Bikes

[fibonacci]

^ nice bike.

Fixie skid stop

[hejduk]

Anyone with a good, rugged folding bike? Looking for more of a mountain bike look rather than a cruising bike. Looking at Dahon, Xooter, and Citizen Bike.

[singlecell]

^ nice bike.

Fixie skid stop

Thanks. I am still wary of trying the skid but I will get there. I want to learn this too:

[sacklunch]

Don't get one of those off amazon. They are cheap and heavy.

The kilo TT someone posted from bikesdirect is a great deal. You will want to get a new cog to make it reasonable to ride with hills (30 bucks).

[Behavioral]

Definitely a fan of bikesdirect. Rode a Motobecane Vent Noir for many years before upgrading to an older used Felt F5 with all Campy components. The bikesdirect bikes come almost fully assembled, and they have video tutorials on their site on how to assemble it (it's really just pedals, wheels, and the stem/bars). They're a great value and can easily handle high mileage (I rode a couple half centuries on the Motobecane and would put in 40-60 miles/week pretty consistently when I was riding at my peak). The bikes are around $500+ for ones with decent components (Shimano 105 and better), but they're comparable to bikes in the $1000+ range like some of the entry level Treks.

[Bison_PhD]

Is there an inexpensive way to modify a cheap mountain bike into a semi-decent road bike?

[Owlie]

Is there an inexpensive way to modify a cheap mountain bike into a semi-decent road bike?

The biggest thing you can do is swap the tires for slicks, possibly even swapping the wheels. Beyond that, you get into expensive territory with replacing the bars, shifters, cables, brakes...

[hejduk]

Arg! Anyone have recommendations for folding bikes! Hate to hijack the thread again, but really needing some advice!

[fumblewhat]

Arg! Anyone have recommendations for folding bikes! Hate to hijack the thread again, but really needing some advice!

What's your price range? What will you be using the bike for? How long is your commute?

[sacklunch]

Is there an inexpensive way to modify a cheap mountain bike into a semi-decent road bike?

Don't waste your time. It will be WAY heavier than a road bike. Just get something decent and you won't have to waste your time having a shop modify your old beast.

[hejduk]

What's your price range? What will you be using the bike for? How long is your commute?

Price range is up to $800, as I see it as a long-term investment. The bike will be used mainly for biking to campus, picking things up in town sometimes (food, etc), as the city has an amazing bike infrastructure. My commute is roughly 2-3 miles to campus, but longer for other need. Might take it out on the wkend for longer rides too.

[Owlie]

Price range is up to $800, as I see it as a long-term investment. The bike will be used mainly for biking to campus, picking things up in town sometimes (food, etc), as the city has an amazing bike infrastructure. My commute is roughly 2-3 miles to campus, but longer for other need. Might take it out on the wkend for longer rides too.

Do you want a beater, or something for both commute and fun? Giant is pretty good bang-for-buck, and I got my fun bike (entry-level road bike, Sora/2200 components) for $750. See if you can pick up a used OCR/Defy/Avail off Craigslist. (They're all the same bike, basically. Giant re-branded the OCR to have a nice flashy name a few years ago. It's now the Defy (men's/unisex) and Avail (women's).) Then there's Trek's...whatever. I'm not familiar with Trek. Jamis also makes some nice steel bikes. Check out Bikesdirect--I've heard good things about it in other places, so your money may go further. There's also Specialized and Cannondale, but I'd advise you to pick up something used, because they're expensive. Lovely bikes, but expensive.

(Can you tell I've been bike-shopping latey.)

Buy a couple locks if you go this route, though.

[fumblewhat]

Price range is up to $800, as I see it as a long-term investment. The bike will be used mainly for biking to campus, picking things up in town sometimes (food, etc), as the city has an amazing bike infrastructure. My commute is roughly 2-3 miles to campus, but longer for other need. Might take it out on the wkend for longer rides too.

If we're talking a folding bike, then I think Dahon is about the only thing in your price range. If you don't need it for multi modal transport (taking it on a train or bus), then I would recommend getting a 20" wheel model over a 16". You'll have a smoother ride. Dahon has a lot of 20" bikes, though. The Dahon Vitesse looks like it might suit your purposes. It has an internal hub, fenders, a rear rack, and chain guard. Here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R11S2DM1GIU. I'd also look at the Mu P8 (and video review).. It doesn't have an internal hub, but if you don't have a winter commute or won't be stopping and starting too much, that really doesn't matter. You can add fenders easily if you need to. If you want to go a little cheaper, with a slightly more rigid ride, the Speed P8 would be worth looking at.

If you aren't going to need to fold the bike all that often and you want a machine that rides a little more like a normal bike, you might consider the Dahon Bullhead. I've been looking at it myself, because I think it would be good for winter. It has big 2 inch thick tires and an internal hub. Very cool. But I think a beater bike better suits my purposes. (If I can find one to fit my pathetic 73 cm cycling inseam... gah!)

Are you planning on brining the bike into class? Folding bikes are pretty distinctive and pretty likely targets for thieves. If you're going to leave it out on a rack, I'd try to get a cheap, used Dahon on ebay or something. Or you might go for a bike with smaller wheels and carry it with you everywhere. This is ultimately why I won't be getting a folder. I just don't want to lug 25 lbs around an academic building. If I had an office to stash the thing in, it'd be a different story...

If you don't have a local dealer, then both NYCwheels and ThorUSA are good companies to deal with online. You may also wish to wait a couple months to see what Tern comes out with. Tern is a new folding bike company that broke off from Dahon last month. I know for sure that ThorUSA will be carrying them.

Edited June 25, 2011 by fumblewhat

[Golden Monkey]

Arg! Anyone have recommendations for folding bikes! Hate to hijack the thread again, but really needing some advice!

I have a Dahon Mu SL, which is incredibly light, at 19ish pounds, but as others mentioned is also probably a thief magnet. I also have a great beater bike, but I'm not sure if it's worth moving, or if I should just buy a new (old) beater bike after moving.

[hejduk]

If we're talking a folding bike, then I think Dahon is about the only thing in your price range. If you don't need it for multi modal transport (taking it on a train or bus), then I would recommend getting a 20" wheel model over a 16". You'll have a smoother ride. Dahon has a lot of 20" bikes, though. The Dahon Vitesse looks like it might suit your purposes. It has an internal hub, fenders, a rear rack, and chain guard. Here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R11S2DM1GIU. I'd also look at the Mu P8 (and video review).. It doesn't have an internal hub, but if you don't have a winter commute or won't be stopping and starting too much, that really doesn't matter. You can add fenders easily if you need to. If you want to go a little cheaper, with a slightly more rigid ride, the Speed P8 would be worth looking at.

If you aren't going to need to fold the bike all that often and you want a machine that rides a little more like a normal bike, you might consider the Dahon Bullhead. I've been looking at it myself, because I think it would be good for winter. It has big 2 inch thick tires and an internal hub. Very cool. But I think a beater bike better suits my purposes. (If I can find one to fit my pathetic 73 cm cycling inseam... gah!)

Thanks so much! This is the type of info I've been looking for. I haven't been able to try a folding bike, but it seems to be exactly what I need. I won't be on a bus (if I am, very few times ever), and never on the subway. I've got a Mini Cooper, and while it's got a rack, i'd rather be able to put the bike in the "trunk" (notice I quote trunk as it's not really one). I've been looking at Dahon for awhile now, and have also been impressed with Xootr.

Are you planning on brining the bike into class? Folding bikes are pretty distinctive and pretty likely targets for thieves. If you're going to leave it out on a rack, I'd try to get a cheap, used Dahon on ebay or something.

What's your take on Citizen Bike? They seem to be too good to be true, as the prices seem amazingly and surprising low.

As far as the bike being stolen, I'm not really too worried about it. I should be able to take the bike to my student office, so it can just sit in there. Having said that, I'll still be interested in locking it up... I'm one of those people who locks their laptop up, so why not apply that to the bike too?

Edited June 25, 2011 by hejduk

[fumblewhat]

I've been looking at Dahon for awhile now, and have also been impressed with Xootr. [...]

What's your take on Citizen Bike? They seem to be too good to be true, as the prices seem amazingly and surprising low.

My impression has been that Dahon is the best in its price range (or will be until Tern comes on the market). That said, bikes and biking are such subjective things, I'm sure several people would take issue with that statement. The Xootr looks like it'd have a nice rigid frame. It'd probably ride more like a full-sized bike. The fold is too big for my liking. Granted, in your case you really don't need a small fold to put the bike into your car, but a smaller package would be easier to cover and take into an academic building. Maybe that wouldn't be a problem at your school, though. You can read one comparison between a Dahon and a Xootr here. A google search should turn up more.

As for Citizen Bike, I'm less familiar with the brand, but I've read elsewhere that they aren't as high quality as Dahon. I think they may be heavier as well... If you really want to go a little cheaper and your area doesn't have too many hills, you could go with a Dahon Mu Uno (video review

). It's a super light, one speed bike. Very low maintenance. I mentioned the Speed P8 in my last post, but there's a cheaper version in the Speed D7. The Speed P8 has slightly better components and big cushy 2" thick tires that would smooth out your ride, but if price is an issue, the D7 is a fine bike. Even has a rack and fenders included.

Are there any dealers in your area? A test ride or two would make the choice easier. There's a crazy number of options available.

As far as the bike being stolen, I'm not really too worried about it. I should be able to take the bike to my student office, so it can just sit in there. Having said that, I'll still be interested in locking it up... I'm one of those people who locks their laptop up, so why not apply that to the bike too?

There are people who believe a folder should never be locked, and should always be taken with you. I'm definitely not one of those people. But yeah, if you can bring it into your office and lock it to something there, I'd think that would be ideal. In my case, I'd either have to keep the thing in hand all day or leave it on a rack outside, and both options seem dubious. Alas, alack. Do let me know what you end up choosing! I can live vicariously through you!

[hejduk]

My impression has been that Dahon is the best in its price range (or will be until Tern comes on the market).

Why do you think prices will come down once Tern bikes come on the market? Does Dahon basically have a monopoly on their folding technology, and therefor basically dictates prices?

If you really want to go a little cheaper and your area doesn't have too many hills, you could go with a Dahon Mu Uno (video review

). It's a super light, one speed bike. Very low maintenance. I mentioned the Speed P8 in my last post, but there's a cheaper version in the Speed D7. The Speed P8 has slightly better components and big cushy 2" thick tires that would smooth out your ride, but if price is an issue, the D7 is a fine bike. Even has a rack and fenders included.

I'm absolutely digggin the Vitesse D7HG. The fenders, internal hub, and ability to carry so much really makes it a useful bike. If only there was something more "road worthy" like the Bullhead! Something that rides better but has all the convenience features of the Vitesse would be awesome. Any suggestions, or even other brands? I'd definitely be willing to spend more if the bike is worth it.

Edited June 26, 2011 by hejduk

[Gelpfrat the Bold]

I've been scouring Craigslist for a cheap road bike, partly to save money and also partly because I'm concerned that if I had a nicer bike, it would just get stolen! Anyways, I have no experience fixing bikes, so what are the most important things to look out for when buying a fixer-upper? What are the easiest or most difficult, cheapest or most expensive parts to fix and replace? I'm looking at one in particular whose breaks aren't functioning - how easy/expensive is it to fix that?

[Behavioral]

Don't buy a fixer-upper if it's your first bike. You learn from incidental repair--not from learning from the ground up.

Easiest fix - flat front tire tube

Most difficult - for me, adjusting my gears after a fall/crash

Cheapest - new tube

Most expensive - damaged frame (structural; i.e., dented carbon fiber; rust on steel; etc.)

For brakes, depends what kind and why it's malfunctioning.

But once again, avoid fixer-uppers. You're going to kill yourself on the road since you don't know what you're doing.

[Gelpfrat the Bold]

Thanks for the response. My reason for going for it was that it's $50 and every other non-child bike available right now around here is at least $150. I figured if I go have a look at it and everything seems fine aside from the brakes, it might be cheaper to just pay someone to fix or replace them than it would be to buy another bike. I gather the person selling it just doesn't use it often enough to bother fixing it, but maybe I'm over-psychologizing the ad. I grew up in a bigger city than where I am now, where my parents found all our bikes by dumpsters in the alley. So I'm familiar with crappy bikes and detecting if something's wrong - just not with how to fix it myself!

[fumblewhat]

Why do you think prices will come down once Tern bikes come on the market? Does Dahon basically have a monopoly on their folding technology, and therefor basically dictates prices?

I meant that I think the Tern bicycles will be better quality bikes than the Dahons for around the same price, not that Dahon will change its prices (that would be nice!). That's based on rumor and speculation at the moment, but judging from what's been released the Terns *look* better. Those bikes will hit the market in September, supposedly.

I'm absolutely digggin the Vitesse D7HG. The fenders, internal hub, and ability to carry so much really makes it a useful bike. If only there was something more "road worthy" like the Bullhead! Something that rides better but has all the convenience features of the Vitesse would be awesome. Any suggestions, or even other brands? I'd definitely be willing to spend more if the bike is worth it.

The folding bike market is pretty small... I *think* Dahon is the best brand under $1000. But again, I'm not too familiar with anything but Dahon and Brompton. You might pop over to the Folding Bike Forum at Bikeforums.net and ask for other suggestsions, or ask what the ride quality on the Vitesse is like compared to the Bullhead. I personally think the Vitesse would be the best way to go. It's designed as a commuter and I'm sure it's "road worthy." Maybe Golden Monkey could tell us what he thinks of the ride on his Mu SL? If you really like the Bullhead, you could also just put a rack on it and you would have the very same features you liked in the Vitesse. Both ThorUSA and NYCewheels would do that for you for a fee.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful! The people at Bikeforums really know their stuff, though so try over there!

[rising_star]

Thanks for the response. My reason for going for it was that it's $50 and every other non-child bike available right now around here is at least $150. I figured if I go have a look at it and everything seems fine aside from the brakes, it might be cheaper to just pay someone to fix or replace them than it would be to buy another bike. I gather the person selling it just doesn't use it often enough to bother fixing it, but maybe I'm over-psychologizing the ad. I grew up in a bigger city than where I am now, where my parents found all our bikes by dumpsters in the alley. So I'm familiar with crappy bikes and detecting if something's wrong - just not with how to fix it myself!

Honestly, I'd just spend the $150. Considering parts and labor, you'll probably end up in about the same situation. I paid ~$100 for my bike and the guy I bought it from had already fixed it up. I went with a friend that is very knowledgeable about bikes and who checked it out for me before I bought it. If you have a friend with any sort of bike repair knowledge/skills, you might be better off taking him/her with you and then buying something that won't need a lot of upfront repairs. At this point, I've spent way beyond the initial purchase price on various repairs (rear brake cable, new tubes [multiple times], Armadillo tires, new bike seat, new bike basket) but, I like my bike and it's not so nice that people feel like stealing it, which is wonderful.

Oh, I meant to add this before. If you keep an eye on Craig's List (and also places like Play It Again Sports and thrift stores), you may be able to find something even cheaper. I looked on CL for weeks before finding the bike I now own. The CL market is always in flux.

[singlecell]

Depending on where you live, try looking for a bike co-op in your town. There is one called Working Bikes in Chicago where they will let you choose a used bike (cost: ~$100), and then teach you to fix it using their tools. It keeps broken down bikes out of landfills and it's a great way to learn repair with guidance.

[Behavioral]

Depending on where you live, try looking for a bike co-op in your town. There is one called Working Bikes in Chicago where they will let you choose a used bike (cost: ~$100), and then teach you to fix it using their tools. It keeps broken down bikes out of landfills and it's a great way to learn repair with guidance.

Nice idea. Headed to Evanston in the Fall and wanted to pick up a mountain bike for some winter riding. This is a great idea. Thanks!

[michpc]

Price range is up to $800, as I see it as a long-term investment. The bike will be used mainly for biking to campus, picking things up in town sometimes (food, etc), as the city has an amazing bike infrastructure. My commute is roughly 2-3 miles to campus, but longer for other need. Might take it out on the wkend for longer rides too.

Unless you're planning to take your bike regularly on public transit or something, why a folding bike? Seems like a hybrid would be a better choice...a little more rugged and comfortable than a road bike, but will be much nicer to ride on those longer trips than a folding bike.