Almost a new beginner

IMHO, 21+ gears are just so the bicycle companies can offer what they think
people will feel is an upgrade, so they can sell more bikes or components.
It is silly if you ask me. Range is more important. I am riding with 16
speed and feel it is more than enough and I live in Pittsburgh PA, which is
plenty hilly.

If you want to look up-to-date, I guess load op on gears. To me, it is a
waste of weight.

Curt

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been looking to perhaps get a bike and start
riding, but am a bit overwhelmed by the choices.
My one and only bike from the 60's was a single
speed Schwinn, and right now I'm riding
a single speed AMF Road master I inherited
from my father.

My first question, after having looked and talked
to bikers and bike shops for the last three weeks:

How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders
actually regularly use? 21 to 28 speeds seems like
a lot for riding around on the city streets, even with
hills.

--

-TTFN

-Steven

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 17:04:18 -0400, David Kerber

ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net said:

The range you get depends on the bike you buy. Touring bikes (Fuji
Touring, Trek 520, etc) will have wider ranges than racing bikes, the
they can all be changed later on with very little effort, and only small
cost. I have a Fuji Touring, and it came with an 11-32 9-speed
cassette, but I found that I hardly ever used the 28 or the 32-tooth
cogs, so for $35 I bought an Ultegra 11-23 cassette to give me closer
gears for the riding I do most of the time.

I'm curious- did you change the derailleur when you went to the
tighter cassette?

The reason I ask is because I have a bike with an 11-32, XT rear
derailleur. I am thinking of putting a 12-25 on. But when I did this
on a bike with a Deore rear derailleur, the shifting became pretty
bad- couldn't get the pulleys close enough, so I lost some crispness.
Putting a 105 on got the crispness back.

It lost a little crispness in the shifting, but it was still acceptable
by my standards, so I left the Deore on with just some adjustments. I'm
thinking about getting a new der, if I can find one for a good price.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 17:01:05 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

<> > The 21 you're talking may be a freewheel and not a cassette. Freewheels are more
<> > difficult to swap out than cassettes. Freewheels also place more stress on the
<> > rear axle, so if you're heavy[er], the casette system makes a better choice for
<> > you. All in all, lots of variables but the key is to get a bike that fit.
<>
<> Ah, ok, I don't yet know the difference between a freewheel and a cassette.
<> Hasn't come up in conversation with the bike experts at the 6 bike shops
<> I've been to so far... Something else to learn... <g>
<
<They wouldn't mention it: *ALL* new bikes use cassettes rather than
<freewheels. The only time you'd get a freewheel would be if you bought
<used. I guess there may be a really cheap *Mart bike out there with a
<freewheel, but you won't find one at a bike shop

I wouldn't buy a 21 speed without knowing for sure.

[email hidden] wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've been looking to perhaps get a bike and start
riding, but am a bit overwhelmed by the choices.
My one and only bike from the 60's was a single
speed Schwinn, and right now I'm riding
a single speed AMF Road master I inherited
from my father.

My first question, after having looked and talked
to bikers and bike shops for the last three weeks:

How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders
actually regularly use? 21 to 28 speeds seems like
a lot for riding around on the city streets, even with
hills.

You probably don't need all those gears. You may appreciate having a
wide range of gears at your disposal though.
If you are a commuter with a hill to climb at the end of your working
day, it is a fine thing to be able to go into a low gear and just loaf
uphill. It doesn't have to be a workout every time you ride.
Sometimes you are just getting home from work. Lower gears on the
uphills are easier on one's knees too.

Triples are the common thing on most bikes these days. You will
probably find yourself getting used to the gears you have, and will
use the ones that you need.

Consider a hybrid bike in your price range as a starter bike. Make
sure it fits you. If you do this you will likely never look back to
your old single speed. Modern bikes are light, fairly fast, have
brakes that actually work, and shift gears very well.

Get one from a local bike shop so you can get service from the vendor.
I know this sounds simplistic, but it should result in a bike you can
use and enjoy.
Best regards, Bernie

stavro said:

I've been looking to perhaps get a bike and start riding, but am a bit
overwhelmed by the choices. My one and only bike from the 60's was a
single speed Schwinn, and right now I'm riding a single speed AMF Road
master I inherited from my father.

My first question, after having looked and talked to bikers and bike shops
for the last three weeks:

How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders actually regularly use?
21 to 28 speeds seems like a lot for riding around on the city streets,
even with hills.

--

-TTFN

-Steven

I would probably take a 3x9.

Why 3 chainrings ? If you live in a hilly area the answer is obvious. If
not, you can do almost all your riding on the middle chainring; you'll
still benefit from the outer 2 on your occasional mountain tour. If you
use a 2x9, you will probably be constantly shifting chainrings. Using a
1x9 will really limit you after some time.

Why 9 sprockets ? Because it is today's standard. In a few years, parts
will become scarce for 8-speed, as they are now becoming for 7-speed. I
agree that the most important thing is range; and if I am pushing on the
pedals for 2 km I don't care if the ratio is not perfect. But if I spin
regularly for 20 km, it is extremely comfortable to find the right ratio
and to be able to accomodate small changes in slope.

Jacques

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders
actually regularly use? 21 to 28 speeds seems like
a lot for riding around on the city streets, even with
hills.

All but four - the chain angle is getting excessive in the big/big and
small/small combinations, and I don't really use the outer sprockets on
the middle ring.

--
<a href="http://www.poohsticks.org/drew/">Home Page</a>
Life is a terminal sexually transmitted disease.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders
actually regularly use? 21 to 28 speeds seems like
a lot for riding around on the city streets, even with
hills.

All but four - the chain angle is getting excessive in the big/big and
small/small combinations, and I don't really use the outer sprockets on
the middle ring.

I use the outer cogs while I'm on the middle ring quite a bit, but
relatively rarely use the other chain rings.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

(Denver C. Fox) said:

Gears are like condoms. You probably don't need them too often. but when you
do, you REALLY need them, and right now!

Well, that comparison works in so far as I use a lot of them; but I
only ever need one size of condom...
--
Rick Onanian

Dan Daniel said:

The reason I ask is because I have a bike with an 11-32, XT rear
derailleur. I am thinking of putting a 12-25 on. But when I did this
on a bike with a Deore rear derailleur, the shifting became pretty
bad- couldn't get the pulleys close enough, so I lost some crispness.
Putting a 105 on got the crispness back.

You needed to adjust your B-tension; it brings the derailer pulley
closer to the sprockets.
--
Rick Onanian

Thanks to everybody for your input!

I'm still shopping bikes, but right now I'm
leaning toward one of the Trek Navigators,
or a Gary Fisher Napa.

Both seemed pretty comfortable to ride, but
the Gary Fisher bike seemed to fit better.

Any opinions on these two, or other, similar
bikes?

--

-TTFN

-Steven

Quoted message said:

Thanks to everybody for your input!

I'm still shopping bikes, but right now I'm
leaning toward one of the Trek Navigators,
or a Gary Fisher Napa.

Both seemed pretty comfortable to ride, but
the Gary Fisher bike seemed to fit better.

Any opinions on these two, or other, similar
bikes?

I've got a 2002 Trek Navigator 300, and I love it. Great on road and on gravel
trails. Good gear selection for my style of riding, which is recreational on 90%
road and paved paths, 10% gravel RR trails.

Good luck and happy riding, whatever bike you get.

--
Craig Holl
Mechanical Engineer; New Berlin, WI
http://www.midwestroads.com/craigholl/bike
*remove all numbers and caps to reply*

Craig Holl said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks to everybody for your input!

I'm still shopping bikes, but right now I'm
leaning toward one of the Trek Navigators,
or a Gary Fisher Napa.

Both seemed pretty comfortable to ride, but
the Gary Fisher bike seemed to fit better.

Any opinions on these two, or other, similar
bikes?

I've got a 2002 Trek Navigator 300, and I love it. Great on road and on gravel
trails. Good gear selection for my style of riding, which is recreational on 90%
road and paved paths, 10% gravel RR trails.

Well, today found out that Trek is the parent company of Gary Fisher,
and looking at a Napa and a Navigator side by side, I'd have to say
it's the same frame. No wonder they both felt good to ride...

Seems one of the differences between the Nav 200 and the Napa,
is the Napa has adjustable tension on the suspension forks, like
the Nav 300, and the Napa and 200 are priced about the same, and
both are less than the Nav 300.

So many things to learn....

--

-TTFN

-Steven

David Kerber said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

William Holiday said:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 04:04:55 GMT, [email hidden] wrote:

<How many of those mulit-speed gears do you riders
<actually regularly use? 21 to 28 speeds seems like
<a lot for riding around on the city streets, even with
<hills.

You sound like you're looking at triple front chainrings. I ride a double, 18
gears of which I use about 11. When I ride triples I shift more. You ride a
single speed and if it's suitable to the terrain you're doing now, you might not
need a triple but that's where the best pricepoints are so just don't shift
there should you get one.

It seems like there is an over abundance of triples out there, and all the
new bike sales shops push them. I'm trying to look at as many as I can,
and haven't completely ruled out a single, although the hills around here
make me think that's not going to be a viable option. <g> For just
getting ready to ride with relatively short hops of 2-6 miles r/t, I can avoid
most of the hills, but for longer rides, no.

I do like the KISS principle though, so if a triple, or even a double
isn't really necessary, I'd look for less. <g>

Quoted message said:

The 21 you're talking may be a freewheel and not a cassette. Freewheels are more
difficult to swap out than cassettes. Freewheels also place more stress on the
rear axle, so if you're heavy[er], the casette system makes a better choice for
you. All in all, lots of variables but the key is to get a bike that fit.

Ah, ok, I don't yet know the difference between a freewheel and a cassette.
Hasn't come up in conversation with the bike experts at the 6 bike shops
I've been to so far... Something else to learn... <g>

They wouldn't mention it: *ALL* new bikes use cassettes rather than
freewheels. The only time you'd get a freewheel would be if you bought
used. I guess there may be a really cheap *Mart bike out there with a
freewheel, but you won't find one at a bike shop

Well, the bike shop tells me that the Trek Navigator 100 is a freewheel...

--

-TTFN

-Steven

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They wouldn't mention it: *ALL* new bikes use cassettes rather than
freewheels. The only time you'd get a freewheel would be if you bought
used. I guess there may be a really cheap *Mart bike out there with a
freewheel, but you won't find one at a bike shop

Well, the bike shop tells me that the Trek Navigator 100 is a freewheel...

That surprises me, but maybe I'm not as well-informed as I thought I
was. I'm sure Mike J could tell us for sure (he's a Trek dealer).

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Quoted message said:

You can also avoid all this mess and buy a quality single speed! They
are back in style, for their simplicity and pleasure without all that
[censored] to break and go out of adjustment.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

Also, here is my wiki page on the subject, maybe it can help someone:

http://klibb.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/SingleSpeed

/Mathias