[Guite]

Originally Posted by B103

This cycle may be ideal for your taste i.e to sit upright and ride in touring mode:
http://www.decathlon.in/cycling/cycl...y/p-245866.htm

Having said that, there are some more factors to consider:

When you sit upright:
(1) the complete weight of your body will be on the seat and also the spine is in a vertical position. Then, the undulations from the road will tend to pass up through your spine An already bad back may deteriorate further because of that. You may be able to relate the back pain experiences shared by 2 wheeler riders who go regularly over bad roads.

That indeed looks like a comfortable bike. However for casual use the amount I am willing to spend is not that high. My usage would hardly be once or twice a month around the housing colony road.

As for siting upright, my concerns stems for the fact that my back always has to be upright. Even in office work if I slouch for few minutes the pain surfaces.

[B103]

Originally Posted by Guite

That indeed looks like a comfortable bike. However for casual use the amount I am willing to spend is not that high. My usage would hardly be once or twice a month around the housing colony road.

The online price shown in Decathlon website is 24K. However, I see from the same forum that the bike is available from Decathlon store at 13K. May be, you can walk in to the store and check the price if you are having a budget close to 13K.

Originally Posted by Guite

As for siting upright, my concerns stems for the fact that my back always has to be upright. Even in office work if I slouch for few minutes the pain surfaces.

I remember when I was talking to the guys in Decathlon, they told me that they prefer to recommend a Network 3 if the customer has a bad back. I did some research in the the internet to understand that people with really bad back can avoid 2 wheeler and ones with moderately bad back will be better off with 45 degree inclined posture as it transfers some weight to handle bar also along with the seat. As I wrote earlier, when you sit upright, the pressure gets transferred up the columns of spine.

Similarly, when you hold the handlebar, I saw it is better to not lock the elbow straight. Have a slight bent at the elbow so the vibrations from handle bar will not get transferred up to your neck-shoulder joint.

These links helped me. May be they will, for you also:
http://www.ebicycles.com/article/det...le-height.html

http://myworldfromabicycle.blogspot....ing-chart.html

http://northernwalker.wordpress.com/...izing-and-fit/

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport/a/bikefit.htm

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...e-v-brake-type

[Turbanator]

The online price shown in Decathlon website is 24K. However, I see from the same forum that the bike is available from Decathlon store at 13K

I checked at Chandigarh stores last week , they don't have any Discounts on this model ,can you let me know details of forum / link which I can refer - 13 K looks too low for this bike in my opinion

We also saw a FireFox Maximus @ 25 K - do you have any experience with forefox or this bike . How will forefox bikes compare with Btwin ?

[mail4ajo]

Is anyone attending the Tour De Kerala?

http://www.santosking.com/tourdekerala/eventdetails.php

[graaja]

Hi Fellow Cycling Enthusiasts,

I ride regularly with a group here in Coimbatore. As they start very early at 4:45 and as the starting point is about 12km from my house, I have to carry my bike in my car (a Jetta) to the starting point. I could ride to the start point, but it is not practical. Also, I plan to take part in various cycling events around Coimbatore which will require transporting my bike.

I have been using a very basic bike rack that fixes to the boot of the car. However, it takes about 10 minutes to fix the rack to the car and the bike to the rack, and another 10 minutes to unload the bike from the rack and the rack from the car at the starting point. I then put the rack inside the boot of the car, finish the ride and have to repeat the process again on the way back home. So, I spend about 40 minutes loading and unloading the cycle. Another option I tried is to remove the wheels of the cycle and put the frame and the wheels in the boot. This too is quite cumbersome as there is hardly any light at the place where we start cycling.

So, I am considering attaching a Thule roof rack to the car. I need inputs from fellow cyclists.

1. Is there anyone who has the Thule roof rack attached to a sedan (or particularly to a Jetta)?
2. What are the components you used to assemble the rack (the base, fit kit, aero bars and the roof rack). How much was the cost?
3. A common issue I read about roof rack is the wind noise. How bad is the wind noise? Does a fairing reduce the wind noise?
4. Another issue I read about roof rack is the reduction in fuel economy. How bad is the effect? Does a fairing reduce this effect?

This could be subjective. Many people have been discouraging me that a roof rack on the Jetta would spoil the looks. I checked many photos online, and yes, the rack does affect the look. But considering the advantage it offers in the ease of loading and unloading, I think it is worth it.

Thanks in advance for all the advice and pointers.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by graaja

Hi Fellow Cycling Enthusiasts,

So, I am considering attaching a Thule roof rack to the car. I need inputs from fellow cyclists.

1. Is there anyone who has the Thule roof rack attached to a sedan (or particularly to a Jetta)?
2. What are the components you used to assemble the rack (the base, fit kit, aero bars and the roof rack). How much was the cost?
3. A common issue I read about roof rack is the wind noise. How bad is the wind noise? Does a fairing reduce the wind noise?
4. Another issue I read about roof rack is the reduction in fuel economy. How bad is the effect? Does a fairing reduce this effect?

I use Thule Pro ride 591 bike rack on my Skoda Yeti. You can see the pics in my thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...stom-mods.html

To fix this on your Jetta, you need the base rack which consists of the roof bars and foot pack. You can get the exact model of base rack for your car from the following link: http://www.thule.com/fitguide/
Find your model from above link and contact Methods Automotive Bangalore for sourcing them for you.

Regarding wind noise, I have both roof box and the bike carrier and have touched speeds which I cannot mention here for legal reasons It does have some wind noise but not beyond what you would expect. I did not find any discomfort with regard to the wind noise.

Looks are subjective but for a crossover it looks better with the gear on than without it. For a sedan may be not so much but it sure looks striking. But it is for a purpose and that over rides the looks part I guess. However, head turns are certain once you have the bike on the roof!

You can find the cost details of bike rack here: http://www.carpowergrid.com/thule/th...oride-591.html

I guess rest of your queries can be answered by other fellow BHPians, like fuel economy as I really haven't checked to compare the difference. The drag should be effecting the FE for sure but I think Thule racks are the ones with the least drag among those available.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by ajaypjayaraj

I use Thule Pro ride 591 bike rack on my Skoda Yeti. You can see the pics in my thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...stom-mods.html

...

Thank you very much for the info ajaypjayaraj. The rack looks really cool on your Yeti. I used the fit guide and have got the following list.

Thule Rapid System 754
Thule WingBar 969B
Kit 1618
Thule ProRide 591

The Fit Guide suggests WingBar 969, but the Methods Automotive Site lists only the Aerobar. Will have to check with them on the availability. Methods automotive has a branch here in Coimbatore. I will talk to them and get pricing and availability details.

The WingBar is available in both aluminium and black colors. Which color do you think will suit my platinum gray Jetta?

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thank you very much for the info ajaypjayaraj. The rack looks really cool on your Yeti. I used the fit guide and have got the following list.

Thule Rapid System 754
Thule WingBar 969B
Kit 1618
Thule ProRide 591

The Fit Guide suggests WingBar 969, but the Methods Automotive Site lists only the Aerobar. Will have to check with them on the availability. The WingBar is available in both aluminium and black colors. Which color do you think will suit my platinum gray Jetta?

Thanks graaja! Don't go by the stock availability of online shop alone. You can request them to get the models you want. I myself wanted wing bar as I am upgrading from aero bar. They did not have it in stock but will get it if I order the same along with my other requirements. Only thing is it might take a while. You can check with them. Pro ride bike rack, I got from UK as Methods did not have it when I wanted but now their online shop shows it as available in stock.

Colour, I would suggest the silver (aluminium look) itself as the Pro ride bike rack comes in silver. Would go well together.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by ajaypjayaraj

...
Colour, I would suggest the silver (aluminium look) itself as the Pro ride bike rack comes in silver. Would go well together.

Talked to Methods Automotive here in Coimbatore. They are quoting 26K for the base rack (Foot kit + WingBar), and 11.25K for the Pro591. Delivery in a week's time on confirmation of order with an advance. Planning to order shortly.

Thank you once again for the information and for sharing your experience.

[ruchirtnt]

I got my btwin riverside3 delivered from decathlon store. I will post my review after some hands on the bicycle. But for the moment, this is the best hybrid cycle i have seen and ridden so far. Much better than montra, schwinn, trek and firefox. This is my own personal opinion and not to offend anyone.

[B103]

This is my new Btwin Riverside 3 (with some funny mods). I commute close to 9 kms one way to work at least twice a week.

Replaced the original Btwin seat with a local Avon cycle seat which has springs beneath. Personally, I find the new seat is much more comfortable. I purchased a Btwin bar end cycle mirror from Snapdeal but unfortunately it is not compatible with Riverside 3.

I use the cycle carrier rather than lugging the laptop bag on my shoulder. I secure the bag with 3 bungee chords and this arrangement is working perfectly for me.

Overall, the cycle is light weight and good. However, the the gear shifts are not very smooth. Shift times are somewhat long. Even after shifting successfully, you may get an awkward jerk from the chain or crank, a minute or two later and then the contraption settles down (until you shift again). Everything except this is very good.

[graaja]

Hi,

I am in Mysore this weekend and would like to do a 50 to 60k cycling tomorrow. Any TBHP cycling enthusiasts around? Any good traffic free roads through green scenery that I can ride?

[thewhiteknight]

Here is a question I have been grappling with.

Why disc brakes on the front, ergo stronger brakes, versus delta or cantilever brakes? Why not stronger brakes at the back-disc brakes, for example-and cantilever at the front?

Wouldn't this provide better stability while braking and greater efficiency while cutting down on speed. Afterall, directionally and otherwise, you only control the front, the back just drags along. I appreciate the analogies from car design here, but it is a inherent question when we compare stability of 2 wheels (versus 4 wheels).

PS:I am probably picking up the RR 5.3 this weekend.

[kumar2007]

With bicycles, front brakes provide the best stopping power. Rear is to be used only in few circumstances.

[ruchirtnt]

here is small review of my riverside 3.

I have somehow developed a taste for bicycle after 20 years and is convinced with the one purchased. I am deeply relieved to buy this cycle online and finding every meat of it better than any montra, schwinn and firefox which I got hands on.

The ride is super smooth and makes me automatically drive it once a day be it night or morning. looks, handling and comfort is too good. I was worried that at my height no cycle will fit better but Btwin did great. A highly recommendable cycle. I bought a btwin helmet, lights, bag, pump and a lock from decathlon noida.

Kudos to decathlon.