So how much does a good bike really cost?

[Tex62]

The biggest thing with the seat is to make sure you are fitted to the bike. Seat height should allow for a slight bend of the knee at the bottom of the stroke with no extension of your ankle. The seat should be level. Fore and aft adjustment should allow your "sit" bones to be comfortable against where the seat flares from the nose.

Yeah, I a bike geek...

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[2W2X1]

More saddle time will train your ass and break you in. The seat isn't what needs breaking in. I get beyond sore after the 50 mile mark now. Used to be anything over 5 miles.

 

[txinvestigator]

More saddle time will train your ass and break you in. The seat isn't what needs breaking in. I get beyond sore after the 50 mile mark now. Used to be anything over 5 miles.

50 miles? Yikes! I am doing 20 and am pretty done by then.

 

[2W2X1]

50 miles? Yikes! I am doing 20 and am pretty done by then.

I have been riding and fund raising for American Diabetes Association - Tour de Cure for 8 years. Honestly I don't seek out a 50+ ride for fun. But I do enjoy a good weekend ride with my 9 year old.

 

[vmax]

The bike is kicking my butt and I love it.
I have rode it every day at least 30 minutes.
Yesterday I had it out at my ranch where the road it up and down, with a 230 feet rise in elevation in about a mile. That was a tough ride, but thats what I bought it for.
My hind end is getting used to the saddle very quick it seems

The wife got jealous so we went back to the bike shop saturday and bought her a Trek women's mountain bike. The dealer gave me 10 percent off on her bike, hes a good guy

 

[spill]

Bought my first mountain bike the day after I quit smoking cold turkey in 2005 and never looked back. Being able to breathe again is really pretty cool. Bought a specialized for my first too. You chose wisely.

One piece of required equipment that you should get would be some good padded shorts. The size of these seats makes for a very high pressure area on the plumbing running under you butt bones. You really don't want to ride in plain non padded shorts on that area for longer rides. Obviously you don't need to wear sausage casings like the roadie guys... lots of off-road shorts come with detachable padded insides, too.

I ride 20 mile routes on the weekends. Just passed 7100 miles on my current bike I bought in 2010. It's a great "habit" to have.

 

[vmax]

What the hell is a sausage casing?

 

[TxStetson]

What the hell is a sausage casing?

The skin around a sausage.

 

[kirk10100]

Most of these bikes come with a very narrow bike seat. I never got used to them even with padded shorts. I went to Walmart mart and got a really wide seat. Looks a little funny and adds some weight to the bike but it's saved my rump from hurting after a long ride


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[vmax]

The skin around a sausage.

so you go to HEB and buy natual hog intestine casings for stuffing sausage and use them how when biking?
(still fishing for serious answer)

 

[vmax]

Most of these bikes come with a very narrow bike seat. I never got used to them even with padded shorts. I went to Walmart mart and got a really wide seat. Looks a little funny and adds some weight to the bike but it's saved my rump from hurting after a long ride


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I was able to get a thin / narrow fitting gel pad for my saddle and its all that I needed. I have gotten used to it no problem in about a weeks time

 

[Dawico]

so you go to HEB and buy natual hog intestine casings for stuffing sausage and use them how when biking?
(still fishing for serious answer)

I think they are referring to super tight biker shorts.

 

[vmax]

I think they are referring to super tight biker shorts.

ok, thanks, I knew it had to be some article of clothing or something worn "down there"
My friend who did road bikes, used to wear shorts with a pad in the butt and would slather some type of cream on his junk to keep from getting chaffed. yuk

 

[ROGER4314]

In 2011, I rode 3,414 miles on three bicycles. It was for a TGT fitness project and every mile was logged. The first bike was a Schwinn, right out of WW, a three wheeled Trike Schwinn Meridian also from WW and later, a Trek that cost $725.

The Trike gave me a little trouble at first but that trike was never intended to ride as many miles as I put on it. I replaced the axle, one wheel and the rear axle bearings. The rear basket held Jake the Wonder Dog and we rode nearly every day.

Tires and pedals? I ran through a lot of them!

The Trek is a beautiful ride but I can't say it was two or three times the better bike. The Schwinn and the Trek worked perfectly, shifted like butter. The shifting was almost seamless and I kept them tuned to perfection. It's amazing how beautifully those 21 speed derailleurs can shift. I am a heavy rider and if any of those components were weak, I'd crush them!

Been working on bikes for my entire life and have all the professional tools. I highly recommend that you get a good, quality work stand and tinker with the derailleurs until you understand their function. My stand is the "Ultimate", had it for 25 years and was nearly $300. It's worth every dime.

You need to fine tune these bikes. As cables stretch, chain and sprockets wear, tweaks are required to compensate. Most, get frustrated and park the bike when a tiny tweak is all that is needed. OR....pay a bike shop $35 to tweak it for you!

http://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10053_10052_520677_-1___204676

I researched bike manufacturers extensively and can assure you that most bikes, regardless of brand, were born in the gigantic bike factories of China. I have an excellent article about that and I'll post it if I can find it

My advice? Ride with moderation. I broke my ass and I'm still suffering from it.

Flash

 

[ROGER4314]

I found the article "Where Was My Bike Made?" It's fairly old but it gives you an idea about how and where the bicycles are made. No doubt, this information has changed.

http://whaterfall.blogspot.com/2007/06/where-was-my-bike-made.html

I have an original, handmade Cannondale road bike that I purchased from the widow of a genuine bike fanatic whom I knew. New, the bike cost $2,000 and I gave her $500 for it. Nothing today, compares to it. It's a work of art, but it's way too big for me. The rider was about 6'5" tall. That bike needs needs a tall rider.

Flash

 

[Longhorn1986]

I'm 6'6" as well and used to race competitively on the road & velodrome (USCF Cat III). I averaged between 250-450 miles a week. Back in the early 1990s, I had Hans Schnieder out of Huntsville build me a custom road frame. After adding a Campagnolo Record group, Mavic rims and a few other goodies, my bike was around $2,300. Mind you, these were 1992-1993 prices!

I had a couple of very serious crashes, one of which broke my hip. After several broken bones & turning 30 and competing with 21 year old kids who thought they were indestructible, I finally retired. Now I'm 53, fat, bald and have an artificial hip. Had a helluva lot of fun racing, but, except for the extra pounds I've packed on, I don'r regret hanging it up.

I used to use cream on the chamois in my shorts to help with the saddle sores. DON'T wear underwear under your cycling shorts!!! That's what the chamois is in there for!

 

[ROGER4314]

What a great post! Do you ride anymore?
I raced in Kansas City. There is a 3.7 mile loop around the old airport and we chased the clock on that loop.

In Tulsa, my favorite ride was from Tulsa to Keystone Dam on old Hiway 64. That was 26 miles each way. Boy, I miss that!

Many times, I chased the clock on my 3,414 mile epic. I used a 17 mile rural residential circuit with 1 mile each way straights. It was great fun to compete with myself and kept records of those runs.

You NEED my hand made Cannondale! It's a worthy ride! Heck, swap me something for it.

Flash

 

[Longhorn1986]

What a great post! Do you ride anymore?

Once I hung it up, that was it. My mind is still geared toward racing, but my middle aged body is geared towards more sedate things like fly fishing and target shooting. To quote the Prophet Eastwood "A man's GOT to know his limitations."

Chasing the clock? Oh yeah! My specialty was the 40k time trial. Took 4th in the state in 1994. Shoulda raced my age group instead of open. I'd have won. C'est la vie...

Keep the rubber side down!

 

[ROGER4314]

Hey, that beautiful Cannondale has your name on it. It is blue and a genuine rarity.

I'll be 71 next month and I still love the thought of riding (except for my busted ass).

I used to lick my shoulder to see if I was properly hydrated. Your sweat takes on a bitter taste when you're low on water.

Flash

 

[Longhorn1986]

Used to like those old "Beer Can" Cannondales. Man were they ever stiff!