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marguette 10-31-20 12:16 AM

New want-to-be cyclist at 69
 
HI
i'm new and this is my first post. Finally found a bike that I think I can ride and hope to buy it tomorrow. Of all the bikes that Ive tried, it seems to be the best fit without going to a tricycle. It feels and looks alot like a Schwinn. Looking at a DCO-City Class - 2020 in new condition. Can anyone comment on the specs? Wondering if I'm delusional to think that I can ride a bike again. Cheers, Marguette

dabac 10-31-20 04:21 AM

Why do you think you wouldn’t be able to ride a bike?
Any medical condition?
Anyhow, if you need the small (14”) frame size, DON’T get that bike. It’d leave the handlebar ridiculously high, like chest height.
Also, if you’re heavy, don’t get that bike.
It has a freewheel - as opposed to a cassette - rear hub. These are weaker and something as innocent as rolling off a curb may bend the rear axle.
Now, this doesn’t have to happen. Light riders may do fine. Riders well trained in ”going light” - getting out of the saddle at bumps may do fine. Riders never dropping off curbs or into potholes may do fine.
Apart from that it seems to be a decent enough bike for casual/utility riding. All named parts. Better than the department store specials.
You will also need a pump. Bicycle tires are NOT like car tires. You’ll need to top up pressure at least every 2nd week. I suggest a floor pump with a pressure gauge. It’ll take some guesswork out of If they’re properly inflated or not. And may well save you some pinch flats.

jpescatore 10-31-20 05:00 AM

A couple comments after taking a quick look at the specs:

The derailleurs are Shimano Tourney, which is the bottom level of Shimano equipment, but you are at the entry level of bike price. The rims have 36 spokes, which is good from a reliability perspective.

Probably the biggest thing is the "step through" frame - did you look at any bikes with a straight top tube, or do you already think you have problems getting your leg over a "normal" bike? They are less sturdy and if you ever want to carry the bike on a car, they can limit your choices in carriers.

Echo the earlier comments - I'm a spring chicken at 63, but on group rides (when we still had them!) many 70+ riders leading the way.

marguette 10-31-20 07:52 AM

step through
 
thank you for your comments. I definately need a step-through, at least for now, until I gain more strength and confidence. That s why I selected this bike. I have poor balance, especially when getting off and I've had knee replacement surgery. My weight is also a factor. The bike seems to have similar characteristics as the schwin but felt more comfortable. I'm very wabbly at startup but I guess that's normal and should improve over time.


Originally Posted by jpescatore (Post 21768848)
A couple comments after taking a quick look at the specs:

The derailleurs are Shimano Tourney, which is the bottom level of Shimano equipment, but you are at the entry level of bike price. The rims have 36 spokes, which is good from a reliability perspective.

Probably the biggest thing is the "step through" frame - did you look at any bikes with a straight top tube, or do you already think you have problems getting your leg over a "normal" bike? They are less sturdy and if you ever want to carry the bike on a car, they can limit your choices in carriers.

Echo the earlier comments - I'm a spring chicken at 63, but on group rides (when we still had them!) many 70+ riders leading the way.


marguette 10-31-20 08:04 AM

Questioning ability to rude
 
I beleive the old saying that once you know how to ride you never forget. That may be true in theory but I have found that ,in practice, that is not necessarily true. In trying out different bikes, i could barely get going and so wabbly that I lost confidence. Ive also been sedentary for a long time and have little strength or muscle tone. Not sure if it will come back.

Originally Posted by dabac (Post 21768837)
Why do you think you wouldn’t be able to ride a bike?
Any medical condition?
Anyhow, if you need the small (14”) frame size, DON’T get that bike. It’d leave the handlebar ridiculously high, like chest height.
Also, if you’re heavy, don’t get that bike.
It has a freewheel - as opposed to a cassette - rear hub. These are weaker and something as innocent as rolling off a curb may bend the rear axle.
Now, this doesn’t have to happen. Light riders may do fine. Riders well trained in ”going light” - getting out of the saddle at bumps may do fine. Riders never dropping off curbs or into potholes may do fine.
Apart from that it seems to be a decent enough bike for casual/utility riding. All named parts. Better than the department store specials.
You will also need a pump. Bicycle tires are NOT like car tires. You’ll need to top up pressure at least every 2nd week. I suggest a floor pump with a pressure gauge. It’ll take some guesswork out of If they’re properly inflated or not. And may well save you some pinch flats.


BobbyG 10-31-20 08:58 AM

CITY CLASS | DCO bicycle

I think it is a fine bike to start on. And the important thing is you tried it out and compared it to other bikes, so you have a bike that works with you.

My wife has a similar type bike with a low step-through and similar geometry. It is slow, but very stable. Her bike has a "comfort fork" with springs and a seat-post with springs which I feel make the bike seem less stable since they make it harder to feel what the bike itself is doing.

I think you have a fine bike for your return to riding. After a year or so, you may desire something else, but considering price, features and the fact that you rode and compared it to others, this was a very smart choice...

,,,enjoy!

PoorInRichfield 10-31-20 09:04 AM


Originally Posted by marguette (Post 21768769)
Wondering if I'm delusional to think that I can ride a bike again.

One thing that makes me sad is when people start "retreating from life" as they get older. I.e., they stop doing the things they want to do or love to do out of fear that something might go wrong. This is a downward spiral since the more one "stops doing stuff", the weaker and less able one becomes to do anything. So ride a bike until you physically can't! Enjoy the ride! :D

marguette 10-31-20 09:42 AM

Retreating from life
 
I used to be a decent rider in my mid 30's. Then life got in the way. Tried picking it up again about 10 years ago but arthritis and eventually, knee replacement got in the way. I'm now two yrs post-op. I've set three goals for this next year... return to cycling, learn to kayak and loose weight. In other words, live a healthier life style. I just hope it's not too late physically to bike. Is there a point of no return?


Originally Posted by PoorInRichfield (Post 21769054)
One thing that makes me sad is when people start "retreating from life" as they get older. I.e., they stop doing the things they want to do or love to do out of fear that something might go wrong. This is a downward spiral since the more one "stops doing stuff", the weaker and less able one becomes to do anything. So ride a bike until you physically can't! Enjoy the ride! :D


marguette 10-31-20 09:54 AM

The bike size 16"/41, 26" wheels.
 
The bike sie seems appropriate for me. I'm 5' 6" so a medium frame 2orks fine. This is a 16"/41, 26-in wheel. As for medical weight is an issue, knee replacement 2.5 yrs ago and no core strength meens very poor balance. I'm hoping that cycling will improve all of these issues.

Originally Posted by dabac (Post 21768837)
Why do you think you wouldn’t be able to ride a bike?
Any medical condition?
Anyhow, if you need the small (14”) frame size, DON’T get that bike. It’d leave the handlebar ridiculously high, like chest height.
Also, if you’re heavy, don’t get that bike.
It has a freewheel - as opposed to a cassette - rear hub. These are weaker and something as innocent as rolling off a curb may bend the rear axle.
Now, this doesn’t have to happen. Light riders may do fine. Riders well trained in ”going light” - getting out of the saddle at bumps may do fine. Riders never dropping off curbs or into potholes may do fine.
Apart from that it seems to be a decent enough bike for casual/utility riding. All named parts. Better than the department store specials.
You will also need a pump. Bicycle tires are NOT like car tires. You’ll need to top up pressure at least every 2nd week. I suggest a floor pump with a pressure gauge. It’ll take some guesswork out of If they’re properly inflated or not. And may well save you some pinch flats.


79pmooney 10-31-20 03:32 PM

Marguette, I"m 67. I've been riding my whole life, so the issues of balance and bicycle coordination are second nature, but I also know that falling is far more serious than it was 30 years and even just 10 years ago.

I fully second getting a step-though you feel comfortable riding. I'd love to hear you come back in a year and joke about the bike you started with, but if that happens, this step-through did its job. Your biggest challenge of the rest of your life on a bike is the first 100 yards. Next, the first mile. The bike that doesn't get you through that failed you. Doesn't matter how "good" it is.

Don't let anyone talk you into more than you are ready for. Welcome back to bicycling!

Ben

big john 10-31-20 05:43 PM


Originally Posted by marguette (Post 21768996)
I beleive the old saying that once you know how to ride you never forget. That may be true in theory but I have found that ,in practice, that is not necessarily true. In trying out different bikes, i could barely get going and so wabbly that I lost confidence. Ive also been sedentary for a long time and have little strength or muscle tone. Not sure if it will come back.

Start slowly. Go someplace where you don't have to deal with cars or other riders. Don't lock your elbows, relax and look where you want to go, don't fixate where you don't want to go. This may seem elementary but it might help to remember.
You might also want to do some range of motion type stretching, mild stretching.
When I started riding as an adult I built up to 5 miles and I thought that made me a badass. That was around 1982, I think.

'02 nrs 10-31-20 06:42 PM

riding/
 
70 years & still riding here. my suggestion is buy it-we all need goals in life. but rather than jumping in then losing confidence you ought to by a rear wheel trainer to get into the groove first.when contols become second nature hit the bike paths.30 years past isn't so long ago & over the Winter will give you time to continue where you left off. great to hear your not letting arthritis slow you down-have to keep the joints active,I'm in the same boat:commute:

jleeg 11-01-20 08:28 AM

As a fellow soon-to-be septuagenarian, I encourage you to get on a bike. Do you have a friend who cycles, or a friend of a friend, you could talk to? It can be confusing but it’s not worth fretting over. It's nice to make perfect choices out of the box but it isn’t likely. You’re not the cyclist now you’ll likely be so pick something that fits your current and near future needs and go at it. Get the feel, push when you can and mark progress. Try to get cycle wear you’ll use now and as you get fit and faster. Find routes you feel safe on and on which you mark progress.

Find the joy of cycling that fits you. My story is that I was bike weenie for years starting in the late 70s. I was lured away by flyfishing (another gear crazed obsession) and lost fitness. Picked it up again this year and am loving it. Wish you the best.

Iride01 11-01-20 09:39 AM

I've actually seen some similar bikes in my local bike shops for about the same price their website list this bike for. If you are looking at a used bike, then be sure you can't find the same bike new for the same price. You'll get more after the sale help from a bike shop that sold you a bike than you will from an individual selling a bike they no longer want.

As far as is this the right bike for you? It's got a 3x front doesn't it? That should give you the low gears you need for most any hill and the high enough gears to scare yourself going down they other side <grin>. Don't coast, that's a waste of a good hill.

Any how, it's decent for a first bike as long as it's not at a price that makes it your last bike. As you get into cycling, there are different styles of cycling and as you get more cycling fit, your interests might lean in a direction that particular bike does not work well for.

So ride and enjoy. Hang around and in a year or two we can argue about your next bike!

marguette 11-01-20 09:51 AM

Price poit
 
Based on the web, this bike was cdn $579 + 13% tax and I paid $250 cdn. Plus it has a $50 basket on it. I think I got a great deal for a two month old bike and worse case scenario, I can resell it for the same price. It's very different than past bikes for sure and i'm certain i will look for something different when I'm feeling more capable. Meanwhile, I have the winter to sort it all out. Thanks for your comments.


Originally Posted by Iride01 (Post 21770355)
I've actually seen some similar bikes in my local bike shops for about the same price their website list this bike for. If you are looking at a used bike, then be sure you can't find the same bike new for the same price. You'll get more after the sale help from a bike shop that sold you a bike than you will from an individual selling a bike they no longer want.

As far as is this the right bike for you? It's got a 3x front doesn't it? That should give you the low gears you need for most any hill and the high enough gears to scare yourself going down they other side <grin>. Don't coast, that's a waste of a good hill.

Any how, it's decent for a first bike as long as it's not at a price that makes it your last bike. As you get into cycling, there are different styles of cycling and as you get more cycling fit, your interests might lean in a direction that particular bike does not work well for.

So ride and enjoy. Hang around and in a year or two we can argue about your next bike!


Iride01 11-01-20 10:11 AM


Originally Posted by marguette (Post 21770374)
Based on the web, this bike was cdn $579 + 13% tax and I paid $250 cdn. Plus it has a $50 basket on it. I think I got a great deal for a two month old bike and worse case scenario, I can resell it for the same price. It's very different than past bikes for sure and i'm certain i will look for something different when I'm feeling more capable. Meanwhile, I have the winter to sort it all out. Thanks for your comments.

You got a deal. I wouldn't have turned that down either. I'm very impressed that there was a seller that didn't want new prices for their used bike.

Enjoy it. It looks like a decent bike for leisurely rides. If you later get to riding for several hours at a time at some decent speeds then you'll know it's time for another bike.

kaos joe 11-01-20 02:39 PM


Originally Posted by marguette (Post 21769098)
I used to be a decent rider in my mid 30's. Then life got in the way. Tried picking it up again about 10 years ago but arthritis and eventually, knee replacement got in the way. I'm now two yrs post-op. I've set three goals for this next year... return to cycling, learn to kayak and loose weight. In other words, live a healthier life style. I just hope it's not too late physically to bike. Is there a point of no return?

You'll do just fine.

30 years ago when I was 30, I went for a ride with 2 friends, Tom who was also 30 and Frank, pushing 70. We were all very strong riders, but there was that age difference. The other youngster and I got into a friendly competition and tried to run each other into the ground on a local hill almost a mile long. We crested with photo finish, both totally cooked and breathing like locomotives. I turned to Tom and suggested we sit up and wait for Frank to catch up.

Immediately a voice came from right behind us, saying "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Frank continued to ride past age 90.

VegasTriker 11-01-20 03:02 PM

One thing that might be of concern is you describing your balance as "poor." Anyone at your stage in life (and I am older than you) should be thinking of the repercussions if you crash. Any avid rider is going to crash sometime and it is more likely if you have poor balance. That's just one of the risks of cycling. I still own a couple of regular bikes but switched to mostly riding recumbent trikes 17 years ago. I didn't have poor balance back then and don't to this day. After an minor crash I began to consider what would happen if I broke a hip. For me, that's the part that seemed to hit the ground first, and while I never broke any bones recovering from bruised hip and a hematoma (blood blister inside the muscle) was painful and prolonged.

philbob57 11-01-20 03:31 PM

Enjoy the bike! Remember, physical laws keep you upright once you get going.

I'm writing because I haven't found cycling to help much with core strength. It benefits from core strength, and it has built core strength for me, but very slowly. What helps is core strength exercises for seniors that I find on the web - but I don't do them regularly or often....

Gundo 11-01-20 03:38 PM

I started when I was 70. Hadn't ridden a bike in 58 years. I bought a hybrid and have progressed to a road bike. I've done 1500 miles this year. Just wish I had started so much sooner, I love it.

marguette 11-01-20 04:19 PM

...started at 70?
 
Wow! That is so encouraging. Thank you.


Originally Posted by Gundo (Post 21770840)
I started when I was 70. Hadn't ridden a bike in 58 years. I bought a hybrid and have progressed to a road bike. I've done 1500 miles this year. Just wish I had started so much sooner, I love it.

!,,

marguette 11-01-20 04:22 PM

Balance
 
I have the winter to strengthen my legs and build core strength. Started walking up and down six fligths of stairs and plan to do that at least 4 x a week. I don't think there is much risk of a falll cycling at 5 km an hour. Lol


QUOTE=VegasTriker;21770788]One thing that might be of concern is you describing your balance as "poor." Anyone at your stage in life (and I am older than you) should be thinking of the repercussions if you crash. Any avid rider is going to crash sometime and it is more likely if you have poor balance. That's just one of the risks of cycling. I still own a couple of regular bikes but switched to mostly riding recumbent trikes 17 years ago. I didn't have poor balance back then and don't to this day. After an minor crash I began to consider what would happen if I broke a hip. For me, that's the part that seemed to hit the ground first, and while I never broke any bones recovering from bruised hip and a hematoma (blood blister inside the muscle) was painful and prolonged.[/QUOTE]

Random11 11-01-20 07:32 PM

I started riding at 67 and it took me a few months to really feel comfortable on the bike. Now I ride almost every day, and after 20 months on my first bike (in 40 years) I bought a new bike. When I started riding, I didn't have a good idea of what I really wanted in a bike. My first bike was more than adequate, but I got bike lust and spent much more on my current bike than I ever would have considered paying when I started. My point is, you have a good bike to start on and if down the road you decide you want something different, you don't have too much invested in a bike to get you started.

erileykc 11-01-20 08:26 PM

I'm not a bike enthusiast in the sense that many here are so I can't offer much of use about the specs of your bike other than to say the form factor looks to be a good choice.
I'm 69 as well but I've also been riding regularly since I was 30 and commuting, shopping and generally getting myself around almost exclusively by bike since 1999. Sold my car a couple of years ago. Since it's really the car and truck drivers on the road with you that determine your safety far more than your choice of bike what I would venture to suggest is ideas on getting around safely on your new bike in an urban area - my guess since your post says Ottawa. My local bike advocacy organization here in DC has a course called "Confident City Cycling" https://waba.org/classes/ . If Ottawa has a similar group and course I'd certainly recommend looking into that as well as simply using the group as a general resource. I'd also suggest spending a fair amount of time getting comfortable riding you new bike in a completely empty parking lot so that you are very confident in maneuvering and controlling the bike before adding the variable of drivers around you. Once you're ready for the road I'd suggest planing out routes that take low traffic, low speed residential streets and staying off of main roads other than to occasionally cross them. Even if you're initial plans are to ride recreationally on bike trails keeping route planning in mind will quickly expand your horizons.

MinnMan 11-01-20 08:34 PM

I don't have any specific advice. Just want to say good for you for giving it a try. It may take some patience, but I think you'll find it very rewarding.

Good luck


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