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Old 09-05-2017, 07:00 AM   #1
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What kind of Bike do I want?

Hoping there are some bikers out there that can help me find a bike that and old man can peddle up a hill! For two years I have had a 26" Mongoose with Fat Tires. I like the looks of the bike and have loved it in flat land areas. But I am finding it more and more difficult to haul it up hills. Recently I was in a park and notice other old guys pumping there bikes up hills that I had to push up. My bike has 7 speeds. I know my bike is heavy and I am old but I want to get something different. Do I want as many speeds as possible or do I need a particular kind of gear set. Can I ad gears to the bike I have? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Old 09-05-2017, 07:29 AM   #2
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Lance said, " It's not the bike."

In this case it is. You just need more gears or new knees. The more gears the better. The bike doesn't really matter.
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Old 09-05-2017, 07:48 AM   #3
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My suggestion is this .
Go to a real bike shop . Try some of the comfort or hybrid bikes . Try s bike that actually fits you , honestly you'll be amazed .
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Old 09-05-2017, 08:00 AM   #4
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My suggestion is this .
Go to a real bike shop . Try some of the comfort or hybrid bikes . Try s bike that actually fits you , honestly you'll be amazed .
Second the motion to spend a few hours at a real, professional bike shop. Explain your needs and capabilities, and an expert will fit your dimensions and gears into a proper frame/tire production or semi-production bike you will actually be able to use. Like all things, you generally get what you pay for.
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Old 09-05-2017, 10:21 AM   #5
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I am 78 with many years road bike riding and just went thru that exercise looking for an old geezer bike. What I was looking for:
1. low and more gears - like 27 or 30 speed
2. lighter weight - close to or under thirty pounds
3. front suspension with 100mm minimum travel - no rear suspension
4. 27.5 inch tires but 26 inch will generally be cheaper, more choices and better components for bikes in same price range
5. disk brakes
6. name brand components like Shimano, Sram or FSA
7. bike/frame brand not real important aluminum or steel OK - carbon fiber means big bucks
8. for your kind of riding - small block 8 tires - much quieter and smoother ride
9. bike frame size - should be able straddle bike with feet on ground and no pressure on crotch - no touch at all better
10. depending on where you live used bike would be good if lots to choose from
add a cheap bike computer that measures speed and cadence/pedal RPM at a minimum
I ended up buying this one https://www.amazon.com/Sundeal-Hardt...rds=sundeal+m7
Very happy with it. Whatever you get learn to SPIN. That basically means pedal fast in low gear. Your knees will love it and climbing will be much easier. I try to keep my cadence in high eighty's.
Adjust seat high enough so that leg almost straight with heel on pedal at six o'clock and foot flat.
Can you add gears to current bike - maybe - check with one or two bike shops.
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Old 09-05-2017, 10:35 AM   #6
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Just an alternative idea...
We will be adding an electric assist system like this to our bikes - just swap the front rim:
Click image for larger version

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https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-x1-75-...ller/126941896

If you want to shower money on a "real bike shop" for some exotic, be my guest. We do not, so we have a couple of WONDERFUL, bikes used for mixed road and trail riding sourced from a chain retailer. The bikes have everything the brands that demand 4 digit prices have (full front and rear adjustable suspension and name brand derailer) - except the brag factor.

Safe travels
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Old 09-05-2017, 11:00 AM   #7
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Bike shop bikes aren't about exotic bikes with 4 digit price tags or brag factor as you say .
It's about finding a bike that fits .
Mongoose & other dept store brand bikes are basically one size fits all . Guess what , they don't .
You can find the same bike at a bike shop in many differant sizes .
My wife's bike a Marin Kentfield comes in 5 differant sizes , all with the same size tires . New they run about 400-500.00. Hers is 18 years old now & still works great .
My Kona is about the same age , works great
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Old 09-05-2017, 11:11 AM   #8
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Also I'll add this , it also depends on how much you use the bike , to justify the cost . We rode 20 miles one afternoon recently & we'll be doing 18 mikes next week . I wouldn't even try that on a Walmart bike .
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Old 09-05-2017, 11:27 AM   #9
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If you spend hours on your bike and the mongoose hurts your knees, wrist, shoulders, etc. than go ahead and go to a bike shop.
I still say, just get more gears. Most people have their seat too low. Try your seat a little higher. If you start rocking as you pedal you should lower the seat a little. The weight of the bike doesn't matter much as long as you have lots of gears and you aren't trying to get somewhere as fast as possible.
You don't really need a bike shop if you just want to stroll around the campground and occasionally ride for an hour or so.
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Old 09-05-2017, 11:33 AM   #10
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I ride bikes... a lot. I will agree wholly with going to a real bike shop, yes it's more expensive than Walmart, there's are huge reasons for that. I'll add more information later, but fit and components are just part of the equation.
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Old 09-05-2017, 09:15 PM   #11
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@ the OP, a few questions:
1. What kind of riding do you do or want to do? Trails? Paved roads or trails? Country roads? Events?
2. How far do you ride? Around camp, around town, 30-40 miles, 100 miles?
3. How much are you willing to spend?
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Old 09-05-2017, 09:23 PM   #12
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We went to a bike shop & purchased electric bikes. Best $$ we ever spent on bikes. We can ride them with or without assist. You might try them.

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Old 09-06-2017, 05:32 AM   #13
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@ the OP, a few questions:
1. What kind of riding do you do or want to do? Trails? Paved roads or trails? Country roads? Events?
2. How far do you ride? Around camp, around town, 30-40 miles, 100 miles?
3. How much are you willing to spend?
Hopefully we'll hear from homeless soon but this is what we know. He loves his mongoose. He wants to get up hills easier. He's handy (this is an assumption based on the fact he kept his motorhome on the road) MH'ers are typically handy or rich.

So;
Get something like the Mongoose with more gears.
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Old 09-06-2017, 06:04 AM   #14
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Ok more gears is what I had assumed I needed if I wanted to go up hills and stay seated. As I said the Wife and I both like the fat tires. But trying to research how to get my butt up a hill, I find that there are all kinds of racing bikes kind of stuff. Gears seem to be as many as you can afford. But I also read that having a front derailleur makes for more problems for chain jumping off and shifting problems.

I also don't mind spending 4 or 500 dollars for the right bike if it make riding up hills more fun. We have had our bikes for two years and mostly have ridden in Texas coast area, Flat. We do live and travel in a motorhome and don't have time or money to be buying and trading bikes to find the type we need.

So I have a state of the art Walmart Mongoose with 7speeds. I was considering the idea of changing the chain ring to a smaller one and loosing the top end. Even in Texas we don't usually ride fast and top gears don't get used. We are at Lake of the Ozarks State Park and there don't seem to be any fancy bike shops near us.

So I wonder can I even find a smaller chain ring and can I even take the one I have off? Is this a practical way to go? How low do I go?

If I buy another bike such as an Kawasaki Sumo 21 speed is this overkill?
I do raise the seat as high as I can, I under stand stretching out, but at present I am on my tiptoes at a stop. Do I really need to have a bike that fits? I like the fell of a cruiser. I have added ape hangers to my bike. And that has made it impossible for me to stand up and try to peddle.

We have road 20 miles in a day on a fairly flat paved trail. We would ride more if we could not think we are dying going up hills.

It seems like trying to give more information is like my research, it can go on an on. So I hope this helps with my discussion. We are and old couple trying to stay young with out killing ourselves, and with out breaking the bank.
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