Q. I would really love to start cycling this summer, but I honestly don't even know where to start. I'm female and 5' 4.5" and I need to know what kind of bike would suit me best. A specific bike or brand would help a lot or a website to go to. Thank you so much!
A. If you are going to really ride any miles, you want a dedicated road bike. You should invest in a good quality, aluminum-frame road bike if you want efficient transportation on pavement. I found that switching from a hybrid comfort bike to a low-end road bike increased my commuting speed 30% over my sixteen-mile daily ride.
I found a Trek 1500 that weighs about 20 pounds with narrow tires. I travel downhill at 42 MPH, level at 25 MPH, with an uphill speed of about 8 MPH. Total terrain average is 12 MPH.
I shopped around year-old models at 20% discount, but found a Trek 1500 demo model at a 40% discount in a 60 cm frame size. I am 6'2" at 195 pounds, a perfect fit. With accessories, I spent $800 with a tire repair kit, pump, and lock.
Within the first 1,000 miles, I had five flat tires. I replaced the tires with a Schwalbe Marathon Plus on the rear and a Continental Gator on the front. I had no flat tires over the second 1,000 miles. The tires cost about $100.
I spent more than $100 on Night Rider 15 watt headlight and rechargeable battery pack. I bought a back-up Cat Eye lamp with four rechargeable AA batteries. I also bought red flashers for the seat post and helmet, with a duct tape loop on the helmet to hold the LED lamp. Since I ride in below-zero windchills, I paid $160 for Hotronic electric footbed heaters in leather shoes that cost $100. I also wear layers of fleece with North Face waterproof pants and Spyder backpack cover, figure another $200.
So, I spent about $1,600 on everything that I needed for 2,000 miles of riding in the past year. Spread over five years, bicycle commuting will cost me less than $0.15 per mile, which is cheaper than driving a car and provides great fitness.
I found a Trek 1500 that weighs about 20 pounds with narrow tires. I travel downhill at 42 MPH, level at 25 MPH, with an uphill speed of about 8 MPH. Total terrain average is 12 MPH.
I shopped around year-old models at 20% discount, but found a Trek 1500 demo model at a 40% discount in a 60 cm frame size. I am 6'2" at 195 pounds, a perfect fit. With accessories, I spent $800 with a tire repair kit, pump, and lock.
Within the first 1,000 miles, I had five flat tires. I replaced the tires with a Schwalbe Marathon Plus on the rear and a Continental Gator on the front. I had no flat tires over the second 1,000 miles. The tires cost about $100.
I spent more than $100 on Night Rider 15 watt headlight and rechargeable battery pack. I bought a back-up Cat Eye lamp with four rechargeable AA batteries. I also bought red flashers for the seat post and helmet, with a duct tape loop on the helmet to hold the LED lamp. Since I ride in below-zero windchills, I paid $160 for Hotronic electric footbed heaters in leather shoes that cost $100. I also wear layers of fleece with North Face waterproof pants and Spyder backpack cover, figure another $200.
So, I spent about $1,600 on everything that I needed for 2,000 miles of riding in the past year. Spread over five years, bicycle commuting will cost me less than $0.15 per mile, which is cheaper than driving a car and provides great fitness.
how good are dnepr motorcycles and how long have they stopped making them?
Q. I would like to buy a Dnepr motorcycle what year did they stop production and how good are they the one I am looking at is a kit bike he says it�s a 750 cc has electric start and seams to be all there. We had it started it runs. What kind of problems can I get in to? And can any body tell me about the switch under the seat and what it�s for.
A. Dnepr motorcycles were first made in 1970 and are still made today. There is more about them here: http://www.bikez.com/brand/index.php?brand=54
Dnepr motorcycles seem to have a common heritage with the Ural, based on the BMW R71. But the information I found is a bit scarce and sometimes conflicting. As near as I can tell, the Dnepr was the Russian military version of the old BMW, and it never, (at least until very recently) was offered for sale to civilians. It has much the same capabilities as the Ural offering two wheel drive with the sidecar, great off road capability and basically is what you would expect to find with a Russian military motorcycle based on old technology.
Since Ural has a longer history of civilian sales, fit, finish and overall quality are higher. The Dnepr is currently being imported into the U.S. by the Russian-American Motorbike Company in Seattle and are sold as kits.
Also, there are a couple of discussion groups on these bikes on yahoogroups.com. Put Dnepr in the search box at http://groups.yahoo.com/.
Dnepr motorcycles seem to have a common heritage with the Ural, based on the BMW R71. But the information I found is a bit scarce and sometimes conflicting. As near as I can tell, the Dnepr was the Russian military version of the old BMW, and it never, (at least until very recently) was offered for sale to civilians. It has much the same capabilities as the Ural offering two wheel drive with the sidecar, great off road capability and basically is what you would expect to find with a Russian military motorcycle based on old technology.
Since Ural has a longer history of civilian sales, fit, finish and overall quality are higher. The Dnepr is currently being imported into the U.S. by the Russian-American Motorbike Company in Seattle and are sold as kits.
Also, there are a couple of discussion groups on these bikes on yahoogroups.com. Put Dnepr in the search box at http://groups.yahoo.com/.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: What is a good road bike for a beginner?
Rating: 83% based on 9498 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming T0 My Blog
Rating: 83% based on 9498 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming T0 My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment