fietsbob

another Winter Boredom thread..



I'm Certain that Fallacy is on this list, in several categories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies ..





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AlexCyclistRoch

Guaranteed, even the smallest kids bike at Wally-world weighs more than 20 lbs. I doubt a single adult bike there weighs under 40 lbs. FWIW, a lower-end road bike at any bike store will weigh less than 30 lbs, many less than 26. That "Denali" road bike at WM weighs something around 42 lbs.....

Stucky

Yeah, aren't they great?!

I hear that the Walmart Denali "road bike" weighs in right around 30 lbs. If it lost a few pounds (and gained functional brakes), it could almost compete with modern mountain bikes! My old Merceir Galaxy road bike ($300) from Bikesdirect weighed 24 pounds ready to ride....a veritable Porsche compared to a Walmart BSO -but then, when you pay $300 for a road bike, you expect quality!

Stucky

Ah, someone's been to Walmart! It's funny, because it's true!

Currmudge

You need to recalibrate your "Guesstimator" scale; the WM Denali was a touch over 30#. And there are some adult bikes about 35-37...but not many. Every FS bike they sell is 40+.

A COUPLE of them even have DOUBLE-WALL RIMS! But good luck finding even a 8-speed rear..............

Gweedo1

"Fit" is over rated. One could find a bike that fits him at any store, any time, any brand, any price, any weight.

Unless you're having a custom bike built for your exact body proportions, they are all, "off the rack".

Work on your engine, and don't worry about "fit" so much. It's not some dark and mysterious science that is so acrane it can only be understood by a certain few. Get something that's in the ball park for your body and riding stlye and dial it in. Even if it can be bought at a big box store.

Just ride.

TenSpeedV2

Disagree. Fit is extremely important. They are all off the rack, but that is when you swap the stem/bars/saddle whatever to make it fit. People tend to ride less when the fit is off, too small, too big, bars too wide, etc. They are not comfortable. You get someone on a comfortable bike that feels right, and they want to ride. Then they work on the motor, the skills, whatever. Had a bike that just didn't fit me correctly. Sold it, ended up with a similar model the next size up. Made an adjustment to the stem, swapped the saddle out, a slightly narrower bar, and bam I am dying to ride this bike all the time.

Gweedo1

That's exactly what I said, you dial things in, so I don't know how you would disagree. Your first purchase was not "in the ball park" in fact it wasn't close if you couldn't dial it in.

"Fit" is a made up "science" or contrived "dark art" by those who want to make cycling more complex than it is.

TenSpeedV2

You are saying that it is over rated and a made up science. I am disagreeing with you wholeheartedly. Plain and simple.

Stucky

That sounds like something I would say! (In-fact, I think I've said it before! )....but, if you're 6'3" and the one-size-fits-all BSO is 54cm, it's not gonna be a good ride. Then again, considering that most bikes sold at Wally-world are just ridden around the block, if at all, I guess it doesn't matter so much. But yeah, I think a lot of cyclists do tend to obsess over fit now-a-days, down to the millimeter, when in fact, our bodies can adapt, and we can make a range of sizes work for us, as long as they're not too extreme.

Price comes into the equation too. I mean, if you're paying several grand for a bike, you want it to fit exactly the way you like it. If you're paying a few hundred for a bike.... as long as it works for ya, and your knees aren't slapping you in the jaw.....good enough!

Phil_gretz

...is generally easier, more forgiving, than road frame sizing. Look at the offerings in the high quality MTB world. There are fewer sizes, with bigger jumps between frame sizes, because you can do quite a bit with saddle and bar adjustments to get things "close enough" with MTBs. This doesn't mean that MTB fit isn't important, it's just less sensitive to absolute frame size.


Road bike sizing is (for me) more sensitive to top tube length and handlebar drop. I have to dial in the dimensions to get the kind of ride that I'm seeking for that particular bike. Saddle fore/aft is much more constrained by where I want my glutes and hamstrings engaged, too. It's a sensitive thing to get it "just right".


Not so with MTB fitting, at least not needed to be a finely tuned. I can hop on a friend's MTB, adjust the seatpost and go for a couple of hours with little additional fatigue or performance issues. On a road bike...much less possible.


Maybe this doesn't help the discussion any...

Gweedo1

So... I say get something that's in the ball park and dial it in...and... you got something that was in the ball park and dialed it in...but...you disagree with me..."plain and simple".

Okay. Ride on.

Stucky

What you say is true, but consider this too: I used to get all my road bikes in the same size (54cm) and set them up the exact same way (I like a smallish bike with an aggressive position), but having tinkered around buying and selling some used bikes over the years, just to try-out and experiment with, I've tried different sizes and different set-ups, and I've recently come to the conclusion that having bikes which fit differently, is actually nice. Instead of getting your body into the same exact position each time you ride, varying the size and fit actually feels good; gives you some variety; takes the strain off of certain oft-used parts of the body and lets you use other less-used parts. In short, variety feels good! This may be the wave of the future for multiple bike owners! Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are missing out on that experience today, because so many are hung-up on dialing in a particular fit to the millimeter. To those I say: Experiment a little! If you like a small bike (as I do) try a bigger bike as your second bike, to mix it up a little! If you like an aggressive position, try a little more relaxed position! I think such variety keeps one feeling much fresher all of the time.

Many in the bike industry are making fit out to be a black & white, right or wrong issue- but the fact is, our bodies adapt; our tastes can change from day to day, based on mood or how we feel, etc. There are big gray areas, and instead of staying locked into a single very narrow niche, I think we should exploit those gray areas and use them to our benefit. Mix it up a bit. Ride a 54 today and a 57 tomorrow....change your position on both bikes from time to time....it keeps you fresh and makes you feel better and enjoy the ride more. Being locked into one sixe/one position for years and years, every time you ride, just seems so wrong now, even though I well know what the optimal "correct" fit and position for me is.

EnjoyinTheRide

You need to go back to the intended use of not only the rider but the mfgs intended use as well in determining what is the conceived sizing, fit etc. Simply put if you consider yourself a cyclist then everything is important lol. Obviously a 12 lb difference on a bike (if you read above lol) and or a frame size can make or break the cyclists, That impact is lessened with mountain bikers and virtually non existent with us lower end riders.

Any bike with common adjustments (seats, posts, bars etc) should get you to 98% fit( I used my guesometer based on experiences). Anyone trying to fine tune beyond that is putting a little too micromanagement on a fun environment lol

Milton Keynes

I can't ever hear the name Mongoose without remembering that it was the nickname given to the female officer worker with very loose morals at the last place I worked, because she was like the town bicycle - everybody took a ride.

rmfnla

Cheapo bikes are designed to fit "the average" sized person, so if you are that size they might fit you just fine...

nickw

OP - how tall are you out of curiosity.

Stucky

Mongoose? I thought that is what they call a male goose in Jamaica? "Here is the mon goose, and here is the lady goose. Now we can have gosslings, mon!"

rmfnla

Not old enough to remember John Tomac...

Milton Keynes

Drinking diet soda cancels out all the calories in the other junk food. I thought everybody knew this.

indyfabz

More like new school BF

shelbyfv

Poor fellow is working overtime these days. Here's some help for him

coffeesnob

2 big macs, large fry and a medium diet coke.