Finding Gary a new bike!

[gmcunni]

So Gary - what is the new X-ray avatar showing us? When do you anticipate being able to ride?

new avatar is my shoulder, post surgery. as of wednesday i have a titanium plate now holding my clavicle together and in the correct position.

No specific date yet. go back to see the ortho in about 3 weeks, i'm hoping he gives me an idea about dates then.

 

[Greg]

Is the plate a permanent thing or more of an exterior support? this sucks - I was looking forward to riding with you.

 

[gmcunni]

Is the plate a permanent thing or more of an exterior support? this sucks - I was looking forward to riding with you.

permanent, it is under the skin, six screws into the bone.

doc said most women who get a plate like this have it removed, bra strap causes irritation. in men, he said about 15 % have the plate removed later.

i should be riding in the fall at the latest. Once i get out of the sling i'll start shopping for a new bike and be ready to go as soon as i'm cleared, or perhaps just before that ;-)

 

[Greg]

Well, let's just hope you never need to wear a bra. Good luck and heal up!

 

[gmcunni]

Well, let's just hope you never need to wear a bra. Good luck and heal up!

thanks, doc says best way to heal is to not put undo stress on the shoulder.. kind of sucks doing nothing but that is what i have to do.

 

[gmcunni]

I stopped by LBS today just to see what they had. They only had Specialized in stock (best bike in the world according to the guy that helped me) and very few of those. I tried on the HRXC, an entry level bike. Sales guy didn't think it was the bike for me based on what i described to him. But I did "fit" nicely on the 17 inch model. The HRXC was an updated model, it had disk brakes front and back vs. rim brakes. Also saw a HARDROCK SPORT which came with rim brakes (low end package accordign to sales guy). Both were listed at $399. The ROCKHOPPER with disc brakes was on the floor too but i don't think they had it in my size (or budget). Wasn't terribly impressed with the what they had available so I'll try another shop soon.

BTW, if anyone knows of a good LBS within say a 60 minute drive of Monroe CT (anywhere between NY state line and Hartford!) please let me know. I'm flying blind, don't know good vs. not-good shops. The one recommendation i got was to the place i went today and that didn't work for me. Might have been good shop but didn't have what i was looking for.

gc

 

[MR. evil]

Unfortunatly this is a good and bad time of the year to buy bikes. Not much of a selection, but good deals to be had. If you don't mind driving a bit further there is a really good bike shop in Southwick Ma, right over the CT line calle New England Bike. I was just in there yesterday and they still had a good selection of bikes. They sell Kona, Spesh., and Transition.

 

[gmcunni]

Tim, I haven't ruled out an IBEX but am leaning towards an LBS just to establish a relationship for service. but IF i did go ibex, a couple of IBEX questions if you don't mind.

1. the assembly instructions seem straight forward and easy. in your opinion is it something the average DIY type of person can handle? i don't work on bikes much but do OK taking apart and putting back together stuff in general.
2. regarding size of the frame. . lets say i am 5'8".. according to the geometry info on the bike i could go with a 16inch bike and be at the tall end of the sizing or go with the 18 inch frame and be on the short end. Which would be better? (i'm sure "it depends" but i have no clue). fwiw, i'm a "solid" 5' 8". not a skinny kid.

thanks
gary

 

[bvibert]

I use Biker's Edge in Bristol, which fits your criteria of being between the NY border and Hartford, but it's still a bit far. If you're willing to travel I'd definitely check them out though (maybe on the way up to Tim's shop of choice ). I'm not sure what they have left in stock, but they are a fairly large store and generally have lots of bikes on the floor. They carry Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale for MTB.

http://www.bikersedge.com/

 

[gmcunni]

I use Biker's Edge in Bristol, which fits your criteria of being between the NY border and Hartford, but it's still a bit far. If you're willing to travel I'd definitely check them out though (maybe on the way up to Tim's shop of choice ). I'm not sure what they have left in stock, but they are a fairly large store and generally have lots of bikes on the floor. They carry Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale for MTB.

http://www.bikersedge.com/

thanks Brian. I also got a recommendation for a shop in Berlin. I think i might make a day of it next Sunday, little road trip around the western side of CT looking for bikes.

Found this bike in my price range while surfing sites.. i'd buy it for the color alone!

 

[MR. evil]

Tim, I haven't ruled out an IBEX but am leaning towards an LBS just to establish a relationship for service. but IF i did go ibex, a couple of IBEX questions if you don't mind.

1. the assembly instructions seem straight forward and easy. in your opinion is it something the average DIY type of person can handle? i don't work on bikes much but do OK taking apart and putting back together stuff in general.
2. regarding size of the frame. . lets say i am 5'8".. according to the geometry info on the bike i could go with a 16inch bike and be at the tall end of the sizing or go with the 18 inch frame and be on the short end. Which would be better? (i'm sure "it depends" but i have no clue). fwiw, i'm a "solid" 5' 8". not a skinny kid.

thanks
gary

Assembly was a breeze. The only things I had to were

1. Attach front wheel to fork. Took 30 seconds
2. Install pedals, bike came with a pedal wrench. took a couple of minutes
3. Attach handle bars to stem. 5 minutes

The bike comes 95% together, anyone can do the rest.

I am a hair over 6'-0" tall and I ride an 18". I could ride a 20" but I prefer a smaller bike. For you I would say a 16" would fit the bill.

 

[gmcunni]

bump. . .

Ok.. getting close to when i think i can start riding again.. I was up in Southbury this week and popped into Class Cycle to see what they had to offer. I also went to Smart Cycle in Norwalk last weekend.

I liked the guys @ Class. helpful, not pushy.

reminder what i'm looking for - notch above entry-level hard tail, $500 range. riding style is a mixed bag of recreational with family in neighborhood and rail trails PLUS want to venture off onto single track for more advanced riding. No plans on jumping off any large boulders or jumps (nothing that requires body armour).

At Class i saw
Cannondale - F7 Disk - $499
Felt Q620 - $599
Trek 4500 - $579

while the trek has rim brakes the guy @ class said he considered it in a class above the canondale.
any thoughts on these bikes?

Heading up to Berlin this weekend to see what they have @ suburban and also probably stop @ bikers edge.

 

[o3jeff]

Did you ride any of them to see which felt comfortable for you? That is the key to find a couple that fit you, then we will pick them apart for you:-D

Berlin Bike is also right up the road from Suburban and I think he carries Specialized and another brand. I am pretty sure Suburban had the F7 there when I got m bike. he also carries Giant.

 

[gmcunni]

Did you ride any of them to see which felt comfortable for you? That is the key to find a couple that fit you, then we will pick them apart for you:-D

Berlin Bike is also right up the road from Suburban and I think he carries Specialized and another brand. I am pretty sure Suburban had the F7 there when I got m bike. he also carries Giant.

i didn't ride yet. just tried them on for size in the shop.. not sure how much i'll get out of a loop in the parking lot but will ride before making the final selection. i saw the suburban web site listing the F7 Disk for $20 less than Class and also the Giant. I'll take a close look at those two. i'm leaning towards the F7 at this point, not sure i can really explain why other than the brand name and the price.

I'll pop in Berlin Bikes too, thanks for the tip.

 

[o3jeff]

Before you buy ask the shops if they do free tune-up/adjustments. I know Suburban does it for a year and If Cross does it too, the $20 you save buying at Suburban really costs you more in gas and time if you need to bring it to them. Fortunate for me I drive past them twice a day on my ride to and from works. They already replaced the bad headset bearing and also adjusted the brakes and deraulers since it already had 20 miles on it.

 

[gmcunni]

Before you buy ask the shops if they do free tune-up/adjustments. I know Suburban does it for a year and If Cross does it too, the $20 you save buying at Suburban really costs you more in gas and time if you need to bring it to them. Fortunate for me I drive past them twice a day on my ride to and from works. They already replaced the bad headset bearing and also adjusted the brakes and deraulers since it already had 20 miles on it.

Class does do free adjustments for 1 year. he mentioned a 2nd benefit but i can't recall it off the top of my head. They were great, gave me catalogs for the bikes i was interested in, offered to let me ride anything they had. checked inventory in the comptuer (they have storage off site) to let me know what they had in stock, etc.

Perhaps i'll start @ Class on saturday for test rides and maybe i'll be done after that.

then i just need a note from my doctor and i'll be off to the trails :-D

 

[o3jeff]

Pick up a bike yet? Dr. give you the ok to start riding yet?

 

[gmcunni]

Pick up a bike yet? Dr. give you the ok to start riding yet?

No and No. but much closer on both fronts.

i've been lazy about it since i couldn't ride but I'm pretty sure i'm going with the Trek4500. Went to the Dr. this past Thursday. I'm cleared to resume most normal activity. I specifically asked about MTB... he gave me a funny look and said OK but only on easier rail trail like paths.. He wants me to stay off trails were I'm likely to be going over bumpy terrain and rocks and stumps and such. the bone strength is about 50% and the only thing that worries him is direct impact (over the handle bars) or significant stress which the bumpy conditions would cause. I offered to wear body armour to ensure no serious impact but he said the constant up and down motion my arms/shoulder do as the bike goes over stuff was an issue too.

He said 1 month and i'm good to go. Which is OK, i've got vacation plans which will take up 3 of the 4 weekends anyway. Hoping to join you guys starting in Sept.