Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 1, 2013 at 1:24pm

If only I could get my wife to ride this I'd snap it right up.

Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on April 1, 2013 at 2:23pm

Yep, it's a pretty great bike. I initially got it for myself as a 'winter bike' but ended up never really riding it. I may have rode it for 1 first friday or FBC ride, but not much in between there. I 'passed it down' to my wife, who rode it once. Such is life, right?

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on April 2, 2013 at 12:19am

Women Bike Chicago needs all of those wives! (sorry to hijack, Jim)

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 2, 2013 at 1:25pm

Since my wife just LOOOOOVES her old Raleigh M30 hybrid I think I'm stuck with stealthily upgrading each component with something nicer.  The first thing I need to get rid of are the Acera V-brakes.  They stink so bad.  I adjust them after every ride and by the end of the ride one shoe is always dragging on the rim.  Turn the adjustment screw only about 5 degrees and the arms flop the other way.  First thing first is getting some nicer V-brakes that will actually take and hold an adjustment and centering, and then I'll replace her rear derailleur which is a noisy clunkmonster on the 7-speed transmission.  I think the twistgrip shifters are OK but the derailleur just doesn't want to work very well.  The hanger has been aligned to within a 0.1mm at the rim but that still isn't good enough for that sacked-out RD.

I already got the go-ahead to replace the destroyed Weinmann rear rim with a CR18.   She admits that needs work -the rest of the stuff will need to be replaced like a ninja.

By the time I mess around replacing the all the crappy junk components on her bike so they don't need to be tuned every ride or two I could have just bought Jim's Trek here...

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on April 2, 2013 at 2:08pm

Just thinking the same thing, Lisa!

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Women Bike Chicago needs all of those wives! (sorry to hijack, Jim)

Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on April 2, 2013 at 2:44pm

Well, if you can get mine to get over her fear of riding on streets, she's all yours. Ha.

I don't mind the chatter. It's the Chainlink way of doing FS threads.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Women Bike Chicago needs all of those wives! (sorry to hijack, Jim)

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on April 2, 2013 at 3:02pm

Sent you a PM!  Also, maybe your wife would like something with a slightly less aggressive riding position? ;-)
Jim S said:

Well, if you can get mine to get over her fear of riding on streets, she's all yours. Ha.

I don't mind the chatter. It's the Chainlink way of doing FS threads.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Women Bike Chicago needs all of those wives! (sorry to hijack, Jim)

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 3, 2013 at 4:50am

Or you might ask her if she'd be interested in taking this traffic skills class.

Jim S said:

Well, if you can get mine to get over her fear of riding on streets, she's all yours. Ha.

Permalink Reply by David P. on April 3, 2013 at 5:50am

Jim,

I can pseudo-volunteer my girlfriend to help :) A. had the same fear when she started - two years ago she'd never ridden in the city at all save for 2-3 times, timidly, with me. She was fairly terrified of car traffic and the risk of being hit by a car. Six months later she was like, "what would I do without my bicycle?" and she goes everywhere on it. If she can do it, so can your wife, as long as she wants to. Of course, if she doesn't really want to ride around the city nothing is going to make her comfortable....

Jim S said:

Well, if you can get mine to get over her fear of riding on streets, she's all yours. Ha.

I don't mind the chatter. It's the Chainlink way of doing FS threads.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

Women Bike Chicago needs all of those wives! (sorry to hijack, Jim)