General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[doink]

Originally Posted by Jamorris011

Does anyone know an effective way of getting dents out of a steel frame without damaging it?

Fill with bondo, sand, paint

If you have a large freezer I have heard of people filling the tube with water and freezing it to expand the tube, but be careful, I have also seen pictures on line of tubes that have split. I have no direct experience with this other than what I've seen on line.

 

[steviecakes]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

^nice, rented one on vacation.

anyomne know if i should get my 10 year old son a 20" or 24" bmx?

20" for sure. most 24" cruisers will not take the beating a 20" will.

other tips when shopping for a kid's bmx bike:
-a rear brake will suffice, no need for a front one
-a detangler (ie gyro) is unnecessary for a first bmx bike, it messes up brake feel and he's not going to be doing barspins any time soon
-pegs are also unnecessary at this point, hes not going to bunnyhop high enough to grind handrails
-the main difference between a lot of cheaper and high end bikes is weight. if you're starting out, this should not be your first priority
-bar ends are a MUST. they are the difference between falling on your bike and getting a bruise, and falling on your bike and gushing blood everywhere.

and if your son thinks he's ready to go brakeless, he's not. trust me.

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by The Swedish Chef

Current steed, Gary Fisher Malin frame with various odds and ends, (inc some rather nice stuff). Great ride but stuck with V brakes so upgrading has stopped and a new Stumpjumper fund has been started.

cool. the '10 stumpies look awesome.

 

[acidboy]

i'm a few days away from picking up a mojo sl frame like this:

i'm gonna have it built with my mix of old and new parts. can't wait.

 

[The Swedish Chef]

Love that frame, very, very nice. One of a small handful of full suspension bikes I'd seriously consider.

 

[Shiny]

How can I tell if my disc brakes are wearing down? Every once in a while I hear a humming sound when I brake and it's from the rear brake. I'd hate to take apart the whole thing down there since I'm not so mechanically inclined. Is there something I should look for with a flashlight?

BTW, these are mechanical disc brakes that came on this used schwinn bike I picked up on CL.

 

[willpower]

Looking at these 7 speed Jamis cruisers. Worth the $425 MSRP? Just looking to ride around the hood. Rather not hunch over like on sports bikes.

or the Bianchi

 

[rdawson808]

^^ Just talking looks, the Bianchi is way nicer looking. But I hate both those saddles. Am I the only one that finds a thinner saddle more comfortabel than these fat "comfort" saddles.


If you're just looking for something to toodle around on, I'd go to Craigslist and find something. You'll get something half that price (or far less) and you can take it to a bike shop for a tune up if needed.

b

 

[JoshuaC]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

^^ Just talking looks, the Bianchi is way nicer looking. But I hate both those saddles. Am I the only one that finds a thinner saddle more comfortabel than these fat "comfort" saddles.

b

Thinner saddle is more comfortable for me.

 

[DrZRM]

My wife rides this bike and loves it, but she switched the seat to something less pillowy.

Originally Posted by willpower

 

[rdawson808]

Any recommendations on full-fingered gloves for riding in the cold? Padded too.

I'm going to head out Sat morning and see if I can find some.

b

 

[bach]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Any recommendations on full-fingered gloves for riding in the cold? Padded too.

I'm going to head out Sat morning and see if I can find some.

b

This is relevant to my interests.

 

[zippyh]

Originally Posted by willpower

Looking at these 7 speed Jamis cruisers. Worth the $425 MSRP? Just looking to ride around the hood. Rather not hunch over like on sports bikes.

or the Bianchi

It's difficult to imagine a more Fred-like bike than that Jamis.
It makes my eyes hurt.

My wife and I have a couple Milanos for cruising to the coffee shop.
I notice they've changed a few things since we got ours.
No red leather hand grips, no red seat but they made fenders standard.

The seats that came with it will make your ass burst into flames after a couple hours but these aren't really the kind of bikes for that much riding.

One thing to note about the Milano is that they don't have quick release rear hubs.
It's a PITA to fix a rear flat.

 

[il ciclista]

Originally Posted by doink

Fill with bondo, sand, paint

.
which will fall off in about a week. There really isnt any way off to top of my head to get a bent tube straight again..If it doesnt affect anything then just roll with it.


My city commuter/simpleton bike

 

[il ciclista]

and my other steel commuter i got cheap but eff'ed the threads on the crank arm and don't have any metric tap for it...