Bikes

Randy Watson

Well-known member
I'm thinking of getting a bike. I need something for getting 'round town and for going along the promenade. I'm thinking it should be a hybrid and I'm looking to spend no more than £300.

Does anyone have any recommendations or good experiences with particular outlets/manufacturers?
 

jenks

thread death
very parochial answer coming up here.
Richardson's in leigh are excellent and i use them all the time for my hybrid - a ridgeback. If you're not a total bike nut a hybrid makes sense and richardson's won't put the hard sell on you - they're looking for long term custom rather than short term rip offs.
if you ever fancy putting the nipper on the back when they're older i've got a great seat you can have in a few months when mine have finally outgrown it.
yes all very twee here on the coast!
 

viktorvaughn

Well-known member
So my cheap (but beautiful) racer got half-inched and I'm looking for a replacement.

Are gumtree, ebay or other internet outlets wise?

Can spend up to £200 and am thinking of a single-speed as it's just for bopping around London with and commuting four or five miles twice a day, nothing mental.

Prefer old school minimal looking bikes!

Help me please! I feel crippled without a bike.
 

zhao

there are no accidents
That is beefy! Why do you not recommend racers, I can't face the idea of riding a hulking mountain bike or hybrid.

well cities are filled with things like tram tracks which racer tires get (often i hear) stuck in, curbs that one needs to jump, broken beer bottles, road-kill, nails, rain, mud... all of which are no problem for a hummer-bike. but unlike hummer-cars, that thing is really light-weight... i think the lock weighs more than the body.

why can't you face the idea of riding a hulk? aesthetics? i myself was considering a normal old-school street bike that looks like something from a Goddard movie circa 1968, something that would look well understated and tasteful with a long coat and scarves... before giving in to the 12 year old. :eek:
 

viktorvaughn

Well-known member
I like to feel nippy and agile when I ride a bike! Dodging potholes is a nuisance though. But there are no tram-lines to contend with. And yes, I don't really fancy the aesthetics of a chunk bike also.:D
 

brown neon

Member
maybe get yourself one of these?

The_Fart_Bike.jpg
 
well cities are filled with things like tram tracks which racer tires get (often i hear) stuck in, curbs that one needs to jump, broken beer bottles, road-kill, nails, rain, mud... all of which are no problem for a hummer-bike. but unlike hummer-cars, that thing is really light-weight... i think the lock weighs more than the body.

why can't you face the idea of riding a hulk? aesthetics? i myself was considering a normal old-school street bike that looks like something from a Goddard movie circa 1968, something that would look well understated and tasteful with a long coat and scarves... before giving in to the 12 year old. :eek:

It seems that 'Godard movie circa 1968' bikes are again all the rage in some of the world's leading bike cities: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bogota, as this recent video reveals; hardly a mountain bike in sight in most of these images, something to do with functionality rather than sport, social space rather than lifestyle, perhaps ...

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Zhao, assuming you don't mind a little vertigo, wouldn't this advance your nirvana cause :cool:?

big%20bike.jpg
 

Gavin

booty bass intellectual
Old school road bikes are popular in Chicago, and it is partially a lifestyle choice, even down to what kind of bike you have! Moutain bikes are totally uncool, and the coolest bikes are "fixies" -- fixed gear road bikes. My friends are all into this bike culture; one claims his fixie gets him more attention from the hip ladies! You can tell who bikes by the shoes they wear (no laces) and if they have their pant legs rolled up. In the winter balaclavas are all the rage. The coolness factor for helmets is up in the air, though they are generally not cool.

I'd agree sociality is a major factor in their popularity -- you can bike with friends, although woe to you who takes the train to meet biking friends at a bar -- they can pick up and ride away leaving you waiting for a bus!

A lot of cities, Chicago included, have upped the pro-bike rhetoric, even if actual improvements in bike infrastructure are lagging -- easy way to fight pollution and cut down on traffic without having to spend a dime on mass transit.
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
Old school road bikes are popular in Chicago, and it is partially a lifestyle choice, even down to what kind of bike you have! Moutain bikes are totally uncool, and the coolest bikes are "fixies" -- fixed gear road bikes. My friends are all into this bike culture; one claims his fixie gets him more attention from the hip ladies! You can tell who bikes by the shoes they wear (no laces) and if they have their pant legs rolled up. In the winter balaclavas are all the rage. The coolness factor for helmets is up in the air, though they are generally not cool.

I'd agree sociality is a major factor in their popularity -- you can bike with friends, although woe to you who takes the train to meet biking friends at a bar -- they can pick up and ride away leaving you waiting for a bus!

A lot of cities, Chicago included, have upped the pro-bike rhetoric, even if actual improvements in bike infrastructure are lagging -- easy way to fight pollution and cut down on traffic without having to spend a dime on mass transit.

I despise people who ride their bikes on the sidewalks in NY. There is a special place in hell reserved for them.
 

Gavin

booty bass intellectual
I despise people who ride their bikes on the sidewalks in NY. There is a special place in hell reserved for them.

Yah, that sucks, although I think riding on them a bit is fine if there are no pedestrians and there are hazards in the road (like double-parked cars). But yeah, if you are too afraid to ride in the street, take the bus dood!
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
Yah, that sucks, although I think riding on them a bit is fine if there are no pedestrians and there are hazards in the road (like double-parked cars). But yeah, if you are too afraid to ride in the street, take the bus dood!

The kids in my neighborhood run over my feet at least once a week. ggguuuh. Also the Chinese food delivery guys never pay attention to where they're going and they make it impossible to cross the street...

The only thing worse are people during rush hour who take their bikes on the subway. Why??

That said I would be terrified of biking in the street.
 

jenks

thread death
Now is a great time to but a new bike as all the retailers are trying to offload 2007 bikes as teh 2008 bikes come into the shops.

I now ride my road bike around town much more than my hybrid. I have put a rack and mudguards on my Trek 1200 and have saved my Trek Madone solely for good weather.

I reckon a fixed would be ideal for around town and i reckon you could get one for your asking price if you didn't mind a heavy bike. For a little bit more money there are good entry level Orbeas, Treks and others. Ribble, Probikekit and Wiggle have good websites and I know Boardman has designed some bikes for Halfords.

ebay is always full of bikes and the old fashioned news agents window usually has a few decent bargains - I think people often buy bikes thinking they are going to get fit but discover that the initial passion fades fast.
 

Eric

Mr Moraigero
It seems that the fixie thing is OK as long as your city is not genuinely mountainous. There are billions of kids in Tokyo now on track bikes, it really seems like exponential growth. It's a bit annoying actually: everyone respects the uniform & brands, every bike is individualized to look the same ... it's a scene.

NO bikes on the sidewalk please. Doing that just means that the rider doesn't understand a) how to ride on the street and b) which one is actually more dangerous.

I ride a road/cross bike (Sunn) with slicks on. I haven't yet had a problem with my tires catching (here we have grates, but few trolley tracks). I did catch a pedal last week and faceplant but no major damage ... Anyway you should only have a problem if you get really skinny tires. I run 28s and they are fine but I wouldn't run 23s.

Zhao your bike is ugly as sin :p
 

petergunn

plywood violin
Old school road bikes are popular in Chicago, and it is partially a lifestyle choice, even down to what kind of bike you have! Moutain bikes are totally uncool, and the coolest bikes are "fixies" -- fixed gear road bikes. My friends are all into this bike culture; one claims his fixie gets him more attention from the hip ladies! You can tell who bikes by the shoes they wear (no laces) and if they have their pant legs rolled up. In the winter balaclavas are all the rage. The coolness factor for helmets is up in the air, though they are generally not cool.

your friends are douche bags

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/:

Zooey Deschanel plays Kate Hudson’s sarcastic and brooding fixed-gear-riding roommate. In one scene she comes home and tells Hudson about the crush she has on the local celebrity messenger and alleycat champion (played by Adam Brody from the “O.C.”), explaining that, “He’s really hot. He rides a Pista Concept, his sneakers match his rims, and his dreadlocks smell like kitty litter.” Then she sighs, pulls the hood of her R.E.Load sweatshirt over her head, and does a big bong hit.


i feel like we have this thread 3 times before, but honestly unless you are a messenger, a fixie is corny as hell, and often very dangerous... no breaks or just one handbreak= retardation on a rainy traffic filled street...

for city riding a good cheap moutain bike will do you right.. you'll have a lot of gears for inclines and you'll avoid pothole flats thanks to your thick tires...
 

Eric

Mr Moraigero
but I have to disagree on the cheap mtb ... it is an option but a cheap road bike will do you faster & better & with less effort. depends if you want to be hopping curbs all the time, but otherwise not. especially if you ride any distance.
 
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