Saturday, August 4, 2012

Buying a bicycle

I think a lot of people make a mistake when it comes to buying their first (or first in a while) bicycle. Instead of buying a bike that is good at one thing, many people opt for a bike that is a jack of all trades. The cycling manufacturers know this, and thus have spent a lot of time and money developing so-called hybrid bikes.

These bikes end up on Craigslist or eBay for good reason. People don't ride them because they while they excel at nothing.

Case in point, I opted for a road bike with drop handlebars as my first bike. I bought the cheapest version of the Specialized Allez and I've never regretted the decision

For a year I concentrated on my road skills. That's not to say I don't enjoy riding on the bike path. In fact, this is some of the most enjoyable riding that I do. My Allez does an okay job on the bike path, but it's not particularly suited to this type of riding. It does not turn or stop particularly well, because it's designed to that. It's designed to go fast, and it does this job every well.

So, for my second bike, I opted for a flat-bar road bike: A Specialized Sirrus. The riding position is a bit more relaxed, but it's not a hybrid with high handlebars that place the rider in (my opinion) an uncomfortable position. It has wider tires, a wider gear range, and turns and stops a heck of a lot better than the Allez. It's made for the bike path.

Look, you can spend $1,200 for a decent hybrid that does neither of these tasks well, or you can spend $700 for a decent road bike and $500 for a decent bike path bike. It's better to have two bikes that you will ride than one bike that will collect dust in the garage until you list it on Craigslist.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Sources for upcoming events.

Thanks to Primal Wear's monthly newsletter I found a couple of good sources for upcoming rides, runs and tris.

The first site is cycling specific. It seems fairly conclusive, yet I noticed the event I'm doing here in Kansas City on Sunday is not included.


The second site is inclusive of cycling, running and triathlon events.