Some questions etc..

On 15 Aug 2004 14:05:57 -0700, (Douglas Harrington)
wrote:
Just starting to get into the sport at age 15 after finding a route to
the local bikepath in Rhode Island. Been riding one of those generic

Welcome, from another Rhode Islander.

On the local bike path i've noticed people on what I believe are
called 'road bikes' (the thin tires). While I am struggling to hold
17mph these people, some looking in their mid 60s+ are speeding past
me. It seems whenever I see someone else on a mountain bike they are
struggling like myself. Are road bikes capable of faster speeds or is
it just the fact that I am just starting out and can't move that fast
yet?

It's a combination of factors; one is the bike. A road bike does
make it easier to go faster. Another factor is that people who ride
road bikes tend to ride a lot; practice makes perfect.

Also, what type of bike would suit me best? - I ride on residential
streets almost all the time unless I am on the bike path (which is
paved as well). Just not sure how well something other than a
mountain bike would handle on the roads I have to go down to get to
the bike path - the shoulders are small and almost covered in sand,
gravel and other debris (such as the tar grit from the last hole the
DPW decided to dig).

I don't know exactly which roads you're riding, but I ride all kinds
of RI roads with a bike that started life as a lightweight racing
bike, has had a bunch of stuff added, weighs much more (plus my own
weight, 210 pounds), and has extremely narrow tires. I do keep the
tires inflated to their highest pressure. This is not the optimal
bike for me, but it works fine, and doesn't take any damage from our
roads. I may just ride it nicely.

You might do well with a sport-touring style road bike, which is a
little tougher than a regular racing bike, and more versatile,
without being much heavier. This is a large investment, especially
at your age.

A more realistic idea may be to salvage a discarded road bike. These
bikes from the 1970s and 1980s were called "ten speed", and have
tires nearly as narrow as a modern road bike, and look similar. Even
a really bad one of these is, IME, vastly superior to a Wal Mart /
Bennys / other department store mountain bike. You can actually get
many of the parts of these bikes at Wal Mart, and after fixing it
up, have a reasonably nice bike. Watch the curb on garbage day.

Electronics... I have a garmin GPS which I wear around my neck when I
head out, but am wondering what other items there are that people use
while biking. The GPS has a handlebar mount but I am afraid of it
being stolen or damaged if I were to crash (took a corner too fast a
few months ago at an intersection and hit a steep curb - had the gps
been on the handlebars it would have been damaged).

I have a Garmin Etrex Venture that I use with the handlebar on my
mountain bike. The mount is very secure, and my bar ends tend to
protect it pretty well in a crash. I used to ride every day, off
road, pretty roughly, and often crashed; the GPS was never hurt.

However, the GPS is not necessary for road riding. Paper maps aren't
even necessary; just ride for fun and try to head back home when you
need to. The worst thing that can happen is you need to call
somebody for a ride, and have trouble finding a payphone.

What are the major differences between a mountain bike like mine and a
'road bike'? (Physical differences and how they ride/feel)

The differences are too numerous to name. I need to sleep tonight...

Is it better/cheaper to build a bike or to buy one pre-built? (And
what sites are there that sell bikes/parts?)

Far cheaper to buy. More fun, IMO, to build. Cheapest of all, and
much fun, is to salvage and rebuild.

Not sure if I could build or buy a better bike with a few hundred
dollars but am interested in seeing whats out there (and building one
would be a nice project).

Buying a road bike brand new from a bike shop will set you back at
least $500. Dick's Sporting Goods sells a couple models of road bike
that I think go for $350 or $400. Making it fit you is the most
important part of buying a road bike, however, and I doubt Dick's
can do it properly; even many/most bike shops aren't very good at
it.

As for riding with the traffic...
I try to stay in the shoulder at most times, but the roads without
shoulders (or with shoulders filled with sand/glass/tar) are usually
on one-lane roads where passing is prohibited. Is it best to stay in

Which roads? They may just be unpleasant roads to bike on. You may
be able to find an alternate route with better roads.

the traffic lane until I find a safe/clear shoulder and then signal
the car(s) behind me to pass me? Also, at major intersections without

This is not always practical here. However, it is probably the
safest way; I'll advise better if I know the roads in question.

left/right turn only lanes, (like US6 which I cross now and then) I
assume it is best to get in a lane, rather than try to ride along the
side where someone going straight could hit me, correct? I see people

100% correct.

Much of route 6 in RI is really bad for bicycling, and some of it
(in Providence and just over the Johnston line) is much like I-95
and probably limited access (meaning bicycles prohibited).

In the eastern side of the state, it's four lane with a center
turning lane, no shoulders, but I think I remember sidewalks. The
traffic is very fast, very busy, and dangerous no matter what your
mode of transportation is. If I had to ride here, I'd probably
discard vehicular cycling for slow, careful sidewalk riding -- not
much faster than pedestrian.

As you get to the western half of Johnston, where the freeway
portion ends and it becomes a full-access highway again, it's four
very narrow lanes, no shoulders, and very high speed traffic,
including quite a bit of large truck traffic. As you get out to
Scituate and Foster, IIRC, it gets better, with two lanes and wide
shoulders, but even higher traffic speeds; and lots of hills.

on road bikes moving with the traffic, but I just see everything a
little differently as I can't move that fast. Also, I always ride on
the right (with traffic flow).

It's good that you ride on the proper side of the road. The dangers
of riding on the opposite side of the road are not obvious unless
you do it as a child, then witness others doing it when you drive
cars. That describes me; I found that a rider going the wrong way
does not get seen when entering/exiting the road, such as coming out
of my driveway; and walls, parked cars, buildings, and other
obstructions make it entirely impossible to see them. Most drivers
do not look for wrong-way traffic, and bicycles are so small they
aren't obvious.

I bought the GPS because I wanted it mainly for in-car
directions/mapping on my laptop.

You're 15 and worried about in-car directions? And you have a
laptop? Lucky *******.

some extras since I could use it while biking. Also want to get a
speedometer/odometer eventually, GPS has one but standalone is nicer

Cheap ones are easy to find; you can get a reasonable one at Wal
Mart. You could also try Ebay.

As for replacing the tires - will those thin tires be able to support
my bike? The frame is steel and the entire thing is damn heavy

You will have trouble getting tires less than 1.5" wide to fit your
bike. However narrow you get will be fine; your bike probably weighs
some 45 pounds, and how much could you possibly weigh? The key to
tires is getting enough air pressure in. I think Wal Mart has 26"
slicks that are pretty narrow and good for 60psi or more; these may
be a worthwhile investment. Slicks will be superior for any of the
riding you described, and even rougher riding; even in wet weather.

toward it and look on ebay/bike shops, with 2 gears working and one
that fails when you need it (dosn't lock and you end up having to walk
it across an intersection at times), I may just hold off and buy a

Your bike just needs adjusting. Any bike that hasn't been well
maintained won't shift well, even a really expensive one. OTOH, even
the worst junk from Bennys will shift reasonably given enough
attention.
--
Rick Onanian