I’m looking to upgrade some parts on my bike, and maybe get a new bike as well. Now while I do all my own maintenance, I’m kinda clueless about differences in parts and their reliability.
What’s better, Acera or Acera X? Shimano or STS? Damned if I know.
Does anyone have a listing of various parts and their good points/bad points? I’m mostly looking for relability and maintenance-free periods, as opposed to spending $$$ to shave off a few grams.
I know there are pppplenty of websites, so what are your favourites-- and why? If it’s the site for downhilling and the latest rumours in free-floating suspensions, I’ll take a pass, thankyouverymuch. I’m a road biker who commutes
As to the questions, Shimano 105 parts are the perfect blend of performance, durability and price for your sort of application.
Remember to luble your chain and keep it clean-- you will triple your drivetrain’s life by doing so.
For new bike check out the 2003 Specialied Allez line- they dropped them in price and kept the same features in a bid to gather more market share from Trek.
Yess… I do lube my chain… and rebuild my brakes… and my headset… and true my wheels… etc… My problem is not with knowing what maintenance to do.
It’s just parts. Bike shops want to sell me stuff. Expensive stuff. Stuff designed to bomb down the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver. And when it comes to road biking, they focus on the speed demons who carry nothing but spandex and clipless pedals and like to go really really fast. Whereas I like to load up the panniers with $100 of groceries and head over the border.
I don’t want stuff. I want advice, whereupon I will make my own decision.
Not all shops are the same. The shop I work at part-time has tons of commuters and campus bikes. Those are the bread and butter of the industry. Lots of Tiagra or Sora parts. Hey it works for the application.
Try to find a shop you trust. But for your use, if you came to our shop, I would say 105 parts are the way to go. More expensive parts are a waste, and cheaper will not last as long. Especially with a loaded bike.
Are you happy with your current bike? Are there any issues?
I’m a BIIIIG guy, but I’m an avid rider. I bought a new Raleigh bike a year ago, making sure that it’s parts were up to the beating a lardass like mine could dish out.
I figured the rims would take it the worst, but my problems have been with the crank bearings, and I broke off a pedal. I had the crank rebuilt, and got the beefiest pedals I could afford ($60/pair installed).
Is there anything else I could do to shore my wheels up?
Third for Shimano. I used to ride my bicycle every day for at least 10 miles, and while I used to go through a bike a year (didn’t repair like I should have, crappy roads, not much repair knowledge, etc.) the gears would always be like new when I was done with the bike. Very consistent too.
VunderBob what sort of riding are you doing? Road or Mountain.
The “crank bearing” are called the bottom bracket (where the crank attaches to the bike) and often this is where bike manufacturers can skimp. Often they use the cheapest pedals they can find as well, as every penny counts on bikes towards making your price point. Or where you talking about the hub?
Are the new pedals clipless?
Give me some more information and I can help- I have had experience which riders bigger than you-- promise!
(Mtn Bike oriented) vunderbob, I am also a clydesdale and I would have to say the two best things I have invested in are my CHris King wheels and my Magura hydraulic brakes.
I have a 36 hole King wheelset with Mavic 217 rims. I know that the 517s and others are lighter but these are bombproof.
The Magura brakes will slow down my 250# self in a BIG hurry. The first time I really slammed the brakes, I faceplanted:O
As for other parts I will strongly strongly recommend Keith Bontrager. He has some good ideas regarding the need for supe light weight vs. durability.
As for pedals, I use Suntour XC Comp cages. They are discontinued but you can still find them if you look around, they are sweet, great grip, light but indestructible, and they have a nifty little grease port so you can lube them without cleaning them or removing them from your bike; you pump in new grease and it pushes out the old.
Mine is a road bike; I bought it with urban commuting in mind. Specifically, it’s a Raleigh C30. The bearing problem was in the bottom bracket, and I suspect that it (and the broken pedal) had something to do with my ability to leg press 600+ pounds, which is double my weight.
My son and I do a lot of street or improved trail riding, but since he’s a teenager, I got him a Gary Fischer mountain bike instead of one similar to mine, because he’s a lot more likely to go primitive.
MikeG:
Sorry if I confused you with the beefier wheels comment. It was meant in the slang sense to cover the whole bike. I’ve jumped curbs and railroad tracks already, and not fazed the stock rims and spokes. Haven’t face planted yet, but I could do it with the stock brakes.
My son DID, and did he ever holler when he had to fork over his pet $50 for the new wheel because he bent his old one to hell. It was louder than when I picked the gravel out of his arm
vunderbob the key for you is going to be making sure you have a spined BB /crank interface. Also a higher quality crank and BB will help with your weight and flexing issues. Also you need to spin rather than mash the pedals. It takes practice though.
Something like Shimano Ultegra would be what I recommend for someone as powerful as you. Also keep a close eye out for cracks in the frame and chainstays as they will be taking a lot of force from those legs of yours. Using a mountain bike style clipless pedal will help with the torque on the pedal as well.
Keep a careful eye on the air in your tires as well, as a big guy cannot afford to run his tires too low on air, unless he likes buying new rims alot.
The spinning definition I know about is using an artificially low gear in order to force up your cadence, as a means to cardio training. I’ll admit that I use a lot of high gears, because I like to keep a close to constant road speed, and I don’t like getting winded (probably fits the definition of mashing).
Well, if you want indestructible, Phil Wood makes the best hubs, period. They will not let you down. After a few years of very heavy use, you may need new bearings, but that’s about it. Chris King makes the best headsets. Again, pretty much indestructible. The SunTour Superbe pedals I have (and SunTour is out of business now, so you can’t get them any more) are also about as nice as you can get. I work in Boston as a bike messenger, so I put my bike through a hell of a lot, and need stuff that won’t let me down.
Of course, this sort of reliability is very pricey. I think a rear Phil Wood hub is a bit over $200 and a King headset about $120. While SunTour existed, the Surperbe pedals were around $120. In all three cases, one of the big selling points is sealed bearings. Good sealed bearings will last a damn long time, and don’t need to be greased.
I’m an occasional cyclist, and I don’t get the high cadence thing. I know it’s what you’re supposed to do, but keeping my feet spinning faster by selecting a lower than usual gear just doesn’t feel right. I’ve given up on it. Maybe it’s a car driver’s approach to gearing which is throwing me off. Maybe I need to practice more.
It seems to suggest there is a peak torque range which is quite high. I’d have thought it’d be a low-down thing with the human leg.
Actually, spinning requires less energy to (albeit it will raise your heart rate a bit) than hammering a big gear. For instance, if I spin along at 95 rpms, which is very comfortable for me on the flats, I’ll be cruising along at say 16 mph with a HR of 123. I can ride like that all day. But if I drop down to 80 rpm with a bigger gear, and ride at 16.5 with a 118 HR, my legs will start feeling weary. (not wooly)
Another advantage of spinning is it gives you better riding posture and efficiency, that’s why rollers and fixed gear bikes are old technology but tried and true training tools still in great use today.
