The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

Still maintaining, still no consistent exercise. I took my mountain bike by the shop for tune-up (if anyone else lives in the Asheville, NC area, Carolina Fatz is an awesome bike shop). I have a Haro v4, which I bought early last year. I did a lot of research on mountain bikes, read some reviews, talked shop to several store owners, and rode a few bikes in the same price range - I don’t think anything compares to the Haro:

• Solid, light frame
• Nice Shimano shifters - Moving from the grip-shifters my last bike (a Trek) had, these lever shifters are a dream. No more “dialing in” the gears - one click and it shifts.
• Shimano Deore derailleur - Deore isn’t the best in the Shimano line, but it’s nice and smooth. I tested bikes with Shimano components both higher (XT, LX) and lower (Alivio) in quality, and the Deore seemed to have the best quality at the best price. I could definitely tell a difference between the Alivio and Deore - less clunking, much smoother.
• Disc brakes - Moving from rim brakes to disc brakes was like upgrading from a 486 to a Core Duo: worlds apart. I tested both mechanical and hydraulic, and while I could tell a difference, I didn’t feel the cost was worth it for me.
• I love the shocks (it’s got a RockShox fork), but it wasn’t noticeably different than the others I rode, probably due mostly to the fact I tested them in parking lots. I purposely went for a hardtail - I don’t like the spongy ride a softtail gives, and they’re more money than I wanted to spend.

When I bought the bike, I immediately had them install some Shimano clipless pedals. It took about 15 minutes to get used to them, and a few rides to get comfortable with them, but well worth the price and initial discomfort. Just a tip - ride on dirt your first couple of times. And don’t skimp on the pedals - being able to clip out quickly is pretty important, as is being able to rely on the clip’s retention. I didn’t get anywhere near the most costly, but I didn’t skimp either.

This weekend, I’ll bolt on some fork clamps to the toolbox on my truck and an eyelet for running a bike chain, and I’ll be ready to hit the trails! Between mountain biking, volleyball (which should start up soon) and racquetball, there should be plenty of opportunity this summer for outdoor exercise. The first time in years I’ve actually been excited about getting outdoors - it’s a wonder what losing 70lbs will do.

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