General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[LawrenceMD]

Originally Posted by Althis

That looks great! I'm starting to get a lot more into cycling and I decided my next bike will be either Ti or steel w/ sram rival. I really don't see the point in worrying too much about the bike weight as long as it's under 19-20lb, but if you're racing, then it has to be 15ish.

thanks, I share you're sentiments as well with bike weight... but then you see things like titanium quick release skewers on ebay for $40 and 100gram stems for less than $40... (you start to compute and add up all the grams and it becomes a pound and so on).

what got me into it was the quick release skewers I had on originally, they were these cook bros. racing brand that i guess nets a huge premium (for 90's vintage bike people). They sold for almost $70 (that was nothing I saw another auction for cook bros. bmx pedals go up to $2,000!) so I started to see if any of the other stuff would sell on eBay... and luckily everything did (even the old pedals, stem/seatpost/handlebars) so I ended up saving huge.

the best was the old ROLF wheelset (another cult item i guess) because those sold for $260 eBay offsetting my new wheelset (easton circuits which were over 200g lighter and $199 on bonktown.com) and before you knew it everything was swapped out except for the drivetrain and frame.

there are some guys who'll really brake the bank to save weight (as you kinda have too if you're bike isn't light to begin with) but it was fun swapping out all the old stuff then selling it on eBay because the buyers were all cool bike-geeks who I ended up swapping build pics with...

 

[Althis]

Wow, those are some great deals. I went to my campus bike store today and asked about joining the cycling team. I'm going out this Sunday with them for a 50 mile ride =). Also, they said that the team gets super deep discounts on stuff in the store, which should work out pretty good for me; I'm going to try and get some decent upgrades for cheap.

 

[Kark]

Originally Posted by LawrenceMD

the funny/sad thing is.... 17lbs is considered "obese" by roadbike standards...
I wouldn't disagree, but I'll surmise that its obese only by those who obsess about bike weights so the "standard" is set by folks who are fixated on the weight of their bike I know a fair number of committed, enthusiastic and fast cyclists (not pros, but sponsored amateurs on teams) that prefer custom built steel frames despite the weight penalty. I'm in that camp myself with one all steel fillet brazed bike and one thats fillet brazed steel front triangle with a carbon rear. Pretty sure neither are less than 17lb. If fact despite having weighed my newer bike I can't remember the exact weight but I know that because fit, and performance were the primary factors in the frame/group/wheel decisions it's as comfortable and fast 4hr into a ride as it is 20min into a ride. My point being that while weight is a consideration, it falls behind fit, safety and comfort. Sometimes the heavier build will even be faster due to the performance or comfort benefit.

 

[Pangolin]

Actually, I think I can go through most of the year without spending anything other than for basic maintenance. Here is how my bike looked this past summer and I only fixed the front fender and changed the rear tire since then.

 

[rdawson808]

^^^ That's purdy.

b

 

[Althis]

ordered these today

https://fuzionwheels.3dcartstores.co...pping_p_3.html

 

[vm1336]

Looks like something from Rivendell without the brand on the downtube. What frame is that, and what is the wheel/tyre size? Beautiful bike.

 

[Pangolin]

I wish I could afford a Rivendell, but this is just a 2009 Raleigh One Way. I changed the bars, the crank, the fenders, the pedals and added a rack. And a bell of course. I use Pasela TG tires in 700x35.
The stock version of the bike is actually very well done, except for the original drop bars that I disliked and had to change right away.

 

[Althis]

Got my 105 pedals today; they are super awesome. I had no trouble at all clipping in and out of them and the difference is amazing compared to regular pedals.

 

[JohnRichards]

I would be grateful for some advice... I have never used proper "clip in" pedals, only the standard toe clips.... would it make a massive difference?? I am cycling about 60 miles per week just for fitness.. Many thanks JR

 

[zippyh]

Yes, clipless pedals make a big difference. Since you're just riding for fitness, look for some SPD style pedals and some mountain bike shoes. SPD are easy to clip in/out of, widely available and can be pretty cheap. Mtn bike shoe are easy to walk in off the bike. Make sure to distinguish between SPD-R road pedals which are confusingly similar in name but totally different and not compatible.

Also, you're probably going to fall at least once while you're learning to use them. It's inevitable.
The unclip left foot then fall right is a classic.

 

[Althis]

Went out today with the UCSD bike team and had a blast.

http://www.sportstracklive.com/track...ing/Ucsd/93063

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by zippyh

Yes, clipless pedals make a big difference. Since you're just riding for fitness, look for some SPD style pedals and some mountain bike shoes. SPD are easy to clip in/out of, widely available and can be pretty cheap. Mtn bike shoe are easy to walk in off the bike. Make sure to distinguish between SPD-R road pedals which are confusingly similar in name but totally different and not compatible.

Also, you're probably going to fall at least once while you're learning to use them. It's inevitable.
The unclip left foot then fall right is a classic.

+1. shimano dx (mtb) pedals would be your best option imo. it has a 'cage' that you can step on if you're still uneasy about clipless pedals, and you can also adjust the tension of spd pedals to make it easier/harder for you to unclip. also, get shimano multi-release cleats.

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by acidboy

+1. shimano dx (mtb) pedals would be your best option imo. it has a 'cage' that you can step on if you're still uneasy about clipless pedals, and you can also adjust the tension of spd pedals to make it easier/harder for you to unclip. also, get shimano multi-release cleats.

+1 and you can probably get an even cheaper version from Wellgo (SPD compatible) if you are unsure about the commitment (which is small). Check pricepoint.com.

b

 

[zippyh]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

+1 and you can probably get an even cheaper version from Wellgo (SPD compatible) if you are unsure about the commitment (which is small). Check pricepoint.com.

b

Wellgo claims that they're SPD compatible but in my experience, they don't work very well with the real thing.
I test rode a bike that had Wellgo pedals and my shoes had Shimano cleats. I almost went down trying to unclip. I mentioned it to the bike shop guy when I got back. He said "oh yeah, I should have warned you". Gee, thanks.