Bike buying advice · Public discussion

Indestructable Bike

Started by CthulhuChild · · Last activity · 3 posts · 1,883 views

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Original section
Bike buying advice
Published
16 November 2009
Last activity
19 November 2009
Original author
CthulhuChild
Posts
3
Discussion status
Public discussion
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1,883
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Topics
Carbon framesIndoor trainersPunctures and flatsSteel frames

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  1. Original post
    CthulhuChild
    Archived post
    #1

    I need a bike I can't destroy.

    Or more accurately, I bike that I only need to put a reasonable amount of maintenance into... about once a month, for an hour, if I ride it a few times a week through the Canadian winter. That's about what I have to put into a car, and more than I have to put into my computer to keep them in working order, so while I know a high performance racing bike is a finicky creature of delicate temperment, I want nothing to do with them. I want a bike that I can ride, not a bike I have to mollycoddle.

    I don't care about weight, comfort, or gearing, or anything else really beyond ease of maintenance. 3 speed bike? Great. Weighs 50 pounds? Awesome. As long as I don't have to spend endless hours repairing the tires, dicking with misaligned wheels, endlessly lubing the chain and adjusting the gear shift in the vain hope that maybe I can finally get it to change gears properly, etc etc etc.

    Any suggestions? I've got a budget of up to $1000, which I would think is sufficient, given an ultralite carbon-fibre frame with high performance racing bearings (or whatever makes those bikes so damned expensive) is a liability, not an asset.

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  2. alfeng
    Archived post
    #2

    Look at the bikes which use a Shimano NEXUS rear hub (internal gearing) ... Bianchi probably has a steel framed bike which uses the NEXUS hub.

    Check AirFreetires.com for NuTeck Urethane tires.

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  3. MikeWinVA
    Archived post
    #3

    Alfengs idea of an internal hub is dead on. If you have to deal with grime and road salt this is especially true. You might also want to look at the I-Motion 9 by SRAM. It has a wider range of gearing, and the gearing is more evenly spaced than the Shimano.

    However, I would never go with airless tires on a bicycle. Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but "inventors" keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy and slow. They give a harsh ride and poor high-speed cornering on rough surfaces. They are also likely to cause wheel damage, due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tire uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type "airless" tires/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact. Airless tires do have their applications. They can work well either where speeds are very slow, or where surfaces are very smooth. Thus, they're pretty satisfactory for wheelchairs, especially those mainly used indoors, and also for railroad trains, roller skates, furniture casters, children's riding toys and wagons. (Some of this is paraphrased from Sheldon Brown Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary A-Al )

    Schwalbe tires are known for their durability and puncture resistance. Marathon Plus HS 348 | Schwalbe North America

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