Ableton Forum

Tone Deft wrote:yeah, that'd be a great bike! it's going on the list.

thing I like about more gears is the feeling I don't have to pussy out on any hill, I can granny gear it.
thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate it. spot on advice regarding carbon components and drivetrain grupo. I've got a list at home of bikes I'd like.
there are 5 bike shops I can walk to, I'm gonna see what each one would sell me and go from there. it's worth it just for the maintenance support they can offer.
damn, I told myself I'd get a new ride only if I kept up the miles for a year, now I'm making excuses like maybe I'll get one for my b-day in the fall, or maybe celebrate Labor Day with a new ride.

The thing about more gears though, is that they only practice your aerobic system (ie. cardio)... you're less inclined to work harder and develop muscle mass (anaerobic system). I say a good 53/39 and 10 speed 12-25 to 12-27 cassette should get you anywhere. But it depends what you mean by "touring"... bike across South America with 100lbs of gear or a little weekend around Vermont...
About LBSes ...that's the only thing I give my bike shop... maintenance $$. I buy components online and give them the wrench $$$. They make more money from that than selling a complete bike actually...

very cool, many thanks.

by touring I mean weekend rides around the Marin headlands, someday up to 100 mile rides, these days it's 20-50 miles on a commuter. I guess I meant something more than a commuter, something less than a racing bike.

Then I'd go for an hyrid or cyclocross bike with mechanical (or hydro if you can get a good deal) disc brakes.
They're not absolutely necessary but are a god send when it's rainy... some say they offer too much power
on bikes with small tires and light rims, but I personally wouldn't use anything else if I was riding in dirt and rain a lot.
If you don't ride in these conditions a lot and see mainly sun & pavement, I'd look for the cyclocross with standard
side-pull brakes.

It's tough to choose a bad bike if you go with a well known brand... look into Scott, Specialized and Cannondale as well as Trek as they're
more likely to fit your needs for a good price. Especially the Scott CX comp/team i saw at my lbs last week. Nice geometry and construction for relatively cheap.

The most important thing when buying a bike is the fit. If the bike shop doesn't take the time to measure you
and pick the right bike size for you, go to another bike shop.

actually, that's what a I have now. a Marin Pt Reyes with Hayes hydraulic disc brakes (great brakes but are supposed to be a bitch to work on.) I have one 26" fat wheel set and another set with 700/25 rubber, totally different experiences on those wheel sets. I got it because I've always been a mt biker but conceded that living in the city I should try the ways of the road bike. now I'm hooked and am ready to step up to a proper road bike. I'll keep the Marin for dirt riding and commuting in the rain.

Tone Deft wrote:...a Marin Pt Reyes with Hayes hydraulic disc brakes (great brakes but are supposed to be a bitch to work on.)...

FWIW, I have Hayes hydraulics on my Klein mountainbike and in 8 years they haven't given me a single problem. I took them for their first service a few weeks ago, just in case the pads needed replacing or the oil topping up, and the mechanic said the pads still looked as good as new, no servicing necessary! I don't ride the bike every day or anything, but usage includes 30 minute downhill epics down the German/Austria alps where the disc gets hot enough to burn your skin at the end! So, very happy with the Hayes...


On the gearing, I use 53/39 x 12-27 on my road bike and that was (just!) low enough to get up this:



...but with touring luggage, I'd definitely need a third chainring...

Ok, I know the tour is over, and this is mostly just marketing stuff, but Trek have a nice collection of short videos following the tour, check it out here: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/trek_life/video/ - episode 16 is incredibly touching...

8O wrote:On the gearing, I use 53/39 x 12-27 on my road bike and that was (just!) low enough to get up this:



...but with touring luggage, I'd definitely need a third chainring...

I hope 25% is a metric thing and it's more like 10%.

Tone Deft wrote:I hope 25% is a metric thing and it's more like 10%.

I found a profile thing here: http://www.climbbybike.com/profile/Devi ... rofile.gif - the last km have an average of over 10%, but just as you go into the trees in that photo, the road just tilts skywards like a wall of tarmac in front of you. It's ridiculous! But luckily the 25% bit is just a few 100m long.