[markmytravel]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

RR5. or the mach.

else for context, start here:
BikesZone - Cycling • View topic - The ultimate 'What bike should I buy' thread
http://www.bikeszone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8436

RR 5.0 (8k) and My Bike (5k) both seem to be possible in my budget. Also have the option of buying a bicycle from CST canteen but not sure what models they have. I am afraid, I might loose the interest if I wait for a week to check out CST canteen, so any one having any idea if it will be worth checking the canteen please suggest. If it's not worth I will just go with one from decathlon.

[Ricci]

My first post and visit to this thread , so please pardon me if what I'm asking is already discussed in earlier pages.

I was contemplating buy a bike - pedal powered as on this page and today I find a mind-boggling choice of bicycles. My last bicycling experience was a Hero Ranger circa 1996-7 ; so I am out of date when it comes to current bicycles.

What I want to ask is, some bikes have front-only suspension , while some have both front and rear suspension. I visited a nearby shop to enquire about variety and prices. The seller recommended one without rear suspension saying it's harsh on the back.

What do you recommend - with or without rear suspension ? Also how much care do disc brakes need, how frequently do the pads need change ? What do you do for illumination, use battery powered LED torch , or wheel driven dynamo running a bike headlamp ?

Right now my interest is simply health and with office being close by ; no interest in competition/stunting etc. So not looking at an expensive purchase that I might end up not using much.

EDIT : thanks bblost , I'll spend some time going thru earlier posts.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Ricci

My first post and visit to this thread , so please pardon me if what I'm asking is already discussed in earlier pages.

Welcome back to the world of pedal power.

Preferably get a cycle without any suspension. Why? Just read thru the thread.
In plain words, low priced bikes have poor quality of suspensions. You are better off without it.


Lights are usually LED's and battery powered.

[phamilyman]

MMT, the mybike is a cut-price hero model being resold by decathlon. Avoid it. like the plague. IMNSHO

[sam_boy]

Guys,

Any idea where can I get the spokes for my 700C tires for my firefox hybrid in Bangalore ? I went to the firefox showroom in front of forum Koramangala but with no luck.

Thanks for the replies in advance.

[zoombiee]

Originally Posted by Ricci

My first post and visit to this thread , so please pardon me if what I'm asking is already discussed in earlier pages.

I was contemplating buy a bike - pedal powered as on this page and today I find a mind-boggling choice of bicycles. My last bicycling experience was a Hero Ranger circa 1996-7 ; so I am out of date when it comes to current bicycles.

What I want to ask is, some bikes have front-only suspension , while some have both front and rear suspension. I visited a nearby shop to enquire about variety and prices. The seller recommended one without rear suspension saying it's harsh on the back.

What do you recommend - with or without rear suspension ? Also how much care do disc brakes need, how frequently do the pads need change ? What do you do for illumination, use battery powered LED torch , or wheel driven dynamo running a bike headlamp ?

Right now my interest is simply health and with office being close by ; no interest in competition/stunting etc. So not looking at an expensive purchase that I might end up not using much.

EDIT : thanks bblost , I'll spend some time going thru earlier posts.

Where do you intend to cycle? If you do high speed downhill riding I would recommend buying full suspensions (front and rear). If you do off roading I would recommend front suspension bike. If you intend to ride in the city, buy a bike which has no suspension.

Suspension absorbs part of energy, so riding becomes difficult.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Is it safe to fill air at a petrol pump for my schwinn sporterra?
Hope the attendant doesnt get scared when i ask him to fill 60 and 70 psi front & rear respectively

Originally Posted by bblost

Most petrol pumps will not be able to cross beyond 40-50 psi.

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

I would think it would be reasonable to fill much lower for Indian road conditions. 70 psi is suitable for track-smooth conditions, isn't it?

By the way, I have portable inflator powered by cigarette lighter port in car that I use for everything (Car, motorcycle, bicycle, football). It's slow enough for bicycles.

[markmytravel]

It's going to be RR 5.0. Decathlon guys told they can give discounts for group buying. We are two already so if anyone else is planning to buy we can get together and purchase.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by Ricci

What I want to ask is, some bikes have front-only suspension , while some have both front and rear suspension. I visited a nearby shop to enquire about variety and prices. The seller recommended one without rear suspension saying it's harsh on the back.

Why don't (road/hybrid) bicycle need a suspension?
Well there are enough articles on internet that say how you loose pedaling power due to suspension, how it adds weight to bike, how cumbersome it is to maintain etc.,.
But to address the main concern -does it hurt the back if the bike doesn't have suspension: NO !
I have been riding on a cheap hybrid for about a few thousand kilometers on bad to worst city roads absolutely without any back issues.
Trick is to get a proper bike fit. This is the most important aspect of buying a bicycle above everything else like suspension, gears, frame etc.,. A badly fit bicycle will torture you in every ride.

Once you have a properly fit bike, then watch how you ride. You should arch your back, bend your knees, ball of the feet over spindle of pedal - all these help in tackling road bumps, potholes, undulation everything at ease.

So, if you don't like to spend anything above 10k, only reasonable and mature option is to consider buying a proper bicycle frame ( double diamond/triangle) which comes in single speed. To which, the natural options that pop out are BSA mach 22", mach city, decathlon my bike etc.,. But again, fit per person's physique is 'the' most important criteria.

On an unrelated note, I am happy to get 2 years of puncture less service from stock 700x35c tyres on my Hercules act. Since, they are showing signs of aging, I started scouting local bike shops for replacements. Turned out none of them stocks this size which is odd for any desi bike. So, had gone directly to Hercules stockist and bought a 35c 'innova' tyre (Rs.575) + 35c tube ( Rs.275 ) (total Rs.850). Felt it's a little expensive, I wonder if there any better options at lesser price?

[markmytravel]

Finally got the RR 5.0 for a friend and myself. Came to Rs. 8999 each and they threw in a free front and back light. Haven't ridden it yet as I just removed the front wheel and carried it by car.
The staff at Sarjapur Decathlon was very friendly. They gave me a tour of the accessery secion but didn't try to oversale any extra accessery.
Happy with the purchase but waiting for the evening to go back and ride it.

[zoombiee]

@deetee - Have you tried at Decathlon and RR (Madivala)?

[Ricci]

Thanks a ton , DeeTee and zombiee , your answers were very helpful.
So a plain suspension-less bike it will be for me, though I'm holding it for a while, till the monsoon ends.

[Edsel Rulez!]

My city runabout and commuter parked at Worli sea face during an early morning 'rain-ride' from Andheri to Gateway of India. It's a 24-speed GT Traffic 3.0, a hybrid, in stock condition except for the following accessories/add-ons:

* Brooks Flyer leather saddle
* Ergon bar-end grips
* Planet Bike LED headlight and tail light
* Sigma 906 cyclocomputer
* Tortec luggage rack
* B'Twin frame bag
* Satori steerer extender
* Aftermarket pedals

[zoombiee]

Originally Posted by Edsel Rulez!

My city runabout and commuter parked at Worli sea face during an early morning 'rain-ride' from Andheri to Gateway of India. It's a 24-speed GT Traffic 3.0, a hybrid, in stock condition except for the following accessories/add-ons:

* Brooks Flyer leather saddle
* Ergon bar-end grips
* Planet Bike LED headlight and tail light
* Sigma 906 cyclocomputer
* Tortec luggage rack
* B'Twin frame bag
* Satori steerer extender
* Aftermarket pedals

Have u raised the height of the handle bar?
The saddle is awesome (drooling).

[Edsel Rulez!]

Originally Posted by zoombiee

Have u raised the height of the handle bar?
The saddle is awesome (drooling).

It's a medium frame, which is slightly small for me, so I had to increase the seat height... but that made the handlebar too low. I wasn't comfortable in the crouched position, so I installed a steerer extender to raise the height of the handlebar by about 3 inches. Though a bent-over position is good for speed, a more upright position offers better visibility of the road and is also more comfortable in traffic. And yes, the Brooks saddle is very comfortable. I keep swapping it with my two other bikes when I want to ride those. I should ideally buy one for each bike but I can't afford to.