Bikes and Things Bikes - I'm kind of Ignorant

I'm a Linux guru. Now I know how the *nix newbies feel

I don't drive. I use to, but I have epilepsy - every medicine I've tried
messes with my head and I can't critically think as well, without medicine
I don't have seizures if I get enough sleep - but due to liability, no
doctor (that I know) will sign the DMV form if I'm not medicated. With gas
prices though, I don't think I'm missing out too much - and when the air
is just right, I actually feel more energized after the ride than when I
start.

So I've been riding a bike everywhere for a few years.
My bike is a Diamondback Wildwood, I bought it new in 2001, but I think it
was the 2000 model (not positive).

I think though I want a new bike. I've been lurking this list trying to
educate myself, but I don't seem to know enough to even do that

Most of my riding is on paved roads, but some of it is on gravel roads,
and quite a few of the paved roads are full of giant pot holes. I prefer
straight handle bars (like I have). There are a couple hills I take that
are steep enough coming down that I wish I had disk brakes - and that I
wish I also had a taller gear to maybe build up a little more speed.

The bike is a 21 speed (3 on left shifter, 7 on right).

Currently most of my riding involves going to school, but I live in
northern part of Redding, and I would like to bike up to Lake Shasta more
often, especially in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.

I like the shifting mechanism that I have on the Diamondback (Shimano
Rapid Fire) but I really haven't tried that many.

I want something quality, something dependable.

This bike has been so far - though after the accident last semester (some
lady took a right turn into a driveway right into the bike lane in front
of me, nothing I could do - no exit path on the right, 50 MPH traffic on
the left, I layed the bike down and slammed right into her) I can't get
into granny gear (gear 1 on left shifter) anymore unless I lift the rear
tire off the ground and manually pedal, and sometimes on the right shifter
if I shift from 6 to 7 it makes a horrible sound and I have to go back
down and try again. I suspect though a bike shop could fix that. But I
want something really good that can take some abuse if needed, better than
what I have.

Needs to of course have the mountings for a solid rear rack that you put a
bag (panier??) on.

It doesn't need to be a mountain bike, but I think it does need to be a
hybrid because I do have to go over both gravel and neglected paved roads
to get to the places I go.

Any suggestions on what I should look at?
I'm 6'0"" if that matters, my ID says 185 but since I started biking, I
can't wear my pants w/o a belt, so I'm sure I'm down (maybe 170) now.

I won't be buying immediately, I'm planning on budgeting and buying at the
beginning of summer.

Thanks for any suggestions on what is important to consider, and what to
look at.

FunkyRes Wrote:

Most of my riding is on paved roads, but some of it is on gravel
roads,
and quite a few of the paved roads are full of giant pot holes. Riding through a pot hole can damage just about any wheelset out there,
but barring that a cyclocross or a hybrid shold work fineFunkyRes Wrote:
I prefer straight handle bars (like I have).Then you're looking at hybrids, MTB or a customized setup. Flat bars
usually can be adapted to most bikes.
FunkyRes Wrote:
There are a couple hills I take that are steep enough coming down that I
wish I had disk brakes - hydro discs can be fiddly but does provide great stopping power. Mech
discs are usually considered more robust, but might have clearance/drag
issues. Unless you're having trouble stopping(and your brakes are set up
properly) or your rims overheating, then rim brakes are still cheap,
light weight and amazingly simple gadgets.
FunkyRes Wrote:
and that I wish I also had a taller gear to maybe build up a little more
speed. An 8/9-spd cassette hub will probably fit a slightly smaller smallest
sprocket that what you're currently using, but if you really need a
taller gear you need another crankset.

FunkyRes Wrote:
I can't get into granny gear (gear 1 on left shifter) anymore
Wires can stretch under use. [url]http://www.sheldonbrown.com] offers
good advice how to adjust things like that.
FunkyRes Wrote:
But I want something really good that can take some abuse if needed,
better than what I have.
A bike is not a tank. A single-speed downhill bike would be about as
rugged as it gets, but fixed objects collision or slamming into cars is
a bit outside the survival specification for anything. Hub gears will
rid you of the protruding derailleur but have their own issues.


--
dabac

FunkyRes wrote:

I think though I want a new bike. I've been l urking this list trying to
educate myself, but I don't seem to know enough to even do that

Most of my riding is on paved roads, but some of it is on gravel roads,
and quite a few of the paved roads are full of giant pot holes. I prefer
strai ght handle bars (like I have). There are a couple hills I take that
are steep enough coming down that I wish I had disk brakes - and that I
wish I also had a taller gear to maybe build up a little more speed.

Currently most of my riding involves going to school, but I live in
northern part of Redding, and I would like to bike up to Lake Shasta more
often, especially in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.
Needs to of course have the mountings for a solid rear rack that you put a
bag (panier??) on.

It doesn't need to be a mountain bike, but I think it does need to be a
hybrid because I do have to go over both gravel and neglected paved roads
to get to the places I go.

Any suggestions on what I should look at?
I'm 6'0"" if that matters, my ID says 185 but since I started biking, I
can't wear my pants w/o a belt, so I'm sure I'm down (maybe 170) now.

I ride roads that match the same description and do just fine on an
ordinary road bicycle with 700x32 smooth tread tires. 700x28 or 700x35
would work just about as well, and 700x25 would likely be acceptable
too- no smaller though. All with smooth tread.

There isn't anything special about a hybrid per se that makes it better
for such riding; what it has, and what my road bicycle has that other
road bicycles don't, is the following:

-clearance for these larger tires, plus fenders. Most of what passes
for road bicycles these days can clear at most 700x25 without fenders.
Fenders are quite useful even in the dry, they keep your drivetrain and
your bicycle much cleaner, especially if you ride a lot on crushed
gravel.

-handlebars that are at about the same level as the saddle. I vary
mine from about level to about a half inch to an inch below the nose.
Most of what passes for road bicycles these days are set up so that you
can't raise the bars to within four inches of the nose of the saddle.
That's good for poseurs and maybe even real racers who are paid to
suffer, but forget it for ordinary riding.

As for brakes, you already have disk brakes on your bicycle: the rim
itself is like the edge of a giant disk. The only advantage of "disk
brakes" is for riding through deep mud, since the rims get muddy, or in
constant rain, because the rims will wear out ahead of schedule with
the grit that gets picked up. This can also be avoided with ceramic
coated rims, instead of disk brakes. The latter have their own problems
and there is no reason to get them for the type of riding you describe.
You may just need better brake pads: the model of choice is Kool Stop,
in the salmon color.

The keys to a good bicycle that you will enjoy are the contact points:
the bicycle with you, and the bicycle with the road. That means a good
saddle, handlebars in a comfortable position, pedals that you find
comfortable and convenient, and sensible wheels with good tires in the
right size. Saddles are very individual, get what you like, but
consider Brooks leather saddles, model B17 or the same model with
springs, I can't recall if that is B67 or something else. Handlebars
the same, but don't rule out drop bars: remember they are flat on top
too, but just have extra positions. You can get a second set of brake
levers that are actuated from the top position and these have become
very popular for cyclocross. Get them with shift levers at the bar ends
and you will find shifting convenient too (shift levers in the brake
levers are heavy and expensive and unnecessary). Sensible wheels have
32 to 36 spokes. Good tires are Avocet Carbon 12, IRC Road Winner,
Continental Ultra 2000 (max size 28), Panaracer Pasela, and a few
others. The least expensive are the IRC and the Panaracer, although the
Panaracer are not quite smooth and are marked one size larger than they
really are, i.e. get a marked 700x32 if you want a real 700x28.

It's hard to find a sport with more equipment mythology than bicycling,
and everybody has their own point of view, but try perusing these:

-The FAQs for this newsgroup: http://tinyurl.com/a5dvn
-www.harriscyclery.com (besides the treasure trove of information in
the artcles and glossary, check out the Surly cross bike for about
$900- not exactly what I would get but likely quite suitable for your
needs)
-www.rivendellbicycles.com -their "bicycling 101" section
-http://tinyurl.com/3tars -everything you need to know about bicycle
wheels, including how to build and repair them. You'll notice that the
author is a regular poster to this forum. If you read advice of his
take it seriously.

For carrying stuff, a large saddlebag (the kind that hangs from the
saddle) is better than a rear carrier for many things- see the above
sites, and
www.wallbike.com. See them also for saddles.
A rear carrier and panniers are sometimes necessary though and this
last site has a few good ones too. But if that's what you need you
should have no trouble finding just about anywhere.

Random bicycles I like with fenders (mostly), in no particular order:
http://tinyurl.com/dupfv
http://tinyurl.com/7ma9z
http://tinyurl.com/8xl7e
http://tinyurl.com/5xwmk
http://tinyurl.com/cz5wf
http://tinyurl.com/axooo
http://tinyurl.com/8sewx


Good luck and happy riding.

On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 20:50:09 -0700, FunkyRes wrote:

This bike has been so far - though after the accident last semester (some
lady took a right turn into a driveway right into the bike lane in front
of me, nothing I could do - no exit path on the right, 50 MPH traffic on
the left, I layed the bike down and slammed right into her) I can't get
into granny gear (gear 1 on left shifter) anymore unless I lift the rear
tire off the ground and manually pedal, and sometimes on the right shifter
if I shift from 6 to 7 it makes a horrible sound and I have to go back
down and try again. I suspect though a bike shop could fix that. But I
want something really good that can take some abuse if needed, better than
what I have.

No bike will withstand accidents and just keep going (well, no bike you
want to ride, anyway). The cager should have paid for full repairs to your
bike plus your medical costs.

Jasper

FunkyRes wrote:

some
lady took a right turn into a driveway right into the bike lane in front
of me, nothing I could do - no exit path on the right, 50 MPH traffic on
the left, I layed the bike down and slammed right into her

Funky -- The collision you describe is called a "right hook." The
motorist is almost certainly at fault and is responsible for repairing
or replacing your bike.

RFM
http://

In article ,
FunkyRes wrote:

I'm a Linux guru. Now I know how the *nix newbies feel

I don't drive. I use to, but I have epilepsy - every medicine I've tried
messes with my head and I can't critically think as well, without medicine
I don't have seizures if I get enough sleep - but due to liability, no
doctor (that I know) will sign the DMV form if I'm not medicated. With gas
prices though, I don't think I'm missing out too much - and when the air
is just right, I actually feel more energized after the ride than when I
start.

So I've been riding a bike everywhere for a few years.
My bike is a Diamondback Wildwood, I bought it new in 2001, but I think it
was the 2000 model (not positive).

I think though I want a new bike. I've been lurking this list trying to
educate myself, but I don't seem to know enough to even do that

Most of my riding is on paved roads, but some of it is on gravel roads,
and quite a few of the paved roads are full of giant pot holes. I prefer
straight handle bars (like I have).

Make a serious effort to change to drop handle bars. They
are more versatile and comfortable. When you fit the
bicycle be sure the tops of the bars are within an inch of
the saddle with room to set them lower.

--
Michael Press

In article .com,
"Fritz M" wrote:

FunkyRes wrote:

some
lady took a right turn into a driveway right into the bike lane in front
of me, nothing I could do - no exit path on the right, 50 MPH traffic on
the left, I layed the bike down and slammed right into her

Funky -- The collision you describe is called a "right hook." The
motorist is almost certainly at fault and is responsible for repairing
or replacing your bike.

RFM
http://

You gotta learn these expressions:

My back!
My neck!
My lawyer!

This will strike fear into the Insurance Company, and you will probably
get a new bike.

HAND
Always navigate by the laws of gross tonnage!

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:22:32 GMT, H M Leary wrote:

Always navigate by the laws of gross tonnage!

The actual legal situation (on Dutch inland waters) appears to be that
commercial shipping always has right of way over pleasure shipping, and
boats over 20 metres have right of way over boats under 20 metres, boats
under sail have right of way over motorised or human powered, and human
powered has right of way over motorised (and sail over port has right of
way over sail over starboard, IIRC, but that's getting technical).

Personally I tend to boil at least the first few down to "does it look big
enough to *hurt*?". That works amazingly well in traffic on the bike as
well, actually.


Jasper

In article ,
Jasper Janssen wrote:

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:22:32 GMT, H M Leary wrote:

Always navigate by the laws of gross tonnage!

snip

Personally I tend to boil at least the first few down to "does it look big
enough to *hurt*?". That works amazingly well in traffic on the bike as
well, actually.

Jasper:

That works for me too!

HAND