mbsbike2002

D - I have to say that it is cruel & heartless to break out the candy corn ticker God i love that shit (and the little melamine pumpkins, too), even though it's really flavored/colored plastic. No candy corn form me this year.... B

J - Agree that it is sometimes a joke, but none-the-less, still fun to see that I consume 657 calories and it estimated 739 due to logged exercise... What is more of a joke is the estimate that says in 12 weeks, I'll weigh 196... If only it were that easy BG - Mmmmm... Vicodin.... I have some codeine-based cough medicine in reserve for those completely craptastic days, plus a little of the loritab syrup left over. B

BG - Sorry about your accident. Glad, though, that you weren't hurt. JC - I'm like you - I want solutions, not unknowns; however, hopefully the delay and change of venue will bode well for keeping your band, and not going under the knife to have it revise/removed, etc. HP - Good for you for taking a road bike for a test spin, and for knowing that it didn't feel right. That's why it's important to ride several (many) before buying one. It may be that a trek 2000 in the right size frame would fit well, or it may just be some quirky geometry that won't agree with you no matter what size it is. Keep looking and riding 'til you find one that fits right. J & D - How's school going? I'm trying to get a crapload of stuff done before mine starts up on 9/17... I may not be logging big miles on the bike, but I have been walking 2 miles a day and riding the trainer for a little over an hour every day. It's sad when the fitday estimate for calories burned due to purposeful exercize is well over the number of calories consumed. It should make the ticker drop like a rock, though... Have a good day!! B

September 4 - AM - 65 minutes on bike trainer PM - 2 mile walk with dog

Hi Traci :eek: D - What a ride! While riding the trainer in the exercise studio may be boring as shit, at least I don't worry about flats or being part of a root beer float! BG - Are ya out riding the ODB? JC - How's the recovery from yesterday's ride and its associated aches and pains?

September 3 AM - 2 mile walk with wife and dog PM - 66 minutes on bike trainer

Exercise to-date for September: September 1 AM - 2 mile walk with wife and dog PM - 64 minutes on bike trainer September 2 AM - 2 mile walk with wife and dog PM - At least I didn't eat a bunch of crap at the family BBQ More to follow....

Hey gang, just taking it easy this weekend, and trying not to spend too much time dorking on the computer... Went to a BBQ at my grandparents last night. I never noticed how much smell plays a part in appetite. Things smelled sooo good, which made it even worse, since I couldn't have any of it. I was a good boy and ate my 1/3 cup of protein pudding (woo hoo). I was shocked and amazed that my grandparents didn't make a big fuss over me not eating. Was afraid I was going to have to yell at them (we're italian, nobody pays any attention to anything unless it is yelled). JC - good for you - 80 miles is a great day riding! Hope to be there, and beyond, by next spring. Will require a lot of work, but it will be worth it. Sorry to hear that you have gained some back. Like J and others have said, we're here for you. D - 32 miles is great! I've been able to get about an hour a day on the trainer, which doesn't provide near the workout that "real-world" riding does (also boring as hell.) J - Are you recovered from your ride? Sorry to hear about Kira. I had to put my lab girl, Brandy, down about 2 years ago. She was 14 1/2, and had been my companion for all of my adult life - moving with me across country 3 or 4 times over the years, and she had more frequent flier miles than many business people who travel regularly. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but she told me when it was time. (alright, time for me to go cry some...) LS - Don't wait more than a day or so between rides, especially at the beginning, or it will continue to hurt to ride. I also recommend getting proper padded bike shorts, it will make a world of difference. At least in Florida, once you get used to it, you can ride year 'round, so you won't have to start from scratch again each year when bike season rolls back around. B

She's a cutie! Get her a pet for me. B

That's too funny. The first time I read it, I thought the opening was "banana massage", and the rest of the post was what happened when JC spooged on his keyboard again... I need to start paying better attention to shit... B

J - Way to go chica!!! I'm so happy for, and proud of, you!! Great pics, too!! Get some rest, enjoy your evening out! Lou - Welcome. 8.6 is great for your first ride - I think I made about 4.5 miles on my first ride out. I was banded a little over two weeks ago, so I'm riding the trainer for now. Will be back on the road at the end of September. B

Explains the fascination wtih stainless steel....

With all this thermos talk, I'm feeling pretty inadequate... B

BG - They are adorable... B

Hey gang, just checkin' into the woodshed, lest i get in trouble on the more reputable parts of LBT. I heart the beer bananas and the girlie parts Off to eat my 1/4 cup of Soup and 2 crumbled saltine crackers... Then get my ass on the trainer to keep my "Texas Bike Trainer Bitch" status... B

D - Sorry you keep losing your posts. It pisses me off when that happens. Like others, I have started typing my longer posts in word, and copying and pasting to the forum... BG - I haven't ridden since July 18, so i feel your pain on not riding. Get out there and get riding again. Ride that old dirty bastard with a smile... BTW - If you win the lottery, send a couple K my way for a new bike. Will be buying a ticket tonight as well, so I will be happy to reciprocate... JC - Thanks! I want to work hard enough on the trainer so that I'm stronger when I get out on the road than the last time I rode. Tonight I'll ride for 45 minutes. In answer to your question about ultimate bike - RANS Stratus XP Titanium http://www.ransbikes.com/SXPTI%2007.htm#. It's not a sexy roadie, but for the type of endurance riding I want to do, it will be perfect. Will probably end up with the Steel version of that bike, though. $1,995 v. $5,000. Aluminum is $3,500, but has reduced weight limit, so if I was going to spring the $3,500, I'd go ahead and fork over the extra $1,500 for the titanium. I hope that your surgery goes well and the doc is able to correct your band. You are a strong person, and we will be here to support you. HP - I love fried chicken, too (part of the reason I ended up at 336, I think). Early this summer, once I knew I was going to be banded, I had a farewell fried chicken dinner. It was the worst fried chicken I'd ever had. Was soooo pissed off. I think, though, it's one of those foods that I will have to avoid, good fried chicken is just too good to have only a few bites. J - back at ya! Enjoy the hell out of your ride tomorrow! Let us know how it goes - I expect that we'll hear the "Woo Hoo!!!!" all the way down here in Texas! Jobstud - Are you still with us? Did you ever get your bike? B

Climbed on the trainer last night. Turned the pedals at a pretty light intensity for 30 minutes. Felt like I could have gone much longer, but don't want to push too hard too soon. Will probably increase to 45 minutes tonight and then an hour tomorrow. Once I can go for an hour, I'll start to increase the intensity/resistance. Hopefully, by the time I can climb back on a real bike, my legs will be nice and strong. When combined with a significantly lower weight, I should be able to get to Biker Bitch status in a very short time... Traci - Sorry to hear about your truck - that sucks... My wife did something similar in her 4runner a few years ago - impaled the engine on a pipe sticking out of the ground. Was no fun at all. Enjoy your new Pom & post some pictures when you get her. B

I hear yeah - I want the off-bike thing to go away too. On the other hand, it's just 4 more weeks out of the rest of my life. Rather stay off of it and make sure I'm healed than to try to ride and fuck something up. Glad to hear that you are getting to hang on to buddy for a while longer. Dogs are such great companions... B

JC - Probably not a 30-mile report, but maybe a 30-minute report... Give me a few weeks, and I'll be back on the real bike, riding real miles. Grumps is almost back to normal, she's going to have to be on a special diet for the next few weeks, but she will be fine. Thanks for asking! How's Buddy? Is he still staying with you? J - I would recommend the jersey, especially for a 50-mile ride, but like you, I find it hard to go into the LBS to pick up one thing. It usually turns into 2 or 3, and instead of spending 50, I end up spending 200... B

J - I feel pretty good. Still a little tender in the port area, but it's not too bad (not even taking Tylenol for it). Sleep is good, I can finally sleep on my stomach again, which makes me very happy. I am drinking the SleepyTime tea, which has helped immensely. I'll have to be careful not to overdo it without having any pain or discomfort to disuade me.. Thanks for asking! OOoo, and big day, I get to add crumbled crackers to my soup.... mcondjel - I had almost the same experience - I bought a bike, started getting some distance and speed built up, got strep (but didn't know it), sucked it deep down into my lungs while huffing and puffing on the bike, and was off of it for the next two months. My doctor said, "I usually never say this to anyone, but you have to stop exercising for a while..." My lungs still haven't fully healed, but they've been busted for nearly 20 years... Sounds like you have some beautiful biking. Here in Texas, I bike amongst the corn fields, we have two seasons - "scorching hot" and "not quite scorching hot". B

Went to the doc today for my 2-week follow-up. Got a gold star... I can start riding the trainer as soon as I want - might not do it tonight, it's 80 degrees in Texas in August - I'm going for a walk, I think. mcondjel - Welcome. And I agree, a properly fit and adjusted bike is critical to reducing the likelihood of injury and discomfort. JC - I hate it when they make ya work for a living... Bastards... B

D - You just made my wife's day!! I think "fugly slut computer" will be her new saying for everything that's wrong with the world... B

HP - Got the bug, huh? My two cents, which are worth about two cents - Steel/Aluminum v. Carbon - Carbon has two main advantages compared to steel: greater strength per unit of weight of material and flexibility. These do, however, come at a price in both dollars and fragility. While the flex of carbon will help smooth some rides, that flexibility can result in a more fragile frame. A steel diamond frame bike (which is the traditional style bike) can sustain several thousand pounds of force, which means a very heavy biker (400-500 pounds) can ride, hit potholes or other bumps and the frame won't break (wheels, hubs, other components may be another story). A carbon fiber bike, on the other hand, while stronger per unit of weight of material, can't handle anywhere near that much stress. Even normal weight riders can break a carbon frame bike in the right circumstances. I would be very wary of buying a carbon bike that cost less than 3 or 4 thousand dollars. Any money you would spend on a carbon bike would be better spent getting better components on a steel bike. You might consider a carbon fiber seat post, though. They are supposed to make a big difference in ride smoothness. Compact Frame v. not compact frame. This really has to do with the proportion of the frame in accounting for leg versus torso length. I wouldn't shop specifically for one versus the other, but choose whichever fits you best. I would, however, make sure to at least look at a women-specific-design bike. It's not the old-school girls bike, but a bike that has geometry more likely to fit a woman (women of a given height typically have longer legs, shorter torso than a man of the same height). Bike manufacturers in the price range you mentioned, such as Trek, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale, and others all have WSD bikes. Hope this helps. Keep us posted on your bike shopping adventures! B

HP - My wife offered it up, so I don't think so. I've known Karrie (my friend) for 11 or 12 years, and for some of those years, she was my boss. We've been through a lot over those years, but while we're good friends, there's nothing romantic there - more like brother and sister. It might be different if I was biking alone with a girl I had just met and that my wife didn't know. G'Night everyone. B

HP - Those pictures are priceless!!! As Beavis and Butthead would say, "Fire! Fire! F-F-F-Fire!!!!!" Argh - spent all day in budget meetings, which is foolish, because I have no budget! They ran late; I didn't get my walk today; and I'm pissed about it... I did find out that one of my best friends at work has taken up biking, so once I can get back on my bike, I'll can ride some with her. B