Bicycle

[carpetman]

My neighbor and I are considering getting a bicycle. Went to the bicycle shop yesterday darn,anymore,that too seems to be a project that needs research. From what I saw,I think I am interested in a mountain bike. One major choice there is "soft tail"---the rear tire also has a shock and is not ridgid. This feature costs more. Anyone with experience have any comments about bicycle selection?

[C1PNR]

Just outfitted the Grandkids with new Mountain Bikes recently. Front and rear suspension is "way kool" according to them. I guess they do ride a little softer, too.:)

I'm ready for something a little softer than the old 15 speed with tires almost an inch wide and a seat that fits in my back pocket.;-)

[Maven]

Ray, Having just purchased a mountain bike (with front suspension only; 2" wide tires; 24 speeds) in May, I can say they ride a bit softer than my "hybrid" (1" wide tires, but higher pressure; no turned down handle bars; no suspension; 21 speeds, but not nearly as fast a road bike). I bought the new bike primarily to ride on two of the nearby railtrails since the hybrid was too unsteady on them (They're unpaved.). My question to you is unless you're going off-road (seriously so), do you need a dual supsension mt. bike or would something like a "comfort bike" (not my terminology) be just the ticket for you? The latter have wider, lower pressure tires, a more comfortable seat and a shock-absorbing seat post. Trust me (or my buns), the latter is worth every penny: I put one on my hybrid last year and am quite pleased with it. On the other hand, mountain bikers and certainly the bicycle seats are aptly named "hard tails." While my new bike rides more comfortably, the seat is hardly what you'd call "comfortable." Btw, I purchased a Specialized "Rockhopper," largely on the reviews it received in the bike mags., but especially Consumer Reports. Hope this helps.

[carpetman]

Maven---Certainly your point of how much would I be using it in rough terrain is a very valid consideration. Most usage indeed would be on the streets. I could take it where I hunt deer---but then again I have an atv and while my legs might need the exercise,cant forget my right thumb that operates the throttle needs some toning too. I agree about the dinky seats they put on them and had looked into a bigger seat. Rock Hudson might have enjoyed the ones they come with,but that's not my bag. The hard tails were about half the cost of the soft tails---think I've about got my mind made up.

[KCSO]

When I can ride I try and do between 5 and 10 miles a night on a bike. I have a Fugi 18 speed training bike and a mountain bike. Buying a bike is a whole lot like buying a gun in that it depends what you are going to use it for, pleasure, training, touring, off road ? I ride for exercise and when I lived in a real small town I rode the Fugi. The narrow tires and dropped bars made the bike easier to peddle and I was a block from the State highway. When I moved to a little bigger town the condition of the roads dictated a larger footprint as the narrow racing tires would drop into cracks and the aluminum rims would go out of round from the rough roads in town. I mostly use a 21 speed Cannondale mountain bike now. This may be a little spendy for a first bike. I got it because I occasionaly want to go on day trips and it subs as a touring bike, and is heavy duty enough to stand up to the cruddy roads i have to work with. For just casual use I would probably go to Wally World and pick up a good 18 or 21 speed Huffy. This will get you around town and will be fairly low maintainance. Again like guns as yo get into it more you will find that what suits you may not be what suits Joe Racer down the street. The fact that a Cannondale is x number of pounds lighter or that the center hung brakes are better won't make a whole lot of difference to you till yo get some peddle time under the belt. If you have mostly smooth pavement you might want to look at a narrow tired racing bike, but anymore I tire easily in a racing crouch, it really makes my arms ache. The more upright posture of the Mountain bike suits me better now. Like my canoeing I am now much better suited for cruising than racing. I will reccommend that as soon as you are comfortable on what ever you get you invest in toe clips. This lets you push down with one leg and pull up on the other and doubles your workout.

[Scrounger]

Ray, for your purposes, the narrow tired racing bike will probably work better. The narrow tires will allow you to cruise through the weeds while you're hunting, then the speed and acceleration will allow you to run them down and snag them on the fly with your "capture pole". Saddle bags will probably work better than a wire basket to confine your "catch", as they have claws and know well how to use them, as I'm sure your scars will testify. Make the bag out of leather or heavy carpet material as everyone of these denizens has his own built in burglar tools. I'm sure your catch will increase dramatically with the bike as opposed to running them down on foot, although your numbers are admirable for a hexagenerian. You should get it in black, also, to match your OJ getup (black pants and sweats, black watch cap, shades, and a little burnt cork on your cheeks). Weidmannsheil!

[carpetman]

Well it's a done deal,all the deciding was done and I appreciate the inputs. They were used in the decision. At the bike shops,despite the several hundred more dollars price tag, I noticed that most if not all the bikes were made in China. I had not heard of any of the brands. At the bike shops for example I noticed it was atleast $100 more for an aluminum frame vs steel. I also noticed it was atleast $150 more for the soft tail. Decided to check out Wal Mart. I could get a bike with aluminum frame for under $100----for the whole bike,not $100 more than the steel frame. I could get soft tail for under $100---the whole bike. Well I noticed one of their higher dollar bikes was a Schwinn. I had atleast heard of them. But even the Schwinn being their higher priced was a couple hundred less than the bike shop had. The Schwinn didnt have soft tail so I was thinking between it and the soft tail model. Saw a guy that I know that works in their sporting dept and told him what I was doing. He said get the Schwinn he'd had one a couple of years and was happy with it. I did just that and bought a larger seat for it. My neighbor bought the same set up. We rode maybe 4 miles. He weighs 300 or so and breathes heavily just walking a short distance,so it might take us awhile to get much distance. Did I mention I could feel some soreness after even that short a distance?

[wills]

[QUOTE=carpetman]My neighbor and I are considering getting a bicycle. QUOTE]

Going to take turns riding it?

It's only 2.5 miles from your house to the stockyards where the sheep are, so just about any bike ought to do. [smilie=l:

[brimic]

I have a trek mountain bike that I bought 15 years ago when I was in college. I still ride it, its really well made, but pretty outdated by today's standards. The saddle that came with it might as well have been a 2x4 as it really hurt my sensitive tushy. I ended up buying a gel seat which made the bike a whole lot more comfortable to ride.

I bought my wife a Giant hybrid a few years ago that has a frame shock for the rear wheel. The difference between the two bikes is astounding when it comes to comfort. However, I'm not really that fond of the the bouncy feel of the bike when I'm bearing down hard on the pedals.

[carpetman]

Wills,My neighbor and I each bought a bicycle. He did buy the same model I bought. I wanted a water bottle and he also bought a water bottle like I bought. I didnt like the skinny seat that they came with,so I bought a larger one----you guessed it,he bought the same one I did. He has a double car garage and unlike most folks,his car is about all he has in it. He has a small car too. I could keep my bike there,but was able to squeeze it into my crowded garage.

[wills]

Wills,My neighbor and I each bought a bicycle. He did buy the same model I bought. I wanted a water bottle and he also bought a water bottle like I bought. I didnt like the skinny seat that they came with,so I bought a larger one----you guessed it,he bought the same one I did. He has a double car garage and unlike most folks,his car is about all he has in it. He has a small car too. I could keep my bike there,but was able to squeeze it into my crowded garage.


When I was in undergrad school at ASU I had a Raleigh 10 speed, used to ride it out to Nasworthy, past the Air Farce Rec. camp and around to country club road. After you cross the RR tracks (be sure to take them at a right angle) Knickerbocker takes a curve to the right (if I recall correctly) and goes downhill kind of between two other high places, and directly into the prevailing wind. The land funnels the wind right up the road and coming home from the lake I usually went up the hill faster than I had gone down.

Wrap a wet bandana around that water bottle, and in a few minutes you’ll have ice water. I quit using my water bottle though, it just made me more thirsty. After three or four hours on a hot summer afternoon, just go to the house and get some water. Put lemon juice in it to stop the thirst.