- This topic has 22 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 7 months ago by ranette.
new rider choosing a bike in nyc!
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August 12, 2010 at 3:43 pm #28034jeffNYCParticipant
I’ll be very interested to hear your experiences as a beginning rider braving the New York City streets (especially the BQE…yikes!). I’ll be taking the MSF course next month in the Bronx and will be facing the same perilous streets. Mostly I’ll be riding on surface streets in slow moving traffic but occassional trips up to Connecticut will likely be a harrowing if the traffic I’ve experienced in a car on the same route is any indication.
I’ve been going through the same bike quandry as you as well. I’m not interested in sports bikes and I’m worried that although the 250 cruiser/street bikes would be great learner bikes they may be too underpowered for the demands of the BQE, Belt Parkway, LIE, and the like. This has led me to look at the “standard” bikes like the GS500 and SV650 but then I begin to worry that it’s TOO much power for a newbie. I’m a bigger guy at 6′ 4″ ~195 so I have to take that into account as well.
I’ll be looking forward to how everything goes for you. Please share any tips you (or anyone else) has for a beginner in the big city. Safe riding!
August 19, 2010 at 12:25 am #28150ScikoticParticipantFor your height and weight a Rebel would do. I’m a few inches taller and 100 pounds heavier. A Honda VLX or a 250 ninja would be better. My Rebel would get me up to 70 fast but each mile an hour after that it took forever. Here is a video of a guy on a Rebel maxing out the speedo riding to work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFWfh8t3cZc
I regularly ride around 80 on a VLX in NJ just keeping pace with traffic. i’ve been over 90 a few times.
August 26, 2010 at 4:08 am #28251AndreuhaParticipantHopefully this can still help you.
I took the MSF class and got my first bike, an ’07 GS500F, during the first week of July (having done extensive research and shopping around in the preceding weeks). I live in Brooklyn and commute to midtown Manhattan every day (about 35 miles total both ways). My daily commute includes the Gowanus, BQE, and FDR (and for what it’s worth, as of this post I’m at 1,300 miles with the bike).
With respect to bike ergonomics I’m 6’1″ and weigh 180lbs. The bike came with handlebars which replicated the hand positioning of clip-on’s which is lower, closer together, and further forward; which is more appropriate given my height and reach (I have the OEM handlebars and don’t find them as comfortable for me when leaning over the tank at highway speeds). The heat height is effectively the same as a Ninja 250.
On the matter of purpose: the bike’s performance and handling are just right in my opinion for learning the fundamentals and building up early riding experience, while at the same time commuting in the relatively hectic traffic conditions of NYC, and still being able to have some fun with the bike in the process. One common complaint is the soft front end, but I can’t comment on that because the previous owner’s modifications included stiffer springs springs up front and a stiffer rear shock; the front feels just right, and I reinstalled and adjusted the OEM rear shock, which is more appropriate for my own body weight (this became very apparent when going over bumps, potholes, and cobblestone). I pass bumps and potholes just about the entire way to work and back, and I find the suspension to be as comfortable as one can expect on a road-oriented PTW. The bike’s weight has been sufficient for handling the roughest NYC road surfaces without difficulty (since the weight is roughly the same as that of super-sports).
I find it to be very forgiving when executing quick maneuvers, hard braking (the stiffer front suspension pays off here) and acceleration. Also, the stock tires are cheap making them good for practice, though mine don’t show any significant wear or flat spots after repeatedly locking up either wheel while practicing hard braking scenarios. The bike has enough power for accelerating quickly and sufficient gearing that riding daily on highways doesn’t strain the engine (it does top out above 110, after all).
All-in-all, I’m very happy with the bike and am glad that I didn’t get a 250 which I would have without any doubt outgrown by now. Although I was at first planning to upgrade within a few months, my plan now is to keep it until next spring as the bike really is just right for building up experience while still having enough bike to commute or take long highway rides on. Also, the power-train design has basically gone unchanged for at least two decades and is comparatively simple in terms of maintenance and tinkering with – if you want to learn to maintain your own bike this is a good place to start.
August 31, 2010 at 2:09 pm #28377ngl826ParticipantUpdate – I bought a bike!
It’s a 2003 Honda Rebel with 2500 miles, and it’s in pristine condition – apparently the original owner kept it IN HIS BEDROOM, and the second owner, who I bought it from, took great care of it, and her partner, who is a mechanic, maintained it meticulously.
So far, my impressions of it are that it’s a beautiful bike, and I’m glad I got it, but I won’t be keeping it too long. My questions about whether it was too small for the highway were answered immediately when I rode it home along the Long Island Expressway and then the BQE. The thing is, it definitely keeps up with traffic easily – I can easily do 65 and still have plenty of juice left in the throttle (maybe this is related to my size).
But the problem is, it is uncomfortable as hell at those speeds. In general, it’s not a comfortable bike to sit on for an hour or more – I start to slouch and my back gets stiff, and even at 5’4″, my legs feel cramped. But on top of that, when the Rebel is doing anything over 55, it’s a vibration machine, and that’s super unpleasant to sit on top of. It feels totally capable of maintaining speed, from a mechanical standpoint – but from a comfort standpoint, doing 65 on this bike honestly just blows.
So I figure I will keep it through this riding season, build my skills, get more comfortable on the bike, and then, this winter/next spring, trade up for a 450-650 standard.
I also thought I’d throw in my (very brief) thoughts on my gear, since one of my primary frustrations when I was shopping for it was the lack of personal experiences/reviews of the products I was looking at.
Jacket – Olympia Airglide 3 – This jacket is kind of ugly, in my opinion, but it could be worse – and overall, from a functional standpoint, it’s been great. Fits pretty well and I love that I can attach it to my regular belt with the snaps on the back (so that it doesn’t ride up on my back). It’s pretty hot in stopped traffic but the air flows through the mesh really nicely when you’re moving, and the armor feels very substantial/beefy (though the back protector is nothing). Only gripe: the collar is built for a bull-size neck, it seems, and is very uncomfortable.
Gloves – Icon Pursuit – These gloves are perforated leather with knuckle protectors. They’re surprisingly un-hot for black leather gloves, and my only problem is that the fingers run a little long. But overall, I’m very pleased.
Helmet – Scorpion EXO-700 – Jury is still out on this one. I love the color (hi-viz lime green / yellow), and it’s pretty comfortable. But it’s my first full-face helmet, and I’m still not sure about the fit. It seems like the chin bar is ALMOST not low enough – my chin isn’t sticking out the bottom of the helmet, but it ALMOST is – too close for comfort for me. It’s weird, though, because the rest of the helmet is definitely the right size for me – so I don’t know, maybe this is just how it’s supposed to fit? Thoughts would be welcome.
Boots – Haven’t bought em yet, still looking for a good protective pair right now. Looks are not important – I’ve decided I’m just going to change my shoes when I get to work every day, because I’ve heard way too many horror stories about injured feet/ankles. So, the most important thing is protective and $200 or under – any recommendations?
August 31, 2010 at 4:30 pm #28376WeaponZeroParticipantYour complaints about how the Rebel 250 performs at freeway speeds are generally true of all 250s. The Ninja 250 is really the only exception, which is why it comes so highly recommended around these parts.
Now for your gear…
Jacket – Looks are purely subjective but I agree about the looks. IMO brands such as Rev’It and Olympia that specialize mainly in touring gear don’t know how to make a good looking jacket. But then, as long as it’s functional, really no complaints. For your next jacket I recommend going to your local Cycle Gear and trying a bunch of stuff on.
Gloves – Very low-end perforated leather gloves. They don’t offer much in the way of protection. Personally I don’t like short gloves because of the protection they sacrifice over gauntlet gloves. I’d rather have my wrists sweat it out. But that’s just me. If you want some short gloves that offer more protection, look into the Alpinestars range. But if they’re comfy and you like them, stick with them. They do still offer a good measure of abrasion protection on your hands (assuming they’re not ripped off in the event of a crash, the main downfall of short gloves)
Helmet – Sounds like it’s fitting just right. The chin bar generally shouldn’t stick out or down enough to interfere with tilting your head forward.
If you want the most protective boots you can get for under $200 that DON’T look like race gear, Icon Field Armors are your best bet. About $130 and insane levels of protection. I’m also getting a pair of these http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=FTL_SEB094-BB-7_G for my birthday. Very good level of protection for the street, race-grade. Good price. Only complaint I’ve seen is that the toe slider wears out quick and is not replaceable, but let’s face it. If you don’t plan on dragging knee at the track, that’s a non-issue. Tried them on in the store too, VERY VERY comfortable. Fit my foot much better than the Alpinestars boots I tried on.
August 31, 2010 at 10:20 pm #28379Jeff in KentuckyParticipantIf your legs are long enough, add a gel pad on top of the seat to reduce the vibration from getting to you. Also, you will start to get used to the vibration after weeks of practice.
A small windshield makes a bike much more comfortable at 60 mph plus.
September 1, 2010 at 2:01 am #28381AParticipantBe careful with a windshield, lightweight moto’s handling might be effected when 18-wheeler on the BQE get close to you at highway speed, especially when you have a windshield.
September 1, 2010 at 2:49 pm #28385ranetteParticipantOnce you develop some muscle memory and some of the things which you need to concentrate on become innate, you will be able to concentrate on other things, such as only putting one foot down at stops. In other words, for those of us of the vertically challenged persuasion, being able to comfortably and safely ride bikes which we cannot flat foot is a very realistic goal. Though it took a while to get to this point, I can honestly say that in my case not being able to flat foot my bike has become a non factor.
You might think about trying this from time to time on your Rebel even though you can flat foot it. When not in rush hour traffic and on good, flat pavement at a stop. Keep the bike in 1st, clutch in of course, plant your left foot firmly on the ground but keep your right foot on the brake, frees up your right hand to stretch or scratch your nose. The bike will not be fully vertical(well your Rebel might be but a taller bike wouldn’t) but the very small angle of incline should not give you any problem at all. You should find this to be a very stable position. If it’s a long stop, your left hand is getting tired, and you want to put the bike in neutral, it’s not difficult. Simply push off with your left foot, as you are doing this, apply the front brake while taking your foot off of the rear brake and putting it on the ground to support your weight as the bike shifts from leaning towards the left to leaning towards the right. With the clutch still pulled in shift into neutral and then release the clutch. Then simply push off with your right foot to put yourself back in the original position. When it’s time to get going just do the same thing, except this time put the bike back into first. It may seem complicated at first but the entire process takes about a second.
I am not recommending taller bikes for those without any experience. However once some skills are gained I don’t think that seat height should be the deciding factor in choosing a bike.
By the way, if you still have the bike out in mid November I’d be happy to help you out with this next time I’m in New York. Always have time to help out a fellow shorty.
Randy(5’6″ but with a shorter inseam than my 5’2″ wife)
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