Loving my bike...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, I've had quite a little 'journey' in getting familiar with my new Luna custom bike after it arrived a couple months ago...

First, I had a nasty head cold/ailment when it arrived in early Spring. I couldn't ride anything at the moment. I tried, but was having lots of trouble trouble with learning the gearing (going from bar end shifters to brifters). Couldn't get the hang of it at all.

Then came a week of freezing rain and slush. No biking.

Right when the weather turned nice, I injured my hip while roller skating and that put me totally out of commission for 3 weeks. Could barely limp around and terrible pain.

Then my hip got better, and the weather was good!...
Started riding it, but was having trouble with the shifting- kept dropping my chain no matter what I did. :(
We had to do a LOT of little test rides combined with many minute derailleur adjustments- that took a couple more days of endless adjusting, testriding, and re-adjusting. :(

Finally, we seemed to hit the magic sweet spot for the shifting smoothness!

Then immediately a week of rainstorms hit. :eek:

FINALLY, 2 months after the bike had arrived, the shifting/my health/the weather have all come together, the stars have aligned properly, and I can at last get a feel for how the bike fits me. :eek: Yikes but that took a long time! I managed to get like 3 good longer rides on it and everything is humming along, purring like a kitten.

Anyhow, I rode 20 miles today and the bike felt just wonderful. I can now truly say that I LOVE my new bike. :p It's sweet.
I feel better weight balanced on it, and it feels like I am connected to the machine as opposed to just riding on top of it. I no longer feel like my weight is too far forward on my hands as with my longer top tube bike. I am comfortable in all the various hand positions on the bars- tops, hoods, drops. Plus, I can actually get a firm wrap-around grip on my brakes- a real delight!

It's a honey. :D

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2481476510_2f93909005.jpg

more pix of my Luna Bike (http://picasaweb.google.com/Strumelia/LunaBike2008)




.

[LBTC]

BSG - what a wonderful post!!! Thank you! You've made me happy all over again!

I am soooo glad you love your bike! It's the sweetest feeling! And didn't all those delays just make this so much sweeter? Enjoy her every moment!

Will you name her?

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Mr. Bloom]

kept dropping my chain no matter what I did. :(


Silver got me one of these:

http://www.rei.com/product/670913

Wow! What a difference!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Silver got me one of these:

http://www.rei.com/product/670913

Wow! What a difference!

Yes, we have a similar one coming in the mail. DH had some dropping problems on one of his bikes and that gizmo helped a lot.
I don't seem to be dropping my chain anymore now though- I think we got everything fine tuned really well. :)

Still can't think of a good name. It will come....

[LainiePants]

Wow, that must have been unbearable, having a bike that awesome (and new!) and not being able to enjoy it like it deserves! I'm glad things have turned around for you two.

And I love the matching yellow bar tape! Very slick :cool:

[smurfalicious]

Oh my gosh she's beautiful! That color is awesome! I never would have picked it but boy if I ever get a custom job I may have to consider it. She looks so classy with the Brooks and your adorable bag on the back.

*sigh* I know about having toys you can't play with but hopefully tomorrow. At least my not riding isn't from injury, sorry to hear you've been so accident prone lately.

[elk]

wonderful!! I think the spell must have broken...the roads open up and back we go!!

I'm still waiting for a photo of Lisa ON her Luna.....:rolleyes:

[Crankin]

Glad you are feeling better, the weather Gods are finally smiling, and you've got the shifting down. Now you will be all set when we ride to your house in July!
OK, it's 5:15 AM and I have to get ready to leave on my commute.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Glad you are feeling better, the weather Gods are finally smiling, and you've got the shifting down. Now you will be all set when we ride to your house in July!


You mean August 1st or 2nd, right?

Yes I've got the shifting down and the derailleurs are finally perfectly adjusted!

[mimitabby]

Yay Lisa!
You won't need that gadget on your nice bike! we had it put on our clunky old tandem, and it helped some of the time. On a nice bike like your Luna, once it's in tune, you should never need that thing. I don't see your inclinometer!:cool:

[CarbonCandy]

Oh its gorgeous! Glad you finally got some riding in!

[littlegrasshopp]

now THAT'S a beautiful bike!! I'll bet you have lots of people turning heads to check it out!! So glad you're finally able to ride when you want!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yay Lisa!
You won't need that gadget on your nice bike! we had it put on our clunky old tandem, and it helped some of the time. On a nice bike like your Luna, once it's in tune, you should never need that thing. I don't see your inclinometer!:cool:

Those pix are from a few weeks ago anyway. No, I have not installed my nifty 'Hill-O-Meter' that you sent me just yet. ;)

[Bad JuJu]

Thanks for sharing that great photo--she's such a beauty. My, but you've had a frustrating time of it waiting to get in some good miles, but now tell the truth--it was all worth it, right? :)

[DDH]

What a great looking bike Lisa, I love it. I'm glad you love it too. Hope to see many more pictures of the things the two of you get to see together.

Congratulations on the stars finally alligning for you.

[redrhodie]

There's nothing sweeter than new bike love. May you have many happy, hilly rides together.

[tulip]

Your Luna is beautiful. They are such wonderful bikes to ride, too. They aren't only about looks!

[sgtiger]

Lisa, I'm so glad that you were finally able to spend quality time with your Luna and that she fits so perfectly.:) It is a lovely bike BTW.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks to all of you for your nice words. :p :p
I'm taking my Luna to Cape Cod this weekend- lots of manicured bike trails there! :)

[hermitclub]

I'll look for you and lovely Luna on the Rail Trail this weekend. I live on the Cape and will be riding the Rail Trail on Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.

Your bike will be easy to spot, mine not so much. However, I ride a silver Specialized Sequoia Comp and wear a Red helmet. If you happen to see me, my name is Bea.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'll look for you and lovely Luna on the Rail Trail this weekend. I live on the Cape and will be riding the Rail Trail on Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.

Your bike will be easy to spot, mine not so much. However, I ride a silver Specialized Sequoia Comp and wear a Red helmet. If you happen to see me, my name is Bea.

Hey Hermitclub!

My husband and I will have our bikes and be in Ptown all weekend to attend my niece's wedding. My niece (the bride) is leading a bike ride on Friday at noon, perhaps you'd enjoy riding along?- I'm sure she wouldn't mind, there will be other friends as well.

Here is the plan she laid out:
"Friday Afternoon: for all our spinning friends and anyone else who likes steep hills, please join us for the most beautiful bike ride (one hour) you have ever experienced through the renowned Dunes of Provincetown and check out Race Point and Herring Cove, Cape Cod's National Protected Seashore. Your legs might need some stretching after flying, driving and ferrying! Meet 12 Noon @ Arnold's bike shop Commercial St. Please bring photo ID for renting bikes."

I'm sure you would recognize me on my Luna....Husband will be on his Rivendell and has a beard. Join us is you can! :) Otherwise, perhaps we could find a time for another ride with you sometime during the weekend.

If you want to exchange phone numbers PM me by early thursday morning. Thursday morning we leave and I will not be accessing my computer after that. I'll have my cell phone with me for the weekend. :)

[mimitabby]

happy happy you finally get to meet another TE lady!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

happy happy you finally get to meet another TE lady!

We are PM'ing and it's possible we might be able to coordinate a ride on Sat or Sun....depending on the wedding events and how things go. It would indeed be fun to get in a ride with Bea in Provincetown! :)



Mimi, you forgot that I have met other TE'ers already- remember the Ibex wool rgy when Robyn, her husband, DebW and I met up at the Arcadian Shop in MA? :D We all had lunch afterwards.

Amazingly, in addition to that, a few weeks ago ANOTHER TE member, MKidd, stopped me on the street right here in my humble little home town! :eek: I was just innocently (:rolleyes:) walking down the street and she accosted me! She apparently recognized me from TE pictures, had seen me on my bike a lot, and knew I lived around here and she lives not far away either. I had actually spoken to her once before when she was with her kids at the roller rink....but I didn't put 2 and 2 together until the street meeting. Amazing!
She and I plan to either go skating or biking together at some point soon, but right now she is very busy with work projects and her 3 kids. Hopefully soon though.

[OakLeaf]

She apparently recognized me from TE pictures


What, you look like your avatar all the time?! :p:D


(yes, I look like mine - but be careful accosting me in the water, as I have a lot of unfriendly lookalikes)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What, you look like your avatar all the time?! :p:D



Not when I'm just relaxing at home, silly! :-D

[jennrod12]

Beautiful bike! It's amazing how we remember the experience of every little mile, at first, then one day you wake up and realize you have a *&$#-load of miles on the bike! I'm still nuts about my 15-month-old (bike), too - almost like it's still brand new.:)

Enjoy it!

Jenn

[ginny]

I just had to tell you that I love your bike so much that I emailed Luna today to see about building one for me! I hope you are still loving your new baby! She really is super pretty!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just had to tell you that I love your bike so much that I emailed Luna today to see about building one for me! I hope you are still loving your new baby! She really is super pretty!!

Wow, Ginny- that is so cool!

Be sure to tell Margo that you got inspired by the pix and description of "Lisa from NY"'s butternut colored bike. :D

Well I noticed this morning that I've put almost 500 miles on my Luna now, and I know you'll be especially glad to hear that I love this bike more and more every single day. She still does seem brand new to me, though we have totally 'bonded' at this point.
Margo did a TERRIFIC job of translating my many body parts measurements and my desires into the absolutely PERFECT bike for me in every way. I am so utterly comfortable on it and I just could not be more thrilled. My previous elbow pain from my other bike is GONE, I'm faster, and my weight is so nicely centered- I don't have that yucky feeling of tipping forward too much anymore. I feel I can get more leg power behind my pedaling now. I can enjoy the nicer steering of a slightly longer stem too, yet this stem would be too long on my other bike....but not on my Luna. I can ride equally comfortably in all positions on my handlebars- how'd she manage that?? I also discovered that I can ride no-handed on my Luna and not on my other bike....more proof of being well balanced weight-wise. I just can't say enough good things about the bike Margo built for me. :p :p :p

I am even considering selling my beautiful Rivendell at some point in the future (!!) to replace it with a second Luna exactly the same as my current one, (or maybe just the same but with fenders and racks for errands and touring trips, and in another yummy color!). I do like having two bikes, in case one gets damaged or needs LBS adjustments, etc. This Luna does everything for me, and I don't feel the need for a different kind of bike, just a secondary bike pretty much the same.
(Last year I thought I'd go out of my mind not being able to ride the several times I had to leave my one bike in the LBS several days at a time for various minor stuff!) :(

Anyway, give my regards to Margo and if you need any input or other help don't hesitate to PM me. :)
If you go ahead with getting a Luna, you should start your own thread and keep us all posted step by step, from the planning stage to the riding! :D
You know how we all on TE love to hear the details of everyone's new bikes!

[Surlygirl]

Mimi, you forgot that I have met other TE'ers already- remember the Ibex wool rgy when Robyn, her husband, DebW and I met up at the Arcadian Shop in MA? :D We all had lunch afterwards.

Sorry I missed you guys. Haven't been on the boards lately.
I think I'd name your bike Butta. Thats New England for Butter. She is gorgeous.

[ginny]

That's awesome that you have found a bike that fits so well! I have to admit that I just love the butternut color you chose... in fact, in all my bike shopping lately, I keep telling myself, I'll just pick a bike and get it powder coated a cool mellow yellow :o. When I emailed Luna, Margo (?) - I mentioned TE, but not you by name. I'll be sure to do that. Maybe she'll give you a screaming deal on the next bike :D. Did you know there is a picture of your bike on her web site? Not only do the riders look like they fit perfectly on their bikes, but the bikes are SO aesthetically pleasing as well! I'm hoping to have her build me a commuter/touring bike. I just can't find touring bikes that seem to fit well enough, and if I'm going to spend lots of time on that bike, I figured I'd start there then, at some point, upgrade from my beloved bianchi to a custom road bike.... maybe someday...

Congrats again on a well fitting a pretty bike!

[tulip]

Ginny, I have one too, and even though it was originally built for someone else, when I went to visit Margo and check out the bike, it ended up fitting me perfectly, so it's just like custom. I wrote the check then and there and had her send it to me. I'd definitely get another one, maybe an Orbit 'cross bike next time, set up for touring.

[elk]

So what is the process?

Do send her your measurements or do you go to a fitter?

and why did you pick Luna than, say, Sweetpea or Terry? Are there other women "only" builders?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So what is the process?

Do send her your measurements or do you go to a fitter?

You take many careful measurements and send them to her. (Unless of course you happen to live near her in Colorado and can go there) It also helps to have someone take pictures of you riding your current bike from the side, so she can see what you are dealing with now. You talk to her on the phone, and describe to her what you like about your current bike's fit, what you don't like, any aches or pains, and what you hope to improve in your new bike, your style of riding and your riding and use goals for the new bike, etc.


and why did you pick Luna than, say, Sweetpea or Terry? Are there other women "only" builders?

I did look carefully at many steel bike builders. It actually took me about 8 months to decide.
I liked the idea of a woman builder who knew a lot about the fit problems women tend to have. This was a big factor for me.
I liked SweetPea, but I was not comfortable with how short a time they had been building bikes, as opposed to Luna's 12 years experience. Also, Sweetpea had a wait list of several years for a custom frame, while Luna was only a few months. (for more comparison, a custom Rivendell is several years wait these days as well) At 54, I'm too old to wait several years for a bike that's comfortable. :D I got my Luna in 5 months, which I thought was good these days. :)
I found nothing on the Terry site about building a custom frame to individual body measurements. That was important to me, as I was really tired of riding a bike that 'almost' fit me.
Color was important to me as well, and I liked that Luna could get my bike in any color and special design elements I wanted (i designed my own bee logo). I wanted powder coat too, in matte finish. I couldn't get all those options from Terry.
I don't know of other current women steel custom bike builders with years of experience.
Hope this answers? :o

[tulip]

I had an acquaintance who had a Luna and she just raved about it. I started looking at Margo's website, thinking, "someday..." I had a very serious crash that broke my old Vitus bike, so I was kindof in the market for a new road bike but in no rush because I was only commuting at the time and had not done any road riding for a year since the accident.

On the Luna website, there was this red bike for sale--pre-built, but I thought it would be too small. When I went to Santa Fe (where Margo was until a year or so ago) to visit a friend, I thought I'd just call her up and talk to her about building a bike for me. So I went there and the red bike was there, and she put me on it, and it fit like a glove, so I wrote a check and she sent it to me. I had it built up by Jill at Proteus and then had a fitting. We didn't have to change out any parts, just tweak the seat position.

If you are interested, just call her up and ask. Her website explains the process pretty well, as does Bleeker.

PS: I had not heard of SweetPea before, and I was very enthused that Margo is a woman builder and understands women's fit issues, works solo (not a big factory), former racer, current rider, obviously knows her stuff, makes beautiful bikes. I want to support small builders like her. Oh, and I only want steel bikes.

[SadieKate]

I liked SweetPea, but I was not comfortable with how short a time they had been building bikes, as opposed to Luna's 12 years experience. Also, Sweetpea had a wait list of several years for a custom frame, while Luna was only a few months. I think your concern about Natalie's experience is valid. Definitely crossed my mind though she does seem to be going about it the right way with excellent mentors and having you work with professional fitters. Totally understand your rationale here.

Just want to say that the wait list is 9 mos not several years.
http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog/get-your-sweetpea/

Margo did a beautiful job with your bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think your concern about Natalie's experience is valid. Definitely crossed my mind though she does seem to be going about it the right way with excellent mentors and having you work with professional fitters. Totally understand your rationale here.

Just want to say that the wait list is 9 mos not several years.
http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog/get-your-sweetpea/

Margo did a beautiful job with your bike.

Thanks SK. :)
I should mention that when I was making my decision on which builder almost a year ago, the Sweetpea website did state that their custom waiting list at the time was 2 or 3 years. The time frame changes according to how many bikes they have in the pipeline at any given time of course, so apparently now it is (happily) shorter. 9 months is not bad at all in my opinion.
I'm sure Natalie builds wonderful bikes- they certainly look beautifully made.


I was very impressed with Margo's +/- 12 years of experience in building bikes primarily for women- and that (combined with the 5 months wait list and custom finishes) really tipped the scale for me personally. :)

[ginny]

I don't know about Sweetpea, and I haven't ever had a bike custom made for me, but I like that fenders come with the price, a saddle, and the custom powder coat (don't worry Lisa, not getting exactly the same color - going to get the 'life is good' yellow). I like to feel like, "here's the price, this is all inclusive". Again, I have NO idea about other custom bike makers. I just find the Luna's particularly beautiful and she's just down the road from me, so I can go get measured by her and take the bike home when she's done (she won't be starting until I've saved up the dinero which will take some time...)

[elk]

It's an interesting process....thanks for your comments.

I'm in PDX --where Sweetpea is--- and I think of her kinda like the Sasha White for women...but that may be because her bikes have that distinctive "portland" look that I associate with Vanilla. I love what Richard Sachs said about her in Bicycling, something like... she had a wisdom and soulfulness beyond her years..

Looking at them...from this great distance....they seem to have a different aesthetic..again, Natalie has that retro modern look, while Luna bikes seem more "athletic"...I'm overstating a general impression...but there is a difference. It may be predicated as much on my impression of the people as their bikes...:)

Georgina Terry has a forum and she mentioned she could build me a decal less lugged gloss black bike....but I don't know about custom....and since I ride that smaller size, I'd have to do those 2 diff. wheels which I'm not wild about...

I started a little side account for squirreling away some money for this...I think it's a great idea ....and I'm so damn fussy about looks, I think it would be an awesome process at the end of which you'd have this amazing bike that was heaven to ride....price per mile? priceless!:D