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can anybody help a newbie choose a good commuting bike?

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can anybody help a newbie choose a good commuting bike?

Old 07-17-06, 01:16 AM
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Where do you live with a mile long 20% grade? Tahoe? That's 1000 feet of elevation gain. I don't know of any med/nursing schools near Tahoe.
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Old 07-17-06, 11:07 AM
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Dang it...you got me on the Big Boi thing. And here I thought I was delivering a semi deserved scolding for imitating irritating little pre-fab "punk" Ms. Lavigne. Oh well.

You'll not find many folks here who will advocate flats over drops. A few, but not many. By the by, drop bars do not have to be set up "aggressively" either. Many shops only sell racing bikes, or something similar to one in their "road bike" lineup...the Allez is a great bike, but is also a little more racey. Drops can still be geometrically comfortable (remember, it is primarily geometry that influences comfort) by placing the ramps and hoods level with the saddle. Incidentally about where the flats on that Sirrus would be. Then, if you need to crouch out of the wind, the drops themselves provide an ergonomically correct way to do so. Ever try to hide from the wind with a flat bar...elbows all splayed out?

Bunny hops not highly recommended on most 700c road tires, drops or flats. Either type of bar will enable that particular trick though. Anyhow, if you are riding on the road like a proper cyclist, how many curbs could you be hopping anyway?
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Old 07-17-06, 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by notfred
Where do you live with a mile long 20% grade? Tahoe? That's 1000 feet of elevation gain. I don't know of any med/nursing schools near Tahoe.
CSUH nursing school in the bay area. It's almost a 20% grade. 16-18% if I remember correctly for the first 1000, then levels out just a bit and steepens again all the way to the top. Hard stuff, seems like 200% grade especially on that heavy MTB

Originally Posted by notfred
Dang it...you got me on the Big Boi thing. And here I thought I was delivering a semi deserved scolding for imitating irritating little pre-fab "punk" Ms. Lavigne. Oh well.
haha I hate Avril Lavigne! Who the hell listens to her anyway? As a matter of fact, she's probably the one that imitated me or Big Boi for that matter. I had this name since fall of 2001 on my e-mails, screen names, etc. so it would be easier to remember. Her "Let Go" album didn't come out until 2002.

Anyway, I might have to hop 1-3 curbs once I get on campus but I can always bike my lazy ass up the driveway! I've looked on criagslist and found a red sirrus with white drops for $300 but it was sold!!! Right size, right color, and everything. Is there a good bike out there with the Sirrus' price range, durablility, and great reviews with geometrically comfortable drops? It doesn't have to be the Specialized brand. I just want a bike that has been tried and true. Thanks for all your help so far. I've learned a lot.
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Old 07-17-06, 12:19 PM
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Specialized Sequoia is more "relaxed". As is the Trek Pilot. The Fuji Newest is also a good option.

And to avoid any confusion, when I mentioned the drops being "geometrically comfortable", I was actually referring to bike geometry, not geometry of the bar itself. I.e. are the ramps and hoods level with the saddle(comfortable), or 4 inches below (not as comfortable but very aggressive.)

Bars come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and features, with twice as many opinions as there are options.

If the gearing on a bike is not to your liking...rear cassettes run from $20 to $80, and can dramatically alter a bike. On my bike I built a custom cassette, 8 speed 13-30 to go with my 30-42-52 crank. That pretty much covers me from the steepest hills to most descents. (I spin out on a couple of REALLY steep dives, but that's no big deal.)
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Old 07-21-06, 02:13 PM
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It sounds like your really want a cyclocross or touring bike. Drop bars positioned near the height (not well below as most racing bikes are configured) of your seat provide a comfortable hand position and allow you to lower your body for better aerodynamics in head winds or faster rides. Canti brakes are sufficient to stop you quickly, though if you are really concerned disc brakes are available on a few cyclocross type bikes. Get one of these with a triple crankset and you should have sufficient gearing for your 18% hill (if your inshape). Also these types of bikes should be able to accomadate fenders, fat tires and a rack.

With decent sized tires you definately can hop curbs. 29er (29") MTBs use 700c wheels with fat tires for technical off-road riding, a few curbs are nothing. I've been hopping curbs with 28mm tires, and I'm 220lbs.

Fenders are very nice when ever it rains. Adding a rack and carrying your books on the bike is also an excellent idea. You take the pannier to carry your books into class and getting the weight off of your back will greatly improve the comfort.

I like the Surly Crosscheck and Jamis Aurora, but the REI bike mentioned above is nice. A use Trek 520 or Fuji Touring are also good suggestions. Make sure your accessories include a good U-lock and cable and make sure you know how to use it. The vast majority of bikes stolen are unlocked and most others are locked with lowend cable locks.

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Old 08-17-06, 10:50 AM
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Thanks guys. I decided to build my bike from scratch using a Surly Cross-Check frame. Gearing with 52-42-30 in front and 9 speed 11-34t in back. Does that seem good enough for my 18% 1 mile climb?
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Old 08-17-06, 11:29 AM
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In my limited experience 52-42 are too close, and 30 not necessarily low enough (but I only go to 28 in the back; maybe 30 is great w/ 34). I love the 39 middle ring I replaced the stock 42 with, and am actually about to swap out the 52 for a 50.
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Old 08-17-06, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by h2o_polo_boi
Thanks guys. I decided to build my bike from scratch using a Surly Cross-Check frame. Gearing with 52-42-30 in front and 9 speed 11-34t in back. Does that seem good enough for my 18% 1 mile climb?
Congratulations, that sounds like a great bike. The 30x34 gear should be sufficient for nearly any paved road but if you are concerned you could use something like Nashbar Treking crank 48-38-28 https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=
for a little lower gear.
Or this one https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename= with 48-36-26.
And ofcourse for crazy low gears you can use an MTB crank with 44-32-22 rings.
Really I don't think a lower gear is necessary but just wanted to let you know it was available.
I like your though as a Cross Check is one of my favorite frames.
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Old 08-17-06, 12:00 PM
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Thanks, CBBaron. Yeah, I heard a lot of rave reviews about the Cross-Check and how it's one of the most versatile frames on the market. And for $360 for the frame and fork, it can't be beat! It sure is costing me a fortune though, probably around $1300 with Avid Shorty 6 brakes, Ultegra with brifters, Deore XT, Ritchey, and Mavic Pro components. The problem with ultra-low gearing is my rear derailleur cannot handle the teeth differences and I'm worried about spinning out when going downhill which I enjoy the most

The only problem about my build is the handlebar. I bought a Ritchey Adjustable Pro Stem for $20 so I need a 25.4mm road bar. Anybody tried the 25.4mm Nitto Classic bar? Hopefully, snobby roadies won't laugh at me for having an ATB stem Other than that, building a bike from scratch is a good learning experience for me. Thanks for all the helpful info!

Last edited by h2o_polo_boi; 08-17-06 at 12:25 PM.
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Old 08-17-06, 12:15 PM
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mtb and road bars have a different diameter so be careful when trying to mix and match stems and bars...

other than that your doing fantastic! i also have a crosscheck and couldn't think of a better commuter.
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Old 08-19-06, 10:55 AM
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I have a Cannondale

Hello,

I have a Cannondale H700 1996/1997 Aluminium frame hybrid bike.
I can't recommend a Cannondale similar to mine UNLESS:
1) bike very short distances ( < five miles )
2) go through heavy heavy traffic and need that response from the bike.
3) do bike games ( foot-down or something )
4) love stiff bikes. and don't mind the road noise and vibration.
4) have a very good strong back . Otherwise suffer from the harsh ride.

this is my own humble opinion. Of course there are others who would
swear by the Cannondale bikes. And others who don't care much.
But if you are commuting some distances and want a comfortable
ride, I would not recommend the crazy stiff cannondale bikes.
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Old 09-29-06, 07:13 PM
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hey thanks for all your info guys. while i'm waiting for the rest of my cross-check parts, i'm commuting with this bike



the funny part is the lowest gear is a 30 in front and 25 in back. Even with that gearing I powered up the 18% grade hill for 0.85 miles 7 mins without too much effort.
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Old 11-01-06, 06:27 PM
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hey guys, after 2 months of commuting to school with my specialized allez, I think i've been getting stronger. before, the hill (which is more like a mountain) has always frightened me with a steep slope (the sign on the bottom says 18% grade) for 0.85 miles. I no longer have to use the lowest gear at 32.4 gear inches. Instead, the past 2 weeks I've been increasing my gears so that today I went up at 42.63 gear inches without any problems. Climbed the hill in around 5 mins with my school textbooks in my backpack. My goal is to eventually be strong enough to wean myself from the granny gear. But my question is, if my next bike is without a granny gear, what is the advantage of a double chainring besides the minimal weight loss? Isn't it better to have a granny gear on those lazy commuting days?
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