Wednesday, September 10, 2008

It's All Grist for the Mill


With 2008 rapidly turning out to be the next "Year of the Bicycle" thanks to higher gas prices, reporters are starting to write informational pieces on taking up cycling. The only problem with this is most of them:



-Don't ride a bicycle much, or at all and



-Don't know jack shit about bicycles and cycling





That doesn't stop them from writing about the subject. Funny stuff, but sad because alot of people will believe this crap. Here is an example from an article that recently showed up in the Washington Post, of all places.



Although she meant well, the reporter got into trouble by going to a local bicycle shop and asking a salesman for advice. Not to disparage bicycle shop sales people. Mrs. Flyer is one herself. But, she would be the first to tell you that some of the sales people will be , um, less than up front about their agendas. And some of them don't even ride themselves. Consider this advice the reporter from the Post received:



“Tip #1: If you're looking to ride a bike to and from work, consider a fitness hybrid or a cyclocross bike. The fitness hybrid is in between a road bike and a beach cruiser, according to Chris Peguese, who sells bikes at Spokes Etc., a bike store in Alexandra, Arlington, Ashburn and Vienna. It's recommended for commuting because "it puts you in a little more upright position so you're able to keep your eyes on what's going on around you instead of tucked down," he adds. This bike also offers a wider tire for stability for hopping curbs. "In terms of urban ride, it generally makes cracks and bumps more comfortable," says Peguese. The cyclocross is for people who want speed and efficiency but also like to beat up their bikes. These bikes also tend to have racks attached to them for carrying things like a briefcase or a laptop.”

Yup. Nothing like a 35 pound bike, like this beauty, to really smooth out that urban commute.





Perfect for an out-of-shape adult trying to get back into cycling. It works out OK if you combine a beach trip in Florida, a 4-pack of your favorite wine cooler, and Jimmy Buffet songs. Then keep the trip at around, say, a mile or less. Somewhere in the world there are a few pictures of me doing just that from the middle 80's in the off-season. I wasn't in any shape to emember at the time.But, I never said I was proud.

And then there’s cyclocross. You aren’t going to see a lot of racks and panniers in your average cyclocross race. Most cyclocross frames don’t have the eyelets you need for touring rigs. And why do people think that commuting requires racks, bags and 25+ pounds worth of stuff added to weight of a bicycle? Cyclocross is best when you have:

-lots of mud

-hills for the riders to run up carrying their frames and

-cavernous tents with drunken Euros swilling beer




Tip #2: If you're buying a bike to ride with a group of friends, pick the same type of bike they have. If you have the wrong bike, you might not be able to keep up with them.”

This statement is sort of like saying you are going to get wet if it rains. True, you don’t want to show up on a mountain bike if your friends are going on a group road ride. Unless you are Lance Armstrong, and then it won’t matter. And if your friends are riding fixies, no way in HELL do you want to show up with a regular road bike. you will get heckled off of the planet.



“Tip #3: The best time to buy a bike is at the end of the year when many retailers have sales to get rid of old inventory. Peguese says bike manufacturers have already told them that prices of 2009 bikes will be going up 15 to 25 percent because of gas prices and higher demand for bikes.”

Yup. Buy the Bicycle That Nobody Wanted. Especially if it’s a 30 pound beach cruiser or a Cyclocross frame. You get the sense that there is a whole other subtext going on here. I’m immediately suspicious of a bicycle salesman that wants to push leftover bicycles at the end of the summer.

It sounds like the salesman:

-Wants to sell the leftover stock that’s on his “spiff list”. The ones he gets a higher percentage on

-The “spifflist” has a lot of cruisers and cyclocross models that the store owner wants to move.

“Tip #4: If you're going the used route, Peguese recommends Craig's List, as well as Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit organization in Arlington that trains kids how to fix bikes. They sell used bikes that have been fixed up.”

Like this local beauty that showed up on Craigslist:



And it's a recumbent, too.




Tip #5: If you're considering a used bike, take it for a few spins around the block to make sure it doesn't feel too big or too small. You could also go into a bike shop to get advice on what size bike would be good for your frame. If the bike frame is steel, check for corrosion like rust. "You want to stay away from a bike that has visible rust because if it's on the outside, there's a good chance there's quite a bit on the inside," Peguese says. If the bike has an aluminum frame, check for dents. You'll also want to stay away from those. With a carbon frame, you'll want to run your fingernail along the frame to check for scratches, which could mean that the bike has a hairline fracture -- also a no-no in buying a used bike.”

Sure. Five miles down the road and your butt will just love that aluminum frame. And that carbon frame beauty won’t be worth shit the first time you put it down on the pavement. And it may well be stiff enough to beat up your butt, too. At least with that rusty iron frame you can lock it up at Starbuck’s and not come out to find somebody ripped it off because it was a sleek carbon frame.

Cycling is a lot about using the right tool for the right job. Generalizing by frame material is impossible. You need to look at what kind of riding you do as well as how much you plan on using it. Then take it from there.

“Tip #6: Some bikes can be about as expensive as a small car. So Peguese says one way to cut back on the expense of a new bike is by going with a single speed, which requires less maintenance and will give you a better workout. A fixed-gear bike also requires less cash but you have to stop the bike with your feet rather than using a hand brake. This bike offers even more of a workout, says Peguese. "If you have a 10-mile commute, you're pedaling the whole way," he says.”

The first time this advice starts to make sense – for about two sentences. Then the whole thing disintegrates. Stopping a fixie with your feet? Maybe if you get a few messengers together with beer, pot, and extra time on their hands. Or are we talking about Fred Flintstone’s bike?

Riding a fixie on the street is fun and great training for a roadie or track rider. But it can scare the bejebus out of an inexperienced rider.

The following is a more typical first-time fixie experience for a non-cyclist:



With that whole top-tube thing, she's lucky she's a girl.


“Tip #7: If you're buying a bike for a child, make sure they can sit on the seat and comfortably reach the ground with their feet. The smallest bikes have 12-inch wheels and training wheels and can accommodate bikers as young as 3 years old. Once they turn five, you'll want to bump them up to 16-inch wheels. And then once they're around 7, they'll move into 20-inch wheels. These bigger bikes don't accommodate training wheels so you'll want to make sure they've learned how to ride a two-wheeler before moving them up to a bigger bike.”


Trust me, as a parent and a coach, your kids are off training wheels before you know it. Buy them some simple, unassuming bicycles for the first few years. They can go on to regular road or mountain bikes when they get older. If they are teenagers, they won’t want anything but a fixie, anyway.


As long as they watch out for that top tube.


This is just an example of how a lot of BS is getting slung on the ‘Net about cycling and bicycles. At some point in time, I’ll get into a conversation with someone, either on the ‘Net or in person, and I’ll get some of these “facts” parroted back to me. Mrs Flyer will get some earnest customer who will come into the shop and ask for a cruiser or cyclocross bike because of this. And then argue with her because they read all about it in the newspaper. All this will come from someone whose last bicycle experience was back in the fourth grade.

In the meantime, I'm going to put up a bunch of cruiser and cyclocross frames on the Washington D.C. Craigslist site.

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