They have another that is 42 miles long, I've never been on it, but it is also very popular.

And if your wife rides when it's cold, she's a trooper. I have problems when the temp gets below 50 and the distance is over 20. When I get done, my feet feel like a couple of ice cubes. Perhaps it is my age, perhaps it was the weather in Houston (it is damp most of the time there).

You are about the same distance from your trailhead as I was from the White Oak Bayou trail when I lived in Houston. That's really nice and it makes it so much easier to ride.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

You must not have kids at home, you have a crapload of bikes. The front of my bike came with all the racks, I removed the fronts because I'll never use them. My original Trek I kind of had built. It was a hybrid with shocks, but other than being heavy, was a nice bike. On that bike, I switched the forks changed out and the groupset switched to Shimano 105's. It was a great bike, but too much on the mountain bike side.

My wife rides a Specialized and my spare is a used Cannondale three ring 29 speed circa 2005. I switched from Trek to Giant for a couple of reasons. 1. My LBS sells both, but loves giant, so there's that bias. 2. Trek seems overpriced for the same component bike. 3. Giants just seem to fit me a lot better. 4. Trek outsources 90% of their alluminum frames to Giant anyway.

I'm not so into it that I'll spend $2,500 on a bike, but I have toyed with the thought of an ebike. I tell myself I'd only use it on windy days, but the honest part of my brain tells me I'm bullshitting myself.

Nope, I'm a grandpa X 2 now. Daughter had a girl last week. I have both a grandson and a granddaughter now. The only thing I have to pay for these days is the college fund for them, the clothes for birthdays and Christmas and so forth.

[MoValley John]

Here's the kicker of the whole deal. I've only been riding for like three or so years. I took to it like a bum on an old bologna sandwich! In that short time, Ive lost 120 lbs, built muscle and reversed my diabetes. My a1c is 5.1, my blood pressure is 115/68 and my cholesterol is 125. Prior to turning this freight train around, I was a mess. Every time my wife had a kid, I gained 15 lbs.... And I have five kids. I've met 8 or so Shockernetters in person, I was a beer drinking, dorito eating, Camel cigarette smoking machine! Any one of them can attest. I liked life. Now I have two drinks a month on average, dont smoke, go to the gym and ride a bike.

I do miss the cheesecake....

[JVShocker]

18.6 Saturday and 26.12 Sunday with the wife in tow. Heat was on a little today, and I probably goofed a bit by heading too far north to have to head home into the wind. Def did NOT eat enough breakfast as stomach was completely empty when we got home. Hate that. Did the WSU parking garage climb which is always fun. :50 of pure hell. And there are some grooves in just the wrong places enough that I could catchh a tire on a turn which kinda sucks. Always a bit of sand on the last turn as well heading to the west side of the upper floor which is tricky. A lot of development still going on camus right now and just off campus at the corner of 21st and Oliver if you haven't been by in a while.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Here's the kicker of the whole deal. I've only been riding for like three or so years. I took to it like a bum on an old bologna sandwich! In that short time, Ive lost 120 lbs, built muscle and reversed my diabetes. My a1c is 5.1, my blood pressure is 115/68 and my cholesterol is 125. Prior to turning this freight train around, I was a mess. Every time my wife had a kid, I gained 15 lbs.... And I have five kids. I've met 8 or so Shockernetters in person, I was a beer drinking, dorito eating, Camel cigarette smoking machine! Any one of them can attest. I liked life. Now I have two drinks a month on average, dont smoke, go to the gym and ride a bike.

I do miss the cheesecake....

That's how I reversed my diabetes, too. And there's always low carb cheesecake (I make mine with almond flour and swerve). I have a great recipe.

BTW, congrats on your A1C level, that's really good, keep up the good work!

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

18.6 Saturday and 26.12 Sunday with the wife in tow. Heat was on a little today, and I probably goofed a bit by heading too far north to have to head home into the wind. Def did NOT eat enough breakfast as stomach was completely empty when we got home. Hate that. Did the WSU parking garage climb which is always fun. :50 of pure hell. And there are some grooves in just the wrong places enough that I could catchh a tire on a turn which kinda sucks. Always a bit of sand on the last turn as well heading to the west side of the upper floor which is tricky. A lot of development still going on camus right now and just off campus at the corner of 21st and Oliver if you haven't been by in a while.

That looks like fun!

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Here's the kicker of the whole deal. I've only been riding for like three or so years. I took to it like a bum on an old bologna sandwich! In that short time, Ive lost 120 lbs, built muscle and reversed my diabetes. My a1c is 5.1, my blood pressure is 115/68 and my cholesterol is 125. Prior to turning this freight train around, I was a mess. Every time my wife had a kid, I gained 15 lbs.... And I have five kids. I've met 8 or so Shockernetters in person, I was a beer drinking, dorito eating, Camel cigarette smoking machine! Any one of them can attest. I liked life. Now I have two drinks a month on average, dont smoke, go to the gym and ride a bike.

I do miss the cheesecake....

One more thing, and just so you know. Before I picked up biking again, I rode a lot in the late 90's and early 2000's after I had my foot crushed in a car accident. I was in a wheel chair for 6 months (and in surgery for 5+ hours while they put my foot back together) and they wanted to fuse my foot. I pushed back and they didn't do it. My orthopedic surgeon told me to either swim or ride a bike. And here I am 20+ years later and that foot bothers me very little.

[JVShocker]

Never tried this before so hopefully it will look OK. Map of today's ride. Circled and toured WSU Campus quite a bit so that's always fun.

On the bike path on the east side of Wichita there's a climb about 1/2 mile long. Best part of the ride. Straight int that headwind today, I left the wife way back and passed another rider on the way up at 17-18 mph. Thankfully I got to slow down a bit near the top and wait for her so I could catch my breath. Seriously, riding north first when the wind is blowing out of the south at 10-20 sucks.

[MoValley John]

One more thing, and just so you know. Before I picked up biking again, I rode a lot in the late 90's and early 2000's after I had my foot crushed in a car accident. I was in a wheel chair for 6 months (and in surgery for 5+ hours while they put my foot back together) and they wanted to fuse my foot. I pushed back and they didn't do it. My orthopedic surgeon told me to either swim or ride a bike. And here I am 20+ years later and that foot bothers me very little.

Awesome! I was on seven diabetes meds, my next stop, insulin. I said nope. The only meds I take now are anti inflammatories for my shoulders, crap for neuropathy in my left foot and an allergy pill. No diabetes meds, no blood pressure meds, no cholesterol meds. I use erythritol for sweetener. It's a bit more expensive, but worth it.

[JVShocker]

Some of Wichita bike paths...