Finding Your Riding Style?

Over the summer I've learned a few things but something has always seemed "off" and today I think I figured out why. I'm not riding what really works for me and the area I live in.

I realized that I'm not a racer and I only bought the Madone 4.7 because I thought all there was out there are racers, hybrids, and mountain bikes to choose from. I haven't truly enjoyed riding the bike but keep trying to make myself like it since I paid a fortune for it. I have a hybrid but quickly found out they aren't really suited for anything I do. Again, I have a bike I really don't like but being new, figured I needed. Only bike I really love right now is my 29er.

Today I went to a totally new bike store as DH wanted to look at recumbent bikes. I tried one and liked it, but wasn't that enamoured with it. I can't see myself using it out where I live. DH loved it. It's a Big Wheel for an adult.

I tried out two others, a Salsa Fargo and the Mukluk and fell in love with both. The Fargo 2 has the 29 inch wheels with funky drop bars with amazing shifters. The Mukluk has the 4 inch wide tires and is a tank on wheels.

After riding the Fargo, I realized it's perfect for the highways out here! I still had the speed I love, agility, was amazingly light and didn't hurt to ride despite it being 19 inches. The drop bars gave it the road/racing bike feel. I almost walked out with it as I was so in love with it. I had the biggest grin on my face when I came back from a test ride. WOW. Steel is also amazing. So soft, plush and molds right to you.

With the Madone I feel like I'm just waiting for it to explode tires on the rough shoulders and or get blown off by a semi. I bought it because everyone said I should have a racing bike. After trying out the Fargo, I'm tempted to sell the Madone. Maybe I'm a touring girl?

The Mukluk tank would be perfect for the rural gravel roads out here and for the snow during the winter. It had an amazing feel and I felt so relaxed going over curbs and through the grass I probably wasn't supposed to be on during the test ride.

How long does it take for a person to realize where they really fit into the cycling world? Just to make sure I'm not excited, I'll give myself a few days. The guy said he had a 17 inch Fargo that needed to be put together and said I could test ride it to see about sizing.

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Originally Posted by Bethany1

WOW. Steel is also amazing. So soft, plush and molds right to you.

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Sounds like you found your bike!

Once you find your style of bike, you start to see more and more of them. Next thing you know, you have n + 1 steel touring bikes! (I have 3 right now, and could cheerfully take in 3 more... but have nowhere to put them!)

Ride the Fargo again, try a couple sizes. Salsa is the sister brand to Surly. Both brands are great. Good bikes, reliable, adaptable (standard bits and pieces so you can switch goodies out at will.)

You can't go wrong with Salsa!

I say go with what you like and what your gut says is right. I started out seven years ago only riding mountain bikes. I even hated the thought of a road bike. All I could see was dirt. Then things changed, I moved and suddenly I was surrounded by amazing low-traffic back roads and not as much dirt and I slowly realized how much fun road biking was. What I mean is, like most things, your love of biking is ever evolving. If where you live best accommodates a steel bike, I say go for it. Approach everything with an open mind and always listen to your gut.

It takes a while. I still change up some.

If finances permit, I would get the new bike if it makes your heart sing (sure sounds that way!) and keep the old one for a while. I wonder if you'll feel more confident later after a few miles under your tires. If you're still not riding it in a couple of years, then sell it. Just a thought:)

Here's my other dilemma: Which LBS to use.

If my LBS that is 20 miles away and can order me one, should I? Then I'd only have to drive that far for quick things.

BUT, the LBS I was looking at appeared to be more organized, friendlier and if the 19 inch fit, I could come home with it. They are an hour away so anything simple would be a major trip. They had more accessories as well. My LBS would have to order everything in.

It would almost be rude to order from my store when this store spent a couple of hours today going over the bikes and then drop him.

I guess I worry about wrecking relationships. At the same time, I don't want to be held hostage to only one store. Which goes back to my post on unwritten rules for LBS.

Maybe I'm reading more into this than I should.

I am a new rider and your post really resonated with me. Since I haven't been riding long, I don't know what my riding style is. Several people have recommended a road bike and said I should buy a "bike up" since I will grow as a rider and will eventually want one.

I have been endlessly researching so that I don't buy the wrong bike come Spring. I even bought a used bike on craigslist to try out (price was right - will most likely use on a trainer). After reading your post, I stopped to consider what I was really looking for and why I was leaning toward certain bikes. I think I have to stop researching and start riding!

As for your LBS dilemma, I have the same one and have concluded that it's ok to have 2 LBS's. Do you like the LBS that is 20 miles away even if they have a limited selection? Do you feel comfortable with them? Do they take care of you?

I have the big bike store LBS that has a huge selection but I feel uncomfortable when I'm there and their service is spotty. There is another LBS that is smaller and friendlier. Both carry different brand bikes. So far, I bought my folder at large LBS and will service it there (they carried the brand). But, I have gone to the small LBS to fix up the bike I bought on craigslist, tune up the kids bike, buy tire tubes etc.

Maybe you too can have 2 LBS's and go to them for different things. Just a thought.

I have 3 LBSs. I go to each on a fairly regular basis. Only one of my bikes (currently) was purchased at one of them. Nobody minds if you buy bikes at other shops and show up at theirs for repairs or parts.

They might mind if you stay for hours and try out all their stuff and figure out what you need, and then have someone else order it. Or order it online.

I'd buy the bike from the shop that was knowledgable, organized, friendly, and spent their time with you. At this point they know you and how you like to ride and even have a good idea of sizing for you. It's worth the hour drive to go to a shop that knows these things.

And if you have to wait a few days to try the 17, not a problem. This sounds like a good shop and worth the wait. If you are making the trip to try the 17, call to confirm the 17 is built and ready to be ridden before you drive out there.

You can still go to the closer shop for quick things. Not a problem.

+1 on what everyone else is saying. Get it from the place that's on the ball and that's helped you with the bike. I also patronize many different bike shops and, while I've only bought one new bike in a shop, I give them a good amount of business with accessories/clothing. And I still get discount/free repairs at all of them.

What everyone else said about LBSes.

I'm relatively new to riding, and have only ever had the one roadie. While I'd still like a nicer roadie for when I want to ride hard and fast, my "dream bike" has turned into a steel or Ti (probably custom) CX bike that can handle light touring as well.

Of course, my ultimate goal is one of each. :D

I got thinking about the bike and wondered what it was I liked so much about it. Short of selling a sewing machine worth that much or more, I really can't justify the bike.

I started thinking about what I liked about the bike and I'm guessing it was the handlebars and the seat post. The seat post is a Thudbuster and the handlebars are Salsa's Woodchipper ones. I also loved the shifter set up.

I called up my LBS, asked about the bike and then asked about the components of it. Would they fit on my existing mountain bike and make it a half street/half mountain like the Fargo? If it's just those parts, I wouldn't need a new bike.

He said the handlebars wouldn't work with the shifters I have now. They don't have a clamp and you'd never get the set around the bar. The shifters like the Fargo were 400 bucks. You click once on the paddle or you push all the way over with the paddle instead of having to use both the brake and the paddle to shift. I asked if that would work on my Madone and he said yes and I could use the Woodchipper bars on it as well. Just not sure how much money I want to put on the bike if I'm not sure what I want.

He said he'd order me the Thudbuster and go from there. He thought it was a pretty cool idea and had never seen one.

He wasn't sure he could order the bike from Salsa, but was happy to service one if I did buy it.

I'm still going to try out the 17 inch Fargo w/o the Thudbuster when he calls up and says it's ready to make a comparison.

What if you try that seatpost and handlebar in your Madone, perhaps with a different stem to make the position in your bike more upright?

I have a Thudbuster on my hardtail mountain bike. Are you looking to soften up your 29er for trail riding by using the Thudbuster? I'm otherwise not sure why you'd want to use it to ride on the road. Because it effectively changes your saddle placement (your saddle goes compresses down and back), it may make your pedal stroke less efficient. You'll just end up having to work harder. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what you're trying to accomplish. If you want to make your 29er more of a road bike, put some slicks (tires) on it or get a dedicated set of wheels with slicks for the bike so that you can go from road to trail/gravel more easily. And if you want to have a snow bike, put some snow tires on the 29er.

I was evil. I bought the Fargo 3. I just like the bar end shifters better. They seemed more intuitive. If it would stop raining, I'd take her out for a test ride.

Congratulations! :D

You can take the bike out in the rain, you know. It won't melt. I promise! All my steel bikes have been ridden in the rain (for years and years) and they are fine. ;)

Kinda hard to ride in the rain while it's dark :D I just didn't get home in time to ride. Tomorrow for sure.

I think it can take riding in different areas, different parts of town. For example, I bought. Lovely hybrid and I fell in love with riding. I loved that bike. It was aluminum with flat bars so long rides more than say 10 miles were a little uncomrpfortable because I had only one hand position. I then bought a steel cross bike that gives me more hand positions. I have ridden in town and I have ridden out on country roads, longer distances, and I've come to realize that I prefer urban rides. I'm just not into riding out in the countryside for miles and miles. So...I have fenders, a great bell, lights, a Carradice classic saddlebag and a Brooks saddle. It's not a race bike...it's customized for what I like-quirky like me.

Congratulations on your new Fargo! Those bikes just rock. I wanted one in the worst way last year before I finally accepted that they just don't make them small enough for me and I wound up with a Surly Long Haul Trucker.

I would go with whatever bike shop gives you the best service and you are more comfortable dealing with. No harm in having more than on LBS :)

Murien,

I know they make a WSD Madones but my bike store didn't have one and I would have to buy it to know if it fits better. Another bike store had a much smaller WSD model and there is a difference when I stood over it. LBS guy said once you get up into the larger sizes, it doesn't make much of a difference. I still wish I could have tried a WSD version to know.

I still have a hard time getting over the top tube on mine, but I think it's more me than the bike.

I haven't put pics up, but will tomorrow.

The ride is amazing! I went out for 6 miles and headed back because the wind was so bad and my chain wasn't catching right but had a blast. I called the guy up and he told me how to adjust things and said if I needed help I could bring the bike back up for another adjustment. WOW. A guy that was happy to help over the phone. So far this new bike shop rocks.

It handled all the bumps on the road, went through the mud spots and handled gravel beautifully. I felt in perfect control of the bike and for the first time relaxed.

Out of curiosity I checked out the local Surly shop and rode the Long Haul Trucker, the Karate Monkey, and the Cross Check. Cross Check was my favorite but soon realized my Fargo was a much better purchase for the extra money with the disc brakes.

Hopefully tomorrow I can take her out for a longer ride.