Cycling (of the Pedaled Variety)

[Lethologica]

False economy. A lot of the virtues of a road bike are sharply blunted without cleats. If you're gonna choose convenient but inefficient pedaling, laying down half a grand for the more efficient, less comfortable, less versatile bike is wasteful. Get an upright commuter or mountain bike instead.

I do want to repeat that there are pedals that work either way, though. So you can use cleats for riding trips while eschewing them for just getting around.

[FinnLassie]

They clip into specialized shoes, which gives better grip on the pedals. Plus, it's a way to shave a bit of weight off.

Ah, I figured. Totally can understand those pedals on more of the sportier road bikes and such, but I was testing out a "just your regular joe" bike at one point and it had those pedals. It just felt... Completely unnecessary.

[BannedInSchool]

Cycling shoes also have a thin, inflexible sole so it's more like walking in bare feet instead of soft shoes, and you're not spending effort compressing your shoe's sole, just pushing the pedal. You can also power the pedal around most of the circle with your foot attached to the pedal, which means less muscle force for the same power, and spinning faster in a lower gear without having to worry about your feet coming off gives even less muscle force. Spinning your feet around, like turning a crank, is easier on your muscles than basically walking up stairs for an hour. If you're going to spend any time riding I think it makes a huge amount of difference. Also, even if you're not going off paved trails, MTB shoes are easier to walk around in, so going SPD with MTB shoes is convenient if you're going to get off the bike along the way.

[Neftren]

False economy. A lot of the virtues of a road bike are sharply blunted without cleats. If you're gonna choose convenient but inefficient pedaling, laying down half a grand for the more efficient, less comfortable, less versatile bike is wasteful. Get an upright commuter or mountain bike instead.

I do want to repeat that there are pedals that work either way, though. So you can use cleats for riding trips while eschewing them for just getting around.

Well, I'd like to ride the bike to work without having to bring a pair of cycling cleats. I'm not opposed to buying a pair of cycling cleats for long weekend rides though ... if there are pedals that work for both use-cases, great!

[DodgerH2O]

I'm more frugal than "cheap" so I'm not averse to spending a little more to get something high quality. My budget is roughly up to $1k total (bike + helmet + clothing + accessories).

I think for general trail and commuting purposes your budget is far more than adequate and you'll be satisfied with whatever you get, assuming the fit is right. If you're new to cycling I'd suggest a more general purpose bike, high quality above $500 or so is assured (IMO), at that point it's about the right bike for your needs.

If you can get an excellent used bike for a good price you can also easily customize the parts with the money you save, really you're buying a frame and a set of accessories. Seats, handlebars, pedals and the assorted "plumbing" are all replaceable with a bit of work (and within the limits of the frame you have).

[FinnLassie]

Can we like totally share pics of our bikes at some point? I kinda want to show off my beauty.

[Peelee]

Can we like totally share pics of our bikes at some point? I kinda want to show off my beauty.

idontwannafeelbad

[FinnLassie]

idontwannafeelbad

Honestly, the bike is a piece of crap. The frame is just a really rare one. I've never seen one before I got mine, and there's only one or two sources about it on the internet... and it was produced by a rather big company, too. Dunno how many they actually made though.

[Knaight]

Well, I'd like to ride the bike to work without having to bring a pair of cycling cleats. I'm not opposed to buying a pair of cycling cleats for long weekend rides though ... if there are pedals that work for both use-cases, great!

I've done a 16 mile commute on a mountain bike before, and that was with normal shoes and pedals made for normal shoes. If you're reasonably close to work, you'll be fine without specialized cleats. I just wouldn't recommend a road bike in that case, although part of that is that I don't particularly like road bikes to begin with.

[MrZJunior]

You could get toe clips mounted on your pedals, they'll give you some of the advantages of cleats while still allowing you to use regular shoes.

I have been using a hybrid bike to commute for a couple years now and I have been very happy with it. It's lighter and easier to ride than a mountain bike while being sturdier and more versatile than a road bike.

[Neftren]

So I checked out that bike today. The frame is in good condition, if a bit grimy. Seat post was a little tight to adjust, but I think that's due to the accumulated dirt and dust. It was used as a triathlon bike, so I figure that's par for the course. Front brakes were noticeably weaker than I expected, rear brakes were okay. Tires/rims are in good shape, both front and rear derailleurs shift cleanly, but I was not a fan of the handlebars or shifters. All in all, a very snappy ride, and surprisingly smooth on asphalt. Incredibly quick to accelerate. This thing is light (like, I can comfortably lift with one hand light).

The asking price is $550. I like it a lot, but I figure I'll have to put a few hundred bucks and a few hours into it before I'll be comfortable riding it day-to-day -- is that a realistic assessment?

[MrZJunior]

The asking price is $550. I like it a lot, but I figure I'll have to put a few hundred bucks and a few hours into it before I'll be comfortable riding it day-to-day -- is that a realistic assessment?

Sounds reasonable to me. You can get solutions for cleaning bikes, but my understanding is that giving a bike a properly thorough cleaning is quite a job, your local bike shop would be happy to do it for you, but I'm not sure how much that would cost. It might be worth it to have an expert look the thing over just in case there's any major issues you didn't notice.

As to the hand bars, how major an issue is it? It might be the kind of thing you get used to with time.

I'll assume since you took it for a spin that the bike comes with pedals.

[DodgerH2O]

The asking price is $550. I like it a lot, but I figure I'll have to put a few hundred bucks and a few hours into it before I'll be comfortable riding it day-to-day -- is that a realistic assessment?

That sounds reasonable to me. If you just swapped out the handlebars and shifters at a shop it'd probably eat up the few hundred (like auto shops, a lot of the price is labor) so if you're mechanically inclined I'd suggest a co-op repair place like others have mentioned or try to figure it out yourself. An entirely decent set of bike tools can be had for under 50 dollars (at least ten years ago when I got mine) and then you'd have it for any fixes/modifications you'd want in the future.

Edit: Just did some checking and while I've personally found my kit has worked for 90% of applications, it is missing a couple of specialty tools, and is now running ~80 dollars (MSRP).

[FinnLassie]

I got tired of the idea of fixing my old bike - too much hassle. That, and it got stolen. Oh well, I'm too tired to care. I only paid like 30 euros for it. Sigh, I hope someone gives the Fjällräven ATB bike a better life. But honestly try googling the bike. Very little information on them, and no mention of it in Fjällräven's history - or at least what I've tried to look for. I've seen like one or two of these bikes before, so I don't think someone has just slapped a sticker on it or anything. Hmm. Oh well. Meh.


BUT ANYWAYS MEET MY NEW BABY that totally made me bankrupt. and i am totally replacing my ex with this bike like whatever

Spoiler: aww yeah look at that body

Show

Here's my honeybun, lil' mister Focus, lookin' sexy as hell. Suggestions for a name are welcome.

It also felt good to support a local independet cycling business rather than getting the thing at a chain store of some sorts, even if it was a tad more expensive.