Tarmac is here!!

[Waldo]

Sweet bike!
Path had some nice deals on a couple of Tarmac frames. Hope somebody from STR scored them. I would have loved to, but my wife would have had me permanently out on the tarmac if I came home with that!

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by Von-Skipp

Update on the TARMAC::

I've already put 160miles on the bike in the 10 days I've owned it. I luckily, feel comfy naturally on the bike from day one, no aches or pains.

The road riding in Arizona is great. I've done a few rides cruising in Scottsdale. I've also climbed to the towers of South Mountain(same place we mountain bike). Its a 7 mile climb with up to 13% grade. Comming down this grade is probably just as fun as descending in the dirt, 40+ mph.

Another ride I have done is in the east valley (Usery Pass) along the Salt River. Few cars and basically just you and the desert with some great hills.

I have lots of respect for road riding now that I have a few solids rides under me. I look at road biking as fitness and speed. I will never lose the mountain biking touch though.

I already have some races planned out for the upcomming season, even a time trial I'm considering.

I'm looking forward to comming back to Socal and riding with the road bikers here on STR.

No reason to ever lose Mtn. Biking... it's FUN, and it will give you strenghts on the road that the road-only guys don't have.

What kind of time trial are you going to be doing? Is it a flat TT or an uphill?

If it's a flat TT, there are some adjustments you can make to your bike that will make it quite a bit faster for you. When are you gonna be visiting SoCal?

[Von-Skipp]

Originally Posted by S54MCoupe

No reason to ever lose Mtn. Biking... it's FUN, and it will give you strenghts on the road that the road-only guys don't have.

What kind of time trial are you going to be doing? Is it a flat TT or an uphill?

If it's a flat TT, there are some adjustments you can make to your bike that will make it quite a bit faster for you. When are you gonna be visiting SoCal?

I will defintely never forget about mountain biking. I raced all three of the Arizona Dust Devil series the past couple months. Also doing the 50 Mile Project Rwanda ride this month.

The time trial is out in Arizona, I'm guessing its flat as most stuff is out there.

BTW, is adding aero bars to my carbon handebars a problem?

I'm still making adjustments on the road bike. I started out in a more upright relaxed position to get used to it. Today I actually tilted the bars forward for a more aggressive position but may throw a spacer on top of the stem too. But I would like to hear your tips on adjusting stuff for the future!

I am in CA now till mid January. Lets ride

[dirtmistress]

Mountain biking and road biking work well together and definently compliment each other. Skills from one transfer very well to the other. If you almost crash on the road bike but don't, it may very well be your mountain bike skills that saved you. As well as making it up that hill that used to kill you may not kill you now thanks to the stamina you got from long road rides. I can certainly think of a dangerous situation I was in on my road bike and because of my mountain bike skills, I avoided a terrible crash in thick gravel,high speed on a curve. A definent *whew* moment!
The bike is super hot! Place thumb on ass and say !sss!
After the holidays, I'm into a STR road ride somewhere!

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by Von-Skipp

I will defintely never forget about mountain biking. I raced all three of the Arizona Dust Devil series the past couple months. Also doing the 50 Mile Project Rwanda ride this month.

The time trial is out in Arizona, I'm guessing its flat as most stuff is out there.

BTW, is adding aero bars to my carbon handebars a problem?

I'm still making adjustments on the road bike. I started out in a more upright relaxed position to get used to it. Today I actually tilted the bars forward for a more aggressive position but may throw a spacer on top of the stem too. But I would like to hear your tips on adjusting stuff for the future!

I am in CA now till mid January. Lets ride

How far is the TT you're gonna do?

I would skip the Aero bars. The geometry on a Road bike just isn't something that jives with aero bars. Way too many people get aero bars, but set them up with a huge rise, a bunch of spacers, etc. This really defeats the purpose of being areo.

For your bike, less spacers below the stem, getting a stem w/o positive rise and messing with the hoods on your shifters... you can get yourself in a comfortable (but much lower) position. Once you learn how to ride on the hoods of your shifters in an aero position, you'll be set... much more so than someone with clip on aero bars that aren't set up properly. My friends will take a look at it when we ride; they've got a lot more experience than me.

Where are you located at? We'll ride this week for sure.

[Von-Skipp]

Originally Posted by S54MCoupe

For your bike, less spacers below the stem, getting a stem w/o positive rise and messing with the hoods on your shifters... you can get yourself in a comfortable (but much lower) position. Once you learn how to ride on the hoods of your shifters in an aero position, you'll be set... much more so than someone with clip on aero bars that aren't set up properly. My friends will take a look at it when we ride; they've got a lot more experience than me.

Where are you located at? We'll ride this week for sure.

I'm in San Juan Capistrano, what about you? I'm free all this week to ride.

[jeffj]

It happens...



But it could happen to bikes of all types. Crits can be downright scary, especially Cat 4 & 5. The penalty for failure can be severe.

Von-Skipp, are you going to ride for your collegiate team?

[Von-Skipp]

Originally Posted by jeffj

It happens...



But it could happen to bikes of all types. Crits can be downright scary, especially Cat 4 & 5. The penalty for failure can be severe.

Von-Skipp, are you going to ride for your collegiate team?

Damn that bike is trashed!! Is that you?


Yeah Arizona State has a Triathlon and Cycling Team. I basically do everything: MTN, ROAD and TRI's.

Our Team is actually hosting a crit sometime in the spring. I believe its going to circle ASU's campus or somewhere close.

I've raced one collegiate mtn race this season down in Tucson against U of GAY

This next seaon I believe there are a few collegiate road races. I've never raced road before but I'm getting into it and training now.

Theres also a few collegiate TRI's. Im actually going to Nationals with our team in April for 'Collegiate National Triathlons'. This is in Tuscaloosa, AL. Better get my ass in shape for that!

[Pain Freak]

Welcome to a whole new world of pain, my young friend.

I love Tri's.

[Von-Skipp]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Welcome to a whole new world of pain, my young friend.

I love Tri's.

Yepp, I'm just starting. Only have done a few sprint Tri's. In March I am doing Lake Havasu with is Olympic distance. Nationals is also Olympic.

Ironman AZ will in Tempe April 18. We have 1 guy on our team doing this. Crazyyy.

[jeffj]

Nope, not me or my bike. I just happenned to see him walk by at a race last April at UCSB. I'm a long ways from being willing or able to race a crit I think some of those folks are certifiable

My daughter races for UCSB (and is President of the cycling team this year). She usually does best in the crits and TT, but came in 12th at the NCAA Nationals road race last May and is training hard for the upcoming season.

[Jman]

I used to have that roadies are scum mind frame and then one day I started wondering what it might be like so I went down to the LBS and asked around, I test rode one and got an '06 Specialized Allez. I love road riding now and have become a convert. I will never give up my mtn bike BUT it sure does fill in nicely and mixes things up.

Nice bike Von-Skipp very quick looking!