so i got a bike my neighbour was tossing out.

[Master ACiD]

my neighbour tossed out a bike. as i saw it i remembers how much some of you love to bike (espically you cali people) and i was thinking maybe i could give nbiking a try, you know without a motor! sounds crazy but what the heck.

i ran up and yanked his bike from the rubbish pile and walked it inside. its a cannondale bike, i think its an offroad bike.
i dont know much about bikes. i havent ridden one in probably 15 years. i put some air in the tyres and tried to ride it but the chain adjustment lever is froze so that the chain awalys wants up jump. also the chain is a bit rusty so perhaps this bike needs a bit of work, but free isnt bad.

so how does one get into biking hshape, just get on and ride or what? think about this from my perspective, i havent ridden in 15 years a bike without an engine.

 

[Titan]

Wow. The first thing I think of is: If the fork is cracked/damaged, and it snaps off when you are riding, it could skewer you. If you really don't know about bikes and their care, I'd at least suggest you take it to a bike shop to have them say it is structurally sound. From that point, you can figure the rest of it one piece at a time...but, you don't want broken bones/skewered body parts/missing teeth!

 

[Squishy]

Spray some silicone lube into the cable guides for the gear selector(s) and brake levers. You might need some lube on the pivot of the chain guides(?) as well...you know, the things that move when you turn the gear selector. Depending on the shape of your chain, you might need a new one, or you might be able to save the one you have now with some good chain lube. I would just get a new chain and get rid of the guesswork.

As for getting into shape, I just started biking again last year for the first time since I was in grade 8. All I did was jump back on and suffer through the first two weeks, and then it became easy again.

 

[moribundman]

Sounds wonky. Is it a boing-boing, hardtail or rigid? Watch out for involuntary impromptu crotch-testing if the frame is in questionable condition. Better put a nard guard on the stem or an endo will make you sing three octaves higher. And don't forget to a wear a brain sieve, not the wussy Pteranodon kind, but a real helmet.

 

[Master ACiD]

on closer inspection its not a cannondale, its just the papers on top of the bike said cannondale and had a picture of a bike.
this bike is some brand calles "ross" and from what i gather is a pretty low end, im talking walmart low.

i got the chain slder working good enough for a test ride and took it out for a spin. according to google i went 5 miles. wow i didnt even die! 5 miles haha who would have thought. i bet i looked like a circuis gorilla riding a tricycle.
so its kind of fun. i like the fuel economy. the grocery, post office, fedex, tax collector, are all within 5 miles round trip.
maybe i keep the bike and use the car less. well see if i get bored with biking or not.

 

[moribundman]

Ross has been out of business for almost 20 years.

 

[Squishy]

How well do you know your neighbour? Maybe you should ask him why it's being thrown out. Maybe he hit a tree and cracked something, or maybe he just upgraded and doesn't need the old one. It'll give you an idea of whether it's salvageable, and it'll also avoid the awkward moment when he first catches you on 'his' bike

 

[Warlord]

I just got back into it myself. Unfortunately the nearest store is over ten miles so I had to get myself a hybrid with skinny little tires. This way I can go flying down the road all day at 30+kph and not get tired. I figure if I ride into town rather than drive my bike will pay for itself in about 60 years. I can't wait.

 

[Titan]

Quote:

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I figure if I ride into town rather than drive my bike will pay for itself in about 60 years. I can't wait.

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Ah, but the health benefits are immediate. If exercise were considered to be medicine, it would be the most prescribed medicine of ALL. Decreased rates of cancer, increased immune system function (which could partly explain the decreased rates of cancer...cancer cells are potentially continually cropping up, to be destroyed by your immune system), decreased incidence of Type II diabetes, decreased vascular disease, increased brain function as you age, etc.

Now, that's as long as you don't get run over and get killed! Wear a brain sieve, as mentioned above!

 

[MarkC]

"...not the wussy Pteranodon kind, but a real helmet."

Muwahahahahahahaha!
We have lots of mutated Pteranodons around here!

 

[Master ACiD]

i talked to the neighbour and he was kind of ____ that i took it from his rubbish pile. he said i had no right to take something he was throwing away. that kind of confused me so i just said thanks for the bike and rode away without saying anything else.
now when i see him he gives me dirty looks and i get the impression he thinks of me as a criminal.
i feel like a cheapass now for taking a bike from the rubbish. im kind of ashamed to be seen riding it now.

 

[moribundman]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[sciphi]

Let that guy be ____. He threw it out, it's not as if he's going to use it. Besides, it's being recycled instead of taking up space in a landfill or being shipped to China for them to sell back at 10x the cost.

 

[Warlord]

Quote:

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Quote:

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I figure if I ride into town rather than drive my bike will pay for itself in about 60 years. I can't wait.

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Ah, but the health benefits are immediate. If exercise were considered to be medicine, it would be the most prescribed medicine of ALL. Decreased rates of cancer, increased immune system function (which could partly explain the decreased rates of cancer...cancer cells are potentially continually cropping up, to be destroyed by your immune system), decreased incidence of Type II diabetes, decreased vascular disease, increased brain function as you age, etc.

Now, that's as long as you don't get run over and get killed! Wear a brain sieve, as mentioned above!

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Sure its healthy, other than the fact that they have proven that biking can cause impotency. I'll take the risk.

 

[moribundman]

Quote:

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Sure its healthy, other than the fact that they have proven that biking can cause impotency. I'll take the risk.

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Just get a well-designed saddle. For example, Specialized makes saddles in different widths that will accommodate a variety of sit bones. Sitting properly on your sit bones takes pressure of your more sensitive undercarriage parts.

http://www.nidus-corp.com/bass.html

 

[rpn453]

If anything goes numb down there, you need a different seat! It's probably a good idea to stand up for a few pedals every couple minutes too.

 

[moribundman]

Generations of males have ridden bikes and procreated just fine. If someone can't find a bike seat that is comfortable (most people equal soft with comfortable, which is nonsense), then he should look into recumbent bikes, which take much pressure off the bottom end. As an added benefit, one can than keep an eye on the endangered bits while riding.

 

[Titan]

Quote:

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Sure its healthy, other than the fact that they have proven that biking can cause impotency. I'll take the risk.

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Well, other than the fact that a different set of "they" have "proven" that bicycle riding does NOT cause impotency. This different set of "they" have "proven" that the increased vascular health actually "cured" people that were impotent prior to taking up bike riding! Ride on! And if you get numb, get a different seat and/or change positions more often.

 

[Master ACiD]

i do go numb. i found that out today on a 16 mile ride. my bits and pieces go numb and it progresses slowly backwards to my rear exit. what a freaky feeling! i got off the bike and had that pins and needles sensation. for a minute i thought i was getting some.
so how do i avoid this? i gather that it cant be good for my sperm count. the seat the bike has on it now is a big old beach cruiser seat with twin coil springs that are adjustable in tension via adjustment bolts.
should i get one of those incomfortable looking seats that resemble an xwing fighter?
the other problem i have is a bad back. ive got 2 herniated discs so i cant and i mean that, i can not ride leaning forward. i cannot have the seat level with the handlebars or higher like i see alot of guys do. my bars have to be higher than the seat so i can ride in an upright relaxed position.

 

[moribundman]

You are supposed to sit on your sit bones (click the link I posted earlier in this thread). The seat you describe is the kind that looks comfy but isn't.

You can get a raised (angled upward) or adjustable stem for your handlebar. There are also different shapes of handlebars. If you want to sit upright as much as possible, you may also have to get a stem with less reach, depending on your arm length. I suggest you read this article.