Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and bikes

How to fit a bicycle in my Civic?

ninotchka — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:09:39 -0800

Is it possible to fit an ordinary, adult-sized street bicycle into a 2007 Honda Civic? If so, how?

$100 bike lights: best bang for buck?

everichon — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:42:57 -0800

I have a budget of $75-$100 for a bike headlight. I am seriously considering NiteRider's MiNewt-USB. Does anyone have any other recommendations, or anecdata about the MiNewt? My priorities are:

1. < $100.
2. Brightness.
3. Charge longevity (in other words, this one isn't a huge deal).

What frame and forks should I look out for?

stackhaus23 — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:01:59 -0800

Fixedgearfilter: I'd like to build a single speed bike, but I have no idea what frame and forks to buy. I recently went to San Francisco and while out there I was surrounded by Fixed Gear bikes and they were awesome. I currently ride a 1950s single speed Schwinn and would prefer that setup to an actual fixed gear. But since I've only ever ridden cruisers and bmx bikes, I don't know what frame and forks to buy.

So... I'm 6ft tall and I need to know what kind of used bicycle would make a suitable donor for a frame and what size it needs to be roughly. I'd also prefer straight forks so recommendations for those would be amazing. I won't be using lever brakes so the smoother the frame the better!

Thanks in advance...

Bike accessory advice

dobbs — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:17:56 -0800

So I just bought myself a new single speed bike for my birthday. I'd like to get different bars, pedals, and saddle but need advice... I'm also curious if it's possible to remove the branding decals without damaging the frame... The bike is an Iro Angus that looks almost exactly like this (though that's not my bike), right down to the color scheme, wheels, etc. (though my crank and spokes are black). Also, I currently have no cages/clips on my pedals.

I've found that after riding it for a couple weeks, I don't like the saddle, bars, and pedals too much (I had no problem with them during the test ride), though it's easily the best bike I've ever owned or ridden.

So, I'm curious, how do people buy new items for a bike when either they can't test them (because buying online) or the test is never substantially long enough to determine if the accessory would be a good long-term fit.

I also know nothing about pedals/clips... I see lots of people riding with little rod-like pedals that I assume require special shoes (which I'm not into)--what's the deal with diff kinds of pedal options?

Any recommendations for particular accessories (even those not listed) would be appreciated. Links would also be good.

I'm in Toronto but am willing to buy online.

Thanks!

Bicycle Needs Repair, Badly

god particle — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:01:05 -0800

After riding today, a couple things started going wrong with my bike, and I'd like to fix the problems myself, if possible. I ride a somewhat old Trek mountain bike and use it as my main form of transportation. Today I took it on an relatively long ride and started running into some problems.
When I pedal, there is a very loud creaking noise; it can be felt throughout the entire bike. I usually pedal standing up, so I'm thinking this is probably a result of me putting too much pressure on it. However, sometimes the creaking noise comes up even if I am just coasting. Can anyone diagnose exactly what is wrong with it? Could I fix this problem myself, and if so, how?
The second problem is that the back wheel has started to become wobbly. If I lift up the bike, I can shake it back and forth a bit. How do I go about tightening the wheel (or doing whatever needs to be done)?
If possible, please direct me to some online repository of bike repair information so I know where to start in the future.

Bike for a really tall guy?

thinman — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 22:29:40 -0800

Anyone know of a bicycle that would fit a very tall (6' 10") man? Recumbents and velocipedes need not apply.

Recomendations for good indoor bike trainers?

40 Watt — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:40:15 -0800

I want to purchase a bike trainer so I can ride indoors during the winter months. What sorts of things should I look for? What's the difference between a magnetic and fluid trainer? Are there certain brands that are better-built than others? Do I need one that has a remote control cable to switch resistance, or is that unecessary? I want to go into the shop well-informed so as not to get sold something I don't want or need. Any recommendations?

How to teach a 10 year old to ride a bike.

horseblind — Mon, 02 May 2005 11:25:46 -0800

My daughter is 10 years old and has always been paralyzed with fear of riding a bike. Just recently she won a brand spanking new bike in a raffle in school. It's a 15 speed girl's bike with 26" tires. She is finally interested in riding. After buying the appropriate safety equipment, what can I do to help her learn? I learned at age 4 without training wheels; she thinks she wants them. What say you good folk? Any tips at all are appreciated.

Get me on my bike

papercake — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 13:18:28 -0800

The sun is out and I want to be riding my bike. Help me get it ready to roll. I usually drop my mountain bike off at a local bike shop and have them clean it, oil the chain, check the breaks, etc. This year I was thinking maybe I could finally learn how to do this myself. Any suggestions of books to read, sites to visit to learn maintenance basics?