Bikes

  On 2/10/2010 at 12:22 AM, Kcinsu said:

I just went into a bike shop today, to do some research on a new bike (mine was stolen last year).

 

There were 3000 dollar bikes! Who the fuck rides a 3000 dollar bike unless they are racers?

 

Even a good 300-400 dollar bike makes me uncomfortable... Seeing as my 150 dollar bike got stolen.

 

I guess I'll invest in really good locks, and never let anyone borrow my bike ever again (my roommate borrowed my bike, and he's the one who didn't lock it up... Hence being stolen)

 

I just want a good bike that works well on the streets of sf, decent on

a trail, and ugly enough that no one would even bother wanting to put any effort into stealing it.

qft.

i dont think i could pay more than 300 for a bike either..

i used to have one that i used all the time in DC, it looked like an old ass 70s french racing bike...it was lovely.

  On 2/10/2010 at 2:24 AM, Kcinsu said:

Tell me you have a 400 dollar lock on it, and I might understand...

Plus a Kryptonite cable. 30 bucks. It's the lightest thing I could find.

All bikes will get stolen or destroyed if you leave them in a bad location for any amount of time. Don't park your bike where you can't see it. Take it in your house when you get home.

  On 2/10/2010 at 3:03 AM, ojkewin said:

okay i don't want to contribute to a possiblity, but if this becomes a fixie arguement, i swear to god. Fixies have legit purposes, one of them being to make hipsters hipsters.

 

Seriously though it depends on what you wanna do with it. Like mountain bikes are fun, because they can go anywhere, just maybe not as fast. Dunno how much you care about looks but the hybrid bike (mountain/street cross) basically always look awful, and usually are not built with the quality as a legit road bike or a legit mountain bike. And chaosmachine is kind of right. Disc brakes are powerful, but if you tend to get things even a little beat up, get v brakes. If you dent a disc, you have to replace the whole fucking thing. So i guess here my real advice. If your going to be lazy about it, get a steel frame, single speed, kickback brake cruiser bike. If you wanna be able to bounce across the sidewalks, streets, off curbs, and through puddles, get a mountain bike. If you wanna be intense about it, just get some cheap road bike, theyre fast. All these options should be able state-side for less than 500 for good quality, anything more and the quality really dosnt matter. 6000 dollars bikes break down just as fast. As far as accesories go, just get a good backpack. If your gonna be riding at night, get some little lights. Don't spend more than 10 bucks on lights or you're getting jammed in the pooper. As far a where to go, find some little bike shop. I wouldn't go to like a big store because its nice to be able to get your ride serviced at the same place. You can also go online. Like bikes direct is a good website. Or at least i know people who've had good experiences. hope this helps.

you sound like you know what you're talking about.

  On 2/9/2010 at 5:48 PM, dese manz hatin said:

Serious advice m8

 

 

Cube Ltd4. Real good bike, got it when it was barely a year old for only 800€ including Shimano XT and damn good suspension (of which I forgot the name) which is a pisstake basically. Great bike for cross-country, definitely above average on the road....11,5kg what uppppppppp.

Search for it, if you find it, it must be real cheap now.

That looks super nice, but I checked online and it looks a bit pricey.

well geez, maybe just start with a 100$ second hand roadbike first?

just to see if you like it better than taking the bus

i still use my old 75$ Mercier as a backup bike from time to time for in the city where it's bound to take some damage

the nice thing is that they're so simple, there's very little stuff that cannot be fixed or replaced easily

and they're good rides if you just stay on asphalt

make sure you get a bike with pegs for some sweet grinding

then take the bus or subway instead

  On 2/10/2010 at 3:39 PM, KY said:

make sure you get a bike with pegs for some sweet grinding

i miss being 15

i used to be all like ohh yea i do bmx cuz i rode a hoffman and would go off little psusy jumps or whatever. then i met a really hardcore bmx guy who had broken his shins like 40 times and could tabletop and stuff and he threatend to kick my ass if i kept telling girls i could ride bmx

pretty idm story

i used to have one of these years ago. it was pretty idm. made from magnesium alloy.

people on watmm aways tell you you need to buy the best of everything and download flacs and watch films on bluray and wank with something up your butt... its not always that serious.

You just want to commute. Don't spend more than £100, there is absolutely no reason. You can relax more if you don't care that much if someone steals it, which they might. If I were you I would find a second hand one with breaks and gears that work, and maybe get it serviced first.

get one of these:

Yeah, if you want something that gets you from point A to point B, there's no sense in paying over $500. You can pay a third of that and still get a decent ride.

  On 2/10/2010 at 12:22 AM, Kcinsu said:

I just want a good bike that works well on the streets of sf, decent on

a trail, and ugly enough that no one would even bother wanting to put any effort into stealing it.

Go to the Mexican bike lady on 16th between Mission and South Van Ness. You can get a beater for like $150. I wouldn't spend any more than $250, though. You might as well go somewhere else if you want something more expensive.

Oh, and get a U-lock. Unless the chains are super thick, you can cut through them with regular cable cutters.

Virtually all bike locks can be removed in under 60 seconds with a cordless angle grinder, and that includes u-locks.

I know this from personal experience, after a would-be thief rendered my u-lock unopenable with a hammer.

Also: Cheap bikes suck. They don't shift properly after a few rides, you have to constantly adjust them, because the parts have horrible tolerances and don't stay put. And they're usually steel frames, which are durable, but really heavy. Aluminum frames make a huge difference, especially if you're dealing with hills, or you need to carry your bike up some stairs.

If you're only going 5k a couple times a week, yeah, get a wal-mart bike and tough it out. But if you want something you'll actually enjoy riding on a daily basis, spend the money.

It's like the difference between a cheap Netbook and a 15" MacBook pro. They'll both check your email, but there's a reason why the Netbook only costs $250.

True. I left my bike outside somewhere when I was in college and came back to find that someone tried to take a hack saw to the u-lock. There was definitely a mark, but they didn't get far.

And I'm actually going to drop $350 on that Torker bike I posted earlier. There's definitely a difference between a beater and a bike that will help you win a race. Sometimes they're the same bike, but you'll probably want a light frame and better parts if you're planning on keeping it a while.

I'm about to retire an 80's Ross Pro Series because the thing is just beyond simple repair. It would cost me $150 for another gear set and chain, then another $100 for an overhaul tune-up, and since I've already pumped in a couple hundred bucks into...fuck it. I love the thing, but it's heavy and old.

all my bikes have been bought for under 30 quid off mates, guys in the street etc and theyve all been great bikes. i have a nack for my bikes getting stolen though.

stolen back?

there are some seriously cool bikes here

http://www.fuelyourcreativity.com/modern-bicycle-concepts-that-will-blow-your-mind/

how's that first one meant to work? the wheels are glued to the frame.

can you actually buy any of those?

  On 2/11/2010 at 6:06 PM, BCM said:

how's that first one meant to work? the wheels are glued to the frame.

magic

  On 2/11/2010 at 6:27 PM, keltoi said:

  On 2/11/2010 at 6:06 PM, BCM said:

how's that first one meant to work? the wheels are glued to the frame.

 

magic

^this

or like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJPTSaARlvs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubless_wheel

  On 2/11/2010 at 6:06 PM, BCM said:

how's that first one meant to work? the wheels are glued to the frame.

ok then the frame is glued to the wheels

  On 2/11/2010 at 9:39 PM, BCM said:

LOL