Jump to content

General Bicyclist Topic


Dr. Pink
 Share

Recommended Posts

I like riding my bike. And I want to make biking my primary transportation method instead of a car. Sadly my one and only bike that I have is terminally ill. And I am now looking for a new bike. One that is more reliable and is more durable. I'd also like to find one that only has one gear so in case the chains come loose I can repair it very simply and effectively. MY last bike that broke down was so complex that I wasn't able to repair it.

 

As for what terrain I plan on riding around. Mostly just city sidewalks and streets to get to the city( I live 15 miles away and I'd have to bike down the backroads )

 

I also plan to pimp out the bike once I get it. I'm going to add custom pint jobs, comfy seats and a speaker system that clamps to the bike( For an IPOD once I get one )

 

How many here use there bikes as the main way they get around? Or how many would like to?

 

 

 

Oh....And while I am at it. I might as well talk about my idea for a possible future bike. One that would get you from A to B faster.

 

An Electric Bike which used pedal power to power it's engine. Allowing it to go 40-50 miles per hour( Possible higher )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get a single speed but unless you live somewhere really flat I suggest not doing so...unless you want to go slow everywhere. Also you shouldn't ride on the sidewalk...its not safe and its illegal. If anything I suggest you get a fitness bike. If you get a quality bike you won't need to mess with the gearing much and you shouldn't drop your chain if you take it into the shop for tune ups.

 

I myself ride to work a few times a week...I'll ride most of the time once it warms up and the suns up at closing time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its illegal pretty much everywhere but police don't give a crap. You should ride as close to the shoulder as you can in the direction traffic is going...so on the right side of the road near the shoulder. Riding on the sidewalk dangerous...people walk on the sidewalk...and get hit by kids on bikes all the time...or cyclists crash avoiding people on the sidewalk. These are reasons why its illegal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get a single speed but unless you live somewhere really flat I suggest not doing so...unless you want to go slow everywhere. Also you shouldn't ride on the sidewalk...its not safe and its illegal. If anything I suggest you get a fitness bike. If you get a quality bike you won't need to mess with the gearing much and you shouldn't drop your chain if you take it into the shop for tune ups.

 

I myself ride to work a few times a week...I'll ride most of the time once it warms up and the suns up at closing time.

 

Oh I don't know. I turned my MTB into single speed so I can ride in winter and not worry about gears and other fun stuff. And figured I could use it to help build up my leg muscle when biking up hill. Worked pretty good (no massive huge hills but some decent sized ones). Yes slow at the climb but well worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? It's illegal to ride on the sidewalk? I do that all the time. And I've done it when the police were present. And they've never done anything to me. Maybe the law is different depending on the state you live in.

I regularly drive 5-10 mph over the speed limit in my car and have never gotten a ticket. Doesn't mean it's legal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its illegal pretty much everywhere but police don't give a crap. You should ride as close to the shoulder as you can in the direction traffic is going...so on the right side of the road near the shoulder. Riding on the sidewalk dangerous...people walk on the sidewalk...and get hit by kids on bikes all the time...or cyclists crash avoiding people on the sidewalk. These are reasons why its illegal.

Even worse are the cyclists who ride in the street AGAINST traffic. Somehow they think it's safer... honestly I'd rather give motorists more time to see me and if I were to get hit, I'd rather it be at their speed - my speed rather than their speed + my speed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In august I'll be moving to a city the League of American Bicyclists gave a bronze-level award for being bicycle friendly so I definitely plan on making cycling my main means of transportation. I'm assuming the award has some significance, although I'm not sure what criteria the League of American Bicyclist uses to grade cities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every brand makes something better than someone else but for the most part...if you aren't getting some brand bike from Walmart...the company brand will be good. After thats its all about what type of frame material, shifting components you want...and the type of wheels that come on the bike. Money is a huge factor too. If you want a road bike...you simply can't get anything decent for under $850...or $500 for a mountain bike....ideally you spend as much as you can...in the long run that'll actually save you money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about secondhand? I dunno about the usa but you can get pretty good older bikes pretty cheap over here.

The $ is incredibly low at the moment but when I bought my bike a euro was about the same as a dollar, I payed 100euro for it. That was about 100$, now that would be about 150$.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll have to look into second hand bikes and where I might be able to find one. We do have second hand/thrift stores in US. Mostly I go to the goodwill though. You can find pretty good things at a second hand store on occasion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can find good clothes, appliance, and furniture but you'll be hard pressed to find a good bike. I suggest craigslist or ebay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not true it depends on where you shop. Dr Pink hit up the thrift stores near wealthy areas that is where i look for better quality items.

 

Also i know salt lake city has a Bike collective that will help you repair bicycles or even let you work off the cost of a bike volunteering teaching others how to fix bikes. Where do you live i can ask them for you if they know of similar programs in your area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Find an old road bike with horizontal drops and build up a fixie. I'm building up another fixie, paid $75 for the frame, I already have nice cranks/cages/clips, and I'll build up the rest at my community bike workshop and pay it off with time volunteering there (about 7 hours). Basically what I'm saying is that you can build up a fixie for under $200. As long as where you live is not too hilly this is a really good option.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You've gotta be careful doing that though...a lot of old steel bikes have cracking brazing(soldering with brass or silver) that you can't see...while others have cracks at the miter joints. The bike shop I work at is in one of the richest cities in America(per capita) and I've never seen a good bike in a thrift store...even the richies tend to keep their bikes if they're good. Most people that have lots of money keep their bikes and get new ones...they don't get rid of good stuff...even if they never ride it again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You've gotta be careful doing that though...a lot of old steel bikes have cracking brazing(soldering with brass or silver) that you can't see...while others have cracks at the miter joints. The bike shop I work at is in one of the richest cities in America(per capita) and I've never seen a good bike in a thrift store...even the richies tend to keep their bikes if they're good. Most people that have lots of money keep their bikes and get new ones...they don't get rid of good stuff...even if they never ride it again.

 

In my world, the one that is not all or nothing, i find somethings that others deem they do not need at thrift stores including truly expensive bicycles. Tax write offs are you friends. That being said i am sure veganpotter your right on average you will not find a great bike at a thrift store, but does that mean you wont, the answer is slim but possible. So im an optimist.

 

 

P.s. i was checking out your myspace and your pottery is bad ass, did you go to school for a fine arts degree?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup...I recieved my BFA in May of last year...thanks for the kudos.

 

When it comes to the bike stuff its more of a collectors mindset. People with lots of money tend to collect lost of bikes...while they may be willing to get rid of things like cars and really expensive furniture on the cheap. People like myself who don't have lots of money tend to sell their bikes and get new ones because we don't make enough money to get a good write off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup...I recieved my BFA in May of last year...thanks for the kudos.

 

When it comes to the bike stuff its more of a collectors mindset. People with lots of money tend to collect lost of bikes...while they may be willing to get rid of things like cars and really expensive furniture on the cheap. People like myself who don't have lots of money tend to sell their bikes and get new ones because we don't make enough money to get a good write off.

 

Congratulations on completing your degree, once im out from under some personal debt i will be making a purchase from you.

 

Back to the debate at hand.

 

I can see your point but i must also draw attention to the fact that your point has to deal with you or people like you, while it is easy to group everyone like ourselves it isnt true or self evident. That being said, lets say johnny dont gets a new bicycle from his oil investing father because all the kids in johnny donts class have them and it would be cool, only johnny dont actually like playing video games so the bike goes to waste, the bike eventually gets donated to a good will or other such charity places this is one scenario out of many that i can think of that would produce a bicycle cheaply in the publics hand. I think often times when giving advice the mistake is to use personal experience and equate all experience as that. That is why i am always conspicious in saying that its my opinion or at least trying to point out multiple ways of looking at things.

 

That being said again for you and within your area this is not the norm, hell it may not even happen ever, but for me, and for the various areas i have lived in i have seen this. Also knowing that our friend Dr. Pink has a lot of aspirations that sometimes cost a lot of money to realize, i think that going this route might be his best bet to complete one of the things he is searching for.

 

Again that being said i also mentioned the bike collective, because if there is a fundamental flaw in the frame they can help him work with it. So i was trying to shore up his resources on two fronts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can get lucky...normally this happens when someone inherits a nice bike...or is given one but doesn't know what they've got. Then they basically donate it to get rid of the bike.

 

When it comes to the pottery thing I'd love do business with you...no rush of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like too do that. Some guy just came into our shop to have all his bearings replaced with full ceramic instead of steel. He basically turned a $650 frame into a $4500 bike. The next step is a ceramic frame...it would be terribly strong and light weight...at least until it would crack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...