How to Buy a Bike (3/3)

This is part 3 in a three part series. See also How to Buy a Bike (1) and How to Buy a Bike (2).

So you've scouted out some bikes and you know what you want to buy. It might even just be a just-whatever bicycle to get you around, just to start riding. I really can't tell you how horrible the bikes are at W*mart and sporting goods stores. Just don't do it. It's not worth it. You might get a new, sub-$150 bicycle, but trust me, it's a total piece of crap and it will fall apart before next summer. I'm not being a bike snob here, they really suck. I'd be doing you a disservice if I let you buy a bike like that.

Seacoast New Hampshire Bike Shops
For the immediate Portsmouth, NH area, there are a few shops that you can buy bikes from. I've only really had a lot of experience with Bicycle Bob's, Gus' Bike (which is in North Hampton, about eight miles from Portsmouth) and Papa Wheelie's. There's also Exeter Cycle, and Berger's Bike Shop in York, Maine. There's one in Durham on UNH campus, and I think I heard just opened a couple months ago in Dover, New Hampshire too. Also don't forget about bikes on craigslist. They can be a viable option, too. My friend Cassy got a new bike on craiglist and was very pleased with the results. A lot of bicycle manufacturers have a "find a dealer near you" button on their site, so you can find bike shops like that, if you've already found a bicycle you love on the internet.

Bicycle Bob's is alright. Their salespeople don't seem to be real passionate about biking, but they definitely have a lot of bikes in stock. Their have mostly hybrid bicycles, from what I can tell, but they also have a few decent road bikes, and a lot of kid's bikes. The thing that makes Bicycle Bob's unique, though, is that they have every bike part imaginable. If you need some random weird little part, they will have it. And if they don't, Bob will be embarrassed that it's not in stock, and will order it. This is definitely the best place to go for any parts or tools or accessories you need--especially for old bikes. Bicycle Bob's is also the only shop in the Portsmouth area that does bicycle rentals. They carry a lot of brands of bikes, including previously-owned, but their two primaries are Fuji and Jamis.

Gus' International Bike Shop is great, but the problem is that everyone knows it--it is a total freaking mob scene at 2pm on a day-before-Memorial-day, and I had to wait like forever. However, if you go there on an off hour or during the week, the friendly, knowledgeable staff will be happy to chat you up all day about bikes, and answer all your questions without making you feel stupid. The thing I liked the most about the first time I went there was that the mechanic I was talking to convinced me not to buy a bunch of stuff I only vaguely needed. That he obviously wasn't just trying to make a sale, and was genuinely interested in making my cycling experience more enjoyable, is what has kept me coming back. Their primary manufacturers include Trek and Lemond.

Papa Wheelies is about a quarter mile from my house, but I don't go there any more. They never have any parts in stock--I just go to Bob's if I need parts. I've been continuously unimpressed with their mechanical work, too. The one or two times I've left my bike there to get work done, the results were not that good. You could tell there was no love put in to it. I get the impression that they view my bike--my Tachikoma, and likely by association myself, as a bit of a piece of crap, so maybe that's why. And I feel like they are really always just trying to push making a sale. I just don't enjoy going there. They sell Cannondale and Specialized.

I've only been to Exeter Cycles Bike Shop once (two days ago, actually). They've got a nice store, nice bikes. I don't have much cause to go there because I literally have to pass three other shops to get there from my house, but they seemed nice. Then there's Berger's Bike Shop in York. They don't have a website, but it's right on Route 1. I've never been but I hear from a credible source that one of their mechanics is an absolutely amazing wheel-builder. The Durham/UNH bike shop is a little hole in the wall. I pumped up a flat tire there once but I didn't really look around. And this new place in Dover, I don't know anything about it. I'll have to check it out.

Let's not forget about craigslist. There are a few gems on there every once in a while--check out the $50 Schwinn ten-speed in New Castle for example. You'll want to make sure you can check out the bike of course before you agree to anything. The main problem with craigslist is that the seller often doesn't know a whole lot about bikes, and can't help with fitting the bike and such. Craigslist is full of cheap kids' bikes, too. Kids' bikes will be/have been outgrown in a year or two, so getting them on the cheap can be a good idea.

The last thing is accessories. Helmets are optional but a good idea. Copenhagen Cycle Chic coincidentally did a guide to chic bicycle accessories just yesterday. I'm going to defer to the Danes when it comes to matters of style--they seem to know what they are talking about.

How to Buy a Bike (2/3)

This is part two in a three part series. See also How to Buy a Bike (1) and How to Buy a Bike (3).

By now, you've figured out which of the following factors are more or less important in buying a bicycle:

• Style
• Speed
• Comfort
• Utility
• Price

And you have probably figured out that there's a lot of overlap and give-and-take in these factors.

Bicycle Style
For me, buying a styling bicycle is pretty important. It should have the right color-scheme, the right geometry, and the right . . . well, you know--it should be cool! If buying a bike that is sexy is a priority, then you might already know what you want, and you just need to know where to go. We'll talk about that in the next post. If you can picture the type bike you want to buy, but don't know what it is exactly, check out some manufacturer websites. Schwinn Specialized Cannondale Trek Lemond Jamis Kona Raleigh Electra Bianci and Rivendell are just a few that come to mind.

Types of Bikes
Basically it breaks down like this: For speed, you can buy a road bike--something light with drop handlebars. If comfort is your priority, you might buy a cruiser--upright position, easy to get on-and-off, more comfortable saddle. For utility, a bike that you use for commuting and such, a hybrid is good. Hybrids are a decent all-arounder, and are great if you want to start getting in to cycling for health or just generally getting around without a car. If price is your primary concern, then yardsales and craigslist are the way to go--just make sure you're not getting a ripped off. And if you're too cool for school, get a fixed-gear.

Sizing Up a Bike
The most important aspect of a bike is its size. A bike is an investment, and if you buy one that doesn't fit you, it will cause you pain and discomfort to ride, and you'll end up resenting the purchase. A bike shop will fit you for a bike--but sometimes they need some prodding. I've been sold a bike that was a bit too small for me before, and it's been a pain (literally) ever since. There's more to it than you think, but you can read about proper bicycle fitting on The Colorado Cyclist site.

Okay, Friday: seacoast New Hampshire's Bike Shops.

How to Buy a Bike (1/3)

This is the first in a three part series. See also How to Buy a Bike (2) and How to Buy a Bike (3).


Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live. --Mark Twain

It is pretty much summer now, and it is a great time to buy a bike. The weather is getting nicer by the day, gasoline prices are at an all-time high, and there's a $600 check in the mail heading your way. There's a lot of reasons to ride a bike--commuting, fitness, fun, just to name a few. However, the process of buying a bicycle can be daunting. How do you start, where do you go, who do you need to know?

There are a few things to think about when buying a bicycle, and having an idea of what you're looking for before you go to the bike shop is pretty key. First, how important are the following elements in a bicycle, to you?

• Style . . . Are you particular about the look, style, and type of bike, or is whatever fine?
  
• Speed . . . Do you want to go fast, or just get there at a reasonable speed?
  
• Comfort . . . Do you prefer a bike with an upright riding position and a big saddle? Or do you like something more spartan?
  
• Utility . . . Is practicality of function your main concern? You might consider panniers and saddlebags, or a step-through frame. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with style.
  
• Price . . . If you want a full-featured bike with all the fixings, or just one to get you from point A to point B.

Think about those elements, and which are the most important to you when considering buying a bike. And look at some bikes. Look online. Watch for bikes people are riding. See if you see anything you like. Then check back here Wednesday and Friday, when we'll go in to depth about what kinds if bikes are a match.

Spring Cleaning: Closing Notes (5/5)

Lessons Learned

Well, that was fun. I got a lot done, and my bike's looking a lot better than it was. I also learned/remembered a few things in the process.

The most important thing about bicycle maintenance and repair is to make sure your bike is kept in good condition in general. I abused the heck out of mine this winter, and it's showing. I could have definitely invested in the proper supplies to keep it up all winter. If you want your bike to last, keep it clean, especially in the moving parts, and keep it lubricated.

Another good thing to remember is if you get frustrated while doing your own repairs, it's not a bad idea to just leave it be for a while. When you come back, you'll be more relaxed and have a fresh perspective, which can really help. On the other hand, don't be afraid to do your own work--if you can't fix it, you can just take it to the bike shop. That's what you were going to do anyway, and at least you tried.

This is a big one, too: I guess women don't like being referred to as "the dishwasher"--who knew?

Now What?

There's a few ways to go from here. If you like getting dirty, and want to try more esoteric bike repairs, you're probably going to need some good tools and some good reference. If not, there's some decent bike shops around. And of course you're going to want to pick up supplies for summer cycling, too.

Bicycle Tools and Tool Kits

If you want to get in to doing your own bicycle repairs, a solid tool kit is essential--your regular toolbox of hammers and wrenches won't do. I've been buying tools here-and-there as needed, and I find that it's a good way to get a solid bicycle tool collection. However, you can also buy a box of all the bicycling-specific tools you could ever need. Park Tools is a very reputable bicycle tool manufacturer; they some good tool kit options like the Park Tools Ak-37 Advanced Mechanic Bicycle Tool Kit. I don't have one, but it would be cool. At the very least, get a multi-tool like the Park MTB-3 Multi Tool, which you can carry in your pocket or bag and can bail you out if you get in mechanical trouble while riding.

Further Reading

For reference, I use The Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair which got me out of trouble a few times this week. It's got pictures and walk-throughs for repair and maintenance; it has how-tos and trouble-shooting, what-to-do when you're really in a pickle, and it explains it all much better than I can. I'd say it's fairly essential, it's definitely on of my most useful cycling-related purchases, ever.

Give up?

Knowing when you're in over your head is an admirable quality, and one which I don't have. Sometimes the best option is to just take your bike to the shop. Personally I've found my experiences at the two Portsmouth shops, Papa Wheelie's and Bicycle Bob's, to be pretty pretty hit-or-miss. Papa's Wheelies--don't go there. Their mechanical work is horrible, and their attitude is pretentious. I've found that Bob's is more reliable for mechanical work, but the service experience is bizarre. However, I've had nothing but good experiences at Gus' Bike; the place has a nice vibe, and the mechanics are eager to talk about bikes and offer advice, without trying to make a sales pitch. If you haven't been there, try it out, it's only a couple miles further away than the Portsmouth shops.

Stocking up for Summer

Whether you're heading to the bike shop or ordering online, here's a few things to stock up on for summer, if you don't have them already:

• Patch Kit
  You will get a flat, and it will suck, if you don't carry a patch kit when you ride.
• Frame Pump
  Carry a small pump that attaches to your bike frame, so you can pump up after fixing flats.
• Tire Levers
  A set of plastic levers needed to pry the tire off of/on to the wheel.
• Water bottles
  You'll want these; buy two--get matching ones
• Lubricant
  I use Tri Flow for just about everything, but there are a lot of different kinds of lubes, oils, greases, etc. for different purposes. I'll touch on that some other day, though.
  

Well there's that. What a week. I could have done more, but at least I didn't break anything. But now that my bike is looking and feeling a bit better, I'm eagerly anticipating the warmer weather, which is right around the corner. . . . Any day now, I swear, it's coming.

Spring Cleaning: Brakes and Gears (4/5)

My bike has started to sound like a hamster wheel when I pedal. It's kind of embarrassing. Also the shifting is off--when I pedal real hard, it clicks gears by itself, or sometimes when I shift it gets really chunky, but doesn't shift. Also, the rear brakes totally suck. They are either too loose, or they don't release the wheel when I let go of the levers.

The cause of all these problems is excess of dirt and lack of lubrication. Also there's probably some slack in my shifter and brake cables, and the dérailleurs need to be re-calibrated. Today, I'm going to do a minor overhaul and major cleaning of my brake calipers and dérailleurs.

Brake Caliper Overhaul

Let's start with the brakes. I didn't really do too well at cleaning the brake area yesterday--the sponge can't really get in there. I'm going to remove the whole brake, clean the heck out of it, degrease it, regrease it, and put it back together. I have caliper brakes (the brake unit connects to the frame at one point, as a singular unit) but if you have cantilever brakes (each side of the brake connects to the frame separately) then you probably don't need to remove it, just clean it and skip to the lubing-the-cables part

1. Take the brake caliper off the frame:
   
   • Loosen the anchor bolt, which loosens the cable from the brake. Whenever you remove little screws and parts and stuff, situation them in your work area in a way that you will remember how they go back on. Seriously.
     
   • Unscrew the mounting bolt; now you can remove the brake from the bike frame, sort of.
     
   • unscrew that other thing, all the way. This makes it easier to deal with the bike without dealing with cabling: the whole cable with the end piece will fit through the hole there. You can now totally get the brake away.
     
2. Clean the whole brake caliper. Try to get as much gunk as possible out of the moving parts. If you are using a solvent, you should probably remove the brake pads to protect their rubber.
   
3. Lube up those moving parts, wipe off any excess oil on the caliper. Give it a squeeze. It should feel a lot more springy and responsive than before.
4. Put the brake pads on, if you took them off, then screw the mounting bolt back in through the brake, attaching it to the frame like it was. Make sure it is centered.
5. There should be a few inches of housing on the cable, from that unnamed thing we unscrewed earlier to a little braze-on on the frame. Roll that whole unit back up the cable. Wash the cable a little bit and then rub some lube on it.
6. Pull the cable through the slot where that unnamed piece unscrewed from (see picture) and re-tighten the unnamed screw-thing. Make sure the cable housing is situated properly.
7. Using pliers or tightly-gripping leathery man-fingers, pull the cable taught before re-tightening the anchor bolt from step one. You'll want to squeeze the brakes tight as you do this, but not too tight. You'll get a feel for it. You want them wide enough to get the wheel back through, but tight enough that they brake effectively when you pull the lever. You also want to make sure there definitely is no slack in the cable.

At this point, you have either:

• successfully overhauled one or both of your brakes
  
• stopped reading out of boredom
• continued reading but are completely confused
  
• made a giant mess and have rendered your bike unrideable

Either way, I hope you've learned a valuable lesson! . . .

Gear Dérailleur Overhaul

Man, I don't even want to talk about this. I totally botched this one. I need to do a total, total overhaul, or maybe I need some new cables and housings--hell, I don't know. My front dérailleur won't shift to save my life (literally). Anyway, the key for fixing your shifting problems is probably the same principle--clean and re-grease everything, including (especially) the cables, then pull the cables taught and re-clamp them.

Then you're going to want to fine-tune the shifting.. there's a couple little screws that are the limiters, they define how far the dérailleurs can move, if you can't shift to your lowest gear, loosen the L limiter. If you can't shift to your highest, loosen the H. My shifting problems are deeper than this, so the second half of my day was just an exercise in frustration.

Lubrication

Oh, yea don't forget to lube up the chain. There are various different kinds of chain lubricant based on different situations, like weather and road conditions, but I'm using Tri-flow because that's what I have. The trick with lubing your chain is to put just one drop on each link, then when that's done, wipe off the whole chain. Excess oil on the chain will just attract dirt.

Next week: lessons learned, and where to go from here?

Spring Cleaning: Cleaning Your Bike (3/5)

Man, my bike is filthy. I mean, it's really gross. I can't touch it without getting covered in grime. It has a layer of filth to it that would make Ron Jeremy envious. Well, today is supposed to be somewhat nice out, so it's a good opportunity to clean up the bike outside. I'll do this with the same format as yesterday: Slideshow and walkthrough.

1. First, get what you're going to need:
   
   • sponge
   • couple of rags
   • scrubbie
   • roommate's toothbrush
   • bucket of warm soapy water
   • maybe a garden hose, if you have one handy
   • rubber gloves help a lot.
     
   You can also get a bicycle cleaning kit that has a sponge and a bucket and various brushes for reaching the hard-to-reach parts of the bike. If you want your bike to look super, go for it. You can also get various bike-specific cleaning chemicals, like Pedro's Orange Peelz, or Bio-Cleaner. You really should, but you don't have to if you're just like, whatever.
   
   
2. Sponge, Warm Soapy Water, bike.. you get the idea. Wash it down, make sure you run through all the weird places that you don't notice if the bike is upside-down. Make sure you rinse the bike off with a hose or toss a bucket of water on it--you don't want the soap to dry on. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed.
   
   
3. Use the toothbrush or some kind of small scrubbie brush to get inside the front and rear dérailleurs; wash all that gunk out. Blasting it with a pressure hose would probably work, too. If you're super-dedicated, take it off and run it through the dishwasher. Just make sure to get the ring of gunk off of the little rollers in the rear dérailleur. Dirt in the dérailleurs (or any moving bike parts) disrupts their functioning, and slowly grinds them as they move, causing them to break or wear out prematurely. Keep that in mind.
   
   
4. Alright--on to the wheels. Sponge down the spokes, and the tires too. They are going to get dirty like immediately but whatever. They will look amazing for the next 15 minutes, and you won't get any tire-soot on you for the next step.
   
   
5. Take the scrubbie and some soapy water and really scrub the heck out of the rim; get all those black streaks out. This is time consuming but satisfying because it makes a big difference visually. That stuff is rubber from your brake pads, by the way. I think scrubbing it off makes your brakes work better but that's just what I heard.
   
   
6. Now, use soapy water or degreaser or, better yet, bio-cleaner (see picture above) on the back wheel's cogs. Now scrub between the cogs and get out all that grease, grime, grit, and gangrenous gunk gumming up the gears. I'm using a brush made specifically for that purpose, and it seems to work really well. The bio-cleaner works pretty well, too. It has a green label and says "BIO" in big letters so I am forced to assume it's good for the environment.
   
   
7. Spray the wheels down with the hose or toss another bucket of clear water on it, whatever. Wipe the bike and wheels down with a clean, dry rag. Now take a step back and look at what you've done. Looks better, huh?
   
   
8. Don't forget to clean up your clean-up too. Make sure you wash your tools and gloves and whatever else you used up, so they are ready to go next time.
   

Well, that was pretty painless. Now I've got a bike with full, healthy tires, and a nice clean frame and wheels. But maybe it's a little, you know, too clean. Tomorrow: Fixing squeaks, brakes, and shifting.

Spring Cleaning: Fixing Flat Tires (2/5)

You know what really grinds my gears? I hate when don't ride my bike for a couple days, and then when I go to ride it again, it has a flat tire. I mean, seriously, what the hell. They were full when I parked it. Are there like gnomes that come in the night and steal the air out of my tires, or what? Having to stop and change a flat when I just want to get out and ride is such a pain.

Leaky Bike Tubes

Bicycle tubes will always lose their pressure over time--either because of the porous nature of rubber, or because of a slow leak. If you filled your tires yesterday, you can tell which you have.

Poke your thumb in to the tire again; how is it?

• meh, same I guess:
  Congratulations, your tires are ready to rock. Just make sure you remember to check them before every ride and pump them up if they start to feel low again; they will inevitably get low over time.
  
  
• a bit deflated, but not totally flat:
  A slow leak. You're probably best off applying a patch. Slow leaks are common, and if you replace your tube every time you get one, your tube budget can get out of control. patch kits, on the other hand, are cheap as dirt.
  
  
• totally, totally flat:
  You probably have a more serious puncture. You probably just want to replace the tube.
  

Fixing Flat Tires

I've got a slow leak in my rear tire that I've been putting off fixing for weeks--I've just been filling it up every morning before I ride. I'm just going to put a patch on it. Here's a little slide-show:

1. Remove the Tube
   Take off the wheel, and let the rest of the air out of the tire. Now extract the tube. The easiest way to get the tube out is to use a tire lever and pry the bead of the tire off the rim by sliding the lever around the edge. For the love of God, don't use a screwdriver; you'll just mess up your tires. Pull the lever around the rest of the way and it should slide the edge of the tire right off the rim. Once you're there, it's fairly easy to pull the whole tire off the rim, then pull the tube out of the tire.
   
   Next, run your fingers carefully around the inside of the tire. You're looking for any sharp burrs or anything that could have caused the puncture. I find it's usually a tiny metal burr. If you find anything, dig it out.
   
   
2. Find the Hole
   When you have a slow leak like I do, it can be really hard to find where it is--it doesn't have enough pressure to hear the air, or even feel it. The best way is to inflate the tube a little bit, then put it underwater and look for air bubbles. When you find them, make a note of where the hole is, and then dry off the area around it. Of course, you won't have a bucket of water available on the road, but you can ride a slow leak long enough to get home anyway.
   
   
3. Patch the Tube
   If you have a patch kit, there's usually a little piece of sand paper in there. Use it to scuff up the area around the hole. This makes the tube more receptive to the gluey stuff, and also gets the layer of grime off of it. Squirt a little of the vulcanizing stuff from the kit on the area. It's better to have unpactched glue than unglued patch, so spread it wide. let it dry for a moment, and then press the patch on.
   
   
4. Put the Wheel Back Together
   There are a few ways to do it, I do it this way:
   Put the tire half-on the rim so that one bead is in the rim, one is off the side. Inflate the new or patched tube slightly so it is easier to work with. Get the tube valve in to the hole (make sure it's straight, if it's angled, it can peal and break) then work the tube in to the side around the circumference of the wheel. Make sure the tube is settled in the rim, then use the tire lever to pry the bead of the tire on to the rim. Now pump your tire up to is recommender PSI.
   

Flat tires are inevitable, and being able to fix one is only slightly less critical of a cycling skill than being able to balance. Check your tires before every ride, and fill them up! Tomorrow: Cleaning.

Spring Cleaning: Getting Started (1/5)

Spring is here (kind of), and while I have been cycling all winter, it's starting to get warm enough for reasonable people to get their bikes out, too. Whether your bike has been taking the winter roads' salty abuse all winter, or simply languishing in the basement, it's going to need some spring love.

The local bike shops are already starting to get pretty busy, with everyone bringing in their bikes for their spring physicals. Personally, I try to avoid the bike shops for simple mechanical work, like routine maintenance, and I've saved a bit of money over time in the process. It's a little silly to pay the shops $50 to pump up your tires and lube your chain.

This week, I'll run you through some of the spring cleaning that I'm doing on my bike. You can do it too, to get your bikes (or your kids' bikes) ready to rock for whenever it's finally okay to rock. But first, you're going to need a few basic supplies:

• bike lubricant (I use tri-flow, but any bike lube is good. Not WD-40)
  
• bike pump (bigger is better)
• a couple of rags
  
• an old toothbrush
• tire levers
• allen wrench set or multi-tool
• patch kit
  
• bike tube (make sure you get the right size/valve)

I'm going to start off easy today. Just get your bike out and give it a good wipe-down with a moist rag. Get the dirt/dust off the frame and tires so you can handle the bike without getting dirty. Now pump up the tires; they are most likely low on air. As you know, the optimal air pressure is printed on the tire's sidewall. After that, push your thumb in to the tire. Make a note of how it feels--this is how your tires should feel.

That should get you started. For the rest of the week, we'll:

• fix a flat tire
• give the bike a good cleaning
• tighten up the brakes
• fix clattering or sticky shifting
• lube up the moving parts so everything runs smooth
• do some other stuff, too

See you tomorrow morning--same time, same place!