Bicycle Accessories?

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Ah, good thinking. Never even thought about the tires. They are the big knobby ones which I know aren't the quickest things around. Of course we do have some crushed gravel trails near me that I ride on over the weekends so I'd either need something that is more of an in-between tires or be able to swap them.

Go to a garage sale and buy a crappy bike just for the rims and tires. Then, swapping is easy. There are usually a lot for sale this time of year when people are upgrading their bikes.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
A word on saddles and seat hight.

The BIGGEST factor on whether you but hurts or not is saddle positioning, if your saddle is too low it wont matter what saddle you are sitting on, you ass will still hurt! I see a LOT of people ridding with their saddle WAY too low. When you are on the bike with the cranks at their lowest position you should have a very slight bend in your knee. One way to get this right is to put just your heel on the pedal. In this position your leg should be straight, then when you put your foot back where it should be (the ball of your foot right over the spindle of the pedal) you will have a slight bend in your knee.

You also want to make sure the nose of the saddle is right. It should be level with the rear of the saddle.

As far as tires go, I like these.

And the Plant Bike Dual Spot is, IMO a good way to go for a light.

great advice on saddle height. It's amazing how many people have their knee bent way too far at the bottom... much more work for the muscles when it's like that.

 

[Kelemvor]

Wheel and Sprocket is having a Biek Expo at the local Expo Center in a couple weeks. Maybe I'll head over there and see what they have. Says admission is free so can't hurt to look.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
A word on saddles and seat hight.

The BIGGEST factor on whether you but hurts or not is saddle positioning, if your saddle is too low it wont matter what saddle you are sitting on, you ass will still hurt! I see a LOT of people ridding with their saddle WAY too low. When you are on the bike with the cranks at their lowest position you should have a very slight bend in your knee. One way to get this right is to put just your heel on the pedal. In this position your leg should be straight, then when you put your foot back where it should be (the ball of your foot right over the spindle of the pedal) you will have a slight bend in your knee.

You also want to make sure the nose of the saddle is right. It should be level with the rear of the saddle.

As far as tires go, I like these.

And the Plant Bike Dual Spot is, IMO a good way to go for a light.

great advice on saddle height. It's amazing how many people have their knee bent way too far at the bottom... much more work for the muscles when it's like that.

It also loads the hell out of the front of your knee. Ride much and you're asking for chondromalacia or tendonitis.

 

[Brutuskend]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
A word on saddles and seat hight.

The BIGGEST factor on whether you but hurts or not is saddle positioning, if your saddle is too low it wont matter what saddle you are sitting on, you ass will still hurt! I see a LOT of people ridding with their saddle WAY too low. When you are on the bike with the cranks at their lowest position you should have a very slight bend in your knee. One way to get this right is to put just your heel on the pedal. In this position your leg should be straight, then when you put your foot back where it should be (the ball of your foot right over the spindle of the pedal) you will have a slight bend in your knee.

You also want to make sure the nose of the saddle is right. It should be level with the rear of the saddle.

As far as tires go, I like these.

And the Plant Bike Dual Spot is, IMO a good way to go for a light.

great advice on saddle height. It's amazing how many people have their knee bent way too far at the bottom... much more work for the muscles when it's like that.

Plus it's BAD for your knees.

Having broken my left knee, if my saddle is even 1/4 inch too low, my knee starts hurting...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Ah, good thinking. Never even thought about the tires. They are the big knobby ones which I know aren't the quickest things around. Of course we do have some crushed gravel trails near me that I ride on over the weekends so I'd either need something that is more of an in-between tires or be able to swap them.

Semi-slicks are your friend then.

I use the house-brand Performance Bike slicks for my commuter bike and have had exactly one flat in four years of daily commuting. :thumbsup:

I made the mistake of buying a pair of Performance brand tires for my road bike and they both blew off the rims. One blew off while I was inflating the tires so I put another tube in and remounted the tire. Rode it to work the next morning and noticed a bulge in the tire when I got to work. On the way home the rear tire blew off the rim. I took the wheels to Performance and the mechanic told me confidentially that the Performance brand tires and tubes suck and he recommended that people not buy them.

I certainly won't ever buy them again.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Ah, good thinking. Never even thought about the tires. They are the big knobby ones which I know aren't the quickest things around. Of course we do have some crushed gravel trails near me that I ride on over the weekends so I'd either need something that is more of an in-between tires or be able to swap them.

Semi-slicks are your friend then.

I use the house-brand Performance Bike slicks for my commuter bike and have had exactly one flat in four years of daily commuting. :thumbsup:

I made the mistake of buying a pair of Performance brand tires for my road bike and they both blew off the rims. One blew off while I was inflating the tires so I put another tube in and remounted the tire. Rode it to work the next morning and noticed a bulge in the tire when I got to work. On the way home the rear tire blew off the rim. I took the wheels to Performance and the mechanic told me confidentially that the Performance brand tires and tubes suck and he recommended that people not buy them.

I certainly won't ever buy them again.

The tubes definitely suck. I've had nothing but problems with them and ceased buying them altogether.

I've never used the road tires since I'm not putting some POS noname tire on my race bike (plus, I have a Maxxis sponsorship ). The slicks have been fine, however.

 

[oboeguy]

I've been underwhelmed by Performance brand tubes, too. To be honest, though, I thought the different brands are a smoke screen, and that all tubes came from the same factories in Taiwan (right next to the motherboard factories, no doubt ). Anybody know different?

Oh, and I wouldn't buy cheap tires, ever. Too risky. When I had an MTB, I had Panaracer tires of some sort, and my road bikes have been Continental or Vittoria, IIRC.

 

[Dessert Tears]

If you get a light set, take it out briefly a few times after dark. You want to get a feel for its capabilities before you're depending on it to get you home. Even if you can't really see by it, it functions as a beacon for cars.

 

[boyRacer]

Didn't you have a Hard Rock?

I sold my Specialized... except for the roadie.

 

[Kelemvor]

Looked out at performancebike.com today to get a feel for pricing and such and found a few thigns that are nice and inexpensive but still look like they'd work well...

Mini Pump - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17126
Gloves - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=14889
Easy Rider Seat (just looks comfy) - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=14747
Rack mounted Trunk - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17076
Multi-Tool (not sure exactly what I need) - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17769

But it's back down to the 40s the rest of this week so it'll be a while before I need any of this stuff.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Looked out at performancebike.com today to get a feel for pricing and such and found a few thigns that are nice and inexpensive but still look like they'd work well...

Mini Pump - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17126
Gloves - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=14889
Easy Rider Seat (just looks comfy) - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=14747
Rack mounted Trunk - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17076
Multi-Tool (not sure exactly what I need) - http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=17769

But it's back down to the 40s the rest of this week so it'll be a while before I need any of this stuff.

Don't forget the coupons... expires in 2 days.

 

[Kelemvor]

Well I doubt I'll be getting over $250 since I'd only have 2 days to research anything. But thanks for the link.

 

[zugzoog]

What everyone else said plus;

Gloves They make a huge difference in how sore your hands get and are great for those cooler mornings. They will also help if (god forbid) you do fall off, you won't get road rash on your palms (I did this the day before my final exam....not pleasant). Get the fingerless ones and they won't affect you braking. The cheap ones are ok and once you have saved some money get some decent ones.

 

[spacejamz]

can't forget putting the playing card in the spokes now, can we??

seriously, gloves, bike shorts and seat adjustments will definitely give you a more comfortable ride that should be noticeable...

 

[Kelemvor]

Woo, later this week WI will have the highest gas tax in the country (if we don't already). Might have to start this up sooner than I was expecting.

I've never had a pair of BIking shorts. Are they just regular shorts with padding in the ass or is there more to look for? And on cooler days I'm assuming a wind breaker type shirt/jacket would be best since biking itself keeps you pretty warm but it's just the wind that colls you off....

 

[loic2003]

Hi.

OK, for my bike the number one purchase was a set of slick road tyres. This makes the bike so fast you wouldn't believe it. I'm looking to pick up a new set of rims + cassette and have two sets of wheels. As for the saddle, well mine's hard as, but your butt gets used to it.

If you want a wuss saddle, think about picking up a soft one or even a damped seatpost (suspension for your arse).

I don't bother with a helmet, but of course you should...

If the thing's old, check your gearing and all your cables for the shifters. You might need a new chain as they stretch. Oil all your bearings (headset, cheels, crank).

Enjoy.

 

[pclstyle]

get a big fvcking lock. prefereably one of those rubber-wrapped steel bastards with a wheel chain on them.

they're a bitch to carry though.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: oboeguy
I've been underwhelmed by Performance brand tubes, too. To be honest, though, I thought the different brands are a smoke screen, and that all tubes came from the same factories in Taiwan (right next to the motherboard factories, no doubt ). Anybody know different?

Oh, and I wouldn't buy cheap tires, ever. Too risky. When I had an MTB, I had Panaracer tires of some sort, and my road bikes have been Continental or Vittoria, IIRC.

Depends on the tire. I'd wager that some of the big companies like Cheng Shin make lots of tires for lots of people. Others, like Conti and Vittoria are independent.

I was a Conti guy until this year; I got sick of the endless sidewall cuts. I'm running Maxxis Xeniths right now (since I get them through the team) and love them. Sticky as hell in the corners.

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Woo, later this week WI will have the highest gas tax in the country (if we don't already). Might have to start this up sooner than I was expecting.

I've never had a pair of BIking shorts. Are they just regular shorts with padding in the ass or is there more to look for? And on cooler days I'm assuming a wind breaker type shirt/jacket would be best since biking itself keeps you pretty warm but it's just the wind that colls you off....

Bike shorts are meant to be worn with no underwear. <gasp>

Now that you're over the shock... it's not that big of a deal. In fact, you're better off that way, because the padding molds to your dimensions for an infinitely more comfortable ride.

As for jackets et al, a list of activities in decreasing order of warm clothing (for me at least): standing, walking, biking, running.

BTW, if you're going to buy a bunch of stuff from Performance, I highly recommend the "Team Performance" buyer's club. You get good deals and earn 10% of your purchases back for future purchases. Sometimes they have crazy deals. This weekend, in fact, you get 20% of your purchases back. Membership is $20, so normally you earn back the cost after $200 of stuff, but this weekend you can do it with just $100 of stuff.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Woo, later this week WI will have the highest gas tax in the country (if we don't already). Might have to start this up sooner than I was expecting.

I've never had a pair of BIking shorts. Are they just regular shorts with padding in the ass or is there more to look for? And on cooler days I'm assuming a wind breaker type shirt/jacket would be best since biking itself keeps you pretty warm but it's just the wind that colls you off....

Bike shorts are meant to be worn with no underwear. <gasp>

Now that you're over the shock... it's not that big of a deal. In fact, you're better off that way, because the padding molds to your dimensions for an infinitely more comfortable ride.

This is true. Undies under your shorts is a total n00b thing to do.

As for jackets et al, a list of activities in decreasing order of warm clothing (for me at least): standing, walking, biking, running.

BTW, if you're going to buy a bunch of stuff from Performance, I highly recommend the "Team Performance" buyer's club. You get good deals and earn 10% of your purchases back for future purchases. Sometimes they have crazy deals. This weekend, in fact, you get 20% of your purchases back. Membership is $20, so normally you earn back the cost after $200 of stuff, but this weekend you can do it with just $100 of stuff.

Clothing should be set up so you can peel/add as needed. I almost never wear a jacket since it's all or nothing.

My commute stuff consists of the following:

*sleeveless polypro undershirt
*jersey (short sleeve)
*shorts
*knee warmers
*arm warmers
*vest with mesh back
*leg warmers
*shoe covers
*various gloves for different temps
*tights with neoprene over the knees for really cold days
*headband to cover ears

I can handle pretty much any temp GA throws at me with this setup.

 

[Fausto]

By the way, now is a good time to stock up on winter wear since most places are blowing it out. Performance and Nashbar always have awesome clearance sales.

 

[TheStonepedo]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
But it's back down to the 40s the rest of this week so it'll be a while before I need any of this stuff.

Temperatures in the 40s should not deter you from riding. You already have clothes, I'm assuming. Wear just less than you would if you would be walking the few miles to work, and be sure your outermost top can unzip or vent.

One of my favorite accessories is a horn or bell. While you're barreling toward a green light down a hill between 25 and 45 mph pedestrians will try to cross against the light because they're looking out for killer SUVs instead of mangler cyclists. I have gone through several squishy squeaky horns and would recommend bells unless you will not need to make noise often.

So far as bags go, I would recommend rack-mounted panniers over backpacks. They do change the balance of your bicycle more, but they also let your legs do all the work of carrying your gear instead of making your back sore.

Also not-so-dark sunglasses are good to have. The lack of a windshield in bicycles can really dry your eyes. I try to find the closest I can to clear so that I can keep my eyes nice and wet even riding after dark.


On a side note, a professor of mine bicycles to school but catches cabs when it is cold. He's got quite a gut on him, likely due to avoiding low temperature riding.