Mountain Bikers?

[lenny]

yea,,,,,lycra,,,not spandex. Honestly,,,it is functional. I have taken a few cross country trips with my brothers and staying comfortable riding 100 miles a day for 13 days is important. We have our 4th cross country trip coming up next year and I can assure Lenny will be wearing spandex,,,I mean lycra

Mountain bike, cross bike, road bike, bmx bike, motorized,,,,,it's all good to me. Being outside is the best.

 

[lenny]

I don't think I'd be wearing Lycra on a mtn bike in case you go down, under shorts are good. I have a pair of shorts and Lycra shorts made by "specialized." They are a pair and linked together but removable, very functional and not the typical spandex look. I'm in white with my bro's in the above pics and that Lycra setup rocks, very breathable and comfy

 

[harvest1121]

Never been much of a mountain biker but do like my 6.9 Trek madone and my 7.6 hybrid nursing some saddle sores right now. Not fun. If you ever need a new Trek or Gary Fisher give me an email I have the hook up on new bikes. I had a single speed 29er just was not for me but maybe I will do a better 29er Gary Fisher mountain bike later in the year.

 

[Hoosier]

It may not be fashionable, but it's definitely acceptable in the world of cycling. If you're really overweight, it might be good to lose a few lbs first.

Just because it's acceptable in the biking world doesn't mean you should do it.

 

[Team Elkhorn]

I have been wearing the padded under shorts myself lately. My wife got me a few pairs of Champion brand polyester blend, active wear type full length pants. They breath well, protect you from bugs when we stop in the woods, and look kinda dressy if we stop at a nicer restaurant.

 

[lenny]

few more pics

 

[lenny]

last few

 

[Hoosier]

few more pics

Nice pictures...I see Lake County, IN. That's where i was born and grew up. Not too much scenery though!

 

[Hoosier]

So, what's the best place to go to figure out how to set up and maintain a bike? Find a local shop? Websites?

 

[Team Elkhorn]

Lenny, 1300 miles cross country! That's awesome. Now THATS the way to actually SEE the countryside. Is that an organised ride or do you guys just get on your bikes and ride?
Hoosier, I found when I got the bug to start riding again, getting on a bike and riding it awhile first to see what you need is worth a years worth of research on the web. And then, finding a GOOD bike shop is priceless. When I got the bug to ride again I thought I wanted a road bike. I researched all winter and bought and set up a bike to road ride in the spring. Turns out I love riding, but not on the roads. They do say the first bike you buy is just to find out what type of bike you really want. Also Ive found as in everything, you never regret spending a little extra for a better bike, then not spending enough.

Dave

 

[lenny]

Lenny, 1300 miles cross country! That's awesome. Now THATS the way to actually SEE the countryside. Is that an organised ride or do you guys just get on your bikes and ride?
Hoosier, I found when I got the bug to start riding again, getting on a bike and riding it awhile first to see what you need is worth a years worth of research on the web. And then, finding a GOOD bike shop is priceless. When I got the bug to ride again I thought I wanted a road bike. I researched all winter and bought and set up a bike to road ride in the spring. Turns out I love riding, but not on the roads. They do say the first bike you buy is just to find out what type of bike you really want. Also Ive found as in everything, you never regret spending a little extra for a better bike, then not spending enough.

Dave

It's not an organized ride by a club or anything like that. We typically pick a destination that interests us in some way. The last trip was from Aurora Illinois my "home town" to the Outer banks, Kitty Hawk N.C. We initially get the route from map quest and than check every road with a paper map to see how it looks. We usually do not deviate from the route unless during the evening hrs we see a point of interest along the way to check out. We are by no means real serious about biking. I usually do not even train but maybe a few hundred miles total a few weeks before we take off. For me it's all about getting outside and relaxing, taking a break from the "same old". After 5 days my legs are in shape and I can climb anything. I've never walked a single hill on any trip because we always took off from the flat Midwest and it takes a week to get to the mtns. The 2nd trip was from Aurora also to Treasure Island FL where my in laws have a place and we hit he Smokey's and my legs were just getting into shape by s Kentucky. I have been maintaining bike since I raced bmx as a kid so I tear my bike down every trip and inspect every last part. I've had the same bike (GT) for all the trips and plan to run it again next year. I plan to upgrade my wheel hubs though. Most important thing to me is the seat, seat height, bars and tires. I run Armadillo Kevlar tires and they hold up nice, they have 2500 miles on them now and there good for the next trip. Organizing, finances and getting the time available are the hard parts, the riding is the fun part.

 

[lenny]

So, what's the best place to go to figure out how to set up and maintain a bike? Find a local shop? Websites?

I would find a good shop because the bike needs to fit you well as for any form of cycling. For example, I like a bmx bike with 21.5" top tube and a small rear triangle. All the geometry gives a bike a certain feel and trust me, it matters. If you get a steep head tube angle on a bmx bike the steering is twitchy and some like that. Your height and leg length play a huge roll in bike selection and set up. I like tall bars on a bmx bike so I am upright instead of hunched over. It allows me to put more power to the pedals and get a better gate, So you see what I am saying, take your time to figure it out because you can spend big cash on a bike. If your just gonna hobby ride you still need a good setup or you may become discouraged with the bike If you get serious and have a good set up, you wont have to worry about upgrades for a long time. This is all just my opinion and it works for me. Talk to the guys at a local shop and spend some time telling them what you plan to do and they ought to be able to get you in the right direction. I know your interested in mtn riding not BMX but there are similarities and that's why I mentioned them.

 

[anonomoose]

Only if you wore Spandex when you did it.

Some things should NEVER be left to our imagination....eh?

X2. Since we started riding the bicycles again, my wife has mentioned that my backside is starting to look like it did when I was twenty. Especially in my bike shorts. And they are Lycra not Spandex.

Surprised that she can remember that far back....(get it ...far back??)

(I guess you had to read it from afar....)

 

[Team Elkhorn]