Your Chance to Vote on Someone’s Possible N+1

[eminva]

Hello —

It appears my old MTB/beater bike will not make it through another winter. It was a low end mail order bike and now the drive train is rusty, the gears don’t shift well (okay, at all) and the chain is slipping. Given its pedigree, I doubt it is worth pouring more money in and fixing it. But now it is incapable of performing even the limited function of getting me to and from the metro station.

So, my options as I see them are: (1) get rid of the bike and don’t replace it. (2) get rid of the bike and replace it with a beater bike — that has been its function most of the last few years. (3) get rid of the bike and replace it with a shiny new mountain bike.

(2) is the practical choice. Also, I have to admit I am not much of a mountain biker to may never realize my dream of being one.

One side note: I now have a Volagi Viaje, which I could use as a winter commuter IF I could implement an adequate maintenance system to ensure that it doesn’t suffer ill effects from winter commuting (see separate thread).

So, vote here and thanks!

Liz

Topic

[bobco85]

@eminva 132828 wrote:

Hello —

It appears my old MTB/beater bike will not make it through another winter. It was a low end mail order bike and now the drive train is rusty, the gears don’t shift well (okay, at all) and the chain is slipping. Given its pedigree, I doubt it is worth pouring more money in and fixing it. But now it is incapable of performing even the limited function of getting me to and from the metro station.

So, my options as I see them are: (1) get rid of the bike and don’t replace it. (2) get rid of the bike and replace it with a beater bike — that has been its function most of the last few years. (3) get rid of the bike and replace it with a shiny new mountain bike.

(2) is the practical choice. Also, I have to admit I am not much of a mountain biker to may never realize my dream of being one.

One side note: I now have a Volagi Viaje, which I could use as a winter commuter IF I could implement an adequate maintenance system to ensure that it doesn’t suffer ill effects from winter commuting (see separate thread).

So, vote here and thanks!

Liz

I’ve got a suggestion for another option:

(4) donate the bike to Phoenix Bikes and buy a mountain bike from them

I suppose your new bike would technically be refurbished, but I think it would be like new (it’d probably also be shiny).

[huskerdont]

Or maybe a cross or gravel bike instead of the mountain bike (since you say you’re not a mountain biker). Those bikes would be faster and require less effort but would still give plenty of performance in iffy weather.

[vvill]

Get a flat-bar (low geared) single speed with good tire clearance. Easy to ride, less maintenance, cheap chain replacement. If you get disc brakes, see if you can get wheels that will be interchangeable with your existing bike(s). That way you could have at least a front studded wheel that can go between bikes (I have this on my beater and CX bikes).

[GovernorSilver]

@eminva 132828 wrote:

One side note: I now have a Volagi Viaje, which I could use as a winter commuter IF I could implement an adequate maintenance system to ensure that it doesn’t suffer ill effects from winter commuting (see separate thread).

When I was in the market for a roadish bike, I emailed Volagi about the Viaje and they recommended Frame Saver for protecting the frame from corrosion. Assuming the Viaje you have is not the titanium version of course.

[jopamora]

Tagged you on a listing in the FB used bike marketplace

[eminva]

@vvill 132838 wrote:

Get a flat-bar (low geared) single speed with good tire clearance. Easy to ride, less maintenance, cheap chain replacement. If you get disc brakes, see if you can get wheels that will be interchangeable with your existing bike(s). That way you could have at least a front studded wheel that can go between bikes (I have this on my beater and CX bikes).

This is genius — but I guess the question is, if I am using this bike to commute to Metro, will I be able to get up the Tapawingo hill on the single speed? I can do an experiment with my geared bike, but what gear should I have it in to compare it to a single speed?

And are there reasonably priced bikes available that are SS and disc brakes? Or am I looking for a used frame and putting it together myself?

Liz

[DismalScientist]

Gravity Vanquish is $319 from bikesdirect.

[huskerdont]

You can change the cog on a single speed to make riding up hills easier if needed. I put a 17-tooth cog on my Fuji Feather to replace the 16 to make the hills back into Arlington a little easier on the old knees. If I remember, the original ratio for it was about 2.75 (44/16); you can do a quick-and-dirty calculation on your geared bike to find a ratio that’s comparable to whatever single speed you’re considering and try it out, and you can always change it later. Single speeds are a lot of fun, but they are work on hills, and some days you want your gears. I’d only do one as my only option if I lived in the city.

[vvill]

@eminva 132873 wrote:

This is genius — but I guess the question is, if I am using this bike to commute to Metro, will I be able to get up the Tapawingo hill on the single speed?

Aye, there’s the rub. SS is tougher if you’re commuting loaded (even if it’s just a heavy backpack) and/or have significant hills. I’m not too familiar with the Tapawingo hill but as you say, you can experiment. I would try around 60 gear inches for mild-to-moderate gradients and casual riding. For reference, SS MTBs usually are around 50 gear inches, SS CX 55-65, general riding/commuting 65-75, and above that would be for mashier/faster road riding (Dirt, OneEighth) and fixed gear track/velodromes. Use a bike gearing calculator (plenty of them online) to see what you have and try it out (it depends a little on your tire size).

Of course, you don’t have to go SS. A 7 speed RD would probably be fine (for a 1×7 drivetrain), and any old FD can be used as a chain retention device as long as it fits on your downtube. 7 speed parts are really cheap. Also, geared bikes can be made into SS fairly easily, but you usually can’t do it the other way around. In tricky snow/slush/etc. I like being able to switch down to a low gear but I’ve also heard people say they like the feedback of a fixed drivetrain in snow, so…

I’ve been tempted myself to “upgrade” my beater to use a 10 speed RD/shifter so that it would be fully compatible with my numerous disc brake 10 speed rear wheels.

(I spend all day thinking about bikes and talking to people on the internet about them.)

@eminva 132873 wrote:

And are there reasonably priced bikes available that are SS and disc brakes? Or am I looking for a used frame and putting it together myself?

I’m not sure, but I imagine the cheapest option would probably be finding a used hybrid style bike (with a rigid fork). You can use an old RD as a chain tensioner (or get a chain tensioner) if you do want SS. Even with a beater bike though I would eschew anything too budget oriented, just because I enjoy riding my bikes too much. I have rust in a lot of spots but nothing really affecting the actual performance of the bike.

[eminva]

Behold:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10785[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10786[/ATTACH]

2002 Bianchi D.I.S.S. from Craigslist. Already came with commuter friendly gearing. So far I like it a lot — no troubles with the local hills.

As always, thanks so much for your help!

Liz

[Author]

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