# New Member Intro.



## REDerick23 (Apr 11, 2009)

Hello all,

I am 27 years old from Bothell. I avidly rode Mtn bikes as a kid, and all through high school, as i grew up about 10 minutes from St Edwards. Got back into cycling last year and decided to get a road bike. I ride a 56cm Giant Defy Alliance 1, which i've put about 300 miles on. Not alot, i know, but considering i only got about 3 weeks of riding in last year before winter set in im ok with it.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*winter*

Hi,
Glad you got a road bike. If you dress properly, you can ride virtually all winter. Actually riding in colder weather is in some ways more comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I love hot summer days, but when you are all suited up and got booties on, it's pretty nice riding. You'd be surprised how many people ride all witnter long.


REDerick23 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I am 27 years old from Bothell. I avidly rode Mtn bikes as a kid, and all through high school, as i grew up about 10 minutes from St Edwards. Got back into cycling last year and decided to get a road bike. I ride a 56cm Giant Defy Alliance 1, which i've put about 300 miles on. Not alot, i know, but considering i only got about 3 weeks of riding in last year before winter set in im ok with it.


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## Catapult (Nov 5, 2004)

welcome back. If you get serious about winter riding and the economics work for you, I would recommend a dedicated rain bike in the fall. I've got a Redline Conquest Disc-R which has served me well for the past 4 years and having real fenders with mudflaps is great to just be able pull off the shelf when you need it. Enjoy!


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## REDerick23 (Apr 11, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome guys. I'm sure that someday it will be a reality to have a road bike for all conditions, as i do have a specialized mtn bike, just dont like riding it on the pavement. Dont get me wrong im not afriad to ride in "less than ideal" conditions, just not super keen about wind and rain. Anyways, i guess i just need to get over it as we do live in the PNW.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*the only reason I mentioned it*

The only reason I mentioned it (winter riding) was because you said ("before winter set in"). I found that (with in reason) there is no real good reason to not ride in the winter. In fact most of my winter rides were just in 40 degree weather. it was nice and dry. I didn't have to break out my rain bike till March. It wasn't rainy, or windy. I'm not much of a fan of the wind but I did use it to my advantage yesterday. I rode into the wind for the first half of the ride, then got a tail wind all the way home. It's peretty cool doing almost 20 mph for 10 miles or so with very little energy expended.
Course today it's rainy but I got in 40 miles yesterday so I'm just looking at it through the window.


REDerick23 said:


> Thanks for the welcome guys. I'm sure that someday it will be a reality to have a road bike for all conditions, as i do have a specialized mtn bike, just dont like riding it on the pavement. Dont get me wrong im not afriad to ride in "less than ideal" conditions, just not super keen about wind and rain. Anyways, i guess i just need to get over it as we do live in the PNW.


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## REDerick23 (Apr 11, 2009)

Wish i could of gotten a ride in yesterday, however i was @ work until midnight, such is the life of retail management. Today is another story though, got up @ 8 as i did not have to work and set of on the bike. Only did 20 miles, but made them count as i have quite a few hills around where i live.


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## RoadBikeVirgin (Nov 21, 2008)

Welcome to road cycling and welcome to RBR  I'm down in the Tacoma/Fife/Puyallup area. I'm with you - not a fan of riding in the lousy weather. I have an exercise bike AND a fluid trainer to train indoors and I have been doing that most weeks. It definitely makes the nice weather riding days all the more sweeter  Last Sunday was beautiful and we got a nice long ride on the Chehalis Western trail. Do you prefer riding on bike trails or on the road? Any good bike trails in your area?

-Chris


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## REDerick23 (Apr 11, 2009)

Road, Trails, it really does not matter to me. Most of the guys i ride with prefer riding on trails. I live a short distance to both the Centennial trail, and the Burke Gilman. Last sunday was a nice day, and i also go a good ride in. When you ride your fluid trainer do you feel you get a good workout in. I have a Cycleops Fliud trainer, yet i find it difficult to get a good workout in, where as my buddy who's computer does cadence gets a way better workout than i. Pretty sure that once i get a computer that does cadence i will get a better ride work out on the trainer, as it will give me something to focus on, rather than what ever is on the tv.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*work yesterday*

That sucks. I got in 40 miles yesterday. Today I'm looking out the window watching it rain all,..day,...long,... good day to be a recovery day today though yesterday wasn't too tough. hills are good.


REDerick23 said:


> Wish i could of gotten a ride in yesterday, however i was @ work until midnight, such is the life of retail management. Today is another story though, got up @ 8 as i did not have to work and set of on the bike. Only did 20 miles, but made them count as i have quite a few hills around where i live.


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## Catapult (Nov 5, 2004)

pursuant to my previous comment about rain bikes, just got back from a soaking wet 40 miler. Personally, I could never get into indoor training of any kind and even on the worst days I still make it out on the bike, regardless of conditions. I applaud those who can tolerate trainers, but I would rather risk pneumonia than sit indoors spinning and sweating for 3 hours. It's one of the main reasons I love living in the PNW...its a rare day that you actually cannot ride unless you lack the proper motivation (trainer...shudder).:thumbsup:


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## RoadBikeVirgin (Nov 21, 2008)

REDerick23 said:


> Road, Trails, it really does not matter to me. Most of the guys i ride with prefer riding on trails. I live a short distance to both the Centennial trail, and the Burke Gilman. Last sunday was a nice day, and i also go a good ride in. When you ride your fluid trainer do you feel you get a good workout in. I have a Cycleops Fliud trainer, yet i find it difficult to get a good workout in, where as my buddy who's computer does cadence gets a way better workout than i. Pretty sure that once i get a computer that does cadence i will get a better ride work out on the trainer, as it will give me something to focus on, rather than what ever is on the tv.


That's a fantastic trainer - I'm looking to trade my riding partner from my cheapo one from Performance and a little money to help him buy the Garmin 705  He hardly ever rides on the trainer and I do it one to two times a week. I get a great workout in on the trainer - my complaint with it is that I can't really stand and pedal, so I usually have to stop and walk around the house every twenty minutes or so to avoid getting numb "down there." I have a CatEye Strada Cadence (wired) on my Synapse, so I get all the usual data - my friend with the Cycleops has the wireless Strada without cadence, so he doesn't get the same data and seems to be a little lazier on the trainer. There are some of us that just have a hard time "training" when we don't have numbers to tell us how well we're doing 

If you can, get ahold of a cadence computer. I definitely think it'll be worth it if you plan on putting any significant time in on the bike. If you get bored next weekend, the Daffodil Classic in Orting on Sunday. We're doing the 60 mile loop. Fun times! 

-Chris


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