Cycling/Bicycle People...?? (1 Viewer)

[tripoli]

Hi there. Any bike advice people still posting here? Had a Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike and a Coppi racing bike at different stages, both gone now. Looking to get a hybrid/city bike preferably second-hand just for keeping fit, few miles in the evening or at weekends... Any advice on makes/models/shops (besides buyandsell.net)? Many thanks.:heart:

 

[Squiggle]

Talk to Moose! He's your man - in a non prison type way!

 

[jillface]

also you should maybe trying posting up on eirecore too.. there are some people who know stuff about bikes over there...

 

[brianoak]

Hi there. Any bike advice people still posting here? Had a Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike and a Coppi racing bike at different stages, both gone now. Looking to get a hybrid/city bike preferably second-hand just for keeping fit, few miles in the evening or at weekends... Any advice on makes/models/shops (besides buyandsell.net)? Many thanks.:heart:

just dig up the old thread that Moose posted.
Sterling advice offered by me and Gary and to a lesser extent others.


http://www.thumped.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=38802&highlight=trek

page 12 onwards

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

get a new claud butler,theyre all named after various helicopters,make me drool anyway.this is the one you want....

why on earth did i sell mine????

 

[jillface]

jays that's lovely mutey.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

i know,and i sold it!what was i thinking at all?look at those lovely wheels,nice big rims,sweet ass forks even the spokes were gorgeous.
but i am getting money off the bank and tax man so i may buy another.

 

[ernesto]

i know,and i sold it!what was i thinking at all?look at those lovely wheels,nice big rims,sweet ass forks even the spokes were gorgeous.
but i am getting money off the bank and tax man so i may buy another.

'ye ever take it off any sweet jumps?'

 

[jillface]

can i try real quick?

 

[brianoak]

splash the cash and go for something in the Giant FCR range.

550 upwards but you wont get better parts on any other model for the price unless they are some spurious no name frame shop deal.AVOID.

 

[flashback]

I dont really agree with the no name bike == bad deal. It might, and it might not.

Its hard to recommend any make. Having said that, with bikes, there isnt that much mark up usually, and you pretty much pay for what you get. Spend as much money as you can, assuming you have somewhere safe to leave it.
Althought, if you can get a old shop model, you can get a deal.

The funny thing is, loads of people buy nice bikes, and then completely dont set them up properly at all.

I suppose, I would go through the parts that are most important in order.
First, frame. It should be just big enough for you, or slightly small. Dont get a bike too big. Right size, or slightly too small. The size depends on whether its a MTB, hybrid, or road. You take your inside leg measurement, and multiply it by some number. (look it up, or ask the shop.) Then you want to make sure the frame is stiff.
you can get an idea, by putting lateral pressure on the crank. You will see the frame bend. Do this on a load of bikes, to see what good or bad is.

Then wheels. Nice, sealed bearings. Bullet proof rims. You'll be set. You *do* want to see a make you know here. ie Mavic etc. If you are buyng a MTB, ask the shop to sell you a set of slicks, tell them you want to do a straight swap for the existing nobblies.

Then pedals. I think pedals are really really important. Most bikes are sold with total muck pedals. Which makes it easy. Take them off, and chuck them. Buy a nice pair of clipless pedals. Tell the shop you want decent pedals, and they can have the existing ones, if they knock a few yo yos off the clipless set.
(Then buy some shoes.)

Then you have your group set. You cant really change your group. Any of the decent group sets from say Shimano (more than likely) are going to be fine. Dont get too worked up about it. Keep whatever you have as clean as you can, buy a tin of teflon spray, and keep everything nice and lubed.

Then you have the saddle, and handle bars. Handle bars should be the same width as your shoulders. Your hands should be more or less straight under your shoulders.
If you are a boy, buy a saddle that has the center piece cut out of it, or indented. Buy a decent one if the existing one isnt comfortable after a while. A decent one will usually be harder. Softness doesnt make saddles comfy, its the shape.

Now, you have to set the bike up.
Again, I am not going to go into details, but, your back shouldnt be curled, and hunched up, and you shouldnt be reaching.
Your saddle should be high. Almost everyones saddle is too low. You should be able to straighten your leg while you are sitting in the saddle, and also be able to slightly bent.
You set the pedals up, so that the ball of your foot is exactly centered over the axle of the pedal.

Then, clip into the bike, and pedal light gears. Dont grind out heavy gears. Dont be heaving out of the saddle all the time. Spin out light ratios.

That will do for now.


(Oh yeah. Buy lights. Buy the little flashy ones. Stick some relfective shit onto your lid. Stick some same reflective shit onto your shoes heels, if they havnt already got some on them.)

 

[pad]

any suggestions on how not to get your bike stolen?

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

any suggestions on how not to get your bike stolen?

Smear fresh dog dirt all over the handlebars.

 

[brianoak]

I dont really agree with the no name bike == bad deal. It might, and it might not.

"Its hard to recommend any make. Having said that, with bikes, there isnt that much mark up usually, and you pretty much pay for what you get. Spend as much money as you can, assuming you have somewhere safe to leave it.
Althought, if you can get a old shop model, you can get a deal. "

The funny thing is, loads of people buy nice bikes, and then completely dont set them up properly at all.

I suppose, I would go through the parts that are most important in order.
First, frame. It should be just big enough for you, or slightly small. Dont get a bike too big. Right size, or slightly too small. The size depends on whether its a MTB, hybrid, or road. You take your inside leg measurement, and multiply it by some number. (look it up, or ask the shop.) Then you want to make sure the frame is stiff.
you can get an idea, by putting lateral pressure on the crank. You will see the frame bend. Do this on a load of bikes, to see what good or bad is.

Then wheels. Nice, sealed bearings. Bullet proof rims. You'll be set. You *do* want to see a make you know here. ie Mavic etc. If you are buyng a MTB, ask the shop to sell you a set of slicks, tell them you want to do a straight swap for the existing nobblies.

Then pedals. I think pedals are really really important. Most bikes are sold with total muck pedals. Which makes it easy. Take them off, and chuck them. Buy a nice pair of clipless pedals. Tell the shop you want decent pedals, and they can have the existing ones, if they knock a few yo yos off the clipless set.
(Then buy some shoes.)

Then you have your group set. You cant really change your group. Any of the decent group sets from say Shimano (more than likely) are going to be fine. Dont get too worked up about it. Keep whatever you have as clean as you can, buy a tin of teflon spray, and keep everything nice and lubed.

Then you have the saddle, and handle bars. Handle bars should be the same width as your shoulders. Your hands should be more or less straight under your shoulders.
If you are a boy, buy a saddle that has the center piece cut out of it, or indented. Buy a decent one if the existing one isnt comfortable after a while. A decent one will usually be harder. Softness doesnt make saddles comfy, its the shape.

Now, you have to set the bike up.
Again, I am not going to go into details, but, your back shouldnt be curled, and hunched up, and you shouldnt be reaching.
Your saddle should be high. Almost everyones saddle is too low. You should be able to straighten your leg while you are sitting in the saddle, and also be able to slightly bent.
You set the pedals up, so that the ball of your foot is exactly centered over the axle of the pedal.

Then, clip into the bike, and pedal light gears. Dont grind out heavy gears. Dont be heaving out of the saddle all the time. Spin out light ratios.

That will do for now.


(Oh yeah. Buy lights. Buy the little flashy ones. Stick some relfective shit onto your lid. Stick some same reflective shit onto your shoes heels, if they havnt already got some on them.)

Ther is a 40 % mark up like everything else pretty much.

No name frame = very limited warranty i.e you might not get one in two years if your frame snaps and "Happy,Happy" bikes are no longer in business.

Giant because they are the largest bike manufacturer in the world can afford to spec their bikes with better parts than their competitors at similar prices.I guess this down to bulk buying of components or whatever

 

[flashback]

Ther is a 40 % mark up like everything else pretty much.

No name frame = very limited warranty i.e you might not get one in two years if your frame snaps and "Happy,Happy" bikes are no longer in business.

Giant because they are the largest bike manufacturer in the world can afford to spec their bikes with better parts than their competitors at similar prices.I guess this down to bulk buying of components or whatever

40%? Not in my shop there wasnt. On the new bikes, we didnt make a huge amount, when all things were considered.
I was suprised when I found this out.

The only reason that I am not a fan of no name == crap bike, is that there are a load of frame manufacturers now, who are building frames which are completely reasonable, and I have never heard of them. In the US there is literally tons of frame makers that I have never heard of. some of them are local deals. And, from what I have seen, they are often very very nice.

You are right though, if they go boom, bye bye guarantee. I have nothing against Giant. They do buy shit loads of stuff, and get it cheap. But, I am just saying that there are loads of decent bikes out there that are reasonabley priced. Its hard to pin it to one make, and I wouldnt really.

 

[brianoak]

40%? Not in my shop there wasnt. On the new bikes, we didnt make a huge amount, when all things were considered.
I was suprised when I found this out.

The only reason that I am not a fan of no name == crap bike, is that there are a load of frame manufacturers now, who are building frames which are completely reasonable, and I have never heard of them. In the US there is literally tons of frame makers that I have never heard of. some of them are local deals. And, from what I have seen, they are often very very nice.

You are right though, if they go boom, bye bye guarantee. I have nothing against Giant. They do buy shit loads of stuff, and get it cheap. But, I am just saying that there are loads of decent bikes out there that are reasonabley priced. Its hard to pin it to one make, and I wouldnt really.

Ah yeah I know where coming from with the no name frames,but your talking about local frame builders/manufacturur's etc and Im talking about cheap taiwanese frames with no headtube gussets on their aluminium frames...If you know what you are looking at with bikes/frames etc you wont go far wrong and you obviously know your shit.Problem is most people dont unless they have a background in cycling/bikeshops.
I have worked in shops for nearly ten years and its defo 40% here give or take 5% depending on brand,discounts etc.

 

[flashback]

Ah yeah I know where coming from with the no name frames,but your talking about local frame builders/manufacturur's etc and Im talking about cheap taiwanese frames with no headtube gussets on their aluminium frames...If you know what you are looking at with bikes/frames etc you wont go far wrong and you obviously know your shit.Problem is most people dont unless they have a background in cycling/bikeshops.
I have worked in shops for nearly ten years and its defo 40% here give or take 5% depending on brand,discounts etc.

Oh right. The cheapo spaghetti bikes. Yeah, well those frames are muck alright. Thats why you hvae to do the pushing in the cranks and bending the frame test.

Maybe I am totally wrong about the markup on new bikes.
I was factoring in the labour cost of prepping the new bike also, now that I think of it. I worked in Harding's a long time ago. We put a bit of mark up on the cheap bikes, % wise, cause it took ages to get them road ready. But, the higher end bikes, I thought it was less. Cant remember what though. The other stuff though, was at 40% ish alright. I think the philosphy in Hardings at one point is, sell them the bike by any means nessesary, and then try to make money by selling the side stuff. Having said that, it might be noted that Hardings went bust.

Where are you working BTW? I was almost going to move to Cycle ways, before Hardings went belly up. Instead I went to college. And met Billy Gannon. Who is on thumped. !zed

Full circle. My life. The end.

 

[billygannon]

Where are you working BTW? I was almost going to move to Cycle ways, before Hardings went belly up. Instead I went to college. And met Billy Gannon. Who is on thumped. !zed

Full circle. My life. The end.

I actually started posting on Thumped during that stolen year. I love bikes... living in Cambridge, I'll be back on the saddle again. Can't wait. Naturally I'll be going sans-seat - being the sicko that I am.

 

[flashback]

I actually started posting on Thumped during that stolen year. I love bikes... living in Cambridge, I'll be back on the saddle again. Can't wait. Naturally I'll be going sans-seat - being the sicko that I am.

That's right. Do you still put on those shows Billy? Sweet memories.

I didnt know you were moving to Cambridge. Thats the thing about getting a semi reasonable bike. It will be robbed off you soon as you slow down. Wiil you have somewhere to stash it out there, so those

I still have that Specialised MTB for riding into Manhattan with. Except now I drive in the motor bike more, cause I am such a lazy bastard.

 

[tripoli]

get a new claud butler,theyre all named after various helicopters,make me drool anyway.this is the one you want....

why on earth did i sell mine????

where does one purchase claud butler in dublin?

splash the cash and go for something in the Giant FCR range.

550 upwards but you wont get better parts on any other model for the price unless they are some spurious no name frame shop deal.AVOID.

cheers brian, was looking at the new 07 FCR range, think a 7. something. Not out yet in Ireland. What shops would you recommend?