Oh, my! To have such a wonderful hard decision to make! :D
This is going to be one sweet ride.
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Oh, my! To have such a wonderful hard decision to make! :D
This is going to be one sweet ride.
Amy,Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I spend a fair bit of time up in your neck of the woods and would be happy to ride with you. $4k bike or hybrid -- doesn't matter to me! :)
I have a Trek 5200 WSD -- a nice little carbon bike that I bought because it fit me well, has a triple chainring and nice Ultegra components. Oh, and I could afford it. I aspire to be half as good of a rider as my bike is a bike. Sometimes I think that even kids on their Schwinns could pass me. Thank goodness I have a nice bike, or I'd be even SLOWER!!! :eek:
-- Melissa
PS I hope I'm not too slow for you!
Well, Melissa, if you're too slow for me, just take me up a hill and I'll eat your dust!
Definitely send me a message if you're going to be up my way....I will almost never say no to a bike ride.
-Amy
Oh, man, this is bad. Very bad. So bad. Reading this thread has started me thinking about a custom Serotta again, after I'd solidly put the idea out of my head when I got what I thought was that deal-of-the-century last fall on my Bianchi.
But after some major tweaking, I'm still not quite comfy on the Bianchi, though I love everything else about her. So with that, and with the evil influence of Ace, I've taken to lurking at the Serotta website again. *sigh*
what's wrong with the Bianchi?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad JuJu
I hear you, JJ.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad JuJu
I'm staring 40 in the face this year and starting to think "new custom bike" would be a cool thing. Only, my LBS (and good friend) is a Seven dealer, so anything but a Seven is out of the question. That's not necessarily a bad thing. :p But DH is awaiting delivery of his custom Seven ID8 - this weekend, hopefully - and he says I cannot get an ID8 (drat!) so it would HAVE to be an Elium SG. I'm starting to rationalize it by telling myself my current Seven is not custom and, gosh, with my herniated disc in the neck and my back back and creaky hips (and I'm only turning 40?? Yikes!), I would really do well with a custom ride.
CURSE YOU, ACE!!!!!! :D :D
hey, wait!! why can't you get an ID8?Quote:
Originally Posted by Regina
and for all the physical problems you're having you should be doing some cross training!
Don't just blame Ace, a lot of us are doing this. Sometimes spending that money on a piece of equipment that keeps us exercising happily is just the thing to promote health!
(still waiting for my bike frame, so much for instant gratification!)
I freaked out when I decided I wanted to commute by bike and spent $250 on a hybrid that weighs a ton.(I kept thinking $250 for a BIKE?) but I bought it and I used it for a few years (still use it for commuting) - if nothing else the cost kept me on it (I have a good job - the actual money was not the problem - just the thought of it) LAst year I started thinking about road bikes - I went through the same process - thinking No way can I spend this much on a bike - but again happy I did and it keeps me riding it.
It's that whole "matching" thing. Can't have matching bikes (even tho' they would, technically, be different). Too cute - and I think we'd both break out in hives at the thought of it! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
Actually, back is not that bad - it's all in the neck right now. But, yeah....more cross training would be good. I need to get back to the gym for some upper body work......
No one's *blaming* Ace...she's just an inspiration - in an expensive way! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
Amy,Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Hmmm, hills. Yeah, there's a lot up there in the East Bay. (We have a few down here in SJ and the Peninsula, too. But geez, I got a tour -- in the car -- of Old Tunnel Road and the Three Bears. Oh my. I will be changing my rear cassette and derailleur.)
By the way, if you get the Serotta, what kind of cassette are you planning to get? I have a 12-25 on my Trek, and I'm thinking of going to something like a 14-34 with a mountain bike derailleur so I can get up some of the East Bay hills. My apologies if you've already mentioned this in an earlier post in the thread.
Anyway, there might be clear weather on Sunday. What would you think of a nice, flat ride on the Bay Trail?
-- Melissa
I am with you.Quote:
Originally Posted by farrellcollie
But...But...But...then I'd have to blame myself.....;)Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
You know we're all loving this whole vicarious bike-shopping trip, Ace!:)
All- I am thrilled to have inspired an avalanche of decadence :D
A (male) friend said to me today, after I told him about the bike I'm buying (he's really into bikes), "you know, that's the difference between men and women; a man would just buy the bike, not care about the cost or if he's a novice rider, and just be thrilled to show it off."
Melissam- that might be great- maybe we can check in with each other on Satuday? I have a bad knee, and I'm supposed to do a very long, hard ride on Saturday, so if I go, there's no way I can ride on Sunday, too. I need a day to recover. However, it's quite possible that my knee will be too bad to ride on Saturday, but I can always manage the Bay Trail. Feel free to private message me or I'll pm you and we can exchange contact info.
Anyone else wanna come?
Amy,Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Crud. I just found out that I have a conflict on Sunday.
Let's shoot for another weekend, when the weather and your knee will be better.
Sorry 'bout that.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled avalanche of decadence.
-- Melissa
Ahem.Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
"I have a bad knee" followed by "do a very long, hard ride on Saturday."
Let's think about this seriously.
Even with threat or existance of pain, you're planning a "long, hard ride" and you still need to wonder, "do I deserve this nice bicycle?"
:rolleyes:
Listen to the guy at work.
Oh, and practice saying, "Bite me."
:D
Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Unless that man happens to be a Scot like my DH who thinks that if the bike has 2 airtight wheels, working brakes and a seat set on the post, why on earth would you need a new one??
Trust me, while money may not be an issue, I'm still trying to get DH mentally past the cost of my entry level Trek 1000 I bought a year ago. :rolleyes:
hm. Very good point, pooks. I will have to contemplate that!
I'm sure a bunch of you engage in "pain calculations."
I generally spend all week obsessing about whether my knee's going to be painful enough to keep me from riding on the weekend (a certain amount of pain is acceptable, but if I can barely stand up w/o pain, it's not a great idea for me to be out on a bike). This past weekend, knee allowed me to ride Saturday, and I also rode Sunday and Monday (and Monday I was practicing hills for about a half hour and messed up my knee), so knee thinks it might need Saturday off. I am pissed. It is a Cindy training ride, and I need the practice, but I think it's too much climbing for my knee this weekend.
Ace, did you say what your knee problem consists of? Maybe I missed it. But here's what works for me regarding knee pain: I wear a Cho-Pat strap every time I go out for a ride of more than a few miles. I have arthritis in my left knee and both kneecaps are rotated outward a few degrees, though the only one that complains is the arthritic lefty. Apparently the Cho-Pat strap supports the kneecap just enough that those conditions are rendered insignificant as I pedal.
Or maybe it's just a placebo effect--who knows? Bottom line: I'm able to do rides of 40+ miles without significant knee pain, whereas I couldn't do that without the strap. Last spring I did a 4-day bike tour, with back-to-back 40+ mile days and came home still able to ride pretty comfortably.
Check out the strap at FootSmart.com.
Hey BadJuju-
Glad you found something that works!
Won't work for me, though. I fell in November (slipped on water in a studio at the gym while doing lunges) and banged the hell out of my knee. It is still pretty inflamed (I know it sounds crazy, but apparently contusions can take months and months to heal), although much improved, so doing too many hills right now just makes it swell up and HURT.
The only thing that has accelerated the healing is these weird chinese medicine patches my acupuncturist gives me- I'm getting some more tomorrow, so hopefully I'll at least be able to ride a bit this weekend.
I think the 40 mile hilly thing is definitely out for this weekend, though. :(
My initial response was "that's crazy". I waited years before buying my first new bike. I had a couple of used ones first. I thought I had put in the time to deserve a new bike. I shopped for a while and ended up spending alot of money on a custom steel bike. Everyone told me I was crazy and that I would regret it. I did regret it almost immediatly. It was so much money and maybe I should just buy the carbon that everyone else said would be better. I had enough money to buy a really nice bike. When I got my new bike, I felt miserable. It took a couple of fittings to get it just right. Since then, I've never had a bad ride. I cannot begin to tell you the difference in this bike. My only regret is that I waited so long to buy it. So, go for it. But, make sure you really trust and know the person helping with the specs. My friends didn't show up for our ride this morning. I rode 50 with some pretty serious winds. At times I could forget I was even riding. I just feel so at home on my bike. I wish you the same. stacie:)
So, what are these little miracles called, and where can I get some?Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I got some slight crap for posting about these on the board before, 'cause they're not fda approved- they're chinese herbal medicine. But they're topical, so not a huge risk, and suck the inflammation right outa your knee. You wear one two days, leave it off for two days, put one on for two days, etc. until you've used up three. Don't ice you knee while you're using it. I got it cheaper ($35/patch) from my acupuncturist, but you can get them direct from the manufacturer for more:
http://www.weilab.com/whiteepatch
The large size is appropriate for knees. Feel free to ask if you have questions. They really helped me when nothing else did.
Sorry, I meant- you put one on for two days, leave it off for ONE day, put another one on for two days, leave it off for one day, etc. The application is described here:
http://www.weilab.com/whiteepatch-procedure.html
I was impressed by how well they stayed on in the shower, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I second this. I crashed on the bike last fall and am still in knee pain. PT helped a lot but several docs and orthopedists say the same thing. Inflammation. It takes a LONG time and the more you continue to use it (i.e. ride, play tennis), the longer it's going to take to heal. My tennis coach has layed off the lateral movements and the running which has helped and I've used the winter months to baby it (very little riding, 3 hours a week, and all on a trainer, very controlled), plus regular weight training, exercises and stretching. All to get to a point where the pain is no longer excruciating & utterly crippling, but merely annoying and tolerable. (at least I'm off the vicodans now, my kids were starting to call me House)
Good luck with it and really, if you can, try to give it time to heal. I feel for you.
Thanks, LadyinWhite- sounds like you can relate.
I am just keeping focused on my big goal (and reward for my suffering), which is a bike trip in Tuscany I'm going on at the end of May. I am planning on being much better by then :rolleyes:
I'm glad you reminded me to baby it- I don't care what I do between now and then, but I'm going on that damn trip, come hell or high water. My ortho has said he'll give me a cortisone shot in my knee before the trip if I'm not better by then, but I think I will be....I've been progressively been improving. It's just last weekend I pushed too far with 3 days of riding in a row. Now I know not to do that ;)
Unfortunately, I'm a very experiential learner.
lol. hey, how come you can cuss and I can't.. (whenever i try i get ****** )Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
I've tried chinese medicine before too. It's always scary to try new / different things.
Well, let me know if you need me to swear for you, Mimi, and I'll represent.
Chinese medicine doesn't scare me at all- none of it has ever hurt me. Now for Western medicine, I wish I could say the same. Having had surgery six times (once having a laser drill into the bones in my ear when I was awake), I am definitely much more afraid of the guys with the pills and drills (although I appreciate what they've done for me, painful though it's been).
I'm just jumping in here to reply to Amy, I haven't read all these posts. But I say GO FOR IT LADY...what are you waiting for? There's nothing holding you back, money isn't a problem. This will be a dream bike you will ride happily and comfortably for years. It will take you to the next level in cycling and your fitness journey.Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
One thing I've learned from other shopping experiences, especially w/an item you will have for a very long time, is get the best you can afford. Long after you've forgotten how much you paid for your new steed, you will be riding a bike that makes you happy, is reliable and well-fitting.
I hope you get it, you deserve it! And congrats on quitting smoking and for all the achievements you've made in cycling!
Colleen
Hey Ace,
Congrats on quitting smoking! :D You have definitely earned a great bike - the color sounds great! Don't let folks talk you out of it (unless you are borrowing bucks from them to pay for it). Enjoy!