Request: Identify this bike

Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website. http://buzzmnt.tripod.com

I am in the market for a bike to commute as a college
student in Athens Georgia. The bike I'm looking at is on my
website. If you click the picture, it will increase its
size. I'm told it was purchased in 1998, levers and whole
grupo is Campanoglo, and has a light as hell frame. Prolly
needs new tires. I have yet to see it in person, have to
travel Athens to Augusta. Ask price is $200. Need advice.
Thanks ! ! ! -buzzmn

On 8 Jul 2004 14:24:11 -0700, buzzmonger@hotmail.com (Scott Pointe)
wrote:

>Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website.
>http://buzzmnt.tripod.com
>
>I am in the market for a bike to commute as a college
>student in Athens Georgia. The bike I'm looking at is on my
>website. If you click the picture, it will increase its
>size. I'm told it was purchased in 1998, levers and whole
>grupo is Campanoglo, and has a light as hell frame. Prolly
>needs new tires. I have yet to see it in person, have to
>travel Athens to Augusta. Ask price is $200. Need advice.
>Thanks ! ! ! -buzzmn

If what you say is true, then you've got a deal. Is it
your size?

however:

As a commute bike, know that this one probably won't fit
fenders, so riding in the rain (or through wet streets
immeditatly after a rain) will not be fun. You'll get a
skunk stripe up your backside and muck in your eyes.

You might want to put a rack on it.

And you do ride in the street, right? Because if you ride a
bike like this on the sidewalk, you should be shot.

-Luigi

buzzmonger@hotmail.com (Scott Pointe) wrote in
news:3d7d80b2.0407081324.677e1d6a@posting.google.com:

> Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website.
> http://buzzmnt.tripod.com
>
> I am in the market for a bike to commute as a college
> student in Athens Georgia. The bike I'm looking at is on
> my website. If you click the picture, it will increase its
> size. I'm told it was purchased in 1998, levers and whole
> grupo is Campanoglo, and has a light as hell frame. Prolly
> needs new tires. I have yet to see it in person, have to
> travel Athens to Augusta. Ask price is $200. Need advice.
> Thanks ! ! ! -buzzmn

Make sure it fits. Check the frame for rust, dings, or
hairline fractures. Check wheels, (rim sidewalls for wear,
rims overall for trueness, and make sure spokes are well
tensioned). Check functionality, (brakes, shifting, play in
headset or bottom bracket). If it fits and shows reasonable
use, not abuse, then $200 is a great price. You can change
anything you don't like as it wears out.

Mike

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 00:08:28 GMT, garmonboezia <cthvlhv@r'lyeh.arg> wrote:

>buzzmonger@hotmail.com (Scott Pointe) wrote in
>news:3d7d80b2.0407081324.677e1d6a@posting.google.com:
>
>> Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website.
>> http://buzzmnt.tripod.com
>>
>> I am in the market for a bike to commute as a college
>> student in Athens Georgia. The bike I'm looking at is on
>> my website. If you click the picture, it will increase
>> its size. I'm told it was purchased in 1998, levers and
>> whole grupo is Campanoglo, and has a light as hell frame.
>> Prolly needs new tires. I have yet to see it in person,
>> have to travel Athens to Augusta. Ask price is $200. Need
>> advice. Thanks ! ! ! -buzzmn
>
>Make sure it fits. Check the frame for rust, dings, or
>hairline fractures. Check wheels, (rim sidewalls for wear,
>rims overall for trueness, and make sure spokes are well
>tensioned). Check functionality, (brakes, shifting, play in
>headset or bottom bracket). If it fits and shows reasonable
>use, not abuse, then $200 is a great price. You can change
>anything you don't like as it wears out.
>
>Mike

Good advice. May I suggest you ride it around the block and
up a modest hill and make sure it feels right. Even at that,
not much of a risk for that price.

-B

In addition to checking for cracks, check for peeling paint.
If the frame has been bent slightly, the only way to detect
it may be to notice if any of the paint is rippled or
bubbled or peeling....that indicates the tube is mishapen
because the paint no longer "fits" the tube in it's original
shape/configuration.

"Scott Pointe" <buzzmonger@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3d7d80b2.0407081324.677e1d6a@posting.google.com...
> Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website.
> http://buzzmnt.tripod.com
>
> I am in the market for a bike to commute as a college
> student in Athens Georgia. The bike I'm looking at is on
> my website. If you click the picture, it will increase its
> size. I'm told it was purchased in 1998, levers and whole
> grupo is Campanoglo, and has a light as hell frame. Prolly
> needs new tires. I have yet to see it in person, have to
> travel Athens to Augusta. Ask price is $200. Need advice.
> Thanks ! ! ! -buzzmn

Scott Pointe wrote:
> Hello, I'm Scott, this is my website.
> http://buzzmnt.tripod.com

It's a blue Mongoose.

Bill "always helpful" S.

Thanks for the advice. I'd like to send more details but not
having seen it I have one or two further questions. Is
Mongoose primarily a 'Department Store' brand? Do good
dealers even sell Mongoose in the non-BMX category? In
response to the fender issue, can't you add fenders to the
seat post? Finally, if you add a rack or are commuting with
a sizeable backpack, does a drop bar make riding less
enjoyable? The straight bars, most MTN bikes have it, allows
a more upright position, less agressive. Comments? Thank you
so much for the useful responses thus far! -buzzmnt

Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote in message >
If what you say is true, then you've got a deal. Is it
your size?
>
> however:
>
> As a commute bike, know that this one probably won't fit
> fenders, so riding in the rain (or through wet streets
> immeditatly after a rain) will not be fun. You'll get a
> skunk stripe up your backside and muck in your eyes.
>
>
> You might want to put a rack on it.
>
> And you do ride in the street, right? Because if you ride
> a bike like this on the sidewalk, you should be shot.
>
> -Luigi

On 9 Jul 2004 13:59:09 -0700, buzzmonger@hotmail.com (Scott Pointe)
wrote:

>Thanks for the advice. I'd like to send more details but
>not having seen it I have one or two further questions. Is
>Mongoose primarily a 'Department Store' brand?

It wasn't when the bike you're looking at was made.

> Do good dealers even sell Mongoose in the non-BMX
> category?

This is where it's confusing. Yes: there are "good" Mongoose
bicycles sold through real bikeshops--I know of at least one
legitimate dealer near me. The vast majority of new
"Mongoose" bikes out there now are Wal*Mart bikes though.

>In response to the fender issue, can't you add fenders to
>the seat post?

It's sub-optimal. You'll still get muck flying up that isn't
caught by the seatpost-mount half-fender, but it's better
than nothing. I've seen bike messengers ride close-clearance
road bikes with spray guards of this type... so it works.

> Finally, if you add a rack or are commuting with a
> sizeable backpack, does a drop bar make riding less
> enjoyable?

I don't understand the question. Drop bars have made riding
MORE enjoyable for me, at least for road riding.

I'm talking about mounting about a rear rack that bolts onto
the frame. Onto this rear rack you could then zip-tie or
bungee a milk crate for utility--and remove the crate when
you just want to go for a ride. (if the bike doesn't have
the appropriate threaded eyelets for a rear rack, you can
use P-clamps to secure the rack onto the rear stays. This
works quite well. Also, a rack with a solid top platform
works as a kind of fender, keeping muck from flying up your
backside).

Seatpost-mounted racks don't inspire confidence for me: it
would be like riding with a squirrel bouncing on a divers'
springboard behind my saddle--and that's not what I want.

Riding with a sizeable backpack is sub-optimal, but doable.

Drop bars are great for long rides in the saddle; I find
them infinitely more comfortable than flat handlebars. They
allow many hand positions--you don't ride in the drops all
the time. I ride 90 percent of the time on the hoods--and
since those are Ergopower hoods on the bike, you'll be able
to brake and shift from that position very easily indeed.

>The straight bars, most MTN bikes have it, allows a more
>upright position, less agressive.

Raise the handlebars to the level of the saddle. Upright,
less aggressive, and very very comfortable with drops. This
shouldn't be too hard to do if the bike has a conventional
quill stem. If it has a Threadless stem, you might want to
add spacers and/or swap the stem with something with a bit
more rise to bring the bars up to a reasonable level.

In traffic, some people have noted that the more upright
posture in a flat handlebar makes it easier to keep your
head up and scan for traffic. This may be true--I commuted
in heavy traffic in Central London on a bike with flat bars,
and noticed no real difference, though.

>Comments? Thank you so much for the useful responses thus
>far! -buzzmnt

General comment: I have forgotten to ask two very important
questions-- First, do you ride a bicycle much? And, second,
where will you be doing most of your riding?

It seems silly, but if you're considering a road bike like
this, it's a bit more valid than most.

From your responses, I'm wondering whether or not you might
be better-served looking for a good-quality, used, solid
(that is, no suspension) mountain bike in your area. a
change of tires to slicks and the addition of fenders and a
rack make a very useful commuting bike. Bikes of this sort
in your price range are findeable in a variety of
places....used bike dealers, want-ads, pawnshops....

rides when you're not trying to make lectures on time, then
I'd get the roadie.

-Luigi

Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote in message news:<7a7ue01il2busvjvopqtakcb3tnk5bc6j3@4ax.com>...
> On 9 Jul 2004 13:59:09 -0700, buzzmonger@hotmail.com
> (Scott Pointe) wrote: Is Mongoose primarily a Department
> Store' brand?
>
> It wasn't when the bike you're looking at was made.
>
> Do good dealers even sell Mongoose in the non-BMX
> category?
>
> This is where it's confusing. Yes: there are "good"
> Mongoose bicycles sold through real bikeshops--I know of
> at least one legitimate dealer near me. The vast
> majority of new "Mongoose" bikes out there now are
> Wal*Mart bikes though.

I'll check the Athens area for Mongoose distributers. One
shop, the Bike Hub, had a salesperson who relegated Mongoose
to the Sears type stores.

>Finally, if you add a rack or are commuting with a sizeable
>backpack, does a drop bar make riding less enjoyable?
>
> I don't understand the question. Drop bars have made
> riding MORE enjoyable for me, at least for road riding.

Same story Luigi. The salesman, wearing a mechanic's apron,
asserted what you were saying: drops equal more positions
but straight bars would be more upright ergo comfiest.

> Seatpost-mounted racks don't inspire confidence for me: it
> would be like riding with a squirrel bouncing on a divers'
> springboard behind my saddle--and that's not what I want.

lol -

> Drop bars are great for long rides in the saddle; I find
> them infinitely more comfortable than flat handlebars.
> They allow many hand positions--you don't ride in the
> drops all the time. I ride 90 percent of the time on the
> hoods--and since those are Ergopower hoods on the bike,
> you'll be able to brake and shift from that position very
> easily indeed.

Excellent advice.

> General comment: I have forgotten to ask two very
> important questions-- First, do you ride a bicycle much?
> And, second, where will you be doing most of your riding?

I have not had a bike in a few years. I currently drive an
UMC Aeromate step-truck and would like to trade it for a
good scooter. I really want to use a bike for classes and
possible to commute to work, hate that word, when I find
some. Athens is kind of hilly, but very small, smallest
county in Georgia: Pop. 101,000. I'm pretty activist minded
about saving on gas so a bicycle is a must.

> From your responses, I'm wondering whether or not you
> might be better-served looking for a good-quality, used,
> solid (that is, no suspension) mountain bike in your area.
> a change of tires to slicks and the addition of fenders
> and a rack make a very useful commuting bike. Bikes of
> this sort in your price range are findeable in a variety
> of places....used bike dealers, want-ads, pawnshops....

Yes this is the crux. I'm having trouble finding good
brands used. I've tried Potter's House (equivalent to
Salvation Army), the Habitat for Humanity Re:Store, flea
markets, Student Center and Downtown kiosks, and most
Georgia trader magazines, including papers, not like I
have a black-belt in shopping. If I could find a Giant
Iguana I'd be happy or a nice Cannondale for $150 would be
exceptional. I've been looking about two weeks and this
Mongoose caught my eye -peace, Scott

On 9 Jul 2004 23:05:55 -0700, buzzmonger@hotmail.com (Scott Pointe)
wrote:
>>
>> I don't understand the question. Drop bars have made
>> riding MORE enjoyable for me, at least for road riding.
>
>Same story Luigi. The salesman, wearing a mechanic's apron,
>asserted what you were saying: drops equal more positions
>but straight bars would be more upright ergo comfiest.

Isolate the variables: Handlebar type and handlebar height.

If you set up drops so that the tops of the drop bars are at
the same level that a pair of flat handlebars would be,
"uprightness" becomes moot--on the tops, you're now just as
upright as you would be riding on flat bars.

Ah, but you don't ride drops on the tops--of course. But
bear me out. The brake lever hoods, on which you do much of
your riding, are now at around the same level that the bar-
end extensions of a mountainbike would be. And from here,
you can brake...and, with ergopower or STI, shift!

There are also an awful lot of "flat-barred road bikes"--the
term for sportier hybrids these days, I guess--out there,
with flat handlebars set down low. The net effect is to put
your hands into the position that they'd be if you were
riding on the drops--without the benefit of being able to
get up to the hoods or the tops.

I accept that comfort on the bicycle is a highly subjective
and personal thing, but if it's one thing I hate seeing
perpetuated is this fiction that drop bars are ALWAYS
uncomfortable. They are NOT torture devices--they were
designed, over many years, with the input of many riders, to
serve a distinct purpose: staying comfortable and efficient
over many miles and hours in the saddle.

If you really desire the "sit up and beg", bolt-upright
position, get yourself a pair of riser bars, or even old
North Road pattern handlebars (you know, like the ones on
old Raleigh 3-speeds). Flat bars have some advantages in
traffic: 1) easy to keep your head up and eyes on the road.
2) easier in stop-and-go traffic situations.
3) easier to lift the front wheel or otherwise manhandle the
bike over minor obstacles.

If you're on the bike for more than, say, two hours at a
stretch, drops are a good bet. Flat bars are all right (some
would say preferable) in traffic.

> Yes this is the crux. I'm having trouble finding good
> brands used. I've tried Potter's House (equivalent to
> Salvation Army), the Habitat for Humanity Re:Store, flea
> markets, Student Center and Downtown kiosks, and most
> Georgia trader magazines, including papers, not like I
> have a black-belt in shopping. If I could find a Giant
> Iguana I'd be happy or a nice Cannondale for $150 would
> be exceptional. I've been looking about two weeks and
> this Mongoose caught my eye -peace, Scott

H'm.

Used bikeshopping is a weird experience. Sometimes, just the
thing you need falls into your hands at once. Other
times...well.

I was in a similar position a few years ago, actually,
looking to repair an old bike, or get another used road
bike. After letting me look around his shop, one used-bike
dealer in my area--a kindly, older, Vietnamese fellow--
clapped me on the shoulder in a friendly way and said:

"You're a strong young man. You deserve a NEW bike!"

At US$ 200, you're already beginning to creep into the low
end of proper bike-shop bikes...which may end up suiting
your needs better.

My dad bought a Fuji Supreme hybrid for about that much
money a couple of years back. It's a fine bicycle--he
doesn't ride it nearly as much as he should, and it
would make a great commuter for a student. Plenty of
rack and fender clearance, reasonable gearing, "sit up
and beg" geometry.

OK, it's not a full-blown, all-Campagnolo (I refuse to say
"campy.") road racer. But you're not a road racer, either.
Buy the bike that suits you and your uses. There will
always be time to buy yourself the road racer, when you're
ready for it.

-Luigi

"Luigi de Guzman" <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote in message
news:7a7ue01il2busvjvopqtakcb3tnk5bc6j3@4ax.com...

> Seatpost-mounted racks don't inspire confidence for me: it
> would be like riding with a squirrel bouncing on a divers'
> springboard behind my saddle--and that's not what I want.

This has not been my experience. I have a seatpost mounted
rack I got from Performance and it has - so far - proven to
be very stable. Granted, I have never loaded it to its
claimed 25 pound capacity, but for books, video tapes and a
six pack of Sierra Nevada it works quite well. Besides, it
just looks "cleaner" than a frame mounted rack. And we all
know how important looks are.

Dave

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 10:31:02 -0700, "Raoul Duke"
<thedogswontmind@spinachparade.com> wrote:

>
>"Luigi de Guzman" <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote in message
>news:7a7ue01il2busvjvopqtakcb3tnk5bc6j3@4ax.com...
>
>> Seatpost-mounted racks don't inspire confidence for me:
>> it would be like riding with a squirrel bouncing on a
>> divers' springboard behind my saddle--and that's not what
>> I want.
>
>This has not been my experience. I have a seatpost mounted
>rack I got from Performance and it has - so far - proven to
>be very stable. Granted, I have never loaded it to its
>claimed 25 pound capacity, but for books, video tapes and a
>six pack of Sierra Nevada it works quite well.

Sure. But can you lug a sack of rice on it, huh? :-)

> Besides, it just looks "cleaner" than a frame mounted
> rack. And we all know how important looks are.

I prefer the look of a frame-mount rack, personally. The seatpost-
mount rack looks like exactly what it is--an afterthought.
On the appropriate bike--say, my tourer, or an old-fashoned
roadster--the frame-mount rack looks like an organic part of
hte whole. Just like the fenders.

-Luigi