Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and resolved

Biking in the rain

rabbitrabbit — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:19:51 -0800

Questions about bike gear for the rainy season. I live in the Portland, OR area and I've been biking to work since April. So, I'm about to hit my first rainy season and I would like to arm myself to successfully continue biking at least into the fall and hopefully through winter, too.

SHOES: My main question is about shoes that make biking in the rain not a chore. I have been using toe clips and Converse all-stars this summer, but that will absolutely not work with the rain, so I'm going to need to either get waterproof shoe covers, or buy waterproof shoes. And if I buy waterproof shoes, maybe I ought to just upgrade to clipless pedals and shoes? Also, I think I like the velcro straps so I don't have to deal with laces, but I'm not entirely sure what the pros/cons are there.

JACKET: I have a chartreuse bike jacket that has been good for cooler mornings, and it dries fast so it will be good for early on in the fall, but I am going to eventually need some kind of heavier jacket, I think. But I'm afraid that anything heavier will = more sweat, which I don't want (no shower at work). Is there something warm, waterproof, breathable, AND visible that I can get?

FENDERS: I ride a Specialized Crossroads, so it has the overlap. I kicked out my front fender early on in the summer and haven't yet replaced it because it's been unnecessary so far, but I'm going to need a new front fender or maybe one of those things that attaches to the front tube (not sure what it's called exactly) to deflect water. If I get a new fender, I guess it will need to be super-tough since I don't 100% trust myself not to kick it by accident again. Do those things that attach to the bike instead of the wheel work well, would that be a good option?

What other things do I need to bike in the rain? Waterproof gloves? A helmet liner? Goggles which don't let rain bead up on them? Etc.

I've seen this and I've seen this, and both were helpful though they're a bit old now; is there new stuff out there that is awesome?

Also, any recommendations for a bike shop to buy this stuff at? I've heard River City is good. I would love to be able to try out the clipless pedals before I buy, is there any shop which would let me do that?

Selling a bike: can I safely allow people to test-ride it?

fermata — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:01:50 -0800

Selling a bike: can I safely allow people to test-ride it? (I could have sworn I've seen this question covered, but I couldn't find it.)

I'm planning to sell a bicycle, and potential buyers may want to take it for a spin. I assume I can protect myself by holding their driver's license or something, but do I have to worry about liability issues? Is it safe for me to allow them to take test rides?

What kind of zippy bike to get?

readymade — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:58:29 -0800

What bike to get? Indulge me, oh mighty bike warriors. Road, cyclocross, touring, zippy. I've done my best to make a responsible bike purchase, one that recognized my needs/desires/limitations. I wanted slow and steady, reliable, reasonable, maybe even cute. I'm tiny: 4'11" which has been a huge hurdle in finding a good bike as well: still no bike after patient searching over the last year-and-a-half.

Tired of whinging I went to a bike shop two days ago and tried the polar opposite of these bikes to mix it up:Trek 1.5. And I hauled ass up this hill that would have murdered me on any of my Dutch-commuter-hybrid tests. I was shocked, liberated. Wowed. All of the sudden hills didn't seem like something to avoid, they seemed like mere pimples I was empowered to leap. I wanted one.

I can afford one too, not fancy, but good: $1500. But I know it's not practical to use a road bike in the city for a daily bike. I still want an awesome bike, but one with fenders (light ones--gotta keep the speed!) and a small rack (I'm a realist after all). I tested the Surly Long Haul Trucker and have been dreaming about the Buena Vista Soma Mixte but maybe there are some good options I don't know about? (Remember, little person here--difficult to fit). Custom? Jamis?

I want to go fast. But I need just a wee tad of practicality too.

What's the best alternative to bananas as fuel for a ~12 mile cycle commute?

primer_dimer — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:59:19 -0800

What's the best alternative to bananas as fuel for a ~12 mile cycle commute? So I've recently started commuting to work by bike again, only this time it's a bit further than I've done before - about 12 miles. I need to make sure I put some fuel in my tank before setting off. The standard advice on cycle forums seems to be a banana 20 mins before setting off. I hate bananas. What should I eat instead?

In need of a solid errands bike

l33tpolicywonk — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:13:41 -0800

Need a budget priced new / used bike for grocery shopping and a bike bag to carry them in - tell me what I need and what brands I should look for. I live in DC. In January, I'm moving to a small town in northern Pennsylvania. I'll be looking to get a bike to make about a 3 mi round trip to the grocery store twice weekly, as well as run a handful of other basic errands and maybe get some exercise. Until January, I'll have access to the DC Craigslist market for used bikes (a little overwhelming) as well as any local bike shops. I'd like to spend about $150 on a bike and maybe around $50 on some pannier bags or some other grocery-toting solution that can carry about two bags of groceries. I'd prefer something able to deal with a little bit of snow in the winter and easy to carry up a flight of stairs. Please recommend brands / models of bikes to keep an eye out for, features I should consider when looking at a used bike, and particular storage solutions for groceries. Thanks!

Buying a new Mountain Bike

edmz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:57:39 -0800

[bikefilter] I'm buying a new mountain bike in the near future. Possible candidates are the Santa Cruz Blur LT, Yeti 575 and the Ibis Mojo. Other bikes have the same features and can be had for almost $1k less. Are these bikes worth the difference in price to other less costly bikes? Will I be buying brand? Sadly I can't test ride any of these bikes. Where I live the shops mostly sell Specialized bikes.

I don't care much about brand, my interest in said bikes is because people seem to love them and they fit my riding style.

My current ride is a '98 Specialized FSR, so anything that currently sells has the potential of being significantly better/lighter.

How can I figure out what size this Cannondale R600 frame is?

mbatch — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:19:09 -0800

How can I figure out what size bike frame this is, and is it a good choice for me? I have a line on a Cannondale R600 (yr 2000 model). It is in very good near mint condition given the pictures, but the seller doesn't know what the frame size is. He measured 32" from the ground to the top of the middle bar.. I'm suprised the frame didn't have its size stamped on it somewhere, but this is the information I'm stuck with.. I'm looking for what size it is in cm (officially). Without driving the ~30min out to look at it, is there a way I can guess at what size this is?

Additionally, I'm looking for a good weekend warrior / commuter. A lot of around the town sort of stuff. Is this a good choice for me? I'm in Maine and our roads aren't exactly stellar, even in the downtown (Portland). I've read that this bike can be a bit stiff. Am I going to regret it if I get this?

I had been looking at the new Synapse 5 series (aluminum - hard to justify the price of carbon). I like the slightly more upright position, but as the R600 is a great price, I'm considering it.

I'm 5'8" with a ~30.5" inseam.. I understand that the best way to size a bike is to ride it and see how it feels, but I'm trying to save myself a wasted trip if I can rule it out ahead of time.

I'm welcome to any and all recommendations and advice (other brands, different models)? Thoughts?

I need general advice about bicycle commuting and specific recommendations for Seattle.

GPF — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:11:27 -0800

I need general advice about bicycle commuting and specific recommendations for Seattle: where to live for commute to UW, bike shop recommendations, must have equipment, neighborhoods to avoid, good routes and trails, and the like. I'm planning a move to Seattle. Lots of good threads on the green about Seattle info and bicycling info. The Seattle department of transportation maps and guides seem fantastic -- any personal experience you could add to using them would be much appreciated.

I'm considering using a bicycle as my main commuting vehicle to the University of Washington. Obviously, closer is better but closer means higher rents and more undergrads -- right? In searching for places to live, I'm trying to gauge how far from UDub I can get and have a tolerable commute. I'm a pretty good judge of my fitness and stamina for it, but I don't have any idea which neighborhoods make for a convenient ride. As in, I'd prefer an hour long ride on an easy trail to a twenty minute ride on a hilly five-lane road. Are there any definitive architectural encumbrances (e.g. bad bridges, freeway crossings, etc.)?

Bonus for family friendly parks nearby and cheap rents. Double bonus for specific apartment or landlord recommendations.

I'd also love some recommendations for bike shops - especially ones that trade in used gear and cater to the commuter.

Should I pedal to the Ph.D?

dr. boludo — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:19:35 -0800

I’m considering biking from Madison, WI to Austin, TX in October. Please help me assess whether this is a good idea. Background: I am currently living in Madison while finishing my dissertation, which I hope to defend in late October/early November in Austin. My committee needs a month of lead time between when I turn in a final draft and the defense date. I know that I will spend that month fretting about the things I ought to have included, worrying about the job (or more specifically, lack thereof) awaiting me when I return, and any number of other incidentals. One of the main things that has kept me sane while I write has been quality time on my bike. As a way to keep the fretting to a minimum and use the intervening month between handing in my final draft and defending, I’m considering doing a self-supported bike tour from Madison to Austin. I love the idea, poetically, of ending this long and grueling academic slog with an appropriately equivalent physical one. Is this feasible? Is it wise? Is it worth it? I’d be grateful for any perspective that can help me make a more educated decision on the following points:

-route and distance: According to adventurecycling.org it looks like there’s a pretty established bike touring route for most of the Mississippi. That’s about all I’ve got. I’d like to plan a route taking into consideration a balance of reasonable distance, route safety, scenery or general interest. What resources should I be consulting? Can anyone with personal experience recommend (or recommend against) any part of this route?

-physical preparation. I currently average about 60-80 miles a week, but never carrying more than about 20 lbs. Longest ride this season has been 65 miles. I’m 31 and in relatively solid aerobic shape (I’ve done 3 sub-4:00 marathons and am just back from a stress fracture to running a few days a week, no more than 5 miles a day yet). How much training would I need to do to be relatively happy undertaking this journey?

-gear. I own, and love, this bike with all stock components. I’ve got a heavy-duty rack on the back. I own one smallish set of panniers. I’m thinking, after having read other AskMe posts, crazyguyonabike.com forums, etc that a front rack and bigger panniers are more my style than a trailer. Are there other necessary/recommendable component upgrades I should do? What about camping gear? Repair tools?

-traveling with a laptop: good idea? Horrible idea? I like the idea of being able to blog the trip, and more importantly review my own writing or do other necessary diss prep on the way. Is this a recipe for disaster? Is it worth the weight? How about recharging batteries on the road?

-how much will this cost? I mentioned the unemployed grad student part above. How can I find cheap and safe places to camp, or couch-surf along the way?

-skill set: I’ve got plenty of experience camping, and biking, but none bike camping. I can change a tire, lube a chain, and that’s about it on a bike. What other essential repair skills should I learn, and how/where can I obtain them?

-finally, what am I forgetting to ask?
Thanks in advance, hivemind!

Have I ruined my rim?

SirNovember — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:59:56 -0800

Hit a big pot hole with my new (to me) Raleigh 3-speed. Cleared the front wheel okay, but the rear rim has a dent from the impact. Still seems ride-able. How worried do I need to be? When I apply the rear break, there’s a knocking sound as the dent passes through. I’ve gone abour 24 miles since then, and it seems fine. I'm going on a 50 mile trip in a few weeks, though.

I know you’re not my bike mechanic!

He ain't heavy, he's my single speed.

monocultured — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:56:06 -0800

I've bought a frankenstein bicycle and want to fix it up. Need help with identification and suggestions. Long story short, I've been asking around here in Gothenburg about what kind of bike it might be and suggestions for repairs, but I haven't gotten much in way of answers. There are pictures of the bike and some details on the Swedish forum happymtb if you'd care to take a look.

I got new crank wedges the other day, and the repair guy loosed the bottom bracket while at it, since it was too tight and the cranks didn't rotate freely. Well, the bottom bracket was prolly wound that tight since it's old and busted up inside - one of the pedals now pulsate and skip ever so slightly on each revolution, and there's a creaking noise on the gear side of the bracket.

So, it looks like I have to disassemble and repair or replace the bottom bracket. In order to do that I'd have to know what kind of tools I require, what type of bracket it is, what kind of wear and tear to look for, etc.

Part of the problem is that I know too little about the mechanics to ask the right questions. Pointing at the bike and drawling "it's brokened" isn't winning me any friends in the bike community here.

Here is a picture of the bottom bracket. FWIW the pedals are French, (Stamped with "Moillard C×Ↄ France" – althought it's hard to make out) and might help with identification. (Some people have suggested that this is of French make, perhaps a Peugeot or some such, but most certainly it's a cheap 70's or 80's road bike that's been remade into a single speed.)

An image of me throwing good money after bad might come to mind, but I don't want to give up on this thing; I reccon that I'll have to score used parts for this project, but if I can learn something while at it it might be worth it. Or will this all end in tears?

Help carrying water on a step through bicycle frame

misskaz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:46:18 -0800

I have a bicycle with a step through frame, and am looking for solutions for carrying fluids and keeping hydrated on long (30 - 100 mile) bike rides. C'mon, bike-friendly problem-solving MeFites, help a girl out! I have this bicycle, and for the most part love it. I ride it to/from work every day (17 miles round trip) and do longer rides with my husband on weekends, usually at least 30 miles. We are planning on a 100 km (62 mile) brevet in August. Because it's a randonneuring (DIY) event, there will not be any rest stops and other support you see in supported rides. We are also planning on a 100-mile supported ride in September and possibly another DIY century with some friends.

My problem is that the step through frame, combined with my height (or lack thereof - I'm 5'1") and other circumstances limit my options for attaching water bottles. There is one set of attach points on the frame, which only fits a regular sized water bottle. This location is virtually impossible to get the bottle in/out while riding because the top and bottom bars are so close together, so I have to come to a stop to access this water. I also would like to be able to carry more than just 16oz. of water/gatorade with me on rides.

The constraints:

1. Due to my height, the seat post is too short to use any of the seat post water bottle holders I've seen.

2. I have a rear bike rack installed, and combined with the low height of the seat, I think this makes the behind-the-seat water bottle holders that I've seen also incompatible. (They need to hang lower behind the seat than there is clearance for on my setup. I am also not without booty and am not sure how that would interfere, if at all.)

3. I really don't want to have to carry something on my body, because to me it seems like it would be hot and sweaty and irritating on my back, but I'll listen if you have a positive experience with a Camelback-type thing on long road rides.

4. I found a handlebar mount that was supposed to hold a regular bottle cage in front of my handlebars, but the brake and gear cables are in the way. I think it's intended for drop handlebars rather than the MTB style ones I have.

5. I'd be open to solutions that take advantage of the rear rack - I just haven't found any. For the longer rides I will be carrying a pannier or two.

6. I'd love to hear about DIY options along with existing products. If you got some hose clamps from Home Depot and turned them a holder for a bottle cage, tell me how! I think I have room on my top bar and/or my handlebar post, I just need to figure out how to attach them.

Someday I'll get a new bike and when I do, I'll avoid the step through frames like the plague (it causes problems in other areas as well) but for now I've got to work with what I have. I just got this bike in April and can't justify or afford a second bicycle this year.

Sorry so long; thanks in advance for your help!

Need a good weekend bike trip near Baltimore.

SirNovember — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:18:52 -0800

Are there any good overnight/weekend camping/other trips in and around Baltimore for two cyclists staying on the pavement? No car. Trying to make my honey's graduation & birthday a good one. I'm seeing camping or bike trails, but not both. Taking the train to a trail works... I see the Baltimore/Annapolis trail. Is Annapolis & environs charming at all? The Maryland parks department has cabins at some parks, but it looks to me like they're too far out for us.

We're on old 3 speed Raleighs, and we're pretty new cyclists. We don't have a lot of camping gear with us, certainly not bicycle-light stuff. I guess we'll stick to B&Bs?

Traveling the end of July - might have the whole weekend, might just have Saturday and Sunday.

What is a comfortable hairstyle-preserving bike helmet?

CancerMan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:43:36 -0800

My spouse wants to bike to work, but doesn't want to wear a helmet, citing "heat" and "helmet hair" as the main reasons. With no concern for price, what helmet brands or models would best prevent those "horrible" conditions? This is her first attempt at biking to work. She's ridden a bike many times before, but only on bike paths away from traffic or around quiet neighborhoods (she didn't wear a helmet then, either). The commute is approximately 15 minutes through a semi-residential area, along a busy multi-lane road. She intends to ride on the sidewalk. The condition of the concrete is pretty good for the most part, but there are two or three places where tree roots or soil erosion have created bumps. She would have to cross three intersections, each leading to a housing subdivision. Since it's rush hour, traffic is significant as many people are leaving or returning to and from work, which means there will be cars pulling out of driveways and turning into these main intersections.

My wife knows why she should wear a helmet, and she's heard enough gory stories and seen pictures of accidents to understand the consequences of not wearing one. I've also told her of my own close calls on city streets with inattentive drivers (however, I no longer ride to work).

Unfortunately, the two reasons of heat and hair appear to be deal-breakers for her. She feels the short commute and fact that she will ride on the sidewalk present less risk of injury, such that she will still arrive at work safe and beautiful. Therefore, this question is less about why she should wear a helmet, and more about what kind of helmet she could wear. I think if I can show her that she can still wear a helmet and preserve her style, she'll be more inclined to do so.

Her hair is in a bob, down to her neck, and the front bangs are usually pinned with a tiny (tiny!) clip. I've asked if she could style her hair at work, but she refuses to because she can't bring nor store her products at the office, much less find a place to freshen up. She will also not wear a bandanna or cap because she feels it will only trap the heat.

I intend to bring my wife to our local bike shop to perform some maintenance checkup on her ride. Whilst there I want to have her try on some helmets and ideally show her that some helmets won't mess up her hair and still provide ventilation and protection. I've also read a couple of AskMe threads about helmet hair, and started to look at brands like Giro and Limar (unknown if the bike shop carries them).

Are there other brands that will provide a level of comfort, negate the heat and preserve her hairstyle, so that my spouse will wear a helmet on her commute?

Kid doesn't want to learn how to ride a bike. Do I make him?

Lucinda — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:40:11 -0800

Am I doing my son a disservice by not making him learn to ride a bicycle? My son just turned eight, and really has no interest in learning how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. When he plays outside, it's usually kickball, or baseball, or roller skating, or running around with the kids across the street (who don't seem to ride bikes much either).

Our house is on a fairly busy suburban street, with sidewalks. Many of the middle school students bike to school (this will not affect my son until the 2010-2011 school year), but as a general rule most of the kids in the neighborhood seem to walk places.

I don't want to force it on him if he doesn't want to do it. He has a bike that he got a few years ago but I think it might be too small for him now, and if he's not interested in riding I'm not going to spend the money on a bike he'll never use. On the other hand, if it's going to cause him issues in the future (either as a middle school student or even older), I might be a little more forceful in my suggesting.

So - those of you who didn't learn to ride a bike as a kid - did it ruin your life for good? For those of you who had a kid who really didn't care about bikes -did you force them to learn?

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?

How to get to work faster on a bike?

Siberian Mist — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:50:10 -0800

Two years ago I sold the car and started riding my bicycle to work, about 26 km a day. However, over those two years, my average speed has not increased, in fact I think I'm actually a little slower than last year. Help me get to work faster! I'm interested in a simple approach: a basic training program, maybe- I don't want to change bicycles or go single speed.

Who embarked on an early 90s bike/canoe trip with a computer?

waldo — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:32:00 -0800

Around 1990 I read a magazine article about a guy who took an extended journey by canoe, and then another by bicycle, rigging a computer to each to store route data, his journals, etc. Nobody had ever done such a thing before. Who was this man? I would have read this in a popular magazine, nothing esoteric, since I only would have been ~12 years old at the time. Incidentally, reading that inspired me to hike the Appalachian Trail with a laptop and a cellphone, updating a blog as I went. That was back in 1996, and I was the first to do such a thing. It occurs to me that I should figure out whose idea I was ~~ripping off~~ paying homage to. :)

Replacement cost insurance for my bicycle - US

Carbolic — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:02:33 -0800

Is bicycle insurance available in the US? I just discovered that my bicycle, particularly the frame (Tommasini Sintesi), is worth much more than I thought. I bought the frame 10 years ago and it went unused for about eight years so it's nearly like new. A friend was curious and looked it up on the net. Turns out the frame I paid $700 for now goes for appox. $1,800. It's outfitted with Ultegra so I'm guessing replacement would be in the neighborhood of $3,000. I'm not worried about theft because that would be covered by my by my homeowners.

My concern is if I'm rear ended, I have a rack that attaches to the receiver hitch on the rear of my car, or if I crash. I carry only liability on my auto so it won't cover the bike. I'm looking for a policy that would cover replacement cost in those situations. Searching the net I can find such policies available in Europe but none in the US. A policy was once available through USA cycling but no longer.

The wheel goes rusty.

thecaddy — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:42:58 -0800

Do I need new bike wheels? Since it's warm out and its perfect weather to start riding bikes again, I figured I'd go tune up my bike ... only to find out that the rims of my wheels are a little bit rusty. Is there anything I can do to fix them, or is it time to get some new wheels?

How/where can I get a Dutch-style city bike in NYC without breaking the bank?

zvs — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:15:25 -0800

How/where can I get a Dutch-style city bike in NYC without breaking the bank? I've been riding around a beat-up old Panasonic road bike for awhile (it's a 1981 model that I bought used, and has turned out to be something of a lemon), and I've sank so much money into repairing it that I don't see the point of keeping it anymore.

I'm an occasional commuter (Brooklyn to downtown, ~5 miles, including a bridge), and a pretty experienced rider (fairly fast, traffic weaving) but not a bike nerd or great at maintenance. 99% of this bike's usage will be on-street.

I saw these on Wikipedia and fell in love (my work pants are always getting torn up in the chain, drum brakes are probably better for the seemingly always-wet roads)... can I find a bike after the Dutch model in NYC? Without dropping a grand? Or is it time to call eBay?

Helmet hair solutions

imposster — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:19:05 -0800

Any suggestions for battling helmet hair related to bicycle riding? My current helmet has vents that produce odd ridges in my hair that don't come out, even after wetting my hair. For the record, I'm a male with short to medium-short hair (although the length doesn't affect whether I get helmet hair or not.) I really like riding my bike to work and I don't feel safe riding in traffic without a helmet. Is there a type of helmet that is better for not messing up your hair or are there other tips?

Should these tires fit?

kev23f — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:02:27 -0800

My stupid bike filter: Should my new bike tires fit on my wheel? Or am i being a bike idiot? I bought these tires because i am getting punctures every week on my commute to work. But i cant get them onto the wheels, despite them seeming identical in size to my old (puncture prone) tires.

My old tires said 700x25c, and that's the size tire that i bought. My wheels have this printed on them: 622x13c.

fyi, this is the model bike i'm trying to fit them on.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle, I Want To Ride My Bike...

EmpressCallipygos — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:55:18 -0800

Yes or no: is biking permitted in Inwood Hill Park in New York? I have found conflicting information about this -- first TIME OUT NEW YORK suggested Inwood Hill as a pretty spot for a fall bike ride, but then readers' comments on the TONY site suggested that biking is actually forbidden in the park. But Wikipedia's article about Inwood Hill Park says biking is allowed, and that moreover there is a bike trail leading from there to Ft. Tyron Park. However, a bike map of the city suggests otherwise. Other Googling tells me about possible mountain biking in the park, but nothing about regular, I-just-want-to-tool-around-on-my-Schwinn biking. When I called the park directly, I got a voicemail at a nature center and I have a hunch they won't call back.

So. Since it would really suck if I wrestled my Schwinn all the way uptown from Brooklyn on the A train only to find I couldn't use it, can anyone confirm whether non-mountain-bike bike riding IS permitted in Inwood Hill Park? (If not, I'll just go for a walk instead.)

How to arrange reflective stickers on a child bike seat?

Huw — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:26:11 -0800

Child seat on bicycle + reflective stickers: what's the best pattern? I have a reflective sticker sheet (which can be cut up in any way) to use on the back of my daughter's bicycle seat (one that sits on the rear rack).

Any tips for patterns or shapes to use that will provide maximum visibility and not be confusing to drivers?