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Wife's first Road bike done finally.
 

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/5/13 12:17 AM

Wife's first Road bike done finally.

Ruben CX. I had a hard time with a disc adapter on the front, they are doing it non standard I think.

Finally after the 3rd shot got the one that should not have worked but did.

Anyway, tomorrow is her inaugural 700c Ride. ;) I had to pull the granny due to the only BB I had was too narrow. So, no front DR just yet. But taking her on a paved 'trolly' trail. It is the old trolly route the farmers use to get produce from the farms that are all subdivisions now 10 miles more in town than we live. The farms are out past us, with x-mas tree farms all around us. Cool Dahlia and Tulip farms about 20 miles from the house, plan on getting her on route to those once she get some legs. Most she has ridden is about 12 miles in one shot on the Karakorum. My new riding buddy. ;)


She has been riding a 90s steel Karakorum 26er with inverted tires, now I can put the MTB tires back on.

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cyclotourist
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 116

5/5/13 5:40 AM

TCO

Is there any toe overlap with the fenders installed? I had to take the fenders off my wife's bike since she found it disconcerting to occasionally hit her toe during tight turns.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

5/5/13 7:57 AM

Nice ride, vs a mt bike she'll dig it.

--Overlap, okay, given it's more important that she ride than being a purist or anything else, did you use the "the wheel will never turn that much except going out the door" argument? She'll remember it and ask for the fenders after a wet ride or two (given that riding in the rain means she'll be more experienced in general.)

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/5/13 10:05 AM

My foot hit, but it is a touch small size for me. ;) We will see if it is an issue for her. The nice fenders came with the frame set. I made the point to her during a sit/fit test I can take them off.

I don't see her riding in the rain. But if all goes well, there may come a point in time we get caught out. I am planning some extended rail/trail BB/overnight jaunts. I hope to make biking as positive experience for her as possible [until she hopefully gets addicted like we all are. ;)]

After 32 year together, the thought of having her included with something I do and intend to continue doing... until the end of time or my ability.. Is a exciting concept. i intend to do my best to have this stick. And a good way to get my own riding beyond looking at the pavement and watching my HRM for most rides. I have to force myself to look up and smell the roses out of go fast habitual past. So now that I am so slow... etc. ;O

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/5/13 3:04 PM

12 mile inaugural. She loves the bike,and looked like she was part of it. I will say this, for the bike and it's geometry. Obviously a 50CM I can ride and get much of an opinion etc. But considering Elaine never rode a road bike before, the geom must be conducive. I say this because she looked like she was a roady on it.. very easily controlled at all speeds and no unfamiliar bike balance maneuvers etc. She say she never liked any bike she has ridden the way this one feels.

I may scan/look for a used one in my size, the Lemond is on the chopping block due to size. Even though Lemond speak says it is good for up to an 6'2" rider [I am 6']. I know what i fit, and that 57 Proprad is small for me even after putting on longer cables so I could put on a 130 stem, and the bars are not short reach by any means. It do ride nice. ;)

Anyway, off to Canon Beach. Ciao

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/6/13 11:26 PM

She came home from work and wanted to go for a bike ride... ;)

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

5/7/13 12:38 PM

Sparky, how does she keep up with you on a ride? Do you also have a tandem?

Sandiway

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/7/13 12:51 PM

"Sparky, how does she keep up with you on a ride? Do you also have a tandem?"

We tried that back in Joisey twice over 5 years. No go.

I don't make her try to keep up. And I plan to ride a 20-30 on the days she rides prior solo. Or ride a 40-50 the day before and ride with her instead of a rest day. Maybe I can get her up to 50 while getting myself back up to 100. I do not plan to make this anything but the most pleasant of experiences for her in an attempt to have it stick. ;)

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

5/7/13 1:16 PM


quote:
"Sparky, how does she keep up with you on a ride? Do you also have a tandem?"

We tried that back in Joisey twice over 5 years. No go.


Just wondering what the problem was. Have you tried a tandem that somewhat decoupled the pedaling? Independent coasting or independent drivetrains?

Sandiway

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

5/7/13 1:30 PM

"Just wondering what the problem was. Have you tried a tandem that somewhat decoupled the pedaling? Independent coasting or independent drivetrains? "

I think that would have helped tremendously. She was a beginner and I was spinning 90+ RPM most of the time and doing 250 miles a week back then.

She did not seem interested enough to further the investment beyond the actual tandems [and saddles]

Plus, not really having something to carry the Tandems to a riding spot was an issue. Riding on the busy road to get to places was out due to her infancy on a bike. Considering where we lived.

Saddles are another issue for her, I have spent a lot on them. I went non standard seat collecting funky seats after $$ spent was netting zip for her.
Notice I said seat the the second time.

This one is the one she likes best, and if it works for her, done. I call that a seat and not a saddle. ;)
Oddly, she has a fairly skinny bottom, contrary to what butt type that seat [to me] might suggest. And I got her some good shorts, which 'we here' all know is critical.

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

5/7/13 3:29 PM


quote:
This one is the one she likes best, and if it works for her, done. I call that a seat and not a saddle. ;)
Oddly, she has a fairly skinny bottom, contrary to what butt type that seat [to me] might suggest. And I got her some good shorts, which 'we here' all know is critical.


I think one of the biggest challenges for novice cyclists is learning how to sit on a bike, i.e. where to position the sit bones with respect to the comfortable and uncomfortable parts of the saddle. And then to learn to orient or tilt the pelvis so that weight is properly distributed between the handlebars and seat. Otherwise shoulders and back muscles can tire very quickly.

We experienced cyclists take all this for granted.

I figure some cyclist go to recumbents because they never figured out how to sit on a road bike.

Sandiway

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

6/18/13 10:59 AM

Just a wife riding/bike update for the interested.

Was hoping for the future a nice lighter road bike would be in the cards. So my radar was on and one popped up was earlier than I could pass up.

So I got it set up appropriately for her to try expecting her to say not ready for the more aggressive geom.

She rode it down the street, and has not and will not get back on the Ruben. So it will be filtering through the system. ;) Besides, the WSD Madone 4.5 in her size is not as aggressive geom as I thought. It has a pretty short WB @ 98CM but the HTA is size commensurate for what I would call road sport, or perhaps even a little more lax. It is also a triple which she seem to like that little 30 tooth front.

Thus:

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

6/18/13 5:56 PM

The real reason

This is the real reason she dropped the Ruben like a rock when she saw a real road bike.

Fashionista

http://bicycleart.tumblr.com/post/46340910464

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

6/19/13 6:44 PM

That Trek is a nice looking bike.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

6/19/13 7:18 PM

She is not afraid of hill, I heard her laughing behind me on some short hill. She got out of the saddle and got a charge out of it. LOL

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