buy or upgrade? newbie has q's?

On Tue, 25 May 2004 23:15:47 -0400, Q. wrote:

You can do a lot of things to handlebars ...

http://sheldonbrown.org/thorn/index.html

thanks for that, the man's a nut as always!

I do covet that 14 speed hub--I did many thousands on my nexus before it
was swiped--there's nothing like a solid state ride

On Tue, 25 May 2004, David wrote:


"Melissa Leyva-Brown" wrote in message
news:Pine.A41.4.58.0405251534030.123274@aagaard01. u.washington.edu...
Started riding and realized I'm not
comfortable with the drop handle bars. I feel like I'm too far forward
and it makes me nervous to go down hills.

If it's a steep descent, you can move your weight back and put your butt
behind the saddle.

Were you comfortable descending on that bike before?

Nope. It had just been so long I didn't remember!




David

I usually leave my hands by the brakes or on the straight part of the bar.
At the risk of sounding really dumb.... could you explain to me what bar
ends are? Thanks!

On Tue, 25 May 2004, Roger Zoul wrote:

Have you tried not putting your hands in drops? I don't see why you can't
go to for handlebars with bar ends....I find the clipless pedals more
intimidating than drop handlebars Seems like it would be more expensive
to get a new bike ($500 at least) than just upgrading an already good bike.

Melissa Leyva-Brown wrote:
:: I'm getting into bicycling again after many, many years. Need bike
:: for riding to work (15mi rt 1-3x weeekly), fun 20-30mile rides, and
:: the occasional sprint triathlon (for fun/fitness not competing). I
:: pulled my old schwinn tempo road bike out of the shed, got the rust
:: mostly off, tune-up, new tires, seat, chain. Started riding and
:: realized I'm not comfortable with the drop handle bars. I feel like
:: I'm too far forward
:: and it makes me nervous to go down hills. Got a bike fit today and
:: need
:: to decide whether to upgrade this bike which more or less fits, or
:: look for an inexpensive used hybrid. LBS guy said my current bike
:: is a good bike worth $900 new. If I kept this bike, I would want to
:: put on a flat bar ($120), maybe move the shifters from the frame to
:: the bar ($80), and eventually upgrade to clipless pedals ($50 for
:: shimano ms20). Any advice on upgrading vs looking for a used hybrid
:: that would meet my needs? Thanks
:: so much! melissa

On Tue, 25 May 2004, it was written:


"Melissa Leyva-Brown" wrote in message
news:Pine.A41.4.58.0405251534030.123274@aagaard01. u.washington.edu...
I'm getting into bicycling again after many, many years. Need bike for
riding to work (15mi rt 1-3x weeekly), fun 20-30mile rides, and the
occasional sprint triathlon (for fun/fitness not competing). I pulled my
old schwinn tempo road bike out of the shed, got the rust mostly off,
tune-up, new tires, seat, chain. Started riding and realized I'm not
comfortable with the drop handle bars. I feel like I'm too far forward
and it makes me nervous to go down hills. Got a bike fit today and need
to decide whether to upgrade this bike which more or less fits, or look
for an inexpensive used hybrid. LBS guy said my current bike is a good
bike worth $900 new. If I kept this bike, I would want to put on a flat
bar
($120), maybe move the shifters from the frame to the bar ($80), and
eventually upgrade to clipless pedals ($50 for shimano ms20). Any advice
on
upgrading vs looking for a used hybrid that would meet my needs? Thanks
so much! melissa

I upgrade bikes all the time myself ... but I do it more for fun. It's
tough upgrading an old bike and saving money doing it. It seems like you
would save money but you usually don't save that much. Going out and buying
parts just like that and especially paying an LBS to do it can get real
expensive real fast.

Why *not* get a proper hybrid bike? For one thing, you'll know for sure
that the bike is comfortable for you when you walk out the door ... instead
of buying a flat bar for instance, and finding out after it didn't make that
much of a difference. You'll also have two bikes to boot (c:

I like the way you think! FOr now, it's a money issue. I need to figure
out what's the best way to spend my money. Any recommendations on a
hybrid bike that's not too pricey? Thanks!





C.Q.C.

On Wed, 26 May 2004, maxo wrote:

On Tue, 25 May 2004 15:48:38 -0700, Melissa Leyva-Brown wrote:

I'm getting into bicycling again after many, many years. Need bike for
riding to work (15mi rt 1-3x weeekly), fun 20-30mile rides, and the
occasional sprint triathlon (for fun/fitness not competing). I pulled my
old schwinn tempo road bike out of the shed, got the rust mostly off,
tune-up, new tires, seat, chain. Started riding and realized I'm not
comfortable with the drop handle bars. I feel like I'm too far forward
and it makes me nervous to go down hills. Got a bike fit today and need
to decide whether to upgrade this bike which more or less fits, or look
for an inexpensive used hybrid. LBS guy said my current bike is a good
bike worth $900 new. If I kept this bike, I would want to put on a flat bar
($120), maybe move the shifters from the frame to the bar ($80), and
eventually upgrade to clipless pedals ($50 for shimano ms20). Any advice on
upgrading vs looking for a used hybrid that would meet my needs? Thanks
so much! melissa

Going from drops to a flat bar on a road bike is devolution in my world
You just need to ride a bit and get used to it again. Flats put your hands
in one uncomfortable unnatural position--good for control, but that's
about it.

I think I'm learning this from everyone's answers!

Stick with the drop style, but check out a different bar--the
Ritchey Ergomax are quite nice, and give you a much shallower drop and
more secure hand position in the "hook". There are many other bends and
styles--you can find decent new drops for 20-30 bucks if you shop around
carefully. Alternately, you could go to moustache handlebars which also
give a lot of hand positions, but don't have the "scary" drops:
http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/web...ape/16027.html

Those are very interesting! Sounds like either people love them or hate
them!


Get your bars up in the air a bit, level with the saddle is a good
starting point. If your stem isn't long enough, then see if your shop has
something funky in the parts bin so you can fool with the position until
you get happy and can invest in a shmancy stem.

I do need a longer stem. Also, the top of the stem points down, I think
it makes my handlebars lower as well.

As others have suggested, bar-end shifters would be a great way to go
with either drops or "moustache" style bars.

I agree - being able to shift without moving my hands down and back up
would be great.


On a related note, I did a sponsored "Tour" here in Nashville last
weekend. There were rides of 13. 45. and 65 miles. I did the longer ride
and my companions were several nice guys that had got back into cycling.
They all had MTBs, but rode mainly on the road. The got the MTBs because
they thought that they'd be more comfy with the flat bars. Well, all of
them complained about wrist and shoulder pain by the end of the ride since
they hadn't had the opportunity to move around. Something to think about

I'm thinking, I'm thinking! Thanks for the tips.


That's a very nice bike btw. Classy

My bike?


Here's a picture off the web of someone who REALLY got their handlebars up
in the air with the same bike as yours(with a nitto technomic stem):
http://freeengineer.org/IMAGES/Road1.jpg

Wow! There's my bike! Only bigger! Didn't know they were still out
there. Thanks for all your advice!

On Tue, 25 May 2004, Rick Onanian wrote:

On Tue, 25 May 2004 15:48:38 -0700, Melissa Leyva-Brown
wrote:
tune-up, new tires, seat, chain. Started riding and realized I'm not
comfortable with the drop handle bars. I feel like I'm too far forward
and it makes me nervous to go down hills. Got a bike fit today and need
to decide whether to upgrade this bike which more or less fits, or look
for an inexpensive used hybrid. LBS guy said my current bike is a good
bike worth $900 new. If I kept this bike, I would want to put on a flat bar

Have you considered just moving the drop bars to a better location?
Drop bars offer so many hand positions, it's a shame to discard all
those options because your bars are too low and/or forward.

I am considering Higher and more towards the seat. Need a new stem to
make it happen.


An appropriate stem to put your handlebars in a good position will
be no more than $40 at a bike shop, and $20 mail order.

Changing to a flat bar should NOT cost $120 without shifters. $120
for the whole job, including shifters, is reasonable.

The bike shop guy said: flatbar $15, road/mtn lever $20, nitto stem $40,
labor $45. for shifters $20, FW(?) $20, labor $25 Should I shop around?


($120), maybe move the shifters from the frame to the bar ($80), and

It is nice having the shifters somewhere near where your hands are.
The economical way would be bar-end shifters, as mentioned by others
who replied; these will work with your existing drivetrain and are
inexpensive.

eventually upgrade to clipless pedals ($50 for shimano ms20). Any advice on

Clipless pedals are nice. Make absolutely sure to get double-sided
pedals and shoes with tread that makes it easy to walk without
having to walk on the cleat. These are sold as "mountain bike"
pedals and shoes, but they're better for most road uses than "road"
pedals and shoes. They're usually easier to get into and out of, and
since your walking will be on pavement, you'll want to walk on
rubber tread (for example, when you go into a store to buy some
water, or when you're walking miles home because something broke).
It's nice to be able to go somewhere pretty (like a park) on the
bike and walk around to enjoy the scenery. On a big metal cleat
sticking out of smooth hard plastic is NOT an easy way to walk.

I've got the shoe, just haven't picked out the pedal. double sided pedals
- thanks for the tip!


upgrading vs looking for a used hybrid that would meet my needs? Thanks
so much! melissa

Skinny tire drop bar road bikes are so nice once they're set up
properly. Don't give up on it.

I won't.

The other suggestion of fixing up the old bike AND getting a hybrid
is nice, but then you could go a step further and buy a mountain
bike, and do some real fun off-road riding too, while still having a
good bike for the road.

I know what I'm asking for for Xmas! Thanks for your help!

--
Rick Onanian

"Melissa Leyva-Brown" wrote in message
.washington.edu...
I usually leave my hands by the brakes or on the straight part of the bar.
At the risk of sounding really dumb.... could you explain to me what bar
ends are? Thanks!

Something like this:

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/assets/im...3_04_small.jpg

But usually more like this:

http://www.bikersclub78.org/materiel/BarEnds_ONZA.jpg

Mounted this way:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/20...eti/barend.jpg

I like them for climbing, and it's nice to move your hands around so they
don't get all numb on long rides.

C.Q.C.

"Melissa Leyva-Brown" wrote in message
.washington.edu...
On Tue, 25 May 2004, it was written:
snip
Why *not* get a proper hybrid bike? For one thing, you'll know for sure
that the bike is comfortable for you when you walk out the door ...
instead
of buying a flat bar for instance, and finding out after it didn't make
that
much of a difference. You'll also have two bikes to boot (c:

I like the way you think! FOr now, it's a money issue. I need to figure
out what's the best way to spend my money. Any recommendations on a
hybrid bike that's not too pricey? Thanks!

Define "not too pricy" ...

Well, it all depends on your tastes, and what you expect from a bike. To be
blunt, some people think any bike less than 4 figures is junk. Personally
though, I think you can get a decent bike for not too much, but stay away
from Wal Mart. A good LBS might have some slightly used bikes, or last
years models. That's a good place to get a bike since they stand behind
what they sell and will fit the bike to you. It's worth it.

You should be able to find something decent around the $300 range and maybe
even $200. What are the most important features for you? Comfort and a
more upright riding position?

Take a look at these bikes:

http://tinyurl.com/2232q

You can get one for around $220 for the least expensive model. There are
other decent bikes as well in that price range. For another $20 you can put
a rack on it to carry stuff, and another $20 for fenders if you so desire
(the rear rack works as a sort of fender). Something to think about if
you're going to commute to work. People seem to like them ... my friend
Becky has one and loves it, and especially loves the "megarange" gearing for
the hills (an extra low bail out gear) since her knees are shot from playing
sports. Getting a bike fitted to her was critical.

Did you have something like that in mind? Your best bet is to go to a well
stocked LBS and spend some time there riding different bikes around. Go on
a day they're not so busy. Many factors contribute to what feels good to an
individual rider, not just the shape of the handlebars.

You might want to check out these pages too ... there is great info there,
especially for a "newbie":

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

BTW are you in the Boston area?

C.Q.C.

On Wed, 26 May 2004 03:45:54 -0400, "Q." LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com wrote:


Something like this:

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/assets/im...3_04_small.jpg


I couldn't backtrack or find that product on the site...is it not offered
anymore and they just had that image?

I'm going to ask my LBS to try and get one. Any idea of the price?



"World's most dangerous City Trail/Path Biker"

Melissa Leyva-Brown wrote:
:: I usually leave my hands by the brakes or on the straight part of
:: the bar. At the risk of sounding really dumb.... could you explain
:: to me what bar ends are? Thanks!
::

They attach to your straight bar and point sort of up and to the front.
They give you extra places to put your hands, so they won't get all numb on
a 30-mile ride. One thing you give up going from a drop bar to a straight
bar is hand positions, which is a disadvantage corrected by bar ends.


:: On Tue, 25 May 2004, Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: Have you tried not putting your hands in drops? I don't see why
::: you can't go to for handlebars with bar ends....I find the clipless
::: pedals more intimidating than drop handlebars Seems like it
::: would be more expensive to get a new bike ($500 at least) than just
::: upgrading an already good bike.
:::
::: Melissa Leyva-Brown wrote:
::::: I'm getting into bicycling again after many, many years. Need
::::: bike
::::: for riding to work (15mi rt 1-3x weeekly), fun 20-30mile rides,
::::: and
::::: the occasional sprint triathlon (for fun/fitness not competing).
::::: I pulled my old schwinn tempo road bike out of the shed, got the
::::: rust mostly off, tune-up, new tires, seat, chain. Started riding
::::: and realized I'm not comfortable with the drop handle bars. I
::::: feel like I'm too far forward
::::: and it makes me nervous to go down hills. Got a bike fit today
::::: and need
::::: to decide whether to upgrade this bike which more or less fits,
::::: or look for an inexpensive used hybrid. LBS guy said my current
::::: bike
::::: is a good bike worth $900 new. If I kept this bike, I would want
::::: to put on a flat bar ($120), maybe move the shifters from the
::::: frame to
::::: the bar ($80), and eventually upgrade to clipless pedals ($50 for
::::: shimano ms20). Any advice on upgrading vs looking for a used
::::: hybrid that would meet my needs? Thanks
::::: so much! melissa