Introductions - Wast to get back on a bike after 25 or so years

Hi, folks. I'm not sure if this post belongs here or in one of the other forumd, but here goes.

I'm a 42-y/o man, and I haven't ridden a bike in 20-to-25 years. I have to say, the old adage is *false*. Youu can, indeed, forget how to ride a bike! Allow me explain.

Two days ago, when I got it in my head that I wanted to get a bike for exercize, I went to my local bike shop. The salesman asked what I intend to use the bike for, and I told him there's a local dirt trail for bikers that I'd use, as well as well as riding back & forth between my apartment & my parents' place (1.5-to-3 miles from me), around town, etc. and that, based on research I'd done on the Web, a hybrid bike would likely suit my needs. The salesman politely disagreed and instead, recommended mountain bikes (in general) because a hybrid wouldn't do well on a dirt bike trail. Taking his advice, I found that my 'bike suze' is 17-inch frame/26-inch wheels. Two days ago, I felt a little wobbily on a Giant Boulder SE 17/26; yesterday, I tested a Gary Fisher Tarpon 18/26...again feeling wobbily, but managing. Of the two, the Tarpon felt like a better, smoother ride. I have a hard time calling it a true mountain bike, though, because it was so smoothe.

So, based on my intended use description and experiences above, should I still be looking for a mountain bike, or should I go with a hybrid? Can anyone recommend bikes for me? I'm on a tight, 100% Disability income budget (say, $300 max. for the bike), and the Jeep line of bikes (actually made by Jeep?) look *very* attractive as a first bike in over 20 years.

Thanks for any assistance.

Hello Mountain_Owl, actually it sounds as if you do want a hybrid or cyclocross bike, rather than a straight mountain bike. Those big knobby tyres aren't the best things for going fast on a road, although they are wonderful on dirt :D .

Do you know why the LBS sales person recommended a MTB over a hybrid? Was it based possibly on your disability?

Oh, and where are you located?

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

It was based on the sales guy saying 'hybrids don't do well on dirt bike trails...kinda like buying a combinstion TV/VCR...it'll do both, but neither psrticulsrly erll.'

I think as long as it's a fairly smooth dirt trail (something like your average dirt road) a hybrid should do fine. It doesn't seem like that kind of trail would be any worse than some of the crummy paved roads I ride on (bumps and potholes galore, along with gravel strewn all over the side of the road), and I ride a hybrid with 700x38c tires (light tread) and have no problems.

Jolt is right, if it's not a mad sick singletrack down gnarly rocks and stumps, then you should be fine with a hybrid. It is possible to get a MTB and outfit it with slicks, so it's easier to ride on paved roads, too.

East Hill

I agree with East Hill and Jolt- I got a mountain bike several years ago after a 30 year hiatus. I figured that it was the best way to go forr riding in a city noted for its cobblestones and potholes (Philly), and I wanted to ride on gravel paths that aren't packed in places (think large rocks). The MTB is good for that stuff, but I just got a cyclocross to get more into road without the hassle of dealing with 23c tires on trolley tracks :). It has 32c tires, but rides like a road bike- very comfy, and very stable. I went with this over a hybrid because I ride long distance (>50 miles and occasional centuries).

Anyway- that wobbliness? It will pass! After riding my MTB for several years, you should have seen me on my first couple of blocks on test riding my cross. Now, no wobbles.

Just remember, the faster you go (well, to a point) the less wobbly. Slow speed=wobbly. Practice will get you a lot smoother and surer of yourself.

East Hill

Welcome back to the bike, Moutain Owl. I had a hiatus after a lot of riding in my teens and early twenty's, but I got back in the saddle again as well. I agree the others above that a hybrid should be fine. Ride that and if you start to feel limited, then look into a Cyclocross bike, or if you really like the trail riding, look into a mountain bike. I think too many mountain bikes get sold to people because they are supposedly "tough" but in many ways they are pretty limited for road and casual riding.

So, based on my intended use description and experiences above, should I still be looking for a mountain bike, or should I go with a hybrid? Can anyone recommend bikes for me? I'm on a tight, 100% Disability income budget (say, $300 max. for the bike), and the Jeep line of bikes (actually made by Jeep?) look *very* attractive as a first bike in over 20 years.

Thanks for any assistance.

Given your needs, I'd suggest looking into a used cyclocross bike if you can find one that meets your budget. Short of that, I would second the shop's choice of a mountain bike. Given your short distances on the road and fitness goal, a mtb certainly won't hurt you. Good luck on your choice. Regardless, you're gonna luv being back on 2 wheels - that's a guarantee! :)


... Brad

OK, some here say mountain; some say hybrid...and noe I see something new...cyclocross...confusion, confusion, confusion...research, research, research...no problem. also, are the Jeep bikes any good?

Here is the answer about Jeep bikes:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=67259

More research!

East Hill

†nanks, East Hill. I'll check it out.

I probably shouldn't post this but...

UGH! It seems all I can find in my price range is either junk or very-low-end mountain bikes.

I probably shouldn't post this but...

UGH! It seems all I can find in my price range is either junk or very-low-end mountain bikes.

Why not consider a used bike? You can often find them on Craigslist, or sometimes local bike shops sell them.

Now we'll give you a different view on mountain bikes--

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=148170

East Hill

Today's test bikes, from a second bike shop: Specialized Hard Rock XC and Raleigh Mojave 2.0. So, thus far, the list of candidates looks like this:

Giant Boulder SE
Gary Fisher Tarpon
Specialized Hard Rock XC
Raleigh Mojave 2.0

Ranked by preference after a test ride, the list looks like this:

Raleigh Mojave 2.0
Giant Boulder SE
Specialized Hard Rock XC
Gary Fisher Tarpon

I'm not sure if that means anything, but after testing those four, I can tell you that I have a preference for 'trigger' shifting over 'twist' shifting. Without getting into a debate over that issue, I'll tell you: It's simply a matter of 'ease of use' for me. As to what my rankings above mean, I'd be interested in hearing your interpretations.

Oh, and East Hill, thanks for the mountain bike link. I'm on my way there now.

I'm not sure if that means anything, but after testing those four, I can tell you that I have a preference for 'trigger' shifting over 'twist' shifting. Without getting into a debate over that issue, I'll tell you: It's simply a matter of 'ease of use' for me.

I would also use those same feelings to choose your mtb. All the bikes listed are good steeds. It's the one that fits you the best and feels the best for you that should get your nod. Good luck, and of course post some pix when you do pull the trigger!

... Brad

Alas, I'm having difficulty finding a way to finance a bike on my fixed income. I've even tried craigslist to see if, perhaps, an affordable bike might be there...no luck. I may have to let go of the dream of getting a bike.

Alas, I'm having difficulty finding a way to finance a bike on my fixed income. I've even tried craigslist to see if, perhaps, an affordable bike might be there...no luck. I may have to let go of the dream of getting a bike.

Keep checking craigslist--something may pop up (what area are you in? some are better than others for finding decent bikes). Wouldn't hurt to get a Want Ad magazine and look in that, either. Does your area have anything like an Earn-A-Bike program? That might be another thing to look into.

Can a Trek 830 be inexpensively converted to use 'rapid-fire' shifting instead of the standard 'twist shifting' it normally has?

mtbr has this to say about the bikes I've tested:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/xc_hardtail/ <--- reviews of the bikes I've tried. On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best, they were: Giant Boulder SE: 3.93; Gary Fisher Tarpon: 3.38; Specialized Hard Rock XC: 4.11; Raleigh Mojave 2.0: 2.60; and Gary Fisher Advance: 3.88.

Should I, then, get the Hard Rock XC?

One area where twist grips are an advantage - riding in traffic. When you have to make a sudden stop like at traffic lights, you can shift down through several gears with a single movement of the wrist.

Speaking of shifting gears (up OR down), is there a thread that explains how all that works? Even though I consider myself a newbie, I want to avoid posting stupid questions if at all possible.

Here's the website to answer (many) of your questions. The first article is Gear Shifting: Everything You Wanted To Know About Shifting Your Bicycle's Gears, But Were Afraid To Ask:
http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html

As far as actually getting the bike; you might want to consider posting a "Want to Buy" ad on Craigslist. You'd be amazed at how many people have old (and sometimes nice!) bicycles collecting dust in their garages. Sometimes, people will offer to give you the bike free!

Thanks, DevLaVaca. I've checked craigslist a few times in the past few days...nothing exciting.

have you checked the local thrift stores? It's probably a long shot, but ya never know :)

I'm posting a 'bike wanted' ad on craigslist at this moment.

:) good luck

In the meantime, how would I know if I'm buying junk on craigslist? For example, this looks interesting:

http://nh.craigslist.org/bik/325571635.html

How's it going with the search, Mountain Owl?

I seem to have inherited one of these: http://www1.epinions.com/bike-Bicycles-All-90236-Raleigh_SC30__2000

My biggest frustration with it right now is: I can never tell which gear I'm in. The shifters are of the 'twist' variety, and there are no numerals on the shifters. To complicate matters further, an online friend of mine showed me last night that it's not a simple matter of multiplying 'front gear ring x rear gear ring' to determine what gear I'm in, such as (2nd front gear ring x 7th rear gear ring does NOT mean I'm in 14th gear)!

Instead (and I'll apologize ahead of time for this), he Googled and found this website to explain what he meant: http://www.panix.com/~jbarrm/cycal/cycal.30f.html (http://www.panix.com/%7Ejbarrm/cycal/cycal.30f.html) . Using a little guess-work for my bike, he came up with:

SP Shifting Pattern
CRxFW ChainRing x FreeWheel
GI Gear Inches
GIdf Percentage of increase between present GI value and the
next sequential GI value.
DI Distance traveled in INCHES in a single pedal rotation
diff Difference in INCHES between the present DI value and
the next sequential DI value.
DF Distance traveled in FEET in a single pedal rotation
displayed as FEET' INCHES.decimal_remainder"
PRPM Pedal Rotations Per Mile
RT Gear Ratios

Wheel Diameter: 26.00 inches
Gears: 28/38/48 11-13-15-18-21-24-34
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1> 28x34 21.41 35.71% 67.27 24.02 5' 7.27" 941.92 1:0.82
2> 38x34 29.06 4.39% 91.29 4.00 7' 7.29" 694.05 1:1.12
3> 28x24 30.33 14.29% 95.29 13.61 7'11.29" 664.88 1:1.17
4> 28x21 34.67 5.88% 108.91 6.41 9' 0.91" 581.77 1:1.33
5> 48x34 36.71 10.19% 115.31 11.75 9' 7.31" 549.45 1:1.41
6> 28x18 40.44 1.79% 127.06 2.27 10' 7.06" 498.66 1:1.56
7> 38x24 41.17 14.29% 129.33 18.48 10' 9.33" 489.91 1:1.58
8> 38x21 47.05 3.16% 147.80 4.67 12' 3.80" 428.67 1:1.81
9> 28x15 48.53 7.14% 152.47 10.89 12' 8.47" 415.55 1:1.87
10> 48x24 52.00 5.56% 163.36 9.08 13' 7.36" 387.85 1:2.00
11> 38x18 54.89 2.02% 172.44 3.49 14' 4.44" 367.44 1:2.11
12> 28x13 56.00 6.12% 175.93 10.77 14' 7.93" 360.15 1:2.15
13> 48x21 59.43 10.83% 186.70 20.23 15' 6.70" 339.37 1:2.29
14> 38x15 65.87 0.48% 206.93 0.99 17' 2.93" 306.20 1:2.53
15> 28x11 66.18 4.76% 207.92 9.90 17' 3.92" 304.74 1:2.55
16> 48x18 69.33 9.62% 217.82 20.94 18' 1.82" 290.89 1:2.67
17> 38x13 76.00 9.47% 238.76 22.62 19'10.76" 265.37 1:2.92
18> 48x15 83.20 7.95% 261.38 20.79 21' 9.38" 242.41 1:3.20
19> 38x11 89.82 6.88% 282.17 19.42 23' 6.17" 224.54 1:3.45
20> 48x13 96.00 18.18% 301.59 54.84 25' 1.59" 210.08 1:3.69
21> 48x11 113.45 0.00% 356.43 0.00 29' 8.43" 177.76 1:4.36
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SP CRxFW GI GIdf DI diff DF PRPM RT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Form Created: May 16, 2007 : 15:59:50

That's a great bike to start with! On bicycles, there's really not an analog to the numbered gears of a car. Generally, we divide our gearing by which chainring (front gear) we're in: small, middle, or big. You can number the cogs (rear gears), then think about it as small-1, middle-6, etc. But because gears come in so many different sizes, this is only useful for your own bike, and not for comparing with others.

With time, you'll find that not seeing the gears isn't really an issue. You'll spend most of your time in the middle chainring, using your rear shifter to select the right amount of power, and you'll do it by feel instead of by number. This will all come with time (it always takes me a while to get used to the twist shifters on my tandem, but once I do, they work great).

In the meantime, make sure to avoid cross-chaining (large-large or small-small), don't worry about speed, and enjoy the ride!

Glad you got yourself a bike. Congratulations. I wish I had anything to contribute regarding gearing. But, I just got myself a decent used bike that is 18 gears and I haven't a clue how to make it work right. I'm practicing on the trail and figure I'll figure it out eventually. If not, plan B is to stay in the middle and not bother trying to gear. *lol*

Are you having fun on your rides? feel wobbly?

Thanks, DevLaVaca. As of today, I *think* the gears are set to: first (smallest) chainring up front and second-smallest in back...not sure what gear that is, but it feels OK when riding/pedaling with that combination. As I may or may not have mentioned, a bike-rider not on bikeforums has me almost convinced that gear inches & pedal RPM'S are more important than knowing which of my bike's 21 gears I'm in. Still, the itch to upgrade some stuff on the bike has already started.

Well, Mirysien, these days, there's less 'wobbliness' and more a feeling of re-discovering muscles that I had long ago forgotten about. Even a single ride around the block leaves me winded and a little ache-y.

I understand that feeling (ache-y) ... :) it's always good to re-connect with ourselves (stated tongue in cheek style)

I'm surprised your grip shifters don't have gear indicators. You can get new ones for less than $20 and installation should be about $20 too (I would shop around if they want to charge you more)

http://www.rei.com/product/48019072.htm

These only work with Shimano rear derailleurs. If you have a SRAM X-# rear derailleur, you'll need slightly different shifters, but they are no more expensive.

You could also switch to triggers shifters. SRAM are probably better on the lower end of the price scale--at least they'll be cheaper for a good quality level.

glad you persevered and found a bike Owl. welcome to the boards and have fun. be safe, ride like you're invisible (don't assume that people see you).

Welcome Mountain Owl. All those gearing numbers seem to just be a general mess to confuse your head. They certainly confuse mine. I assume your bike is the simple 2-3 front chainrings and a number of rear gears deal?

A simple rule off the top of my head is: the chain shouldn't be at too steep an angle from crank to rear wheel. Higher speeds use the larger front chainring and smaller rear cogs. Lower speeds use the smaller front chainring and larger rear cogs. Simple as that.

Don't spend too much time calculating or figuring it out. With time you'll get into the habit of generally knowing which gear you're in and I think it will instinctively fall into place.

My condolences on the twist shifters, I much prefer the rapidfire as well. Hopefully in time you'll be able to look at replacing those.

For now just get stuck in and enjoy BF and the cycling life :beer:

Welcome Mountain Owl. All those gearing numbers seem to just be a general mess to confuse your head. They certainly confuse mine. I assume your bike is the simple 2-3 front chainrings and a number of rear gears deal?

A simple rule off the top of my head is: the chain shouldn't be at too steep an angle from crank to rear wheel. Higher speeds use the larger front chainring and smaller rear cogs. Lower speeds use the smaller front chainring and larger rear cogs. Simple as that.

Don't spend too much time calculating or figuring it out. With time you'll get into the habit of generally knowing which gear you're in and I think it will instinctively fall into place.

My condolences on the twist shifters, I much prefer the rapidfire as well. Hopefully in time you'll be able to look at replacing those.

For now just get stuck in and enjoy BF and the cycling life :beer:

3 chainrings up front (28/38/48)

7 cogs out back (11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 34)

I just now called one local LBS: $50 for a basic tune-up; $80 includes a drivetrain cleaning.

Also, the Shimano C101 Rapid-Rise housing between the handlebars feels cheap/fragile.

I hadn't intended to go riding today. I read somewhere that rge Shimano C101 has gear indicators, I hadn't seen any up to now, so I went over to my parents' (where the bike is) to see if I could find the indicators. It tuens out they're on the 'front' of the C101. Having verified this, I figured 'what the heck' and went for my usual ride around the block. I wanted to see if the indicators worked, and I also wanted to test the tires in the rain. The tires did fine, and the needle for the left/front chainring worked, but the needle never moved when I shifted gears on the rear derailleur. Anyway, at the end of my ride, I left the gears in 38/24 (middle ring up front, second-largest ring in back). My thighs feel like rubber bands, but that's becoming familiar.

Don't worry, you'll get used to the gearing eventually, and soon you will have it down by 'feel'.

East Hill

Don't worry, you'll get used to the gearing eventually, and soon you will have it down by 'feel'.

East Hill

Oh, I'm not worried, East Hill. I'm just one of those who like to have information in front of them. :)

Oh, I'm not worried, East Hill. I'm just one of those who like to have information in front of them. :)

A person after my own heart :p .

East Hill

A person after my own heart :p .

East Hill

:p

Now, if I could just get the damned tire monkey (Should I get new tires? If so, which ones?) off my back, I might actually start getting somewhere. To that end: I live in the northeast/snow belt, with the added fun of potholes. I'd like to use the bike in the winter (gas prices are going up again), and there's a local bike trail. Current tires are Kenda Kross Plus K-847 (a cross-country tire?), 26x1.95.

Continued thanks for any assistance.

A close perusal of the Winter Cycling forum is in order! I thought they had a sticky on tyres over there, but I am apparently incorrect. It's a fun forum to read, especially when it's not winter :D .

East Hill

A close perusal of the Winter Cycling forum is in order! I thought they had a sticky on tyres over there, but I am apparently incorrect. It's a fun forum to read, especially when it's not winter :D .

East Hill

Thanks, East Hill! ::::::: psst...from earlier, I'm male.:::::)

Oh, be that way :D!

I am a short female person, but don't mess with me, or I'll have to tell you about the grueling job I have lifting 70 pound boxes all day long. Then I will smack you upside the head :p .

:roflmao:

East Hill

Oh, be that way :D!

I am a short female person, but don't mess with me, or I'll have to tell you about the grueling job I have lifting 70 pound boxes all day long. Then I will smack you upside the head :p .

:roflmao:

East Hill

:roflmao: