-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Bicycle age
- Thread starter elrechazado
- Start date
Escape Goat
Member
thats a pricey one! i'm looking at ones in the 300-350 range. I is poor student again 
Escape Goat
Member
purg3 said:
where do you live? Is that US Dollars? That site lists it at 349?
Escape Goat
Member
purg3 said:
Oh, I see now. Thanks for the advice. Been looking up reviews here tonight.
Escape Goat
Member
So I got a Trek 3700 which should be here next Thursday. I'm on a very limited budget as it is but should I upgrade anything? Some people online say to upgrade the seat with a gel seat?
the_painted_bird
Member
If you're on a limited budget just use the stock saddle... or upgrade if your body can't adjustTeh Hamburglar said:
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
Sexy bike. How are the R1 brakes? I'm using the entry level K18s and they're grippy as feck. They've given me confidence on downhills again!
I went on an epic ride north this week, 80 miles up the north east coast of England (Hull to Whitby and back to Scarborough.) I was a bit nervous about being able to ride that far, and told the hostel at Boggle Hole where I was staying to expect me by 11pm (I set off at 8am,) but I got there at 6pm! Having done that distance, I'm ready to tackle the Trans-Penine trail (120 miles) later this summer.
Anyone else been out on a jolly recently?
I went on an epic ride north this week, 80 miles up the north east coast of England (Hull to Whitby and back to Scarborough.) I was a bit nervous about being able to ride that far, and told the hostel at Boggle Hole where I was staying to expect me by 11pm (I set off at 8am,) but I got there at 6pm! Having done that distance, I'm ready to tackle the Trans-Penine trail (120 miles) later this summer.
Anyone else been out on a jolly recently?
Jill Sandwich said:
Light, and very expensive. Honestly, they are awesome brakes, but whether they are worth it depends on how much you care about weight and how much you are willing to spend. Great stopping power for XC/All Mountain, but I would want Magura's or Formula Oros for something more dangerous. To be fair, the full potential of the brakes is probably lost on me.
so i'm looking into getting some real cycling shoes. and corresponding pedals.
asked the shop and learned me a bit about the various types and purposes.
but now that i think about it, i didn't get to ask about pedals.
i'm just riding with flat pedals on a road bike.
looking for a shoe i can walk around in, since i use the bike for commuting, mainly.
so anybody have any shoe and pedal preferences/recommendations?
asked the shop and learned me a bit about the various types and purposes.
but now that i think about it, i didn't get to ask about pedals.
i'm just riding with flat pedals on a road bike.
looking for a shoe i can walk around in, since i use the bike for commuting, mainly.
so anybody have any shoe and pedal preferences/recommendations?
Outdoor Miner
Member
Figure I'd bump this thread and ask your opinions on the Trek 7000 for an entry-level bike? I'm looking to do most of my excercising via bicycle this summer and will mostly be riding paved bike paths. Local shop has it on sale for $300.
Escape Goat
Member
I ordered my Trek 3700 over a week ago and its still not in. Grrr.
Anton Sugar
Member
Was wondering if someone could help me out. Here is my info/what I'm looking for:
City: Austin, TX
Use: Primarily riding around downtown and maybe on bike paths (nothing "off road") around the Greenbelt. If I move closer to work, maybe riding there in the mornings
Terrain: Austin has some hills. Nothing like San Fran, but most of downtown is one long hill
Miles per week: 10, maybe? Really not that much, I'll be biking whenever I can afford to not use my car, but I also don't go out too much
Height: I'm around 5'10" and I have pretty short legs... Any frame recommendations?
I'm a complete bike newb and read through this thread--right now I'm leaning toward a hybrid and the Giant FCR series has gotten a few mentions here, so I've been looking into it.
My big question (and one that seems mostly unanswered) is whether I should buy a new bike or not. I'm not certain I'll be commuting to work every day or doing heavy riding every week--is it really necessary for me to get a brand new bike if I'm just going to be casually riding? Thanks!
City: Austin, TX
Use: Primarily riding around downtown and maybe on bike paths (nothing "off road") around the Greenbelt. If I move closer to work, maybe riding there in the mornings
Terrain: Austin has some hills. Nothing like San Fran, but most of downtown is one long hill
Miles per week: 10, maybe? Really not that much, I'll be biking whenever I can afford to not use my car, but I also don't go out too much
Height: I'm around 5'10" and I have pretty short legs...
Any frame recommendations?I'm a complete bike newb and read through this thread--right now I'm leaning toward a hybrid and the Giant FCR series has gotten a few mentions here, so I've been looking into it.
My big question (and one that seems mostly unanswered) is whether I should buy a new bike or not. I'm not certain I'll be commuting to work every day or doing heavy riding every week--is it really necessary for me to get a brand new bike if I'm just going to be casually riding? Thanks!
Scythian Empire
Member
Thought it would be appropriate to submit my entry to the Photography assignment -
Me on my Fuji Track.
Me on my Fuji Track.
Escape Goat
Member
So two weeks ago I ordered my Trek 3700. Guy said it would be a week for it to come in. Week goes by and I call to see if they got it in. Nope, so I wait another week and they say Trek sent them the wrong bike. Offered to sell me the 3900 for 90 bucks more and I said 70 and i'll do it. They say nope. So they reorder my old bike. So now instead of 1 week its taking 3. Is it unreasonable ot ask for discount on my bike?
Cereal KiIIer
Member
Teh Hamburglar said:
Just go elsewhere if you can... I fucking hate when a seller do this shit...
emomoonbase
I'm free 2night after my LARPing guild meets.
Teh Hamburglar said:
I would totally ask for a discount. It's a dick move to make you wait and charge you full price IMO. I used to work at a bike shop and we'd discount all the time on special orders.
Basically they are making you wait because they are cheap skates that don't want to pay extra on freight. Bike companies will give bike shops low or no freight costs if you order a certain $ amount of stuff, so they are basically waiting until they have a big enough order to meet Trek's free shipping costs before they order your bike.
To ship a single bike costs about $35, which is factored into the selling price of the bike. And at most it takes 4-5 days to get it by UPS. Otherwise if a customer was cool with waiting we'd give them a deal (usually a discount equal to the shipping cost), or a free helmet or camelbak, to make it worth their time.
emomoonbase
I'm free 2night after my LARPing guild meets.
Mr. Snrub said:Was wondering if someone could help me out. Here is my info/what I'm looking for:
City: Austin, TX
Use: Primarily riding around downtown and maybe on bike paths (nothing "off road") around the Greenbelt. If I move closer to work, maybe riding there in the mornings
Terrain: Austin has some hills. Nothing like San Fran, but most of downtown is one long hill
Miles per week: 10, maybe? Really not that much, I'll be biking whenever I can afford to not use my car, but I also don't go out too much
Height: I'm around 5'10" and I have pretty short legs...
I'm a complete bike newb and read through this thread--right now I'm leaning toward a hybrid and the Giant FCR series has gotten a few mentions here, so I've been looking into it.
My big question (and one that seems mostly unanswered) is whether I should buy a new bike or not. I'm not certain I'll be commuting to work every day or doing heavy riding every week--is it really necessary for me to get a brand new bike if I'm just going to be casually riding? Thanks!
Hybrid sounds like a great direction for your needs, probably ~17-inch or ~44cm frame size. Used bikes can be a good way to go with a huge, HUGE note of caution though. The range of conditions, prices and other variables in buying a used bike can be death for someone who considers themselves a "complete bike newb". If you are new to biking it may just be better to buy from a bike shop because then you know for sure that what are buying is in a good working order and will get you started off right.
If you know someone who is bike savvy make them your eyes in ears if buying used. I have seen way too many people buy used bikes that looked nice that turned out to be stolen/have cracked frames/paid way too much/etc to really send a new person into all that.
emomoonbase
I'm free 2night after my LARPing guild meets.
Outdoor Miner said:
$300 is a good price, assuming it's new. They have a comfortable, nice upright riding posistion. They are kinda heavy and not sporty so don't expect to go tearing around Lance Armstrong style, and they are pretty much a pavement only machine due to their narrow tires. If those things aren't concerns than yah, it's a good deal ($60-80 off normal prices).
emomoonbase
I'm free 2night after my LARPing guild meets.
r - b - x said:
I like shimano's cross trainer looking shoes like the MT32. The cleat is recessed into a square in the rubber sole so you can walk around pretty well, yet they have a very stiff midsole to give you more leverage and efficiency while on the bike. It's a good compromise.
For pedals I like the Shimano M520 double sided SPD pedals. They are relatively inexpensive, super reliable and the clips on both sides make getting in a lot faster then the single side "roadie" pedals. I've had a pair on my road bike for a while and have no complaints. I've used crank brothers and other brands but the M520's are just as good and way cheaper.
I'm not a bike expert, and I need some help.
I bought a used aluminum-frame road bike (Trek Alpha SL 2000) from craigslist last year as a birthday present for myself for about $200. The frame is in great condition. It did need some tuning initially as somehow the previous owner decided to install and incompatible hangar for the derailer. I bought one for about $30 to fix that and a brand new $30 chain.
It rides great although this is my first road bike.
There still remains to be a few issues with it.
1. Anyone have any road bike seat suggestions for a guy who's around 5' 4"? What am I looking for in a seat?
2. I also have a problem with my bike's chain. One of my bike friends looked at it and replaced the chain on the old one. However, at a handful of gears the chain doesn't want to hold tight and jumps to a lower gear. What could be wrong with it? I think my chain could not be long enough but when my buddies took out the old one, we made the links just as long as the previous one. Should I have an expert from a bike shop (i.e. Performance) look at it? Speaking of which, how much would that cost me to fix.
3. My front wheel isn't spinning straight. To describe this, when i spin the front wheel, I can see the wheel leaning towards one side of the brake and then to the other, but it doesn't touch the brake pads. What do I do to fix this? Bike shop?
I am a DIY person, so if you know how to fix it, please tell me. Thanks.
I bought a used aluminum-frame road bike (Trek Alpha SL 2000) from craigslist last year as a birthday present for myself for about $200. The frame is in great condition. It did need some tuning initially as somehow the previous owner decided to install and incompatible hangar for the derailer. I bought one for about $30 to fix that and a brand new $30 chain.
It rides great although this is my first road bike.
There still remains to be a few issues with it.
1. Anyone have any road bike seat suggestions for a guy who's around 5' 4"? What am I looking for in a seat?
2. I also have a problem with my bike's chain. One of my bike friends looked at it and replaced the chain on the old one. However, at a handful of gears the chain doesn't want to hold tight and jumps to a lower gear. What could be wrong with it? I think my chain could not be long enough but when my buddies took out the old one, we made the links just as long as the previous one. Should I have an expert from a bike shop (i.e. Performance) look at it? Speaking of which, how much would that cost me to fix.
3. My front wheel isn't spinning straight. To describe this, when i spin the front wheel, I can see the wheel leaning towards one side of the brake and then to the other, but it doesn't touch the brake pads. What do I do to fix this? Bike shop?
I am a DIY person, so if you know how to fix it, please tell me. Thanks.
emomoonbase
I'm free 2night after my LARPing guild meets.
claviertekky said:
1. Seats are really a personal pref kinda thing, but I'm a fan of the WTB Speed V series. They aren't mega light, but I like the fact that they come in different widths. The idea is to match the width of the aft portion of the seat to your sit bones, but not go so wide that the taper towards the front chafs aganist your thighs.
2. Chain length is kinda tricky but a quick and dirty method is to shift it to the smallest cog on the back and the biggest chainring on the front. Then look at the rear derailleur. The two pulleys should be pretty much both be in a vertical line if you were drawing from the ground up. If it's not add or remove links as needed.
If the chain length is ok then some derailleur adjustment is in order. The little barrel adjuster on the back of the rear derailleir where the shift cable feeds into is where you want to adjust. Make a very small turn in the direction you want the chain to be going. So if it's dropping down to the smaller cogs when you don't want it to give it a quarter turn towards the bigger cogs. Try that a few times, fine tuning as needed. Don't turn it too much or it will throw all your other shifts off too.
3. Truing a wheel is a major pain if you have never done it before. But basically think of the wheel as a series of tension applied from the right and left side. When looking at the wheel from the front you will see spokes that drop down to the left and right sides of the hub. To take a wobble out of a wheel you are wanting to increase the tension on the side opposite the wobble, and decrease tension on the adjacent side.
To do this you need a spoke wrench which is keyed to the size of the spoke nipples your bike uses. Find the spot where the wobble is and figure out which spokes are applying tension to which side. Usually I will adjust the 4-5 spokes around that spot until it is nice and true again.
This is a pretty difficult task though as overdoing it can just end up pulling the wobble to the other side and back and forth until you give up and throw the wheel off a roof. But it just takes practice.
People at work have been bugging me to get a bike. It makes sense since my commute is < 2 miles one way.
City: Portland, OR
Use: Commuter/town and ability to get up hills when need to
Terrain: All kinds of conditions from hilly to flat to pothole infested to big bad ass hike trails, and so on.
Miles per week: 10-15 miles
Height: ~6'4"
One recommendation that was already made is the Trek 7100 Hybrid. But the best recommendation I think that I got was to just get to a store and do some riding.
City: Portland, OR
Use: Commuter/town and ability to get up hills when need to
Terrain: All kinds of conditions from hilly to flat to pothole infested to big bad ass hike trails, and so on.
Miles per week: 10-15 miles
Height: ~6'4"
One recommendation that was already made is the Trek 7100 Hybrid. But the best recommendation I think that I got was to just get to a store and do some riding.
perryfarrell
Member
claviertekky said:
Bike shop. Truing wheels is a big hassle. Better to pay a bikeshop 50 bucks or something to get some repairs done.
Anton Sugar
Member
emomoonbase said:
Thanks, I appreciate it! I have some bike savvy friends here so I might have them check on some used stuff, but may end up splurging on a new one if it's too much trouble.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Getting the Trek 1.2 Triple.
I've been riding on a Trek 4300D for a season (same one posted earlier on this page) and I'm liking it a lot. Its a bit heavy, and the stock seat was pretty terrible, but after switching out the seat and going with clipless pedals my bike is pretty much awesome. I'm really impressed with how smooth it shifts even in sticky situations. The disc brakes are pretty awesome also.
Guileless
Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:Getting the Trek 1.2 Triple.
I went to a bike shop last week and that's what they recommended for my budget (~$1,000.) It is a Trek Concept store. What made you decide on that one?
I had a Trek road bike that I bought for $600 way back in 1994 that I really liked. Now I'm just riding an old Specialized mountain bike that my brother used in college.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
I actually upgraded to the Trek 1.5 Compact.Guileless said:
It's nearly the same thing but with Shimano Tiagra parts instead of Shimano's lower-end Sora set. I'm not an expert on these things, but the immediately noticeable advantage of going with something that has Tiagra shifters is that you can shift up or down while in the race position on the drop bars, while the Sora has the little knobs on the top part that require you to be holding the bar on top to shift in one direction. Notice in the two pictures that the 1.5's shifters have a second black lever under the silver ones, while the 1.2's second levers are hidden up near the top.
Trek 1.5 goes for $1100 and the 1.2 goes for $880. I hate the placement on the Sora shifters on my cyclocross bike, so I decided to try for something better this time. It's nice to get on an empty road and just put your head down and fly, and to be able to switch gears easily going up and down a hill. I really can't speak about if the ride or parts are particularly better yet as I've only ridden on each bike for a couple days now. They feel about the same. It's one of those things someone with way more experience on road bikes could elaborate on.
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
Lots of Treks in here! How come?
BigGreenMat
Member
I am on a rebuilt Schwinn Traveler '86. Having a few issues with the neck on the bike, and I bought a new wheelset, but man do I love the old Chicago lugged steel frame. A good bike is so necessary to live life to the fullest! Oh and don't forget the World Naked Bike Ride is Saturday in most cities around the world. You should check about your local rides here
perryfarrell
Member
Jill Sandwich said:
cuz lance rides one
Kraftwerk said:
What ratio are you riding? I'm at 50/18, but would love to go down to 47/18.
I'll take a picture in a bit, but I'm riding an old Fuji Special Toure. Bought it for $70 off someone on Craigslist. The frame itself is in excellent condition (could use some paint touch-ups here and there), but a little heavy for my tastes, although still far, far lighter than my old Trek hybrid.
I have a little bit of a predicament, though... The bike is old, probably late '70s/early '80s old, and thus still has the same bottom bracket and crank and pedals it had when it was first built. The pin in my bottom bracket is worn down, which causes my pedals to be slightly uneven, and when I press down on the right pedal it makes a very audible clicking noise. I know I need to get a whole new crank system, but the problem is that what I have right now is so old and rusted that it might end up being more trouble having it removed and replaced with more modern equipment, and everyone I've talked to so far has told me I won't know how much it'll all cost until I take the bike in and let someone work on it. Do I just order the parts myself, and then have some disassemble and reassemble it, or should I just start looking for a new bike? I love the frame, but I'm also pretty poor. Anyone have experience with something like this?
Escape Goat
Member
Just got my Trek 3700 today and its pretty sweet. I got the blue one over the white because I like color! But its a little more blue than I thought but its not ugly so I'm sure it'll grow on me. I didn't realize how much I fell out of shape because my legs were hurting on the way home! It felt smooth and sturdy which I liked. I haven't ridden a bike in 10 years probably and its true, you never forget
I'd take it out for a ride on the greenway but I dont want to get caught in the rain!
I'd take it out for a ride on the greenway but I dont want to get caught in the rain!
forknknife
Banned
catfish said:I do around 25km per day (just started again due to improving weather)
on one of these bad boys
(not exact brand)
I Love it, when the sun shines and I can get up a sweat on my ludicrous bike, I feel like all is right with the world. We have a shower at work and I work right on the otherside of the amsterdams 'forest' so I get to bike through some nice nature everyday before hitting the 8 hour work stretch.
Living in Amsterdam too, I got the exact same bike, works great
Phobophile
A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
Bought a new Gary Fisher Tiburon over Memorial Day weekend. Same price as a Trek 7100 but with better rim construction and a better stock derailleur. It's the best bike I've owned in my life. I've only had shitty single speed coaster bikes as a kid, my last one being a shitty Montgomery Ward beach cruiser bought at a garage sale for $25 when I was in my teens. The ride is amazing; comfortable enough for my wide butt and able to withstand Chicago's rough, tore-up roads. Spent $400 on it, with about another $120 for helmet, U-lock, mirror, rack, and lights. This was probably the perfect bike for me at my current physique, skill level, budget, and riding needs.
I've got an old Bianchi steel frame, red and white coloring, and some random, yet good, gear on it. I live in Flagstaff, AZ so I've got this whole elevation thing going for me. Sooo, I'm trying to get in shape to not just pedal around but do some races and shit.
Anybody have any good sites to look at shoe+pedal combos and such? Bibs or shorts sales that you know would be awesome, too! I just bought this jersey and need something to go with it.
Also looking into getting some cheap repair tools so I can clean my bike up since it was in the store basement for 3 years and then poorly taken care of by me for 2. I really just want to clean the chain and the gears. I figure I'll get that taken care of once I get a new derailer, one that is actually intended for road instead of mountain biking.
Need to look into getting rid of my down shifters so i don't risk falling when I sprint (which isn't that impressive yet).
I'll put some pictures up later in the day.
Anybody have any good sites to look at shoe+pedal combos and such? Bibs or shorts sales that you know would be awesome, too! I just bought this jersey and need something to go with it.
Also looking into getting some cheap repair tools so I can clean my bike up since it was in the store basement for 3 years and then poorly taken care of by me for 2. I really just want to clean the chain and the gears. I figure I'll get that taken care of once I get a new derailer, one that is actually intended for road instead of mountain biking.
Need to look into getting rid of my down shifters so i don't risk falling when I sprint (which isn't that impressive yet).
I'll put some pictures up later in the day.
Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
Just bought this bike:
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
I've got a nice road bike, bought a great Specialized a few years back, but now I'min the market to replace my aging mountain bike too. Thinking of buying something in the $1000 range. Recommendations?
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
The Bad Boys are fucking sweet hybrids. Enjoy it, Doc.