Well, a few years ago, I had an accident that destroyet my left knee, I've been trying to rebuild some of the strength. Running doesn't work, hurts too bad. So I want to try bicycling.
I have access to a 15 or so year old diamonback mountain bike.... but it needs new cables, tune ups, etc. It hasn't been used much for many years.
Should I work on that or look for something used? I don't even know what to look for on craigslist... I'm about 5'6" with a 28ish" inseam... in Seattle...
Any help/advice/craigslist crawling would be greatly appreciated.
Oh and budget is, well, very low... that's what happens when you're laid off. :(
I guess it depends on how many miles the bike has on it - if not too many then tune up the Diamondback. Buy some grease, chain lube, you'll likely need a new chain & brake pads, tires & tubes, cables as well - break down, clean up, and adjust what you can. It'll be tough to adjust your derailleurs properly w/o a stand, and they run $100/ on up...
Find a good local small-ish bike shop & have them adjust/fine tune derailleurs & show you how (assuming you don't know already) bring a six pack, talk up mechanic. This'll help with future visits too...
As well, many shops offer free ongoing/monthly workshops, maybe do a local/google search..
The difference between a 15 yr old MTB and what is available today is night and day. Check with a local shop and let them know what your budget is. They should be able to steer you in the right direction.
I went and rode a few in the $450 range... definitely night and day...
Glad you already got to test ride some...that will tell you a lot. [thumbsup]
While riding an old MTB around will be a good workout, it can also be frustrating to go so slowly and make it harder to stay motivated, particularly if you are primarily planning on road riding and especially with other people.
As far as picking out a bike, the most important thing is bike fit. After that is the quality of the frame, then the wheels, then the components.
The best way to fit a bike is to go to an LBS (local bike shop) as they can help measure you and find a bike that fits. If you can't do that, there are some online calculators and articles to help you on your own, but they're not as good as the real thing.
Some local bike shops will carry used bikes at a reasonable price. If you do decide to shop on CL, just be aware (as with motorcycles) that there is a lot of junk as well as stolen bikes on there, so be cautious.
Maybe down the road that MTB could be a nice project...fix it up as a learning experience, then sell it.
I would have to say that it would be a good idea to get the Diamondback working and ride it for a while. Just until you decide if you are "into" it or not. If you don't know much about bike wrenching, it might be best to have a local shop check it out. Maybe consider have some slick / semi slick tires if you are gonna ride on the road. Get you a good helmet and go at it. If you get hooked, then get you a new bicycle. That would give you a little time to decide what type of cycling you are into. I would guess that road biking would be better on a bad knee. I am not sure what kind of shops you have around, but the one I frequent have a posting of used bikes for sale (people that have bought new bikes from them post to sell their older bikes). If one of the posted bikes are sold, the bike comes through the shop for a "on the house" inspection. I don't know if I would recommend buying a bike on ebay or anything that would involve shipping unless you are comfortable working on it yourself. By the time you pay to have it set up and for shipping (on top of the price of the bike) you could have come close to a new one.
Well I can't get the mountain bike for a while (my dad (whose bike it is)) went out for a few months in the RV. So I was left with no option but to buy a bike. I got a Specialized Globe Vienna 1. Pictures will be coming when I get the chance.
The max I've ridden at once so far was 11 miles. Thinking about trying for 18 tonight so that I don't have to drive to the trail first...
The biggest thing to remember if you are trying to rehab you knee is not to push too high a gear. You want your cadence to be from 60-90 RPM and even up to 120 if you can manage it. If you can't maintain that cadence, downshift until you can. If your cadence is slower than 60, you are probably putting too much effort into each stroke, which will stress it and not let it heal like you want.
the one good thing is that a 15 year old mtb if fixed up will actually make you get the proper off road skills to ride better than most people that start out on a modern full suspension bike.
let me guess your mtb is a rigid frame with no front shock?
if so that was reacently what people have been doing is going back to the rigid bikes so that they can literally relearn the basics of picking better lines and usuing your body for suspension and such.. and this includes elite level downhill guys have been doing this as part of their training.
Quote from: sbrguy on June 05, 2009, 02:22:07 PM
the one good thing is that a 15 year old mtb if fixed up will actually make you get the proper off road skills to ride better than most people that start out on a modern full suspension bike.
let me guess your mtb is a rigid frame with no front shock?
if so that was reacently what people have been doing is going back to the rigid bikes so that they can literally relearn the basics of picking better lines and usuing your body for suspension and such.. and this includes elite level downhill guys have been doing this as part of their training.
True, I spend a majority of my trail time on my Bianchi rigid singlespeed. Simple and light. That bike makes you earn it, but also makes it so much sweeter to be first to the truck.