Master Index of Archived Threads


For all the Bikers...

Rockin' Doc Jun 01 2010 05:50 PM

Looking at possibly getting a decent road bike for my 21 year old son. What are decent brands without spending a fortune. He's wanting one to ride around town and will also want to be able to take it on some trails in local parks. I would appreciate any advice and technical assistance the bike riders (LF, Soupcan, et al) can offer.

Edgy DC Jun 01 2010 07:12 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Well, if he's going on trails, he'd do well to get a hybrid. Heavier, but safer off-road and sturdier maintenance-wise.

Frayed Knot Jun 01 2010 07:41 PM Re: For all the Bikers... Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 01 2010 07:51 PM

Yeah it would depend on whether the trails he's planning on doing are paved or with "off-road" paths mixed in. The skinny-tire/drop handlebar style are better for speed and distance rides but, as mentioned, not as rugged when the going gets rougher. 'Hybrids' are essentially a cross between those and true off-road bikes which, unless he's going to do some rugged off-road trails, you're OK with that and don't need to looking for hard-core road bikes with front & rear shocks. The 'kids' do tend to favor those but they also tend to be like 99% of SUVs - driven up mountains during commercials but on nothing rougher than mall parking lots once they've been purchased. As for brand, don't limit yourself to one. Find a good bike store and talk to folks there. Price leaps tend to involve higher quality frames (stronger + lighter = more expensive) and components (brakes & gears)

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 01 2010 07:47 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

I don't have great advice for Doc but wanted to say I busted my bicycle out of the shed for the first time this past weekend, had a great ride to Randall's Island and then Roosevelt Island. I realized that the cycle will be 25 years old this summer and aside from it being a butt-battering riding experience (owing to its stiff aluminum frame and forward sriding style) it is hanging in there just fine with the same components it came with back in 1985, and I want less to replace it than I would have a year ago for that reason. It's a Cannondale, in the event you're looking at brands that will last. This weekend I replaced the saddle for the first time, hoping for a little less bruising ride, and got a new water bottle & cage, replacing the long-since discontinued velcro set-up it came with.

Frayed Knot Jun 01 2010 09:47 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

btw, get him a brain bucket to go with the bike. Took what I thought as it was happening to be a fairly mild spill a few weeks back. Back tire slid out from under me as I was angling up one of those driveways where the cement doesn't quite meet the road by about 2 inches. Anyway, as I'm hitting the pavement and thinking the fall was basically over while saying to myself "OK, that wasn't so bad", the final bit of energy & gravity whip-lashed the back/side of my helmet against the sidewalk hard enough for me to know that it would have more than just smarted had it been my skull. And, while we may have to check the record books on this one, I'm of the opinion that concrete is pretty much undefeated when matched up against craniums.

TransMonk Jun 02 2010 07:25 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

I don't know anything about new bike brands...my advice would be to buy used and have a good mechanic tune it up. Should be cheaper in the long run and will still be a quality bike. I'm going to put 1000 miles on my bike this summer. It is the best way to travel.

Chad Ochoseis Jun 02 2010 07:59 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

I've had good luck with REI's store brand, which is marketed under the name "Novara". Good value for what you get. REI is a great overall outdoors store. I don't know if they have any stores in NC, but I would guess that they do. TransMonk wrote: my advice would be to buy used and have a good mechanic tune it up Definitely not a bad idea if you want to save a few bucks, but still do the research to be sure the bike was quality when it was new. No amount of tune-up in the world will save a Wal-Mart special. Bike brands named for NL West teams - Giant and Diamondback - tend to be pretty good and mid-priced. Same with Specialized, though they're more in the mountain bike world. And, yeah, what Frayed Knot said about protecting the brain.

soupcan Jun 02 2010 08:03 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Yeah - I'm not so good with hybrids. Road bikes I can help you out with, but I don't ride trails. A good bike store will help you out and usually not try to sell you something you don't want/need. I think 'Specialized' is a very formidiable name in hybrids. And yeah - helmet, helmet, helmet.

Edgy DC Jun 02 2010 08:09 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Specialized, yes. Trek, yes. Mongoose, not so much. Helmet, yes.

Centerfield Jun 02 2010 10:06 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

I am strongly considering picking up a Specialized HardRock sometime this summer.

soupcan Jun 02 2010 01:10 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Centerfield wrote: I am strongly considering picking up a Specialized HardRock sometime this summer. Sweet.

Centerfield Jun 02 2010 03:28 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

I'm pretty psyched about it too. My son is just now getting good enough to ride his bike on the bike path along Riverside Park. This weekend we went out for a ride (him on his bike, me blading behind him), stopped to rest for a while, chowed down on some food we brought, drank some Gatorade, then got up and kept going. I know alot of people on this board have young kids, you have to do this. It's incredibly rewarding. All throughout the week people glare, curse and spit at me because I'm wearing lawyer clothes doing lawyer things. Go on a bike ride with your kid, and everyone passing by gives you a warm smile as if to say "Good job Dad".

Rockin' Doc Jun 02 2010 04:34 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

I appreciate all the input from everyone. It has been quite helpful and provided us with a good point to start our research. My wife and I are using this bike purchase as a life lesson for our 21 year old son. It's time for Doc Jr. to get a better concept of how the financial world works and how to be fiscally responsible. Rather than simply buying the bike for him, we have all agreed that the wife and I will purchase the bike for our son and then draw up "loan" papers in which he will repay us a set amount out of each of his paychecks until the bike is paid for in full. Should he miss a payment, I will "repo" it by slapping a lock on the bike until all pass due payments and a "late" fee of $10 are paid in full. Son gets to pick out the bike (within reason) since he will ultimately be paying for it. The bank of Mom and Dad will throw in a complimentary helmet for opening a new account. Usage of the helmet will be mandatory and failure to comply shall result in a "ticket" of $5 per incident. Failure to pay any incurred fines in a timely manner shall result in my "booting" the bike with the lock. We will likely make a final decision and purchase this coming Monday after I get back in town from a conference. Right now, this is the bike he is eyeing. Trek Mountain Hardtail 820

Frayed Knot Jun 02 2010 05:46 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Centerfield wrote: I know alot of people on this board have young kids, you have to do this. It's incredibly rewarding. All throughout the week people glare, curse and spit at me because I'm wearing lawyer clothes doing lawyer things. Go on a bike ride with your kid, and everyone passing by gives you a warm smile as if to say "Good job Dad". I biked with my dad until he was about 75 - people used to look at him and think he was doing a good job for taking little me out to ride too.

Frayed Knot Jun 02 2010 05:57 PM Re: For all the Bikers... Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 02 2010 06:44 PM

RD, I just noticed that 'Performance Bikes' recently opened up a shop in Raleigh. They're a big regional chain that might be a good place to check out if that's not too far for you -- might get better prices/variety there (or maybe not). They're also a big catalog place for accessories later on if you want to get on their mailing list or through the website. Recommended accessories aside from the helmet: water bottle & 'cage' (I hear it gets hot down your way); tire pump (usually fits on the bike frame under the horizontal bar); small bag to fit under the seat for carrying keys, money, tools, spare tube, etc.; spare tube and/or patch kit for flats Biking 5, 10, or even 20 miles is fairly easy ... walking that distance home because you ran over something is a bitch. oe ... oh yeah, and a lock ('U'-style lock or strong cable type). Unlocked bikes are easy to steal as they provide their own get-away vehicle.

Rockin' Doc Jun 02 2010 06:06 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Thanks for the heads up for a good store to look into for now and in the future. Both the Raleigh and Cary stores are roughly a 45-50 minute drive. We are in and out of the Raleigh & Cary area several times a year so Performance Bikes can definitely be an option for us.

Centerfield Jun 03 2010 10:58 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Frayed Knot wrote: Centerfield wrote: I know alot of people on this board have young kids, you have to do this. It's incredibly rewarding. All throughout the week people glare, curse and spit at me because I'm wearing lawyer clothes doing lawyer things. Go on a bike ride with your kid, and everyone passing by gives you a warm smile as if to say "Good job Dad". I biked with my dad until he was about 75 - people used to look at him and think he was doing a good job for taking little me out to ride too. That's awesome. I hope my son and I will do the same. By then, I should be able to stop asking him if he has to stop to pee.

themetfairy Jun 03 2010 10:59 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Centerfield wrote: Centerfield wrote: I know alot of people on this board have young kids, you have to do this. It's incredibly rewarding. All throughout the week people glare, curse and spit at me because I'm wearing lawyer clothes doing lawyer things. Go on a bike ride with your kid, and everyone passing by gives you a warm smile as if to say "Good job Dad". I biked with my dad until he was about 75 - people used to look at him and think he was doing a good job for taking little me out to ride too. That's awesome. I hope my son and I will do the same. By then, I should be able to stop asking him if he has to stop to pee. By then he'll be asking you that question ;)

Kong76 Jun 11 2010 03:35 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Dusted these off, filled the tires, made sure everything was tight, little lube here a little there, this afternoon. Summer hours rock. They've been reliable and weren't overly expensive, but we need to use them more this summer ... his and hers Giant.

The Second Spitter Jul 30 2010 07:14 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

How awesome is this thing?

The Second Spitter Aug 06 2010 11:59 PM Re: For all the Bikers...

Since I won't be doing much running on my upcoming trip, does anybody know of a place in Manhattan that leases road-bikes (i mean the drop down handlebar variety)? Ta.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 07 2010 07:37 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

most bike stores offer rentals, look up the one closest to your hotel. Bring a helmet -- they may not rent those -- and lock to save xtra charges for that stuff.

The Second Spitter Aug 08 2010 06:23 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Cheers bro... While Miss D was running in the City2Surf, I went for a 40km cycle -- I cut-out the toe section of an old cycling shoe and used an overshoe for protection against the elements. Worked quite well. If any CPFers wanna go for a cycle while I'm in town drop me a pm; running's for sheilas and poofters.

soupcan Aug 11 2010 10:12 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

The Second Spitter wrote: Since I won't be doing much running on my upcoming trip, does anybody know of a place in Manhattan that leases road-bikes (i mean the drop down handlebar variety)? Ta. I don't, but I tried doing that a few summers back (renting a road bike in a city I was visiting - San Diego) and was very disappointed. I used the internet tubes and everything and found a place that said they rented roadbikes, no reservations necessary, just walk in etc., etc. I packed all my stuff - helmet, gloves, shoes, sexy chamois bike pants then went to the place and they had....nada. Bummed. Me. Out. Dude.

The Second Spitter Dec 26 2010 02:34 AM Re: For all the Bikers...

Did a 12-day, 700 plus mile cycling trip of the NSW South Coast into Victoria and back with 4 other blokes. Amazing scenery, but feel as sore as $3 hooker on the day the troops come home.