Jinkwp

ok so my girlfriend and i have been mtn biking for a few years now. we decided to give road biking a try and found some cheap road bikes to start out with. we plan to upgrade some parts soon and some later.

we would love to have some input from the people who know more about bikes than we do. so first ill start with some pictures.

The tires are bell tires
the wheels are a brand i dont really know.
i basically dont know about most of the components on it.

I an 280 lbs. and was wondering about what parts i should upgrade.
i was thinking about changing the handlebars, brakes and making it not a single speed. i live in a bit of a hilly area. eventually once i am comfortable on the road bike i will go clipless.

any advice would be great!

oh i took it for a little ride and i guess my seat was too low as my legs were really cramped. i also felt a bit of lower back pain.

Thanks guys!

Jinkwp

ok now this is my Gf's bike.

The rear wheel is a velocity aerohead and the front wheel has no name on it. its also smaller than the rear wheel.
the rear tire is a specialized tire. the front is quite thicker than the rear.

Most parts i dont really know of either or never heard of.

well my gf isnt a clyde like me. she just wanted to know if any parts should be changed and also how much you guys think that these bikes are worth. we got them on craigslist and wanted to know what price you guys thought it was worth before we tell u how much we paid. so we dont feel stupid.

10 Wheels

I would not change anything yet.
Riding road bikes is a learning experience.

Keep the tires pumped up to Max psi before each ride.
Adjust the seats and ride the bike awhile.
I started on CL Bike bike in January 08.
You will run into problems. Just take them on One at a Time.
A local bike shop would be a good place to get some help when you need it.

jyossarian

Keep it SS for now and ride it into the ground. I know you said there's hills, but you got those of CL so the guys you bought it off might've been riding those same hills on the same bikes. Besides, it'll make you stronger faster and turn you into a climbing monster.

Jinkwp

ya i might keep it ss for a little while. the guy i bought it from lives a bit away from my area. ill give it a try though

there is a few thing i feel i really want to change. the handlebars seems like its no wide enough, making me feel cramped. i also want to get a rear brake or just change the brakes all together.

i wasnt sure how shifting works on road bikes (im a noobie) so i thought that if i changed it to a multiple gear setup that it would be better to do it all at once. the brakes didnt feel too reliable to me. didnt me very well.

thanks for the help guys!

c_m_shooter

That bike has a freewheel, so GET A REAR BRAKE! Other than that the only issue you might have is the quick release skewers may not hold the rear wheel in place when cranking up hills. If you keep them SS, you will want to get solid axles for the the rear. Count the teeth on the sprocket and freewheel and plug it into Sheldon Brown's gear inch calculator-if you are at about 70 gear inches you are set. Bar tape is cheap and will make the ride much more comfortable. Have fun, single speed is a great way to go.

Tom Stormcrowe

I'm guessing from the ring/cog setup I see, he's around 68-75 GI.

Agreed, if those bikes have freewheels and aren't fixed, get rear brakes as well. I ride both geared road bikes and fixed, by the way I fell in love with Fixed gear for it's utter simplicity, and it WILL make you stronger, as a benefit.

wrk101

If you want to go back to the 12 speed orientation, I would recommend you start shopping for a second bike instead. If you are diligent and patient, you will find a multispeed for less than the conversion cost. Hit the thrift stores and be ready to pounce on C/L if a deal pops up.

Also, your comments sound like the bike does not fit you anyway, so it gives you a chance to get a larger bike. Look for a chromoly frame, alloy rims and crankset. Bike sizing is a whole thread in itself.

Erwin8r

That Fuji is a good bike--I would get a nice, inexpensive bar (maybe even a flat bar like your mountain bike) that fits your width, and the rear brake the others mention. Then just ride it! Single speeds are all the rage right now (especially downtown Los Angeles, where I work), and your Fuji is actually "cool" again. I'm seeing a bunch of cool looking old-school bikes being brought out, dusted off, converted to single speeds, and ridden hard! Most importantly, have fun!

Jinkwp

i dont know if its not the right fit yet. i think i might just feel awkward because ive never ridden a road bike before. i just gotta try tinkering with the adjustments.

i think its the right height. the top tube touches my crouch. if it was even half an inch higher i would have to go on my toes.

i have the problem of short legs and long torso.

ban guzzi

Nice bikes. Very utilitarian! As said before, great way to get strong and improve your pedaling like nothing else. As for bars, get some used ones that are wider. I had the same issues with my Panic and the wider bars made me alot happier. Look into a stem also if riding hunched up is an issue.

Tom Stormcrowe

Look at some Cut down mustache bars, like mine, they extend the reach forward a tad and lengthen the apparent cockpit. Easier than a stem and you should be able to adapt the road bike brake levers to work with the right positioning on the handlebars.

bakerjw

Ride these bikes but don't throw a lot of money into them. Save it for now. Once you build muscles and stamina, get a new or used multiple speed bike and then you'll have the best of both worlds.

Jinkwp

thanks for all the advice guys. om a a little new to some of these terms so i might have to look some up.

would this bike be ok to ride long distances? someone was telling me i shouldnt. i didnt really understand why.

c_m_shooter

Distance depends on the rider. I have done centuries on my fixed gear,( I haven't been on my geared bike since March) but if my first century was fixed, I would not have enjoyed it. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been. Long distance rides are all about preperation. If you do all of your training rides on a single speed, you will be conditioned for it, so go ride. Get some miles on your legs and work on getting the fit right and you shouldn't have any problems.

Jinkwp

hey how much is this bike worth? somebody just offererd me $180 for it.

i was wondering if i should sell it and get something else.

i have yet to develop a bond with my bike so i dont think i would feel too bad.

wayne pattee

Here are some good videos to learn how to tinker with your bikes. I ride an older road bike and I do a lot of adjusting to see if I can make it more better.

jyossarian

You could ride any bike as far as you want. The question is, would you be comfortable riding it long distances? And yeah, throw a rear brake on there. Or you can Ted Shred it.

Jinkwp

hey guys. do you know if this stem would work for my bike?


https://slo.craigslist.org/bik/908464070.html

just wondering i anybody might know.

thanks!

c_m_shooter

No, your bike has a quill stem.

Antelope 70cm

Boy those bike licenses bring back memories.

Jinkwp

whata a bike licenses?

Antelope 70cm

If you look at those blue stickers they are CA Bike Licenses. You would buy and register your bike just like a car. I had them on my Schwinn Varsity, it was stolen, but I never got it back.