Citywise
How To Buy A Bike
If you think today's bikes are like the one you've got in your attic, you're in for a suprise.
MAN'S SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT bicycle began in 1816, when Baron Karl von Drais put together two wooden wheels on a heavy wooden frame, sat on a torturously uncomfortable wooden saddle and propelled himself forward by pushing with his feet. The "Draisene" weighed 70 pounds, cost $300 ($2400 by today's standards) and was an immediate hit all over Europe.
By 1885, the bicycle had a chain-driven rear wheel, handlebars, metal frame and 30-inch solid rubber tires, which resulted in a teeth-rattling ride. That year an Irish veterinarian and weekend inventor, Dr. John Dunlop, solved the tire problem by making a pair of air-filled tires for his son's tricycle out of rubber sheeting and strips of linen. Dunlop's pneumatic tires smoothed the bike rider's jaunts all right, but ironically, contributed substantially to the machine that stifled bicycle sales in America for 50 years.
By 1898, four million Americans owned two million bikes, made by 400 American manufacturers. One American out of ten owned a bike that year, compared to one out of 350 in 1971. Membership in the pioneer U.S. cycling organization, The League of American Wheelmen, numbered over 100,000.
However, by 1902 the motorcar had hit the bicycle industry with devastating impact. Sales dropped an astounding 95 per cent and the League's membership dwindled to 8,629. The evolution of technology had continued from Foot to its natural extension, Wheel; and from tandem Two-Wheel to Four-Wheel. America's love affair with the automobile had begun.
After a 50-year hibernation in attics and garages, bikes again are all the rage. Why? Well, for one thing, people have more leisure time. The four-day work week, second vacation home and three- week vacation, have all helped increase bicycle sales. So has rising personal income with its natural result, increased consumption of leisure goods. Bicycle salesmen profited by the ecological movement. Bikes make no noise. There is no exhaust pollution. Insurance and repairs are cheap. Most important, bikes are fun.
People began dragging out the old balloon-tired machine of newsboy fame, dusting it off, and learning to bike again. Cycle historians date the bike boom from 1960. From the 3.7 million new bikes sold that year, the number of bikes has climbed to 74 million today. In 1971, the Bicycle Institute of American reported that 81/2 million new bikes worth half-a-billion dollar's were sold. For the long-suffering bike shop owner, patience, indeed, had its own reward.
There had been some awakenings of bicycle popularity before 1960. Dr. Paul Dudley White, a member of the Bicycle Hall of Fame and President Eisenhower's heart specialist, told us to exercise more and recommended an hour's bike ride as the perfect way to keep arteries from hardening and waists from expanding.
In the 1960s, discount houses and mass retailers began to offer a bewildering array of strange looking bicycles that were fairly cheap and weighed half as much as the old newsboy special.
Thomas Stevens would eat his heart out if he could see today's bicycle. In 1884, Stevens became the first man to cross the U.S. on a bike. Sitting atop the huge 60-inch diameter front wheel that was coupled to a normal 17-inch back wheel, Stevens rode a 75-pound "Ordinary" from Oakland to Boston in 103 1/2 days. In 1954, Richard Berg left the Santa Monica, California, courthouse riding an eight-speed, stripped-down machine and carrying only a water bottle and a rear light. Fourteen days later he arrived in New York City, dog tired and cursing the cactus which had caused as many as 13 flats a day during the trip.
The bicycle of today is light, safe, durable and fun to ride. Its whole is only as good as the sum of its parts, however, and this First Law of Bicycle Shopping must always be kept in mind. No matter if you're going cross country or around the block, to buy a cheaply made bike with shoddy equipment is foolish. You will end up hating it as much as the four wheel clinker that is costing a fortune in repairs.
To help you make the best decision in buying a bike, and to help you get the most out of it once you have bought it, we have compiled some information that should be helpful.
Different spokes for different folks—Which bicycle is best for you? Do you need ten speeds, five speeds or three speeds on your bike? Two factors, aside from price, should be considered: Where and how much you will be riding.
Geography is important. If you plan on riding an hour or two a week and if there are few hills and a flat terrain where you live, then a three or five-speed would be adequate for your needs. If you have decided on a bike in this catagory, an excellent choice would be the Gitane "Tourister", a French five-speed that costs $89.95.
However, in the long run a good ten-speed is probably the best buy for most uses.
Contrary to most kinds of exercise, bicycling is something you want to do more once you learn how. Longer hours on a bike with fewer than ten gears means lots of work and aches and pains.
Another reason for preferring ten speeds is one of the best: price. For example, in the under-a-$1OO range, the Schwinn Suburban five-speed costs $86.95. For only $10 more you get five additional gears added to the same bike. The Raleigh Sprite DL-90 five-speed costs $94.95; the ten-speed, $5 more.
The anatomy—Major parts of today's bicycle include the frame, derailleur, brakes, tires, handlebars, saddle, pedals, and gears.
Frame—The first consideration in bicycle buying. In cycling, as in back-packing, the object is to travel as light as possible. The frame, more than anything else, determines the machine's weight. Secondly, since the frame is the suspension system of the bike, it must be resilient and able to absorb road shock. So the lighter and more resilient the frame, the better. The best frame in the world is made with manganese molybdemum alloy steel tubing, double butted throughout and stamped, "Reynolds 531." Tubing that is double butted has its thickness re-enforced at stress junctures to give it added strength. All bicycles over $200 have such a frame or one made with Columbus tubing. Cheaper frames are made with carbon steel tubing (heavy and stiff) and with chrome alloy steel (a bit heavier and less strong than "Reynolds 531" but perfectly acceptable).
Before selecting the style and cut of a new suit, you determine the correct size. Do the same with your bicycle. Most ten-speed models have frames ranging from 19 to 25 inches. If you are 5'5" tall a 22-or 23-inch frame will work. Six footers and up must have at least a 25-or 26-inch frame. If you can straddle the horizontal frame, or top tube, with your feet flat on the ground, you are close to the right size. Let your bike dealer advise you, however, and don't buy without determining this important factor.
Derailleurs—A front and rear gear shift system which "derails" the chain from one sprocket and "rerails" it to another. Invented by Frenchman Paul de Vivie, who produced the first bicycle in France, this device is the most important part of the gear system. By applying side force to the moving chain and bending it a few inches in front of the sprocket, the derailleur causes the chain to rise from the teeth of the original sprocket and climb into a new position. This chain transfer from one set of gears to another is the essential feature of the ten-speed bicycle, and allows the rider to change pedaling speeds to meet his needs.
The best derailleur in the world is the Campagnolo Nuovo Record Alloy, used only on bikes costing $200 and more. Campagnolo traditionally is recognized as the finest manufacturer of bicycle equipment. The design of the Nuovo Record is sound. The bearings are excellent throughout, the jockey mechanism is attached securely and the cable attachment mechanism is perfect.
Sun-Tour, a Japanese brand, also is very fine at half the price of the Nuovo Record. But the two derailleurs you will encounter most often are the Huret and Simplex, both made in France. They are light, have excellent action, and are reasonably sturdy. Both are excellent derailleurs and are more than adequate for all but the most expensive bicycles.
The "Schwinn Approved" derailleur used on all Schwinn ten-speed models, except the two most expensive (Sports Tourer and Paramount) is a French-made Huret and performs very nicely.
Brakes—Bicycle brakes come in two types: center-pull and side-pull. Center-pull brakes have the cable anchored to a carrier that pulls on a short transverse cable, which pulls the brake arms. Then the brake shoes close smoothly on the tire. The whole brake system is much more evenly balanced than the side-pull variety and makes for smoother stops.
Side-pull brakes have the cable anchored on one side of the mechanism only, thus increasing the chances for uneven stops.
Center-pull brakes are much preferred and are standard on almost all higher-priced bikes. Besides giving a smoother stop and release, they are easier to adjust and stay adjusted longer.
Tires—There are two types of bicycle tires, also. Most ten-speed bikes have 27 by 1 1/4 inch, tube-type lightweight tires that are inflated to 65-85 pounds of pressure. Also called clinchers, these tires are heavier, best for city cycling and are much easier to repair. They are standard on all American ten-speeds except Schwinn's top bike, the Paramount.
Tubular or "sew-up" tires are lighter and used for long distance touring and racing. "Sew-up" refers to the light tube which is actually sewn into the tire casing, unlike the wired-on, wider rimmed clincher tube.
A note here about tire inflating. The proper amount of air needed per tire usually is written on the outer tread. Check this first thing and ride only with your tires inflated to the designated amount. The major cause of blowouts is inflating tires at the service station. It takes only a few seconds to inflate a bike tire using an automatic pressure service station pump, so to avoid the embarrassment of a blowout, use an air pump that has a preset pressure dial. Or else be extremely careful.
Handlebars—Aside from the derailleur-gear system, the turned-down handlebars are the most unfamiliar feature of a ten-speed. Is it necessary and is it comfortable? Yes, both times. Try this familiar example to demonstrate the difference between upright and dropped handlebars: Sit upright in a chair with both feet flat on the floor and try to stand up. Don't lean forward! Now try it by leaning forward, and using more fully your back and leg muscles. The same principle applies to the bicycle. When you lean forward, your breathing comes easier, your weight is distributed more evenly and wind resistance is cut in half. After a couple of rides, you will find the turned-down handlebars much more comfortable than the uprights.
Handlebar adjustment is important for all this to work. The top of your handlebar post should be equal in height to the saddle (seat).
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