(no subject)

[camwyn]

I made a disturbing discovery the other day: I found myself getting somewhat out of breath upon climbing all four flights of stairs in my building. Granted, I have not made much effort to exercise this winter, but I have also been coughing a lot lately and hearing the occasional wheeze. The coughing is dying down, thankfully. I think it is about time I start bicycling again in earnest. There are two things I need to do that at this time of year:

1. An indoor trainer, because this is Jersey City and let's face it, global warming cannot entirely make the winter weather disappear, and

2. Some sort of face-covering that warms my mouth and nose, because I do want to get outside without taking the chance of harming my lungs further with sucking in excessively cold air.

I can locate the latter item myself without much difficulty. Has anyone here got much experience with indoor trainers? The website I'm looking at, ModernBIKE.com, recommends the use of a magnetic or fluid trainer for apartment dwellers since they cut down on the inevitable noise. They have a few other reccs as well, but if somebody else with real experience has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

My one New Year's resolution that is not on the Doable or Moderately Doable list is to finish at least one century. I'm planning on the Montauk Century, as it's supposed to be the easiest in the northeastern US. That's Sunday, May 20, 2007. I need to start getting ready right now.

Thanks.

Comments

[lienne.livejournal.com]

While I am possibly the furthest thing in existence from an expert on all matters bicycle, there does happen to be a bike on one of those little standy things in my dad's living room, and I can see said standy thing from where I'm typing. Upon closer inspection, it says "MINOURA" and "PowerMatic" on it, along with the address www.minoura.jp (http://www.minoura.jp), and upon visiting that website I have discovered it looks exactly like the "RIM DRIVE MODEL" picture on this page (http://www.minoura.jp/trainer-e2.html). I can also vouch that it makes hardly any noise at all, and my dad seems quite happy with it.

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

If you want to do a century in May, yes, you really need to start getting ready Right Now.

I'm afraid I'm no help with the stationary trainer, I've never used one. If I want to ride in the winter, I wait for the streets to dry and ride. Polypropylene long underwear is my best friend. (And I'd rec a polypro balaclava for your head in winter, it's thin enough to fit under the helmet with no problem, together with a cycling cap to block the wind from the airholes in the helmet.)

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

Minoura makes some of the best cycling equipment in the world, and they've been in the business a long time, so even though I have zero experience with this item I say yes.

[camwyn]

OKay, great. I just got off the phone with Chelsea Bikes and they recommended the CycleOps Mag+ model for me. Decent resistance, inexpensive, and quiet.

Part of the reason I want a stationary trainer is because I get home after six PM most nights of the week, and it's going to be dark that late for some time. I don't mind riding with lights on, but the drivers around here are positivey homicidal.

[camwyn]

Aaah, good to know. I'll have to look into that.