Originally Posted by scroungetech

I try to stay as friendly & neutral as possible here, and have just one thought to add. One of the most knowledgeable bike shop owners & mechanics I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with, Larry Black at Mt Airy bikes in Maryland, who keeps about 2000 used bikes in stock at any one time, when faced with a bunch of my questions based on internet reading, summed it up like this. "Over-reading is just as bad as over-eating." In other words, develop your sense of bike-feel by going out and riding and _feeling_ the bike with senses that are more primal than the parts of your brain that read words on a screen. Then you'll know what works & what you might like to upgrade. This is why my Surly Troll is a stripped frame that hangs on a hook, and my early '90's lugged Schwinn High Plains is my preferred ride. Yeah, I got it at a flea mkt for $90, yeah the seat tube & bottom bracket were full of field corn & mouse droppings, yeah the paint is thrashed, yeah all my racks need p-clamps & hose clamps for mounting, and yeah I over-hauled it myself and replaced all the stock components with parts from my local bike co-op, bike swaps & 2nd hand on ebay. But I love how it feels & how it fits me better than any bike I've ever owned or test-ridden. I like it so much that when I found another one just like it on CL for $50 I bought it just to have a backup. I would've never figured this out unless I stopped reading & started riding. Mega-thanks to the local non-profit bike co-op near me, The Common Wheel, for teaching me to solve mechanical conundrums along the way. Now I'm gonna switch off this interactive TV internet thing that mostly attempts to sells me stuff I don't really need & go ride a bike instead.