A few questions before I purchase my first SS
06-03-13, 08:42 PM
#1
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A few questions before I purchase my first SS
So I go to UC Davis, and the city of Davis is completely flat. After thinking about it for a while I realized that it would be pointless to buy a road or hybrid bike. Also, if it matters, I am 5'10".
So I have been scouring the web for a while (with a $400 budget) and I decided that a decent bike to purchase for commuting would be the Windsor The Hour: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ehour_plus.htm It doesn't look too flashy (bike theft is a problem here) and they have my size available. However, it does NOT come with a freewheel cog. I don't personally enjoy riding fixed gear so I would much rather have a free wheel cog. So I have a few questions:
1. In my price range, what other bikes would you guys recommend?
2. How hard is it to attach a freewheel cog myself? It says that it has a space that I can attach one, so I figure if it isn't too difficult I could do it myself (I don't have a lot of experience with bikes)
3. What kind of freewheel cog would you guys recommend for a city that is completely flat? I was thinking 17T?
4. One thing I loved about Motobecane road bikes was the flat bar brakes (if that is what you call them) on the drop bars, like on this bike: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...permirage_xii/ How hard would it be attach two brake levers like in the picture I posted myself, and what exactly would I need?
Thanks very much for the help!
So I have been scouring the web for a while (with a $400 budget) and I decided that a decent bike to purchase for commuting would be the Windsor The Hour: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ehour_plus.htm It doesn't look too flashy (bike theft is a problem here) and they have my size available. However, it does NOT come with a freewheel cog. I don't personally enjoy riding fixed gear so I would much rather have a free wheel cog. So I have a few questions:
1. In my price range, what other bikes would you guys recommend?
2. How hard is it to attach a freewheel cog myself? It says that it has a space that I can attach one, so I figure if it isn't too difficult I could do it myself (I don't have a lot of experience with bikes)
3. What kind of freewheel cog would you guys recommend for a city that is completely flat? I was thinking 17T?
4. One thing I loved about Motobecane road bikes was the flat bar brakes (if that is what you call them) on the drop bars, like on this bike: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...permirage_xii/ How hard would it be attach two brake levers like in the picture I posted myself, and what exactly would I need?
Thanks very much for the help!
06-03-13, 08:58 PM
#2
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2. How hard is it to attach a freewheel cog myself? It says that it has a space that I can attach one, so I figure if it isn't too difficult I could do it myself (I don't have a lot of experience with bikes)
3. What kind of freewheel cog would you guys recommend for a city that is completely flat? I was thinking 17T?
4. One thing I loved about Motobecane road bikes was the flat bar brakes (if that is what you call them) on the drop bars, like on this bike: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...permirage_xii/ How hard would it be attach two brake levers like in the picture I posted myself, and what exactly would I need?
Thanks very much for the help!
3. What kind of freewheel cog would you guys recommend for a city that is completely flat? I was thinking 17T?
4. One thing I loved about Motobecane road bikes was the flat bar brakes (if that is what you call them) on the drop bars, like on this bike: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...permirage_xii/ How hard would it be attach two brake levers like in the picture I posted myself, and what exactly would I need?
Thanks very much for the help!
#2, that's the easy part, it just threads on with your hands and as you pedal, it'll tighten. Removing it will take a special adapter tool.
#3, Let's see 48T chainring, 17T and 16T would be right. You might even be able to get away with a 15T freewheel if you want a little bit more speed.
#4, Those are cross levers, easy for a person who knows their way around bikes (which you are not judging from this thread), you have to splice them along the brake housing and I would have a LBS do that for you.
06-03-13, 09:34 PM
#3
Fresh Garbage
Have you paid a visit to the bike co-op there? Worth going and learning how to do the work https://davisbikecollective.org/
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