I find this site helpful. Because of US regulations, the $20 Bell helmet at the BigBox store provides just as much protection as the $200 helmet. Comfort and ventilation will vary.

Wear a helmet before going into A&S :D

I wear a helmet. It helped once when I skidded and fell on ice while going up a bridge ramp. The helmet cracked and I had a bump the size of an egg. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn't wearing one. You get used to it. It won't help you when you're run over by a fast moving vehicle but in small collisions a helmet can save you from a trip to ER.

Yes, besides poor ventilation (not an issue in cool weather) the cheap helmets can be very uncomfortable, have horrible straps and buckles that seem to be all in the wrong place and rub your cheeks and your ears, pads that will wear off or fall off quickly, etc. You can usually find good helmets around $50 though.

Re.: Times Up, I have heard about them. I donated money, I get their fliers in the mail from time to time. I emailed them couple of times asking if they take parts donations, I had some frames and parts, or if they need volunteers, I never heard from them. As far as I know it's a legit organization and if you can come to one of their workshops, it won't hurt. I learned all I know from the web though: this forum, Sheldon Brown, Park Tools Blog and Bicycle Tutor.

http://bicycletutor.com/
http://sheldonbrown.com/
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

I build and maintain all my bikes with the exception of wheel building which I found too tedious and too time consuming.

Thanks for the links ^^^ as well as all the input everyone.

So yeah, aren't there different types of helmets that offer varying protection? Like hard shell helmets vs. the styrofoam Toys R Us kind I had when I was 8?

Does anyone know about those Pro-Tec helmets that are meant for the military and the US Department of "Defense?"

I would imagine they must offer at least a step or two up in terms of protection. And they look pretty badass anyway. I wonder if they are comfortable. Unfortunately, I haven't seen that helmet at any of the stores I've checked out.

I was thinking I'd just get one of these hard shell Bell Hemlets:

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Faction-M...g_bs_3404571_4

I had to Google Pro-Tec, and this is what I came up with as far as helmets. Are any of these the ones that you are referring to?

In any case, I personally wouldn't choose a design like that. The more vents a helmet has, the cooler it will be when it's hot outside. This is the one that I use and it gets unbearable on the high side of 85.

My bad, I guess they aren't manufactured by Pro-Tec:

http://www.protechelmet.com/products.asp?cat=14

I don't believe the seller actually represents the manufacturer. As far as I can tell, with the exception of the Service related ones, these are the same as the ones in the link I provided earlier. That being said, if the fashion appeals to you, then go for it.

Good luck with the purchase, now that you've decided on a new single speed. I was going to agree with Slim and recommend the Jamis Sport Coda. It's a very fine bike and speeds give you more flexibility, but I'm not an SS guy. When I want to feel better about myself, I rationalize that Pittsburgh is a very hilly city to ride a single-speed bike in, but I'm probably just too weak for it! In any case, if you have your heart set on the SS, go for it. One thing I'll bet: if you fall in love with riding like a lot of folks on this forum, you'll be writing to ask us about your next bike purchase in oh, let's say 6 months max.!

Happy trails!

I haven't bought anything yet. Haven't even had time to test ride the bikes yet. Hopefully it doesn't snow/rain this weekend and I will test out all the bikes I am considering (which includes geared bikes). I went to a Jamis dealer yesterday, and unfortunately they did not have the Coda Sport. I'll try to find another Jamis dealer and see if they have it.

But why do you (ultimattfrisbee) think I'll be wanting another bike so soon?

When I was riding a bmx bike i was perfectly happy with it for a few years. I even worked a delivery boy when I had it.

I really can't afford an expensive hobby like this. I definitely see how this can easily become an obsession/passionate hobby.

Regarding helmets, what are peoples' thoughts on this:

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Faction-M...g_bs_3404571_4

Do they offer good protection?

"CPSC bicycle safety standard certified and ASTM 1492 skate certified"

If we all had spherical heads, it would be easy to purchase the proper helmet. But all heads are slightly different. I recommend you purchase a helmet that you can try on before buying. The only helmets that fit me are Bell size small. Other brands fit me different and are too large.

I will definitely wear a helmet. But when I posted that I specifically wanted to know if that model the Bell Faction helmet offered good protection. After reading up on the links that people provided and other sources I realize that the basic idea is that most of them offer good protection as long as they have those safety standard certifications. Aside from that I guess it would appear that it will depend on how these helmets fit.

IMHO the best helmet for commuting is MTB helmet with a visor. These are strong, but generally bulkier than road helmets, and the visor helps with sun and keep some of the rain off of your eyes. But pick whatever you like, really, just make sure it's decent quality.

Remember that you can't possibly get get everything right in the beginning, when you starting out; and what works for others might not always work for you. So while asking for advice is definitely a good idea, don't let that stop you from experimenting and trying things out on your own.

That Bell helmet you linked to is sufficient in terms of protection, but I fount that type of helmet a bit uncomfortable. They usually don't have adjustable webbing/straps and you adjust the fit by replacing the pads. You need get the size right. Also, they provide very little ventilation. I use something similar in cold weather but I use it without the foam pads, just over a hat and it works nicely. But I do miss the visor when it rains.

Yes, I agree with what you said. It basically does come down to looks, features and comfort. And you can expect similar protection from most helmets made by known manufacturers. I generally find Gyro fittings to work better than Bell, but you do pay a bit extra for that. On the other hand, there is no reason to spend a lot of money on a commuter's helmet, you should buy a new one instead every couple of years. The straps, buckles and pads will usually wear out, stretch, crack, etc. with frequent use and you'll want a new one.

I, on the other hand, always have to buy the largest helmet I can find. Most helmets are too small for me. My head is pretty round and it doesn't look that large and I'm only 5'11". I know people larger than me that wear smaller helmets.

I can't answer for ultimattfrisbee, but the joke goes that the ideal number of bikes for someone to have is N+1, where N is the number of bikes you have now...once you think you're set, you'll find that you want another one! This has happened to me...had been riding my early 1980s Univega, which my dad got new and passed it down to me, and I was happy with that...until I started thinking about a new bike. Found a lightly used Torker Graduate on Craigslist for a steal...and since it was so cheap, I'm thinking that buying a brand new bike wouldn't be crazy.

n+1 isn't the only axiom around here.

Another is that your first bike will undoubtedly be wrong. Some people manage to hit a home run right of the box, but a lot of people don't. Your first bike is meant to help you sort out what works and what doesn't for you.

OP- do consider our input, but realize you are the one who will be buying and riding whatever you end up with. You know your budget and test ride, test ride, test ride. Test rides will narrow down the choices in a hurry. Figure in the price of decent locks in the budget or be prepared for your precious to cast its spell on another.

^^^ Yeah I think I understand what you mean.

I test rode a bunch of bikes today.

I wasn't as happy with the Felt Brougham as I was hoping to be. It feels alright. It looks the coolest out of all the bikes I am considering and test rode today. But it basically felt the same as when i test rode the cheap Phat Cycles bike I test rode during the week.

Something I am noticing is that I am so used to riding my smaller bmx bike which has a very short height. I think I am used to riding very low to where my entire foot can comfortable touch the ground while sitting upright on the saddle. I find that it feels a bit comfier to be able to scoot/push off with one of my feet while sitting on the bike seat.

On the Felt Brougham and most of the other urban bikes I tried so far, I can only touch the ground with the toes of one of my feet while on the seat (and I have to lean a bit on one side or the other). Is that how it's supposed to be? (Again, this is why I say that I am a beginner, I actually don't know these things)

I mentioned this to one of the guys who was helping me out today. He said that it's bad for your knees to ride so low. Can anyone offer any more input on this?

Should I opt for a lower bike, or was I riding like an idiot on my old bmx bike and get used to riding a different way (possibly the correct way)?

Another bike I got to try today was the Novara Buzz One at REI. I was actually pretty happy with it. It felt the best among all the bikes I've tried so far. And I think it's possibly because the seat on this was a bit lower than everything else I've tried (again does this mean I might be slowly injuring my knees?)

I'm not sure I like the mustache handlebar though. And I don't like the paint scheme or the blue rims on the Novara Buzz One. Anyone have any advice on possibly painting it black? How do I go about doing that? Are there places that can do that for me? Or do most people do it themselves?

Also, can anyone recommend a good flat handlebar to replace the mustache handlebar. The employees at REI were even telling me that pretty much everyone dislikes the mustache handlebar and opts to replace it. However, they barely had a selection of handlebars to choose from. I think I might have to go about finding a replacement and then bringing it over to them to switch it out.

Yeah thanks for the input everyone.

In terms of locks, I already own an OnGuard chain-type lock. It's a big ass chain. I'm assuming this would be sufficient???

I also have a Kryptonite cable lock.

The main things I just need are a bicycle and a helmet I think.

And regarding the recommendations for a replacement flat handlebar for the Novara Buzz One. They told me I'm supposed to get something that fits a 31.8 clamp.

Regarding the standing/foot issue, for road bikes the conventional wisdom is that you should not be able to put your foot on the ground when sitting. If you need to put your foot down, you're stopped, so you don't need to be sitting on the saddle still. It's also a bit easier to start from a stop when you push off the ground and stand up to pedal for a bit, then sit back down.

Beach cruisers and comfort bikes have pretty relaxed geometry, where you can pretty much put your feet down while still on the seat. You won't find this on road or hybrid bikes.

This may be a change that you get used to, but perhaps not. I know you've thought about a ton of different bikes already, but if this becomes a big issue for you, you may want to consider an Electra bike. I don't think that they get a lot of respect from more serious cyclists, but if you're looking for a relaxed ride, they're great. My wife has a woman's Electra Townie. They have men's versions as well, but the styling is more cruiser-like, and it seems like you're not interested in that. They have one line that's more of a blend of hybrid bike and cruiser, the Ticino. REI should carry them.

http://www.electrabike.com/Bikes/ticino-bikes-electra

Tohtruck says:

Great! That's the only way to really do it!

I'm kinda surprised at the Felt. I thought it might perform a little better than that! Oh well, moving right along...


Well that's how it's generally done. One foot is on the ground while the other foot pushes down upon the pedal, that pushes the entire bike forward, to give you momentum. Now if you're talking about pushing back on the ground with the left foot, then the right foot, then the left again, no, that's not how it's supposd to be. Alternatively, you could just push the bike forward, mount it while it's moving, find your balance, and just start pedaling that way. However, that might not be advisable, but that's the way I do it!

No! When you stand over your bike. Both feet are supposed to be flat on the floor. Then you should be able to stick to fingers between your jewels and the top tube. If you can get four fingers in there, the frame is more than likely to small. If you can barely get one finger in there, the frame just might be a tad too tall. As you are seated upon your bike, you shouldn't be able to place the ball at the bottom of your big toe, flat on the ground. At least the tip of your big toe should barely touch the ground. Being able to tippy toe onto the ground is fine. Even if you can't touch the ground from a sitting position with the tips of your toes, that's fine with both road bikes and hybrid bikes.

Ok, so now, you've lost me! How can the seat be too low, if your toes are just barely touching the ground, as you move from side to side?

Ask to speak with a mechanic, the next time that you go to REI. Tell him about today's fitting experience and let him reflect upon your given advice. He should be able to properly advise you.

No. You are not injuring your knees. You just got to test-ride a proper fitting bike. That's why we say all the time that if a bike doesn't fit well, it won't ride well, and you won't ride it. Fit is absolutely the most important factor when selecting a bike.

REI should have a plethora of flat handlebars availble for you. If they don't have them in stock, they can most certainly show you their catalogue so that you can order what you like.

Insofar as painting is concerned. There are several ways to go. Do you want it to look nice and attractive? ..OR- Are you just put off by the color and you simply want a color change? ..Because, you do know that you can easily wrap tape around the tubes and paint the tape.

There's another DIY way. For that, just go to the General Cycling Discussion Forum and check out the threads "Anyone Ever Have A Bike Painted" and "Rattlecan Paint Job".

Of course, the two classy ways to have you bike painted, is to have it professionally powder-coated, or painted by an autobody shop.

Most people use rattle can spray paint, and it turns out less than stellar!

Checkout:

http://bontrager.com/products/components/handlebars

www.nashbar.com

Click onto components & bike parts and then handlebars

However, before you actually order anything outside of REI, go to the bicycle co-op. Learn how to replace your own handlebars. Then just take your time finding the handlebars that you really like! Spend a couple days looking a bikes with flat handlebars and making certain that those handlbars meet the correct specifications. Then when you're absolutely certain. Take your bike to the co-op and install your handlebars.

Of course, you could always just let REI do it, too! However they're probably going to charge for the service. OTOH, they might not charge if you're a member.

Good Luck!

- Slim :)

PS.

Wait A Minute...

How tall are you, TohTruck?

Revised

Thanks for the quick replies erg79 and SlimRider.

Yeah, so basically what I meant was that I am used to being low enough (on my old BMX bike) to the ground to be able to push off the ground with my foot while seated on the saddle.

Yeah, erg79, that's what I was kinda doing. I think I just didn't realize that that's how you ride a bike that isn't a bmx, freestyle, low-seated mountain bike, or cruiser/comfort bike.

I can see myself getting used to it. I think part of my uncertainty comes from the fact that I'm a lil ***** and I'm not used to riding like you're supposed to. It's also been a while since I've been on a bike.

I think the Felt Brougham felt similar to the Phat Cycles bike in terms of geometry I guess. My body felt similarly positioned, and again I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be higher off the ground than what I was used to with my old bmx bike. In terms of performance, I really couldn't tell either, they felt pretty similar. Again, I'm not really sure what I am supposed to look out for between a good ride and bad ride. I suppose I don't know enough about bikes to be able to tell the difference.

Yeah, SlimRider, with the Felt Brougham and the Phat Cycles bike I could get about two fingers between the top tube and my junk.

If I remember correctly, I was able to touch the ground with my toe and maybe part of the ball of my foot (but I think I was just slightly leaned over to one side). If I wanted to hit the whole ball of my foot then I probably would have been leaned over more to that side on the bike (whilst seated). I mean either way I suppose I would have been slightly leaned over to one side or the other since I'm stopped.

Put it this way, if I was sitting on the bike with none of my feet on the pedals and trying to balance myself with parts of my feet on the ground and the bike seat under me then my taint would be getting mashed and I would be falling to one side or the other in agony. I don't think I would be comfortably able to keep myself standing up and my seat under me (unless the bike were leaned a bit on one side or the other, and even then I would have to have at least one foot on a pedal).

So yeah, with the seat at the lowest position. I would not have been able to push off the ground with one foot then the other (basically the way SlimRider is saying how it is not supposed to be), my sensitive area would be getting crushed between left and right foot.

I can stand flat-footed over the bike while my ass is over the top tube. But I can't stand over the bike at all while my ass is on the seat.

When the dude at the bike shop originally gave me to bike to test ride. He looked at me and adjusted the seat (just lowered it slightly). When I was riding it, I could tell that my knee was basically fully extended on the downturn (on the crank). So basically if I wanted to stand and pedal while my ass was directly over the seat, it probably wasn't happening or at best I would have stood over the seat maybe an inch or two and pedaled (so there wasn't much clearance in height between my taint/ass and the seat). But I suppose when people stand and pedal, they aren't situated with their ass and taint area directly over the seat (right or wrong?)

I rode it around and then came back to the store to see if the seat could be lowered. He adjusted it and made it lower. My knee was still extended on the downturn, but not quite as much (like my knee wasn't locked out on the downturn but there was a very slight bend). And I could stand and pedal while my ass and taint are directly over the seat a bit easier (there was a bit more clearance space in height).

Basically, if you've seen bike delivery men who are a bit small in stature riding giant mountain bikes that are obviously too big for them, I definitely did not look like that at all.

It's possible I might just need to test ride it again. I actually don't quite remember the extreme details. But I was definitely able to stand flat-footed over the top tube.

Ok so the dude I was talking to about riding very low to the ground was not from REI. And what I was referring to was when I use to ride my BMX bike I was seated lower, and maybe that I'm too used to that (again as that is my only cycling experience). So basically, he was saying that if I ride too low that I could end up injuring my knees. And basically he was implying that I should be riding higher (such as the height of the Felt bike I was test riding).

Regarding the Novara Buzz One, I think I was able to stand flat footed over the bike seat, or at least one of my feat flat footed while seated on the bike. So I could push off the ground while seated.

It definitely felt different than the Felt Brougham, Phat Cycles Phixie, and the SE Draft Lite (a hideous bike that I test rode that was also the least expensive of all the ones I've looked at). But I assume it's also just a completely different kind of bike as the Brougham and Phat Cycles Phixie appear to be road frames.

REI had like two handlebars in their store for me to choose from. Anything else would have to be special ordered. Or I could order my own and they could do the work and put it on (it might be a charge of like $20 for labor). They were actually pretty unclear about everything, but REI only just recently opened up here in NYC.

I'm put off by the color of the Novara Buzz One and the handlebars.

I'm 5'5"

Also, I kind of don't want to go through the headache now of finding the right handlebars.

Take a look at some online instructions for finding proper seat height on a bike. Your leg should be nearly straight if you are sitting on the seat with your heel on the pedal at it's lowest position. Given that guidance, you should not be able to touch the ground while seated (perhaps if you have size 12 feet you might be able to get toes on ground). It's normal, you'll get used to it. My knees start having sympathy pains when I see people riding with their knees all bent. Don't ride like that on a road bike.

What that salesperson meant when he said having the seat too low is bad for your knees is that you will have knee pain. Usually If a seat is too low you'll have pain in the front of your knee and if its too high you'll have pain in the back of your knees. If you want to have your feet on the ground maybe look at something like a Trek Navigator or Specialized Expedition which will have gears though. I think you should take a look at a Trek Earl also its a single speed a little under 500 and doesn't look too fancy so you won't have to worry as much. Either way one thing I always say is use a HEAVY DUTY lock like a Kryptonite New York chain and have all the quick release parts locked down. Also get a seat lock which is a bike chain thrown into a tube and fastens the seat tro the frame. It isn't such a common thing and you'll have to find a shop that does it as many have never even heard of a seat lock before. This video should give you a better idea of how to lock a bike in NYC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryY-qMFLcfo

Here's a thought- since you're used to riding BMX, why not look at getting another one for commuting? Possibly one with 24" wheels. Single speed, nimble and agile handling. My avatar is my primary commuter, but I have used my 8 yr old son's Haro H-1 BMX with 20" wheels from time to time- and I'm 6'.



If you go the BMX route, then you'll probably want to upgrade the braking system.

Okay, so based on what I am reading. The bikes I tried were properly sized.

The place that was selling the Phat Cycles Phixie, actually also offered to cut down the seat for free if I wanted. But I'm guessing now that it probably isn't necessary and I should just learn how to ride the damn thing properly.

Unfortunately, none of the places I checked out had the Trek Earl (at the very least not in my size).

What are quick release parts?