Hi....I haven't been around for a long time

[sandra]

Life changed has changed and it has been a while since we have been able to ride - cancer diagnosis, our home was completely destroyed in a tornado last year and we were busy recreating a new life. We have 2 road bikes and 2 mixtes, all of which have been in storage. We finally brought the mixtes home today with the intention of getting back into riding.

We stopped at the local bike shop for some chain oil and after looking around we are considering selling all 4 bikes to purchase 2 comfort bikes. Health issues cause us to need bikes more for comfort than speed. Hubby has always had issues with neck pain on his road bike and we think an upright bike would be better suited for him now.

Our local dealers sell Trek and Giant. We looked at the Trek Verve 2 today and on a quick test ride, it was nice. I had a Trek FX 7.3 a few years back but never rode it much so I sold it. The Verve 2 seems to be smoother and more upright.

There are other dealers with other brands not far from here. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for bikes we should check out and the best bang for the buck?

We will be selling a gorgeous Lotus mixte and a Legnano mixte, both of which were reworked when purchased.

We will also be selling a 2007 Trek Pilot 1.0 and a 2007 Jamis Aurora, both with low miles and in mint condition. The Trek Pilot has all the original specs and the Jamis does too but I have added nice Continental Gatorskin hardshell tires in a smaller size. (I forget the size and the bike is in storage still.)

I have no idea what to ask for these and hope someone can give some guidance on pricing these as well. Thanks so much in advance.

Sandra

[salsabike]

Sandra--welcome back. :)

[Pax]

Welcome back, so sorry to hear about your troubles. Glad you're getting back on wheels and I hope you find a great new bike that makes you feel like you're flying!

[sandra]

Thank you! I know there is a wealth of information here and am hoping to get suggestions before purchasing. That's how I ended up getting my Jamis and I do love it. I just think we would do more riding on a different style bike now.

:)

[thekarens]

You might try looking at bicycle blue book to get a general idea of your bikes worth.

[colorisnt]

Welcome back! Bikes are only "worth it" if you feel comfy and ride regularly. I say go for it if your find something that makes riding more fun and comfy.

[emily_in_nc]

Sandra, I remember you and am glad to see you back. So sorry to hear about the health issues and the tornado -- yowzers. That's a lot to come back from.

I am glad you're trying to get back into cycling. The bicycle blue book site mentioned above is something I just found out about recently and may help you price your bikes you hope to sell. The link is: http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/Default.aspx

You may find buyers through craigslist, which is much easier than selling on ebay and having to deal with shipping. I'd certainly try craigslist first. Make sure to take photos and include information on the frame size, mileage, condition, etc. of the bike. The more information you can provide the better targeted your ad will be -- and likely the better buyers you will attract.

Good luck, and please stick around!

[sandra]

Thank you Emily! I remember so many of the members here too even though it has been a while. I've really missed riding.

I just listed them all on Craigslist tonight. I know about all of the specs of the Trek Pilot and the Jamis Aurora but I have no idea about the old mixtes. I can't remember the frame size or the particulars. Our local bike shop may be interested in buying them because they sell used bikes so that might work too.

Anyone with any comfort bike suggestions to test? Please chime in.

[Pax]

I tried a couple of comfort bikes but they felt mushy and cumbersome, even bought a Trek Allant last year. Found it very uninspiring so I decided to try something more zippy and see if I could modify it for comfort. Bought and am loving a Trek 7.4FX WSD; changed out the saddle for a Terry and had the shop put on a higher riser for the bars, made it more comfortable and am loving it, very zippy and fun!

[sandra]

Thanks Pax! That is an idea I hadn't thought of. I had the Trek 7.3 FX WSD and didn't care for it. The shifting was not really smooth but I probably should have gone up to the 7.4 FX. Do you know the specs on the higher riser you used? Did it make a good bit of difference? Which Terry saddle do you have?

I appreciate the info so much!

[Pax]

Don't know the specs on the riser, I just asked for the tallest I could get, if that hadn't done the trick they were going to get me a stem that was angled up more. There's lots they can do to make if more comfy.

I ride a Terry Cite X saddle, it's the third one I've purchased, it's wide and comfy and the cut out keep the pressure away. On my old roadie I rode a Terry Falcon X, it did NOT translate well to the upright riding position on the FZ.

BTW - I test rode both and it was a night and day difference between the 7.3 and the 7.4, much better wheels and shifting is like butter on the 7.4. I looked at the 7.5 but it was really just a flat bar roadie, felt more aggressive and was more than I needed.

[sandra]

Awesome, thanks. A bike shop owner just offered me $1100 cash for all of them or $1350 store credit for all. We'll go see what he has.

[sandra]

I ended up with the 2014 Giant Escape 1W. I really like this shop and he ended up making me a good deal. We made a few modifications. The Giant just can't be compared to my Jamis Aurora. Due to the nature of the cassette and the sprockets being further apart than the road bike, the shifting never will be as smooth but it's ok and very comfortable.

I would say no more bikes but I know better than to say that. :D

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you found a bike you like, Sandra, and I hope it works out for you. But don't forget, it's not real until you post a photo! :D

[sandra]

I will get one as soon as this stormy weather passes. I know this stock photo does not count but it is black with pink stripes. I got a rack added to the back and I need a bag. Any recommendations?

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[sandra]

We took them to the Trace this morning and they are PERFECT! Exactly what we were looking for. I was apprehensive yesterday until we had our first real ride but it was good to know we made the right decision. I love mine and hubby is very happy with his.

No matter how old we get, riding my bike with the sun on my face and the wind in my hair takes my mind to a happy place. :)

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[Pax]

Very cool, glad you found the right ride.

[colorisnt]

Nice!

I have a Blackburn waterproof bag that I got for a song on Competitive Cyclist and it's great for what I use it for (commuting and groceries) and it's not too heavy as a do-everything bag for weekend riding. I just usually keep it on the bike everyday. It's not super spendy and not an Ortlieb (beautiful bags but not in my budget right now) and while it looks "smaller", I fit an entire two bags of groceries in the one pannier yesterday at the store!

[emily_in_nc]

It's pretty! The Arkel Tailrider is an excellent trunk bag and extremely durable -- ours are still going strong after 10 years. The last I looked, though, it still only comes in red so not the best color for your bike with its pink accents. I am sure others will chime in!

[sandra]

Gotta stay coordinated! I never realized it would be so hard to find a bag with a little touch of pink.

Is it crazy that I already want to change to hot pink Jagwire cables? Or would that be too much? .... and it might not even match. ;)

[Catrin]

I've an Arkel Tailrider, and it is a very durable trunk bag. Not too big, but it holds more than you think it will as it does expand a bit. Mine is red - I've HEARD that it is available in black but I've not seen that myself.

[Crankin]

Yes, we have a red and a black one. I can't remember which one is mine, as it's not on my bike all of the time. I don't use it for commuting, because it won't hold all of my clothes and work stuff. Plus, I ride that bike for regular road rides and I hate having it on for that, unless we are going far, need a change of clothes. I find it hard to put on and take off. So, that's why I use my pannier which is huge, to commute. It came from REI and was not that much $. It just snaps on. The Arkel has straps that need to loop through certain ways, and truthfully, I can never remember how to do it!

[emily_in_nc]

I don't find the Arkel Tailrider to be hard to put on and take off at all, but mine is an older model, and they may have changed the mechanism. It's not huge, agreed, but I love all the pockets and the velcro on back, the visibility factor, and the the fact that it has a built-in rain cover. It's just incredibly well-built. And it does expand to be quite a bit bigger than it appears, but is still not a big bag. Perfect for the layers of clothes you might peel off, though, snacks, wallet, that sort of thing. And we've brought quite a bit of smaller food items back in ours on errand rides.

[emily_in_nc]

We took them to the Trace this morning and they are PERFECT! Exactly what we were looking for. I was apprehensive yesterday until we had our first real ride but it was good to know we made the right decision. I love mine and hubby is very happy with his.

No matter how old we get, riding my bike with the sun on my face and the wind in my hair takes my mind to a happy place. :)

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Great photos! Glad you're so happy with your new bikes. I love the color scheme of yours. I assume you are wearing a helmet since your DH has one on in the photo, but since you mentioned wind in your hair...

[sandra]

Oh yes, I'm wearing a helmet. No worries! We wore these same helmets when the tornado was destroying our house with us inside it.

[Catrin]

I've not had a problem attaching my Tailrider to my rack - but there does need to be holes in the rack at the appropriate places.

[Crankin]

There are spaces for the straps, it's just that I am not intuitive about this kind of stuff. I would have to do it many times to remember. I still have to stop and think about how to do the velcro straps for my headlight battery. If I am going out early in the AM, or will need it to ride home from work, I strap it on the night before, not in the morning, because I have to give myself some extra time.
I like the Trail Rider for rides that are long, I have snacks, lunch, and clothing, or I might stop and buy something small. When we went to the San Juan Islands, we used them, but on the days we rode places and then hiked, we had to bring the panniers, too, as we could not fit our hiking shoes in there, with the other stuff. Most of the time I throw my stuff in DH's Arkel, because I am so lazy.

[emily_in_nc]

Oh yes, I'm wearing a helmet. No worries! We wore these same helmets when the tornado was destroying our house with us inside it.

Now that's dual-purpose! I am so sorry about your house...how incredibly scary. But glad you had bike helmets, and are wearing them when you ride as well. Safety first!

[TrekDianna]

Great color scheme! Looks like a nice place for riding those bikes also. I'm happy you found ones that fit and feel good to ride.