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#31
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Matt O'Toole wrote:
I don't think so. I think a lot of people were attracted to mountain bikes because they offered greater comfort and riding ease than skinny tired, overgeared, drop bar road bikes -- at least for beginning cyclists. I know plenty of people who bought mountain bikes in the late 80s and early 90s, for this reason. They thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. This is still the case. It would help if there were more reasonable drop bar road bikes, with wide tire and fender clearances, 36-spoke wheels on reasonably sturdy rims, with the handlebars set high enough, etc. Add to the above shops willing to promote such bikes to new/prospective cyclists. As Jobst Brandt likes to point out, a properly outfitted road bike does just fine for moderate off-road use. Such a bike will also suffer far fewer flats (and potential rim damage) than something with 25-mm wide tires. And yes, it is ridiculous for a rider with a 150W output to have the same 53/39 and 11-23 gearing as a professional rider with a 350W+ output. -- Tom Sherman - Earth |
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#32
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Maggie wrote:
Tom Sherman wrote: Maggie wrote: Tom Sherman wrote: Maggie wrote: Tom Sherman wrote: Maggie wrote: ... I think comfort bikes are growing more and more popular as this baby boom generation gets out there to ride. Just my humble opinion. As a Boomer looking for a comfortable ride. ;-) There is always the option of going over to the dark side. Get Bent! -- Tom Sherman - Earth :-) Right back at ya Mr. Earth. If you would rather perch way up in the air on a tiny saddle, rather than recline in comfort on a true seat while cycling, that is your choice. -- Tom Sherman - Earth There is no way I am perching on a tiny saddle way up in the air. I recline in comfort on a very comfortable seat. I went out looking for the perfect "comfortable seat" when I bought the bike. I think that WAS my choice. I am the baby boomer looking for comfort, I'm not trying to imitate Lance Armstrong. I just want to ride a comfort bike around town, to work, on some fun rides and maybe a few tours. Hey, what was the original question? Maggie (dazed and confused) Maggie, Are you aware that "dark side" is the British slang term for a recumbent bicycle and thus saying "get bent" is not an insult in this context? This is my fast AND comfortable bicycle: http://www.ihpva.org/incoming/2002/sunset/Sunset001.jpg. -- Tom Sherman - Earth OOOOOOOOOPS....I am not up on British Slang......I'm from Joisey. I knew Liverpool slang in the sixties..when I was "GROOVEY".....but now The dark side to me comes from Star Wars. ;-) And Get Bent means....GET BENT! :-0 Maggie with due respect and apologetic. Maggie, No offense taken. Being a veteran of a few too many off-topic flame wars, someone has to try really hard to offend me on Usenet. -- Tom Sherman - Earth |
#33
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Tom Sherman wrote: It would help if there were more reasonable drop bar road bikes, with wide tire and fender clearances, 36-spoke wheels on reasonably sturdy rims, with the handlebars set high enough, etc. Add to the above shops willing to promote such bikes to new/prospective cyclists. There are plenty of these bikes, they're called "touring bikes". They are eminently practical bikes, available in the $600-1500 dollar range. Why more aren't sold, especially to new or non-racing cyclists, I don't know. |
#34
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"Peter Cole" wrote in message oups.com... Tom Sherman wrote: It would help if there were more reasonable drop bar road bikes, with wide tire and fender clearances, 36-spoke wheels on reasonably sturdy rims, with the handlebars set high enough, etc. Add to the above shops willing to promote such bikes to new/prospective cyclists. There are plenty of these bikes, they're called "touring bikes". They are eminently practical bikes, available in the $600-1500 dollar range. Why more aren't sold, especially to new or non-racing cyclists, I don't know. My opinion on to why more touring bikes aren't sold. I think most people look at a bike with drop bars as a racing only bike. Now I am certainly no expert, but I learn new stuff about bikes almost everyday. And it seems to me that if bike shop sales people were able to correctly size a frameset to a customer, and then explain the advantages of a road frame, more people would buy a road bike. But this is just my opinion. Ken |
#35
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The problem with touring bikes is that no one tours. People see those
dropped bars and immediately remember the pain they suffered on their first multispeed bike. MTBs are certainly a step in the right direction for most people's riding (around the block once or twice). They won't ride off-road, but fat tires get fewer flats (until they sit in a garage for 6 months). My silly wife was recently complaining about how her "new" comfort bike (that she has had for 6 months and ridden maybe 3 times) needs to have the tires pumped up every time she rides it. "This bike sucks - I never had to pump the tires on my bike in Japan". Sez I: Well, that's because you were riding around with flat tires and the bike was so ****ty you didn't realize it, or someone else was taking care of the bike for you, as I am now." If you really want to tour- i.e. ride long distances, get a recumbent! It used to be that recumbents were expensive compared to decent DF bikes, but it seems the prices on decent recumbents have dropped. Now if they ever get to the Walmart price range, they'll really take off. |
#36
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kituyjkm wrote:
... If you really want to tour- i.e. ride long distances, get a recumbent! It used to be that recumbents were expensive compared to decent DF bikes, but it seems the prices on decent recumbents have dropped. Now if they ever get to the Walmart price range, they'll really take off. Shhhhh..., you are not supposed to mention recumbents on rec.bicycles.*. -- Tom Sherman - Earth |
#37
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"kituyjkm" fchg wrote in message ... The problem with touring bikes is that no one tours. People see those dropped bars and immediately remember the pain they suffered on their first multispeed bike. MTBs are certainly a step in the right direction for most people's riding (around the block once or twice). They won't ride off-road, but fat tires get fewer flats (until they sit in a garage for 6 months). My silly wife was recently complaining about how her "new" comfort bike (that she has had for 6 months and ridden maybe 3 times) needs to have the tires pumped up every time she rides it. "This bike sucks - I never had to pump the tires on my bike in Japan". Sez I: Well, that's because you were riding around with flat tires and the bike was so ****ty you didn't realize it, or someone else was taking care of the bike for you, as I am now." If you really want to tour- i.e. ride long distances, get a recumbent! It used to be that recumbents were expensive compared to decent DF bikes, but it seems the prices on decent recumbents have dropped. Now if they ever get to the Walmart price range, they'll really take off. Well this is true about recumbents they are much more comfortable, I have a swb bent that I built myself in my garage, and it rides great! However because it sits much lower to the ground it is much less visible to people driving motor vehicles. Being comfortable isn't going to do you any good if you are dead! Ken |
#38
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Tom Sherman wrote: Maggie, No offense taken. Being a veteran of a few too many off-topic flame wars, someone has to try really hard to offend me on Usenet. -- Tom Sherman - Earth Thank you for accepting my apologies. Personally, I can't understand how ANYONE can get offended by a newsgroup post. Maybe I have been jaded because of the business I work in, but I really don't understand how this can be taken so personally. I am in business flame wars every day. I am not a verteran of NG flame wars and I actually find them amusing. (it takes very little to amuse me.) If you think about life too much you have to find it rather amusing or you'll go insane. I sometimes think there is a higher power somewhere looking down at us playing us like checkers. We get kinged, jumped, triple jumped, sometimes we lose and sometimes we win. Sometimes we fall off the board and occasionally the higher power takes the board and throws it in the air, upsetting the game. Maybe I think too much. I should ride more and think less. ;-) All Good Things, (IT'S FRIDAY!!!) Maggie. |
#39
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Maggie wrote:
Tom Sherman wrote: Maggie, No offense taken. Being a veteran of a few too many off-topic flame wars, someone has to try really hard to offend me on Usenet. -- Tom Sherman - Earth Thank you for accepting my apologies. Personally, I can't understand how ANYONE can get offended by a newsgroup post. Maybe I have been jaded because of the business I work in, but I really don't understand how this can be taken so personally. I am in business flame wars every day.... I have never witnessed a project manager or field superintendent get angry. Go ahead - blame the soils engineer! -- Tom Sherman - Earth |
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