Finally bought the bikes... now what?

In article <6SUhc.5841$pg.809@okepread05>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My wife and I have been looking at buying bikes as a way
to get some minor exercise and for something to get us out
of the house and do together. We've been married almost 4
years, but we used to spend a lot of time riding bikes
together about 20 years ago when we were "only" best
friends - and really enjoyed that time.

Congratulations on getting back into it!

Quoted message said:

So, we bit the proverbial bullet and went looking for
bikes a few months ago. I lurked here for a while and then
asked a few questions, which I got some very nice answers
to. Thank you.

We ended up with:
Me: 2004 Giant Cypress LX Her: 2004 Giant Sedona DX

Most of our riding with be neighborhood riding and small
rides like trips to the library. Once in a while, we'll do
a few miles here and there or do some minor trails in our
housing edition. On rare occasion, I may ride with some
other people on the street, but nothing big.

My #1 concern is maintenance and care. I'm interested in
the little things you won't read in an owners manual, but
typically learn from experience.
IE.

1) What products to use to keep it clean, lubricated, etc

A damp rag works will for cleaning, though some use car wax
as well, I use either 30W motor oil or "Phil's Tenacious
Oil" on the chain. You don't sound like someone who would be
taking it apart to re-grease the bearings yet, but if you
do, automotive bearing grease works well.

Quoted message said:

2) How often will it need lubrication, adjustments, etc

Depends entirely on how often, how hard and how far
you ride. Every few hundred miles is a reasonable
first estimate.

Quoted message said:

3) What should we be carrying with us on our little rides
( currently have Cell phones for serious things, pump,
tubes, levers, patch kit, water bottles, antiseptic,
band-aids, gauze )

Personally, I add a small all-in-1 tool kit, and leave out
the first aid stuff (take care of it when I get home),
largely because I like tweaking things. Others will have
different opinions, I'm sure.

Quoted message said:

4) Anything else that would be obvious to the vets here
that I would never think of...

We won't be serious riders, or at least I don't think we
will. I'm a fair-weather person who won't even take the
motorcycle out if it's under 75F, typically, and who
"doesn't do rain."

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

Quoted message said:

Well, besides ride them, that is!

It's a good place to start ;-)

Quoted message said:

My #1 concern is maintenance and care. I'm interested in
the little things you won't read in an owners manual, but
typically learn from experience.
IE.

The fount of all knowledge on matters cycling big and
small is the oracle, Sheldon Brown. See
www.sheldonbrown.com There's anything and everything you
need to know and more on there.

Cheers, and happy cycling, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel
is switched off--

"B Parker" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

My #1 concern is maintenance and care. I'm interested in
the little things you won't read in an owners manual, but
typically learn from experience.
IE.

1) What products to use to keep it clean, lubricated, etc
2) How often will it need lubrication, adjustments, etc
3) What should we be carrying with us on our little rides
( currently have Cell phones for serious things, pump,
tubes, levers, patch kit, water bottles, antiseptic,
band-aids, gauze )
4) Anything else that would be obvious to the vets here
that I would never think of...

It might be a good idea to review road riding tips, a good
source is:

bikexprt.comusaOpen ↗

Chains should be lubed when they start getting noisy, which
is usually after a few hundred miles of dry riding. You can
use chain lube from the bike shop or just motor oil -- wipe
excess. Shift cables will usually require some adjustment
after the first few rides as they settle in. The Park Tools
site and Sheldon Brown's site offer adjustment info.

You might practice removing wheels/tires at home before you
get your first road flat. Carry a spare tube, it's easier
than patching on the road. Carry at least a small set of
Allen wrenches in case something loosens, especially on
first shake down rides.

B Parker said:

1) What products to use to keep it clean, lubricated, etc

I use White Lightning on the chain when it starts to get
noisy. The entire bike gets an occasional rinse with water
and citrus cleaner.

My tour and MTBs get rougher service, and I've found just an
occasional coating with WD-40 seems to make it easier to
clean when the next rinse comes along, and seems to be a
decent protectant of the metal components.

I haven't waxed or polished a bike in decades!

Quoted message said:

2) How often will it need lubrication, adjustments, etc

Adjust the shifters when they don't quite shift right.
Usually this is simply tightening up on the cable,
especially with a new bike, that may have cables stretching
after a while.

Tighten up the brake cables when the brakes don't seem to
grab. I've really never experienced *good* braking on a bike
for any length of time, and I'm loathe to readjust pads
every month. I think you can get along with simple cable
adjustments for quite a while, especially as a casual rider.

Lubricate something when it gets noisy.

Quoted message said:

3) What should we be carrying with us on our little rides
( currently have Cell phones for serious things, pump,
tubes, levers, patch kit, water bottles, antiseptic,
band-aids, gauze )

Seems more than sufficient for a casual rider.

Quoted message said:

4) Anything else that would be obvious to the vets here
that I would never think of...

I'd really recommend a light up front and back. A flashing
red LED astern will go years on a set a AA's. Get a real
white light for the front. There are some very nice,
inexpensive lights now out on the market that produce a very
strong beam of light, are light weight, run on AA batteries,
and are easily removable from the bike for hand flashlight
duty, or for theft prevention.

I know you plan on casual riding, but you never know when
that trip to the library gets drawn out into dark hours. It
really can't hurt to have a set of lights.

You may want to consider a computer as well. You can find
inexpensive ones with more information than you'll ever
really be interested in for about 20-25 bucks. At first,
speed seems most interesting to new riders, but over time, I
think distance gains importance.

Happy pedaling!

SMH

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 14:16:32 -0500, "B Parker" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Well, besides ride them, that is!

My wife and I have been looking at buying bikes as a way to
get some minor exercise and for something to get us out of
the house and do together. We've been married almost 4
years, but we used to spend a lot of time riding bikes
together about 20 years ago when we were "only" best
friends - and really enjoyed that time.

So, we bit the proverbial bullet and went looking for bikes
a few months ago. I lurked here for a while and then asked
a few questions, which I got some very nice answers to.
Thank you.

We ended up with:
Me: 2004 Giant Cypress LX Her: 2004 Giant Sedona DX

Quoted message said:

Most of our riding with be neighborhood riding and small
rides like trips to the library. Once in a while, we'll do
a few miles here and there or do some minor trails in our
housing edition. On rare occasion, I may ride with some
other people on the street, but nothing big.

My #1 concern is maintenance and care. I'm interested in
the little things you won't read in an owners manual, but
typically learn from experience.
IE.

1) What products to use to keep it clean, lubricated, etc

If you want to get into wiping off dirt, etc., I've found
Pledge is good. Spray it on a rag and wipe down places. Keep
it off the brake pads and rims!

Lubricating chains is a tough one. People have very
different ideas. And the funny thing is, all these different
ideas and they all work in their own way 🙂

I used to use Tri-Flo for years. Have been trying
Rock'N'Roll for the last year and I like it.

The best thing for the chain and gears, no matter what lube,
is to wipe them down every now and then.

Quoted message said:

2) How often will it need lubrication, adjustments, etc

Lubrication depends on the lube. Realistically, I have seen
bikes that appear to have never been lubed for years and
people ride them and are fine.

Adjustment- when things start not working.

Quoted message said:

3) What should we be carrying with us on our little rides (
currently have Cell phones for serious things, pump,
tubes, levers, patch kit, water bottles, antiseptic, band-
aids, gauze )

I include a 5mm allen wrench and a small reversible
screwdriver. On my bikes, I can do most basic adjustments
with these.

Quoted message said:

4) Anything else that would be obvious to the vets here
that I would never think of...

Let's see... oh yeah, tire inflation is probably the biggest
influence on the quality of the feel of the bike on the
road. Take the time to try different pressures, find the
one(s) that feel best, and take the time to check the tires
once a week or so.

Quoted message said:

We won't be serious riders, or at least I don't think we
will. I'm a fair-weather person who won't even take the
motorcycle out if it's under 75F, typically, and who
"doesn't do rain."

Seriously enjoy your new bikes however you find it best
to use them.

Quoted message said:

I'd really recommend a light up front and back. A flashing
red LED astern will go years on a set a AA's. Get a real
white light for the front. There are some very nice,
inexpensive lights now out on the market that produce a
very strong beam of light, are light weight, run on AA
batteries, and are easily removable from the bike for hand
flashlight duty, or for theft prevention.

I second the suggestion for a flashing red light, BUT I
would not recommend the AA battery kind. Last year, I got
"caught" in a foggy area and turned on my red blinker only
to have the AA batteries jiggle themselves out of contact
over and over again. The result was that I didn't have a
light at all. I replaced it with the kind of light that has
a coin-shaped battery. That shape of battery doesn't lose
contact as easily as the AA ones.

Quoted message said:

You may want to consider a computer as well. You can find
inexpensive ones with more information than you'll ever
really be interested in for about 20-25 bucks. At first,
speed seems most interesting to new riders, but over time,
I think distance gains importance.

Happy pedaling! SMH

I agree on the computer. It is also handy if you want to go
"out" one way for a certain number of miles and then turn
around and come back in. In addition, they keep time and it
is easier to look at the computer than to turn your wrist
and push back your sleeve to see what time it is. I would
just say don't get one of the super duper computers. They
can quickly get too much information on them! A pretty basic
one is a much better value.

Pat in TX

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd really recommend a light up front and back. A
flashing red LED astern will go years on a set a AA's.
Get a real white light for the front. There are some
very nice, inexpensive lights now out on the market that
produce a very strong beam of light, are light weight,
run on AA batteries, and are easily removable from the
bike for hand flashlight duty, or for theft prevention.

I second the suggestion for a flashing red light, BUT I
would not

recommend

Quoted message said:

the AA battery kind. Last year, I got "caught" in a foggy
area and turned

on

Quoted message said:

my red blinker only to have the AA batteries jiggle
themselves out of contact over and over again. The
result was that I didn't have a light at all. I replaced
it with the kind of light that has a coin-shaped
battery. That shape of battery doesn't lose contact as
easily as the AA ones.

I disagree. I've never had a light jiggle out as
described. At the same time, AA and AAA batteries are
readily available, such that if they burn out, you can
stop just about anywhere and get replacements -- even a
convenience store.

I had watch battery bar end blinkies, and when the batteries
finally died, it was so hard to get the old batteries in and
the new ones out, that the blinkies were ruined. The
batteries also cost about half the original price of the
blinkies. Fortunately, REI refunded me the money the
blinkies originally cost -- after I messed up the first
blinkie, I had the shop people try to do the second one, and
they had the same trouble. Still, I was $10 in the hole for
the new replacement batteries. Interestingly, REI no longer
carries this product.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato
and .net for .com Home of the meditative cyclist:
home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗ See the
books I've set free at:
bookcrossing.comCpeterskyOpen ↗

Claire Petersky said:

Quoted message said:

I second the suggestion for a flashing red light, BUT I
would not recommend the AA battery kind. Last year, I
got "caught" in a foggy area and turned on my red
blinker only to have the AA batteries jiggle themselves
out of contact over and over again. The result was that
I didn't have a light at all. I replaced it with the
kind of light that has a coin-shaped battery. That
shape of battery doesn't lose contact as easily as the
AA ones.

I disagree. I've never had a light jiggle out as
described. At the same time, AA and AAA batteries are
readily available, such that if they burn out, you can
stop just about anywhere and get replacements -- even a
convenience store.

I also have had good experiences with AA lights. I have a
red blinkie from Mountain Equipment Coop and this thing is
bombproof. You can tell when you put the batteries in that
they're not going anywhere. Waterproof and unbreakable
(except for the mounting hardware).

Once I had the light clipped to my bag and when I reached
around to pull something out of a pocket I knocked it onto
the road at high speeds. The cover popped off the light, but
the body bounced and skidded away intact, and in fact still
blinking. While I was picking up the body, a car ran over
the cover, which was launched into the air with a VERY
INTERESTING noise. When I picked up the cover, it was
totally fine, not even scuffed.

My only complaint with these lights is that I'm always
losing them. Sometimes I forget to pull them off my bike
when it's locked up outside and they're always stolen inside
of 5 minutes. Once I bolted one on and someone ripped it in
half trying to steal it. Sometimes they get snapped off the
mounting brackets and lost when I take my bike offroad or
load it into cars and things like that. I'm constantly
buying new ones, but at least at MEC they're only $5.

B Parker said:

Thank you for your possible input, I'll be eagerly
awaiting anything you can offer!

One big recommendation: If you can find a League Certified
Instructor near you, consider taking a short course in
cycling. The courses run about 9 to 12 hours total, and
you'll learn more in a shorter time than by any other
method. Visit
bikeleague.orgindex.cfmOpen ↗ for a list
of instructors in your state.

And you may enjoy this website:

bicyclinglife.combicyclinglife.comOpen ↗

--
-------------+ Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's
between "at" and "cc"]

Fri, 23 Apr 2004 00:59:55 GMT, <eUZhc.6133$aQ6.653301@attbi_s51>,

Claire Petersky said:

Quoted message said:

Last year, I got "caught" in a foggy area and turned on
my red blinker only to have the AA batteries jiggle
themselves out of contact over and over again. The
result was that I didn't have a light at all. I replaced
it with the kind of light that has a coin-shaped
battery. That shape of battery doesn't lose contact as
easily as the AA ones.

I disagree. I've never had a light jiggle out as
described. At the same time, AA and AAA batteries are
readily available, such that if they burn out, you can
stop just about anywhere and get replacements -- even a
convenience store.

I agree with using the commonest available batteries.

The switch circuit on mine has been tripping lately. It goes
from off to on or blink to on. It's not tripped off. It used
to fall apart on good bumps but I taped it. I'd originally
taped it to stop it from acting flukey in the rain.

A question for the OP: Does it occur in dry conditions? Are
you sure it's the batteries losing contact or could moisture
be the culprit?

I've not had problems with battery contacts in any of the
Planet Bike lights or blinkies I use.

Quoted message said:

The batteries also cost about half the original price of
the blinkies.

The "N" cell batteries in the small, flat, ten-dollar
blinky are $6.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd really recommend a light up front and back. A
flashing red LED astern will go years on a set a AA's.
Get a real white light for the front. There are some
very nice, inexpensive lights now out on the market that
produce a very strong beam of light, are light weight,
run on AA batteries, and are easily removable from the
bike for hand flashlight duty, or for theft prevention.

I second the suggestion for a flashing red light, BUT I
would not recommend the AA battery kind. Last year, I got
"caught" in a foggy area and turned on my red blinker only
to have the AA batteries jiggle themselves out of contact
over and over again. The result was that I didn't have a
light at all. I replaced it with the kind of light that
has a coin-shaped battery. That shape of battery doesn't
lose contact as easily as the AA ones.

I have used a cheap AA battery blinkie for 3 years, and it
has _never_ turned itself off. What brand are you using?

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 14:16:32 -0500, "B Parker" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

We ended up with:
Me: 2004 Giant Cypress LX Her: 2004 Giant Sedona DX

Sure hope her's didn't end up being a "women's" model. While
top-tubeless bikes probably made some sense in the early
days of cycling when women actually rode in skirts, in
today's market the additional weight and reduced strength
make no sense at all.

JMHO

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net
home.earthlink.net~jeverett3Open ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,
jeverett3 @earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net says...

Quoted message said:

B Parker said:

We ended up with:
Me: 2004 Giant Cypress LX Her: 2004 Giant Sedona DX

Sure hope her's didn't end up being a "women's" model.
While top-tubeless bikes probably made some sense in the
early days of cycling when women actually rode in skirts,
in today's market the additional weight and reduced
strength make no sense at all.

Step-through frames make sense for some people. For example
if a person has a hip problem and they can't raise their leg
high enough to get over the seat. Or like my wife who has a
very weak left foot and can't balance well enough to raise
her right leg over the seat without falling and dumping the
bike on herself.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

"John Everett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

B Parker said:

We ended up with:
Me: 2004 Giant Cypress LX Her: 2004 Giant Sedona DX

Sure hope her's didn't end up being a "women's" model.
While top-tubeless bikes probably made some sense in the
early days of cycling when women actually rode in skirts,
in today's market the additional weight and reduced
strength make no sense at all.

I was showing the bikes ( via the Web ) to a woman here at
work and she mentioned that she didn't understand why
women's bikes had the lowered bar and that she thought it
made sense the other way around. I told her I had no real
idea why women's bikes were that way, but probably had to wo
with the clothing many years ago. It's good to see I guessed
correctly!

My wife likes to "mount" the bike by stepping through and
then sliding back onto the seat. She used to ride a men's
10-speed in high school when we used to ride around, and
couldn't stand the bard on the men's bike she rode. I just
put my foot on the left pedal and swing my leg over - it's
just more comfortable to me.

If she mounted the bike the way I do, I would probably have
had her get a men's frame, if only for the resale ability.
She'll never push the bike to its limits where the
difference in frame strength will come into play so I'm not
too worried about that. For something that won't get a ton
of use, the aesthetics of the bike ( in her casem color and
looks ) are more important to me. I want her to be riding
something she's happy to be riding.

If she really gets into it, it might be a good idea to talk
to her about a mens bike on her next purchase, but I don't
think that will end up happening. We'll see, though. Only
time and shiny-side-up miles will tell!

--
The Parkers
Broken Arrow, OK

Quoted message said:

If she mounted the bike the way I do, I would probably
have had her get a men's frame, if only for the resale
ability. She'll never push the bike

to

Quoted message said:

its limits where the difference in frame strength will
come into play so

I'm not too worried about that. For something that won't get
a ton of use, the aesthetics of the bike ( in her casem
color and looks ) are more important to me. I want her to be
riding something she's happy to be riding.

Quoted message said:

If she really gets into it, it might be a good idea to
talk to her about a mens bike on her next purchase, but I
don't think that will end up happening. We'll see, though.
Only time and shiny-side-up miles will

tell!

Quoted message said:

--
The Parkers Broken Arrow, OK

When we talk about frame strength, we are not talking about
the bike's frame bending or breaking.

Several years ago, I had occasion to ride a step-through
frame "women's bike" because that was the bike with the
child carrier on the back. Where the lack of strength comes
in is that the bike would flex sideways while riding. I
could feel the front end of the bike and the back end
reacting differently as I rode. This means that your energy
is not all going into moving the bike forward because it
flexes sideways all of the time. that's tiring over a long
time. Of course, the little kid throwing his weight around
(literally) didn't help the ride, either.

I mount my diamond frame bike (notice I didn't say "men's
bike"😉 by putting my right leg over the frame with the
right pedal at the 12 O'clock position. As I push down with
my right leg, the bike moves forward and I sit down on the
saddle. IMHO, the terms "men's and women's bikes" went out
of general use in about 1970. The only people I ever hear
use those terms are older people getting back into riding
after many years.

Pat in TX

I got "caught" in a foggy area and turned on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my red blinker only to have the AA batteries jiggle
themselves out of contact over and over again. The
result was that I didn't have a light

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

all. I replaced it with the kind of light that has a coin-
shaped

battery.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

That shape of battery doesn't lose contact as easily as
the AA ones.

I have used a cheap AA battery blinkie for 3 years, and it
has _never_ turned itself off. What brand are you using?

I even went out and looked through my junk box on the bike
bench but didn't find it. I guess I threw it out. I once
went over a RR track crossing and that thing bounced up into
the air and broke into a jillion pieces. I was going to just
say the hell with it--but then I remembered the batteries
were new. I turned around, picked up all the pieces, and
rebuilt it and darned if it didn't work!

Pat in TX

B Parker said:

mentioned that she didn't understand why women's bikes had
the lowered bar and that she thought it made sense the
other way around. I told her I had

Always a good point.

Quoted message said:

My wife likes to "mount" the bike by stepping through and
then sliding back onto the seat. She used to ride a men's
10-speed in high school when we used to ride around, and
couldn't stand the bard on the men's bike she rode. I just
put my foot on the left pedal and swing my leg over - it's
just more comfortable to me.

Are the bikes in question too large? You ought to be able to
mount by standing on the _ground_ and swinging a leg over
(given enough flexibility to swing said leg).

Quoted message said:

not too worried about that. For something that won't get a
ton of use, the aesthetics of the bike ( in her casem color
and looks ) are more important to me. I want her to be
riding something she's happy to be riding.

That's a lot more important than frame style. If she's
happier with that, great, she's more likely to ride...and
_riding_ is what matters.

Quoted message said:

If she really gets into it, it might be a good idea to talk
to her about a mens bike on her next purchase, but I don't
think that will end up

They're called "traditional diamond frame", not "men's", so
we don't deter women from riding them... 😉

Quoted message said:

happening. We'll see, though. Only time and shiny-side-up
miles will tell!

Shiny side up? She's bald? <G>
--
Rick Onanian

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When we talk about frame strength, we are not talking
about the bike's

frame

Quoted message said:

bending or breaking.

Several years ago, I had occasion to ride a step-through
frame "women's bike" because that was the bike with the
child carrier on the back. Where the lack of strength
comes in is that the bike would flex sideways while
riding. I could feel the front end of the bike and the
back end reacting differently as I rode. This means that
your energy is not all going into moving the bike forward
because it flexes sideways all of the time. that's tiring
over a long time. Of course, the little kid throwing his
weight around (literally) didn't help the ride, either.

Great information, Pat. I'll ask her if she notices any of
this as she rides. Structurally, your explanation makes
total sense with the pressures and stresses brought about by
the different weld points, torque of the "Drive train",
etc.. Now you've got me curious and with the urge to ride
mine for a bit and then try hers - I'm pretty sensitive to
things of this sort.

Quoted message said:

I mount my diamond frame bike (notice I didn't say "men's
bike"😉 by

putting

Quoted message said:

my right leg over the frame with the right pedal at the
12 O'clock

position.

Quoted message said:

As I push down with my right leg, the bike moves forward
and I sit down on

How people mount their bikes, men's or women's, is kind of
an interesting topic. I would have never even thought of
mounting my bike in the way you describe. If I had to guess
why I mount mine the way I do, I'd say it's because the 10-
speed that I used to ride in high school belonged to my step-
father and was a -bit- too tall for me ( he's about 4
inches tall than
I ) and had the cages on the pedals. It was pretty much the
only way that I could reasonably get on the sucker. On a
side note, his bike looked exactly like that bike the
person was asking about in "Help identifying this bike,
please." thread. Every little detail I remember about it
matches up with those pictures.

I've never ridden with clips and don't know how fast and
easy it is to get your feet in them these days. The way you
describe mounting the cycle makes sense to me for someone
who wears clips, though. By the time you're on the seat, the
bike is in motion, you have one foot clipped in, and the
other is getting in, right? The way I mount the cycle, you
wouldn't have the same stability.

If my bike "fits" me and is adjusted properly, I should be
able to mount it the way you do. I'll give it a try and see
how comfortable it feels. There's a whole new world out
there for me to explore!

Quoted message said:

the saddle. IMHO, the terms "men's and women's bikes" went
out of general use in about 1970. The only people I ever
hear use those terms are older people getting back into
riding after many years.

I'd wager you're way off on this. If you grabbed 100 random
people of various ages off of the street and showed them a
men's and women's bike, then asked them to tell you what
they would call each of them based on the crossbars, I'd
wager 800% more people would call them "men's" and "women's"
than would call them "diamond frame" and "step-through."
Gather up people who were born in 1970 or later, and I doubt
the percentage would drop awfully much.

A group of people who are into cycling and keeping up
with the evolving terminology would obviously yield
different results.

Thanks again for the information and insights,
--
The Parkers
Broken Arrow, OK

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Several years ago, I had occasion to ride a step-through
frame "women's bike" because that was the bike with the
child carrier on the back.

Where

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the lack of strength comes in is that the bike would
flex sideways while riding. I could feel the front end
of the bike and the back end reacting differently as I
rode. This means that your energy is not all going

into

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moving the bike forward because it flexes sideways all
of the time.

that's

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tiring over a long time. Of course, the little kid
throwing his weight around (literally) didn't help the
ride, either.

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Great information, Pat. I'll ask her if she notices any of
this as she rides. Structurally, your explanation makes
total sense with the

pressures

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and stresses brought about by the different weld points,
torque of the "Drive train", etc.. Now you've got me
curious and with the urge to ride mine for a bit and then
try hers - I'm pretty sensitive to things of this sort.

This was a few years ago, and her bike today might have
better bracing. I certainly hope so!

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How people mount their bikes, men's or women's, is kind of
an interesting

topic. I would have never even thought of mounting my bike
in the way you describe. If I had to guess why I mount mine
the way I do, I'd say it's because the 10-speed that I used
to ride in high school belonged to my step-father and was a
-bit- too tall for me ( he's about 4 inches tall than
I ) and had the cages on the pedals. It was pretty much the
only way that I could reasonably get on the sucker. On a
side note, his bike looked exactly like that bike the
person was asking about in "Help identifying this bike,
please." thread. Every little detail I remember about it
matches up with those pictures.

One difference could be that my bike's pedals are Look
pedals and when I mount the bike, I want my right foot
clicked in place first.

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I've never ridden with clips and don't know how fast and
easy it is to get your feet in them these days. The way
you describe mounting the cycle

makes sense to me for someone who wears clips, though. By
the time you're on the seat, the bike is in motion, you have
one foot clipped in, and the other is getting in, right? The
way I mount the cycle, you wouldn't have the same stability.

yeah, exactly...or that's the idea, anyway!

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If my bike "fits" me and is adjusted properly, I should be
able to mount

it

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the way you do. I'll give it a try and see how comfortable
it feels. There's a whole new world out there for me to
explore!

just get on the way you like. AFAIK, there is no one "right
way" to get on.

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the saddle. IMHO, the terms "men's and women's bikes"
went out of

general use in about 1970. The only people I ever hear use
those terms are older people getting back into riding after
many years.

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I'd wager you're way off on this. If you grabbed 100
random people of various ages off of the street and showed
them a men's and women's bike,

then asked them to tell you what they would call each of
them based on the crossbars, I'd wager 800% more people
would call them "men's" and "women's" than would call them
"diamond frame" and "step-through." Gather up people who
were born in 1970 or later, and I doubt the percentage would
drop awfully much.

Have you looked at kids' bikes lately? With the advent of
the BMX type bike, the manufacturers use the same bike but
paint the boys' version purple and the girls' version red--
but the frame is the same. And the adult version is the same--
the city bike or mountain bike is the same frame just
painted different colors. the way you set up the wager,
though, would result in different opinions from people who
grew up with BMX bikes and mountain bikes viewing a bike.
Those people would go into a store and say "I'm here to look
at bikes." not "I'm here to look at boys' bikes." Only the
older people would look for the step through frame. The
younger ones would think that the diamond frame mountain
bike is the normal bike. They just wouldn't call it "diamond
frame" perhaps.

Pat in TX