Browsing for a new ride

[willbur]

Is Bikes Direct a good place to purchase bicycles?

in my opinion "never again" enuff said

 

[97prizm]

Looking to spend
My good old (stolen) Fuji Thrill was $169 out the door at Performance brick and mortar at the turn of the century. I put at least 40k miles on that bike. Man I miss that bike.

Right now I am browsing BikesDirect and considering this

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/hybrid-bikes/hybrid-bikes-cafe-latte.htm

This should serve my needs just fine.

Any other alternative suggestions appreciated
Must have freehub, because old freewheel style is a ticking timebomb, they always fail quickly in my experience.

Are there any bike shops close to you? If so sometimes people will trade in or up as they gain experience. Sometimes high end stuff comes through the door with little wear for a good price.

 

[MrQuackers]

I've put ~2700 miles on the Raleigh m50

So that plus whatever miles the original owner racked up, should I replace the chain?

 

[853okg]

Probably. But if you do you should also replace the cassette.

 

[MrQuackers]

I found this chain in a bucket, purchased over 20 years ago from Bike Nashbar.

I'll snag a cassette off eBay shortly

 

[MrQuackers]

I selected a Tourney 12-32 cassette for <16 bucks.

Very reasonable

 

[MrQuackers]

Probably. But if you do you should also replace the cassette.

Well, I thought I could delay installing the new cassette, but cog #4 was slightly slipping under load. I was able to visit my dad at Willamette National Cemetery by avoiding #4 whenever there might be moderate load.

So, I just recently installed my $15.49 Tourney 12-32 cassette and all's well

 

[MrQuackers]

OE cassette was 11-28, current is 12-32

The current Alivio derailleur seems to accommodate this larger cog but may not be ideal.

Would this Altus rated up to 34 tooth be an upgrade?

 

[MrQuackers]

Well, Alivio appears to be a step up from Altus, but after perusing reviews Altus is sufficient for my purposes.

I paid 13 bucks.

 

[MrQuackers]

I received the derailleur today.

Nice, tight unit for 13 bucks all in

Made in Indonesia

Installed and dialed in ready for a test ride doing my gasbuddy duties