Bike, Bicycles, Bikes

What do you think of this 48cc bicycle engine kit? Pros/cons/comments/reviews?

http://www.bicycle-engines.com/complete-48cc-powered-engine-p-1.html

for bluff mike: Where can I find any bicycle engine kits like this made in usa? I cannot find any so let me know if you know where.

If you buy Chinese products you’re pretty much on your own after the sale.
Think before you Chink.

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It seems like there’s a lot of disparity from one brand’s shoe to the next, whether the shoes are made for road biking or mountain biking. Some mountain biking shoes seem more comfortable for everyday use or for walking. What’s the downside in getting mountain biking shoes for a road bike?

No disadvantage. They have a definite advantage in that you can walk in them. Hence, for normal riding, they are a much better option. I have had cases where portions of the soles of some mountain biking shoes interfere with some road pedals, so check this out before you buy, or be prepared to do some modifications.

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CAN someone explain the differences of the bikes?
what is a XC bike?
………….a FReeride bike?
…..DH…..?
… AM?

mountain bikes used to be all-around bikes and can be ridden anywhere and in any condition. But advances in technology and in the manufacturing process has afforded the specialization of mountainbikes for the intended purpose that a biker has for his bike. That’s why nowadays, the different kinds of mountainbikes can be a bit confusing esp for a first time buyer trying to determine which bike to get.

Mountainbikes are defined by their intended purpose.
Trailbikes.
A trailbike is the best choice for a vast majority of riders.This category allows the rider to ride in various conditions around the mountain,may it be trails,climbs,jumps/drops (3 feet or less) and descents. The design of trailbikes give emphasis on pedaling efficiency,versatility,durability and comfort.These bikes are built to handle agressive and technical riding and can travel at higher speeds in rough terrain compared to what cross country bikes can handle.Weight range is around 25 to 32 pounds and the component spec favors durability than lightweight. Suspension travel ranges from 4 to 6.5 inches and some hardtails also fall in this category.Trailbikes capture the original spirit of mountainbiking,that is being able to ride and explore or "get lost" on purpose by using only one bike. An All-Mountain bike falls under the category of trailbikes and it is setup to provide the best compromise to handle everything, anywhere.

XC=Cross Country.
Cross country bikes are set up to be very lightweight esp for racing. It is designed for pedaling and climbing efficiency.XC bikes can handle moderately technical terrain and cannot handle jumps and drops bigger than the occassional bunny hoping.These bikes border on being fragile and will not withstand repeated flat landings and solid impacts into trail obstacles. Weight range is 19-27 pounds and suspension range is 3-4.5 inches of wheel travel and most lightweight hardtails (no rear suspension,around 4" front suspension travel) fall under this category. XC bikes are best for endurance racing and races in "groomed" trails.

FR=FreeRide or Black Diamond.
Black Diamond is the trail marking used at bike resorts to signify the most difficult runs usually for experts only. Black Diamond or FR bikes used to be a cross between Trailbikes & Downhill bikes and set up with strong frames with strong but heavy components to handle the beating of descending down extreme terrain, doing jumps,big drops and insane stunts. Nowadays,blackdiamond bikes no longer try to be both trailbike and downhill bike,and their design focuses on stability and maneuverability in the extreme trails they are intended to be ridden. Suspension ranges from 6.5 to 8.5 inches of wheel travel altought some come in burly-built hardtails. The headtube angles are slacker (than that of trail bikes) for descending stability but wheelbase is shorter (than in DH bikes) for better handling in tight technical trails. Front forks used for FR bikes are commonly triple clamp/dual crown but some use long-stroke single crown forks. Weight range is 30 to 50 pounds. These bikes can handle the maximum abuse that a rider’s body can withstand without damage.FR bikes are built to be strong but they are not breakable.Also,they are expensive and the FR rider must also factor replacement cost of components.

DH=Downhill
DH bikes are designed to harness the force of gravity to be able to descent down the mountain at high speeds. DH bikes used to be bikes that can be pressed for FR and All-Mountain riding,but DH racing has made these bikes very specialized for the purpose of goind down the mountain in the fastest time possible.Technology and advanced manufacturing processes have made it possible to build lighter DH bikes.Lighter DH bikes have increased acceleration and momentum and make it easier to maneuver/handle in technical descents. The components are lighter but rather expendable because in DH racing the rider’s team can replace broken and worn components at the bottom of the course, in effect,it give DH racers the "breakit,replace it" attitude that the average mountainbiker cannot afford. This erodes the usefullness of DH bikes because if you beat your DH bike up, you cant expect to win racers. Weight range is 35-45 pounds while suspension range is around 8-9.5 inches of wheel travel.

AM=All-Mountain.
(Described above in the Trailbike category)

PS: You asked about XC,FR,DH and AM only so I wont include description of the other two categories (Urban/Dirt Jump bikes and Mountaincross/Dual-Slalom bikes)

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What road bikes can I get with 750 dollars? That’s how much money I’m willing to spend. This is basically a starter road bike for me. I’ve been really into mountain biking and want to get into road biking. I’m only 16 and this is a pretty big investment for me so anyone know of a good all around starter?

Lots of options there; you’ll only know after you visit a few bike shops and test ride a few. Stick with a major brand like Specialized, Raleigh, Trek, Kona, Giant, etc.

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I have a Schwinn Collegiate and Schwinn Breeze bicycle, bother bicycles are original. The chrome on both bikes are nice and shiny, the saddles are both the original seat from when they were bought in the 60′s or so. I also have an Oxford bicycle, same thing, every thing is the original from when it was brand new. How much could i sell these bicycles for, each or all together? Thanks for your time.

Check around ebay and other sites and see what others are going for.

http://www.retro.net/db/vintage_schwinn_bicycle/232/

http://www.jims59.com/vintageschwinns/index.html

http://www.localbiketrader.com/schwinn.htm

http://vintageschwinnbike.com/

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Im looking for a review that i read in mbuk magazine a while ago. The review was about a bike that i am thinking of buying ( DMR exalt). The problem is that I lost my magazine. Any sugestions?

Try writing to the magazine and asking for a back issue. Or see if they have the review on their website. You could also try the local library. They might have copies of the magazines.

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I’m 16 years old and I looove mountain biking. I do track, so I have a lot of endurance and I have good muscles from gymnastics, which will help me a lot with my biking. I bike a lot but I just do it for fun– I’d really like to compete in a race, but I’ve never done a biking race before. How can I start? Where can I find a local race? How do I figure out what ability level I should enter in? I know track helps a lot with training for biking, but what else can I do? We also weight train a lot–which is good because I don’t do gymnastics anymore. Any answers are greatly appreciated :)

Your local bike shop will have a list of local bike events. Your looking in the right time. the spring season is just kicking off. As for ability start in the Novis class. Its for people just like you. good luck.
ps Most mags ie. Mountain Bike have a section in the back with upcoming events.

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Anyone know of the best brand names for mountain bikes?

Intense, Titus, Turner, Ellsworth,Foes Racing, Santa Cruz, GT, Haro, Kona, Yeti, Trek / Fisher, Marin,Jamiis, KHS, Ironhorse, Orange,Commencal, Surly, Bontrager,Rocky Mountain, Norco, Brodie, Transition, Mountain cycle, Voodo, Moots, Ventana, Banshee, Chumba . . . these out fits tend to either make only MTBs or enjoy more success with MTBs over other most of their other kinds of rides.

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I have a cheap mountain bike now, but I’d really like to get more into the biking world. I am a student and use my bike to ride to campus, but I’d like to do some more recreational and long term riding. I was looking at road bikes, and I read about hybrid bikes (which seemed like a good choice because they could go on road and trail). But I have no idea where to start looking for information about different kinds of bikes, or what brand I should buy.

You want to get a shop quality bike that fits you. Stay far away from Walmart and other department store bikes. Fit is very important.

Google " bike shops + your zip " to find all of the local bike shops in your area.

Visit those shops and talk with them they will have road and hybrid bikes in a wide price range to fit you budget. It will give you an idea of what you want to look for.

Don’t worry about brand they will all be very close at the same price range. Some shops cater to high end clients and some to the every day customer so visit them all.

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I want to begin cycling, not with a BMX bike, but an actual cycling bicycle. What are some quality and affordable bicycles for someone that wishes to take up the hobby?

Also, how expensive is it to maintain a bicycle of that type?
How expensive of a hobby is it in general?
I wish to only use the bike for recreational exercise, not for competition.

The cost of the hobby varies from a couple of hundred dollars to tens of thousands. What you need to do is first figure out what you can afford and give a realistic decision on what type of riding you will be doing (IE going a couple of miles to the store, or 100 mile long rides) This will make a big difference in the type of bike you need.

Next visit your local bike shops and ride a few in your price range. A lot of cycling is preference. Bikes are built for different fits, so what fits my body may not be comfortable to you.

Good brands for low end bikes are the popular brands: Specialized, Trek, and Canondale. For the most part the more money you spend the better bike you get. There is a huge difference between a $200 bike and a $2,000 bike. A good starting price point is about $800 to $1000. If thats out of your range there are cheaper options, but that is the range with some quality.

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