jennings780

After spending way too much time on this board over the last few months I've noticed (as most of you probably have as well) that similar questions keep being asked and answered. Here is my half-hearted attempt to list them with the consensus answers:

1. What should I wear under my bike shorts?
ANSWER: Nothing. Then for some reason there are about 20 posts reconfirming this answer and a few posts discussing buttlube.

2. Which bike should I buy ______ or ________? OR Which is the better bike _________ or _________? (these bikes are usually similarly priced bikes by two similar companies with similar specs and components):
ANSWER: Buy the bike that feels the best to you and has the best "fit." The runner up answer is "dude, go check out a Felt - its a much better bike than what you are looking at."

3. Do I look gay in _________ or will I be made fun of if I wear ____________ (or any similar question relating to attire)?
ANSWER: The answer to this question is typically evenly divided between: (a) YES YOU WILL LOOK GAY or YOU WILL BE MADE FUN OF, and (b) You shouldn't care what other people think, wear what you like (with a hint of "if you were secure you wouldn't even be asking this").

4. I am a noob and want to get into road biking, what entry level starter bike should I buy?
ANSWER: There are two or three: (a) check out the $700 and under bike thread and don't waste our time with another post on this topic, (b) go to your LBS and buy the bike that fits the best, and (c) "dude, you totally should check out the Felt F70."

5. I saw this great bike on ebay for a great price, should I buy it?
ANSWER: Two of them: (a) yes, that is a good deal, and (b) you don't know what you are buying, you should support your LBS, you need to get professionally fitted, you won't save that much when you add in the cost of maintenance that the LBS would include with the bike purchase, etc.

6. I ride a [trek or giant or specialized, etc] and today on my ride I dropped a guy riding a [bianchi, serotta, litespeed], how cool is that?
ANSWER: two of them: (a) way to go! and (b) I can't believe you posted this - you are a complete idiot - that guy on the kick*ss bike was probably on a recovery ride or had just finished like a 300 mile bike ride whereas you were probably on mile 5 and its so uncool to compare yourself to other bikers or take pride in dropping a guy on a more expensive bike - but that is not going to keep me from adding a few stories of how many people I drop on my regular rides so you know I am a bad*ss biker.

mom2three3

You left out:

7. My (butt, legs, shoulders, neck) is sore, is that normal or is my bike ill fitted? a) It's quite normal to be sore for the first few weeks. Ice the area with some frozen peas and keep riding.

nitropowered

This should become a sticky.

I think alot of people don't look at the Under $700 thread because its a million pages long. Someone should remake one with all the comments taken out with only the bikes on there.

Body2big

STICKY

Shawn

skinnyone

8).. Motobecanes are 04 Fuji SL frames...

9).. Your Butt will be sore the first few rides... no.... dont change the saddle till you got 2-3 weeks on it...

Add to the Felt F70(of which I am a proud owner of )... the Specialized Allez Elite...

Sticky please...

trayer350

Yes, many people ask the same questions, but the "yuck" answers are a multiple of that. Following the same questions are the same argumentitive responses where people often forget the original question. Thoughtful answers are about as rare as rare questions, and those thoughtful answers should be posted permanently somewhere.

johnny99

The Usenet bicycles frequently asked questions and answers (FAQ): https://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/

RiPHRaPH

everyone should have to complete a tutorial on: how to use the 'search the forums' link at the top of the page before being allowed to register.

Guest

The thread is stuck.

Anyway, can I add some more?

1) Which is better, triple or double? There are so many pros and cons that I don't think anyone will suffer if this question gets skipped.

2) Which is better, Ultegra or Veloce (or Dura Ace or Ultegra, etc. etc.)? Buy whatever you can afford.

Koffee

sparknote_s

Ok I have one...

10) Q: Which is better, carbon or aluminum or steel or titanium?
A: Carbon is for girls.

baj32161

1: Compact frame or Traditional?
A: More than likely, if you are new you won't notice a difference in ride (I didn't), but compacts are easier to step and stand over....If that works for you, and you like the look.....go for it.
2: Which shoes are best?
A: This is purely a subjective matter, we don't have your feet. Try them on and buy which feels best.


We were all new to this at one point but if you do a bit of research through the threads, you will see that many of your initial questions have already been answered here...I know most of mine were...of course I noticed that after I asked them for the millionth time

ZappCatt

Since we don't have a cool sticky like this in the Road Bike Racing thread.

1) What is the average speed of a Cat 5 race?

pearcem

"Should i shave my legs?"

-"Yes"

"Why?"

-"Because i said so. but if you don't want to, then don't. it doesn't matter. Do what you want"

55/Rad

Q - Shimano vs. Campy?
A - Do a search and read all the comments, then decide. Good luck, we'll talk to you next year.

55/Rad

LordOpie

Pedals, Float and BAD KNEES!
There is no one right answer, whether you have bad knees or not. If you have bad knees, do not listen to the supposedly absolute answer that more float is good. Sometimes, too much float is bad for a knee that has tracking issues -- popping as you go through the rotation. Best is to find an LBS that will let you buy, try and return multiple pedals.

Soft Saddles -or- Lots of Padding in Shorts
Too much cushion can pinch nerves or blood supply. Sometimes more isn't better.

Get Fit
It's good advice, but why wait until after you bought the bike? How about getting measured and finding a bike that's close, then getting it fit to you... as opposed to buy whatever and trying to make it work through a supposed proper fitting session.

I'll think of more later

daytonian

The search function works half the time right now when 300 people are logged in.

Doctor Morbius

Here are the definitive words on chain maintenance and when to replace a chain. This should really be a sticky in the equipment forum due to so many chain questions but they get asked here too. Just not as frequently.

Sheldon Brown:
https://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

Lennard Zinn - Everything you ever wanted to know about dirty chains:
https://www.velonews.com/tech/report/...es/5610.0.html
Very good article! Suggests replacing at 1/16" stretch.

Park Tool - CC-3 Chain Checker:
https://www.parktool.com/tools/CC_3.shtml
The CC-3 is a "Go, No-Go" gauge designed to accurately indicate when a chain reaches 0.75% and 1% wear.


One of the most frequent (and dumbest) questions is "what is the most comfortable saddle?"
Answer: Send us a plaster cast of your butt and we'll get back to you. No two poeple are going to sit on a saddle the same way. There is no "most comfortable saddle" anymore than there is a "best bike for $1500." There are only people's opinions of the saddles that they've tried but that doesn't mean they will work for you.

thewalrus

Q) I am tired of getting flat tires, what tires should I buy?

A) Specialized Armadillo or Continental Gatorskin tires, which are available in 23, 25 or 28mm. They do weigh more than normal road tires. You may also want to look into 28mm tires marketed for "Touring" which are usually above-average in thickness and puncture resistance.


https://www.google.com/search?q=speci...en-US:official

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

sorebutt

132) should I ask the question here, or should I do a search first?

A: search is for girls..

Guest

I need a heart rate monitor. Which one is best?

For basic monitors, they are ALL pretty much the same... a continuous read heart rate monitor really doesn't vary from one brand to the next. So please... if you don't want to spend a lot of money, just get a watch as cheaply as possible, then as you continue to exercise, you'll figure out what you want, then you can get your next heart rate monitor without having to ask the same redundant questions.

Koffee

linux_author

(assuming all questions road-related)

Wheels, Tires, and Tubes:
Q: What's the best wheelset for $300?
Q: How many spokes are best for a heavy rider?
Q: What type of rim should I use?
Q: What's the best pump?

Lighting, Reflectors, Safety
Q: What's the best light system to use?
Q: What light pattern should I use: steady, blinking, etc.?

Cranks, Pedals
Q: Regular or compact crank? Which is best?
Q: What's the best pedal/cleat type?

Headsets
Q: Integrated vs non-integrated? Which is best?
Q: How can I tell if my bike has an integrated headset?

Accessories
Q: Best road seatbag?
Q: Best minitool for casual rides?
Q: What should I carry on the road?

and many, many, many more...

:-)

Guest

You can't ask the questions without giving the answers to the questions. That's the point of this thread!

Koffee

Travelinguyrt

MEMBERS ALLOWED
ONE response ONLY for each question posted, way, way to much duplication ad nauseum

xbow

I 2nd koffee's addendum.

No questions w/out answers.


that is all.

LordOpie

That's stupid. Besides, neither you nor Koffee asked or answered a question, so we're all disqualified.