imho, smart ebay bidders put in one bid, at the last possible moment (say, 10 seconds before close) for the maximum they feel the merchandise is worth. if someone bids higher, its theirs. bid on the next one. when a vendor is selling the same thing over and over, a good auto-bidder program can chain those auctions together, and keep last second bidding the max you want to pay until you get one. done. I've used http://www.cricketsniper.com/ with good success.
ebay's come out with its own semi-sniper kinda thing too. Call it 'bid assistant.' Basically, you select a few things you wanna win and ebay will bid for you (up to yer max) and make sure you win one. I haven't tried it. I got outbid by $1 for a crankset for Stick Me's bike. I hadta go to work... Oh well. Next! M
Welp, once again Pugsley season is upon us up here. Rode it to work today for the first time this winter. Fun! Think maybe it's time I go ahead and order up a semetrical front wheel and fork tho. I love winter. Honest. I really do! Having a good time up here in the Great White North. Mark H.
I know it is camera angle, but that front tire look HUGE!!!! I must be a fair weather man, because I haven't been riding much when the temps hit 30 for lows and the winds have been howling at 45 mph yesterday.
It's not the camera... that wheels is actually double width of conventional on the Pugsley. If I lived in the north country I'd have one too
That looks wider than the front tire of my KTM!!!! The tread isn't as tall, but it look wider. I think if I lived there I would have to have something similar also, and dress very warm.
I have a couple of questions for you guys. First off on my cycle cross bike (Jamis Nova) I would like to gear it down. The bike is a 2005 model. I can't find any info on it. But the 2007s have a CS 5600 freewheel. My bike is a 9 speed so I am assuming that my free wheel is the 9 speed equivalent of the 5600. Can I gear this guy down? I'm thinking that I might currently have a 27 tooth on the rear. I would like to bump this up to a 32 tooth or similar. I know that I might need to get a different chain and derailleur. I have tried to make sense of the capability charts. I am not finding any useful info. Next is I am thinking of getting a new mountain bike. I need something that is at least as relaxed as my cycle cross bike. I have never ridden a fully suspended bike or a bike with an air shock on it. Do I need a fully suspended bike for riding trails? Or can I get buy just fine with a hard trail? My biggest issue with bikes is that I tend to knock the wheels out of alignment. I have a set of speed cities on my cycle cross bike. I have never need to alien them. I am currently looking at an REI brand bike. I think that the fully suppended bike is in the 1600 to 2k range. Is this enough bike for a big guy to get fit on?
If I remember correctly, a universal rear axle should be fine. I dunno about the cones on this model, but you might try another SA for comparison. I don't think that they varied that much. Did you try Sheldon Brown yet? What are you building? A retro "clunker?"
Wal-Mart doesn't kill bike shops. Bike shops that are run by people that have a "pre-Wal-Mart" attitude and business model kill their own shops. Wal-Mart puts "butts on saddles"... Do these people return to Wal-Mart for service? Parts? Clothing? Advice?.. NOPE. Wal-Mart sells cheap crap for the most part. At least some percentage of these buyers will get "hooked" and be looking for an upgrade to a "real bike" from the local LBS. RW
With a rear 9 spd drivetrain, more than likely you have cassette on the rear hub, not freewheel. Do you have a triple chainring on the crankarm? Going to a 32t rear cog from a 27t cog, the rear derailleur would require to have a long cage and chain would likely need to be lengthen.. if you're running triple chainrings, the front derailleur may need to be changed also. Full suspension or Hardtail is mostly personal preference, if you're heavy to begin with, a well designed full suspension bike may just hold up better if you ride somewhat aggressively. I don't know much about REI bikes, but if you want full suspension bikes that can take abuse, look up Marin Quad XC line and Giant Reign line for under $2000.
its often easier/cheaper to reduce the size of the front chain ring(s). you may or may not have to remove a few chain links when you do this, easily done with a chain rivet punch. you shouldn't have to change the derailleur(s). re: FSR vs hardtail for trail riding, it kind of depends on how rough your trails are and how fast you want to fly over rough terrain while maintaining some modicum of control. re: mountain bikes, hearing really good buzz about these guys -> http://www.ibiscycles.com/mountain/ their top of the line full suspension bike is under 22 lbs fully equipped (but that combo is $$$$$)
its got a rather unusual cone thats permanently attached, the other cone is threaded like a conventional old school the bike is built, its my 5 speed lightweight cruiser I've had since the late 70s.
I'm seriously considering the new 08 model Giant FCR-Alliance The problem is finding a store that has one in stock to look at and size up - before laying out the $$$'s
That is a gorgeous bike. I have flat bar road bike and a drop bar bike. The drop bar is much more comfortable.
You are mostly correct. Unfortunate effect, though. The family shop was run since the 60's and the business model was as old as the bikes that we fixed. That model, indeed, sealed the deal. Potential customers only saw the $ sign and not the quality. Most LBS ('round here anyway) are nothing more than a supplier of parts.
The main reason for wanting to go for a flat bar bike is cause I'm getting to old to prop in a prone position for anything longer than an hour. I figure, as with my current motorcycle and my Fisher Big Sur MTB, the sit up and beg position will be more comfortable for me. Cheers -Jack
I have a team mate who works as a wrench at rei. He races a novara (rei brand) full suspension frame. The bike is fully loaded with slr wheels and full xtr and the frame has held up fine. He races in expert class and rides the hell out of the bike. I ride a giant anthem (full suspension) with a similar specs setup. Our bikes weigh about the same (sub 24 lbs). I wouldn't hesitate to ride/race a novara frame.
A couple of weeks ago I stopped by a shop in Santa fe. They put me on a MoJo. What a sweet bike. My knees liked it and I fell in love. But at $4200.00 It was a little out of my price range. I stopped by that shop again today. It was still sitting there. I was hard to focus on other bikes with that puke green bike calling my name. The problem is that my son want to ride with me. I can't see spending 6k on two bikes. Boy I sure love that bike. I rode a stumpjumper ? They listed it at 2k. I am not sure on the setup. But my knees were a little forward of the balls on my feet. I could tell it right away. My knees don't let me get away with shit anymore. Also I was looking at a Gary Fisher 29er. A nice blue one. What a great looking bike. I'm not sure if a 29er is for me. But I might as well look into one. Thanks for all the advice guys.
