No, I´m not a vegetarian-fruitarian, but lately my diet tends to be. I don´t Know if I will end up running on vegetables, fruit and raw food The bike way of life is having a radicalization effect on me!!! irat Concerning aerobars, I put them on last week and went for a ride, well, the only ride I managed to go up to now Firstly It´s a little hard to pedal on a straight line or properly change gears while on the aerobars, but as always practice is everything. You have also to keep in mind you can´t break so the use of aerobars is limited to open-wide roads The 607 bike-lane has some really nice places to test them, far away from people and corners. In those places, you can get up to some decent high speeds. I´d say it´s like a little low pressure turbo effect. Nothing spectacular, but you will notably increase your speed. Enough for me to easily pass over some bikers when I need to (you know how challengeable I am!). I can certainly see how the instant speed is increasing in the trip computer when I go down on them. The air has less negative effect on you. They are pretty comfortable too. I don´t care if they look goofy or not!. :risa Not so bad average speeds of 26-27 (even more depending on your engine or your desire to break a record) for a hybrid are now feasible. Thats a remarkable 22% effectiveness increase in my case!. You are faster uphill, with no slope at all and a lot faster downhill. You cut the air as if you were a damn knife I just went for a unique ride but I must confess I liked it. Due to those things that slow you down, you can´t go on your bars all the time. You can NEVER go on your bars when you are behind a biker chupando rueda. It´s dangerous cause you can´t properly maneuver your bike in such a narrow space. Other than these I see no problems to ride on them. I´m not as fast as you are on your roadie, but I could be your shadow when you ride your hybrid, not too bad considering the great engine you have! :clap Nice photo of Patones landscape!. I´m looking forward seeing that video showing how lucky you were on your face plant!. I´m glad you are ok. I also had muscle pain for some days, so it´s completely normal when you are face-planted (if the word exists! la2 ). Cheers!!!
I guess you would never want to ride in a peloton with aerobars, but they're used in time trials where you're going it alone. By the way, here's a dramatic photo of my endo. Luckily I was able to get up and finish the ride. Uploaded with ImageShack.us
:shock::shock::shock: SCARY photo man! There are some stones over there and you were flying towards them. I guess the risks when off road riding are pretty high; your odds to fall like that are enough to consider wearing good protective clothes. By seeing this photo I´m more convinced that you were lucky not to injury yourself in a worse way man. Really It´s a scary fall. Didn´t you lose your confident after this? :scratch
Yeah, I could have really hurt myself, but fortunately I didn't land on rocks. The ones you see in the picture are off to the side; I basically hit the dirt. There are definitely risks when you ride a bike, you know that from first hand experience. In this case I was enduro riding, even though my bike is for cross country. Enduro riding involves technical downhills, so the risks are higher. I wiped out going down some rocks and somehow my front tire got caught on a rock and I went flying over the handle bars. I don't know if I've lost my confidence, but this little mishap is certainly making me think. For example, I've been told that if I'd been on a true enduro bike with long travel forks, the accident may have been avoided. Instead of the bike flipping over, the forks would have absorbed much more of the impact and have given me time to take evasive measures :alloreto There are plenty of people who go for mellow rides in the mountains and they generally feel a lot safer than when riding on roads. Mountain biking can be as safe or dangerous as you want it to be really. In any case, as I've mentioned before, I'm looking into buying a full suspension bike, I just don't know if I want one with 120 mm of travel, like the Trek Fuel Ex 8, or one more for enduro with 140 or 150 mm, like the Mondraker Foxy R. I've also started paying more attention to my technique: making sure I'm in the right position, the weight is distributed properly, and all that. I really enjoy that stuff. Finally, I'm thinking that hardcore enduro riding is not my cup of tea, perhaps enduro light is more my speed. The problem is I like just about everything, so I need a bike for everything. It's funny that some years ago people had one bike for everything. Now everything is much more specialized and expensive, but I suppose you can do a lot more too. Cheers!
You got me curious about the different bikes with the generic denomination of MTB. A quick Forum search reveals that the list is growing day by day… Rally, X-Country, Marathon, All Mountain, Enduro, Freeride, Downhill Descenso, BMX, Trial, Ciclocross, 29niners… etc, Not to say other bikes like Dual, dirt, street, urban, road, hybrid... etc. Even each of those modalities has its own nomenclature to differentiate one bike from another (A Hybrid can be Classic, performance, comfort, sport, tourism, grand tourism, light tourism, etc… Hard times for a biker to own just one bike… Some add more confusion by making their own type of bike … Aerohybrid man! If you jump to conclusions it seems as if you needed a bike every other 20 kilometers when the terrain changes on a single ride, but here as you say, speed is a key factor. Whatever bike is capable of most of the work, but for sure not as fast as a specialized one. This is also the key to sell more and more… So the choice for you to make is if it´s really worthwhile to be faster risk-free or with less risks under certain circumstances. But thinking about those days in which our grandfathers were young and had to ride a bicycle, (remember NO MTB AT ALL) how did they manage to ride when there were a lack of paved roads???. It´s funny but among all those stories that my grandpa told me, I can hardly remember a single one involving a bicycle ride in the dirt, thou in fact we all know that´s the way they had to ride a bike… Do you remember talking to your grandfather about this back in the States? Cheers!
Our little bike world is becoming increasingly specialized. One bike for this, one bike for that. But if you have a bike specifically for, say enduro, you can undoubtedly do that very well. But on that bike you couldn't do, say, cross country that well. I mean, the guys with specifically XC bikes will clobber you. A lot of things are this way, like music and films tend to be more and more specialized, tho there are some songs and movies that have universal appeal, but I don't think a lot. Anyway, to go back to the ancient history of bikes, I don't need to ask my grandfather, or even my father. I remember when I was a kid mountain bikes didn't exist, for that matter neither did the internet (or at least I'd never heard of it). In any case, I reckon our ancestors basically stayed on dirt or asphalt roads. When there were obstacles they undoubtedly got off the bike and walked. Really mountain biking is a young sport. And so my dilemna: do I need 120 mm of travel, or a 140? It makes a difference. A 120 is more for XC and 140 is more for enduro/all mountain. I hear if you have a bike with 140 mm of travel and you're pedaling hard along mountain trails (doing XC) you get a spongy feel. But a 140 mm sure is nice if you're dealing with large rocks and big drops and stuff like that. This all comes down to a sort of existencial question: who am I? Am I crosscountry or enduro? I guess for the moment you don't have that problem: you're Aero Hybrid Man!! So are you using those bars much? How's your new rear rack? Been pedaling much? Next time I meet up with you, you're going to leave me in the dust :biker
LOL. My AeroHybrid idea came out when I needed to rest my wrist for a while when on riding or when I needed to be faster under the pressure of another biker Challenging me. I mean, your existencial dilemma could be technically solved if there were something in between 120 and 140 mm… The idea remains the same. Hybrid stuff is a combination of two ideas in which you´re not the best in none but can handle both. Now, this idea of not being the best is not good for you, because you already have a MTB and need a more specific and specialized enduro one. But your dilemma is boiled down to a technical question. In other words, a 120 or 140 mm suspension will in the future be overtaken by technology. They will make a greater suspension for bikers not to think about it, and that could well be a “progressive suspension” or regulation in which the hardness is increasingly applied when for instance you´re using 80% of the total length… That way you can avoid feeling like Sponge Bob feels when riding on a 140 mm and you can have all the benefits of having it. I Know I´m not eloquent in English, but I hope you can get the idea. If all the dilemma is 120 or 140mm suspension, I would ask for expertise tips on the progression of a suspension or some advanced technology that have a similar effect, If there is one, that allows you to ride hard enduro 140mm in length when needed and more soften rides in with is essential not to feel spongy. There could be a kind of a suspension like that. If there is not, you have to mandatory choose 120 or 140mm but first of all I would try to comb the market to see if there is such that “progressive suspension” or a device that allows you “to cut” the length from 140 to 120 when needed and to widen from 120 to 140-160mm when you ride really hard. It would certainly work your dilemma out. Do you know if such stuff exists?. Before deciding 120 or 140 you should take a closer look to the fantastic world of bike suspensions!. Welcome to the specialization not of a bike but a component itself!!!. :-D Don´t worry about my and your speed. I´m for sure faster than ever -well, If I wanted to be, because I mostly ride for the sake of just relaxing- but you have better engine to pass me even when I ride on my aerobars. I think I´m capable now of averaging 26 Kmts/h on my hybrid over a 60 Kmts ride running about 70% of the time on the aerobars. That´s not bad for me, but for you is not that good. I calculate your engine is at least 35%-37% “bigger” than mine… That´s a lot when you think of human power pushing. Let´s put another 15-18% in terms of effectiveness when you ride your road bike. That adds up an astonish figure of a 50%. If I´m am correct, riding your road bike your “power” is around 50% better than mine. That´s when I ride my standard Hybrid. Now, I calculate I am a 20% more powerful when I ride in an “Aerohibryd style”, but the gap remains. Riding your roadie you are 30% better than me riding my better weapon, my Aerohibryd… That is once again a lot. :neutral: On the contrary, If you ride your hibryd, the figures are slightly different, but you are again in the lead by a 15% (35% better engine you have against my 20% better efficiency). That means that I could be your shadow but nothing else if you don´t want to. When I push to my limit, you are around your 85% of your capacity, and of course I can´t Keep the pace for too long if I´m pushing to my 100%. In any case, your engine is what makes a difference. Those figures could only change If I decided to be a professional, and believe me, I have no intention of becoming a protour man!!! I had the chance to only put in around 80 kilometres since I put the aerobars on… so professionalism is far away from me! 8) Ah, I almost forget. I bought a standard rack for my old MTB, and waiting for the other one, the ecological rack, to install. I wanna this last one to be “removable”, so that I can ride w/wo depending on the circumstances… Cheers!. PD.- I´m closing the gap when You ride on your hibryd!... Are you thinking of "aerohibrying" your hibryd not to let that happen? . I will send a letter to the American Language Academy to copyright the word.
Hey, sounds like you're improving, especially if you started riding more regularly. You've only done 80 km since the aerobars? You may even want to set up a riding program, tho I personally have never followed one, but there are books that tell you how to do that. I've just tried to ride regularly doing a variety of things. By the way, the Scott Genius and the Scott Genius LT (Long Travel) are interesting bikes as far as versatility. You have a lever on the handlebar with three positions. The first is lockout, where both the shock and the forks are locked. Then there's the traction mode, where the shock has 95 mm of travel and the forks I think have 120 or a 150 (whichever you have pre-set). Finally there's the open position where shock and forks have full travel, for rough terrain. This bike sounds pretty good, but it is not without its drawbacks. In any case, check out the video. [video=youtube;FyOw3lFixl4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyOw3lFixl4[/video]
Epic bike! Yeah! That´s another kind of a Hibryd idea – three bikes in one in this case- on a MTB which you can consider for your future bike. Tho that bike can be a wee on the expensive side… Do U Know how much it is? Trying to help you (I´m sorry to be new at this) and Thinking of your dilemma I saw an interesting thread in this very forum. It´s about the self making of a enduro bike; pay attention to what this biker says: (I will summarize for our non Spanish speaker friends: A 120mm suspension 29´er MTB is worth a 150 mm 26´enduro bike when riding hard in the dirt but faster as every other 29´er when riding on the flat… Chain, take a look at this opinion, about 29er and enduro style, when he talks about suspensions: “sinceramente, me ha sorprendido, creo que es un acierto y como all mountain va a ser perfecta para mi, bueno casi, esta ya es de las rockys bastardas hechas fuera de canada.... en fin, no se puede tener todo... creo que para enduro va a ser una revolucion, porque no estamos acostumbrados a angulos y direcciones tan rapidas como los de xc, ni a ruedas tan ligeras, asi uqe los inconvenientes de las 29er de mayor peso queda diluido, una de 120 como la mia es equivalente a una 150 de 26er, dicen que son torponas.... unas ruedas ligeras solucionan eso, ademas nosotros estamos acostumbrados a direcciones de 68 para abajo, y esta tiene 70.5..... y una cubierta delantera no hace falta que agarre tanto como en 26er, la race king que me habian advertido que era una castaña tiene bastante grip incluso en el saulo de la serralada, que es puro jabon, y es una cubierta que rueda excelente.... las ruedas absorven bastante las irregularidades mas pequeñas, con lo que puedes llevar la horquilla y amort algo mas duro y sigue siendo comoda la bici.... es cierto que se frena menos por encima de raices y demas, y las ruedas bajando no me preguntes porque se lanzan que dan miedo.... a ver si se ruedan los frenos... el proximo proyecto que monte sera 29er tambien, pero no endurero.... bueno va con horuqilla de 100 que eso en 29er es como una 26er con horuqilla de 130 por cierto, miedo me da que vaya esta tan bien qeu abandone el slayer.... con lo que me ha costado conseguirlo.... lo voy a poner a dieta, a alguien le sobra una bos deville?? Here is the thread: http://www.foromtb.com/showthread.php?693543-enduro-en-29er..... So, to add more confusion, some people is solving the 120-140-170 dilemma via 29er!!!. Don´t Know if it is more a drawback than a solution for your needs… But being informed about all options is a must in your case. Cheers!
Interesting point, Mr Aero Hybrid Man. Till now I've pretty much steered clear of 29er because I've heard they're especially good for tall people (I'm not quite there) and because they mean more weight. But the weight issue is something that concerns XC riders more than enduro riders. This guy thinks they may be nothing less than a revolution in enduro riding. That's a pretty tall claim, and one worth pondering. Like you say, he says a bike with a 120 mm fork but with 29er wheels is equivalent to a bike with 150 mm forks but with 26er wheels. I'd like more opinions about that. P.S. I went into a bike shop in Madrid, and if I my memory serves me right, the Scott Genius LT 40, the cheapest one, was going for 2,350 euros. By the way, considering the price of this bike it's a wee heavy at 14.2 kg. http://www.scott-sports.com/gb_en/product/11260/64192/221737
Ey Chain, yesterday I was doing some shopping at ECI (El Corte Inglés, you know one of the best market services all over the world!) and dropped by the sports section… I don´t exactly Know what the Genius range is, but I asked for one particular bike thinking about what you said on that suspension system by Scott. There is a Scott Genius -60 series- 2011 (priced before at 2.299€ offer at 1.799€. She got that mentioned suspension system, and will be discontinued in the year to come. There will be no more 60 series but I was told the ´12 frame will basically be the same with XT suspension - she will be called the 50 series- (now is SLX as far as I remember), and will be priced at +- 2.400-2.490€. I think you could take advantage of the new model to come to consider a 2011 offer at ECI or elsewhere. There must have offers such like this not only in the Scott models but in almost every brand to get rid of their 2011 stocks… So take a look at these offers!. PD.- It´s funny... I´m trying to identify the model I saw at ECI, but can´t find it in their web. They already have the new 50 series model (price 2499): http://www.elcorteingles.es/tienda/...railSize=1&navAction=jump&navCount=0&brandId= The one I saw is just like this (I mean, that great suspension) but SLX dereilleur. It was not the Spark 60 model: http://www.elcorteingles.es/tienda/...railSize=1&navAction=jump&navCount=0&brandId= I may have the wrong name. As far as I remember (and I think I remember it perfectly because I asked -and I was told then- how could I change the lenght of the rear suspension from 90 to 150mm), the bike had that great suspension that the 50 series has (It was not a Spark 60, I´m pretty sure)... But CANT FIND THE BIKE IN THEIR WEB... Anyway, it is at ECI Castellana /Rdo. Fdez Villaverde, 6th floor, Sports Section. Last Edition:- I get it. This is what i saw for 1.799 at ECI: http://www.scott-sports.com/es_es/product/10029/55586/217961 A great bike, but I guess the Lt 40 you saw (http://www.scott-sports.com/gb_en/product/11260/64192/221737) is "más endurera"... a wee more on the enduro side which is what you could need for your downhill adventures... What a mess!!!
An alternative view of the 29er thing. http://bikemagic.com/news/guest-blog/29ers-what-is-all-the-fuss-about.html I definitely dont like the idea of it being difficult to get your arse over the back for the downhills.
Hi interaptor, Yeah, my understanding is that the Genius is for XC and ralleys, and I'm looking for something more versatile. The Genius LT definitely fills the bill, in fact it's probably the most multi-purpose bike around. But it's not without its drawbacks, like weight, and you're tied to an unusual rear shock. It works by extension (not compression), so if it breaks down you can never replace it with anything else. Lately I'm thinking that the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR is the best around, but it comes at a hefty price tag. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=12SJFSR&scid=1100&scname=Mountain By the way, I went by Sport Zone today with a friend and he bought a Torah 4.9 for 590 euros. Here it is, tho here it says it costs 800. http://www.bergoutdoor.com/es/cycles/Product.aspx?pid=716 Hi Mackem, Good to hear from you. Interesting article. The author thinks riding a 29er is less fun than a 26er. I've never tried one so I wouldn't know, but for the time being I'm sticking to 26ers.
Yeah, that range of prices shouldn´t has those important drawbacks… Talking of the devil (Berg) I found these two downhill models, there are considered very good bikes (Some Spanish bikers use the word “Pepino” to describe each one of them) but the weight drawback I guess remains even in a greater way… Anyway, what you get for the money –as the next model in Berg- is exceptional: Berg Stochi (by seeing the photo I guess It´s a compression suspension): http://www.bergoutdoor.com/es/cycles/Product.aspx?pid=761&catalogId=25 Top-of-the-line Berg Viper W-Cup Elite (Mamma Mia! take a look at her weight! the 203mm for sure are taking a part in all): http://www.bergoutdoor.com/es/cycles/Product.aspx?pid=702&catalogId=25 590€ is a Great price for the bike your friend got. I think we already saw that offer when we went to SZ two months ago. I really like this policy of low prices, satisfaction and commitment with the client they have… BTW, I suffered my first “pájara” or “hipoglucemia” in medical terms… I pushed to my limits without having been eaten before too much… and after 5 hours or so I suddenly became literarily powerless. So powerless that I was unable to maintain 15 Kmts/h in a flat road in my way back home!... It was a sudden drop of sugar in my blood… I was a kind of Dracula looking for some sugar to eat!:evil:...  Funny experience. Never before –in my life- I experimented the man´s hammer that way, tho I sometimes was exhausted, this was a completely different experience… In a split second you are powerless, and need urgently eat some sugar. Mr. Hammer came to me, but I was responsible for his visit. You can take it out on me because I didn´t eat enough to ride such a long time pushing that way… Cheers!
I think Berg is rounding out its offer. If a company only makes lower end bikes, people tend to look down on it, “Oh yeah, Berg, they make cheap bikes”. But if you can say, “Look at this awesome Berg! I'd love to have it”, it obviously makes them look good. Berg still needs to improve in that department, for example, they don't have any bikes in the category I'm interested in, a dual suspension all mountain (AM) bike, a bike that pedals well and that can handle some enduro. I really think there's a much bigger market for AM bikes than downhill bikes, so I don't know why they're focusing on that. Sorry you bonked on your bike. Actually what happened to you has never happened to me. I've come home from a ride exhausted (like last Friday when I went to Navacerrada on my road bike), but I've never hit a wall like you did. I think that's because I have a big breakfast before my rides and bring along food (cereal bars or nuts). So you're going on five-hour rides. Sounds like you're getting in shape. Keep up the good work, and I know I don't need to tell you to eat enough for such a long physical exertion. :saltarin P.S. And I agree, my friend got a great deal on that bike.
You´re right both in the Berg´s lack of top models and of course in having a great breakfast before you go ride. I took my lesson here. Now, when I go ride for a long time (more than 4 hours) I take with me 3 honey sandwiches and a banana… Those sugar components in them are ready-to-use energy to take away. 15 minutes after eating it you have some good reserve of energy to go on… Banana is the best fruit you can eat to avoid being powerless. I will in the future pay more attention to what and when I eat before making a great effort. This article gives me the shivers: :fumao http://www.vitonica.com/prevencion/la-pajara-el-miedo-de-todo-deportista I guarantee you. A pájara is nothing that I had experimented before and it´s more or less as described on that article… No. I don´t usually go ride for more than 3 hours, but sometimes (especially in the weekend I go on for 2 more hours)… I Know, I know… your record may be is 7 hours in a row!... Pd.- Did you see what the guys at Decathlon can offer you? Cheers!
I once did a century on my road bike; that's my longest ride. A century's a 100 miles, that is, 162 km. I seem to remember it took me about six hours. I remember I was tired, but after my ride on Friday to Navacerrada I was more tired, in fact I'd say I experienced exhaustion (but hey... I was OK). My friend likes making snap decisions and basically bought the first bike we came across. I was telling him that after Sport Zone we could go to Decathlon, and time permitting maybe even Sanferbikes. But the price was right (he wanted to spend 600 euros) and I highly recommended the Torah 4.9, so he went for it. Actually it's ordered and now he's waiting for delivery. So where are you riding these days? I think I'm gradually shifting towards dirt and away from asphalt. I'm just riding my road bike on Fridays these days, but I really enjoy it!
Destination: depends on the day and how I like the ride to be. Most of my rides are “aerobarless”!!! I mean, relaxed and smooth as they can be. Other days I pray to the Lord… I mean, I lay down on my aerobars and lightly increase my average speed. Those days I usually end up in Manzanares el Real Castle. I´ve recently increased my city percentage of bike riding up to a (let´s say) an estimable 28%. Especially on the weekends where the traffic in Madrid is not a problem (I really don´t care if there is too much traffic, but city-biking on the weekends is a more enjoyable experience), I mix light road touring with some city destinations… I like the feeling of going through places where the traffic is bumper to bumper the rest of the week… So, my habits change from time to time in terms of percentage of hybrid bike use (city, pathways, road…, as yours are turning to the dirt side of life!. Yesterday I went to have my ecological back rack installed. :-D Now I am an aerohybrid and ecological-functional man on my bike, ready for the next adjective to add!. :rabbit By installing them I guess I´m 1-2Kmts/h slower, but who cares when your back is not suffering from loading things?. My bike is slowly turning a light touring one. With the panniers installed I again will be slower when riding but again It´s a more functional bike…, she really looks like a sport light touring bike… Oh excuse me… an ecological- aerohybrid-sport-light-touring bike… :mrgreen: What else??? BTW, the reviews of the Torah 4.9 are very good. Great bike for the money. BTW #2, Is Juan Carlos about to be on the road again???. I HOPE SO!. :clap
Don't you worry about air pollution when you're riding around Madrid? Lately there seems to be more of that. But I hear the pollution level varies quite a bit around town. By the way, do you know where we can get information about that? It sounds like you could turn into a bicycle commuter: one of these guys who bikes to and from work or school. That's a great idea, especially if more bike lanes are built. Wouldn't it be nice if more people did that? Have I ever shown you this video? Maybe one day Madrid will look like this. [video=youtube;n-AbPav5E5M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AbPav5E5M[/video] You should take a picture of what your bike looks like these days with all the accessories. I probably wouldn't recognize it.
Well, that´s not fair!. Concerning bikes nothing compares to the Netherlands. No other place in the whole world can dream of this bicycle paradise. Unfortunately this is the exception to the rule. The automobile´s kingdom act. Recently I saw a video from the States in which a black woman complained a cyclist for not riding in the sidewalk!... Some people do not realize a bike is traffic. On the contrary, Holland´s priority in terms of urban mobility is just the bicycle. The main river when it comes to move yourself. Everything else is a tributary to the bicycle. Not even rainy days prevent people from commuting and riding all the day long. We, the rest of the world, are improving (Madrid has notably increased his cyclist toll) but have a long way to go. Yeah, I will take some photos of my bike to see the before and the after. Not a big deal, it´s not a radical transformation, just two things, but my bike can handle now more versatile jobs I wanna ask you something about hybrids. I have notice mine is very fast when it comes to go downhill on the road. I mean, of course all bikes are faster that way, but I compare my hybrid to a road bike and when descending I think my bike is faster. At first I thought it was due to the heavier weight the hybrid has, but thinking about it I have noticed this faster speed in my hybrid even when a fat biker is descending on his road bike It´s supposed to be the total weight, bike plus biker that count In these circumstances I have to continue break my bike or will easily pass the roadie Maybe it´s just in my mind Have you notice something like this comparing your hybrid to your road bike?. I am even faster downhill w/ the aerobars mode on Cheers!
