Biking: Catch-all

It's okay Wembley, me and my dumpster-dove bike are right there with you.

General Crespin wrote:

It's okay Wembley, me and my dumpster-dove bike are right there with you. :)

I've gone through several of those throughout the past 2 years. None worth mentioning as they always didn't quite fit. Time to buy something quality.

So, since this is the bike catch-all, I have a question, mainly aimed at my fellow Ohio goodjers: Any recommendations for a good LBS? I've done a little digging, and roll: looks fantastic, but they seem to be based entirely in C-bus, having apparently closed the location which used to be at The Greene in Kettering.

So, any other suggestions that are ~30 minutes from Dayton?

I have no idea what that question even means!

Thank god I'm not in Ohio and would then have to answer the question.

My older kid grew out of his 24". I am looking for a new MTB for his for this summer in $500-$600 range. Probably will be a GT, since I am quite happy with my GT Avalanche -- except for the shims in the bottom bracket totally bombing out after 1 year. But that could have something to do with the stress from towing my yonger kid's tandem.

AnimeJ wrote:

So, since this is the bike catch-all, I have a question, mainly aimed at my fellow Ohio goodjers: Any recommendations for a good LBS? I've done a little digging, and roll: looks fantastic, but they seem to be based entirely in C-bus, having apparently closed the location which used to be at The Greene in Kettering.

So, any other suggestions that are ~30 minutes from Dayton?

I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Yellow Springs didn't have a bike shop. Although in terms of buying a bike, Columbus isn't too far to meet up with mechanics you trust and who will give you reasonable advice and fit/adjust your bike correctly. For regularly maintenance, that may be too far.

I still love my vintage Peugeot I'm fixing up, even if recently hits to my wallet and time mean that it isn't getting the love it deserves. If you have the inclination, you could always teach yourself to do some bicycle work. Chainbreaker (written by New Orleans locals!) is great for basic, plain English advice for beginners, and something like Glenn's New Complete Bicycle Manual will have more advanced instruction.

Good luck with the restoration, unntrlaffinity. Peugot's have an oddball sized bottom bracket that can be difficult to find replacements for. Keep those bearings clean and greased!

EDIT TO ADD:

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike/Mountain Bike Maintenance books are great, too.

WipEout wrote:

Good luck with the restoration, unntrlaffinity. Peugot's have an oddball sized bottom bracket that can be difficult to find replacements for. Keep those bearings clean and greased!

EDIT TO ADD:

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike/Mountain Bike Maintenance books are great, too.

Finding parts that fit has been a chore, I won't lie. Whether it's the braze-on friction shifters or the brakes. I finally gave up on vintage brakes because center pulls are the devil. Instead I bought some reliable but far from fancy modern sidepulls, and it took me less time to install and adjust both the front and rear brakes than it did to adjust one center pull brake. The pads are easier to replace, and they stop better. God bless modern technology, even if I still prefer having an old frame.

AnimeJ: another strategy that could work is if you have a bicycle brand or bicycle type in mind, work backwards. In other words, if you know you like Fuji bikes, see if they have an official retailer in town. Or if you're more of a Jamis man, check those out too. Or if a shop obviously caters to mountain bikes, or cruisers, or road bikes... you get the idea.

unntrlaffinity wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:

So, since this is the bike catch-all, I have a question, mainly aimed at my fellow Ohio goodjers: Any recommendations for a good LBS? I've done a little digging, and roll: looks fantastic, but they seem to be based entirely in C-bus, having apparently closed the location which used to be at The Greene in Kettering.

So, any other suggestions that are ~30 minutes from Dayton?

I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Yellow Springs didn't have a bike shop. Although in terms of buying a bike, Columbus isn't too far to meet up with mechanics you trust and who will give you reasonable advice and fit/adjust your bike correctly. For regularly maintenance, that may be too far.

I still love my vintage Peugeot I'm fixing up, even if recently hits to my wallet and time mean that it isn't getting the love it deserves. If you have the inclination, you could always teach yourself to do some bicycle work. Chainbreaker (written by New Orleans locals!) is great for basic, plain English advice for beginners, and something like Glenn's New Complete Bicycle Manual will have more advanced instruction.

Looking on Yelp and googling, I can't find much information at all. I'm certain there are plenty around here, Dayton and its' townships are probably some of the most bike friendly in the country.

They don't have a website, but there's a bike shop called Village Cyclery in Yellow Springs.

Endomondo is a good iPhone and Blackberry app for tracking mileage.

Do any particular brands of road bike stand out for tall people? I'm 6'6" and likely would need a 62 cm frame.

Gunnar, or on the cheaper end, Fuji's Roubaix series get to be pretty big. You're going to have a hard time finding a frame that fits perfectly, so be sure to get the proper measurements and plenty of test rides. If your LBS doesn't do so automatically, have them measure your arm length from the nubbin on your shoulder (end of clavicle) to the protrusion on the outside of your wrist as you hold your arm straight out to your side. That length should be as close as possible to the effective top tube length. Then stand over the bike and lift it, holding the saddle and handlebars-- if you can lift it more than two inches off the ground before hitting your pelvic bone (yes, lift into your junk), then it's going to be a PITA trying to adjust the bike to fit you. Unfortunately for most tall guys, that second bit doesn't always work, so again-- test ride it. A good shop will also do a proper fitting in which they'll figure out the right stem length and saddle position etc, so plan on getting a few extra parts along with the complete bike. Most shops won't trade stock parts for replacements even on a new bike (stock= proprietary= less useful= less resale value).

Most big guys I know go for steel frames like Gunnars, Rivendales, or titanium frames, since the amount of force they exert (and weigh, usually) is too much for aluminum over a couple years' time, and carbon bikes rarely are made for such large bodies. You'll find something for sure, though-- just do your research and test as many bikes as possible.

WipEout wrote:

Gunnar, or on the cheaper end, Fuji's Roubaix series get to be pretty big. You're going to have a hard time finding a frame that fits perfectly, so be sure to get the proper measurements and plenty of test rides. If your LBS doesn't do so automatically, have them measure your arm length from the nubbin on your shoulder (end of clavicle) to the protrusion on the outside of your wrist as you hold your arm straight out to your side. That length should be as close as possible to the effective top tube length. Then stand over the bike and lift it, holding the saddle and handlebars-- if you can lift it more than two inches off the ground before hitting your pelvic bone (yes, lift into your junk), then it's going to be a PITA trying to adjust the bike to fit you. Unfortunately for most tall guys, that second bit doesn't always work, so again-- test ride it. A good shop will also do a proper fitting in which they'll figure out the right stem length and saddle position etc, so plan on getting a few extra parts along with the complete bike. Most shops won't trade stock parts for replacements even on a new bike (stock= proprietary= less useful= less resale value).

Most big guys I know go for steel frames like Gunnars, Rivendales, or titanium frames, since the amount of force they exert (and weigh, usually) is too much for aluminum over a couple years' time, and carbon bikes rarely are made for such large bodies. You'll find something for sure, though-- just do your research and test as many bikes as possible.

Super helpful. Thanks.

unntrlaffinity wrote:

They don't have a website, but there's a bike shop called Village Cyclery in Yellow Springs.

Yep, saw that. I might see if the Mrs can make a run by there, see what it's like.

Poking around in an old photobucket account I came across a phone pic that I took of the Knolly V-Tach shortly after I had built it up. Man I love this bike, so much fun to ride as long as I don't have to go uphill.

IMAGE(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/atomic_dog/24781188-0a1347cd1913ccb673d0c88dc9.jpg)

Okay you roadies, I just picked up my road bike and trying to figure out the shifting. With these STIs, is the only way for me to upshift to be on the shifter pods? Seems lacking that you can't upshift in the drop position.

WipEout wrote:

Gunnar, or on the cheaper end, Fuji's Roubaix series get to be pretty big. You're going to have a hard time finding a frame that fits perfectly, so be sure to get the proper measurements and plenty of test rides. If your LBS doesn't do so automatically, have them measure your arm length from the nubbin on your shoulder (end of clavicle) to the protrusion on the outside of your wrist as you hold your arm straight out to your side. That length should be as close as possible to the effective top tube length. Then stand over the bike and lift it, holding the saddle and handlebars-- if you can lift it more than two inches off the ground before hitting your pelvic bone (yes, lift into your junk), then it's going to be a PITA trying to adjust the bike to fit you. Unfortunately for most tall guys, that second bit doesn't always work, so again-- test ride it. A good shop will also do a proper fitting in which they'll figure out the right stem length and saddle position etc, so plan on getting a few extra parts along with the complete bike. Most shops won't trade stock parts for replacements even on a new bike (stock= proprietary= less useful= less resale value).

Most big guys I know go for steel frames like Gunnars, Rivendales, or titanium frames, since the amount of force they exert (and weigh, usually) is too much for aluminum over a couple years' time, and carbon bikes rarely are made for such large bodies. You'll find something for sure, though-- just do your research and test as many bikes as possible.

TLDR Use your LBS?

LiquidMantis wrote:

Okay you roadies, I just picked up my road bike and trying to figure out the shifting. With these STIs, is the only way for me to upshift to be on the shifter pods? Seems lacking that you can't upshift in the drop position.

With any bike where you've got two (or more) possible stances, you're always going to be S.O.L. for shifting some of the time.

I'm running into the same thing with my tri bike. The shifters are on the aero bars, which is all well and good when you're riding non-stop in a race in aero position the entire time, but not so much when you're riding in a stop'n'go situation or sharing the road with cars, when aero is basically a deathwish.

boogle wrote:
WipEout wrote:

Gunnar, or on the cheaper end, Fuji's Roubaix series get to be pretty big. You're going to have a hard time finding a frame that fits perfectly, so be sure to get the proper measurements and plenty of test rides. If your LBS doesn't do so automatically, have them measure your arm length from the nubbin on your shoulder (end of clavicle) to the protrusion on the outside of your wrist as you hold your arm straight out to your side. That length should be as close as possible to the effective top tube length. Then stand over the bike and lift it, holding the saddle and handlebars-- if you can lift it more than two inches off the ground before hitting your pelvic bone (yes, lift into your junk), then it's going to be a PITA trying to adjust the bike to fit you. Unfortunately for most tall guys, that second bit doesn't always work, so again-- test ride it. A good shop will also do a proper fitting in which they'll figure out the right stem length and saddle position etc, so plan on getting a few extra parts along with the complete bike. Most shops won't trade stock parts for replacements even on a new bike (stock= proprietary= less useful= less resale value).

Most big guys I know go for steel frames like Gunnars, Rivendales, or titanium frames, since the amount of force they exert (and weigh, usually) is too much for aluminum over a couple years' time, and carbon bikes rarely are made for such large bodies. You'll find something for sure, though-- just do your research and test as many bikes as possible.

TLDR Use your LBS?

Or, read this, then use your LBS. But generally, yes. Use your LBS.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Okay you roadies, I just picked up my road bike and trying to figure out the shifting. With these STIs, is the only way for me to upshift to be on the shifter pods? Seems lacking that you can't upshift in the drop position.

Is that Shimano Sora (with the little thumb-switch shifter)? If so, then I think that limiting the positions from which you can shift in either direction is Shimano's way of getting people to pay for more expensive shifters (with a paddle next to the brake lever).

If not, then it should at least be possible to shift from the hooks, right?

Jonman wrote:
LiquidMantis wrote:

Okay you roadies, I just picked up my road bike and trying to figure out the shifting. With these STIs, is the only way for me to upshift to be on the shifter pods? Seems lacking that you can't upshift in the drop position.

With any bike where you've got two (or more) possible stances, you're always going to be S.O.L. for shifting some of the time.

I'm running into the same thing with my tri bike. The shifters are on the aero bars, which is all well and good when you're riding non-stop in a race in aero position the entire time, but not so much when you're riding in a stop'n'go situation or sharing the road with cars, when aero is basically a deathwish.

Generally true, but if you're in the curves of the drops and can't reach your brakes, you should look into adjusting your bars and brifters to suit your hands. STIs are set up to use two fingers, so if you can reach out your middle and fore-fingers and touch the levers, you should be able to shift too.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Okay you roadies, I just picked up my road bike and trying to figure out the shifting. With these STIs, is the only way for me to upshift to be on the shifter pods? Seems lacking that you can't upshift in the drop position.

Wait, the standard style of brifters Shimano sells? Yeah, you can shift from the drops. You can reach the brake, can't you? Then shift, slacker!

Seriously, though, I don't have any problem reaching them in the drops. Now, my drop hand position is pretty far forward, encroaching into the curve. If you're way back on the drop I can see how you couldn't reach it, but that would screw your stance all to hell. You have to scrunch your body up, since the bars are made for the body to curve naturally down to the frontward side of the drops.

Tannhauser'd. I never liked Wipeout anyway.

Hey, either way we were both tannhauser'd by misplacedbravado. And he makes a good point about the Soras, but I don't think Sora is technically STI, is it? I forget, I ride Campagnolo now.

WipEout wrote:

Hey, either way we were both tannhauser'd by misplacedbravado. And he makes a good point about the Soras, but I don't think Sora is technically STI, is it? I forget, I ride Campagnolo now.

They do make Sora STIs, I forgot about that. LM, if you're riding Soras, you need to throw at least some Tiagra or 105 on there stat!

As I said, I can't upshift specifically. Down shifting while in drop is fine, which seems mismatched to me.

These shifters go to the larger ring/cog with the brake lever and release to the smaller with the little trigger, so you can make a gross upshift with the chainring, but you're downshifting at the cassette. If that's just a limitation of the Sora group then I'll probably upgrade them soonish.

I'm going to put a flatbar with my old XT shifters on it just to make you asphalt monkeys cringe.

[Edit] Whoa, all kinds of post activity now. My reply is out of order but I'm leaving it.

Even though he doesn't like me, I agree with Minarchist. Sora sucks.

And Roadies don't cringe at flat-bar road bikes (also kind of popular among touring bikers), we scoff.

WipEout wrote:

Even though he doesn't like me, I agree with Minarchist. Sora sucks.

Hooray! Butt patts and beers for everyone!

And Roadies don't cringe at flat-bar road bikes (also kind of popular among touring bikers), we scoff.

Whist clutching our dapper top hats and stroking our meticulously-waxed mustaches, to boot.

Minarchist wrote:

Whist clutching our dapper top hats and stroking our meticulously-waxed mustaches, to boot. :)

MMyes indeed.

IMAGE(http://rlv.zcache.com/cycling_groom_tshirt-p235061388579445177q6vb_400.jpg)

fleabagmatt wrote:

IMAGE(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/atomic_dog/24781188-0a1347cd1913ccb673d0c88dc9.jpg)

Beautiful bike!

I wonder how I missed this thread. When I get my phone working I'll post a few pictures of my bike and my roommates bike just because it's amazing.