Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.mrtibbs
06-12-06, 12:49 PM
Throughout the 70s and into the early 80s I was a young man with no automobile. My only transportation was a 10-speed bike bought at the local department store. I loved that bike. I went everywhere on it and I was in great shape because of it. Eventually I was able to purchase a smog machine. The bike ended up neglected and gathering dust in the garage so I gave it to a local charity. Since then I have not owned a bike and, except for one brief encounter with a borrowed mountain bike, I have done almost no cycling. Now with the cost of operating a motor vehicle on a sharp rise and with no end in sight I am once again thinking about cycling as an alternate form of transportation. I am seeking any advice you folks can give me.
I am looking for a bike that would be predominately used for commuting but I would also like to do some recreational riding on the weekends and holidays. I would be on streets or bike trails most it not all of the time and I would prefer a more upright posture in the saddle. One bike that caught my eye during some early research was the Novara Safari sold by REI. It seemed to be just what I was looking for but apparently they have sold all of this years stock and I am not able to find the bike either locally or on the Internet. My next idea was to build my own bike. I am confident I can assemble my own bike as long as I have the correct frame to start with.
I have been doing some research into frame sizes and I thought I had it figured out until this past weekend. According to my calculations I should be looking for a frame with a 54 cm seat tube (CT) and a 48 cm top tube (CC). When I tried to find something like that on Ebay I could not find anything even close. Bike frames that are advertised to be 54 cm have seat tubes measuring around 48 cm and I cannot find anthing with a top tube shorter than 50 cm. I am confused and I am getting a bit flustered. Can anyone help me get started on the right foot (or peddle) by explaining to me what I should be looking for in frames? Thanks.
I am looking for a bike that would be predominately used for commuting but I would also like to do some recreational riding on the weekends and holidays. I would be on streets or bike trails most it not all of the time and I would prefer a more upright posture in the saddle. One bike that caught my eye during some early research was the Novara Safari sold by REI. It seemed to be just what I was looking for but apparently they have sold all of this years stock and I am not able to find the bike either locally or on the Internet. My next idea was to build my own bike. I am confident I can assemble my own bike as long as I have the correct frame to start with.
I have been doing some research into frame sizes and I thought I had it figured out until this past weekend. According to my calculations I should be looking for a frame with a 54 cm seat tube (CT) and a 48 cm top tube (CC). When I tried to find something like that on Ebay I could not find anything even close. Bike frames that are advertised to be 54 cm have seat tubes measuring around 48 cm and I cannot find anthing with a top tube shorter than 50 cm. I am confused and I am getting a bit flustered. Can anyone help me get started on the right foot (or peddle) by explaining to me what I should be looking for in frames? Thanks.