I am going to buy a bicycle.

[exemplary citizen]

Hi, my name is Ami, and I'm a 23 year old who doesn't know how to ride a bicycle.

That's right. Point and laugh. BUT THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE, BABY.

Pictures forthcoming.

[Vile]

Only good can come of this. Step into the light, child.

[HappySilly4Doom]

Don't forget to wear a helmet! ^_^

*smiles*

[exemplary citizen]

Oh, believe you me. That is first on the purchase list.

[Spleenazor]

what type of bike are you looking into buying? How much are you willing to spend? What will you be doing with said bike (fun, commuting, just learning?)

usually the best time to buy a bicycle is - well actually, right now! august september, and october are generally the best times for buying bicycles. This is usually the time when the major dealerships need to clear off the racks fro the 2007 arrivals, and they need to get rid of the 'old' bikes that didnt sell in the popular summer months.

mountain bikes are fairly easy to start on, I would suggest visiting the nearest specialized store, they have good service and can usually find a bike for exactly what you want.

if you feel uncomfortable being that high off the ground for your first bike, try a bmx. GT used to make really good bikes, at great prices, but sadly they went out of buisness. Ive been riding Free Agent since their demise (i like the bikes, they're fun, and they give me loads of crap) and they have a good selection of bikes to choose from.

beach cruisers are fun, but not very practical. their gear ratio sucks, making it hard and difficult for beginning riders to travel. Also, the high handel bars and low seat aren't that friendly to new riders.
im full of info in the area of bikes (been riding competetively since I was 10), and more than happy to answer any other question you might have.

[strawberry kiss]

My boyfriend doesn't know how to swim.

[Takker]

I hate riding bikes. the seat hurts my butt and stuff. other than that, it's fun.

[BreadObama69]

There's nothing like going downhill on a bike...with the wind rushing through my hair....

Bikes rock.

[Takker]

until that male pattern baldness sets in

[BreadObama69]

until that male pattern baldness sets in
I've got genes on my side, luckily.....even my 80 year old grandfather has an awesome full head of (admittedly grey) hair.

'sa gorgeous mane.

[Spleenazor]

yeah. bikes do rock. Bear Mountain Super D. owns my summer every year.

[exemplary citizen]

what type of bike are you looking into buying? How much are you willing to spend? What will you be doing with said bike (fun, commuting, just learning?)

usually the best time to buy a bicycle is - well actually, right now! august september, and october are generally the best times for buying bicycles. This is usually the time when the major dealerships need to clear off the racks fro the 2007 arrivals, and they need to get rid of the 'old' bikes that didnt sell in the popular summer months.

mountain bikes are fairly easy to start on, I would suggest visiting the nearest specialized store, they have good service and can usually find a bike for exactly what you want.

if you feel uncomfortable being that high off the ground for your first bike, try a bmx. GT used to make really good bikes, at great prices, but sadly they went out of buisness. Ive been riding Free Agent since their demise (i like the bikes, they're fun, and they give me loads of crap) and they have a good selection of bikes to choose from.

beach cruisers are fun, but not very practical. their gear ratio sucks, making it hard and difficult for beginning riders to travel. Also, the high handel bars and low seat aren't that friendly to new riders.
im full of info in the area of bikes (been riding competetively since I was 10), and more than happy to answer any other question you might have.Awesome. This is just what I need. A bike person.

I went to my semi-local shop and got fitted today. The saleslady was supernice and spent about an hour with me in the parking lot giving me riding lessons. I tried about 4 or 5 different types of bikes until I found one that didn't make me feel like I was going to fall off immediately. So far it's looking like a Trek Navigator (I think? It's the '06 model), which has the middle part of the frame super-low, cruiser style, but has the big fat tires all BMX-style. It's more upright riding, not a lot of leaning forward, which was totally killing my balance. So far, they're giving me a quote of $450 on that one. Does that sound reasonable? Is there anything comparable out there that I ought to look into while I'm shopping around?

Main concerns are stability and versatility. Speed is not even a secondary concern, so I'm not looking at low-weight or anything as a factor. I'll mostly be using this for around-town errands, with very little hill climbing in the equation. I'd also like something that isn't going to fall apart in about six seconds, which is why I'm avoiding the bike racks at Wal-Mart. Not that I'm loaded or anything, but I'm willing to spend up to about 400 as long as it's a solid machine.

[Charnye West]

I can't drive so I bike everywhere. It offsets my Kit Kat consumption.

[Spleenazor]

400 is a great price for a beginning bike, most advanced mt.bikes run around 3-4,000!

do you know what model of Navigator it is? (I think that there is three different makes...50,100,200) The MSRP for the 200 is 430.00 no frills. Dont let the bike store peoples try to sell you on useless upgrades and stuff, it seems to me that you wont be needing them for what you are doing.
as far as comparable bikes go:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=13302
or maybe
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=12993

you might also (if you didnt already) want to try how comfortable you feel riding a men's bicycle.
My sister and I learned on GT Aggressors, fun little hardtails. they are small enough where the center of balance is low to make for an almost unisex bike. They are durable as hell (I still have mine, and I use it everynow and then when i just want to mess around). The frames are solid, its super light (about 19 lbs if i can recall)
There are a lot of them sold seccond hand now, and even an old 95 one would still be just as good as the majority of bikes in its class today. I wouldnt pay more than 200$ for this bike if I were you, and If any place has it marked higher than that, try to haggle.


ummm, nothing much else to say except keep shopping around and try out as many bikes as you can.

[Forever Finite]

holy shit, spleenazor knows his bikes.

I can't drive so I bike everywhere. It offsets my Kit Kat consumption.
amen, li'l bro. before i got my license at 18, i rode my bike everywhere. sometimes i feel like a real slob for driving to the store when i could ride my bike, but i can't carry enough groceries to really make that sensible.

p/s: also my drunken step dad broke my bike. forgot about that.

[exemplary citizen]

400 is a great price for a beginning bike, most advanced mt.bikes run around 3-4,000!

do you know what model of Navigator it is? (I think that there is three different makes...50,100,200) The MSRP for the 200 is 430.00 no frills. Dont let the bike store peoples try to sell you on useless upgrades and stuff, it seems to me that you wont be needing them for what you are doing.
as far as comparable bikes go:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=13302
or maybe
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=12993

you might also (if you didnt already) want to try how comfortable you feel riding a men's bicycle.
My sister and I learned on GT Aggressors, fun little hardtails. they are small enough where the center of balance is low to make for an almost unisex bike. They are durable as hell (I still have mine, and I use it everynow and then when i just want to mess around). The frames are solid, its super light (about 19 lbs if i can recall)
There are a lot of them sold seccond hand now, and even an old 95 one would still be just as good as the majority of bikes in its class today. I wouldnt pay more than 200$ for this bike if I were you, and If any place has it marked higher than that, try to haggle.


ummm, nothing much else to say except keep shopping around and try out as many bikes as you can.Rock. Yeah, the Navigator I tried was both the 100 and the 200 (the latter had the fatter tires, which I have decided are neccessary, but I'm not sure if that's a model-specific feature or not). They were cutting me a pretty good deal on the 200, because otherwise they would have to wait until the end of the month when the '07 models come in to sell me a 100 model.

I have tried a few men's bikes, but the problem is that my legs are long enough, that on a bike of the same inseam measurement that my I can actually stand on the bottoms of my feet when at rest, which hurts my knees while I'm pedalling.

The bike shop was trying to sell me on a fixed-post seat upgrade, the reasoning being that I'm not heavy enough to get the seat suspension to smash down to a comfortable height. Does that sound like they're taking me for a ride? I did notice the difference, but I'm wondering now if they should maybe just lower the seat instead of replacing it altogether.

[ln_e_is_1]

Wait. You can ride a scooter but not a bibycle!? I give this ignorance five minutes until you blow it out of the water!!!

[Spleenazor]

oh yeah, dont get sold on that soft tail crap back shock - they say that it helps preformance, and its super comfortable, but really, its crap. the only good soft tail was the GT i-Drive, (the original bike with the patented i-drive tech. complimented by a back shock) and everything else on the market sucks. except maybe a Stump Jumper FSR...maybe

hardtails are the kind of bikes you want to look at for what you are going to be using the bike for. if you do want some extra comfort get a springy seat with gel. the rear shock is only really practical if your doing X-treme stuff and your frame is going to take a serious pounding. Rear shocks are pretty pointless for street riding.

or you can always just splurge and get a Bottecchia custom made to your standards and tear everybody up on the way to the bookstore.

[exemplary citizen]

Wait. You can ride a scooter but not a bibycle!? I give this ignorance five minutes until you blow it out of the water!!!
Actually...

That's my secret shame. I was never able to ride the Vespa very far because I couldn't balance on it properly. :(

[Spleenazor]

Rock. Yeah, the Navigator I tried was both the 100 and the 200 (the latter had the fatter tires, which I have decided are neccessary, but I'm not sure if that's a model-specific feature or not). They were cutting me a pretty good deal on the 200, because otherwise they would have to wait until the end of the month when the '07 models come in to sell me a 100 model.

I have tried a few men's bikes, but the problem is that my legs are long enough, that on a bike of the same inseam measurement that my I can actually stand on the bottoms of my feet when at rest, which hurts my knees while I'm pedalling.

The bike shop was trying to sell me on a fixed-post seat upgrade, the reasoning being that I'm not heavy enough to get the seat suspension to smash down to a comfortable height. Does that sound like they're taking me for a ride? I did notice the difference, but I'm wondering now if they should maybe just lower the seat instead of replacing it altogether.

how much are they going to charge you for the seat replacement? because, my sister is only like 100 lbs and shes never had a problem that i can think of...you really dont need that...lowering the seat would work just fine.

and for the mens bike problem, try a bigger bike. when measuring yourself for a bike, sit on the seat, and then stand up. your tippy toes should touch. if you can rest your feet, then you need a larger bike, one with more clearence.

[töm]

i know far too many pretty girls that can't ride bikes. :( it's very shocking, and saddening. i do not know what the case with it is, though. it baffles my mind.

but i'd also like to congratulate you on this decision. it'll be the most important one you ever make, perhaps. bicycling is the most fun sport, mode of transportation, and way to spend a nice afternoon in the country.

i'm not sure if i'm going to ride my bicycle in new orleans too much anymore, because a lot of people are moving back into the city, and these people apparently shoot other people who ride bikes. for really no reason at all. :|

[exemplary citizen]

how much are they going to charge you for the seat replacement? because, my sister is only like 100 lbs and shes never had a problem that i can think of...you really dont need that...lowering the seat would work just fine.

and for the mens bike problem, try a bigger bike. when measuring yourself for a bike, sit on the seat, and then stand up. your tippy toes should touch. if you can rest your feet, then you need a larger bike, one with more clearence.
Looking at this here quote slip they gave me, it looks like they're just charging me the base price for the seat, and then letting the parts and labor on the replacement and post slide. I'm not sure taking that off the list is going to save me more than about 30 or 40 bucks in the end.

Do you think a men's bike would really have an advantage over the women's bikes they were showing me? I liked being able to balance better on the last two Navigators, but I'm not sure if that's because of any gender-specific variables on those bikes.

Also: am I courting disaster by looking around at thrift stores or getting a shitty starter bike from a box store? I'm just wondering if I need all the additional gears on the Navigator, although that would be nice for tooling around the hills where my next job is going to be.

[exemplary citizen]

i know far too many pretty girls that can't ride bikes. :( it's very shocking, and saddening. i do not know what the case with it is, though. it baffles my mind.Lack of confidence, I'm willing to bet. At least, that's my reason. I've sort of gone so long going "I don't know how to do this, I'm going to hurt myself" that it became a mental block after a while. This is indeed very liberating! I'm actually having to restrain myself from purchasing a bike RIGHT THIS INSTANT now that I managed to actually ride one around a parking lot without falling off.
i'm not sure if i'm going to ride my bicycle in new orleans too much anymore, because a lot of people are moving back into the city, and these people apparently shoot other people who ride bikes. for really no reason at all. :|Good lord. :takker?!:

[Forever Finite]

yeah, what da hell?

[Spleenazor]

yeah, i would stay away from places like WalMart and Costco, which happen to rock in every other aspect, because the bikes they make there arent very good. they are heavey and have accessories (like brakes, shocks, pedals, etc.) Also, most repair shops will just laugh at you if you bring in one of those things.

as far as the thrift store idea goes -
YES
thrift store bikes are usually old hardtails and cruisers, without any suspension at all, and they always are the coolest. If you buy a thrift store bike (which im glad you mentioned, because it seriously is a great idea) just spend somewherew around the neighborhood of 100 or less on new brakes, pedals, and tires (make sure you have good rims, i.e. no bent spokes or misaligned spokes. repair shops charge you up the nose for rim jobs [oh man excuse the bad word there] and good rims are crucial).

im actually in the process right now of assembeling my own bike, i took one of my extra i-Drives and chooped its body off. Ive found a new frame, (an old santa cruz heckler) and now I just need to buy some rubys and a handle bar and ill be good to go

yeah, 40 bucks is kinda a lot. I wouldnt do it, but im not you, and i dont know how comfortable that it makes you. in the end whatever is most comfortable should be your choice. even if that means shelling out the extra dough.

i answered your questions out of order, but as far as the mens bike having an advantage? no. unless you are going to be competetively racing, stick with the womens bike. but, mens bikes do make climbing hills easier. because more weight is transferred forward instead of strait down.

[strawberry kiss]

and these people apparently shoot other people who ride bikes. for really no reason at all. :|

well there's the most fun sport. duh.

[exemplary citizen]

as far as the thrift store idea goes -
YES
thrift store bikes are usually old hardtails and cruisers, without any suspension at all, and they always are the coolest. If you buy a thrift store bike (which im glad you mentioned, because it seriously is a great idea) just spend somewherew around the neighborhood of 100 or less on new brakes, pedals, and tires (make sure you have good rims, i.e. no bent spokes or misaligned spokes. repair shops charge you up the nose for rim jobs [oh man excuse the bad word there] and good rims are crucial).Okay, cool. Now, the second question is, how familiar with the workings of a bike would I need to be in order to take it to a repair shop and not get bent over on the price of getting it overhauled? Or are places generally good about not doing that to newbies?

Is there a good test to see if the rims are damaged when looking at a used bike, or is it just eyeballing?

i answered your questions out of order, but as far as the mens bike having an advantage? no. unless you are going to be competetively racing, stick with the womens bike. but, mens bikes do make climbing hills easier. because more weight is transferred forward instead of strait down.Ah, okay. I was wondering if that had to do with upper body to lower body ratio.

[BeastDad1987]

If a bike was useful to me in any way, I'd love to own one. I love riding bikes. :( I'm so far up in the mountains though that the only thing I can do is drive.

[Spleenazor]

for the most part, if you know waht is broken and you go into the shop and tell them what to fix just point and say 'fix that thing right there' and then just dont let them sell you on anyhting other than what you origianlly go in for. sometimes even a sportschalet night have the certain part you need replaced, and they usually will do repairs for a nominal price.

for spoke testing/rim testing, turn the bike upside down (so its resting on its seat and handel bar) and spin the tire. hold something with a strait edge next to the tire, if it wobbles check to see if it is connected properly and snuggly. if all the bolts are screwed in tightly and the tire still spins with a drastic wobble, then something is wrong with the rim/spokes and then they need tro be replaced. replacing the rims anyways regardless of their former condition might be a good idea anyways if you're gonna go with the thrift shop idea.


UCHAN-
you live in the mountains...and you dont have a bike??????? bikes are most practical in the mountains!

[töm]

well there's the most fun sport. duh.i admit it might be fun if no one got hurt.

but drive-bys are so laaaame.

[Forever Finite]

how about drive-by lasertag?

[töm]

if only!

i used to have all that laser challenge stuff.


but no one to play with. :C

[Linzoy]

The biggest mistake bicyclists make, or at least the one I keep noticing, is after they learn how to ride they never set their seat high enough. Beginners like to keep the seat low enough that they can touch their feet to the ground. According to the all knowing internet 20 years ago it was normal for a bike to have a low enough frame to allow that, but ever since mountain bikes became popular the frames have gotten higher. The human leg is strongest when it is nearly straight. A lot of professionals get knee damage just because their seat is too low. When you care enough about biking to buy all the dorky bicycle outfits, get rear veiw mirrors, and a $3000 racing bike, you should stop being so parinoid about falling over that you never fix the seat.

My dad rides his bike 12 and a half miles to work every day, and it takes him 50 minutes, and when he takes a car it's an hour because of the traffic. It's not because he's in good shape either, he's old, bikes are just that great.

[HappySilly4Doom]

Splurgle, What color is your new bike gonna be?

*smiles*

[strawberry kiss]

I'll play with you, tom!

after I move in 16 days.

[Forever Finite]

My dad rides his bike 12 and a half miles to work every day, and it takes him 50 minutes, and when he takes a car it's an hour because of the traffic. It's not because he's in good shape either, he's old, bikes are just that great.
your dad is my new hero.

[töm]

yes, seconded on the amazing linzoy dad.

ava, will you have a motor vehicle with you? if so, you should come to my birthday party. but i think i've gotten rid of my laser tag stuff a long time ago. :\

[Forever Finite]

damnit damnit damnit!!

[BeastDad1987]

UCHAN-
you live in the mountains...and you dont have a bike??????? bikes are most practical in the mountains!
I... guess that makes sense. But really, in the area I live in, where the most convenient way to the grocery store is to drive down a highway and then take the freeway, a bike doesn't do much good.

[exemplary citizen]

Splurgle, What color is your new bike gonna be?

*smiles*
Dunno! I guess that all depends on what I end up doing, buying a new one or an as-yet-unseen used one. The bike I test rode today was a handsome charcoal grey, though.

[HappySilly4Doom]

If got a bike it would be this sparkling dark purple bike! I think that would look cool!

*smiles*

[t3]

My boyfriend doesn't know how to swim.

That is by far more unfathomable than not knowing how to ride a bike. I mean damn, I can't really imagine it.


amen, li'l bro. before i got my license at 18, i rode my bike everywhere. sometimes i feel like a real slob for driving to the store when i could ride my bike, but i can't carry enough groceries to really make that sensible.


Yyyeah.... hard to argue with that convenience, especially when it's not a sure thing you'll be getting back before sunset.

PS: I want to get a motorcycle license, but sadly I am very, very lazy.

[Spleenazor]

I have a really dark grey FA Hellcat, a black GT i-Drive, a red GT i-Drive, an orange and silver aggresor, A blue and black FA speedway, and the bike that im currnetly making is going to be painted matte black.

the time is now, ride

[Meat Load]

things that are fun to do on bikes:
long-distance endurance rides

things that are not fun to do on bikes:
go up hills

[Spleenazor]

but without the uphill there is no downhill. I look at it this way - the downhill is your reward for making it up the hill.

(that is, unless im doing the Super D and the ski-lift takes me up to the top of the course.)

[t3]

things that are fun to do on bikes:
long-distance endurance rides

things that are not fun to do on bikes:
go up hills

s'why they invented 21-speed bikes. Low-gears = useful, particularly when clamboring through trails in the woods.

[Spleenazor]

low gears are for pussies

[Shaman King]

I hate riding bikes. the seat hurts my butt and stuff. other than that, it's fun.please reread that statement

[t3]

low gears are for pussies

Screw you.

But yeah, I reserve low gears for when it's totally impossible to pedal up a hill. And forest debris makes this task all the more unpleasent.

[kyle!]

if only!

i used to have all that laser challenge stuff.


but no one to play with. :C
i had the same problem :(

[ImWearingUrSkin]

the laser tag things... you could take a tv remote and press power I think it was, if you aimed it at the vest, it would count as a hit. I used to go around in a sweatshirt when my brothers were playing...

[mcrandmuffins]

I don't know how to ride a bike either. I don't find em really usefull (please dont' hurt me). I don't like sports, I don't live in the mountains or even close, and that downhill feeling seems nice but roller coasters are nice too.
I don't know how to swim either but I like the beach just not that much to go in the dirty seawater. No offense to anybody who loves beachs and theirs are clean.
You could also think I'm lazy and I'm scared. I don't think so but that may be a reason. :D :D

[exemplary citizen]

IT IS DONE. Hide the women and children.

<img src=http://www.roomwithamoose.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=14133&stc=1>

<img src=http://www.roomwithamoose.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=14134&stc=1>

[BreadObama69]

Wow, that's actually a stylish looking bike. Not to imply that you're not stylish or anything.

S'nice

[exemplary citizen]

Yeah, I totally fell in love with the frame. I kinda looks like a little kid's bike, but with grown-up panache.

Plus, the low center of gravity makes it easy for doofuses like me to ride.

[mcrandmuffins]

You have pretty hair. :D

[exemplary citizen]

Buh. It needs redyeing. :o

[BreadObama69]

Yeah there's something about the device on the back (i'm totally a bike novice, so I don't know what to call it) that makes it seem like a kid's bike...(well....kids have those in like old movies, right? ALL KIDS USE THEM!) but like you said it all works out.

[BreadObama69]

Oops....double post!

[exemplary citizen]

Yeah, the thing on the back is a little rack. I had them add that, because it has a little doohickey to slide my lock into for riding around, so I don't have to put it in my backpack. Seeing as how a lock is already like, 40 bucks, adding the rack on was only ten dollars extra as a kit.

[BreadObama69]

That's the one hassle about biking (for me at least)... having to lock it up.

[Spleenazor]

YES

[Spleenazor]

Yeah there's something about the device on the back (i'm totally a bike novice, so I don't know what to call it) that makes it seem like a kid's bike...(well....kids have those in like old movies, right? ALL KIDS USE THEM!) but like you said it all works out.

i think that youre thinking about a banana seat.

[BreadObama69]

Probably.... Like I said I know little about bikes.

'cept how to ride 'em.