Astoundingly cheap commuters

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:06:20 -0700

BT Humble said:

at was $150 for a Front-suspension hardtail with 3-piece cranks and
disk brakes at both ends. Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank

At that price I should buy one to get the brakes!

I ahve been wanting disks for the bent...

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:06:20 -0700

BT Humble said:

at was $150 for a Front-suspension hardtail with 3-piece cranks and
disk brakes at both ends. Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank

At that price I should buy one to get the brakes!

I ahve been wanting disks for the bent...

Zebee

You'd have to get your wheels laced onto the hubs, and get some
mounting points brazed on for the calipers, but yeah, it seems cheap
enough.

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:06:20 -0700

BT Humble said:

at was $150 for a Front-suspension hardtail with 3-piece cranks and
disk brakes at both ends. Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank

At that price I should buy one to get the brakes!

You will be getting what you paid for. Caveat Emptor.

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

Quoted message said:

I went for a wander through Big W at lunchtime today, as is my wont.
I was quite struck by how much prices of basic commuter-level bicycles
have dropped in just the past 18 months. I doubt it's ever been
cheaper to buy a new MTB-style bike, and you certainly get a
reasonable machine for your money. The one I was particularly looking
at was $150 for a Front-suspension hardtail with 3-piece cranks and
disk brakes at both ends. Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank
version had alloy rims and V-brakes...

I reckon a penniless uni student could fully equip themselves with
bike & gear for under $200, which is only about 10 weeks' commuting at
Canberra bus ticket prices. Back when I was at uni you couldn't buy a
bottom-of-the-range K-mart MTB for that...

Mind you, If I could wind the clock back 16 years to my uni days, I'd
have sold my car to the wreckers the FIRST time it crapped out on me,
and stuck with a pushie. OK, and maybe a postie bike for the visits
to my parents (160km away). ;-)

BTH

Yep. As a bike shop owner I just love these cheapies - My workshop's full of
them 🙂

me

Plodder said:

Yep. As a bike shop owner I just love these cheapies - My workshop's full of
them 🙂

Hmm. Perhaps I should refine that to "a penniless uni student who
isn't afraid to get their hands dirty and can find their way to
www.sheldonbrown.com" ...

BTH

BT Humble said:

Mind you, If I could wind the clock back 16 years to my uni days, I'd
have sold my car to the wreckers the FIRST time it crapped out on me,
and stuck with a pushie. OK, and maybe a postie bike for the visits
to my parents (160km away). ;-)

If I could turn the clock back 30 years to my first go at Uni, I'd work
harder, smoke less dope, get involved in fewer "causes" and I'd be
retired now.

To bring this back to aus.bicycle.

Just bought a Miyata 312 on eBay for $43. Looks like it needs new
tyres, a re-spoke on the back wheel and a bit of a clean up.

I wanted a steel framed "dunger" to leave on the trainer permanently
and this will fit the bill a treat.

--

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:51:10 -0700

BT Humble said:

You'd have to get your wheels laced onto the hubs, and get some
mounting points brazed on for the calipers, but yeah, it seems cheap
enough.

I have a disk hub at the front, and caliper mounts front and rear. As
the rear is already horribly easy to lock up, I'd just need the front.

But then I suppose I can pick up a front disk and brake for $150 if I
look hard enough.

Zebee

Plodder said:

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

Quoted message said:

I went for a wander through Big W at lunchtime today, as is my wont.
I was quite struck by how much prices of basic commuter-level bicycles
have dropped in just the past 18 months.

Quoted message said:

Yep. As a bike shop owner I just love these cheapies - My workshop's full of
them 🙂

me

My favorite 'design feature' on these bike is the use of mild steel
nipples to lace the rim to a steel hub. You ride them for a year and
then the stainless steel spokes start snapping in the middle.

Joel 'gotta love galvanic action' Mayes

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 | Bicycle reuse centre
www.humanpowered.com.au | Mechanical and on-road training and instruction

My latest purchase was $35 plus $10 for a new gearshift cable. And a small
dob of grease for the front bearings. It did a pretty good job over the 15km
to work the other day too.

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

Quoted message said:

I went for a wander through Big W at lunchtime today, as is my wont.
I was quite struck by how much prices of basic commuter-level bicycles
have dropped in just the past 18 months. I doubt it's ever been
cheaper to buy a new MTB-style bike, and you certainly get a
reasonable machine for your money. The one I was particularly looking
at was $150 for a Front-suspension hardtail with 3-piece cranks and
disk brakes at both ends. Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank
version had alloy rims and V-brakes...

I reckon a penniless uni student could fully equip themselves with
bike & gear for under $200, which is only about 10 weeks' commuting at
Canberra bus ticket prices. Back when I was at uni you couldn't buy a
bottom-of-the-range K-mart MTB for that...

Mind you, If I could wind the clock back 16 years to my uni days, I'd
have sold my car to the wreckers the FIRST time it crapped out on me,
and stuck with a pushie. OK, and maybe a postie bike for the visits
to my parents (160km away). ;-)

BTH

On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:06:20 -0700, BT Humble wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I reckon a penniless uni student could fully equip themselves with
bike & gear for under $200, which is only about 10 weeks' commuting at
Canberra bus ticket prices. Back when I was at uni you couldn't buy a
bottom-of-the-range K-mart MTB for that...

Which makes the bus half the price if the bike only lasts 5 weeks!

Zebee Johnstone said:

But then I suppose I can pick up a front disk and brake for $150 if I
look hard enough.

Probably even less, if you stick with cables. For hydro it's a touch more,
but the Shimano Deore offerings are both pretty good, and I've also heard
good things about Avid's cable brakes.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"Contrary to popular belief, Unix is user friendly. It just happens to
be very selective about who its friends are" -- Kyle Hearn

In aus.bicycle on 02 Jun 2007 00:23:28 GMT

Dave said:

Zebee Johnstone said:

But then I suppose I can pick up a front disk and brake for $150 if I
look hard enough.

Probably even less, if you stick with cables. For hydro it's a touch more,
but the Shimano Deore offerings are both pretty good, and I've also heard
good things about Avid's cable brakes.

The avid seems to be what most Bacchettans are going for if they
change to disks, and as that's the make of V brake I have I beleive I
can keep the levers for some versions of disk. Which is a distinct
plus.

All my tuits are a sort of wonky square these days though.

Zebee

Blue Heeler said:

If I could turn the clock back 30 years to my first go at Uni, I'd work
harder, smoke less dope, get involved in fewer "causes" and I'd be
retired now.

Yeh, but what a boring life and career you would have lead.

BTDT.

SWMBO tried breaking a concrete footpath with her noggin in Coolamon
recently and as we sat in Wagga Wagga emergency for hours waiting for
xrays to see if she broken her skull instead, indian doctor is quizzing
old guy in next bed who was brought in after being found unconscious on
floor of nursing home.

There was a major problem in that the indian doctor had obviously learnt
a formal, version of english for educated people, whereas this old bloke
probably only had a basic education and had to keep re-interpreting
every question, e.g siblings -> children, etc, by which time doctor had
moved onto next question. He was obviously getting rather annoyed at the
doctor because when it came to "what job did you do", he repeated "I'm
retired in a louder voice".

Quack clarified and the answer became "Everything", which I recon means
that he probably had a very interesting life out in the country.

Naah, did get to ask how much bicycle riding he had done either.

Zebee Johnstone said:

The avid seems to be what most Bacchettans are going for if they
change to disks, and as that's the make of V brake I have I beleive I
can keep the levers for some versions of disk. Which is a distinct
plus.

Cable discs *should* just work with any v-brake compatible lever. It's not
hard to get travel adjusters for use with drop levers or older canti
levers, which pull less cable.

It sounds like a fairly painless upgrade, though it's your call how useful
it'd be.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"When all you've got is a nailgun, every problem looks like a messiah."
- Iain Chalmers

Zebee Johnstone said:

Dave wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've also heard good things about Avid's cable brakes.

The avid seems to be what most Bacchettans are going for if they
change to disks, and as that's the make of V brake I have I beleive I
can keep the levers for some versions of disk.

If you have the Avid V-brakes, i've heard many reports that they are
actually better than virtually any cable disc, and almost as good as
hydraulics. The only real advantage of discs then is their better wet
weather/mud performance and the removal of rim wear. Think about any changes
you make.

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

BT Humble said:

Mind you, even the $78 one-piece-crank version had alloy rims and V-brakes...

Sounds like the perfect bike for the inner suburbs of Melbourne, if it stays intact for more than a month then you've got it made. I walked past one the other day chained to a pole, all that was left was the frame.

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 09:30:36 GMT

PeteSig said:

If you have the Avid V-brakes, i've heard many reports that they are
actually better than virtually any cable disc, and almost as good as
hydraulics. The only real advantage of discs then is their better wet
weather/mud performance and the removal of rim wear. Think about any changes
you make.

It's the wet weather performance that interests me. As I ride all
year round, and in traffic, and down a few hills, good braking in the
wet is important, if we have any wet... The couple of times I have, I
have noticed a distinct lack of slowing down from the current setup.

I only need it for the front as the rear locks up easily wet or dry.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

It's the wet weather performance that interests me. As I ride all
year round, and in traffic, and down a few hills, good braking in the
wet is important, if we have any wet... The couple of times I have, I
have noticed a distinct lack of slowing down from the current setup.

I only need it for the front as the rear locks up easily wet or dry.

OK, that makes sense.

Does your bike have alloy rims? I'd assume so, but steel rims are
notoriously bad in the wet, so if they were steel the better upgrade would
be to get alloy rims.

Incidentally, does your recumbent have a smaller front wheel (eg 20"😉 I'm
not sure about the physics of it but I do believe discs should be more
effective on a small wheel than a 26" as they are proportionally bigger
compared to the rim. Thus greater braking leverage. Someone here will tell
me if I'm wrong or not.

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 13:25:23 GMT

PeteSig said:

Does your bike have alloy rims? I'd assume so, but steel rims are
notoriously bad in the wet, so if they were steel the better upgrade would
be to get alloy rims.

Yes, alloy.

Quoted message said:

Incidentally, does your recumbent have a smaller front wheel (eg 20"😉 I'm
not sure about the physics of it but I do believe discs should be more
effective on a small wheel than a 26" as they are proportionally bigger
compared to the rim. Thus greater braking leverage. Someone here will tell
me if I'm wrong or not.

It's a 20" front. No idea about the physics but it does seem
intuitively likely.

IT is one of those roundtuit things really. plenty of mail order disk
brakes about, jsut have to find the energy.

Zebee