Red Mosquito

Thinking of getting a bike and commuting the 4.5 miles to work this spring/summer. I've done some research and the Trek 7.2 FX looks like a solid commuter. Do we have a bicycle enthusiast in this thread? I would like a co sign on that model before I drop the cash if anyone knows their stuff.

verb_to_trust wrote:Thinking of getting a bike and commuting the 4.5 miles to work this spring/summer. I've done some research and the Trek 7.2 FX looks like a solid commuter. Do we have a bicycle enthusiast in this thread? I would like a co sign on that model before I drop the cash if anyone knows their stuff.

That bike will be more than enough for your commute. The only thing I would suggest is if you live where there's lots of rain and your commute is on busy streets to think about disc brakes. If you go hard your commute will be about 15 minutes and you will work up a sweat. And wear a helmet.

warehouse wrote:

turned2black wrote:

warehouse wrote:

turned2black wrote:

warehouse wrote:

turned2black wrote:Did a very rare full weights session (upper body) tonight, then hit the sauna for a full hour. Completely drained. I'm gonna be sore in the morning.

lets hear the workout!

Seated crunches, lat pull-downs, bicep curls, bench press, shoulder press, butterfly pec press (I think that's what they are called) and tricep pull-downs. All on machines except for the bicep curls. Low weight, high reps.
Also, planks and dorky looking bicycle crunches before and after.

u like core work huh?

I have noticed on my last few trail runs that my balance is pretty shit. That is undoubtedly because of my disgusting wine belly. So yeah, ab/core work is important to me.

how long do u do planks for? they kick my ass

I'm only doing them for a minute now. When I was in better shape I did them for 1:30. I do front and side planks. I'm also doing a lot of inclined push-ups in the sauna, which are more or less like planks with push-ups thrown in. I love those because they work my abs and my junior high school chest.

ahh planks.

not doing too much for you if you can hold it steady for a minute or so.

turned2black wrote:

BDB wrote:http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/categ ... pot_RunFor

I miss running to work.

this link reminds me of accidentally going to dicks.com as a child. i assume it's still nsfw, but i'm never going back again.

red calzolaio wrote:ahh planks.

not doing too much for you if you can hold it steady for a minute or so.

Huh?

turned2black wrote:

red calzolaio wrote:ahh planks.

not doing too much for you if you can hold it steady for a minute or so.

Huh?

Because the plank is a static bodyweight exercises it quickly loses its potency once you reach a certain strength level, and then you’re pretty much just hanging out.

If you can already hold the plank for 30-60 seconds and you’re not looking to set a Guinness world record then try switching to exercises that challenge your stability dynamically, like a set of push-ups or more difficult variations of the plank.

Rangi Guy wrote:

turned2black wrote:

red calzolaio wrote:ahh planks.

not doing too much for you if you can hold it steady for a minute or so.

Huh?

Because the plank is a static bodyweight exercises it quickly loses its potency once you reach a certain strength level, and then you’re pretty much just hanging out.

If you can already hold the plank for 30-60 seconds and you’re not looking to set a Guinness world record then try switching to exercises that challenge your stability dynamically, like a set of push-ups or more difficult variations of the plank.

Hmmmmm. The only time in my life I actually had a 6-pack was from doing planks exclusively as ab work. The plank will not "lose its potency" if you mix things up with variation. I also use planks to build stamina.
And to be honest, the notion that if you can to do it for 30 to 60 seconds then you can set a "world record" is crazy. When I was doing them for 1:30, I'd be feeling great at 30, feeling like shit at 60 and holding on for dear life at 90. Even at my most fit, doing them for more than 2 minutes or so would result in me wobbling and falling to the floor in a heap of sweat.

turned2black wrote:

Rangi Guy wrote:

turned2black wrote:

red calzolaio wrote:ahh planks.

not doing too much for you if you can hold it steady for a minute or so.

Huh?

Because the plank is a static bodyweight exercises it quickly loses its potency once you reach a certain strength level, and then you’re pretty much just hanging out.

If you can already hold the plank for 30-60 seconds and you’re not looking to set a Guinness world record then try switching to exercises that challenge your stability dynamically, like a set of push-ups or more difficult variations of the plank.

Hmmmmm. The only time in my life I actually had a 6-pack was from doing planks exclusively as ab work. The plank will not "lose its potency" if you mix things up with variation. I also use planks to build stamina.
And to be honest, the notion that if you can to do it for 30 to 60 seconds then you can set a "world record" is crazy. When I was doing them for 1:30, I'd be feeling great at 30, feeling like shit at 60 and holding on for dear life at 90. Even at my most fit, doing them for more than 2 minutes or so would result in me wobbling and falling to the floor in a heap of sweat.

Just quoting something I'd read somewhere. I tend to do them adding in reaching taps alternating the arms - that pretty much kills me after 30 or so....

i survived the 6.7 mi mud run. It was brutally cold - wind chill in the 20s, flurries. It was held on a ski resort, so there was still a lot of man made snow/packed ice on the hills. wading through ponds, running up snow hills, carrying a log for half mile up hill and through a pond, etc. 30 total obstaclesi finished in 1:55. the cold really kicked in after i was done, waiting at the bag check. overall it was pretty well organized - not a lot of waiting at the obstacles.
i would definately do it again, and might find another this summer.

BDB wrote:i survived the 6.7 mi mud run. It was brutally cold - wind chill in the 20s, flurries. It was held on a ski resort, so there was still a lot of man made snow/packed ice on the hills. wading through ponds, running up snow hills, carrying a log for half mile up hill and through a pond, etc. 30 total obstaclesi finished in 1:55. the cold really kicked in after i was done, waiting at the bag check. overall it was pretty well organized - not a lot of waiting at the obstacles.
i would definately do it again, and might find another this summer.

That sounds fucking rough. Nice work.

Forgot to say, happy Boston Marathon Day!

Men:
1 Desisa, Lelisa 2:10:22 ETH
2 Kogo, Micah 2:10:27 KEN
3 Gebremariam, Gebregziabher 2:10:28 ETH
4 Hartmann, Jason 2:12:12 USA
5 Korir, Wesley 2:12:30 KEN
6 Geneti, Markos 2:12:44 ETH
7 Chumba, Dickson 2:14:08 KEN
8 Hunt, Jeffrey 2:14:28 AUS
9 Tapia, Daniel 2:14:30 USA
10 Leon, Craig 2:14:38 USA


Women:
1 Jeptoo, Rita 2:26:25 KEN
2 Hailu, Meseret 2:26:58 ETH
3 Cherop, Sharon 2:27:01 KEN
4 Flanagan, Shalane 2:27:08 USA
5 Tsegaye, Tirfi 2:28:09 ETH
6 Goucher, Kara 2:28:11 USA
7 Perez, Madai 2:28:59 MEX
8 Nukuri-Johnson, Diane 2:29:54 BDI
9 Felix, Ana Dulce 2:30:05 POR
10 Mockenhaupt, Sabrina 2:30:09 GER

I hope to be there some day.

verb_to_trust wrote:Thinking of getting a bike and commuting the 4.5 miles to work this spring/summer. I've done some research and the Trek 7.2 FX looks like a solid commuter. Do we have a bicycle enthusiast in this thread? I would like a co sign on that model before I drop the cash if anyone knows their stuff.

Hey Verb. I ride singletrack trails. I have a specialized rockhopper with some upgrades. It makes a decent enough roadbike as it's a hardtail. I have a set of road tires I'll swap in if I'm going to be pounding the pavement. I don't have a lot of knowledge on roadbikes though.







Anyways that's my main form of exercise. That and free weights, push ups and sit ups.

TheDapperGent wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Thinking of getting a bike and commuting the 4.5 miles to work this spring/summer. I've done some research and the Trek 7.2 FX looks like a solid commuter. Do we have a bicycle enthusiast in this thread? I would like a co sign on that model before I drop the cash if anyone knows their stuff.

Hey Verb. I ride singletrack trails. I have a specialized rockhopper with some upgrades. It makes a decent enough roadbike as it's a hardtail. I have a set of road tires I'll swap in if I'm going to be pounding the pavement. I don't have a lot of knowledge on roadbikes though.

This is another option, though slightly more expensive. A hardtail, single track bike will be a bit heavier than what you were looking at and have a bit more rolling resistance due to wider tires even if you get slicks for road riding. It is great if you want to get into city riding and taking shortcuts down flights of stairs and have the option to take off road.

In general, most guys who work at bike shops are pretty big riding enthusiasts and will do their best to point you in the right direction. You just have to have an idea of what you want to do. And for your first bike, don't be afraid to use Craiglist. Opting for a used bike can be a cheap introduction, allowing you to get some riding time in so you learn what you want in a more expensive bike.

What surf said! Go to a bike shop and they'll let you ride around in their lot, they will also fit you for a bike. Then if you don't want to spend money on a new ride, you can search craigslist for a deal and use your newly acquired knowledge.

This pic makes me sad. Why would anyone lay down cinder blocks on a bike track? Give me rutted, used up and potholed. Make me work for it.

That corner was washed out. We have 60 miles of singletrack running through desoto national forest like 10 minutes from my house. It's maintained by the bicycle club.

Down here alot of the earth is loose and sandy, that corner was one of those spots.

*edit* the trails are really awesome, there's areas that go through pine woods and vales like the one I posted and others that go through thick deep woods. Thats my favorite area, hilly, twisty, rutty and rooty. plus it follows a creek.

TheDapperGent wrote:That corner was washed out. We have 60 miles of singletrack running through desoto national forest like 10 minutes from my house. It's maintained by the bicycle club.

Down here alot of the earth is loose and sandy, that corner was one of those spots.

*edit* the trails are really awesome, there's areas that go through pine woods and vales like the one I posted and others that go through thick deep woods. Thats my favorite area, hilly, twisty, rutty and rooty. plus it follows a creek.

I live in a suburb of Vancouver, BC and we literally have the world's best downhill biking here. We get tons of rain so we get used to washed out corners. The maintained trails try to stay natural by using rock rather than pvers. Our downhill stuff gets pretty wild. I incorporate a 45 minute dowhill ride into my commute twice a week. It pops out less than a mile from my door. It is a pretty awesome way to walk in the door, covered in mud and soaked with every work worry lost in the woods.

There's shit on the North Shore hills that you just have to be nuts to do. It's all free if your willing to bike up first. Then there's Whistler bike park. I think it's rated the best bike park in the world. They have stuff that I am flat out scared to do.

surfndestroy wrote:

TheDapperGent wrote:That corner was washed out. We have 60 miles of singletrack running through desoto national forest like 10 minutes from my house. It's maintained by the bicycle club.

Down here alot of the earth is loose and sandy, that corner was one of those spots.

*edit* the trails are really awesome, there's areas that go through pine woods and vales like the one I posted and others that go through thick deep woods. Thats my favorite area, hilly, twisty, rutty and rooty. plus it follows a creek.

I live in a suburb of Vancouver, BC and we literally have the world's best downhill biking here. We get tons of rain so we get used to washed out corners. The maintained trails try to stay natural by using rock rather than pvers. Our downhill stuff gets pretty wild. I incorporate a 45 minute dowhill ride into my commute twice a week. It pops out less than a mile from my door. It is a pretty awesome way to walk in the door, covered in mud and soaked with every work worry lost in the woods.

There's shit on the North Shore hills that you just have to be nuts to do. It's all free if your willing to bike up first. Then there's Whistler bike park. I think it's rated the best bike park in the world. They have stuff that I am flat out scared to do.

Yeah you got us beat. It's coastal plains down here but it starts getting hilly 10 miles inlands which is where the national forest begins. Not mountainous or even large differences in elevations but enough to be a challenge endurance wise and create some good flow. The've added some nice obstacles over the years, a see-saw, jumps on alternate pathways and the like.

It's not tops as far as the singletrack world goes but I feel lucky to have the trails at all.

It's cool that you ride man. To be honest if I could take one good thing away from breaking my kneecap in a motorcycle accident a few years ago it would be that I took up biking to help rehab it. Since it has become a bit of a passion. My dog loves it too though she's 10 now and I can't do the 4 mile rides with her anymore. Austrailian Cattle Dog w/ crazy endurance.