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Bicycle age

Kodiak690

Neo Member
I just got a mountain bike for free.. It's a fairly new Diamondback Response. I figured it wouldn't be amazing, but I looked it up and it has pretty favorable reviews..

Anyway, the tire on it is flat. It needs a new tube. What are the best options for a mountain bike that I'd definitely like to take off-roading with? What can I do to help prevent flats in the future?

Also, if I end up needing to get a new tube, do I need any specific mountain-biking tubes or does a cheap one from Walmart compare just the same as any other?
 
Kodiak690 said:
I just got a mountain bike for free.. It's a fairly new Diamondback Response. I figured it wouldn't be amazing, but I looked it up and it has pretty favorable reviews..

Anyway, the tire on it is flat. It needs a new tube. What are the best options for a mountain bike that I'd definitely like to take off-roading with? What can I do to help prevent flats in the future?

Also, if I end up needing to get a new tube, do I need any specific mountain-biking tubes or does a cheap one from Walmart compare just the same as any other?


tubes are all the same, but Walmart doesn't carry a wide variety of sizes.

The number one way to avoid flats is to keep your tires properly inflated. check the air pressure at least twice a month. when you pull the old tube out look at the hole. If it looks like a snakebite then it was a pinchflat, and was caused by running too low of air pressure. If there is a single hole check the inside and outside of the tire to make sure there is no glass/wire/thorn that will puncture the new tube.

Youtube has some really good videos on how to change a flat tube.
 

Brera

Banned
Just bought a Specialized Hardrock Disk through my employers cycle2work scheme.

I had a voucher for £380 but saw a bike I wanted for £400 but it's too late and I can't top it up!

Went for this:

7794_large.jpg


But wanted this:

cube-aim-blue.jpg


It's lower spec but gaddam look how fucking sexy that machine is!
 
D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
I've started wrapping my chain around my water bottle.

LTTib.jpg


Makes it easier to store in a bag.
 
Let's talk about the "Awesome" condition of bike lanes in most cities.
I got shit from 3 cars in a 2 block residential area today for not riding in the bike lane. Little did it occur to them to notice the giant pot holes, 2 cones and the car that were obstructing said bike lane. I would love to always be in the bike lane as people in around here (Omaha BTW) are such dicks to cyclists on a consistent basis, but that is not always an option.

Then I saw this video of some guy demonstrating the dangers of always riding in the bike lane. Hilarious.
 
sharkmuncher said:
Let's talk about the "Awesome" condition of bike lanes in most cities.
I got shit from 3 cars in a 2 block residential area today for not riding in the bike lane. Little did it occur to them to notice the giant pot holes, 2 cones and the car that were obstructing said bike lane. I would love to always be in the bike lane as people in around here (Omaha BTW) are such dicks to cyclists on a consistent basis, but that is not always an option.

Then I saw this video of some guy demonstrating the dangers of always riding in the bike lane. Hilarious.
Omahan here. Sorry to hear that. I look out for the bicyclists, but I also know some people who would love to run you over...with their motorcycle.

Omaha really needs more bike lanes, esp. down the main streets.

Good luck!
 
So nice to see a thread like this exists! Great, great info in here. Anyway, I'm a bit of a bike novice since I wasn't able to ride due to health reasons for a long time. Since I was transplanted two and half a months ago, though, I've kicked up the habit again and I am loving it! I'm riding 10 miles a day, now. Like I said, I'm a bike novice and my brother thankfully has loaned me his two bikes for the foreseeable future (he's in the Army). One mountain and one road: Cannondale Rush and Cannondale R6. How do these stack up in the pantheon of bikes? Eventually he's going to want them back and I'm going to need to pony up for something of my own and I'm wondering if I should stick with the Cannondale? Or something comparable? I was at the store yesterday buying some accessories and was just floored at the Trek bikes... I feel great riding the R6, though. It's so great to be riding again!
 

BdoUK

Member
I've been putting a ton of miles on my road bike this summer. Finished my first century ride a few weeks ago in Georgetown, KY. Felt great (and damn hungry) after finishing.

I'm still having a lot of lower back issues on my bike. Does anyone have any tips? I've scheduled a full bike fitting at a local shop so I'm hopeful that solves the problem.
 
I'm thinking of getting a Kona Dr. Fine:

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dr_fine



Things I'm looking for:

-Something lighter/faster than my Trek 6700 mountain bike, but with a similar ride stance.
-I have hills in my area, so I need multiple gears...Internal hub sounds neat to me.
-I don't necessarily need disc brakes
-Most of my riding is casual, on bike paths and roads.
-Looking for something easier to maintain, lots of sand gets in my chain.
 

HylianTom

Banned
Jtwo said:
Holy Crap. People who drive cars can be totally dicks.
So I'm in a lane at a stop light, waiting to go straight. Taking a tip I learned from this thread I'm not hugging the curb, I'm a good few feet out, making it impossible for a vehicle to invade my space. So I'm kinda just chillin' thinking about life and all of a sudden some vehicle nudges up into my space! I couldn't believe it, I was genuinely shocked! I do what I pretty much have to and scoot over so this guy won't clip me when he speeds off.

But he rolls down the window, at this point I'm thinking "oh cool, he realized he made a mistake and is gonna say 'sorry man, I spaced. just cruise in front of me at the green.'"

But no, it's some old guy maybe in his 50s and he's like

"get off the road you stupid fucking kid!"

In shock I reply "I'M A VEHICLE TOO, SIR"

"NO YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE GOING TO GET RUN OVER YOU STUPID KID!"

"Actually by the letter of the law I'm considered a vehicle too!"

At this point he just rolls up his window and flips me off. And as a final fuck you the second the light turns green. Oh man, such a horrible interaction. It really shook me up, I have a very large fear of cars, which is why I don't drive to begin with. And it totally just showed me that people really do just operate on completely different planes of existence and without attempting to understand how you fit into the overall picture and influence and affect other's realities you can totally just end up fucking killing some kid because you think you're more entitled to the road than they are. Self important assholes, man. I was almost in tears by the time I arrived home. But now I have a warm cup of coffee and my cat is near me and the rain is pitter pattering on the roof.

This kind of thing makes me giddy at the thought of $10-per-gallon gasoline. Bring on the pain, I say.
 

Guileless

Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes
I take delight in being flipped off by motorists. Fuck em. I just smile through verbal abuse.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Ethics Gradient said:
I'm thinking of getting a Kona Dr. Fine:

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dr_fine



Things I'm looking for:

-Something lighter/faster than my Trek 6700 mountain bike, but with a similar ride stance.
-I have hills in my area, so I need multiple gears...Internal hub sounds neat to me.
-I don't necessarily need disc brakes
-Most of my riding is casual, on bike paths and roads.
-Looking for something easier to maintain, lots of sand gets in my chain.

This was one of my choices (and the Scott equivalent) when I bought my Gary Fisher Mendota. I loved it on a test ride, for what it's worth.
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
This past weekend I biked 40 miles around the entirety of Manhattan, and then rode a bit into Queens. Was a fantastic ride.

I also bike to work at least three times a week. Six miles to and fro.

It's easily the best way to travel around any big city, but especially New York. I love it.
 

Alcoori

Member
MrOogieBoogie said:
This past weekend I biked 40 miles around the entirety of Manhattan, and then rode a bit into Queens. Was a fantastic ride.

I also bike to work at least three times a week. Six miles to and fro.

It's easily the best way to travel around any big city, but especially New York. I love it.

I just moved to New York and I was wondering about biking in the city.

I used to back to commute to work everyday in London (even when it rained!) and I had to sell my bike since I wasn't gonna bring it with me.

Now I just gotta find myself a new bike! :)
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Alcoori said:
I just moved to New York and I was wondering about biking in the city.

I used to back to commute to work everyday in London (even when it rained!) and I had to sell my bike since I wasn't gonna bring it with me.

Now I just gotta find myself a new bike! :)

What exactly would you like to know about biking in New York? All I can tell you is that it's very convenient. Traffic (for the most part) moves slow enough so that you feel like you're covering a lot of ground by zipping past cars (and you are). Seriously, you'll be amazed by how fast you'll traverse the city on bicycle. You'll be on 23rd st one moment only to look up and realize you're near Central Park in what seemed like five minutes of riding.

And that's me biking on a comfort bike. With a proper road bike it'll feel even faster.
 

Alcoori

Member
MrOogieBoogie said:
What exactly would you like to know about biking in New York? All I can tell you is that it's very convenient. Traffic (for the most part) moves slow enough so that you feel like you're covering a lot of ground by zipping past cars (and you are). Seriously, you'll be amazed by how fast you'll traverse the city on bicycle. You'll be on 23rd st one moment only to look up and realize you're near Central Park in what seemed like five minutes of riding.

And that's me biking on a comfort bike. With a proper road bike it'll feel even faster.

Well I was just afraid of how dangerous it would be. London drivers are horrible but I managed to find little streets with virtually no traffic so it didn't feel that stressful.

I'm gonna live on 129th Street, not far from St Nicholas Park and I'm working at the Columbia Medical Center which is on 168th Street and sometimes go to the main Columbia campus (but I'll probably just walk since it's pretty close).

I'm just wondering how are drivers behaving when it comes to bikes. Are they aggressive and don't give a shit or are they gladly sharing the road?
 

lachesis

Member
Alcoori said:
Well I was just afraid of how dangerous it would be. London drivers are horrible but I managed to find little streets with virtually no traffic so it didn't feel that stressful.

I'm gonna live on 129th Street, not far from St Nicholas Park and I'm working at the Columbia Medical Center which is on 168th Street and sometimes go to the main Columbia campus (but I'll probably just walk since it's pretty close).

I'm just wondering how are drivers behaving when it comes to bikes. Are they aggressive and don't give a shit or are they gladly sharing the road?

If you don't mind a bit of detour, you might be able to take Hudson Greenway along the Hudson River. The path is specifically made for walkers/joggers/bicycle riders. :)

I'm actually thinking about taking bicycle to work from Fort Lee NJ to Upper West NYC.... via GWB - Hudson Greenway... but thinking about getting a folding bike, as I'll have to ride public transportation (buses and subway) when the weather isn't permitting on my way home or so... Britain made Brompton folding bikes look very tempting, but so expensive... :(
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Alcoori said:
Well I was just afraid of how dangerous it would be. London drivers are horrible but I managed to find little streets with virtually no traffic so it didn't feel that stressful.

I'm gonna live on 129th Street, not far from St Nicholas Park and I'm working at the Columbia Medical Center which is on 168th Street and sometimes go to the main Columbia campus (but I'll probably just walk since it's pretty close).

I'm just wondering how are drivers behaving when it comes to bikes. Are they aggressive and don't give a shit or are they gladly sharing the road?

Most drivers are pretty good, honestly. I haven't had any issues in Manhattan or Brooklyn when it comes to drivers. Thanks to the huge spike in cyclists over the last few years, most roads have bike lanes and most drivers are experienced with sharing the road with bicycles. There's a reason NYC is consistently ranked as one of the top ten (in many cases, top five) biking cities in the U.S.
 
OuterWorldVoice said:
This was one of my choices (and the Scott equivalent) when I bought my Gary Fisher Mendota. I loved it on a test ride, for what it's worth.

Yeah I went and scoped out your Mendota, looks quite solid.
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Generally speaking, what types of bikes are most recommended for cross-country or long distance trips?

I don't have a bike of my own at the moment, but my father has a Motobecane Jubilee Deluxe.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/images/blk_dlx_2100.jpg (too big to embed)

I've put a bunch of miles on it, though my longest one-day trip was the 40 miles I mentioned earlier. It's quite comfortable and an easy ride, but if I wanted to do, say, a century ride or even more, would this suffice? Or are road bikes recommended for extensive trips like that?
 
Road bikes are best for that. Not the picture of the bike you linked (which seems to be some type of hybrid for people with little to no flexibility.)

A road bike has multiple gears, drop bars, a frame of aluminum, carbon or steel, etc. Some road bikes are called touring bikes, because of a slight difference in geometry. Drop bars are preferable over straight bars, because it allows for multiple hand positions.

There's a form of cycling called randonneuring--where they ride long distances in one sitting (100, 200, 400, or more miles).

Then there's bike touring, where you pack lots of stuff on your bike. So you'll needs various bags etc. for sleeping gear, tent, etc. I'd probably choose for a steel road bike for such trips, because of the comfy ride (as opposed to, say, aluminum) and because you can haul lots of stuff w/ no problem.
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Sounds good. Anything you'd recommend for $300-$500, or will I be looking to spend more on a quality touring road bike?
 
MrOogieBoogie said:
Sounds good. Anything you'd recommend for $300-$500, or will I be looking to spend more on a quality touring road bike?
Much moar unless it's used. Scour eBay and Craigslist for a touring bicycle your size and go from there. I spent more than a grand on a quality (makes me lol) touring bicycle and it's one of my most prized possessions but if you're going cheap you're going to have to work harder to find something nice.. but it's doable. Good luck.
 

SonnyBoy

Member
I just got into mountain biking after picking up a schwinn protocol 1.0 at a pawn shop. I freaking love it. Now I want to get a road bike for when I go riding with my g/f. Where can I get one (likely used) for under $200. This is just to get my feet wet, I'll upgrade later.
 
SonnyBoy said:
I just got into mountain biking after picking up a schwinn protocol 1.0 at a pawn shop. I freaking love it. Now I want to get a road bike for when I go riding with my g/f. Where can I get one (likely used) for under $200. This is just to get my feet wet, I'll upgrade later.
Dude, check your 'freaking' local craigslist. 'Cause that's where all the used ("likely") bicycles are, no?
 

SonnyBoy

Member
the_painted_bird said:
Dude, check your 'freaking' local craigslist. 'Cause that's where all the used ("likely") bicycles are, no?

I did but I'm looking for alternatives. I'm seeing bikes from the 80's going for $150 but then when I research the model I see that the person got it for $30.
 
You're probably not going to be happy with an '80s bike that will likely come with downtube shifters and bumpy steel frames as your first road bike.

But you'll probably find a decent ~5 years old road bike on Craigslist for that price eventually.
 
I've currently got the below bike, but have had 1.6" road tyres fitted to it. Done a 60 mile charity ride last year on the original tyres and it was so slow even downhill.

New tyres have made it better, but as i'm doing alot more road cycling looking for something more specific. Won't really be doing any major hills apart from 1 that i like to conquer every now and again that is a 1km 7% incline. Doing the charity ride again next month, would i be best looking at a hybrid or dedicated road bike?

saracen-rufftrax-2-2006-bike.jpg
 

DemiMatt

Member
Fixie Gaf? WHere you at?

So I am debating on biking to work, I currently have an old mountain bike, but the thing is just ridiculously heavy. I remember riding it on a flat road it was trudging along. It weight well over 40 pounds (its from the 90s).

My current commute would be 3 miles each away, over a fairly flat or low grade surface.

I am currently wondering what is the point of a fixie? I am looking at sole bicyles

product_img_205_633x950.jpg


I like how the bike is super light weight and they are ridiculously cheap (also My friend knows the owner so I feel I can get one for much cheaper). Based on my commute and lack of hills, and would like to ride it by the beach (la area). Is this a viable choice? WHy buy a fixie vs a road bike, or cruiser, or whatever.

Please educate me gaf!
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
I recommend not buying a fixie, but if you don't want to worry about changing gears just buy a single speed. The real upside of a road bike is that you can change gears to give you a better ride at your comfort level (say climbing hills and the like).
 

Flo

Member
I had a fixie, but changed it to a single speed. Fixies are nice and cool, but if you really want to use it a lot.. single speed is just much easier.
 

DemiMatt

Member
Thanks for the info, so what exactly is a single speed? Does it have 1 gear versus being a fixed gear? What gear do you get? Also is it easy/expensive to convert a fixie to a 1 gear?
 

SonnyBoy

Member
0a3a810ae7a0e49627dbb110.L.jpg


GAF,

I think I've found my starter road-bike.

Found it on Amazon , the pic above is of a bike someone who repainted their. Question, what size bike do I need? I'm 5'7 and have 30-32 inch inseam. Im assuming I need the medium bike.
 

SUPREME1

Banned
Incognito said:
So nice to see a thread like this exists! Great, great info in here. Anyway, I'm a bit of a bike novice since I wasn't able to ride due to health reasons for a long time. Since I was transplanted two and half a months ago, though, I've kicked up the habit again and I am loving it! I'm riding 10 miles a day, now. Like I said, I'm a bike novice and my brother thankfully has loaned me his two bikes for the foreseeable future (he's in the Army). One mountain and one road: Cannondale Rush and Cannondale R6. How do these stack up in the pantheon of bikes? Eventually he's going to want them back and I'm going to need to pony up for something of my own and I'm wondering if I should stick with the Cannondale? Or something comparable? I was at the store yesterday buying some accessories and was just floored at the Trek bikes... I feel great riding the R6, though. It's so great to be riding again!


Has it been 2.5 months already?


Good to hear you're getting out and pushing yourself (well, 10 miles is pushing it for me anyway!).

Have fun. Not familiar with those exact models, but Cannondale is the Toyota of Bikes.

I on the other hand rock a Trek, the Honda of bikes!
 
No, do not buy that bike. It's a cheap Wal-mart knock-off that will break within weeks, guaranteed.

Also no, never paint bikes yourself. The coat of paint will not be tough enough, it will be ugly too. If you really insist on changing its color, take it to a professional powder coat shop. (But, again, waste of $$$).

Buy a reputable brand, such as Trek, Giant, Cannondale. Spend some time scouring over Craigslist, local stores with used bikes, etc.

Seriously, walk into a bikeshop and have them educate you on what people are riding on these days, and what the prices for the various options are.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
DemiMatt said:
Thanks for the info, so what exactly is a single speed? Does it have 1 gear versus being a fixed gear? What gear do you get? Also is it easy/expensive to convert a fixie to a 1 gear?
A single speed is just like a fixed gear, but you can coast instead of constantly having to pedal when it is fixed. And the gear ratio can be change around depending on your environment (but I doubt you will have to change anything).
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Clott said:
That's one of the huge downsides for me living in NYC, I am seriously jealous of people that live in proximity of nature, I wish I had some huge hills or a beautiful country side to explore. Here in the city biking is just so limited! plus I hate biking in intense traffic.

anyone relate?

Central Park? Prospect Park? Inwood Park?

NYC is home to a bunch of great nature trails. Hell, I bike through Prospect Park every day to and from work, so I don't feel like I'm missing out.

Plus, like that one other guy mentioned, biking through traffic can be exhilarating. I personally love it, although I'm smart about it.
 

GG-Duo

Member
perryfarrell said:
One more tip: If you wanna try to get something new yet cheap, check out Bikesdirect.com (Not Wal-mart).

Thanks for the link. I've been looking for a crappy entry-level and that site looks good.
 
I'm looking for a basic, solid, inexpensive bike to ride around town and use for my quick 2 mile commute to work.

Both the Trek Earl and the Trek Gritty caught my eye. Anyone have any experience with either of these or know any decent alternatives in a similar price range (<$450)?
 

CFMOORE!

Member
SonnyBoy said:
0a3a810ae7a0e49627dbb110.L.jpg


GAF,

I think I've found my starter road-bike.

Found it on Amazon , the pic above is of a bike someone who repainted their. Question, what size bike do I need? I'm 5'7 and have 30-32 inch inseam. Im assuming I need the medium bike.

I'm 5'9 and ride a small in all bikes i've bought and test rode. You'll most likely need the same to ever be comfortable.
 

Flo

Member
DemiMatt said:
Thanks for the info, so what exactly is a single speed? Does it have 1 gear versus being a fixed gear? What gear do you get? Also is it easy/expensive to convert a fixie to a 1 gear?
Pretty easy, you can just swap the back wheel, its actually quite cheap, got mine for ~26 euros. The gear depends on the crank and that thing on the back, which I can't find the word for :p
 

Alcoori

Member
sharkmuncher said:
I'm looking for a basic, solid, inexpensive bike to ride around town and use for my quick 2 mile commute to work.

Both the Trek Earl and the Trek Gritty caught my eye. Anyone have any experience with either of these or know any decent alternatives in a similar price range (<$450)?

Talking about my experience, I bought a Trek FX 7.1 last June for commuting to work (I was living in London at the time) and I loved it.

It's super light, quite pretty and very good quality. I used it everyday for 9 month and never had a problem (except that one time when I punctured my tires).
I'm so sad I had to sell it when I moved to the US and I'm thinking of buying something similar.

The only thing is that it's an hybrid ie it looks like a mountain bike but is way more light but it's not a road bike either (the tires are slightly larger and no drop bar). Perfect for the city imo.
 
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