I've been going through our "digital library" today, looking for stuff to post to Bikenaked, and thought it might be fun to post some pics of me since returning to this great lifestyle of cycling. Ok, not that I really returned to it, I just sort of quit biking way back when I was in my early 20s and never even thought about it until a mere 2 1/2 years ago.
But I digress.
In the beginning, Linda and I were camping at Baker Park and thought we'd rent a tandem. It was heavy, rusty, and I don't even remember what brand it was. Here are pics from that very first ride:
These were taken in June of 2004, and I was about 275lbs at the time. I can remember being unable to handle even the smallest inclines and having to stop, get off the bike and walk up the hills. We did 6 miles though on that first ride. And it was the start of something beautiful.
In June of 2004, we bought our first bikes - a pair of his and her Raleigh SC-411 comfort bikes, seen in the picture below taken at a wayside on the Sakata Singing Hills State Trail in MN.
These lasted for about 3 months. We already knew these weren't going to fast enough, so in August of 2004, we upgraded to more "aggressive" Cannondale Adventure 800 hybrids. I'm about 250lbs in this picture below taken on the eastern shore of Lake Mille Lacs.
Our next bikes were a pair of Specialized Sequoias - our first drop-bar road bikes - purchased sometime in spring of 2005. Oddly enough, we somehow managed to not have a single pic of these, or at least I can't find any. But, just to show you what they were, here's a pic from the web below:
These were great bikes! An excellent choice as a first road bike for anyone. Notice the handlebar height in relation to the saddle, and the shock absorbing seat post. These also had carbon forks and carbon seat stays. It was a breeze going from the Cannondales to the Sequoias. For us, at the time, they were fast!
But, these just weren't enough. So, late in May of 2005, we made the leap to Specialized Roubaix Comp Triples. These were top of the line bikes. Full carbon frames, Ultegra/Dura-Ace components, light, fast and comfortable. Below is a pic of me with mine at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin. I weigh about 220 in this picture.
Notice the hornless "Spiderflex" saddle. For the first year and a half of riding, I was having issues with standard "horned" saddles. I put a lot of miles on these particular saddles, and they were really a godsend to me at the time.
Later that year, I made the leap to horned saddle. This picture below, taken on the shores of Mille Lacs Lake in Sept. '05 shows me and my bike with a Brooks B.17 leather saddle. I really wanted to like this saddle, but just couldn't quite get it adjusted to my anatomy and after 500 miles, I had to ditch it for another. It was just too hard, sort of like a plank of wood! Also, not the dork disc still on the cassette :)
Then came the winter and Christmas of 2005. Linda and I purchased a pair of Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainers (pictured below) and spent many, many hours on them from December to April. We averaged an hour a day, training to Spinerval training videos (thank you Coach Troy!) determined to be ready once the snow and ice left Minnesota roads. My goal was to be able to ride with the fast group on our twice a week TCBC club rides. I can't say enough about how Spinervals helped me achieve this goal.
Santa was very, very good to me last Xmas. In January, I began upgrading my beloved Roubaix Comp. What's pictured below started life as a Roubaix Comp Triple. The only thing that remains of the original bike is the frame, handlebars and seatpost.
So, that's where I am today. Roubaix Comp, full Dura-Ace double, Zipp 404, Specialized Toupe saddle. Over the last year, I've tried a lot of saddles. Just to name a few - Fizik Arione, Selle Italia Max Flite, Brooks B.17, E3 Performance Ti, and from Specialized, Avatar, Alias and Toupe. My favorite, and my "reference" saddle has been the Alias. I have had zero problems with this saddle. But, the one I currently have mounted on the bike is the Specialized Toupe, which is a wonderfully comfortable "minimalist" saddle.
At the end of last year, I was averaging 17mph on a 30 mile club ride. This year, I'm averaging 20+ on the same rides as well as a couple of 20+ mph solo rides. I'm looking forward to next year and seeing what we can do to improve more over this winter. Coach Troy, get ready!
Take care,
Steve
tags: bikenaked.net, 2005+Roubaix, Cheeseflavor, Rants+and+Ramblings