calling all cycling addicts in Syracuse area!

titoav15

titoav15

New member
As some of you may already know, I am new in Syracuse area. I was wondering if any of you guys enjoy road biking (Tour De France, is the best way to describe it :) )? I heard that there are a lot of races/ events going on here in the fall/summer/spring that I am very excited about to attend. I would like to know if anyone on here does this sport. I enjoy riding with people, making friends and making it a weekly habit so here is the open invitation!
 
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I ride a fair bit, both road and mountain, but have never been interested in racing. I ride because its fun, and I burn out really fast if I start thinking about always trying to get faster.

This year i'm going to make a real effort to get more into triathlons and similar events. I'm already signed up for the Tough Mudder, and I've got my eye on a handful of triathlons/duathlons.
 
Im a novice rider not exactly in Syracuse either. But my goals for the upcoming season are to hit regular half century rides, I got about 500 miles in last year and am hoping to get between 750 and 1000 coming up.
 
Weekend warrior here. I try to ride 2-3 times a week, BUT, I only ride road to stay in shape for the dirt. I'm a cross country mountain biker by nature. haven't done a race in 15 yrs. I hit the dirt as often as my wife will let me. I do a few 30-40 mile rides a summer on the road. Otherwise its 60-90 minute sprints depending on my window of time.
 
I'm a road cyclist with a multisport bent. Though this past fall I did build a mountain bike so I guess I'm pretty well rounded at this point. I'm not really in to road racing, just don't dig that scene I guess. I find multisport to be more my preference for competition.

You should look up the Onondaga Cycling Club:

http://onondagacyclingclub.org/

jackson, what multisport events are you planning on doing? I will probably have a pretty laid back year but am hoping to do the Fly By Night, Caz tri, and the DeRuyter tri.
 
The tough mudder is the only thing I've actually registered for at this point. I'm not sure I'd call it a multisport event... it's kind of it's own beast, but it fills up fast so I wanted to get in early.

Everything else will depend on my schedule with my kids, but here is what I'm eyeballing at this point -
  • Tough Mudder - April 9
  • Binghamton University Tri - no date set as yet, but I work for the department putting it on, so...
  • 8th Annual Trooper Biathlon - May 8
  • Fly by Night Duathlon - May 28
  • Keuka Lake Tri - June 5
  • Broome County Tri - July ??
  • Cazenovia Tri - ??

Like I said, it's all based on my weekends with my kids, but I'm definitely doing the tough mudder, and I hope to do one of the biathlons and 2 or 3 tris. I wish I could find a off-road tri in the area, but no luck as yet.
 
My brother in law wants to do a tough mudder - he's done a few similar "crazy" multisport events and did his first offroad tri this past fall - said it was way harder than he had anticipated.

Is the Binghamton University race always that early in the year? I'm guessing the swim is indoors? Usually the Fly By Night feels almost too early for me so I would consider you brave to have two or three races BEFORE it! :D
 
This is only the second year we've run it, and both times it's been that early. And yes, the swim is indoors. The bike route is, IMO, overly complex... too many turns through too much neighbohood, but I digress. The run is a 5k on grass. Definitely not a trail run, but it's not on pavement either.

If I didn't work here, I probably wouldn't do it. IMO, it's not that great of an event. But considering the resources we have to work with, it's the best we can do.
 
wow so there are quite a few people that do it here, cool! thanks for the link der_wille_zur_macht :) Great to know that there is a local club. I have done time trials last year but hav enot done any racing yet... I got into this sport fairly recently. I also have a gary fisher hifi 29er for my mtb. but it seems that I have more passion for road or that I am a clean freak and hate to clean my bike after each ride lol. I am hoping to upgrade my bike this year sometime hopefully... I have a trek 1500 but would like to upgrade to a madone 4 or 5 series (hopefully used but maybe new) and sell my other one! Also I have been in Wayne's & Melter's and it seems like a killer shop!! What do you guys think of that shop?
 
Not a big fan, but they seem to be the lesser of several evils. I say that as I've been dramatically disappointed with their service. I also have gotten the impression that if you're not going to drop serious coin in there, they quickly move on to the next customer who will.

Again, I'm primarily a "dirtbag", but for IMHO for the hands down best shop in town, you have to leave town and head to Geneva. Sorry for sounding jaded.just be an informed consumer and you should have no worries.

PS not a 29er fan at all, but the HiFi is one serious machine! Nice choice! :thumbsup:
 
Great to know all the inside stuff about the shop, it is overpriced on some stuff, I am a huge online shoper but some things you just can't get online without a risk. I am not a big 29er fan myself especially when it comes to turns, but it climbs well and once you hit the puddles it rocks cause its like an SUV lol and i love the full suspension, like riding a Cadillac thought the trail!
 
Wayne's and Melter's is like the Drs Foster and Smith of cycling. Big and mostly mediocre. I've had their "service techs" tell me unsafe things. I went in once asking for brake cable housing and the kid went in to the back and came out with a length of shift housing - when I prompted him on it, he said "doesn't matter, does it?" :hmm4:

If I need a local shop I usually go to Bicycle Alley in Manlius, mostly because it's close to my side of town. It has a nice "small business" feel and I know all the staff. They don't mind helping me with random little things even if I'm not buying a new bike every year. My brother is a bigtime mountain biker and he goes to the bike loft out in north syracuse.
 
I hate to crap on a local business, so sorry if it came across that way. Bike Loft is decent. They know their stuff. Bicycle Alley usud to be closer to me. I loved them. Treated me nicely when I didn't have a pot to .....you know what, in. I bought a new bike from them in 1996. Broke the frame 2 years later. The company wouldn't help me, but the owner Eric bent over backwards for me when I was a broke college student. If they weren't 30 minutes away I'd give em more business for sure.

Mostly, I spread my money around locally. Just gotta know who to use for what. I bought my 2010 Specialized Epic online :D
 
I only mountain bike, but if you're looking for cool trails I would suggest the Bird Sanctuary in the Valley, Skytop by SU and Split Rock in Camillus. Bird Sanctuary being the best IMO, unless you're more into man-made obstacles, then I would suggest Skytop.

Anyone ever check out the Camillus Forest Unique Area? I've hiked through there and it seems like it'd be pretty good.
 
Big fan of Skytop here. I live right near Split Rock. Don't ride it much anymore.

For my money Shindagin Hollow in the southern tier is the cat's pajamas. Well worth the trip. Dryer Road in Rochester is really fun for a 1/2 day trip.
 
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