Diamonback Wildwood vs. Marin Stinson

By now, some of you already know that Tiffany got her bike too. How else could she have gone bicycling with me?

 

 

Anyway, she debated over which bike to get: the Diamonback Wildwood or the Marin Stinson.  She had preferred Wildwood, having a flashier color paint and a softer seat.  Stinson, on the other hand, with better components, costed $70 more.  I talked her into getting the Stinson.  Since Tiffany was already quite comfortable riding my Stinson, I figured that Stinson will last longer and that she would be more likely to ride it if the bike performs better in a long ride.  Besides, we would have matching bikes.

 

So I exchanged my Stinson from a 17" to a 18" frame.  Tiffany got hers in a 15" lady’s frame.

 

It’s been a little over 3 weeks since she got her bike.  It held up well.  I’m glad that we got our bikes — we now share an outdoor activites that we both enjoy doing.

 

By the way, I read a number of complaints on Wildwood after Tiffany bought her bikes — the seats on Wildwood were too soft and didn’t hold up well on a long ride.  I guess we made a right choice.

Wished I Had a GPS

I finally got a GPS cycling/fitness computer.

Before I got the computer, there was no easy way for me to record my speed and my path.  One way to log my path was via Windows Virtual Earth.  As of this writing, it is still in Beta but works quite well.  I create pins between each legs and measure the distance given to me by the application.  Since each leg needs to be measure separately, this is a somewhat tedious process.

The other benefit of having a GPS (in addition to having one that also works as a cycling/fitness computer) is mapping the path during the trip and keeping from getting lost.  Take a look at this MAP.  My original plan was to start from my home, ride to Stonefire Grill, have lunch with my wife and family, continue onto Sport Chalet to have the machine check the rear derailer, and return home.  The trip turned into a series of wrong turns.  I finally found my way home, but the whole trip went from the originally planned 19 miles to finally 25 miles.  I’m still glad that I completed the ride, but — boy — I was tired.

I was so hungry when I got home that I wolfed down two bowls of cereal.

GPS Garmin Forerunner vs. Edge

I wanted a portable GPS to record my path when I ride.  The device should also have the capability to upload the record to the computer and overlay the recorded path over a map.  After researching several different brands and models, I narrowed by choices to two: Garmin Forerunner 205 and Edge 205.  Both essentially offers the same features.  Edge is more bicycling oriented, with a larger screen and a bike mount.  Forerunner is a newer model with a wearable form factor (unfortunatelly, no bike mount) with slightly different onboard software, which duathon or triathon athletes would find useful.

Even though that Forerunner has a smaller screen, the wearable form factor won me over.  As the first test, Tiffany and I rode to Ruby’s for dinner.  The record of our ride has been uploaded to MotionBased for your viewing.

I have taken Forerunner around Irvine, Costa Mesa and Rowland Heights, CA.  It works generally well while driving, bicycling and walking.