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the_carl wrote:Anyone have thoughts on buying a used carbon fiber bike? Is there a real danger of catastrophic failure?

Carbon fiber bikes can have cracks that aren't noticeably apparent. Not sure I'd buy a carbon fiber bike unless I knew its history. There's definitely a danger of catastrophic failure. I think when carbon fiber frames fail they do so suddenly. The older the frame, the more likely it is to fail.

coldbrightsunlight wrote:What an exciting and illuminating distinction

I think racks're generally flatter. Baskets have sides. Keeps things contained & enclosed. Or something. I'm no basket/rack expert.

I should've bought that bike I had my eye on for years: it was built by some company/guy in LA and sat at this surf shop forever. We didn't have the money really at the time (it was like 600 and I talked dude down to 450 with my mountain bike trade).

My parents gave me that terrible mountain bike that hurt my knees (it was my dad's height. I'm 5" taller) and I left it in my yard with a free sign next to a les Paul case I ended up with (both were gone within the hour). I had a nice road bike in high school, but it was from the 1970s and we have it away when I got taller.

What's a good road bike now? Where in the heck are these things made these days and is that part of the price differences? Why do some cost more than my 1966 mustang (I know those are probably special racing things, but seriously)? If I buy one, it will probably be my last and has to last 30 years.

I've been doing most of my shopping and little store visit on foot for years. Just kinda want to make it more fun.

lordgalvar wrote:
What's a good road bike now?

...

I've been doing most of my shopping and little store visit on foot for years. Just kinda want to make it more fun.

You probably don't wanna road bike for running errands?

I know a mountain bike is a no go. Beyond the last one not fitting, the tires and gearing wore me out going to the beach (about 7 ish miles, I walked it the next time and got pretty sunburnt). What am I looking for in a bike?

I know a beach cruiser is no good too. Always like curved handles too. Straight handles kind of seem to have my hands in an odd place.

Make one? Buy a motorcycle? Forgot about it for another 10 years? Just finish the mustang/get my truck running?

^ Definitely agree a full on road bike maybe isn't ideal for errands depending where you live/what you're doing. Hybrid might be more suited

I've got a hybrid/gravel bike I use for a mix of more "exercise focussed" road cycling and errands. Still very fast but a comfier ride and handles dodgy terrain better. Used to have a road bike and it was so much fun for going fast but tbh less comfortable and didn't handle quite as well for running errands in city/town. But you do you, haha

Chankgeez wrote:

coldbrightsunlight wrote:What an exciting and illuminating distinction

I think racks're generally flatter. Baskets have sides. Keeps things contained & enclosed. Or something. I'm no basket/rack expert.

As soon as you said it I knew exactly what you meant. I'm sure technically you're right I was just saying I'm not sure it matters

Eh, I ain't kidding myself. It'll be years before another bike.

lordgalvar wrote:I know a mountain bike is a no go. Beyond the last one not fitting, the tires and gearing wore me out going to the beach (about 7 ish miles, I walked it the next time and got pretty sunburnt). What am I looking for in a bike?

I know a beach cruiser is no good too. Always like curved handles too. Straight handles kind of seem to have my hands in an odd place.

Make one? Buy a motorcycle? Forgot about it for another 10 years? Just finish the mustang/get my truck running?

Too many things to break it down into little quotes. So:

Yeah, mountain bike isn't your best bet either.

Cruiser might be fine. There're plenty available with multi-speed internal-geared hubs. Definitely a better riding position for around town.

It'd be awesome if you built a bike. (A little 125cc motorcycle might be nice too. )

Lots of different (curved) handlebar options for an upright riding position though.

lordgalvar wrote:Eh, I ain't kidding myself. It'll be years before another bike.

NSFW: show

Didn't know about hybrid bikes. I've never bought a bike. All hand-me-downs and stuff. I know more about carburetors and volumetric efficiency.

I'll look around. Can't really go to a shop at the moment and probably a horrible time to buy anyway.

Maybe that road bike I saw years ago was a hybrid? I don't know what the difference is between 'em. Skinny tire vs wide tire is all I know.

When did bikes get disc brakes? Why? What's the point of the suspension (doesn't seem sophisticated enough to really do much to me. Are they generally customizable? The one on the mountain bike didn't do 'nothin except make it go lower when I sat on it or pedaled haha. Bikes just ain't for bigger people?)

I'm 6'2" 215 ish right now. In my best shape when playing sports year around I was 185....but that was 20 something years ago.

Road bikes have bars like these:



Good for longer rides where you need to switch up your hand position. Not great for riding around doing errands.

I agree that a hybrid's probably the way to go. Hybrids generally have skinnier tires.

Mountain bikes got disc brakes in the late '90s. Road bikes more recently.

Suspension is good for soaking up the bumps. (I don't have to tell you that. ) Originally on downhill and/or mountain bikes (by way of off-road motorcycles). Whether is makes sense or not for you depends on how bumpy it is around your house.

You can totally get a properly-sized bike for a bigger person.

coldbrightsunlight wrote:

This thread just needs more pictures

Rad colors.

lordgalvar wrote:Eh, I ain't kidding myself. It'll be years before another bike.

NSFW: show

Didn't know about hybrid bikes. I've never bought a bike. All hand-me-downs and stuff. I know more about carburetors and volumetric efficiency.

I'll look around. Can't really go to a shop at the moment and probably a horrible time to buy anyway.

Maybe that road bike I saw years ago was a hybrid? I don't know what the difference is between 'em. Skinny tire vs wide tire is all I know.

When did bikes get disc brakes? Why? What's the point of the suspension (doesn't seem sophisticated enough to really do much to me. Are they generally customizable? The one on the mountain bike didn't do 'nothin except make it go lower when I sat on it or pedaled haha. Bikes just ain't for bigger people?)

I'm 6'2" 215 ish right now. In my best shape when playing sports year around I was 185....but that was 20 something years ago.

Haha mostly what chank said. Suspension can actually be great if you're doing a lot of off road. You'd be surprised how much it does to smooth things out. But you lose something in handling/speed.

Hybrids without suspension and skinny tyres start to look a lot like "road bikes" - cyclocross is another name for the sort of hybrid I've got. Medium skinny tyres, nice frame, disc brakes... Actually has drop bars but isn't a "road bike" and can do some off-road - the distinctions get a little academic and I am certainly not an expert Road bikes are much more focussed on being light and going fast - super skinny tyres, drop bars etc.

As for why disc brakes, because they're better than rim brakes particularly when it's wet, more responsive, and they don't wear out the wheels. Not that rim brakes aren't still a valid choice - they're still perfectly good and work as well as they ever did haha. But for all conditions/only having one bike I think disc are better.

https://instagram.com/himo_bike?igshid=b6u5ep6wv25q

I am interested in one of these, be pending on its useability as a non electric bike also.

Snagged a 2019 Marlin 6 on craigslist, only got about 6 miles on it yesterday but it is flipping amazing, and only 300bucks!!
Still like my old 90s steel but this thing is crisp.

Thinking about tossing on a dropper post

hbombgraphics wrote:Snagged a 2019 Marlin 6 on craigslist, only got about 6 miles on it yesterday but it is flipping amazing, and only 300bucks!!
Still like my old 90s steel but this thing is crisp.

Thinking about tossing on a dropper post

Nice score! I love my Trek Stache 6 (2014, I think) and would love to put a dropper post in it. I just finished up swapping the brakes, which has become a yearly activity because they're contaminated every damned time I bring it out of storage.

I haven't been riding many trails recently, so I'm considering picking up some kind of road/gravel bike. Everything I keep looking at is way outside my non-existent budget, though.

MrNovember wrote:

hbombgraphics wrote:Snagged a 2019 Marlin 6 on craigslist, only got about 6 miles on it yesterday but it is flipping amazing, and only 300bucks!!
Still like my old 90s steel but this thing is crisp.

Thinking about tossing on a dropper post

Nice score! I love my Trek Stache 6 (2014, I think) and would love to put a dropper post in it. I just finished up swapping the brakes, which has become a yearly activity because they're contaminated every damned time I bring it out of storage.

I haven't been riding many trails recently, so I'm considering picking up some kind of road/gravel bike. Everything I keep looking at is way outside my non-existent budget, though.

yeah, I would love a gravel bike, thinking of converting my 90s mountain bike,

That should be a pretty simple project, street tires, and maybe a hub with a better climbing gear

Maybe because Boris Johnson is so pale, but his mask looks totally photoshopped: