General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

Originally Posted by Biscotti

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Kunk, look into the company Surly. You said you were looking for a fixed gear bike?

I think he said NOT fixed gear and under $400, so Surly is out.

For that budget, "road" bikes are probably out and you're looking more at commuter/hybrid type stuff, like dopey mentioned.

Examples:
http://spokesetc.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=37425
http://spokesetc.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=37458
http://spokesetc.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=47884
http://spokesetc.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=47525

Some of these would require you to do something about the ridiculous riser stems, but they're basic, functioning bikes.

thanks much. those look like great recos for what i want.

Originally Posted by thekunk07

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thanks much. those look like great recos for what i want.

Kunk,
Do you have a 'performance bike' nearby? They are a mass market bike shop that has prices that are lower than your basic bike shop. The good thing is that they have bikes that are different sizes. the #1 piece of advice I would give you is the get a bike that fits you. If you get a bike @ target it's only one size.

It sounds like you are looking for a multi speed, hybrid bike with thin (700) tires. the thin tires are great for street riding as well as paved trails. I know they have sub $400 hybrid bikes with brands like Schwinn, Fuji and GT. Pretty soon you're hooked and you can upgrade to a drop bar road bike for long weekend rides or MTB for offroad trail riding. Have fun!

^thank you very much. should you ever need advice about lifting weights or being bald, don;t hesitate to ask. doesn;t look like they're in ny, but the local shop says they will price match.

Every morning, I generally have a smoothie.. : 3-4 large strawberries 1/2 banana handful of blueberries 1/2 cup of yogurt half scoop of vanilla whey protein 1 tsp. of Splenda I'm looking for recipes for something that is filling as well as beneficial for morning/afternoon rides. I regularly see that people drink protein shakes/etc. for recovery to rebuild glycogen reserves. Is there some sort of detriment to drinking a smoothie with added protein for breakfast? I've literally started this within the last 3 weeks, hoping lose weight as well as become fit enough to participate in some minor racing and such. My other concern is that it will contribute to gain as opposed to loss. I'd like something that I can make all the time, whether riding or not, though it will benefit me when I am. I know that's .. probably asking a lot. A secondary question - it's been raining damned near non-stop here for the last week and a half, or looking like it was going to so I didn't want to ride. As such, I bought a used (old as heck) Cycleops Fluid trainer. When using it, I go for about 50 minutes in my hardest gear. Is this a reasonable way to use a trainer? I plan on perhaps increasing my ride length for 10 minutes each week. I know nothing about the anaerobic/aerobic aspect of training yet. Currently, I'm just trying to get from point A to B without feeling like the Reaper is at my heels. Maybe next year, I'll go with some Inside Ride E-Motion rollers but for now, the trainer will do. A bit of softcore - need to take pics outside during daylight hours:

My urban rig:

That's nice. Are those 700c road bike wheels or 29" MTB wheels?

Specialized Sirrus is a hybrid so probably 700c with a slight bite. Amirite?

I just noticed the headtube looks weird. Like it's too tall for the frame.

Here's my old messenger rig, Azonic alu frame (can't remember what alloy) and mostly the old XT combo: That one was sold about ten years ago, this and a (pristine) 1972 chopper are the only ones I have left:

Originally Posted by kronik

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If you want to do C&O, yes.

I ride dirt worse than the C&O all the time on my full alu frame w/ carbon fork road bike all the time with no problems. In fact, I've done rides of up to 6 hours where half was on the C&O. Riding smooth is key.

Originally Posted by triathlete

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Speedplays are great. Plenty of knee-saving float, easy to maintain, and they last forever. For a specific recommendation: you'll be fine with the chromoly zeros. The smaller pedal surface is really a non-issue, as the cleat is quite ample. Thwy're light, sturdy, well-made, and popular for the reason that they work. I have tens of thousands of miles on mine and have never had stability issues or hotspots.

As for shoes, whichever fit you best. Have this fitting done at a good bike store by a knowledgeabile fitter. Like bike shorts, generally you get what you pay for here. That said, adidas cycling shoes punch well above their weight and seem to be perpetually on sale at Nashbar / Performancebike.

Ultegra is more than good enough. Actually, 105 is more than good enough up to and including recreational racing. The supergroups are simply way more than most people who own them need or can justify. Roll up to a group ride some time ... it's comical to see plenty of dudes who are 10 to 30 lbs overweight, and have spent the extra megabucks to save 90 g with a duraace, record or Sram Red group.

Last, get a good helmet and never ride without it.

+1 on zeros, or any speedplays. best pedal system out there for road, bar none.
+1 on adidas shoes.
-1 on shimano. sram is where it's at for durability, ease of use and ease of adjustment. rival may be a little more expensive than 105, but you get so much more for your money. and -1 on your talk about "supergroups." red, record and dura-ace cost more not only because they are lighter than their cheaper sibling groups. they cost more because they work better for longer. that said, my bang for the buck racer is all red with the exception of the front derailleur and brakes, two places where the performance characteristics are no different b/w the low-end and the high zoot. for reference, i've raced ultegra bikes, dura-ace bikes, force bikes and i've ridden record and chorus bikes. i think this gives me a good basis for comparison.

Originally Posted by dopey

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Not mine:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/...80e29c.jpg?v=0
But a bike on that frame is on its way.

Another:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3212/...6b7aa2.jpg?v=0
and another:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/...50075b.jpg?v=0

So my bike arrived on Tuesday and I have been intermittently assembling it at night. Last night, I finished.

I think I will post pics over the weekend, and I can't wait to ride it.
Teaching my daughters to ride is a priority, so I may have to wait a little bit.

BTW, since I got my daughters hooked on learning to ride, they insisted my wife ride a bike to. So last Sunday, my wife showed up in the park with this, having bought it on her way home from the gym:



This is a stock photo of mine:

Mine has a rear rack mounted and I also have fenders that I haven't gotten around to installing yet.

Yours looks great. Steel is awesome. And good on your wife for getting out there too. Hope you all enjoy the new toys.

Originally Posted by Philosoph

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Yours looks great. Steel is awesome. And good on your wife for getting out there too. Hope you all enjoy the new toys.

It has been about ten years since I have ridden a bike - I think I mentioned how my wife "disappeared it" to someone one day.

Riding it will be great, but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed just working on it. I loved tinkering with my old bike and it was fun getting grease on my hands again. It also made me glad I went with downtube friction shifters, as I at least remembered how the mechanical systems worked and didn't have to learn anything new.

Anyone else think this is a pretty lame bike thread? I know it's a style forum, but come on.

I love Dopey's steel ride and Lucky Strike's chopper.

Speedplays are ... ok. A friends cleats have exploded (not literally, but he lost the spring out of his cleats twice) and walking on them is like ice skating. Look pedals are where its at in terms of durability, function, weight savings (if you are into that).

- 10 on Shimano
+10 on SRAM. Rival is great for the price and a full group can be purchased for $650 on eBay. Functionally the same as Force and Red and still lighter than Dura Ace.
+1000 for Campy. I run 06 Record on my bike, but Record is really overkill. Chorus or Veloce could serve the same purpose for me.