[robz71lm7]

Just curious. I recently picked up a Trek 7.5 FX to help me continue to lose weight and to prepare for a true road bike. I also wanted a healthy hobby and lifestyle change. I'm planning on adding a full out road bike late next year (hopefully '09 on clearance) when I'm more competent and know exactly what I want.

[sgarnett]

Hmmm, bikes, lessee ....

Got hit by a truck and broke my back when I was 16. My brakes were apparently wet; I saw the truck but couldn't stop. I tried to turn behind him, but there wasn't time. I didn't ride a bike much for years after that. I tried it in college, but didn't really care for biking with a full load of engineering textbooks shifting around.

Not long ago, I bought my daughter's first bike, and a Townie for me. Serious cyclists will not want a Townie. People with back trouble might (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) On the first day that my daughter was really starting to show some confidence and get the hang of spinning the pedals, she took a turn too fast and broke both bones in her forearm. She had to have a titanium rod inserted surgically from wrist to elbow, and will need surgery again after Christmas to remove it.

I'm convinced now that training wheels are a lot more dangerous than learning "the old fashioned way", because you can't lean into a turn enough. Heck, my first bike was even missing the pedals; I had to just push the cranks. My daughter had a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads, but that didn't help. The instinctive reaction for a child is to stiff-arm the fall to try to stop. Now I'm trying to teach her to fall with her elbows bent to just slow the fall ....