http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=60226
http://www.konabikes.co.uk/2k6bikes/lava_dome_2k6.php
Kona Lava Dome 2006 looks like a nice bike. I could replace the fork to Kona P2.
Right at the edge of my budget though.
Ok for a winter commuter rig ?
BTW nearest Kona stockist 50 miles
http://www.konabikes.co.uk/2k6bikes/lava_dome_2k6.php
Kona Lava Dome 2006 looks like a nice bike. I could replace the fork to Kona P2.
Right at the edge of my budget though.
Ok for a winter commuter rig ?
BTW nearest Kona stockist 50 miles
end of your budget....
er..ya. But it is a great bike. Lava Domes are amongst what I think, have been overlooked (in North America at least) for a little while. They are excellent bikes. with a P2 on it, a great commuter bike, and if you so choose a great bike for a single speed conversion, with the ability to convert back to multispeed use.
I'd be happy and proud to own one.50 miles here is like less than an hour. Have a car or a buddy that does? I ghuess I take for granted distance 'cause anywhere on the Canadian Prairies is a long way from anywhere else...
er..ya. But it is a great bike. Lava Domes are amongst what I think, have been overlooked (in North America at least) for a little while. They are excellent bikes. with a P2 on it, a great commuter bike, and if you so choose a great bike for a single speed conversion, with the ability to convert back to multispeed use.
I'd be happy and proud to own one.50 miles here is like less than an hour. Have a car or a buddy that does? I ghuess I take for granted distance 'cause anywhere on the Canadian Prairies is a long way from anywhere else...
Well, if you're just gonna cop out and get a mountain bike, then why not get a used one? they should be easy to get; we get buttloads of them on trade-in (towards hybrid bikes) from people who commute and realise that knobby tires suck for pavement use.
The whole elegance of a single speed bike is lost if you just take a derailleur geared bike and circumsise it. It's kind of like pulling the tone control knobs off of an amplifier to achieve a "pure" signal. The signal (drive) still passes through the potentiometers (chain tensioner) but they have no usefull purpose.
Sorry to whiz on the campfire, but I'm seeing some pretty strange recommendations for someone new to cycling who's looking for a commuter bike.
I'll stick to my original recommendation of an internally geared bike, preferably with 700x35 (or thereabouts) tyres for low rolling resistance and comfort. Failing that, a derailleur geared hybrid. No need to change out an unwanted suspension fork. No problem installing fenders, racks, etc.
If you find yourself riding in only one gear, then change it to a single speed after the fact. An internal hub gear type bike is far tidier to convert to single speed as it already has a single chainring and has horizontal dropouts for chain tension.
The whole elegance of a single speed bike is lost if you just take a derailleur geared bike and circumsise it. It's kind of like pulling the tone control knobs off of an amplifier to achieve a "pure" signal. The signal (drive) still passes through the potentiometers (chain tensioner) but they have no usefull purpose.
Sorry to whiz on the campfire, but I'm seeing some pretty strange recommendations for someone new to cycling who's looking for a commuter bike.
I'll stick to my original recommendation of an internally geared bike, preferably with 700x35 (or thereabouts) tyres for low rolling resistance and comfort. Failing that, a derailleur geared hybrid. No need to change out an unwanted suspension fork. No problem installing fenders, racks, etc.
If you find yourself riding in only one gear, then change it to a single speed after the fact. An internal hub gear type bike is far tidier to convert to single speed as it already has a single chainring and has horizontal dropouts for chain tension.
strange recommendations?
maxro, I think what's happened is that ash_dac seems to change his mind.
My comments regarding mountain bikes is that they are very versatile, and have gearing if it is needed during the commute. I still think somethjing like a Humuhumu would be a pretty nice scoot. I've riden one on more than a few occasions, and there is joy in the lack of gearing, just jump on and ride.
I doubt you or any would disagree that a Lava Dome is a great bike. That type of suggestion (or the Smoke) is based on a steel bike in ash_dac's stated price range. Removal of the suspension forks isn't neccessary, unless the "purity"of a less complicated bike is desired. Marzochis can hold a lot of pressure without blowing out the seals. Of course a Humuhumu is single speed.
If you look back I believe I suggested a used bike near the beginning of the thread. Ultimately as I have no experience in England, and ride in arid southern Alberta, it hardly matters (although it did snow yesterday here).
I will say no mountain bike has ever rolled like mine on 1.25 inch Specialized slicks ($1.25 the pair! at a swap meet)--ok Conti makes excellent tires, etc, but the slicks are very nice on the street.
so ash_dac, I guess the ball's in your court again.
maxro, I think what's happened is that ash_dac seems to change his mind.
My comments regarding mountain bikes is that they are very versatile, and have gearing if it is needed during the commute. I still think somethjing like a Humuhumu would be a pretty nice scoot. I've riden one on more than a few occasions, and there is joy in the lack of gearing, just jump on and ride.
I doubt you or any would disagree that a Lava Dome is a great bike. That type of suggestion (or the Smoke) is based on a steel bike in ash_dac's stated price range. Removal of the suspension forks isn't neccessary, unless the "purity"of a less complicated bike is desired. Marzochis can hold a lot of pressure without blowing out the seals. Of course a Humuhumu is single speed.
If you look back I believe I suggested a used bike near the beginning of the thread. Ultimately as I have no experience in England, and ride in arid southern Alberta, it hardly matters (although it did snow yesterday here).
I will say no mountain bike has ever rolled like mine on 1.25 inch Specialized slicks ($1.25 the pair! at a swap meet)--ok Conti makes excellent tires, etc, but the slicks are very nice on the street.
so ash_dac, I guess the ball's in your court again.
not trying to be disagreeable but...
It's a fine bike for trail riding, but it's not built for commuting. It has rear fender mounts, but no front mounts, and no upper rack mounts. So, ash-dac would have to resort to clamping on such items, which is unsightly and less secure.
Them budget Marzocchis can't hold any "pressure", as they are not an air fork. Their steel springs will have only a modicum of preload adjustment.
Ah, but have you compared them to an equivalent 700x32 tire? The same width, but the 11% diameter increase makes for a significant decrease in rolling resistance.
So, with a mountain bike:
1. Fenders and rack bodged onto bike due to lack of braze-ons
2. Added weight and bobbing of suspension fork
3. Tires need to be swapped out for slicks
4. Gearing may not be high enough due to 44/11 top gear and narrow (1.25-1.5") tire on 26" rim making wheels effectively 24.5-25" in diameter (100 gear inches)
Not to mention those bloody top tube routed derailleur cables. It's ironic that they were designed to keep the cables clean, when what happens is rain water drips down the housing at the rear derailleur and rusts the cable (something to consider on the westcoast and foggy old England).
And a hybrid:
1. All the fittings for a rack and fenders
2. Rigid fork. no muss, no fuss
3. Comes stock with pavement appropriate tires
4. Usually has 48/11 top gear combined with 700c tire (roughly 27") ought not to leave one wanting for more (118 gear inches)
It's as though hybrids are made for commuting....Oh wait, they are. And, they're perfectly fine for loaded touring and mild trail riding, too.
Rant over.
Nanook said:
It's a fine bike for trail riding, but it's not built for commuting. It has rear fender mounts, but no front mounts, and no upper rack mounts. So, ash-dac would have to resort to clamping on such items, which is unsightly and less secure.
Them budget Marzocchis can't hold any "pressure", as they are not an air fork. Their steel springs will have only a modicum of preload adjustment.
Ah, but have you compared them to an equivalent 700x32 tire? The same width, but the 11% diameter increase makes for a significant decrease in rolling resistance.
So, with a mountain bike:
1. Fenders and rack bodged onto bike due to lack of braze-ons
2. Added weight and bobbing of suspension fork
3. Tires need to be swapped out for slicks
4. Gearing may not be high enough due to 44/11 top gear and narrow (1.25-1.5") tire on 26" rim making wheels effectively 24.5-25" in diameter (100 gear inches)
Not to mention those bloody top tube routed derailleur cables. It's ironic that they were designed to keep the cables clean, when what happens is rain water drips down the housing at the rear derailleur and rusts the cable (something to consider on the westcoast and foggy old England).
And a hybrid:
1. All the fittings for a rack and fenders
2. Rigid fork. no muss, no fuss
3. Comes stock with pavement appropriate tires
4. Usually has 48/11 top gear combined with 700c tire (roughly 27") ought not to leave one wanting for more (118 gear inches)
It's as though hybrids are made for commuting....Oh wait, they are. And, they're perfectly fine for loaded touring and mild trail riding, too.
Rant over.
Maxro..
a rant begins....
not really.
I'm still not in disagreement with you, just trying to reconcile ash_dac's contiuously changing bike ideas.
ok, now some specific comments:
didn't realize Kona has gone away from air/oil forks on the Lava Dome - my bad
1.true
2 true
3.true
4.true
1.true
2. true.
3.true
4.true
still think a Humuhumu would be a good choice, or... a single speed made up from an old touring frame
my rant's done 2
a rant begins....
not really.
I'm still not in disagreement with you, just trying to reconcile ash_dac's contiuously changing bike ideas.
ok, now some specific comments:
didn't realize Kona has gone away from air/oil forks on the Lava Dome - my bad
1.true
2 true
3.true
4.true
1.true
2. true.
3.true
4.true
still think a Humuhumu would be a good choice, or... a single speed made up from an old touring frame
my rant's done 2
I have an old bike from my youth with SIS Shimano gears, high tensile steel frame probably too small, possibly 24" wheels although not sure. What I may do is ride this the two miles to the train station, and step up over time riding to the next station.This would make the 15 mile a target. I don't think the bike is an ideal hack though.
Any dangers in riding a bike with a frame that's too small rather than too big ?
As an aside my employer is now in the cycle2work scheme so I could in theory get a bike less the taxes and vat duty (around 50% discount I think). Think it's a rental agreement with an option after 12 months to buy at fair market value. However, the scheme seems a little bureaucratic and through Halfords ! ( I suppose it's to prevent fraud)
I do like the idea of assembling a bike. My brother probably has a full spanner set, and allen keys.
Are there any specialist tools needed say for mounting the bottom bracket , tensioning the chain, wheel alignment, etc ?
Any dangers in riding a bike with a frame that's too small rather than too big ?
As an aside my employer is now in the cycle2work scheme so I could in theory get a bike less the taxes and vat duty (around 50% discount I think). Think it's a rental agreement with an option after 12 months to buy at fair market value. However, the scheme seems a little bureaucratic and through Halfords
! ( I suppose it's to prevent fraud)I do like the idea of assembling a bike. My brother probably has a full spanner set, and allen keys.
Are there any specialist tools needed say for mounting the bottom bracket , tensioning the chain, wheel alignment, etc ?
building a bike...
yup special tools that are usually pretty expensive.
bottom bracket tool (probably "isis" standard, depends on the bottom bracket)
4,5,6 "Y" allen wrench
good cable cutters (such as the Park Tools one)
thin "cone" wrenches
spoke wrenches
good headset press or good skill with a dead blow hammer
crank puller
wheel truing stand
workstand
good bicycle grease....
better ask maxro for more advice here. I'm a backyard bike hack
check with your employer and seeif there is an alternative source, or call the retailer you mentioned. I didn't see anything there except an 8 speed internal geared/brake bike from Carrerra @ BP 429
yup special tools that are usually pretty expensive.
bottom bracket tool (probably "isis" standard, depends on the bottom bracket)
4,5,6 "Y" allen wrench
good cable cutters (such as the Park Tools one)
thin "cone" wrenches
spoke wrenches
good headset press or good skill with a dead blow hammer
crank puller
wheel truing stand
workstand
good bicycle grease....
better ask maxro for more advice here. I'm a backyard bike hack
check with your employer and seeif there is an alternative source, or call the retailer you mentioned. I didn't see anything there except an 8 speed internal geared/brake bike from Carrerra @ BP 429
Re: building a bike...
Wrecking your knees is likely if you can't get the seat high enough.
Re: tools, note my interjections below in italics:
You could always get the bottom bracket and headset installed at a shop and just do the rest yourself with minimal tools.
That one, despite the 26" wheels, does look quite decent. The hub gear and roller brakes are very durable and low maintenance, but heavy.
ash_dac said:
Wrecking your knees is likely if you can't get the seat high enough.
Re: tools, note my interjections below in italics:
Nanook said:
You could always get the bottom bracket and headset installed at a shop and just do the rest yourself with minimal tools.
That one, despite the 26" wheels, does look quite decent. The hub gear and roller brakes are very durable and low maintenance, but heavy.
i bought a Specialized Crossroads. i was real happy with it. they are a bit more expensive these days.
the name brand bikes start at around 350 to 500 USD. i'm sure there are some Walmart style bikes that would also work.
i liked the cross bike cause i could take it offroad. i flipped it a few times, and ran into a car once. i'm not sure a road bike would withstand that without twisting the frame.
hmm, you could get a used bike and then fix it up.
the name brand bikes start at around 350 to 500 USD. i'm sure there are some Walmart style bikes that would also work.
i liked the cross bike cause i could take it offroad. i flipped it a few times, and ran into a car once. i'm not sure a road bike would withstand that without twisting the frame.
hmm, you could get a used bike and then fix it up.
I once rode a mountain bike approx 200km a week for commuting. I think any talk about fixed gears or single speeds is for silly bike geeks. Talk of drivetrain friction, weight and simplicity is all fine if you are planning to race a bike around a velodrome. You are not. You are planning to ride this thing out in the real world. I used to pass these jokers who spent months and thousands of $$ picking out their bikes, outfit and such on my $300 GT mountain bike that weighed 35 lbs. I could average 32kmh on that thing, and I was riding the speed limit on a 25 mile per hour level parkway much of the time.
My experience with road bikes is that you get punctures all the time. I rode my (slick tired) mountain bike on city roads for 10 years and I believe I got 3 punctures, whereas on my touring bike I got them nearly every other time I went out (seemingly).
More important than weight, or gearing, etc, is geometry, will the bike be comfortable. Have you ever ridden 10km or more? Many newbies will find they are in a lot of pain at that point. Their hands or privates will be numb, their neck and shoulders will be cramped. If they wear street clothes their bum will be chafed to the point of bleeding.
I rode year round and whenever my chain got substantially wet or full of sand and snow I would degrease it in water and laundry detergent (I don't like petroleum solvents) and take a toothbrush to it before drying it with rubbing alcohol and relubing it. I would take apart the idler sprockets on my derailleur and give them the same treatment. My cogs and sprockets would get wiped off with old socks I kept for the purpose. What I would probably do now is just buy a new drivetrain every year, although the current technology is a lot better than the SunTour crap I had on my bike back then. I bought a new chain every year, regardless. The chains on most bikes are crap, they stretch. I used a Sachs/Sedis ATB chain.
Basically if your geartrain makes noise you need to clean/lube or adjust your derailleurs. That advice will get you through any weather.
My experience with road bikes is that you get punctures all the time. I rode my (slick tired) mountain bike on city roads for 10 years and I believe I got 3 punctures, whereas on my touring bike I got them nearly every other time I went out (seemingly).
More important than weight, or gearing, etc, is geometry, will the bike be comfortable. Have you ever ridden 10km or more? Many newbies will find they are in a lot of pain at that point. Their hands or privates will be numb, their neck and shoulders will be cramped. If they wear street clothes their bum will be chafed to the point of bleeding.
I rode year round and whenever my chain got substantially wet or full of sand and snow I would degrease it in water and laundry detergent (I don't like petroleum solvents) and take a toothbrush to it before drying it with rubbing alcohol and relubing it. I would take apart the idler sprockets on my derailleur and give them the same treatment. My cogs and sprockets would get wiped off with old socks I kept for the purpose. What I would probably do now is just buy a new drivetrain every year, although the current technology is a lot better than the SunTour crap I had on my bike back then. I bought a new chain every year, regardless. The chains on most bikes are crap, they stretch. I used a Sachs/Sedis ATB chain.
Basically if your geartrain makes noise you need to clean/lube or adjust your derailleurs. That advice will get you through any weather.
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