Stud vs. Dud

Biking

As someone who’s sidelined from running, it’s getting to the point where it hurts to look at Facebook or blogs or heaven-forbid Daily Mile- especially on Sundays, after everyone’s finished their long run for the week.

It’s only been made worse now that beautiful spring mornings keep popping up. Normally that means it’s time for an early morning run- without bundling up from head to toe.

But this year the warm mornings and chirping birds are just taunting me.

So it’s time to do something about it. Since jumping out of bed and going for a run isn’t exactly going to happen anytime soon, it’s time to pick the lesser of two evils: biking.

Running has always been my first choice- part of the thrill is pushing yourself to cover a longer distance and pumping your legs harder than you think is possible. Biking may not be the same, but it can certainly accomplish both of those things.

Only problem is less-than-stellar equipment.

hybrid bike for triathlonsucky bike

So after alternately dragging my mom and the husband from bike shop to bike shop and bike again {and again}, I’ve finally picked out a bike. I think. Now it’s just a matter of finding it and getting it. {And learning to ride it…..}

But until then I’ll just keep eyeing the candy in the window…

giant avail 1

dolce elite compactfelt zw 4trek lexa slx silvertrek madone 3.1

kuota bike

Ask me about any just-above-entry-level road bike and I can probably tell you something about it. Just don’t ask me to choose one…..

Do you have a bike? What kind do you have? How.did.you.pick.one?!!

19 Comments

  1. d.a.r.
    d.a.r. on March 3, 2011 at 9:31 am
    Ooooohhh pretty!! I love my Trek!Reply
  2. Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun
    Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun on March 3, 2011 at 10:14 am
    No bike for me but we would love to get some to bike together as a family. Although then we would be the dorks with the little kiddie trailers behind us. LOLReply
    • Heather
      Heather on March 3, 2011 at 2:34 pm
      Hahaa that would be adorable ;)Reply
  3. Liz @ IHeartVegetables
    Liz @ IHeartVegetables on March 3, 2011 at 10:32 am
    Haha I still need to get a bike! I don't really know any thing about them though, and I just want something cheap I can ride around town :) I think I'm going to drag my friend to costco and get one :)Reply
  4. Cara
    Cara on March 3, 2011 at 10:51 am
    I love my trek! I shopped around for awhile too, but ended up taking some recommendations from a guy at the local bike shop who does triathlons and such. I think all the ones you have posted here look pretty sweet, eventually you've just got to decide. Happy bike shopping!Reply
  5. shelley
    shelley on March 3, 2011 at 11:04 am
    woe, nice looking bikes! i'd love to get a bike and pick that up, but i know.. i'm a little bit lazy when it comes to stuff like that... even running.. not so much for me.. i'm more of a walker... uhhhh oh that's why i stick with my zumba for cardio... *waving, shelleyReply
  6. Megan (Braise The Roof)
    Megan (Braise The Roof) on March 3, 2011 at 11:07 am
    I so want a bike! I'm not gonna lie, I get a little nervous about riding a bike in the city and I think that's a big reason why I haven't invested in one. Those are all awesome bikes (I think I like the second the best)!Reply
  7. Theresa @ActiveEggplant
    Theresa @ActiveEggplant on March 3, 2011 at 11:32 am
    Now I feel spoiled - I have TWO bikes! I have an entry-level Felt road bike for tri's, and a Surly Long Haul Trucker for touring and easy rides around the neighborhood. I picked the Felt for one reason - PRICE. I got it on sale as an "end of the model year" discount. I didn't want to get anything super pricey because I wasn't sure yet if I'd like skinny-tire bikes (I had been mountain biking on fat tires before this) and I didn't know if I'd like tri's or not. Someday I'd like to get something a bit higher on the "low-to-high-end spectrum" but seeing as I only do one or two tri's a year and I'm not setting any records, this one does the job just fine! I picked the LHT because it has a reputation as a tried and true touring bike, and that's something my husband and I are just getting into. It's got drop handle bars like a regular road bike, but the geometry is different (making it less "twitchy" than a road bike) and it has tires that are a bit fatter. So I can use it on the road or on dirt/shell trails if I want to. It's like the "Lay-Z-Boy" of bikes if you ask me - super comfy!Reply
  9. sassy molassy
    sassy molassy on March 3, 2011 at 1:40 pm
    Ooh, your super studlier one is the bike that Anne at FannetasticFood just got not too long ago. I love the colors. I bought a Trek Madone 4.5 a few summers ago and I absolutely love it. I'm not going to lie, I partially picked it thanks to its lovely baby blue and white coloring. But I also decided that I was going to spend a little extra on a bike that I would have for a LONG time and wouldn't need to upgrade in 2 years. And, I'm smaller (5'3") so some brands didn't fit my size well, even if they were a smaller frame. I also wanted to have a carbon frame and fork so that's how I chose. Good luck picking one!Reply
  10. Andrew
    Andrew on March 3, 2011 at 3:54 pm
    Nice group of bikes there. I bought a Jamis Venture Elite a few years ago when I got into Tris, and it makes the world of difference. I just bought a Quintana Roo Tequilo Tri bike for super cheap (999.99) at Inside Out Sports and it is even faster! I agree with the above comments, look for a bike that is last years model. Most bike shops won't steer you wrong, just do the research and don't forget the extras (pedals, shoes, repair kits, etc) Good luck!Reply
  11. merrymishaps
    merrymishaps on March 3, 2011 at 4:28 pm
    When I bought my entry-level road bike a few years ago, I was on a budget. My bike shop only had Felt and Trek low-end bikes. I liked the Felt one better -- bonus that it was a little cheaper, and purple!Reply
  13. ashley @ ashley's adventures in alaska
    ashley @ ashley's adventures in alaska on March 3, 2011 at 7:29 pm
    I sooooo want a bike, but haven't bought one yet. Perhaps this spring (spring is still 2 months off) I'll choose and buy one. I don't know much about bikes, so I'll need serious help choosing one when it's time.Reply
  14. AlisonM
    AlisonM on March 4, 2011 at 3:01 am
    Oh I love the silver Trek! I love Trek frames. If I could afford a bike at this level it would be this one.. Have you had a proper fitting though? Even though sizes are supposedly uniform across different makers, one frame might fit you better than another. And as a replacement to running I think biking is a pretty good substitute. I know what you mean -- it just doesn't quite give you that same feeling of tapping into your own reserves. But you can cover some AWESOME distances!Reply
  15. Faith @ lovelyascharged
    Faith @ lovelyascharged on March 4, 2011 at 7:16 pm
    I don't have one, actually, but I need to get one since I only work 9 blocks from my apartment...I've been walking, but it would be so easy to hop on the bike and then boom, be there!Reply
    • Heather
      Heather on March 6, 2011 at 6:17 pm
      We just looked at the Allez for the husband...it sounded pretty sweet :)Reply
  17. Bec
    Bec on March 6, 2011 at 7:08 pm
    I have a Treke WDS 2.6 that I love but really choosing a bike is all about how it fits your body and getting the best components within your budget :) I also have a specialized myka mountain bike that I really like. My parents both ride specilized Ruby/Rubaix that they really love.Reply

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