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[otake]

Aren't you folks able to cycle on the road there or something? I know american cars' steering isn't great, but surely they can make their way round a bike.

Would you risk it?

 

[moojito]

Would you risk it?

Sure. Cycling on the road here (UK) is pretty common, though. Maybe it's not where you are? Then again, go to youtube and look up the bike couriers in NYC. That's how it's meant to be done!

 

[otake]

Sure. Cycling on the road here (UK) is pretty common, though. Maybe it's not where you are? Then again, go to youtube and look up the bike couriers in NYC. That's how it's meant to be done!

Not common at all. On the weekends you see some people doing it but they get hit by cars all the time. I hate the city I live in.

 

[Jonsend]

Do we have any UK cyclists in the house other than Dr. Cholmondley-Warner there with his circa 1900 style bikes? I was thinking of going into halfords to get one of their cheaper bikes to see if I take to it or not. It would be a shame if those bikes were of such bad quality that they would put me off a hobby I'd otherwise enjoy, though. Can anyone comment on their quality?

If they're cheap then they're probably steel therefore heavy. Ok if you only cycle a mile or two but I would suggest buying at least an aluminium frame.

 

[Jonsend]

Not common at all. On the weekends you see some people doing it but they get hit by cars all the time. I hate the city I live in.

Depends where you are - places like Cambridge and Oxford have a huge number of cyclists so drivers have no choice but to go slow.
Luckily where I live (Nottingham) there are a fair number of cycle routes and the council publish maps, though it is a fairly hilly city.

 

[Gallbaro]

Gallbaro, what is the bike you posted a pic of?

Socrates, my trusty steed.

Spoiler

Heavily Urbanized Surly Cross Check.

I'm soon moving to an apartment that is closer to my office. A 7 mile bike ride will get me there. However, I live in Florida, in a town where no one rides a bike to work, everything is far and there are no bike lanes. I wish I could ride to work.. I really do.

Well if it is any consolidation, I use to ride in NYC but I would think twice before riding in Florida, statistically speaking that is the most dangerous state for cyclists.

 

[Viewt]

I'm soon moving to an apartment that is closer to my office. A 7 mile bike ride will get me there. However, I live in Florida, in a town where no one rides a bike to work, everything is far and there are no bike lanes. I wish I could ride to work.. I really do.

Don't be discouraged! I live in Miami, and there is actually a growing bike culture here. You'll have to figure out your own route (taking the same roads you would with a car obviously won't work), but once you get to know what streets are good for cycling and which aren't, it's totally worth it.

 

[uraldix]

Not common at all. On the weekends you see some people doing it but they get hit by cars all the time. I hate the city I live in.

I am in Ohio and it's not any better here. The road outside my neighborhood is a narrow two laner with a 50mph speed limit. I have been run off the road more than a few times.

 

[Tenks]

I am in Ohio and it's not any better here. The road outside my neighborhood is a narrow two laner with a 50mph speed limit. I have been run off the road more than a few times.

What part of Ohio? I live in the heart of Dublin and it's fairly bike friendly. I just bought a BMX bike because big ass road bikes don't appeal to me and my commute to work is only ~2 miles.

 

[offtopic]

Socrates, my trusty steed.
Heavily Urbanized Surly Cross Check.

Nice. Seriously considered the Karate Monkey for a mix of urban/trail but ultimately thought I'd be better suited with a more 'true' mountain bike. Maybe next time...

Have the cervelo for anything involving pavement and speed .

 

[Stinkles]

A bike I made. Ultra Light Frame by Bria (German company) Everything else I bought here and there. Made it as light as possible. It's a fixie/single speed reverse hub.

And here we go!

If you plan on doing light riding for fun and fitness, on a variety of terrain, do not get a Fixie. Fixies are good for:

* People who like Fixies.


They are not good for

* Everyone else.


Also, Fixie riders are like Sonic the Hedgehog fans. There's no reasoning with them. They also wear an unreasonable number of cut-off jeans, culottes, pedal-pushers and so on and are statistically more likely to have large piercings and calf tattoos.

If you like all that, and you're not worried about running into the back, front or side of traffic, then do get a Fixie.

Aren't you folks able to cycle on the road there or something? I know american cars' steering isn't great, but surely they can make their way round a bike.

Huh? People ride on the road in the States all the time. In most major urban centers and of course on gorgeous backroads. I guess there's lots of places where folks don't, but really, it's normal in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, etc etc. Not as normal as Europe, but normal. Lots of cities have bike lanes too.

 

[xxracerxx]

I'll echo what some other people are saying here: don't cheap out on your bike. I recently got back into cycling (mostly commuting to work and for small errands during the weekend), and I decided to only drop around $299. The bike works fine, but I have to keep a mini toolkit with me at all times. Cheaper parts mean having to tighten the handlebar every few days, or having a spare tube on you at all times in case you have a flat (which will happen a lot more often than you think if you're planning on putting a lot of miles on this bike - a quick fix for that is kevlar tires, which I'm thinking about getting more and more every day), etc. I put 50-60 miles on my bike a week, and believe me, I know it's gonna become an issue sooner or later.

If you're committed to using this bike a lot, paying out $700-$900 will probably end up saving you money in the long term. When it comes to bikes, you really get what you pay for.

What type of bikes are you guys buying for $300 that you have to tighten your handle bars every few weeks? Are you talking about buying new bikes for $300?

I still suggest looking around craigslist for an older road bike. I have bought two from there, a Puegot road bike and a Falcon road bike, both are more than reliable and I have only had minor tinkering on the Puegot when I bought it.

 

[Treo360]

And here we go!

If you plan on doing light riding for fun and fitness, on a variety of terrain, do not get a Fixie. Fixies are good for:

* People who like Fixies.


They are not good for

* Everyone else.


Also, Fixie riders are like Sonic the Hedgehog fans. There's no reasoning with them. They also wear an unreasonable number of cut-off jeans, culottes, pedal-pushers and so on and are statistically more likely to have large piercings and calf tattoos.

If you like all that, and you're not worried about running into the back, front or side of traffic, then do get a Fixie.

Generalize much? :lol

I'm a Spin/Les Mills RPM instructor and I do ride in an Oval, so Fixie does me well. When I ride on the Road I reverse the hub (you read that part right?) and go Single Free wheel. If I chose to, the drop on my bike allows me to add gears should I want to.

I haven't run into those militant Fixie riders that you described.

 

[uraldix]

What part of Ohio? I live in the heart of Dublin and it's fairly bike friendly. I just bought a BMX bike because big ass road bikes don't appeal to me and my commute to work is only ~2 miles.

Grove City but I work in the heart of Dublin. Dublin and Westerville are both pretty good, I just do not have a good route to get me there.

Generalize much? :lol

I'm a Spin/Les Mills RPM instructor and I do ride in an Oval, so Fixie does me well. When I ride on the Road I reverse the hub (you read that part right?) and go Single Free wheel. If I chose to, the drop on my bike allows me to add gears should I want to.

I haven't run into those militant Fixie riders that you described.

I don't ride in an Oval but I ride a Fixie with a reversible hub too. I haven't run into the militant wing either.

 

[Stinkles]

Generalize much? :lol

I'm a Spin/Les Mills RPM instructor and I do ride in an Oval, so Fixie does me well. When I ride on the Road I reverse the hub (you read that part right?) and go Single Free wheel. If I chose to, the drop on my bike allows me to add gears should I want to.

I haven't run into those militant Fixie riders that you described.

Riding a Fixie in itself is a form of militantism. You are saying to the world, "I am too cool for your gears and brakes and other safety features, I am a master of the relationship twixt man and machine, I am one with this bike."

I think it is supercool that you enjoy riding a Fixie, and you should continue to enjoy it. Recommending one to a light commuter with hilly recreational aspirations is not helpful. In fact, it's super unhelpful. Fixies are a hardcore hobbyists bike. They are difficult to ride, even more difficult to master and inherently more dangerous than normal bikes. They are not for normal riding. You should know this.

In fact, you explained that you're a pretty focused style instructor, let alone a normal consumer.

 

[Viewt]

What type of bikes are you guys buying for $300 that you have to tighten your handle bars every few weeks? Are you talking about buying new bikes for $300?

I still suggest looking around craigslist for an older road bike. I have bought two from there, a Puegot road bike and a Falcon road bike, both are more than reliable and I have only had minor tinkering on the Puegot when I bought it.

I foolishly bought a new Diamondback for around $299 a couple months back at Sports Authority. I should have done more research beforehand (I probably could've gotten a much better bike used for not too much more). The first couple weeks went smoothly enough, but since then, I have to break out the toolbox every weekend. Hell, I'm posting from work, and on the way here today, the pipe that holds the seat up shot down, so now I've got to fix that, too.

Luckily, the guy at Sports Authority's been really cool about everything, and when I can't figure it out myself, he's always fixed it for free.

But yeah, I definitely should've done some more research before throwing that money down. My bike would be fine if I was just doing some weekend riding, but I use it every day, partly on a gravel path (lots of bumps/rocks). I need something a little more heavy-duty.

 

[uraldix]

Riding a Fixie in itself is a form of militantism. You are saying to the world, "I am too cool for your gears and brakes and other safety features, I am a master of the relationship twixt man and machine, I am one with this bike."

I think it is supercool that you enjoy riding a Fixie, and you should continue to enjoy it. Recommending one to a light commuter with hilly recreational aspirations is not helpful. In fact, it's super unhelpful. Fixies are a hardcore hobbyists bike. They are difficult to ride, even more difficult to master and inherently more dangerous than normal bikes. They are not for normal riding. You should know this.

In fact, you explained that you're a pretty focused style instructor, let alone a normal consumer.

Also stated that he/she flips the hub to a single gear w/freewheel when riding on the streets. That essentially makes it a gearless version (assuming it has has front and rear brakes) of every other bike on the road.

 

[Treo360]

Also stated that he/she flips the hub to a single gear w/freewheel when riding on the streets. That essentially makes it a gearless version (assuming it has has front and rear brakes) of every other bike on the road.

I do.

 

[Darth Pinche]

I am very happy with my KHS Urban Xpress for commuting and fun road rides. The list is around $400 but I got it for$325 with fenders included. KHS bikes are great and come with solid parts. Not the lightest but very reliable and durable. My bike has a "light" steel frame, while heavier than aluminum, it feels lively and does dampen a lot of road shock. I find some aluminum bike rattle my fillings out.

 

[purg3]

also looking to get back into biking now that the weather is nice and my job schedule now has weekends off. I used to ride quite a bit while in high school, mainly trail riding(light/heavy), but I've been out of the biking loop since then. So looking for recommendations for something that will be good with most types of trail riding and ok for road use. I have a local Trek shop nearby and these are the ones that caught my eye
(budget >$600)

http://trekofpgh.com/product/gary-fisher-kaitai-61018-1.htm

http://trekofpgh.com/product/gary-fisher-wahoo-60979-1.htm

http://trekofpgh.com/product/trek-3900-disc-57865-1.htm

reposting from the first page since I didn't get any answers, so I'll try again. Looking for recommendations in that price range

 

[Treo360]

Riding a Fixie in itself is a form of militantism. 1. You are saying to the world, "I am too cool for your gears and brakes and other safety features, I am a master of the relationship twixt man and machine, I am one with this bike."

I think it is supercool that you enjoy riding a Fixie, and you should continue to enjoy it. 2. Recommending one to a light commuter with hilly recreational aspirations is not helpful. In fact, it's super unhelpful. Fixies are a hardcore hobbyists bike. They are difficult to ride, even more difficult to master and inherently more dangerous than normal bikes. They are not for normal riding. You should know this.

In fact, you explained that you're a pretty focused style instructor, let alone a normal consumer.

1. You got part of it right in my case. I am one with the bike, when I oval, however for everything else I switch over to Single speed, admittedly it's probably a bit bigger (gearing) than your average riding gear, but that's more a testament to conditioning.

2. I never Recommended it. I was simply asked what I had.

Again, I don't consider it Militant to ride one outside of Oval. However I refuse to ride without proper bike shoes and clips, regardless of bike, that is where I draw the line:lol

 

[Kraftwerk]

Damn didn't think a cycle thread would bubble into such a big argument x_x.
A Note to anyone hating on fixies and saying its dangerous : Most people in the city don't use more than 3 gears.Fixie are very light and have basically no maintenance.As someone else said they come with a Flip flop hub i.e you turn the wheel around to be either freewheel mode or fixed mode.VERY easy to do.You can also change the cog to a different size/ratio etc if you seem to have a problem up a hill or something,cost about $10-20.Brakes are already on them too.
So yeah fixie are really fun and something different if you wanna try it.WOULD NOT recommend to a NEW cyclist.Most shops allow test rides so if you are thinking about it ,give it a good test ride and get a feel for it.

 

[Stinkles]

I kind of want a Strida. I travel a lot and I LOVE the idea of having a genuinely foldable, portable bike to tootle around in. I have a feeling it would be gimmicky and get old after about an hour, but damn, just watching this video makes me want to bite the bullet:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...LjKSRDA&q=strida+folding&hl=en&client=safari#

Even though it looks like something from an airline catalog.

 

[Tenks]

I had no idea wtf a fixie is so I googled it ... damn I can't believe people are really that concerned about other people's bikes. I mean, holy fuck, who cares what they ride.

 

[trudderham]

The Trek District:

Single speed, but it has a carbon fiber belt drive, so there's no chain, no need to oil it (can be cleaned with a hose pipe), incredibly light and silent.

 

[Treo360]

I had no idea wtf a fixie is so I googled it ... damn I can't believe people are really that concerned about other people's bikes. I mean, holy fuck, who cares what they ride.

I remember reading another bike thread a while back on GAF that devolved into a Fixie debate as well, I don't get the strong dislike, but it reminds me of a Mac vs PC debate.

The Trek District:

Single speed, but it has a carbon fiber belt drive, so there's no chain, no need to oil it (can be cleaned with a hose pipe), incredibly light and silent.

Looks great, any issues with pedal/crank slip?

 

[offtopic]

I don't ride in an Oval but I ride a Fixie with a reversible hub too. I haven't run into the militant wing either.

The mere fact that fixie riders think its awesome to post that they ride a fixie in threads about what sort of bike a newbie should get to ride a few miles to work basically defines that militant wing. Its kinda like someone asking if they should get a ps3 or 360 and then having PC gamers spam their thread saying the fact that they can also run a spreadsheet makes the PC superior. Its just full of fail.

Fixies are great...for hardcore cycling enthusiasts (and yes ANYONE actually riding an oval meets this requirement :lol ). No hate on fixies at all...just not appropriate for most bike-age threads.

 

[aorange999]

I ride a specialized sirrus. I'm not too big into bikes but went into this store here in Brooklyn RA Cycles and the guys there upsold me pretty hard as I wanted to spend just $300, but they definitely new what they were talking about.
I have no regrets, I just wanted a simple commuter with gears that wasn't too heavy. I like it so far been riding at least 25-35 miles a week over last summer/fall and about to break it out again for commuting since the weather is a little better.

 

[practice02]

Riding a Fixie in itself is a form of militantism. You are saying to the world, "I am too cool for your gears and brakes and other safety features, I am a master of the relationship twixt man and machine, I am one with this bike."

I think it is supercool that you enjoy riding a Fixie, and you should continue to enjoy it. Recommending one to a light commuter with hilly recreational aspirations is not helpful. In fact, it's super unhelpful. Fixies are a hardcore hobbyists bike. They are difficult to ride, even more difficult to master and inherently more dangerous than normal bikes. They are not for normal riding. You should know this.

In fact, you explained that you're a pretty focused style instructor, let alone a normal consumer.

I'm avid bicyclist who rides a fixie and other bikes and I agree with the terrible idea of recommending a fixie to a casual rider with hilly terrain. fixies are the PC of bicycles.

 

[trudderham]

Looks great, any issues with pedal/crank slip?

Nope. Belt drives are used on motorbikes and can take an incredible amount of weight, and because they're carbon fiber they don't stretch over time like regular chains.

 

[xxracerxx]

$1,100.00

Yeah no matter how easy to maintain, that is definitely not worth it imo.

EDIT: Looks nice though.

 

[Tenks]

I'm a vivid bicyclist who rides a fixie and other bikes and I agree with the terrible idea of recommending a fixie to a casual rider with hilly terrain. fixies are the PC of bicycles.

I have no clue what that means. They crash alot? 80% of the world uses them? I don't understand.

 

[offtopic]

Also, a light bike shouldn't really be a priority of someone looking for a commuter. Look for usability, durability, and utility way way way before weight. Its not hard to go uphill on a 30lb bike if it isn't a total POS frame, bottom bracket, cranks, gears, etc.

Heck, even in competitive circles weight is vastly overrated. If you aren't going up a 12%+ grade wearing a thin layer of spandex, trying not to get dropped by other riders and using racing tires the weight of a bike isn't material beyond "cool factor".

 

[practice02]

I have no clue what that means. They crash alot? 80% of the world uses them? I don't understand.

build it yourself a little extra tlc with the bike some flashy components and you need some patience in dealing with it. and don't get me started on the lan party/bike races comparisons.

 

[Treo360]

Nope. Belt drives are used on motorbikes and can take an incredible amount of weight, and because they're carbon fiber they don't stretch over time like regular chains.

Gotcha. We had a sales person drop by our gym trying to sell us on their Spinning Bikes that were belt driven. I could feel some slippage under load, so I opted against it. Could've been a bum bike, but the initial impression was hard to shake.


As for claims about Fixie's being recommended, that hasn't happened in this thread at all. BTW I consider Fixed gear bikes a Mac, with Mutli-geared freewheeled Owners the PC.

 

[Get'sMad]

As for claims about Fixie's being recommended, that hasn't happened in this thread at all. BTW I consider Fixed gear bikes a Mac, with Mutli-geared freewheeled Owners the PC.

Hey screw you! I own 2 Macs and 2 Cannondales both with lots of gears (though one is older and I am in the process of turning it into a single speed, not a fixie).

 

[JeanJule]

Trust me, spending $300 on a bike is a waste of money in the long run. (unless you get a good secondhand bike, that is) My students drive their bicycles an average of 30-35km a day, to get to and from school. Almost without exception the bikes are high quality, the cheap ones break after a year or two, the good quality ones (Gazelle, Batavus) last for 6-7 years, with maintenance. Sure, a good bike will cost upwards of $700, but is worth it. Cheap bikes will have bad gears, cranks, bearings and frames.

I recommend insuring your bike, in case it gets stolen, if it is possible to insure your bike in the US. Theft is a BIG issue in the Netherlands: most my friends had at least 5-10 bikes stolen while attending Uni.

 

[Hilbert]

Would you risk it?

I ride on the road all the time. Just stay off the main roads where people go fast and you are fine.

 

[Treo360]

Hey screw you! I own 2 Macs and 2 Cannondales both with lots of gears (though one is older and I am in the process of turning it into a single speed, not a fixie).

Haha I got 3 mac pro's here. I'm in the process of buying a Cannondale Synapse HI-MOD 1 or a Supersix HI-MOD DI2, but since I instruct 5-6 times a week (mostly doubles) I run the risk of overtraining. But I'll be damned if that's not a nice looking bike.

The fact that the cost more than my 10 year old car doesn't help my cause with the wife though:lol

 

[Gallbaro]

Trust me, spending $300 on a bike is a waste of money in the long run. (unless you get a good secondhand bike, that is) My students drive their bicycles an average of 30-35km a day, to get to and from school. Almost without exception the bikes are high quality, the cheap ones break after a year or two, the good quality ones (Gazelle, Batavus) last for 6-7 years, with maintenance. Sure, a good bike will cost upwards of $700, but is worth it. Cheap bikes will have bad gears, cranks, bearings and frames.

I recommend insuring your bike, in case it gets stolen, if it is possible to insure your bike in the US. Theft is a BIG issue in the Netherlands: most my friends had at least 5-10 bikes stolen while attending Uni.

Some locks come with insurance, but it is void in NYC.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I do around 25km per day (just started again due to improving weather)

on one of these bad boys

(not exact brand)

I Love it, when the sun shines and I can get up a sweat on my ludicrous bike, I feel like all is right with the world. We have a shower at work and I work right on the otherside of the amsterdams 'forest' so I get to bike through some nice nature everyday before hitting the 8 hour work stretch.

 

[Antagon]

Trust me, spending $300 on a bike is a waste of money in the long run. (unless you get a good secondhand bike, that is) My students drive their bicycles an average of 30-35km a day, to get to and from school. Almost without exception the bikes are high quality, the cheap ones break after a year or two, the good quality ones (Gazelle, Batavus) last for 6-7 years, with maintenance. Sure, a good bike will cost upwards of $700, but is worth it. Cheap bikes will have bad gears, cranks, bearings and frames.

I recommend insuring your bike, in case it gets stolen, if it is possible to insure your bike in the US. Theft is a BIG issue in the Netherlands: most my friends had at least 5-10 bikes stolen while attending Uni.

I know where you're coming from, but biking in the Netherlands is different from America. He won't use it for everyday stuff. Of course, good coatguards and chainguards would be the minimum requirements for me for commuting to work.

Butd yeah, Gazelles rock. Did over 30.000 miles on a Primeur as a teenager. And 90% of the maintenance was fixing tires.

 

[JeanJule]

@catfish: Haha, I drove my moms 20yo bike to school (20kms a day) for two years. It was almost exactly like yours, but had a skirt-saddle. You know, the round ones? Man, that sucked. Would like to have one of those now, for going out. Doesn't really matter if it gets stolen, just borrow one back, or buy one off of someone. My workbike now is a Gazelle.

Hang on OP: can't you get a bike from your employer? Practically all companies here offer a scheme where you pay the bike from your monthly income, before taxes, over the course of 10 months. Maximum amount they will front for you is 750euros, if the bike is more you pay the extra amount in cash yourself. After your tax benefit, it works out to around a 30% discount or something. Hell just paying a bike in 10 months is worth it.

 

[practice02]

I do around 25km per day (just started again due to improving weather)

on one of these bad boys

(not exact brand)

I Love it, when the sun shines and I can get up a sweat on my ludicrous bike, I feel like all is right with the world. We have a shower at work and I work right on the otherside of the amsterdams 'forest' so I get to bike through some nice nature everyday before hitting the 8 hour work stretch.

thats a ladies bike.

 

[Antagon]

Haha, I drove my moms 20yo bike to school (20kms a day) for two years. It was almost exactly like yours, but had a skirt-saddle. You know, the round ones? Man, that sucked. Would like to have one of those now, for going out. Doesn't really matter if it gets stolen, just borrow one back, or buy one off of someone. My workbike now is a Gazelle.

Hang on OP: can't you get a bike from your employer? Practically all companies here offer a scheme where you pay the bike from your monthly income, before taxes, over the course of 10 months. Maximum amount they will front for you is 750euros, if the bike is more you pay the extra amount in cash yourself. After your tax benefit, it works out to around a 30% discount or something. Hell just paying a bike in 10 months is worth it.

That isn't my bike, mine was just similar. It got stolen when I was a student . Had to do around 35-40km a day though.

 

[esquire]

Riding a Fixie in itself is a form of militantism. You are saying to the world, "I am too cool for your gears and brakes and other safety features, I am a master of the relationship twixt man and machine, I am one with this bike."

I think it is supercool that you enjoy riding a Fixie, and you should continue to enjoy it. Recommending one to a light commuter with hilly recreational aspirations is not helpful. In fact, it's super unhelpful. Fixies are a hardcore hobbyists bike. They are difficult to ride, even more difficult to master and inherently more dangerous than normal bikes. They are not for normal riding. You should know this.

In fact, you explained that you're a pretty focused style instructor, let alone a normal consumer.

Is this meant for me? I wasn't recommending the OP get a fixed gear if you care to actually read what I wrote under the picture I posted.

I ride a proper fixed gear bicycle regularly in a city that is notorious for its hills and I love it. I have no problem getting around, biking up and down hills, but I know not everyone is me and I'm not recommending anyone do the same. You need to calm down.

 

[practice02]

Is this meant for me? I wasn't recommending the OP get a fixed gear if you care to actually read what I wrote under the picture I posted.

I ride a proper fixed gear bicycle regularly in a city that is notorious for its hills and I love it. I have no problem getting around, biking up and down hills, but I know not everyone is me and I'm not recommending anyone do the same. You need to calm down.

San francisco? I ve always wondered how people ride a fixed gear up those streets i mena some of those roads are close 10 degrees short of full 90.

 

[Treo360]

Is this meant for me? I wasn't recommending the OP get a fixed gear if you care to actually read what I wrote under the picture I posted.

I ride a proper fixed gear bicycle regularly in a city that is notorious for its hills and I love it. I have no problem getting around, biking up and down hills, but I know not everyone is me and I'm not recommending anyone do the same. You need to calm down.

No it was aimed more at me, but like you, I never recommended anything. Bygones be bygones.

 

[Jill Sandwich]

I wanted a bike that I could go to work on, and on the weekends slip it into offroad mode. In the end I built it up myself. I decided to make a 29er bike - the light frame, big wheels and slick tyres are great for the road, and is definately strong enough to take a bashing on the trails.

I went for an On-One Scandal, a light scandium/aluminium frame, strong with a bit of flex, but cheaper than titanium, and added some carbon forks.

Get the lightest you can afford, and definitely get slick tyres, they help you roll further.

 

[Wessiej]

thats a ladies bike.

Almost everyguy and girl in Holland are riding on that same bike, me too.

It is a awesome bike, everyday i cycle for about 1,5 hour, lovely.