Frijolito1988

Well guys I am some what new to bicycles , road bicycles to be precise. I ride the San gabriel river bike trail, started out doing 5 miles round trip , 10 and now im up to 32 miles round trip in almost 2 months. My dad bough this bike in a yard sale , i have since added a T bar style handle bar , diffrent pedals, lights , speedometer, and a MP3 holder and got it new tires and tubes. Well to get to the point

** Where can i buy some good quality padded shorts in the $60 range ? I have only been using compresion shorts with out pads and those long 32 mile long trips are really taking a toll on my butt.

** I am looking for some aero bars, im a big guy 6'4 and now I only have T bars and Im looking to be more aerodynamic but i dont want to spend over $100 for aerobars , looking for some really economical ones.

** Today i had to cut my bike ride shorts, i got a flat and I dont have any spare tubes, how many should one carry ??

** I have an air pump on my bike but it SUCKS it will seriously take my 20 minutes of hard pumping just to get it up to 70 psi, and I need my tubes at 100 PSI it is EXTREMELY frustrating. I use an air compresior when im home BUT if i get a flat again I want a good pump , maybe a foot pump that is small and clips on to the frame like the one i have now ? ( see picture )

** As my above questions, how many tubes should one carry ? right now i have some tubes that need an adaptor in the nipple and they suck, they leak air , i want a tube that is already the right universal size. What are some really good heavy duty tubes ? that have a universal nipple to put air in ?

Much appreciated guys,

Fernando

Frijolito1988

jack1212

I have the Topeak Mini Pump and it works really well up to 100 psi. It is portable and has a pump head with tube so you can pump it like a floor pump.

riff

Try the Hammer bibs - lot's of members have the "15% off in their signatures.

Carry a 700 tube, probably 18-25 size (width), plus a patch kit.

I have CO2 for filling up, but carry a Lezyne micro-pump as a backup.

Aerobars? DO you mean tri style bars? Clip-ons can be had relatively inexpensively.

crispy010

Carry one tube. Carry a patch kit (the glue kind) and know how to use it (ie practice at home). Carry a mini-pump or frame pump that can get your tires up to a ride-able pressure; this pressure will be lower than your preferred pressure).

When you buy a mini-pump, make sure it can be used with both schrader and presta valves. From your description I have no idea which type of valve you have on your bike.

I would recommend getting a floor pump to pump up your tires instead of the air compressor, but I am a purist and this really isn't necessary

Look at Performance for fairly cheap cycling clothing. I would recommend you go straight to bib shorts (the kind with shoulder straps) and skip the normal shorts. Bibs are magnitudes more comfortable.

Aero bars seriously affect handling and make riding on anything other than a flat, smooth road with excellent visibility dangerous. Using them in traffic is idiotic. Using them around other riders is idiotic. Using them on MUPs is idiotic.

Frijolito1988

Yeah i belive the size is 700x23 , how many tubes should I carry ? and any specific good heavy duty brand that has the universal size nipple ?

And by aerobars i mean that clip on handle where theres cups for your forearms and then horn looking handles, if that makes sense ?

Frijolito1988

This is the bibs you guys are talking about ? are they padded ?

https://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HN...%20Homebanners

Frijolito1988

ok so i will buy 1 tube and 1 parch kit and learn how to use it. My air pump i have now sucks, but i dont really want to spend money, i will shop around maybe buy another air pump. This is the bib you guys are talking about ?

https://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HN...%20Homebanners

The trail i do is strickly bike trail , paved, and straight, about 85% straight and smooth, I have not used the turn down handlebars, I do have it like the one in the picture, should i put that back ?

fosmith

damn... that's a sweet bike! don't clutter it up with aero bars...

Frijolito1988

So googling stuff, it seems as though performance is not so much good brand. What would be a step up from performance brand ?

this one ?

https://www.sierratradingpost.com/Pro...Processed=true

dstrong 

All good advice above and I'm happy to hear you're increasing your mileage as you ease into the sport. My mom-in-law lives in Seal Beach and my sis-in-law in Azusa, so three years ago during a visit I rode the San Gabriel River trail from the beach to Azusa...fun ride except for being a little nervous by some of the warnings about potential gang activity from my mom-in-law and some online info...but no issues at all.

Absolutely practice changing out a tube. 15 miles from home is no time to try to learn. Also, when you pick up your patch kit, look for tire boots. They are small rectangular adhesive pads that you use if you've driven something large through your tire and its structural integrity has been compromised. You line the inside of the tire with the tire boot for strength...otherwise, when you inflate your tube to 100 psi, it'll just blow out again where the tire is weak. It's possible to use a dollar bill or cliff bar wrapper but I've tried both and hands down, the tire boot wins.

Frijolito1988

great advice , I will look for those boots.

Any specific heavy duty tubes ? I was about 3 miles from seal beach today when i got a flat, had to call my sister to pick me up LOL.

riff

I'd look to more durable tires (vs tubes) to avoid flats. Not sure what you have on now, but something like the Continental Gatorskins, Specialized Armadillo's, etc, are pretty good for flat-avoidance. Don't roll as nicely as racing/fast training tires, though.

Edit: yes, that's the link - get the bibs, not the shorts! Way more comfortable!

ridethecliche

Link to hammer in my signature.

-Get a good floor pump.
-Topeak road morph for the road.
-You need a tube, patch kit, multi tool, and tire levers in your seat bag as tools for the ride.

Nice job! The RB-2's were awesome bikes.

Flatballer

What size is that bike, and how tall are you?

It looks like it's too big for you, or not set up correctly.

Randochap

Forget aero bars.

Here's what to do about flats. Make sure your bike fits.

Frijolito1988

I'm not sure what size it is, and not even sure if its set up correctly for me I feel like im doing all this blind with no info. I am 6'4

Flatballer

Measure from the middle of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube, in centimeters. Tell us that size, if you're 6'4", the frame is likely the right size, just set up incorrectly.

ImRael

+1 on both points.

Frijolito1988

measure like this ? if so its 63.5 cm

Flatballer

It's probably on the big side, but can be made to work. Read about how to get fit. The first step is to put your saddle at a height where the heel of your foot "just" touches the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. Don't rock your hips to achieve this, just let your leg hang straight down.

Howzit

Buy stuff online.

Either eBay or other sources, just google, google, google.

Since I have many miles under my belt over the years, I would advise you to carry 2 spare tubes. Puntures sometimes come in twos. Also, sometimes you can pinch the tube when replacing it if your still new, so a backup tube is always worth it.

I actually switched to C02 cartridges. I held out for the longest time, I always carried a full frame pump. The minis are a waste of time.
C02 cartridges though, I will admit are the way to go. Carry two of these as well. Dont forget 2 tire levers.
I personally think that saddle-bags are gay looking, but ultimately, they do their job. Thats one thing even the cool factor cant overide. Pack your stuff in a saddle-bag, tuck it under your sadle and your good to go.

I have never met a single American who knows how to use a patch kit. Of course everyone will disagree and claim they know how to, but coming from Africa, i know how real patching is done, it a necessity and way of life. I am also sure people dont know how to use them because the instructions that come with the kit are wrong. For that reason, I do not recommend a patch kit, it might cause you more trouble that its worth if your starting out.

Lastly, just simply carry your cell phone. If things really go bad, call your girl, wife, brother, sister, mom, dad or boyfreind. I doubt you will be cycling that far from town anyway.

- 2 tubes
- 2 C02 cartridges and nozzle
- 2 tire levers
- cell phone
- 2 cliff bars
- $40 cash
- Identification
- Health Insurance Card
- Trek and Sram Red Brochure for inspiration

Rober

Also:
1) Think about unwrapping your bars, loosening your brake levers (there is a screw clamp inside that can be reached through the opening when the handles are pulled slightly) and lowering your brake handles so that the tops are level with the road. They will be much easier to reach that way. Then re-wrap your bars with black tape.

2) Consider a new saddle - that one looks like torture!

3) You didn't mention shoes. Do you have decent bike shoes with cleats for the clipless peddles?

4) You also didn't mention having a helmet. If you haven't done so already - get a good one and wear it always.

I envy that bike! You are lucky to have found it and I wish I could find one just like it. Happy riding!

-Robert

crispy010

Soooo...... How did you put the brake levers on these new bars? And yes, put the drop bars back on. If you're not comfortable using the drops, aero bars aren't going to help you.

BillyD

That paint scheme is from '90 or '91. Bridgestone didn't make anything bigger than a 62 in road bikes in
those years (or maybe ever, I can't swear to 'ever') so that can't be anything bigger than a 62cm.

I'm 6'4" like the OP and I ride a 62cm RB-1. Fits perfect for me, though individuals may vary.