road bikes

[IHateMyJob2004]

I am now lfiting with a friend who is 4 miles away. Too far to run both ways. So, I might get a cheap road bike.

Option 1:
The road bike. What does a low end road bike run these days? Not talking Wal-Mart. If I go to a bike shop, what should I expect to pay?

Option 2:
Take my $2K (in 2001) mountain bike and slap on some slicks for under $100. I never ride hte thing, so I might as well get some slicks.

Option 3:
Admit that I never use 2. Sell it and buy a road bike.

Of course, I have kids and fear that they might want to mountain bike more than road bike. So, I am leaning towards option 2.

 

[Sixguns]

I have just started thinking about getting a bike. My gym is only 2.5 miles from my house and that would be a nice ride/warm up. Dont know if I want to get a road bike or just a cheap moutain bike from walmart. I might go moutain bike though because there are a lot of dirt trails to and from the gym that would be run to ride on.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Just buy slicks $25/each and put them on the mountain bike. If you don't like it, you've only wasted $50. An entry level road bike will start at around $750-1000.

I've done 300 mile charity rides with one of my mtb's with slicks. And use it as my daily commuter.

 

[Pohemi]

Option 2:
Take my $2K (in 2001) mountain bike and slap on some slicks for under $100. I never ride hte thing, so I might as well get some slicks.

This, unless it's dual/full suspension.

...Dont know if I want to get a road bike or just a cheap moutain bike from walmart...

Don't do it, seriously. You're so much better off buying the most basic, entry level mountain bike from a shop for 3-400 dollars than ANY junk from Walmart. Just because it says "Schwinn" or "Mongoose" on it in a department store, doesn't mean it's any better than that Huffy or Roadmaster. You'll spend less over time on repairs and get less downtime and more funtime. Trust me on this.

 

[marmasatt]

Agree on option 2. You won't be disappointed. Moreover, if you scrapped it and purchased a road bike, you'd probably be in the same situation 2 yrs from now going "hmm, I just don't ride my road bike enough, maybe I should sell it and get a kayak"

 

[Sid59]

4 miles isn't far, just tune-up what you have. You wont get there as fast as the road bike, but your legs and cardio will be the same and you'll have money in your pocket.

When i can, i ride by ancient 1980s mixte to the gym and back, 4 miles each way.

 

[mechBgon]

4 miles isn't far, just tune-up what you have. You wont get there as fast as the road bike, but your legs and cardio will be the same and you'll have money in your pocket.

I agree. For a 4-mile trip, unless the mountain bike needs new tires anyway, I'd just roll with what you've got. I've done tons of miles on mountain-bike tires, often over 40 miles at a time on studded tires.

Tangentially: if you're taking a decent-quality bike like that to the gym, get a good lock and use it effectively. http://www.mechbgon.com/lock and the Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 is a good general choice. If it's a high-crime area, go up to the New York lock.

If the gym has a piece-of-junk rack that's not secure in its own right, consider one of the high-end Kryptonite chain locks and lock the bike to a streetlight pole, a gas main, or a big electrical conduit.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

It is a full suspension. The Schwinn 4-Banger. I think it might have been the last year they made it when I bought mine.

I think the tire route is the way to go. off to the Local bike shop (LBS) to get some tires on Saturday! And new tubes just because the old ones are probably 10 years old.

What does suck is that I have no idea where I put my shoes (clipless peddles). I don't know where my camelback is either. This is going to turn into a nightmare.

Lifting at a friends house so no lock needed.

Sixguns,
You should go to your local bike shop and see what they have for entry level/used. You can get a pretty nice bike for $300-$400 as someone already mentioned. The WalMart bikes are pure garbage no matter how much you pay.

 

[Pohemi]

I recognize the 4-banger name, but don't recall what type of rear frame geometry it uses (2, 3, 4 pivot, etc). I'd recommend maxing out the pressure in the rear shock (and perhaps your fork as well) to minimize flex and power loss. It will work fine though.

 

[NAC]

I’ve always owned cheap bikes and they worked fine for me. I still have a 15 year old bike which was I think $50 when new. Needs a new bearing, now, after 15 years, but otherwise works fine. All I had to do was change the inner tubes and occasionally reset the chain. Perhaps 15 year old cheap bikes are better than brand new cheap bikes. My other bike is about 8 years old, I think from Walmart, and it too is fine.

Anyway, just my opinion.

 

[gar655]

It is a full suspension. The Schwinn 4-Banger. I think it might have been the last year they made it when I bought mine.

I think the tire route is the way to go. off to the Local bike shop (LBS) to get some tires on Saturday! And new tubes just because the old ones are probably 10 years old.

What does suck is that I have no idea where I put my shoes (clipless peddles). I don't know where my camelback is either. This is going to turn into a nightmare.

Lifting at a friends house so no lock needed.

Sixguns,
You should go to your local bike shop and see what they have for entry level/used. You can get a pretty nice bike for $300-$400 as someone already mentioned. The WalMart bikes are pure garbage no matter how much you pay.

I'll save you some time searching. You don't need a camelback for a 4 mile ride

 

[Sid59]

I'll save you some time searching. You don't need a camelback for a 4 mile ride

especially if you're going to someone's house. Don't even need water on a 4 water run.

I saw a guy carry 3 bottles of water on a run yesterday but for all i know he's running 3 hours?!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I'll save you some time searching. You don't need a camelback for a 4 mile ride

I know. But all my tools and misc equipment were in the darned thing. Spare tubes, tire changing gear, gloves, etc

For my ride, I'll just use a normal backback so I can carry my shoes with me.

 

[episodic]

Check this out. Narrow slicks for your mountain bike for 12.99 each. I can vouch that these are great tires. I've had them on my commuter for over 1500 miles now.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1070099_-1___400238#ReviewHeader

 

[Lamont Burns]

What did you decide? My gym is 2.3 miles away according to my car route. Always been a mountain bike guy, would love to use one with proper tires if it doesn't drain my petty cash.

Update, nao!

 

[Pohemi]

Another option is "semi-slicks", which typically are slick or much lower tread pattern on the center of the tire for less rolling resistance on pavement, but still have some knobs on the outside towards the sidewall to prevent "washout" if you corner on some dirt, gravel, or wet pavement.
I have used straight slicks on mountain bikes and wound up eating it when I tried to corner too hard or tightly in rainy or wet conditions on pavement or concrete. If you're wondering about brands, Kenda seems to make decent tires for the price. I think those were the last semi-slicks I used on a mountain bike or commuter.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I'm eventually heading to the local bike shop. Seeing what they have that will go on my rims.

I have to hunt down my shoes/backback/pump before i do anything. it's amazing how these things just disappear after years of non use.

 

[Pohemi]

I'm guessing your rims are most likely 1.75 width, unless you had something really burly on there (like DH wheels). Depending on your size and/or weight, you could go down to a 1.25 tire. Most 26 inch slicks or semi-slicks will be 1.5 to 1.95, the narrower the tire, the better for on-road riding. Remember if you get a higher pressure type tire, it's going to take a lot of the absorption (i.e. comfort) out of the wheels.