Do any of you know bicycles?

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bajaespuma

bajaespuma

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For the first time in over 20 years I need to go out and buy myself a bicycle. Not for racing, but for exercise and touring. 20 years ago I had a good friend who took me by the hand to our local superstar cycle merchant, Chris Zane and picked out a very good hybrid that lasted 20 years.

 

Now, OUCH! Sticker shock! I'd like pretty much the same thing, but lighter, better suited more for roads than for trail. None of the brands are familiar and everything is so damn expensive. I guess I should go to the library and see if Consumer Reports has a report on bicycles for normal people, i.e. Guys built like me who wouldn't even think about wearing spandex, or walking around in those pedal shoes.

bajaespuma++10-2-2012-08-06-7.jpg
 
Don't forget the helmet...

Is the Chris Zane place still there? Go in and talk with the sales staff there if so, they usually are trained pretty well at determining model, needs, sizing, etc. We have a local shop(s) and we've always had great experience with them. A good friend of ours bought a Trek bike a couple of years ago, she spent under $300 and got a very nice bike. Once you know a bit about size, etc. you can also check Craigslist for good, used bikes. My son has a $600 bike we bought a year old on CL for less than half price cuz the owner wanted another step up. Good luck!
 
My experiences are similar... bikes get high end and very expensive very quickly... not the Schwinn, Huffy, or even Raleigh bikes from years past! For 'recreational' biking, I bought a very inexpensive bike at Target a few years ago... certainly far from the high end, super light or super tough bikes at the sporting stores, but fine for occassional fun (as opposed to serious racing, distance, off-trail, or challenges). Or, as noted, you can try Craigslist, my roomate a couple of years ago got a great, very slightly used, bike for a fraction of its original value. Perhaps like stationary exercise equipment, many people buy them new and find that they don't enjoy or use them as much as they thought, and then sell for a significant discount to get space back!
 
I have 3 bikes. A Schwinn Frontier speed mountain bike, A Italian 18 speed racing bike and a Trek 1100 21 speed single lane bike. Of the 3, my favorite is the Trek. I found it at a local flee market here in Bore for $80. It needed a few accidents and,as always, I replaced both the tires and tubes with puncture resistant ones. I gift recommend them. Especially if you are planning on distant riding. I average 18 miles a day and the Trek is steel not aluminum bit only weighs about 15 pounds.Real easy to carry or lift. The Schwinn is a bit bulkier, made of aluminum and weighs twice as heavy as the Trek. It has a double basket on the rear behind the seat that has carried everything I.e. been able to fit in it And I have owned it over 20 years now. It was stolen last January and the local cops found it in the downtown Kona area.The Mists was a gift and I only ride it when I need to get somewhere fast. It has narrow racing wheels and I have gone almost 70mph on it with ease. I just don.t like it's curled handle bars not it's brake grip locations. Either way, I recommend shopping either the flee markets or go on to Ebay or vesica list in your local are. I think you will find a much better,older bike that has already been broken in.
 
I suppose the main advantage of buying new is you know it's not stolen property. If buying something a couple of years old the seller might hopefully still have their purchase receipt though.
 
We both had mountain bikes for about a dozen years.  As a result of Dave's stroke, he has balance issues so a few months ago I looked into getting him a big trike.  I found a used bike dealer who had one, and while there spotted a like-new Schwinn Jaguar cruiser with big wide handlebars and saddle seat.  I ended up trading in my Marin Palisades Trail for it, and traded Dave's Raleigh mountain bike for the trike.  We have only ever ridden on streets.  I never found the Marin to be comfortable to ride.  The Schwinn is Chinese, but it's not like I'm going to ride it to death and it serves my purposes fine.  Dave refuses to get on his trike.  I'm sure it's a pride issue, but I'll keep trying to persuade him.

 

If you have a used bike dealer in your area, I recommend checking what they have, or as Greg suggested, Craigslist.
 
I've gotten a few bikes from Costco. The selection is of course limited, and somewhat seasonal. The frames generally seem to be good, but the equipment is sometimes BOL. They've had some interesting "urban cruiser" type bikes with tires more narrow than a mountain bike, and with aluminum frames in more of the classic bicycle triangulated design than more trendy designs.

Currently I'm riding a fill suspension 12 year old Costco (MGX/Mongoose) bike on my work commute. It's heavy (40+ lbs) with one of those trendy designs (trendy for the late 1990's) but the suspension is good for jumping off curbs and over potholes etc. I don't care so much about the weight as one of the reasons for biking the commute is to lose body weight. But the heft of the bike (along with no convenient handholds to lift it) make taking the stairs and lifting it over the turnstiles a bit of a challenge. I've put road tires on it and that makes for a better ride on paved surfaces. In the past I've found the so called dual purpose trail/road tires, with smooth centers and knobby sides, to be treacherous on turns on paved surfaces. The frame is very strong (7000 series aluminum) but the forks and rear suspension are basic and not something anyone into really aggressive riding (stunts/jumps/air etc) would use, because the adjustments are limited and there's basically no dampening. They're fine for the street, though.
 
Go To Any Goodwill Or Similar Thrift,

Or garage/estate sale and you'll often have your pick of bicyles. Choices range often from vintage 1970's to modern offerings.

Several years ago wanted a bike to take exercise around Central Park (rollerblading was getting out of fashion)and after pricing new bikes, (talk about sticker shock), walked one block up to Goodwill and found *two* bicycles purchased for a whopping $50.

One was a Panasonic cannot remember the other. Took both right back to the same bike shop one had just left an hour before and they took the best of both to make one great bike. Since the Panasonic was the best of the lot it got the donor bits, and sold the remaining parts to the bike shop for their own use.

Is it the most modern and fancy bike in the world? No, but it's a "ten speed" and serves my purposes (exercise and the occasional quick trip around Manhattan to fetch or run errand).

Did not want to spend heaps on something new in case the urge to bicycle wore off and or perhaps to attrack unwanted attention (bicycle theft is HUGE in NYC).

The only thing about older bikes is they may not have the most comfortable and or modern seats, especially for the gentlemen to protect and keep his tackle comfortable during long rides.
 
Bike Shops

Long story short. Go to a few bike shops and shop around. Get measured and fitted to the correct size bike for your height and weight. Ask for test rides and see what is most comfortable for you. What you are looking for is now known as a "hybrid" or sometimes "urban" bike. A simple bike store bike is almost always better than any department store bike. If you have a limited budget, look at used bikes at bike stores. If its all intimidating, find a friend to take with you to help you navigate and ask questions.

I want a new bike but won't be in the market for another 8mos-1yr. I want fenders, upright position, and 3,5,or 8 speed internally geared hub, and a bit of retro style. The makes that interest me include Public, Linus, Breezer, and Electra. Novara bikes are sold at REI and some of them look ok. I have not lusted after any particular bike yet because I haven't found the one that has the right combination of technical desires and style, so I'll just hold out.
 
Main thing is to find a place that will let you take their bikes for a real test ride, not just around the parking lot. Thats the best way to find a bike that you feel comfortable with, not what some salesman recommends.

For a touring/pleasure bike you want one the places the rider in a more upright position, not hunched over like mountain or road racing bikes. Also, look for one with Shimano componets, the more the better, front and seat post suspension and good sized tires. I took a couple bad spills on those skinny tired bikes, I'll never ride on those again, concussions are no fun.
 
Don't forget you can always change out bike saddles and tires to suit different needs. My first bike seat was awful, I went to a leather one with less padding and its amazingly comfortable. (Well, for me at least.)
 
It must be genetic with me, but I believe in doing reading and research. I'll bet Amazon sells bikes. If they do, they will also have reviews. Go to a newsstand and see if they have any mags about bikes. They probably test bikes. Once you have a title, you can see if there is an index and search for back issues with ratings of bikes. It's always better to spend time researching before buying rather than bitching after buying.
 
I have some bicycle experience, I have a number of them and I built my last two from components.

The first thing to point out is that you are very unlikely to get a good deal from anywhere that doesn't do bicycle service on site. In other words, DON'T buy a bike from any store ending in *Mart, Target, Sears etc. Yes they sell bikes and they are darned inexpensive, but they are JUNK. When you have problems with them they are more or less throw aways, parts availability will be an issue and bike shops won't like you when you bring them in. Likewise I would avoid any mail order purchases. It makes fitting difficult and if you have any adjustment or mechanical problems you can't put straight yourself then what?

There is some good advice on the Internet, Google "How to buy a bicycle" or similar. You will be able to familiarize yourself with various differences in design that way. You are most likely seeking a hybrid or cross terrain bike. This is a do-it-all kind of bike that is well suited for most of us that are doing recreational or fitness cycling.

I suggest you seek out a decent local bike shop. If you are near a collage campus they often have the best shops there. Often they are cooperatives and they have knowledgeable staff and they often sell good rebuilt used bikes for prices similar to the big box store junk bikes. Some of the large chain type bikes shops may tend to up sell you more and they staff are sometimes more salesmen then actual bicyclists... Beware. If you have an REI nearby check them out for sure! Their pricing is a bit higher but so is the quality of the products and advice.

There are a lot of names today, the biggest ones are Trek and Specialized (neither of which I like that much). Other good names are Marin, Jamis, Bianchi, Fugi and Raleigh. The most well known name Schwinn has largely sold out today and they are pretty lackluster at best now.

If you have any specific questions feel free to email or message me!

Phil

[email protected]
 
Looking for a Pee Wee Herman bike!

I'm watching the 2nd hand shops and garage sales. I'm hoping to find an old fat tire cruiser to fool around with. I have a couple of made in USA Cannondales, but can't stand the wimpy, skinny, ultra lightweight tires and rims. They won't tolerate curbs or rough shoulders at all! The goofy seat and bars are ridiculous as well. Sooo, the plan is to score a big old Pee Wee Herman looking bike and swap in either an old 5 speed hub or a 10 speed gear set. Either way, the Cannondales will be robbed for parts or sold. That should help towards a set of fat whitewalls, a spring seat and some saddle baskets for grocery and Guinness runs.

I just missed an old American made Schwinn a couple of months back. I saw it at a yard sale and by the time I parked, a lady had bought it. Bummer!

FEster
 
If you want an upright riding position, look for a hybrid bike. Mountain bikes can be OK, but if you're going to ride on the street or firm trails, suspension isn't really that useful. Fat-tire cruisers take a lot of energy to move, so they can be discouraging to ride any distance at all.

2nd the thought about bike collectives/cooperatives.

You can find stuff on Craigslist, but you need to know what you're looking for (frame size, brand, etc.) and what it's worth. The usual Craigslist caveats apply...good stuff gets snapped up quickly, and the rest can be dreck that isn't worth much.

At the end of the day, how a bike fits you is really more important than brand or type. If it doesn't fit you well, you won't want to ride it, and it just ends up taking up space in the garage.

One thought on the Cannondales - depending on clearances, you might be able to get a little wider rim and tire to fit. They are quality bikes. But the Cannondales tend to be really stiff - they don't have a nice ride like the old steel frame bikes.
 
That's true too. I could try to go with some rims and rubber from a mountain bike or something. I learned that the skinny rims and my 250 lbs were incompatible the first hole I hit. Instant blown tire and collapsed rim.

The sprockets are very thin as well. On the second bike, I stood up on a pedal and yanked on the bars to take off and snapped several teeth off the crank sprocket. I didn't think that was possible! The frames seem strong and the brakes do work well, though. I just think the running gear isn't tough enough for my weight on anything other than a glass smooth surface. I should have known better, Most of the guys I see rolling on skinny rims could Hula Hoop in a Cheerio! We'll see. The direction I go with this will be determined by the parts or bikes I can scrounge or buy on the cheap.

FEster
 
Thanks for the help. It's been helpful!

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to buy my next bike at Zane's. Chris' people have given me great service for more than 15 years and it would be a slap in the face to everything I believe in not to be a return customer. I've done some research on line as many of you have suggested and I'm going to begin with Tech hybrid bikes, the FX 7.1 looks to be about my speed and see what they say. As some of you said, my weight and age will be big factors and yes, I found that the minimal seat was more comfortable on my old bike than a much more padded one, oddly enough. I imagine it's how the seat meshes with my perineum. Once I've logged some miles the body and the bike will fit, but I was appalled by what must have been a predictable price inflation. I'm sure than everything else, in the last 15 years except for macdonalds hamburgers have seen a similar rise. Now all I have to do is find a helmet that will fit around my big fat head and that I won't dread wearing and it's off we go!
 

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