noob questions

i'm not a bicyclist, no expert at all, but i've been thinking about getting one. since i wouldn't be using it for commuting, just tooling around a 2-3 mile radius, should i just get something basic? a "cruiser" type bike? i have no idea. and price, what's a good price?! no clues over here.

I invariably recommend flatbar road in this circumstance. However before I commit, where do you live, what condition are the streets in, what bike stores do you have and do you have an REI nearby?

i live in los angeles, i would likely be tooling around some neighborhoods that are fairly busy (echo park, silver lake, los feliz, east hollywood). the streets are "okay" and there aren't many hills where i'd be going, just slopes. there are a number of bike stores nearby (mostly small ones), and there are 3 REI stores on the other side of the city.

I would steer clear of cruisers because they are heavy. However it sounds like you could go single speed. I bring up REI as their Novara brand has a good rep around here as being fairly no nonsense, the staff are very nice and low pressure so shopping is pretty easy. Also worth checking what you have in terms of bike coops around you who will give you a bike for free if you put in some volunteer hours and build it yourself or sell you something that has been completely rebuilt for a couple of hundred or less.

Craiglist can be good but you need to know what you are looking for. Check out the local small shops too, they will be able to advise you. New you will be north of $500 for anything getting on for decent probably north of $700, although I have a friend who swears by his $120 POS bike from Walmart which he has done a bunch of loaded touring on (home-made racks), he does spend a lot of time fixing it though.

in the end you have to find something you like to ride. The COOP route is my favourite though.

http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/who.html
http://bikeoven.com/
http://www.bikerowave.org/

Seems LA coops operate a little differently, you have to pay to play. Less focussed on getting new people riding and more on a sort of community workshop kind of a thing.

bicycle kitchen is pretty militant from what i have heard! there are a couple other bike spots in the immediate vicinity of that which have mixed reviews...

i'd be down with spending some $$$ on a cool bike. mostly interested in something that isn't some crazy lance armstrong sporty urban biker thing, something more casual. some of those ones you mentioned look good.

some crazy lance armstrong sporty urban biker thing

what does that mean? contradictory.

noob : /

what you want IS a "sporty urban biker thing" and trek probably makes a perfect entry level one for you

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/

bike kitchen IS kind of insane, i wouldnt go there as a noob

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/2203230755_3355769669.jpg?v=0

hmm those are some good bikes, cutty

if it's just for tooling, not commuting or bein fast, then something ~shaped~ cruiser-y might not be a bad idea. that is, like the bike picture above. big wheels, fattish slicks, wide cruisy bars. setup as a single-speed (that one's got an internally geared hub) it'd be waaaay lighter than a cruiser bike and gas to ride around

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2420/2203168043_5e5934065f.jpg?v=0

what's the bike that's pictured, gbx?

xxxpost!

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/a-bicycle-for-two.html

that's a surly karate monkey

I mean ~technically~ it's a mountain bike frame, but just search flickr for the myriad ways ppl set them up

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1172/528426882_838f852cf3.jpg?v=0

look at this guy right here

plus it comes in 'chum bucket red' now

this thing is dope! i bet it is fun as hell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51807048@N00/528426898/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastboy/382023282/

str8 class

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3449/3354614137_c742630078.jpg?v=0

this is like bike pr0n

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigdummyberlin/2464700400/

wheeeee

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/mchesna/roughdraft.jpg

LA reppin'

j/k that bike is despicable

thing is: KMs are about $450 for the frame/fork. decent wheelset + tires will run close to ...$300? add in everything else and you're over a grand.

surly sells 'em complete for $1200, but they come with knobbly tires an ugly uncomfortable saddle and no moustache bars

I need noob bik for drunk summer roll outs

http://surlybikes.com/1X1_ltd.html

http://surlybikes.com/images/1x1_ltd_lg.jpg

ok what the hell

http://blog.makezine.com/162388357_1e253f8f85.jpg

I really want that rubber chain bike FYI. Good for biking in a suit I hope.

Surly's are awesome, get one of those.

http://www.gorillabicycles.com/web/en/snowwhite/

wtf??

Raleigh One Way

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/one-way/

Raleigh Clubman

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/clubman/

yeah get a one way. great bikes. perfect for your needs

The One Way does look ideal. Do you think you'll find yourself going for longer weekend rides at all?

If you do find something you think suitable, come back to the thread and let us know what and we will thumbs up/down as appropriate.

(Having said that, I think bikes with gears still make most sense in almost all situations. It's definitely worth test riding different styles of bikes, from full-on roadie to MTB with slicks and seeing which feels most fun and most suitable. And you can test ride new bikes from reputable shops, too)

http://blog.makezine.com/162388357_1e253f8f85.jpg

wtf is happening at the "BB" there?

US raleigh and UK raleigh are not the same company any more, are they?

Also, this is still beautiful:

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/guvnor.html

http://www.britishbicycle.com/pashley/guvnor/

US raleigh and UK raleigh are not the same company any more, are they?

I would guess not. They certainly have different product lines.

Is this a good deal for a fixie frame?
http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Il_Pompino_550.html

How much could I get the rest of the bits for?

That is a good deal. Its a great frame too, well liked in the messenger community. I reckon you could build it out for a couple of hundred.

I bought it. Friend has some spare wheels too, w00t.

wow those are cheap! and yeah, i've heard great things about the pompino

i've got a beat ass old trek that i've never liked very much frankly, i think it's time to get a decent road bike for tooling around. this is looking really great to me:

http://thehubbikecoop.org/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=53457

my question is, would it a better deal to find something similar used and have some work done on it? old 10-speed frames can't be that hard to get a hold of

it might be trickier than you think? mpls bike dorks are pretty on the ball when it comes to picking up nice old used bikes

wld agree here in denver, its got completely crazy to where if it has semi horizontal drops dood thinks its worth $x00.

nah, i just normally find myself on the middle/low end of the cassette when on the big front ring? idk maybe my indexing is a bit iffy as well. maybe i take it too easy. idk.

Chain crossing should really be an issue you may want to trim your from derailleur a little.This varieties from system to system how it is achieved and from brand to brand how much is necessary. SRAM is notorious for needing lots of trimming (apparently fixed in new Red)

As far as rear cogs go you can mess around to have lower gears come sooner in the range. This is SRAMs range, if you move from an 11-26 to an 11-32 then you'll hit the lower gears a cog sooner. Move to a 12-26 and you get the higher gears a cog sooner but the low gears stay the same.

11-23: 11-12-13-14-15-16 -17-19-21-23,
11-26: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23 -26,
11-28: 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28,
11-32: 11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32,
12-25: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25,
12-26: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26,
12-27: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-24-27,
12-28: 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-22-25-28,
12-32: 12-13-14-15-17-19-22-25-28-32

interestin'. doing another ride this sunday, will try and clarify the problem more accurately and figure something out from there.

just saw this on craigslist, this is like beyond 'noob' territory going into 'what on earth are u thinking':

http://oi43.tinypic.com/2j0nihj.jpg

http://www.bocyc.eu/gallery/big/bocyc_05-quatro.jpg

^^ savages

wait are we talking abt handlebars?

the *dropped* handlebars?

If we want to talk savages

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qb8QktenUts/T41xMv9GE4I/AAAAAAAAaS4/lGpxg8lxiL0/s1600/scott.jpeg

courtesy of bikesnob

http://delaware.craigslist.org/bik/2947323490.html

idgi

i bet the guys at the bike shop LOVED this dude.

xp stevie, this is the cycling equivalent a post selling a gourmet meal with lines like "i had the chef pour heinz ketchup all over it for better flavor"

someone in delaware is trolling, and doing it well

wait are we talking abt handlebars?

― Time, a group with Jam and Lewis (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:54 PM

the *dropped* handlebars?

― Time, a group with Jam and Lewis (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:54 PM

we're taling about the dropped handlebars that are flipped upside down. and in the case of the first one upside down AND the stem and handlebars are BACKWARDS

courtesy of bikesnob

http://delaware.craigslist.org/bik/2947323490.html

― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, April 21, 2012 10:02 PM

haha i <3 craigslist. and bikesnob.

And the shop adapted a kickstand to fit the carbon fiber frame

had me LOLing at "replaced handlebars for better control"

that thing is already somewhat infamous

http://thedailygrind.robdamanii.com/2012/04/11/facepalm-files-the-sad-scott/

whoops didn't see it was on bikesnob that explains the infamy

is that really sadder than a full race trim scott creaking under a 220 pound lawyer on some charity ride

lol

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/2967945092.html

is that price a typo or

USE BIKE MURRAY TOURIN MTN BIKE FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEMS just need clean up it ...

Hey does anyone have any general tips for looking for second hand steel road bikes?
This is the kind of thing I am looking at. Is there anything I should be looking out for apart from general fit and feel?

In addition to looking at the components, it's worth googling the tubing, I think, you can get an idea of how good the bike was in a particular year. Not all steel is equal even under similar paint jobs. You can cut through a lot of the bullshit surrounding the brand and it being 'vintage' and the like.

So looking up "Columbus Aelle" gives me

http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbuschart.htm

It's at the bottom end of the columbus range, largely un butted. The ride will be comfortable to the point of being squishy. €420 seems pretty high price for something that started life as a budget racer.

VdG, are you in London and might you be interested in an 80s Holdsworth tourer to fit approx 6 footer? Needs a clean and a service but it was fully functional 5 years ago and has been in a shed ever since.

Mine's a mid-level Reynolds 531 10-speed tourer in (dirty, scratched) white. Needs a lot of tlc but is mechanically in decent nick.

Naa I'm in Germany

Thanks ed, I'll try and inform myself about frames a bit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/world/europe/in-denmark-pedaling-to-work-on-a-superhighway.html

"The plan has received widespread support in a country whose left- and right-leaning lawmakers both regularly bike to work (albeit on slightly different models of bicycle)."

what are the "slightly different models" here? anyone know?

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae31/Foxx-Dot-Com/4chan/1254517783743.jpg

loool

Massive noob question here - please don't laugh. I currently have a mountain bike/ATB which I mainly use for road cycling to and from work on a fairly flat road. I'm constantly getting overtaken by racers (and even Bromptons) as my fat-arsed tyres drag themselves along the road. I'm thinking of getting skinnier tyres with a smoother tread. Can I simply change the tyres or will I need to do more than that (e.g. change the wheels themselves or something like that?). Recommendations are also very helpful!

yes you can simply change the tyres. check the diameter of your current tyres but they'll almost certainly be 26". can't recommend anything in particular but try these links:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=740
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycle/mtb-slick-tyres/

thanks ledge. yeah i'm certain they're 26"

the tire wall should have the size written on it, e.g. 26x2 (26" diam, 2" wide). what width do you currently have?

not near my bike right now. i'll check though.

if in doubt go to the bike shop and tell them you want to change to slicks. they'll sell you ones that will fit.

I never learned to ride, I want to now. Just recreation on city streets and parks, pretty flat, $500-$600 budget (want to buy new so the shop can make appropriate adjustments, etc.).

Is there a suitable Trek? I read about the Felt Glassell and that sounded interesting too.

Also Kind of interested in a three-wheel recumbent tbh.

dl, more than you would ever need to know about rim and tyre widths (with a handy chart near the end under 'width considerations':

http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width

on the three wheel recumbent, depends how you're using it. they have a very wide stance, which makes maneuvering anywhere around traffic hard. also, they are very low and i've been told, therefore more likely to be hit by cars, thus the common use of flags for recumbents. my general attitude is, if you need a recumbent to get on a bike, go for it, but if you don't, skip it.

hay hay i got some slicks. only had time to change the front one and it seems good. problem is, the front wheel quick release axle kind of fell apart while i was taking it off. i put it back together best i could, but i had to guess how because nowhere on the internets could i find anything that told me e.g. washer, washer, spring, fork, fork, spring, nut (think that's the order i put em on). so i hope i haven't bollocksed it up. back tyre this weekend. uh ohs...

DL - you might be better off going to a bike shop and getting them to check your quick release, you really don't want your wheel to fall out while you're riding.

quite right indeed.

dunno about that, it ain't rocket science

http://www.montaguebikes.com/assets/images/ownermanual/standard-labeled-quick-release.jpg

that's what i need! thanks ledge, you're a ledge!

ha

except the drawing's missing two washers there. never mind, i'm sure i got it right by looking at the back wheel.

washers eh, what's the point in them.

i was having terrible trouble opening a super tight quick release lever the other day. my super bike nerdy friend - not quite up to the level of building his own wheels but i wouldn't put it past him - fixed it in a jiffy by turning the lever a full turn without opening it (anticlockwise i presume), then it popped open no trouble. magic!

washers probably sit between the nut and the spring at either end, but most quick release assemblies don't have them

i was having terrible trouble opening a super tight quick release lever the other day

my lo-tech solution to this is always to whack it open with my pump placed through the wheel

mine's one of those special quick releases that only open if the bike's upside down so that's maybe something to do with it.