Total miles: 149.74

Just a quick review on the Ergon grips (I have the Ergon GP1): These are the most expensive pieces of garbage I have ever used.  Yes, I installed them correctly.  The pain/numbness on the wrists/palms did go away…in exchange for additional pain on the elbows! Furthermore, you lose grip on the 3 outer fingers because of the bulge…so what happens?  more pressure on your thumbs…my thumbs still hurt from this morning’s 10-mile ride.  I need to get rid of these ASAP!  For the love of the kittens, do not listen to the positive reviews on the intarwebs…

Popularity: 18% [?]

Yesterday was an experience I would probably never forget: my first biking trail!  And it wasn’t exactly in my plans.  I fell off the bike twice (minor injuries only) because my bike wasn’t exactly built for the trail (LOTS of tree roots with a few jumps!!)…plus the fact that I’m a trail n00b.  I was cursing my bike buddies (who has REAL mountain bikes) the whole ride but in the end I realized how much I enjoyed it.

Looks like I’m getting a real mountain bike a lot sooner than planned.

-

Current mods on the 7.5FX:

• Replaced the handlebar grips with Ergon GP1 (Small)
• Upgrade shifter to Shimano Deore XT RapidFire
• Upgrade the road tires to Specialized Crossroads CX Armadillos
• Replaced the saddle with Brooks B17 Standard
• Removed tacky stickers on wheel rims and fork

Popularity: 17% [?]

While I’m so much engrossed lately with anything to do with bicycles, I haven’t totally forgotten about photography.  In fact, I just updated my iStockphoto portfolio with a few images from my recent trip to Massachusetts.  It’s funny that I haven’t updated my portfolio for more than a year prior to this upload…that’s how lazy I can get.

Popularity: 16% [?]

My bike has been out of commission so I wasn’t able to log trips for a few days.  As soon as it was fixed by my bike buddy, I logged about 15 miles.

I replaced my road tires with knobby tires designed for cyclocross thinking that I would not need to change tires whether I’m on asphalt or light sandy trail…man, that was stupid; using them on asphalt wasn’t as efficient as the stock tires that came with the bike.

I ended up ordering a real set of tires designed for on- and off-road: Specialized Armadillos.  They should be here by the middle of the week and will be replacing the tires again.  Based on the reviews these tires should be better and my lazy ass won’t have to change tires whether I’m on asphalt or light trails.  Maybe.

I spent too much already on this bike.

On a slightly different note: I started doing research on assembling your own bike (I want to assemble my next bike which hopefully would happen in this lifetime).  I’m surprised there’s not a lot of websites out there about this.  This is nuts.

Popularity: 12% [?]

The family went to Eagle Rock Resort in PA with a few friends yesterday…My bike buddy dragged our bikes hoping that we find a decent trail.  Alas!  Nothing.  All we see is hilly roads…I think we rode about 5 miles before we gave up.  Worse, My Edge 205 battery went dead in the middle of our biking session even though I powered it off the day before…I wasn’t able to record the ride.  Bummer.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I finished a 14-mile trail today with a few friends.  The terrain was a mostly level, but it was a little rough…I can feel my shocks-less Trek’s (and my butt’s) pain.  That said, I just LOVE how the 700c wheels zip through it.  Crap…this only means one thing…

Popularity: 11% [?]

In a span of 12 days, I’ve racked up a total of about 52 miles.  Total bike time: 4 hours and 51 minutes.

The next upgrade I’m looking at is to replace the pedals with the clipless model.  I noticed that I find mind myself re-positioning my feet on the pedals, which is a distraction and keeps my eyes off the road…not a good idea when you have these jerks on riding these things called “cars” who could potentially hit you just out of spite.  Shimano M540’s looks like a good start without breaking the bank…

Popularity: 11% [?]

I did a 7-mile path this morning, which is a second ride with my new saddle: a Brooks B17.  The butt pain that I get with the stock 7.5 FX saddle is gone with this one.  I am now a Brooks believer.

Popularity: 10% [?]

We went to see the Nubble Lighthouse in Maine and then ate at a nearby Fox Lobster House.  What can I say?  This restaurant served the absolute worst lobster dish in my lifetime as a glutton…and I don’t even have finicky taste buds!
That’s it.  I wrote an entry on this blog just to say it.  Don’t believe the positive reviews out there.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Since acquiring the bike last week, I have accumulated a whopping 22 miles on the bike spanned across 4 days! It’s almost embarrassing, but in my defense, I’m just trying to get acquainted with my new bike, and my butt hurts after 20 minutes or so, and I realized that I’m not too familiar with my neighborhood. Though I’m a bit proud to say that the short trips are not due to getting tired easily; I started running last fall, and I’m pretty sure that helped a lot with my stamina.
In addition to the new bike, I probably already spent half of my retirement savings on a slew of accessories and clothing ($30 for a pair of shorts?!), and one of those accessories is the Garmin Edge 205 GPS-enabled bicycle computer (as recommended by Densio).

(more…)

Popularity: 9% [?]