yoji

I'm considering Raleigh Venture 4.0.

I'm 5' 7", should I buy the 18" MD or 19" WLG? BTW, what is WLG?

Does anyone has a link to Raleigh that fits sizes to hight?

Thank you,

Yoji

giantcfr1

Just pop over to the bike shop and ask them for your recommended size.

memebag

It's best to try them on in person. Your inseam is probably more important than your height.

SLazz

So true. Make certain you have enough top bar clearance so your "nads" won't get crushed if you have to abruptly dismount. Otherwise, your voice may permanently go up a few octaves. (Disregard this info if you're a girl.)

MikeRides

FWIW, I'm 5' 9" and the size my LBS fitted me for was a 19" MD for my current Raleigh Detour 4.5 - been riding all season [1000+ miles] with no fit problems

Like "memebag" said, I'd stop into a bike shop and try one in person.

BTW, WLG is WOMEN'S LARGE frame size, iirc.

Solare

Hi Yoji,

Ohio goes Imus.


I have a Venture 4 from a couple of years ago (I don't think they changed it) and I am 6'. I find myself moving the seat forward, aft, up, and down every once in a while. I think you might be ok but like others have said go to the LBS ad ride everything they have. Don't scoff at the road bikes, or any other type of bike. Just because it didn't seem to fit what you thought a bike should be.

I just put some Panaracer High Road V City Tire https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...54_-1___202470 on my bike and shaved 7 minutes off of my 14 mile loop. YMMV

You do not indicate where you live but that makes a huge difference in your ride.

fietsbob

are you leggy or not? what is the prospective bike's top tube slope ?

stand over height is partially about that.. yea, just go in to the dealer and test ride the bikes in person..

"inseam' of pants, is not including your feet .. straddle-stand over is a better data point

as high as a thing between your legs can possibly be , standing flat footed..

pierce

I'm 6'0" tall, but only have a 30" inseam, so I have a rather long torso. most bikes that are the right height for my legs are too short seat-to-bars, so I prefer a larger frame. if I have to dismount a bike, I don't stand over the top tube anyways

all of this is just a long way of saying, bike fit is rather personal, no two people are quite the same...

yoji

Thanks everyone,

I ordered 18" and it was a good choice. I took her (bike is her or him??) for a ride and it was very nice.
I need to adjust the "knee" in the handlebar, can you tell me which allen key size I need?

BTW, since next month starts 2014 models you can get a good deal on the Venture 4.0; I paid $380 + tax of course - Burbank, CA

pierce

if by knee, you mean a height/angle adjustable stem, like the one on this bike,
https://pierce.smugmug.com/By-Date/20...MG_3793-X3.jpg

you need a strong allen bit on a 3/8" drive ratchet, as you need quite a lot of torque to tighten those securely. a regular L shaped allen wrench won't cut it.

I'd bring it back to the bike shop for adjustments, they shoudl do taht for free if you just bought the bike from them.

yoji

Yes that's the one, I'm new and not familiar with bike parts.

I saw somewhere that many bikes use mm keys.

pierce

they do, and I dunno offhand what size it is. what I was saying is, the usual allen "L" wrench isn't sufficient to tighten that clamp, you need like 50 ft-lbs or something and that will bend a little 4" long L wrench. you need a allen 'bit' for a ratchet wrench, like you'd use for automotive stuff.

something like these, plus a ratchet...
https://www.lowes.com/pd_338623-22328...cetInfo=Kobalt

catonec 

wlg womens large

wmd womens medium

wsm womens small

wxs womens extra small

5.7 Id go for the 17 inch

yoji

So, now accessories - Do I really need $30-$60 head / tail lights??

How about - CatEye HL-EL135N / Omni 3 TL-LD135 Combo - $23.71 at Amazon

Thanks

pierce

If you're going to ride at night, I'd want a bright conspicuous red tail blinky. I like the cherry bomb 1 watt one. i like having two headlights, one thats really bright, and I only use when I'm NOT in traffic and riding where its really dark, and another thats more sane bright, and has a rapid strobe-blinky mode, and is more for being seen than for seeing (although its bright enough for that, too).

my bright light is a ebay direct-from-china clone of the magicshine 808, and I added a horizontal spreader lens because it was too much of a beam, its as bright as my motorcycle headlight and a lot more intense. even on low its insanely bright, and lasts for 10 hours on a charge.

https://www.amazon.com/NiteRider-Head...f=pd_sbs_sg_10

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CREE-LED-XM-...t/200971354182

WonderMonkey

Cygolite makes a rear blinkie that people like. They say it's not good for group rides as it can be bothersome to the person behind you. To me that would be an issue with any light that is very bright.

yoji

What is your favorite mirror??

pierce

I don't like bicycle mirrors. danger is rarely directly behind you.

Wanderer

FWIW, 50 ft pounds is a HECK OF A LOT for a little bitty bolt. Better check the real spec. Maybe closer to 50 in pounds? 50 ft poounds would likely ruin every thread in the stem.......

Wanderer

Mountain Myrricle is an excellent mirror for a hybrid....... Just excellent! I won't ride without one!

pierce

I got to admit now, I don't remember the number, it was printed on the side of the stem, which came on a Specialized 'comfort bike'. I had ignored it initially and just used my decent quality made-in-USA "L" style allens, and it kept coming loose, so I broke out my 3/8" torque wrench and motorcycle hex bits, and was quite surprised at how much force it took. Maybe it was 40 N*m which is about 30 ft-lbs? I googled and found a picture of a different model that said 10 N*m on it (~ 7 lb-ft), so I guess they aren't all as bad as this one was.

Wanderer

30 ft pounds is still way too much - that's a small bolt. We're not talking about motorcycle exhaust manifold bolts here, and they would only be about 23-27 cold.

yoji

What kind of Bike Rack would you recommend for my Raleigh Venture 4.0 and Nissan Sentra ? Nothing fancy, up to $100.

Thanks

pierce

I really like the Axiom rack I put on my hybrid. they have them to fit most any bike.



what I specifically like about Axiom, they use a better grade of aluminum than most racks, they are relatively large diameter, very light and very very strong. real reasonable price, too..

this one is the Voyager or something, I think....

oh wait, you're talking about bike rack for a CAR. hahahahaha.

one word. Yakima.

pick up the bars and bike racks and stuff from craigslist for a fraction of the price of new, then just get the adapters for your specific car.