buy a bike

[EJFan]

i'm going to be buying a bicycle in the near future... any advice? things to look for? brands to avoid? brands to look for?

i want something that will be primarily used on paved paths... possibly some stone but nothing really off-road-ish. all i really know is weight matters and that i have to get one o' those seats that doesn't crush the artery supplying blood to my guy.

so... g'head... enlighten me.

 

[Quoll]

No hidden agenda, no sexual innuendo, just a straightforward question.

*Leaves thread horribly confused*

 

[EJFan]

No hidden agenda, no sexual innuendo, just a straightforward question.

*Leaves thread horribly confused*

LMAO!

hey... the coffee thread was a straightforward question as well. this could be the start of a whole new trend!

i haven't had a bike in a decade and i'm not really sure what i should be looking for. there are a lot of people here i trust so i figured why not ask, right?

(and if you so much as think of pulling out a picture of margaret hamilton riding her bike in "the wizard of oz" and tweaking it... well... ok... g'head and do it.)

 

[Weird Harold]

i'm going to be buying a bicycle in the near future... any advice? things to look for? brands to avoid? brands to look for?

i want something that will be primarily used on paved paths... possibly some stone but nothing really off-road-ish. all i really know is weight matters and that i have to get one o' those seats that doesn't crush the artery supplying blood to my guy.

Gearing matters more than weight for the use you describe. You can spend the extra bucks for for a lightweight graphite or titanium frame, but if you get the wrong gearing it is still going to be a pain to ride.

What you want is a "street cruiser" -- I'm not sure what a bike fantatic would deem the proper name but most bike shop will recognise your nees from "street cruiser."

A Street Cruiser looks much like a Mountain Bike but has different, less agressive, tread on the tires and the gear ratios are higher than a mountain bike. The tires can be changed fairly cheaply, but the very low gear ratios suitable for a mountain bike are more expensive to replace if you buy the wrong set to start with.

You do NOT want a thin-tired "Road Bike" like the ones used in the Tour De France. The thin tires and riding position imposed by the underslung handlebars make maneuvering in traffic or going off a hard surface problematic unless you're a very competent bike rider. The gearing on a generic Road Bike also tends to be higher than you'll need -- intended for higher speeds and flat roads. It takes a lot more effort to climb a hill with that kind of gearing and strong legs. Road Bikes also have less traction in turns becuse of the thin tires.

Of course, if your budget can extend to four or five thousand dollars for a bike, you can customize a Road Bike to get gearing and tires to make it functional for Street Cruiser type use, but you'll never overcome the problems the riding position can cause in traffic.

Your biggest problem is going to be finding a bike that fits you. The best way to learn what to look for in that regard is to visit a bike shop and ask questions.

The bikes you'll find in Wal-mart, K-mart, or Target are generally sized for children and teenagers -- too short between seat and handlebars for an adult in most cases, with seat posts that are too short to give an adult sufficient leg extension.

It is possible to find a bike that fits an adult at a discount chain, but finding one in a specialized bike shop is probably easier.

 

[Private_Label]

*sigh* I miss my grandma's three speed. It was just right for riding on the asphalt roads and sidewalks.

 

[Lust Engine]

Go to a bike shop with a budget in mind and ask the salespeople there. You're not the first person with this dilemma. While there you can test ride lots of them as well.

 

[Hooper_X]

Whatever you do, don't get a full suspension bike unless you plan to actually take it on trails. Otherwise, you'll just be wasting energy with every pedal revolution. A quality front suspension is nice for urban riding, especially if you ride of curbs frequently. (However, a quality front suspension is going to run a few hundred bucks by itself) Another thing, and admittedly less experienced riders probably wouldn't want this, a bike with clip on shoes and pedals enables you to utilize the energy from your up stroke as well as the down stroke. You don't need a big wide old lady seat in order to prevent your nuts going numb. There are sleek bike seats with a channel down the center, which prevents any pressure on the nerve responsible for the nut numbing problems of some. If you can afford it, disc brakes perform very well and you don't have to constantly adjust them to prevent them from rubbing.

 

[wideeyedgrin]

When I was living both in the Seattle and San Francisco area, I had a Univega 12 speed with street tires and and a combination handlebar. It worked great on the hills and I didn't need to worry about crossing railroad tracks.

After that I bought a Univega Alpine Uno 21 speed, which was a cross between a mountain bike and a street bike. It works good for riding on steep dirt roads and civilized trails, as well as streets. It came with a flat handle bar, which is at the wrong angle for me, so put drop handlebars on it. The gearing is very good. I found that bear claw pedals and clips that will hold my shoes worked better than the bicycle shoe clips, especially on dirt roads. I've been through three different seats until I found one that was comfortable and wasn't tring to crush that all important artery. I had a gel seat cushion made by Spenco that made the seat even more comfortable.

Like Hooper and Lust mentioned, talk to the bike shop people, and hit more than one shop for what you need in your area.

 

[Weird Harold]

Like Hooper and Lust mentioned, talk to the bike shop people, and hit more than one shop for what you need in your area.

Hey, I told him to go to a bike shop first. <pout>

An additional point: Get a lighting system when you get the bike. Around here, it's potentially a $100 Fine if you're caught out after dark without both headlight and taillight on your bike. It's seldom that serious, but the police WILL stop and warn bikers after dark.

Union makes a 12VAC generator system that has a Fresnel lense in the headlight that, when properly aimed, lights a rectangle twice the width of the handlebars thirty to forty feet in front of the bike.

The Halogen version will light up the reflective material on a stop sign at a hundred yards on a cloudy day at idling speeds. The Incandescent version is not quite that bright, but has the same lense and reflector as the halogen version.

I've seen a few clip-on, battery-powered headlights with similar Fresnel lenses but they've all been smaller and less efficient than the 3" diameter Union headlight. If you don't like the added drag of a generator system, the Union System is easily adaptable to 6VDC battery power by adapting a Flashlight or 6V Lantern as a batter holder and switch and wiring the lighting fixtures into it.

I'd seriously consider getting a cargo rack, too. It will add a few ounces to the bike, but it beats wearing a backpack all the time if you want to take anything with you on your bike rides or hanging shopping bags from the handlebars.

 

[Hooper_X]

Two more tips. Buy a small mirror that clips on to either your helmet or your glasses/sunglasses. The field of view in a tiny clip on mirror is huge compared to what you would see in a handle bar mounted mirror. Buy at least one (I use two) flashing LED lights. I have on mounted the back of my seat, and I usually clip the other one on to my back pack. These lights have multiple LEDs and can flash in a variety of patterns. At night they are visible from ¼ mile away, and there is the added psychological benefit that drivers are conditioned to pay attention to flashing red lights. In my opinion, it is crazy to ride at dusk, night or in the early morning without them.

 

[EJFan]

thank you all so much... i knew i'd learn a thing or two. in fact, i'm going to have to read this over a few more times so it all sinks in.

i really appreciate it!

 

[EJFan]

A Street Cruiser looks much like a Mountain Bike but has different, less agressive, tread on the tires and the gear ratios are higher than a mountain bike.

The gearing on a generic Road Bike also tends to be higher than you'll need -- intended for higher speeds and flat roads.

WH... i'm trying to reconcile these two.... are you suggesting that i need higher gear ratios than a mountain bike, but not as high as a "road bike"??? or is there a typo in here? or am i splitting hairs on the difference?

 

[Quoll]

*pokes head back in, nope still too serious for me *
Damn that witch bitch on a bike is hard to find.

 

[Weird Harold]

WH... i'm trying to reconcile these two.... are you suggesting that i need higher gear ratios than a mountain bike, but not as high as a "road bike"??? or is there a typo in here? or am i splitting hairs on the difference?

A Street Cruiser is geared in between a mountin bike and road bike.

You don't need the high gearing optimized for high-speed typical of a road bike, nor the the very low gearing of a mountain bike you need something in between or at last witha range that covers both reasonable speeds and highway type hill-climbing -- i.e. grades of no more than 10%.

If your budget extends to a custom bike, you can get whatever gear ranges you want -- a bike that can both climb near vertical mountains and break the speed limit on a city street. But if you're going to buy "off-the-shelf" you'll get a choice of high, medium, or low gearing -- for the use you described, the medium, "street" gearing is what you want.

 

[EJFan]

thanks WH.

no grades here anywhere near 10%... at least not for any significant distance... i'm sure there are steep areas that one would notice more on a bike but they're only a few yards.

what kind of gear ratio should i be looking at? i DEFINITELY can't get a custom bike... i'm going to squeeze every spare penny i have just to get a durable, quality bike as it is. so whatever i get is gonna be off the shelf.

 

[Weird Harold]

what kind of gear ratio should i be looking at? i DEFINITELY can't get a custom bike... i'm going to squeeze every spare penny i have just to get a durable, quality bike as it is. so whatever i get is gonna be off the shelf.

Actually, I've never actually known what the gear ratios on any bike I've owned were -- I've made the mistake of buying a mountain bike for street use, though.

If you're not dealing with a bike-shop or a salesperson who is knowledgeble, try out the lowest and highest gears on a bike you're interested in.

If the lowest gear doesn't produce at least a walking pace (i.e. it seems like less effort to get off and push it) it's probably geared for mountians.

If you can start out in the highest gear relatively easily -- about on a par with a single speed bike -- then it's also probably geared too low.

If you're able to take a bike for a test ride, the top gear should still provide significant resistance at a reasonable speed on flat ground. Since your legs will get stronger as youride the bike for ny length of time, when you buy it, it should require down-shifting two or three gears from the top gear to pedal comfortably at a comforable speed on flat ground.

If you can't take the bike for a test ride, hand crank a bike you know is geared for the road and one you know is geared for mountains for comparison purposes and pick one that is somewhere in between the two. (hand crank a bike by rising the rear wheel and cranking the pedals by hand. If you tip it up on the kick-stand you can get almost a full turn of the crank and that's all you really need to judge how much force it takes to get the wheel turning.)

 

[Weird Harold]

A question for the cyclists

Think about lighting sytems and generator powered bike lights in particular, I wondered if anyone hs adapted the hand cranked power supply in things like outdoor/survival radios to bicycle lighting systems?

It seems like a logical development because the big complaint about generator powered bike lighting is the light goes dim when you slow down and need it most and out completely when you stop.

I have adapted a 12VAC bike lighting system to recharge 6VDC worth of AA NiCad batteries and power a pair of 6VDC bulbs, but it basically required keeping the generator engaged at all times to keep the batteries charged.

 

[Hooper_X]

Actually, I've never actually known what the gear ratios on any bike I've owned were -- I've made the mistake of buying a mountain bike for street use, though.

What is the problem you perceive with using a mountain bike for street use? I ride my Specialized FSR XC on the street constantly. I do use different tires for street and trail riding, but other than that a mountain bike is well suited for urban/suburban commuter type riding. The ruggedness of a real mountain bike's construction combined with the forgiveness of at least a front suspension pays off when one is forced to jump curbs, pot-holes, ride on the sidwalk and such. With 27 gear ratios ranging from 0.67-to-1 to 4-to-1, I've never had a problem finding an appropriate gear.

 

[Weird Harold]

What is the problem you perceive with using a mountain bike for street use? I ride my Specialized FSR XC on the street constantly. I do use different tires for street and trail riding, but other than that a mountain bike is well suited for urban/suburban commuter type riding. The ruggedness of a real mountain bike's construction combined with the forgiveness of at least a front suspension pays off when one is forced to jump curbs, pot-holes, ride on the sidwalk and such. With 27 gear ratios ranging from 0.67-to-1 to 4-to-1, I've never had a problem finding an appropriate gear.

The problem I ran into with Murray Mountain 18-speed bike is that the off-the-shelf gearing was so low that on flat ground even the top gear wasn't high enough to maintain a reasonable commuting speed and going down at even the slightest grade it was almost impossible to "keep up" with the bike -- i.e. too easy to reach that "no chain" feeling.

It isn't the frame, or the range of gearing that is available, but the "stock" mountain configuration of low-end lines like Murray, Huffy, and others carried by department stores that presents a problem with gearing. Both Murray and Huffy have stock gear configurations more suitable for street riding in essentiall the same frames as the mountain geared configuration.

It's a problem that is easily correctable by buying a new rear wheel, or having a bike shop change the gears, but for bike shopper on a budget, that is an added expense that can be avoided by buying the right gearing in the first place.

 

[EJFan]

If the lowest gear doesn't produce at least a walking pace (i.e. it seems like less effort to get off and push it) it's probably geared for mountians.

If you can start out in the highest gear relatively easily -- about on a par with a single speed bike -- then it's also probably geared too low.

ahhhh... ok. thanks bro!

 

[Hooper_X]

The problem I ran into with Murray Mountain 18-speed bike is that the off-the-shelf gearing was so low that on flat ground even the top gear wasn't high enough to maintain a reasonable commuting speed and going down at even the slightest grade it was almost impossible to "keep up" with the bike -- i.e. too easy to reach that "no chain" feeling ... Both Murray and Huffy have stock gear configurations more suitable for street riding in essentiall the same frames as the mountain geared configuration.

Ahhh. I don't know anything about Huffys and Murrays and the like. I'm very tall and I weigh over 200lbs. So, I've always opted for somewhat higher-end bikes which were less likely to come apart at the worse possible time. My bike is pretty much a stock FSR XC, but I did have to buy a much longer seat-post, wider handle bars and a longer head stem. I also swapped out the stock saddle for a split ergonomic one that eliminates numbness on long rides.

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/8840/05saddleavatar143blkl5ki.jpg

With 26" wheels and a 4-to-1 high gear ratio, my bike does about 18½ mph at 60 rpm. At 120 rpm that is 37mph. That is about as fast as I'd want to ride on the street. Of course, if one lives in a sparsely populated area where you can ride on the uninterrupted blacktop of an interstate highway, then a road bike with 700c wheels will allow you to reach slightly higher speeds.

 

[EJFan]

i realize that trek bikes are sort of the mcdonald's version of your quality-bike genre but i've heard some really good things about the trek 7100 as it applies to what i'm looking for.

thoughts?

i'm not necessarily thinking that i'll get the 7100... just that i do well when i have a baseline product for comparison sake. and this is kind of the price limit for me... i'd like to be under this but i also realize you get what you pay for.

 

[Hooper_X]

i realize that trek bikes are sort of the mcdonald's version of your quality-bike genre but i've heard some really good things about the trek 7100 as it applies to what i'm looking for.

thoughts?

Thoughts: I see that a Trek 7100 retails for about $300. If that is what you can afford to spend on a bike, you might be better off buying a bike where the name (i.e. Trek) isn't going to eat up so much of that $300. You're likely to get more bang for the buck that way. The manufacturers that WH mentioned as well as Mongoose sell comparable bikes with features like, aluminium frames, front suspensions, rear disc brakes, and grip shifters for less than $300.00.

 

[EJFan]

i looked at some of the mongoose bikes... but have no clue what kind of pricing structure they have. a lot of the hybrids i've found are far more expensive than the trek... and the only mongoose bikes i've seen are in toy stores (which i don't think is a good place to buy a bike).

what i'm really concerned with, again, is finding a comparison point... would the 7100 be adequate for what i want (regardless of name/price)??? naturally i'm going to get the best VALUE i can find but i can't define the value of a bike without a baseline.

 

[wideeyedgrin]

I'm suprised that none of us have mentioned this yet. Do some research on the bike companies on the internet. I was able to pick up some tips when I was thinking abou getting a new bike. I haven't yet, but its nice to dream.

That Alpino-Uno bike I mentioned weighs about 40 pounds. Compare that to the weight of some of the bikes you can buy today! (12-15 lbs).

Also look at the way the frame is put together, a bad weld job on a bike is looking for trouble.

Sorry Weird, I didn't read your post thoroughly.