Cycling

[HereWeGoAgain]

Going to get back into cycling.
A little background,I raced BMX when I was 15 to 17 and had corporate sponsors through Robinson.
Rode street for around 15 years 6 days a week at 25 miles a day.
I've finally reached a point that I think I can ride again after back surgery and hip replacement.
Looking at the Trek Zektor or the Fuji Absolute.
It's a downgrade from my normal rides but I dont plan to get into it like I used to.
This is about comfortable exercise.

Anyone have any experience with city bikes?

Oh...I know there are different models.
Looking to spend around $1000

 

[ABikerSailor]

For my money, ANYTHING made by Trek is a good choice. The bike frames are made in the USA, and their bikes are assembled here as well.

I started off back in the mid 80's on a Univega Aeropace SIS chromoly frame, then graduated to a Univega aluminum frame, but then switched over to a Trek 2100 carbon fiber frame with aluminum forks and rear triangle. When that was wrecked by a careless driver, I upgraded again to a Trek 5200 all carbon fiber frame.

But, because Trek had some problems when they first came out with an all carbon fiber frame (the bottom bracket mount didn't get the right glue for the first few years and the frame cracked after a year or two of heavy riding), when they replaced my second frame, I switched over to their Lemond brand, which is Reynolds 883 chromoly steel.

Out of all the bikes I've had, I think the Lemond with an 883 chromoly frame is pretty decent. The ride is comfortable and the chromoly is actually pretty good at absorbing road buzz.

As far as city bikes? I kinda like them. They are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike, which means they can take more abuse. And, they usually have straight handlebars which is an advantage over drop handlebars because of your back.

Oh....................and if you do get a city bike, be sure to get slicks for the tires. The little knobby tires that come with them can sometimes be a bit of a chore because they have more rolling resistance than slicks.

 

[ABikerSailor]

And, if you do get a city bike with straight handlebars, go ahead and splurge on a set of mountain bike handlebar end grips. The advantage for that is that it gives you another hand position so that you don't get fatigued from staying in just one riding position.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

For my money, ANYTHING made by Trek is a good choice. The bike frames are made in the USA, and their bikes are assembled here as well.

I started off back in the mid 80's on a Univega Aeropace SIS chromoly frame, then graduated to a Univega aluminum frame, but then switched over to a Trek 2100 carbon fiber frame with aluminum forks and rear triangle. When that was wrecked by a careless driver, I upgraded again to a Trek 5200 all carbon fiber frame.

But, because Trek had some problems when they first came out with an all carbon fiber frame (the bottom bracket mount didn't get the right glue for the first few years and the frame cracked after a year or two of heavy riding), when they replaced my second frame, I switched over to their Lemond brand, which is Reynolds 883 chromoly steel.

Out of all the bikes I've had, I think the Lemond with an 883 chromoly frame is pretty decent. The ride is comfortable and the chromoly is actually pretty good at absorbing road buzz.

As far as city bikes? I kinda like them. They are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike, which means they can take more abuse. And, they usually have straight handlebars which is an advantage over drop handlebars because of your back.

Oh....................and if you do get a city bike, be sure to get slicks for the tires. The little knobby tires that come with them can sometimes be a bit of a chore because they have more rolling resistance than slicks.

Yeah...my last bike was a carbon Fuji Pro that went for around $2700 that was loaded with kick ass components like Dura ace.
Had carbon cranks,seat post and all the other goodies.
Weighed in at 17.7 lbs...Rode like a cloud.

Worked in a shop that built custom bikes from scratch for a few years and know what makes a good bike.

My problem is I've been out of the bizz for around ten years so I dont know the latest.

Had my wifes original Hardrock rebuilt for my niece by a dude that will come to your house and pick up your ride and return it like new for a very reasonable price.
He saw my original Fisher Hoo Kooiko mountain bike from I believe 84 and freaked out!! Offered me more than I paid for it.

Also had the first Mountain bike GT ever made. Damn I wish I would have kept it!!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And, if you do get a city bike with straight handlebars, go ahead and splurge on a set of mountain bike handlebar end grips. The advantage for that is that it gives you another hand position so that you don't get fatigued from staying in just one riding position.

Oh yeah thats a must.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Again...anyone have experience with a city bike?

 

[ABikerSailor]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.

Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

 

[ABikerSailor]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

 

[ABikerSailor]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

Had the Dura Ace pedals on my Fuji.
Looking forward to not having to walk around with my toes in the air when I get off the bike.
Any new tech in the old style toe clips?

 

[ABikerSailor]

By the way Here We Go Again, have you thought about going to your local bike shop or magazine stand and looking for Bicycling Magazine's new gear issue?

That was one of the main ways that I decided on what gear to use.

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

Had the Dura Ace pedals on my Fuji.
Looking forward to not having to walk around with my toes in the air when I get off the bike.
Any new tech in the old style toe clips?

Actually, I don't know much about toe clips. Haven't used them since the mid 80's when I discovered clipless pedals. And, when I finally happened on the Speedplay pedals, that is where I stopped checking. The Speedplay pedals are light, simple, and have around 30 degrees of float before disengaging. That was really sweet for my knees, and I haven't looked at other pedal systems since.

However.................something I would recommend is getting rid of the toe clips and switching to Shimano mountain bike clipless pedals. The cleat is recessed in the shoe, so you don't have the clicking of the cleats and your feet will stay firmly on the ground. I know that is one solution I used for a while when I had mine. But, that may end up busting your budget for your bike. Shoes are about 100 and pedals would be about 150. And yeah, it can be kind of a pain in the butt to remember to wear your bike shoes, but if you keep them under your bike, you'll never forget.

I never liked toe clips much after the second or third time I fell over at a stop light because I forgot to undo the strap. Matter of fact, that is one of the main reasons that I got rid of clips.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I'm starting to lean towards the Trek Zektor 3.
It has all the things I want on a bike without spending thousands.
View attachment 188434
Zektor 3 | Trek Bikes

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

Had the Dura Ace pedals on my Fuji.
Looking forward to not having to walk around with my toes in the air when I get off the bike.
Any new tech in the old style toe clips?

Actually, I don't know much about toe clips. Haven't used them since the mid 80's when I discovered clipless pedals. And, when I finally happened on the Speedplay pedals, that is where I stopped checking. The Speedplay pedals are light, simple, and have around 30 degrees of float before disengaging. That was really sweet for my knees, and I haven't looked at other pedal systems since.

However.................something I would recommend is getting rid of the toe clips and switching to Shimano mountain bike clipless pedals. The cleat is recessed in the shoe, so you don't have the clicking of the cleats and your feet will stay firmly on the ground. I know that is one solution I used for a while when I had mine. But, that may end up busting your budget for your bike. Shoes are about 100 and pedals would be about 150. And yeah, it can be kind of a pain in the butt to remember to wear your bike shoes, but if you keep them under your bike, you'll never forget.

I never liked toe clips much after the second or third time I fell over at a stop light because I forgot to undo the strap. Matter of fact, that is one of the main reasons that I got rid of clips.

They have the strapless type but I dont see much of an advantage since you cant pull on the upstroke.
I might have to go with the recessed since I cant ride a bike without some kind of clip without my feet flying off the pedals.
To many years of muscle memory.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Dude, that looks like a hell of a sweet bike for only 700 bucks. Yeah, I'd ride that.

And the extruded aluminum frame looks like it would absorb a fair amount of road buzz.

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

Had the Dura Ace pedals on my Fuji.
Looking forward to not having to walk around with my toes in the air when I get off the bike.
Any new tech in the old style toe clips?

Actually, I don't know much about toe clips. Haven't used them since the mid 80's when I discovered clipless pedals. And, when I finally happened on the Speedplay pedals, that is where I stopped checking. The Speedplay pedals are light, simple, and have around 30 degrees of float before disengaging. That was really sweet for my knees, and I haven't looked at other pedal systems since.

However.................something I would recommend is getting rid of the toe clips and switching to Shimano mountain bike clipless pedals. The cleat is recessed in the shoe, so you don't have the clicking of the cleats and your feet will stay firmly on the ground. I know that is one solution I used for a while when I had mine. But, that may end up busting your budget for your bike. Shoes are about 100 and pedals would be about 150. And yeah, it can be kind of a pain in the butt to remember to wear your bike shoes, but if you keep them under your bike, you'll never forget.

I never liked toe clips much after the second or third time I fell over at a stop light because I forgot to undo the strap. Matter of fact, that is one of the main reasons that I got rid of clips.

They have the strapless type but I dont see much of an advantage since you cant pull on the upstroke.
I might have to go with the recessed since I cant ride a bike without some kind of clip without my feet flying off the pedals.
To many years of muscle memory.

Like I said, Shimano makes a really good mountain bike shoe with recessed cleats. And, interestingly enough, those cleats actually have a little bit of float.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It's $879 actually. The Zektor 2 is around $659.
By the time I add toe clips and the bar extensions it'll be right at my self imposed limit of a thousand bucks.
It weighs in at 25.43 lbs which isnt to bad considering the type bike it is.

25.43 lbs? Not bad weight for a city bike at all! My Lemond Zurich, outfitted with Mavic Cosmic aero rims, Campagnolo Chorus ergo power gruppo, Selle Italia titanium seat, and Speedplay pedals (also called "lollipop pedals"). Total weight of my bike comes in at 21.00 lbs. You're only about 4 lbs more than mine, and I have 700 x 21 size tires as well. Yours are much larger, and the bike has more stuff on it, but the weight ain't bad at all.

I'd say buy it and start having fun. And, that matte black/gloss black paintjob is pretty sharp looking as well.

Had the Dura Ace pedals on my Fuji.
Looking forward to not having to walk around with my toes in the air when I get off the bike.
Any new tech in the old style toe clips?

Actually, I don't know much about toe clips. Haven't used them since the mid 80's when I discovered clipless pedals. And, when I finally happened on the Speedplay pedals, that is where I stopped checking. The Speedplay pedals are light, simple, and have around 30 degrees of float before disengaging. That was really sweet for my knees, and I haven't looked at other pedal systems since.

However.................something I would recommend is getting rid of the toe clips and switching to Shimano mountain bike clipless pedals. The cleat is recessed in the shoe, so you don't have the clicking of the cleats and your feet will stay firmly on the ground. I know that is one solution I used for a while when I had mine. But, that may end up busting your budget for your bike. Shoes are about 100 and pedals would be about 150. And yeah, it can be kind of a pain in the butt to remember to wear your bike shoes, but if you keep them under your bike, you'll never forget.

I never liked toe clips much after the second or third time I fell over at a stop light because I forgot to undo the strap. Matter of fact, that is one of the main reasons that I got rid of clips.

They have the strapless type but I dont see much of an advantage since you cant pull on the upstroke.
I might have to go with the recessed since I cant ride a bike without some kind of clip without my feet flying off the pedals.
To many years of muscle memory.

Like I said, Shimano makes a really good mountain bike shoe with recessed cleats. And, interestingly enough, those cleats actually have a little bit of float.

If I remember right my cadence was around 100 to 106 making clips mandatory.
Looks like I'm gonna have to bust the budget a bit.
But it doesnt count if you buy em after the initial purchase.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Going to go test ride tommorow.
Might upgrade to an FX-S 4 for $1149 we'll see if the ride warrants the price increase.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Well I went and ordered it today.
Now for the seven to ten business day wait.
I guess I can use that time dusting off my helmet and searching for my gloves.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Well I went and ordered it today.
Now for the seven to ten business day wait.
I guess I can use that time dusting off my helmet and searching for my gloves.

Which one did you finally decide on?

BTW..................initial purchase is when you pay for the bike. The 10 day waiting period could be considered "outfitting" time, and that is when you buy your shoes and pedals.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Well I went and ordered it today.
Now for the seven to ten business day wait.
I guess I can use that time dusting off my helmet and searching for my gloves.

Which one did you finally decide on?

BTW..................initial purchase is when you pay for the bike. The 10 day waiting period could be considered "outfitting" time, and that is when you buy your shoes and pedals.

Got the Zektor 3.
I'm going to wait till it comes in.
They put you on the the custom fit machine and will replace your stem and cranks if they dont fit your body correctly free of charge.
I figure I'm going to be there for several hours at a minimum,that'll give me plenty of time to shop.