Bike questions

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of bike questions. I'm putting aside my fear of Boston drivers and want to do more biking, which is a big step because after spending time in Amsterdam where there are dedicated bike lanes with their own traffic signals and a very highly-evolved set of rule that are for the most part obeyed, I'm a little trepiditious. (But all is not paradise- they stupidly allow motorized scooters in the bike lanes as well and there is a lot of conflict between the people-powered and the engine-powered.)

1> I bought a new lock for my bike. It's a Bell that has a Kevlar-coated cable and a U-lock. Is this a decent lock set-up? I'm a little concerned about the U-lock, as the housing is made out of plastic. (I am assuming there is steel underneath) Are any of you screaming in horror or will I be pretty OK with it?

2> Do any of the local shops install the rear wheel locks that are permanently attached to the frame? In the Netherlands, most bikes have them and folks use a combination of them and cable/chain w/ U-locks. Even then, there are still thefts, if you can believe it.

3> I am looking for European-style wide curved handlebars. I currently have the straight mountain bike style and am looking to switch them out for the far more comfy wide bars.

TIA

Comments

[narya.livejournal.com]

I don't know the answers to any of these but I did want to suggest that you check out bostoncycling. The people there are pretty helpful.

[makoshark.livejournal.com]

(1) Read Sheldon Brown on locking (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html) for very reasonable advice. Boston and Cambridge and both in the top 10 cities for bike theft so be careful. Don't leave your bike out overnight and don't leave an extremely and obviously nice bike out except when you have to. I've seen people break off u-locks and if the cable lock is the only thing securing your bicycle, it's basically a joke. Cable locks are useful to secure a wheel after the bicycle itself is already secure. I don't know anything about the Bell locks but all u-locks tend to be plastic-coated metal. I use Kryptonites or giant, heavy chains.

(2) Don't bother with a real-wheel lock. You can lock the back rim to a pole and will serve to lock both the back wheel and the frame unless somebody cuts through your rim (which is extraordinarily difficult and unlikely).

(3) You should be able to get the handlebars most places. Ace is right in Davis and may have them. If not, they can order them. They'll be happy to install it.

Boston is no cyclists paradise but it's alright. Check out a bike map or bikely.com for recommended routes and stay clear of Mass Ave if you can. Have fun!

[rmd.livejournal.com]

there's a bike shop on broadway a couple of blocks east of foss park that sells european bikes - they may sell parts like handlebars.

[ron_newman]

That is the Dutch Bicycle Company .

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Where you lock is much more important than how you lock. Some places (racks near the Alewife or Davis T stations, for instance, or on the peripheries of college campuses) your bike would get stolen overnight even if you set it into a solid block of reinforced concrete and covered it with bees; some places (large side-streets in residential neighborhoods) you could probably lock a bike with a particularly sturdy rope and have no worries.

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

Ooh! bees as theft deterrent! I like this!

Or....

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/poitier/135/bees.wav

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

For local bike shops, Harris Cyclery on Washington St in Newton simply wins. They win so much that they win not only as a local shop, but as a national resource for folks with bikes (I hesitate to say 'cyclists' because to me that means something snooty and wanna-be-racer'ish).

There's the Dutch Bicycle Company - they're over at 161 Broadway right in Somerville, and they may be able to help with the integral real-wheel lock. They may not, though. My understanding is that such locks are installed by brazing right to the steel frame prior to painting, so if your bike didn't come with one, retrofitting may be difficult.

as for handlebars, there are lots of options. You're probably going to have to order handlebars, and if you do I can wholeheartedly recommend Rivendell Bicycles (http://www.rivbike.com) - they have two handlebars which may fit what you're looking for: the Albatross and the Dove.

When shopping for handlebars, be aware that there are two "standard" diameters for handlebars, depending upon whether they're intended for "road" or "mountain" bikes, and your stem is likely to have one diameter and you may want to mount a set of bars with the other, so, be cognizant of this. It can also affect what sort of handlebar accessories (light, cycle computer, bell) you'll be able to fit.

And finally, getting out on the road is awesome - I've recently gotten back in to commuting by bicycle after a year of not doing so. Just remember that when you're mounted on a bicycle, you have all the same rights and responsibilities that a car does. Obey signals, obey signage, and make sure to signal your turns, and you'll be doing better than a lots of really reckless folks out there.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

1. A U-lock plus a Kevlar cable should be more than sufficient.

2. I'm familiar with the rear-wheel locks that you're talking about only from looking at blogs of Dutch cyclists. :-) I've never seen them around here. It's conceivable that you could get such a thing but my guess is that you'd have to hunt around to find someone who understands what you're talking about.

3. Lots of bike shops around here should be able to help you swap out the handlebars. A friend of mine got her drop bars replaced with mustachio handlebars at Broadway Bicycle School (http://broadwaybicycleschool.com/). Closer to Davis you could try Ace Wheelworks (http://wheelworks.com/) on Elm St. - I've only used them for very minor repairs and gear but have heard good things about them. Either of these shops would be good places to ask about the rear wheel locks too.

Ditto the recommendation for bostoncycling.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Pretty much whole heartedly agree, especially #1. No security will deter a professional thief, you're really just looking for enough deterrant to keep junkies and kids away :p

Biking in Amsterdam is really obnoxious, imo. Everyone rides really slow and the lanes are congested in many places. It's also the bike-theft capital of the world.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

It tends to be obnoxious in the tourist-congested areas where the tourists have no idea of the rules- ride on the right, pass on the left, make way for faster bikes.

And yeah, they have a high theft rate, but then again, most people bike over there so bikes replace cars in those theft figures.

I know no system is totally safe, but yeah, I want to be sure I have something that will deter all but the most determined thieves and wanted to make sure the reaction to my lock wouldn't be "oh, god, no way in hell I would ever use that brand of lock on my bike."

[ron_newman]

You may want to visit Paramount Bicycle on Powderhouse Circle, but not for another week. Right now they're on vacation.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Tyler is the man. :)

[jodi.livejournal.com]

i third this recommendation.
Tyler at Paramount will help you out.
1) He's got the knowledge to probably help you out with complicated stuff like rear wheel locks
2) He will not give you attitude about not knowing stuff, not being a super-biker, or not building your bike from scratch out of $3000 dollar parts
He's a genuinely friendly guy who will likely remember your name and get you what you need for a good price.

[ifotismeni]

^ paramount bicycle is awesome!

definitely bostoncycling too.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

I spent a couple of months in Amsterdam. Most of the locals buy crappy bikes because they assume they will be stolen.

[ron_newman]

Also, it's flat, so not much need for fancy gearing systems. Many folks get by with a single-speed, coaster brake, and no helmet.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Most of the folks have 3 speeds and yeah, the flat is nice. Definitely a change from Boston. But even with the flat, I found that having the right set-up made a huge difference. First trip there I had a folding bike that after 2 days crippled me. Last trip I had a full-sized bike that by Dutch standards is a real cheapie, but the size and set-up really worked well for me and I'm trying to replicate that on a bike here for very short money.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Sad but true, yeah. My friend Patrick has a decent bike that costs about 200 euros and he has the rear tire lock and a very heavy-duty chain/u-lock setup and tries to chain his bike in the middle of a the rack so it's harder to get at.

[doceydo.livejournal.com]

I have a kind of crappy mountain bike that I bought new a few years ago. I never had any issues with theft, even though I've left my bike outside overnight often. If you have a really, really nice bike, I would suggest being a little more careful than I have been.

That being said, I have a U Lock and it's always seemed to work fine for me. Again, that could be because no one wants to steal my bike.

When I first bought my bike at Cambridge Bicycle, I believe they installed locks in both tires for me.

[ron_newman]

> they stupidly allow motorized scooters in the bike lanes

Yep, and I got side-clipped by one on a roadside bike path while riding to the Hoge Veluwe National Park. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt, and neither was the very apologetic scooter driver.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Scooters are one thing, mopeds another. I ride a moped and am consistently in the bike lane... never had a problem except once.

[summerrose.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't think that motorized scooters are legally allowed in the bike lanes and they definitely aren't allowed on the bicycle paths that run along arterial roads in cities. I was in Amsterdam this summer visiting family and my uncle's pet peeve is people who drive their scooters in the bike lane, which he said was illegal. He may be wrong, but he's Dutch and lives in Amsterdam, so he probably knows what the law there is.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Well, my friend Patrick lives there as well and he says it is legal. But even if it isn't, I've spent almost a month total there over the past year and I never saw the police pull over a scooter.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Any motorized cycle with an engine smaller than 50cc is legally termed a "motorized bicycle" and allowed to use bicycle lanes (but not sidepaths!) in Massachusetts. That includes things like scooters and mopeds but not motorcycles. So, yes, Vespas and the like are allowed in bike lanes in Boston and Cambridge, just not on the Davis bike path or the Minuteman or other segregated paths.

[eredien]

Go to Paramount Bike in Somerville and tell Tyler what you need.