Help me choose a bike

http://money.guardian.co.uk/Budget2005/story/0,15838,1439701,00.html

a nice cyclo cross bike that would be ideal for you
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72573&item=7149063687&rd=1

Dunno if you've thought about frame materials, but I'm guessing that if you've ridden mostly tourers, your previous bikes have been steel. You might find aluminium a bit harsh, especially if you're doing bumpy trails.

Make sure that the tyre clearance at the back is good. If you're off-road, you're going to need to run the tyres at a high pressure to avoid pinch punctures, so the fatter the tyres, the more they'll take the edge off bumps. You could always get a suspension seatpost as well.

As for actual makes of x-bikes, Kona are just about the only folks that I can think of off the top of my head (out of all the big guys at least) that sell a fully built up bike. Check out the Jake, or the Jake The Snake for a few more £££. Both aluminium frames, but my buddies absolutely swear by theirs. Top bikes.

Otherwise, you're looking at buying frame and fork only, but you'll probably be able to get your local decent roadie shop to build one up for you if you don't fancy doing that yourself.

The second eBay link looks good although the mint green tires would have to go, but to be fair any kind of knobblies would get replaced with slicks until i got out in the wild. It's going to have a killer reserve price on it i just know it. Condor is my local bike shop and they ahve a well desrved reputation for being pricey.

The first link; I don't know about the geomery and cannondale's site is not that informative. The crossbar doesn't look that long.

I'm not that bothered by a hard ride. Stiffness is good in my book.

If i found the right frame I would build myself or at least bribe one of my couriers with beer to do it.

The Jake looks very nice and the site it comes from offers credit; which I should not become entangled with.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/2K5_Jake_Side_CMYK.jpg

on brands, i don't know anything that's specifically what you're looking for. most cross bikes/hybrids have either straight handlebars, or even rise bars, which is obviously not what you're looking for.

our bestselling tires for what you're talking about were a set of campagnolos that were slick for 4/5 of the tire, with a recessed knobby bit on either side. apparently this is ideal for riding around on crappy streets with loads of holes-- like michigan, and london, i'm guessing?

personally, if i were going to get a bike right now, i'd probably go with an electra...so pretty, so comfortable, and with nexus internal hubs! hurrah.

http://www.electrabike.com/04/images/05bikes/main/cls/05_cls_23n.jpg

brilliant typo...

It's a Trek 1200:

http://www.chevincycles.com/smsimg/54/m2309_05tk1200d.jpg

On that subject, I've just ordered myself one of these:

http://www.dahon.co.uk/jetstreamp8.htm

Yeah, interest does seem to have dwindled a bit amongst roadies, last x-race I did, I think there were only about 15 riders. I came top ten! Woo-hoo! And won a prize! (- a sealed envelope containing £2.50!!).

On the other hand though, interest is definitely on the up in the weird little corner of mountain bike subculture I inhabit. Some of the time it's like everyone's trying to out-do each other by riding the most back-to-basics thing they can. Last few years was fully-rigid singlespeeds, now everyone's going through a cross-bike phase. Lightweight full-susser for me at the moment though.

My only worry is that it will buck at the thought of Richmond Park's gravel paths - one of the traditions of the summer is that I have occasional rides round the park on the paths (not the roads) to see how my fitness is developing, and see whether I can beat my best time (currently 30:15 on my heavy old ten-speed Holdsworth tourer).

FWIW, I checked out the US price of the Trek, and it was only marginally less than the UK price, taking the exchange rate into consideration. Seems that's not the case with other makes, though.

(oh, and I forgot to give props to Colette for loads of useful advice - cheers love!)

I'd rather buy european, but there's less at the lower end european wise.

Ed, other x-bikes to look for are things like Fort or Kinesis Maxlights, they come frame & fork only and are at the cheaper end. Dead popular though. Bianchi do one a nice one for quite a few more quid, but it depends on how you feel about the famous Celeste green paintwork. The Planet-X Kaffenback (er, as in cafe-and-back) is quite a decent steel frame, but has clearance issues at the back. More of a winter training bike than strictly a cross thing.

ed, is anyone coming to visit you from the states? my dad carried over a bike in a box for me as his luggage a couple summers ago, and wasn't stopped or asked any questions. i guess it was because he's got a US passport and was just visiting? dunno, i've never had my stuff looked at on the way in here, actually.

mark, glad to be helpful, don't forget to email me if you want me to bring anything back for you or sarah...i seem to remember promising something (a cheap seat? something else?) but can't quite remember what...

Eddy Merckx has something called an Alu cross, and i have always always since seeing a whole shop full of merckx bikes wanted an Eddy Merckx

Colette, I think you promised me some pedals - something for everyday use, as I eventually did buy the bike with SPD pedals fitted and I'm still not yet sure if I want to keep them. Thanks again :)

Yep, you have to factor in atmospheric conditions when you're travelling those sorts of speeds. 'Slippery air' is where it's at. ;o)

Dunno much about Merckx bikes. The Belgians know their stuff though. If you're looking at posh ones, Pinarello and Pegoretti definitely do cross-frames, probably De Rosa too. They'd be my choice if I was absolutely loaded, might be overkill for what you're after though! Hunter pops up on ILM bike threads sometimes and needs to see this, cos he's probably the best guy to give you sensible advice.

Ed, did some digging... this article is probably more helpful than me spouting hearsay out of my arse.

More likely candidates = brake cable rusted inside outer sleeve or the pivot bolt/springs are rusted/siezed. I'd check that first.

http://www.raleighusa.com/images/items/cross/full/2005/05-Ral_C30-Blue_White-f.jpg

I know squat-all about bikes, except that I ride this one every day. I'd recommend it, except that I don't know if I could do better.

(I'm sued to a steel frame - should I be scared now that I've got an aluminium one?)

Tubes on alu bikes have a larger diameter because the tube walls are made a lot thinner (and hence lighter). You need a larger tube to get the same strength.

here's my sweetness:

http://photos8.flickr.com/9487826_bb5609958e.jpg

The Kona's alright, but cyclocross rockists everywhere beg you to forego putting a triple on a cyclocross frame. It's too sad.

i have one brake on the front wheel.

I thought the correct answer was "brakes just slow you down"?

I don't know that the site's still feeding, but the video below will whet your appetite for some city riding, Ed.
http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg

Nick, you were all up for campag, pashmina says no. What should i do?

Kelsey yr Pista is beauty.

I had shower caps to keep the rain off when it was parked.

Isn't life too short for that? I did see a brooks recently that was like an abreviated B-17, maybe that's the B-33? It was Racing Green with Copper rails and rivets, and it was indeed the handsomest saddle ever. But ain't carrying no shower cap nuh uh.

I'm on the verge of ordering last year's Kona jake frame and some campag Vento g3 wheels, kinesis crosslight 2 forks. £344.97

Headset, bottom-bracket, front deraileur, rear-deraileur, rear cassette, front rings, cranks, handlebars, brakes, brake/gear levers, bar tape, brake and gear cable, chain, tyres, inner tubes. Am I missing anything?

More bits youll need that werent on yer list - handlebar stem, seatpost, maybe seatpost clamp if it doesnt come with the frame, pedals, rim tape... err cant think. Thatll be quite a nice little rig that lot.

Maybe pay attention to whether the Kona is spaced 130mm (road) or 135 (mtb) in the rear triangle. "Proper" xc bikes are 130mm, but some manufacturers are spec'ing 135mm.

Yeah Ed, it's almost always cheaper to get a whole bike than going a la carte, at least if you find a good deal. If you're serious about saving, you can do it piece-at-a-time, but it's usually sorta arduous. As you might guess from my obnoxious shower cap comment, I'm not usually patient enough to find and buy everything in that manner.

Nick I didn't notice how sick yr bike was til I went back and looked just now. (Do you ride the shown SLR saddle? I've never seen one on an mtb.) I sold my worn out mtb last fall. I'm sans mtb for the first time in a long time, and the trails are melting off--or were til we got 20" of snow last Sunday.

I must now think and see what bits I can scrounge.

Ed, if youre buying Italian, most rockists would say that youve gotta go with Campag!

What I want is for someone to produce a good, reliable 7-speed cluster groupset, ie not keep stacking sprockets on the cluster because obviously more=better WHEN IT ISN'T. argh.

NickB, that's one hell of a bike, I always used to lust after Roocky mountains when I was into that sort of thing

Pash I want thumbshifters, I found eight speed just right. Just, yknow...plain old shifters, is that so hard? They work. They last. You can friction them. It's a topic done to death, but let me put my boot in too. After many long years of riding I know exactly what I want in a mtb if I can ever get enough $ to gether to build it up.

http://www.vitus.fr/img/site/serie/route-aluminium/vitus-crosside.jpg

The cheap Italian made frame, a ghastly paint job.

http://www.bikes-dolan.uk.com/en-us/images/DSCF0375thum.jpg

Damnit this is hard and I can't even really make a decision until I find out what, if anything I can scrounge and is worth scrounging.

Old school "pure" cx frames had no bottle braze-ons since you never carry bottles. My Gitane cx frame is this way. It's now my commuter and holding a bottle would be an improvement.

I can see the Vitus does have them. It also has a double chainring AND a long cage rear mech, which is sorta cool. It looks like a 32 on the back--you wouldn't need a triple.

Searching for thing on the web in Italy is soul destroying. It's like the internet 8 or 9 years ago.

(GT Expert? Cruiser 2003 model + added front v-brake.
If I could somehow add hub gears it's be the fastest bike in the WORLD!)

I shall ride myself to some degree of fitness on that, meanwhile I shall save for a cross frame and i'll have at least some bits to transfer across.

And i've seen that an eddy merckx alu cross frame is 'only' €659 and worth saving up for in my book, I can satisfy my inner dreaming 12 year old. they are also a very respectable dark charcoal this year.

Um, er, bikes. I had my first couple of proper rides on my new bike. My handlebars are a bit low (which I'll adjust next time), but otherwise it feels pretty great to ride. There is a bit of chain-rub (I'm sure this is the technical term) when I use the big cog by the pedals (again, sorry about the jargon here) - is there any tweak or anything I can change to stop this happening?

I live in Denver. The mtb riding is pretty good. Most of the front range parks start out with 500-2000 ft of climbing immediately from the trailhead. I actually like it because that means yr circuit ends with good descent (which I ride cautiously).

Hunter, Colorado looks like an awesome place to ride off-road or otherwise. Am now quite the boiling vessel of envy, damn you!

What I want is for someone to produce a good, reliable 7-speed cluster groupset, ie not keep stacking sprockets on the cluster because obviously more=better WHEN IT ISN'T. argh.

Pash, I totally concur! Running a 9-speed cassette at the minute and the shifting always goes to hell when it gets muddy. Actually, I was quite tempted by the hub-geared bike that Thorn are doing as a winter mountain bike. 853 tubing, Hope disc brakes, Rohloff hub. Not sure about having all that weight in the back wheel though, I've heard that it makes for a weird old ride.

NickB, that's one hell of a bike, I always used to lust after Roocky mountains when I was into that sort of thing

Shucks Porkpie! It's a great frame for me, not the most sophisticated design, but it's nice and simple and it just works! Had it 2 years or so and the suspension is still as tight as ever. Rides beautifully and climbs like a monkey with its tail on fire. Only gripe is that the paint is the thinnest, flakiest paint I've ever seen and keeps dropping off in big chunks. And with every chunk my heart just groans. Anyhow - GET A BIKE, GET A BIKE, GET A BIKE! ;o)

http://212.77.169.40/itempictures/2745407876619_1.jpg

Hooray

http://212.77.169.40/itempictures/2745407876619_1.jpg

Hooray, hope it's not too shagged.

On Gaurd Beast I'm told is the lock to get, but oh so heavy.

I must now eniquire of colette to see if her folks can do me a deal on some crankbrothers pedals. Even at retail, it's dollars for pounds though.

(Thank you so much, Colette!)

ed, have a drinks thing and then another drinks thing (one at my gym!) on thursday, but if you could meet me early (before 7), i could bring stuff. or friday sometime? otherwise next week is looking pretty empty, i think...

What Lock should I get?

I'm thinking one of the Onguard Mastiffs but which one? Is chain the best way to go?

Dunno much about those locks you mentioned. I'd say spend as much as you can afford really, obviously more money should get you a higher grade of lock. But maybe there's something to be said for using a couple of half-decent ones - I do this and I reckon it'll take longer to get through those than one expensive one. But do note, I'm a bit cranky and paranoid when it comes to bikes.

Kryptonite locks are normally pretty decent, but they did have a crisis last year when it was claimed that their U-locks could be easily opened using the non-business end of a biro to rotate the chamber (oops). They did a big product recall though and they should be alright now. Strong chains are good, cos you can wind them round the frame so you're not leaving easily attacked saggy slack bits.

The most important thing though is where you're leaving it. Leave a nice bike in the wrong place and whatever lock you have, it'll be history in a few days.

How's that record attempt coming along anyhow Mark?

Probably not the best time, but I could do a really good deal on a Birdy folder at the moment if anyone's interested.

For me, there is Sidi, and then everything else. They're expensive, but bombproof. And for someone with low-volume feet like me, k comfortable. I think that they make a wide version still. I've had the same pair of Dominators for--9 years?? Very heavy use back in the day.

I also liked my old Gaerne road shoes.

They should be comfortable. How you plan to use them and how street you need to look just makes a difference in what you select, that's all.

What do you do on a bike? Ride for longer than 45 minutes continuously? Commuting? Do you have to walk around, esp. in shops/offices?

Sport road riding 1 hr plus/trip--v. stiff road shoes.
Sport road less than 1 hr--stiff rd shoes/mtn shoes
Sport mtn biking--stiff mtn shoes
Long touring w/ limited off bike activity--stiff soled mtn shoes
Commuting/errands longer than 30 mins--flexy soled mtn shoes
Outdoor time involving bike but side hikes--flexy soled mtn shoes with good sole rubber, boot/trainer like.
Everything else--platform pedals w/ flipflops or trainers.

Anyhow, like Hunter says, it depends on how much walking about you want to do in them, and how much you mind looking like a race geek (Personally I don't mind at all, but God, don't take me as a yardstick!). Specialized do a couple of pairs that blend in just fine down the pub, maybe have a look on Wiggle just to see what's available. Those Shimano M038 touring-type jobs are probably a good all rounder.

One little thing you'll need to watch out for is that the tread on some mtb shoes can be a bit too chunky to allow you to clip in properly, depending on the design of the pedal.

You'll have to buy the cleats themselves seperately (they normally come with the pedals, not the shoes) so check what ones the makers of the pedals recommend. Even Shimano do two or three different SPD cleats, that don't all work so well across their entire range of pedals (I speak from painful experience, having clipped out with both feet once when riding down a staircase, finishing the last ten steps or so resting entirely on my knackers that had got snagged on the back of the saddle. Not recommended!).

I expect to use the bike for 45 min+ decent-weather pleasure rides, rather than commuting etc. I tend to go at a fair lick, and use it very much as my primary source of exercise. The advice I've had so far has been to get stiff road shoes.

1/it's easier to get around when you're on a ride, but off the bike

2/cheaper

3/my dad (a very experienced ex road racer, & long-term cyclist) got stuck in his pedals when he fell off his moulton a couple of years ago, & broke 2 of his ribs.

These looked like a cunning little solution to the spd and casual riding problem.

(when spds first came out around 1990 I threw em on my mtn bike and went riding. I'd ridden clipless road for a couple years, figured it'd be no problem. First ride on them, I broke my femur, augered in on a highspeed downhill crash. Rescue crew had to hike in, board me, haul me out, the whole nine yards. So take time to get comfy with spds).

xxpost--broken ribs hurt more than (at least my) broken femur, go figure.

Yeah the platform inserts work. I did that for a while, but now just ride with whatever I'm wearing on the clipless pedals for distances 30 minutes or less. But, this is sorta pedal brand dependent in my experience. Bigger pedals like old Time ATACS, old "big" spds, Look style road, Speedplays--all are bearable with sneakers or shoes. BUT, Crank bros, little Wellgos, little Ritcheys, newer Shimano's--not so much. I rode out on an errand yesterday that ended up taking an hour of riding with flipflops on spds, at the 45 minute mark my feet started hurting pretty bad. People, don't ride in flip flops.

I also have (thanks to Colette) a pair of non-spd pedals, so I have the luxury of trying both.

broken ribs hurt more than (at least my) broken femur, go figure

Have broken a rib -running!- and it hurts like buggery. Still not sure I want to know what a broken leg feels like all the same.

Amen to that. I did break a finger and take a chunk out of whatever bone forms the elbow when my cassette broke and flung me off my bike a decade or so ago. Otherwise, just grazes and bruises.

Pain from broken bones, in descending order of pain:

Ribs (mtn bike crash)
fingers (hand into front wheel road race crash)
femur (mtn bike crash)
upper arm (fell down stairs as a kid)
toes (drunk)
wrist and ankle stuff (assorted)
collarbone (flag football collision)

I sound really fragile, the good thing is 1) none of these had much displacement except collarbone 2) I heal really fast. So far.

Anyway, not a good subject to dwell on! I had to help some guy pick up the pieces of his bike out of the road last night on my way home. Didn't actually see it happen but I know he was only a couple of hundred yards down the road from me. He was going down a cycle lane and someone pulled a left right across him. His front wheel was a taco and he was rips, cuts and bruises all down one side, looked like he'd been through a chipper. In total shock too, poor bloke.

All my bike accidents have been like this, all of the offending vehicles have been taxis.

Doesnt it *always* start raining when you get a new bike?

the barrel adjuster is already at it's slackest. I could reset the cable tension from scratch I suppose.

My experience with alignment probs agrees with this, it's almost always the hanger rather than the mech that's the problem.

OK, so when you're out practicing your victory antics, don't do this:

http://www.blennus.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=443&Itemid=

Me and Emma want to get some hybrid bikes; no off-road stuff, but mainly used for jaunts in countryside and occasional zipping about town.

We're looking at (in no order of preference):

- Kona (Smoke or Dew)
- Saracen
- Marin (Kentfield)

Notice that Raleighs and Giant seem to be much cheaper - are they any good? Is the low price because they're not seen as cool and groovy, or because they're not as good?

Main criteria - price (obv - given cost of all the other stuff needed like locks and helmet etc, no more than 300 quid for the bike, and obv, lower the better)

Lightness - we'll have to carry them up two flights of stairs with every use, so this is a factor.

We've been told that we should be aware of the quality of components; I'm all in favour of getting good stuff, but given the anticipated use (once/twice a week to be realistic), is there any need to spend more on super-duper compnents when pretty standard components will last a fair few years and be 50 quid cheaper?

We think we don't want suspension on forks or seats or anything like that. It seems to be a view supported by this thread in the main.

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=1336

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=2003

For a Hybrid I would go with one that has 700c (road style) wheels rather than 26" (mountain style), either will work on both surfaces of course depending on tyre, but it sounds like your going to be on road more so you do better with 700c, less effort required for a given speed.

By countryside, Dave, do you mean country lanes or off-road?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2904&item=7168100549&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

I know pretty much nothing about bikes except that I would again like to own one after a few years without. Also, I hate to shop, so narrowed options will be very useful.

Here's the kind of riding I would be doing:

So, my riding:

*mostly pavement, maybe smooth trails once in a while. Mostly urban riding in downtown Washington, D.C.
*primarily errands and leisurely recreational rides--certainly not more that ten miles or so at a time.

What is most important to me:

*COMFORT! I don't want to go particularly fast or careen down rocky mountain paths, I just want to be comfy for my fairly short, start-and-stop rides. Good agility would seem to be important for urban riding, no?
*Something not too heavy would be nice, as I'll have to lug the thing up stairs and onto bus racks and down to the metro on occasion.
*Price. I'm pretty clueless about what it would cost to get something I'd love, but I'm not willing to go to four figures, that's for sure!

So, do I just walk into a bike shop and say "I want a comfort bike"? Or, "I want a hybrid" (do I?)? I'm pretty sure that I don't need either a mountain or a road bike. Now that I think about it, what is the difference between a comfort and a hybrid?

Thanks for any guidance you can offer. From the discussion above, it is clear that many ILXors can give good advice.

i had one of these in high school back when i used to live within riding distance of trails:
http://www.bayviewcycle.com/Bikes_Images/Trek2004/4900_Blk.jpg

i was thinking about bringing it back to nyc when i go home in a week, but this cost $500+ when i first got it and I put in another $100.. would it be crazy to leave this thing on the street? even if i put electrical tape or something around the body? it's a heavy-duty motherfucker, too. maybe a road bike would be better here.

2) i had a U-lock on the bike that got stolen. it's probably that my dumb-ass friend got drunk and left it unlocked, but would you have a bike in the city with just a u-lock? if not...

3) investing in a kryptonite bike chain? i guess you can get a used one for $50, but how much does it cost for a THICK chain and a BIG lock? is that feasible? i feel like i never see people with those.

4) i found a road bike in queens for $30. all it's missing are the brakes. can i just convert that into a fixed gear and skip the brakes if i get proper cogs for the pedals etc? (my bike dork friend let me ride his-- nice). even if it's not my main bike, it would be cool to have one around.

one word responses are acceptable.

Don't ride a suspension mountain bike in town, the fixie idea is sound but put a front brake on, they don't cost much and it at least gives you the option not to fixed gear skid into the side of a truck.

that way you can fly head over heels into the truck instead

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/dropf-camp.gif

Then you can do it.