Bike-Strut (Newbie advice needed)
mannybolone
Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
I haven't owned a bike since high school so I'm completely clueless on how to go about getting (literally) back in the saddle. I mostly am looking for a bike to commute with; it's about 30 miles from where I live to work and there is a pretty decent bike path (along the San Gabriel river) for much of it. I don't want a mountain bike but I'm getting conflicting advice between either a road bike or a hybrid. I'm sure Strut has its share of bike experts - any advice on what I should be thinking about in terms of what I need out of a bike? Budget?Brands?
Comments
That said, my route to work is flat-ish, and I went with a used single-speed road bike off Craigslist for $150. It's been great- I'd done a 1,500 mile trip on a hybrid, and wanted something different. And, frankly, the quiet and lack of maintenance has been a godsend on an everyday bike. Seriously, I poured tons of money into my old derailer, and that was great to get rid of.
But, if you've got hills and the like, I'd go roadbike over hybrid. Frankly, slimming up the tires and making 'em balder will make your ride easier, and if you aren't off roading, you don't really need the fat off-road tires.
I'm no bike expert, but these have been my experiences....
O****r: hipster trend victim?
Good luck with that.
Dude, unless your running game is already mhad strong, I think, for a while at least, you'll struggle commuting this. Bet on over 2 hours each way. Plus showering. Have you got that much time free in your day?
I ride a total of about half this distance, a few days every week, depending on weather. It takes me about 40 mins there and 30 mins back (uphill there, downhill back). I state that 2 hours each way of getting pissed on in the Winter is absolute folly unless you're doing it for a living and you need to put Lance Armstrong out of a job.
But don't let me, or anyone else, put you off. If you've got the stamina to cash the cheques of the banco del jard?n de la mente here's what I'd get:
A hybrid, on riser bars with a front fork and road wheels on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres (tires for you ham shanks). Road frame and wheels for speed. Fork and bars for comfort. You are going to be on that for 4 hours a day and with no payoff for coming first in the race, I'd make sure your joints don't take a beating.
Those tyres have been a Godsend for me. No more punctures. No need to carry all that shit in case I get one.
A road bike on skinnies and drop bars is deffo the fastest way, but on anything other than tarmac, they will punish you.
My 2p/1.5c
Road bikes are the devil.
Mountain bikes are heavy.
Disc brakes are nice.
Everything is absurdly expensive if you buy it new. But dealing with used parts from "BIKE PEOPLE" is a total hassle in my experience.
There are lots of bike co-ops in CA who will help you build a really nice bike from parts. But again, this is also a hassle to deal with and may require bong hits for entry.
30 miles. 30 miles. 30 miles. Dude.
Masi Special CX
Harvey, maybe you need one of these?
:asshurt:
But the bike itself is what I'm befuddled about. That Masi = $1000+. Not going there.
Jimster: what you suggested, what kind of damage are we talking?
If you want a basket on your bike and ride like a woman, get a commuter bike. Otherwise keep it real, and get a road bike.
F*ck that single-speed and fixie shit, you'll need gearing to get you uphill.
Some reputable bike brands that make good entry/mid level road/commuter bikes include Specialized, Giant, Redline, KHS, Jamis and Bianchi.
Bikesdirect, an online retailer offers very cheap frame with great components and groupset -- you cant get cheaper then them. If you look around, you'll see a lot of dudes riding their bikes (Mercier and Motobecane). They ship their bikes halfway built in a box -- just take it to your local bikestore to get completely built up. Here's link:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm
In that case I would find a nearby shop with knowledgeable workers, buy a used steel frame bike like a schwinn touring bike with some shimano components (look for indexed shifting), put on some 700x30 or 700x32 tires on it. Should run around $350-$400 or so.
If you are putting in commuting miles the components and frame will sustain much more abuse than the sunny day hybrid cruiser and older components are stronger and simpler.
If you still want a new bike, I would get a breezer 3 speed:
About $400
Good luck
you would die after 30 miles on that thing.
I aint no soft batch. I roll a 45 pound raleigh three speed all over the place.
I was hoping to stay around $500.
Skinny vs. anti-skinny!
Road vs. hybrid!
You might do well to spend your short money on something to ride for a year or so while you get 'back in the saddle.' During that year you can switch out skinny slicks for cyclocross tires, and change your stems to suit what you need. At the end, you'll have a bit more knowledge on how to maintain your bike, and you'll know what you want to spend your serious money on.
^^^this
get a "beater" and work ur way to a 'deluxe' type joint.
Get ur stamina and knowledge up and make that move.
Under $1000 will get you something ideal for sure. Don't get told otherwise. It's job is to get you to work on the reg and not break. By all means you should avoid the heavy $99 new supermarket specials with cheap plastic components but that figure should easily get you something second-hand that fits the bill perfectly.
The cyclocross bike is a good call, because the frames and drivetrain are basically beefed-up road bike stuff designed to take abuse and mud. I use one myself, but lost the drops and replaced them with risers. I found being hunched in the drops did not agree with my lower back, esp. over the ploughed-up field I ride through.
Mine was about 6 years old, aluminium, very light and cost me just ?80. New it would have been 10 times this. I've never serviced it beyond putting a new chain on every 2K or so. Shame shipping to the US is so much, otherwise I'd do you a deal - I got a new one last month:
http://www.merida-bikes.com/en_int/bike/138/Cross+Bike/Crossway+TFS+800-D+_+-Lady
... simply because I can buy it "Free" through my business and it comes apart easier due to disc brakes. Most CX (Cyclocross - hip slang right there) bikes have canti brakes which I have to undo to release the wheels and can never set back up right myself
Ultimately It depends on how much of a pose you want and how liquid your assets are. Like anything, it's the old diminishing returns curve for how much you lay out. There's a saying that pretty much sums it up:
"Cheap. Strong. Light. Pick any two" (c) Keith Bontrager
The bike shop will try and talk you into paying hyperbux for unobtainium frames, forks and drivetrain parts made of exotic light materials in the belief that having a bike like Lance Armstrong will make you as fast as him. For an ordinary dude, it would be the equivalent of an inflatable muscle suit. YOU DO NOT NEED THIS UNLESS YOUR INCOME DEPENDS ON 1/100TH SECOND SPRINT FINISHES.
Also if you do spunk $10K on a spaceship for bragging rights, make sure you keep away from poor but fast messenger-type working-cyclist dudes on much lesser kit who will make you look very silly.