What do you think of this?

[hozn]

@Crickey7 115181 wrote:

That is some schizophrenic design/marketing. And I get it that the $10k bike might be just as good as other $10k bikes, but at that price point, you’re entering into a rarified market where labels matter big time.

The MSRP was $900. Or are we talking about different schizo bikes?

[PotomacCyclist]

I’d say misguided designers, not geniuses. Aerobars on a hybrid won’t work. Either the bike is set up for an upright riding position or for a forward aero position. You can’t use both positions on the same bike without readjusting everything, from the seat post, the horizontal position of the saddle, handlebar height, etc.

Try an experiment in your chair. Pretend that you are sitting on an upright hybrid bike or CaBi. Your hands will be placed about where your knees are, measuring horizontally. Not too bad.

But try moving forward, so your elbows are where your hands used to be. Don’t move your seat forward. See how that feels. You have to strain to reach forward that far without adjusting the seat and saddle position. This is even a problem for those who add aerobars to a road bike, which has a slightly more forward regular position than a hybrid does. Many people complain about back strain and uncomfortable positions when trying this set-up on a road bike. A usual recommendation is to swap out the seat post for a forward-facing seat post. That completely changes everything, from the horizontal seat position (relative to the pedals and handlebars), the hip angle, the back angle and more. Just slapping on aerobars won’t turn the hybrid into a triathlon bike.

The designers could have figured this out pretty easily, just by trying it out for themselves. No wind tunnel needed.

[Crickey7]

@hozn 115186 wrote:

The MSRP was $900. Or are we talking about different schizo bikes?

Sorry, I was referring to the link in terpfan’s post, to a $10k+ list price bike “on sale” for $7,500.

[hozn]

I agree with the premise that you can’t slap aerobars on a hybrid and make it a tri bike; however, I’d say the idea of aerobars on a flatbar bike is not exactly unheard of. As silly as it may look, I see a number of people doing this on the trail. And you see this setup on mountain bikes sometimes — for racing or the enduro/adventure crowd doing rides like the Great Divide, etc. So there must be a compromise setup that makes this work.

[Tim Kelley]

@hozn 115192 wrote:

And you see this setup on mountain bikes sometimes

Pittsburgh to DC!

https://instagram.com/p/s7YDCZzbV7/

[Phatboing]

@hozn 115192 wrote:

there must be a compromise setup that makes this work

It’s the higher front end that makes it a comfortable resting position. When I was riding the Fargo from Pittsburgh, I spent many miles with my forearms resting on the handlebars, like leaning on a fence. Took a load off my back, even if I ended up with very sore forearms by the end. Then I got home, got aerobars for this purpose, and haven’t used them at all.

[Mikey]

Could new never ridden bike for sale on Baltimore Craig’s list be a looted bike?

[PotomacCyclist]

The “aerobars” might be useful in the way that the bar end attachments are. They allow the rider to switch up arm and hand position, to rest certain muscles for a while. The bar ends don’t require a major change in body positioning. But the aerobars on that hybrid would require a major change in body positioning. That’s why I’m still skeptical about them. I guess you could ride in that forward position for brief periods of time, but not for extended rides. If that’s the case, they serve little purpose for a triathlon. To take advantage of an aero position, you have to maintain that position for the vast majority of the ride or race. Switching back and forth doesn’t do a whole lot. Aero position really isn’t that comfortable, especially for a beginner who is not used to that awkward position. It just seems to be more trouble than its worth. And I think the bike company should know better than that. Or at least they shouldn’t market it as a way to transition to an aero bike.

Does anyone here use “aerobars” on a hybrid bike? Is it comfortable and usable?

[Heafcliffe]

Hey there everyone….new guy here!

Not new to riding but new to taking it a little more serious. My brother and I going to do a triathlon in August so I picked a Bianchi Giro and I love it! [ATTACH=CONFIG]8708[/ATTACH] Not my bike but a pic of one similar to mine.

The problem is I have gotten 2 flats in a matter of a week. Took a class to learn to fix it myself when it occurs in the future. Also, at times, it can be a little too fast esp for city riding. I want to pick a more leisure bike preferably with more durable tires and looks cool(….yeah, I am one of those guys). This has lead me to wanting to pick up another bike.

I have been scoping craigslist and found http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5037210466.html. Is it worth it at this price point? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

[hozn]

Getting another bike because you got a couple flats is pretty silly. Get yourself some Gatorskins or Schwalbe Durano tires and ride away. I typically get one flat every 3,000 miles or so, and that is on GP4000S “race tires”. Not all tires are created equal.

If you want a less road fit, that is another matter, but I wouldn’t think of a FG as a casual ride. That particular bike looks cheap (anything retailing for $400 probably has crappy wheels, drivetrain etc.) There are much better ways to spend $350 IMO — a used cross bike, for example.

[Heafcliffe]

@hozn 116733 wrote:

Getting another bike because you got a couple flats is pretty silly. Get yourself some Gatorskins or Schwalbe Durano tires and ride away. I typically get one flat every 3,000 miles or so, and that is on GP4000S “race tires”. Not all tires are created equal.

If you want a less road fit, that is another matter, but I wouldn’t think of a FG as a casual ride. That particular bike looks cheap (anything retailing for $400 probably has crappy wheels, drivetrain etc.) There are much better ways to spend $350 IMO — a used cross bike, for example.

I agree. For a few flats is indeed silly. I want a more leisure, slow ride.

A used cross bike? As a newbie, any suggestions for what to look for in a “relaxed” bike? Thanks in advance.

[hozn]

If you just want a slow ride, you could get a cruiser or a dutch city bike — or rent a CaBi. Or just ride the Bianchi slower. I suspect you want more upright geometry, though. The flatbar Trek Soho or FX series may be more what you are looking for. A fixie could fit the bill, but seems to be the wrong answer to that particular question. Try some different bikes at a bike store to figure out what you want. Good luck!

[vvill]

@Heafcliffe 116729 wrote:

The problem is I have gotten 2 flats in a matter of a week. Took a class to learn to fix it myself when it occurs in the future. Also, at times, it can be a little too fast esp for city riding. I want to pick a more leisure bike preferably with more durable tires and looks cool(….yeah, I am one of those guys). This has lead me to wanting to pick up another bike.

I have been scoping craigslist and found http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5037210466.html. Is it worth it at this price point? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

If you want something cheap with the aesthetic “appeal” of a FG that you can ride leisurely I’d look for a SSCX. Something like a Kilo WT that’s set up single speed, or similar. They won’t necessarily have more relaxed geometry although with some stem adjustment you can make it more relaxed than a road [racing] bike. State Bicycles make a cheapish SSCX too http://www.statebicycle.com/collections/off-road-division-bikes-cyclo-cross-bikes

(If you don’t mind the more straightforward hybrid look, then yeah just stick with a Trek FX, Kona Dew, etc. that can take wider tires, and the ride will definitely be more cruise-y.)

Most cheaper “urban” FG bikes made to look nice aren’t designed to ride nice, but having clearance for wider tires will make it lower maintenance (less flats, lower PSI requirements), and the ride will be more comfortable.

The other plus of a SSCX bike (as opposed to a regular CX bike) is that it is easier/cheaper to switch to a more upright flat bar position if you prefer, since you won’t have to worry about shifters, and brake levers without integrated shifters are pretty cheap.

If you think you might be more invested in riding a CX (or SSCX), plenty of higher end brands make those too but you’ll hit the $1k+ mark pretty easily. You can go off-the-shelf with a flat bar for a bit cheaper than dropbars with something like the Traitor Cutlass.

As for the Sole: from what I can tell from their website, Sole bicycles’ staff consists mostly of marketing and graphic design people. And the bike is hi-tensile steel (aka cheapest and heaviest steel you’ll find on a mass produced bike). That bike may have been won in a raffle or similar. I wouldn’t bother unless you just *really* like the look and plan to ride it to the bar/coffee shop (but even then I wouldn’t pay even close to $350!)

[Heafcliffe]

@vvill 116778 wrote:

If you want something cheap with the aesthetic “appeal” of a FG that you can ride leisurely I’d look for a SSCX. Something like a Kilo WT that’s set up single speed, or similar. They won’t necessarily have more relaxed geometry although with some stem adjustment you can make it more relaxed than a road [racing] bike. State Bicycles make a cheapish SSCX too http://www.statebicycle.com/collections/off-road-division-bikes-cyclo-cross-bikes

(If you don’t mind the more straightforward hybrid look, then yeah just stick with a Trek FX, Kona Dew, etc. that can take wider tires, and the ride will definitely be more cruise-y.)

Most cheaper “urban” FG bikes made to look nice aren’t designed to ride nice, but having clearance for wider tires will make it lower maintenance (less flats, lower PSI requirements), and the ride will be more comfortable.

The other plus of a SSCX bike (as opposed to a regular CX bike) is that it is easier/cheaper to switch to a more upright flat bar position if you prefer, since you won’t have to worry about shifters, and brake levers without integrated shifters are pretty cheap.

If you think you might be more invested in riding a CX (or SSCX), plenty of higher end brands make those too but you’ll hit the $1k+ mark pretty easily. You can go off-the-shelf with a flat bar for a bit cheaper than dropbars with something like the Traitor Cutlass.

As for the Sole: from what I can tell from their website, Sole bicycles’ staff consists mostly of marketing and graphic design people. And the bike is hi-tensile steel (aka cheapest and heaviest steel you’ll find on a mass produced bike). That bike may have been won in a raffle or similar. I wouldn’t bother unless you just *really* like the look and plan to ride it to the bar/coffee shop (but even then I wouldn’t pay even close to $350!)

Thanx for this detailed response! Being “new” to something can mean a “new,” gullible consumer may be born. Not a fan of that option. Lol.

[MattAune]

@vvill 115131 wrote:

What I said in that other thread about DB, pretty much. And agree with the sentiment that it’s basically Fuji/Scattante/GT/etc.

FWIW there was a legit “ex-demo” DB liquidation a few months ago on the DC Used Bicycle Marketplace facebook group where prices were eminently affordable (I would’ve considered buying one if it fit my needs at the time although they went pretty fast anyway), and I’ve also seen them on The Clymb. So it’s possible the seller bought something like this and is trying to just turn a bit of $ on the deal.

Getting back to the original question about DiamondBack. This might have something to do with people trying to re-sell them.

https://www.facebook.com/626746940738603/photos/a.629964433750187.1073741829.626746940738603/819290551484240/?type=1&theater

[Author]

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