where do I find an assembly manuel for a spin bike?

MOXIE

for a Velocity Fitness Motion Series Spin Bike with monitor.

Answer
Perhaps you could do a Yahoo! search?

EDIT: If you bought the Walmart version then I recommend that you go back to your local store and obtain one. These were made for Walmart, and actually should be relatively easy to assemble with basic mechanical ability.

Thats not to say that they'll last very long...

"There is hardly a thing in this world that one man can't make a little cheaper than another, and sell for a little less. It is the person who considers price only and not quality that is this mans lawful prey."

How should I upgrade my road bike? I have a Trek Pilot 1.0?

shukorb

I want to upgrade my road bike. I have a Trek Pilot 1.0. The only upgrades I've done to it are adding Shimano clip-style pedals and shoes.

What would be my best value? I won't be racing or anything, I just want my ride to be bit more efficient. Also, I don't want to spend a ton of money.

Links to products would be appreciate, as I have no idea what I'm looking for : ) Thanks.
I was thinking more along the line of additional hardware. I usually use my bike for riding to work or casual riding, so I'm not inclined to buy fancy cycling clothes.

The guy at the bike shop suggested a new set of wheels. He said the bike would ride like a much more expensive bike with a decent wheel upgrade.

Answer
I have a bike with that level of components and these were my upgrades in the order I did them.

Cadence meter, made one from a $10 Schwinn cyclocomputer from Walmart. Get a cateye strada.

Cycling shorts, more comfortable and a lot cooler.

Clipless pedals, wanted to upgrade from clips

Cycling jersey, wanted to stay cooler

Cycling trainer, determined not to have to start over every spring.

Out of all of them the Cadence meter made the most improvement or should I say allowed me to make the most improvement. Learning to spin at 70-90 rpm's with a lite pressure made a huge difference in speed and endurance.

All of these things can be used on all my bikes and transferred to a new one. The best upgrade is your fitness.

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Need a tip on buying a road bike, maybe 2nd hand. Help me cycling experts!?

Mark

I'm in the market for a new bicycle, but seeing as the last bike I owned was a birthday present for my 14th birthday a fair few years back, I'm not really up to speed on these things.

My last was a full suspension mountain bike, and was HEAVY. And spent most of its time on the road.. when it wasn't in the garage. So this time I want a road bike, I'm not really sure what you'd class it as, not a full racing bike with the clip in pedals etc but very light, fast and strong.

You may correct me on this, but I had a hunch these bikes are the sort of thing people buy, never use, and sell on. So I thought I could get a really good deal buying 2nd hand. So if you could help me out with particular brands/models to look out for I'd be massively grateful.

My specification;
Must be a light and fast road bike, but can handle a bit of dirt occasionally.
There's a possibility it may be taken on a cycle trip through France, so it has to be able to handle rougher stuff moderately well occasionally.
I'm 6'2", if that makes any difference.

Again, any advice or tips on what to look out for much appreciated.

Answer
Problem is that light fast road bikes don't take to dirt very well and are not suitable for long or even medium distance touring. You might do OK with a commuter style bike though.

I'm not a huge authority on this but there are some things I have learned over the years.

Bikes with suspensions are heavy. Knobbly tyres are great on dirt but just make the bike harder to push on pavement, plus the bikes they are on tend to be lower geared than road bikes and that means more spinning the pedals for the same distance. Slick tyres are good on pavement but not so good on dirt, the compromise has a fine tread on them. Some tyres are said to be "thorn proof" and come in three grades of that, the most expensive are the most resistant.

Light fast road bikes will generally have full carbon frame, or an alloy / titanium frame with carbon front forks. But they are no good for long distance touring if you have to carry your own luggage as they can collapse under the extra weight of tent, clothing, food and water. They may have no provision for mudguards / fenders. Carbon frames can collapse disastrously if the carbon is nicked or deeply scratched where a metal frame will give some indication of failure first.

In bikes without suspensions, steel frames are supposed to give a smoother ride than alloy, possibly because the steel flexes a little more. My boss is an former road and velodrome rider and does not own a car. He rides three different bikes regularly, one was built for him, another is an old Apollo, I don't recall what the third is, but they are all steel framed. He says the main difference between one bike and another is not so much the frame, it is the "group set" which is the brake and gear fittings. The Japanese made ones from Shimano are generally pretty good, but there is a variation in price among them and you get what you pay for. Campagnolo are similar, made in Italy and until recently thought to be better than anything the Japanese made, and are still considered pretty darn good.

For years the best quality bikes were supposed to be the Italian "Bianchi" models and they are still up there, cyclists in the know will salivate when they see one.

Bike frames are made in different sizes for people with different leg, arm and torso lengths. For instance, a lady's frame may be just as tall as a man's but it will probably be shorter as women tend to be shorter in the torso. If your bike saddle is so low that your knees are still well bent at the bottom of the pedal strokes, it's too low.

Another man I know has a recent Surly "Long Haul Trucker" which is a road bike made specially for long distance cycle touring. It has several points where luggage racks etc may be fitted and it can be fitted with mudguards / fenders which you will want if you are going cycle touring. Price is fairly high but not the most expensive I have seen. It has a pretty good review on-line, but it's not the only bike made for that kind of use.

If you are thinking of a French cycle trip, the roads will generally be fairly good, even off the major highways, the French started doing up their roads even before the motor car was invented. They have a big population in a fairly small country (compared to Canada, the USA or Australia) so can afford good roads.

Your best bet? You would be right about some bikes being bought, ridden a few times etc. Educate yourself a bit about what's been available, then start prowling the bike shops. (not K-Mart or Walmart) and tell them you are in the market for a good used whatever to suit your height and intended use. Leave a phone number, but don't expect them to have something ideal in stock just then. Most new bike shops with any kind of workshop attached will deal in good used bikes. I bought an Apollo about 5 years old then at a local shop for $200 and rode it to work for 16 years until some low-life stole it. B@stards

See the Sheldon Brown site for more information. Also go buy a few cycling magazines and read them, you'll learn a lot. Also google "veloculture" and "tweed run for some sidelights on cycle culture.

Where to buy a cheap mountain bike in London?

mael

I wanna buy a cheap (below 100 pounds) men mountain bike in London. I precise that I don't need top quality, simply a basic one. The only stores I could find with real cheap prices are Halfords and Sportsdirect.
While I could find online many bad reviews on Halfords, I have no idea about sportsdirect.
Anybody has experience with one of those? Are the bikes decent? Alternatively, do you know any other store?

Answer
The bikes in halfords the cheaper models are very heavy and the brakes go out of tune very easily and the gears. They all have shimano gearing which is a good start but they would be one of the lower grades of derailleurs made by shimano. If you could spend a little bit more go for a carrea bike in halfords I have there racing bike and it's fantastic for the price apart from the seat and pedals in which I changed for about 50 euro.

Not all the bikes in halfords are bad some are very good but as with everything you get what you pay for if you buy a cheap model you get cheaper components which will not perform as well as other bikes. look into the hybrid bikes which will give you a faster speed on roads compared to mountain bike tyres and an important thing as well you don't want to get a bike with suspension as you will not get your full power with every spin of your pedals the suspension will bend taking some of the power.

Best of luck in finding your bike.

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How many calories do I burn spinning.?

Josh

Hi

I recently started spinning on a startrac bike at my gym. The bike features a large lcd touch screen display and is fairly high tech. However, I feel that the calorie count my be a little off.

Stats:
155 lb.
5'9 ft
Calories one hour: 800
Resistance low to moderate

Unusually on livestrong the count says 500 calories as does other websites. Though the machine does not have a heart rate moniter I was windering how accurate the calorie count on the machine is verses websites?

Answer
500-600 calories seem accurate. If you want to know your exact burn in the future, I would really recommend wearing an HRM watch. I've had mine for 8 years now and I use it daily. I love it and I always know my exact calories burned! : )

If I do 50 push ups, 50 crunches, 50 squats a day, for a week, how fitter will I be?

Nicky

I'm currently a normal weight (143, 5'7") and I just want to get down maybe a few pounds and look a little better for my trip I am going on in a week. I will eat very healthy and how much of a difference will 50 squats, 50 push ups and 50 crunches a day make? will it be noticeable? any other tips on workouts i should do or eating tips? thanks a ton :)

Answer
I would try doing more core exercises and more pushups in addition to your 50's of each...

That will tone you up, but if that's all you wanna do then try like 3 or 4 sets of those! Plus, you need anywhere from 30-60min of cardio (I'd choose a spin bike if I were you).

Here's these:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma2h6qfSP21rpoiwko1_500.jpg (Core Challenge)
http://www.livestrong.com/article/330798-leg-squats-without-weight/ (Squats)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoDbbRpQQHHAVnQWd_TcfkMQziGUg_qAZouKpEF9YzH0Sqy0yKyg3ScRgqV4gUxu1VYYRK4i9JkfUKkKgbQEkN5R-XUWTKU5EzqFewQLHQiDTHcvaHoZ96Bz_Ptx9890lc8EizUgwFvhx/s1600/screen-shot-2012-04-13-at-9-37-31-am.png (Bosu Ball squats)
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/cardio/no-treadmill/15-minute-fat-burning-cardio-workout/ (if you don't have time, this takes 15min)

Pick up a 17 Magazine, they have a section just for simple exercises and healthy eating habits.

PS: Stop eating gluten before you go cus gluten helps the fat layer in your body hold on to extra water, gives you the "puffy" look even if you're not. You'll see better results that way.

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Why do people dress up like Lance Armstrong to go bike riding these days?

Lubyloo

It used to be that you could go for a bike ride in regular shorts and a shirt, but now it seems like everyone wears bike shorts, bike shirt, helmet, gloves, etc. What's the deal?

Answer
Luby

It has been that way for decades. Just more dedicated, hard riding folks out there today.

Every sport has equipment to make their sport safer and user friendly. The helmet speaks for itself. The best riders in the world wear their helmets daily.... good sign, that you as a novice, should wear one too!

The clothes make all the difference in the world. They don't have to be as 'loud' as many wear, but the padded shorts, and wicking jersey make cycling so much more comfortable. Moisture and road bumps are the enemy of cyclists. The gloves cushion the blows for many to avoid wrist pains. The shorts are a necessity!!! You will not believe the pain you go through... your butt and legs are so out of shape from just walking around..... you won;t believe it! Padded seat, gel covers DO NOT WORK! Only padded shorts and time in the saddle gets you over the hump!

Most people are so self conscious. Don't join them. I can tell that you are a newbie... trying to come to terms with something that you want to do. The major lessons of cycling are as follows: 1) Get the bike you need, not the one you want (Get a bike that fits your riding needs) 2) A cyclist never leaves home without helmet, padded cycling shorts, wicking jersey and flat kit (with spare tube, tire irons, patch kit and frame pump). 3) there is a right way to pedal that it is called spinning. Learn to spin and shift gears to maintain your spin / cadence rate. Spinning allows the modern cyclists to go great distances with speed, without fatgue!

It is a great sport, come out and join us!

Soccerref

Best way to clean and oil bike chain?

fadedoak

Asked earlier if my bike chain could be saved, and there was a resounding yes. It has surface rust, with a bit of rubbing with my finger it revealed the chain.

I have some ideas so far, but all have unanswered questions residing in them.

first, I have to get the rust off, with what product do I use to do this. I am not looking to get the tool to pop my chain off, I was playing with the bike and the chain comes off a good amount to work with. Using an old toothbrush for this (or steel wool if I can find it) I have read that WD40 is horrible to use on your bike, but it was also suggested that this should be used to clean.. any suggestions?

Also, what should I put on for lubricating oil? Brands? anything that I can find at a farm and fleet? Bike shops are rare out here.

Thank you.

Answer
If you really want to keep your chain, the best thing you can do it use WD-40 to clean off the rust, wipe it dry, then lube it. You should be able to find some kind of bicycle lube even in Wal-mart, brands like Finish Line, Pedro's would be great; but even the worst brand specific for bicycles would be useful. If you really can't find any, then 3 in 1 oil would be the last choice.

One tip to help you out: You can sit your bicycle upside down, with some rags cushioning the handlebars and the seat so they don't get scratched. The key is to wiping your chain as thorough as you can.

1. Sit your bike upside down, with rags or something soft cushioning the handlebars and seat. Make sure the bike is stable.

2. Spray WD-40 lightly on the chain as you pedal with your hand, careful not to jam your fingers. Just enough to cover the entire chain one round.

3. Wipe the WD-40 off with a rag, spin the pedals at least 50-100 turns to get all that gunk/rust/WD-40 off. Use extra rags if necessary.

4. Spray or drip the lube while pedaling. Then pedal at least 50-100 turns to work the lube into the chain.

5. Wipe the chain again, again at least 50-100 turns to wipe off the excess, your chain should be clean enough that it won't leave a streak with your fingers.

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uncomfortable exercise bike seat?

HelpMe

I recently bought an upright exercise bike from Walmart (Gold's gym power spin 210). It is incredibly uncomfortable and I would like to know if there is a way of replacing the seat with another one, kind of like a universal exercise seat that will fit on my bike? Thanks!

Answer
It looks like it is a proprietary seat and seat post from looking at the manual. You can try to keep riding and it will get better once you get use to it. Everyone has to go through butt training when they first start riding a bike even if they rode the whole summer before and took the winter off. You can try a gel seat cover or just use a piece of 1 inch foam. Raise the saddle high enough so that your leg is straight with the heel of you foot is over the center of the pedal and a slight bend with the ball of your foot in the same place.

Take shorter rides until you get use to it.

http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Spin Class Anyone?

justwonder

I just started a spin cycle class today and I absolutely love it. I am planning on going three times a week. However the seat is hurting so bad and my feet hurt. Any tips?

Answer
This is normal with any kind of biking after a long lay off. Make sure you wear proper bike shorts with padding (not on the seat, in the shorts). It will stop hurting after a few sessions.

Not sure about the feet. Where do they hurt? The best thing would be to wear clipless bike shoes (all spinning bikes I've seen have clipless pedals). As you pedal, make sure to move your feet in circular motion, not just pushing downward, then there shouldn't be much pressure on the foot (unless you're standing). A great test to see if you're pushing too much is to try to pedal with one foot.

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Looking for customer reviews for Cateye CC-MC100W Micro Wireless 10-Function Bicycle Computer...?

capitman

...(Silver)
Where can I find reviews and opinions online for Cateye CC-MC100W Micro Wireless 10-Function Bicycle Computer (Silver)

Answer
By MikeUm (Twin Cities, MN)
The Micro Wireless is one of the newest additions to the Cay Eye Companies long line of trusted cyclocomputers. I had a hard time choosing between this and a more expensive model with heart rate and cadence.

I decided to go with this and purchased a separate wrist HR monitor for around 25 bucks. It saved a good deal of money and could be the solution to one of your concerns.

If you are looking for a basic model without wireless: I suggest checking out the "Enduro 8"; it is cheaper and has most of the basic features (without wireless and backlight).

With that said: I really like this model, it's smaller and has more features than the Enduro; wireless and back-light. It was easier to setup and quickly switches between bikes (with the purchase of a second mount/sensor kit.)

I broke the computer mount in a minor training collision and Cay Eye sent me a replacement mount for free. I suggest you "defiantly get a cat eye", especially at this price; they have great customer service and make an excellent wireless computer.
(I have used this product for six months.)

By jay kenyon "jayhawkeye2" (LAS VEGAS, NV USA)
the two things you need in a good cyclometer is that it is small and lightweight, but has all the features you need. This one fills both creteria nicely. The unit is small, but is incredibly easy to read and navigate. and, if you are like me, the last cyclometer you owned consisted of a wire running down your fork -- forget it, this one is wireless. It does the job perfectly, at a great price.

By Zzyzx (Burbank, CA United States)
First off, I am a casual biker so I didn't know if I "needed" this or not. Now that I have it, I really dig it!
Mounting the whole thing took me about 20 minutes--15 to read the pictograph directions and 5 to actually put it on. But that is because I am a little cautious and really wanted to do it right the first time. It actually was quite easy because the installation diagram is very detailed, showing exactly which direction the pieces go, in what order, etc. The computer mounts on the handlebar with double-sided tape and cable ties, keeping it plenty tight and secure. The sending device attaches to the fork the same way and is very ingenious the way it reads off the magnet you attach to the spoke.
A little bit harder was programming it the first time, following the menu flow digrams. But after a few minutes it was very intuitive and I got it set up (with mph, wheel size, etc.) and was ready to take it for a test spin. Which is where its greatness was immediately apparent. I followed a route I knew and the odometer was spot on. The elapsed time pauses when you do, the average and max speeds worked great. In fact, this thing is amazing!
So, bottom line, even if you don't think you need one, you'll soon wonder how you got along without it. Well built, high quality, instructions in about 20 languages, fun to use, and practical. Can't beat it.

Funn MTB parts review!?!?

Max

Are the stems any good? The bars? any thing? It looks so damn cool i just have to have it! It would go on a dirt jumping bike

Answer
I have a Rippa stem, V2 (original) seatpost, Full-on bars, and some Fatboy bars....they're all bomb-proof and mine have been through a lot of serious urban abuse. The stem and seatpost are awesome....especially the seatpost. If you get the seatpost be sure to order it with the correct inserts to match your saddle rails. You may go through saddles, but the seatpost will be with you for the rest of your life....really. The newer V3 seatpost is pretty much the same thing with a different look (and Deity's is very similar). If you could see the clamp mechanism you'd be impressed. It's a loop-top with big v-splines that the inserts mate with. You won't ever break it or strip them out. I like the design of the Rippa with the top load design. Atomlab has something similar but I really like the Funn better.

I've also been running their isis bottom bracket and THAT is what I've been most impressed with....I expected it to crap out or break under the abuse I give that bike but it's still holding strong and spinning smooth after lots of rain, big stair gaps, and many 4'-7' drops to flat concrete on an aluminum hardtail, plus a lot of serious bashing (gone through 2 Race Face bashguards). No other isis bottom bracket has lasted me more than 6 months max. If I had to choose another bottom bracket it would be the Race Face freeride, but the Funn has just stunned me so far for an isis design.

I considered getting some of their cranks, but I don't think they're that special except for having the Funn name on it (a bit excessively heavy, too). You can pick up some Hussefelts or Holzfellers on closeout for much less and have as good or better cranks.

There are lots of great products out there. Funn has been around a long time cranking out strong well-made parts, but they're getting harder to find in the U.S. because they can't seem to keep distributors supplied and people drop the line. With a more favorable exchange rate, you can order their stuff from http://www.chainreactioncycles.com ...the shipping is actually really reasonable, so if you can't find it in the U.S. that's not a bad option if you have to have the Funn name. I've ordered from them several times.

Deity, Atomlab, Fire Eye, and Transition all make some killer stuff, too. Transition's stuff comes in colors and they keep the pricing pretty low. If you're not averse to ordering overseas, you should also check out the resurrected Nuke Proof parts. They were big back in the day and then disappeared...the new stuff is made for rough play for sure but I don't think it's available in the U.S. right now.

I'm no expert on Funn, this is just my experience with them. If mine ever break on me, I might buy Funn again, but that would depend on their presence in the U.S. and/or what the warranty period is. I just run BB7 brakes, but if I were to buy Funn's new hydro brakes or use their hubs, this issue would be especially important to me (parts availability and warranty). Honestly I don't think their parts are ever going to fail on me. I like that. :o)

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are 3 hold road shoes compatable with spin class pedals?

Sugie

I just ordered Shimano road bike shoes cycling SH-R085W which are SPD-SL and look cleat compatable. I was wondering if they were compatable with the pedals used in spin cycling classes?

Answer
Your shoes are 100% NOT compatible with the SPD pedals used for spin and MTB. Look cleats use a wide 3-hole pattern, while SPD-compatible shoes use a narrow 2-hole pattern.

You also might want to shy away from performance-driven road cycling shoes. They have very little traction and you can find yourself in a few very embarrassing situations walking from the spin studio to the locker room.

Shoes for spinning classes?

Fatbeard

I'm about to buy shoes from spinning.com and it says it also recommends cleats. Are these the part you need to buy separately so the shoes clip into the pedals? I would have thought the shoes would come fully equipped and ready to clip in, otherwise why would anybody buy them, that's dumb.

Answer
The clips come with the pedals so if you have a bike buy a set of pedals and you can use the shoes on both. You can go to the local bike shop or look online for a pair of SPD mountain bike shoes for a lot cheaper the shoes from spinning.com You will need SPD clips $15.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/SubCategory_10053_10052_200383_-1_200275_200297

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400034_-1_400009_400009

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