Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler More Non-aidio advice question -- bikes.

Warning: Long Post! Only read if you are into biking or you risk getting bored.

I've found myself getting back into biking this summer. I used to be an avid mountain biker (OK rough, hilly, trail biker as we have no real mountains) but after destroying a knee in martial arts quiet a few years back I got out of trail biking and lost the urge to road bike except a few times a summer. Now I seem to be enjoying going out almost every evening that I don't go sea kayaking or have other plans.

With quiet a different goal for pedaling now, I'm finding the mountain bike way too slow and it's actually hard work to keep up to my wife on her hybrid. I want to trade up to a sports oriented hybrid. I'd prefer taller, slightly thinner tires than MTB style and a little faster gearing as speed is now more useful than heavy trail ability. <<Insert getting old jokes here.>> However, I'm not ready for a road bike yet as I need to be comfortable on some very rough roads and the smoothed trail to our beach.

So, after finding nothing in local used listings, ruling out the heavy, “rust in a year” steel crap from Wallmarts and such, I hit the two decent local bike shops. Now after sadly dismissing a "Rocky Mountain, Whistler" as being the absolutely, nicest bike I rode but way too expensive and too close to a MTB for me, and then deciding $100 is not enough off a really nice but ‘very’ used (although I’m sure well maintained) "Specialized" bike from thier rental fleet, I’m down to two New bikes at athe 2nd shop.

A Giant, Cypress, $459
And the
Opus, Mondano $549

Note: I didn’t ride either yet as I was dressed in work clothes last night. So the biggest test has not yet been done.

Basic Differences/Similarities
> Both are hybrids leaning to the sports (closer to road than MTB) side, both have 700x38 size tires.

> Both have front suspension (not a big whoop for me but considering my area’s paved, back roads are worse than most dirt roads, I’ll probably learn to appreciate it.) Slightly more travel on the Giant's suspension but I must remember, these are NOT mountain bikes.

> Opus has suspension seat & web says Giant had one too but I don’t remember seeing it on the shop model.

> Both have very similar aluminum frames.


For the extra ninety bucks… (which is where you guys come in)

-- The Opus is a 24 speed vs. 21 (I can remember many a time when I would have killed for one extra cog in the rear on long hills with my current 21 SPD MTB.)

-- Also in regards to the above, the Giant’s cassette is 14-34T and the Opus is 11-30. They share the same crank size at 28-38-48. (For my intended use, I think a little more speed combined with a larger gear spread (8 vs. 7) outweighs the lower, low range. If that makes sense.

-- ‘Slightly’ better components for shifters, derailleur, etc. (just one step better than base level and I’m unsure how much that actually means. I guess I will know better when I ride them and see how smooth the shifting is.)

-- Minor and easily fixed but I hate the big, fat, spring seat on the Giant. While I didn’t sit on either long enough to say which was more comfortable. My subconscious tells me that the only thing the springs do is make the saddle look ugly and fat.

In the end, the test drive will (should be) the most important factor but I thought I’d ask you what you guys think based on the numbers as it has been 10 years or more since I bought my last bike so my tech knowledge is lacking.

Any thoughts, general or specific are welcome. I tend to be a compulsive buyer, made more complex in that I don’t actually insta-buy but I compulsively decide I need something right away then I over analyze it to death until I can’t decide or I convince myself I need something better than practicality actually dictates.

Actually, I'm doing pretty well to have resisted the urge to buy from the higher end bike shop. I think the above are still well respected names that better fit my budget and the shop is still very well reputed and helpful.

Thanks!!

Stop plagiarizing The Axiom Forum Pledge.

Sounds to me like you have it pretty much under control.

I'd just flip a coin.

Does that help?

Glad to see you're getting back into biking, Murph. I got back into biking, mainly just for fun and exercise, but perhaps the greatest benefit I have gained from biking is a healthier heart. Before I got back into biking, my BP was about 150ish over 85-90ish....in only a couple of months(along with 100mg of CoQ10 daily) I am at 122-125 over 72-75. OK, 'nough with the health benefits.....

If you are mainly going to use your bike on roads and relatively decent paths, personally I would go to something with a 700x32 tire or thereabouts. My Coda Elite actually has 700x28's but I take it on some fairly rough trails around here(3 yrs, no flats, guestimating over 1000mi). The wider tires might be a bit of a drag on pavement and cycle paths.

This leads to another point...if you are riding on decent trails, roads ect, I would consider not getting the fork suspension and seat shock. This will just add weight to your bike, and only benefits you on the worst trails, plus, in the price range you spec'd, they'll cheap-out somewhere else on the bike.

Aluminum vs Steel....aluminum is used obviously for it's lightness vs strength, however there are some benefits to buying a properly built steel bike. Excluding the dep't store bikes from Walmart, Zellers ect a bike frame made of lightweight steel actually has better riding qualities than a comparable aluminum bike. This is what led myself to a Jamis Coda, there are several different Codas available, they are all sport or performance oriented. Steel welds are also stronger than aluminum which is less flexible or forgiving when hitting the pot-hole down the road. Remember, I'm referring to lightweight alloy steel, not your thickwall mild steel from Canadian Tire.

Virtually all frames come from China or Taiwan these days, even Rocky Mtn, I understand has some of their frames subbed out offshore.

Get a quick-fire type gear change(not a hand grip type), they are better, faster and more accurate. Make sure you get the bike fitted at the store, right length stem, size of seat, frame ect. Think of it like buying a shirt, it's got to fit right.

Giant(largest bike co in the world) and Opus are both excellent co's. I checked out both and tested a Giant Cypress(?) a couple of years ago which was good bang for the $$. I have seen many Opus bikes but not test driven any of them...they have some very nice Mtn bikes too.

Take your time and give'm a good test ride....clear the track!! here comes Murph!!!

OK, something I can actually help w/.

I'm an avid rider, mostly road, a bit of cyclocross and the other MTB. Cyclocross might be a bit odd to hear but you can google it. Pretty much it's a road bike w/ knobby tires, similar to what you'd find on a hybrid. They're great commute bikes and handle wet weather well (including snow) because of tire clearance. The only negative in your case is there's no suspension.

I wouldn't nitpick on features in this price range. Pretty much US$800 and below many of the bikes in similar prices are very close so then it's a vanity decision.

What you should do is really understand what you will use the bike for so you can determine features. A couple of cogs won't matter if you ride mostly flat. If you will never take it off-road, then you may be able to use a cyclocross type of bike. If you want to ride for long distances, spring seats aren't comfortable or practical. You can also look at what is called 29er bikes. These are real MTB's that use 700c wheels. The theory is that the bigger wheels roll over terrain easier. It's true but in tight singletrack the bigger wheels are harder to turn. I like 'em but I don't own one...yet.

Trek is also having WOW sale in honor of the Tour de France. Worth checking out.

If you're comfortable working on your own bikes, you can do well used. I use ebay and Craigslist. Also, if you want to support the local economy, Spot and Brodie are Canadian builders, IIRC.

Other forums to check (which I recommend and use):
mtbr.com
roadbikereview.com

I wrote this a bit fast so I apologize if I rambled. Feel free to PM me if you have specifics, or post here if others might be interested.

BTW, no matter what you decide, THE most important thing is that the bike fits. If it doesn't, you won't ride it, no matter how much it costs or how nice it looks.

Wow, tons of great info. Good technical stuff from Adrian and OldSkool to ponder and much common sense from Tom for when I finally get back to the store. I'm happy to hear it did such great things for your Health Adrian. I don't have any risk categories yet but I do need to work off my winter beer store as it was a lousy winter for skiiing.

To answer some questions or speculations from your posts:
I'm pretty handy on bikes and would happily buy used but nothing within a decent distance has been listed for some time now. I'm not interested in having a used bike shipped to me unseen. I have looked into other brands but in the absence of anything used catching my eye, I would like to buy from a decent, local shop so my choices are limited to
Rocky Mountain
Specialized
Opus and
Giant
These are about the only shop sold, hybrid brands available outside of a 4hr drive. A mall-type sporting goods store carries Trek and some others but nobody there has enough knowledge to answer my most basic of questions so I just simply won't buy from them.

Thanks again,
Hopefully, the rain will hold off Saturday and I can take a couple more for a spin.

Sounds like you have a good start. If you think you'll rely on your local shop for a lot of service, then stick w/ a local shop. I am a big fan of buying locally and supporting the local vendors (yeah, even tho' most of the stuff is made in China).

If you're working w/ a shop, make sure they allow for a free 1 month follow up. After a month, a new bike will 'burn in' (HA!) and it'll need some minor adjustments. In this recession, I'm sure you might be able to negotiate some length of free service for a year if it's not already included. Don't buy online unless you know EXACTLY the frame dimensions you need, which is almost impossible unless you buy the same bike you demo'ed.

Don't stick w/ one brand just yet, try all of them and make sure the shop goes to the effort of fitting you properly. Adrian makes some good points about suspension parts adding weight. Ask yourself if you'll really need the extra 'doo dads' since you'll be adding the extra weight to do so.

May also want to consider brands that have lifetime (frame) warranty. I think Giant does but not sure. I know that Trek is lifetime.

On my cyclocross (CX) and commuter bikes, I run any where from 700x28 to 700x34. The 34's can provide a surprising bit of 'suspension' on trails and rough roads, while still providing better rolling resistance vs an MTB tire.

I'm also w/ Adrian on steel. Almost all my bikes except two (I have 7 BTW...), are steel. Yeah, steel will rust but only if leave it outside in the rain for years on end. If taken care of, it'll be fine. I wash my bikes after each ride by spraying w/ Simple Green and hosing it off lightly. Never had a rust problem. Steel is more compliant than aluminum so the ride isn't as harsh. Steel can also be repaired/welded, aluminum cannot. The negative is that it's heavier in general, which you will see w/ dept store bikes. Well made frames can be very light, my steel road bike (build by a builder named Brent Steelman, no kidding) weighs in at about 17 lbs built up.

Re:
I am a big fan of buying locally and supporting the local vendors (yeah, even tho' most of the stuff is made in China).
Me too, with the exception of computer & aftermarket Jeep parts. Just can't get them locally


If you're working w/ a shop, make sure they allow for a free 1 month follow up. Don't buy online unless you know EXACTLY the frame dimensions you need, which is almost impossible unless you buy the same bike you demo'ed.
Good Advice, They are among several reasons why I'm sacrificing some variety in choice for using a local shop. Unless, of course, I'm just not satisfied with what I find here.


Don't stick w/ one brand just yet, try all of them and make sure the shop goes to the effort of fitting you properly.
See above, but you are right. Unfortunately exploring any other brands in person means a day trip of 6 hours of driving for just 1 more choice and 8 hours return for a much greater selection. What's worse is that this will probably surprise you as being a min. $120 to 140 dollar trip so I'm hoping to be very satisfied with a locally found brand or my budget gets ruined. (Why so much to travel expense, you ask? The bridge to get off this Island is $40 bucks alone plus gas and snacks.)

Adrian makes some good points about suspension parts adding weight. Ask yourself if you'll really need the extra 'doo dads' since you'll be adding the extra weight to do so.
Again, agreed. I initially went looking for a rigid fork but again am limited in my choices due to location.

May also want to consider brands that have lifetime (frame) warranty. I think Giant does but not sure. I know that Trek is lifetime.
Good advice, I'll add that to my checklist to balance. Both shops I'm dealing with are extremely well respected for follow up service. Because there is only two, they are very competitive with each other and this works to my advantage.


I'm also w/ Adrian on steel.
Hmmm, I may have been hasty here. You both make good points on it's benefits and relative weight. However, I'm pretty sure every bike I looked at in this class & pricerange was either aluminum or maybe chromolly. I'd have to double check on a couple. I may not have a choice for steel unless I go to discount store levels or much higher pricing.


Certainly keep the good advice and excellent learnings coming but bear in mind that I am down to a shortlist for a few reasons, mostly because of geography.

I know very little about bikes (my 'bike' is a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard M50 ). But I did tag along when my wife bought her first 'good' road bike a couple of years ago and learned a few things.

Buy local, because these things do need to go in for a 'tune up' every so often, and it's easier when you can go back to the local shop for service. And if it's a decent shop, they'll take the time to really measure your body and figure out the correct size bike you should be riding. The size of a (good) bike is as specific as the clothes that you're wearing. You've got to know what size bike you need.

If you're getting into "really" nice bike territory ($1,000+), look at last year's models. It's like a car. You can save a lot of money by buying "new-old-stock". My wife fell in love with this particular Cannondale road bike, but it was about $2,500. Much more than we were looking to spend. A different shop had the same bike at a similar price, but he also had a 'previous year's model' of the same bike. The bikes looked identical to me, other than a different color scheme. Little things were different, "oh, the V2008 has the flibidygibit 3.0 deraileur system while the V2007 has the 2.0, and the V2008 weighs 3 ounces less". Alrighty then.

My wife couldn't tell a difference between it and the 'new' model when she test-rode them. So we bought it, plus a water cage + computer for about $1,000 OTD. Saved well over $1,000 from what the 'old' bike had been priced when it was the 'new' one. It's been a really fantastic bike, and it seems extremely well made.

And if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Cannondale bikes are made in the US. In Bethel, PA.

Peter makes a great point. I was going to mention that as well.

If you can find the previous year's model, you can make a better deal since the shop wants to move out the old inventory.

Another company that seems to give good bang for the buck, aside from Giant, are Norco Bikes . Yhey have a wide selection of models to choose from. I also really liked the performance hybrids from Devinci , some nice choices there also. Depending on when you want to pull the trigger on some wheels, bike dealers(like car dealers) are more willing to negotiate pricing as the summer moves forward. Fall time is bargain time where bikes are concerned, but....your riding will obviously be shortened going into winter and you may not get the exact bike you are looking for.

One thing I meant to mention before as well re shocks/springs in the seat post is that you really want to maintain the same distance/relationship between the pedals and your seat position. If your seat is moving up or down while you are pedalling, then so is that relationship between the seat and pedals. I don't doubt that it might give the casual rider a little more comfort, but if someone needs any kind of suspension, it'd be best left to fork shocks and/or a shocked/sprung rear swing arm(really only for Mtn bikes).

Here is a list of bike manufacturers just in case we haven't confused you enough already

I'm not a biker. I do however like my Trek 4900. It's aluminum, light and gets me where I want to go. I did put some smaller tires on it (1.75" wide) and got rid of those stupid tiny valve stem tubes.... I like the front shocks. I hate rear suspensions when powering up hills. I hate the seat, but I have yet to find one that doesn't make my ass and crotch ache for days. I think it was about $500 new.

A buddy of mine has a $4000 mountain bike. I hate it.

I think I just like my KX 250 too much to get into peddle bikes.

Some rear suspensions(on high end Mtn bikes) are quite sophisticated(and $$). The biggest problem with rear suspensions when climbing is the "bobbing" effect when hard pedalling uphill, this can cause the rear wheel to lose contact with the ground and make more work for the rider.

There are bikes for everything these days, even within the Mountain bike range there are trail, cross country, downhill, freestyle...ect...ect...

I've tried a couple of seats on my Coda. The one it came with was uncomfortable so I swapped it out after getting my sit bones measured. I can't remember who makes the device, but they had one at a bike shop I went in. Basically, it is a padded(gel?) cushion that you sit on, and it has a digital readout on it that tells you the spacing of your sit bones. You can then determine the size of bicycle seat you would find most comfortable. Finding a decent seat is very important esp. if you do a lot of longer distance riding. A badly fit or designed seat can restrict blood flow to your doodad and cause some serious problems and also note that handgrips(on the bike, not on your doodad) should also be comfortable too. If your hands feel numb after riding your bike or have pain in your arms, you are likely pinching your ulnar nerve. Padded gloves, handlebars or some decent comfort grips can help alleviate the problem.

Update:
Still was in work clothes so no driving but stopped in to a few places on the way home.

Revisited the mall sports store just to see if I missed any options that might make me consider enduring the young idiot whose total bike knowledge gets summed up in "But this one here is a real sweet ride..." Couldn't hack it. Service is and would continue to be crappy. Thankfully, no models caught my eye anyways.

Revisited the only two reputable bike shops on the island. Honestly, it comes down to these options and only these unless I want to spend another $140 dollars to drive to Halifax for a day.

Shop #1
--------------
- Various new "Rocky Mountains" that don't fit my desired price range as a casual biker. They do "call" to me though, admittedly mostly for aesthetic reasons. The used RM's are plentiful but they are all models too far on the MTB side of the fence. Defeats my purpose in changing styles.

- Various new "Specialized" that also don't fit my budget. There is one heavily used one that fits the bill nicely but at $600 for a $700 dollar when new unit that shows signs of a pretty hard rental life, I'm just not sure. The shop does include a limited "new bike" warranty that is basically 1 year on components and five on the frame. I forget the exact model but it is one I test rode previously and it suited me nicely. Fast, felt good, no suspension but rode nicely. It didn't shift as smooth as the Rocky Mountain I drove that day but I think it just needed a tuning. Prolly should have checked the cogs for ware.

Other brands but not in in a sports style hybrid.


Shop #2
-------------
- Various new "Giant" bikes of which the "Cypress" is the most suitably featured in my price range. Can't say more than I did in previous posts as I have yet to ride it. The seat would definitely have to go though unless they make a helmet in the shape of a 'cranky old man hat.'

- Various new "Opus" bikes of which the "Mondano" is the most suitably featured in my price range. Again, I can't say more than I did in previous posts as I have yet to ride it. They have a "Adagio" coming back on a return that will warrant a look Saturday.

Other brands as well, but not in in a sports style hybrid. They also sell off their rental stocks. $200 off but they never offer them until the end of the season and they admit they are used pretty hard.

So, you see, these really are my only choices. I live in a beautiful but very tiny province surrounded by water. Many 'less typical' purchases involve limited choices or travel as a fact of life here. Anything else requires 6-8 hours of windshield time and a loss from my budget big enough to destroy all hope for a decent bike.

So, Saturday, if I'm not too busy, as I am 'on call' for my work, I will spend some time test driving them all to see what fits me best and asking some much better questions now that you have all helped educate me. I'm positive but if I'm still not convinced, I'll wait.

Worst case scenario, staying put and peddling my MTB like mad to keep up with my wife is going to accelerate any fitness gains.

Thanks all!!

Ah, mountain bikes!! Before my accident (which was on a bike, trials riding) I was a very avid mountain biker, just starting to look into going competitive. Back in the day I had a front suspension Kona AA, which cost me $1500, and was a sweet bike.

Giant, Trek, Specialized, and Norco are all great bikes, but I would also look for Rocky Mountain, as they have some of the nicest frames in the business.

The only other suggestion I can give, is to avoid riding any bike off a 3 foot platform, it was the last time I ever did .

All suspension, front or back, can be locked out if need be.

I had my eye on the ETSX 70 a couple of years ago. Awesome suspension configuration on the back end, apparently designed with much Formula 1 suspension influence with the multi-link swing arm. Alas, I bought myself the performance hybrid which better suited my riding....but....if I end up moving to BC, the RM goes back on the wishlist! (I don't think they make the ETSX anymore though).

I'm not a big downhiller. I do have a full suspension frame that I haven't built yet. It's a used Ibis Szazbo from back in the day. Bright yellow in great condition. Probably more of a XC ride for me.

I was in Deer Valley, UT last year and road the trails for 5 days. I did XC but tried a few of the downhill near the lifts. Yeah, that's not for me. I don't like even a 1' drop.

Going to Whistler to ride in August. Fortunately, we leave the day before Crankwerx starts so we don't have to deal w/ the massive crowds of grommets.

I just came back from a couple of laps around the neighbourhood here....and uhhh...no, that wasn't me riding by the digital speed sign set up by the construction crew near Hwy 10 to see how high I could make it go.

Update: Took it home Saturday!!!! Again, long, so no insult if your not interested but hey, I'm exited.

I was on call but only had to deal with one issues while I took the afternoon zooming around on test rides. I went back to shop A again. Along with the expensive used options, They had just gotten in a beautiful new Rocky Mountain that was more in the sport side vs. the mountain or comfort side of hybrids. They took me out back to see it being assembled for the showroom. Although I never stuck around to ride it, it was probably the nicest looking and best equipped bike, (in my desired class,) anywhere around here but it was way, wayyyy out of my price range. I almost took them up on an offer to try it out for a couple of days, no obligation, but I resisted knowing I'd probably never give it up. I took the other used "Specialized" out again. Still liked it, but they were pretty firm on their pricing and it was going to be more than a brand new Opus or Giant at the other store.

I left Shop A, sadly, as it had the nicest bikes and TOP NOTCH, friendly service. I'll be back here if this ever becomes more than a casual hobby.

Went back to shop B.
I got off to a bad start when I took the Giant Cypress out the door, put my foot on the peddle to swing aboard and almost fell to the ground when the peddle fell off. I suspect it had never been tightened in at all during assembly. They were very concerned an apologetic and hey, stuff happens, so I dismissed it for a laugh as these guys normally have a very solid rep.

Took out the Opus while they reattached the peddle and double checked the rest of the Giant. I had it on the streets, I purposefully went into some light potholes and I did a quick section of the nearby gravel bike and walking trail. Very nice bike. Shifted as smooth as the Specialized in the other shop. Gearing felt about right for me. Posture felt good after playing with the seat height and horizontal position. (They didn't even blink when I asked if I could borrow a multi-tool to take along for the ride.) I wasn't used to front suspension but I must say that I did like it. (ya I'm getting old.)

Before the ride, I was concerned over bob from the seat post suspension but it was very stiff, it was only noticeable when I purposefully bounced off a curb. There is no way I'll be peddling hard enough anymore these days to have it be a problem.

Overall, a very nice looking and great riding bike. I could find no fault except that it was a bit more expensive than the Giant.

Went beck and took the Giant out over the same route. I almost turned back 1/4 of the way in. As soon as I sat on it, I knew it was not the bike for me, just purely from it's feel. The seat was big, wide and plushy. Some may find it more comfortable but it felt like on a long ride, the plushy part extruding just a bit from my butt to the edge of my upper thigh would begin to become uncomfortable, pressing in where it shouldn't. The posture was also way to high. I could have tweaked it a bit but it was obviously designed for the comfort of being straight up and a providing a good view. Even the grips were over sized and shaped funny, wider and flatter vs. round. Probably more ergonomically correct than round but it felt like just my fingertips had a light hold and it was oddly disconcerting.

Ride wise, it was smooth, shifted nice but I felt like a senior citizen on a retro bike that should come equipped with a wicker basket. Finally, the jump from second lowest to lowest gear on the rear cog was not even. It was a much bigger change in ratio. The concept, I guess, is having one really low range for that last battle on a hill but I found the gap to be too much. First hill that I challenged each gear change got me a little lower and lower as it should, maintaining my comfortable rpm on my feet, until BOOM, my feet were spinning way too fast. OK, it might not have been that dramatic, but I still didn't like it.

So I returned to the store very sure of which one I liked better and started talking pricing. Lifetime Warranty on frame. Shop offers three years on components vs. manufactures one (no additional cost,) and three years of free tuneups. They took my old mountain bike on a trade. They were honest enough to tell me up front that I could get more for it in a private sale but I was happy with the offer and because I live outside of town, it's just worth it for me to be rid of it faster. Finally, I took advantage of their 20% off accessories when you buy a bike deal to get myself a new helmet. Perhaps I should have taken more advantage but there just wasn't much else I needed. My old helmet was, well old. Early generation of the newer shaped helmet so the foam was pretty thick and I looked like The Great Gazoo compared to modern helmets.

I got home a very happy consumer. Now I just have to get through this week of being on call so I can take it for a real spin. In the mean time, I'm circling around close to home and continueing strength exercises on my bad knee so it doesn't turn to jello if I go to far.

So, though you never stated it, I assume it was the Opus?

Correct.

And in keeping with Peter's patriotic warm and fuzzies, Opus is a Canadian company out of Montreal.

Congrats on the new Opus, Murph. (::picturing the Great Gazoo riding around PEI on a shiny new bike, saying to gawking onlookers in a condescending voice..."What is it now, dumb-dumb?"::)

Congrats! Enjoy.

Thanks all. Your knowledge came in handy with the in store chats so that they spent more time with me instead of dismissing me as just another guy in midlife who'd be happy as long as the bike was bright, shiny and expensive.

Actually, I've been in midlife crisis since I turned 20 so I'm getting better at making better impulse buys.

Last night, I strapped my cell phone to a daypack along with all my 'on call' needs and hit one of the sections of our "Rails to Trails" trail.. It was such an HUGE improvement in ride and it almost felt too easy to peddle. It felt like I had an electric assist bike compared to my old. Try as she might, my wife couldn't get ahead of me and keeping pace with her was a casual thing instead of a frantic blur of feet.

I also had the new helmet so unfortunately now people get mad when I call them "Dumb Dumb."

Sounds good.

Something consider, if your bike has the eyelets (rack mounts). I try to use my car as little as possible on weekends and w/ the kids. I converted one of my bikes (fixed gear) to a kid hauler and put a rear rack on it. Then I got 2 rear, water-proof panniers. I can shove a few bags of groceries, several kids backpacks, lunch and blankets, etc into those bags. Much easier to deal w/ vs the added weight on my back. I used to think it was kinda nerdy (and it still is) but in the SF Bay Area, bike culture and tech geeks go hand in hand now. I'm all for convenience.

I hear ya! Although I have been known to bike the 2-3 km to my local grocery store/gas station and stuff a couple of essentials in my backpack, I live in a rural area so the non-recreational use of my bike is pretty limited.

Although I'll never move back to the city, I think I would really enjoy biking to work most days and not having to worry about parking and gas consumption.

I'm up in Whistler doing some riding for a week. No downhill, I'm more of a XCer. Man, there's a bunch of nice trails here. WAY different than Norcal. AND, the ratings are slightly above ours. Much fun, weird to be somewhere North that's hotter than Cali too. I've never ridden raised bridges before and it kinda scares me. But a local helped me out and showed me some trails and guided me on the woodwork. I'm not an expert but at least now I'll try it.

I have to say that the food here in Whistler has been phenomenal. I picked this place, thinking there's a lot of upgrades because of the upcoming Olympics. The seafood is off the chain. Coming from California, this place has some of the best sushi I've had, including parts of Asia and several islands in Hawaii. We did Araxi which is also on Hell's Kitchen. Years ago it was good, but not anymore. I ordered 3 things and ALL of them were gone because they ran out. Unacceptable for a restaurant of that calibre. Rimrock Cafe has been one of my favs.

Didn't realize Monday was BC day, a little crowded but now most people are gone. Some police and fire up her for their World Games and Saturday all the grommets (kids) will be up from Crankworx. Thankfully I'll be gone by then.

Sounds like you're having a great time. DON'T break a leg!