Any Mountain Bike Experts out there ?? I need help.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Sorry to hear that. But why snap at me? My friends die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds and od on crack. *edit* But how is anyone to know. I made a joke-sorry

[ 06-15-2002, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Lord of Alcohol ]

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Again I'm sorry, you obviously had no idea that this incident recently accured. So I don't want any hard feelings or anything, I just had to say what I had to say.

[Lord of Alcohol]

No hard feeling at all! I know how shit gets on the mind sometimes.

[DeSoya]

Heya,
Sorry for the late response.
Road Slicks are tires with little or no tread on them. Not to say that they won't grip the road, it's just that you'll get a smoother ride on the asphault. I've got two different types of slicks on my bike right now. One is kinda crappy and has a bunch of really low knobs on it. The other has a big raised center ring that encircles the tire. As long as you're going straight you're riding on smooth rubber. When you turn there's tread for traction. It's a neat idea and works well.
Trek makes good bikes. I'd say keep the sucker. [img]smile.gif[/img] Unless there's a deluge of bad Trek tales.... Which there shouldn't be. When I was racing bikes I saw a lot of Treks out on the mountains.
There are only two things I'd say. Number one is to keep an eye on your front fork. If it's air/oil you should probably maintence it about every 2-3 months. I think the recommended maintence time is every month but poo on them. [img]smile.gif[/img] If it's an elastomer shock (most likely not... Those things died with the Dino's as far as I understand... But I still have one so I find it worth mentioning) then it'll get sticky and unresponsive when it's cold.
Number two is that you should learn how to keep your chain oiled. With the Alivio/Deore drive train a well oiled chain is important for long life. I've got a Deore rear derallieur and I've had to replace it twice. I'm not very good about oiling my own chain. Sigh.

DeSoya

[Elif Godson]

Do not use wd 40 or a spray lubricant to do this. Get a chain tool
and seperate it. Take the chain off and clean it with spirits or a form of a degreaser. Then let it soak in oil for a bit, wipe it off and put it back on. A good hoseing afetr a dirty ride is recomended,
and maintain it at least eveyother month. I used to race 12 speed's
and mountain bikes when I was in my Teen's and maintenance was a savior of mine. A smooth tire for the raod is recommended plus you can coast better on a skinny tire better then a fat off road one tha is all knoby. Trek makes an excellent bike and if you do get into the cannondale is a good bye. I love the new rotery brakes they have out now, jam those to hard and you eat pavement.

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I heard that there is a certain type of chain lubercant that is composed of a wax like substance. And somehow it prevents or limits dirt, sand, and other stuff from sticking to your chain. Have any of you heard of this, and would you recomend it??

And another thing, I rode my bike for the first time yesterday and the seat that I have seems to be a little stiff. It obviously doesn't help that I have a boney rump, but the seat shouldn't hurt this much. It's a $40 Trek seat thats designed specifically for men and it's about an inch thick of cushion. Is it normal for seats to be this stiff, I mean do you think that it will break in eventually? And have you guys seen or heard of any seats that have a top layer made of gel? You know, like a soft rubbery type gel covered in a nylon type fabric? Anyhew, thanks again for your tips.

[Epona]

Originally posted by Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV: And another thing, I rode my bike for the first time yesterday and the seat that I have seems to be a little stiff. It obviously doesn't help that I have a boney rump, but the seat shouldn't hurt this much. It's a $40 Trek seat thats designed specifically for men and it's about an inch thick of cushion. Is it normal for seats to be this stiff, I mean do you think that it will break in eventually? And have you guys seen or heard of any seats that have a top layer made of gel? You know, like a soft rubbery type gel covered in a nylon type fabric? Anyhew, thanks again for your tips.

Bike seats are designed to make you feel uncomfortable. That's the whole point, it makes you pedal quicker. (j/k).

I heard those silica gel seats are very good - they mold themselves to your ass for the best fit.

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Posted By: Epona I heard those silica gel seats are very good - they mold themselves to your ass for the best fit.

So they do Exist!!

Now hopefully they make them half way decent looking. I'd rather ride on a painful seat than sport one that looks like it's designed for an old grandma!!

[onthepequod]

Originally posted by Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV: quote: Posted Byesoya So two questions for ya... How much are you willing to spend, and what are you going to be doing with this bike?

I want to keep it under $500, and I will mainly be riding paived biking trails and streets. Although, I do eventually want to try more off-road stuff. I can remember biking in the "Badlands" (Theodore Rosevelt National Park) when I was 15, and it was a real blast. Problem is, I live in Minn-ah-soo-tah and the last time i checked we don't have any mountains or many hills for that matter. I know this may sound shallow but, i like the look of m-bikes more than on-road bikes and plus I'm looking towards the future as I get more into the sport.

Oh and btw, what are road slicks exactly?[/QUOTE]Sir Heinrich,

Key points when buying a Mtn. Bike:

1) If you don’t mind spending the money get an aluminum frame. With the exception of the carbon-fiber frames, the frame will last a long time and you can always upgrade componentry.
2) Decent componentry is a must. I personally would shoot for at least Shimano LX. Shimano XT would be better and XTR would be great.
3) If you plan on riding single track (or most off road) in the future, I would get front suspension or at least a frame that can accommodate a suspension fork if you want to add it in the future. I would get a “hard tail” (no rear suspension). Rear suspension absorbs some of your power causing you to work harder. I should know, my bike is full suspension (also known as a “boing-boing”).
4) There are decent rides here in Minnesota. I am from a rocky mountain state where we used to have brutal uphill climes followed by hairy downhill descents. Even though my rides here do not have nearly the vertical there are decent and fun rides. If you live in the Cities, let me know and I can tell you where to go for a good ride.

Good luck.

[onthepequod]

Originally posted by Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV: I went ahead and bought the 2001 Trek 4900 for $449.99. It's got Judy TT Rock Shox in the front, Bontrager Corvair rims, Jones AC tires, Shimano crank, and a Alivio/Deore 24 speed shifter. I quite confident that this bike will suit my needs for years to come. As I get more and more into the sport I may look at geting a Cannondale or something with a few more bells and whistles. I have a 30 day money back guarentee of course so if I find a better deal, say for a used bike or if someone tells me about any bad experiences they've had with Trek, then I can still return it. Even though I went ahead and purchased this bike today, I still welcome any recomendations you guys can offer. Such as: maintenence, helmets, a rack mount for my 89' Honda Accord, or anything else related to biking. Thanks.

It looks like my last post was a little late. Still, if you want some trail recommendations let me know.