I'd say that's a might fancy bike! I'd love to get an older cruiser for just getting around downtown, however storage space is a bit of an issue.
"If complete and utter chaos was lightning, then he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards'."
My plan is to get one from a pawn shop, do all the things to make sure it's not a stolen bike just in case, even though this place seems reputable.
How do I keep my bike from getting stolen aside from literally welding it to the parking frame? I don't want to buy a bike only to get it stolen the first day I ride it. There's a lot of bike thefts here. EDIT: I think cops care less about catching individual bike thieves, but rather getting the big chop shop guys.
nuka on
DS: 2667 5365 3193 | 2DS: 2852-8590-3716
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Set up a bike lock with a c4-triggered explosive if someone cuts the chain.
My plan is to get one from a pawn shop, do all the things to make sure it's not a stolen bike just in case, even though this place seems reputable.
How do I keep my bike from getting stolen aside from literally welding it to the parking frame? I don't want to buy a bike only to get it stolen the first day I ride it. There's a lot of bike thefts here. EDIT: I think cops care less about catching individual bike thieves, but rather getting the big chop shop guys.
What my uncle did in college was paint his $1500 bike the ugliest powder blue he could find, and then always park it next to the shiniest, fanciest-looking bike he could find in the vicinity. Worked like a charm for him. Depends on your local bike-theft culture, though, obviously.
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Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I store mine inside and it does take up space, and is heavy... that's the least good part about it. I'd like to lock it outside in our apartment complex, and lots of other people do, but... there's not a really convenient and safe outdoor spot by our particular unit.
The Specialized I've got in storage in Chicago is basically the opposite of my cruiser and could be stored on wall hooks because it's nice and light, but one does what one can!
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
My lab moved to a new building across campus last summer. In the old location I could walk my bike inside and stash it in an unused bay, no problem - made commuting really easy. In the new location, building management actively prowls the lab spaces looking for stuff like that and throws a fit anytime they find it. Blegh.
Oh, a bicycle thread! This is my bike, with trailer, and baby from a few months ago...nowadays she stands around slightly impatiently while I hook the trailer up every time we go out. But she actually likes wearing her helmet and we have a great time riding around.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
luckily I have a shed I can lock the bike in at home, and the bike rack for my building is in the garage underneath the building
I'm less comfortable locking my bike outside our main offices when I'm onsite there though, that rack is out in the open in the area in front of the building, I'll probably just park at my building and walk over those days.
A good kryptonite lock and some non-quick release skewers for the wheels is all I do. My general philosophy is that you can't make your bike theft-proof, so just make sure it's not the easiest one on the block to steal.
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I use a cable and a kryptonite lock
Wind the cable through the back tire and around the frame, put the u-lock through the front wheel and frame and around the bike stand pole, then loop the cable onto the u-lock and lock the whole thing up that way.
At the very least I've created a massive pain in the ass to break through and steal.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
So I'm thinking of getting a commuter bike in the next few months or early next year. What's a good bike to get that's not too pricey? I'm thinking in the $800-$1200 range or something.
So I'm thinking of getting a commuter bike in the next few months or early next year. What's a good bike to get that's not too pricey? I'm thinking in the $800-$1200 range or something.
Oh my God you don't have to pay that much.
I mean you certainly can and it would be AWESOME. my view, after riding daily all weather for a few years, is that a four hundred dollar road bike from bikes direct is plenty. If you want to talk bike features I would love to do that.
Also sorry if you know all this stuff, I don't meant to insinuate or talk down.
No, not really. I mean, I don't know much about bikes. If $400 is good for what I need (I'd basically be biking to the train station, from my stop to work, and then the reverse - about 14-15 miles a day total?)
What I'd be interested in is comfort, a way to hook a pannier or two on the back, and I suppose somewhat lightweight so when I put it up on the train it's not terribly hard to do?
UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
First commute on new bike update: my trip went from 15 to closer to 10 minutes to the ferry, and from 25 to around 15 home. Holy balls.
Once it cooks off a bit I'll definitely (and happily) need to go out for extra rides in the evenings/weekend to replace the lost exercise here, or switch to a longer route.
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
Personally I'd look at speed over comfort. You do adjust. Plus you get there faster.
For four hundred you should be able to find an aluminium road bike for that much second hand if you look around enough.
Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Just want to add that proper fit will trump price every day - a cheaper bike in the right size is worlds better than a spaceship that doesn't fit right.
I don't know anything about bikes except that somebody at the university has the exact same bike as me and happens to go to the same restaurants I go to when I feel like being fancy about lunch, leading to awkward moments of wondering why this strange chain lock is on my bike
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I bought a Kryptonite U-Lock that came with a guarantee of replacing your bike if it's stolen while you have the lock on. Granted, I'm sure they have stipulations like, don't lock only the tire or don't lock it to something that can be easily cut through, so you'd have to see what their terms are.
A lot of Kryptonite locks come with bicycle replacement insurance if your bike is stolen while it's locked up. They make a chain and lock called the Fahgettaboudit which you can loop through both wheels and the frame. It's expensive and weighs a bit, but it's extremely tough.
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
No matter what chain you get, it won't last longer than two minutes to an electric grinder.
Locks are best for public areas, you are always better keeping them out of sight when at home.
Yeah, you can't keep a bike from being stolen if the thief has a few minutes with it. The objective is to make it not worth their time to steal. A good pair of locks, properly applied (THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT), in a good location, and an inexpensive bike that isn't worth parting out. As my friend in Manhattan says: $100 worth of Craigslist bike, $150 worth of locks.
(I'd be interested to know if anyone here has ever gotten money from the Kyrptonite anti-theft program. I know of at least a half dozen cases filed but only one successful payout. Is that the norm?)
Also, wheels, it should have wheels that make it go.
I too need a bike that will propel me to places, including my work.
I know how to ride a bike but have done it maybe 8-10 times in my life, so I'd be looking to get comfortable riding near any amount of cars first. How bad of an idea would it be to just buy a reasonable-looking bike of Craigslist as opposed to going to a bike store? It looks like the difference between $200 on craigslist and $400 in a store for an aluminum 7 speed hybrid bike.
Also, the internet tells me that as a 6'3'' man I need about a 24 inch frame, but it'd sure be nice if I could buy something that my 5'10'' wife could occasionally ride, if perhaps not entirely comfortably. How much wiggle room is there in terms of what a person can successfully ride?
Yesterday on my commute to work I fell over like a dumbass while mounting my bike and skewed the handlebars. The wheel would point straight ahead but the handlebars point to the left. I had work in 30 minutes so I just dealt with it and rode it cautiously to the metro
on my way back from work just outside of the metro this other biker notices me attempting to tinker with the bike with a multitool. They approach and offer to use the tool bag they had with them to adjust it. One quick little tuning and a little bike shop talk later and everything is good and straight
I appreciate when a problem comes and goes in the same day
I know how to ride a bike but have done it maybe 8-10 times in my life, so I'd be looking to get comfortable riding near any amount of cars first. How bad of an idea would it be to just buy a reasonable-looking bike of Craigslist as opposed to going to a bike store? It looks like the difference between $200 on craigslist and $400 in a store for an aluminum 7 speed hybrid bike.
The problem with saving $200 via Craigslist is that, if you haven't ridden a lot and won't know what problems to look for, you could end up with a bike that needs $200 of repairs if you're really unlucky, or just a bike that's more work to ride than it needs to be. It's not quite as bad as it can be buying a used car, but a real shop will do a better job of setting you up.
Also, the internet tells me that as a 6'3'' man I need about a 24 inch frame, but it'd sure be nice if I could buy something that my 5'10'' wife could occasionally ride, if perhaps not entirely comfortably. How much wiggle room is there in terms of what a person can successfully ride?
For her to be able to ride it at all, you'd have to set it up a bit too small for you, which will be rough on your back and knees. That said, if you get a _frame_ that's the right size for your wife, and a long seatpost and quick-release seatpost clamp, you can get a fair way by moving the seatpost up and down a bit. It'll still not be ideal for either of you, but I mountain bike / sometimes commute on a frame that's significantly too small for me, because I appreciate the extra maneuverability when dodging rocks / going over roots. For longer distances you'll want a bike that fits, but it's not impossible that you could both share a bike. Again, though, you'd definitely want to do this at a shop where you can both try out the same bike with different saddle positions to see how it goes.
I know how to ride a bike but have done it maybe 8-10 times in my life, so I'd be looking to get comfortable riding near any amount of cars first. How bad of an idea would it be to just buy a reasonable-looking bike of Craigslist as opposed to going to a bike store? It looks like the difference between $200 on craigslist and $400 in a store for an aluminum 7 speed hybrid bike.
Also, the internet tells me that as a 6'3'' man I need about a 24 inch frame, but it'd sure be nice if I could buy something that my 5'10'' wife could occasionally ride, if perhaps not entirely comfortably. How much wiggle room is there in terms of what a person can successfully ride?
If you know someone who knows bicycles well, bring them with you to check out CL bikes. Otherwise, like mentioned above, you can end up with something that's going to shift like crap, has failing headset bearings, etc. If you have someone like that, you can save about 50+% on the cost of a good basic commuter bike. I generally aim people at one of the billion Trek 700s you find on CL. Solid frames + bars + Shimano components that, while they weren't anything like top-of-the-line when they were sold, if they've survived this long will likely work very well for a good while yet. Dunno where you live, but around the larger cities here (Richmond, Raleigh, etc.) you can usually pick up a late-90s/early-2000s name-brand frame in good working shape for ~$100 if you can afford to wait and pounce.
Downside: used bike with no recourse if things go bad.
5'10" to 6'3" fit is around the outer range of what you can do, but it's possible (on a commuter/hybrid/retired-MTB than a full road bike, since you're going to be more upright anyway). Especially if you're willing to be slightly more upright but leaned over onto the handlebars and she's willing to stretch a bit to the bars (which will feel higher up to her). Adjust the seat height right between rider swaps (so you don't kill your knees) and you can maybe make it work. You're going to have to buy a smaller frame than what's native to your 6'3" size, though. You just can't easily shorten the reach enough to make it work for your wife. I'd aim at a 21-22"/56cm frame and see if you can make it comfortable for you.
(I'm 5'10" and just loaned my spare road bike to a 6'3" friend who bent his frame into a taco. It's a 56 cm (22") frame with a no-setback seatpost, so actually feels even shorter than that. All he had to do was adjust the seat up, slide it alllll the way back on the seat rails, and put up with being slightly too upright and thus not really wanting to ride in the drops. Good enough for him to commute to work and come to our shorter social rides!)
Thanks for the feedback, I think it's unlikely that I wouldn't even ride the bike to the awesome little town center 5 minutes from my home that I could at least sell it myself on craigslist and recoup maybe half the cost, so I'm willing to bite the bullet and go to a bike shop. I probably won't worry too much about both of us riding it as well, but I'll try to bring her with me when I go and they can let me know how feasible it is.
PSN: Kurahoshi1
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Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I personally feel reaaaally iffy on Craigslist bikes because it's very hard to trust that someone is selling their own bike and not a stolen one.
Also right now at night mine sits in our living room, and I don't love it, but the frame is too heavy to wall mount, and I don't really super-trust our parking complex. Lots of folks lock their bikes to the rail around the apartments, but... It's still openly accessible to anyone with legs and a bright idea, and it's in a downtown area.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Yeah, avoiding stolen goods on CL is always a bit of a crap shoot. Like any other small good, you just have to do your best. Does the story make sense? Does the price reasonably match the value of the item? Are they willing to let you check the serials against the PDs list? Etc.
Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
I haven't bought anything from CL, but if I were concerned about stolen goods I think it wouldn't be too hard to ask the sort of questions that would reveal whether someone didn't know what they were talking about. Maintenance history, misuse of terms, bike usage history, etc.
The street where I work has protected cycle lanes that have their very own traffic signals. They get lights all for themselves. No pedestrians or traffic are allowed go when the bikes get green.
This doesn't stop them from going when pedestrians get green and nearly knocking me down every single day.
Why do they think they don't have to obey the traffic lights?
I rely on the fact that my neighborhood is somewhat isolated by highways, bridges, rivers and train tracks. It's bascally just the residents and it's a quiet college town
The street where I work has protected cycle lanes that have their very own traffic signals. They get lights all for themselves. No pedestrians or traffic are allowed go when the bikes get green.
This doesn't stop them from going when pedestrians get green and nearly knocking me down every single day.
Why do they think they don't have to obey the traffic lights?
They're small and self-powered, so they count as pedestrians and "always have right of way", but they're also fast, so they also count as vehicles, but only when it's beneficial to.
I'm a big cycling fan, it saves me £6 a day on the train, or £7 parking and helps me beat the traffic. My commute is about 11 miles, pretty hilly in places, but mostly ok as far as traffic goes. Right up until I get in to the city centre, where it's a little more scary. I've been knocked off a couple of times and wear a headcam now.
Not that that'll save me, but at least I'll have something to upload to youtube and moan about.
I rely on the fact that my neighborhood is somewhat isolated by highways, bridges, rivers and train tracks. It's bascally just the residents and it's a quiet college town
I ride All The Damn Time, sometimes to work (13 miles), but most often around the lovely, hugely developed trail system roundabout these here parts. Early this year I made the switch from a 2005 Giant Yukon mountain bike, equipped with road tires after I realized I no longer ever went offroad, to a road bike!
This here's a 2014 Trek Madone 2.1 and I love love love it. I've had it since March and just recently cracked 1,000 miles. Butter-smooth shifting, like nothing I've ever ridden before. And I swear the thing might be 15 pounds. It's stupidly light! And I've only fallen off it twice!
Posts
My unfancy bike
Now slightly fancier cause I added the patch kit and stuff I guess
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
My plan is to get one from a pawn shop, do all the things to make sure it's not a stolen bike just in case, even though this place seems reputable.
How do I keep my bike from getting stolen aside from literally welding it to the parking frame? I don't want to buy a bike only to get it stolen the first day I ride it. There's a lot of bike thefts here. EDIT: I think cops care less about catching individual bike thieves, but rather getting the big chop shop guys.
What my uncle did in college was paint his $1500 bike the ugliest powder blue he could find, and then always park it next to the shiniest, fanciest-looking bike he could find in the vicinity. Worked like a charm for him. Depends on your local bike-theft culture, though, obviously.
The Specialized I've got in storage in Chicago is basically the opposite of my cruiser and could be stored on wall hooks because it's nice and light, but one does what one can!
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
I'm less comfortable locking my bike outside our main offices when I'm onsite there though, that rack is out in the open in the area in front of the building, I'll probably just park at my building and walk over those days.
Wind the cable through the back tire and around the frame, put the u-lock through the front wheel and frame and around the bike stand pole, then loop the cable onto the u-lock and lock the whole thing up that way.
At the very least I've created a massive pain in the ass to break through and steal.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Oh my God you don't have to pay that much.
I mean you certainly can and it would be AWESOME. my view, after riding daily all weather for a few years, is that a four hundred dollar road bike from bikes direct is plenty. If you want to talk bike features I would love to do that.
Also sorry if you know all this stuff, I don't meant to insinuate or talk down.
No, not really. I mean, I don't know much about bikes. If $400 is good for what I need (I'd basically be biking to the train station, from my stop to work, and then the reverse - about 14-15 miles a day total?)
What I'd be interested in is comfort, a way to hook a pannier or two on the back, and I suppose somewhat lightweight so when I put it up on the train it's not terribly hard to do?
Once it cooks off a bit I'll definitely (and happily) need to go out for extra rides in the evenings/weekend to replace the lost exercise here, or switch to a longer route.
For four hundred you should be able to find an aluminium road bike for that much second hand if you look around enough.
Satans..... hints.....
I don't know anything about bikes except that somebody at the university has the exact same bike as me and happens to go to the same restaurants I go to when I feel like being fancy about lunch, leading to awkward moments of wondering why this strange chain lock is on my bike
A lot of Kryptonite locks come with bicycle replacement insurance if your bike is stolen while it's locked up. They make a chain and lock called the Fahgettaboudit which you can loop through both wheels and the frame. It's expensive and weighs a bit, but it's extremely tough.
Locks are best for public areas, you are always better keeping them out of sight when at home.
Satans..... hints.....
(I'd be interested to know if anyone here has ever gotten money from the Kyrptonite anti-theft program. I know of at least a half dozen cases filed but only one successful payout. Is that the norm?)
I too need a bike that will propel me to places, including my work.
I know how to ride a bike but have done it maybe 8-10 times in my life, so I'd be looking to get comfortable riding near any amount of cars first. How bad of an idea would it be to just buy a reasonable-looking bike of Craigslist as opposed to going to a bike store? It looks like the difference between $200 on craigslist and $400 in a store for an aluminum 7 speed hybrid bike.
Also, the internet tells me that as a 6'3'' man I need about a 24 inch frame, but it'd sure be nice if I could buy something that my 5'10'' wife could occasionally ride, if perhaps not entirely comfortably. How much wiggle room is there in terms of what a person can successfully ride?
on my way back from work just outside of the metro this other biker notices me attempting to tinker with the bike with a multitool. They approach and offer to use the tool bag they had with them to adjust it. One quick little tuning and a little bike shop talk later and everything is good and straight
I appreciate when a problem comes and goes in the same day
The problem with saving $200 via Craigslist is that, if you haven't ridden a lot and won't know what problems to look for, you could end up with a bike that needs $200 of repairs if you're really unlucky, or just a bike that's more work to ride than it needs to be. It's not quite as bad as it can be buying a used car, but a real shop will do a better job of setting you up.
For her to be able to ride it at all, you'd have to set it up a bit too small for you, which will be rough on your back and knees. That said, if you get a _frame_ that's the right size for your wife, and a long seatpost and quick-release seatpost clamp, you can get a fair way by moving the seatpost up and down a bit. It'll still not be ideal for either of you, but I mountain bike / sometimes commute on a frame that's significantly too small for me, because I appreciate the extra maneuverability when dodging rocks / going over roots. For longer distances you'll want a bike that fits, but it's not impossible that you could both share a bike. Again, though, you'd definitely want to do this at a shop where you can both try out the same bike with different saddle positions to see how it goes.
Downside: used bike with no recourse if things go bad.
5'10" to 6'3" fit is around the outer range of what you can do, but it's possible (on a commuter/hybrid/retired-MTB than a full road bike, since you're going to be more upright anyway). Especially if you're willing to be slightly more upright but leaned over onto the handlebars and she's willing to stretch a bit to the bars (which will feel higher up to her). Adjust the seat height right between rider swaps (so you don't kill your knees) and you can maybe make it work. You're going to have to buy a smaller frame than what's native to your 6'3" size, though. You just can't easily shorten the reach enough to make it work for your wife. I'd aim at a 21-22"/56cm frame and see if you can make it comfortable for you.
(I'm 5'10" and just loaned my spare road bike to a 6'3" friend who bent his frame into a taco. It's a 56 cm (22") frame with a no-setback seatpost, so actually feels even shorter than that. All he had to do was adjust the seat up, slide it alllll the way back on the seat rails, and put up with being slightly too upright and thus not really wanting to ride in the drops. Good enough for him to commute to work and come to our shorter social rides!)
Also right now at night mine sits in our living room, and I don't love it, but the frame is too heavy to wall mount, and I don't really super-trust our parking complex. Lots of folks lock their bikes to the rail around the apartments, but... It's still openly accessible to anyone with legs and a bright idea, and it's in a downtown area.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
This doesn't stop them from going when pedestrians get green and nearly knocking me down every single day.
Why do they think they don't have to obey the traffic lights?
I rely on the fact that my neighborhood is somewhat isolated by highways, bridges, rivers and train tracks. It's bascally just the residents and it's a quiet college town
3+ years and no problems
They're small and self-powered, so they count as pedestrians and "always have right of way", but they're also fast, so they also count as vehicles, but only when it's beneficial to.
Not that that'll save me, but at least I'll have something to upload to youtube and moan about.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
I'm taking it with me to Hoosier National Park this weekend which is supposed to have some of the best off-road trails in the US. I'm really excited.
until you posted it on the internet
I ride All The Damn Time, sometimes to work (13 miles), but most often around the lovely, hugely developed trail system roundabout these here parts. Early this year I made the switch from a 2005 Giant Yukon mountain bike, equipped with road tires after I realized I no longer ever went offroad, to a road bike!
This here's a 2014 Trek Madone 2.1 and I love love love it. I've had it since March and just recently cracked 1,000 miles. Butter-smooth shifting, like nothing I've ever ridden before. And I swear the thing might be 15 pounds. It's stupidly light! And I've only fallen off it twice!