Bikes Direct.com

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
Thank you very much for your answer. is very helpfull. What you think wich crank size is better. 53/39 52/42 52/36 or 50/34. And which size cassete. I try have bike good to ride on flats and hilly trail

I think it depends on what shape you're in. If you're an avid cyclist then go with the 53/39, if you're not or have issues with knees etc then go with a 50/34. Cassette wise a standard 12-25 will work well with either of the two chainrings I mentioned, or if you're not in all that great of shape or have issues with knees etc as mentioned earlier you could go with a 12-27 to make things a bit more easier with the combined chainrings of 50/34. If you're an animal on a bike you could go with a cassette of 11/21 or a 11/23 combined with the 53/39 chainrings.

Thank you very much for your answer. I have one cannondale road bike now 9 speeds cassete i do one 13-28 but is skip in gears i do that cassete i take cogs from 3 other cassetes i have i try found one cassete 12-23 or 12-21 before on that bike i have cassete 12-25 and 53-39 crank. With 53-39 i go on hilly trail is have elevation from 700 feet to 900 feet. with the 25 is some hard on some hills is steep short hills but i stay be on the seat and pedal my bike is aluminum around 22 pounds and i see difference in same trail i used to ride steel vinatge road bike more than 25 pounds i had crank 52-42 and freewheel 7 speeds 14-28. Now after i see on youtube one review for the wellington winsdor 2.0 is got me interesting but i see your bike you say thank you for that

Which motobecane road bikes from bikes direct is good and cheap. I try deside between the motobecane mirage sport and the wellington winsdor 2.0. Which one is better

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
Which motobecane road bikes from bikes direct is good and cheap. I try deside between the motobecane mirage sport and the wellington winsdor 2.0. Which one is better

there's very little difference between the two, the only reason I would pick the Motobecane over the other is because it's a name people know! Yup, weird reason, but the two are so close they're virtual twins so I go with the name Motobecane; then if later you decide to sell the unknowing bike shopper will see the name Motobecane and go "gee that's a good bike", but with the Windsor they'll say "Windsor who?".

Thank you for your answer. I see both bikes on direct bikes site. is looks as twins now online photo i cant tell if the frames is the same. I want for my for ride i not go sale which bike i buy, From online look just photo i cant tell which bike is better which bike ride the best

I

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
Thank you for your answer. I see both bikes on direct bikes site. is looks as twins now online photo i cant tell if the frames is the same. I want for my for ride i not go sale which bike i buy, From online look just photo i cant tell which bike is better which bike ride the best

I looked at the specs on both, that's why I said it's a wash, they're almost twins. After looking at some closeups of both the Windsor should be a tad heavier because they use a slightly larger steel fork and the down tube is slightly larger in diameter...this is all based on photo appearances, it may not be that way in real life but it probably is. Also the Windsor has a slightly less aggressive frame geometry which means it "could" be slightly more comfortable riding, however since the frame and fork may be slightly larger that slightly better comfort level could be lost to that.

I think you should pick out whichever bike you like the best. Like I said, they're almost twins, especially in the components, so you won't be losing, or gaining, anything by going with one over the other. If you get the one that appeals to you the most the tendency for you wanting to ride it is greater!! Really!

Your answer is very helpfull. Thank you. Is happens i see review on youtube for wellington the winsdor 2.0 . That man say is great bike now as you say what i like better is the motobecane. Now i have one cannondale aluminum road bike model is R300. Size is 58 cm bike shop is told me i need 56cm. But i ride okay with my bike is happens i pass two expensive bikes too i not tried do that just happens i meet two fast riders i tried pedal faster i wanted see if i keep up with them and in the end what happens i pass them. I used to ride almost two years 63cm steel bike. On my cannondale i want put briftters now i wonder is worth i do that or is worth better i buy new bike from bikes direct

To answer your question about the brifters, this is interesting question because it depends on how far you want to take your sport and by that I mean do you foresee yourself getting a much better bike at some point in the future? If that answer is yes then I would put Microshift under the name of Forte sold by Performance Bike brifters (assuming the original ones have worn out) on the Cannondale and save up more money to be able to buy a better bike. See:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1080516_-1_400194__400194 This is probably the cheapest you can go new, you could go to your Bike Shop and see if they have any used 9 speed brifters, or see if they can rebuild the ones you have which would be cheaper to do then getting new ones. I would attempt to get the repair done as cheap as possible and not buy the new brifters if it can be avoided.

You sound like you're a decent rider, I think you should save more money and get a nice new bike...or a really nice lightly used bike, because at some point in the near future, after you've spent $350 for a new bike you're going to want a far better bike, so why waste the $350 now only to spend that and more later? At Bikes Direct $1,300 to $1,500 range gets you a decent carbon fiber bike with Ultegra rear derailleurs and 105 front and shifters to all Ultegra depending on how much you spend of course.

Keep in mind this is all just an opinion, someone else may have a different opinion, or you might have a different one, go with whatever you feel is right.

Thank you for your answer. I know i need better bike and you say good for more expensive bike than one $350. Or from the internet used. My problem is i have bills to pay and i not have high pay job that not let me i can save money for much better bike. Before i ride road bike i have found in thrift store old steel. Is happens i found that cannondale i have now in pawnshop for $96 and i buy. Is needed handlebar tape innertubbes cassete is was 7 speeds lose too looks who is give the bike put other cassete i see is fit 9 speeds. i true the wheels i change crank cassete i make ride. I put 28c tires too i had 23c before i see is fit okay i wonder if more wide tires slow me down. Brifters my bike no have now. I forget tell you that sorry. Is have downtube shiftters is index and friction. In index side is have 7 clicks 9 speeds is working but in one gear jump two cogs i cant adjust more i turn in friction side. One time i have ride road bike with brifters. I see is much better than dowtube shifters. I lost that bike i have put on layaway. I have pay $250 the bike is was $450 TREK 1400. I know i have delay in payments i tell in the bike shop the last time i Give $20 is tell me because the bike belong not in the bike shop but in other person i needed to pay off soon. Finally one day i look on craigslist i see that bike is have put for sale. I think that bike is should had call me and tell me because i cant pay the rest of the money is go put for sale. I ask for my $250 back that bike shop tell me is cant give me my money. That trek is had 46/36 crank and 7 speeds cassete other than the brifters i think my cannondale is cheaper and better bike. Bikes direct i say that because i see that bikes online and say is compare in other bikes sold by bikes shop. Carbon fiber bike never i have ride i wish i can ride one see how is ride. What is your opinion about carbon fiberbikes why some people say is break easy is not strong frames. What bike you think is good for me i know i want 56cm road bike

I hear you with the money problem. Which is why I still think that if the Cannondale is still working fine except for the gear issue than I would try to get that problem fixed and not get another bike.

I have both downtube and STI, I was raised on friction from the time I was 14 till now...I'm 61! So for me friction is great stuff. For younger people they think it's old thus not any good, but that's not true. Friction system is a lot cheaper and easier to fix than brifters!

If I understand you correctly you have a 9 speed rear gear cluster and you're trying to make it work with a 7 speed index shifter, if that is true the easy and cheap fix would be to convert the rear cluster back to a 7 speed plain and simple. There is no difference between first gear of a 7 speed or a 9 speed cluster, and there is no difference between the 7th gear and the 9th gear, the only difference between a 7 and a 9 is 2 more gears in between the first and last gear, gears I don't miss when I ride my 10 speed then jump on my old 5 speed!! Shimano still makes a 7 speed cluster so that can work. The other good news is that you're a also a good enough mechanic that you work on your own bike, so the conversion back to a 7 speed is simply going to cost you the parts which you can find online or at local bike shops (LBS) cheap starting at $20 and going up to around $35.

If you have money issues I would seriously consider getting your current bike in good working order. Cheap $400 bikes will run great for a couple of years, depending on how much you ride it, then after that issues start coming up and those issues will not be as cheap as problems you could have with your current bike.

It's just a suggestion.

But as far as which I bike if you decide to buy a new one, like I said before you chose because there is no real difference between the two. You could send an e-mail to Bikes Direct and ask them which of the two they would recommend but you have to be careful doing that because profit margin may be higher on one bike than the other and they may push that higher profit one, so when you ask them which bike also ask why they would recommend one over the other.

Hello how are you. How is your day.You are 61 and you stay ride you do good. I like to ride the bike. Me too i like the friction shifters i think is the best easy to adjust too. Is working fine that way my gears. Why i say brifters is because no need move the hands from the handlebar. with dowtube shifters downhill no feel so comfortable to change gears other than that i am fine with friction shifters. For now i keep my bike is ready to ride i put 28c tires have 23c before innertubes crank i change cassete i ride outside here i live some is working okay i use the friction side for i not have that jump in the gears. About 9 speeds first time i ride bike like that before i ride old steel bike with 6 and 7 speeds i had collect few road bikes and mountain bikes but i sale all. When i found that cannondale and the frame is closer to my height i deside keep that bike only. I do work on my bike my self or from home here i work on people bikes try do some extra cash but that is too slow very few people wanted work on bikes. When i buy my bike the 7 speed cassete is have 12-28 i put the 12-25 the 9 speeds. I not really know good about gears size or crank size like you i used ride 12 speeds old steel road bike i not see difference with the 18 speeds have my bike now. Thank you for the bikes direct question i ask that tommorow. One i try to learn never i have do is how to measure the chain length. Install chain i know i have chain tool too i have repalce chain before but i swap from bike to bike i not have to measure. Also i wonder i use crank now 53/39 but i have too 52/42 spare ring 40 too. Some people say 50/34 is best crank all that is comfuse me. Before few months i not had ride for long time too i do around my job is big warehouse. I ride around the building one lap is half mile i do 30 miles that way. I have 53/crank and 12-25 cassete i used only the 53 ring the ground other than some bumps is flat i do the 25 miles okay after that for do 30 miles is was so hard i felt i slow down much in 30 miles i deside to stop. I wonder if i had 52 crank or 50 if i was easier i do all this miles or i can do more than 30 miles without my speed slow down so much. I feel i ride in my job is 6 miles from where i live local roads not high traffic but i not have deside do that yet i not know if the drivers go watch me

If you're not sure how to size a chain here is a website that shows you how to do it; see: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/chain-length-sizing Park Tools has all sorts of information on how to do stuff to a bike.

As far as crank size go, again due to money issues I see no reason to change it unless it's worn out. Your speed slowing down after 30 miles is more about your overall conditioning and you're body is getting tired most likely due to improper training so it is a simple fix. To learn to ride further you first put yourself on a training program like this: http://www.kintera.org/htmlcontent.asp?cid=54755 On the days it says brisk you do interval training which how to do that is here: http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/burn-more-fat Interval training will help a lot to improve your speed and maintain that speed for greater distances. I know the training schedule leading to a 100 mile ride, if you have no desire to ride that far then simply get to a point where you're satisfied with the distance you did. Also the training schedule starts you out at seemingly crazy low miles but start the way they start you because the whole program is design to steadily increase strength without hurting yourself, if you jump ahead you take a greater risk of either hurting yourself or becoming over tired.

Thank you for your answer. is very helpfull the sites you tell me. The 30 miles that day i do straight after 8 work. Maybe is that too i was tired before i start ride. Now training i need too i know i have stop ride. I have waste time before because i found thrif stores bicycles some times i used when i found road bike or mountain bike i ride different bikes in the end i see i do wrong because i sped more time to fix the bikes and try make better than to give time and just ride. Now i deside keep one bike only until i can buy better bike

I fix the gears on the cannondale i found other steel road bike i can use in both bikes the same wheels and crank but now i have problem with the wheels. Before the rim tape moved and do hole in the innertube that happens 6 times in the real wheel. I put new velox rim tape on both wheels. Now the problem do the front wheel. My wheels is fulcrum racing 7. LBS tell me i need 16mm rim tape, I buy that size and i put on the wheels. For some days is was okay i ride the bike. After that i had the bike inside. When i wanted go ride again i deside put some air in the tires. But because my pump only put air when the innertube is no have air inside. I take the air out and when i put air back and in around 50psi the innertube do hole. I take the tire out and i see the new rim tape had move and left uncovered the spoke holes. Other LBS tell me i need rim tape 10mm or 13mm. What is correct size rim tape for that wheels. And anyone use veloplugs?

You don't need to use Velo plugs, a lot of rims can't use them and their more expensive for next to nothing in weight loss vs fabric tape. I would take a bare rim down to the LBS and have them fit the tape to the rim, the reason you got two different sizes is because LBS's no little about those rims so were just guessing at the size.

Thank you for the answer. I do that i go in different bike shop with the rims. I cant found online what size rim tape use the wheels fulcrum racing 7

I've got a Motobecane Gran Premio and have about 2,000 miles on it and am very happy. I bought it for a training and century bike. Butted Cro-Mo frame with CF fork. Very comfortable and zero problems with it.

No complaints about Bikes Direct either. There was a shipping glitch and I noticed that my UPS tracker said the bike hadn't moved for a few days after getting the email that it had shipped. I called the company and the were very apologetic and promised to look into it. Within the hour I got a phone call and an email stating that the bike was on a truck and would be going out that day. Four days later it was at my door.

Minor glitch but good service.

I am interesting in bikes direct. I do want lightweight steel road bike. Your bike is have horizontal top tube? How much is weight

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
I am interesting in bikes direct. I do want lightweight steel road bike. Your bike is have horizontal top tube? How much is weight

I tried to find the weight but all I found was one guy claiming his weighed just under 19 pounds but I doubt that, I think it's probably closer to 21 to 22 pounds. The new Moto Gran Premio is no longer made of the Reynolds 725 but rather the lower level Reynolds 520, and it's no longer lugged. 21 to 22 pounds is not heavy, you can buy a carbon fiber bike for about the same money that will weigh darn close to the same! For a steel bike in that price range of the Moto it's a good deal for under $900. The only other good deal in a steel bike is the Raleigh Grand Sport which uses the bottom of the line 4130 tubing, followed by the Grand Prix that use the Reynolds 520 like the Moto Premio, and then the Record Ace which uses the better Reynolds 631 tubing, you might be able to find one of those on sale for around $1,000.

Thank you for your answer. You mean the higher numbers in steel tubing is better and make the bike more lightweight? I have one road bike steel bianchi strada lx i think is made in 1987 but is really heavy is around 30 pounds. In hills is slow me down very much i look for better bike. Carbon fiber bikes i have seen many people ride in races too but i do have hear is can break easy and make me no trust that bikes.