On Jan 26, 6:15 pm, "Jay" <
[email protected]> wrote:
> I am going to spend my tax refund check on a second bike. My current bike is
> a folderhttp://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/arkel/seat-mast-left.jpg . I
> don't need a folder anymore, but I do want to stick with 20" wheels, because
> they make my intermodal commute much easier, especially on the commuter
> train, and going up/down narrow escalators and stairs.
>
> Regular RBTers know that I commute 20 miles daily, year round, in Chicago.I
> need a bike which will be strong enough to support the load (220 lbs body
> weight + 30 lbs cargo). It also needs to be big enough for my 6'4" height.
>
> Since I am commuting and not racing, I don't need to spend a lot of money on
> cutting edge parts, in an attempt to get the lightest possible bike. But I
> do insist on quality and reliability, and will pay extra to get it.
>
> The bike also needs to be able to handle year round weather, without a lot
> of fussing. One thing I am reasonably sure of, is I need brakes which are
> not rim brakes. When I previously asked a related question here, it was
> suggested I use hub brakes. Is that the consensus choice?
>
> I am currently using an 8-speed cassette, Shimano 105 rear derailleur,
> single chain ring. This is enough gears for me.
>
> I had some wheels built, with Sun Rhyno Lite XL rims, Schwalbe Marathon Plus
> tires. These are working great, and I rarely flat, which is a high priority
> for me.
>
> Do I need a custom frame, or is there a stock frame which will work? I would
> like to keep this purchase under $800, but I will pay somewhat more if
> necessary.
>
> Thanks to previous suggestions from RBT, I am not quite as clueless as when
> I bought my folder two years ago. But I still obviously need plenty of help.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions - J.
Jay, I haven't read all of this thread, only a few posts near the end,
so you might know some of this already. I work at home so I don't
commute and my bikes are generally well looked after; I do all the
work on them myself.
I have two bikes with Shimano 8 speed hub gears. One is the standard
version, whereas your reference is to the premium version. The other
is the premium version with the gimmick of electronic automatic
shifting. The standard version is more than adequately smooth. The
premium version is a little lighter. Both seem reliable but I don't do
your mileages. The standard version has about 3200km on it, the
premium 1600km in the last 8 months. I went into these hubs thoroughly
before I bought the first of the bikes and discovered they are
reliable beyond peradventure.
You can see these two bikes by following the links at the URL under my
signature.
My Gazelle Toulouse has a disc brake at the front and a roller brake
of an older design (41 series) at the back. The disc brake is overkill
even for my 215 pounds and the hill around here. On hand of the
experience with the disc brake, I specified my next city-sports bike
with roller brakes front and rear. The rollerbrakes on my Trek are the
latest 70 series at the back and 75 series at the front. These latest
roller brakes are the direct equivalent of good disc brakes (Shimano
claims they are more controllable than disc brakes -- maybe, but I
like my brakes set up high and sudden). The only service requirement
is inject a very particular kind of grease through a hold normally
covered by a rubber plug; I do this once a year but have been told
that Dutch bike mechanics are told to do it only when the brakes start
fading or being noisy.
The manual gears have two types of control, of which I know only the
rotary; it can be operated with gloves (I wear fullfingered gloves
summer and winter).
It is a smart idea to get a bike with a full chain case. The chains on
both my bikes appear altogether unworn, and my bikes go out daily,
summer and winter, and it rains a lot here in Ireland (but no snow and
I rarely go into the rough, and I clean the chains when I go into the
ditch and get water in the chaincase). I use White Lightning wax lube,
but anything will do inside the chaincase.
Frankly, with a non-folder, I can see you having trouble on escalators
and suchlike, regardless of wheel size. Your bike will be the
equivalent of 57cm or 61cm European size. Mine are 57cm and they stand
up near the glassline of a Range Rover (a big SUV). They're not only
big, but fully equipped with tools and a rackbag with some weather
gear in it will weigh around the 25kg mark; my bikes, bare, are 21kg
for the Toulouse and at least 17kg for the much lighter Trek. It isn't
even worth buying such a bike without fenders and a rack.
The best tires in my experience, which is concentrated on tarmac roads
and the desire to have no flats, are Schwalbe Marathon Plus and
Bontrager Elite Hardcase. They're used at high pressure for low
rolling resistance and they're a pleasure on my roads. However,
they're almost slick, so I have no idea how they would go in your
winter, though I have never wished for more tread even on the worst
wet roads here.
HTH.
Andre Jute
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE & CYCLING.html
