Well here is the item for biking I hope it is used. I would like to see both
mountain biking and road biking discussions here. But that is up to you guys.

Steve, I bought a used Cannondale road bike this spring and I would really like
to start racing. I also plan to enter my first mountain bkie race on Aug. 21.
A question: how come the pro road racers are never seen using aero bars except
in time trials?

32 responses total.

        Racers (and not just the pros) are never seen using aero bars
except in time trials, because that is the only time they are aloud. 
While they do improve aerodynamics, they do not make the bike handle very
well (I am told this -- I have never actually used one).  In addition to
having so little steering control, they also put the hands very far away
from the brake levers while in the aero position.  Because of this they
are not safe to use around other riders, such as in a mass start race. 
Team time trials are slightly different from a mass start race as far as
the aero bars go because everybody is working together and nobody is
trying to make any sudden moves, but still in most team trials only the
front couple of people are actually on their aero bars.
        Good luck with starting racing.  Have you joined a club yet?  You
should because that is the place to learn a lot about racing, as well as
the really great training you get keeping up with the faster riders.  Most
bike clubs will have lots of experienced cyclists who will be very eager
to give out coaching advice.  Take advantage of that.

Oh, and a question for you, Ryan:  What area are you in?

Say, not to change the subject or anytthing, but:

Can anybody suggest some nifty and *legal* trails around Ann Arbor? Bird Park
was closed to bikes a while ago. So was Argo. The number of ghood biking spots
around town is dwindling, but quick.

Any suggestions?

The Potowatomi and Crooked Lake trails in the Pinckney Recreation Area are
good, if you have a way of getting there.  They really aren't that close
to Ann Arbor.  Also, the City violated the Open Meetings Act when they
closed Bird Hills, so if you got caught there you would have a pretty good
case trying to get out of the ticket.  I'm sure there are lots of lawyers
who mountain bike and would be happy to represent you in a case like that.
This reminds me, I need to get my mountain bike built up again, since I'm
really missing mountain biking.  I just ride the stuff at Pinckney,
though, since I don't have time to deal with challenging the Bird Hills ban.

I live way up in Alpena. Unfortunately there are no bike clubs here. Maybe I 
could start one. But once in a while there is a road race around a local lake.
This isn't the best area to road ride as the roads are all pretty bad, and the 
shoulders are worse. Also the drivers of cars here seem to be especially bad
towards bikers. But some of the mountain biking is pretty fair. How much do
you race Steve?

Hmm... I know there is a club in the Harbor Springs area, but I that would
be kind of like living in Ann Arbor and riding with a club in Battle Creek
-- a little far to go.  I would be surprized, though, if there isn't
something closer.  Have you tried asking at a local bike shop, or maybe
even calling the USCF?

I race at least every couple of weeks.

Actually I work at the only local biking shop. Everyone around heere is very
mountain biking oriented. Not many road bikes around here. I would be willing
to travel to race. I think I like working on my bike as much as riding it.
And most of all I like adding new parts. What kind of bike do you ride? And
what do you think of front suspension on road bikes?

        I ride a Franklin frame which I bought used for $225 earlier this
year (an incredible deal) after my Nobilette cracked.  It's got a pretty
big variety of components on it -- stuff that I've accumulated over the
years.  It's in the shop right now, since it got hit by a car a few days
ago, :( but I'll have it back tomorrow in really great shape, and all
payed for by the driver's insurance company. 
        I don't like the idea of front suspension (or any suspension, for
that matter) on road bikes.  Not only do I not think it's worth the
weight, but I also like the bike to feel really stiff while climbing and
sprinting.  Most of all, I just don't see the point.  The roads around Ann
Arbor are  about as bad as I've seen, and they're still managable on a
stiff bike.
        It's good that you are willing to travel to race, since there's
nowhere in Michigan, except Ann Arbor, maybe, where you could race much
without traveling.  Even in Ann Arbor, people who only ride local races
are limited to ten races a year -- ten times what most clubs put on -- so
traveling is really a must.  In other words, if you started racing we
would probably be going to the same places.  What age group would you be
racing in?

I would be racing in an under 18 division. I'll be 18 by nest summer though.
I've never heard the names of either of the frames you have. Kind of weird.
I really love my Cannondale road bike. Its great for darting around town on
errands. But out on the highways is where I have really come to like it. Its
a hell of a lot faster than my mountain bike on the road. Plus it saves a
great amount of maoney on mountain bike tires. However, I'll have to start 
training oif I am going to race next summer. Can you give me some kind of an 
idea of how fast I should be before I race? Do you ride your road bike in 
winter to train? Finally, I have a terrible problem with getting flats on my
road bike. In a ten mile ride th oether day I got two flats! Can you offer
some help. It seems we are the only tow using this conf.

        Cool!  We're the same age, so we'd be doing the same races.  How
fast you have to be to start racing is mostly a matter of how willing you
are to be dropped.  My advice would be to just start doing it, especially
if you don't have a club to ride with.  It might take you a while to be
able to keep up, but the best training for racing is racing.  I don't
really have a sense of how fast things tend to go in Citizens'
(unlicensed) races, since I haven't done one in a long time, but I don't
think it's too fast.  That's probably the place to start, both because
it's going to be a little slower and also because you don't have to go
through the trouble of getting a license.  Do a few of those, and then
decide what you want to do.  Be careful, though, since along with the
inexperience of the riders in those races also comes a tendency to crash a
lot.
        That leaves the question of when to start.  You say you want to
start racing next summer, but why wait?  It does take a lot of training,
but I don't think it would hurt to do a race or two to get an idea of what
sort of training you need to be doing.  The Tour de Michigan is coming up,
and every stage has a Citizens' race, so you might want to try out a race
or two there.
        I ride my road bike somewhat in the winter, but not that much.  I
spent the fall and the first part of the winter doing pretty much only off
road stuff on the mountain bike.  In addition to being a good break from
all the road riding, the speeds are low enough that it is a lot more
comfortable to be riding when it gets down into the twenties, or even the
teens.  Later in the winter, in preparation for the road season, I started
riding a fixed gear with my club.  There's a lot of dispute over whether
that's a good thing to do, but I think it really helps to create smooth
pedaling.  I did some dead spots in my pedaling right after I got back on
the road bike, where I was expecting the pedals to keep pushing my feet
around, but once I noticed what as going on there it got very easy to
compensate for.  You do have to be careful on a fixed gear, though, since
it's rather hard on the knees.
        Your flat problem sounds like you've got a problem either with the
tire or the rim strip.  Check the tire for holes or sharp things sticking
through it, and check the rim to make sure there are no jagged edges or
spokes sticking through.  Make sure the rim strip is covering up all the
spoke holes adequately.  What kind of tires are you using?  I use Michelin
Supercomps, replacing them the moment I start to be able to see casing
where there used to be rubber, and it's been almost two years since my
last flat (be warned, however, that I don't know anybody else with that
kind of luck, and I know lots of people who use those tires).  Also, make
sure you are mounting it right.  If you get the tube pinched somewhere,
that would cause flats.

   I am using some specialized tires that came with the bike. I've checked the 
tires and rims over and over, and they are not causing the problem. My problem
might be with low pressure. I only have one pump at home and its a frame pump.
I can't get past about maybe 80psi wiht it. Now that I work at a bkike shop
I ride my bike there every day, so I can get really high pressures. However,
if I forget for a couple days, I'm screwed. Which brings up an interesting
question how often do you fill your tires? I have to do it every threedays 
or about that. I don't have a slow leak because I just put in a new tube. I 
think I'm too used to mountain bike tires that never have to be filled. anywyas
do you use a frame pump? If so, what kind do you recommend.
   Does the tour of Michigan come up around Alpena? When is it? I will be in 
Colorado backpacking until Aug. 12. Boy am I going to be wishin I have my
mountain bike in the San Juan Mts. when I'm walking miles and miles. Are you
considering going pro?

        I generally pump my tires about once a week, although I probably
should do it more.  I use a really old Zefal Maxi floor pump that requires
extra pumping effort because it leaks, but I'm too cheap to buy a new one.
My frame pump is a Zefal HP-X, and I love it.  I hardly ever use it,
though, as I carry it in case I get a flat and I never flat.  It gets used
far more by other people I'm riding with who have forgotten their pumps.
        The Tour doesn't come near Alpena, but if you want to wait for a
race near Alpena, you might have to wait a while.  The Tour goes from Aug.
19 to 28, and the closest race to you would probably be in Midland (which
is farther north than most races around here are).

I finally got my mountain bike put together today, and was really looking
forward to my first mountain bike ride of the year.  I drove 20 miles to
the trailhead, got the bike out of the van, and started to put the front
wheel on.  As I was tightening the quick release it suddenly went squish,
and the threads stripped.  Not wanting to risk the front wheel coming off
the bike as I rode it, I stuck the bike back in the van and headed home. 
For once I was wishing I didn't have a vehicle that was big enough not to
need a roof rack.  If I'd had a rack there would have been some quick
releases I could have used.

I wish I had a mountain bike so I could go mountain biking!

Bummer Steve. You made the right choice, but you already knew that.

I borrowed the quick release from my road bike front wheel and have now
been on two mountain bike rides this yweek..  Next time I'm at the bike
shop I'll buy a new one and then I won't have to keep switching it back
and forth between bikes.

First mountain bike ride of the year in August?

Yeah, that must be a sign of being a true roadie.  My mountain bike is
used mostly for winter cross training.

.It doesnt't help any that I'm kind of a air freak. when you are a rather large
person it seems parts just give after awhile. I ride a KHS Montana descent with
a LX grouppo. And may ride my first race on the 27th and I will definately
raceon sep. 5th.  If any one has any tips for my first race I would be glathem.

I've never done a mountain bike race, so I'm afraid I can't help there. 
Anybody?  One thing you might try, if you have access to Usenet, is
reading and posting to rec.bicycles.racing.

Its great to see an item on a favorite activity of mine-fun and exercise only
not currently racing.
i have some questions for the mountain bike folks: 1) i want to upgrade my
equipment (i.e. a whole new bike) what are some things-frame material, rims,
tires,crank,handlebars and shift mech. to name a few things-that i should
consider looking for? 2)as far as cost goes what some good bikes that will
give the most/preferred features/equip. for the money? any help here would be
appreciated...thanks!

Amendment to entry #21-forget to say that i do most of my riding on paved and 
semi-paved surfaces. I do some trail riding in mud and dirt but, mostly on
paved surfaces.

Hi Ryan Isaacs, I finally found my way here.  And, Steve, I was going to write
you a note but ....  Anyway, I left a message on #36 in ING about the Global
Cycling Network (Velonet).  Have any of you folks seen all the info there on
riding racing and technical info?  I find my way there acouple of different
ways, the Mlink gopher and through the Traverse City Freeport.

Mike, how much do you have to spend on a mountain bike.  I have a friend who
just buoght himself a new Cannondale all decked out, big BUCKS.  I bought a
bottom of the line Nashbar about 4 years ago to start out.  I've crashed a
couple of times and I didn't worry about destroying my bike.  I replaced the
fork  once.  

response to #23
Well, I was thinking about the 300 to 500 dollar range and am interested in a 
quality bike with as many premium components as possible for the money.

Mike,  If you have access to a gopher server and you can find the Velonet, the
Global cycling Network, there is a very good article on purchasing a mountain
Please disregard the last couple of characters, I don't know where they came\
from.  Anyway, $300 to $500 buys a basic bike.  $300 is the low end.  Do you
plan on doing your own mechanical work on your bike?  If you are going to be at
the mercy of a bike shop, you might be looking to pay more so  you can get
better service.

Let me know if you can't find the biking info.  If you can't I'll try to 
e-mail you a copy.  I'm new to the internet and ftp so it might take a
little time.

Andy V

Response to #25
Thanks AndyV! I found the Velonet and there was a great article on purchasing a
bike. It helped alot. Thanks again!

If anyone can get to the Traverse City Free  Port, there is a lot of
discussion on biking in their special interest group.

Mike, I'm glad you got connected 

Can anyone suggest some decent trails to bike on in the Alpena/Northern
Michigan area?
Thanks...

Hey I'm a former and sometimes current long distance runner who is now
branching out into other ares any suggestions for a few "fun" workouts?
branching out into a few new areas (biking road mainly and triathlons)  Anyone
have any good "fun" workouts for me?

Mountain biking might be more fun than road biking, since you have to think
rather quickly at times...

This is my first time into this conf. so I'll do the survey right now...

I do mountain biking with my trusty 2 year old Giant, which I paid about $550
for.  Pretty nice bike, although there seems to be some snobbery against
Giants in particular.  I bike to work a couple days a week so I'm constantly
changing between road and mountain tires, which is a hassle.  Worth it to
get to work, at least on nice summer days.  

Hello all.  I can't help but notice all the old dates on this conference
 and I was woundering if anybody still uses it.  I am an 18 year old 
mountain and road biker who does a lot of triathlons and road races.  
Emloyed at bike shop for three years so am technically proficient.  Let 
me know if any one wants discuss. bye

We still use the conference. There has not been much posted on the topic of
biking, though. THere are some bikers in the Grex community, though. I think
all that is likely needed is a more specific topic.

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