101 days to shop for a new road mountain or sports bike

Biking along....

Mathijs — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:00:00 -0400

So it's been about 10 days ago since I, 101bike.com, got my wheels - Devinci.. The bike is good, and I am enjoying it. The suspension is a nice feature on the bike considering the bumps in the Toronto roads.

My brother gave me a speedometer for my birthday and it is quite awesome. Max speed so far has been MACH 0.042 .

It's getting hotter and hotter in Toronto, and working up a sweat is easy now.

More to follow on my adventures soon....

Cheers,

Mathijs

Forget Carbon ..Wood is the new new thing

Mathijs — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 08:43:00 -0400

This is a pretty interesting material to use for your bike: wood. I wonder if there is a seasonal influence on the performance of the bike....

Another Dutch invention by: www.jangunneweg.nl

The decision has been made!

Mathijs — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 20:49:00 -0400

Today was a wonderful day for 101bike. It was sunny in Toronto, we went to the street festival on Young street and had a great time. When I got home I decided that this had to be the day.

Maybe I forgot to tell you that a few weeks ago I had made up my mind and decided on the Trek 7.5, however after my bike dealer called Trek to order one it turned out that Trek was not selling this bike anymore because it ran out of stock and according to the guys at Sportswap I had to wait till the 2007 bikes came in.

When I came home I called the guys at SportSwap to see if they had any news on the TREK FX 7.5 bike yet, the 2007 model. Through some amazing fortune they had a 2006 model in the store. So I told them to put it on hold.

I went to the store test-rode it again and just before I wanted to pay I still wanted to check their used bikes section. Mostly mountain bikes but also a hybrid Devinci Milano all the way in the back, which was just returned today. It was only $300 so I decided to take it for a spin and even though it was a 2004 model it still looked look and rode excellent.

So that's the bike I bought! I will now start riding (picking it up tomorrow) and still have plenty of money now to pimp my bike, get some good gear and see how I like it. A very rational and wise decision as many people would say.

Should I like bicycling, I can still sell the bike and move up to for instance a Cervelo?

Anyway, I am happy with the purchase and will post some pictures tomorrow so you can see what shape it is in. (The shape I am in will hopefully be better in a few weeks...)

New options

Mathijs — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 15:00:00 -0400

So, I have been shopping around some stores again. Again I have been noticing a few Cervelo bikes and should at some point review them. Maybe test ride them even to see how the feel is of this winning bike. Maybe I should review all three, the P3C, SLC and the R3. In the mean time I am shopping in a different price range and do not know even if a used Cervelo is going to be within my budget.

It is always good to have an ambition!

Yesterday I popped by the Sportswap again and looked at some Roadbikes but also something quite different, which could be an alternative, and perhaps a good way of getting into cycling (in the meantime save up for the Cervelo). Cevelo

I tool a Trek 7.5 FX bike for a spin and actually liked it a lot.

The thing about it however is that it is not a real road bike. It has pretty good components but the steering wheel is straight. The bike is a bit heavier. But it is perhaps good to get into the sport this way.

To be continued....

Thanks TTC for a great and easy bikeride!

Mathijs — Mon, 29 May 2006 18:57:00 -0400

Going to work I usually catch a ride down to King street and then take the streetcar to the West. While driving to Davisville we noticed it was extremely busy and yes - the TTC was on strike.

I decided to go back home and take the Bike. Even though there was a lot of exhaustion it was great ride down. With all the cars practically standing still you could almost say they made a bike lane.

30 km/hr down Oriole Parkway...WITH THE BIKE!!

Another good read: Cyclist of the City Unite! in the Toronto Star. Click here.

Toronto based Cervélo delivers the bike

Mathijs — Sun, 28 May 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Sunday Ivan Basso won the Giro d'Italia on bicycles that are assembled/made in Toronto by Cervélo.

A fantastic achievement for the athlete and also the manufacturer of these wonderful bikes. Congrats!

Not only did Ivan win the Giro, he also set the record for most wins on different bikes with stage wins on a R3 (stage 16 & 20), P3C (TTT) and SLC (stage 8)

Soloist Carbon

Cross the border to buy a bike???

Mathijs — Fri, 26 May 2006 15:03:00 -0400

Ever since I moved to Canada the Canadian Dollar (CAD) has gone up like crazy. A lot of Canadians I heard are now crossing the border to shop in the USA.

It's about 1.1 Canadian to 1 US Dollar (USD).or 0.9 the other way around.

So looking at buying a bike in the USA looks interesting / cheaper. I was browsing some websites and comparing prices. A Trek Pilot 1.0 would cost in Canada Approx CAD $950 and in the US approx. USD $700.

Anyone experience doing this? Advice?

Specialized Sequoia or Trek Piliot 1.0?

Mathijs — Thu, 25 May 2006 22:24:00 -0400

I am currently looking into 2 bikes which seem to have had good reviews and are also priced under CAD 1000.

The Specialized Sequoia or

the Trek Pilot 1.0.?

Does anyone have expereince with any of these bikes?

Or a better alternative?

Let me know: 101bike@gmail.com

It is going to be a road bike.

Mathijs — Sat, 20 May 2006 22:57:00 -0400

Today I woke up and decided it's going to be a road bike. Sometimes it just hits you and you decide after all the information you gathered and things you have seen the past few months.

Since I had a few hours for myself this afternoon I went out and strolled down Yonge street to SportingLife store and the Sportswap.

Ok so I went to 2 stores each having amazing bikes such as Cervelo, Trek and Specialized. It seem that I will go for a bike with a compact frame simply because it is more comfortable and people say it put less strain on my back.

Now it's coming down to brand and budget.

My budget is at this point not more than $1000. It can be either a used or new bike. I am probably going for a 58 cm frame, but want to also ride a 60 cm if possible sometime soon.

So, for the next few weeks I will start 'bargain' hunting. Please feel free to send me suggestions what to get and where to buy it. If anyone has a bike left he or she wants to get rid of....

Sponsoring deals, donations etc are welcome too.... :)

Cheers,

Mathijs 101bike

One thing missing....

Bicycle Seats

Mathijs — Thu, 18 May 2006 17:20:00 -0400

Riding a Roadbike Pt. 2 - detail pictures of the Norco

Mathijs — Tue, 16 May 2006 21:00:00 -0400

For the enthousiasts, here are some detailed pictures of the Norco CDR 101bike.com rode.

Riding a Roadbike pt. 1

Mathijs — Mon, 15 May 2006 21:36:00 -0400

This weekend I finally got down to some serious riding! I went to the Cyclepath on Sunday and picked up my super-de-lux Norco CDR. Took the subway down Yonge street (lazy bones) to meet up my colleague and his girlfriend.

We rode down to the CNE, which is the exhibition center here in Toronto. We did I believe approx. 15 rounds. It is very good riding down there, great asphalt and very quiet on the cars on Sunday. There was a lot of wind which meant automatically a good workout.

The bike handles very nice and after a few rounds I became more confident, even though I was not riding with the shoes you can clip on. The shifting of the gears did however not always go too smooth, but that is probably because it was a two year old rental bike.

Take a look at the bike in some detail here:

(More detailed pictures tomorrow)

It was great and I will soon ride again!

Saddles pt 3.

Mathijs — Sun, 14 May 2006 16:00:00 -0400

Saddles:

"What is good" is very subjective. Shaping is important for some
riders, while width is the big issue for others, and padding thickness
(or the lack of it) is the important thing for still more.

I find that I most easily adapt to a new seat whose rear area is
reasonably flat, whose center has a cutout, whose nose is slightly
below the level of the flat area, and whose padding is minimal but not
absent. But this doesn't describe all of my saddles; there is
variation in the designs which is hard to account for. I think the
real answer is that you know you've found a good saddle when you get
off the bike after more than 20 miles and have no problem with the
idea of getting back on again."

Durable...but comfortable?

Saddle pt. 2 : Short term confort and long term comfort

Mathijs — Sat, 13 May 2006 12:00:00 -0400

There's short-term comfort and there's long-term saddle comfort.

Soft feels more comfortable for the demo ride, but long term, your sit bones
sink in to the hard part and the rest of the saddle is left pressing on your
perineum - where it shouldn't press.

If you only ride the bike to the news stand on Sunday mornings; soft is more
comfortable....

As the Comfy Chair????

Saddles, some insights pt. 1

Mathijs — Fri, 12 May 2006 21:56:00 -0400

From a Commenter on my posting at groups.google.com:

After reading Sheldon brown's thoughts on this over and over, I went
out and found myself an old but useable Selle Italia Flite. It's stiff
and hard, but after getting over the minor saddle soreness, I found it
so much easier to ride on then the big, bouncy gel thing I was using
before. And, my circulation in my crotch isn't cut off, which it was
before.

I'd say that you should look for something that's not all cushiony.
Sounds odd, but if you feel your sit bones (in the lower end of your
butt, BEHIND your groin) getting sore, then that's a good sign. If you
feel any numbness below, you either have a bad saddle, or it's adjusted
poorly. A lot of people adjust their saddles so they're tilted, and I
think this is a bad idea. I had a saddle that was only a couple of
degrees forward, and I was getting sore wrists and palms, and losing
some feeling in my crotch. I also actually think that the harder the
saddle is, the quicker you get over the initial soreness. In the past,
I'd be in incredible discomfort from saddle soreness, but now, I barely
feel anything like it when I haven't ridden for a while.

You'd be surprised at how small and hard the thing can be, as long as
it supports you at those bony contact points, rather than in the soft
tissue between your legs.

I'd really recommend trying out one of the classic Italian saddles
(Selle Royale, Selle Italia, Selle San Marco, Vettas are nice, too), or
a Brooks, if you want to drop the dough. They're all a bit pricey, but
I'd take a beat up, used one of these than a brand new
gel-comfot-plush-thing-a-majig-seat anyday.

Saddles: What's up?

Mathijs — Wed, 10 May 2006 20:58:00 -0400

This week I would like to focus a little on saddles. To me a very personal choice. Even though there are great designs out there is it true that form goes over function here?

I mean I understand the Aerodynamics side to it, but man it is not comfortable, is it?

Tell 101BIKE.COM your saddle (purchase & ride) experience.

30 April: Orange bike / Queensday

Mathijs — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 21:47:00 -0400

Today 101bike.com (not shown in this picture) celebrated Queensday in Toronto. It was the first time in many. many years that I did not spend it in Amsterdam.

Invention: Ipod charger for your bike!

Mathijs — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:38:00 -0400

Check out this creative invention from a Dutch guy, an Ipod charger on your city bike. 101bike.com thought it was funny.

Check out his site and find out how to do this yourself.

Shoeweek

Mathijs — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:45:00 -0400

I got some pretty interesting reactions on the groups.google.com. My question was:

I am looking into bike shoes. Is it the ...

Shoeweek: you can judge a rider by the shoes he wears?

Mathijs — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:28:00 -0400

This week I would like to find out more about bicycle shoes. who wears what and why?

I hope to find out if there is more to the shoes than just. As long as it is comfortable.

What difference could a shoe possibly make (assuming that it is comfortable)?

What things do you have to consider buying bike shoes rather that regular shoes?

Let's find out.

Hope to hear your thoughts on shoes. Lot's of flavors:



Gloves

Mathijs — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 23:04:00 -0400

The weather is getting better and I am riding my bike downtown again. It's great being out there. Lot's of traffic, but manageable. I believe I did get a lot of exhaustion gases from cars in my system, I was thinking is it true that the mufflers are in North America placed on the other side. To my understanding in Europe most mufflers are put on the left. Since you are most of the time on the right side of the cars, it seems more social.

I noticed here that most mufflers are on the right side, which is awful when you are waiting for a traffic light with a car next to you.

Anyway, I was browsing on the http://forums.bicycling.com/ and found a discussions about gloves.

These are the most interesting comments:

'Whatever those Nike Race Gloves are...

I can't stand most of the heavily gel'd or padded gloves, they tend to make my hands sweat too much and they pinch the insides of my fingers.

The Race gloves are super comfortable. The only thing I'd probably ever change about my hand comfort is to get a wing bar.'

' Ahhh... a subject I've studied at length.

I've went from padded gloves and normal tape, to less-padded gloves and gel tape, to gloves without ANY padding, along with bar gel under cork tape. I've learned that I like having full control and less bulk on my hands. With less padding and hoo-ha on the hands, I don't blister and sweat as much.

- The old Pearl Izumi Gel-Lite gloves were nice, but in 2004 the switch to the new anatomic gel cutouts created an abrasive surface that cut through my bar tape!
- I really like the Nike 'Lance' gloves for racing. No padding, simple design, huge cloth surface for catching sweat off of your face.
- The Pearl Izumi Race glove used to be a good deal. The newer Gel-Lite Race glove looks like a good compromise, adding just a little gel padding, with vents in the palm.
- I have Nalini team gloves with a lightly padded palm - they run a little big, but they're very comfy.

My worst buy was definitely Descente gloves. The stitching and applied graphics came undone within a week or two.'

...I like the Pearl Izumi Pitard's glove; mostly buying Specialized Sport now, they work great, not too much padding, decent price, and have more bling than $20 Nashbars...however you can't beat the tan from old school crochet-back gloves! Talk about a conversation starter. Try signing a check with suntan ovals and tiny specs on your hands...

101bike.com

Bought a Helmet!

Mathijs — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:21:00 -0400

Remember I spoke about Helmets? I finally got one. So the first part of my total outfit has been purchased. It is a Bell Venture.

Here it is! Bought it at Mountain Co-Op for CAD 30. I will use it tomorrow when I take the bike down to my work. Lets hope no bees get stuck...

Found my bike?

Mathijs — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 21:08:00 -0400

My brother said: don't look any fur(r)ther, this is your bike. He knows I have taste and style, but maybe this is a little too much of a good thing.

Blog dip - sounds familiar?

Mathijs — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:03:00 -0400

Today I have a good friend of mine over, Cristi Cooke. Christi knows everything about marketing to women and has her own company in Ottawa called Majority Marketing and a future star.

She asked me about the blog and I explained her what the concept is. You guys can read about it in 'About the Blog'. So what's the point? How do you make money?

Good questions and tough to answer.

The challenge I told her is to 'add' value with the Blog and have people come back for more. Why do people come back to a bike blog? I think content with Blogs is King. Content being entertaining, educational or rewarding.

We spoke about my problem of finding good content and she said why not ask your readers what they would find interesting? Perhaps this inspires you to go on and bring the Blog into a next phase.

So, the question to you readers is:

What do you think? What are you looking for?

Thanks!

Mathijs

101bike.com goes New York City!

Mathijs — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:57:00 -0400

Today I got back from a few days in NYC and it was super! The last time I was in ...

Single or Double sided Pedals?

Mathijs — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 02:00:00 -0400

What are your experiences with these pedals?

Your opinion?

Mathijs — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 02:00:00 -0400

Today I just want your opinion about the 101bike.com blog. What you like about, what you don't, what I can improve, would you come back and visit.

It is important to me, because I want the Blog to evolve. Please post your comments or send me an email 101bike at gmail.com.

Thanks!

Nr. 1 on Google.com and Google.ca!!!

Mathijs — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 02:00:00 -0400

Today I reached a personal milestone with the website. After a month of Blogging I am now nr. 1 on Google for the search '101 bike'. Of course, you wonder who will ever use this combination to look for something but still, a few weeks ago I was not up there at all.

It is an interesting process to see how you can through research get up higher in the Google ranking. My next goal would be to be nr 1 for 'bike 101' but that is lot more difficult.

This whole search-engine thing is something I will cover more in the weeks ahead.

Bike Trees in Toronto?

Mathijs — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:15:00 -0400

Check out this Bike Tree! Amazing invention. Thanks to a posting on Cyclelicio.us

Mr. David Miller (Mayor of Toronto) what do you think?

Is there a security guard with this thing too?

Interview 3: Shanna Armstrong - World Champion Ultraman (and much much more!)

Mathijs — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 23:45:00 -0400

Today I had the privilege to interview possibly the worlds best Ultimate / Extreme Athlete, Shanna Armstrong. Currently involved in one of the most challenging races - RAAM, Shanna has an absolutely amazing track record.

She has entered more than 100 triathlons, won the 2003 and 2005 Ultraman World Championship and is the current world record holder.

She is actively involved in and spokesperson for a great charity - The Boys and Girls Club of America.

Let's find out more about Shanna, bicycling and her passions....

101bike.com: How are you?

Shanna: I am doing great and feeling good. I am enjoying the training for RAAM

101bike.com: So, what's going on?

Shanna: Lots of running, biking, and swimming. I just don’t have the heart to give it all up.



101bike.com: Tell me how and why did you get involved in endurance sports?

Shanna: I like other weirdo's like me. The travel and the people are great.



101bike.com: I read you are preparing for the RAAM 2006. What is RAAM? Tell me a little bit about the RAAM.

Shanna: RAAM stands for the Race Across America...it is a bike race that goes non-stop from California to New Jersey. I will be doing the old traditional category and trying to go on 1.5 hours of sleep a day. There will be more time off the bike but the plan is 1.5 hours of sleep time. RAAM becomes a survivor show with lots of drama after you out 8 people together with little sleep for 10+ days. Last year I did it as a co-ed team and I have nick-named that race "The Jerry Springer Show." We could have made millions of the drama we had last year.

101bike.com: And how do you prepare for such an event?

Shanna: It consumes your life. I am doing lot's of miles on the bike but I am not overtraining. I have not even done a double century yet and am not sure I will do many before RAAM. The hard part about RAAM is all the preparation of getting the crew together and organizing it along with raising $25,000 to do it right. You train, work, beg, and take all your spare time doing things for RAAM.

101bike.com: Tell me more about your bike. What kind is it? How much is it geared towards you? What specifics does it have?

Shanna: I now own a Colnago C50 and love it!!!! The bike is really geared for me and my needs. I do have some aero bars on it but I am not really low and I am set up more for comfortable long rides. I also have an Extreme C that is geared for the mountains. Both of them have compact crank sets and are built piece by piece by my bike mechanic Kevin Skeen in Ohio. When he set me up on a bike I instantly got faster. The most important thing in long distance is your fit. If something is the slightest bit off you can really tell after two days....I have been there and done that.

101bike.com: How much do you like the cycling in all these events?

Shanna: I love the cycling but I am not sure I have a favorite event. I am just an average girl that can go forever in any of the three sports. I just never stop!

101bike.com: Why do you like it? What specific characteristics does it have?

Shanna: I love cycling since it is easy on your joints and you can use it for social time. I know that some people like to get out and hammer all the time but I love the long slow rides with friends. It is my social life...my vacation is a hellweek (camp) where you meet people and suffer together.

101bike.com: Does a tri-bike differ from a regular road bike?

Shanna: Yes!!!! They are much different. I would not even consider trying to do RAAM on a tri bike. If you look at the RAAM route it is all climbing and a road bike is what you need. I tried doing ultra-racing on my tri bike and it was just too hard...a road bike is good for all kinds of racing.

101bike.com: Has your preference for bikes and the changed over the years? How have you changed your biking habits/materials over the years to come to the perfect bike?

Shanna: Yes I was stuck on a tri bike always riding in the same position and now I ride a road bike most of the time an use the tri bike at sprints. It is nice to change it up. In the beginning I lost power but I now can ride either bike and be strong.



101bike.com: Where are there you think still is room for improvement on the bicycle?

Shanna: Yes, with ultra-racing I do not do much speed work. I also never use my computrainer or do any drills. I have tons of room to improve and plan to after this year of ultraracing. It will be time to get some speed in the legs.

101bike.com: I noticed that Tri-atletes have different handlebars? What kind do you prefer and why?

Shanna: I like them both but I prefer the road bike set up for long races since I have aero bars on it.  I can ride aero but when I climb a hill I still have my gears where I need them. If I am doing a flat fast course like Hawaii ironman I use the tri bike and stay aero all of the time. It is not good to use a tri bike on a very hilly course.

101bike.com: What do you see happening in the sport? What has to be improved?

Shanna: I see it getting faster with all the new nutrition and research. I think that some race directors have gotten to where they forget who makes a race...the age groupers are the ones that support an event and they should be treated like royalty. I am an age grouper and I pay for all of my racing currently. It is disappointing to show up at a race and find that a race director has cut corners and has run out of ice for all the little guys that are still racing.

101bike.com: How important is equipment for you? Does equipment give you the edge?

Shanna: You have to have good equipment to do long distance stuff as much as I do. I used to have an aluminum bike and Shimano 105 components but they just don't work like the other stuff. I could feel every bump on the road and my bike was always making noises. I do splurge on better stuff and I don't think it has made me any faster but I am not going insane all the time with a bruised butt and shifting problems. It gives me the edge since I race well when I am happy. I love both of my Colnago's

101bike.com: What are you currently testing?

Shanna: I do own a computrainer, power cranks, great polar heart rate monitor, Altitude training tent, and all the other stuff you can buy. I think that all of it helps but most of all it is the training that makes me successful.....I put in the miles.



101bike.com: On you website I read you are very active in supporting the the Boys and Girls club of America? Why this charity, tell me a little bit more about the Boys and Girls club.

Shanna: I chose the boys and girls club since this is where I feel like I could do the most good. I want to inspire young children to a healthy lifestyle and hopefully I can starting at the Boys and Girls club. My life changed the minute I did a triathlon. Since I wanted to do more triathlons I excelled in all areas of my life. I have a great business, house, and seem to be able to do what I want to do. I have done enough racing and want it to be more meaningful and if I know that every mile I do is raising money for the Boys and Girls |Club then when I am having a down I can focus on the kids and what I am doing to help them.

101bike.com: What are you ambitions, both personal and from an athletic point of view?

Shanna: Athletic---swiss gigathlon 2007, breaking the Ultraman record, running badwater and doing the Furnace 508 in the same year, and possibly returning to RAAM again in the future. Personal- keep in close contact with my family, Raise money and inspire kids and the Boy and Girls club, and keep my clients happy so I can always have some money in my pocket.

101bike.com: Who would you like 101bike.com to interview next?

Shanna: Mike Trevino



101bike.com: Anything else you would like to add?

Shanna: Follow your heart...this is what I have done and look what I have accomplished. Live life like there is no tomorrow and treat others the way you want to be treated. Enjoy yourself!

Thanks for the interview Shanna!!!!

All the very very best !!!