Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bikes

The ethics of buying stolen bikes

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:05:06 -0800

Help me figure out the ethics of buying stolen bikes (or other stolen things). I've always believed that buying a stolen bike was the worst of sins--along the lines of stealing books from the public library or pushing your grandma down the stairs. And living in the Bay Area, my friends' bikes get stolen all the time, even if they ride theft-proof junkers, so I can genuinely empathize with the experience of losing a prized possession. But as an often-broke cyclist (who rides one of those aforementioned junkers), occasionally I'm equally tempted by those lightweight newish bikes that're providentially cheap and don't need the rear derailleur replaced, and then the front derailleur replaced, and then suddenly the hub feels crunchy and the rear brakes never have quite the right tension on 'em, etc.

There's a Saturday flea market near my house where I buy cheap wool socks and used cell phone chargers sometimes. One full corner of the market has a booming trade in obviously stolen bikes--shiny, new road bikes priced at $100-200, but almost certainly worth at least double, for example. I've been able to resist the temptation for a decade now, and my maybe-too-righteous moral stance still feels solid to me (occasionally dreaming of a bike and actually buying one are two different things!). But sometimes I think, oh why bother? There'll always be an underground economy for stolen, priced-to-move bikes: the allure's too great, and there seems to be basically no chance of getting caught. Why shouldn't I buy a stolen bike? There's no way the real owner will find it before it's gone, whether I'm the purchaser or not. Right?

For me, the biggest flaw in the "someone's gonna buy it, why not me?" argument is my own integrity: I don't want to be the kind of person who, unblinkingly, buys stolen goods. (I'm not.) But on the other hand, why should I avoid buying a locally-stolen bike but feel guilt-free about purchasing sweatshop-made socks, for example, just because I can empathize more readily with one than the other? Or avoid buying a used circular saw that might also be stolen, but might not?... To clarify, I'm not looking for help justifying anything to myself; I know it's not okay for me, regardless of how ineffectual my stolen-stuff boycott actually is. I'm just trying to put words to the sense that there's something more to this than just personal integrity (or the law). But what?

Could a subway tunnel be realistically turned into a bike path?

dinty_moore — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:58:19 -0800

With all the recent bike talk on the green and the blue, I have a few questions about the feasibility of repurposing abandoned subway tunnels with underground bike paths. 1) What are some of the drawback to doing this? The ones I could think of are a) you'd have to have a way to get your bike down there; b) extensive lighting would have to be installed; and c) drainage would have to be improved-trains can run in a few inches of water, bikes cannot. Are there any others that I'm missing? Also, am I way off line by the ones I've just mentioned?

2) Are there any cities that have a logical infrastructure for this? By that, I mean have a string of abandoned tunnels that would actually make sense to bike from point A to point B

When I first thought of the idea, it seemed AWESOME since it a)would contain no cars, b) would be all weather, c) would have exits that are both a smart distance from each other and places I'd like to go. Now I'm just wondering about the real world implications of this.

How can I fix my fixed gear bike whose rear cog rotates with the chain when I pedal?

Hates_ — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:58:04 -0800

How can I fix my fixed gear bike whose rear cog rotates with the chain when I pedal? Recently my fixed gear bike has developed a problem where the rear cog spins freely. So pedalling gets me nowhere :( If possible I'd rather try and fix it myself as bike repairs here in London seem to cost an arm and a leg.

Is it simply a case of pedaling backwards to somehow re-tighten the cog? I can't see this being a solution as surely it would just become lose again with all the forward pedalling? How are cogs even secured to hubs?

Gary Indiana Gary Indiana

Sreiny — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:53:45 -0800

Riding bike from Chicago to Gary, Indiana— what to do in Gary? I'm riding with some friends to Gary tomorrow, wondering if anyone has suggestions on places in Gary to see. We're interested in the old, rusting industrial parts of the city, interesting places to eat, obviously going to be stopping by the Jackson house. Any other really interesting places to go to and photograph? Any neat things to see along the way on the ride? Thanks.

City bulldozes away bikes

You Should See the Other Guy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:55:15 -0800

So a friend of mine locked his bike to a city-provided bike post... he came back and the city (Toronto) had torn up the entire sidewalk for 2 blocks, including where he had locked his bike. The workers tossed the bikes aside, some still locked to the posts, but some of the posts broken in two thereby freeing up the bikes. His bike was gone. There was no indication from the city that they were going to do this (signs not to lock your bike, etc.). Police have been called but consider it a "stolen bike" issue... now what? Photos and more inside. Picture of bulldozer about to tear out bike post.

Same area post-post.

Picture of heaped bike posts, some broken in two by bulldozers.

Picture of some heaped bikes that weren't yet stolen.

Some other info: when the situation was explained to the workers (that the bike was missing) they laughed. When asked why there were no signs saying not to lock bikes up, they said, "There've been bulldozers out here for weeks." Yes, there had, but they had been tearing up the road, not the sidewalk. The city had not cordoned off the sidewalk the way it is in the pictures, until they were about to start bulldozing--that is, when the bike was locked up, less than 12 hours earlier, the sidewalk had regular access just like it always had before.

This is a major intersection, one of the busiest in the city: Yonge and Eglinton. My friend owns a store in the area and is there 4 times minimum a week--there were never any signs saying they were going to bulldoze away the bike posts.

Also note that the city recommends that bikes be locked to the post, not the ring, which is what my friend did. (Instructions are actually stamped right into the ring.) As you can see from the second photo, some of the rings were ripped free of the posts, which would allow bikes to just be lifted right off, which is what we assume happened.

Also of note is that the city made no attempt to keep an eye on the bikes once they'd tossed them to the side of the road. Anyone could just walk up and take them. I met no resistance walking into the area to examine the bikes in the photos.

Suggestions on how to proceed?

Bikes!

bluelight — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:34:55 -0800

Do you know of any local bike makers in NYC? This is for an upcoming exhibit, where my group and I want to exhibit a bunch of locally made bicycles to promote bicycling. There won't be any monetary compensation involved, but the bike manufacturers would get a LOT of foot traffic around their bicycles and an opportunity to advertise their services.

Even if it's just guys who weld bike parts and create pretty parts of a bicycle to put on a bike. Or guys who like putting together recycled bike parts to make a crazy-cool bike contraption.

If you've heard of a local name in your neighborhood, or there's this friend of a friend...anything would be great. I'd just like to start getting in touch with people asap.

Thanks in advance!

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?

What do you think of bikesdirect?

concreteforest — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:39:25 -0800

I've been doing some research into buying a cheap singlespeed bike. I've been riding a rockhopper for years and recently took a test drive of one and thought it was quite fun. Bikesdirect has been coming up a lot because I am on a tight budget. Has anyone here purchased any of their bikes and if so what did you think of them? If you need context: I have access to a local bike coop and am fairly okay with regular bike maintenance. I also would get any bike tested by a pro mechanic before riding. I don't care about name but I do want something simple, inexpensive (4-500$) and relatively light and strong

I've also been haunting craigslist/ebay but am beginning to realize building a bike from scratch is plenty expensive. I do plan on upgrading whatever I buy as I go along. I would be using the bike for fun, commuting and some variety from my geared bike.

Perfect disc break rainy-day single speed commuter frame.

wcfields — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:53:26 -0800

Bike Filter: I'm looking for a cro-moly steel frame and fork that can handle disc breaks and enough clearance for fenders and has track drop outs with a road bike geometry. The closest I've seen so far is the Surly 1x1 but I'd rather have something a little more speedy (road geometry), larger (they only make them to 55cm sized and I'm looking for something around 60-62cm).

Ideally I'm going to put 700x28 tires on it and built for year round riding in Portland,OR.

Bikes and such.

disillusioned — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:12:14 -0800

I want a motorcycle, but I don't know where to start. I've liked the idea of learning how to ride and buying a bike for some time. I have enough cash to at least get me some lessons, and there's a nice place out here that should do the trick (covers MVD driving test, etc.) for a good price that comes well recommended.

But I realized I don't know anything about anything about what bike I might want myself. I want to be comfortable and not look like a complete idiot, but I'm thinking more a Sport that fits would be best.

Here's my thinking thus far:

No Harley's or anything chopper-style
I'm not insane about going crazy fast or being able to win off the line or anything like that. But I don't want a scooter.
What brand/makes/models do you like? What should I avoid?
I'm about 240lbs 6'1. (Pic here, on the left.) Not "Commander Fat is looking awfully fat today," but not skinny either. Will a rice rocket make me look horribly oversized? Will it be ridiculously uncomfortable?
I don't really like the look of touring bikes, either. My dad has a Goldwing. It's great, for my dad.
What price range will I end up pegging for a decent, comfortable bike? (I've been expecting somewhere between $1,500-$3,000... new or used, doesn't matter to me.)

I'm finding that I don't know enough about bikes, performance-wise, to know what features are important, who does what better, etc. I'm not partial to anything, simply because I know basically nothing about this space. (Whereas I have defined impressions of car companies, know what I'm looking for in performance in a regular car, and know what terminology means.)

Is it just a matter of trying different things and seeing what fits best?

Specific makes and models welcome, other advice about comfort for someone a bit bigger on a bike that still looks cool also welcome, etc. (Also, I am fully aware of how ridiculous I look in that photo. Kthx.)

I'm ready for Bike Riding 102 now

not that girl — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:58:39 -0800

What do I need to know to be a more efficient bike rider? Three years ago I asked this question about what bike to get. It included this extremely excellent answer about how not to hurt your knees biking, which, had I paid sufficient attention to the last two paragraphs, would probably have saved me from last fall's knee surgery. "Sadly ignorant," indeed.

So, tell me about how to ride a bike. I've been keeping them upright and going forward for coming on 40 years now, and I've even done long-distance trips in my youth. But about 15 years ago, the notion of "cadencing" was new to me, and welcome. And this spring, I'm spinning a lot more! I wonder what else I ought to know about about?

I don't think I need bike fit tips, but what else should I know about using my bike and my body more efficiently?

Some question about converting a road frame to a fixed gear...

You Should See the Other Guy — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:31:13 -0800

Fixed Gear Conversion / Bike Question: 120mm rear hub. 130mm frame. Solutions? I also have a crank/bb question inside. So I found a vintage frame that I like, but it's got 130mm rear stays. I like the hub that I have (Phil Wood), which is 120. Is there an easy fix?

Also, I have a 68mm Phil BB but the frame has 70mm Italian. Obviously, I can't make this work so will have to buy a new BB. However, I know nothing about road cranks... will my Sugino 75 crank connect to an Italian BB? Are the bolts that the crank arms attach to universal?

Anything else I should consider when converting a road frame to a fixed gear bike?

Thanks!

Lightweight, performance-oriented boy's 20" mountain bike?

mosk — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:24:00 -0800

Lightweight, performance-oriented boy's 20" mountain bike? My Google searches are returning results that are much too broad, so I'm hoping a fellow MeFite has already covered this ground, so to speak: Does anyone know/can anyone recommend a performance-oriented 20" boy's mountain bike? We've been doing a bit more technical riding with our eight year old son -- fire roads, some mud, some stuff that's hilly -- and after some difficulties yesterday I'm just curious about what's out there. (And if forced to choose, I'd choose a lightweight XC bike over a heavier DS bike, though I'd welcome recommendations for either type if the bike itself was a really good one.)

His current bike is fine in many ways (it's a Diamondback, fairly recent, has a front shock, dual hand brakes, and a six speed shifter), but between the HEAVY steel frame and the HEAVY chromed rim/chromed spoke wheels, it must weigh 30 lbs or more. And despite the nice feature-set, the brakes aren't all that good, the shock seems to rob energy when climbing, and it weighs a ton. In short, it's a bike that looked really good on paper and on the showroom floor, and it performs fine on playgrounds and bike paths, but you begin to have regrets as soon as you take it off-road.

I'm not looking for anything custom or too outrageously expensive, and I'm not even sure if this is something we're going to pursue, but after seeing his current bike hold him back on yesterday's ride, I'm just curious if performance-oriented boys bikes exist?

FWIW, although he's obviously still developing as a rider, he's a strong and active youngster who seems to be on his way to becoming a good athlete. And he likes biking, which is something his mother and I both like, and something we like to do as a family. His current bike is fine for many types of riding and we now know its limitations, but the gear-person in me really wants to know what better alternatives are out there, even if they are only in the nice-but-can't-afford-it category.

Help me research a new bike

thelost — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:02:07 -0800

My bike just broke spectacularly, while I was riding it. I want to research getting a good, new hybrid bike for city riding. Can anyone recommend good websites for research? I am looking for good websites that review bikes, but recommendations regarding possible bikes would be welcome too.

I want a new hybrid with slicks. I bought my last bike 7 years ago so I feel a bit clueless. What do I need to consider, other than budget? I am going to put aside £400.

All advice very welcome. Please ask any questions if there is anything obvious I haven't stated.

$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).

How can I turn a 30+ minute walk, into 10?

armoir from antproof case — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:16:52 -0800

Help me shorten my new 1.5hr commute, or, recommendations needed for short-hop bicycle-type things Tomorrow I start a new job (yay!) which will involve a significant commute via public transportation. Overall commute time, as it currently stands, is 90 minutes (sigh). The train station is 1.4 miles from the office door, and there are no public transit options (buses, etc.) for this last leg of the journey.

As someone who hasn't owned a car in years, I enjoy walking, but am a slowish walker (much to the chagrin of the missus....) ; and, more importantly, my main aim is to decrease the time spent commuting. I expect that walk will take me at least 30 minutes. So, I'm hoping that I may be able to find some sort of conveyance that will help decrease that time period, from ~30 minutes, down to, say, 10.

"GET A BIKE!" is the first answer, I'm sure. I'm reasonably fit, and could definitely use the exercise / strengthening that regular bike-riding would entail / require. However I do have a history of problems in the lower back, SI joint, and pelvic floor. Again, I'm sure that biking -- the "right" way -- might help out with this, but history tells me that I will likely encounter some significant, possibly debilitating, exacerbation of these existing issues.

So I guess I'm looking for tips regarding....

1. If I do decide to get a bike, I'm not looking for speed or fanciness. Just something with two wheels and some pedals and a seat that won't bring pain and ruin to the already-troublesome pelvic floor. I have no idea what to look for, in terms of "road bike" versus "cruising bike" versus..... yeah, I'm pretty clueless about bikes, in general.

2. Good "commuter" bikes. Again, I'm just going to use this for the short trips between the train and the office. The train has accommodations for bikes of all types and sizes. Sometimes I have seen weird-lookin' foldy bikes... what's them's all about? Something I might look into?

3. Other alternatives? Those little razor-scooter things?

Thanks!

How to get a bike from California to Toronto

dobbs — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:05:38 -0800

I'm in Toronto. A bike I want is in Berkeley, CA. I do not know the seller and he refuses to ship (anywhere). I have a relative in Fresno who does not drive but if the bike can get to him, he can ship it to me. Is there a service or something that I can pay to either ship the bike to me or deliver it to my relative? Ridiculous details inside. I've already tried uship.com and got zero bids.

I've already tried MeFi Jobs and got zero response (though this was pre-my bro arriving in Fresno).

I've tried the forums on WeEndure, no response.

I've asked two local (to the seller) bike shops and one bike co-op if I could pay them to ship it to me. No go.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get this bike from the seller to me?

Thanks!

Madison martial arts? Bikes? Other recs?

Vibrissa — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:10:32 -0800

Madison folks: I'm moving to Madison soonish, and I'm looking for recommendations. Specifically, I'm interested in finding out about good martial arts schools and beginner-friendly bike shops, though any other recs would certainly be welcome (I know there was a similar thread before, but it's three years old and doesn't address martial arts or bikes much).

Good used bikes in NYC?

jeffsimmermonTWC — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:50:07 -0800

Where can I find good used bikes in NYC? My girlfriend lives in DC, comes to visit me in NYC a fair bit. We'd like to start biking together in the city ... she's looking for a used/good enough bike to keep up here for her use on the weekends. Price range tops out around 400 bucks or so. She doesn't need the fastest thing on 2 wheels, just something to use to get around and have some fun with this summer.

Barring the "dude on the corner" approach which is just karmically a bad idea, do you guys have any suggestions?

25-30 mi bike ride in Boston?

everichon — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:11:12 -0800

I will be at Usenix in Boston next week, and want to do a 25-30 mile bike ride one of those evenings. I know nothing about the area--can anyone recommend a nice route, starting and ending around the Sheraton on Dalton street?

Powdercoaters in Toronto?

dobbs — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:53:15 -0800

Powder Coating in Toronto... who does a good, fast job for a reasonable price? I want to change the color of a bike frame and fork but using google just gives me a bunch of companies in Mississauga with terrible web sites... I'd love a first hand recommendation if anyone's got one. Also disregarding geography, any advice or caveats regarding powder coating in general? Thanks!

Removable bike bags...

dobbs — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:03:56 -0800

Looking for bags or similar things that can attach to a bike and easily (without tools) be removed that I can carry stuff in. I currently have a MEC frame bag but it's insufficient, space-wise. I'm also familiar with the Detours bags, but they only carry 5 lbs. Suggestions...? It's important to me that when the item is off the bike, its fastening system isn't still on the bike (like a basket or panniers). Also, if I can throw it over my shoulder (when not on the bike) that's even better. I quite like the look of the Freitag Knight Rider frame bags but they appear to have the same capacity as my MEC bag, which won't do. (I can't, for instance, carry a single dvd in its case inside this bag!)

Mostly, I carry dvds and cds, burritos, and small things like that, but sometimes in qty (the mec bag'll take 4 cds, for instance, and that's pushing it). I can also fit my u-lock in there but with room for pretty much nothing else.

I already have a Chrome Messenger bag for when I want to carry larger things but I'm really just looking for something that doesn't touch me while riding and doesn't touch the bike when walking.

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 needs to lay off the twinkies

littlerobothead — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:31:25 -0800

What's the best way to put my new bike on a diet? After a long search I finally got a new bike. I used to mountain bike avidly, and had two very nice, light and expensive bikes in my younger days. I'm older now, and have other things to spend money on, so I bought a reasonably priced but still awesome Trek 4300. It's a great riding bike, with good handling and nice trail manners. Still, it's a bit heavy and I'd love to help it lose about four pounds.

Dollar-per-pound, what's the best way nowadays to do this? Five years ago, suspension forks cost what entire titanium bikes cost now, so obviously the market has shifted and I'm a little confused on whether I should be looking at better brakes, seat post, wheels or what!

Hep meh!

Zoom Zoom

zoomorphic — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:32:03 -0800

Please help me find some safe, beginner-ish bike routes that start out in Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn. So, I just got this totally cute bike. It's not going to scale any mountains, but it's a trusty 50s relic with a sturdy frame and nice tires. I haven't ridden a bike since I was ten. Until last week, I've been a full-time pedestrian oblivious to the joys and terrors of co-existing with cars on the road. I'm looking for some fun bike routes that will get my muscles and brain accustomed to long distance rides so I can slowly work my way up to speeding up steep inclines without passing out, preferably on low-key, scenic Brooklyn roads where I won't get doorsed or pancaked. I'm starting out near here. And if there are any roads I should avoid for the time being, please let me know!