So I wouldn't call myself an avid bicyclist, but I really enjoy going for a long ride. Right now I'm on my sister's Gary Fisher, one of the lower end models, and I'd like to get my own bike when I get my MA tax return. Here's the thing. My budget would be around $600, which could get me a decent but not really exciting bike. Craigslist is a good resource, I know, and I found a good bike there for my girlfriend, but I'm very tempted to be daring in this.
I'm considering building my own bamboo bike frame, which can be done for about $150 to make a frame that would usually retail for about $2000. The process seems involved but not out of my ability range. It requires the use of propane torches, mitering, epoxy, and frame design, none of which I have ever done. Resources are pretty solid online, with a bunch of guides to cross reference and ideas to draw upon. These two are catching my eye in particular, the former about single speed and fixed gear cycling and the latter about bamboo frame construction:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
http://bamboobike.wordpress.com/
I really like the idea of having a unique bike that I can really say is mine and get extremely upset about when it inevitably gets stolen. It's spring/summer and I could use a project to work on. I want to know if anyone here has any experience building bikes (not necessarily constructing a frame but assembling them) or knows anyone who's really into it, if this is feasible for a newcomer, or really anyone who has opinions on fixed gear/single speed bikes they'd like to share. Or anyone really, who wants to help me out with some perspective.
The project would, of course, be accompanied by a Bring & Brag thread with pictures and write ups of my progress. I'll also try to carry a camera and note on me while riding it to upload photos of my mangled corpse should my construction prove faulty.
Screw the bike, show us pictures of your mangled corpse!
I know nothing about building frames, but I know that single-speed bikes are worthless shitcranks that are only fit for asshole hipsters who only intend to ride them from the coffee shop to whatever bar has PBR on special. Unless you live in a beachside town with no hills higher than 3' above sea level, that is.
If you have a good bike mechanic who won't rape you on labor charges or especially if you're mechanically inclined and have the tools, you might look into buying a lower-end bike with a good frame and cheaper components and just upgrading the components. That's what I did, and for a total cost of a little under $400 I have a bike that is the equal of any bike I've seen selling for twice as much.
Quote from: Emerald City Hustle on April 07, 2010, 06:29:50 AM
I know nothing about building frames, but I know that single-speed bikes are worthless shitcranks that are only fit for asshole hipsters who only intend to ride them from the coffee shop to whatever bar has PBR on special. Unless you live in a beachside town with no hills higher than 3' above sea level, that is.
If you have a good bike mechanic who won't rape you on labor charges or especially if you're mechanically inclined and have the tools, you might look into buying a lower-end bike with a good frame and cheaper components and just upgrading the components. That's what I did, and for a total cost of a little under $400 I have a bike that is the equal of any bike I've seen selling for twice as much.
:wave: hi there
also-- Shitcranks :lulz:
Quote from: Emerald City Hustle on April 07, 2010, 06:29:50 AM
I know nothing about building frames, but I know that single-speed bikes are worthless shitcranks that are only fit for asshole hipsters who only intend to ride them from the coffee shop to whatever bar has PBR on special. Unless you live in a beachside town with no hills higher than 3' above sea level, that is.
I always get single speed bikes without transmission. Now, probably the entire slope of my city ranges no more than -3 to 1 feet above sea level so, yeah. It's not that I don't like being able to switch gear or can't afford them, but getting rid of extra wires and mechanisms in and around my bike is worth more. This is a city bike. I expect assholes to kick it over when I park it in the street when I go out at night. I expect parts of it to get bent when I slide a couple of yards and spraining my wrist when it's wet and slippery and I'm not paying enough attention.
Same goes for the brakes. There's the type with the levers on the handle bar which, again, have wires that are fragile. And then there's the type you activate by stepping on the pedal backwards. I suggest getting one with the latter. Apparently these are called "rear coaster drum brakes".
Then, since you're thinking of building your own, here's some more stuff I think adds value to a bike:
- first off, a bamboo frame sounds wicked awesome :)
- about the frame. over here we got male and female frames. the male frames have a bar going straight from the saddle to just below the steer. the female ones do not. I'm reading wikipedia to get names of bicycle parts and terms, what you want is a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step-through_frame :) the point being, they're easier to get on and off off, as well as if you were to quickly take off and make a running jump onto your bike but somehow you swerve and miss the saddle, you will not crash your nuts into the upper bar. this is a
major plus plus extra good feature. in fact the only reason to put the ball-piping nutcrusher bar there is if it is required for the integrity of the frame or if your name is Professor "balls-of-steel" Cramulus, standing world-champion ball-piper, record holder in the olympic, paralympic and just barely-limping tournament ranks.
- the chain. you want something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainguard (also check out the pic of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_city_bike fuck yeah that's an awesome bike :D and check this one out, the "Vintage Dutch Ladies Bicycle" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gazelle_Omafahrrad_series_-1.jpg :fap: my old bike that was stolen a few weeks ago looked almost just like that :cry:) ANYWAY, the chainguard/gearcase is important because otherwise you will get a lot of dust and crap and sand and mud and rain into your gears and they will rust and rot. you already know this, of course. but my IMPORTANT ADVICE is to somehow make your gearcase out of sturdy weatherproof cloth and make it open and close using VELCRO. velcro??? YEAH FUCKING VELCRO! :D because that's amazing stuff and it'll keep working no matter how much mud or crud gets into it. and most importantly you can open it with your hands without any tools, so if your chain runs off in the middle of a trip, that's cool. make sure the stitches are also sturdy and weatherproof.
Seriously I don't understand why they even bother with hard plastic screwed variant .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_city_bike#Fully-enclosed_chain_guard_.28chaincase.29
- you also want carrier bags on the back of your bike which are attached to a "Rack with strap" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_city_bike#Rack_with_strap . Carrier bags are useful for
everything, especially getting groceries from the streetmarket. You do not want to skimp on these, either. Get simple quality ones, no extra clips or pockets or shit, and the flaps should close with VELCRO because anything else will either ultimately break, or you will curse while hurting your cold fingers when it's freezing outside trying to handle metal clips and wishing you got VELCRO instead. it should also have an insanely bright colour such as green, orange yellow or pink. and while you're at it, some reflector strips won't hurt.
- you say it will ultimately get stolen. this is true. however, you still want a good chain lock so you can chain it to streetlights and shit.
always chain it to the world. especially when you spent so much effort on it building it yourself. surely, some asshole with a portable bandsaw will have no trouble stealing your bike anyway, but such is life. the point of chaining it to the world is that some asshole without a portable bandsaw won't be able to just lift it on the back of his truck and use his non-portable bandsaw at home to detach the lock. consider buying a lock made out of VELCRO (um, or not).
- I like bicycle lights that do not require a dynamo but run on their own separate batteries. Even if the drag on the wheel is probably just a psychological thing, I find myself a lot more likely to quickly switch them on when driving at night.
Ok I just described my dream bike. Which is your typical run-of-the-mill European City Vintage Lady Bike, reinforced with extra VELCRO.
On the off-chance that you want a completely different bike, this post is probably useless to you.
ECH, that was one of the primary concerns I had about single speeds. I live in New England. There's no shortage of hills. New Bedford isn't exactly a bike friendly city either, so finding a good bike mechanic won't be easy. I will look around for that suggestion though. The single speed thing is one of the links' focus but he does talk about derailers and such should one want a several speed bike.
Trip, wow, damn you really are a bike spag. I like to ride for more recreational touring than city errands and such. Usually I take the quickest route out of the city, actually. Like I said above with bike friendliness, our drivers just don't know how to deal with a bike on the road (likewise 90% of our cyclists don't know how to deal with themselves on the road). I'm definitely going to check out those links at work later, sounds like a hell of a fun bike.
putting a bike together ain't too difficult, if you're buying all the fiddly bits its pretty much just "attach to frame in a sensible fashion", I'd get instructions anyways though.
Bamboo frame seems like a pretty awesome idea :)
I pretty much agree with ECH as far as single-speed goes, I wouldn't go for it unless you live in a particularly flat area :)
I don't know exactly how you will be using the epoxy, but your probably going to need to order microfibers to mix in so you can use it as a glue. Fibreglass tape might be helpful as well, but it depends on how its going to be contructed. Also, most epoxy manufacturers will sell pre-measured dispensers for a small price which I'd recommend, just makes things a little easier.
As far as handling the stuff, disposable latex gloves and some old clothes and you'll be fine ;) Just try not to get your clothes stuck to your skin, as that can be a bit uncomfortable.
x
Rb,
yup, i talked about epoxy 'cause thats the only thing on list I know a reasonable amount about :)
I've always been a fan of watching yard sales, dumpsters, junk yards, and charity stores for frames and parts, then changing in tube, tire, chain and brakes as needed. There are some specialty tools (for cranks, bearings, chain), but I rarely need more than a few wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers.
You can make a simply fixed gear easily, it will look not worth stealing, and is minimal investment if it does walk off.
Quote from: Roaring Biscuit! on April 07, 2010, 03:16:09 PM
putting a bike together ain't too difficult, if you're buying all the fiddly bits its pretty much just "attach to frame in a sensible fashion", I'd get instructions anyways though.
Bamboo frame seems like a pretty awesome idea :)
I pretty much agree with ECH as far as single-speed goes, I wouldn't go for it unless you live in a particularly flat area :)
I don't know exactly how you will be using the epoxy, but your probably going to need to order microfibers to mix in so you can use it as a glue. Fibreglass tape might be helpful as well, but it depends on how its going to be contructed. Also, most epoxy manufacturers will sell pre-measured dispensers for a small price which I'd recommend, just makes things a little easier.
As far as handling the stuff, disposable latex gloves and some old clothes and you'll be fine ;) Just try not to get your clothes stuck to your skin, as that can be a bit uncomfortable.
x
Rb,
yup, i talked about epoxy 'cause thats the only thing on list I know a reasonable amount about :)
Well it's appreciated. The epoxy is one of the parts I'd be most concerned about. Most people recommend a really fibrous hemp rope. Scuff up the bamboo with low grit sandpaper, epoxy it, then put rope on top of that and epoxy the rope. Layer it a few times and do it with a tight lashing and that's how the frame is assembled.
Quote from: Richter on April 07, 2010, 05:16:42 PM
I've always been a fan of watching yard sales, dumpsters, junk yards, and charity stores for frames and parts, then changing in tube, tire, chain and brakes as needed. There are some specialty tools (for cranks, bearings, chain), but I rarely need more than a few wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers.
You can make a simply fixed gear easily, it will look not worth stealing, and is minimal investment if it does walk off.
Yard sale season is coming up. As is the end of the college year in Boston, meaning craigslist will be going nuts with bicycles.
well, it looks like you could use pretty much anything, i think it just depends on how you want it to look.
I think the hemp rope option is probably the simplest, even with thin strips of fibreglass cloth you might have a hard time getting it to lie flat in such awkward spaces. On the plus side, fibreglass will be almost completely see through once its saturated with epoxy, so you bike will look like tis held together with willpower :)
Could use kevlar cloth/tape as well if you wanted it to be really strong, but that dries a kinda muddy yellow colour (not very attractive)
x
edd
I bought a pretty decent bike for $300. I took it to a bike "mechanic" at the store I bought it from because they recommend having it checked out every 90 days and the first one is free. The guy actually fucked it up when he when he gave it a tune up.
I came to the realization that I wasted my time bringing the bike in and that they're really not complicated. I fix my own bike now and it's pretty goddamn easy.
As far as making your own bike frame goes, I've got no experience with that but as long as you build a solid frame you should be OK. I wouldn't recommend doing anything crazy on it until you're sure it's durable enough not to fall apart at 30 mph or something.
I can't straighten tires, everything else short of welding breaks falls under wrench twisting, so I don't see much point to a bike mechanic.
A bamboo bike sounds awesome. Could you build the frame and send it to a mechanic (or otherwise bike savvy person), and have them install gears/such on it?
Quote from: Ten Ton Mantis on April 07, 2010, 07:08:47 PMI came to the realization that I wasted my time bringing the bike in and that they're really not complicated. I fix my own bike now and it's pretty goddamn easy.
Absolutely this. I had a really nice quality, 18 gear mountain bike, which I rode virtually every day for about five years. During that time I had punctured tires, had to replace the breaks, clean the gears etc and none of it was more than a couple of hours work on a Saturday morning, nor terribly expensive.
Also, the only excuse for having a single-speed bike and being an adult is living in Holland. Or Ohio, or whichever state in the US is really flat. Even if your route is only moderately hilly, 10 gears will make a significant difference.
Quote from: Richter on April 07, 2010, 07:40:39 PM
I can't straighten tires, everything else short of welding breaks falls under wrench twisting, so I don't see much point to a bike mechanic.
Small talk?
I hear they tend to be well spoken.
Quote from: Rev. What's-His-Name? on April 07, 2010, 07:56:06 PM
Quote from: Richter on April 07, 2010, 07:40:39 PM
I can't straighten tires, everything else short of welding breaks falls under wrench twisting, so I don't see much point to a bike mechanic.
Small talk?
I hear they tend to be well spoken.
Stop pedaling those awful puns here.
I think the primary reason to ride a fixed gear bike, especially if you live in a hilly area, is to prove you are a True Bicycling Bignuts.
I think it's a status thing more than anything else.
My advice:
Get a reputable frame from people with a lot of experience making frames. If you've ever had a frame or fork break on you, you know it's a lot cheaper to spend more money on solid equipment than it is to get reconstructive surgery for your face. I was lucky and landed in dirt and woodchips but if I was on concrete I would not have all of my teeth.
Get a solid wheelset, and basic components that you replace later as ECH suggested.
A Really Real Cycling Bignuts (for Realness) would buy a 25 gear bike and ride it on the highest gear everywhere. I'd be impressed, if questioning of their sanity.
Quote from: Cain on April 07, 2010, 07:55:15 PM
Also, the only excuse for having a single-speed bike and being an adult is living in Holland. Or being a pretentious hipster who aspires to someday riding a tall bike to his favorite PBR-soaked hipster hangout.
fixed that for you.
Quote from: LMNO on April 07, 2010, 08:03:10 PM
Quote from: Rev. What's-His-Name? on April 07, 2010, 07:56:06 PM
Quote from: Richter on April 07, 2010, 07:40:39 PM
I can't straighten tires, everything else short of welding breaks falls under wrench twisting, so I don't see much point to a bike mechanic.
Small talk?
I hear they tend to be well spoken.
Stop pedaling those awful puns here.
No need to be cranky about it.
Quote from: Cain on April 07, 2010, 08:23:26 PM
A Really Real Cycling Bignuts (for Realness) would buy a 25 gear bike and ride it on the highest gear everywhere. I'd be impressed, if questioning of their sanity.
One would need to fashion a sidecar specifically designed to carry such nuts.
Quote from: Cain on April 07, 2010, 08:23:26 PM
A Really Real Cycling Bignuts (for Realness) would buy a 25 gear bike and ride it on the highest gear everywhere. I'd be impressed, if questioning of their sanity.
If it counts for anything, I used to do that with my 21 speed.
I've fallen horribly out of shape lately, but my calves are still fucking
rawking.
Just get a penny farthing and be done with it.
I rode a single speed with coaster brakes every day for about two years in Portland, which has lots of hills. I really appreciated the simplicity of it- I'm not big on fixing things, and this was very low-maintenance. I commuted ten miles every day, in all weather, and never had any real problems. I would often blow past people with thousand-dollar bikes who were click-click-clicking their gears looking for the sweet spot, while I knew all I had to do was muscle down.
As the first bike I commuted on, it was excellent for building up strong legs very fast, and it gave me the confidence in my own strength to climb hills and the like. I could count maybe twice that I had to get off and push, and those were a matter of something killing my momentum halfway up.
I have a 3-speed now, and I think for my next bike I might go up to as many as 7 or 8. I like using third gear to fly down hills where I couldn't pedal fast enough before, but I almost never use first to climb- that's what muscle is for. I like being able to switch when I want to, though- I'm not out to prove anything.
That single-speed is still sitting in my living room, awaiting its eventual conversion to a chopper.
(Single speed does not equal fixie in this case, by the way. Fixies are specialized bikes that you'll probably never need to think about unless you're more concerned with fashion than riding.)
Quote from: johnnybrainwash on April 09, 2010, 02:39:33 AM
I rode a single speed with coaster brakes every day for about two years in Portland, which has lots of hills. I really appreciated the simplicity of it- I'm not big on fixing things, and this was very low-maintenance. I commuted ten miles every day, in all weather, and never had any real problems. I would often blow past people with thousand-dollar bikes who were click-click-clicking their gears looking for the sweet spot, while I knew all I had to do was muscle down.
As the first bike I commuted on, it was excellent for building up strong legs very fast, and it gave me the confidence in my own strength to climb hills and the like. I could count maybe twice that I had to get off and push, and those were a matter of something killing my momentum halfway up.
I have a 3-speed now, and I think for my next bike I might go up to as many as 7 or 8. I like using third gear to fly down hills where I couldn't pedal fast enough before, but I almost never use first to climb- that's what muscle is for. I like being able to switch when I want to, though- I'm not out to prove anything.
That single-speed is still sitting in my living room, awaiting its eventual conversion to a chopper.
(Single speed does not equal fixie in this case, by the way. Fixies are specialized bikes that you'll probably never need to think about unless you're more concerned with fashion than riding.)
That Sheldon Brown guy in the link makes some pretty compelling arguments for single speeds as well. I'm tempted to go for the whole different riding experience, and I imagine it'd be easier to build than a geared bike, but even on a geared bike it sucks to hit a bad hill. It's the long sloping ones I hate the most. The steep ones are at least over relatively quickly. Then again I guess I haven't hit a truly awful steep one yet.
isnt it better exercise to do single speed? thats the only reason i would own a bike. i only ride stationary ones anyway :lol:
Umm, Portland does NOT have alot of hills. Well, the westside has some but nobody actually lives over there so it doesn't count.
That said, building a geared bike is no harder than building a single-speed bike unless you intend to machine the parts yourself. Otherwise, it's just a matter of attaching the right parts to the right spots on the frame, and making sure you get a derailleur that's made of something heavy-duty enough not to bend and throw off your gearing every time you hop a curb.
The single speed simplicity has it's perks, I agree. Johnny Brainwash and Sheldon Brown have some points: it's a bit cheaper, easier to maintain, and the experience is notably different (quieter, super smooth pedal strokes).
But it's not practical. Also, derailleurs are not that hard to service—it takes like 30 minutes tops to get things shifting smoothly. Figuring out chain tension on a single speed is more difficult than setting up a derailleur. It's kind of sad that people consider gear shifting systems so complicated. They ARE complicated for cars, trucks and motorcycles, I wouldn't even know how to begin. But for fucks sake, THAT is your standard for complexity versus simplicity? Some extra cogs, cables, and shifting devices?
Srsly? Those are some of the easiest parts of a bicycle to service and maintain.
I used to ride a 20" and 24" BMX and rode the hell out of them, occasionally on the westside which ECH has noted are indeed full of hills. I've also ridden a rigid mountain bike, a few hardtails, and a road racing bike on a regular basis to get around Portland. Let's just say that I willfully chose not to get my drivers license until I was in my twenties... The single speed aspect is limiting, even if you mess with the gear ratios. You inevitably will run into a situation where you're going to have to walk or not ride the way you want to because you're stuck in one goddamn gear. I can't say I've ever felt limited by having the option to shift gears as the conditions warrant it.
I can't fully understand why you'd want to ride a single speed that isn't a BMX though. If you have a single speed that you will never be able to jump over a recycling bin, WAYSRB?
Dunno about harder to service, my point of view about simplicity in fixed gear versus multi gear is that it simply has less cogs cables and other parts that can break. Less parts is less breakage in a hostile environment, such as my city.
Quote from: Triple Zero on April 09, 2010, 12:34:33 PM
Dunno about harder to service, my point of view about simplicity in fixed gear versus multi gear is that it simply has less cogs cables and other parts that can break. Less parts is less breakage in a hostile environment, such as my city.
My bike is broken, yet I can still ride it around as a two speed.
If more of it breaks, I can still ride it as a one speed.
This is all irrelevant though to the greatest bicycles on earth, which hark from the Netherlands and I'm aghast you have neglected to mention. None of this rear-attaching, shit-falling-off-and-you-don't-know-it-because-it's behind-you, Xtra-cycle, 90's-neo-hippie American crap.
The Dutch know how to MOVE SHIT ON A BIKE:
(http://imgur.com/l752F.jpg)
LOOK AT THAT SHIT! YOU COULD PUT A PERSON IN THAT BUCKET THAT IS TOO FAT TO RIDE A GODDAMN BIKE!
THE FRONT WHEEL IS TINY AS FUCK SO YOU CAN SEE OVER IT.
SEE THAT LONG THUNDERDICK OF A BAR THAT GOES TO THE FRONT WHEEL: THAT'S A MOTHERFUCKING STEERING APPARATUS THAT WOULD RAPE A GIRAFFE WITH YOUR MOM MERELY BY LOOKING AT IT.
THE MOTHERFUCKING DRIVETRAIN IS COVERED WITH PLASTIC SHIT SO YOUR FUCKING PANTIES WONT GET ZALGOED TO A FINE, BLACK PULP OF SUPERNATURAL EXCREMENT.
AND FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE DOUBLE-FUCKING-SIDED KICKSTAND. YOU CAN GO FROM FULLY ERECT, TO THRUSTING YOUR WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC IN A SINGLE GODDAMN GESTURE.
WHEN YOUR NUTS SWELL OUT OF YOUR PANTS FROM RIDING THIS BITCH YOU CAN JUST PARK THAT SHIT ON THE BACK MOTHERFUCKING CARRIER AND FEEL THE COOL BREEZE RIPPLE THROUGH YOUR SCROTE. UNLESS YOUR SWOLLEN-ASS NUTS WEIGH MORE THAN 35 KILOS. THAT'S 77 POUNDS OF BUILT-IN BRA FOR YOUR NUTS IN THE BACKSEAT ALONE.
Quote from: Ne+@uNGr0+ on April 09, 2010, 01:35:56 PM
This is all irrelevant though to the greatest bicycles on earth, which hark from the Netherlands and I'm aghast you have neglected to mention. None of this rear-attaching, shit-falling-off-and-you-don't-know-it-because-it's behind-you, Xtra-cycle, 90's-neo-hippie American crap.
The Dutch know how to MOVE SHIT ON A BIKE:
(http://imgur.com/l752F.jpg)
LOOK AT THAT SHIT! YOU COULD PUT A PERSON IN THAT BUCKET THAT IS TOO FAT TO RIDE A GODDAMN BIKE!
THE FRONT WHEEL IS TINY AS FUCK SO YOU CAN SEE OVER IT.
SEE THAT LONG THUNDERDICK OF A BAR THAT GOES TO THE FRONT WHEEL: THAT'S A MOTHERFUCKING STEERING APPARATUS THAT WOULD RAPE A GIRAFFE WITH YOUR MOM MERELY BY LOOKING AT IT.
THE MOTHERFUCKING DRIVETRAIN IS COVERED WITH PLASTIC SHIT SO YOUR FUCKING PANTIES WONT GET ZALGOED TO A FINE, BLACK PULP OF SUPERNATURAL EXCREMENT.
AND FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE DOUBLE-FUCKING-SIDED KICKSTAND. YOU CAN GO FROM FULLY ERECT, TO THRUSTING YOUR WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC IN A SINGLE GODDAMN GESTURE.
WHEN YOUR NUTS SWELL OUT OF YOUR PANTS FROM RIDING THIS BITCH YOU CAN JUST PARK THAT SHIT ON THE BACK MOTHERFUCKING CARRIER AND FEEL THE COOL BREEZE RIPPLE THROUGH YOUR SCROTE. UNLESS YOUR SWOLLEN-ASS NUTS WEIGH MORE THAN 35 KILOS. THAT'S 77 POUNDS OF BUILT-IN BRA FOR YOUR NUTS IN THE BACKSEAT ALONE.
AAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUCK YEAH
funny you should mention that cause I (ok my gf) actually WON one of those fuckers last week from a code on a box of liquorice candy! :D :D
it's the "Babboe Big" which is worth like
1250 750 euros!!!
(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7640/bannerfietsersbondgr.jpg)
http://www.babboe.nl/
CHECK IT OUT, IT CAN HOLD
FOUR TODDLERS :D :D :D :woopwoop:
SAY YOU DONT LIKE LIQUORICE AGAIN YOU FUCKS
Quote from: Ne+@uNGr0+ on April 09, 2010, 01:35:56 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on April 09, 2010, 12:34:33 PM
Dunno about harder to service, my point of view about simplicity in fixed gear versus multi gear is that it simply has less cogs cables and other parts that can break. Less parts is less breakage in a hostile environment, such as my city.
My bike is broken, yet I can still ride it around as a two speed.
If more of it breaks, I can still ride it as a one speed.
This is all irrelevant though to the greatest bicycles on earth, which hark from the Netherlands and I'm aghast you have neglected to mention. None of this rear-attaching, shit-falling-off-and-you-don't-know-it-because-it's behind-you, Xtra-cycle, 90's-neo-hippie American crap.
The Dutch know how to MOVE SHIT ON A BIKE:
(http://imgur.com/l752F.jpg)
LOOK AT THAT SHIT! YOU COULD PUT A PERSON IN THAT BUCKET THAT IS TOO FAT TO RIDE A GODDAMN BIKE!
THE FRONT WHEEL IS TINY AS FUCK SO YOU CAN SEE OVER IT.
SEE THAT LONG THUNDERDICK OF A BAR THAT GOES TO THE FRONT WHEEL: THAT'S A MOTHERFUCKING STEERING APPARATUS THAT WOULD RAPE A GIRAFFE WITH YOUR MOM MERELY BY LOOKING AT IT.
THE MOTHERFUCKING DRIVETRAIN IS COVERED WITH PLASTIC SHIT SO YOUR FUCKING PANTIES WONT GET ZALGOED TO A FINE, BLACK PULP OF SUPERNATURAL EXCREMENT.
AND FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE DOUBLE-FUCKING-SIDED KICKSTAND. YOU CAN GO FROM FULLY ERECT, TO THRUSTING YOUR WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC IN A SINGLE GODDAMN GESTURE.
WHEN YOUR NUTS SWELL OUT OF YOUR PANTS FROM RIDING THIS BITCH YOU CAN JUST PARK THAT SHIT ON THE BACK MOTHERFUCKING CARRIER AND FEEL THE COOL BREEZE RIPPLE THROUGH YOUR SCROTE. UNLESS YOUR SWOLLEN-ASS NUTS WEIGH MORE THAN 35 KILOS. THAT'S 77 POUNDS OF BUILT-IN BRA FOR YOUR NUTS IN THE BACKSEAT ALONE.
:potd:
That is a goddamn awesome bike.
The only thing I have to contribute to this thread is the wealth of reward to be reaped from getting your bike properly fitted to you. I'd been having a lot of pain in my quads when riding lately, so I hit the bike shop, chatted with them, and they adjusted my seat (yes, I know I could've done this myself but A) the bike shop dudes are SUPER CUTE and B) they almost never charge me for ANYTHING, so why not go get sexy professionals to do shit for free?). It's now higher.
THE POWER. THE UNLIMITED POWER.
I can extend my legs fully and I go so fast and my quads don't hurt and it is just a thousand million times more comfortable.
I always get kinda freaked out when I'm passing cyclists who are riding bikes that are not at all fitted to them correctly. They tend to be less stable, moving slowly, and look like they are in great agony.
I haven't figured out if I'm an asshole or a really nice person. When biking past people whose bikes are making noises that they shouldn't, I tend to slow down and toss out, "Hey, you should get your chain oiled," or "your rear tire is a little flat," or "upshift a gear or two and you'll find this is a lot easier!" I just cringe so hard when I see people pedaling like crazy and moving SO SLOWLY because they don't use any gear other than the very lowest. *facepalm*
Well, that went off-topic.
Bikes are super rad! Anyways, EoC, your area is kinda far from Boston, but if you ever take a haul, Back Bay Bikes, at the corner of Mass and Comm Aves, is full of superbly great people who take really good care of their customers and do not suffer from bike snobbery.
Which brings up a good point. If you intend to use your bike alot, it is well worth your time and effort to find a good local bike shop. Shit is going to break and/or need adjustment no matter how good of a bike you have, and there will be times when you are unwilling or unable to do the proper repairs yourself. I talked to 4 different local bike shops here in SE PDX before I found one that wasn't full of pretentious shitbags, but the shop I go to now is awesome. They really know their stuff, and if the problem is something I can fix myself easily, they'll tell me how rather than charge me for work I don't need. The first 4 shops didn't even want my business because I bought my bike from Walmart. I tried to explain to them that "I bought the bike for the frame, I want to spend money at your shop upgrading the components" but they were too wrapped up in their snobby little biketard world to get it.
For anyone in PDX who needs a good bike shop, Meticon Bikes on Foster is the fucking shit.
I knew of four bike shops in this area when I was a kid. At least two of those have closed down, and if the third didn't it moved to a location that I can't find and I can't remember its name. The final one is a good bunch of guys, but they overcharge like crazy. They do get props for posting awful jokes in their sign though.
http://www.youtube.com/d14653 (http://www.youtube.com/d14653)
Screw pedals. Use a jet engine.