Nebby Posted March 10, 2014 Report Posted March 10, 2014 I also rode my bike this weekend...that makes 3 people still riding bikes!
n_maher Posted March 10, 2014 Report Posted March 10, 2014 Damn, Raffy. My goal remains 2k for this year. I'm behind where I was last year already and I didn't make 2k last year so I'm going to have to find some way to hit it hard once the weather turns. We've got more snow in the forecast this week and it was snowing when I got up this morning so it's not looking like that is going to be any time soon...
livewire Posted March 10, 2014 Report Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Back in '84 I rode centuries on a new all Campy Italian Faggin (pronounced fa-jeen). It looks like a red & chrome Colnago, it too was a post-olympic roadbike copy. Fast forward to today, I still have the bike - it has been hanging in the garage getting rusty. My fat ass is too heavy for the delicate thin wall Columbus frame. Four months ago I had congestive heart failure. Almost died. No pity party please, i'm just stating facts. Spent a week in ICU and had multiple surgeries (minimally invasive, mostly exploritory) Spent the following two months convalesing - lots of rest and walking short distances to get my heart going again. So about a month ago, after researching what's out there, I bought a 15 y/o Trek hybrid. I rebuilt it top to bottom. New BB bearings, pedals, chain, one rim and hub, handlebars & grips. Cleaned, greased and adjusted every little thing. Been pumping the pedals three days a week since. Am up to 20 miles a day without problems. Of course my speed is a paltry 10-12 mph average. My goal is to lose weight so that one day I can ride the italian stallion again, although at my age I doubt I'll be doing any centuries. Edited March 10, 2014 by livewire 3
Dreadhead Posted March 11, 2014 Report Posted March 11, 2014 Great plan and I hope that you are successful. Glad you made it through the tough times, that must have been life altering.
livewire Posted March 11, 2014 Report Posted March 11, 2014 (edited) Thank you. It was life altering. A giant wake-up call after 45 years of smoking and drinking. Don't do none of that anymore, caffiene is a big no-no too. (i was a coffee snob) They got me on eight heart meds and a few more to help with weight loss. So far, I've lost 42 pounds, still have 20 more to go. My diet has changed as well. Lots of fruit and green veggies now. No more danish or donuts in the morning, hello oatmeal! Pizza and delicious desserts are now a thing of the past. If all goes well, I should be off of most of the heart drugs in a year or so. Edited March 11, 2014 by livewire
agile_one Posted March 11, 2014 Report Posted March 11, 2014 Nice comeback, livewire ... keep up the good fight, and congrats on the progress, both physical and mental. You'll be on that Italian stallion by June.
nikongod Posted March 11, 2014 Report Posted March 11, 2014 Over the weekend I took a bunch of photos at the Grants Tomb Criterium bike race. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lord_nikon_12/sets/72157642181054923/ ^^Click HERE^^ to go directly to the big set Grants Tomb Crit 2014 by Lord Nikon 12, on Flickr Grants Tomb Crit 2014 by Lord Nikon 12, on Flickr
n_maher Posted March 11, 2014 Report Posted March 11, 2014 Glad to hear that recovery is even an option, livewire. Nice pics, Ari. The perspective that you were able to achieve (in the line of fire) is very cool. 1
boomana Posted March 12, 2014 Author Report Posted March 12, 2014 Agree with the nice pics, Ari No, I took the Roubaix as the roads are not great and I still need to do a full fitting on the calfee. I did a few rides on the calfee last year, enough to know I needed to change a few things before riding it much more. Now that the weather is turning a bit I'll schedule some time at my shop and get the calfee dialed in. So since I disappeared from the computer for a bit, I seemed to have missed you getting a Calfee. Care to recap for me? Congrats! livewire, I met a guy who started riding at age 65, was over 300 pound at the time, and is now the President of the local riding club where some of us have congregated to for three-day riding fests. He not only does centuries, he could probably kick most of our azzes on one. Yesterday was the first day I felt good and even a bit strong on the bike. Did some intervals without dying and upped my watts. Was waiting outside the Computrainer place at 5:30 this morning, actually motivated to ride, but no one showed to let me in. Oh well. Everyone overslept. I don't think I can do much, if any, actual outside riding on the weekends until my mother leaves at the beginning of next month. I'm choosing to spend what free time I have with her, which has actually been really good this year, as opposed to former years where I'm really ready to have my home back to myself. I'd like to get in a least an hour on Saturday and/or Sunday. 2
MexicanDragon Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 http://www.schwinnbikes.com/usa/bikes/kids/mesa-24-boys We picked this up today. He test rode quite a few bikes, and went back and forth on what he liked, but he settled on this one. It works out for me, because it's the closest shop (just over a mile away), and I like the people there, and it was on the floor at 10% off, then marked down another 20% off that price. 20% off a new lock, and a spare 24" tube. Out the door with extras for less than the next cheapest 2013 close out, pre tax, bike only. Now, some of you may notice the Schwinn name and remember that they sold out and are in large box stores (Target, etc) now. That's true, but they have recently started back with the "Signature" line, which is only sold in bike shops. The build is a good bit better than the Target "Schwinn Brand", and the parts spec is only beat out by the 92$-more-expensive-even-at-closeout-price Trek MT240. The shop stayed open a little bit later to take care of us (first time customers, but I'd been in there a few times to look at bikes... once to pre-shop, once to bring Xavier during the "try 'em all" phase, and one when he'd narrowed it down to this one and another one). The shop I've been going to since the late 90s didn't even treat me as well as these guys did. So, Schwinn isn't "cool" in my mind, anymore, but it's the bike that Xavier liked the most, and wanted to ride the most, so we got it. The deal was that he pays part of the bike cost, though. After talking to a few people, this seemed like a great idea. If he "owns" a piece of it, maybe it will mean more to him than if he just got it as an early Thursday present. I couldn't (and still can't) find my bike rack, so we couldn't take it home today, but it gives them a chance to run through the gears and give it a quick tune-up before we pick it up tomorrow. They were very attentive with adjusting the brake levers when they weren't quite right for his reach. I'm excited to take our first ride of the season together tomorrow afternoon. He already has his bike gloves and helmet laid out, and is ready to get out and ride. Since it was 75 today, it will probably snow tomorrow and kill our chances of a good ride, but I'll try to post pix tomorrow. **BRENT** 1
n_maher Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 So since I disappeared from the computer for a bit, I seemed to have missed you getting a Calfee. Care to recap for me? Congrats! Sure. I'd been casually watching used/new Calfees on Ebay last year and in the late fall a crazy deal popped up on a 2004(ish) Tetra Pro in good shape with full 10spd Dura Ace. So I bit the bullet and bought it. It arrived a few days later and was in even better shape than I dared hope for. It doesn't look like it's ever really been ridden. I got in a couple of rides last year and quickly realized that it needed proper fitting so I'm now just waiting for some free time to take it to the shop and get it tweaked for me. obligitory picture
Augsburger Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 So how many is that for team Calfee, four or five HCers? There is Jeff, Nate, me and...
n_maher Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 Go team Calfee! In other cycling news I've all but decided to keep the Roubaix and convert it to foul weather commuting duty. I've got a pair of 28's inbound for it and I've started researching fenders. There are several good looking, reasonably priced options and while I'd love to pick up something new/different it's nearly impossible to justify.
grawk Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 I bet you could find someone to swap it for a cross bike.
n_maher Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 I listed it for sale/trade on the Paceline and did not receive a single response. I've also got it listed FS at my local shop and again it's generated squat for interest. I'm also not sure that I want something with traditional cross geometry (which can be pretty aggressive). I've seen a few bikes that I'd be interested in if it sold outright but that doesn't seem likely and in reality, it's a heck of a bike and I should just ride it.
Dreadhead Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 Nate I like my race blade XL fenders I have on my Trek.
MexicanDragon Posted March 12, 2014 Report Posted March 12, 2014 He loves it! A lot better than his last bike. He's going up one hill back by home then up another. <3 **BRENT** 6
n_maher Posted March 13, 2014 Report Posted March 13, 2014 That's awesome, Brent. I still fondly remember my first bike which was also a schwinn. 1
boomana Posted March 13, 2014 Author Report Posted March 13, 2014 Cool, Brent. My first road bike was an orange Schwinn. Loved it. 1
raffy Posted March 13, 2014 Report Posted March 13, 2014 Awesome, Brent! Nate, what work stand do you have there? Looking for a cheapish one so that I can clean my bike easier in the apartment hallway.
Nebby Posted March 13, 2014 Report Posted March 13, 2014 It looks like a feedback sports stand. Their cheapest one is $150 or so, I don't know if that's cheapish enough for you...if you want cheaper, you should be able to get by with one of the performance bike branded stands, they run around $60-80. Not terribly great, but certainly good enough for bike cleaning.
raffy Posted March 13, 2014 Report Posted March 13, 2014 150 is fine with me, I'm torn between the feedback and the park ones. I like the features of the feedback but like the forward facing legs of the park
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