Cycling thread.

[wegotthis]

how are this guy's bikes??

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/Fallen86/Bicycles/

How is this one?
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/Fallen86/Bicycles/?action=view&current=SchwinnWorldBlue57.jpg

Or this?
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b...?action=view&current=Univegamaximasport57.jpg



BTW, I'm 6'1, 160. what size would suit my height the best?


Oh and two more.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/bik/1254923596.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/bik/1254476310.html

 

[wegotthis]

Originally Posted by brrraptors

the thing about road bikes is, you're only going to love riding it if you're comfortable in your bike. by that i mean, you have to be fitted to your bike by a pro. buying from ebay/craigslist/classifieds saves you money but only if you know what you're doing. if you know your frame size based on the geometry of the frame then you can go ahead and buy used frame that fits you and then tweak the rest of the setup for your body. if you have an expensive road bike with amazing components that dont fit your body right then you will experience discomfort, pain (especially early fatiguing of your leg muscles), neck soreness, etc. that would defeat the purpose of you having spent all that money on the machine. heres why buying an entry level road bike from a local bike shop makes sense:
- they fit you to your frame. including saddle hide, saddle position, stem size/angle etc
- usually that fitting costs anywhere from $75-150 or more depending on how detailed the fitting session is, but if you buy a bike frm them its usually free
- they give you free tuneups for the first little while
- if you maintain a good relation they can hook you up with some deals down the road for upgrades
- good local bike shops stand behind their service so if there is a problem with the bike you will get it fixed for free if its a manufacturing fault, something you cannot with used bikes from other owners.

my Fuji Roubaix has 105 shifters and my front shifter jammed awhile ago. i took it to the shop i got it from and the guy opened it up to find out that the little ratchetting gear was completely broken. he doesn't charge me for his time or labor and instead of sending the part to shimano and waiting for a replacement he just gives me a new one and said he'll handle the warranty issues on his own. if i had taken this problem into a random shop after having bought the bike from classified i'd have paid a few hundred outta my pocket.

I agree with you on pretty much everything you said. I used to play paintball and I would support my local shop even though i could get used stuffonline for the exact reasons you mentioned.
This will be my first bike, and I was really looking for a crappy mountain bike for like 50 bucks to go around campus but when I went to visit Berkeley, it wasvery hilly and everyone had road bikes because they're light and they ride smooth i guess. Plus I want to give cycling a shot, it seems more fun thanrunning to stay fit. Do you think I should spend anything more than ~200 for those purposes? I mean if I love the sport and grow out of it real quickly, I cansell it and upgrade once I have the money.

 

[smokey13]

^^^ You should be looking for a 56 to 58cm. I suggest you buy a bike from Fallen86 since he has so many. Test ride a few and try and find the one that feelsthe most comfortable. How far do you plan to ride everyday?

 

[brrraptors]

Originally Posted by weGOTthis

how are this guy's bikes??

http://s21.photobucket.co.../b257/Fallen86/Bicycles/

How is this one?
http://s21.photobucket.co...t=SchwinnWorldBlue57.jpg

Or this?
http://s21.photobucket.co...Univegamaximasport57.jpg



BTW, I'm 6'1, 160. what size would suit my height the best?


Oh and two more.

http://losangeles.craigsl.../sfv/bik/1254923596.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/bik/1254476310.html

the guy has a big collection of vintage bikes for sale. some italian steel bikes definitely stand out. for your height i'd have to guessaround 57 or 58cm frame but it depends on the top tube length and also the length of your torso/arms. you should definitely see if the guy will let you testride a couple so you can judge for urself how well the frame rides and the components work.

from the pics alone though a lot of his bikes are gonna be a project. especially the wheels, most of them are rusty and old. you can get a better idea of theircondition in person. there is absolutely nothing wrong with going this route. this is how i got into road bikes i used to ride an old steel frame. good steelframe bikes are highly desirable. steel rides very very smooth. I kinda regret not having that bike anymore I'd totally buy another vintage steel road bikefor $200-300ish down the road as project bike/commuter.

 

[theprocessofbelief]

Downhill?

Still ride my Specialized Big Hit.

(Not my pic, but same frame size/color, suspension, ect)

 

[th0mas cr0wn]

I made a post about Mountain bikes in General here MOUNTAIN BIKES

I am a noob in every aspect, i used to ride bikes heavy as a youth by that's about it. My dad is a road bike enthusiast though & has a Trek 7.7, mycousins are also pretty heavy into Mountain biking so I was bound to catch on. Plus in Amsterdam we rode bikes all the time & it just got to reminding meI've been wanting to get back into it


let's get this community thing going though

I need recommendationsfor a new seat/seat cushion as the stock one on the Trek i just bought isn't cutting it. I probably road about 8 miles between today and yesterday when i bought it and it's time to handle that problem lol

I love love my Trek though, besides the seat ha

 

[itz rolli]

Originally Posted by Juan Baller

Road bikes are built for speed, so they don't hold up to less than ideal conditions as well as mountain bikes and hybrids.

not necessarily true. there are all kinds of road bikes. Touring, commuting, racing.

Comfort level will depend on many factors like frame material, saddle to handlebar height, top tube length.

Generally steel frames and having your saddle and handlebars close to even will give you a more relaxed ride. Wider tires will also be more comfortable thanskinny tires.

 

[jdb1523]

KLJ where do you ride? If I remember correctly you're in NE Ohio. The Cuyahoga Bike Path or whatever is supposed to be pretty nice.

Once I get back to Ohio I'm def. going to start riding again...London sucks for outdoor sports

And if anyone wants a laugh I seriously use my oldSchwinn from years back and put road tires on it...I'm clearly not into it as some of you but it does the trick.

 

[kdawg]

BTW, I'm 6'1, 160. what size would suit my height the best?


That's not really enough information - you need to know how long your legs and body are and stuff.

A 58 from one company won't necessarily be the same as a 58 from another. In fact, the most important dimension is top-tube length - you can adjust theheight of a saddle but if the bike is too long or too short you can't do anything about it (you especially can't move the seat position to compensatefor length - that should be defined from the bottom bracket for optimum power output).

I'm 6'1" too (but not 160 anymore!) and I ride a 58cm Trek which fits pretty well - but I have a fairly long back relative to my height - so ifyou have long legs you might be better on a 56.

Best to try it and see or as someone suggested get a fit before you buy - they can then tell you the right size for you to get - a shop around here does thatand if you buy from them they take the fit cost off the price so it doesn't cost you anything.

 

[kiddin like jason]

KLJ where do you ride? If I remember correctly you're in NE Ohio.
Yes, sir.

I mostly ride the Metropark paths. Definitely a fine asset to the area.

You can travel through a good portion of the state on the same trail because of how they connect.

 

[brrraptors]

any NTer own a triathlon bike?

i see some guys in town scorching down the highway on their triathlon bikes, they look incredibly streamlined. ive rode quite a few different road bikes butive never had the chance to ride a triathlon bike.

 

[dc1323]

Hey, seems like this topic died down fast.

i'm glad i found this thread because I am just starting to get involved in cycling. I just purchased my first road bike.... a fuji roubaix RC... i got alittle hook up, so I didn't pay full retail. I have to say that I test road a few bikes.... but the price for the fuji is really what made my decision. Itslightweight.... ultegra throughout.. and fun to ride.

For those of you getting into it, go talk to your local dealers. those guys no so much more than you can read on the internet. I learned most of what I know(which isn't much) just from talking to different workers at 4 different shops. You'll start to get a sense of what everyone agrees on... and whatyou're able to choose based on YOUR opinion.

Don't buy from target/walmart/other department stores if you don't have to.

Also, get the proper gear. i've been on rides with crappy gear.... and man it makes a difference. A decent helmet (one that is comfortable and safe) shouldrun you around 50-150. Some solid bike shorts should run you about 40-100... and shoes (depending on what you prefer) are right around 60-200.

The first thing u want to decide is what you will use the bike for. if its riding to and from campus... less than 1-2 miles... ANY BIKE will do. Once you getinto riding for fun/exercise, you'll want to start looking into nicer/more expensive bikes. Then there's the racing/competitive and team riding part.That's a whole other topic.

Just be smart about what you're buying. talk to people. it doesn't make sense to buy something used or something inferior if you're going to haveto get something else next year. Get something that will last you a little bit. Right now is a GREAT time to buy. with all the 2010 models coming in, plenty of2009 (and if you're really lucky, 200 models will be going on sale. you can get a $1000 bike for 750-800 right now. In many cases, that's a greatdeal.

can anyone else shed some light on this topic? anyone got hook ups with cycling gear? it's so expensive

 

[brrraptors]

Originally Posted by DC1323



i'm glad i found this thread because I am just starting to get involved in cycling. I just purchased my first road bike.... a fuji roubaix RC... i got a little hook up, so I didn't pay full retail. I have to say that I test road a few bikes.... but the price for the fuji is really what made my decision. Its lightweight.... ultegra throughout.. and fun to ride.


can anyone else shed some light on this topic? anyone got hook ups with cycling gear? it's so expensive

fuji roubaix here as well

08 model though. its not ultegrathough, its 105 rear and tiagra front. my upgrade list is long and endless. i first need to save up for a pair of shoes and clipless pedals. i currently justdo running shoes and a mtb pedal but its not good enough. i tried my friend's specialized allez with Look Keo Sprint clipless and his shoes, the differenceis amazing especially on climbs. i ultimately want the SRAM Rival grouppo but it'll probably be years before i upgrade that.. or might just trade for abetter frame eventually. wheelsets and saddles are definitely worthwhile upgrades though. for a majority of people the factory fitted saddles aren't idealbut i belong in the lower % of those who are comfortable with the stock saddle. the wheelset on the roubaix's are not that great but i dont have theexpendable $$ to upgrade to any better.

there are a lotta sites where you can get cycling gear for relatively cheaper than LBS. nashbar, performance bike, pedal force, pro bike kit, velo wear etc area few that come to mind at the moment, and im sure im missing like 50 other good ones. depends what part you're searching for though.

 

[rude boy stylis]

I caught the cycling bug again 4 yrs ago. Got my bianchi pista fixed gear cause It looked cool and rode fast. Before that in jr high I had a gt performer bmx. Now I have a specialized tarmac. I love riding. It's a pretty expensive sport. Get ready to shed a few dollars. Although its worth every penny to invest in your health.

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Just bought a Schwinn Fastback 2. Love that thing.

 

[shannonscrooks]

Just took mine in for a tune up, havent used it since last summer, looking forward to getting back out on dem streets........

 

[kdawg]

Rode my road bike today for the first time since about September - single speed 'cross all winter. I refurbished everything over the last few months. Not sure the rear derailleur is up to it nowadays but they're about $100 so I'll live with it for a while. I stripped it right down but it's not as smooth as it should be.

Feels weird - fast, but twitchy compared to the last few months. New Lizard Skins tape is really comfy - not had that before but it's nice. Should be as it's expensive...

Not sure about the red tape but it's done now so will stay for a few months. Matches everything else though.

I'm also really fancying the newer 105 shifters with internal cable routing - I've got used to clean bars with my SS. Not sure they're worth changing though - they work fine. Probably better putting that towards a new bike next year.

 

[viskor]

damn seems like this thread is dead. any other threads for cycling? 

 

[bozzcitysneakahead]

I'm looking for some new carbon wheels. Anybody know where they have good prices?