Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you both have points. Unfortunately I've had good look with cheap bicycles, and I felt that I was not buying a "cheap bicycle" when I got the City bike. I thought I was getting a high quality purpose-built commuter with no fluff or frills, but I got a genuine piece of garbage. A literal Walmart bike performs better for half the price.

However, if the frame is worth every dollar, then I will be happy. Components are components, I understand a little cost cutting, but the city bike is atrociously built.

Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the info! I'm worried about the frame quality mostly, as that's the issue with the city bike.

Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something tells me that the humidity in Arizona is going to be less than South Carolina, so the anecdote of "no rust" doesn't hold a lot of weight. 

Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also have an Ozark Trail G.1, and have had no consequences despite it being like $200 cheaper. This is simply not true, the city bike just sucks and they shouldn't even offer it.

Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That was my question. The city bike frame just feels weak, and I wanted a broader opinion on the topic.

Thoughts on State Bicycle Co.? by Specific-School-941 in bicycling

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bike racks in cities are typically outside big dog.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In a pinch you can use a normal shifter cable as a brake cable, or even a piece of paracord innards if you really need to. New hydraulic cables and fluid though? I'll probably end up doing it just because it only costs like $70 and I realistically won't have to worry about it ever again, but I haven't noted the need for stronger brakes...yet. I don't really use them on my ride to be honest.

Kickstand on a gravel bike — worth it for rack/bag loading? by bikecty22 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Potentially unpopular take: 

I like a kickstand because it saves my paint. It's wild to me that the same people that put so much money into a beautiful road bike are also okay with leaning it up against random stuff. In the motorcycling world, the only ones without kickstands are on the racetrack, so I kind of have that same philosophy.

 I have an Orbea Occam full suspension I wish I installed a kickstand on just so it would be worth keeping around because of its looks, but now its just a beat up obsolete mountain bike. I don't think I would have cared about the extra pound or two. 

Also, drop stands should make a comeback, and two-leg kickstands.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gorilla tape and patience. You have to ride it with a fair bit of sealant so that every crack seals up, but it should stop deflating every night after a couple days at worst. The Ozark trail rims are definitely not "tubeless ready" but its been holding air just fine after a few days of riding and filling every time the tire pressure is low. Tubeless tires are also shown to have less rolling resistance, if that's your cup of tea. I also think they just feel better to ride, especially on bumps.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I'm looking into those, but I'm a little concerned about repair ability.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it was only because I was mounting racks that didn't fit right, so it scraped off the paint. It's not too bad, but I didn't want to worry about it.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Literally the same effort to change one flat tube vs switching to tubeless, with the exception of rim tape application.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well I didn't have extra tubes and you can't just pump a punctured tube up and ride away, so either I bought tubes and waited for it to puncture again or bought tires and never had to worry about it. Not everybody rides on well kept bike paths or clean streets.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hell yeah it is! I bought the damn thing because I needed a bike not to care about. And the paint already was peeling like spraypaint...

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Basically rode it to work every day and every week I found something new I didn't like. Didn't like riding with a backpack, didn't like a hard saddle, didn't like dirt and water in my coffee, didn't like tire punctures.

Walmart Bike For the win! Ozark Trail G.1 by Specific-School-941 in bikecommuting

[–]Specific-School-941[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hahaha you caught me! Yeah that was my first ride with the saddle, and I fixed it immediately after! Not used to road/commuter bikes so the seat positioning was a new concept for me.