Your latest bike purchase?

Latest bike purchased is my only bike, today (I once had a generic hybrid 10-speed, which I last rode 27+ years ago before selling at a yard sale.) Staring down the calendar at my 50th birthday earlier this summer, long too sedentary and out of shape, I opted for a throttleless pedal-assist ebike, counting on it to make easing back into biking both fun and less painful, and thus (I hoped!) a form of repeatable exercise I could stick with, for once!
I took possession of it March 2 of this year, with me weighing in at 303 pounds; I am now this close to 4,000 miles ridden since, having lost 55 pounds in the process. I commute to the office on it when possible (next week should hit my 100th office commute.) I realize that is a long way from a car-free lifestyle (which I'm not currently trying to attain) and my inaugural year stats are a drop in the bucket compared to many riders... nonetheless, a huge personal thrill and achievement for me (miles, weight loss and stick-to-it behavior) since maybe in my whole life before this bike, I might have racked up 150 biked miles?
Now working on seeing how long into winter I can continue this new pattern... Managed 24 miles today and after, promptly went to REI for better warm sock options... ;)

This is my latest bike purchase of a Trek Checkpoint SL5 gravel bike. I'm planning on using it for rides throughout the cold season on both on and off road. I really like the Schwalbe G-One tires a lot. Shown in the picture are 700x30 tires, but I'll be changing them out to 700x35 for going more off roading.

Attachment 18654

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Christob50

Latest bike purchased is my only bike, today (I once had a generic hybrid 10-speed, which I last rode 27+ years ago before selling at a yard sale.) Staring down the calendar at my 50th birthday earlier this summer, long too sedentary and out of shape, I opted for a throttleless pedal-assist ebike, counting on it to make easing back into biking both fun and less painful, and thus (I hoped!) a form of repeatable exercise I could stick with, for once!
I took possession of it March 2 of this year, with me weighing in at 303 pounds; I am now this close to 4,000 miles ridden since, having lost 55 pounds in the process. I commute to the office on it when possible (next week should hit my 100th office commute.) I realize that is a long way from a car-free lifestyle (which I'm not currently trying to attain) and my inaugural year stats are a drop in the bucket compared to many riders... nonetheless, a huge personal thrill and achievement for me (miles, weight loss and stick-to-it behavior) since maybe in my whole life before this bike, I might have racked up 150 biked miles?
Now working on seeing how long into winter I can continue this new pattern... Managed 24 miles today and after, promptly went to REI for better warm sock options... ;)

---

Congrats on mulitple fronts.

* I too hit 300+ pounds (at 5'10") and sorta freaked out
* I let life/other obligations get in the way until then, but not since, i make taking care of myself a priority, including making time for biking again
* I'm down 60+ pounds
* I too got (built) an e-bike for myself to:

1) make hill climbing more realistic for commuting (trying to keep the sweats to a minimum)
2) assist in my low/slow days (again, hills kill you when you're a clydesdale)
3) allow me to stay in my sub 133 HR zone for my preferred workouts on biking (i've found a happy place with the Primal Blueprint/ Primal Fitness by Sisson and his 180 - age for your max everyday workout level.)

a lot of folks crap on e-bikes, due to bravado, ignorance, fear, whatever. But I hoped and have found it true that it's a great tool to allow me to ease back into it. I wish I would have gotten mine when i was 300, instead of 275 :)

For thread appropriateness, my latest bike investment/purchase

* since I got a hardtail 29er last year, i'd ridden my 1996 Ibis Hakkalugi (on 700 x 45/40) less and less (it was setup with straight bars) so i Just dropped it off at Bikenetic to get some drop bars, road shifters and cork tape installed - gonna use it as my first 'road bike' type setup in over 20 yrs. Sure more gravel bike with these knobbies, but have an old pair of cane-creek road wheels i'll put some 25c tires on for a proper roadie. As i get towards 200# I'll be able to get on skinny tires, with less discomfort than when i started out at 300#.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hakalugi

Congrats on mulitple fronts.
* I too hit 300+ pounds (at 5'10") and sorta freaked
* I'm down 60+ pounds
a lot of folks crap on e-bikes, due to bravado, ignorance, fear, whatever. But I hoped and have found it true that it's a great tool to allow me to ease back into it. I wish I would have gotten mine when i was 300, instead of 275 :)

---

Kudos to you! I ended 2018 down 61, and while I attribute that to both diet modification and the bike, I know the bike riding has played a large role, for added calorie burn, but particularly in keeping me motivated and far more aware of my body/fitness/stamina, etc., and the changes I'm achieving there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Christob50

Kudos to you! I ended 2018 down 61, and while I attribute that to both diet modification and the bike, I know the bike riding has played a large role, for added calorie burn, but particularly in keeping me motivated and far more aware of my body/fitness/stamina, etc., and the changes I'm achieving there.

---

Congrats on the weight loss. Meeting you today, I wouldn't have guessed you as 61 pounds heaver this time last year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Judd

Congrats on the weight loss. Meeting you today, I wouldn't have guessed you as 61 pounds heaver this time last year.

---

I can't believe it myself... while I've lost this kind of weight before (many years back) obviously it all came back (probably in no small part due to never establishing some routine exercise post-loss.). But here's a before-and-en-route image that shows the difference from April 2 to Oct 26. (The holiday season was a large "net nothing" for me, and I didn't resume losing until about New Year's.)

Attachment 18981

My first CO2 inflator, so I can leave my frame pump at home (and pray I don't get more flats than I have cartridges):

Attachment 19606

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by secstate

My first CO2 inflator, so I can leave my frame pump at home (and pray I don't get more flats than I have cartridges):

Attachment 19606

---

My only advice is that you figure out how to use it properly before you need it out on the trail. I've had different kinds of CO2 inflators, and a few that were totally unintuitive (like the really old Genuine Innovations Microflate that didn't have the head at a 90 deg angle). That PDW one looks better than the one that gave me trouble.

Also, make sure you carry enough of them :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by secstate

My first CO2 inflator, so I can leave my frame pump at home (and pray I don't get more flats than I have cartridges):

Attachment 19606

---

I have the same one, and it works great. It's very easy to control. I recommend grabbing a second CO2 cartridge when you stop at a bike shop next though and keeping that with you too--at least half the time I end up needing a second cartridge because I lose air doing something stupid, or (like what happened on the dumpling ride to me...) realize I need to deflate and re-seat the tire after inflating it the first time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by secstate

My first CO2 inflator, so I can leave my frame pump at home (and pray I don't get more flats than I have cartridges):

Attachment 19606

---

Is that an artisanal leather cover?