What happened to the Grassroots Pedalsports thread?

In reply to ZOO (Forum Supporter) :

I used to do beginner rides for the club here and teach some basic pointers. The fundamentals of technique are always helpful and frequently small things that no one ever told you if you just bought a bike and started riding. Good on you for doing the clinic!

Another contender in my new bike search is this thing:

Motobecane Elite Adventure PRO


This one is actually listed as a Hybrid, and it's a little more than I wanted to spend at $699 when they have it in stock. That said, it has a lot of appealing features, like that Sram 1x12, tubeless-ready wheels, in-frame cable routing, and more. I even like the looks. I tried buying this one, and it's out of stock like everything else. It's got me thinking though, as it's not quite a trail bike and not quite a hybrid. It would honestly be better for the terrain around here.

Also noticing some other online-only brands like Polygon. Any thoughts on those? They seem on-par with the Trek offerings I've seen in my price range.

Should I just start running instead?

I bought one of these recently and have been very impressed:

https://bildabike.com/product/the-civilderness-drop-bar/

They have a flat bar version as well. Very good customer service and easy to deal with.

In reply to dxman92 :

I just checked into that. Looks really nice. I'm a flat bar guy, and they only have one left in stock, an it's a B-stock. Not sure it's for me though; they come with slicks, and I was looking for something with a suspension fork. Keeping it in the options list though. Seems like a cool company! 

 

That Motobecane is a decent looking bike and would probably do exactly what you want. It's nice they specced the frame with enough clearance for a 29 x 2.35" tire so if you want to hit some more technical trails or get a bit more comfortable tire (the stock 37's will be nice on paths and roads though for sure) you can. The only hold back for that bike if you want to do the mountain bike thing is the 71 degree headtube angle but it doesn't sound like that is a concern and is probably slacker than your old bike anyways.

If only they had stock.

For any other direct order bikes like the Polygons (which look decent) you'll mostly want to focus on the components you are getting for the price point and to try to see what others experience has been like with the brands as far as shipping or any other problems. If the reviews look good they are probably a great option and should offer better value for someone that isn't afraid to turn some allen keys like you.

In reply to Tony Sestito :

Yes. Run from internet bikes except Canyon.

adam525i (Forum Supporter) said:

That Motobecane is a decent looking bike and would probably do exactly what you want. It's nice they specced the frame with enough clearance for a 29 x 2.35" tire so if you want to hit some more technical trails or get a bit more comfortable tire (the stock 37's will be nice on paths and roads though for sure) you can. The only hold back for that bike if you want to do the mountain bike thing is the 71 degree headtube angle but it doesn't sound like that is a concern and is probably slacker than your old bike anyways.

If only they had stock.

For any other direct order bikes like the Polygons (which look decent) you'll mostly want to focus on the components you are getting for the price point and to try to see what others experience has been like with the brands as far as shipping or any other problems. If the reviews look good they are probably a great option and should offer better value for someone that isn't afraid to turn some allen keys like you.

Speaking of Polygon bikes...



This is a cool looking bike. It is as close to the Motobecane that I can find, but the component set isn't as nice, the fork is worse, and it's $100 more. Also, Polygon bikes look nice, but I don't want to get stuck with a bike with weird, unknown parts and no support. They are based out of Indonesia and newish to the US market.

So right now, I'm in between grabbing that Schwinn and upgrading it a bit or trying to find an "adventure hybrid" like these or the Trek DS series when they come back in stock.

Polygon seems like a legit brand. The Trid is somewhat popular on the Dirt jumping boards and Sam Reynolds who is a big name pro freerider rides for them. Also talked to some people who own their enduro bike and like it.

I'd trust them over a Bikes Direct bike honestly... From what I have seen it isn't like Bikes Direct gives great support and I think the spec on the Polygon is probably better then the Motobecane. SX Eagle and low end SRAM brakes are complete trash and I'd much rather have the Deore stuff on Polygon. The forks are maybe bit better on Motobecane maybe but they are both cheap coil sprung forks so kind of a wash. Also the Polygon has rear thru axle which is way better then the 135mm QR on the Moto. 

I am so over this bicycle parts shortage. Trying to find a 135mm non disc 32h rear hub is a complete pain in the ass.

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Yeah, but in a year or two there are going to be a lot of screaming deals on barely used bikes after things get back to normal and people sell off their pandemic impulse purchases.

Crap, after a 2nd look, that Polygon is a nice bike. It stacks up well next to the Trek DS bikes (it's in between a DS3 and DS4 spec-wise). I may pull the trigger on that. It would be the only bike I can get my hands on for the next few months, and I won't really have to upgrade anything. I even have orange pedals for it.

EDIT: I pulled the trigger. We'll see how it goes! Worst case scenario: it sucks and I can return it.

I'd be way more worried about off brand, weird standard parts on the Schwinn then any of the other bikes you are looking at. 

As far as direct sales bikes go, I love my YT.  

On a related note, I typically point people to at least one step above the lowest trim available.  

Very rarely can individuals compete when it comes to buying parts, and the stuff most likely to be improved upon is the important stuff  (suspension, droppers, drivetrain)

Couple hundred bucks up front can save way more down the line.

02Pilot said:

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Yeah, but in a year or two there are going to be a lot of screaming deals on barely used bikes after things get back to normal and people sell off their pandemic impulse purchases.

This. Possible a softer economy as well, helping keep prices low. The hard part is people that (in their mind) step up and pay "way too much for a bicycle" don't realize how little value used bikes actually retain. 
 

I also hope that the flood tide of new "normal people" on bikes doesn't completely go away. More people on bikes will hopefully mean more thought give to cyclists in infrastructure planning. More average joes discovering that riding to the grocery store or bar is fun means good thing for those of us that already do. 

93EXCivic said:

I am so over this bicycle parts shortage. Trying to find a 135mm non disc 32h rear hub is a complete pain in the ass.

Just a regular QR hub? I have one.  An old Shimano LX.  Currently laced to a Ritchey rim and with a 7 spd cassette, but I can strip it down if you don't need any of that (shipping would be a lot cheaper).  It has been hanging in my garage for 25+ years, so the bearings should get new grease.

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

93EXCivic said:

I am so over this bicycle parts shortage. Trying to find a 135mm non disc 32h rear hub is a complete pain in the ass.

Just a regular QR hub? I have one.  An old Shimano LX.  Currently laced to a Ritchey rim and with a 7 spd cassette, but I can strip it down if you don't need any of that (shipping would be a lot cheaper).  It has been hanging in my garage for 25+ years, so the bearings should get new grease.

I am trying to find one that uses cartridge bearings rather then cup and cone but depending on how the search goes I may take you up on that. Also needs to be 32h. Would it take a 9 speed cassette? I always forget which freehubs work with which cassettes.

Had my first good crash yesterday.  Going slightly uphill.  I think the bottom of the frame smacked into a big rock hidden by an emerging plant.  I missed it with the front wheel.  Sudden de-acceleration and boom.  On the ground.

I'm ok.  The bike is okay, other than the Santa Cruz emblem on the front was knocked off . . .

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Unfortunately, it looks like a 9 spd won't fit.  At least the old 9 spd Dura Ace cassette I have doesn't. 

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Unfortunately, it looks like a 9 spd won't fit.  At least the old 9 spd Dura Ace cassette I have doesn't. 

That is what I was worried about. Got leads on a couple options that should work. (XTR and a Bitex touring hub)

If the parts shortage keeps up we may have to start a bike parts swap meet thread. I was just looking at the box of parts in my shop. 

I'm just seeing this, but I spend a lot more time on my road bike these days than in the car, and am likely to going forward!

Around here, there are some local bike shops with inventory, but generally of higher-end stuff.   One shop is a mini-chain, Conti's, with a couple of stores in Florida, so my neighbor was able to get a bike from them shipped up from Florida. 

My road bike was a gift, so I count myself lucky to have had it in my garage when COVID hit, since a non-challenge-priced-bike would not have been on the menu.  

My dream next bike is a Canyon Grail CF SLX....one bike to rule them all!

Once my new bike shows up, I'll have to disassemble the bike it's replacing. I might have some old school parts for sale. Still bummed that I have to replace that bike, but at least I can swap some of the parts over to my other vintage MTB.

In reply to Dave M (Forum Supporter) :

I'm still trying to come to grips with my gravel bike.  For whatever reason, I am having a tough time getting used to the slightly more upright positioning compared to my more traditional Euro road racing mid-90's Colnago. I can ride the Colnago for hours on end, but the gravel bike starts to hurt after about an hour.  I really want to go to my LBS and get fitted to the bike, except pandemic... 

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Dave M (Forum Supporter) :

I'm still trying to come to grips with my gravel bike.  For whatever reason, I am having a tough time getting used to the slightly more upright positioning compared to my more traditional Euro road racing mid-90's Colnago. I can ride the Colnago for hours on end, but the gravel bike starts to hurt after about an hour.  I really want to go to my LBS and get fitted to the bike, except pandemic... 

That's interesting and counter-intuitive!  I wonder if you engage your back core less when you are on the race-geometry bike; maybe you are resting on your arms more on the older bike?  

I was on vacation in a rural area in June and did some rides that had mixed gravel and pavement.  A gravel bike would have made that a lot more fun.  Also, the C&O Canal towpath is close to me and is all gravel (I think for the whole 185 miles). But no, I don't *need" a gravel bike....just another toy to lust after!

I can't wait to finish my gravel bike that I am spending way to much money on, a Surly Cross Check.