so i got a bike my neighbour was tossing out.

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i had a lok at the link earlier but i dont think thats going to work for me. i cant sit the way most people sit on a bike seat. it hurts my back. what i need is a seat out of a 4 door sedan. with armrests and lumbar supportha haha.

i rode 16 miles tonight, consumed 16 ounces of water during the ride and boy is my rear end sore! that was by far the longest i have rode in my life, and i felt like i could go alot farther. the thing is this is a mountain bike frame and these big mudding tyres probably suck alot of energy out of my petal pumps.

ill probably go into walmart tomorrow and talk with the sporting goods guy about what kind of bike would be good for me and my back problems. walmart has decent cheap bikes right?
 
You can find inexpensive yet decent bikes at bike shops. I'd wouldn't waste money on a $200 Wal-Mart bike. Figure about $500 and up for a simple road bike that's decent. At a clearance sale you might find something for $400. In this price class you are looking at an 8-speed and fairly heavy components (wheels). Get only the features you really need. Especially with cheaper bikes, features like front and rear suspension are usually junk and add weight.

Probably you should look into commuter or touring bikes. To get an idea what's out there, you may want to check for example the REI website. REI has some decent entry level offerings.
 
From the sounds of things, a road/hybrid may be the ticket. The frame is that of a road bike so you get the "speed" but the stem and handlebar is that of a mountain bike so you get a nice upright ride. Coupled with a "moonsaddle", you should be good to go!
 
i had a bit of an accident today with a curb. i didnt see the curb and went blindly into it. the bike went flying, i went flying. everything is ok but the wheels now have the wobbles left and right.
sence i was about 10 minutes from a bike shop i scuddled over to see about getting a new used bike. the place was kind of neat. they looked over my ross bike and declared that its atleast 25 years old. said its in remarkedly good condition and has some decent components.

some names i remember them dropping were sram grip shift. shimano v brakes, shimano casette, shimano deraileur and shimano alloy wheels, that thing which has 2 sprockets and keeps the chian tension as well as changes the gears in the back, its a shimano something or another as well.
the ross frame is some sort of quality lightweight steel, dont remember the details.

the conclusion was that the bike needs a full tune up consisting of bearing maintence, new chain, despritely needs a good cleaning and buffing, new seat and ovbiously, the wheels need to be respoked and trued.
so its going to cost right around $100, and they said after the bike is done it should be as good as anything else for what i do with it.

you guys think $100 is ok for what they plan on doing? how hard can it be to lube some bearings? to bike wheels even have seals?
 
I know next to nothing about Ross bikes, but I would say spending $100 on overhauling an older bike is a better choice than spending $300 or $400 on a new bike. I don't see the age of the bike as a deterrent.

A steel frame is more comfortable than a typical, modern aluminum frame. The trade-off is weight, but who doesn't need the extra exercise? I bought a fairly heavy bike because I see the extra workout as a benefit and because I don't race.

Bike bearings are usually easily replaced and adjusted. The better bearings are indeed sealed.

If you decide to have this bike fixed up, also make them fit it to you. You may want to get a new saddle and a different handlebar (swept back) that allows you a more comfortable, upright seating position.
 
http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html
http://www.parktool.com/repair/
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=39115
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=152

Stay away from the xMART, Target etc. bikes. They use the BOTTOM end companants. Even skilled mechanics can have problems getting them to shift right etc.
Indexed shifting came out about 1086, so I think your bike is a bit newer than 25 years old. My 86 RockHopper is friction, while my friends 87 is indexed.
Depending on "which" model Ross you have, $100 MIGHT be an excellent investment.
 
Sounds like spending the $100 would be the best choice. But however, if you bought a new bike, you could throw the old one in your rubbish pile so that your neighbor could snatch it back. Then all would be right in the world again, and you could give him funny looks.
grin.gif
 
LoL, ok i spent the hundred and did the maintence. it rides so much better now that the wheels dont wobble left and right.
i took a few hour of online reading to understand the optimal cycling posture (seat hight, angle etc) and i adjusted the bike accordingly.
i need a seat post which moves the seat back a few inches to optamise my leg downstroke, but other than that everything is good.

last night i bikes nearly 18 miles. i traced the route on google pedometer.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1065191
i felt like i could go a few miles farther but it was getting late and my headlight was dead. tomorrow night im going to shoot for 25 miles.

the bike rides good for having knobbly mountain bike tyres. as soon as they wear out ill grab some 1 3/8 smoothies for less resistance..

its funny that i havent used my car once in the last week besides dropping off and picking up the bike wheels. other than that i use the bike for errands and commuting to work. i think i have used about a gallon of gas in the last week. the $100 is going to pay for its self quickly.

my only real problem is that its so freaking hot out during the day. the other day is was 96 out and uv index of 10. it takes away all the fun of biking. i really, really prefer to do my riding and shopping in the late evening or night sence the temps drop 20 degrees. theres lots of 24 hours stores open, walmart, post office, fedex, walgreens, etc so i can do almost everything after hours.

i did some investigating on ross bike company. heres a decent 2 page thread incase anyone cares. http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-39115.html

it seems as though my ross bike has been retrofitted with aftermarket schimano components because some of the components were not available when the bike was made. also the wheels are not a matching pair. but it rides ok and the chromoly frame is light enough for casual biking.

i saw the neighbour today again, he pretend he didnt see me and kept walking. i dont know what the deal is but if he wants to be weird about it thats his problem. i guess i was kind of ashamed at first though.
 
Not all MTB and ATB tires are knobby. There are smooth-rolling road versions. I have usually road tires on my bike because I ride 95% of the time on road or hard pack. When choosing tires, consider:

- high pressure tires (up to 100 psi or so) for lower rolling resistance
- puncture resistance (ads weight and cost)

If you ride in the dark you should definitely add lights. Check mtbr.com for reviews of anything that has to do with bicycle accessories.
 
Just like a car tire you want something with a smooth center rib around the circumference for low rolling resistance.

The local bike shop is fun or you can use bike nashbar online.
 
i got smoothie tyres but then my derailer fell apart and lodged in the rear spokes and made me wreck.
not ive got bent wheels and other bent parts to fix.

:\
 
Take my statement with a grain of salt. A steel frame is considerably more flexible than an aluminum frame, and thus a bike with a steel frame will generally have a smoother ride. However, the tires, the seat, and the frame geometry (and now common suspension) do affect ride quality more than the frame material does.

If you were to directly compare two very similar, plain, rigid (no suspension) bikes, one with an aluminum frame and one with a steel frame, you will feel a difference.
 
Quote:

Take my statement with a grain of salt. A steel frame is considerably more flexible than an aluminum frame, and thus a bike with a steel frame will generally have a smoother ride. However, the tires, the seat, and the frame geometry (and now common suspension) do affect ride quality more than the frame material does.

If you were to directly compare two very similar, plain, rigid (no suspension) bikes, one with an aluminum frame and one with a steel frame, you will feel a difference.

Click to expand...


OK, thanks for the explanation. I am now just a tiny bit more edumacated.
smile.gif
 
Quote:

Quote:

Take my statement with a grain of salt. A steel frame is considerably more flexible than an aluminum frame, and thus a bike with a steel frame will generally have a smoother ride. However, the tires, the seat, and the frame geometry (and now common suspension) do affect ride quality more than the frame material does.

If you were to directly compare two very similar, plain, rigid (no suspension) bikes, one with an aluminum frame and one with a steel frame, you will feel a difference.

Click to expand...


OK, thanks for the explanation. I am now just a tiny bit more edumacated.
smile.gif


Click to expand...


Steel offers a much more forgiving ride than aluminum (plush is the common term now), it can be repaired, but it's heavy and rusts. Aluminum is very stiff and transfers power well, better than steel, so more of your pedaling effort is transmitted to the wheels and forward motion, BUT, the ride is more harsh. It's lighter but cannot usually be repaired if it cracks. Frame failure is usually due to fatigue. Carbon fiber is VERY stiff, and absorbs bumps well so it can be somewhat described as plush. Frame failures are usually catastrophic but are rare. Titanium frames are very light and very flexible. Almost indestructible. The fatigue strength is really high and some "dual" suspension mountain frames had front shocks only. The Ti frame flexed almost an inch in the rough stuff.

To the OP:

Cheap wheels can be found at Performance.com or Nashbar.com.

I hate that you keep having problems. Please stick with it. A trick for proper seat position is to drop a plumb line from the front of your knee when in the "3 o'clock" pedal position (level with the ground). The "plumb" should bisect the pedal axle. Knee pain on the inside or outside of the knee indicates the need for a seat height adjustment. Never move it more than 1/8 to 1/4 inch at a time to allow your body to adjust properly. Too much info, sorry.
 
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Quote:

Quote:

Frame failure is usually due to fatigue.

Click to expand...

And of course, aluminum frames are much more prone to fatigue than steel frames are.

Click to expand...


Yep. And if you're lucky, you'll catch the "crack" early.
crazy.gif
I think you said that it wasn't just the frame material which determines ride quality. That's so true but it is a great place to start! The type of riding you do is important in determining frame type too. Way off topic though!
smile.gif
 
Quote:

i got smoothie tyres but then my derailer fell apart and lodged in the rear spokes and made me wreck.
not ive got bent wheels and other bent parts to fix.

:\

Click to expand...


Keep at it MasterAcid, and don't get discouraged. Buy a bike maintenence book and learn how to do repairs and true your own rims and all that good stuff. You'll save some bucks and probably have some fun while you're at it.
 
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