Hi there. I've lived in Buffalo for about 6 mos. I just bought a Dawes Lightning on ebay. It's my first non-mtn bike and I don't know anything about bikes, in general. I saw one thread here where there was a mixed msg on the bike that I bought and I read another guy's site where he was hard core into it and loved the thing. I'll probably wear sloppy non-hip non-cyclist clothes on my bike and will appear lost & will be struggling with the gears. If you see me on the road, feel free to laugh quietly. I'm a big man. haha.

-djo

The important thing is to enjoy your bike. Dawes used to be a respected UK make, but is now a generic import from the far east - as most bikes are now. I rented a Dawes when I was in the UK a couple of years ago, and was very happy with it. The important thing is that you should enjoy riding it. Since you are a big man it is important that you should watch for problems with the rear wheel - uneven or low spoke tension can result in early death for the wheel. Maybe you will have to go to your LBS to buy a stronger wheel. Have you been riding it or are you waiting for better weather?

Thanks for the tip, Andrew. What does an uneven or low spoke tension look like? Or do you just wait for the wheel to bend? I am only 225lbs or so and 6'4". There are also tons of pot holes here in Buffalo. I plan to hit up an LBS to see about those liners that are supposed to help prevent puncture. Let me know if you have any other advice.

Thanks!
djo

Hello from the other end of the trail.

I'm guessing that you have found a few of the Rail Trails out there by now. It is hard to believe that there are plans to complete a bike trail going all the way from Albany to Buffalo. They plan to use the old Erie Canal as a route. There is already a ride planned in July, it goes the 400 miles from Buffalo to Albany. It cost to ride in that ride, but the trail is always free. They say half of the ride is paved.

Opps, guess I'm just rambling here

Ride Safe,
Paul Sr.
nomadrider

To check for spoke tension, you pluck them like a guitar string. The higher the pitch the tighter they are. If the tension is even they will all hit the same note. Sheldon Brown's website says what the right note is (go to that site anyway because it is full of wisdom), but you can compare with the note on a good bike in the bike shop. The Specialized Armadillo tires are virtually bomb proof, but I switched to Kevlar belted and beaded tires of about half the weight for reasons of easier rolling and nicer handling. I also put Mr tuffy strips between the tread and tube to provide some extra protection against punctures. I weigh 235 lb and ride on 28 mm wide tires. These are OK on packed dirt but if it has rained in the last 24 hr they sink in a bit too much.

The NY state DOT has laid out 3 routes for bikes crossing the state. You can check out the maps on their web site. One goes from Canada south to NYC, another from the Buffalo area to yhe Albany area, and the last is east/west just north of the Pennsylvania border. I would pefer to download or buy a map and do the ride myself. That first route does tend to stay near the canal that being inherently the flattest route possible.

HI, you are the second Buffalo guy to buy a Dawes Lightning Sport!

I've been using mine since last summer. I usually ride from my home near the zoo through Delaware Park and onto the bike path along the river; typically I go to Tonawanda or sometimes over the GI bridge and to the State park. I'll keep any eye out for you once the weather improves

for a simple answer consider that a wheel uses spokes as support for the load applied to the axle, so the load changes from spoke to spoke as the wheel rotates. < a bit more complex in reality but ok for simple expl. >
So grag a spoke and gently try to pluck it as a guitar string, if it moves with little effort it is under low tension and uneven means the spoke tension varies from spoke to spoke < it is important to have even tension so the stress is not concentrated on only few spokes causing them to fail rapidly >

To put the question of " what is the right tension " to rest we have to consider the manuf. recommendation < usually in their technical lit. > and using a tension gauge to adjust < believe me, even after 16 years of doing this as a pro mechanic the gauge is well worth its price > because the proper tension depends on the construction of the rim < eyelet or not or double, built for disc or not and other considerations>

Mecno

have fun and get the proper tools, for even the best mechanic without tools is just monkeying around < talking about me anyway>

great clear advice on spoke tension, fellas. thank you!

for KDB: i probably will head east on linwood and try to find a good route to bailey/main where i work. any advice for a good path?

for noma: not hit the roads yet. just built the bike last weekend and need to hold out for a little milder temps. those trails sound great, though.

I was not a cyclist when I lived in Buffalo (1975-1980), but, OT, I can share with you that Talking Leaves...Books has two great book stores, one on Main, across from UB, the other on Elmwood.

Also OT: do you Buffalonians know if Slomba's Tavern is still in existence? I spent many happy hours at both Talking Leaves and Slomba's.