What cadence should I be riding at? My knees have been bugging me. I was chatting with a triathlon coach the other day. When I mentioned my knees he asked about bike fit (which I think is OK) then he said that I should be pedaling at 85-90 rpm. He said it would help my knees. Damn, that's a lot of rpm! I've been riding at more like 70. What do you guys recommend?

I'm in the 85-90 range.

It takes a bit of time to work up to that. Also, some bikes, and people, feel better at different RPMs. Just need to experiment. But, the bottom line is that "torquing" it at a low cadence is really hard on the knees. Spin 'er out!

What he said. It is all based on your body; big guys tend to spin slower with more torque, little guys faster. That said, I am about 230, and I make a concious effort to spin, as my knees are shot too. Lots of variables in the fit, but try spinning, it's good stuff. :clap

I test rode the X1 and really liked the way it handled. Way too much blue bling on there for my taste though. I couldn't find out too much about the wheelset that the bike came with but the rest of the components were good.

I already had a set of King hubs though and wanted to try out the SRAM 2x10 (Hey Askel :evil) so I ended up going with the other bike I was looking at which is the Niner Jet 9. I just ordered the frame and a bunch of parts and built it up. They both seem to handle pretty similar though. I think you'll be happy with the Giant and happy with the big wheels no matter you get.

Check out the new Salsa Spearfish 29er for the working man's version.

I will check out that Specialized, thanks. I am partial to XT parts which is one reason the Giant appeals. I'm also better friends with the Giant dealer which is worth something to me.

Our CF instructor is retired Navy Seal...sometimes when he gets after me I feel that heat. It's impressive.

The blue bling is a bit much, I agree. Not sure on the wheels but I'm in the habit of keeping my bikes for about a decade so the wheels will be changed out for DT Swiss (local W Colo based company) at some point.

That Salsa is nicer than I expected. I'm not sure I could do it as I raced on a Salsa A la Carte when Ross Shafer was the owner and I have hung out with him a handful of times. The new aluminum models lack the rich salsa soul for me. Some of the guys from Salsa went and started Soulcraft and make great bikes...we'll see how things go.

I'd get a Niner if money was not an issue. Or maybe a Lenzsport. I'm trying to get it done without feeling as if I'm neglecting my son's college fund.

Proper bike fit will lead to more riding which will lead to higher cadence. Proper bike fit is HUGE.

Also, speedplay pedals will help knee issues (on a road bike).

Ooooof.

I just got off of my first road bike (with gears-I've had a fixie for a while). Really, my first ride of any substance for years. My butt hurts (I know, duct tape...).

Anyway, I wanted a steel frame, and I didn't have a lot of scratch for what is essentially an experiment. So, my buddy sells Masi bikes, and they offer a line of steel frames. I ended up with this:

http://urbanvelo.org/wordpress/wp-co...le-530x353.jpg

Double butted, Tiagra 9-spd, and not bad looking. Not a full-blown race bike, but not bad nonetheless. I doubt my Turner will be embarrassed to share garage space. :D

Same here. I couldn't get past the way it looked. Way too much flash.

I still don't like the polished aluminum on my Stumpy. Yet, everyone else seems to like it. Maybe, I have no taste.

My guess is they're re-branded something-or-another, as they've really stepped up the house-branding, this year.

My experience with their stock build is that they chase grams, at the expense of durability. Understandable, since their stuff is always light. The wheelset would be my first upgrade, having taco-ed the front wheel (WTB) on my 26" Anthem. I couldn't believe how much stiffer the replacement Mavic wheelset was.

Ughhh! I was drooling over that or a Santa Cruz Tallboy. Both are such awesome rides. Unfortunately, I don't have a box of MTB parts for a buildup and acquiring stuff was beyond my budget.

Have you seen the graphics on that dude? Just gorgeous!
http://salsacycles.com/files/blog/Sp...ame_Update.jpg

What are we duct taping? :huh

Ahhh, screw the bike snobs! I like it.

Not my cup of tea, but that is one Bitchen looking Bike!!

Anybody have cycling knowledge of Florida?

I'm looking at the Cross Florida Greenway. Based on the government sites, they say it's a 110 mile greenway. However, when I look at the maps, it looks like a bunch of community trails linked together. IDK. I can't figure out what the hell it is. I'd like to ride coast-to-coast, but, without a solid map or knowledge of what exactly the greenway is, I don't want to risk it.

Also, what about mountain biking? I see all kinds of MTB trails. Is it worth it to take a MTB? Or, are they just paths in the trees? I ask this because I want to immerse myself in cycling for the week and don't want to miss out on an opportunity. Also, I'd have to take my truck to carry 4 bikes versus taking the car, which gets about 50% better mileage.

Not many "mountains" in FL to do decent mountain biking... :rofl

FL trails
 

Florida does have an IMBA epic trail at Santos in Ocala. Never been there but MTB Action had a review a few months ago and they liked it. Here is a link http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/santos.html

I really liked the Tallboy but it was just too much $$. The 2010 Jet frames are 40% off right now so that tilted me in that direction. I could have gone used on the Tallboy but I really didn't want to be the second owner of a carbon mountain bike.

I haven't seen the graphics up close on the Spearfish. That is really sharp! Salsa has some cool looking stuff. I always liked the green Dos Niner.

Here is my Jet 9. I'm still trying to get the stem height and length straightened out before I whack off the rest of the steerer tube.
http://jmabry90.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...34_ehjSy-L.jpg