Thread: Cycling/Cyclers on L4P?

I'm not too familiar with the Y-3, but that rear suspension will definitely add some weight, and probably won't be much use unless you start doing some serious single track. When I bought my 4300 in the spring of '09 I was planning to hit some dirt trails, but ended up riding it almost exclusively on road and hard city trails. I just couldn't find the time to pack my bike in the car and drive 30 minutes simply to take a ride...

You can definitely get good hyrbrid trail/road tires so I wouldn't worry about that. I've just been using the stock off road tires and they seem fine for the road, but of course I ride for the exercise so I'm not too worried about minimizing rolling resistance. I've almosts worn the knobs off of the rear tire after about 650 miles, so I'll probably be looking into a more street oriented tire for next season. The guys at the bike shop seemed to have some good suggestions for street tires that can still handle a bit of dirt, so that should be perfect for me.

As for disc v.s. rim brakes, I went for the discs mostly because I think they're cool, and I haven't ridden any other bikes for over 10 years so unfortunately I can't comment on the comparable stopping capabilities. However, I was told that the disc brakes are much more reliable in wet weather, so if you're planning to ride rain or shine then the discs might be a good idea.

Oh, and did you make sure that these bikes are the correct frame size for you? When I was shopping around I noticed a lot of used ads don't mention frame size, and when I thought I'd found a good deal the bike would inevitably turn out to be too big/small...

I'm a big fan of Cannondale. I ran a Mountain Biking camp for 6 years, and had a fleet of them. Easy to maintain, light, and manuverable.

Unless you are doing serious trail riding there is no reason, IMO to go with a soft tail (rear Suspension) bike.

Disk brakes are great but so are conventional. Again less maitainence and cheaper to replace.

Also make sure you have the seat at the proper height. When seated your leg should be just about fully extended at the bottom of the stroke. If your back starts to hurt lower the seat if your legs start to hurt raise the seat.

Regardless of what bike you get the most important thing is to keep everything rolling straight. If a brake pad is hanging or rubbing, fix it. If you ride it in the rain, regrease the chain and ALL moving parts.

Most importantly stay hydrated and have fun.

Found this one on craigslist.



Threw on a Brooks saddle for my wide arse, Monkey Lite DH bars with nice soft Oury grips, and some big platform pedals.

Perfect for cruising around the ranch or hitting the backside of Rancho Murieta with my nephews and nieces. No muss, no fuss...

^Thats one heck of a paint job, and a super nice fork! Maverick?

Lifeoftheparty- Skip that Y-3, like preacher said, you won't need it for commuting and its a fairly outdated bike.

A bike from the larger manufacturers will actually be cheaper (if bought new) as they can mass produce bikes. They'll also have a larger variety of price levels....Also, like Preacher said, make sure the bike is the right size! You could score a great deal on a bike, but it'll be HELL to ride...I would suggest hitting up a bike shop, talk to someone, sit on/ride a couple of bikes to get sized and if you end up buying a used bike off the street, head back to the same shop to set your tires, etc

Just as SpecB said, skip the Y-3. It's overweight and a marketing bike by Trek to play off of the carbon fiber Y-33 and Y-22 of the time.

Originally Posted by SpecB

^Thats one heck of a paint job, and a super nice fork! Maverick?

Paint is sweet on this - the Brooks matches up so to speak and I love leather seats (sooo comfy!). Factory paint from Trek...

It's a Maverick DUC32. Very cool hub system on it.

Maverick makes some innovative and well engineered stuff....I remember when I was a kid, pining over wanting to put Brooks saddles on my bikes growing up They just ooze coolness.

I recommend a preowned cannondale F400 or 300, can't go wrong for the price.

Not a problem! Thanks for the quick reply!

Any suggestions on the two mentioned? Or steer clear of Trek? Being a n00b I know they are big name and typically carry some higher price tags. The 4300 runs for $800+ CAN here and is nearly new. I am trying to get it for $400 CAN, but we'll see.
not a big TREK fan, so i can comment on the brand itself, but i honestly dont think you need any type of suspension (front or rear) for the needs you have mentioned

They seem like a good deal and they would offer some variety?

Is it completely impractical to ride a full suspension setup on the road?
short answer: YES, you loose quite a bit of power and agility plus excess weight, more maintenance etc.

And is there such a thing as a on road/off road hybrid tire?
plenty to choose from, around here police and security guards and myself use the GEAX Evolution tires


Last question, is there an advantage, other than for looks, to that Trak Attack wheel setup on your SE?
its supposed to be more aero, thats hard to tell, but for sure its much stronger since its triple walled rim, nice sealed hubs etc.
20 questions, sorry.

have you seen the Giant Seek 0 - might be a bit off the price point but its probably hands down the winner in your category of needs

8speed internal hub, lightweight aluminum frame, complete urban set-up, disc brakes, rust proof chain etc. ~$1100

if i can only have 1 bike, it would probably be this, hands down