bikerbobbbb

I'm not a big fan of my local bike shop, although there might be one I could try for this.

I have my current bike. . It's about ten years old. Aluminum frame. I rely on my bike as my main transportation. Each weekday I'm riding it a few miles about a three time during the day. Similar us on the weekends. When I've done repairs I've thought I need to have it usable again in about four hours. And the bike's ten years old and aluminum.... So what do I do if something happens that can't be repaired fairly reasonable, even by a bike shop? Buy a new bike. Fine, but I'd want my old bike, something as close to it as possibly. There are some things like baskets that I like a certain way. It's a commuter bike. But I'd also like to be able to reuse parts -- Cables, tires, inner tubes (which are cheaper replacements) but also the tools and the two rear wheels I've built. I'm thinking about building a new front wheel now too, just for fun, but also so when I get another flat up front I can just swap the whole wheel out in less time than it takes to replace the inner tube and tire. Building a bike from scratch doesn't sound economical, plus I have a space issue in my apartment, so that's an extra bike taking up space. An extra bike would be awesome but realistically... probably not. So then what? Say my current bike brakes and can't be repaired. What about just walking into a store and buying one? I probably could, but is it the bike I want, one close to my current bike? Probably not. What about online....?

Is it possible to spec out a bike online? And one that's as close as I can get to my current bike? I imagine some place would. And if I know I want another 700c wheel bike again... I imagine the fit would be pretty close or could be adjusted a little match for a fit. Do places ship pre-built bikes? How pre-built?

Instead of having a second bike sitting around, ready to go, but taking up space, I'm wondering how realistic it is to get a bike on demand, maybe pay more for shipping to get it faster, and just order a bike like ordering off Amazon.

What do you think?

And are there decent online businesses like that?


Or maybe I just walk into a local bike shop and tell them the exact thing I want ordered. It might be trade off between shipping costs and that, plus I might get a fit on the bike that way.

The bike I've got now is lower end. I think it was $300 for the bike, then another $300 for splash guards, baskets, and the labor costs. I've replaced parts myself, including the rear wheel that came with the original. That kept breaking spokes, as did the replacement wheel I bought.

bikerbobbbb

I guess they would here. I'd just have to find a match.
https://www.raleighusa.com

This looks fairly close to what I've got now.
https://www.raleighusa.com/detour-1-141
Except the cassette is 7 instead of the 8 I think I've got now.



Then again, if I bought a new bike, getting improvements wouldn't be bad. I wanted fatter tires than what I've got now. My current tires aren't skinny but aren't mountain bike tires. They cut through a certain kind of snow and won't work in that. Still, fatter, mountain bike tires take more work for pedalling I think, if that style of bike will work with baskets and things.

trailangel

Professional help is available

dedhed

Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties

badger1

+1000

A particularly strange pre-Winter season here on Bike Forums, I think. All sorts of odd little new 'threads'.

EdwinHeadwind

Do you really want to re-use your old cables?

There are very few things on a bike that can't be repaired. Cross that bridge if you get to it.

Yes, do that.

mstateglfr 

You built a wheel a couple years ago and rambled on for months over the process, right?
this could turn into a fun thread!

Yes, there are companies who will ship a bike to you thats 95% assembled. Raleigh, diamondback, and bikesdirect are three common sites to buy from, besides amazon.

and of course you could walk I to a shop and buy a bike...thats literally why shops sell bikes.

delbiker1 

Yikes!!

fietsbob

no hand holding

for those who live their lives online , Trek will let you order online,
they ship it to the nearest dealer, for safe, trained, assembly
and initiate warranty..

My LBS has had customers bring in those bikes direct boxed bikes in.
they do the assembly , for those unskilled or too busy for DIY.





....

Machka 

A few of our bicycles have come to us from an online order.

This helps:
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...surements.html

bikerbobbbb

I've got new spares ready to go for that stuff. If a cable breaks, an inner tube pops, or something's off with the tire I can repair it over lunch or after work quickly. If I get a new bike and that doesn't match, then it's wasted spares.

bikerbobbbb

What I'm thinking is I could have a bike specced out that I could order, so if my current bike dies on me, then I just order the new one, even if it's paying a little more for shipping on it. Instead of messing with the old bike, I'd know a new one was on the way.

Phil_gretz

Save up to 60% off new Flat Bar Road Bikes - Gravity Liberty FB | Save up to 60% off new road bikes

Plenty of room for fenders. Comfortably wide tires. You'll get disc brakes and 8-speed trigger shifters. Similar gearing...

indyfabz

It's going to be a long winter.

BlazingPedals

Moving parts from one semi-retired bike to a new primary bike just doesn't sound like a good idea. Leave the old bike intact and just get a new bike.

bikerbobbbb

It would be reusing new parts, on the shelf, in the box, spare things that I already bought, like cables, inner tubes, tires. The only thing off the current bike to reuse would be the rear wheels, except I see the cassette is different on the newer model of my bike.

I found this. The actual manufacturer specs/measurements. I've got a DeTour 4.5 from 2009. And I have 23 written down as the frame size. That must be the XL size for Raleigh.
https://community.raleighusa.com/sit...gh-catalog.pdf


This is on Raleigh's current site. I wonder why it's only a model "2" or "1" now instead of the "4.5" from ten years ago.
https://www.raleighusa.com/detour-2-141
https://www.raleighusa.com/detour-1-141

I would think with the bike itself and that info from the manufacturer, it would be possible to compare an unseen bike with what I've got now.

It's also concerning that the current site only appears to go up to a size 21 frame, but my current bike is 23. Why would they have stopped producing a size 23...

They don't appear to have their current catalog online...
https://community.raleighusa.com/catalogs
There still was a DeTour 4.5 in 2013. And a 3.5 and 2.5. Even a 6.5 in 2009
It looks like the higher DeTour numbers probably have better parts on them. Same frame probably, different parts.


If they stopped extending the DeTour line, what replaced it?
https://www.raleighusa.com/venture-2-141
- This Venture comfort bike still only goes up to a size 21.
- And the front has a shock, which wouldn't work with a front basket.

Or I'm off... What's the difference between a 2009 DeTour "23" vs. a 2018 "21?"

Going up a level in their site, from --comfort up to --recreation, these still max out at "21."
https://www.raleighusa.com/route-2
https://www.raleighusa.com/route-1
https://www.raleighusa.com/venture-2-141
- Still have front forks, basket issue.
- I wonder if they scrapped the higher numbers (different parts only difference?) and just made a basic model (1) and a better parts model (2). You can always add your own stuff onto that.

Looking over at road bikes, they actually have cm's there.
https://www.raleighusa.com/grand-sport
I see 62cm for the largest, but I'm not sure what is measuring.

All their road bikes have curved handles, although I'm sure that can be swapped.
https://www.raleighusa.com/road?p=2
And then that leaves 'urban' without getting into mountain bikes, 'recreation' only being DeTour and Venture...
https://www.raleighusa.com/urban
But at this point I'd really have to study out specs to compare what I've got now to these. I might as well look at other brands, etc., and it's probably better/safer to actually see one in the store.


All their mountain bikes have front suspension. Basket issue.


https://community.raleighusa.com/bik...2014-detour-25
This lists a "23." (from 2014)
23" = 584.2mm


Just looking at top tube length...
594mm on DeTour 4.5 2009 "23" https://community.raleighusa.com/sit...gh-catalog.pdf
594mm on DeTour 2014 "23" https://community.raleighusa.com/bik...2014-detour-25
620.0mm on DeTour 2 2018 https://www.raleighusa.com/detour-2-141
So maybe the current 21 and previous 21 or 23 are different numbering systems somehow? Would a 2009 "23" be equal to a current "21?"


Interesting, but just making things more confusing.
https://www.bicycle-guider.com/bike-...ke-size-chart/

mstateglfr 

^
and down the rabbit hole we go.

Elvo

Why not go to a bike shop? They can look at your existing bike and configure the new bike to match your geometry and physically confirm that the baskets and stuff fit rather than trying to imagine it all in your head?

Machka 

Why would your current bike die on you?

If that should happen in, say, 20-30 years time ... things will have changed.

Machka 

This!

Machka 

Yes, start visiting bicycle shops. Get to know what's out there.

Archwhorides 

I appreciate that other forum members are offering useful advice.

My work situation has put me into a bit of a sensitive place, and this thread is causing involuntary muscle spasms.

SteelThisBike

Having delved recently into potential "projects" and the minefield of parts (in)compatibility, I say just get a new bike. A better than $300 bike if you can afford it, so it will have better components and wont need so many spares. But even with spares...the new bikes often have comfy bigger tires and whatnot. Why buy new based on what spare parts you have? You could also spend $300-400 on a used bike that's a barely-been-ridden "garage queen" and originally cost $1,500. Plenty of those around.

Maelochs

If you are dead-set on getting front suspension .... find a basket that mounts off the bars and rig a brace off the lower end of the head tube.

Personally I wouldn't bother with a sprung fork on a bike i was riding for a few miles on hard surfaces, or even gravel. At low speeds (and low cost/quality) all you are really adding is weight and a good failure point.

To each his own.

I will echo @Machka and the others who advise checking out bike shops, to see what is being sold nowadays.

And I definitely agree with @SteelThisBike and the others who recommend getting a new bike as opposed to doing major mechanical work. Unless you enjoy bike-building, and the infinity of tiny compatibility issues and missing parts conundrums that come with working on older equipment, spare yourself the cost and frustration.

Also, you mentioned space. Bike building takes some space, ans you need to be able to lay things out and sometimes leave them while you shop for or wait for parts and you need some work space even if you have everything. If you plan to do a major rebuild, which might not happen in a single day, how will that fit with the rest of you pans and needs?

As far as having two bikes .... get creative with bike storage. There are a lot of two-level racks on the market,, or you could knock together something with a little lumber, or rig hooks from the ceiling (make sure they hit the joists) .... there are possibilities. Basically, if you have floor space for one bike you usually have space above that bike for another.