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Old 02-05-20, 08:01 AM
  #20  
CAT7RDR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Hacienda Hgts
Posts: 2,082

Bikes: 1999 Schwinn Peloton Ultegra 10, Kestrel RT-1000 Ultegra, Trek Marlin 6 Deore 29'er

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Risk
I see plenty of roadies on the routes I take even on week days. These are popular training routes with a lot of climbs. Although I have been sideswiped and run off the road, I never sustained serious injuries except for my own lapses in judgment leading to concussions. I mitigate risk by route planning, slowing down, keeping up with maintenance, using two back and one front flashing lights and high vis kits. SoCal might be the hit-and-run capital of the world for cyclists. I am just as concerned with all the drunks and addicts in this area as I am the texters. I smell pot coming from about 1 of 4 vehicles that pass me.

The two most recent bike accidents I saw were from from excessive speed on wet twisty roads; and poor maintenance, a blowout on a badly worn tire. One roadie had some bad road rash and the second likely had a fractured clavicle and concussion.

Gravel
I have hiked all the dirt/gravel roads in my area and it is not particularly scenic and often very crowded with hikers/dogs that are also very unpredictable. I do not see this as a very attractive option. Perhaps if I lived in a more scenic wooded area I would be interested in gravel riding. Otherwise, dirt SCE roads just plain suck!

Cost of Admission
I started road riding on an entry level heavy Mtn bike in 2014 that cost $600 at the time. In 2016 I purchased my carbon 105 mixed road bike for about $2,000. I do not pretend or buy into marketing that I need the best anything as a low level recreational cyclist that likes to ride in the local hills and mountains. My kits are mixed with higher end DeSoto, 2XU and LG as well as cheaper Chinese Amazon stuff which I am satisfied with.

I recently purchased a 20 year-old steel bike off ebay with Ultegra 6600 components after looking for and not finding a quality gravel bike for about $1000. This will be fitted with 28mm tires so I can use it on rough roads in the OC to be able to climb more on service roads.

Road cycling does not have to be expensive to gain admission. In retrospect, I would have been satisfied with a Tiagra level steel bike for $1,000 new back in 2016 but bought into the hype of a carbon bike that I later upgraded to full Ultegra mix 6800/8000.

Last edited by CAT7RDR; 02-05-20 at 09:10 AM.
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