disk vs rim brakes?
04-11-23, 09:41 PM
#101
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...there are people who buy them, so the people who sell them keep on making them. 
I would not advise buying a bicycle from an online business, because all of the initial assembly and maintenance falls directly on your shoulders. There are a couple of big ones, like Bikes Direct, that apparently sell a lot of bicycles, and advertise fantastic deals all the time. But I think you ought to try learning the maintenance and repair using your current bicycle, before you jump into something like that.
A lot of the local shops here won't work on those bikes for you, if you end up not being able to get the bike to work well.
I would not advise buying a bicycle from an online business, because all of the initial assembly and maintenance falls directly on your shoulders. There are a couple of big ones, like Bikes Direct, that apparently sell a lot of bicycles, and advertise fantastic deals all the time. But I think you ought to try learning the maintenance and repair using your current bicycle, before you jump into something like that.
A lot of the local shops here won't work on those bikes for you, if you end up not being able to get the bike to work well.
04-12-23, 02:16 PM
#103
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Small apartment. Wouldn't a 24" folder be more comfortable to ride then 20"? My current bike is fine for now, but just planning ahead.
04-12-23, 02:23 PM
#104
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04-12-23, 02:28 PM
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This is far too vague a question to answer with anything specific. There are a LOT of bikes that are $1000+. In the current market, that's about the price point for a decent-quality, entry-level MTB. If you're seeing a repeating ad for a specific bike, sharing the make and model would be helpful for getting feedback from people on this site.
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04-12-23, 02:39 PM
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What does that mean, actually? That these bike shops don't work on used bikes, or anything that a customer bought somewhere other than their store? If someone buys a bike on Craigslist and wants some work done, or they have an old bike they are trying to get back on the road, or one that someone gave them, they won't work on it? That seems VERY limiting from a business standpoint.
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04-12-23, 02:46 PM
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What does that mean, actually? That these bike shops don't work on used bikes, or anything that a customer bought somewhere other than their store? If someone buys a bike on Craigslist and wants some work done, or they have an old bike they are trying to get back on the road, or one that someone gave them, they won't work on it? That seems VERY limiting from a business standpoint.
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04-12-23, 02:57 PM
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Wheel size has very little to do with it. Brompton folding bikes use 16 inch rims, and Bike Friday folding bikes use 20inch rims. Both are full adult size bikes when setup to ride, and many people use them for touring.
04-12-23, 03:40 PM
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What does that mean, actually? That these bike shops don't work on used bikes, or anything that a customer bought somewhere other than their store? If someone buys a bike on Craigslist and wants some work done, or they have an old bike they are trying to get back on the road, or one that someone gave them, they won't work on it? That seems VERY limiting from a business standpoint.
I'm not claiming it's all bike shops. I can't speak categorically for all bike shops. I do know one guy who does repairs on older stuff, for anyone. But he's folding the tent in a month or two, because he can't pay himself a living wage doing so.
If you touch a bicycle as a professional, there's an implied liability if anything goes wrong with it afterwards. If it happens to be due to some assembly error from the manufacturer, and you missed it, it doesn't matter. The people I've spoken with are busy servicing the bikes and brands they've sold.
There are a couple of companies that I will not name, who are selling direct to consumer, with the initial assembly and some initial servicing done by the stores that represent their brand locally. That's a relatively recent deal, and I have no idea how those stores feel about it, or how it's working out in practice. But not all bike shops are out there, beating the bush for repair work.
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04-12-23, 04:55 PM
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...as an addendum to the above, the local Spesh dealer here was Mike"s Bikes, for as many years back as I can remember.
Every time I dropped in to chat with the guy who ran the repairs end, in the back, he would treat me to another amusing story about what a terrible company (Spesh, not Mike's) they were to work with.
Spesh is one of those companies that recently decided to experiment with direct marketing to consumers, with the local dealer "available for assembly and support."
Specialized to add consumer-direct sales
Not long afterward, some guys up in Tahoe opened up a branch shop here in Sacramento. And they are now the local Specialized dealership.
I was not privy to the conversations and the negotiations on this, but if I had to guess, the people at Mike's Bikes decided they had finally had enough. It really does seem like a blatant attempt by the company to take a cut of the profit margins on the bikes that were formerly sold in store.
Honestly, I'm not a Specialized h8ter, and I genuinely like the people at Mike's, and these new guys, from whom I bought my recent replacement helment. But this whole for profit bicycle business makes me uneasy at times. I think I might have low level anxiety disorder, sometimes. A lot of stuff makes me uneasy.
I'm uncertain whether Specialized makes and sells a bike that would be good for the OP. I guess they might, I just don't know what it would be ?
...as an addendum to the above, the local Spesh dealer here was Mike"s Bikes, for as many years back as I can remember.
Every time I dropped in to chat with the guy who ran the repairs end, in the back, he would treat me to another amusing story about what a terrible company (Spesh, not Mike's) they were to work with.
Spesh is one of those companies that recently decided to experiment with direct marketing to consumers, with the local dealer "available for assembly and support."
Specialized to add consumer-direct sales
...They can buy directly from the Specialized website and have the bike delivered to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Specialized dealer closest to them. The dealer will assemble the bike and the customer will come pick it up. The dealer would get 50% of the normal margin on the sale.
I was not privy to the conversations and the negotiations on this, but if I had to guess, the people at Mike's Bikes decided they had finally had enough. It really does seem like a blatant attempt by the company to take a cut of the profit margins on the bikes that were formerly sold in store.
Honestly, I'm not a Specialized h8ter, and I genuinely like the people at Mike's, and these new guys, from whom I bought my recent replacement helment. But this whole for profit bicycle business makes me uneasy at times. I think I might have low level anxiety disorder, sometimes. A lot of stuff makes me uneasy.
I'm uncertain whether Specialized makes and sells a bike that would be good for the OP. I guess they might, I just don't know what it would be ?
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04-12-23, 05:25 PM
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...as an addendum to the above, the local Spesh dealer here was Mike"s Bikes, for as many years back as I can remember.
Every time I dropped in to chat with the guy who ran the repairs end, in the back, he would treat me to another amusing story about what a terrible company (Spesh, not Mike's) they were to work with.
Spesh is one of those companies that recently decided to experiment with direct marketing to consumers, with the local dealer "available for assembly and support."
Specialized to add consumer-direct sales
Not long afterward, some guys up in Tahoe opened up a branch shop here in Sacramento. And they are now the local Specialized dealership.
I was not privy to the conversations and the negotiations on this, but if I had to guess, the people at Mike's Bikes decided they had finally had enough. It really does seem like a blatant attempt by the company to take a cut of the profit margins on the bikes that were formerly sold in store.
Honestly, I'm not a Specialized h8ter, and I genuinely like the people at Mike's, and these new guys, from whom I bought my recent replacement helment. But this whole for profit bicycle business makes me uneasy at times. I think I might have low level anxiety disorder, sometimes. A lot of stuff makes me uneasy.
I'm uncertain whether Specialized makes and sells a bike that would be good for the OP. I guess they might, I just don't know what it would be ?
...as an addendum to the above, the local Spesh dealer here was Mike"s Bikes, for as many years back as I can remember.
Every time I dropped in to chat with the guy who ran the repairs end, in the back, he would treat me to another amusing story about what a terrible company (Spesh, not Mike's) they were to work with.
Spesh is one of those companies that recently decided to experiment with direct marketing to consumers, with the local dealer "available for assembly and support."
Specialized to add consumer-direct sales
Not long afterward, some guys up in Tahoe opened up a branch shop here in Sacramento. And they are now the local Specialized dealership.
I was not privy to the conversations and the negotiations on this, but if I had to guess, the people at Mike's Bikes decided they had finally had enough. It really does seem like a blatant attempt by the company to take a cut of the profit margins on the bikes that were formerly sold in store.
Honestly, I'm not a Specialized h8ter, and I genuinely like the people at Mike's, and these new guys, from whom I bought my recent replacement helment. But this whole for profit bicycle business makes me uneasy at times. I think I might have low level anxiety disorder, sometimes. A lot of stuff makes me uneasy.
I'm uncertain whether Specialized makes and sells a bike that would be good for the OP. I guess they might, I just don't know what it would be ?
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04-14-23, 04:52 AM
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04-14-23, 11:29 AM
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Not really. It depends on where they live. Where I live I'd hate to have only a fixed gear. The hills are many and steep around me. There is no way I would want a fixed gear bike around here for my main bike. I would ride one around here, but would have to take it to a fairly flat bike trail to do so.
