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25 new of 70 responses total.
tod
response 43 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 8 22:07 UTC 2006

Is a GIANT a good bike for Seattle?
keesan
response 44 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 9 02:20 UTC 2006

What is so special about Seattle?
ball
response 45 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 9 04:05 UTC 2006

Rain?
keesan
response 46 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 9 16:10 UTC 2006

All of our bikes work in the rain, but aluminum wheels and the type of brakes
that are mounted directly on the frame grip better.  What you need is a good
poncho.
tod
response 47 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 9 17:32 UTC 2006

re #44
Steep hills..need good gears to climb and good brakes to stop.  My late 80's
Peugeot roadbike doesn't quite cut it.
ball
response 48 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 10 07:20 UTC 2006

Re #47: That's part of the attraction of the Raleigh C200:
  disc brakes fore and aft.  When you weigh as much as I do,
  stopping power is an issue worthy of consideration.
keesan
response 49 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 10 17:50 UTC 2006

If you start using only your bike for transportation, you may notice a gradual
decline in body mass.
tod
response 50 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 10 23:49 UTC 2006

And a gradual decline in getting to work on time. ;)
keesan
response 51 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 11 03:56 UTC 2006

My brother used to look for jobs within 10 miles so he could bike.  If you
live farther away, try putting your bike on the bus.
tod
response 52 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 11 04:59 UTC 2006

Why would I take my bike to work when the bus comes to the corner and drops
me off right at work?
keesan
response 53 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 11 14:22 UTC 2006

I was talking to Andy, who is shopping for a bike that will hold a large body
mass.  Tod, you could walk to another bus stop to get some exercise, at least
on the way home if you are not expected to be cooking supper.
ball
response 54 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 12 06:31 UTC 2006

Re #49: Cycling to work is not an option because I work 24
  miles away from where I live and barely have enough time
  to get there on a good day.  My previous job was within
  walking distance of my house, but the town we live in is
  so small that the odds of finding another job nearby (let
  alone during the hours that I'm available for work) are
  negligable.
tod
response 55 of 70: Mark Unseen   Feb 14 17:15 UTC 2006

re #53
I sometimes use further bus stops if I want to get some Starbucks for the ride
home.
ball
response 56 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 19 04:20 UTC 2006

Today I found myself looking again at pushbikes on the Web.
I read some horror stories about the cheap department store
bikes that gull warned about in #4.  It looks as though US$
500 is about the watershed price for a bike that isn't going
to simply crumble under me.
keesan
response 57 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 19 16:47 UTC 2006

Why don't you get a cheap used bike that used to be an expensive new bike and
try it out to get a better idea of what you want?  Go for aluminum wheels and
avoid the older-style brakes used by Huffy and Murray.
ball
response 58 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 19 19:02 UTC 2006

As mentioned previously, I tried that before and ended up
with a bike that I could not repair.  Are aluminium wheels
stronger for the same weight?
ball
response 59 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 20 00:13 UTC 2006

My dad had a folding bike years ago.  I noticed some
"stretching bikes" on the Web, which I'm guessing are a
similar concept.
keesan
response 60 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 20 00:32 UTC 2006

Aluminum wheels are lighter, and they brake better in wet weather.
Get a bike repair book and some tools, or buy a used bike that costs a bit
more but is already working.   Often brakes and gears need adjusting.  What
is wrong with yours?
ball
response 61 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 21 00:02 UTC 2006

The bike I was referring to is long gone.  It's not
inconceivable that I could buy an old bike and fix it up.
The tricky part would be knowing before I buy it whether its
cost, plus that of various replacement parts would begin to
approach that of a new bike, which would come with a
warranty.  The other challenge would be finding the time,
and the parts to repair an old bike.
keesan
response 62 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 21 15:43 UTC 2006

It is not difficult to find parts for a mountain bike.  Bike repair skills
are useful and save time in the long run.  I learned to true my own wheels
and adjust and change brakes and cables.  That is most of what is wrong with
old bikes.  Sometimes the gears do not shift properly and also need
adjusting, or you  might need to change the rings. 
y
Get a bike where the gears shift, and work on the brakes yourself.  Sometimes
there are broken spokes.  New ones are cheap and easy to install. The store
where you buy them might even show you how.  People working at bike stores
tend to be friendly.  You can make minor adjustments to the gears by turning
a screw I think.  (Jim does my bike repairs now, I type his letters).
tod
response 63 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 21 18:03 UTC 2006

I need figure out what kind of tool unscrews these bolts on my Trek 750.
They look like lil allen wrench holes but I don't think so...
I want to attach my bike pump and bottle holder.. :(
gull
response 64 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 21 22:01 UTC 2006

If they're not Allen, but look kinda like Allen, they might be Torx.  A 
Torx head takes a vaguely star-shaped bit with six little points on it, 
instead of a hexagonal bit like an Allen. There's also "triple-square", 
which is a 12-pointed pattern. 
tod
response 65 of 70: Mark Unseen   Apr 21 23:02 UTC 2006

Looks like torx or maybe 4mm hex?
n8nxf
response 66 of 70: Mark Unseen   May 19 17:17 UTC 2006

I've used Torx wrenches on Allen screws and visa-versa in a pinch.
tod
response 67 of 70: Mark Unseen   May 19 20:11 UTC 2006

Turns out to be a 5mm hex. I didn't guess it the first run cuz I was using
standards instead of metrix. DOH!
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