Mrs & I need bikes, Houston MS 150, complete beginners

[masraum]

We stopped by the Performance Bicycle so that's going out of business. They had Fuji Roubaix 1.1 "on sale" for $1200 - another 10%. They are AL frames with carbon forks and Shimano Ulteggra kit. They are also the same price at www.sunandski.com without the 10%. They then had the Kestrel Talon X which is full carbon with Shimano 105 kit for the same price. I can get the same bike on Amazon for $1057.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by masraum

We stopped by the Performance Bicycle so that's going out of business. They had Fuji Roubaix 1.1 "on sale" for $1200 - another 10%. They are AL frames with carbon forks and Shimano Ulteggra kit. They are also the same price at www.sunandski.com without the 10%. They then had the Kestrel Talon X which is full carbon with Shimano 105 kit for the same price. I can get the same bike on Amazon for $1057.

The Roubaix & Kestral are both nice, They both have most of what you'd want, I don't know if you've used Shimano shifters but one really nice feature is the ability to shift down 2 gears at a time by moving the shifter through the first detent to the second detent.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

The Roubaix & Kestral are both nice, They both have most of what you'd want, I don't know if you've used Shimano shifters but one really nice feature is the ability to shift down 2 gears at a time by moving the shifter through the first detent to the second detent.

I noticed that today when riding the Roubaix.

[look 171]

Shifting two gears? Its a very nice feature if you are coming up to an up hill corner and have to power out then immediately dropping two gear because the road flattens out a little so you can pour on 110% of your power to get around the guy in front of you to the finish line 100 yards out leaving him out of your draft. That split nano second will get you into the podium, other then that, its pretty useless. still its cool to have. I have never had to shift two gears like that in a sprint. Most riders know exactly the gear needed near the line. I am bias, Fuji is the way to go.

[aigel]

Both look like good choices. Personally I would go with a carbon frame over Al at similar price points. I'd definitely buy that local, no matter if Amazon is 150 bucks less ... you can always show them the Amazon ad and see if they match. The money in bike stores is not selling new bikes from what I have been told over the years.

For getting all the gear ... a cheap pair of padded shorts, gloves and a good helmet is all you need to get started. I'd use cheap platform pedals (the store usually puts these on at time of sale) and tennis shoes first, then get clipless pedals and shoes later. Also don't need fancy jerseys to start.

G

[look 171]

Steve is absolutely correct. Don't get caught up in gears, typical of all boys, go ride it and have fun. Forget the triple chain rings, 11-28 cogs, and compact this or mid compact that. Yep, nurse that sore ass. There's a lot more of that to come. That thin piece of meat covering those seat bones will toughen up and wouldn't hurt (as much) anymore as you pile on the miles. Be ready to shift your rear end on the second or third ride. Your wife may think you are wiggling your ass at her, but we all know that you are hurting like hell. My advice is to suck it up for the first mile or two, then it will numb up a little and go away until the next ride. Padded short or not, its gonna to hurt for the first few rides. Have fun.

GEt together with Red Beard, he will get you started.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by aigel

Both look like good choices. Personally I would go with a carbon frame over Al at similar price points. I'd definitely buy that local, no matter if Amazon is 150 bucks less ... you can always show them the Amazon ad and see if they match. The money in bike stores is not selling new bikes from what I have been told over the years.

For getting all the gear ... a cheap pair of padded shorts, gloves and a good helmet is all you need to get started. I'd use cheap platform pedals (the store usually puts these on at time of sale) and tennis shoes first, then get clipless pedals and shoes later. Also don't need fancy jerseys to start.

G

I've been told that Kestrel buys the old molds from other bike makers and then uses them, and that they don't have good resale value (compared to other similar bikes, I guess). We have some nice running shirts that I think will do a decent job at first. I figure we need some good, padded shorts, and we may get some gloves too since they would probably offer some protection in a fall. I'm not too worried about shoes and pedals initially, but will end up getting some before too long so we can get used to them.

[Bill Verburg]

Padded shorts & helmet, yes, + for any length of time in the saddle, gloves, water bottle(s), breathable sunproof shirt, head sweat band(I like Halo w/ an extra sweat stop over the brow, in the high summer a skull cap w/ tail over the neck is a life saver + a lot of SPF100). Not needed, but makes things way more interesting is a half decent computer that connects to Strava or Garmin connect

If using platform pedals it's worth it to get something better than the cheap oe's, a good platform will distribute the load, sneakers are way to flexible to isolate your foot from creating hot spots, the flex is also very inefficient, the stiffer the sole the better. While expensive carbon sole clip in shoes are the best, even bottom end shoes will be better than sneakers, but only if you are comfortable about clipping in and out quickly. I never understood why the clip ins are called clipless.

I have a Carbon, a Ti and 2 Al. frames. the C is nice but you need to be careful how you treat it, I hit a wall at speed last year on the Ti bike, destroyed the C fork and Al wheels but the frame was fine, If I had been on the C bike the frame probably would have been toast. Al is somewhere in the middle.

But again C is incredibly strong and stiff, maybe it would have been ok.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

Padded shorts & helmet, yes, + for any length of time in the saddle, gloves, water bottle(s), breathable sunproof shirt, head sweat band(I like Halo w/ an extra sweat stop over the brow, in the high summer a skull cap w/ tail over the neck is a life saver + a lot of SPF100). Not needed, but makes things way more interesting is a half decent computer that connects to Strava or Garmin connect

If using platform pedals it's worth it to get something better than the cheap oe's, a good platform will distribute the load, sneakers are way to flexible to isolate your foot from creating hot spots, the flex is also very inefficient, the stiffer the sole the better. While expensive carbon sole clip in shoes are the best, even bottom end shoes will be better than sneakers, but only if you are comfortable about clipping in and out quickly. I never understood why the clip ins are called clipless.

I have a Carbon, a Ti and 2 Al. frames. the C is nice but you need to be careful how you treat it, I hit a wall at speed last year on the Ti bike, destroyed the C fork and Al wheels but the frame was fine, If I had been on the C bike the frame probably would have been toast. Al is somewhere in the middle.

But again C is incredibly strong and stiff, maybe it would have been ok.

Red and the others have me/us sold on MTB SPD shoes and pedals. I thought I might get the Shimanos that someone posted in another thread that can be used as platform on one side and SPD on the other.

Both the missus and myself are pasty white folks that burn rather than tan, so we'll be using plenty of sunblock and clothes that protect against the sun. She'd wondered about long sleeve shirts and full lenth bike pants, but someone said that they thought it would be better to wear separate sun sleeves in case we get hot, we can pull them off. One person said that they'd seen someone cutting their long sleeves off because they were too hot.

We decided on the 2018 Masi CXGR.

Masi's entry level CXGR Road Bike offers a wide range of benefits to deliver a unique riding experience. Featuring 21mm wide internal Brev.M disc specific wheels, rack and fender mounts and a Masi straight blade uni-crown full chromoly fork, the CXGR transitions easily from a dependable off pave companion into a versatile and daily commuter. The new Brev.M 3D forged stem and seat post along with a fully redesigned lighter handlebar provide confident control and a significant weight savings to make the CXGR a highly capable, affordable, and dependable.

Frame Tig Welded Double Butted Chromoly Tubing, IS Disc Mount
Fork Stright Blade Uni-Crown Disc Chromoly, IS Disc Mount, 1 1/8"
Shifters Shimano Claris R2000
Front Derailleur Shimano Claris R2000
Rear Derailleur Shimano Claris R2000
Brakes Promax DSK300R Mechanical Disc, 160mm Rotor F/R
Brake Levers Shimano Claris R2000
Cranks FSA Tempo 50/39/30t
Cassette Shimano HG-50, 11-32T 8-spd
Bottom Bracket FSA Sealed Cartridge, English 68mm
Wheels/Rims Brev M. 23mm internal Tubeless Compatible, Double Wall
Tires Kenda Kwick Trax, 700x38mm, 30tpi

We are going to be changing out the seat. We've been on a couple of WTB seats that we liked, so we'll be exploring that route.

We'll also be exploring other tires eventually, but probably not initially.

[look 171]

Wow, 38mm tires? That's one wide road tire but it will be durable. 8 spd only for a new bike???

Arm warmers that has UV protection. I think they are known as Cool sleeves or arm warmer

[stevej37]

I use the SPD pedals on one of my road bikes...they are great for anytime you don't want to bother with the clips...(short trips)
Have you looked into belt-driven road bikes at all?
I have owned one for over a year and like it a lot. No messy chain or sprocket..gears (8) can be changed while stopped...quiet and smooth.

[herr_oberst]

I was trying to find the elevation map for the ride, but the new routes haven't been posted yet, and my GoogleFu was weak so I couldn't find last years maps either. What I did find was an interesting "How Long Will It Take Chart" that the Bike Barn posted.

And another interesting thing, one of the web pages' splash screen was our own Red-Beard's team, right there in Team Taco del splendor!! Dude!

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by masraum

Red and the others have me/us sold on MTB SPD shoes and pedals. I thought I might get the Shimanos that someone posted in another thread that can be used as platform on one side and SPD on the other.

Both the missus and myself are pasty white folks that burn rather than tan, so we'll be using plenty of sunblock and clothes that protect against the sun. She'd wondered about long sleeve shirts and full lenth bike pants, but someone said that they thought it would be better to wear separate sun sleeves in case we get hot, we can pull them off. One person said that they'd seen someone cutting their long sleeves off because they were too hot.

We decided on the 2018 Masi CXGR.



We are going to be changing out the seat. We've been on a couple of WTB seats that we liked, so we'll be exploring that route.

We'll also be exploring other tires eventually, but probably not initially.

mtn bike shoes are certainly a good option, you can walk normally in them.

The masi wouldn't be my choice for a road bike, but good luck w/ it. Those tires are huge and heavy, JMO but I don't like even 28s for over 40mi or so.

I rely on SPF for arms but really like cover for ears and neck, some friends do have the tube sleeve things supposed to be good for sweat too, but I don't use them, shorts are fine, put sunscreen on the knee and above if necessary, the lower legs don't seem to be affected by sun, maybe too much hair there.

My fourth frame, which I never use any more, has an old triple, really old tech and not at all necessary w/ todays more modern drivelines.

[look 171]

Steve, if you like Masi, check out this for a few bucks more. Its more bike then the Masi you chosen. Its Shinamo 105 not the lower end and it has the carbon fork for more comfort. Narrower tires can be install for those fast rides should you decide to stay on road.https://www.competitivecyclist.com/wilier-jareen-105-disc-complete-road-bike-2017?skidn=WLY001F-BLA-XS&ti=UExQIENhdDpSb2FkIEJpa2VzICYgRnJhbWVzOjE6NDE6Y2N DYXQxMDAxNzE=

[masraum]

Originally Posted by look 171

Wow, 38mm tires? That's one wide road tire but it will be durable. 8 spd only for a new bike???

Arm warmers that has UV protection. I think they are known as Cool sleeves or arm warmer

Yeah huge tires. More cushion for the pushin' or something like that.

The 2018 version of the bike is a 3x8, so 24 speed. The 2019 is a 2x8. I didn't end up going with the bike that just had the one front gear.

[masraum]

I don't know if this is an actual route from a past MS150, but it looks like it could be day one (which probably has the least hill).
https://www.mapmyride.com/us/bunker-hill-village-tx/bp-ms-150-houston-to-la-grange-100mi-route-70446814

[look 171]

If that's the route, you wouldn't need triple front ring. That's a pretty easy ride. Hard on the ass bone due to long day in the saddle

[masraum]

Originally Posted by look 171

Steve, if you like Masi, check out this for a few bucks more. Its more bike then the Masi you chosen. Its Shinamo 105 not the lower end and it has the carbon fork for more comfort. Narrower tires can be install for those fast rides should you decide to stay on road.https://www.competitivecyclist.com/wilier-jareen-105-disc-complete-road-bike-2017?skidn=WLY001F-BLA-XS&ti=UExQIENhdDpSb2FkIEJpa2VzICYgRnJhbWVzOjE6NDE6Y2N DYXQxMDAxNzE=

That looks pretty awesome, but they only have it in size XS which I think would put me in this position.

[Jim Bremner]

Thank you for supporting the MS ride. Joanna has MS in a bad way.

She is in good spirits and mind. Her body, that's another story. She can't walk or use her arms and hands.

Thank you and anyone that donates tonight this disease

[Jim Bremner]