Commuting By Bicycle

[mtnbkr]

I know we've just about beat this topic to death, but I'd like to keep it active for the folks that don't know much about bicycle commuting.  Depending on where you are geographically, gear and knowledge can be hard to find.  So, as I stumble upon what I feel is good gear or info, I'm going to post it in this thread.  I encourage the rest of you to do the same.

I'll start with this product: http://www.paulcomp.com/frmbasket.html
I have no experience with it, but Paul's Components is known for making a good product, if not a tad expensive. 

I also want to mention some tires I've been using on and off for the past few months.  They're Panaracer's 1.8" version of the excellent Fire XC Pro 2.1" tire.  They have the same tread as the larger version, but roll very well on pavement and work well offroad as long as you're not dealing with deep mud and sand.  Being narrow, you do have to run them at a higher pressure to avoid pinch flats, but they're great if your route takes you over a mix of pavement and dirt.  They're also ideal if you, like me, use your mountain bike for multiple tasks.  You can put these on and have a good rolling tire for pavement, but have decent traction for offroading.  While they're labled 1.8", they're a narrow 1.8" (the 2.1" version is also rather narrow for a 2.1" tire).

Chris

[Perd Hapley]

Zombie Thread Alert!!

Forget that extreme stuff.  What's a good, cheap bike for some basic riding?  Day-trips on gravel bike-trails, and so forth? 

It's been about three years now, so by saving one dollar per year, I was able to buy a yard sale "mountain bike" today.  A Murray Redwing.  Probably pretty flimsy, I know, but it was three bucks. 

I aired up the tires and whee!  Haven't ridden in prolly ten or fifteen years, but I still remember how.  Now to figure out this "shifting gears" thing.  Haven't any idea what that's all about. 


Zombie Thread Alert!!

[mtnbkr]

What do you need to know about shifting gears?

First...

When you move the shifter for the rear cluster, does it click or move smoothly?  If it clicks, what happens when you leave it in a gear and ride around, does it pedal smoothly or does it make a lot of racket?

Chris

[White Horseradish]

Nifty thread. Commuting is not really in the picture for me, since work is 18 miles away over highways and probably a few more over bike-able streets.

I have experienced a bit of a revival of my interest in bikes since I got my kids riding now. This made me dig into the stores of bike junk I had since my "phase" a few years ago. I came out of it with a couple of bikes that didn't fit anyone in the family that I sold, an older "sorta-mountain" bike for my wife, and my old mongrel built entirely from junk pile and thrift store parts. It actually works fairly well. :)

[Jamisjockey]

Nifty thread. Commuting is not really in the picture for me, since work is 18 miles away over highways and probably a few more over bike-able streets.

I have experienced a bit of a revival of my interest in bikes since I got my kids riding now. This made me dig into the stores of bike junk I had since my "phase" a few years ago. I came out of it with a couple of bikes that didn't fit anyone in the family that I sold, an older "sorta-mountain" bike for my wife, and my old mongrel built entirely from junk pile and thrift store parts. It actually works fairly well. :)

That's not un-doable.  I used to commute 21 miles each way to my old job once or twice a week during the season.  Depends on your route and facilities at work.  I could get to work in under an hour thanks to a long downhill section, getting home was pushing an hour twenty.  The key is to have a plan, take only what you need, and to be fit enough to ride that distance in the time you need to allot.

Zombie Thread Alert!!
It's been about three years now, so by saving one dollar per year, I was able to buy a yard sale "mountain bike" today.  A Murray Redwing.  Probably pretty flimsy, I know, but it was three bucks. 

I aired up the tires and whee!  Haven't ridden in prolly ten or fifteen years, but I still remember how.  Now to figure out this "shifting gears" thing.  Haven't any idea what that's all about. 


Zombie Thread Alert!!

Bike needs a tune up.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Magazines-Complete-Maintenance-Mountain/dp/1579540090/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254061848&sr=8-2


Murray bikes are low end department store bikes.  The older ones came with sturdy componenets that can be used for cruising and light fitness riding. 
Newer department store bikes are disposable junk.
Most bikes like what you've bought are poorly maintained and rarely cleaned.  First things first, get a chain cleaning kit.  Read the book above and learn to pull the chain yourself, so you can really clean it.  Alot of problems with a bike can be solved with a good bath and chain cleaning.

[Perd Hapley]

Thanks, JJ, I'll check that out. 

What do you need to know about shifting gears?

I guess everything.  I've never had a shifty bike before.  From what I'm finding on the internet, there's nothing much to it but moving the levers around, so I'll just get to experimenting I suppose. 

[Jamisjockey]

Thanks, JJ, I'll check that out. 

I guess everything.  I've never had a shifty bike before. 

If you can, take and post pictures of all aspects of the bike.
The basic idea is that the faster you go, the bigger (number of teeth) up front and smaller (number of teeth) in the back you want to use.  Going slower, shift to a smaller gear up front and a bigger gear in the back.  Obviously, just what kind of shifters your bike has will be a mystery to us until we see some pictures 
Its all about mechanical advantage, letting the bike do the work for you.
If you're going to be riding for fitness, you obviously want to work hard and sweat and all that.  If you can, think about investing in a cheap cyclometer....especially one with a cadence monitor.
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_127361_-1_201465_10000_201468
they come with mounting instructions.
the idea behind cadence is to keep your pedal cadence at a constant rate.  About 80-100 rpm is standard.  so, as you're riding, you shift accordingly to keep yourself in that cadence zone. 
If you need bike stuff, check out www.nashbar.com. 

[Perd Hapley]

I think it has a monitor, or at least it has some little digital box on the handlebars.  Haven't really looked at it yet. 

I'll maybe post some pictures.  I just hate taking pictures though, for some reason.

[White Horseradish]

That's not un-doable.  I used to commute 21 miles each way to my old job once or twice a week during the season.  Depends on your route and facilities at work.  I could get to work in under an hour thanks to a long downhill section, getting home was pushing an hour twenty.  The key is to have a plan, take only what you need, and to be fit enough to ride that distance in the time you need to allot.

I am probably not in good enough shape to make it right now, but I could get there. There are no facilities at work. I have yet to work at a place with a shower...

[Harold Tuttle]

a Murray?

That only looks like a mountain bike

if it needs anything more that a cable replacement, it will get expensive fast

[Perd Hapley]

a Murray?

That only looks like a mountain bike

if it needs anything more that a cable replacement, it will get expensive fast

Meh.  I rode cheap bikes when I was a kid, and they never wore out.  I won't be doing anything too demanding with it.  If I ride it at all. 

[White Horseradish]

Meh.  I rode cheap bikes when I was a kid, and they never wore out. 

They probably did, but kids usually don't pay attention to that kind of thing.

[Perd Hapley]

Ya know, those bikes didn't have extra gears or caliper brakes, either.  Maybe not a good comparison. 

[White Horseradish]

Ya know, those bikes didn't have extra gears or caliper brakes, either.  Maybe not a good comparison. 

Doesn't matter. Kids will ride a bike until something falls off. Lack of stuff falling off does not mean it's not worn out.

[Perd Hapley]

No, I mean there wasn't anything extra to wear out.  Nothing fancy or extraneous.  Except maybe those foam pads over the tubing, but they didn't wear out.

Actually, my first bike did have plastic fenders and some kind of shock-absorbing springs.  And the sister's bike had calipers up front. 

Still, nothing wore out. 

[Harold Tuttle]

with Murrays the worry was, is the frame going to snap aft of the bottom bracket?

drawn & seam welded steel tubes for the heavy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_(bicycles)
In June 1988, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company was acquired by the British investment group Tomkins plc. In 1996, Murray Inc., the last major U.S. bicycle producers with Huffy Bicycle and Roadmaster (formerly AMF), received a major blow when U.S. courts ruled that imports from China were not a 'material threat' to U.S. companies.[4] Within three years, Huffy, Roadmaster and Murray ceased manufacture of bicycles in the United States.
In 1998, Murray moved bicycle production from Lawrenceburg to a non-union factory in Mississippi. Production of all U.S.-made bicycles halted in 1999. In 2000, the Murray brand was acquired by Pacific Cycle, a U.S. distributor of bicycles produced in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. Murray has since been used as a brand for imported Chinese bicycles sold by Pacific Cycle. Pacific Cycle was later acquired by Dorel Industries.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I guess everything.  I've never had a shifty bike before.  From what I'm finding on the internet, there's nothing much to it but moving the levers around, so I'll just get to experimenting I suppose. 

You've got a $3 bike on the line.  Don't screw it up!

[Perd Hapley]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_(bicycles)
In June 1988, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company was acquired by the British investment group Tomkins plc.

That names rings a bell.  Seems we've had trouble with them before. 

[jackdanson]

Take it here to break it in.

http://www.stlbiking.com/Trail_klondike.htm

Easy stuff.. I promise.   

[Jamisjockey]

For what you paid for the bike, I wouldn't worry about replacing much.  Tune it up, clean it, lube it, ride it.
If anything is broke, go look for another similar bike for a couple bucks and use it as a parts bike 

[dm1333]

Nifty thread. Commuting is not really in the picture for me, since work is 18 miles away over highways and probably a few more over bike-able streets.

Is there anyway you can ride a bus or train part way?  On the west coast most city buses that I have seen have a bike rack up front, same thing with some of the commuter trains (but the bike rack is inside  ).

I only logged onto APS because this thread came up while I was doing a google search on something.  Has anybody on here considered riding a recumbent bike as a commuter?  I have a RANS Wave with some upgraded components and the bike is a tank.  Norco and I think Torker build some pretty decent utility bikes too but you have to get off the beaten path to find out about them.  Read Bicycle Times if you are looking for articles related to bikes as transportation instead of expensive toys. Not that I have anything against expensive toys mind you, but bikes are more than just that.

I'm currently saving up for something like a Volae Expedition recumbent, dual 26" wheels and disc brakes, I haven't sold off my wedgie bikes but they sure get ridden a lot less now that I have a recumbent.

[Jamisjockey]

Recumbents are great if you've got a flat route.  They suck uphill.  And you're not as visible to traffic, even with that goofy little flag....
 

[dm1333]

JamisJockey,

Ahhhhh, the old "recumbents are slow uphill" argument!    My question is, have you ridden a good performance oriented 'bent for a bit?  My experience (I own an upgraded RANS Wave, nicer wheels, 20/20 wheelset, better components, etc.) is that while MY particular 'bent is slower uphill than my other bikes that has more to do with weight, the height of the bottom bracket and the dual 20 inch wheels.  I'm also saving for something that is lighter, has a higher BB, and probably dual 26 inch wheels.  

The flip side of the bike weight, BB and wheel set is that it is a heck of a good bike for commuting to work, running errands, shopping, etc.  I even find myself riding it for my workouts just as much as my Bianchi road bike.  The seat is very comfortable, I spend a lot more time looking around at the scenery and the bike is more aerodynamic.  When you live right on the coast where I do you have to deal with wind daily.  You should have seen the light bulb going off over my head the first day I rode the wrong way (with the wind on my outbound leg) and was almost all the way home before I realized I had been riding into a headwind and didn't even notice it!  

RANS, Volae and Bacchetta all make some great, utilitarian bikes that are fun to ride.  The only drawback I see to them is price.  You can get a decent mountain bike for a lot less (even though you'll still have that seat jammed up your you know what!).

edit:  I always think of stuff after I post!  Part of the reason why 'bents have a reputation for being slow is weight.  You can't get around gravity yet.  The more you have to haul uphill the slower you will be.  But we are talking about utility or touring bikes here.  My Wave weighs 33 or so pounds, not much more than a Surley Fargo (29 ish pounds and a really good touring, commuting bike).  I would bet the speed differential is a lot less between a Fargo and a Wave than it would be with what Lance Armstrong rides in the mountain stages.  Besides, no offence to Cosmolines bike but I KNOW that my Wave would be faster uphill than his cruiser, just because I've got a 26t small chain ring and an 11-32 cassette out back.  Twenty inch wheels are pretty near indestructable too, especially with an adult riding the bike instead of an 11 yo.

[White Horseradish]

Is there anyway you can ride a bus or train part way?  On the west coast most city buses that I have seen have a bike rack up front, same thing with some of the commuter trains (but the bike rack is inside  ).

Our buses have racks. However, with my work schedule I could only do it 2 days a week. The other two days I work buses do not run.  :|

[dm1333]

What about driving in one day with your bike in the car and then riding home that night.  Then the next morning you ride to work and drive home with your bike?  Right now my commute is only 1.1 miles but I just moved back to this town and was able to pick a place pretty close to work.  I do know that commuting by bike makes me fitter (my afternoon ride home is usually around 12-15 miles, maybe more depending on whether or not I ran that morning), happier and richer because I am saving on gas, maintenance, etc. on my Jeep.  That sucks about the bus situation.