All about bicycles

[BrianC]

I have a Kestral RT 1000 - kills!

 

[Tahlee]

Hopefully, someone can help me figure out which bike company I’m thinking of, please.

So, back in the mid 1990s there was a mountain bike company headquartered in Woonsocket, RI. They were very expensive. They were manufactured in an old stone mill built on right on the bank of the river. They got broken into more than once and lost quite a bit of stuff, as I recall. Then, they moved away.

They were state of the art at the time, and not just sold locally.

Can anyone figure out which company that was? Thanks!

edit: I’m thinking it was Proflex

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I’ve got my trustee Specialized Rockhopper that I bought in ‘97. Hasn’t gotten much use in the last decade.

You got some wicked air on that BMX a few years ago!

 

[garrett]

I rode a lot from 2012 until 2016 when I had my thumb injury. Started getting the bug back in 2017, but then I got hit by a car which took a lot of the joy out of it for me. Thankfully it was low speed, so I wasn't badly hurt, but I could've been flattened. So I'm not too thrilled riding with cars anymore.

I recently tried out a rail trail not too far from my new home, and it was a nice 20 mile ride. Flat as can be, because Florida, but there are a couple of steep bridges for a little excitement. Need to get out there more often to find some fitness. I used to knock out 50 miles minimum at the rail trail up in Atlanta, but this time I was hitting the wall at mile 12. Luckily I found myself in a group of three other guys, one of whom was a monster who pulled the rest of us for 8 miles at 16+ MPH, much faster than my out of shape ass had any business going.

Currently, I have my 2012 GT GTR Series 3. GT aren't known for their road bikes, but it's a nice aluminum frame. Like some of my guitars, I've modded the heck out of it. All that's left original is the frame, fork, and bars. It was a great starter bike with Tiagra 10 speed, but when I was off the road in 2016, I swapped in some Vuelta wheels and a full 105 11-speed kit.

I also have my cruiser. It was a Kickstarter bike in 2015 or 16 I think. Steel frame, classic road geometry, Sturmey Archer three-speed. Got a pair of Gatorskins and a Brooks saddle and it's a sweet ride.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I rode a lot from 2012 until 2016 when I had my thumb injury. Started getting the bug back in 2017, but then I got hit by a car which took a lot of the joy out of it for me. Thankfully it was low speed, so I wasn't badly hurt, but I could've been flattened. So I'm not too thrilled riding with cars anymore.

I recently tried out a rail trail not too far from my new home, and it was a nice 20 mile ride. Flat as can be, because Florida, but there are a couple of steep bridges for a little excitement. Need to get out there more often to find some fitness. I used to knock out 50 miles minimum at the rail trail up in Atlanta, but this time I was hitting the wall at mile 12. Luckily I found myself in a group of three other guys, one of whom was a monster who pulled the rest of us for 8 miles at 16+ MPH, much faster than my out of shape ass had any business going.

Currently, I have my GT GTR Series 3. GT aren't known for their road bikes, but it's a nice aluminum frame. Like some of my guitars, I've modded the heck out of it. All that's left original is the frame, fork, and bars. It was a great starter bike with Tiagra 10 speed, but when I was off the road in 2016, I swapped in some Vuelta wheels and a full 105 11-speed kit.

I also have my cruiser. It was a Kickstarter bike in 2015 or 16 I think. Steel frame, classic road geometry, Sturmey Archer three-speed. Got a pair of Gatorskins and a Brooks saddle and it's a sweet ride.

Is that a mural that your “Fixie” is leaning against?

 

[garrett]

Is that a mural that your “Fixie” is leaning against?

It is indeed. Atlanta loves a mural. Street artists respect them so they don't get covered by graffiti and they make the ugly concrete train bridges look nice. You could dedicate a couple days just touring around looking at them. Can't find a hi-res pic of this one, but you can see it in pics 6 and 9 here (plus a look at a lot more): https://capturelifethroughthelens.com/2014/05/01/artist-graffiti/


Here's another. Can't find a full pic, but it's obviously much more colorful:

 

[veinbuster]

I hope it keeps me out of there.

It has you going out in weather bad enough to wear extra clothes, so clearly it is doing the job.

 

[Tele295]

Christmas 1978, I received a lightly used 77 Schwinn Varisty. I was 10, and still ride this bike regularly 40+ years later. Due to my back and other “old man problems,” I modified it with a seat and handle bars like a cruiser bike.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

It is indeed. Atlanta loves a mural. Street artists respect them so they don't get covered by graffiti and they make the ugly concrete train bridges look nice. You could dedicate a couple days just touring around looking at them. Can't find a hi-res pic of this one, but you can see it in pics 6 and 9 here (plus a look at a lot more): https://capturelifethroughthelens.com/2014/05/01/artist-graffiti/


Here's another. Can't find a full pic, but it's obviously much more colorful:

Nice, thanks for sharing.

 

[Fro]

I have a Trek Domane that splits its time being ridden on the county backroads or inside on my Saris Hammer depending on the weather.

 

[11top]

It has you going out in weather bad enough to wear extra clothes, so clearly it is doing the job.

It’s the first bike I’ve had that I’m actually anxious to ride. So, even though it’s battery assisted, I tend to get more exercise because of this bike.

 

[dmatthews]

Ebikes come in various flavours. Some people think they all have a throttle and therefore the rider needs do nothing to get around. This is not the case for mine and Steve's. You must pedal/put effort in in order to get assistance.
I purposely avoided the throttle option so I could get the cardio/exercise.
Great fun indeed!

 

[veinbuster]

Christmas 1978, I received a lightly used 77 Schwinn Varisty. I was 10, and still ride this bike regularly 40+ years later. Due to my back and other “old man problems,” I modified it with a seat and handle bars like a cruiser bike.

Great job milking the life out of that bike.
I thought I was doing well with my 80s mountain bike.

 

[tbp0701]

Awesome thread! As I mentioned in another thread I recently got back to biking after nearly 30 years away. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, but a number of years ago I had a rather nasty hiking accident, complications from surgery, etc., and gained far too much weight. I've been able to get a handle on it the last couple of years, shed nearly half my size, and finally got back on a bike.

I wanted to avoid vehicle traffic this time around as I had some close calls 30 years ago and, at this stage, am more interested in wooded trails and scenery than outright speed. So I went with a hardtail mountain bike, a Kona Honzo. It's been great, both on wooded trails and on a paved rail trail.

I still have my old bike, an '89 or '90 Schwinn Worldsport. I was planning on having a co-op help me get it back to riding shape, but then the pandemic happened.

Here are a couple pictures of the Honzo on the rail trail and in the woods. I don't have a photo of the Schwinn handy.

Guitar-related aside. My first thought at seeing the color, "Sage Green," was that could make a cool guitar shade.

 

[LEscanilla]

I got a Specialized Roubaix Expert last year. I don’t race. I really don’t care for crowded group rides either. On the weekends I generally ride 20-50 miles depending on the day.

I’m using an ELEMNT Bolt. What kind of bike computers are you guys using? I’m not sure if I want to switch to a Garmin.

 

[bodia]

I also have a Pro-Form Tour De France stationary bike that has to be at least 10 years old. It seems like a precursor to the Peloton. You can WiFi to Google maps and ride any where you want. It’s got mechanic to tilt up or down when you’re on hills. Pretty cool.

 

[veinbuster]

I’m using an ELEMNT Bolt. What kind of bike computers are you guys using? I’m not sure if I want to switch to a Garmin.

I use a Garmin 520. I find it a nice balance between size and available data.

 

[Grapeshot]

I have a Cannondale CAAD 10 (early one with external cables) with a Sram Red group set. I forget the wheels, but they’re Mavics. I was hit by a car in’12, so I have a bit of bike ptsd and don’t ride as much as I used to. When I do, though, it’s on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) in Northern VA.

 

[alantig]

I also have a Pro-Form Tour De France stationary bike that has to be at least 10 years old. It seems like a precursor to the Peloton. You can WiFi to Google maps and ride any where you want. It’s got mechanic to tilt up or down when you’re on hills. Pretty cool.

I have a Livestrong recumbent stationary bike that gets a ton of use. We rode the last two stationary bikes into the ground in 4-5 years, so we sprung a little extra for one in the hopes that it would hold up, and it has. It’s gotta be pushing 10 years. Since my back problems, I haven’t been riding on my profile (so as not to pollute my ‘stats’!), but I think on the profile I’m over 10k miles.

I remember the TdF bikes - we actually looked into them at one point. If it wasn’t for the comfort factor, we’d have probably bought one. The recumbent is much easier on my wife’s knees - and both our butts.

 

[Blackbird]

I got a Specialized Roubaix Expert last year. I don’t race. I really don’t care for crowded group rides either. On the weekends I generally ride 20-50 miles depending on the day.

I’m using an ELEMNT Bolt. What kind of bike computers are you guys using? I’m not sure if I want to switch to a Garmin.

I've used both brands, and prefer the accuracy and simplicity of the Elemnt Bolt. I don't use a heart monitor with it, just the speed and cadence sensors.

The Garmin I had was the 530 series, the newer, higher-tier stuff might be better, but for my needs the Wahoo unit is perfect.