After many years of riding single-speed cruisers with coaster brakes, I'm upgrading to a hybrid road bike. What do I need to know?
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posted by therumsgone
on May 7, 2013 -
17 answers
I'm planning a cycling trip to San Francisco to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero in July. I think I have a pretty good idea of how to get there by just following Highway 1, but I'm not sure how to get back.
Instead of going back the way I came, I'd like to ride from Pescadero over the Santa Cruz mountains to Silicon Valley and catch the CalTrain into the city. Can anyone suggest a route? The shorter the better, so the station is not important! I know it'll be a climb.
posted by Borborygmus
on Apr 22, 2013 -
4 answers
I am looking to buy a bike for basic getting-around-the-city purposes and I'd like to better understand the relative advantages of "hybrid" type bikes and "Dutch/upright" type bikes.
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posted by enn
on Apr 4, 2013 -
18 answers
I want to commute by bike to my job and bike on the weekends as a way to enjoy myself and get in shape outside but am overwhelmed by all the choices out there. I am plus-sized and want to be somewhat comfortable biking for an hour a day. Not sure if a larger seat will solve my problems? Is a mountain bike the answer because it has shocks? What components would you recommend that will make a new bike work for me. I'm a thirty-something with no health problems, just a lot of weight to carry.
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posted by outdoorslady
on Mar 30, 2013 -
16 answers
Are there any studies on community bike shop impact studies on adult personal & economic self-sufficiency?
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posted by aniola
on Jan 7, 2013 -
11 answers
Suggestions for a reasonably priced and durable bike for a ten year old?
Thanks in advance, hivemind.
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posted by ryanshepard
on Nov 18, 2012 -
9 answers
What's the best way to get five people, their camping gear and five touring bikes from Washington, DC to Fort Lauderdale and back again?
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posted by fancypants
on Sep 25, 2012 -
12 answers
I'm thinking of getting a new road bike, and would like some help in picking one.
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posted by COBRA!
on Aug 27, 2012 -
45 answers
Please suggest bike routes in New England that meet some specific criteria. We took our son on a section of the East Bay Bike Path near Providence for his first bike ride last week and he loved it. He sits in an
iBert on Mom's bike. We are looking for similar routes. In looking for similar I articulate what specifically I think is good about this path for us in the extended explanation. We can ride weekdays in addition to weekends. Thanks.
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posted by safetyfork
on Jun 25, 2012 -
11 answers
Bicycle touring logistics: Navigating the Trans Canadian Highway between Spanish, Ontario to Blind River, Ontario on bicycles. Crazy? Any other suggestions?
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posted by fieldtrip
on Jun 15, 2012 -
8 answers
If I wanted to make a paying hobby out of restoring and updating old bikes, what are some resources that would help me improve my skills, research the right bikes/components, and find the right places to buy them?
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posted by Scientist
on Jun 11, 2012 -
22 answers
I'm planning a bike trip in July. Portland to Minneapolis? What are your experiences biking east from the West Coast?
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posted by rainperimeter
on Jun 5, 2012 -
7 answers
I'd like to buy a new road bike and I think I have a general idea what I'm looking for (aluminum, Tiagra, WSD). Within that class of bikes, how do I choose between the available brands?
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posted by Orinda
on May 14, 2012 -
12 answers
Someone wrecked my bike's frame while it was locked to a bike ring. Is it salvageable, or even safe to ride? Pictures inside.
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posted by pmv
on Mar 25, 2012 -
16 answers
Assuming all other features of the bicycles are identical, and the price is the same, which brand is better: Batavus, Giant, or Raleigh?
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posted by lollusc
on Nov 15, 2011 -
22 answers
I want to buy my wife this "Mamachari"
bike for her birthday. But they are only available in Japan (I'm in the US.) Any suggestions on how I'd purchase and ship one at the lowest price possible?
posted by soulbarn
on Sep 14, 2011 -
7 answers
We are going to DC this weekend through Tuesday.and would like to know how Bike friendly it is in the Central area of the city. We will be staying close to the convention center and are considering biking around to the attractions from there. Easy peasy? or watch out?
posted by citybuddha
on Aug 31, 2011 -
14 answers
I just bought a bike yesterday and although I thought it fit okay at the store and riding it around a half-block, after I rode it home for two miles, I found it a bit uncomfortable. So I'm trying to figure out if the bike is indeed too big for me, and what I can do about it since the store's policy is that all bike sales are final.
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posted by quirks
on Aug 28, 2011 -
18 answers
I'm looking to buy a bike, but I find myself paralyzed by the large number of choices available. I'd like to get a Hybrid bike to do some recreational riding around my neighborhood, in the park, and on local trails and bike paths. I want a bike that feels good to ride, is sturdy and reliable, and allows for customization if I want to swap out some component in the future.
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posted by braveterry
on May 27, 2011 -
24 answers
I'm looking to replace my '70s vintage Schwinn 3-speed cruiser with a lightweight bike that would be more conducive to longer rides.
It's an adorable bike and it has served me well, but I live in a walk-up building and schlepping it up and down the stairs is downright painful, and doesn't exactly make me want to take her out for a spin on a whim.
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posted by blackcatcuriouser
on Apr 14, 2011 -
4 answers
Travelfilter: Florence Italy for 4 nights over Easter. Any tips on what we Must See, Must Eat or Must Do.
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posted by mary8nne
on Apr 11, 2011 -
14 answers
My wife wants to know if there are any groups in the New York City area that involve school-age children and bicycle mechanics. The point of the question is we have an old Dyno Mooneyes cruiser bike in great shape with a broken rear fender -- it would actually have to be welded to be reconnected. We'd like to donate it, and she thinks some kids might get a kick out of fixing it up, especially if they're into low-rider or other fancy-pants souped-up types of bike. (It's heavy, so she's not into the idea of shipping it anywhere. We're in Westchester.) Thoughts? Suggestions? Recommendations?
posted by Joey Bagels
on Apr 6, 2011 -
4 answers
Anybody know their local city rules governing advertising bicycles attached to cycle racks? What does your city do?
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posted by priorpark17
on Apr 1, 2011 -
24 answers
How good are the
Novara brand bikes that REI sells and would any of them make a decent commuter bike for me? I have a twenty percent coupon as a member of REI but they won't let me use it for any bike brand other than their own.
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posted by octothorpe
on Mar 29, 2011 -
24 answers
Bike Comparison: Need help choosing between two bikes in the $550-$600 range. And how do you learn what components are better than others?
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posted by bluelight
on Mar 21, 2011 -
19 answers
Someone has (accidentally, I think) put his lock on my bicycle. The police are unwilling to cut the lock without paperwork proving that I own the bicycle, but I do not have that paperwork. The policeman I asked seemed to hint that I could get away with cutting the lock myself, but it's in a well-traveled area and I'm unwilling to risk some eager bystander reporting me for bicycle theft. This is in Chicago. Advice, please?
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posted by d. z. wang
on Mar 16, 2011 -
32 answers
New Yorkers, please suggest a bike shop in the city where I could volunteer after business hours or on the weekends this summer. I have maybe two summers' experience wrenching on older bikes in Chicago (think, friction shifting, quill stems, and steel frames) and am looking for a friendly place that lets me trade work for additional training and a place to fix my own bike if necessary. Bonus points if this shop attracts a sociable sort of crowd that invites strangers on its short/medium distance rides.
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posted by d. z. wang
on Mar 8, 2011 -
10 answers
Anybody have experience bicycling with smaller dogs? (Less than 25 lbs.) Would appreciate any tips from seasoned dog bicyclists (if that's the proper term...)
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posted by The ____ of Justice
on Jan 9, 2011 -
13 answers
I have 2 adult bikes I want to sell. And since it's that time of the year, I'm also looking for charities to donate to. So I'm thinking of combining the two things. Tell me if this is a good or a bad idea.
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posted by falameufilho
on Nov 13, 2010 -
11 answers
I like riding my bicycle, but I'm having trouble finding clothes that fit. I'm 6'1", 305 lbs. I've researched other askme's, and there was some good stuff-- including the only company I can find so far that even comes close to fitting me-- 3XL the Minus 33
merino shirt, and even that is pretty small and tight on me. But I'm looking for more information and pointers than I can find on my own. I know there is a passionate bicycling clique here at Metafilter, and I'm hoping they can offer me some advice and sources for clothes to fit my odd-shaped body. Details below the jump.
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posted by seasparrow
on Oct 14, 2010 -
13 answers
Haven't sat on a bike since I was a kid and now looking to buy a brand new shiny bicycle. Female, mid 20s, zero-bike-knowledge. Help me!
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posted by ttyn
on Jul 31, 2010 -
24 answers
I paid a bicycle shop to install a new rear wheel on my bicycle. A little over a week later I have suffered through 3 flats and 4 punctured tubes. I have since learned of the importance of rim tape and noticed that the rim tape on my new wheel exposes many spoke holes. Was the rim tape poorly installed or is it just my bad luck that the rim tape got smooshed over?
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posted by odacrem
on Jul 26, 2010 -
19 answers
Looking to graduate from singlespeed to road bike. How do I navigate all the options?
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posted by base_16
on Jul 5, 2010 -
20 answers
Help outfit me in a new bike. I am trying to decide between two bikes at my local bike store or a bike from bikesdirect.com.
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posted by vegetableagony
on Jul 3, 2010 -
16 answers
Does a tiny kink in the frame condemn a bike to the scrap heap? If so, what are my options for a city bike in the sub-$500 range? Time is of the essence!
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posted by andromache
on Jul 1, 2010 -
31 answers