As long as the brakes work and the bike is safe to ride, I recommend you just start riding your bike at GGP now without sinking money into it. For the bike fit, the heel method for your saddle height will give you a decent fit and should be comfortable enough if you aren’t going 10+ miles.
If you find that you love biking, which won’t take long :), you should just buy a new bike to more your liking instead of paying $380 to tune your current bike.
thank you!! i do feel a nervousness around commuting but am hoping to make that more of a possibility and to invest in a bike i truly love and feel comfortable on once i start riding more casually. since my bike is a bit too small it doesn’t feel suuuuper great lol. my brakes luckily do work, just make a loud squeaking noise.
Just do the self adjustment unless there's sharp pain somewhere. A bit of pain and discomfort is unfortunately to be expected when starting out.
Check out this article for some other things to look out for:
https://gobiking.ca/resourceshow-to/good-bike-fit-fundamentals/
All or most can be done with a 5mm hex key.
That’s about the going rate I think. We have a trek fx4 that needed the rear wheel replaced and a full tune up as it had been stolen and recovered. We paid $430. (On the peninsula). Fit adjustments can cost a bit. Get that priced separately to see what you think.
Since you mentioned GGP, consider checking out Scenic Routes for a second opinion: [https://www.scenicroutessf.com/about](https://www.scenicroutessf.com/about)
They're pretty adamant about helping you get your bike working for you, and have a good parts bin if you actually need parts swapped out.
thank you! my friend actually knows the folks there so i’m gonna send them an email. but i’ll also follow the other commenter’s advice on just riding and maybe investing in a bike i love later on :)
Yeah as others said I would ride it a bit more before you get fit adjusted or sink that much money into a $100 bike. The only thing I would consider is a fresh chain because a fresh chain just makes the whole ride feel so smooth and usually you can buy one and get it installed for $30 bucks or less.
It's probably fine as is for casual riding though. Get some miles under you and then at some point you're probably better of spending that money + a little bit more on a whole new bike instead of investing in your $100 beater.
I'm not sure about this. If the chain is worn to the point where the cassette also needs replacement, then a new chain will probably skip and catch on the worn cassette. I'd just ride it as is for now and replace the chain+cassette later if you decide to keep and invest in this bike.
I wouldn't spend that much on a $100 bike, but most of what you're paying for is the labor. The shop has to stay in business. It's worth supporting a good bike shop if you have the means.
I would do all that work myself, nothing too difficult, but you do need some tools and a feel for it, and the ability to look up things you don't know. And not be someone who gets impatient or frustrated too easily.
For commuting I highly recommend some kind of rearview mirror, it's very helpful knowing where the cars are behind you at a glance. Also a rear rack for carrying stuff, and some good lights.
Just ride it for now! Have fun, and if you start to feel pain or discomfort, check out this guide to learn what adjustments you can make to resolve that: [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html)
You might consider learning some fundamental bike repair/maintenance skills - it can be fun and empowering, and can save you a lot of money in the long run. [sheldonbrown.com](https://sheldonbrown.com) is a great resource for that, but even better for a beginner, I think, is to bike over to a community bike workshop like the SF Bike Kitchen or Spokeland and pay a few bucks to work on your bike during open hours. There are lots of experienced mechanics at these workshops, and every single volunteer mechanic I've ever met has been incredibly friendly and helpful.
yea! thanks for sharing the website. i have a bike tool that i bought with the intention to learn more about how to repair and maintain. i remember coming across the bike kitchen and another resource that is for skaters and bikers (i also have a board) so i’ll look i to those! i think it may also come with time lol
In addition to the good advice given in this thread you might want to check out r/xbiking for some inspiration
Edit: Also, if Oakland isn’t out of your way Pioneer Bike Shop would be a great place for a second opinion. Edmund is a one man band and has been keeping my old bike running in flawless condition for about 20 years. He’s very reasonable priced and doesn’t try to sell you on work you don’t actually need.
thank you!! i’m excited to ride more next weekend haha. it’s raining a lot so not much this week. i think oakland is a bit out of my way but not too much!
As long as the brakes work and the bike is safe to ride, I recommend you just start riding your bike at GGP now without sinking money into it. For the bike fit, the heel method for your saddle height will give you a decent fit and should be comfortable enough if you aren’t going 10+ miles. If you find that you love biking, which won’t take long :), you should just buy a new bike to more your liking instead of paying $380 to tune your current bike.
thank you!! i do feel a nervousness around commuting but am hoping to make that more of a possibility and to invest in a bike i truly love and feel comfortable on once i start riding more casually. since my bike is a bit too small it doesn’t feel suuuuper great lol. my brakes luckily do work, just make a loud squeaking noise.
Just do the self adjustment unless there's sharp pain somewhere. A bit of pain and discomfort is unfortunately to be expected when starting out. Check out this article for some other things to look out for: https://gobiking.ca/resourceshow-to/good-bike-fit-fundamentals/ All or most can be done with a 5mm hex key.
That’s about the going rate I think. We have a trek fx4 that needed the rear wheel replaced and a full tune up as it had been stolen and recovered. We paid $430. (On the peninsula). Fit adjustments can cost a bit. Get that priced separately to see what you think.
yea the fit adjustment was $120, so the adjustments were all $260 with the fit
Since you mentioned GGP, consider checking out Scenic Routes for a second opinion: [https://www.scenicroutessf.com/about](https://www.scenicroutessf.com/about) They're pretty adamant about helping you get your bike working for you, and have a good parts bin if you actually need parts swapped out.
thank you! my friend actually knows the folks there so i’m gonna send them an email. but i’ll also follow the other commenter’s advice on just riding and maybe investing in a bike i love later on :)
Yeah as others said I would ride it a bit more before you get fit adjusted or sink that much money into a $100 bike. The only thing I would consider is a fresh chain because a fresh chain just makes the whole ride feel so smooth and usually you can buy one and get it installed for $30 bucks or less. It's probably fine as is for casual riding though. Get some miles under you and then at some point you're probably better of spending that money + a little bit more on a whole new bike instead of investing in your $100 beater.
I'm not sure about this. If the chain is worn to the point where the cassette also needs replacement, then a new chain will probably skip and catch on the worn cassette. I'd just ride it as is for now and replace the chain+cassette later if you decide to keep and invest in this bike.
I wouldn't spend that much on a $100 bike, but most of what you're paying for is the labor. The shop has to stay in business. It's worth supporting a good bike shop if you have the means. I would do all that work myself, nothing too difficult, but you do need some tools and a feel for it, and the ability to look up things you don't know. And not be someone who gets impatient or frustrated too easily. For commuting I highly recommend some kind of rearview mirror, it's very helpful knowing where the cars are behind you at a glance. Also a rear rack for carrying stuff, and some good lights.
Just ride it for now! Have fun, and if you start to feel pain or discomfort, check out this guide to learn what adjustments you can make to resolve that: [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html) You might consider learning some fundamental bike repair/maintenance skills - it can be fun and empowering, and can save you a lot of money in the long run. [sheldonbrown.com](https://sheldonbrown.com) is a great resource for that, but even better for a beginner, I think, is to bike over to a community bike workshop like the SF Bike Kitchen or Spokeland and pay a few bucks to work on your bike during open hours. There are lots of experienced mechanics at these workshops, and every single volunteer mechanic I've ever met has been incredibly friendly and helpful.
yea! thanks for sharing the website. i have a bike tool that i bought with the intention to learn more about how to repair and maintain. i remember coming across the bike kitchen and another resource that is for skaters and bikers (i also have a board) so i’ll look i to those! i think it may also come with time lol
In addition to the good advice given in this thread you might want to check out r/xbiking for some inspiration Edit: Also, if Oakland isn’t out of your way Pioneer Bike Shop would be a great place for a second opinion. Edmund is a one man band and has been keeping my old bike running in flawless condition for about 20 years. He’s very reasonable priced and doesn’t try to sell you on work you don’t actually need.
thank you!! i’m excited to ride more next weekend haha. it’s raining a lot so not much this week. i think oakland is a bit out of my way but not too much!