yesmeansye
So, I am looking to get a used bike.... just a bike to ride around the city and to/from class (about a 5 minute bike ride).
I'm a female, but I'm 5'10...is there a huge difference between men and women's bikes? I'm having a really hard time finding a used women's bike that is big enough, but I found a few men's bikes.
Also, what is best in terms of bike locks (I live in an area where bikes get stolen regularly)?
Answer
You're probably talking about buying a hybrid/city bike for such a short trip. Road and touring bikes for women have significant differences in geometry from men's bikes but hybrid/city bikes are built for upright posture and easy reach, the two things women's bikes are built to compensate for (women generally have shorter arms and torsos).
In other words on a hybrid/city bike, men and women's models are about the same.
As far as locks are concerned, hybrid/city bikes are generally cheaper and easier to find so they don't attract thieves so easily. This is the first rule to avoid theft: avoid standing out.
Depending on how good a bike you buy you have a variety if tactics to keep it safe. Never letting a good bike out of your sight is a good start. But if you must, a U-Lock (You can't go wrong with a Kryptonite) is a good start. Depending on how long you plan on leaving it, you should also:
1) Remove the front wheel and run the U-lock through both wheels, the seat tube (or chain stays) and the pole you lock it to (or take the front wheel with you).
2) Get a quick release for the seat and take the seat with you.
3) Take any accessories (lights, speedo, etc.) with you.
4) If you lock the bike in the same place, leave a big chain there all the time and use it together with your U-lock.
If it really is just a five minute ride, I'd get something really cheap and treat it as expendable. The world is full of derelict Schwinn's dying to be useful in some way and $25 is an average price.
Remember, all bikes weigh 40 lbs:
A twenty pound bike needs a 20 pound lock
A thirty pound bike needs a 10 pound lock and
A forty pound bike doesn't need a lock!
You're probably talking about buying a hybrid/city bike for such a short trip. Road and touring bikes for women have significant differences in geometry from men's bikes but hybrid/city bikes are built for upright posture and easy reach, the two things women's bikes are built to compensate for (women generally have shorter arms and torsos).
In other words on a hybrid/city bike, men and women's models are about the same.
As far as locks are concerned, hybrid/city bikes are generally cheaper and easier to find so they don't attract thieves so easily. This is the first rule to avoid theft: avoid standing out.
Depending on how good a bike you buy you have a variety if tactics to keep it safe. Never letting a good bike out of your sight is a good start. But if you must, a U-Lock (You can't go wrong with a Kryptonite) is a good start. Depending on how long you plan on leaving it, you should also:
1) Remove the front wheel and run the U-lock through both wheels, the seat tube (or chain stays) and the pole you lock it to (or take the front wheel with you).
2) Get a quick release for the seat and take the seat with you.
3) Take any accessories (lights, speedo, etc.) with you.
4) If you lock the bike in the same place, leave a big chain there all the time and use it together with your U-lock.
If it really is just a five minute ride, I'd get something really cheap and treat it as expendable. The world is full of derelict Schwinn's dying to be useful in some way and $25 is an average price.
Remember, all bikes weigh 40 lbs:
A twenty pound bike needs a 20 pound lock
A thirty pound bike needs a 10 pound lock and
A forty pound bike doesn't need a lock!
What exactly are hybrid bikes a hybrid of?
Zora N.
What are some qualities I should look for in buying one? A friend of mine told me to avoid steel frames because they are heavy, but what else?
Answer
This is going to be a long answer.
I'm sure that your friend is helping you out the best they can, but his assumption that a steel frame is heavy is wrong. I hope you can explain this to him:
It is a fact that steel as a material weighs almost exactly double what aluminum does. It is also true that aluminum as a material is 1/3 the STRENGTH of steel. Soooo, in general terms you need 3 times the VOLUME of aluminum to get the strength of steel. In rough numbers, that means an aluminum frame weighs 50% MORE than a steel frame if they are both equally strong.
Lighter frames are a result from careful design, putting material where it is needed and getting rid of it where it isn't.
There are 2 forms of hybrid bikes. One is the colloquial expression. In this case, hybrids are based on the typical road bike but with different features like a more "heads-up" posture and a lower center of gravity for more stability at lower speeds. The other is the "comfort" bike. The comfort models are based on mountain bikes and generally have the same design features as a hybrid with added plushness as well as smaller diameter, wider tires. Comfort bikes also tend to be heavier.
If you plan on rides exceeding 15 miles or so, the hybrid would be the way to go as it generally offers higher performance and a better "feel" overall. If your expectation is to take your time and "smell the roses" then a comfort bike may be best... but the comfort promised becomes a liability on rides exceeding 15 miles or so.
So, as far as features to look for on HYBRID models, you'll want to have a bike that fits you. This is most important. Once you have a bike that fits you there are just a few key things that are important...
The quality of drivetrain will provide long life and trouble-free service for a long time. Look specifically for bikes offering Shimano Acera or Alivio components. This is easy to determine just by looking. Try to avoid (Shimano) Tourney or Altus. In a bout of genius, some Shimano stuff just says SIS or has the moniker "TY" or "TX". These are actually lower grade than Tourney or Altus. If the bike is equipped with SRAM parts- once again avoid the stuff that just has SRAM plastered on it. X3, SX4, X5 are all good stuff.
Other things to insist upon are quick release wheels (much stronger than bolt-on wheels for this application), a minimum of 24 gears (due to the supporting components which are much stronger than lower geared stuff), and mostly alloy components.
There are a wide variety of bikes and price ranges within the hybrid genre- anywhere from about $300 to way over $1000. Do not shop by brand- most bikes regardless of brand are built in a handful of factories in Asia. Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale tend to have one step lower components at the same price as bikes from Raleigh, Diamondback (bike shop quality) Mongoose, KHS, and (bike shop quality) Schwinn. GT does a good job offering bang for the buck as well.
Do not go to a department store for a bike. They tend to have poor warranties, no after-the-sale service, and poor assembly. Some stores even specifically exclude bicycles as returnable items so once you buy it, it is yours.
This is going to be a long answer.
I'm sure that your friend is helping you out the best they can, but his assumption that a steel frame is heavy is wrong. I hope you can explain this to him:
It is a fact that steel as a material weighs almost exactly double what aluminum does. It is also true that aluminum as a material is 1/3 the STRENGTH of steel. Soooo, in general terms you need 3 times the VOLUME of aluminum to get the strength of steel. In rough numbers, that means an aluminum frame weighs 50% MORE than a steel frame if they are both equally strong.
Lighter frames are a result from careful design, putting material where it is needed and getting rid of it where it isn't.
There are 2 forms of hybrid bikes. One is the colloquial expression. In this case, hybrids are based on the typical road bike but with different features like a more "heads-up" posture and a lower center of gravity for more stability at lower speeds. The other is the "comfort" bike. The comfort models are based on mountain bikes and generally have the same design features as a hybrid with added plushness as well as smaller diameter, wider tires. Comfort bikes also tend to be heavier.
If you plan on rides exceeding 15 miles or so, the hybrid would be the way to go as it generally offers higher performance and a better "feel" overall. If your expectation is to take your time and "smell the roses" then a comfort bike may be best... but the comfort promised becomes a liability on rides exceeding 15 miles or so.
So, as far as features to look for on HYBRID models, you'll want to have a bike that fits you. This is most important. Once you have a bike that fits you there are just a few key things that are important...
The quality of drivetrain will provide long life and trouble-free service for a long time. Look specifically for bikes offering Shimano Acera or Alivio components. This is easy to determine just by looking. Try to avoid (Shimano) Tourney or Altus. In a bout of genius, some Shimano stuff just says SIS or has the moniker "TY" or "TX". These are actually lower grade than Tourney or Altus. If the bike is equipped with SRAM parts- once again avoid the stuff that just has SRAM plastered on it. X3, SX4, X5 are all good stuff.
Other things to insist upon are quick release wheels (much stronger than bolt-on wheels for this application), a minimum of 24 gears (due to the supporting components which are much stronger than lower geared stuff), and mostly alloy components.
There are a wide variety of bikes and price ranges within the hybrid genre- anywhere from about $300 to way over $1000. Do not shop by brand- most bikes regardless of brand are built in a handful of factories in Asia. Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale tend to have one step lower components at the same price as bikes from Raleigh, Diamondback (bike shop quality) Mongoose, KHS, and (bike shop quality) Schwinn. GT does a good job offering bang for the buck as well.
Do not go to a department store for a bike. They tend to have poor warranties, no after-the-sale service, and poor assembly. Some stores even specifically exclude bicycles as returnable items so once you buy it, it is yours.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar