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TylerDeadPine wrote: Tue Mar 01, 2022 11:14 am I keep several of those repair kits on my bike at all times - they work great - I wouldn't plan a long ride while rocking one, but I've also forgotten I've done a repair and had them last months.

Thanks! Just what I was looking for.

DaveA wrote: Know what you're getting at. Did this on my rear tire a year back and it was taxing keeping the chain taught while putting the wheel back in place. Definitely one way to get sweaty and sullied and frustrated. Getting the tube in place, also involved.

I was so pleased with myself, I took a photo when I was done.

I would like to buy a bike for small to medium trips and for getting around town, but every time I start to look into it I'm overwhelmed at the amount of stuff to consider (bike format, frames, parts...). How does one get started on this?

If this will be mostly on paved surfaces, and not too hilly, pretty much any bike will do. If you can, try borrowing or renting to see what you're most comfortable with.

Decent number of gears, a comfortable riding position, and a helmet are all you really need. After that: decent lock, mudguards (unless you live somewhere fairly dry), and a rear rack (if you're thinking about replacing car journeys).

If you have a Kona dealer locally, check out the Dew Plus.

pldms wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:14 am If this will be mostly on paved surfaces, and not too hilly, pretty much any bike will do. If you can, try borrowing or renting to see what you're most comfortable with.

Decent number of gears, a comfortable riding position, and a helmet are all you really need. After that: decent lock, mudguards (unless you live somewhere fairly dry), and a rear rack (if you're thinking about replacing car journeys).

But then you look at bicycle shops/classifieds and there's such a large range. A lot of overpriced crap being sold, too, if you don't know what you're doing :/

The worlds of bikes and hi-fi equipment share many similarities: the costs vary massively for functionally equivalent kit, and the shops are often staffed by absolute dicks who will revel in, and even exploit, your ignorance.

It sounds like you're just starting out, so my strategy would be to just pick a low price, and work on the assumption that you'll replace the bike in the next couple of years. Bikes are personal things, and it will take time to find out what you like.

In your situation I'd avoid classifieds and find a bike shop near you that has good reviews. Second hand shops are fine (often great), but make sure it provides a guarantee for a reasonable amount of time. Shops will typically also help out with questions you might have post-sale, and perform adjustments and servicing.

(Where I live we have a local charity that renovates and sells bikes, and also provides courses on bike maintenance. I think this is the ideal in many respects)

bishopdante wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:18 am

sparky wrote: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:49 amIs there anyone or anywhere [for maintenance] you’d recommend in London?

Condor Bikes on Gray's Inn Road custom-build fine quality frames to fit the rider, so their workshop mechanics are extremely competent: https://www.condorcycles.com/pages/bike-servicing

Thanks. Can't believe that I never thought of them.

Andy, pldms's advice is excellent. Go for something inexpensive. Once you've cycled a while, you'll have an idea if it's something you want to keep doing, and a better idea of what sort of bike you'd like ride. And take advantage of shops allowing you to test ride cycles. When I first started getting into cycling as an adult, I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed drop handlebars, which I found scary as a child. (Probably because I tried a bike too big for my tiny T-rex arms.)

Happy to be pinged if you would want my fairly crude opinion on it. It took me

When I got back into it a couple years ago, I bought some old Japanese road bike for cheap. It confirmed that I enjoyed riding, and I learned some new repair skills. Maybe you could find an old Miyata.

Yeah, I've had drop handlebars, barrel-shifters, etc. before - whatever happened to be on the used bike I'd find at the time.
I never grasped the wider ecosystem, though.

I'll look around some subreddits then and see what I can learn...

For getting around town, 10 speeds is plenty. I pretty much use only two gears ever on my 1983 Nishiki with Campagnolo Record drive-train. LA is not as flat as people think (aside from San Fernando Valley, which is flat as fuck). It's never needed as much as a tune-up since I bought it 20 years ago. Only new tires, tubes, and brakes, once. Gears are not indexed though. I think I paid $180 for it.