I’ve written boatloads of articles over the years about PC tech, building PCs, hardware specs, benchmarks and other topics that PC enthusiasts (read: PC geeks) care about. Geeks obsess over details. How many shader cores? What’s the latency? Bandwidth between interconnects. And so it goes.
I’m also a fairly serious amateur photographer. I obsess over which lenses would be ideal, how fast they should be, ISO settings, which noise reduction app works best. I suppose you could call me a digital photo geek, but I’m a pale shade of some of the real pros out there.
Then there’s bicycles.
Right now, I’m looking at a spreadsheet I built comparing four different touring bikes. I’ve got the primary list of components, much like you’d list components for a potential PC I might build. However, that’s not the geekiest part.
Another part of the spreadsheet is the geometry data. Head angles, effective top tube lengths, wheelbase, chainstay angles, etc.
As with PCs, bikes are purpose built for certain types of applications. In my case, I’m looking for a steel frame touring bike. Right now, I own an five year old Giant OCR3. It’s a sport road bike with an aluminum frame and a 98-inch wheelbase. It’s very responsive, handles well but this middle-aged body of mine can feel every bump and bit of pea gravel the bike encounters.
Also, the OCR3 lacks good braze-ons for racks. I don’t plan on doing any long distance touring, but I’d like to haul stuff around town. That means I want a rack (or racks), panniers and the ability to attach all manner of gear. It’s not necessarily true that steel bikes are more forgiving. What is true is that most touring bikes have geometries that result in a more forgiving, if slightly less responsive, ride. I had a steel touring bike when I was in college, and loved the way it rode and handled.
What’s really interesting is that when I hit the various bike forums, like bikeforums.net and cyclingforums.com, I find myself reading some of the geekiest, most opinionated posts I’ve ever read. These guys make the people over at AVS Forums look pedestrian by comparison.
What’s really fun is how some of these guys are really into modding their bikes, or even taking a bare frame and building a bike from scratch. It appeals to the part of me that likes building my own PCs.
I won’t be building a bike up from scratch soon. But I plan on getting a decent, steel frame touring bike and gradually upgrading components on my own. That’s how I got started building PCs – getting a generic, white box system and eventually replacing every single component inside.
Right now, the choices are between a Trek 520 and a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The local dealer, Bicycle Outfitter, carry Treks and can get Surlys, but don’t carry them in the shop. What’s great about this store is that all the folks I’ve talked to are more the touring or commuter type of rider, rather than would-be racers. And they’re willing to listen to my neophyte questions. At this point, a really good dealer is worth more than going out of my way to find a different bike.
As for my two choices: the Trek 520 seems to be well liked, but no one seems to have particularly strong opinions about them. On the other hand, the Surlys seem to attract the same type of following you see with Apple products on the tech side. It’s fascinating to read through a thread, find someone talking about a particular bike they might be considering, only to have a hard core Surly fan pop up and talk about how a Long Haul Trucker is really the only possible choice.
This all brings me back to my initial point: being a passionate geek is really a state of mind. It’s not about tech, gaming or any one activity.
Now, excuse me, I have to go back and stare at my spreadsheet for a bit.
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8 comments
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David Siebert says:
August 3, 2010 at 1:57 pm (UTC -7 )
Have you pick added a carbon fork to your road bike? That really helps the ride a lot.
I do know you mean about AL frames. They are stiff.
Loyd Case says:
August 3, 2010 at 2:08 pm (UTC -7 )
I may add a carbon fork later, to whatever touring bike I end up with. The OCR3 I’m riding currently actually has a carbon fork, but it doesn’t seem to help the ride much. Mostly, it’s the wheelbase. The OCR3 is 98 cm, versus the 104-105cm of the Trek or Surly touring bikes.
WSmart says:
August 4, 2010 at 7:52 pm (UTC -7 )
Had to run out and measure my Schwin World Sport; 104cm. I can still feel the pea gravel on the road. I think you’d be much happier on a mountain bike Loyd.
Be real, be sober.
Loyd Case says:
August 4, 2010 at 8:08 pm (UTC -7 )
Actually, I’ve test ridden a Surly Long Haul Trucker, and will be testing out a Trek 520. The Surly certainly had a very forgiving ride.
The nature of the ride is about a number of things: the geometry, the materials, the seat, the fork and others. It’s not really just one factor. And, of course, there’s always the subjective factor: how do you feel when you’re riding?
My OCF3 isn’t so forgiving. But the upside is that the handling is precise and quick.
David Siebert says:
August 5, 2010 at 12:26 pm (UTC -7 )
For transport or hauling a mountain or hybrid may be what you want. Keep the street bike for when you want to do some hard fast miles and the use the other for commuting. You will get a much smoother ride for sure.
PS my wife and I really miss the old extreme tech podcast and she is still addicted to Plants vs Zombies.
Loyd Case says:
August 5, 2010 at 12:49 pm (UTC -7 )
Thanks for the advice. I think, however, I’m going to go with the Trek 520.
I don’t actually have a commute, since I work out of my house. But I plan on a mix of just riding, and using it in place of a car for short haul shopping trips. The 520 is a touring bike, and is a good mix of road and hybrid.
Plus, I may actually do some touring!
As for the podcast: I’m trying to find a good partner to podcast with; solo podcasting isn’t particularly appealing.
David Siebert says:
August 6, 2010 at 6:40 am (UTC -7 )
Hope you love it. I love my old hardrock. It was the last of the steel frame Hardrocks and I will probably get around to putting better wheels and drive train on it some day. For me off road is so much better then on. We have very few bike lanes where I live but just a mile from my home we have a canal that has a grass service path that extends for probably 60 or so miles. You can take a nice 20 mile out and back ride through orange groves and see otters and lots of birds and NO cars.
It is actually safe to listen to music or pod casts on that ride.
Of course the good thing is they just finished about 30 miles of bike lanes near my home so I will soon get to ride my road bike without much terror.
No pressure on the podcast thing. Just want to let you and the other guys know that you are missed.
Extreme Tech just isn’t worth reading anymore. I used to go every day now I almost never bother.
Zack Uribe says:
August 6, 2010 at 11:01 am (UTC -7 )
Wow, this post is pretty amazing. I also am a self professed geek who has been building myself computers for years(used a Cyrix in my first build). I got into Photography in 1998(primarily sports and nature), and started building my own bikes in 2000(Time Trial, track and a couple single speeds).
I enjoy your work…and your notes on your play,
Zack
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