General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[Stazy]

I moved to Vancouver a couple months ago and have really enjoyed cycling as a mode of transportation. I hardly drive my car anymore. I'm thinking I'd like to maybe take it up as a sport. Where/how do I start? I don't want to be the guy that buys a Cervelo and then doesn't know what the hell he's doing. lol

Oh and here's a pic of what i've been cruising around on...

Vanmoof No. 3

 

[otc]



I moved to Vancouver a couple months ago and have really enjoyed cycling as a mode of transportation. I hardly drive my car anymore. I'm thinking I'd like to maybe take it up as a sport. Where/how do I start? I don't want to be the guy that buys a Cervelo and then doesn't know what the hell he's doing. lol
Oh and here's a pic of what i've been cruising around on...
Vanmoof No. 3

What kind of cycling as a sport? It is cyclocross season right now which is totally awesome and probably the most flexible type of racing with regards to equipment (but I don't know how big the vancouver scene is...but there's a lot of it in washington and oregon so it might be big).

Steel is all you need...comfortable, reliable, inexpensive, but also incredibly effective. My team uses a lot of steel and does very well with it in both road and cross. For cross there is usually even a single speed category so you don't need to worry about gears (you can get used to all of the other techniques before you throw in worrying about when to downshift)...actually even in the geared races there are a lot of people who ride singlespeeds and do well (because there is zero extra thought required and no chance of sticks/mud clogging up your gears and making your bike stop working).

 

[acidboy]

man I've been looking at this for a couple of weeks now...





been entertaining the thought of this as my next build. I'm just not so sure about going full rigid.

 

[Luddite]

I put some white cork tape on my EPS for summer a week or two back.

 

[Stazy]



What kind of cycling as a sport? It is cyclocross season right now which is totally awesome and probably the most flexible type of racing with regards to equipment (but I don't know how big the vancouver scene is...but there's a lot of it in washington and oregon so it might be big).
Steel is all you need...comfortable, reliable, inexpensive, but also incredibly effective. My team uses a lot of steel and does very well with it in both road and cross. For cross there is usually even a single speed category so you don't need to worry about gears (you can get used to all of the other techniques before you throw in worrying about when to downshift)...actually even in the geared races there are a lot of people who ride singlespeeds and do well (because there is zero extra thought required and no chance of sticks/mud clogging up your gears and making your bike stop working).

I guess that's the biggest problem...I don't really know what I want to do. What type of bike would give me the widest range of options? Ideally I'd like to try out a few different cycling sports to see what I like best.

man I've been looking at this for a couple of weeks now...

That is a sweet looking bike. What do you mean by "full rigid"? I don't understand cycling lingo...

 

[zippyh]



That is a sweet looking bike. What do you mean by "full rigid"? I don't understand cycling lingo...

No suspension front or rear.
Just about all mtn bikes nowadays have some kind of front suspension and lots have rear suspension too.

 

[acidboy]



That is a sweet looking bike. What do you mean by "full rigid"? I don't understand cycling lingo...

No suspension front or rear.
Just about all mtn bikes nowadays have some kind of front suspension and lots have rear suspension too.

yes. intense cycle's gonna release that next year... hopefully I got some money then.... I got a a full suspension (front and rear shocks) and a hardtail (front shock only), both 26ers (26" wheels) and I've been toying the idea of going full rigid (no suspension) on a 29er (29" wheels) for a while now... mostly for hill climbs and flowing singletracks. I imagine doing a full rigid on more rocky trails would feel like operating a jackhammer.

 

[freedom_fries]



yes. intense cycle's gonna release that next year... hopefully I got some money then.... I got a a full suspension (front and rear shocks) and a hardtail (front shock only), both 26ers (26" wheels) and I've been toying the idea of going full rigid (no suspension) on a 29er (29" wheels) for a while now... mostly for hill climbs and flowing singletracks. I imagine doing a full rigid on more rocky trails would feel like operating a jackhammer.

i do not understand this trend at all. i rode a fully rigid bike for years, back when suspension was too expensive/heavy/****** to be practical. it sucked. now full suspension bikes are lighter and more nimble than practically any fully rigids from 15 years ago.

 

[freedom_fries]

and if i ever were to buy a fully-rigid it sure as **** wouldn't be an intense.

 

[otc]

I dunno...my cyclocross bike is full rigid with pretty small tires and it still does alright with small bumps when the air pressure is low enough (with 30mm tires or so).

A mountain bike with big tires (and I'm not talking pugsley large) and low enough air pressure should be able to handle pretty big bumps without issue.

You'll still feel them, not ride over them like they are a crack in the road on a full suspension rig, but for the more manicured of trails (so really....any of the "sustainable" trials that have had most of the life sucked out of them) a full rigid would be ok. If you are going to do it though...you gotta go all out. It better be super light with a nice, responsive frame. Would cost as much as a decent hardtail to do it right I'm sure but it would probably be fun.

 

[acidboy]



and if i ever were to buy a fully-rigid it sure as **** wouldn't be an intense.

Whats wrong with intense?

I dunno...my cyclocross bike is full rigid with pretty small tires and it still does alright with small bumps when the air pressure is low enough (with 30mm tires or so).

A mountain bike with big tires (and I'm not talking pugsley large) and low enough air pressure should be able to handle pretty big bumps without issue.

You'll still feel them, not ride over them like they are a crack in the road on a full suspension rig, but for the more manicured of trails (so really....any of the "sustainable" trials that have had most of the life sucked out of them) a full rigid would be ok. If you are going to do it though...you gotta go all out. It better be super light with a nice, responsive frame. Would cost as much as a decent hardtail to do it right I'm sure but it would probably be fun.

Exactly what i was thinking, use somethng like 29x2.2 tires or something.

 

[Ich_Dien]

Please can somebody help me? I've been wanting to get into road cycling for some time lately, and have finally decided to make the plunge. Ideally, I'd like something second hand as my friend says that's the best way to get more for your money. Could anybody recommend a decent second hand road bike for circa €1000? What should I be looking for? Are the Italian makers like Pinarello and Bianchi any good? The Pinarello HQ is about 40km away from me.

 

[freedom_fries]



Whats wrong with intense?
Exactly what i was thinking, use somethng like 29x2.2 tires or something.

nothing per se wrong, but intense has no history in making bikes like that. it will also be likely over-priced. if someone were to force me to get a fully rigid it would have to be be titanium, and from a maker with history in ti bikes.

 

[freedom_fries]



Please can somebody help me? I've been wanting to get into road cycling for some time lately, and have finally decided to make the plunge. Ideally, I'd like something second hand as my friend says that's the best way to get more for your money. Could anybody recommend a decent second hand road bike for circa €1000? What should I be looking for? Are the Italian makers like Pinarello and Bianchi any good? The Pinarello HQ is about 40km away from me.

don't get a 2nd hand bike until you know what you're doing. as in clothing, fit is the most important thing. try to find a good shop that you can imagine yourself spending some time in, and where you get along with the staff and mechanics. they will fit you for a bike, and answer other questions regarding sizing, materials, clothing (you will need to buy shoes, helmet and some decent outfits), and gear.

these days you can get a very nice, light road bike for € 1000.

 

[saxamaphone]

Agree with Fries comment re. fit. If you have a well-fitted bike, you will want to get on it more often, and you will want to ride it farther all the time.

You can certainly do better for your money by getting one second hand. But it will be a long process of first riding a ton of diff bikes to determine not only appropriate frame size, but also your preferred riding geometry. It would be better to hit a few shops, try some different brands and styles, and determine what you enjoy riding the most.

And yes, Bianchi is a good brand. If I had to give up every bike except one, I would keep my Bianchi. Don't have any personal experience with Pinarello, but they make some pretty cutting edge/high end frames and might be too much for your first road bike. Perhaps someone else can provide more info there.