07-22-2004, 09:42 PM
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#103 (permalink)
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| | Re: Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
In article <8g9qf05q6kd2nge9fp6f0tc0ri3rnen5ha@4ax.com>,
Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 10:16:26 -0400, "Bruce Freeburger" <"Bruce
> Freeburger"> wrote:
>
> >Dave,
> > Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. These
> >are the people you see riding on the sidewalk with their back in a
> >vertical position, the seat 3" too low, spinning the crank very slow in
> >a high gear, and the (optional) helmet tilted back like a yamica.
> > They are clueless as to what a bicycle is for, so they follow the
> >model of bicycle riding as a child: very short trips on the sidewalk.
>
> While I do agree that more cyclists need to be out on the road, not
> everybody can be an elite roadie. Road racing bicycles aren't the
> best thing in the world for loose sand, gravel trails, or trips from
> the market laden with groceries.
My Bianchi Sport disagrees! Or maybe it's just quietly saying "kill me!"
every time I do those things.
> I use my bicycle--a tourer--for everything from quick trips to the
> store to long rides in the country.
Either I have a high tolerance for pain, or the differences between
racing and touring frames is overstated.
Except for the fact that I ride fast enough to want aero advantages
(current benchmark is to beat the express bus from an even start over a
4-ish km section of minimal-to-moderately rising terrain, and then to
keep that advantage down the hill and all the way home) and use my
commute/whatever riding for training, I am warming to Chalo's idea that
the flat bar suits non-racers better.
The non-aero reason for a drop bar is to give multiple positions, mostly
for long rides. If that's the case, I think the Grant Peterson (of
Rivendell bikes) theory of high-rise drop bars makes sense. My father
does as well: he is _very_ happy with the garage-sale Mikado, which
currently has an MTB stem providing a very short reach and high rise
compared to the stock stem.
Where was I? If you're not sure about this whole bike-riding thing, I
think the best, most sensible beginner machine is an old rigid mountain
bike running slick tires. Such a machine can do anything except race.
Heck, you could add tri-bars to the flat bar and probably end up more
aero than most touring bikes, too.
Did I ever mention my plan to put aero bars on the BMX LX?
--
Ryan Cousineau, rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club
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