zacster

I was in San Francisco and wanted to do a ride into Marin, so I went to one of the bike rental places, Blazing Saddles, figuring I'd just get one of their touring bikes. I asked though about road bikes and they had those too, and he suggested a Trek aluminum bike, but then saw he didn't have it in my size so he gave me a free upgrade to a carbon bike. When the other guy brought it over, it was even a further upgrade, a brand new Specialized Roubaix with 105. I ride a Kuota carbon with Chorus 10 on it at home so I'm not unfamiliar with carbon, but this Specialized rode so much nicer, the shifting was smoother than I remember Shimano to be (hence Campy on my bike) and just a nicer bike to ride. I put 45 miles on it with some climbing, something I don't get anywhere near enough at home, and I felt like I could have put another 50 on no problem. It was just so comfortable with a shock in the fork/stem and that felt nice, and also 28 tires where I always ride 23 at home. Also the 11sp 11/34 in back made for easy spinning up those SF hills.

Maybe at my advancing age I should consider something like this, more comfortable but still extremely capable. N+1! I just wish I had more time to ride it.

Stormsedge

Doggone those rental bikes...happened to me too!

noodle soup

That's why bike shops rent/demo bikes.

It's much easier to sell $5000-$15,000 bikes, after the shopper has used a bike like that for a few days. Parking lot "demos" are practically useless for both the buyer, and seller.

MinnMan

Whenever I am in San Francisco, which is usually in December (annual professional meeting there), I steal away to the Wharf, and go to Blazing Saddles. I rent a road bike (usually it's a Giant Defy) and ride across the Golden Gate into cyclists paradise- Marin County. If I have time, I climb Mt. Tam. If not, I just ride the hills and valleys around the Marin Headlands, or stay in the flats along the bike route/path on the east side.

I've never had a problem with a bike from Blazing Saddles. Like most of the rental shops at the Wharf, most of their business is comfort or hybrid bikes to fredly tourists, but they keep a stable of real road bikes and they are, in my experience, kept in good repair.

It's always a nice break from the winter riding here in Minnesota (where it was 13 °F this morning - in early November.....)

indyfabz

Is it twue what they say about carbon bikes?

MidTNBrad

Good one!

CarloM

I was about to say, if a Blazing Saddles opened up near me, short of them being price-gouging jerks, they would immediately become my LBS of choice! Of course I'd probably be kicked out pretty quickly as I would nonstop quote that film in the shop. I imagine each trip to register, after being rung up for the price, would have to include "Somebody's gotta go back and get a #$#load of dimes!"

CliffordK

You need to cross-post this in C&V.

See if you can convince all those guys riding steel with downtube shifters that there have actually been improvements in the bike world in a half century.

I will say that when I upgraded from my old Colnago to my 20 year old Colnago... boy... that felt like what bikes really were meant to feel like!!!

. Cranky .

Seriously. The real reason people like steel is that there's carbon in it.

indyfabz

I was going to use that one, but I didn't want to risk upsetting the mods.

MinnMan

Ha ha. Right director, wrong movie.

CarloM

How so? She says it to Sheriff Bart. (About “you people being gifted”...it’s twue, it’s twue...”

indyfabz

Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp in "Blazing Saddles." Not to be confused with Terri Garr as Inga in "Young Frankenstein." Thanks for playing. We have some lovely illusory drop bars waiting back stage for you.

zacster

Tired of playing the game...

They're in NYC too apparently but not that big, not that I'd notice a bike rental company here. But in SF they seem to be everywhere.

MinnMan

Got me. I was thinking of the Young Frankenstein scene....

Jon T

I'll never be convinced that I need to stop riding steel or using dt shifters. Been doing both for 50-plus years. There's nothing wrong with my 35 year old Pug that I bought new. Like the saying goes, "It ain't broke so no need to fix it". I refuse to go "clipless" as well.
Jon

zacster

true story, we were at the LaGuardia High School performance of Naughty Marietta, and the song "oh sweet mysteries of life.." starts. The audience burst out laughing, all of us boomers with high school kids... I know, wrong movie, but it's my thread. Walk this way... no, THIS way.

Another true story, I'm in a late night "war room" meeting about going live with a new system, and we're going through the user list and I say "oh, the last name on the list is zebriskie", so some smart-ass asks since I knew the last name off the top of my head, "well what was the first name?" "Ab something, AB Normal"

And to be clear here, LaGuardia is the best performing arts school in the country. Their productions rival those across the street at Lincoln Center and down Broadway. It was after all the "Fame" school.

seedsbelize 

All my bikes have downtube shifters; one of them is indexed. I have never ridden crabon, but I would be interested in trying. I have never seen Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein. And I can't remember the name of the Producer(s) of them. Never was a fan.

DeadGrandpa

I can't use downtube shifters. It's mtb shifters on trekking bars for me. Index shifting is exponentially better than friction shifting.

I also use toe clips and straps, but I don't pull them tight.

For me, carbon fiber is a superior material to steel. Absorbs vibrations and doesn't rust.

The humor of Director Mel Brooks is an acquired taste. Both subtle and low common denominator, it's a niche appeal. Like tires 40mm vs 23mm, it's up to the rider. The thing that blows my mind is the "bike rental" concept. It's too personal an object to be share with others, for me at least.

MinnMan

I remember that school as being called "Music and Art", but maybe they changed it or maybe that was just its informal name?

I've been terribly wrong on this thread once already, so I'm probably wrong here too.

seedsbelize 

But crabon asplodes. Steel does not. And platforms for me too. I gave up clips when I got old.

zacster

It was HS of Music and Art and also the HS for the Performing Arts that were merged into LaGuardia High School for Music, Art and the Performing Arts. I think "Fame" was originally about HS of the Performing Arts. 2 of my kids went to LaGuardia for music. One is actually working in the music business for various opera companies, but on the business side.

zacster

My 15 year old crabon bike asplodes the myth. My 40 year old steel bike is rusting. My guess is the carbon will outlast the steel.

I rode the Blazing Saddle's bike with straps since I didn't have my pedals and shoes with me and it was fine. I didn't tighten them because my shoes would never have come out if I did. I could tell that the hardcore riders were not taking me seriously because I had running shoes on and not cleats and Keos or SPD or Speedplays. I didn't have gloves or cycling glasses either. I was twice as old as them too and still could keep up.

znomit

I had a recent close call. The rental I got is Las Vegas was a beat up carbon roubaix. Tiagra shifters (left one look broken but shifted OK), adjusted to only give me 9 gears, and the rear brake didn't work. Don't miss that piece of junk at all. PM me for shop name.

Still had a great ride though.

DeadGrandpa

Well, Steel certainly doesn't assplode, so you got me there. My carbon bike must have a defective detonator.