Team-BHP - The Bicycles thread

Guys, is Rockrider 300 still a good buy in the 10k budget?

Usage will be very less, mostly an hour a day, as an alternative to walking/jogging.

Now, do I really need a geared bicycle or an MTB for that matter? I don't see myself going on mountain trails or climbing hills in near future.

I should also mention that the bicycle will be kept for a long term.

My friend who has similar requirements is going for MyBike from Btwin.

Kindly help. Thanks a lot!:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherlocked (Post 4319701)

I do not have much knowledge on the bike models, cost etc. But a few points in deciding the type of bike:

MTB vs. Hybrid:
If you are going to ride only in city roads, then hybrid is the best choice. An MTB with its knobby tires will increase rolling resistance on paved roads and will greatly reduce your average speed. But then if your goal is just to ride for exercise and you are not concerned much about average speeds, then you can definitely choose an MTB over hybrid. If your goal is to use the bike to commute, then you should consider a hybrid for its efficiency.

Geared vs. Single speed:
The choice of geared or single speed depends on the terrain. If you have absolutely flat roads, then a single speed would be more than enough. If you have roads with gradients (like flyovers), then a bike with gears would be better.

Once you choose the type of bike based on the above, you should be able to look at the options available in your budget and then finalize.

Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by graaja (Post 4319710)

But a few points in deciding the type of bike:

Good luck!

Thanks graaja for the informative reply! Highly appreciated!!

I have decided to go for MTB as it might come handy for those off road excursion, if ever! And to be honest, the bike will not be used for daily commuting.

As regards to the geared vs. single speed, I will most probably be going for a geared bicycle keeping in mind the long term perspective.

Guys, how reliable is the gearing system in the Rockrider 300 or the 340? Because as I read the reviews on the decalthon website, people have mostly complained about the poor gearing system.

So I got the Rockrider 300 yesterday. My friend bought the MyBike. Delivery experience at the newly opened Decathlon Jaipur was just about average.

Went on a 15 kms morning ride today.

Few observations from a newbie:

The handle bar is set quite low. Even at the lowest seat setting I found that my wrists were taking a lot of pressure.
The narrow handle bars doesn't help either!

Saddle is hard. But it's something that I will get used to eventually.

Bike feels quick at start and gains momentum quickly. Definitely, the best that I've tried. And yes, I have only ridden the Schnell and Keysto's basic offering which I rented few days back.

Gears are weird. I say weird because the 2nd on the left side clicks at exact position 2 and sometimes between 2 and 3. Don't know what I am doing wrong here. Or is there some issue with my bike.?

I was feeling some vibrations on the handlebars during today's ride. These come and go continuously. I am assuming it's coming from the rim when it crosses a particular revolution.

Also some noise was coming when I was moving my handlebars in a zig zag way.

I have to get the above two issues checked. But going by my purchase experience at the Decathlon Jaipur, I'm seriously concerned about the after sales that I will be provided! Let's see!

Here's one pic from today's morning ride::)

The Bicycles thread-img_20171211_074700.jpg

Went for another 15 kms ride this morning. It was a lovely weather today. Thoroughly enjoyed!!

I'm slowly getting used to the bike. The saddle no longer feels hard. It's strange how quickly our body adjusts to the changes.
Used gloves and must say it felt comfortable. Though the ones I was using were not bicycle gloves but still they provided adequate support and comfort to the palms. Will surely get bicycle specific gloves.

But one problem has cropped up. Suppose I'm on gear 2-3 (front gear at second position and rear gear at third), then the rear gear automatically shifts up to the next gear i.e. it becomes 2-4 and so on... And the 2-6 becomes 2-7.
And when I actually go to 2-7, it stays there only.
I went to 2-7 just for checking this. I am aware that this is not a good ratio.

Guys, is there an easy solution that I could do DIY or do I need to take the bike to Decathlon?

Can't resist sharing a couple of pics from this morning.:)

The Bicycles thread-img_20171212_102952.jpg

The Bicycles thread-img_20171212_102924.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherlocked (Post 4321078)

W

But one problem has cropped up. Suppose I'm on gear 2-3 (front gear at second position and rear gear at third), then the rear gear automatically shifts up to the next gear i.e. it becomes 2-4 and so on... And the 2-6 becomes 2-7.
And when I actually go to 2-7, it stays there only.
I went to 2-7 just for checking this. I am aware that this is not a good ratio.

The rear derailleur is not setup properly. Its needs to be fine tuned. Take it back to decathalon.

Was bitten by the new year resolutions bug and restarting cycling was one among the top priority backlogs (have a handful of them from past years) lol:
Went ahead shopping in the local Decathlon and test rode a few B'Twin MTBs and Hybrids. After around an hour and half of fiddling with them, heart said Rockrider 540 and mind said Riverside 520. After a final round of test rides around their compound, brought home the Rockrider 540. MTB simply because of my intentions to explore some hilly terrains around my home town. Hoping to have my first ride tomorrow morning. And happily added one more thread to my TBHP subscriptions :D

Hi All,

It’s a pleasure to connect with like-minded folks. Have been hooked the past few days and have read almost 100 pages of this wonderful thread.A big thank-you to graaja, amitoj, gkrishn, prabuddhadg, ninja and others. Insightful posts plus a good source of motivation especially amitoj. Kudos sir.

I used to love cycling when I was a kid and have wonderful memories. Want to take it up again. In fact, wanted to start last year but work and studies didn’t permit. Have realized there is never a perfect time to do anything, something will always be there.

Anyway, first half of this year I plan to build up stamina and get comfortable with ~50 km trips. I also want to develop the know-how to take care of the bike properly and learn self-maintenance/service skills. Slowly towards the second half, I want to be able to finish 100 K and maybe even a 200 brevet (I think I’m getting carried away!). Ultimately, I would want to ride 100-150 K a week with a 200/400 brevet thrown in every 3rd month or so.

With this goal in mind, I’m Inclined towards a hybrid costing ~25k. But alas nothing in this price point. The more options I check, the more confusing it gets.

Questions
1. Have eliminated MTBs. (the RR340 in the store itself felt slower than the riverside 500). Feel that a Hybrid meets my needs. Can a hybrid be used for long distance commutes (150 K+)?

2. Is front suspension and no of gears very important for 150 K+? (Riverside 120 is just 8 geared with no front suspension. Riverside 500 gets 9 gears & front suspension but costs 24k)

3. Should I increase the budget to ~37k and get an international brand. Is the extra (~12k) amount worth it? (Quality over quantity anyday. I would ideally like to buy once and own the product for a long time than rather keep changing)

4. For instance instead of spending 24k on Riverside 500, why not spend 15k more and get a Trek DS1. I’ll get more gears plus better quality. Will I be able to utilize this bike fully or be overawed by it?

Thanks in advance. I know experienced members get peeved at the same question (which bike to purchase) but I’m very confused. My apologies.