Getting a new bike, bit of advice?

[Laraden]

Okay, so, I recently moved and found myself with a job about ~4 miles from work. Have an old bike that I bought a couple years ago and had been sitting in garage (I had stopped biking for a long while for whatever reason) and started biking to work. Bike is a hybrid, cost I think $150-200 from a target, probably paid too much for it. Has a few problems here and there, but serves me well (chain seems to hate me, falls off a lot, though I guess that's something I could fix if I looked into it). It can move decently, and is more or less comfortable, but been considering trying to get an actual "road bike" rather than the hybrid. And while riding home today, met up with a group of people doing a 20mile ride, all on decent road bikes. So I got a chance to look at their bikes while stopped / how they rode.

I like the look of them, and, well, bluntly put, my bike has 8 gears and I keep it set to the max no matter what (it doesn't like shifting, probably again something that could be fixed, but I'm lazy anyway, so..), and some of these had a single speed. Which seems like it'd be more comfortable for me than bumping the gear here and there and having problems with it. So, I started looking. And remembered why I bought the hybrid in the first place. Road bikes are friggin expensive. Trying to find out some information on them.

Just browsing amazon atm, might look at a local bike shop in a few days, but I recall the last time I went, the cheapest thing they had was a hybrid at like $600. Now, I'd love to be able to drop $400-600 on a bike, but really not in my budget. I can spare maybe $200-250 for one, but everything I'm reading is saying things like it'll "be a piece of junk and fall apart at the slightest bump", so making me a little worried about it all. I more or less ride my bike wherever I go, up to 10 miles or so, I like to try to keep up my speed a bit, and I'd just like to replace my current bike. I'd say I probably cover around 40-50 miles a week (riding to work and then occasional trips to store and things).

Most of commute to work is road or sidewalk (prefer road when I can, sidewalks tend to be crappy around here, or nonexistant, but drivers in this city seem to think it's fun to drive within 3 inches of you when they are the only car on the road, much less when it has heavy traffic). If I lack either, I usually walk the bike til I can get on one or the other, hate hitting mud and slinging it all over myself.

So, more or less, just wanting some advice. This or this Seem to be within price range, and on amazon, so would be easy to get. But would those actually follow the stereotype of what I'm reading and "fall apart" or is that just people being elitist, for lack of a better word?

Is there any place that you can find a good bike, cheap, other than lucking out on ebay or craigslist etc, and any recommendations for a road bike for $200-250, for use of 40-50 miles a week?
Oh, and last thing I can think of, always liked the look of the dropdown handlebars, especially after seeing them in use in person. As well as what the guy called an aero-bar (short google seems to match that, not sure if that's the actual name though). If it doesn't come with the drop-downs, how hard are those to install, having never really "worked on" a bike before? And on the same note, how difficult is instlaling something like an aerobar, if I was to go out and actually decide to get one?

All in all, I love cycling, just lack the funding to get a "serious" type of ride. Barely abel to throw the funds out to grab the $200-250. So advice of $400-600 would be more or less impossible for next 4-6 months at least.

Thanks, guys, any help is appreciated

[TheKrikkitWars]

If you're already riding your current bike in pretty much one gear, then I guess you already know the potential disadvantages of singlespeed (but haven't had the chance to experience the advantages)...

Neither of those bikes looks like it would "fall apart", being rigid framed and singlespeed there's precious little that could go wrong with them anyway; the Takara does have a flip flop hub (you can take the wheel off and mount it the other way to go from Normal (freehub) bike to Fixie) if that appeals to you. They are heavy, but given that you seem to be ok riding a singlespeed, I'm assuming that you're somewhere quite flat and that wont be an issue.

Finally, Dropped bars: I like them, for long rides they definately improve comfort over flat bars, so long as you set the bike up right so you're not always reaching fo it (ie excessively stretched out) when on the hoods or drops; Flat or Riser bars do give more confident handling and a more stable body position

As for aero/time trial bars, I'd be very wary: they're designed for racing on a closed circuit, away from other riders... the UCI banned them in all racing events in which riders are racing together some time ago because of (directionally) unstable steering and the inablity to reach the brakes without taking your hands off; neither are things I'd want from a bike I was riding on the road every day, especialy riding within wing-mirror-hitting-distance of traffic.

[Роберт]

Craigslist an option? You ought to be able to find a decent road bike for $250 on craigslist if you're in a decent city. Road bikes are nice. Shifting is nice, too, you should probably learn to do some bike maintenance on your own bike to get your chain to stay on and your shifting to work well. If you're lazy you should love shifting, it makes biking much easier. Anyway, my suggestion would be fix up your current bike to work better while shopping around local used, like craigslist.

[Laraden]

Actually lucked out. Randomly checked craigslist at work, found a pretty decent looking bike for $250.
Says it's a Quintana Roo "USA Edition". Talked to the guy a bit, got an agreement to let me have a look at it sometime in next couple of days.
Anyone know anything about this bike?

http://images.craigslist.org/5N15Ga5Fd3 ... e11f1c.jpg pic of the bike in question. Can't see anything wrong that's obvious, and he says it's in good condition. Guess will see when I meet up with him

[TheKrikkitWars]

What I'd do is look up as much as you can about the correct body position and fitting for TT bikes and take a bike multitool (or a range of allen keys [hex wrenches?]) when you go to see it; then you can ask the guy if ou can adjust it and see if it will actually be comfortable to ride or not (with the high saddle and low handlebars it can take a while to feel comfy any road bike, but you should feel if there's something massively wrong or not).

[Роберт]

Looks fine to me. Look up stuff on bike maintanence, and when you get there make sure the brakes and gear shifting mechanisms look okay and there's no bad rust on the chain or anyithng. Road bikes do feel a little odd at first, but make sure it's something you think you'll be able to comfortably ride. TheKrikkitWars had good suggestions.

[Laraden]

Met up with the guy, didn't have to do any real hard looking at the bike or change anything. Guy was about my size, was riding it around when I got there, let me hop on, feel it out a bit. I looked at chain, gears etc, he went through it all very well. All looks practically brand new, as he said it was. Went ahead and bought it. Only really rode it for 10 min or so due to the time when I bought it (yay living right between the two major highways in my city and it being rush hour. good luck going anywhere).

So far, I'd say I like the style, seems rather comfortable, though it's going to take some getting used to. So used to just leaning back and letting go of the handlebars on my hybrid, way different to be crouched over them. But even in my stumbling around for a few min, I was goign faster than I usually do on my hybrid, so that's good..

It has the pedals for clip-in shoes but going to ride it for a week or two before I consider buying them. Dropping $100 on a pair of shoes to ride my bike, when I'd be hesitant to drop that much on shoes to wear every day is a bit..hard.
So, does it make a massive difference, really, having the shoes? He threw in a box of the clips for the pedals with the bike (as well as a cateye that was on the bike already, which I'm liking), so all I'd need to do is grab some shoes and put those in, yes?

[TheKrikkitWars]

Clipless shoes and pedals are amazing... but you shouldn't be paying $100 for your first pair, I paid about £18 for my first set and they're still functional.

[Роберт]

Congrats on your new purchase.

I've actually never done any sort of clipping/fancy bikewear. I just have a used road bike that I use to commute and like a lot better than any non-road bike for commuting. I still think bike shorts look funny and have never worn them.

[TheKrikkitWars]

I've actually never done any sort of clipping/fancy bikewear. I just have a used road bike that I use to commute and like a lot better than any non-road bike for commuting. I still think bike shorts look funny and have never worn them.

I was like that initially, but was convinced to get a set of lycra "liner shorts", they were a million times better than normal underwear and I was quickly converted to the shiny-stretch-to-fit-anatomically-padded side of the force; It does pretty much necessitate a change of clothes at the other end if you're commuting, but if you're cycling hard that's pretty inevitable.

Clipless shoes should involve much less fear of embarrasment than skin tight clothing, and will likely make more of a difference to your pedaling power, as you can start to pull as well as push, as well as keeping your foot in its most powerful position by default.

Edit: And check your pump fits the type of valve your inner tubes use (presumably presta)... I had a bit of a fail today and walked six miles with my bike on my shoulder after being unable to re-inflate my tires.

[sebwiers]

Is there any place that you can find a good bike, cheap, other than lucking out on ebay or craigslist etc, and any recommendations for a road bike for $200-250, for use of 40-50 miles a week?
Oh, and last thing I can think of, always liked the look of the dropdown handlebars, especially after seeing them in use in person. As well as what the guy called an aero-bar (short google seems to match that, not sure if that's the actual name though). If it doesn't come with the drop-downs, how hard are those to install, having never really "worked on" a bike before? And on the same note, how difficult is instlaling something like an aerobar, if I was to go out and actually decide to get one?

I own 4 bikes (plus a unicycle, so maybe 4.5) - one is a pretty nice road bike, and another is a flat-bar single speed. Truth is, for rides where I'm not pressed for time, not aiming to show off how fast I can go, and am not going more than 10 miles, I typically prefer the flat bar singlespeed. Its more reliable, more comfortable, and just as (or more) stylish. Its also a lot less likely to get damaged taking it in and out of buildings, loading it on the car, or sitting on the street locked up.
Of course, I'm also the kind of nut who rides a unicycle for a 2 mile commute, so I may be a bit of an extremist for simplicity. On the other hand, I'm also an (ex)bike mechanic who's got thousands of commuting miles (usually 3-10 miles) on his cranks, and have both a full on road racer and mountain bike. Point being, I can ride whatever I like, any day of the week ...

Those bikes on Amazon are gonna cost another $$50-100 for shipping, and will come in an oversized box with "some assembly required". If you aren't a bike mechanic you are better off going to a bike shop. Single speed road bikes are pretty popular right now, and the cheaper (but still quite usable) ones sell for $300 or so - and most bike shops throw in a year's service. You may need to visit one of the bigger bike shops, or order something, but the bikes are out there and almost any shop can get them through the big distributors.

Honestly, for a low-to-mid skill rider on bike you ride 40-50 mines a week while (mostly) commuting, I would suggest against aero bars. They are designed to allow you to get you head down extra low and reduce wind resistance, which only matters at high speed. You are riding to get in shape, so why make the ride more efficient at the expense of comfort an safety? Drop bars make sense if you like them, but are a bigger benefit on rides of 15+ miles at a time (since they offer multiple hand positions). Flat bars are also just fine for such riding, and make a lot of sense for mid-distance commutes. Either way, switching is pretty easy (even more so on a single speed bike) but involves a lot of parts (the bars, brake levers, grips, shifters if the bike has them, and maybe some cables) and some labor. A lot of shops will do it "at cost" when you buy a bike, bit the cost is pretty high if its done at normal service & parts rates.

[sebwiers]

Clipless shoes and pedals are amazing... but you shouldn't be paying $100 for your first pair, I paid about £18 for my first set and they're still functional.

Agreed on that. The shoes are spendy enough. Try to get a set that come with cleats, for $40 or less. That typically means on sale from someplace like pricepoint.com - they have crank bro candies right now for $30, which is AMAZING for such a good pedal. Don't worry if its a "mountain biking" pedal - they work fine on road bikes, and are arguably better for anything except long distance rides where you never need to put your feet down on the ground.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Clipless shoes and pedals are amazing... but you shouldn't be paying $100 for your first pair, I paid about £18 for my first set and they're still functional.

Agreed on that. The shoes are spendy enough. Try to get a set that come with cleats, for $40 or less. That typically means on sale from someplace like pricepoint.com - they have crank bro candies right now for $30, which is AMAZING for such a good pedal. Don't worry if its a "mountain biking" pedal - they work fine on road bikes, and are arguably better for anything except long distance rides where you never need to put your feet down on the ground.

Oddly enough I'm riding candies at the moment, switched from eggbeaters so I had something to push on right away at remounts; and they're easily better than the road pedals I've tried*

*Though coming from an XC background and having used eggbeaters for years, it would be expected I'd get on particularly well with crank bros' pedals.

[Laraden]

Well, after a few days on bike, I broke down, did some searching and got some shoes for $40 (the guy gave me the clips for the pedals, so no worries for that, got a slightly used pair and a brand new one, figure they'll last me a bit). Main reason was rather simplistic. My normal shoes have about 0 tread on the bottom, and the pedal is pretty much smooth metal, making my morning commute a pita. Dew on bottom of shoe = Pedal pedal slip, repeat 500 times.

Only worn them for yesterday, and liked them so far. Glad I took a few min to figure them out before leavign for work, though. Would have been less than amusing to get to work, realize I can't get out of them, and fall on my face like I did at the house. As far as aero-bars and handlebars, I'm enjoying them. a bunch of my commute is a long, straight road, and I haven't gotten completely accustomed to holding the drop downs, so I'll switch between the two (or just finding a sitting up position that I'm comfortable with) as I want.

Loving the bike, though. a huge upgrade from my old one. To put it simply, I went from a 20 min ride home where I was fighting the bike the entire way to keep up speed, to getting home in 13-15 min provided the cars don't try to run me off the road (20 if they do.)

Cateye is pretty cool, letting me see how fast I'm actually going, though makes me wish I was in shape to go a bit faster. Which brings me to a different question. Been curious what the speeds I'm doing actually put me as. like, am I going as slow as a true beginner, slightly faster, or what? Know I'm not going as fast as the guys I saw before I got the bike, for sure.

I seem to average roughly 17mph (16.8-17.4) when there's little wind. Yesterday, I was doing about 14-15 ish with the wind being pretty heavy. Max speed so far is I think 24.5 or so. I can generally hit the max speed, hold it for about a minute or so and then have to drop back down and catch my breath a little bit. These speeds any good for my level? And how do you go about getting to where you can hold the higher speeds longer? Just something I enjoy doing, not too important on the commute, but I like seeing how fast I can make it home. Not a long ride or anything to brag about, sure, but makes *me* feel nice when I realize "Hey, fastest time I've gotten home so far!"

[TheKrikkitWars]

Anything above 14 Mph and you're actively fighting your own wind resistance... So if you keep up that average speed, you'll start to build up fitness quite quickly.

Assuming you're comfortable on a bike but not that experienced and of average fitness you're doing pretty well.

[Laraden]

Okay, well, I blew a tire out today on the ride home. Was gonna replace them soon anyway, but I pulled the tire off and realized..I know about nothing about road bike tires.
Searching around the tire, I found a label that says 20-571 on it, and googling that, people are saying it's the size. But, I'm apparently horrible at searching this out.
What do the tire sizes mean, for one? I assume I can't use a "20x700" tire that seems to be the popular option on amazon and all?

Probably gonna end up walking down to the local bike store later or tomorrow or something and seeing what I can find/figure out, but would be nice to have info just in case.
Glad my ride home is only 4 miles, it popped less than a mile from work.

Okay, now I'm really rather confused ont he whole sizing thing.
Pulled off the tire and the tube, tire says 20x571, tube says 650x20/28C

Really rather lost here, first time I've ever actually managed to blow a bike tire

Hm, my googling has revealed some information. Some sizing chart is saying "650C" is just another say of saying 571? Not sure on anything, just reading.
Updating my search to 650x20 revealed bike tires that look similiar and the comments saying it's more for triathlon/racing makes sense (the guy I bought it form used it to race / for triathlons). However, these tires are looking to cost $70+ rather than $20-30 for certain other sizes.

Now, updating a bit of the question. Things I'm reading are saying you can add a little on diameter. Not exactly rolling in money atm to want to throw out an extra $70 or so, and "650Cx23" cost $25 or so. Possibly alright to go with something that size, instead? I'm not exactly out doing triathlons and races, so figure don't really *need* a tire made for them, unless that's what I'm gonna be forced to get.

Thanks

[fizzgig]

So what the numbers mean - 20x571 means a tyre with a diameter of 571mm and 20mm wide. 650C is the size of the tyre, which has a diameter of 571mm. The tube size means it fits a 650C tyre, 20 - 28mm wide.

If you have 650C wheels, then you're going to need 650C tyres, but you can use just about any width you want. 23mm tyres will be just fine, will probably be a bit more comfortable than 20mm and might not even be any slower.

[Роберт]

You actually damaged the tyre, not the inner tube? Hmmm... I think what fizzgig said is true.

Local bike shops can be pretty helpful, too.

[Laraden]

Inner tube is busted, but the tires look like they are starting to dryrot a bit (the outer 'black' layer is flaking off in several spots), and generally they don't look so hot. I thought I had seen a tear in the tire itself, but can't find it now, so guess not.

Thanks for advice, went ahead and found some that had good reviews online. Would have walked to bike shop but they closed early last couple of days and screw trying to walk across not one but two of the busiest highways in my town to get there.

[Kitutal]

Hey, can you help me too?
I kind of want a new bike, but they come in all different sizes, I don't know which one I would want, is there any way of finding out? Or does it not actually matter?

[Роберт]

Hey, can you help me too?
I kind of want a new bike, but they come in all different sizes, I don't know which one I would want, is there any way of finding out? Or does it not actually matter?

Well, what do you want to use your bike for? If it's significant transportation (several miles one way), always on sidewalks and roads, you probably want a road bike.

It does matter to an extent. Best thing is to ride it and see if you can ride it comfortably. If you're not used to road bikes, the balance and position will feel awkward at first but when you get used to it you should be fine.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Hey, can you help me too?
I kind of want a new bike, but they come in all different sizes, I don't know which one I would want, is there any way of finding out? Or does it not actually matter?

Well, what do you want to use your bike for? If it's significant transportation (several miles one way), always on sidewalks and roads, you probably want a road bike.

I kind of disagree, even if that assumption is true he may well prefer a hybrid, in fact in a heavily built up urban area that compromise could well be preferable.

Things new riders often think they'll want and don't include:

• Gel Saddles (just get one that fits)
• Rear suspension
• Masses of gears
• Twist grip shifters
• a totally upright sitting position

Things new riders should be wary of include:

• Front Suspension
• Coloured Tyres
• Too low a saddle position
• Anything under £100 brand new

[Роберт]

Here's a list of some things new riders often think they'll want but don't:

• Gel Saddles (just get one that fits)
• Rear suspension
• Masses of gears
• Twist grip shifters
• a totally upright sitting position

Things new riders should be wary of include:

• Front Suspension
• Coloured Tyres
• Too low a saddle position
• Anything under £100 brand new

The first version was really hard to parse. It's easier to understand now.

[SummerOfHermes]

What city do you live in?

Try to locate the local bicycle cooperative. They take scrap heaps of bike parts and build them into usable bikes while drinking PRB. We the sell the bikes for just enough to fund fixing the next bike/drinking PRB. You can probably get a bike from them for $100-$150 that's well put together and built out of solid, high quality components.

I don't know anything about either of those brands. Single speeds are nice, but you PROBABLY shouldn't get one.

Optimal RPM for your knee health is around 100-120, IIRC. Unless you're a beast you're probably not going to be doing that on a single speed.

Fuji makes serviceable entry-level road bikes. I don't see why you'd want anything other than a road bike, tbh.

[Kitutal]

trouble is, though, if I go on the argos website, for example, they all come in different sizes- 14", 16", 20" and so on, which one do I want? Is there any way of telling without just guessing and taking it back if I'm wrong?

[fizzgig]

Bike sizing is pretty inconsistent, so it's not really possible to be sure just from the size. Generally, for mountain bikes, 16" would be a small, 20" a large and you can work out the rest from there. If you're shorter than about 5'5" you probably want a small, over 6" a large... but that's just a really really rough guide.

If they have the actual measurements of the bike there, then you might be able to work out a slightly better measurement based on how high the top tube is and how long your inseam is. But the best advice is always to try a bike out before you buy it.

[TheKrikkitWars]

A bike is the right size if you can get the saddle to a position where as the pedal bottoms out, your knee is almost, but not quite straight and still reach the handlebars comfortably... You will only be able to put your toe (not your whole foot) down when stopped then, but it's worthwhile for the extra comfort and power.

[fizzgig]

You also probably want to make sure that you can stand comfortably over the top tube without risking any damage to any precious body parts.

[Laraden]

Okay, bumping this to share sad feelings. and ask a couple of questions.

First off, the sad. I've fallen in love with the bike, the style, comfort and everything. My morning ride to work and the ride home were actually fun! (unless it was windy. as it is every time before my weekend starts. Weather hates me, I swear) But sadly, all things must come to an end, apparently. After 1k+ miles put on it mostly through commute to work..Last wed, apparently I hit a pothole coming home and it cracked through the frame. Not sure if that's the cause, do remember hitting a couple of potholes (yay riding home without a light at like midnight..Friggin light fell off and got ran over by a truck) and suddenly my handlebars shaking like mad. Guess slamming into the opposite edge of a hole at 20+ mph is not good for a frame.

Didn't notice it on wed when I got home (assumed the handlebars were loose, determined to tighten them when I woke). so I tightened them up, hopped on bike, and notice a few seconds later my handlebars rattling like mad. "What's going on?" and I glance down, and can see the ground *through* my frame. Not sure how to explain, but basically, right under handlebars, where it forms the ">", the bottom part of frame cracked through completely, and seems to have a crack heading down a bit further, though not broken yet.

But wait, I think. "My uncle is a welder!" Steel frame, so took it to him..Sadly, his welding gear was only good for things slightly thicker (it just melted the frame a little when he tried). Now, on to the questions!

If I can find a person with the tools for it, would a steel frame welded back together hold for a daily commute of ~5 miles each way? Through sort of bumpy roads. Uncle says he wasn't sure if it'd hold enough to trust. Figure someone out there has tried it.

Secondly, if this fails to work, how difficult would it be to just buy a new frame and cannibalize the old one for parts? Wasn't much wrong with the bike other than the frame breaking. Never really done much work on a bike, so keeping that in mind. Something that'd require a bike shop, or something that could be figured out? Figure just the frame would be cheaper.

Thanks again..Hoping to get back on a (road) bike again..my old hybrid feels horribly uncomfortable and slow now

[EvilDuckie]

1: A welded frame might hold up just fine, and it might just fail spectaculary. Let's face it: your frame cracked when you hit that pothole at speed, if you weld it and hit a similar pothole, there'll be similar stresses to it with potentially a similar outcome. There's really only one way to find out. It's also a matter of how much you're willing to trust it.

2: If you manage to find the right frame (same manufacturer, same size) it should be possible to move the parts over, but you're essentially building a bike then, and would perhaps need some specialised tools. Keep in mind that different brands often require different tools, or used different sized bolts/nuts (apparently older Italian brands have that knack). Metric vs imperial sizing could be a big hassle. It would be a great way to get to know your bike, but personally I wouldn't tackle something like that unless I really knew what I was doing.

[fizzgig]

The actual process of moving parts between bikes isn't really that difficult, but there are a bunch of things you have to make sure of, and it does require a couple of specialised tools. The two frames need to use the same kind of headset/stem arrangement, the same width bottom bracket and the same diameter seatpost tube. (Well the bottom bracket can be different sometimes). If the new bike is bigger/differently shaped than the old one, then you might run into trouble with the cables being too short. And if it's a singlespeed, you'll need to adjust the chain length.

Oh, and derailleurs. I always forget derailleurs. Rear derailleurs shouldn't matter, but front derailleurs come in a couple of different flavours, depending on where and how they attach to the bike and where the cable runs. So you'd need to make sure the new frame was compatible with the old derailleur.

You need a headset puller to get the headset out, a headset press to get it in and possibly crank extractors to get your cranks off and/or a bottom bracket tool to undo/do-up your bottom bracket (depending on what kind of cranks/bottom bracket you have).

If you can, my advice would be to go to your local bike shop and explain your situation and get them to source you a new frame and do the labour.

If not, I would recommend taking a look at the Repair Help section on www.parktool.com.