First ride, 2007
by Steve ~ March 16th, 2007. Filed under: Riding the Bike.I took a 5.2 Km ride on the Bike of Doom tonight. Well, at 5.2 Km, it wasn’t exactly a “ride” — more of a little spin to figure out what still needed to be adjusted.
I think that’s one of the biggest differences between buying a bike at a Local Bike Shop (LBS) and buying one at a department store. The Bike of Doom is department store all the way. The brakes were not adjusted properly, the seat was too low and too loose. I spent a couple of hours over a couple of days tightening every bolt, checking every cable. I also bought and installed fenders and an odometer, total cost $20. After the first Km I adjusted the seat. The bike was not what I’d call a great ride, but it was okay. It should be fine for commuting.
More importantly, it was nice to get out on the road. Cold, but nice. The Bike of Doom handled reasonably well. For $99, I wasn’t expecting much. The wheels rolled. The brakes worked. The gears changed… sort of. I’ll probably just leave it in the same gear unless, oh, hell freezes over or something equally likely. The “Anatomic” saddle wasn’t particularly well adjusted to my ass, but I won’t be riding it for more than 10 Km at a stretch, so it shouldn’t matter. I may have an old saddle from my Specialized Hardrock hidden away somewhere. If it fits, I’ll swap it.
I didn’t push it on this ride. The bike is not as efficient as others bikes I’ve owned in recent years. I kept a pace of 18 KPH without trying, which isn’t bad for going to work. Don’t want to sweat too much.
Anyway, the Bike of Doom is ready, no longer a road virgin. I may start commuting next week. In the meantime, I’m looking for another bike, a cheap but decent mountain bike to use as backup for the Jamis, and to use on rougher recreational rides. I’ve been thinking about a Trek 3500. Problem is, they’re not being made anymore. I visited Olympia Cycle tonight and checked out a Norco Pinnacle and a Trek 820. Both of these have suspended front forks. The thing I liked about the Trek 3500 was that it had a hard front fork. I’m still looking for one. In any case, it looks like I’ll be able to get a reasonable bike for under $350. Last year’s Norco Pinnacle can be had for $265, reduced from $319.
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March 22nd, 2007 at 3:04 am
Hi
What does that “anatomic” mean. It doesn’t look very comfortable. They are really into biking at my work. The put over a hundred people on the MS150 Bike Ride to Duluth.
I might see ya in early April, coming to visit mom and clyde and family.
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:47 pm
I have no idea what “anatomic” means. I guess they’re suggesting it’s molded perfectly to fit the human male ass. It’s not. It’s a real pain in the ass. If my daily round-trip commute turns out to be more than 10 or 15 miles, I’ll have to upgrade to a saddle that doesn’t feel like a prison assault.