[LadyDog]

Glad you are ok George.

Not a big glove fan myself.  Probably ridding more without, than with.  That said, some of my favorites are Giro Zero's.  Not much padding if that is your cup of tea.

I won't tell you about all those Meivici's you missed George. 

[jackman]

Hi Jeff, if you don't use gloves, how to do you blow your nose?  I hate gloves but I like to use them to wipe off sweat.  Most of the time (like this time of year) I don't wear them. 

I hope you are getting some miles in! 

[AB]

No gloves? How do you wipe your tires after riding over glass?
I guess you wouldn't would you.

[LadyDog]

Hey Jack,
Unfortunately not many miles here.  How about you?

Can't say I've had to blow my nose too often when riding.  I usually have a small rag in my saddle bag that I could always use.

Actually do not sweat much.  For those really hot days, I sometimes wear a do-rag.  Basewear is also a good sweat rag if need be.

[jackman]

Hi Jeff,

I sweat like crazy, even when I'm in good shape. I'm riding again and plan to do some intervals tonight.  Taking Friday off and going for a ride around town.  I'm trying to get ready for a group ride in two weeks with a fast group.  You are always welcome to come along! 

Take care

Jack

[zybar]

Well I did my fitting this morning and it was pretty cool!

Watching how you ride on video and seeing all the measurements really hits home!!

No major surprises...I am little upright and hunched over, my knee and ankle flexion could be better, as could my hip angle.   

My torso is definitely long for my height and any bike I buy will need to have a high head tube.

I am going to have another round of measurements in a bit after I spend more time on a true road bike and get used to the different riding positions.

Besides doing the fitting, I went home with an Parlee Z5 Ultegra to try until the middle of next week.  I hope to get in a short ride later today and a nice 30-35 mile ride on Sat or Sun. 

George


 

[LadyDog]

Hey George,
Ignore my other post.  Care to share the fit session.  What did it tell you about size, top tube, head tube measurements?

Any time on the Z5 yet?

Regards.

[zybar]

Hey George,
Ignore my other post.  Care to share the fit session.  What did it tell you about size, top tube, head tube measurements?

Any time on the Z5 yet?

Regards.

Jeff,

I don't have all the numbers yet, but should soon.  Roy hasn't sent me my stats yet.  His view was that he could make most bikes work for (unless it had a really long top tube and a short head tube (I am just not flexible enough to handle this type of setup).

I did just under a 2 hour ride this morning and the Z5 was very nice.  Here are my quick thoughts on the bike:

PRO'S
Extremely light and maneuverable.
Very smooth and comfortable ride, definitely not harsh - yet I felt well connected to the road
Good power transfer - hit around 35 MPH for my top speed and my average MPH for the ride was up almost 6 MPH compared to my Bianchi Hybrid on the same course
Hill climbing was very good and I was able maintain a higher speed on my climbs

CON'S
I didn't like the seat - it was rock hard
 

Overall, initial impression was positive (in case it wasn't clear). 

I definitely want to ride some other bikes before I decide anything.

George

[geowak]

Sorry to hear about your crash. Hope you heal well and fast. My wife and I have been riding for many years and a friend who rides everyday introduced us to Cannodale bikes. We bought two crossovers.

I do not know if they are still made here in USA or at all. Maybe in PA. But all aluminum frame and we have pedaled many many miles on them. And yes we both had ONE crash that was not fun.

http://www.cannondale.com/faq/#bikes

Our two cents...

[jackman]

Cannondale was purchased by Dorel, a Canadian conglomerate that owns Schwinn, GT, Iron Horse, Mongoose and a bunch of other brands Dorel picked up on the cheap. They are run by the Schwartz family out of Montreal. After the Dorel acquisition all production was moved to China and Taiwan.   The Pennsilvania factory was shut down. 

Don't get me wrong, Cannondale still makes great bikes and their decision to make bikes in Asia is no different than other brands like Cervelo, Specialized, Bianchi, etc. even Parlee makes a model in Asia, and all Trek bikes except their top models (Madone 6 and 7) are made in Asia.   If you want a US made bike, aside from the top Trek bikes, you have to look at boutique manufacturers like Serotta, Lynskey, Waterford, IF, Seven, Crumpton, Zinn, etc.  there are tins of great small builders in the US, but all of the mainstream builders have moved production to Asia because of low costs and relaxed environmental standards.

The Cannondale CAAD 10 has a cult following and is very highly reviewed. It is an aluminum race frame that handles very well and is about as light as a top line carbon fiber frame.  It also rides much smoother than the stiff uncomfortable alu frames of old.  I've tested the CAAD and love it. You could get a race ready rig for about two grand and can easily get this frame built up into a sub 16 lb bike with decent wheels and a lightweight groupset like Force or Red.  The one I rode had Rival and was very good looking with a matte black frame.  Possibly the best bargain I've seen in race oriented bikes. I'd take the Caad 10 over any generic CF frame.

Cheers

Jack

[ctviggen]

Supposedly, racing bike riding helps a lot of types of lower back pain (since you're stretched out).  However, I've also had to stretch during riding if I ride a long distance.

I always wanted to build up my own bike, as increasing cost for a bike typically means lighter wheels, which for me is bad (I've had wheels that would rub the brakes whenever I got out of the saddle).  I've always used Ultegra, as I think it works well without sacrificing reliability for weight (though some argue 105 and even lower lines do the same).  One thing about bikes is that 3k used to get you a top of the line bike; now the prices of those bikes have gone through the roof (9k+). 

I sweat so much that I ruined the steel frame of my LeMond.  The top of the frame has rust all over it. 

[jackman]

All of the Shinano group sets from 105 and up are reliable. I have SRAM Red, one of the lightest sets on the market and it is extremely reliable. They adapted their MTB Mechanism to the road shifters and it works perfectly, IMO.  Also, the performance of many of today's $3k bikes, probably surpasses much more expensive bikes from a few years ago.  Especially with regard to comfort and handling.

I'm not sure about your racing bike comment. Most riders seem to prefer a more upright position, not the stretched out fit of a racing bike. That's why companies like Specialized, Trek and Cannondale developed high performance, comfortable geometries with taller head tube and shorter top tube. Even race oriented. Onlanies like Cervelo offer bikes with more comfortable geometry than years past.

I'm thinking about a traditional race bike, but will keep my relaxed geometry bike for anything longer than 50 miles or so. It's pretty cool that so many companies offer frames that are as good handling, stiff and light as top performing race bikes of previous years, while maintaining a comfortable ride suitable to centuries. 

I'm thinking about the caad 10 if I can get a decent deal on a frameset. If not, I may break my piggy bank and get the Cervelo S5...or a Lynskey Helix.  Too many choices.

[Delta Wave]

Don't know if anyone posted this or not but give http://bikesdirect.com// a look. The Motobecane frames are mostly made by Kinesis, who make a lot of the big name frames as well. I have the Fly Team XC MTB and it's superb. I have it down to about 18lbs. You can't even get the just the parts for the prices they offer for a whole bike.

[zybar]

Don't know if anyone posted this or not but give http://bikesdirect.com// a look. The Motobecane frames are mostly made by Kinesis, who make a lot of the big name frames as well. I have the Fly Team XC MTB and it's superb. I have it down to about 18lbs. You can't even get the just the parts for the prices they offer for a whole bike.

Thanks, but it doesn't look like the place to get a road bike.

George

[Delta Wave]

No? http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/lechamp_teamti_10.htm You may be mistaken...
Reviews... http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/road-bike/motobecane/le-champion-team-titanium/prd_420518_5668crx.aspx
You're more than welcome to drop $6k+ on a bike for the name and a MUCH lesser parts group, I'm just trying to help.
I've ridden  A LOT of different bikes and have trained with Team Nishiki riders in the late 80's & early 90's. I've had actual hand built racing Huffy's, the first series of Vitus, Cannondale & Litespeeds and I'm just giving you a little info, their bikes can't be beat for twice the price.

[zybar]

No? http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/lechamp_teamti_10.htm You may be mistaken...
Reviews... http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/road-bike/motobecane/le-champion-team-titanium/prd_420518_5668crx.aspx
You're more than welcome to drop $6k+ on a bike for the name and a MUCH lesser parts group, I'm just trying to help.
I've ridden  A LOT of different bikes and have trained with Team Nishiki riders in the late 80's & early 90's. I've had actual hand built racing Huffy's, the first series of Vitus, Cannondale & Litespeeds and I'm just giving you a little info, their bikes can't be beat for twice the price.

Delta Wave,

I appreciate the help.

Being new to road bikes, it makes me a little nervous buying "no-name" brands and from a pure internet site.   

That said, I'll check out those reviews.

George

[jackman]

Delta Wave,

I appreciate the help.

Being new to road bikes, it makes me a little nervous buying "no-name" brands and from a pure internet site.   

That said, I'll check out those reviews.

George

George,

This is a controvercial subject on Bikeforums.net but I'd suggest getting a bike fromo a local shop, especially since you don't know what you want and want to make sure you get the right size and fitting.  I know guys who have bought from BD and wound up getting rid of the bikes and getting one from a LBS.  There are some good prices on Bikesdirect but a good bike shop will sell you the right bike for your style of riding. 

Just my opinion. 

J

[wes_in_va]

George,

This is a controvercial subject on Bikeforums.net but I'd suggest getting a bike fromo a local shop, especially since you don't know what you want and want to make sure you get the right size and fitting.  I know guys who have bought from BD and wound up getting rid of the bikes and getting one from a LBS.  There are some good prices on Bikesdirect but a good bike shop will sell you the right bike for your style of riding. 

Just my opinion. 

J

+1...but then, I own a bike shop so I'm biased just a bit.

But truly, a *good* shop will know the right questions to ask to point you in the right direction, will properly fit you to the bike so you're comfortable and efficient, will make sure you have the stuff you need to ride the way you want to ride, and will be there after the sale to keep you on the road for years to come.
Here's a tip: if you're in a bike shop looking for a bike, and they don't ask you at least 3 or 4 questions about your goals, experience, etc before showing you a bike (and "how much do you want to spend" doesn't count!), walk away and find another shop.
Ask, too, about whether they do bike fittings, and if they do, about *how* they fit you. If all they do is take some body measurements and plug those into a calculator, walk away. Every person is different in their fitness level, their range of motion, their flexibility and their goals: ALL of those affect how you fit to a bicycle.     

[mick wolfe]

Jeff,

I don't have all the numbers yet, but should soon.  Roy hasn't sent me my stats yet.  His view was that he could make most bikes work for (unless it had a really long top tube and a short head tube (I am just not flexible enough to handle this type of setup).

I did just under a 2 hour ride this morning and the Z5 was very nice.  Here are my quick thoughts on the bike:

PRO'S
Extremely light and maneuverable.
Very smooth and comfortable ride, definitely not harsh - yet I felt well connected to the road
Good power transfer - hit around 35 MPH for my top speed and my average MPH for the ride was up almost 6 MPH compared to my Bianchi Hybrid on the same course
Hill climbing was very good and I was able maintain a higher speed on my climbs

CON'S
I didn't like the seat - it was rock hard
 

Overall, initial impression was positive (in case it wasn't clear). 

I definitely want to ride some other bikes before I decide anything.

George

The seat is a very easy thing to remedy. Remember there's also a bit of time and conditioning involved in getting your bottom acclimated to racing type saddles.... regardless of how many you try. You've got the right idea on the purchase as well. I've done both ( internet and local shop) and everything has worked out, but if you're counting on full support, you can't beat a good LBS.
The Z5 would be a great ride IF your wallet can handle it. With Z5 money on the table, I'd certainly look at and ride several more options. You might just find a bike that works as well or better for less. Good luck regardless.

[zybar]

The seat is a very easy thing to remedy. Remember there's also a bit of time and conditioning involved in getting your bottom acclimated to racing type saddles.... regardless of how many you try. You've got the right idea on the purchase as well. I've done both ( internet and local shop) and everything has worked out, but if you're counting on full support, you can't beat a good LBS.
The Z5 would be a great ride IF your wallet can handle it. With Z5 money on the table, I'd certainly look at and ride several more options. You might just find a bike that works as well or better for less. Good luck regardless.

Any recommendations to add to my list?

George