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Dobbs_Head posted:So I need a bike for my commute and weekend riding. I have a folder that I use for a multimodal subway commute, but they’re shutting down the train I use for a month because . My wife also wants to do more bike fun stuff with the kids and got a bike trailer. The folder isn’t really compatible with the trailer and I’d like more than 2 gears if I’m hauling >= 75 lbs. Hello, me! Except for the Boston part, but I ride around my little Metro East 'burb (STL area) from time to time, so trust me, I know from crappy roads.... Samopsa posted:Giant escape, trex FX, or a similar hybrid bike by a decent company sounds like it ticks your boxes. Escape owner here. I upgraded from a Cypress to an Escape, and it does sound like what you're looking for. I got the Escape 3 because the crankset had three gears instead of two, and also it was the model that happened to be available. While it is a "just" a hybrid, you will be in a more aggressive position than on most comfort bike (like the Cypress or a lot of cruisers), so you'll be able to make more power. I've taken my bike on rides of just over 50 miles without issue, so it's definitely capable. It takes a rear rack and other bags quite nicely, too.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 17:35 |
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# ? Jun 7, 2024 17:42 |
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I rode a Giant Escape for a few years as a gateway drug to get into gravel riding and it’s a great bike, very solid and reliable.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 17:41 |
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Heliosicle posted:It's definitely not that bad at least but I'll just tighten up the bolts if they need it. Checked everything bar the bottom bracket itself and the creaking/cracking noise was still there after quick test just now. The chainring bolts weren't completely tight before but could just be that I've over-torqued them now. Gonna call the Giant store near me to see how much a BB replacement will be. I don't have any of the tools for installing one so it would be over 200 euros for the press, wrench and WheelsMfg BB. I'll probably end up using at least the press down the line but not sure how often.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 17:41 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:Might be a faux pas but is there any suggestions for a cheap new bike around $200? I'm 5'8" so I probably need a 26" and I don't have a lot of cash, but I need it to drive five minutes to the gym, and maybe go to get a bag of groceries. State has some entry level single speeds for $350 (I’m aware this is more than $200). Probably the cheapest decent bikes I’ve seen. A friend has one and likes it. With a forgiving ratio you won’t need gears for gentle climbs, you just also won’t be going super fast.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 17:59 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:Might be a faux pas but is there any suggestions for a cheap new bike around $200? I'm 5'8" so I probably need a 26" and I don't have a lot of cash, but I need it to drive five minutes to the gym, and maybe go to get a bag of groceries. I just took a look at Walmart real quick and even the absolute bottom of the barrel huffy trash is $250+ The only way you'll find anything close to that cheap is used. You can post your local Craigslist and Facebook marketplace and we could pick out recommendations maybe. If you've got thrift stores and a lot of time you can eventually find really nice old bikes for cheap but it really depends on the area and the individual stores and you have to be pretty dedicated to going regularly for a while and/or getting lucky. They'll also need at least a good cleaning and usually a thorough overhaul, cleaning and re-greasing bearings, new cables etc Basically whatever you save on initial cost will be paid in time and work Dog Case fucked around with this message at 18:49 on Jul 9, 2022 |
# ? Jul 9, 2022 18:47 |
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Dog Case posted:I just took a look at Walmart real quick and even the absolute bottom of the barrel huffy trash is $250+ https://www.walmart.com/ip/533940582 Why not something like this?
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 19:15 |
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Those are incredibly poorly specced and made. A humble single speed from one of the cheap real brands with $100 off maintenance would outlast 5 of those.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 19:26 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:https://www.walmart.com/ip/533940582 Something like that is probably least-bad of the cheap stuff from Walmart simply because it doesn't have a suspension fork and it's steel. However most of the parts on there (single pivot side pull brakes, seat post, freewheel, one piece crank) haven't been used on anything besides the absolute cheapest bikes in like 40 years. They'll work, but they won't work well. The seat will always slip or get twisted sideways a little, the brakes just won't work well at all, the cheap freewheel will probably start to skip after so many miles. They're all standard sized parts, so you can replace them, but you'll be spending money on replacing and fixing things a lot sooner than if you manage to spend a little more on a better bike to begin with.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 21:38 |
GreenBuckanneer posted:https://www.walmart.com/ip/533940582 I was in your shoes like a year ago. If you're capable of doing repairs yourself you would be an absolute idiot to get a brand new Walmart bike when you could get a used actually-good bike that retailed for $1500 ten years ago for the same money.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 21:41 |
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Don’t buy anything from Walmart if you can help it, especially things that can kill you if they fail.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 21:45 |
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If you're going to get a new budget bike, the decathlon ones are pretty good. They do put some effort into the design and care about the quality (because they're such a big brand in their home market)
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 21:47 |
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Dobbs_Head posted:
Go get this Haro Flightline for $300 and you'll be set. https://boston.craigslist.org/sob/bik/d/plymouth-haro-flightline-one-275/7501394484.html Alternatively set a budget and absolutely troll the hell out of Craigslist and OfferUp to get bang for your buck. Berm Peak just had a bit on the $400 Kent Trouvaille which is a 1x mountain bike that the factory completely botches assembly on but if you're willing to take it all apart and lube it up should be great. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-29-Men-s-Trouvaille-Adult-Mountain-Bike-Taupe-Black/823391155
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 22:04 |
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distortion park posted:If you're going to get a new budget bike, the decathlon ones are pretty good. They do put some effort into the design and care about the quality (because they're such a big brand in their home market) https://www.decathlon.com/products/...oIaAh4MEALw_wcB Something like this then? I don't really need the "racer" handles, that will be extraneous to the purpose (was hoping for local, $80 for shipping sucks) But yea, I get where you guys are coming from. I used to build bikes back in the day as a job for a little while (the cheap ones anyways). I know they aren't super good, but I also don't quite have the budget atm for a 1500 bike (and I glanced through fb marketplace, and they're mostly just people reselling the walmart bikes around me) I may just elect to walk instead. edit: how about any of these: https://maine.craigslist.org/search/sss?sort=pricedsc&max_price=300&query=bike GreenBuckanneer fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Jul 9, 2022 |
# ? Jul 9, 2022 22:09 |
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Plastic brake handles aren’t great, unless they’ve gotten better in the past few years.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 22:16 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:https://www.decathlon.com/products/...oIaAh4MEALw_wcB Personally I’d go for any of the 80’s/90’s mountain bikes in there, as long as the size is right. This Ross is pretty sweet and looks well cared for: https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/morrill-1984-ross-mt-hood-vintage/7502306961.html
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 22:42 |
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frogbs posted:Personally I’d go for any of the 80’s/90’s mountain bikes in there, as long as the size is right. This is badass with the bullmoose bars and gold rims. Get this. This Scott would also be pretty good. https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/kennebunkport-scott-mohaka-mountain/7492421981.html Old mountain bikes are the perfect around town bikes. They're simple and durable and usually have all the mount points for a basic rack and usually fenders too.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 22:57 |
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Oof, over an hour away drive Alright I'll message him and see what's up
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 23:03 |
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Jonny Quest posted:Berm Peak just had a bit on the $400 Kent Trouvaille which is a 1x mountain bike that the factory completely botches assembly on but if you're willing to take it all apart and lube it up should be great. I’m in a different situation. I’m very time strapped, but have a flexible budget. I’ll pay an extra few hundred to not have to disassemble and reassemble a bike. It would be fun, but I literally couldn’t set aside the time for it. My budget for this purchase is ~$800. The escape giant looks interesting. I’ve also gotten steered hard toward the Kona Dew. Any experience with that in the thread?
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 23:37 |
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Dobbs_Head posted:I’m in a different situation. I’m very time strapped, but have a flexible budget. I’ll pay an extra few hundred to not have to disassemble and reassemble a bike. It would be fun, but I literally couldn’t set aside the time for it. Kona's generally are super solid and a great value. Maybe see if there's a Kona dealer near you so you don't have to do any assembly? The Dew is pretty well specced for a commuter at ~$700.
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# ? Jul 9, 2022 23:47 |
frogbs posted:Personally I’d go for any of the 80’s/90’s mountain bikes in there, as long as the size is right. God drat that's sexy
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 01:19 |
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 01:31 |
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Slavvy posted:God drat that's sexy Yeah, it's awesome. I totally skipped over the fact that it comes with bullmoose bars. OP should definitely grab that one if it fits them and is still available IMO.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 01:37 |
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Kona sells bikes online but they won't ship to your house- it can only go to a nearby dealer for assembly. The dew plus is worth the extra over the standard dew as you get 1x10 and hydraulic discs.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:11 |
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BraveUlysses posted:Orange yeah, that’s right https://youtu.be/rRcr5hYCxh0
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:29 |
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frogbs posted:Yeah, it's awesome. I totally skipped over the fact that it comes with bullmoose bars. OP should definitely grab that one if it fits them and is still available IMO. I tried my old bike I don't have anymore, which was a 24" and it was too small for me. I usually take my pants on a 29" inseam I messaged them but haven't got a response yet. How do you guys store your bikes? Do you put like a bike cover thing over it if you leave it outside (I have a parking area and small hidden lawn I got myself some bike tools, a bike lock, and a helmet, since I used to have all those things but I no longer do
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:36 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I tried my old bike I don't have anymore, which was a 24" and it was too small for me. I usually take my pants on a 29" inseam How tall are you?
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:41 |
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frogbs posted:How tall are you? 5'8" barely He says the tires on this bike are 26"
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:49 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:5'8" barely Ok, that bike might be a little big for you. It's not the tire/wheel size that dictates whether the bike will fit you, but the frame size. He's listed this as a 'large', and says it "should fit folks in the 5’9”-6’1” range", so you might be able to make it work, maybe with the seat all the way down.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 02:55 |
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frogbs posted:Ok, that bike might be a little big for you. It's not the tire/wheel size that dictates whether the bike will fit you, but the frame size. He's listed this as a 'large', and says it "should fit folks in the 5’9”-6’1” range", so you might be able to make it work, maybe with the seat all the way down. Someone is looking at it monday and I don't get paid till wednesday so it might be a moot point for now
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 04:05 |
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sram force axs question...my front derailleur only wants to move from small ring to bigger when i'm in a lowish gear...probably only the first 4 gears? is this something i can fix by adjustment in the sram axs app or is it due to a misaligned FD?
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 17:14 |
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God drat, that was a great ride. I was solo, but a lot of small and large groups were along for the ride, and it was generally a great vibe. I'm not much of a people person (which is weird because I have mad customer service skills), but this was amazing. The Schlafly also helped.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 18:03 |
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My landlord has an old Raleigh bike and I'm trying to get a perspective of how big it is, it's either a city or hybrid? the top tube length looks to be 21.5 Seat tube length is 20 Says its a "main frame tubes" 6061-t8 Couldn't find much info about it Basically its too large, fails the crotch test, though I can ride it fine. What size frame is that? I see a sticker (no model #) but it says 'dash hl Blu 19" ' so I guess it's a 56cm? I tried measuring my inseam and I think it is close to 77cm, which one chart says 16" bike, but it assumes a person 5'4-5'6 which I am not, so I guess I have short legs? This bike is about 77cm from ground to top of tube GreenBuckanneer fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Jul 10, 2022 |
# ? Jul 10, 2022 18:30 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:My landlord has an old Raleigh bike and I'm trying to get a perspective of how big it is, it's either a city or hybrid? It's a Raleigh Dash. I looked up some photos and it looks like it has a just barely sloping top tube. When you say "failed the crotch test", do you mean it's absolutely crushing your junk when you stand over it, or just lightly touching? If it's just lightly touching, that's normal/fine, and it otherwise sounds like it should fit you ok. It looks like it's basically a steel road bike with flat bar/mountain bike style controls. Perfect for what you're looking for, and should be easy to mount racks and etc. for groceries and whatever.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 18:55 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I tried measuring my inseam and I think it is close to 77cm, which one chart says 16" bike, but it assumes a person 5'4-5'6 which I am not, so I guess I have short legs? https://www.rivbike.com/pages/pubic-bone-height-how-to-measure-your-pbh If you set your saddle height like this and the bike feels ok it's ok. If you can't get the saddle low enough it's too big.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 19:11 |
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Dog Case posted:It's a Raleigh Dash. I looked up some photos and it looks like it has a just barely sloping top tube. When you say "failed the crotch test", do you mean it's absolutely crushing your junk when you stand over it, or just lightly touching? I went back and tested, and it's just lightly touching. No pain or discomfort or squishing. The seat is down as far as it lets me, and sitting on it means my heels don't touch the ground when sitting on the seat. Which I don't like. Maybe I can get a shorter seat rod?
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 19:25 |
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you shouldn't be able to easily touch the ground with your feet while sitting on the saddle, unless you lean over your bike a ton.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 19:36 |
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I went back and tested, and it's just lightly touching. No pain or discomfort or squishing. Saddle height has nothing to do with the distance to the ground, its' relation to the crank and pedals is what's important. If you want to be seated when you stop you can lean the bike a little and put one foot down, or ideally slip off the front when you're stopping and stand over the bike in front of the seat while stopped. It sounds hard at first but it's super easy after you get used to it and is a lot better than wrecking your knees and making pedaling way harder with a seat that's way too low.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 19:37 |
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BraveUlysses posted:sram force axs question...my front derailleur only wants to move from small ring to bigger when i'm in a lowish gear...probably only the first 4 gears? is this something i can fix by adjustment in the sram axs app or is it due to a misaligned FD? What happens when you’re in the other gears, does it just not move outboard enough? The FD on AXS is very finicky. Do the teeth line up to the alignment marks in the cage?
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 20:17 |
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I guess I've always rode undersized bikes because I hate having to get off the seat to touch my heels to the ground when stopped and leaning slightly to one side. I see it can cause injuries but I'm still grumpy about it. Feels "teeter tottery" (haven't sat on a bike in a decade)
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 21:05 |
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# ? Jun 7, 2024 17:42 |
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Will take you maybe 30 minutes to get acclimated. Tops.
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# ? Jul 10, 2022 21:07 |