Any other IF riders out there?

[KayTee]

I wanna watch that shoot out…from a safe distance! Yeah, custom ain't cheap, but you can’t beat the fit.

IFjane, I love Godiva for a bike name - and what a beauty she is! I know you're enjoying the heck out of riding that gorgeous ti machine! And jenxxs, great bike! I haven't yet gotten around to registering on the IF Owners site, just like I haven't gotten around to the TE intro thread either.

Probably you two win the peewee bike stakes, as I ride a 51 cm bike with traditional geometry. My 6-month-old PeeWee is compact geo, however, and painted metallic silver w/black and clear decals. I was going for an understated look, but then decided to pimp him out in r-e-d. With DH's wheelset that I "borrowed" ("but honey, they're a perfect match!") he weighs 17.6 lbs, not bad for good old steel. I can't get over how well he rides and climbs! I’d send a photo but can’t figure out how to shrink it enough to post here, sorry. PeeWee replaces my faithful Blanche, the ’99 white Litespeed Classic I have to sell b/c she no longer fits my less flexible 54-yo bod.

Have y'all checked out the IF forum on http://www.bikefanclub.com/forum/pos...Board/indepfab ?

[IFjane]

Godiva it is!

I got the frame number off the bike but I can't see any relation to its size: 670T644. It's SMALL though, I promise! I am going to pull out the specs and see if I can figure out something - or maybe I'll just measure it - duh!

KayTee- you have a LOT of bikes in your stable (just read your intro). I only have the IF now. Sold my trusty Specialized MTB. Not only do our bodies get less flexible as we age (and age beautifully, I might add!), I found I was less and less inclined to leave parts against trees on the side of a mountain.

[KayTee]

My IF serial number also appears not to relate to size. There don't seem to be a lot of IndyFabs around these parts, not like New England or NY (duh, of course there'd be more closer to IF’s hq). The ones I’ve seen here are pretty evenly split between ti and steel, but all the owners seem to love them. What I’ve read here seems to bear that out!

IFj, I do have way more bikes than I should but swear that I use each for a different purpose (also DH is an eBay junkie). Frank the Moser is my rain bike and currently stays at a friend’s work where a group of us suffer twice a week under Evil Coach Troy. Barbie, the old Merckx, is my winter bike - I ride shorter distances and slower in winter so figure I get a better workout on a heavier bike. Fred the Fondriest is the light "fast bike" that I use on hard training rides and most centuries during the season. PeeWee with his couplers and compact crank is the "do it all" bike, though, and may end up replacing Fred as well as Blanche, 'cause even though PW's a little heavier, he just fits and rides so well. I used to ride off road a lot on my mtb but for same reasons you cite, don't do really technical singletrack anymore - hurts my knees, one of which is overdue for scoping anyway. Must work on that flexibility in the meantime. Riding a road bike can still make us feel like kids, right? Go Godiva!

[IFjane]

KayTee - how many centuries do you ride in a year? Sounds like a lot! I have so far only managed one per year. Last year the intent was to do three but due to unforseen circumstances I only rode the Capital to Capital in May - did you ride that one? SO & I made it a long weekend in Williamsburg & rode the Jamestown to Richmond & back route (actually just over 108 mi.).

[KayTee]

Yes, I did ride Cap2Cap and actually live very close to the route - my neck of the woods is halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg! We always start C2C at the Dorey Park end, though, so we get stuck with doing the hills at the end. DH and I often lead rides from there for the local club since it's about 20 miles from home. Are you thinking about riding C2C next year? If so, we must hook up - let me know!

This year I rode 5 centuries. I used to do more (equivalent of 9-10), including doubles, but don't have the time anymore and have "been there, done that"! I still enjoy distance, though. You must ride in the mountains a lot - I'm envious! That is something I really need to work on and do more. Do you ride with a local bike club?

Have a good weekend!

[IFjane]

Kay - yes, we are planning to ride next year's Cap2Cap. I'll keep you posted. I love it because it's basically flat (from a Blue Ridge perspective ) & a nice ride for early in the season.

Yes, we ride along the foot of the Blue Ridge, sometimes go up on the Skyline Drive or Parkway, too. All our rides are on nice, rolling terrain with some great climbs and even better downhills. I'm a very slow climber - coasting downhill is my specialty . I do ride with a cycling group, but it is small and loosely organized. I am often the only female rider. We call ourselves MADcyclists (Madison county - get it? ) We ride about 2x a week plus weekends during daylight savings time, but most of us can only manage weekend rides this time of year. Weekday rides average about 23 miles & weekend rides can be anywhere from 25 - 75 miles each. C'mon up & join us sometime!

[KayTee]

Thanks, IFj (and any other forumites!), please do let me know when you plan to be down here and I'll do the same when I plan to be out near Big Meadows. Riding more in the mountains and improving my climbing is one of my objectives for next year.