noob questions

srsly.

gf is looking to buy a bike; seller says this one can go for £120. anyone know if tht's a good deal? is pash still around?
http://glasgow.gumtree.com/glasgow/18/45665518.html

my bike dude says tht's steep and 'u cd be getting any old shit'; the suicide levers are a bad sign

pass

That's too much. That bike isn't worth £20 let alone £120.

haha yup

what's a good cheap set of bike lights? will anything do?

No, because if you get the flea market kind they will break and piss you off. Otherwise, I don't know.

£8

Not an expert, but looks solid. But with shipping, isn't that what you're going to pay at a bike store? The basic ones usually cost about $15 here.

Even at Wal-Mart.

I got lucky once and found a decent one in the hardware section of a Safeway for $5.

shipping's free; doubt I'd find anything cheaper in a shop but I'll have a quick look tomorrow

I got these cute little wrap-around lights that I can attach when needed.

Why do people ride wrong-way in bike lanes? It is very annoying.

Cozen, I have these and they're excellent - worth paying an extra few quid, I assure you.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart_Bspoke_LED_1~2_Watt_Light_Set/5360040003/

thanks mark

i am trying to research this but running out of time. i have a short window while in the uk at the end of the month to buy a new bike (i can also have one shipped to my uk address and waiting for me).

i used to ride a edinburgh courier and it was fine, but since then i've been through a couple of beaters. i finally have the funds to spend a little, say £500. this is for occasional commuting, but mostly to get fit, see a little of bavaria, etc. i want a bike suitable for both the road and bike paths, so i guess i want a poseur CX or a hybrid with drops. the trek portland is out of my range, but something like that? kona jake would still be a stretch, but more like it. revolution cross is affordable, but i have no idea what i'm looking at. your thoughts?

(tips for 2009 models on offer are particularly welcome, as i am totally fine with that.)

sure someone else more qualified will be along in a second but bikes I've been looking at in tht price range (which are all highly recommended on bikeradar) are the trek 1.2, 2008 boardman comp, merida road ride 880-24, decathlon b'twin sport 2, or giant scr 3/2

^these are all road bikes w/drops btw

i knew i'd seen you posting some leads but i couldn't find the thread. thanks!

i don't necessarily have a problem with a true road race bike, but i'm a bit out of practice to should perhaps be thinking of something with slightly gentler handling and more comfortable ride.

another of my own noob qns: can someone pls explain to me fixed gear bicycles? what are the benefits to running one of these (esp. in a country w/a hill every 300 yds). the clean lines are beautiful but aren't they a chore? (is tht part of the allure? there's no 'slack', as it were)

I have no interest in getting one of these^ btw I'm just curious of the appeal

the only benefit, imo, is less maintenance and upkeep with gears/derailleur adjustments

the appeal... IT'S ZEN BRO IT'S A LIFESTYLE ETC

fuck a lifestyle imo but it is really fun and feels a lot more intuitive.

meh

personally, having GEARS seems more intuitive to me. but what do i know.

I don't want to start a fight!!!! I just don't understand... hills. they're hard enough w/gears tbh

if your locale is hilly, def don't go fixed

Honestly, I live in a low-moderately hilly city, and hills were a bit difficult for the first couple weeks, then I just stopped noticing.

And cutty and I (from what I understand) have completely different goals with our bikes, so it's totally understandable and doesn't need to be a fight that we're not gonna feel the same way about such things.

I mean I smoke sometimes while riding my bike ffs. I'm not exactly going for optimal performance.

i rode a brakeless fixed gear/track bike for 5 years though

consider me now part of fixed gear anonymous

uh, i made the mistake of vaporizing before my hard workout this AM. never again unless it's an easy ride.

The major benefit of singlespeed/fixed is the total ease of doing everything (from leaving the house, riding, maintenence--it's basically the perfect bike if you don't want to think about anything except for getting from Point A to Point B) except getting up really steep hills.

i'll rep for shimano internal hub if you want gears with low maintenance. and dont care about weight/drivetrain efficiency.

i dream of a CX bike with some magical ultralight rohloff hub and a decent shifter

i dream of rohloff hub that is not twice as expensive as my bike.

anybody looking to find cheap bike stuff should come to denver veloswap in 3 weeks. ive not been for a few years, but i think im gonna look for a mtb this year.

I think I'm going to bid on that merida I was watching on ebay :D

Is this blog as idiotic as I think it is?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/01/riding-buses

i was an "urban cyclist" from the age of 12. it's not some big fucken exciting thing. have never experienced slipstream though so maybe i have been missing out on something that sounds dangerous and smelly.

Fixed gear bikes are good training as you can't just reduce effort by changing gears whenever you fancy it. You're stuck with hills, moving away from traffic lights, and always pedalling whether you like it or not, which builds muscle strength and aids fitness.

^^^ i can get behind that. i think my time spent on a track bike before i ever was on a road bike really helped my pedal stroke and strength.

ditto: i haven't ridden fixed for months now, but when i was all fixed all the time i was ~strong

also, they are great for hill-climbing (vs SS freewheel)

really? i guess cos your forward motion pushes the pedals on the upstroke, or something?

depending on the gearing, i would have to disagree with gbx (with mad respect of course) that fixed gears are great for hill-climbing.

maybe a "hill" that's like a quarter mile long, but for any real climbing you need to have some gears.

i think gbx meant fixed is good for climbing compared to S/S, not compared to gears?

^^^ this is what i meant!

cf super-specialized $$$$ longs peak carbon climbing bike that's like a 10lb carbon fixed gear

http://www.rbaction.net/fly.aspx?layout=content&taxid=96&cid=165