Bicycle advice needed asap.

[WeAintFoundShit]

I have two options within my price range.

Option 1: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/1671292492.html

Old school steel frame, funky, better condition than the pics make it out to be.
Possibly a wee bit too big, but I can stand over it and ride it no problem. Frame is a smooth ride, but slightly noodly. Has semi vertical dropouts and could be easily changed to single or fixed (which I am interested in). Derailleurs are smooth, everything seems to be in mostly good shape. Practical. Dude lives less than a block from me.

Option 2: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/1669442880.html

Newer, sexier, lighter, probably a better frame assuming there are no cracks anywhere. Probably stiffer and faster, too. Already a single, which is good and bad, because I lose the option, but like I said, I'm interested in a single because this town is so flat anyway. Has semi-vertical dropouts, as well, and a derailleur hanger, in case I ever want to really road it. Needs new rear wheel, though, which automatically makes it the more expensive option. 63cm might be just a wee bit too small, since I'm 6'6" with 36" from my crotch to the floor.

What would y'all pick for a ride around, commuter, probably eventually single/fixed gear ride?

[DerGolgo]

Friend of mine used to do the whole super-light-frame, hand-picked components thing. One got stolen, the second one was ruined when some asshole cut him off at a corner and the lightweight frame disintegrated (along with a bone or two). He then bought the meanest, nastiest, evillest old steel frame he could find, decorated it with what sure looks like fingerpaint, put the nice components on it and now a) doesn't worry about theft because it looks downright infectious, and b) is secure in the knowledge that, should someone cut him off at a corner in the future, that heavy and solid frame won't just crumble away but do some proper damage to the car. Basically he has as nice a bike as he wants, only not quite as light.

For an everyday commuter bike, the "solid but nasty" approach sounds the most reasonable. After all, it'll get knocked about daily anyway.

[Pattio]

Both are overpriced. The SR is classy and would make a great cheap fixie, but its not a high-end bike- looks like stamped dropouts, which means cheap heavy tubing. For $50 to $90 it would be the basis for a good town bike.

The Cannondale is in the hands of someone stupid. It might be an ok deal in the end but there is something very 'off' about the setup so I would stay away. There's no way the bike would have a carpet-fiber fork and not have vertical dropouts, so I think there's some 'magic chain length' crap going on, what happened to the front brake, and for that matter the rear wheel? I smell abuse & ignorance.

I personally think they ride too harsh, the thin-walled aloominiym dents when you look at it funny, and back in my messenger days the dudes that rode them always broke them at some point.

IMHO go offer up to $100 for the SR and steer clear of the Cannondale.

[piccini9]

1) What Patio said, plus, get those scrotum stabbing levers off the stem.

2) Dull little knives pointing right at my balls makes me nervous.

3) How fucking tall are you?

[erosvamp]

Have you posted a wanted ad on craigslist, checked out ebay or got in touch with one of the local bike collectives?

If you are hell bent on option 1 or 2, I agree with Pattio.

[xaos]

Have you posted a wanted ad on craigslist, checked out ebay or got in touch with one of the local bike collectives?

If you are hell bent on option 1 or 2, I agree with Pattio.

i second this. in davis, what with the gagillion bikes always buzzing about, there has got to be a sweet bike collective. if it doesn,t then davis sucksass.

[WeAintFoundShit]

There is a sweet bike collective, however, them EVER having a frame in my size, let alone a good one, is pretty rare.

As far as being overpriced, the entire market around here is overpriced. I've been looking for a while, and these prices are pretty standard. It sucks for sure. My buddy wanted to sell me HIS old steel frame bike, and it was rusty, with bent handlebars, and he was still going to ask $200. That's just the way it is around here.

I'm 6'6" and it's ~36.5" between my crotch and the floor when I'm barefoot.


The rear wheel is gone off the bike because (supposedly) the dude loaned his wheel set to a friend, and the friend tacoed it.

I'll try checking ebay for frames and such, and see what I can offer the dude for the steely.

[WeAintFoundShit]

A quick check of ebay and google shopping reveals nothing in my price range.

[erosvamp]

Hmmm...
It's out of stock right now but you could contact them and ask when it will be available:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... QAWidgetID

Another place to look is at the Sacramento, and the other larger cities like Reno & San Fran, city website. Often bikes are confiscated during the year and then they are auctioned off.
For example here is Denver's bike auction:
http://www.success-auctions.com/?Auction=77

Mag and I went to the last bike auction and the most expensive bike sold was a new road bike for $350.

[WeAintFoundShit]

Both are overpriced. The SR is classy and would make a great cheap fixie, but its not a high-end bike- looks like stamped dropouts, which means cheap heavy tubing. For $50 to $90 it would be the basis for a good town bike.

The Cannondale is in the hands of someone stupid. It might be an ok deal in the end but there is something very 'off' about the setup so I would stay away. There's no way the bike would have a carpet-fiber fork and not have vertical dropouts, so I think there's some 'magic chain length' crap going on, what happened to the front brake, and for that matter the rear wheel? I smell abuse & ignorance.

I personally think they ride too harsh, the thin-walled aloominiym dents when you look at it funny, and back in my messenger days the dudes that rode them always broke them at some point.

IMHO go offer up to $100 for the SR and steer clear of the Cannondale.

Yeah, I got bigger pictures of the Cannondale, and it has vertical dropouts. Dude doesn't know what he's talking about. I've passed on that particular bike.

And it only has a rear brake because that's what is in style right now.

It's just annoying to be buying a bike right now, because I need one, but I know that in two months there will be a freaking slew of bikes priced to move as people graduate and/or go home to far away places and can't take their bikes with them. But I need one NOW. And besides, the money I would spend on gas alone just driving back and forth to school offsets the savings I would be getting on a bike were I to wait until the school year let out.

[MATPOC]

If you willing to cover shipping (which is not cheap for the bike) I might be able to find a suitable frame, getting components is another story.

Also look, 2 beans for a new bike. SE is a good brand (other $200 bikes seem to be total shite)

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Product_1 ... _510771_-1___

for few more $$ you get better components

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Product_1 ... _507105_-1___

[WeAintFoundShit]

That, good sir, is excellent information.

I will look into this SE thing.

[WeAintFoundShit]

Damn. SE only makes up to a 61cm frame.
As far as shipping and getting components, that sounds like it might end up pricey, but I'm open to the idea, for sure.

[MATPOC]

You can't be that tall, 61 cm will fit you finr just have to use longer seat post. My bike right now are 52, 54 and 55 cm, I had ridden everything from 50 to 56cm relatively comfortable with all, much easier to adopt a small frame to a tall person than other way around.

Pattio is 6'5" I think and he rides 60 or so.

[WeAintFoundShit]

Thanks for the advice. This is my first road frame, so I have very little idea as to what I'm doing.

[Bigshankhank]

Thanks for the advice. This is my first road frame, so I have very little idea as to what I'm doing.

Go to your local bike shop and have them fit you to a frame (it may help to throw them a twenty or something), then you will know what size you really need. There's nothing worse than guessing at a size, getting it wrong, and being stuck with a bike that doesn't fit you. As MatPoc said, I prefer a slightly smaller frame to a larger one.

[guitargeek]

All this talk of dropouts reminded me of this:



Yes, that's a bottle opener.

[WeAintFoundShit]

This guy with the vintage bike just kinda pissed me off.

I rode it night before last, and told him I would call him yesterday because I wanted to see the bike in the daylight. We phone tagged, but could never put it together.
The other night, when I was riding it, he was all smiles and "sure, take it for a ride, whatever!"
I get ahold of him just now, and ask him if I can grab it and run over to the bike church (which is about a mile away) to make sure the frame fits me before I buy it (I haven't even haggled him at all at this point). He knows where I live, and I tell him I'll leave him with my wallet or whatever he wants for collateral. He gets his panties in a twist, and all of a sudden he's acting like I've been putting him out and being a pain in his ass this entire time because I didn't either just whip out my wallet, or tell him no right then and there, when the only time I've had to look at the bike is in the freaking dark.
Him: "Well why do you need someone to look at it?"
Me: "Just to make sure it's the right frame size for me."
Him: "Well can't you tell just by riding it?"
Me: "I can ride it, but it's my first road frame, so I want to make sure it actually fits me."
Him: "Every other time I've sold a bike, people look at it and either they want it or they don't, what's your problem?"
Me: "I'm broke, and $200 is a lot of money to me, so I want to make sure I'm spending it on something that works for me."
Him: "Well I'm not going to let you take it, and I'm not about to go over there with you. This whole thing has been just a big headache for me, and I've got someone else who's interested anyway."
He's completely opposed to the idea, and it's his bike, so fair's fair, I won't take it anywhere, so I say "Ok man, no problem, I at least still want to see it in the daytime, so can I cruise over and check it out?"
"Nope. I'm going to offer it to this other dude first and if he doesn't want it, I'll let you know."

No problem, buddy. Hope you sell your bike, because I'm not really interested anymore.

In other news, I looked into those SE Draft frames, and apparently they're heavy tanks. I also looked at bikesdirect.com, and was wondering if anyone had any info on their brands/models. They've got four or so complete singles for $200-$300. More than I wanted to spend, but if they're worth it than I might be able to scrape it together.

[MATPOC]

There is something wrong with that bike, it's either stolen, bent or worthless and he's afraid that an expert might tell you that.

Before you buy anything take a pic and post it here, there is enough collective bike knowledge that we can help you make the right choice.

[Pattio]

wafs looks like its time to draw you the triangle on the chalkboard, where the three points are 'good' 'fast' and 'cheap' and tell you you can pick two- I'm sure you've seen it before in other contexts. $200 should be plenty of money to buy a quality used bike, or an almost-not-crappy new one, but it will take a stroke of good fortune or a buddy deal to get a nice bike at that price point. You haven't actually mentioned in this thread what you need the bike for, what terrain you are going to use it on, etc. If you need this bike to get across a relatively flat campus in street clothes on a daily basis, a 'tank' is just what you're looking for. The heaviness is really not a big deal unless you are looking to Get Into Road Riding, cover long miles, climb hills, spend long periods of time in the saddle, etc. If you are looking to Get Into Road Riding, you will probably need to increase your budget. If you need campus transportation that will be lighter and less theftworthy than your downhill bike something like the SE is all you need.

To echo what matpoc said, you should be able to get by with anything 'around' 60cm, you'll just need a long seatpost and John Holmes Edition stem if the frame is on the smaller side. I'm a little under 6'4" with a 35" inseam and I can ride bikes around 59-61cm.

[SpecialK]

Davis is famous for being a huge road bike town, also because the biggest hill for around 30 miles is a freeway overpass. You're at a very difficult price point. At the shop I work for that would put you in a very very basic older ten speed, a newer but even more basic hybrid thing, or a brand new cruiser. The problem here is that choices are much more limited in your size which adds to the price as well. How aggressive do you get on bikes? That $200 dollar SE is high tensile, the stuff they make Huffys out of. A big aggressive rider will certainly break that bike. Quickly.
Also in used bikes consider the price of replacing things like tires, bar tape, etc. Often times it is just as cost effective to go buy a bike at your local used bike palace that's all ready to go. I rarely see people saving themselves very much money by buying a bike on craigslist and then having to change out those wear items anyway.
Basically you need to consider your compromises carefully. Save up a few more bucks if you have to, cheaping out now can cost you way more in the end when shit starts breaking.

[WeAintFoundShit]

That was the good thing about that vintage bike: the tires and bar wrap were brand new, the shifters and the derailleurs were very smooth, and the thing seemed to be in overall good condition. It seemed like something that really was just going to cost me $200, not $200 and then a whole crap ton of things that I needed to replace.

The dude emailed me back, explaining that he didn't want me to take it anywhere because he bought it for $200, put $60 into those replacement items, had it tuned up by some "master mechanic" named Marvin Lee (not that him giving me some random name really means shit to me) and feels that I'm just going to come back and lowball him on the price with a bunch of reasons I got from the shop.

As for what I need a bicycle for, mainly it's just commuting. I've got a four mile commute, and a bunch of campus running around to do. I also want it for interval training, though, so I want something I can sprint without worrying about. Plus, I tend to do that four mile commute as fast as I can possibly keep pace, so yeah, I guess I tend to get a bit aggressive. Nothing like NYC bike messenger aggressive, because I just don't have that environment, but as aggressive as one can really get riding around Davis.
For the moment I would be just fine with a single speed, because on the bike I've been borrowing, I tend to stay between the same two gears if I change them at all. Eventually I'll probably want to get into longer distances, since that's all I've got to do for sports around here. That, again, was why something like the vintage bike looked good to me. It seems in good shape, and has gears, so I could do some distance on it, but is also set up well to accept a single speed set up without hassle.

What SpecialK said about this place is spot on. Flat. Very flat.
And yeah, I know of the good/cheap/fast triangle. I'm definitely in the cheap corner, trying to balance as good a combo I can get betweensss kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkof good and fast.

No shit, I just fell asleep on the keyboard mid-sentence. But bikes, yeah bikes... What precisely I'm looking for is something that's decently tough and can stand being banged around, light enough so it doesn't feel like a beach cruiser, and ideally something I can change between single and geared if I decide to (but that's a perfect world scenario, and not something I'm holding onto; single is more my mindset at this point in time so I'm fine with whatever comes my way).

If vintage dude says I can take that bike to the bike church, and the bike church says it's worth the price, then fine. If not, I'll keep shopping, and keep hitting you guys up for advice and help. In the meantime, what about the bikes here: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/trackbikes.htm
Are any of the ones in the $200-$300 range worth a shit?

[WeAintFoundShit]

This just popped up on Craigslist, and I've already emailed the person:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/1675582939.html

[Bigshankhank]

Jump on that shit. You don't need the bike to get sized, they will set you up on a couple of different bikes, measure you, and see what will work best. Although having a shop check out the bike is a fine idea, buying a used bicycle at that price point isn't like buying an old dirtbike or higher end machine. Give the cable housings a tug and see if the cables are in good shape, no cracked welds in the frame, everything moves smoothly and while riding doesn't feel out of balance and your pretty good. After purchase give every nut and bolt a quick snug, shoot some lube into the cables anyway, adjust the seat (and stem, if applicable), air up the tires and away you go.

[MATPOC]

This just popped up on Craigslist, and I've already emailed the person:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/1675582939.html

Cranks are shitty, solid steel, and the front chain ring looks to me like a BMX size so your cadence will be high and no way to up-gear it unless you change crank

[WeAintFoundShit]

For the $$, I could afford one of these: http://www.ride-this.com/index.php/truv ... e=googleps

Then get some cranks, a bottom bracket, and a chain ring from the bike church.

The whole thing would come in at probably $160, all said and done.

[MATPOC]

Like I said, leme check something out tomorrow, I might be able to get you a bike for the cost of shipping which is a cheapest option so far.

[WeAintFoundShit]

Aye Aye, cap'n. Standing by.

[WeAintFoundShit]

So I was driving on an errand today, and I happened by the bike church. Even though I'm actively waiting for MATPOC to see what he can dig up for me, I figured I'd stop in on the unlikely chance that they have a frame my size. They don't.
They DID suggest that I get ahold of this guy Brian in south Davis because he sells road frames all the time. "He even gets weird stuff, like right now he's got some gigantic 66cm frame..."

Yeah, that's the same dude and the same bike who just freaked on me.
He fed me some bullshit story about how he just needed the room for his girlfriend's hospital bed and couldn't keep the bike.
Blah Blah Blah.

When I brought that up, the bike church guy said "Yeah, he's a sketchy guy. I don't know how or where he gets his bikes. I used to work for him fixing bikes up but then he got super weird and sketch on me so I quit."

So vintage bike dude didn't want me to take that bike to the bike church coz they know him, and they know his game, and didn't want his cover blown. Fuckin' bike probably IS stolen.

Asshole.

[MATPOC]

You can have this for the cost of shipping (I estimate $50-$60) and future interest paid in Vile Substance that shall not be named