I wanted to buy a bike and I afforded it!!!

I have good news, I just bought a new bike!

...and I have bad news, I bought it from Wal-Mart for $70. It isn't what you guys were hoping, but it feeds my hunger for now. It's a 18-speed 26" Roadmaster mountain bike. I slapped on some road slicks in place of the usual mountain bike tire treads and man, these tires make the bike handle much better, gives me better MPG of water, and I can pop a wheelie in 1st gear. I almost fell down after holding up the front wheel in air for a second. :coolugh:

The front and rear wheels would rub against the brake pads when spinning freely and I had to readjust the tension springs behind each brake pad to have them pull apart from the wheel equally so one side doesn't rub the wheel. It's better now and when I use the brakes to slow down, the bike vibrates. Nice.

I purchased a softer seat to help maintain my potency :hsugh: and it has a red LED light bar facing the rear that blink when I turn it on. Yay. I also got a speedometer thingy that doesn't seem to want to read my speed (it's installed, but I didn't use the manual which may explain why it isn't working right).

Anyway, it's a decent bike (far from a perfect though) at a good value. That's all folks.

 

I afforded it!?! ESL? U R Asian! Sons of B1tches, Foka u, AzzHoo...Oh..I wasn't call u names Fong, just expressinged myselfed..LOL

 

I know. It's quite surprising but it's true... I'm Asian.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be a pretentious prick. However, all of my bikes, up to two years ago came from either Target or Wal Mart and I had no idea what I was missing.

Then I decided to pony up and buy a hard tail (front suspension) Giant Yukon with disc brake for $400. I am completely amazed! Keep in mind that this is pretty much an entry level hard tail.

In the future you should check out a local bike shop (Erik's, Penn Cycle, etc) and see if they have any used bikes (You could probably pick up a Kona, Giant, Trek) for a good price. I got my girlfriend a brand new Trek 4300 for $215 new.

Are you using the bike for commuting the bike trails? I noticed you mentioned you switched to street tires, I would also recommend tightening up the suspension as much as possible, that way you are moving forward rather than bouncing up and down. Full suspension bikes are great for off-track biking, but on smooth paved ground, it is more of a hinderance.

I think Scuba Steve works at Erik's he probably has a lot better advice than me.

Anyways, enjoy the bike, it is always nice to get out and ride. I found a way to take the trails from my apartment in SLP all the way to my office downtown this weekend, but it looked to rain so I pussied out today.

My bike is below, except mine is black, blue and silver.

 

Hmmm...next time anyone needs a solid bike let me know I have the hook-up on Specialzed & Cannondale.

 

Thanks for your valued input. Yes, I'm merely using the bike to ride for my enjoyment and to help me maintain my cardiovascular health. It would be wrong to not take advantage of the bike trails we have here in the Twin Cities. The wheelie that I popped was on grass, so I know that my slicks will provide excellent traction on anything the city has to offer. A bike that's easy to ride makes it even more enjoyable.

I like your bike's suspension design. Is it as firm as if it had no shock in place? What difference does it make to the ride quality and the cornering capability? I usually stick out my inside leg on tight turns to support myself if I low-tail it. Is this bad?

Also, when I'm riding my bike, the front suspension would 'klunk' when I pull the front wheel up. It doesn't do it to my sister's bike which has a similar suspension design. Do you think it's because my bike was made in China for $10, or is it that my shocks were installed poorly? Are all bike suspension adjustable?

 

Suspension noise can be from a lot of things, design, installation, quality. Hard to pinpoint. Mine don't make any noise, but that doesn't mean they are any better than yours. Front forks can range from dirt cheap to literally $600+ (just for the forks!).

As for suspension adjustability...

I can't tell from your bike but *most* bikes have a level of adjustability. On top of the front "struts" you should see a knob, give it a few turns either way, this adjusts the compression/rebound. So kind of like a car, the tighter it is the better the handling is on smooth pavement, but when the pavement gets rough you want more "cushion" so you would loosen the struts up.

As for the rear suspension, that is kind of new ground for me. But if I remember right, it is kind of like a coil-over. There would be a ring that you twist, that keeps the "spring" tighter.

You did the best first step by replacing the tires, most "OEM" tires are crap regardless of the price of the bike. If you are riding on the Greenway (which is awesome--I love this city because of all of the trails) it's not worth having the monstorous knobby tires, I still need to replace mine.

There are some cool crushed limestone trails over by long lake (I think) that are really fun to bike on.

Should you decided to get another bike down the road there are a few things to keep in mind, components (buy the best shifting, linkeage, etc.) that you can for the money, then brakes.

BUT THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING: Have your bike "fitted," they adjust the handlebars, seat, etc so that you are in the correct position for comfort, power, efficiency, etc.

 

Sent you a PM.

 

Here's the bike of mine I just sold......:emo: :emo: :emo:

 

yeah like said before target and walmart bikes are very less quilty and of course dont last as long as most other bike store bikes.

 

Im also looking for a bike just to mainly ride on pavement, maybe a little trails, but mostly pavement. Anyone have any good recomendations? i dont want to spend a ton of money on one just a decent bike that will last.

 

Goto bikemasters in St. Louis Park off HWY 7. I bought my Giant full suspension bike there. Great prices, and great guys. below is the bike I have. and I love it on and off road!!!

 

My roomate is looking at buying a bike. What kind of deal we talking? Which store do you work at? We may have to come in sometime!!

 

Do you want a upright riding style? (casual riding)
Do you want to cruise more than 15 miles at a time?

Casual pavement- Specialized Crossroads- starting at 309
Casual pavement with a good amount of gravel- Specialized Expedition- starts at the same price.

If you want something a bit more agressive you can go for a light duty mountain bike like a Specialized Hardrock Sport, same price range. Pavement - 65 pounds of pressure in the tires, gravel/trails- 35-40 poubnds of pressure in the tires. Roles very smooth, not a super agressive geometry (leaning forward position), yet can still handle anything you throw at it.

I can honestly say the hardrock sport is the best on the market in the 300 price range. I've seen that frame take 5 foot drops all day long and still ask for more......the next day the same bike can go 20 miles without killing your body!

Trek, Gary Fisher, Giant, Norco, etc... all make bikes in the 300 range that will suit your purpose.

As Topher may have mentioned......GET THE BIKE FITTED FOR YOU. doesn't matter what you spend, just make sure it fits good!

 

im looking for something for casual riding, will definitly be longer rides i would say half hour to hour at a time. and like i said just mild dirt courses, nothing with rocks or big moguls or anything of that nature.

 

^^^^ I am up for a biking event

 

How 'bout another +1 for the Specialized Hardrock? Bright Yellow Hardrock A1 Comp FS. No disc brakes (It's a 2002 model), but still a really awesome bike. Pump the tires up to around 60 or so, and it's fine on paved trails. Hell, I even did that last day of RAGBRAI a couple years ago with it. Nothing like 60+ miles of inasne hills with only about 2 weeks of training. Next, I'll stick to nice and flat central IA.

I thought it was a blast, but then I thought the Moose Mountain marathon up in Lutsen was a blast, even though it was the most difficult thing I've done in my life. I really need to head out to CO sometime and actually ride down a mountain. I was out in Crested Butte this winter, and almost every local seemed to prefer biking down the mountains, instead of skiing down.

 

I work at the EP store. highway 5 and Eden Prairie Road 952-934-7993. It depends on the level of bike you want. I can't say huge discounts or anything, but you will definitely get a good deal on the bike and anything else you need.

Dave (scuba steve)

 

The Crested Butte area is huge on biking, some could call it a mecca for mountain bikers. There's a ton of insane (and mellow) trails a bit closer though. Vail and the Summit County area have more trails and a bit easier to access. :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

I already spent $~130 on the bike and gear. I probably won't be spending anymore for a new bike. BUT I'm totally up for a biking event. :biggrin:

 

how about the one that Lance rides...I heard that cost like $6000+ for the bike!?! I think some of his bike aren't even production...but customade...

 

they are well over 6K and yes, they are custom made.

 

^ I figured...Where can I get those $10k bikes? I'd like to buy one and frame it...

 

I will build you a custom road bike less than 14.8 pounds total, but it will cost you about 12K. :biggrin:

 

OMG! What treehuggers can spend that much on a metal peice of ingenuity?!?!

 

^haha very funny...For that price I want it in grams...LOL