Cycling?

[medea]

Does anyone in here cycle?
My best friends both go out together all the time and my wife and I would like to join in. I'm thinking I want a hybrid but I was hoping someone could make some recommendations on brand/model etc. I can't afford a $1000+ road bike right now and I'm just a beginner so I'm looking to spend under $300. I know I can get a good deal on a used bike on eBay, such as a Klein I was watching that went for under $200, but I'll probably purchase a lesser model new.
Thanks in advance.

[emw]

There are several good models out there in your price range. For a hybrid, take a look at the Treks, which can be fairly reasonable (the 7100 runs about $300, maybe less). We have an older version of the 7100 for casual riding that have worked out well. Comfortable. Nice features (handle shifters, nice seat). Reasonable price.

Before you buy, however, what do your friends ride? If they're out on a road bike, especially if they've been training for awhile and you're just starting, it'll be tough to keep up on a hybrid.

You can find reasonable road bikes for $400 - $500 dollars, and many bike shops have great deals on previous year's models (much like car dealers). The hard part is deciding what type of pedals you want. I love my "clipless" Look pedals, but it takes a little practice learning to get in and out of them with the cleats. But they're much easier to ride with.

And don't forget the accessories. If you're going on any rides over about an hour (less when you first start), you're going to want bike shorts (padded), perhaps special shirts (don't ride in the heat in a cotton t-shirt), water bottles, etc. You may also want cycling gloves as it will help maintain your grip (and makes a nice sweat mop). This adds up, but is important.

Oh, and the helmet. And cool cycling sunglasses. And a seat bag to store your wallet, keys, phone, spare tire, etc.

You'll find that cycling is expensive...

[gwuMACaddict]

what kind of riding are you going to be doing? road bikes and hybrid bikes are very different when it comes to posture and feel.

with your budget, i'd go with something used. ask around your local bike shop, usually an employee or two have a few old bikes that they're looking to get rid of.

[gwuMACaddict]

The hard pat is deciding what type of pedals you want. I love my "clipless" Look pedals, but it takes a little practice learning to get in an out of them with the cleats. But they're much easier to ride with.

i certainly wouldn't advise someone to buy a set of pedals that could very well cost just as much as the bike once you factor in shoes... $100 for the pedals + $100 for the shoes...

seems kinda silly to me...

[zarathustra]

I have a hybrid, amongst other bikes, and it's my favorite to zip around. the road bike is nice to take for serious rides but my fiance and I ride often and that's when the trusty hybrid comes in handy.

I have a Raleigh and it has served me well. It came with aluminum frame and rims, front shocks and suspension built in the seatpost because I wanted a hardtail. Overall nice Shimano equipment.

Because it was a last years model, I saved over $250 to bring in the total at $450. I know that you are looking for less, but that just gives you an idea about savings with old models.

I wouldn't worry too much about accessories at this point, just get in the saddle and ride.

[irmongoose]

I wouldn't call myself a bike enthusiast or anything of that sort, but yes, I do cycle. I go about an hour to two everyday during the summer, and two hours every weekend during the school days.

In fact, just two days ago I went on a bike trip with two of my friends up the Tama river here in Tokyo. We went to 50km, then turned around and came back 50. So 100km in total (about 62 miles).

We made a lot of pit-stops on the way to drink water in order to keep ourselves from getting dehydrated in the 30ºC (86ºF) heat. We must have made about 6 or 7 stops, and in that time I consumed 5L (1.3 gallons) of Aquarius (a sports drink).

In all we biked for 5 hours, excluding the pit-stops. So it was fun, and in my opinion really good exercise.

Right now I'm in the midst of planning a Cycling team for our school. Hopefully things will work out before it's too late for me to receive any recognition from the school for my efforts.




irmongoose

[emw]

i certainly wouldn't advise someone to buy a set of pedals that could very well cost just as much as the bike once you factor in shoes... $100 for the pedals + $100 for the shoes...

seems kinda silly to me...

Guess it depends how serious you want to be. I started out recreational, but it took about 2 rides with my buddy and his road bike to make me decide to switch. Besides, you can get a good used or clearance road bike for $300, pedals for $50-80, and shoes for $50-80. All told, not too bad.

You're right, though, road cycling gets expensive (hence my previous comment). Leisure cycling is pretty much a bike, a helmet, and go. But if your friend is road biking, you're not going to have a lot of fun keeping up with a hybrid, if they're at all serious riders.

[medea]

No my friends both have hand me down bikes, and mtb's at that, though everyone has shown interest in doing serious riding. Thanks for everyones input so far, we are going to go to a local bike shop this weekend and I'll see what fits me and see what they have in past year models or used.
What does everyone ride on now? Obviously someone here rides a Cannondale.

[gwuMACaddict]

cannondale mountain bike: tricked out for xc racing, cost more than my car :rolleyes:

cannondale road bike: old school, but aging like a fine wine... ;)

i still stand by trying to pick something up used. road and hybrid bikes don't typically see the abuse that mountain bikes do, and a model that is a few years old should ride good as new after a good tune up.

[medea]

Today we bought my wife a bike, it is an '04 Glen Fisher Zebrano. Since the dealer wanted to clear out stock for an '05 shipment we got a great deal @ $340 plus 10% off all accessories. All in all the dealer was a great guy and he made our day, he was so good in fact I told him if he carried the model I planned on getting I'd buy it from him on the spot. I had been looking at a Giant Cypress SX and was waiting on a different dealer to let me know if he had my size available at one of his other stores until I spoke to the guy we bought my wife's bike from. He told me about this Felt SR91 he had still in the box and told me to just check out the Felt website and look at the bike and if I was interested he would have the bike built sometime that week so I could come back and check it out and I was definitely interested in what he told me about the bike. I checked it out online today and it's an awesome set of wheels so I definitely am going back to ride it this week. The great thing about it is it's comparable to the Giant yet the lowest I've found the Giant is $600 and at that price I'm unsure if the dealer has my size and the only other Cypress SX I found in my sixe was thirty dollars more but this guy will give me the Felt for $500.

Anyways, anyone have personal experience with either bike?

[pseudobrit]

Speaking from personal experience, I'd avoid hybrids and mountain bikes. If the roadie bug bites you, you'll be sorry you wasted the $300 on a new bike. In my experience, the hybrid tries to combine both the ATB and road bike experience and ends up doing neither nearly as well. While designed for instant comfort to sell bikes, riding 50 miles a day on a hybrid is an exercise in discomfort and inefficiency.

Check eBay for good deals on these and similar bikes ($300-400, 2-3 years old):

Cannondale R400
Giant OCR3
Trek 1200
LeMond Nevada City

Fuji also makes a $400 bike called the League that may be right up your alley. Just remember that the more you spend up front, the less you'll spend down the road. Cheap bikes use cheap components and cheap components often become junk in short order. Usually by the time your components wear out, you're either disillusioned (bike sits in the basement collecting dust) or completely smitten (you'll want -- no -- need a better bike anyway).

Right now the 2005 models are about to roll out, so you can find deals now or very soon. If you're going the ATB route, it's hard to go wrong with a $300-400 hardtail, but it's not a very good way to cruise around town.

[Apple //e]

cannondale road bike: old school, but aging like a fine wine... ;)
.

the words "cannondale" and "old school" just dont go together

old school for me is lugged steel..... wool jerseys... .drilled out components... 6sp friction shifting.. maybe im just old

anyways...for the original poster....just get a used bike that fits. anything but a road race bike is good for starting. id recommend a mountain bike with adjustable stem. put 1.5" slicks for the road and youre set

if you decide to stick with the sport, buy another bike more suited to your particular interests.

[bousozoku]

I've been using a 1999 DiamondBack (before they went cheap) Sherwood hybrid for street and a 2000 Kona Lava Dome for off-road riding. The DB is available, if you want it. :D

If you want to go faster, there are several bikes around $600 new that would get you there. Hybrids just aren't fast bikes.

[Neserk]

anyone ever hear the word "cycling" as a euphemism for sex?

[medea]

Unfortunately I don't think you guys are that familiar with hybrids at all as there are many types of hybrids and to call them slow is inaccurate, both the Felt and Giant are performance hybrids which means they have a road bike frame with flat handlebars.
An MTB is not an option as there are few mountains in Florida, heh, and they are way to heavy for commuting.

[selloutvixen]

I had a crappy mountain bike until about a month ago. I live in Boston, but also travel around to different kinds of terrain, so I decided I wanted something versitile like a hybrid.

After reviewing both Trek's and Specialized's options and visiting a few different bike shops, I decided to go with a lesser known brand; Marin. (www.marinbikes.com) Because it's not as well-known as Trek or Specialized, it needs to offer a whole lot more bike for the money you're spending.

There are models that range from 300-500, depending on what you want. I opted for the San Rafael which has both front and seat shocks. It rides like an absolute DREAM. Actually, it doesn't ride.. it glides. However, if you're looking for the cheapest option, the Kentfield is right in your price range. It's pretty similiar, but the frame is steel instead of aluminum, (makes the bike slightly heavier) the shifting system is slightly different, and there aren't any shocks.

As far as other equipment you would need, definitely invest in a helmet. You can get cheap options such as a Bell or a Giro for around 40. Gloves are also nice to have if you can spare the cash to protect your hands in a fall. I'm recovering from a maginally bad fall with road rash on my hand; not fun! A water bottle cage and bottle is probably a good idea. (maybe 10 for both) Other than that, make sure you wear comfortable clothes and have fun.

I hope this helps. :)

[medea]

Marins are pretty nice, but not what I am looking for. I am set on either the Giant Cypress SX or the Felt SR91. Check them out, they both look killer though I think I like the geometry of the Felt more. I'll know for sure once I ride it.

[medea]

Here is my wife's bike, hers is a women's frame though. Not as sporty but it suits her well and I rode it and it gets plenty fast for her needs. If it comes down to it later on I can replace the tires and a few components when she wants, but I don't believe that will happen anytime soon.

[Apple //e]

Unfortunately I don't think you guys are that familiar with hybrids at all as there are many types of hybrids and to call them slow is inaccurate, both the Felt and Giant are performance hybrids which means they have a road bike frame with flat handlebars.
An MTB is not an option as there are few mountains in Florida, heh, and they are way to heavy for commuting.

hybrids are great for general city riding. i have one that i use for riding around town. its fun and is as fast as i can make it go. its upright position makes me see the scenery more than my race bikes

just because fl has no mountains doesnt mean you cant have a mtb.the fat tires and versatility make it a good choice for beginning riders. i dont see why a mtb weighs more than a hybrid. my hybrid weighs much more than any one of my mtbs

weight is not too important for a commuter bike, especially in flat florida - unless youre going to be lugging it up and down stairs.

for a commuter, think if you want to attach fenders and/or panniers and make sure the frame can accommodate them

jamis makes good bikes at a good price. and theyre a fl company too.

[fuzzwud]

i have a Jamis Quest road bike that I bought online from www.bicycleblowout.com. I bought it at the end of 2002 for $200 less retail with no tax and no shipping. That was saved me a great bundle of money. It cost $1300 locally and I bought it for $1100. (I happened to get some clothes at a big discount from bicycle blow out b/c UPS had lost the bike; and i waited 4 weeks for the replacement).

I want to emphasize how important it is to get the right size bike. I went to a local bike shop to try the various bikes and to see what size fits me the best. there's various tests and measurements they do. it's really really important for comfort and injury prevention sake. after i got the bike, i had it fitted where they adjusted the handle bar, the seat, etc. if you buy it locally, they should offer to do that as a part of the bike purchase.

before i got my bike fitted, i had a nerve injury to my 4th and 5th fingers on both hands. they became numb b/c of the position i was riding in and b/c the bike wasn't fitted yet. it took a couple weeks for them to get back to normal tactility. i've heard of worse stories about some lady injuring her leg b/c it got numb and couldn't walk for a while afterwards.

also, the seat is very important. make sure it's comfortable. i imagine mtn. bikes are more bulky and cushioned, but road bikes have small saddles. and it's a matter of time b4 you feel the pain in you know where. i hear it's trial and error, but i suggest a center split or butterfly type of saddle. it allows circulation and you'll be a much happier cyclist.

[Apple //e]

Marins are pretty nice, but not what I am looking for. I am set on either the Giant Cypress SX or the Felt SR91. Check them out, they both look killer though I think I like the geometry of the Felt more. I'll know for sure once I ride it.

definetely choose the better frame. components can be swapped but the frame remains the same. those two bikes have completely different geometries. the giant is more casual and the felt is more of a roadie.

for me its a nobrainer. opt for the pedigree of the jim felt. it is a much more capable frame than the giant.

good to see felt is back in business

[pseudobrit]

Marins are pretty nice, but not what I am looking for. I am set on either the Giant Cypress SX or the Felt SR91. Check them out, they both look killer though I think I like the geometry of the Felt more. I'll know for sure once I ride it.

If you're set on those two, I second the Felt with its road geometry.

[LeeTom]

I just got my first bike in 10 years, and ended up going with a Cannondale Adventure 400 hybrid. It put me back about $450 or so.

here's the product link, but this is the 2005 model. it's great, because it's all silver, like the powerbooks [chortle chortle]).
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5AS4.html

Lee Tom

[AmigoMac]

Trek (I had 2, very nice )
Giant (Used one for racing, wow)
Cannondale (I always wanted the one that Tinker Juarez had 9-10 years ago) ... Of course things have changed a lot and now I'm also looking for one but surely won't be out of those 3

[medea]

I just joined bikeforums.net and was wondering if there was anyone else from macrumors on there? Any other bike forums you guys frequent?

[Rower_CPU]

I posted a few times on bikeforums using my same handle - haven't had time to go back there in a while.

Other bike forums I lurk at - mtbreview (http://forums.mtbr.com) and ridemonkey (http://ridemonkey.com) (both are mtb oriented but have some road/hybrid discussion).

[Apple //e]

i havent posted in velonews phorum in about 5 years, but still logon about twice a year.

its good for geeking out on topics such as soldering spokes, half step gearing, and other very transcendental topics

[gwuMACaddict]

Other bike forums I lurk at - mtbreview (http://forums.mtbr.com) and ridemonkey (http://ridemonkey.com) (both are mtb oriented but have some road/hybrid discussion).

i always recomend ridemonkey... my handle over there is 'fasterTHANyou'. hehehe ;) :D

[gwuMACaddict]

the words "cannondale" and "old school" just dont go together

old school for me is lugged steel..... wool jerseys... .drilled out components... 6sp friction shifting.. maybe im just old

hahahaha. touche. :p

[CubaTBird]

i ride my bike everyday to high school.. yea call me lame but i don't have a license yet..... but w/e its a 1994 huffy 18 speed bike and it still works with zero probs.. though i have upgrade the seat and handle bar grips.... :o

[stcanard]

i ride my bike everyday to high school.. yea call me lame but i don't have a license yet.....

We have two cars in our family, and both of us work at the same place.

We haven't missed a day riding our bikes to work in 2 months, including through the rain of the last week, which came close to setting records (and in Vancouver BC that means a pretty serious rainfall).

I'd me more likely to call you lame if you had a bike, were within riding distance, and insisted on driving...

[medea]

Okay so I test rode the Felt and loved it and I got the guy to cut $100 off the price since it's an '04. The only thing I've done is put some clipless on it. So here it is....

[stcanard]

Okay so I test rode the Felt and loved it and I got the guy to cut $100 off the price since it's an '04. The only thing I've done is put some clipless on it. So here it is....

Sweet.

[medea]

How about some pics of the rest of the macrumor rides?

[Apple //e]

How about some pics of the rest of the macrumor rides?

my main bike, formerly my race bike

breezer lightning ritchey wcs tubing 17"
bontrager comp fork 1" threadless
king aheadset
king/dt swiss/bontrager wheels
raceface lp 46/34/24
xtr cogs (11-32), rings, derailleurs, 747 pedals
xt thumbshifters
xt vbrakes and levers
ringle zooka stem
hyperlite handelbars
syncros post

18lbs of steel goodness but not stoopid light

edit: added bike p0rn

[Apple //e]

shogun kaze funny bike
lugged tange 2
700c/24" tubulars
full 600 gruppo (6sp)
bontrager ti seat (my fave) although not the selle san marco :-(
roughly 15lbs

my fastest and most uncomfortable bike

sometimes its a single speed, but lately its kept its gears

good for stretching the back when it aches from too much sitting on my ass in front of a computer

i have an extra frame and fork if anyones interested

[Rower_CPU]

It's an MTB, but hey, it's my ride. :D

'04 Jamis Dakar Sport - pretty much stock
http://organicallydigital.com/photos/jamis_dakar_sport/images/DSC04855.jpg

[medea]

wow that is a craz bike apple//e. they started using those in the 80's olympics right? out of curiosity, how much are you asking for the frame & fork?
nice mtb rower, I've heard good things about jamis.

[primalman]

Cannondale CAAD 3 frame, dark purple, built from scratch over the years. Added Fatty fork some time ago. Mid-level race type parts. Sold my truck 1.5 years ago, now use it for daily commuting on CO, put over 3,200 miles on it just going to work and grad school last 18 months. Need something new!

[primalman]

It's an MTB, but hey, it's my ride. :D

'04 Jamis Dakar Sport - pretty much stock


How do you like your Jamis?? I am shoping around, and those caught my eye, along with Rocky Mountain, C'Dale and Specialized.

BTW, anyone here have experience with Rocky Mountain bikes? They are made in British Columbia.

[Apple //e]

wow that is a craz bike apple//e. they started using those in the 80's olympics right? out of curiosity, how much are you asking for the frame & fork?
nice mtb rower, I've heard good things about jamis.

they were used for setting hour records/time trials and such until the uci banned them. now all bikes have to have the same wheel diameter.

the frame and fork are gathering dust, so ill let it go real cheap - lets say 50usd. warning: i am in mexico so shipping might be about 100usd :-( but itll get there in one day :-). if youre interested i can get you an exact shipping quote

its a larger size than the one in the posted pic of the complete bike above.

actual pic of frame below

[Apple //e]

my city bike

turbo - i forget the model name since i peeled all the decals off
nexus 3 sp w/drum brakes
lx levers and front brake
rst fork
adjustable stem
kickstand
chainguard
8 ball valve caps

[Rower_CPU]

How do you like your Jamis??
...

I love it. I don't have a ton of experience to go on with other bikes since this is only my 3rd MTB (Schwinn 18-spd full rigid, and Motiv (CostCo brand) 21-spd hardtail previously), but of the ones I tested in the price range (GT iDrive, Giant Warp, Specialized, etc.) it was the best for me.

[Santiago]

I have a Raleigh hybrid (frame says 6061 series) which I got nearly two years ago for about $450 including helmet, front & rear lights, U-Lock, and chain. It's great for commuting the three miles each way to and from campus over hilly, pot-hole-filled Pittsburgh streets.

[medea]

So today my friend got her new bike, a Giant OCR2, so we decided to go out and ride our new bikes downtown. I'd like to add that this is the first time we've each used clipless pedals. She fell twice during the day, luckily she was stopped each time but she has gotten a grip on the clipless now. I had a much harder time. First thing that happened was I noticed I was having a hard time getting my cleat to disengage and it turns out when I installed the cleats (yes I stupidly did it myself) I didn't install them correctly and the screws got loose and the friggin shoe popped off with the cleat stuck in the pedal! And if that's not bad enough the same thing happened to the other shoe, but I decided to ride on and take care of it when I got home rather than turn around. It wasn't too bad riding without the cleats so I managed fine the rest of the trip except when we were downtown my friend needed to hop by the bank and take out some money and as I was riding around the corner of the bank I ran right into a wall-mounted fire hydrant. I scraped the **** out of my arm and got a little road rash on my legs, luckily I had gloves on and it saved my hands. All in all it was a pretty funny first day, and we did a little over 14 miles so I was proud of that. We are going to do the same route tomorrow with my wife so I'm off to a great start.

[stcanard]

I didn't install them correctly and the screws got loose and the friggin shoe popped off with the cleat stuck in the pedal!

Ahh, memories.

When I first installed my clipless I stated having trouble with my right foot after about a week. It got really bad one day, and I couldn't release at all. Since I normally unclip my right foot, it took a lot of mental effort to make sure I didn't fall over at a stop sign. The left foot released, but only barely.

Once I got to work I discovered one of the screws had come off each of the cleat, and when I was twisting to release the cleat was twisting on the shoe, and staying clipped in! Fortunately the other screw on the left cleat was still tight enough that it was twisting a bit!

Those screws are much, much tighter now!

[medea]

Hah, I'm glad to hear I'm not the first person in the world to do that.

Today's ride was much easier, plus we left much earlier so it wasn't as hot as yesterdays. I believe I got overheated yesterday and I didn't stop sweating for something like and hour after I stopped riding.
Fall wise today was a bit worse. We were traveling on the sidewalk (it's legal to do so in Florida) and this guy pushed a wheelbarrow onto the sidewalk and I barely had time to react. I was able to maneuver around the wheelbarrow through the grass but the ground was much lower than the sidewalk so when I tried to get back onto it my front tire hit it hard and I crashed hard. I was impressed with myself because I disengaged my feet like a natural but the fall was hard on my knees. I was lucky though as I didn't have a helmet on today, yesterday I used my wife's but today she joined in and there was no way I was going to let her ride helmetless and the helmet I ordered has not yet arrived. Anyways, here are some pics to make the story more interesting.....
One is of my arm and leg from when I ran into the fire hydrant yesterday and the others are of my knee today. There are a few other scrapes etc but nothing worth photographing. Not my worst falls off a bike but memorable and quite funny to say the least.

[Giaguara]

I cycle. I don't need a car, so I use the cycle to move in the city and to get to work etc.

I bought mine second hand .. I don't remember the brand. Some mountain bike .. works just fine. For a bit over 100 $ .. I did a bicycle holiday last month, riding to Baltimore and Cape Clear .. that was 65 miles one way and 75 back ... IF you want to use a bicycle in a city, get an old one. There are always the thieves around.

[Apple //e]

Hah, I'm glad to hear I'm not the first person in the world to do that.

Today's ride was much easier, plus we left much earlier so it wasn't as hot as yesterdays. I believe I got overheated yesterday and I didn't stop sweating for something like and hour after I stopped riding.
Fall wise today was a bit worse. We were traveling on the sidewalk (it's legal to do so in Florida) and this guy pushed a wheelbarrow onto the sidewalk and I barely had time to react. I was able to maneuver around the wheelbarrow through the grass but the ground was much lower than the sidewalk so when I tried to get back onto it my front tire hit it hard and I crashed hard. I was impressed with myself because I disengaged my feet like a natural but the fall was hard on my knees. I was lucky though as I didn't have a helmet on today, yesterday I used my wife's but today she joined in and there was no way I was going to let her ride helmetless and the helmet I ordered has not yet arrived. Anyways, here are some pics to make the story more interesting.....
One is of my arm and leg from when I ran into the fire hydrant yesterday and the others are of my knee today. There are a few other scrapes etc but nothing worth photographing. Not my worst falls off a bike but memorable and quite funny to say the least.

ive had my share of injuries. maybe because of that, one thing i cannot stomach is seeing fresh wounds. makes me relive the pain.

that could be another thread: cycling injuries and scars

as far was your wounds go: they seem harmless enough. think of the good side. dont they bring out the child in you? i mean....when was the last time you scraped an elbow or a knee?

im sure it hurt more than when you were a kid, but the sensation is the same

cycling and art...the two things most adults are afraid of

have fun with your bike.

[medea]

Sorry to make you relive any past pain apple //e. I look at the falls as a sort of baptism into the cycling world, heh.

Perhaps a cycling injuries etc thread would be a good idea for the photo forums.

[stcanard]

My bike. It started life as a '92 Trek 7000, but has been almost completely rebuilt over the years. The only original parts left are the frame and the crankarms.

After more than a decade on it, I know the balance and response inside out, and can't imagine moving to another bike. Although I want to get a roadie sometime when I have the space for another bike :)

[Apple //e]

stoopid bike i made when i was between jobs

rear suspension bmx frame from 80s
suntour 24" fork
rear shimano xt thumbshifter
suntour xc pro brake levers
tektro front u-brake
generic stamped rear caliper
redline 1pc cranks
xt shortcage rear derailleur with adapter
yeti grips
8 ball valve caps
5 sp freewheel (only three usable gears)
xt front derailleur (for chain retention)
edit: i almost forgot ---- srp ti bolt kit for xt derailleur

i wanted to make a fs chopper but i couldnt find a cheap 26" 1" fork so i used a 24. its not as long as i wanted but it but it fits perfectly with a a u-brake and a 20" wheel.

added surplus mtb parts and gears just because i could

slapped colnago decals on it just for fun

it actually rides real well but drops the chain ocassionally due to rear monkey motion.

i have more bikes but i dont think im going to post any more.

[medea]

Both of those last two bikes are insane. Please if you have more keep 'em coming. I wish there were more cyclers around here.
Here's my wife's Gary Fisher, she had a hard time using the standard bottle cage the lbs gave her so I got this neat side-mount bottle cage.

[medea]

Here's my roommates Trek mtb. Not sure what exactly he's done to it, other than put on those giant handlebars and leave it outdoors heh.

[gwuMACaddict]

no recent pictures of my main bike... i'll work on that. but its a blue and yellow cannondale caad5 frame, carbon lefty elo fork, full xtr, black race face next crankset, avid juicy seven disc brakes, easton carbon handlebar, black thomson seatpost, eggbeater pedals.

i'll post a picture when i get around to taking one.

[stcanard]

Heh, might as well tell the story of how my bike drifted away from "spec".

The bike is from the era of canti brakes and rigid forks. About 3 or 4 years ago I decided to modernize and put V-brakes, the front suspension and clipless on it. When replacing the brakes I realized that the rims had been worn concave from too much hard braking in gritty conditions. I decide to ignore it for a while and keep going.

Sometime later I bent my seatpost. I rode it like that for about a month, but really wanted to be able to lower it sometimes for technical riding, so there goes a new seatpost. The seat had been ripped ages ago on a bad wipeout so it goes on at the same time.

Then of course my chain snaps. I realize I hadn't been diligent in replacing the chain when it wore out :rolleyes: and really needed new chainrings and a new cassette. Drop more money on it. Then 6 months later I snap my real derailleur. I'm looking at the bike, and the right thumbshifter is ready to fall apart (the left one had already fallen apart during a ride and been replaced), I still need new rims, so I figure I'll take the chance and upgrade everything to a new 9 speed system (after all when I bought it it came with the top-of-the-line 7 speed cassette!)

Fortunately supergo had a good deal on Mavic x517's w/xtr hubs so I jumped at the chance and upgraded. Added new shifters, and a 9 speed cassette (unfortunately this means dumping my almost brand new replaced 7 speed cassette, but it only cost 25 bucks anyway). Again with supergo online sales I manage to get an XT drivetrain for less than I could've gotten deore locally.

I put it all on, then suddenly realize .. I practically have a new bike! Other parts had been replaced in previous years from other failures. And boy did the new shifting and the new wheels/hubs feel sweet. Plus I got to custom build my own gear ratio. Since I do a lot of road riding at speed, and a lot of offroad climbing I put on the widest I could get: 34/11 on the back and 46/34/24T on the front. A gear for every occasion :) As you can see in the picture I now take meticulous care of the drivetrain -- there's over 3500 km on that one already. It only takes one rebuild to learn that lesson.

My latest modification is due to the fact that I couldn't get a front fender on because my fork has a cable hanger for canti brakes. Finally took a hacksaw and fixed that. Riding in the rain should be a lot more comfortable now.

Sometime soon I'm going to have to replace the front brakes, as I've already cracked the housing on one of them. I'll look for something with more metal and less plastic.

As for the look with a front knobby and rear slick, for 1/2 my commute I have the choice of taking a fast, straight road or some really serious singletrack. Which way I go generally depends on my mood, how much of a hurry I'm in and how much of a headwind is coming down the road. Usually doesn't get decided until I actually get to the junction. The knobby is because I figure a loss of traction on the front is pretty much catastrophic. The slick on the rear is because it takes most of the weight, and so has the most concern about rolling resistance.

Generally now I look forward to the trip into work, even if I don't want to be at work itself!

[Apple //e]

Both of those last two bikes are insane. Please if you have more keep 'em coming. I wish there were more cyclers around here.
Here's my wife's Gary Fisher, she had a hard time using the standard bottle cage the lbs gave her so I got this neat side-mount bottle cage.

thats a nice bike. theres nothing better than riding with the person you love. i used to give bikes to all my girlfriends, but now i miss some of the bikes more than many of my exes....anyways....

im guessing you didnt buy the fisher at the same dealer as the felt?

i say this because i used to work at pro shops throughout college and am kind of picky as to how to set up bikes.

one particular pet peeve of mine is too long cables. take a look at the felt and then at the fisher. see how the fisher´s front brake cable is sticking way out?

it really doesnt affect anything in modern systems, but i like the cable just long enough to do their job. no more...no less. neat and trim. just enough cable to allow full handlebar motion, room for vertical stem adjustment if necessary, and not too short to create sharp turns. the front brake especially can tolerate a more direct routing.

it gives the bike a clean appearance and the certain "i cant quite put my finger on it" -as the french say, touch.

i dont mean to diss your new purchase, just an observation. more of a personal pet peeve actually.

feel free to tell me to get a life

[medea]

No I tend to agree with you apple /e, aesthetics play a large part in the purchase of a new bike. To what degree though is different for each person, for my wife she loved the color and thought it looked real nice but the determining factor was when she rode the bike it was comfortable. But it's funny because I actually did buy the Felt and the Fisher from the same dealer. Is there any way for me to pull the brake line in more or should I not even touch it?
As far as life's go, if you don't have one please get one asap as you won't last long without one. Heh.

[Apple //e]

No I tend to agree with you apple /e, aesthetics play a large part in the purchase of a new bike. To what degree though is different for each person, for my wife she loved the color and thought it looked real nice but the determining factor was when she rode the bike it was comfortable. But it's funny because I actually did buy the Felt and the Fisher from the same dealer. Is there any way for me to pull the brake line in more or should I not even touch it?
As far as life's go, if you don't have one please get one asap as you won't last long without one. Heh.


you can buy expensive cable cutters (asbout $40) and trim the housing and cable or you can ask the dealer to do it for you on your 1st tune up

honestly i wouldnt lose too much sleep over it

[pseudobrit]

Is there any way for me to pull the brake line in more or should I not even touch it?

You need to adjust it? Ask your LBS to do it for you, and show you how so you'll be able to keep the brake adjusted yourself. It's a component that every bike owner should be able to adjust himself, possibly even more important than knowing how to fix/change a flat.

[edit] I see you were talking about the excess cable. I'd leave it alone. If you ever change bars, you may need the extra cable. I'm waiting for brake cable this week so I can get the old TrekBeast out on the road again for precisely this reason; the extra cable wasn't enough.

[medea]

Thanks for the advice guys.

[medea]

man, I've been commuting with my wife to work. I'd follow her up and then go back by myself and then meet up with her again when she gets off. I had purchased a frame pump for myself and a co2 inflator for her but the frame pump didn't fit my bike so I returned it and figured since my wife and I would mostly be riding at the same time we could just share the co2 and when I go out by myself I could take it and vice versa. Unfortunately on the ride home yesterday I got a flat and didn't have the pump. I had a spare, a patch kit, everything but the pump. Luckily I was more than halfway home and only had to walk 3 miles homes but it still sucked. I've learnt a lesson now though and have picked up a co2 inflator of my own. It surprised me though because the piece of glass that caused the flat was so small and my tires are kevlar protected, guess that doesn't mean as much as I assumed it did.

[gwuMACaddict]

what kind of tire pressure were you running? if you had the tire too full or too flat, you increase your risk of flats...

also, what brand tire were they? when i used to run kevlar tires i never got flats...

also, maybe ask your local bike shop about some products to reduce risk of flats. i forget what they are called... but one is a slime that goes inside the tires that automatically seals flats if they occur... the other product is a strip of thick kevlar that lines the inside of the tire... might be worth looking in to if you're doing a lot of commuting around nails and broken glass and such...

[Apple //e]

for the road, just pump the tires up as high as you can, within reason. dont worry, you cant pop the tube.

underinflated tires lead to pinch flats. this is when the sidewalls bottom on the rim and puncture the tube. it leaves two slashes on the tube. also called snakebite

can save you from a nail or a piece of glass

i dont know how kevlar tires can lead to less flats. its kevlar string, to make the tire softer and lighter, not puncture proof. you can tell if a tire is kevlar if you can fold it. some people call them "foldable" tires.

i personally dont like solutions like slime and armor plate in the tire. they just weigh down the most critical part of a bike - the wheels. just get a mini pump and a rema patch kit.

make sure its a road mini pump, cuz mtb ones cant inflate high psi, but road pumps can do mtb tires. rema patches are the best. stay away from glueless.

co2 is expensive and unecological. theyre for racers who cant waste time pumping. unless time is critical for you, stick to old fashioned pumping..... pumping.... and more pumping

a good thing to have if you have presta valves is a schraeder adapter, that way you can fill up just about anywhere

theres a product that scrapes the tires - getting rid of pieces of glass and such, or you could do that periodically with your gloved hand

true story: the cops pulled me over once because my mini pump was sticking out of my jersey. they had their hands on their guns and were all jumpy. they thought the minipump was a submachine gun. im glad they asked first

[gwuMACaddict]

i recomended the slime and the tire strips because if he's riding a hybrid or any sub1500$ bike to work, weight really isn't the issue...

[Apple //e]

i recomended the slime and the tire strips because if he's riding a hybrid or any sub1500$ bike to work, weight really isn't the issue...

i guess its a personal issue

if i had only one bike i used for fitness and commuting, i wouldnt want a tire filled with slime, heavy duty tubes, and tire liner

if i had a bike specially dedicated and setup for commuting; i probably would make it as bomb proof as possible

[stcanard]

Well, thanks for jinxing me.

While I was reading this yesterday I was thinking how lucky I was that it's been several years since I've had a flat on the road.

So there I am riding up a hill about 5 minutes away from home last night, when I realize the backend feels a little bit funny. Turns out a finishing nail went right through the tire and tube.

Fortunately I do carry a spare tube & pump, so it was more of a an annoyance than anything.

[medea]

sorry I've been out of town so I never replied.

I know all about psa, I leave mine at 110ish unless it's raining in which case I'll lower it a bit. It wasn't a pinch flat it was a piece of glass. I though about that slime stuff but am unsure about it, they make tubes as well which come pre-slimed and supposedly don't add much weight though it's true that the weight the slime would add wouldn't really be an issue at this point. When I went back that day I noticed that the area had tons of glass so I'm not surprised I got a flat now. I picked up another co2 pump of my own so I'll be prepared next time.

On a side note if you are ever in S. Carolina then do yourself a favor and leave the bike at home, at least as far as Walterbourogh (sp?) goes. Not really a bike friendly place.

stcanard: no flats are definitely not fun. how is vancouver as far as biking goes? my wife and I will likely be moving somewhere in canada in the near future, most likely the B.C. area maybe even Victoria.

[dross]

Unfortunately I don't think you guys are that familiar with hybrids at all as there are many types of hybrids and to call them slow is inaccurate, both the Felt and Giant are performance hybrids which means they have a road bike frame with flat handlebars.
An MTB is not an option as there are few mountains in Florida, heh, and they are way to heavy for commuting.

I comute on a RedLine single speed MTB with 1.25" slicks and a riser bar. It works great - is extremly light - very cool - and only cost $350.

I am not a big fan of Hybrids.

[stcanard]

how is vancouver as far as biking goes? my wife and I will likely be moving somewhere in canada in the near future, most likely the B.C. area maybe even Victoria.

Okay, here goes another jinx ;)

I find Vancouver / Victoria to be excellent cities for biking.

In general people are very bike aware, so although there is the occasional jerk overall it is very easy to commute on major arteries. I've been commuting by bike off and on for about 10 years and can count the number of times I've been honked at or yelled at on my fingers. If you don't like riding on busy streets, we have quite a good network of bike lanes / traffic calmed routes specifically for getting bikes across town. You had better learn to like climbing / descending though!

The climate is great. You can comfortably ride 8 months of the year, and if you're willing to invest in some rain gear you can bike year round.

And, if you like off-road we have some of the best mountain biking in the world :D

[medea]

wow that sounds perfect. good to actually hear something from someone who actually lives there. I get so many mixed messages from everyone else. I hope to visit soon and we will be sure to bring our bikes along to test it out.

[emac kinda guy]

I agree. I ride a Giant Cypress ST. Heres what it looks like

http://www.epinions.com/bicycles_2003_Giant_Cypress_ST#

I like the 27 inch wheels with large high pressure (slick?) tires and erect posture. There is only suspension on the seat post, nothing on the wheels A wide gel seat on a shock absorber - much better than the road type bike I had before. I've accessorized mine with a bell, led lights, a panier and bags. Hiking shoes with standard pedals.

Oh yeah, my Bike-guard U-bolt that doesn't seem to be able to be opened by a Bic pen, because it has a larger shaft. http://www.bicycle-forum.com/general/Trek_Ubolt_lock_is_pickable_328718.html

Hmm maybe I should try the cap!!##

Work is 7 km by bike, largely down bike paths and avoiding traffic. My favourite spot is where I get to the Red River in the morning. The sun shines down a stretch of the river. Its sometimes the best part of my day. On a good day I'll cycle for 30 km.

I got an e-mac one month ago and that may impact my willingness to pedal anywhere at all. lol

Rod


hybrids are great for general city riding. i have one that i use for riding around town. its fun and is as fast as i can make it go. its upright position makes me see the scenery more than my race bikes

just because fl has no mountains doesnt mean you cant have a mtb.the fat tires and versatility make it a good choice for beginning riders. i dont see why a mtb weighs more than a hybrid. my hybrid weighs much more than any one of my mtbs

weight is not too important for a commuter bike, especially in flat florida - unless youre going to be lugging it up and down stairs.

for a commuter, think if you want to attach fenders and/or panniers and make sure the frame can accommodate them

jamis makes good bikes at a good price. and theyre a fl company too.

[Apple //e]

On a side note if you are ever in S. Carolina then do yourself a favor and leave the bike at home, at least as far as Walterbourogh (sp?) goes. Not really a bike friendly place.

stcanard: no flats are definitely not fun. how is vancouver as far as biking goes? my wife and I will likely be moving somewhere in canada in the near future, most likely the B.C. area maybe even Victoria.

mm yeah. lived in georgia for 6 yrs. not very bike friendly. people holler "get off the road", even got shot at once. highway patrol pulled me off the highway and basically said "what the hell are you doing?" but still better than mexico anytime. i get hit by moms in minivans about twice a year. but offroad here rocks

im thinkin of moving to canada too. i heard calgary was a nice place. been to east coast canada. nicest people ever with great driving manners

[gwuMACaddict]

i've actually done sone terrific road and mountain riding in south carolina... maybe we were in different parts of the state...

[medea]

most likely.
where in SC were you riding? these roads were cramped and full of speeding big trucks and semi's. trucking appears to be the only job up there where people can make decent money.

[medea]

hey emac kinda guy, welcome to the forums. always a pleasure to meet both a cyclist and a mac user. just don't let the two conflict with each other, there is time for both heh.

apple//e: so mexico is pretty bad eh? I guess I wrongly assumed that biking would be more prevalent down there.

[stcanard]

I get so many mixed messages from everyone else. I hope to visit soon and we will be sure to bring our bikes along to test it out.

You should enjoy it. There's lots of riding around here, and a strong bike culture.

The main issue with riding through the city is the bridges. We're on a delta and getting in and out of the city requires crossing bridges.

Some of them like the Arthur Laing and the Cambie Street Bridge are great, wide lanes and good shoulders to ride on.

Some like the Oak Street or the Lions Gate bridge are not so good, you have to go out of your way and ride on narrow sidewalks :(

And as for the Patullo bridge ... I know a lot of people who refuse to take their cars over that one!

[medea]

"And as for the Patullo bridge ... I know a lot of people who refuse to take their cars over that one!"

Must be pretty steep eh? The only steep places in most of Florida are the bridges heh.

[medea]

I ended up purchasing a SKS Airchamp Pro co2 inflator, I think it looks good mounted to the frame and it saves room in my wedge. Have not tested it yet though but I've heard good thing about SKS so I'm sure it will work fine. No more excuses for walking the bike home now....

[medea]

Came back from our Atlanta trip wed night. The silver comet trail was amazing, we did 70 miles on it. My wife got on my bike for the first time on the trip and it helped perpetuate her longing for a road bike so after searching through ebay I found a very lightly used Iron Horse Triumph for a good deal w/free shipping. It will be here in a week or so, here are a few pics from ebay. She's excited about it, we are going to put some front and rear racks on her Gary Fisher so she can use it for commuting and have the roadie for everything else.

[Apple //e]

Came back from our Atlanta trip wed night. The silver comet trail was amazing, we did 70 miles on it. My wife got on my bike for the first time on the trip and it helped perpetuate her longing for a road bike so after searching through ebay I found a very lightly used Iron Horse Triumph for a good deal w/free shipping. It will be here in a week or so, here are a few pics from ebay. She's excited about it, we are going to put some front and rear racks on her Gary Fisher so she can use it for commuting and have the roadie for everything else.


how tall is your wife? im asking cuz that road bike is like a 54 and her fisher is like a 15" - huge difference. or are you slyly buying a bike for yourself?

[medea]

no she's just a hair shorter than me and the bike's actually a 52 and her fisher is 17.5. If for some reason it doesn't fit her then yes I can ride it but I hope that's not the case.

[stcanard]

Well, today was the first "winter" commute of the year for me.

By winter in Vancouver I mean heavy rain ("heavy" being defined as raining hard enough that it you stand outside for 3 - 5 minutes unprotected your clothes will be soaked through; they're forcasting more than an inch of rain for this evening alone), temp 5C, and a 30kph headwind the whole way. With the wonders of coastal living, odds are I will get a similar headwind on the way home...

I've been lucky so to avoid this ... all though October the rain somehow missed rush hour times. Its time to settle in, forget about personal bests, and just ride through it.

Funny, but I still find it better than sitting in my car, cursing traffic, with the heat on putting me to sleep. Even after this I feel so refreshed when I get to work in the morning.

[MOFS]

Does anyone in here cycle?
My best friends both go out together all the time and my wife and I would like to join in. I'm thinking I want a hybrid but I was hoping someone could make some recommendations on brand/model etc. I can't afford a $1000+ road bike right now and I'm just a beginner so I'm looking to spend under $300. I know I can get a good deal on a used bike on eBay, such as a Klein I was watching that went for under $200, but I'll probably purchase a lesser model new.
Thanks in advance.

From what I've been told by numerous bike shops, it seems to me that the best kind of bike for general road use is a mountain bike with slick tyres fitted. Mountain bikes are easily the cheapest kind available here in Newcastle, and the tyres only cost about £10 ($17?). Plus you can get suspension with them - verrrry comfy. :cool:

[pseudobrit]

My new steed, which I shall be picking up in one hour:

http://www.lemondbikes.com/images/2005_bikes/large/reno.jpg

hopefully it'll be warm enough to put a mile or 30 on her today.

[jtgotsjets]

kinda missed the whole "post your bike thing"
but i thought i'd peek my head anyway with my bike anyway.

i probably have an even worse bike for cycling than a mtb, but i love my bike anyway.
its an '85 schwinn 5-speed cruiser
i ride it to class everyday and i also use it to get around town instead of using my car.

[Ugg]

My new steed, which I shall be picking up in one hour:



hopefully it'll be warm enough to put a mile or 30 on her today.

That is one nice looking bike, the specs look pretty impressive too. Will you get to use it much this winter in PA or are you going somewhere warm?

Enjoy!

[pseudobrit]

That is one nice looking bike, the specs look pretty impressive too. Will you get to use it much this winter in PA or are you going somewhere warm?

Enjoy!

I just put 30 on her and she's fantastic. Light, responsive and very agile for an $800 bike.

The gruppo isn't top spec, but I can upgrade piecemeal for reasonable prices.

Meanwhile I've got my eye on this Magnesium beast:

http://www.pinarello.com/images/bici_corsa/pop_up/dogma_FP01_pic.jpg

whose wheelset probably costs more that my entire new LeMond.

I probably won't ride too much this winter, it's 61 out and I was already cramping up at the end of my ride.

I may ship it out to Cali for a week of riding some time early next year.

[Ugg]

Just picked it up today. Rode it around town for a half hour as a test drive, but have yet to really test it out. Tomorrow after the fog burns off I'm going for a nice long ride.

The old Schwinn just ain't what it used to be so it was time for a new one.