It’s been a while since I have been on the bike. With one kid going off to college for her first year, another going back to high school and the third coming home on leave from being deployed on a ship for the last 11 months, plus normal work and home chores and a bout with shingles has left little time for two wheeled fun.
But now, things are settling down and a routine is beginning to be established and the bikes are appearing on the radar.
Tomorrow will see temps reach no higher than 90° and so should be a great day for riding. I really enjoy Saturday morning rides. Easy going, stopping often to see or hear the sights and sounds. I am fortunate to live in a place where I can leave straight from home and either ride in the ‘city’ or out in the country depending on whether I go right or left at the end of my driveway.
It’s interesting to me that I tend to like the road better in the mornings and mountain biking in the evenings. Any of you that way? Have a certain type of riding you prefer to do at a certain time of day?
Stopped by my LBS on the way home from work the other night and rode the Salsa Vaya 3 (2011). 55cm and was PERFECT for me. Short legs and long torso makes it rather difficult to find a bike that’s just right. If I fit in the legs (stand over is good, seat to handle bar height ratio is good) then the torso is way too short. I end up feeling like my knees are hitting (and usually do) my hands when on the handle bars. If I find one that fits in the torso, it is usually way too big (tall) for me in the legs. So almost al of my bikes have really long stems on them. Which is ok to a point but I have to be particularly careful on the mountain bike as having my hands too far forward reduces my ability to handle the bike as efficiently as I should.
Case in point, my current and only mountain bike has a stem that is too long.
This is a Trek ST-120 (I bought it in 1996 – the only year they made this bike) size Medium and yes, that is a unified rear triangle. The stem, a Control Tech (http://www.controltechbikes.com/#) 110mm. I feel like my hands are too far out front and thus I am hesitant to ride down anything too steep for fear of going OTB. But, the bike fits great from the waist down. I fear that I will need a custom mountain bike made when the time comes to get a new one…of course I know what you’re thinking. “It was time to get a new one a week after you bought this one.” and you’re probably right but, when it’s all you got, you ride what you got. Plus, my attention in biking has been focusing lately on road and more specifically, touring. Thus my stop and testing the Vaya.
Pic downloaded from the web but this is pretty much how I would (will) set mine up only I would (will) add front and rear racks.
Looking forward to touring. I have a small, three nights, four days four state park loop tour already planned, just need the gear to do it!
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