Questions we don't want to answer again

[mjw_byrne]

Vaguely related to hugely repeated questions is the request for something completely impossible: "I want a road bike which weighs less than 14lbs but which must be extremely stiff and durable, but it should also be very comfortable to ride; it has to be carbon fibre or titanium but I can only spend $1000. Also I want to fit panniers to it..." and so on.

 

[hwttdz]

Another somewhat useful one would be what the progression of component groups for both campagnolo and shimano are and what their approximate prices are.

 

[nonewdirections]

Another somewhat useful one would be what the progression of component groups for both campagnolo and shimano are and what their approximate prices are.

and also what the comparative real-world differences are (within the respective manufacturer's range)

 

[hwttdz]

Ok here's a quick and dirty first draft.

What are the different pedal types?
1) platform - these are the pedals that you had on your very first bike when you were a kid, as the name implies it is a platform, and has no way of binding your foot to the pedal. Offers fastest release from the pedals, they're rather cheap, good to have on a quick errand bike as you don't need special shoes, come at a loss of power because there is no way to pull up or back on the pedals.
2) toe clips - these are platform pedals with a cage on top and a strap to lock on your foot, can be used as platforms, upside down, or can clip in for more power. Tough to get your foot out of in a hurry.
3) clipless - a little confusing because you clip into clipless pedals, go figure, but there are a bunch of different systems of clipless pedals, they offer quick release and good power transfer
a) speedplay - offer lots of float, i.e. foot can rotate a lot, double sided (can clip in on both sides), no release pressure
b) spd - foot locked in place, single sided
c) look - no clue
d) time - no clue
e) I know there are more

Which frame material is best?
The most common frame materials are aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and titanium. All of these materials can be made into great frames or pieces of trash. Also there is a lot of personal preference in the way any frame rides. So there is no best frame material for every person.

What seat?
Whatever makes you happy. Probably the most personal part on a bike, don't do it because everyone else is.

What size frame?
My advice here would be to talk to your local bike shop or at least a friend who rides, they should be able to give you some pretty sound advice. The next step if you're really serious is to get fit at a shop for anywhere from $20-100. I wouldn't recommend buying a frame based on these but there are some online fit calculators, one that looks like it is pretty in depth is at www.wrenchscience.com

Is weight important?
To some people yes, to most people no. That's not to say a 15 pound bike handles the same as a 35 pound steel beast from the 60's but saving grams is not going to make a night and day difference. A word of advice, lighter stuff is often less durable, and more expensive.

What bike should I buy?/What is the best bike under $xxxx
Again talk to friends and your friendly local bike shop (lbs), this question is like what car should I buy, or what is the best car under $xxxxx. Well are you looking for a car to take to the track on the weekends or a car to drive your four kids to their different sports practices. Bikes come in a full spectrum, racing bikes are not better than any other sort of bike, and not all road bikes are racing bikes. The best way to decide is to try riding them and see what you like. A bike not suited to its intended purpose is not the best bike even if it is a shiny new $5k racing bike.

Which is better Campagnolo or Shimano?
Both companies make good products, from experience I know shimano is more commonly found on stock bikes in the USA, often times what you use is determined by what comes with the bike.
what is the progression of campagnolo products:
xenon-mirage-veloce-centaur-chorus-record
what is the progression of shimano products:
sora-tiagra-105-ultegra-dura ace

Double or triple? what cassette?
This depends on the type of riding you do and the type of rider you are. Triples offer a wider range of gearing for monster hills or slow spins through the neighborhood. Doubles offer a weight cut and more comfortable position (for some) because the pedals are set closer to the centerline of the bike. Wide gearing cassettes offer a wide range of gears for big hills, close geared cassettes offer a smooth progression from one gear to the next, your cadence stays closer to constant as you click through your gears.

Hybrid or road?
Again this depends on the type of riding you want to do. Someone else can add more becuase 1) my fingers are tired 2) I've never owned a hybrid

Note to Sparknotes_s, if you read my original post you'll see I'm trying to look out for the noobie (as you put it) because ofttimes they are told to bugger off, and not given any real answers to their questions. Maybe I phrased it wrong but I wasn't looking to bother anyone. Second, my doctors tell me I can't ride more than 30 minutes a day while I'm still on crutches so you're right I'm not riding much right now, life sucks sometimes doesn't it. But perhaps you shouldn't be so presumptive in pointing out my flaws, it's too easy a job. Enjoy riding and keep the shiny side up ... or else you'll end up like me .

 

[keydates]

I think I have Shimano SPDs, but they're double-sided.

 

[Randybaker99]

Ok here's a quick and dirty first draft.

Here's another idea: if these questions have been asked and answered thoroughly before, why not just make a sticky posting full of hyperlinks to the relevant original threads?

Even though this forum has a pretty good search engine, most users just don't use search, I'm not sure why but it has been studied and shown to be true. Also, as someone else pointed out there is the thrill of starting your own thread that drives many to post.

I think the original poster has a good point, many people ask questions that are so lacking in context and background info, as to be completely unanswerable. I think it was kind of humorous to see them all in one thread, but I doubt that anything can be done to prevent them and who really cares anyways. I don't think anyone was seriously picking on newbs (I have seen many ask well thought out and articulate questions), but I don't see the harm in poking fun at someone who asks a wildly general question and expects a sensible reply - newb or not.

 

[davidmc]

Vaguely related to hugely repeated questions is the request for something completely impossible: "I want a road bike which weighs less than 14lbs but which must be extremely stiff and durable, but it should also be very comfortable to ride; it has to be carbon fibre or titanium but I can only spend $1000. Also I want to fit panniers to it..." and so on.

funny !!! very funny !!!

 

[beels99]

I think I have Shimano SPDs, but they're double-sided.

Their road SPDs are only one sided, They also make mountain SPDs that are two sided. barely any difference though.

http://bike.shimano.com/Footwear_Pedals/pedals/index.asp

 

[hwttdz]

I thought the funniest one was "should I get a road bike or a mountain bike?"
"both of course"

Yeah I think one of my riding buddies also has those double sided pedals, I'm really psyched to be getting a pair of speedplay pedals, the double sided bit was actually a relatively major factor.

Posting links would be an idea but again I don't think people would follow them. Sometimes it's nice to have everything all in one place.

 

[davidmc]

Ok here's a quick and dirty first draft.

What are the different pedal types?
1) platform - these are the pedals that you had on your very first bike when you were a kid, as the name implies it is a platform, and has no way of binding your foot to the pedal. Offers fastest release from the pedals, they're rather cheap, good to have on a quick errand bike as you don't need special shoes, come at a loss of power because there is no way to pull up or back on the pedals.
2) toe clips - these are platform pedals with a cage on top and a strap to lock on your foot, can be used as platforms, upside down, or can clip in for more power. Tough to get your foot out of in a hurry.
3) clipless - a little confusing because you clip into clipless pedals, go figure, but there are a bunch of different systems of clipless pedals, they offer quick release and good power transfer
a) speedplay - offer lots of float, i.e. foot can rotate a lot, double sided (can clip in on both sides), no release pressure
b) spd - foot locked in place, single sided
c) look - no clue
d) time - no clue
e) I know there are more

Which frame material is best?
The most common frame materials are aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and titanium. All of these materials can be made into great frames or pieces of trash. Also there is a lot of personal preference in the way any frame rides. So there is no best frame material for every person.

What seat?
Whatever makes you happy. Probably the most personal part on a bike, don't do it because everyone else is.

What size frame?
My advice here would be to talk to your local bike shop or at least a friend who rides, they should be able to give you some pretty sound advice. The next step if you're really serious is to get fit at a shop for anywhere from $20-100. I wouldn't recommend buying a frame based on these but there are some online fit calculators, one that looks like it is pretty in depth is at www.wrenchscience.com

Is weight important?
To some people yes, to most people no. That's not to say a 15 pound bike handles the same as a 35 pound steel beast from the 60's but saving grams is not going to make a night and day difference. A word of advice, lighter stuff is often less durable, and more expensive.

What bike should I buy?/What is the best bike under $xxxx
Again talk to friends and your friendly local bike shop (lbs), this question is like what car should I buy, or what is the best car under $xxxxx. Well are you looking for a car to take to the track on the weekends or a car to drive your four kids to their different sports practices. Bikes come in a full spectrum, racing bikes are not better than any other sort of bike, and not all road bikes are racing bikes. The best way to decide is to try riding them and see what you like. A bike not suited to its intended purpose is not the best bike even if it is a shiny new $5k racing bike.

Which is better Campagnolo or Shimano?
Both companies make good products, from experience I know shimano is more commonly found on stock bikes in the USA, often times what you use is determined by what comes with the bike.
what is the progression of campagnolo products:
xenon-mirage-veloce-centaur-chorus-record
what is the progression of shimano products:
sora-tiagra-105-ultegra-dura ace

Double or triple? what cassette?
This depends on the type of riding you do and the type of rider you are. Triples offer a wider range of gearing for monster hills or slow spins through the neighborhood. Doubles offer a weight cut and more comfortable position (for some) because the pedals are set closer to the centerline of the bike. Wide gearing cassettes offer a wide range of gears for big hills, close geared cassettes offer a smooth progression from one gear to the next, your cadence stays closer to constant as you click through your gears.

Hybrid or road?
Again this depends on the type of riding you want to do. Someone else can add more becuase 1) my fingers are tired 2) I've never owned a hybrid

Note to Sparknotes_s, if you read my original post you'll see I'm trying to look out for the noobie (as you put it) because ofttimes they are told to bugger off, and not given any real answers to their questions. Maybe I phrased it wrong but I wasn't looking to bother anyone. Second, my doctors tell me I can't ride more than 30 minutes a day while I'm still on crutches so you're right I'm not riding much right now, life sucks sometimes doesn't it. But perhaps you shouldn't be so presumptive in pointing out my flaws, it's too easy a job. Enjoy riding and keep the shiny side up ... or else you'll end up like me .

hybrids ( generally 4 the older crowd, comfort as opposed to speed, ruggedness)
hybrids w/ 26" mountain(wide) tyres w/ smooth centerline good for slower speed & varied terrain such as dirt road.
hybrids w/ 700c road (narrower) type tyres pretty much exclusively pavement & occasional dirt & grass in dry weather only.
both are heavier than roadbikes bcause of comfort design (adj. stem, shock absrbr seatpost, larger padded saddles, ect...)

 

[Buddy2004]

errrrrr.......who elected various individuals to be the 'forum police'? Let people ask whatever they like - if you don't like the topic, there's nothing saying you HAVE to read it.

 

[worm]

here's one:
Q:I want a road bike but, I want it to be comfortable.
A:Roadbike & comfortable cannot be in the same sentence.Consider hybrid
Hybrid: comfort- sacrifice speed
Road: speed - sacrifice comfort

I don't agree. A road bike can be very confortable. Ingredients: a good steel frame instead of alu, high quality tires with skinny sidewalls 23 mm or more.(rims are not very important for comfort compared to tires). Use a thick saddle like Rolls. Some handlebars give up to 2 cm flex on the ends (e.g. thin walled alu 3ttt). Put an old inner tube under your handlebar tape to eliminate vibrations.

 

[davidmc]

I don't agree. A road bike can be very confortable. Ingredients: a good steel frame instead of alu, high quality tires with skinny sidewalls 23 mm or more.(rims are not very important for comfort compared to tires). Use a thick saddle like Rolls. Some handlebars give up to 2 cm flex on the ends (e.g. thin walled alu 3ttt). Put an old inner tube under your handlebar tape to eliminate vibrations.

r u being serious? Road bikes r built 4 distance/ speed hence everything is made as light as possible. This,necessarily, cuts down on comfort considerably. I've never met an individual, in my life, who said- " I want a comfortable bike so I think i'll get a road bike". You can make it less uncomfortable by tweeking here & there but u can't throw a "cruiser" saddle, much less a front shock (as a majority of hybrids have)on it & continue to call it a road bike. Not being critical just looking at the avail. data.

 

[worm]

r u being serious? Road bikes r built 4 distance/ speed hence everything is made as light as possible. This,necessarily, cuts down on comfort considerably. I've never met an individual, in my life, who said- " I want a comfortable bike so I think i'll get a road bike". You can make it less uncomfortable by tweeking here & there but u can't throw a "cruiser" saddle, much less a front shock (as a majority of hybrids have)on it & continue to call it a road bike. Not being critical just looking at the avail. data.

I am serious. The "feel" of a hybrid will never be like a unit between you and the bike. With a good roadbike you can achieve that. Most hybrids are way too heavy and come with cheap frontshocks. And then, comfort is an infinite concept. If one just wants to eliminate all shocks, then get a freerider with 150mm travel forks ront and rear. But a roadbike as described before, less harsh than the aluminium and yes with a little weight penalty can be very confortable even on cobbled roads.

 

[remicman]

Q: What are the best shoes?
A: Impossible to answer; how much cash, wide foot, narrow foot, high arch, etc.

Here's my .02 USD, a newbie doesn't know it's a dumb question until they get more experienced. Fair enough. I believe what we are saying is before asking a newbie question, check here ... it's probably already been answered. That saves everyone time. Good for the newbie cuz everything is in one location, great for the folks looking for more advanced issues. A true win-win situation. I doubt anyone is trying to discourage questions from being asked, just trying to make it more efficient for all.

Well said capwater. I am a newbie (or was recently) to this forum. Having been to many other forums (mostly guitar) I have learned it is best to search and read for while. When I feel I have something new to ask (or add) then I post. Efficiency is the key.

 

[Roadie_scum]

Q: Bibs or shorts?
A: Whatever feels better.

Umm... bibs unless you're incontinent.

Q; Undies or bareback?
A: Whatever feels better.

Bareback unless you can't afford shorts with a chamois.

Q: I'm thinking about taking my 20 year old Panasonic and upgrading everything, but don't want to spend a lot.
A: Buy a new bike

Put on a new cable kit, chainrings, chain and cassette, and enjoy your bike that is still ridable, functional and will never get stolen.

Q: I want to put on an Ultegra group on my $500 Sora bike so I can go faster.
A: Don't

No. Go Campy. They have proper bearings in their shifters at lower price points.

 

[zapper]

seems like you went out of your way to bash the posters in this thread. Don't get your panties in an uproar !!! Nobody seems 2 b belittleing anyone, just posting basic facts which may b of use to others.One does'nt have 2 b a pro or a vet 2 have a basic working knowledge of bicycle setup. Read some of the previous posts relating 2 your concern a couple of pages back.

Look, I think a lot of folks have it all wrong. #1 there is no such thing as a stupid question. Granted everyones time is valuable but sometimes someone who really wants to get into riding bike may start off buy asking a question that may have been covered previously but that intital question may lead to establishing a rapport with other posters that may prove to be beneficial.

#2 If one feels that the question is really moronic, one has the choice to ignore the question or perhaps post something witty thereby providing entertainment for all.

#3 When I was looking for my first real road bike, I asked what some may consider a stupid question concerning purchasing a 2001 LeMond BuenosAries, (still new in showroom at lbs) 2003 Fuji Rubaix(ditto) or 2004 Trek 1500. I am thankful that I didn't get some smart assed response and further, I am truly thankful that a few posters gave the BA favorable reviews. I have put many miles on it since, and I think it was the best purchase I have made in many years.

So, this was info that may have been available via search but I am thankful that those who responded to my questions took the high road. This forum is available to share information not to judge which posts are "stupid" or not.

 

[Dellphinus]

Another somewhat useful one would be what the progression of component groups for both campagnolo and shimano are and what their approximate prices are.

Amen. And which are compatible with which

maybe put a link to Sheldon's site in the "FAQs -read first" sticky...

 

[Ronjumps]

Ya know I JUST registered on this forum....I know nothing about bikes so I thought I would log on and try to read up so I can make a good choice.

I don't like to see this attitude from the start...It's like you don't want people to try and learn.

Yes it can be a pain to answer the same questions over and over...A FAQ is a MUCH better solution than slamming folks. There is a FAQ on this board...I read it, but it still left me with TONS of questions.

You keep saying "Go to a LBS"...Well, if I have no idea of what I need, it would be very easy for a LBS to sell me a $3,000.00 Trek that is the wrong size for me. When all I really needed is a $1089.00 Specialized and a good pair of compression shorts.

I'm sorry you guys seem to hate new people that need help and ask questions in things that they don't understand.

It's not like there are instructors in the phonebook...And I have no idea what I should look for in a good LBS vs a bad LBS.

Sorry to bother you

I don't mean to be mean I'm just tired of reading posts asking the same question and then people telling them to bugger off, so hopefully if you're tired of a post you can post here and then they can come look here rather than starting that again. I'll start.

Question: What bike should I buy?
Answer: Ask your local bike shop (lbs).

Added: And go talk to your lbs is a pretty good question about most things. And find an lbs you like.

 

[zapper]

Ya know I JUST registered on this forum....I know nothing about bikes so I thought I would log on and try to read up so I can make a good choice.

I don't like to see this attitude from the start...It's like you don't want people to try and learn.

Yes it can be a pain to answer the same questions over and over...A FAQ is a MUCH better solution than slamming folks. There is a FAQ on this board...I read it, but it still left me with TONS of questions.

You keep saying "Go to a LBS"...Well, if I have no idea of what I need, it would be very easy for a LBS to sell me a $3,000.00 Trek that is the wrong size for me. When all I really needed is a $1089.00 Specialized and a good pair of compression shorts.

I'm sorry you guys seem to hate new people that need help and ask questions in things that they don't understand.

It's not like there are instructors in the phonebook...And I have no idea what I should look for in a good LBS vs a bad LBS.

Sorry to bother you

Ron, don't let these bubbas bother you...Most of the folks on this site have been very helpful and are very patient. Not one of these losers have provided any sensible advice yet...cool: