# newbie with specialized epic for commute



## ansetou (Jul 17, 2009)

hey there. i'm new to biking. the last time i regularly biked was 20 years ago as a kid. i recently decided to commute to work (14.5 miles each way) to get in shape while save some gas. being new to road bike, i decided to have a budget of $400 for my first bike and, I think, I was lucky enough to have found this specialized epic from the 90's for $350. I examined the bike myself following these instructions from 
http://www.usedbicycleguide.com/Bicycle Inspection.html and it was good. 

the guy was nice enough to let me test ride it in central park for like 15 min. and I really like how light it was and the jumpy feeling when I push it hard. my question to people here is:
* the seat has a little problem where it would tilt backwards when I put more weight on it or when i pass a pothole. i took it apart and noticed the threads under the seat are worn out. the bike shop guy says i need to replace the thing for like $25. any other suggestion?
even when it's not tilting the seat was hurting me. it's a narrow race bike seat. since i want to commute with it, should i replace it with a wider seat? or should i just replace it with some seat that has more padding?
*I felt that my arms and shoulder were sore and hurt after a 30 min ride. is that normal or there is something I can do to make the ride more comfortable? maybe I should get a more flexible stem? I am thinking about swapping out the stem anyway as I felt the top tube was too short and want to get a stem that extends forward further. is there such a thing about finding a more flexible stem?
*I also felt heavy keeping my head up while my body is in a low position. Would a lighter helmet help? I'm wearing a skating helmet, which I think is not that light.

any advise is appreciate.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Lighter helmets are always better. You do not want a flexy stem, even if there is such a thing. It sure sounds like you need a new seatpost. Part of proper fit on a bike is based on finding proper seat position and keeping it there. You're new at this, give your body time to adjust with position and the seat. There is a reason most cyclist ride those skinny little seats. As you get use to riding, you will be able to adjust and find a comfortable position, Search the web for fit guides and read about bike fit. Ask the LBS for help fitting you. A full fit at the LBS cost a good bit of money, but they may help give you a quick idea where you should be. Ask them to do that when you buy the new helmet and seatpost.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

ansetou said:


> * the seat has a little problem where it would tilt backwards when I put more weight on it or when i pass a pothole. i took it apart and noticed the threads under the seat are worn out. the bike shop guy says i need to replace the thing for like $25. any other suggestion?


There isn't anything you can do to fix it other than to replace it. Do it right. Do it once.


> even when it's not tilting the seat was hurting me. it's a narrow race bike seat. since i want to commute with it, should i replace it with a wider seat? or should i just replace it with some seat that has more padding?


Your butt needs to get used to sitting on a saddle. You are experiencing saddle soreness. It could be made worse if you are riding in normal street clothing (denim jeans are probably the worst due to the thicker than normal seams). Cycling clothing is specifically made to avoid having seams in a bad place and they provide a little bit of additional padding. If you don't want to wear the tight lycra shorts then you can get mountain biking shorts or wear some baggy shorts over cycling shorts. A thicker, wider saddle is only more comfortable for really short rides. After a while, the thicker saddle's padding is pushing on places your body should not have pressure on so it cuts off circulation and presses on nerves leading down your legs, leading to numbness and other problems. Thinner saddles don't have these problems, typically.


> *I felt that my arms and shoulder were sore and hurt after a 30 min ride. is that normal or there is something I can do to make the ride more comfortable? maybe I should get a more flexible stem? I am thinking about swapping out the stem anyway as I felt the top tube was too short and want to get a stem that extends forward further. is there such a thing about finding a more flexible stem?


You're using muscles in a way that your body is not used to so these muscles are sore. Over time this will go away. Also, if this bike is too small for you it might be a better idea to find one that is a better fit. If it is close to the correct fit then a longer stem would help. I would enlist the help of a good local bike store (LBS) in your area to see if they feel that the bike is the correct size for you or if it is close enough to salvage the fit issue.


> *I also felt heavy keeping my head up while my body is in a low position. Would a lighter helmet help? I'm wearing a skating helmet, which I think is not that light.


Yes, a lighter helmet would help, but, again, your body is using muscles in a way that it is not used to. Give it time.

Good luck with it. 14.5 miles is quite a distance for a beginner bike commuter, depending on the terrain. It can be done but your body may not like it in the beginning. You can always drive half way then ride the rest of the way or use the subway system (provided they allow you to take your bike onto the trains) to reduce the riding mileage in the beginning until you have built up enough of a base fitness level to complete the ride both to and from work on a single day and on consecutive days.

Do you have a secure place to keep your bike at work? If you are locking the bike up outside then bring two locks to work and leave them there. Use two locks as most thieves bring tools to defeat one type of lock but not both. Also, don't lock the bike up at the same place every day.

Do you have access to a shower at work? If not then baby wipes would work well for freshening up before work. I used to have one day where I would bring my clean clothes to work in the morning and that evening bring my dirty clothes home. Of course, that was the day I would drive to the subway station instead of riding to the subway station or all the way to to work.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

Price sounds high for that bike. Does it even fit? I'd go to a bike shop and get a proper fitting and go from there. And definitely get a new/proper bike helmet.


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## ansetou (Jul 17, 2009)

Thanks for the advices. I actually can't figure out how to shower/clean myself yet. My plan so far is to just bring maybe 3 big towels every week and use 1 per riding day to wipe myself down. accumulate all the towels throughout the week in my drawer ;b and bring them back on the day i drive. I am not sure how well baby wipe will work for me. isn't it kind of small to cover a grown man's body? and how would i reach my back? how did you clean your hair? I know I am going to sweat on my head.

I'm not going to leave my bike on the street. I should be able to get permission to put it in our closet.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

Baby wipes aren't a perfect solution but it works. If you feel that one of those little wipes isn't doing the job then grab a second one. They're disposable. If you need to clean your hair then bring the towels and use them for your hair, though I've never felt like it was that big of an issue when I used baby wipes.


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## ansetou (Jul 17, 2009)

hehe, it's quite a funny image now that I picturing myself using baby wipes, haha. but thanks for the advice, I think I'll trying different solutions at home first before appearing in the office stinky


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

You'll be surprised how many people use baby wipes for this purpose. Think about it: baby wipes are used to clean babies up after they have done the nastiest things you can do inside a diaper and leaves the baby clean and fresh smelling. It works for your body, too. I do admit that I don't feel as refreshed as I would had I taken a shower but I also know that I don't smell of sweat afterwards, too. I had a coworker who has a sensitive nose and I actually asked her if I smelled of sweat after a morning ride into the office and she either was being nice or I didn't smell of sweat that day.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Street clothes and true racing saddles don't go together. If you're going to wear cycling shorts (with padding) then you'll be OK. Otherwise try a padded saddle. I like the Terry Fly Gel- and you need to specify 'gel' because they make several different versions of the Fly. It's not an obnoxious 'comfort saddle' that tries to turn your bike into and easy chair, nor is it a hard as nails racing saddle for an 'iron butt' to save weight at any cost.

That said, the Epic is a mountain bike. I don't know the exact year you're looking at, but it's near the top of the line and I think the price may be OK. You might be better off on a real road bike- takes less energy to move. If the roads are really bad you can get wider tires and still save weight and get better aerodynamics.


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## ansetou (Jul 17, 2009)

Maybe I'm not looking at the right info, bikepedia.com 1994 and 1993 specialized epics were road/race bikes. The frame i have is also a road bike frame. the complete bike weights 22 lbs. is that comparable to a $1000 new bike? or something even more expensive? The only reasons I bought it was because 1) it was 56 cm which seems to be my size; 2) it's carbon frame (aluminum fork). BTW, the guys said it was a 1998 bike but I can't find anything online about a 1998 specialized epic so I guess he was bs.


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## M.J. (Jan 28, 2004)

ansetou said:


> Maybe I'm not looking at the right info, bikepedia.com 1994 and 1993 specialized epics were road/race bikes. The frame i have is also a road bike frame. the complete bike weights 22 lbs. is that comparable to a $1000 new bike? or something even more expensive? The only reasons I bought it was because 1) it was 56 cm which seems to be my size; 2) it's carbon frame (aluminum fork). BTW, the guys said it was a 1998 bike but I can't find anything online about a 1998 specialized epic so I guess he was bs.


it is not comparable at all (think about a 10yr old sports car)

10 yrs is a long time - you have an antique (this is not to say it's not a great bike)

it doesn't matter how much it cost then or now - the only thing that matters is fit and that you enjoy it


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

ansetou said:


> Maybe I'm not looking at the right info, bikepedia.com 1994 and 1993 specialized epics were road/race bikes. The frame i have is also a road bike frame. the complete bike weights 22 lbs. is that comparable to a $1000 new bike? or something even more expensive? The only reasons I bought it was because 1) it was 56 cm which seems to be my size; 2) it's carbon frame (aluminum fork). BTW, the guys said it was a 1998 bike but I can't find anything online about a 1998 specialized epic so I guess he was bs.


Go to Google Images and enter 'Specialized Epic' and you'll see what I was thinking of. It may be they retired then brought the name back. I'm not an expert on bike history. If it has a carbon frame and aluminum fork that's a somewhat unusual combo. It's usually the other way around. (Of course, carbon frame, metal fork is exactly what the top of the line Epic mountain bike has). There are probably people who know a lot better, but in '98 carbon frames would have been pretty rare and pricey. 

You can probably get a new 22 lbs. road bike for less than $1000, depending on groupo and wheels, but better equipped versions tickle that price. You may have overpaid a little, but you couldn't buy a set of new mid-range wheels for that.

Edit: A little poking around Google showed Specialized Road Epics listed to about 1996, carbon frame, Cro-moly fork.


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