Douglas Harrington wrote:

Alright, another newbie here...

Just starting to get into the sport at age 15 after finding a route to
the local bikepath in Rhode Island. Been riding one of those generic
wal-mart mountain bikes for the past few years. Half the gears don't
work and the ones that do can be fussy at times (like the lower gears
not locking in place as you approach a stop sign). One of the gears
is completely ruined as one of the teeth on it tore off, causing the
gear to tear in half (wow this stuff is made cheap). Luckily the
gears I use most often (7 and 5) work okay.

On the local bike path i've noticed people on what I believe are
called 'road bikes' (the thin tires). While I am struggling to hold
17mph these people, some looking in their mid 60s+ are speeding past
me. It seems whenever I see someone else on a mountain bike they are
struggling like myself. Are road bikes capable of faster speeds or is
it just the fact that I am just starting out and can't move that fast
yet?

Also, what type of bike would suit me best? - I ride on residential
streets almost all the time unless I am on the bike path (which is
paved as well). Just not sure how well something other than a
mountain bike would handle on the roads I have to go down to get to
the bike path - the shoulders are small and almost covered in sand,
gravel and other debris (such as the tar grit from the last hole the
DPW decided to dig).

Electronics... I have a garmin GPS which I wear around my neck when I
head out, but am wondering what other items there are that people use
while biking. The GPS has a handlebar mount but I am afraid of it
being stolen or damaged if I were to crash (took a corner too fast a
few months ago at an intersection and hit a steep curb - had the gps
been on the handlebars it would have been damaged).

What are the major differences between a mountain bike like mine and a
'road bike'? (Physical differences and how they ride/feel)

Is it better/cheaper to build a bike or to buy one pre-built? (And
what sites are there that sell bikes/parts?)

Not sure if I could build or buy a better bike with a few hundred
dollars but am interested in seeing whats out there (and building one
would be a nice project).


-Thanks for any help/info

Douglas - I'm going to try to briefly answer some of your questions.
But first, and most important: realize that a lot of what you ask are
absolutely standard beginner questions. They are best answered by going
to the library or bookstore and getting one or more books about
bicycling. Get a decent, general book like _Richard's 21st Century
Bicycle Book_ by Richard Ballantine. Avoid specialized books until
you've built up a knowledge base.

Regarding your questions: *-mart bikes are junk. You need something of
bike shop quality.

Mountain bikes are slow on the road. The tires, the suspension and the
arms-out riding position soak up energy. For your use, you need smooth
tires, and (despite common misconceptios) drop bars (if not set up too
low) are best for anything but very short rides. Road, touring or
hybrid are all easier riding than mountain bikes (in order).

Don't ride in sand, gravel or other trash at the side of the road.
Learn the rules of the road and ride as a legal vehicle. Check out
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm
for the basics.

Electronics: people have different tastes. I have a cyclometer (speed,
distance, time) on my bike. Nothing else. I prefer a map to a GPS.

Building a bike from parts is way more expensive than buying a complete
bike, and a novice could get killed by compatibility issues. One
possibility to save money, if that's what you want, is to find a used
bike. Maybe even at a thrift store, if you're very lucky. (I was once.)

Bike parts, equipment, etc: Try supporting your local bike shop. They
can teach you a lot. For mail order, google Nashbar and google
Performance Bicycles.


--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]