BlindGuyRides

I know, big box bike'. Hardtail, quill stem, all steel frame (even using that as an advertised plus.) For me though? First bike I have owned in twenty years. Got it because I have noticed while I have strength enough for tasks, give me a few minutes of work and I'm huffing and wezing. I will muddy through and get 'ok' but still. Needs addressing?


And given the acquisition of an eight acre piece of land that my family is now on? Safe enough to ride around. Fields sadly have a lot of segregation right now with hard-for-me-to-see electric fencing. So kinda stuck on a couple acres here a couple there for now.

I have questions concerning forks for quill stems, converting quill to threadless, front fork options and needs, even tires geared for grassy paths and proper tire pressure....

Mostly though how to keep this feeling good rather than like a chore I have to do.

Charliekeet

Do you mean the Parkside? (Looks like the Parkview is a Schwinn...)
https://www.huffybikes.com/parkside-...-5-inch-56728/
Anyway, congrats on getting out there and riding!

What did you want to know re: converting the quill stem to threadless? How do you feel about your riding position and steering the bike as-is with the current setup?

What width are the tires on it now? (32mm, 38, etc)

MarcusT

I am confused. You bought a very economical bike and you want to start spending money on it for upgrades?
I suggest you ride it for a while, then see what the bike needs to make your ride more comfortable.

mstateglfr 

why would it be a chore you have to do? Just dont change all thst stuff out and its not a chore.
ride the bike and save all thst money for another one once you have experience and better know what you want.

Maelochs

Ride when you feel like it .... and occasionally when you don't but have nothing better to do .... but get enough rest and recovery, especially when starting out. Getting tired and being sore are fine, but once you are sore, gut un-sore before doing it again. The most certainly do it again.

Don't change anything on the bike beyond adjusting it to be more comfortable--right seat height (which changes as your body changes) right bar height, and such.

You have no reason to change any component on a new bike (except the seat if it Really hurts .... but that is often bad set-up and bad riding technique, so give it a couple months.) Everything should work, and the only changes would be adjustments as the cables stretch and take a final set. Otherwise, concentrate on riding and getting more comfortable riding further and maybe a little faster as your body improves.

As @mstateglfr suggests, "ride the bike and save all thst money for another one once you have experience and better know what you want."

Thomas15

That makes two of us. The OP has the means to purchase an 8 acre mini farm but is in a tizzy over a entry level bicycle.

mack_turtle

this sounds like a waste of time and money, but it's your time and money.

dedhed

Their family acquired an 8 acre farmette according to the OP. Without knowing personally the OPs status in the family and their means, I wouldn't surmise on their financial abilities.

Maelochs

The OP needs to make his fences more visible. Maybe fluorescent ribbon running parallel to the wires, between the top two wires? I find some humor in the idea of a guy riding right into an electric fence, but the reality isn't so amusing. He might hurt his bike.

Thomas15

Probably correct, all of their bux is spent on horse feed and vet bills. If that old tractor breaks down no one eats for a week. Ask me how I know.

CAT7RDR

As a myopic 7 y/o city slicker, I ran straight into a barbed wired fence and only needed seven stiches.
If I was on a ranch/farm, I think I would pass on a Huffy or any other bike until addressing the fence.

BlindGuyRides

It's mostly 'how can I make what I have better' really. Worst I could see as 'needed' is a different set of tires and a different set of grips. All the rest is just me indulging in a bit of 'well my brother's do stuff to the trucks they have.'

thr farm isn't mine. I just live there both as general help, and because I have two special needs siblings (one stuck at an infant's mentality along with several other developmental issues, the other mentally stuck in the five to eight range and is siezure prone, which leaves me not really able to just go out to whatever local bike park or trail without a bit of foreplanning) as well as my mom's health declining. I asked for a bike. I made it clear I am aware that budgets are a thing, so rather than go whole hog on a five hundred or so buck bike. Gave a list of wants (one by gearing, no Kent's or genesis, would have preferred a thin shift rather than twistie but eh) and here we are.


I am basically live in help. The farm is not mine I try not to overreach on personal items, because money is not infinite.

​​​​​​Fortunately the electric wire is all dead, and after we are done getting the house as qe want it all of the electric line is getting ripped out. A lot is already gone leaving standing posts (white tips make them more or less decent course markers.) However there is still a decent amount of divider wire at the back of the property segregating the two side lots and the back. Which is annoying as I want to be able to do a full circuit around the property. However to each thing in its own time. House has priority and one of the field segments is two acres, so decent for doing laps there, through the yard, and through side gate into the other field for another set of laps. It's mostly a short term annoyance.

New bike day and whatnot. Not everything will be as it should right off the bat.

As fort question of upgrades. I am a longish term watcher of Kev central. Guy takes big box bikes and does stuff to them (sometimes one or two things like with a schwinn cutback where a tire swap, grips, shifter, and handlebar swap turned an already shockingly good for the price bike into something better. Others he turns into six month projects, like with the carbon x, aluminum comp. Or hydroform.

Hadn't felt comfortable trying to bike before now due to local traffic. Here where we have land? Totally a thing to pick back up. Just looking at 'now that I have a bike, what's the next best step.'

Thomas15

My daughter has a twisty shift on her mtn. bike, it works ok. Still it would make little sense to do a lot of upgrades but yes you can do everything you mention. Most of my bikes which I have owned for decades have quill stems and down tube shifters, stuck in the 1980s.

veganbikes

Ride this bike into the ground which probably won't take long and then spend money on something of quality. Really the only reason to put money into a Huffy or similar BSO (bike shaped object) is because it is broken and is a minor repair that won't cost a lot. The bikes typically sell at WallyMart and similar places for $150 their value is probably less so investing a lot of money into it unless you absolutely have to and have zero other options and are beyond desperate is just not worth it.

Figure out what you want in a bike and go to your local shop and see what they have or what they can get you that will work well for your needs. Or if you have a local bike co-op talk with them and see what they have to offer.

Maelochs

I hate to say it .... but any money spent on that bike except for a decent saddle, grips, tires, and tubes .... probably money ill-spent.

You do what brings you joy. I am not telling what's right---I don't know that (but don't tell anyone else here.) However .... take every penny you want to spend on the Parkview and save it. When you have $500 or more .... either buy a new bike from Bikes Direct, or if you feel mechanically inclined, shop for used bikes.

I used to ride "found" bikes---bikes i pulled out of the trash and cobbled together---three broken bikes into one ridable bike. I have ridden every kind of crap bike ever made, i think. And every one of them tended to fail and leave me walking. I wasn't a super-strong rider, but I carried 25-50 pounds of gear (more on shopping and laundry days) and I rode hard. And I broke bikes. it was a revelation to me when I bought decent bike---I kept it maintained and it kept working!! The bottom bracket or hubs didn't seize, the cranks didn't snap free of the rings (factory-welded .... badly I guess) ... . the wheels stayed round and straight. The levers didn't bend or snap off. It was a revelation.

On the other hand there are a few people here who claim to have tens of thousands of miles on their junk bikes. So ... follow your bliss .... or whatever is the acceptable phrase for all that, nowadays.

To me, if riding a bike makes you happy, at least in that respect, we are family. We might end up hating each other, as family members sometimes do ... but we are part of the "I Like Biking" clan. Always good to meet a fellow cycle-freak.

Thomas15

That is simple, get on your bike and ride. And ride and ride and ride.

Kapusta

As mentioned earlier, there is no “Huffy Parkview”.

OP really needs to clarify whether he has a Schwinn Parkview or a Huffy Parkside.

Until we know what bike he has, advice on what to change is rather useless.

Maelochs

I figure it is easier to mistake "Parkside" for "Parkview" than it is to mistake "Huffy" for "Schwinn." I figure he has a Huffy.

But, then I have done some pretty off-the-mark figuring form time to time.

Kapusta

OK, “useless” was not a good word for me to use.

mack_turtle

The Schwinn Parkview is a "ladies" coaster brake-equipped beach cruiser.
the Huffy Parkside is a comfort bike with a 1x7 drivetrain and comes in a standard and step-thru ("for the ladies") version.

neither is a mountain bike by any stretch, so I am not sure what BlindGuyRides is attempting with it. if he's trying to start mountain bike, this is just the wrong tool for the job regardless of the bike's quality. he should have at least started with a cheap mountain bike if he wants to ride the type of terrain he describes. based on what he's written so far, he's not going to change course, even though it's a colossal waste of time.

Maelochs

Nah ... he has a bike and a place to ride it. no waste of time.

I have friends who have a horse farm ... . training and such ..... Having a farm means you hardly ever have money, it seems. And they are in an area which has been hit with some serious weather .... plus the animals eat and need care no matter whether they are generating income or not .... they don't have an "off-season," they eat all the time. And the slow times are when the folks have to do gear and building maintenance .... so they have to spend even more money when they aren't making it. I am glad I never inherited a family farm ... getting out from under it or staying on it are both often tenuous financial options.

But this guy has a bike, and he can walk out his back door and go riding---so he is exceedingly wealthy.

BlindGuyRides

Ok. I will address you lot in turn. However given the negativity? I have to question why I bothered coming.

and it annoys me that the low end is still on quill. One would think stream!lining production to entirely quill would save on factory lines, different !acjiningbthwt needs doing, packing, etc. Why do quills still exist? How does a quill save money?

More importantly how do ai swap out of a quill into threadless for the sake of having access to better bars?

Because I personally VERY RARELY have any money I feel comfortable earmarking to spend on non essentials. The bike was a gift along with about $150 and help from my little brother or stepdad on adjustments or mantinance that takes more detail than i can see (I got the fears shifting better, but I am going pretty much off of sound and it's kinda difficult for me to unmix all the bike sounds when shifting.)

I conceed that you folk know a heck of a lot more about bikes than me, but given your 'advice'? Why should I be here?

Yes you are. You are basically insulting me out the gate in the guise of 'helping.' you snobbing about 'bike shaped object' as your opener obliviatea the rest. So either help with advice I can actually act upon, or stuff it. It is that simple.

This guy. He gets it. I've balreafy !snagged, likely due to figuring out better saddle height, positioning, and possibly just plain getting used to riding after twenty years, get another lap in before !e being out of shape !ales me stop. Hoping to get up another two laps by the end of the month.

We don't have animals yet. We have land and buildings to start with, and both need to be put in order before we can use. House takes priority. The shop? Frankly is cherry. Get everything stored there out and it will be the hub of activity for gettihbthevrest in order. Ce!entbslab floor, nice high ceiling. Power. It's about the size of a two and a half car garage with some added space. Plus lean-to space on either side we plan on augmenting once the house is in order.

As a clarification. The farm is not mine? At this point I am live in help (it is family so I don't feel like 'help' but the point stands.) Two special needs siblings, mom with declining health. This is their retirement basically. I just live here and in exchange I get a fairly safe space to bike on.

just trying to make what I either have or have access to work without coming cap in hand going 'hey that bike you got me? The whole internet says it's garbage and refuses to give any actionable advice beyond laughter and telling me to go buy something that costs minamum four hundred bucks.'

That boat don't float guys and if that is all you have to give as 'advice' to me you are no better than bullies holding a bar over the gate going 'either have this or we will relentlessly mock you and couch it all as 'help' so we can feel like we are morally I the right.'

So help me figure out 'now what.'

veganbikes

It is just not a bike worth putting money into. I get you don't have money often but save the money here and try and earn a bit more and get something of quality. I am not trying to insult you or your family or anyone nor am I laughing at you or your family. I am clearly and simply stating the money is best saved and just ride this bike until it finally gives up the ghost. Sometimes yes the truth does suck but instead of putting good money towards bad just save it and use it when needed or for another bike on down the line. I am all for upgrades and building bikes and all of that fun but I am against putting money towards a bike that just isn't worth it unless absolutely desperate.

You should be here to learn and comment and be a part of this community and also get inspired to ride your bike or learn something new. I know you feel like everyone is pilling on but we are trying to be honest with you sure maybe some folks were perceived as a little more negative out of the gate but it is the internet and emotion doesn't ever come through in pure text.

dedhed

threaded (quill) to threadless isn't a real option as you'd have to change the fork and find one with the proper steer length, rake, brake mounting, and wheel size - if a 1 1/8" would even fit your headtube, not to mention a headset as well. One option would be an adaptor.

Plan on trueing and tensioning spokes as the wheels loosen up as most lower end wheels do.

I'd think about replacing the low end rear derailleur and twist shifters if they give you any trouble in the future, upgrading to trigger shifters and a better RD like Altus. I'd wait until they fail and run what's on there now. Figure on Kool stop pads on the brakes when they need replacing. Same with tires, if they are working for you now run, them until they need replacement and then upgrade to something else.
In general, ride it as it came except for dialing in fit (which may change as you get your fitness up) save your money for either replacing low end parts when they fail, or upgrading to a better bike in the future.



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Paul Barnard

I'd slowly replace everything on it, then replace the frame.