General Cycling Discussion - Newbie Seeking Advice

Hello all,

I just bumped into this forum and have found it very helpful. I am looking to get into the whole biking for leisure and commute thing. I saw a bike on sale on line. It is an older model. A Miyata Ridge Runner. Does anyone know about these bikes? Is it a good deal at $150? I've looked it up and it dates to 1985. Does it matter how old it is if it is in very good condition? How does it compare to newer bikes? It says it is a mountain bike, but is that possible if it does not have any shocks? Could I use it for mountain biking?

Lots of questions... :) Any help would be appreciated.

I look forward to learning a lot!!

go ride it and see if you like it. $150 is a lot for a used anything. MTB bikes (mountain bikes) are fine for rails and with smooth tires pretty good for short commutes. I prefer a road bike for commuting. test ride some bikes and after a while you'll see what you like and what fits

Thank you for the advice. I have done a lot more research online and it seems like it is a good bike even though old. I still just don't know how it compares to newer bikes though. I'm not sure how I would compare it. I guess I'll just have to keep learning and trying to compare. The Miyata Ridge Runner dates to the mid 1980s and was a top of the line bike from back then based on the information I found.

older bikes tend to have older components so the bike may need some servicing. Other major changes, older bikes tend to have fewer gears than newer ones, also tend to be heavier. All of that being said, they can still be reliable if they were taken care of. take it for a ride, shift through the range of gears etc. Plan on spending some money or time servicing the bike unless the seller has had it done recently.

Around here, $150 is probably what would be asked for one of those, i think I saw one for $125 the other day. $150 would be acceptable, IF, it was in very good shape and everything was properly serviced and adjusted.

For actual mountain biking, that is off road and tricky climbing and big drops, it is not going to do that well. It will stand up to some of it, newer stuff is going to be better, but you're looking at $1000+ for something decent for off road riding. If you're just talking about rambling around the woods and trails, then yes, with the right tires it'll do that.

Most important is something that fits.

Around here, $150 is probably what would be asked for one of those, i think I saw one for $125 the other day. $150 would be acceptable, IF, it was in very good shape and everything was properly serviced and adjusted.

For actual mountain biking, that is off road and tricky climbing and big drops, it is not going to do that well. It will stand up to some of it, newer stuff is going to be better, but you're looking at $1000+ for something decent for off road riding. If you're just talking about rambling around the woods and trails, then yes, with the right tires it'll do that.

Most important is something that fits.

That is what I thought. Based on your explanations of what it could be used for I think this suits my needs. I don't see myself doing any "tricky climbing or big drops" at this time. Maybe some "rambling around the woods and trails...". :)

The bike is in excellent condition. It has road tires mounted that are in good condition and it also came with a set of off road tires that are also in good condition. That should make it worth $150 I'm guessing? It just needs to be serviced I guess. I should have factored that in the price, but it is too late now. If I can do the servicing on my own then I should be in good shape. I am going to do some research. Once again any feedback on that would be appreciated, but I'm sure I'll find plenty of info online. Thank you.

older bikes tend to have older components so the bike may need some servicing. Other major changes, older bikes tend to have fewer gears than newer ones, also tend to be heavier. All of that being said, they can still be reliable if they were taken care of. take it for a ride, shift through the range of gears etc. Plan on spending some money or time servicing the bike unless the seller has had it done recently.

Thank you. It actually has 18 gears and I have not actually gone for a serious test ride yet because I thin it needs some servicing. Nothing major, but just some cleaning. Also, is it normal that one break bad hits the rim before the other? I am guessing both pads should hit the rim at about the same time if functioning properly. I think I need to clean and adjust the breaks. I will hit the net and research that. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks again.

Having one pad hit before the other is a little tricky to avoid with cantilever brakes, which i think this has, something like these?
http://www.google.ca/images?q=cantilever+brakes&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=Sf3mS9LoG5LQM-Xn-IQI&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQsAQwAw

As long as they both retract clear of the rim and stop well, don't worry about it.
Things to look for, both wheels should spin true, the wheel bearings should spin free, with little or no play, the brakes should stop you well and not drag, the crank should not have any play, ( that play can come from the bottom bracket, the crank axle if you will, or from the crank arm mounting onto the BB ) The headset ( steering ) should be smooth and free, with no play.

Cables should move smoothly, if the brakes and gears work well, that can be assumed at this point.

Other than the point you made about the brakes, what else are you seeing that needs attention?

Thank you. It actually has 18 gears and I have not actually gone for a serious test ride yet because I thin it needs some servicing. Nothing major, but just some cleaning. Also, is it normal that one break bad hits the rim before the other? I am guessing both pads should hit the rim at about the same time if functioning properly. I think I need to clean and adjust the breaks. I will hit the net and research that. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks again.

both should hit at the same time... by my experience I would think that the wheel is way out of true or (more likely) one of the springs in oe side of the brakes is off/broken/otherwise out of adjustment. if it's the latter, $20 can you get you a decent set of cantilever brakes to replace the old ones.

both should hit at the same time... by my experience I would think that the wheel is way out of true or (more likely) one of the springs in oe side of the brakes is off/broken/otherwise out of adjustment. if it's the latter, $20 can you get you a decent set of cantilever brakes to replace the old ones.Well yeah, they should. But Cantilever brakes can be fussy in that regard. As long as there is only a small difference, and they both retract from the rim.....? Don't consider myself expert, but if my cantis were that way, I wouldn't sweat blood trying to get a perfect simultaneous contact.

Coldfeet, it does have cantilever brakes. One of the rear brake pads is sitting on the rear wheel. When I pull it off with one hand and spin the wheels there is no noise/resistance. I checked the pads and they both seem fine. I think I just need to adjust them.

There is also some play on the front brake handle. I did some research online and I think that I just need to adjust/tighten the cables. I actually just finished my first cleaning of the chain and drive system. It took longer than it should have and I am not totally satisfied as there is still some grime in the chain. I now see why I need an actual bike brush. All I had was a toothbrush. lol ...not ideal... I could not totally get into the deeper areas. I think I am going to hold off until tomorrow and try to find a proper brush before I lube the bike. I went to walmart and picked up a castrol chain lube. That should work, right?

My only concern right now is that when I spin the wheels there is quite a bit of resistance. I am guessing/hoping that it is because I just degreased the whole drive system and have not lubed it back yet. I just used a spray bottle with water and a degreaser I picked up from walmart (super tech multi purpose degreaser). That should not cause any problems, right? Also, it should be ok to wait until tomorrow to grease everything back up, right?

I don't think there is anything else after that and the brake adjustments. I still have not ridden it at all. I can be somewhat finicky about having things be just right. However I will follow cny's advice and not worry too much if the pads don't hit at the same time. I'll know if there is anything else that is off once I finally hit the road. :)