Bicycles!

[walterfredo]

Anybody ride road bicycles? I'm looking for some bicycle input.  I'm about to buy a new road bike.  Kind of leaning toward a cannondale but am also going to look at treks.  I'm getting fitted at the bike shop tomorrow.  Anyone have any input?  Carbon fiber vs. aluminum frame?   Also, anyone have any experience with Felt bikes? 

[Jaimoe]

I have a hybrid. I like the wider tires for bumps and unforeseen holes (they are better suited in dealing with streetcar/tracks tracks too), plus hybrids aren't as slow as mountain bikes, but can still go off-road in a pinch.

[jones]

I ride and race a Specialized carbon fiber mountain bike.  I'm not familiar with Felt, but if you go with any of the bigger companies (Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, etc.) and you are properly fitted, I'm sure that you'll be happy with your purchase.  I have looked at getting a road bike (I opted for a trainer for my mountain bike instead) and I would definitely go with carbon fiber if you can swing it.  Components make a huge difference in performance and weight.  This is the main reason that some bikes are so expensive.  It is truly one of those "you get what you pay for" items.

[Old Long Arms]

I ride a bike nashbar single speed road/hybrid, but I'm certainly looking to upgrade by summer. I had one of trek's lower priced($500) hybrid bikes, and really did not like the feel of it, but that might just be me. I'm looking at some of last years schwinn's or maybe a surly, I've heard good things about their bikes from friends.

[EasyRyder]

  Also, anyone have any experience with Felt bikes?

One of my good friends and fellow cyclists bought one of Felt's racing models (F3SL maybe?) a few years ago and he still loves it, still rides it.

From my experience, it's a brand that consistently puts out a competitive product at a reasonable price. 

[walterfredo]

Well I went with a Felt Z85, it seemed like a much better deal for the price that the Cannondale bikes I was looking at.  My local bike shop didn't have it in stock in my size, but it should be showing up some time this week.  I'm really excited to start riding.

[jones]

Nice! 

Are you going to use clipless pedals and shoes?  If you haven't considered it, I would definitely recommend it.

[walterfredo]

Nice! 

Are you going to use clipless pedals and shoes?  If you haven't considered it, I would definitely recommend it.

yes.  I bought some Shimano shoes and Crank Brothers pedals.  Can't wait to fall flat on my face trying to get the clips out of the pedals, should be fun. 

[jones]

Nice! 

Are you going to use clipless pedals and shoes?  If you haven't considered it, I would definitely recommend it.

yes.  I bought some Shimano shoes and Crank Brothers pedals.  Can't wait to fall flat on my face trying to get the clips out of the pedals, should be fun.

I use Crank Brothers as well and have never used SPDs.  It took some getting used to, but it is well worth the learning curve.  Amateur cyclists apparantly have a tendency to just mash the pedals.  Since the trails can't be ridden in our freeze/thaw cycle, I have spent a lot of time on the trainer.  It is quite boring, but it has helped me to "spin" instead of just mashing the pedals.  I hope that all this boredom pays off come Springtime!

I did tip over a few times when I first started out and I couldn't make a climb.  That's when you look around to make sure that no one else saw you... :embarassed:

[MMJ_fanatic]

Specialized Stumpjumper--strictly off road
Raleigh 10 speed from high school days that still works well for the road rides