What sort of weight difference am I looking at between a cross and a SS (on avg....ballpark)?

By the way, markhr, thank you so much for going through the trouble of finding those links. You rock.

All things being equal except the drivetrain, probably 2-3 lbs. Keep in mind maintenance on a SS requires less. (hehe...a ss)

I would like to reiterate the recommendation for 28mm tires or larger. Those potholes and cracked pavement can really get you. I switched from an MTB to a road bike with 28s, planning to go thinner later, but now it's a year later, and I'm thinking of going up to 32s to I don't have to worry about the pavement so much while I'm dodging traffic.

Thanks

It's not all my own work and throwing links up every time someone says "new bike" is the easy option.

one more vote for single speed cross check. Big tires are good too, especially in the outer boroughs. I ride 32s.

get a SS cx bike, theres no need for multible gears in NYC, a SS or fixed bike will be far less maintenance, cheaper and lighter for the price.

i own a motobecane fantom cross uno (as previously mentioned) and love it, having the ability to run larger tires really helps the ride quality on the roads in manhattan. fat tired, SS road bike is what you want

1. Always ride before you buy... Unless you've got enough experience to know how a bikes is gonna fit you by looking at it's geometry (top tube length, seat tube, etc.).

2. A geared bike does not take a lot of extra work / knowledge to care for, so don't let that be the determining factor between multi-gears or SS. Let the TERRAIN you ride influence that choice.

3. If you plan to do any long distance or countryside riding, STRONGLY consider a multi-gear drivetrain.

4. It will not be the worst thing in the world to wait until you get to NYC to make your purchase... You'll have a much better idea of your circumstances - and your buddy will be just a phone call away.

5. Ride as many different bikes as you can while you're in the research phase... You'll learn what you like and don't like. Make note of the frame geometries that work the best for you. It will be priceless information if you decide to go the Internet route...

6. That's just my two cents... Best of luck - and let us know what happens... And when you make it big on Broadway remember the little people on Bike Forums that helped you get to the top!!

Unless you want to, say, make a run down to Trader Joe's in Edgewater, or the occasional jaunt up to Nyack, or deal with the 25% grade near me in Washington Heights, or do 20 or 30 miles a day without having to get on a single-speed every damn time.

The statement is probably accurate for people in midtown or Chelsea who are going a few miles, but that's not what all of NYC is like. Unless you just enjoy gambling, know your terrain before putting your money down on a vehicle that might not be suitable for it.

Or I could have just said +1...

dwr1961, that seems like really sound advice. I must say this forum has been revelatory for me. I'm going to keep researching my choices and my terrain (noteon ) From what you all have offered I have a much clearer sense of not only what my options are, but what my priorities ought to be. Thank you thank you thank you.
-danny

Would someone please explain the advantages of single speed bikes**********?I don't get it, unless you are a track racer. For city riding especially, I depend on the different options of my hybrid Fugi with handgrip gear ****s, 21 speed. I cannot imagine not having gears. Please explain.

In the fervid imaginations of their male riders, chicks dig 'em.

Another vote for a SS/Cross bike. I switched over to a SS/Cross from a geared Cross bike 4 years ago and wouldn't go back. My commute is not terribly long at 20 miles round trip, but it does have a couple of good climbs on it. In Feb/Early March when my condition is not so great it is a bit of work to do the climbs, but by now (mid March) I'm good to go through the end of the year.

Seconded. I also ride a low-geared SS at 62 gear inches. While it places a ceiling upon my top speed and prevents me from keeping up with seasoned roadies (which I probably still wouldn't be able to do on a geared bike), I can still easily hit 20-25 mph. I fly up hills with great ease -- i remain planted in the saddle and spin, while riders on higher geared SS/fixies often have to stand up and mash. Acceleration from a resting state when the light turns green is also a lot faster. I dropped to such a low gear in part because I was having a patella tracking problem with one of my knees. Gearing down made it go away.

I don't see the advantage of a derailleur in an urban environment, as you have to worry about the proper gear to downshift to before coming to a complete stop. Internally geared hubs would make a little bit more sense because they allow you to shift while at a resting state. Personally, I prefer just finding a gear that I'm comfortable with and sticking with it.

I guess the minimalistic aesthetic also has an appeal for some, myself included.

Also, there is less maintenance involved.

I have no problems riding anywhere in the city at rapid clip on a single-speed road bike. I don't ride fixed gear though, unlike the track racers you're referring to. I am able to coast. I am not sure how riding fixed gear would be advantageous in an urban environment. My impression is that people like them because they are more of a challenge to ride really well, but that they are a lot of fun once you master them. People don't really ride them for the sake of practicality.

I ride a FG cross bike and I think it's practical. Good control and speed regulation just by using your legs. It becomes automatic so hardly any thinking. Downhills are opportunities to improve spin or you can just let your legs go gumby while gravity takes over. And they're still fun after you've mastered them. Out of 3 bikes I own, the FG is the one that gets ridden the most.

So I did some more test riding today and more or less decided on the bianchi volpe (Winston Salem is just so damn hilly and I want to be prepared for all grades NYC has to offer). I couldn't help but feel though that the guys at the bike shop (though perfectly nice and well informed) were staunchly against fixies and SS to the extent that they were seriously steering me away from them. I mean they were laying it on thick. They didn't seem like the type to do this, but has anyone at the feeling that you were being hard sold had a bike shop? Even a classy one? I just got a weird vibe- like they all just wanted me to drop the $900.

Some LBS' are more interested in you dropping a bunch of money (to you) than helping you find a bike you like. Check out some other shops or wait til you come up here to buy.

Yeah, bike shops can have some odd vibes, and I think the cause is split between wanting to make more money off you and being too good to help you because somebody wants to feel like a real road racer.

Trust the vibe, move along, try another shop.

I'd wait to buy a bike until I moved. That way you can build a relationship with a LBS where you're moving to, rather than moving from. Of course if it were me, and I was going to be riding a lot in a major city, I'd buy used. Get an old mountain bike and make it a single speed, or not. Then wrap the hell out of it in used tubes and duct tape. I doubt that a new shiny bike would last long in the big apple.

Do they still call it the big apple?

Unless bikes in Winston Salem are way, way cheaper than in New York, I'd follow that suggestion.

I don't hear "Big Apple" very often, but I don't get the sense it's outdated. Did people really say it all that much before?

I agree with those who say wait to buy until you can establish a relationship in NYC. One less thing to move, too.

And trust the vibe. Different LBS's are REALLY different.

You're totally right, I just want to be able to ride the bike to school for the remainder of this term. Maybe I should just hold off, though. The "lifetime free maintenance" deal at this place down here won't do me any good if I'm in New York :/

As I said earlier, some of the steepest hills I've encountered were in "mostly flat" places. Steep areas generally have paths/roads/tracks that take the line of least resistance rather than go straight up and over.

How many bridges, on ramps, underpasses and out of town excursions, will you want the bike for? If it's more than cruising around the centre of town then I'd be inclined to go for gears over SS.

Bianchi makes a single speed cross bike. For Manhattan (I've never been there) I'd think a single speed would be the right bike. Isn't it pretty flat and very very dense?