Joining the Carbon Superpowers, for a day...

UndercoverElephant

Right chaps, I'm off to San Francisco in a couple of weeks, on business, and have a free Sunday to play about and try to get over the jet-lag. As such I'm planning on hiring a bike, riding over the Golden Gate bridge and doing something called "The Paradise Loop".

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-st ... /408760710

Now, the bike-hire pace has some options as to what to hire, I could get, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive:

A Marin Stelvio 105

A Specialized Roubaix

A Talon SL Road

Ah, decisions, decisions... Anyone want to help me out choosing?

DonDaddyD

I've been given a red letter day to drive a car around Silverstone. My options are

Focus RS

BMW M5

Aston Martin


Dude, UndercoverElephant, if you can afford it test ride the Talon SL Road.

lardboy

When you hire stuff, always go for the best you can afford. You may not get a chance to ride it again, so enjoy it while you can.

This was my logic when I rode coast to coast (LA to Washington DC) on a Harley Davidson Electra Glide a couple of years ago. Yes, it was huge and heavy, but totally worth the extra cash.

bigmat

I'd go Marin or Talon. Hell, the Roubaix is such an ugly bike - never ceases to amaze me. All a matter of taste of course and I'm sure it rides like a dream. Is your route the onw down to Sausalito? If so, MTB could allow you to get off road into Muir Woods / Marin County. Road bike could be fun though, there's quite a sharp hill on the way back to Golden Gate bridge if you go back that way, beats the ferry (my wife was amazed I cycled back quicker than it took her on the ferry!)

cyclopsbiker

remember you can't cycle on the road...you have to use the pavement:

http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfra ... bridge.htm
"Golden Gate Bridge by Bicycle: Bicycles can use the Golden Gate Bridge 24 hours a day, but which sidewalk they're allowed on varies, with the west (ocean) side being most common."

Maxticate

lardboy wrote:

when I rode coast to coast (LA to Washington DC) on a Harley Davidson Electra Glide a couple of years ago.

Just out of interest lardboy, what did that bike hire cost and do you rate the experience. It's something I am interested in doing.

UndercoverElephant

DonDaddyD wrote:

I've been given a red letter day to drive a car around Silverstone. My options are

Focus RS

BMW M5

Aston Martin


Dude, UndercoverElephant, if you can afford it test ride the Talon SL Road.

You make a convincing argument, Mr. DDD.

UndercoverElephant

MatHammond wrote:

I'd go Marin or Talon. Hell, the Roubaix is such an ugly bike - never ceases to amaze me. All a matter of taste of course and I'm sure it rides like a dream. Is your route the onw down to Sausalito? If so, MTB could allow you to get off road into Muir Woods / Marin County. Road bike could be fun though, there's quite a sharp hill on the way back to Golden Gate bridge if you go back that way, beats the ferry (my wife was amazed I cycled back quicker than it took her on the ferry!)

Yes, through Sausalito and onwards to Tiburon. Then round the headland to Corte Madera and back. About 43 miles in total.

cjcp

Talon. But, as Mat said, would be worth checking out the off-road routes, too.

Have they put some decent barriers up on the GGB yet? I found riding over it a little unnerving at times, although there was a bit of a cross-wind.

UndercoverElephant

cyclopsbiker wrote:

remember you can't cycle on the road...you have to use the pavement:

http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfra ... bridge.htm
"Golden Gate Bridge by Bicycle: Bicycles can use the Golden Gate Bridge 24 hours a day, but which sidewalk they're allowed on varies, with the west (ocean) side being most common."

Yeah, my first time back on a bike since I was a nipper was a few years ago when I hired a hybrid and did the trip to Sausilito over the bridge. I was knackered after the eight or so miles that was, and we took the ferry back. The pavement isn't too bad, it's just for bikes as they use the other one for peds and it's pretty wide.

MonkeyMonster

Roubaix ugly?! Go wash that mouth out sir.

Go for most expensive anyway

UndercoverElephant

cjcp wrote:

Talon. But, as Mat said, would be worth checking out the off-road routes, too.

Have they put some decent barriers up on the GGB yet? I found riding over it a little unnerving at times, although there was a bit of a cross-wind.

I think there's always a cross wind! The barriers seemed fine to me, very thick on the edge of the bridge and pretty solid looking keeping you and the cars separate.

UndercoverElephant

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roubaix ugly?! Go wash that mouth out sir.

Go for most expensive anyway

It *does* look a bit upright, though. Very long head-tube, don't you think. I'm swaying towards the Talon, but if I end up wanting one, you're all in trouble with the Mrs.

lost_in_thought

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roubaix ugly?! Go wash that mouth out sir.

Go for most expensive anyway

That roubaix is seriously ugly.

UndercoverElephant

lost_in_thought wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roubaix ugly?! Go wash that mouth out sir.

Go for most expensive anyway

That roubaix is seriously ugly.

I'm not sure the Talon didn't fall out of the ugly tree and hit every ugly branch on the way down, either.

Cafewanda

UE, go for the Talon. I've not looked at the others but if that's the most expensive you should go for it

I'm sure the missus will understand if you want one. It's the actual purchase that could, possibly, cause slight discord

thelawnet

don't forget your helmet....

Got abuse from two cyclists for not wearing one when I was in SF for the day.

I hired the basic Marin hybrid when I was there. Quite nice actually.

Beware of the hills!

lardboy

Maxticate wrote:

lardboy wrote:

when I rode coast to coast (LA to Washington DC) on a Harley Davidson Electra Glide a couple of years ago.

Just out of interest lardboy, what did that bike hire cost and do you rate the experience. It's something I am interested in doing.

We only had 2 weeks, so had to get a move on. The experience was a story of two halves, pretty much either side of the Mississippi.

On the west, it's all about getting miles done, including a couple of 370+ mile days mainly on Interstates, just getting to the next sleepover point. We made sure we stopped off at something every day, including getting some good miles along old Route 66, at least the bits that aren't now I-40. We crossed the Mississippi at Memphis.

After Memphis, we headed down to the Smokie Mountains and through the Blue Ridge Mountains to DC, and had days and days of country roads, including Deals Gap, an 11 mile stretch with 318 curves, that's just made for biking, and was a particular highlight.

The first half was a bit of a strain, truth be told, but completely worth it for the second part, which was awesome to the power of 10. Ideally we'd have taken three weeks which would have allowed enough time in the west to do the Grand Canyon, Death Valley etc, rather than just powering through.

Money-wise, we used EagleRider, and it cost about £1000 for each bike. We got a deal for a one way rental, where someone had done the trip from DC to LA before us, and they needed the bikes returning, so there was a reduced daily rate, and no one way rental fee (usually $300!) They have these pretty regularly, so it's worth getting in contact with them. It worked out about £1000 for each of (1)bikes, (2)transport and hotels (combined), and (3)spending money. Not a cheap trip, but for a once in a lifetime, pretty good.

PM me if you want more info, or a link to pictures.

rf6

On a coast to coast, if you can fit in the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap I would recommend it. Go early in the morning on a weekday tho, weekends tend to be a cop-fest!

Maxticate

Cheers Lardboy and rf6.

PM sent.

Oh and IMO the Roubaix is no more or less ugly than the Marin but they are both worse looking than the Talon.

davis

Awww. I've got the Roubaix

In black, though, and I think it looks lovely. So there.
*flounce

Edit: Go for the most expensive though, in any case, for all the above reasons

il_principe

F*ck me but the Talon is ugly, ugly ugly ugly.

UndercoverElephant

Il Principe wrote:

F*ck me but the Talon is ugly, ugly ugly ugly.

I agree, to be honest, but that's not really a deal-breaker for a rental. It's not like I have to live with it. :twisted:

DonDaddyD

The Talon is ugly.

The profile of the Roubaix is ugly, in the flesh (and this is the same of the Tarmac) to me they're like the Vectra/Insignia/Mondeo of the cycling world. I'm not saying they're bad bikes just a little everydayish and uninspiring.

Assuming you go for road riding another reason you should go for the Talon is exclusivity. You can at anytime go into a Evans and ask to test ride a Roubaix. Same with the Marin. You can't with the Talon. It's like going on holiday and not trying the local cuisine or getting a hire car in say Japan and going for a Focus/Astra instead of something you can't get here.

UndercoverElephant

DonDaddyD wrote:

The Talon is ugly.

The profile of the Roubaix is ugly, in the flesh (and this is the same of the Tarmac) to me they're like the Vectra/Insignia/Mondeo of the cycling world. I'm not saying they're bad bikes just a little everydayish and uninspiring.

Assuming you go for road riding another reason you should go for the Talon is exclusivity. You can at anytime go into a Evans and ask to test ride a Roubaix. Same with the Marin. You can't with the Talon. It's like going on holiday and not trying the local cuisine or getting a hire car in say Japan and going for a Focus/Astra instead of something you can't get here.

An otherwise excellent argument, all-but ruined by the last part. Now all I can think of is how shite all the American cars I've ever driven were, and am now wondering wether it's worth doing at all. :?

DonDaddyD

UndercoverElephant wrote:

An otherwise excellent argument, all-but ruined by the last part. Now all I can think of is how shite all the American cars I've ever driven were, and am now wondering wether it's worth doing at all. :?

American cars aren't shite there just not built for our (European purposes). If you want something ostentatious that can go fast in a straight line with lots of push you eyeballs back torque then your quids in with a American car.

I'm expecting your report on the Talon to say it's blingy and sprints like a true muscle bike!O

MonkeyMonster

lost_in_thought wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roubaix ugly?! Go wash that mouth out sir.

Go for most expensive anyway

That roubaix is seriously ugly.

! well perhaps its gone to pot in recent years but my bro's looks lovely thank you maam!

/spluttering outrage

Christophe3967

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You have to consider the type of bike you normally ride, and how comfortable you're going to be spending a long time on an unfamiliar bike. The Roubaix looks like it might be a rather more relaxed ride than the Talon, and more forgiving on your back. Depends how many scalps you want I guess.

rolf_f

DonDaddyD wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

An otherwise excellent argument, all-but ruined by the last part. Now all I can think of is how shite all the American cars I've ever driven were, and am now wondering wether it's worth doing at all. :?

American cars aren't shite there just not built for our (European purposes). If you want something ostentatious that can go fast in a straight line with lots of push you eyeballs back torque then your quids in with a American car.

Exactly x100! (Though most aren't massively fast even in a straight line but that isn't the point) I drove a Dodge Charger (new sort alas) around British Columbia and Alberta last year. It was great. Bang it into drive, set the cruise control and five hours later you are half way to where you want to be and still feeling good for the other five. No need for fantastic handling as the roads aren't that bendy and no need for bucket loads of power as there isn't anything to overtake. No ludicrous fake alloy detailing, just a basic, slightly daft looking car that fits nicely on the roads there, makes a decent noise and has enough over-engineered power to make the drive pleasant. Quite a nice antidote to the overblown euro crap that a lot of people for some reason want to be seen in.

UndercoverElephant

Rolf F wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

An otherwise excellent argument, all-but ruined by the last part. Now all I can think of is how shite all the American cars I've ever driven were, and am now wondering wether it's worth doing at all. :?

American cars aren't shite there just not built for our (European purposes). If you want something ostentatious that can go fast in a straight line with lots of push you eyeballs back torque then your quids in with a American car.

Exactly x100! (Though most aren't massively fast even in a straight line but that isn't the point) I drove a Dodge Charger (new sort alas) around British Columbia and Alberta last year. It was great. Bang it into drive, set the cruise control and five hours later you are half way to where you want to be and still feeling good for the other five. No need for fantastic handling as the roads aren't that bendy and no need for bucket loads of power as there isn't anything to overtake. No ludicrous fake alloy detailing, just a basic, slightly daft looking car that fits nicely on the roads there, makes a decent noise and has enough over-engineered power to make the drive pleasant. Quite a nice antidote to the overblown euro crap that a lot of people for some reason want to be seen in.

The only half-decent one I ever got was a Pontiac Solstice, a sort of American MX5 thing. It *was* pretty good fun and even cornered OK. All the others have been faceless rental cars which despite their claims to have 4l engines couldn't have out accelerated my old Fiat Punto. Rubbish, even in straight lines.

UndercoverElephant

Well today was the day. Having flown in yesterday, today was my free day before the work stuff starts tomorrow.

Picked up the Kestrel Talon from Blazing Saddles. I found that the cleats from my "Keo compatible" pedals aren't actually compatible with Keo's, luckily they had a set of "Keo knock-offs" that they could pop on the bike. The cleats were now perfectly compatible.

Headed out after a test-ride and a saddle-height change towards the Golden Gate bridge. The Talon is kitted out with Ultegra SL, Mavic Askium Race wheels, feels light but solid. There's a map here that the shop produces. I took a route called "Paradise Loop", over the bridge, through Sausalito, Mill Valley, right at Corte Madera (nice hills between Mill Valley and Corte Madera, good windy road too), through Paradise (bit of a misnomer), round the headland to Tiburon (a lovely stretch between Paradise and Tiburon), through Strawberry and back to Sausalito, across the bridge and back to the shop. Total distance, 50 miles on the head, total time 2h 45m.

Thoughts on the Talon: Rather nice, actually. Very nice indeed up hills, really quite got into tearing apart other riders going up hills. Lovely. Straight-line speed and down hills, quite disappointing, given it's lofty, "Want to go faster than you ever have on a bike?" claims, and all the sacrificing looks for aerodynamics. I think both of my bikes would be faster. I don't know if this was the set-up, position or what, but I was a bit disappointed.

Thoughts on Ultegra SL: Nice enough, very light shifting action, but other than that, not really a massive change from a well set-up Tiagra. I'm glad I tried it, because now I don't have the upgrade itch.

Thoughts on the route: Very pretty, nice route, some stretches of which were brilliant. Only a couple of areas of high traffic. Not too hilly, only 1200 ft ascent over 50 miles. One nasty climb from Sausalito to the bridge, but not insurmountable.

Thoughts on cycling in California: Not bad at all. Drivers seemed a bit confused if you tried to act like a car at junctions. I think you're meant to get off and use the pedestrian's way, but no beeps from anyone when I didn't. Loads of other cyclists on the route, a very hight proportion of the roadies were laydees too. Oh, and Californians can't climb hills, not even little ones. They do have very fancy bikes though, and it doesn't appear to be bad form to wear team kit if you're slow. And I have to stop far too often/not often enough in order to check the map.