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Upgrading a Vilano City Bike Men's 7 Speed Hybrid Retro Urban Commuter???

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Upgrading a Vilano City Bike Men's 7 Speed Hybrid Retro Urban Commuter???

Old 11-29-21, 10:08 PM
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MacMorrighan
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Upgrading a Vilano City Bike Men's 7 Speed Hybrid Retro Urban Commuter???

Hey guys, I don't have much money on hand since I am paying for a voice teacher; but I am looking to buy the Vilano City Men's 7-Speed Hybrid Retro Urban Cruiser. First of all, I was wondering if anyone has any general reviews about this bike and the company? And secondly, whilst I'd love to give it an aesthetical upgrade (e.g., leather grips, an English brooks saddle and maybe getting the frame re-painted a color other than basic black), I was wondering--and hoping!--if I could take it too a nearby bike shop and have any further functional upgrades made to it, such as replacing the gearing system with an internal-gear hub, hydraulic disk breaks, and a carbon belt drive? I tried asking a local bike-shop this question and he shot back having no idea what I was even getting at! They also didn't seem to know about any other gear options than the derailleur system, which I personally find to be ugly since I am not an athletic biker it's unnecessary. Thanks!

~Wade
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Old 11-29-21, 10:15 PM
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No, you can’t do any of that. Well… with enough money you can do anything.

If you want that bike buy it and ride it as is.

John
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Old 11-29-21, 10:25 PM
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Retrofitting hydro discs and a belt drive can't be done on that bike. Start with something that at least has the kind of gears and brakes you want, and go from there.

Last edited by Rolla; 11-29-21 at 11:47 PM.
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Old 11-30-21, 02:20 AM
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The Vilano City is essentially the same exact Chinese bike as Pacific Cycle's SCHWINN GATEWAY & Pacific Cycle's SCHWINN WAYFARER models WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE Vilano bike has a NO-NAME Rear Derailleur, whereas the Pacific Cycle SCHWINNS have a Shimano rear derailleur!!!
The Vilano City's handlebar differs slightly in shape, being more closely related to mountain bike shape than classic tourist style.
I have followed these bicycles for more than five years, and the handlebar shapes are the only real difference, other than the Vilano having the NO-NAME derailleur.
I suspect that the people that are marketing the VILANO are sourcing from the exact same Chinese factory and except those marketing the VILANO are sourcing the NO-NAME rear derailleur because its unit cost is less than the Shimano rear derailleur. The VILANO bikes have typically have been seen as having those $7 generic NO-NAME rear derailleurs that look like the XUNDAH ( UPC code 072774025794 buildyourbike EBAY ) which is sort of a Chinese knock-off of a 1968 Shimano Lark )
The NO-NAME retro Chinese knock-off probably is more durable than the black lighter weight Shimano rear derailleur on the Pacific Cycle Schwinns.
That NO-NAME chrome looking metal Chinese knock-off will shift fine, as will the lowest model black Shimano unit that is on the Pacific Cycle schwinns.
The VILANO marketers probably realized that those Chinese 1968 Lark knockoffs are reasonably durable and it is typically what the economy DIY consumer purchases to replace a black oem base model Shimano that came on their Wallyworld/Tar-Jay pacific cycle or huffy or kent bicycle. The black Shimano oem base model is quite good for what it is but like you might imagine dumb-azz folks that throw their bikes down and lay them or drop them down in the pickup truck bed on the drive side(derailleur side) really beat the hell out of them. The NO-NAME retro unit is heavy at 300+ grams but it is less likely to get bent or deformed, at least will survive more abuse from somebody like the American Tourister Gorilla who just treats their bike worse than an airport baggage handler tossing luggage.

The VILANO marketers have done well at selecting a "chic" name which sounds european cool, and they have done what they can to differentiate theirs from the PACIFIC CYCLE products but it is essentially the same product.
Are they good bikes? They are all decent enough and ride well IF PROPERLY ASSEMBLED AND GREASED! There will be very minimal greasing if any (usually almost none, certainly not adequately done) from the factory. There are two basic reasons for this: (1) reduces unit cost (2) it guarantees that the bike will have a much shorter lifespan than if it were properly and adequately lubricated with decent grease!. They all want folks to be repeat customers, as probably 88% of ordinary bike buyers only know how to put air in the tires when needed and absolutely nothing else, but these same ordinary folks do understand that the Labor/Parts charges for their Local Bike Shop to do any minimal repair other than replacing an inner tube, etc.... will exceed the cost of buying a brand new same type of Wallyworld/Target/Internet bicycle.
Now for folks that can read and comprehend written instructions & are willing to watch an hour or so of various YOUTUBE videos, YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING & YOU CAN ASSEMBLE and MAKE said VILANO/Pacific Cycle schwinn/Kent/Huffy..... 7 speed LAST MORE THAN A DECADE & MORE THAN 4000 miles, but you have to properly lubricate said bicycle with a sufficient amount of synthetic waterproof grease (the grease itself is INEXPENSIVE)..... I would also highly recommend going old-school on these EL-CHEAPO INEXPENSIVE vilano/pacific cycle/huffy/kents and USE AUTOMOTIVE MOTOR OIL on the chain and freewheel gear cogs and front chainwheel and rear derailleur. WHY? Because the metal quality of the gear cogs IS NOT as durable/robust as the metal quality on a low cost Kmart Japanese made ten speed or five speed from 1971 - 1976. Yes, doing the old-school OIL the chain & gears WILL REQUIRE THAT YOU CLEAN THE CHAIN WITH SOMETHING LIKE LIGHTER FLUID / KEROSENE / Formula 87 (what those across the pond call petrol ), AT LEAST EVERY SIX MONTHS, OR MORE FREQUENTLY IF A LOT OF DIRT & GRIME BUILDS UP... Don't Worry, There is NO NEED TO REMOVE YOUR CHAIN, Just get some RUBBER GLOVES to protect your skin, and Safety Glasses to protect your EYES.................work outside, out doors away from buildings, children, pets, fire, flames, sparks, sources of ignition.... OLD RAGS, SOCK,Q tips/ old toothbrush that You Will Discard after use. These are incredibly dangerous and how you dispose of them is OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE!!! I will not say any more. Do your own research and know what you are dealing with. You probably will want to buy one of those $3 fifty-pound bag of Children's Sand Box SAND to have on hand, as the rags/sock/etc , after use, should at least be immediately in something like an empty soup can(metal can, not plastic) and immediately totally covered with at least three inches of Sand Box Sand.

Those Vilano/PacCycle/Kent/Huffy 7 speeds are decent enough IF ASSEMBLED PROPERLY & IF THERE ARE NO DAMAGED OR MISSING PARTS IN THE CARTON. The wheels are actually pretty good for such a low priced bicycle. The brakes function very well IF PROPERLY ADJUSTED..... Yes, the TWIST SHIFTER is prone to breaking if mistreated and the Twist Shifter WILL LIKELY break before the bicycle reaches the 6 year old mark of significant, daily use, even if the bike receives the best care as the quality of the twist shifter's parts is not designed to last a decade. Again, replacement Twist Shifters are about $12 on the web and it is relatively simple for any DIY person to do, but if you were to inquire at your local bike shop to replace the Twist Shifter, they would charge you what you'd pay for a new bike like yours.
Are these bikes worth $200 or so? Heck yes, if you want a decent enough , good riding, slow upright city bicycle, IF YOU AREN'T TOO LARGE(tall) because these bikes typically come ONLY in one men's frame size and one slightly smaller step-through Women's, although the PacificCycle Schwinn ADMIRAL is a women's mixte frame, but it is indeed the same bicycle as these previously mentioned above. PacificCycle has also had other whatever-name following schwinn, as in Schwinn what-ever as they have had many names, some of which have been exclusive to certain big box retailers like Target etc.
THESE ARE GOOD BIKES IF PROPERLY ASSEMBLED & PROPERLY GREASED! They all WEIGH about 34 to 35 POUNDS. None of them weigh any more than that unless they have a rear rack. Some of the NOV 2021 negative, 35 reasons not to buy one, reviews of these bikes are totally WRONG when they claim that these weigh 40 pounds. ARE THESE Chinese 7 speed bicycles AS GOOD AS A 1964 - 1977 chicago made SCHWINN COLLEGIATE five Speed or a 1970 - 1976 SCHWINN SUBURBAN five speed that was made in Chicago? -----ABSOULUTELY NOT !!! ---- The old steel wheeled 40 pound Chicago SCHWINN five speeds have BETTER, Wide RANGE gearing than any of these current day 7 speeds. Yes, fewer gears but better HILL CLIMBING due to larger rear 1st gear sprocket. The sixties & seventies 5 SPEED SCHWINNS are more durable. You will not easily break any fifty year old Schwinn derailleur, any fifty or sixty year old WEINMANN brake caliper, or fifty or sixty year old WEINMANN tourist brake lever.......You will Not break the old Schwinn Single STIK shifter, and the ancient Schwinn's chrome is second to none and is less likely to show as much rust after 55 years as today's Chinese bikes' steel handlebars, cranks, fenders do after 4 Months.
THE MORE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE ANCIENT chicago electroforged FIVE SPEEDS of the sixties & seventies CAME IN MANY DIFFERENT FRAME SIZES, AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE RELAXED GEOMETRY.....you see both the SEAT TUBE & HEAD TUBE are about exactly parallel and slanted towards at least the 11 O'clock hour position on a clock's face.....................this gives the ability that a great many of these various old ancient electroforged SCHWINNS can accomodate a great variety of different height persons just by raising the seat post.............THERE AREN'T MANY BIKES THAT CAN DO THAT...........extra long seat posts are available. Another thing is that you will find that the 19 inch WOMEN's frame step through of the 1966 to 1980 chicago electroforged SCHWINN is larger than these Men's chinese VILANO & PacificCycle schwinns & huffys. The wheelbase is longer & the effective top tube length from head tube to seat tube IS AT LEAST AS LONG OR LONGER ON THE ANCIENT Women's (19 inch) chicago Schwinn frame. Hey, that old (19 inch) women's step through WAS the MEDIUM SIZED Women's frame during the SEVENTIES. You had 17 inch , 19 inch, and 21 inch WOMEN's step through frames from SCHWINN in the Seventies. BOTH the 19 inch and 21 inch ancient WOMEN's stepthrough frames ARE BIGGER THAN what you get on these New Today mens frames from VILANO, Pacific Cycle or HUFFY. Don't Believe that this is true, well compare them with a tape measure, as that is just the ancient Women's chicago made frames being larger and more accomodating than these NEW chinese Box Store bikes. THE ancient chicago Men's diamond frame (20"), (22"), and (24") bicycles ARE A HELLUVA LOT BIGGER THAN these Chinese VILANO, Pac Cycle, Huffys etc. ------That is something to really think about------, Yes, the old steel wheeled ancient Schwinn 5 SPEEDS will not stop very well if you ride in the RAIN but this is not a problem as you should be riding slower and cautiously and not like you are leading the tour de france with only 3 miles remaining.
There ain't nothing like an ancient electroforged 5 Speed SCHWINN from the in terms of durability and quality of construction. Superb riding and yeah they are heavy but the gearing is superb on 1970 -1977 5 speeds. You will not find a more durable, pleasant riding, slow pace, city cruiser than a vintage COLLEGIATE or SUBURBAN 5 SPEED from the NIXON, & FORD era. You may think wrong that 7 speeds is better than the old 5 speed of the Seventies era Collegiate/Suburban five speeds.
Count the teeth and do the simple math to calculate GEAR inches. FIVE POUNDS LIGHTER is not gonna significantly matter too much, although the lighter wheels are probably the best part of these new Chinese bikes, although their freewheels etc aren't as good as the ancient ones. If assembled properly and greased the new Chinese bikes will be more than okay. They are a good value for the cost and will provide you a huge number of happy miles if you follow the recommendations. Folks that own and work at local bike shops obviously have a vested interest in severely bashing these bicycles with ridiculously negative reviews because they don't want you to buy from Wallyworld, Tar-Jay or the net. These new Chinese bikes are fairly simple. The ancient chicago SCHWINN 5 speeds are fairly simple. These new Chinese bikes have components that are more fragile than the ancient Bombproof chicago SCHWINNS but with proper assembly, lubrication, and reasonable care that you should get a decade or more of many many miles, possibly having to replace a twist shifter after four years....
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Old 11-30-21, 05:12 AM
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Sounds like you got some good advice. Also, you can probably reduce the weight of the bike by eliminating most of the adjectives modifying its name.
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Old 11-30-21, 05:42 AM
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You have a tight budget so you want to buy a cheap bike and then get lots of hugely expensive alterations done?

Just no.

Either make do with the bike as-is or look for a bike that already has the spec you want. It'll almost certainly be cheaper to buy a bike that's already built to spec than to buy a difference one and upgrade it.

Upgrading to hydraulics brakes is a no go, you'd need a new fork, frame, and wheels in addition to the braking system.

Repainting is time consuming, so expensive.

Changing to an internal hub means a new wheel/hub and hope it fits the frame.

Changing to a belt means completely new drivetrain.

So if you're talking about changing the colour, brakes, drive train, grips, wheels, frame, fork, and saddle, then pretty much all you're keeping is the seatpost and handlebars.
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Old 11-30-21, 06:22 AM
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Even if it is practical to make the upgrades you're contemplating, I suspect the parts would likely cost you about 3-4 times what you've paid for the bike.

What's your total budget? Makes more sense to see what IG bikes are available at that price.
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Old 11-30-21, 06:40 AM
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It’s funny, I did a similar mental exercise and the only difference int list of usable parts from the Vilano were the pedals and maybe the handlebars with a shim. I assumed the seatpost diameter would not fit the new frame.

The first thought is it is not worth the money to upgrade that bike, and then when you tick off the list of changes you realize everything including the frame needs to be replaced.

John
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Old 11-30-21, 07:30 AM
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Here's something more realistic, good to go as supplied but with rim brakes:

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/thegotham

A bit higher priced, but has hydraulic brakes:

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/pro...33279933022285

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Old 11-30-21, 08:44 AM
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OP: How is the book coming?

Pro tip: When faced with a "strange" thread, check post history.
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Old 11-30-21, 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
OP: How is the book coming?

Pro tip: When faced with a "strange" thread, check post history.
Good call .... that thread was mildly amusing.

Maybe this guy also needs to mount a tablet and fit the bike in an airplane's overhead bin to do aerial fire-observing?
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Old 11-30-21, 09:35 AM
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MacMorrighan Buying a pre-owned bike can get you a better bike for less. I don't know where you are, but many cities have bike co-ops and/or bike shops that feature professionally reconditioned bikes.

Alternately, you can forgo the voice lessons and sing as you ride (just kidding):

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Old 11-30-21, 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
OP: How is the book coming?

Pro tip: When faced with a "strange" thread, check post history.

Pro tip: why? Either post on the thread, just read the thread or skip the thread. I don't really care about this guy's bio. He's doing a lot of different things, not sure that makes him a troll and really don't care.
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Old 11-30-21, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Pro tip: why? Either post on the thread, just read the thread or skip the thread. I don't really care about this guy's bio. He's doing a lot of different things, not sure that makes him a troll and really don't care.
Originally Posted by indyfabz
OP: How is the book coming?

Pro tip: When faced with a "strange" thread, check post history.
Well .... some people are curious about the world and want to understand it better. Some people like to know whether what they say is likely to fall on deaf ears, or be roundly rejected due to ignorance, prejudice, or both.

Some people just like learning. Some ..... feel differently.

In this case, I (and please not I never mentioned where this guy might live (e.g. "under some bridge") or anything like that. That is a specific Livedarklion issue .... ) am interested to know that this guy is planning to write a book about an epic bike ride but has never ridden a bike.

Maybe you only go to doctors whop plan to go to med school later, or only bring your car to mechanics who plan to learn auto maintenance later ...... Personally when I read that a guy who doesn't even ride a bike has a dream of writing a book about a very arduous activity about which he knows nothing ....... I know the person isn't serious. We have all lived a long time and met many people .... we know that some people are dreamers who make it real or at least reach for it, and some are fantasizers who grab a good fantasy, pretend it might happen, and then move on to a new fantasy and act like that is real for a while.

Contrast this with the post of @79pmooney in the "Is fixed gear more efficient for pedaling?" thread (post #79.) (https://www.bikeforums.net/22324579-post79.html)

79pmooney talks about the fatigue, the pain and discomfort, the energy needed just to get out of a sleeping bag on a cold morning with stiff, sore legs and a long cold ride ahead ... you know he has been there. You know if he says he is gong to write a book about an epic ride, he is absolutely going to try the epic ride .... maybe not the book, but he will at least try the ride. he knows about the highs and lows, the pain and pleasure .... he knows how it feels when your brain and body are so burnt out that you want to quit but can't or won't, and ride on hating that day .... and how the next day might be better, or not.

He knows how sometimes finishing the ride isn't a real sense of victory or relief, it is just .... "Meh. I made it." and it is only afterward that you remember some of the stuff that faded into haze after days or riding. He knows how it feels to know it was a hard effort over a long time and not always pleasant but know that for reasons beside s the simple joy of riding (which he could do in short doses, returning home each night,) there is a larger environment, and even foreign environment entered on a long tour .... the world and what it means changes, focused on the events of the day and the plans for the next day.

Life takes on new meanings, you live by a different value system, and it is so immediate and demanding that you Have to engage fully (which not a lot of us do all the time is quotidian 9-5 life.)

If 79pmooney said he planned to write a book, I would take that seriously. If a guy who lives in fantasy worlds tells me anything, I know it is just part of his latest fantasy.

The OP talks about a lot of stuff, and frankly a lot of it is incoherent. he sounds like the sort of person whio isn't engaged in real time in the sotry he is telling .... that it is a mostly fictional story.

When (not if) I decide to get a bike, I do the research, I do the cost/benefit analyses, I sort through available features and match them to needs or desires ..... I narrow my search, to what I really and reasonably can expect and afford, and then rewiden the net to see what might be around the edges .... then I slowly close the net, pulling out and tossing the inedible bits, until I am left with exactly what I want.

I didn't need to consult anyone here when I bought my Fuji, nor when I equipped it. When i wanted to learn about mechanical discs versus hydro discs, I did my own research. I chose two-bolt cleats after weighing the benefits of each system. I chose the lights, the racks, the bags, based on research I did .... because it was a real thing in my life, not a fantasy. I really wanted it so I put the work in.

Sure, part of the research involved asking people on forums for personal experiences with specific systems .... I don't fault the guy for coming here. But I sincerely hope he is out there right now actually looking at the bikes on his price range. I hope he is making lists of what he wants and needs and ordering those thing by importance. I hope he is researching the accessories he says he wants.

Then when I read that he is planning a multi-thousand-mile bike trip .... right after he buys his first bike .......

Yeah, that is useful information.

I don't worry too much that I might be in a "troll thread," because I am conversing with the other BF trolls .... we are all here having ridiculous jousts over ridiculous topics most of the time, why should I worry if the starting point was Rydabent railing against clouds or some guy who has a 20-year-iold bike he has never ridden? I get my entertainment from interacting with my fellow BF trolls ... I mean, half the time we are busting on each other at least slightly, and almost everything is written at least slightly tongue-in-cheek, it seems. We are all just here trading posts for pleasure ..... None of us really care that much if this guy buys a bike or not. it was just a good place to start a meandering conversation.

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Old 11-30-21, 05:18 PM
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Originally Posted by MacMorrighan
They also didn't seem to know about any other gear options than the derailleur system, which I personally find to be ugly since I am not an athletic biker it's unnecessary.
What's the issue with the "American" derailleur system? Just the looks?

Because it's a well proven system, works well and is easy to repair/replace. It'll likely give you a lot more gear choices as well which is a good thing even if you're not an athletic biker.

I'm not an athletic biker but love my 10 and 20 gear systems for the range - low enough to crawl up hills, high enough to get a decent speed on the flats, and enough jumps for there to usually be an ideal gear.
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Old 11-30-21, 05:26 PM
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Vilano's aren't worth much money and putting any extra money in them is silly. If you have specific things in mind that you want get a bike with those things already on it. Upgrades are expensive and really only worth it on something decent enough to accept them. A Vilano and similar bikes in that price point (which is hopefully the same as scrap prices) just aren't worth the money they cost, the parts put on them are pretty cheap if not the cheapest parts they can find and the bikes are built by low grade workers who don't care about safety and are probably getting paid by the bike so you aren't getting anything safe so you have to add a bunch of money to get it properly assembled and tuned.

If you want hydraulic disc brakes and a belt drive get a bike with that already. Plenty of belt driven options out there and generally these days they will probably come with some form of disc brakes. Sure they might cost some money initially but will be a lot lower maintenance and generally much higher quality. If you are desperate for a bike now and you are stuck on Vilano and similar lower quality stuff then just realize what you are getting but I would save up some money and get what you want. Maybe your local shop has something and maybe can do some financing. I did that recently for a bike purchase and I am glad I did, I got my belt drive and Rohloff and everything else I wanted and am loving the bike but not having to pay it off at once which in the middle of winter when I was not working much was tough.

Saddle and grips you could upgrade at a later date as saddles and grips are personal but the bike should be at least worth a little bit to upgrade or you have to move it to the bike you want but a beater bike with high end new parts is not ideal.
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Old 11-30-21, 05:47 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Here's something more realistic, good to go as supplied but with rim brakes:

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/thegotham

A bit higher priced, but has hydraulic brakes:

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/pro...33279933022285
When I first read this thread, I did a quick web search, and found two posts on the best belt-drive bikes .... Priority came up in both, and I wrote a post about them, but it got lost in an Internet vortex. When I got back, I found LDL (Livedarklions, no the cholesterol type) had posted this. Really this is all the OP needs if he really wants what he says he wants.
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Old 11-30-21, 06:38 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
Well .... some people are curious about the world and want to understand it better. Some people like to know whether what they say is likely to fall on deaf ears, or be roundly rejected due to ignorance, prejudice, or both.

Some people just like learning. Some ..... feel differently.

In this case, I (and please not I never mentioned where this guy might live (e.g. "under some bridge") or anything like that. That is a specific Livedarklion issue .... ) am interested to know that this guy is planning to write a book about an epic bike ride but has never ridden a bike.

Maybe you only go to doctors whop plan to go to med school later, or only bring your car to mechanics who plan to learn auto maintenance later ...... Personally when I read that a guy who doesn't even ride a bike has a dream of writing a book about a very arduous activity about which he knows nothing ....... I know the person isn't serious. We have all lived a long time and met many people .... we know that some people are dreamers who make it real or at least reach for it, and some are fantasizers who grab a good fantasy, pretend it might happen, and then move on to a new fantasy and act like that is real for a while.

Contrast this with the post of @79pmooney in the "Is fixed gear more efficient for pedaling?" thread (post #79.) (https://www.bikeforums.net/22324579-post79.html)

79pmooney talks about the fatigue, the pain and discomfort, the energy needed just to get out of a sleeping bag on a cold morning with stiff, sore legs and a long cold ride ahead ... you know he has been there. You know if he says he is gong to write a book about an epic ride, he is absolutely going to try the epic ride .... maybe not the book, but he will at least try the ride. he knows about the highs and lows, the pain and pleasure .... he knows how it feels when your brain and body are so burnt out that you want to quit but can't or won't, and ride on hating that day .... and how the next day might be better, or not.

He knows how sometimes finishing the ride isn't a real sense of victory or relief, it is just .... "Meh. I made it." and it is only afterward that you remember some of the stuff that faded into haze after days or riding. He knows how it feels to know it was a hard effort over a long time and not always pleasant but know that for reasons beside s the simple joy of riding (which he could do in short doses, returning home each night,) there is a larger environment, and even foreign environment entered on a long tour .... the world and what it means changes, focused on the events of the day and the plans for the next day.

Life takes on new meanings, you live by a different value system, and it is so immediate and demanding that you Have to engage fully (which not a lot of us do all the time is quotidian 9-5 life.)

If 79pmooney said he planned to write a book, I would take that seriously. If a guy who lives in fantasy worlds tells me anything, I know it is just part of his latest fantasy.

The OP talks about a lot of stuff, and frankly a lot of it is incoherent. he sounds like the sort of person whio isn't engaged in real time in the sotry he is telling .... that it is a mostly fictional story.

When (not if) I decide to get a bike, I do the research, I do the cost/benefit analyses, I sort through available features and match them to needs or desires ..... I narrow my search, to what I really and reasonably can expect and afford, and then rewiden the net to see what might be around the edges .... then I slowly close the net, pulling out and tossing the inedible bits, until I am left with exactly what I want.

I didn't need to consult anyone here when I bought my Fuji, nor when I equipped it. When i wanted to learn about mechanical discs versus hydro discs, I did my own research. I chose two-bolt cleats after weighing the benefits of each system. I chose the lights, the racks, the bags, based on research I did .... because it was a real thing in my life, not a fantasy. I really wanted it so I put the work in.

Sure, part of the research involved asking people on forums for personal experiences with specific systems .... I don't fault the guy for coming here. But I sincerely hope he is out there right now actually looking at the bikes on his price range. I hope he is making lists of what he wants and needs and ordering those thing by importance. I hope he is researching the accessories he says he wants.

Then when I read that he is planning a multi-thousand-mile bike trip .... right after he buys his first bike .......

Yeah, that is useful information.

I don't worry too much that I might be in a "troll thread," because I am conversing with the other BF trolls .... we are all here having ridiculous jousts over ridiculous topics most of the time, why should I worry if the starting point was Rydabent railing against clouds or some guy who has a 20-year-iold bike he has never ridden? I get my entertainment from interacting with my fellow BF trolls ... I mean, half the time we are busting on each other at least slightly, and almost everything is written at least slightly tongue-in-cheek, it seems. We are all just here trading posts for pleasure ..... None of us really care that much if this guy buys a bike or not. it was just a good place to start a meandering conversation.
Are you in a competition withVintage Schwinn for most unreadable verbose posts? I bailed after a few sentences.

I actually went and looked at that thread, he doesn't say a word about writing a book about bicycling, he's projecting a book tour on a bike after he's done writing it. Looks like you're rambling on based on a really glaring reading comprehension failure on your part.

Here's what he actually wrote, see if you can find anywhere where he says the book is about bikes or bicycling: "Hey guys, I am writing a book, and one thing I would love to do once it's in print is to schedule a book tour as I ride from state to state along the eastern stretch of the Great American Rail-Trail. I was wondering if you thought an authentic Dutch-style bike or an Electra Loft 7i step-over would be able to handle such continuous use? Thanks."

Lots of words you got there "busting on" a guy for something he didn't say.

Last edited by livedarklions; 11-30-21 at 06:46 PM.
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Old 11-30-21, 07:41 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
we are all here having ridiculous jousts over ridiculous topics most of the time
Oh yeah? Show us your evidence, man!

Originally Posted by livedarklions
Are you in a competition withVintage Schwinn for most unreadable verbose posts?
If so, he's losing badly.
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Old 12-01-21, 08:29 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by Rolla
If so, he's losing badly.
Looks like a 2000 word or so essay based entirely on a false premise. I think he may be coming up on the inside, disguised only by his ability to use paragraph breaks.
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Old 12-01-21, 08:37 AM
  #21  
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Yup ... I messed up. I read the post four posts into the thread where the poster assumed the book was about riding the trial, and thought it was accurate. I missed, 100 percent.

On the other hand, if you read all his posts, MacMorrighan seems to be a person who doesn't own a bike.

He talks about how he had a bike he couldn't ride as a kid, and always wanted to buy one as an adult .... but he talks about all kinds of bikes and being unable to choose.

He talks about parking a bike in his apartment, but never makes it clear if he actually has a bike.
And this thread .... he is again looking at buying an entry-level bike.

Then he talks about adding thousands of dollars of additions and modifications to that bike .... while obviously not know that many of these modifications are actually impossible, incompatible with that bike.

This makes clear a couple things. One, it shows he has not researched the changes he wants to make, or even begin to understand either the changes or the bike. It seems he judged the bike by its appearance (similar to his childhood bike, Rosebud ....... ) and a list of features he read off an ad.

Then, he obviously has not even bothered to research bikes which offer the features he wants. Livedarklions and myself were both able, with 25-0r 30 keystrokes, able to find a company which produces bikes which look like what MacMorrighan wants, and are not too far out of his price range.

Why didn't MacMorrighan do his own web search? Because he isn't serious. He is living in a fantasy. If he 3anted to make that fantasy real, he would have made the same search LDL and I made, and come up with pretty much exactly what he is looking for.

As for my ongoing competition with VintageSchwinn .... yeah, I am ashamed by my use of paragraph and punctuation. I will try harder.
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Old 12-01-21, 08:59 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
Then, he obviously has not even bothered to research bikes which offer the features he wants. Livedarklions and myself were both able, with 25-0r 30 keystrokes, able to find a company which produces bikes which look like what MacMorrighan wants, and are not too far out of his price range.

Why didn't MacMorrighan do his own web search? Because he isn't serious. He is living in a fantasy. If he 3anted to make that fantasy real, he would have made the same search LDL and I made, and come up with pretty much exactly what he is looking for.
.
Gets right back to the original point we're arguing--there's nothing rational about researching this guy's post history before deciding whether I want to do the google search, and I think it's a dumb "pro tip" to suggest that people do so. I'd have spent more time researching that than actually doing the short search.
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Old 12-01-21, 09:36 AM
  #23  
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It took just one look at the Vilano website https://www.vilanobikes.com/products...-city-commuter to know that I would never buy this bike. One frame size fits all? No bike worth my interest comes in just one size (neither do human bodies).
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Old 12-01-21, 10:01 AM
  #24  
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If you were able to do all your own work to make the mods, then you might come in a little less expensive than just buying a bike that is already what you want. But only if you are experienced enough in the DIY and understand what all the spec numbers mean and can figure out what is compatible with what.

Trying to make a bike something it's not will be even more expensive.
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Old 12-01-21, 11:04 AM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Iride01
If you were able to do all your own work to make the mods, then you might come in a little less expensive than just buying a bike that is already what you want. But only if you are experienced enough in the DIY and understand what all the spec numbers mean and can figure out what is compatible with what.

Trying to make a bike something it's not will be even more expensive.
This.

I built up a city bike a few years ago. Started with a late-70s era Japanese road bike that I got for $25. I replaced almost every component on it, at a total cost of about four or five hundred USD. This includes the wheels, which I built myself, the rear being a 3-speed internal gear hub.

I have rim brakes and chain drive, and I don’t mind it one bit; the bike rides great.

I’ll say that a project like this is not for the beginning mechanic. It requires some tools and knowledge/experience.

My point is this: a nice city bike can be had for less than $500, with used parts. Department store bikes are available for less than 200, but they’re not of the quality I got, nowhere close. Stylish, high quality bikes (8 speed hub, belt drive, disc brakes) can be had for around $1000, give or take a few hundred. This is the price you have to pay for one that’s ready to ride.
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