Not so much a question as a comment I’m hoping many will read & understand. As I weaved my way through the streets of downtown St. Louis this morning, on my way to the Riverfront Trail, I passed a much younger man on what appeared to be a high end Kona dual suspension bike. Well…passed is really the wrong word. More like sucked his doors off – if he had doors. He caught me at the next red light and said something to effect of, "Man – how do you do that? I’m pedaling my a** off couldn’t keep up."
The light turned green & I just left him there wondering. I didn’t have time to tell him his seat height was way too low, he was in the wrong gear (pedaling much too fast for level city streets) but most of all – it’s a mountain bike in the city!
If there is a question here – it’s this…"What good is a ,000 dual suspension mountain bike in the city if an old fat man with arthritis in the back & knees can blow you away on a hybrid that cost much less?" Know in advance where & how you will riding. Mountain bikes may look cool, but what good are they in the city?
Comments welcome but not necessarily needed. Almost 30 miles round trip.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=3231+Lafayette+63104&daddr=S+Jefferson+Ave+to:S+Jefferson+Ave+to:N+Jefferson+Ave+to:Washington+Ave+to:38.633936,-90.181832+to:Riverview+Dr&geocode=FRQ-TQIdKCaf-in7cMb6hbTYhzGDotAHesoYGg%3BFYg5TQIdI1ef-g%3BFZB2TQIdmGuf-g%3BFRSGTQIdlXSf-g%3BFSV3TQIdjL-f-g%3B%3BFXVdTwIdttSf-g&hl=en&mra=dvme&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5&dirflg=b&sll=38.629913,-90.180459&sspn=0.015824,0.027423&ie=UTF8&lci=bike&ll=38.63055,-90.192261&spn=0.063295,0.109692&z=13
I’m smiling at your story. I see the same thing most times that I ride on well-used bike paths. I think it’s because people walk into a bike shop and ask for "a double suspension mountain bike" so the sales guy in the bike shop just sells them what they asked for. In my experience, most bike shop sales guys are hesitant to ask, "Where and how are you going to ride the bike?" and try to convince the prospect that a different kind of bike would work better. They’re rightfully afraid that if they try to divert the customer to a different kind of bike that the customer will just go somewhere else to buy what he said he wanted in the first place. (This includes women who go into the bike shop looking for a "girl’s bike.")
I liked your story. Ride safe.
HTH
well not everyone is as educated when it comes to bikes as enthusiasts. Like when i told my friends i was gonna buy a $550 mountain bike, they thought i was insane and told me that i could just get a $99 bike at canadian tire. (Lol but i let them try the bike and they realised why it was 550!) And 550 is not a lot compared to better bikes.
Normally I would assume that he just bought that bike as his only bike and uses it to get around while he hits the trails with it on the weekend, but how you described it, it seems like he was just another one of those misinformed people when it comes to bikes.
normally if i pass someone i don;t think too much of it
they may not be in a ‘racing mode’
that is, they are not trying to keep up with me, for whateve reason
but this guy, you said, was amazed
he was clearly trying to keep up and couldn;t
he could have gone faster if
a. he had slick narrow hard tires
b. he could lock suspension
and as you said,
use the right gear
set the seat high enough
clipless pedals maybe
or maybe he is just out of shape
young and or thin doesn;t have to mean in shape
most people don;t ask
since he did, i might have spent a minute telling him a few things
refer him to web sites or a bike shop
but mt bikes in the city – what good are they?
well they are rugged
curbs and potholes are not a problem
steep hills
other than that, not as good as hybrid or road bike
wle
Most people look at a full suspension bike and think that looks cool and must be comfortable to ride. They don’t realize the shocks are there to keep the tires planted on the ground for control and traction. The tires, saddle height and technique didn’t help him any. I see people on rail trails all the time pedaling way to slow and end up taking a break every few miles. You wont see anyone on a full suspension bike from Walmart very far from the local parking area for the rail trails.
I may have told him what is was doing wrong but I always say " try this " or " it may help to change that ". Most of the time I don’t bother unless they say something. The last time I said anything was when I passed a guy going into a pretty good head wind and stopped at the local county store. He showed up and ask how far it was to where he came from. I showed him my $10 Walmart cyclometer. He asked about pedaling speed and I told him but he said he feels best at a slower speed so I didn’t say anymore about it.
It just amazes me when people suggest a mountain bike to use as a commuter.
If I had to guess, I’d say he just doesn’t understand how to ride. I’m sure a lot of us can think back to the first time we got hooked on riding, the first time someone told us the ‘right’ way to ride. I’m 31 and still remember going from a BMX as a teenager to a road bike and the guy at the shop sizing me up. I thought for sure this guy had no idea what he was doing, the saddle was so high. But instead I found that *i* was the one with no idea, and became educated because suddenly riding was a LOT easier, and somehow going faster too. Over time we learn things like proper seat height, cadence, gearing, rolling friction, wind resistance, etc. Its easy to forget that once we were ignorant too.
With any luck, you just infected this guy with that very bug, and right now he’s talking to his LBS, and while he may or may not have the money to get another bike, his LBS is giving him the free knowledge on how to ride *better*. Maybe in a few months, while you’re sucking wind, he’ll blow *your* doors off, and only have time to say ‘thanks’ as he flies by =)