Bike recommendations

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I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
sort it out.

I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.

I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years, logging
40-50 miles per week, have run three marathons and countless
10K, half-marathon, etc. For the past five years, I have
backed off on the mileage to the point that now I am running
under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week, 3-5 miles a day.

I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons: --
Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not aging, yet)
joints are taking from running. -- Running is no longer fun,
it's boring.

I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried both
aerobic exercise and the stationary bike. I simply do not
like aerobic exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a room
full of 20-something blondes. The stationary bike is boring
and there's no place to spit.

I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for continued
aerobic exercising with a little fun and change of scenery
built in. Maybe this info will help.

-- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
chest, shoulders, and back. -- I will use the bike as
follows: *** Ride for conditioning instead of running; plan
to ride at the same time I run -- between 0430 and 0530 in
the morning; on a local road -- wide road, broad shoulders,
almost no traffic, excellent surface, moderate hills. I need
something that will make me work to get my breathing and
heart rate pumping and keep it there. *** Occasionally ride
on a smooth trail -- some of you may be familiar with the
Virginia Creeper Trail outside of Damascus, VA. *** When the
weather is mild, commute 3 miles one-way to/from work.

Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife has
said she will buy a bike for me, limit $500.00.

So, what do you suggest?

Thanks.

--

-----
Joe S.

$ 500 for that price just go to the local Wal-Mart

"Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com...
> I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
> sort it out.
>
> I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
>
> I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years, logging
> 40-50 miles per week, have run three marathons and
> countless 10K, half-marathon, etc. For the past five
> years, I have backed off on the mileage to the point that
now
> I am running under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week, 3-5
> miles a day.
>
> I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons: --
> Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not aging,
> yet) joints are taking from running. -- Running is no
> longer fun, it's boring.
>
> I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried
> both aerobic
exercise
> and the stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
> exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a room full of 20-
> something blondes. The stationary bike is boring and
> there's no place to spit.
>
> I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for
> continued aerobic
exercising
> with a little fun and change of scenery built in. Maybe
> this info will help.
>
> -- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
> chest, shoulders,
and
> back. -- I will use the bike as follows: *** Ride for
> conditioning instead of running; plan to ride at the same
time
> I run -- between 0430 and 0530 in the morning; on a local
> road -- wide
road,
> broad shoulders, almost no traffic, excellent surface,
> moderate hills. I need something that will make me work to
> get my breathing and heart rate pumping and keep it there.
> *** Occasionally ride on a smooth trail -- some of you may
> be familiar
with
> the Virginia Creeper Trail outside of Damascus, VA. ***
> When the weather is mild, commute 3 miles one-way
> to/from work.
>
> Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife has
> said she will
buy
> a bike for me, limit $500.00.
>
> So, what do you suggest?
>
> Thanks.
>
> --
>
> -----
> Joe S.

"Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com...
> I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
> sort it out.
>
> I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
>
> I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years, logging
> 40-50 miles per week, have run three marathons and
> countless 10K, half-marathon, etc. For the past five
> years, I have backed off on the mileage to the point that
now
> I am running under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week, 3-5
> miles a day.
>
> I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons: --
> Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not aging,
> yet) joints are taking from running. -- Running is no
> longer fun, it's boring.
>
> I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried
> both aerobic
exercise
> and the stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
> exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a room full of 20-
> something blondes. The stationary bike is boring and
> there's no place to spit.
>
> I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for
> continued aerobic
exercising
> with a little fun and change of scenery built in. Maybe
> this info will help.
>
> -- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
> chest, shoulders,
and
> back. -- I will use the bike as follows: *** Ride for
> conditioning instead of running; plan to ride at the same
time
> I run -- between 0430 and 0530 in the morning; on a local
> road -- wide
road,
> broad shoulders, almost no traffic, excellent surface,
> moderate hills. I need something that will make me work to
> get my breathing and heart rate pumping and keep it there.
> *** Occasionally ride on a smooth trail -- some of you may
> be familiar
with
> the Virginia Creeper Trail outside of Damascus, VA. ***
> When the weather is mild, commute 3 miles one-way
> to/from work.
>
> Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife has
> said she will
buy
> a bike for me, limit $500.00.
>
> So, what do you suggest?
>
If your budget is limited to *$500.00*, find a used bike. I
would recommend you locate a good bike shop that knows how
to do fitting and figure out exactly what size bike you
need. A "good" shop should be able to put you on something
like a Serotta fit cycle and measure you for things like
seat and top tube length, crank length, seatpost height and
stem length and height. They should be able to factor in
your age, physical ability and type of riding you want to
do. Given all the above, you should be able to find a good
bike within your budgetary limit.....

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 18:18:14 -0400, "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net>
wrote:

>
>So, what do you suggest?
>
>Thanks.

Go shop for a bike shop. Pick a shop that you like, that
takes the time to find out what you want, how you want it to
fit, etc. Then work with them to find the best bike for you.
You will be going back to the shop for adjustments, for
clothes, parts, accessories, etc. Choose a store that you
will want to walk back into later.

Any bike shop worth dealing with will see the advantages of
a customer like you. In good shape, out for enjoyment and
exercise, and up in years. They should see you as a rolling
advertisement for biking and word of mouth recommendations
for their shop.

"Churchill" <yes@yes.com> wrote in message
news:lPjIc.1576$RD4.244282@news20.bellglobal.com...
> $ 500 for that price just go to the local Wal-Mart

I hope other responses will be serious and helpful.

Thanks, anyway.
--

-----
Joe S.

>
> "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> news:ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com...
> > I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> > but I'd like to
hear
> > everyone's advice and maybe I can sort it out.
> >
> > I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
> >
> > I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years,
> > logging 40-50 miles
per
> > week, have run three marathons and countless 10K, half-
> > marathon, etc.
For
> > the past five years, I have backed off on the mileage to
> > the point that
> now
> > I am running under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week,
> > 3-5 miles a day.
> >
> > I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons: --
> > Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not aging,
> > yet) joints
are
> > taking from running. -- Running is no longer fun, it's
> > boring.
> >
> > I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried
> > both aerobic
> exercise
> > and the stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
> > exercise -- I'm
not
> > into spandex and a room full of 20-something blondes.
> > The stationary
bike
> > is boring and there's no place to spit.
> >
> > I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for continued
> > aerobic
> exercising
> > with a little fun and change of scenery built in. Maybe
> > this info will help.
> >
> > -- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
> > chest, shoulders,
> and
> > back. -- I will use the bike as follows: *** Ride
> > for conditioning instead of running; plan to ride at
> > the same
> time
> > I run -- between 0430 and 0530 in the morning; on a
> > local road -- wide
> road,
> > broad shoulders, almost no traffic, excellent surface,
> > moderate hills.
I
> > need something that will make me work to get my
> > breathing and heart rate pumping and keep it there. ***
> > Occasionally ride on a smooth trail -- some of you may
> > be familiar
> with
> > the Virginia Creeper Trail outside of Damascus, VA. ***
> > When the weather is mild, commute 3 miles one-way
> > to/from work.
> >
> > Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife
> > has said she will
> buy
> > a bike for me, limit $500.00.
> >
> > So, what do you suggest?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > --
> >
> > -----
> > Joe S.

Joe S. wrote:
> I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
> sort it out.
>
> I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
>
> I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years, logging
> 40-50 miles per week, have run three marathons and
> countless 10K, half-marathon, etc. For the past five
> years, I have backed off on the mileage to the point that
> now I am running under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week,
> 3-5 miles a day.
>
> I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons: --
> Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not aging,
> yet) joints are taking from running. -- Running is no
> longer fun, it's boring.
>
> I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried
> both aerobic exercise and the stationary bike. I simply do
> not like aerobic exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a
> room full of 20-something blondes. The stationary bike is
> boring and there's no place to spit.
>
> I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for continued
> aerobic exercising with a little fun and change of scenery
> built in. Maybe this info will help.
>
> -- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
> chest, shoulders, and back. -- I will use the bike as
> follows: *** Ride for conditioning instead of running;
> plan to ride at the same time I run -- between 0430 and
> 0530 in the morning; on a local road -- wide road, broad
> shoulders, almost no traffic, excellent surface, moderate
> hills. I need something that will make me work to get my
> breathing and heart rate pumping and keep it there. ***
> Occasionally ride on a smooth trail -- some of you may be
> familiar with the Virginia Creeper Trail outside of
> Damascus, VA. *** When the weather is mild, commute 3
> miles one-way to/from work.
>
> Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife has
> said she will buy a bike for me, limit $500.00.
>
> So, what do you suggest?

A better wife! (J/K :) )

Visit some bike shops and tell them your situation. You
sounded like a perfect candidate for a road bike until you
added the trail riding caveat; perhaps an entry-level
cyclocross bike might fit your bill?

Bill "go shopping...and work on that limit (you can get it
up to ~$800 easy)" S.

PS: Ignore the "just go to Walmart" advice; do NOT do
that...

In article <ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com>,
"Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> writes:

> So, what do you suggest?

Assuming you're living in or near a city, one tack might be
to do a Google search on: [your city] bicycle club

If there is one (or two, or ...), you could get in touch
with them, explain your desires and ask questions. This
would have the benefit of getting advice specific to your
local riding conditions, and you'd get pointers as to the
best bike shops in your area for whatever riding style best
suits your purposes. It would supplement and round-out all
the advice, suggestions and info you'll get here in this
newsgroup as well. Bike club people are usually pleased as
punch to offer advice :-) You might even get offers to buy
decent, affordable, used bikes from club members. That might
be tempting, but since you've already got a 'new bike'
budget, I think a new bike that fits well, from a reputable
dealer, would be the best way to go. Besides, second-
guessing one's self usually seems to not work out; best to
stick with the original plan.

It's just one approach to consider, anyway.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

<< he stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a room full of 20-
something blondes. The stationary bike is boring and
there's no place to spit.
>>

OOn the other hand, on the stationary bike you don't have to
worry about balance, trucks or broken glass. You can ratchet
up the resistance, close your eyes & have any kind of ride
you want. With music.

Joe S. wrote:
> I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
> sort it out.
>
> I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
>

<snip>

From one ex-runner to another future ex-runner, Welcome!

I say buy a real road bike, not a 'hybrid' or a mountain
bike. If you're in good shape to begin with, you'll soon
appreciate the performance a real road bike can give you
over another type of bicycle.

Short and sweet, here's my suggestion for a $500 (ish)
roadbike:

http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp-
?dealerid=&dealercountry=&lYear=2004&bikesection=8834&range-
=143&model=10875

It's a Giant OCR 3, Bicycling magazine's best pick for entry
level road bike. Good frame and good parts spec for the
money, and the frame's nice enough to make it worthwhile to
upgrade your drivetrain in the future.

Most importantly, go buy it at a real bike shop and make
sure it fits properly.

You'll forget all about running in a short period of time.

Regards,
H.

> In article <ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com>,
> "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> writes:
>
>> So, what do you suggest?

At the risk of offending the purists, why not spend a little
money at garage/yard sales and buy one each road bike and
mountain bike just to get a feel for each type? I did that
about ten years ago and wound up with 4 bikes, but settled
on a mountain bike with road type tires. On road it is a
little slower but I need not fear sandy trails or rough
gravel roads. Of course maybe you can borrow or rent some
bikes to try out. Just an idea. Bill Baka

Still can't spit.

--

-----
Joe S.

"Mimi Forsyth" <chochowin@aol.com> wrote in message news:20040711214756.10961.00001445@mb-
m02.aol.com...
> << he stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
> exercise -- I'm not into spandex and a room full of 20-
> something blondes. The stationary bike is boring and
> there's no place to spit.
> >>
>
>
> OOn the other hand, on the stationary bike you don't have
> to worry about balance, trucks or broken glass. You can
> ratchet up the resistance, close
your
> eyes & have any kind of ride you want. With music.

"Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:ccsiqq09sb@news4.newsguy.com...
>
> "Churchill" <yes@yes.com> wrote in message
> news:lPjIc.1576$RD4.244282@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > $ 500 for that price just go to the local Wal-Mart
>
>
>
>
> I hope other responses will be serious and helpful.
>
> Thanks, anyway.
> --
>
> -----
> Joe S.

I am not joking, u can get a good bike at Wal-Mart for $
500. Don't expect champagne on a beer budget :)

>
>
>
>
> >
> > "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
> > news:ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com...
> > > I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> > > but I'd like to
> hear
> > > everyone's advice and maybe I can sort it out.
> > >
> > > I need to know which bike to buy. Here's the story.
> > >
> > > I am 60 and have been a runner for past 30 years,
> > > logging 40-50 miles
> per
> > > week, have run three marathons and countless 10K, half-
> > > marathon, etc.
> For
> > > the past five years, I have backed off on the mileage
> > > to the point
that
> > now
> > > I am running under 20 miles a week -- 4-5 days a week,
> > > 3-5 miles a
day.
> > >
> > > I have backed off on running for a couple of reasons:
> > > -- Concerns about the beating that my maturing (not
> > > aging, yet) joints
> are
> > > taking from running. -- Running is no longer fun, it's
> > > boring.
> > >
> > > I lift weights at my gym three days a week and I tried
> > > both aerobic
> > exercise
> > > and the stationary bike. I simply do not like aerobic
> > > exercise -- I'm
> not
> > > into spandex and a room full of 20-something blondes.
> > > The stationary
> bike
> > > is boring and there's no place to spit.
> > >
> > > I'm thinking that a bicycle is my best bet for
> > > continued aerobic
> > exercising
> > > with a little fun and change of scenery built in.
> > > Maybe this info
will
> > > help.
> > >
> > > -- I'm 6-1, weigh 200 pounds, most of the weight in my
> > > chest,
shoulders,
> > and
> > > back. -- I will use the bike as follows: *** Ride for
> > > conditioning instead of running; plan to ride at the
> > > same
> > time
> > > I run -- between 0430 and 0530 in the morning; on a
> > > local road -- wide
> > road,
> > > broad shoulders, almost no traffic, excellent surface,
> > > moderate hills.
> I
> > > need something that will make me work to get my
> > > breathing and heart
rate
> > > pumping and keep it there. *** Occasionally ride on a
> > > smooth trail -- some of you may be familiar
> > with
> > > the Virginia Creeper Trail outside of Damascus, VA.
> > > *** When the weather is mild, commute 3 miles one-way
> > > to/from work.
> > >
> > > Our 38th wedding anniversary is coming up and my wife
> > > has said she
will
> > buy
> > > a bike for me, limit $500.00.
> > >
> > > So, what do you suggest?
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > -----
> > > Joe S.
>

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:34:51 -0400, "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net>
wrote:

>
>I hope other responses will be serious and helpful.

Churchill is a newly-arrived troll. His usual MO is to post
some ridiculously vague query about gear and let the
responses pile up. The shift to random abuse is new, and
troubling. Time to fire up the old killfile.

-Luigi

Joe S. wrote:

>Still can't spit.
>
AND the adventure value is zero/zip. No sunshine or fresh
air either. otoh, the boredom factor is pretty large, and it
is safe...

And hey! no bugs! ;) Sorry (sort of), I never could stand
indoors exercising. Best regards, Bernie

Joe S. wrote:

> "Churchill" <yes@yes.com> wrote in message
> news:lPjIc.1576$RD4.244282@news20.bellglobal.com...
>
>>$ 500 for that price just go to the local Wal-Mart
>
>
>
>
>
> I hope other responses will be serious and helpful.
>
> Thanks, anyway.

ive been doing some research, and the trek 1000 comes close.

In article <ccseb504j6@news4.newsguy.com>, "Joe S." <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote:

> I suspect this post will be met with varying opinions
> but I'd like to hear everyone's advice and maybe I can
> sort it out.
>
snip

I simply do not like aerobic exercise -- I'm not
> into spandex and a room full of 20-something blondes. The
> stationary bike is boring and there's no place to spit.
>
snip

I am 60+ and would love to be in spandex with a room full of
20-something blondes!

Where is this place???

HAND

--
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