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  1. #46
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394

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    NY, I thought I didn't need one, either, but I am really enjoying it. I feel like a kid when I ride it.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  2. #47
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    You've been missed, N.Y. Nice to have you back.

    I really can't imagine all that rain and flooding. Have never experienced anything like it. My heart goes out to anyone who has to deal with this flooding and rain.

    I never thought I'd ever buy a comfort/hybrid type bike, again. Then I had my accident and then guests and they got to ride my Specialized Roll. One of them even bought one for herself. My bike shop says they are selling the heck out of them. They sell the LIV versions and the brand has been very popular.

    Short 11 mile road ride on the Log Lady, then a good brisk 3 miles of trail riding on the Krampus, which is now also a single speed. Getting to the point where all I want to ride is single speed. Kind of locked myself into that style of riding, so just assume that when I post about riding, it's single speed riding. That way I won't have to keep yammering about it.

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    Heard from my son that the house they have under contract in Fayetteville is fine, but he is very glad they are not living there now.
    We had about 5 hours of torrential rain, with a flash flood warning (nothing like everyone's phones going off with emergency alerts during a therapy session), but none of the flooding seems to be around my area. I will be able to do a ride today, in cloudy 65 degree temperatures. Heaven to me!

    ETA:
    I did ride today, and although my speed was in a nice range for me, none of it felt wonderful! It was cool and cloudy when we went out, so I wore a LS jersey, with a sleeveless base layer underneath. I decided my knees should be covered, since it was 62 and windy. That was a mistake. We also left at 11:30, and I was hungry, even though I ate a late and decent breakfast. At mile 8.5, I took my knee warmers off, which required standing on the side of the road and getting my shoes off, too. I forgot to replace my Lara Bar from my last ride, so I ate a Shot Block to quell the hunger. By this time, it was misting, with intermittent spritzing/drizzle. I t wasn't bad, but sort of a clammy feeling, especially after getting overheated. Saw quite a few riders out, including families, as the schools are closed for Yom Kippur (making me feel more guilty I was out on a ride and not fasting!). When we were at the turning point of the loop, one of the roads was down to dirt, for some power company work. That was OK, though, just had to slow. So, all in all, glad I went, I worked hard, but conditions not so great. Just under 20 miles.
    Last edited by Crankin; 09-19-2018 at 10:17 AM.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    My brother, who lives in Wilmington, NC (ground zero for H. Florence) finally got his power on yesterday -- it went out in the wee hours Friday morning. He is fine, as is his house, just a few branches down. He is in the highest part of Wilmington, not near the river or beach, so no flooding. Thank goodness for that! I am sure he was bored without power on for four days, but it sure beats the alternative. He is such a Luddite he doesn't even have a cell phone, and his landline requires electricity, so we didn't even know if he was okay until his power came back on. Needless to day, I (and my poor mom) had been quite worried. He doesn't realize how the media coverage really hyped this up, even in places that were not badly affected. Of course, some spots got hit much harder. Many of the places that suffered the most are in low-lying areas near rivers so have had flooding problems before.

    Crankin, glad your son's house in Fayetteville is okay!

    Back to our usual rides this week. I've been having to go to the orthodontist every Monday as we're getting close to the end of braces now, so my riding days have shifted to Tu, We, Fr. I do short rides around the campground (to the pool, dumpster, office, and sometimes just around) on my cruiser bike on most days, but the long rides are on those three days, which is working well. It's still very hot, low 90s for highs with heat index over 100 every day, humid, and we've been sunnier than usual as we're getting closer to the end of rainy season. Plus Florence sucked up a lot of the moisture. I actually miss the rain, as it helps cool things off -- and waters my plants. Time to go check the radar and figure out if I need to go out and water plants!
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

  5. #50
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Glad everyone survived the rains and flooding.

    Speaking of rain, rode in the rain, yesterday and it was by choice. Didn't get caught out in the rain; it was raining when I started riding. Very light rain, though, and as much drizzle as anything. Did 14 miles of pavement on the Gunnar, then switched to a fat bike for 5 more miles of laps on my trails. The woods are quite lovely in a light rain and peaceful, too, with the rain dripping from the leaves. Wonderful north woods aroma, to boot. On the road, ride saw a lot of deer and a hen turkey with young ones. Wildlife tend to come out of the woods and hang out at the road edges when it's raining, so have to be extra careful when riding or driving.

    The fat bike was my Norco Sasquatch, which is a fully geared bike, not a single speed. The Sasquatch is my top performing fat bike with its carbon fork. Handles more like a standard trail bike than a fat bike. Have to admit, after so much single speed riding on the trails, it was a nice luxury to do my climbing with all those low gears. Forgot how easy it makes the climbing.

    Heavier rain, today, plus we have company. Not sure how much riding I'll be able to do. Possible frost, tomorrow night. Yeah, summer is gone. Sigh.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 09-20-2018 at 06:54 AM.

  6. #51
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Sheila, since I'm constantly mixing and matching stems and handlebars, I keep a variety of stem spacers on hand. I do prefer a taller handlebar height setup with more spacers under the stem, typically 4 or 5. Remember, though, you can place the stem between spacers, with spacers on top of the stem, if you want to go lower. No law that says the stem has to always be in the topmost position. Bottom line is not to cut the steerer tube height to short/low. Once you cut it, you're stuck with that height. Totally a personal preference, though, so see what works for you.

    On my new Log Lady build, I'm going carbon on the handlebar and it will be a conventional MTB bar. Frightfully expensive, but I have a carbon handlebar on my Gunnar that the former owner had used for his build and I love the carbon. Makes for very responsive handling and, best of all, carbon will absorb some of the road/trail chatter. Also going carbon on the seat post on the new LL for same reasons. This new LL is my first ever custom build, so I want to take my time and do it right. Never would have considered carbon if I hadn't' gotten carbon on the Gunnar.

  7. #52
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    6 miles of trail riding in a bit heavier rain, this morning, but this time on my Pugsley, 2nd edition fat bike. The heavier rain moved in, just a bit later, so my only ride of the day. Good workout, though, so no complaints, other than I'm ready for a bit of sunshine.

  8. #53
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    Glad everyone's families in NC made it though ok.

    Well I rode 37 miles today. Did I mention I have been furloughed at work? End of client's fiscal year and funding has run short, as it has for the past several years at this time. The good news is no layoffs this year. Anyway I have to take 6 days off this month, using sick and vacation time. So today instead of going to work I did a bike club ride with friends. Temperature was right around 80, it wasn't as sunny as the forecast led us to believe it would be but no rain, and if it had been less cloudy it would have seemed hotter. So actually the weather was pretty darn nice.

    I am still having problems with my wheel, which I will post about separately because I'm looking for suggestions.

    As for the possible free bike -- recently I was pleasantly surprised to learn about a new program from my employer to recognize people who have worked there a long time. I've been at my job for 18 years. Of these 15 count as having been with my current employer (the first three were under a contract with a different company, and in the past 15 years I have been through numerous mergers, but they still count my tenure back to the first company in the line of acquisitions). So I can choose a free gift from a list that they sent me. Many of the options are not useful to someone who lives in a small apartment like me -- huge TV sets, lawn mowers, a sound bar with heavy bass for a home theater. There are numerous jewelry choices, gold and diamonds, which I would never wear. Also a kayak (no storage room for that), a stove (don't need one), golf clubs (don't play golf) and a gun safe (don't own any guns). And... a Trek hybrid bike designed for commuting. It's actually a 2018 model that is sold out on the Trek website. I am going to see if I can get a Trek gift card for the value of the bike instead, and then will use it toward a different bike. If they say no, we will send you a different bike, I will hope to be able to trade it in at the LBS for full price. (If they say they have decided not to offer any more bikes, well then I have no idea what I'll do.)

    Now, I don't really need another bike, nor do I have room for one, and I really should not spend any money on another bike. I ride my road bike a lot and my mountain bike sits neglected collecting dust. But with all the rain we've had lately, it occurred to me that it would be nice to have a road bike with full fenders. I can put a clip-on rear fender on my Madone but there's no room for a front fender. Disc brakes and the ability to attach racks would also come in handy sometimes.

    IF I am able to apply the cost of free hybrid to a new Trek bike, I am looking at this gravel bike:

    https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...colorCode=blue

    Of course, it will probably cost me $1000 out of pocket, plus saddle and pedals. And maybe shoes, depending on the pedals I get.

    Another option is a lower-end aluminum Domane that would only cost me a couple hundred, but that wouldn't come with disc brakes. I might look at their touring bike, too, though there's no WSD version.

    https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...?colorCode=red

    Any of these options involves Shimano Tiagra or Sora components, which I hope will be good enough. I had a Tiagra front derailleur on my old road bike and it was constantly in need of adjustment.

    Anyway, the first step is to find out what the option is since the bike currently being offered as a free gift is no longer available.

    p.s. Any new bike I get would have to spend a lot of time out on the balcony. It would be covered with a tarp, but still out in the elements. But I think that's okay for something that would be my first choice when there's a likelihood of rain, or during the winter when there's salt on the roads.
    Last edited by ny biker; 09-20-2018 at 02:10 PM.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    I thought about a gravel bike, but basically I ended up with a hybrid (Specialized Ariel) that is more like a hard tail mountain bike. I don't want another drop bar bike. It has disc brakes and a front suspension fork. I put a rack on it, too. The only thing is, it doesn't have fenders, but I could add them. Basically, I don't ride in the rain on purpose, but I will ride this in the winter. It's lighter than the mountain bike I had.
    I've commuted a few times with it and rode it on the bike path, as well as a 15 mile ride to a farm market. The gearing feels weird (it's a compact with 11-42 gearing) and I'm no speed demon on it, but it is very fun to ride.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  10. #55
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I am open to the idea of a hybrid similar to what you have, Crankin, but definitely would want to be able to ride about the same speed as I do on my Madone. I'm already pretty slow, and wouldn't want long rides in terms of miles to take any longer in terms of hours than they do now.

    If I put less knobby tires on my mountain bike (an old 26" hardtail), I can ride a couple of mph slower on pavement then I can on the road bike. And I slow down a lot going uphill, due to the bike's weight.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    NY, my speed is just about the same as yours, maybe marginally faster at this time of the year (14-15 mph av, unless it's hilly, then who knows). Remember, I'm riding with a loaded trunk bag to work. When I rode to the market, DH volunteered to take 2 panniers, so I had nothing to carry, as well as on the bike path, where we were only limited by it being crowded and DH had my granddaughter in the trailer. Both of those times, I averaged about 13.8. I also have a serious hill on the way home from work. I just need to get used to the gearing. When I get on my Silque, after riding the Ariel, I feel like a speed demon. My average has definitely gone up on the Silque in the last month, since my vacation, riding the Guru with a packed Arkel bag at a very slow speed, and riding the Ariel. I wouldn't take this bike on a group ride, unless it was an AMC slow level ride, or with my friends who ride at an average of <13, or on a ride longer than 20 miles, unless it was more touring or mixed terrain. It definitely would have been appropriate for my vacation by Lake Ontario. There was a huge long trail that was gravel and I tried it on the Guru, but I couldn't handle it. We also had some gravel on trails through a provincial park. There was no need to go fast, we were day touring.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  12. #57
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Taylor, MI
    Posts
    220
    I got a Checkpoint SL5 WSD in July and I love it. Took it on a bike trip with friends to the Ohio Erie Canal Tow Path trail and it performed flawlessly.

    P2 (Penny)
    2018 Trek Silque SLR6 - Selle SMP Glider
    2018 Specialized Dolce EVO Comp - Selle SMP Glider
    2011 Trek Madone 5.2 WSD -Selle SMP Glider
    2013 Giant TCX W - Oura 143

  13. #58
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    That Checkpoint looks like a great bike, Penny. If I still rode drop bar bikes, I'd have to take a serious look at it.

    N.Y., the new version of Tiagra is really pretty good, comparable to the old 105. I had a 2016 Salsa Warbird that came stock with Tiagra. Did about a thousand miles on it, then upgraded to 105, simply because I've always trusted 105. Honestly, though, could not tell a difference between the two. Would have no problem going Tiagra on a new bike if money is an issue.

    As per bike speed, keep in mind that overall wheel diameter is a factor in bike speed. A taller wheel like a 700x35 covers a greater distance with each cycle of the pedals than a smaller wheel like a 650B/27.5x35 or even a 26x2.25" wheel setup. Have used a 700x35 and a 26x2.25 for commuting and, yes, I could tell a difference in my ride time with the faster 700x35. Smaller wheels do have advantages, too, but if you're really concerned with maintaining an average speed on your road bike, be sure to consider wheel diameter.

  14. #59
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    Did our usual ride today and managed to take a little tumble doing a u-turn on a side road we ride for a little extra mileage (right off the bike path we ride). I hit a patch of sand and went down on my left side, super slowly. I made sure to keep my head up so that I wouldn't bang my mouth/braces...lol! I have a scrape on my knee, a sore spot on the heel of my hand, and a growing bruise/contusion on my left butt cheek. Nothing too bad, but it did shake me up to fall, especially since it happened at the farthest point of our ride, so I still had to ride all the way home. Fortunately, the first hour was the worst, feeling some aches and pains, and I've barely even noticed it since then. I have three days off the bike (other than my cruiser bike for short rides around the RV park) coming up for our usual weekend routine and an orthodontist appointment on Monday morning, so I am sure I'll be all good when I ride again on Tuesday.

    Happy weekend and first day of fall tomorrow, all!
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

  15. #60
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Sorry to her about your spill, Emily, but relieved it wasn't too bad.

    High winds all night and most of the day, today, meant that my trail riding was more stopping and removing tree limbs - some quite large - and not much actual ride time. The leaves have been falling for a few days, now, but the worst is yet to come. I could just ride a fat bike - they will ride almost over anything - but want a trail safe to ride with one of the standard MTBs. Frost, tonight, so fall is here.

 

 

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