I have a new road bike and I intend to ride it a couple of times a week, not going super long distances or anything.  How often should I be lubing my chain and what brand do you recommend?
125820
Maintenance of your drive train is the best thing you can do to keep your bike in good working order.  I would stay away from stuff like WD-40 and other such products not designed for chain lubrication.  I have found that lubricants with the Teflon and such leave too much residue on the chain.  I like ProGold (www.progoldmfr.com) myself.  I started using it based upon a recommendation from Uncle Al in the RoadBikeRider weekly newsletter (it's free and offers a lot of helpful advice on cycling in general.  Sign up at RoadBikeRider.com).  Uncle Al provides a lot of technical advise about bike maintenance.  \n\nAs far as how often you should lube your chain, that will depend upon the riding conditions in which you ride.  Wet conditions will force you to lube more often (also remember to wipe the entire bike down after wet rides especially).  I try to give the bike a quick wipe down after every ride.  You can get the ArmorAll makes some wipes that have an orange degreaser in it that I find work well.  One wipe and a paper towel or rag will keep you bike looking great (and help you identify if anything needs repair.  It is better to find this out at the end of a ride rather than when you get all decked out to go for a ride or worse, on the road).
12284
if you are planing to go off road, i just purchased a giant trance 3 and i love it, full suspention, disc brakes, twenty-seven speed, aluminum frame it weighs about 26lbs, and i payed around $1300, extremely happy with this purchase. \nI recommend talking to your local bike dealer and getting sized for a bike to fit you and your needs, don't just buy one from wal-mart, because when you shop at a dealer they will give you mantainance packages and they can help you better
635135
Dont have any real data, other that ride em and see what suits.\n\nBut specialised have always done MTB's, a vast range, and do great entry-level bikes, ive tried em and theyre good.\n\nClaud Butler used to be traditional touring/road bikes so dont have the same heritage, would guess there's nothing really wrong with them and if you like it go for it. But I would opt for the specialised  - and if anyone from specialised is reading can i have a free/discount one now please :-) \n\nRobert\n\nEnjoy whatever you choose.
527653
NO GREASE! NO MOTOR OIL! NO 3in1 OIL! NO WD-40!\n\nHere's what you do...\n\n1) CLEAN the chain with WD-40 and a shop rag. Keep dousing the chain until there is no more dirt- you may want to clean out the spaces in your rear cogs and crank at the same time;\n2) APPLY chain lubricant, I prefer Pedros. If you are going to be in wet or muddy places use the parrafin based stuff, or if you are staying on the road, teflon impregnated stuff is the best.\n\nRemember that the driveline, particularly the chain, is an open system and should have continuous maintenance to reduce wear and increase performance, and to always clean the chain before relubricating.\n\nRegarding WD-40, it was never really meant to be a lubricant. Instead it was meant for Water Displacement (hence the WD) and has been proven to be a good solution to free stuck and rusted things.
582158
Well, you didn't mention if it's a Road bike, BMX bike, etc... but I, too, have recently acquired a Takara (road bike) recently. There's not much out there -- I've been looking. But what I can discern is that these were actually made my Kuwahara from mid '70's until mid/late '80's.\n\nKuwahara, while it sells bikes under it's own name in Japan, Europw and Canada, didn't use it own name in the US, but instead... "Kuwahara Cycles Ltd. never produced a “Kuwahara Brand” bike, they produced private label bikes for more than 20 different companies, the most famous of whom are: Schwinn, Takara, Puch, Concord, Apollo and Azuki."\n\nNow, most people remember te BMX bikes, some know of the Road and MTBs...\n\nThey are nice bikes but as you may have realized have little value in the reslae market. Which is OK with me because it's such a good deal.\n\nIf it's a road bike, it depends on the era, but mine came with the undervalued Suntour derailers, Suntour bar end shifters, Dia-Compe stem, Dia-Compe centerpulls, and 27" Araya aluminum rims with "Sunshine" (Sanshin) hubs. All good components, and the bar end shifters are worth 4 times what I paid for the entier bike last month.
349637
Try looking into a Trek Madone.  I have a friend who bought his Madone 5.2 a couple months ago and he loves it.\n\nI just bought my Fuji Roubaix Pro a month ago and love it.\n\nMy girlfriend bought her Specialized Dolce Comp two weeks ago and she loves it.\n\nOther than that, check out the Trek, Fuji, Cannondale, Lightspeed websites.  Be sure that you get minimum components of Shimano 105s (or even better, the Shimano Ultegras)\n\nCheck http://www.performancebike.com/\n\nThey're trying to unload their 2006 inventory and selling them all at a really good price.\n\nHappy hunting!
214358
I commute and shop by bike, but thats just pottering. When I ride seriously (at least once a week) I ride a minumum 4 hours and usually longer than that. Sometimes I'll be on-road, sometimes mixed, sometimes off-road. I try to average in excess of 14mph irrespective of terrain.\n\nOccasionally I do long rides (80-100 miles), almost exclusively on-road. I'll average about 10mph on these and I'll usually do it all over again the next day. These long rides take it out of you, but they're immensely rewarding mentally and physically. \n\nIf you're feeling knackered at the end of rides it may not be exclusively a fitness problem - cycling is all about technique - always try to get into a rhythm that minimises effort and at which you feel comfortable oveer long periods. Only push it when you really need a burn - maybe sprinting the last 5 miles of a ride for instance.
303445
There are an incredible variety of gearhub powered bikes.  \n\nSee www.harriscyclery.com for your 3 speed parts and repair directions.  \n\nThere are 3 speed cruisers, 7 speed crusiers, 8 speed crusiers, these all come in a modern look or a retro look with both steel and aluminum available.  \n\nThere are 7 speed mountain bikes, 8 speed mountain bikes, 14 speed mountain bikes, and coming soon, a 9 speed.  \n\nThere are also 8 speed road bikes.  \n\nNone of these have derailleurs at all, and they all have gearhubs like your 3-speed.  ;)
188379
give it a good cleaning, especially in the gas piston area and other parts associated with cycling.  use a good oil like Remoil, CLP or Triflow.  stay away from WD-40.  also, try a higher dram shell.  those cheap promo loads don't have alot of powder, and they burn dirty.
535721
me - i got one in march from a shop in brechin (Scotland) and it is absolutely fantastic.  i have rheumatoid arthritis and hadn't been on a bike for about 20 years.  in July i did a 100 miles cycle for charity ( i had to split it into 12 days though).  if you are thinking of getting one i would highly recommend it.  it has certainly given me a new lease of life, helped me to tone up and lose weight.  brilliant.  best £380 i ever spent.
414594
I think the ideal setup for you would be a mountain bike, but you can go to Wal-Mart or a LBS (local bike shop), and get some slicks (tires). These are not so nobby, so you can go 1-2 mph faster, (so the BF doesn't get bored), and cost about 12 dollars each! \n (slicks grip the road well, and often have tread)\n\nThen, get a wider seat from Wal-Mart (or the LBS) if the one installed is not very comfortable.\n\nAs for the bike, I suggest you go used. You can get something four times as expensive (a better bike) for the same price).\nGood places to fing a good bike are:\n\nhttp://sfbay.craigslist.org/about/cities.html    (I got mine there)  \nIf craigslist has a city near you, click on the link, then find the "bikes" link and click on that!\n\nAnother place is Ebay\n\nAlso, check your newspaper's classifieds!\n\nMake sure the bike fits well. It is best to get fit to a certain frame size at a LBS, but you can also search for bicycle fitting guidelines on the web. ( I only suggest this because you probably are not going to ride too much) However, you do need the right sized bike, or it will be very uncomfortable. (for the back and the knees).\n\nAs for the actual bike, a good brand should be Trek or Specialized. Everything should work fine on a test ride, and have no rust (a very bad sign of maintenance) and the drivetrain (gears, chain, etc.) should look in good shape.\nIf you do get a  bike, I suggest taking it to a bike shop for a tuneup, at least to oil the chain, etc. and to tighten everything up.\n\nGOOD LUCK!
267565
i'd echo prairiebiscuit's answer - Giant really do pack a stackload of features into their bikes.\n\nSome mountain bikes that regulalrly do well in the entry-level grouptests are:\n\nGiant Terrago / Rincon, Specialized Hardrock, Mongoose Amasa, GT Avalanche, Claud Butler Cape Wrath\n\nAs most of the guys here are saying, do make sure you go to a proper bike shop and speak to someone who knows what they're talking about. It'd be better if you could go during the week (and not on a busy Saturday) as you will get better service.\n\nMake sure you get a test ride, and if you think you may get bitten by the mountain biking bug, then aim for something with a reasonable frame that you could justafiably upgrade the components on.\n\nOne point I would make, is that for the amount you are looking to spend, I'd probably avoid going for disk brakes. Some manufacturers will put cable-operated disk brakes (cheaper and far less effective than hydraulic disks) on as a selling feature, though to be honest a reasonable set of v-brakes are as good in all but the grimiest conditions. The added cost of the disks will probably mean that other features (like the fork or crankset) are of a lower-spec than on a similarly priced bike with v-brakes. The thing to make sure of is that the frame, fork and wheel hubs have all got the necessary mounts to allow you to easily upgrade to (hydraulic) disk brakes in the future, if you think you may want to.\n\nThe possible exception to this rule is the Giant Terrago (not sure how much that sells for in the U.S.), which comes equipped with Giant's own-brand MPH hydraulic disks.
667586
pick a gear where you dont have to pedal that hard, you want to use your body weight as a counterbalance...lean back and pull up your handlebars hard...after a few tries you will pedal longer.\n\nif you pull up too hard or lean back to far,your bicycle will flip out from under you..its all about balance...it doesnt come to you overnight but with work and practice you will know how hard to pull up and how far to lean back.
487622
it is indeed! I would encourage you to start slow and work your way up, best part is to compare your speed and distance to the last few days and keep going up, we have a stationary bike so can not compare but still find it enjoyable, good luck
140889
Personally I would go with the 40c tires. But!!...that's me.  I use the fattest tires I can when off road no matter the trip or whatever. More tire to use,raise and lower tire pressure without pinch flats. I think the fatter tires take more of the dirt road abuse factor out of the ride also. With the tire sizes so close it would only make sense to go with the wider of the two. I wouldn't even notice the difference in effort pedaling on the road between the two I don't think, but would for sure feel the skinnier tire sink into the dirt. Good Luck and have fun
360658
It depends a lot on the condition of your bike.  A routing tune-up may only run you 30 bucks, but it pretty much only check the condition of your brakes, pedals, derailleurs, and chain.  If you pay for a full overhaul, expect to pay upwards of 100 bucks, but then they will check and re-lube your hubs and bottom bracket.  Of course if anything is wrong and you need to replace it, add the cost of any parts.
667620
Why lubricant? and why Mastu****** in the first place.\n\nFollow a health life style, save your genes and chromoshomes for a latter day happy married life.\n\nWish you best if you follow the abovesaid.\n\nIf you dont, GOD help you.