I’ve had my current bike since the early Eocene (ok, mid 1980’s) [it is a Takara Deluxe Sport] and though it in general serves my needs it is begining to show its age (broken spoke, slightly potato-chiped wheels) and I’m thinking of replacing it.
I have read the biclycle commuter thread
I mainly ride on pavement or crushed limestone bike trails, possibly gravel. So I don’t think a MT bike is right for me.
Last year I rode in a ~30 mile bike event, a ~20 mile trip on Great River Trail and 2 ~15 mile trips on teh LaCrosse River Bike Trail, plus many 1-3 mile trips around town. (I’ve put on ~30 miles this year already)
There is a low but non-zero chance that I’d want to go camping with the bike (weekend trip)
I don’t need a race bike.
I usually ride with my hands on the flat part of the handlebars (I have extra brake levers) or with my hands just above the brake level “pylons”.
Price limit: $750, preferably lower
No problem with last year’s model
It is not mountainous here, but since it is the driftless area, there ARE non trivial hills.
Just so you know kind of what I’m looking for, one model I’m considering is the KHS Flight 500
www.roadbikereview.com it a good site - it’s pretty reputable, so don’t worry about anything there being way off base (just beware some of the user reviews, since there’s always people in the pro-this anti-that camp, just like the Mac vs. PC types, that post reviews on things they don’t like, even though they don’t use them - they’re pretty easy to detect though).
Otherwise, my only advice is look around, get something that’s comfortable, fits you correctly, and is in your price range. Unless your beating it to death every day, most major brands should last you as long as you need… In the end it’s whatever you feel suits you the best (not a definitive answer I know, but bikes are like shoes in that way!)
I do not know your riding preferences but you may want to consider a hybrid bike. They have the straight bars of a mountain bike but have the wheels similar to a road bike so that the roll resistance is less than with a normal mountain bike tire.
Here is one that I’ve had my eye on (The Glenwood): Mikado Bicycles
Personally, I’ve found the riding position of a road bike a little tiring for leisurely rides. I don’t know what type of riding you do, so a road bike may be more of what suits your riding style. Good luck with your purchase.
You must be unfamiliar with Bike Friday. They’re a small but highly respected manufacturer in Oregon, and their philosophy is to make bikes which can be transported on airline flights but are good enough to be your only bike. Their cheapest model, the Pocket Metro, starts at $650. I own their Sat R Day folding recumbent bike and use it as a daily rider even though I own several other non-folding recumbent bicycles. It’s not as fast as my racing recumbent, but it’s exactly what I need for my daily errands and commutes. All Bike Friday bikes fit in airline legal suitcases, and some fit in overhead bins.
They are a great company to deal with too. All their frames are handmade in the USA, and they offer 30-day money-back guarantee on all their bikes including custom-made frames. Their products are very well thought out. For example, those of us without our own planes have to pack the bike in a hard case. That usually means you take a taxi from the airport to the hotel, unpack the bike, leave the case at the hotel and go for a ride. But the Bike Friday travel case transforms into a trailer; you arrive at an airport, unpack and assemble the bike, and ride away pulling the case/trailer behind the bike. You can even put a smaller piece of luggage inside the case/trailer. I’ve done it on a Hawaii trip once and I’m about to do it this weekend for a brief visit to Boston.
There are some other good folding bikes on the market too. I used to have a low end Dahon and wasn’t too impressed, but I hear their high-end models (e.g. the Helios) are very well made. The Birdy is also a nice bike, a fully suspended folding bike designed in Germany. The Brompton is a great bike if you fold it every day, e.g. for a train commute - it really folds in 30 seconds and smaller than most other bikes. Do a google search and you’ll see plenty of information.
Woo-hoo! Glad to see my commuting thread inspired someone! To answer your question, I think a hybrid would be just fine. They have an comfortable upright position, and thinnish tyres that are suitable for both road and light off-road use.
Three years ago, I made the decision to get a MTB although I live in the city and only do occasional tours like yourself. And I’ve never regretted it once. It’s a bike by Diamondback (they don’t have the same model anymore). AFAIK, they also make hybrid bikes.
What I would consider the most important is a frame that’s both sturdy and light and some kind of suspension. (I don’t really like the full suspension bikes, they make me kind of queasy when I ride them). I also like the mountain bike tires, even if they are a bit more resistant, there’s virtually no road you can’t handle with them (great for going over those pesky high curbs in my city
Lesse. Been riding a mountain bike since the mid 80s. Current bike is over ten years old, and the frame’s getting to where I think I need to replace her.
I find the MTB frame is superior to the ten-speed for casual riding, but I always replace the tires they come from the store with, with street treads. You get a very significantly faster, smoother, and better ride with them. Kevlar backing is a darn good idea, too.
The more rigid frame and wider tires make street travel in town easier to deal with, and high speed transit more stable. Plus, you can load more stuff on the rack. Also, the flat handlebars give you better control if you hit something bad. For a while, I experimented with ten speed curled handlebars on my mountain bike, but you lose a certain amount of control… it compresses the chest a bit.
I took my car in for service, hoping it was going to be a quick deal. Turns out it took all day (in at 9:30am, done at 4pm). Anyhow, I had a lot of time to kill, so I checked out a couple of bike shops.
I’m seriously considering the Trek 520. Even though is a “touring bike”, I think it may be right for me. It has wider tires than a racing bike, but much narower than a MT bike. The steel frame is light enough for me (cmpared to current depleted uranium frame). The shop will install hybrid pedals for me (clipless on one side, flat one the other*) at no charge. And it comes with a rear rack.
27 gears! (ok, so ~6 are probably unusable). bar end shifters(which I didn’t think I would like at first, but turned out OK). Last years model $799 (a bit over my ideal price range).
Anyone have opinions on this bike?
Brian
*I like the option of not putting on special shoes if I just want to run to the ATM or the store)
Thanks, but that is a bit too mountain-bikish for me.
I rode 24 miles on my old bike today. Wonder if the new bike would be faster, more comfortable, or both.
