Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: In low gear and can't ride up hill!

« on: Today at 05:42:30 pm »

If you have not been riding often with regular long/steep hill climbs, your legs will feel weak.  Additional saddle time with rests in between will help.  As the others stated, you may be over-geared.  You don't want to grind your gears; pedaling in lower gears at a higher cadence will be easier on your body even if it feels unnatural at first.

2

Gear Talk / Re: Bike Sizing

« on: May 05, 2013, 02:20:29 pm »

I usually take a 60 to 61cm frame.  When I climbed aboard a LHT I felt more comfortable on the 58 than the 60 as it has a top tube length similar to my 61 cm road bike. If I were to purchase one, I would rather take the 58 and go with a longer stem if needed, than to take a 60 and shorten it. Of course that's what works for me, it could be different for you.

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General Discussion / Re: Training: Schedule Critique Needed

« on: March 31, 2013, 08:42:31 am »

It's one centimeter difference which is less than half an inch.  Have the shop owner adjust it so you can ride it, and remember it will be long hours in the saddle which is different than a spin around the parking lot.

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General Discussion / Re: Training: Schedule Critique Needed

« on: March 30, 2013, 05:36:38 pm »

The bike looks fine to me.  Young people's bodies are more forgiving than those of us over 50.  Looking at that bike it looks like you can drop the seat a bit if it's too high and raise the bars for a more comfortable riding position.  At that price, you can make a few component changes and still be below the cost of most new touring bikes. 

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General Discussion / Re: Training: Schedule Critique Needed

« on: March 29, 2013, 08:10:27 pm »

Take a day off for recovery one a week if you have not been doing much riding before now.

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General Discussion / Re: Please help... I want to do it but its really hard.

« on: March 23, 2013, 02:30:18 pm »

How much riding have you done up to this point?  Maybe you could join a local bike club and get some experience.  Do some centuries which are pretty epic to most people.  You could always join the Coast Guard or other branches of the military if you want to change yourself, see the world, and learn to pee around other people.

7

General Discussion / Re: I need a Recommendation for a Bike Shop in Dan Diego for Shipping my Bicycle

« on: February 19, 2013, 02:37:28 pm »

Adams Avenue Bike Shop and Mission Hills Bike Shop are good choices and in the central area but still a cab ride from the train or airport.  You can look them up and call to see what they could do for you.  B & L Bike and Sport is closer to the airport and is close to the route you may want to take to head east.  There are a lot of shops in San Diego and I have had good luck with most that I have used over the years.

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General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: January 09, 2013, 08:39:46 pm »

You can also make tweaks to your bike such as flipping the stem over and adding spacers (if possible) to raise your handlebars if you have not done so already. That plus the biggest tires it will take will improve comfort a lot on long days in the saddle.

9

General Discussion / Re: Newbie - Quick Intro

« on: January 09, 2013, 08:36:33 pm »

Congratulations on your progress so far!  Do a little digging around on this site along crazyguyonabike.com and you will find much of the info you are looking for.  Keep biking, I have struggled with weight gain over the years and it always coincided with the times I was not riding regularly. I am fitter and feel much better now at 55 than I did at 45.

10

General Discussion / Re: Costs of Touring

« on: December 26, 2012, 01:20:02 pm »

Don't forget that you will probably be saving money on what you would normally spend at the grocery store and gas station if you were at home; that can offset the trip budget a little.

11

Gear Talk / Re: Outfitting a Trek 7.5 FX for a full summer tour

« on: November 05, 2012, 08:46:19 pm »

A mountain bike will have lower gears in most cases. But mountain bikes also have shorter wheelbases, higher bottom brackets, and knobby tires, things that you generally don't want in a touring bike.  Do some exploring on this site, CGOAB, and some Google searches and you will learn a lot.

12

Gear Talk / Re: Gear Shifting

« on: October 22, 2012, 11:55:37 am »

I lead development rides for my bike club and can assure you that many people really don't understand the gearing on multispeed bikes. 

You are on the right track by making most of your shifts using the right side.  Think of the left side in terms of terrain: lowest gear (small front ring) for steep climbs; middle ring for easy hills and rolling terrain; and the big ring for flat, downhill, and gently rolling terrain.  Since you don't want to cross-chain small-small and big-big rings, forget that it's 21 gear options.  Keep it simple as you can go crazy trying to remember which gear combo comes next from any one position.

Enjoy your new bike!

13

Gear Talk / Re: Surly and Jeff Jones H-Bars

« on: September 10, 2012, 11:42:19 am »

I would be concerned about the ergonomics of using bars that push out so much to the sides.  Drop bars work well for many people as the hand rests very naturally on the area in front of the brake hoods (sides of the bars.)  Think of raising your arm for a handshake and see where your hand points.  Drop bars also have many different possible positions, so you can switch when you get tired.  I agree that it sounds like you need the bars raised, or maybe even a shorter, adjustable, or more steeply-angled stem 

I hope the bike size is correct for you.  My road bike is a 61cm and it works for me, but when I climb aboard a LHT at my LBS or REI, the 58cm feels like it is the right size/geometry for me.

14

Routes / Re: Southern Route: Start in March, April, or May?

« on: August 13, 2012, 08:37:38 pm »

I can't speak to the eastern portion of the route, but April should be pretty nice in the Arizona to San Diego section. The deserts should be mild, and while there is a chance of rain, wind, or snow in the San Diego County mountains, it is generally a nice time of year there as well.

15

Gear Talk / Re: handlebar bags

« on: August 10, 2012, 08:10:29 pm »

Another option for a large saddle pack for a road bike is the Jandd Mountain Wedge III.

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMW3