Car & Bike The bike thread!

stalker said:
Hah :D
Those are some nice places to be riding!

Did you take it down to a store or did you set it up yourself?


PS - you might wanna increase the height of your seat (check Sheldon Brown-Bicycle Technical Information for the how and why)
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Set it up myself, for the most part.
Had to take it to a store to tune the front derailleur, and throw on a kick-stand and a lock.

I think the seat height suits me kinda fine; it looks low because I went for the biggest frame size they had. Ill still read through your linked article though, and maybe mess around with it accordingly :p

Yes the places were quite awesome - Boulder Creek Path

I'm planning to take my main camera next time I go out; these pics are just from my phone.
No risk of taking the cam as this isn't a dirt trail :)

whatsinaname said:
So, am thinking of getting a bicycle :D. What can I manage in about 300-350$? Mostly pavements and roads, maybe trails sometimes. I don't like the road bikes form where you have to lean into handle bars. So I guess I should look at Hybrid/Comfort bikes?

Also, is it advisable for a newbie to get one and assemble it? There seem to be great deals on Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties but I'll have to assemble it myself.
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It's quite easy to assemble.
The only assembly you will need to do is pop on the front wheel, front brakes, handlebars, and seat. Its really easy; I tried reading the manual for the brake, didn't really understand what they were trying to say, so picked up the pieces and put it together rather intuitively; and it turned out just fine, I mean there was really no way I could have done it wrong I think.

The bike I have is from bikesdirect, and cost $350 shipped:
Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Windsor Cliff4700

I test rode a couple of mountain bikes and hybrids from local shops before ordering this.
If you are not doing a lot of dirt trails, you could go for a hybrid. They have a more straight posture, and probably go faster on roads/pavements. The tires are a lot less knobbly too. In my case I rode the two types and I immediately knew I have to go for a mountain. They have a more aggressive posture than the hybrids; and I probably jumped onto that as i have been riding a motorbike since quite a few years :)

Check out both types, it will certainly help you make tyhe right decision.
 
whatsinaname said:
So, am thinking of getting a bicycle :D. What can I manage in about 300-350$? Mostly pavements and roads, maybe trails sometimes. I don't like the road bikes form where you have to lean into handle bars. So I guess I should look at Hybrid/Comfort bikes?

Also, is it advisable for a newbie to get one and assemble it? There seem to be great deals on Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties but I'll have to assemble it myself.
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+1 to all that stellar said.

Additionally, try and visit as many LBS's near your place as possible. Take a look at various instore brands available. you might get lucky and snag a deal on last years models being cleared.

Try trawling through craiglist as well. A pal of mine managed to snag for $370, a 8 month old bike in as new condition, that retails for 850/-

When you buy from a bike store, you usually end up getting a year (or more) of free tuneups/checkups as well as discounts on future purchases.

Buying online is risky if you are averse to getting your hands greasy :).

Additionally there is the possibility of you getting something that is NOT very comfortable for you to ride.

On the plus side, you can get incredible deals in terms of components minus the brand name backing.
 
whatsinaname said:
Thanks for the replies. I think I may end up getting this.

Save up to 60% off new Cafe Bikes | Hybrid Bikes Cafe Latte 2010

Is there anything you see that is suspect from that list of components?

If I am not able to put it together, I'll just trash it and my engineering degree along with it I guess. :rofl:

Also, what tools will I need for initially putting it together?
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The box in which the bike is delivered has a list of required tools printed on it. For the MTB that me and stellar got, we needed 2 Allen keys (5mm, 6mm) & a 15mm wrench for the pedals.

I'm not too sure about road bike components.. So you should probably just wait for someone else to reply on that :)

FWIW, you should also take a look at Forge Bikes - Home

They are a similar VFM firm like bikesdirect. just that they sell via Target.com ? Furniture, Patio Furniture, Baby, Swimwear, Toys and more
 
Hehe...yeah it was crazy. You can read my story in that link

I started very early because i wanted to avoid heat and i didn't know how long i'll take.

Very enjoyable ride :)
 
Hmm, went and bought a bike today. A 2010 Specialized Sirrus Will only be able to pick it up on Friday though, and will have to ride it home. (About 6 miles or so.) :eek:hyeah:
 
whatsinaname said:
Hmm, went and bought a bike today. A 2010 Specialized Sirrus Will only be able to pick it up on Friday though, and will have to ride it home. (About 6 miles or so.) :eek:hyeah:
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Wow.. from $300 budget to a Sirrus :hap2:

But then, there are a bunch of models in the Sirrus lineup itself.. which one did you get?
 
stalker said:
Wow.. from $300 budget to a Sirrus :hap2:

But then, there are a bunch of models in the Sirrus lineup itself.. which one did you get?
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I keep doing that budget jump thing. :ashamed:

I got the basic 2010 Sirrus, the guy in the store said there was no point in getting the next model up. (Both needed to be ordered, so there was no reason for him not to up-sell) Came to ~500$ after tax. (List minus 10%). The shop provides unlimited tune-ups for the lifetime of the bike, so that's decent I guess.

He did have a 2009 Trek 7300 for about the same amount but I liked this better. (But from what I see online, the Trek may have better components?) I did also try a Raleigh which was closer to my initial 300$ budget (don't remember the model name). Didn't like it too much though.

There was another shop that had the 2010 Giant Rapid 3 but the guy refused to go below the 600$+tax price point. So didn't even try it.

It should look like this. Will post proper pics after I pick mine up on Friday. Thanks for all your suggestions. :D

8009-73_d.jpg
 
Hi friends

I got this a year back and completely satisfied with it. I touched max 70Km/h and man its fast really fast. It did cost me 15k without accessories. Though it could be a bit more sturdy specially rims but overall good road bike to go for. :)

 
amitjakhar said:
Hi friends

I got this a year back and completely satisfied with it. I touched max 70Km/h and man its fast really fast. It did cost me 15k without accessories. Though it could be a bit more sturdy specially rims but overall good road bike to go for. :)

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A slightly weird looking design for a road bike with that down tube.
I'm wondering why Firefox gets bashed so much..:S
 
make sure your 0050 isnt from the batch that had problems...their brakes failed or something

my latest-sustained 30kmph for 30 minutes....next up, sustain for 45 mins
 
My latest lesson learned.

NEVER leave home without helmet. NEVER.

Was sitting in my lab getting frustrated at not being able to catch a particularly frustrating bug. Along comes my biking bud to call me out for a ride.

I say ok, what's the harm.. It'll help to get some fresh air. The fact that I hadn't gotten my helmet along seemed irrelevant. I was ok throughout the ride in the trail as well.

Then on the way back, once we've left the trail behind and reached the campus, I decide to take a shortcut and go down a grassy slope. I go down said grassy slope just fine, or almost. Right at the bottom, somebody's has decided that it would be nice to landscape the slope and has piled a bunch of rocks such that the slope leads to a 3foot overhang.

Intelligent me does not realize the presence of said overhang and goes down slowly with weight towards rear in proper downhill fashion. I get to the edge of the slope, and it dawns on me. C R A P, I go OTB, bike follows me in slowmo + hits me on the head :|

I lie there on the ground for a few seconds, savoring the adrenaline rush from the crash when my bud comes charging at me and points out that my jacket is mostly covered with blood :|

Lesson learnt the hard way. NEVER ride without a helmet.
 
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