First Real Bike Thoughts

[avnetguy]

So at $1000, I'd need to have this bike for 10 years for it to amount to $100/year not counting upgrades, repairs, maintenance, etc. Then I'd have to feel like I got $100+ worth of riding out of it over those 10 years (hopefully more).

There you go ... and only you can answer if you'll really ride it for 10+ years.

Just did a quick estimate on my riding over the years (only get 5-6 months a year, never ride in winter), best conservative guess is I have about 20,000kms on my Kona. So that works out to less than 3 cents per km. I did trade off some riding for running due to time constraints in the mid 2000s as you "generally" get the same workout in less time.

 

[fuzz092888]

There you go ... and only you can answer if you'll really ride it for 10+ years.

Just did a quick estimate on my riding over the years (only get 5-6 months a year, never ride in winter), best conservative guess is I have about 20,000kms on my Kona. So that works out to less than 3 cents per km. I did trade off some riding for running due to time constraints in the mid 2000s as you "generally" get the same workout in less time.

Who knows. I know I'd like to ride it for a good long while. My thing is the same thing with this audio hobby. I don't want to get a bike, ride it for a year or two, then be looking to upgrade. No decision has been made yet, so I guess there's still time to weigh the options. Either way, I want to get back to the shop as soon as possible to at least take the Kona out for a spin. I'm hoping once I take it for a little test run, that will push me one way or another pretty definitively.

 

[fuzz092888]

 

[Adam]

Congrats! I'll act impressed, even though I don't know anything about bikes.

 

[fuzz092888]

Congrats! I'll act impressed, even though I don't know anything about bikes.

Thanks, I can't pretend I do either, but the bike guys tell me its a pretty good one. If the weather ever gets good I'll let you know

 

[Irvrobinson]

Nice bike. I have two bikes, which I don't get to ride all that often (one at each home), but if I had five dollars for every time they made me smile while I am riding them I'd be pretty darn rich.

 

[Adam]

...if I had five dollars for every time they made me smile while I am riding them I'd be pretty darn rich.

Out of Context Man stays quiet...but silently grins.

 

[bikemig]

So I've been looking into a few bikes, checking craigslist, eBay and local classifieds. A friend of mine sent me to a local bike shop and that guy recommended a 2013 Kona Jake. This would mostly be used on road, albeit on fairly sh!tty roads, and on rail trails (gravel). I wouldn't be going too far off road with it and definitely nothing that would qualify as mountain biking. I was just wondering what some of the bike gurus around here thought of that suggestion. If that's all good I'll probably have more questions about helmets, pedals, and other crap that's sure to become a vast gaping money pit

Thanks all.

I own a lot of bikes and used to work in the business. I've done a lot of riding and my favorite bike has always been a road bike that can take fat tires. Cross bikes are great because you can go skinny or fat with the tires. Tires, more than any other factor, have a huge impact on the comfort of the bike and what kind of riding you can do. The Kona is a good cross bike. There are plenty of other good choices out there. I currently have a Soma double cross that I built from a frame.

 

[fuzz092888]

I own a lot of bikes and used to work in the business. I've done a lot of riding and my favorite bike has always been a road bike that can take fat tires. Cross bikes are great because you can go skinny or fat with the tires. Tires, more than any other factor, have a huge impact on the comfort of the bike and what kind of riding you can do. The Kona is a good cross bike. There are plenty of other good choices out there. I currently have a Soma double cross that I built from a frame.

That's what the guy at the shop told me as well. I still need to get back to him and have him fit it a little for me. I'm also looking at pedals and shoes. So far I've got the Shimano 520's in my cart that PD said was a pretty good deal.

 

[bikemig]

That's what the guy at the shop told me as well. I still need to get back to him and have him fit it a little for me. I'm also looking at pedals and shoes. So far I've got the Shimano 520's in my cart that PD said was a pretty good deal.

Nice pedals. I've been using time atacs for a long time; they're great. What kind of gearing comes stock on that bike?

When I said, I had a lot of bikes, I wasn't kidding. I have close to 20, most of them are considered "vintage" bikes now I guess but I have a few modern bikes. If you want something different than the Jake and you want a project, I'd keep my eye out on CL for an old school MTB with a rigid fork. They rock. One they're undervalued and they're relatively cheap even for a high end model. And you can use them to commute on, tour on, ride on. They're amazingly versatile bikes. Plus it's a great bike to learn how to do mechanics on. I like the combo for riding and wrenching. The bike just feels right because you've done all the work on it. Nothing better than hanging out in the shop in my garage, a few tunes and a cold beer. . . . .

Heck, I may end up with upgraditis for my garage set up before this summer is over, .

 

[afterlife2]

Off topic. Hey Bikemig I see you got the PB2000 how do you like it?

 

[bikemig]

Off topic. Hey Bikemig I see you got the PB2000 how do you like it?

It's my first good sub so it's not like I have anything to compare it to (other than the c$%ppy sub that thankfully finally died on me). I don't tend to listen at really loud levels even for movies. I think if you want to listen at the levels in a movie theater, it wouldn't play loudly enough at the low end but that's not an issue for me. It goes deep though. Plus I have a small HT room (10 ft wide) and I needed something on the small side. Being sealed, it's also great for music. So I think it's great for my purposes and it's just a really fine piece of gear.

 

[Adam]

I'd give you guys grief about talking subs in a bike thread, but we all know how much Fuzz loves subs.

 

[bikemig]

I'd give you guys grief about talking subs in a bike thread, but we all know how much Fuzz loves subs.

We're just trying to get Fuzz's thread up over 6 pages . . .

 

[bikemig]

Back to the bike thread, if you want to hang out on a site where there are a lot of folks who are into bikes and know a lot about them, I'd check out bike forums. I'm a pretty fair mechanic. When I get stumped, I'll post a question there and I'll get answers from people who have long experience in the business. Plus there are forums there for pretty much anything you might be interested in.

 

[fuzz092888]

I'd give you guys grief about talking subs in a bike thread, but we all know how much Fuzz loves subs.

I do I do

Back to the bike thread, if you want to hang out on a site where there are a lot of folks who are into bikes and know a lot about them, I'd check out bike forums. I'm a pretty fair mechanic. When I get stumped, I'll post a question there and I'll get answers from people who have long experience in the business. Plus there are forums there for pretty much anything you might be interested in.

Speaking of stuff that needs fixing. I took it out on a little 4 mile ride today and I've noticed a few things.

1) I'm horribly out of shape
2) The front tire isn't perfectly aligned with the handlebars
3) I don't know if it's my shifting or something else, but the chain always seems to rub against the thingy that switches gears at the pedals when the chain is on the lowest gear on the rear wheel.
4) My knowledge of bike lingo needs work

 

[Irvrobinson]

Speaking of stuff that needs fixing. I took it out on a little 4 mile ride today and I've noticed a few things.

1) I'm horribly out of shape
2) The front tire isn't perfectly aligned with the handlebars
3) I don't know if it's my shifting or something else, but the chain always seems to rub against the thingy that switches gears at the pedals when the chain is on the lowest gear on the rear wheel.
4) My knowledge of bike lingo needs work

Your handlebars need straightening. Your derailleurs need adjustment. You could have a pro do this stuff, or get a bike repair book (like the one from Park Tools) and a bike stand and do it yourself. If you can build a sub you can make these adjustments.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fuzz092888]

Your handlebars need straightening. Your derailleurs need adjustment. You could have a pro do this stuff, or get a bike repair book (like the one from Park Tools) and a bike stand and do it yourself. If you can build a sub you can make these adjustments.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll probably have the bike shop fix this stuff, this time since it's brand new, but for the future I'll want to be able to do this stuff myself.

Derailleurs....interesting. So many new words to learn.

 

[bikemig]

I'll probably have the bike shop fix this stuff, this time since it's brand new, but for the future I'll want to be able to do this stuff myself.

Derailleurs....interesting. So many new words to learn.

You need to get Cream's Disraeli gears, : Disraeli Gears - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Learning to work on bikes isn't hard. You probably know this but the main thing is to check the tire pressure regularly; if you ride every day, check it at least 2x a week. Tires lose pressure fast and that's a quick way to trash your rim. Wheels even on good bikes tend to be a bit cheesy since manufacturers are focused on weight and cost savings. That's a tough combo for a wheel that is going to last.

 

[bikemig]

I do I do



Speaking of stuff that needs fixing. I took it out on a little 4 mile ride today and I've noticed a few things.

1) I'm horribly out of shape
2) The front tire isn't perfectly aligned with the handlebars
3) I don't know if it's my shifting or something else, but the chain always seems to rub against the thingy that switches gears at the pedals when the chain is on the lowest gear on the rear wheel.
4) My knowledge of bike lingo needs work

(2) The front wheel can be moved a bit side to side within the front drop outs when you clamp down with the quick release skewer. This is helpful if you are getting some rub with the brake shoes against the rim. The problem you are describing is probably that the stem is not in line with the top tube and not with the wheel.
(3) If you can't find the right gear, just ride it and grind it. Depending on the shifting mechanism, you may be able to feather the derailleur a bit with the brifters. You should have the bike shop guys or gals talk you through shifting a bit. One thing is for sure, don't try to spin a big gear esp. when starting out. The idea is to find gears that allow you to keep a nice steady cadence.

Seriously, just ride it and have fun. You'll figure out what you need to know over time. This is my cross bike which I built up from a frame with some old parts, a few parts I found on blow outs and some I swapped for: