[gsever]

Hi,

Although the beginning of my title is a bit misleading (since I have been riding since I was 4-5) I finally made my first bike purchase via online. And the winner is -> Windsor Cliff 4500 White 19 inches. (Blacks were sold out and I gave the white look a try.)

I plan on self-assembling the bike once it arrives. Could you give me some suggestions on getting a necessary assembly/maintenance toolkit, lock, and helmet --with links if possible. (I have about 100$ extra to spend for these parts on top of the $300 bike purchase.)

Thanks for the suggestions.

By the way, are there any Nokia N900 users in the forum or anybody using their smartphones as a bike computer replacement for long distance biking?

 

[gsever]

The link shows the bike quite in detail (zoom in for more detail) They seem to have another Windsor 4500 in their line which has a bit different specs and + 50$ price. This could be well worth the money but I have had just 300$ to spend on a bike which in this case I even saved .05$ Been wondering on the net for a while for a couple days and the one that I ordered seems a good beginner bike with no tax + free shipping options in these days. I have seen a couple other nice bikes as well but the total was usually reaching up to 400$ or more.

Aside, I did a nice mountain climb/descent trip in the last summer on an about 25-26 kg weighting steel frame bike. If I had had this approx. 13-14 kg bike by then, I would have surely reached the summit. This said, I am still not sure about climbing there after passing at about 180 turns from all the way down.

 

[jpeters]

I dont think you will need much to assemble the bike but if you want a good starter kit get a multi tool with a chain cutter a extra tube a portable air pump and a saddle bag to put the stuff in

http://www.google.com/products/cata...X&ei=zGuZTbeIB8bItAbglenNCA&ved=0CIYBEPMCMAI#

 

[gsever]

After a little bit browsing and comparing I have narrowed down to these 3 options:

Crank Brothers Power Pump Pro-Black
Topeak Survival Tool Wedge
Onguard Doberman 6' Cable Lock

Any comments on these parts?

 

[rlouder]

You may want to look at PricePoint's Sette brand. It's not the best, but it is good and affordable. You can get a lot for your budget.

You can also order a helmet but you would be taking a chance since different brands fit differently. An inexpensive wallyworld helmet should provide the same protection. It won't have the cooler air flow of more expensive models.

May have left something out, but this will get you started.

Hydration pack http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14...n/Sette-Max-Flopak-Hydration-System-100oz.htm
Bottle cage http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/11...-Hydration/Profile-Kage-Water-Bottle-Cage.htm
Couple of water bottles http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19...ation/Sette-Specialized-Water-Bottle-24oz.htm
Pump http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/18.../Sette-Air-2-St-003-2-Way-Alloy-Road-Pump.htm
2+ Tubes (Shrader 26 1.9-2.15) http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/17394-345_PNTRT7-3-Parts-74-Tubes/Price-Point-Tube.htm
2+ Patch Kits http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19...be/Tire-Accessories/Price-Point-Patch-Kit.htm
Tire levers http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/19...s/Sette-Torx-ST-311-Tire-Lever---Set-Of-3.htm

Tool Set - I prefer a seperate chain tool. According to the reviews at Nashbar, this has got to be better than that one. http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14...rx-ST-274-Fold-Up-Hex-Wrench-Set_10-Tools.htm
Chain Tool http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15...s/Sette-Torx-ST-331-Screw-Type-Chain-Tool.htm

Optional

Floor Pump - A $10 wallyworld pump won't be nearly as nice as this one. http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16...e-Air-2-ST-069-Floor-Pump-w_-Plastic-Base.htm

Lock http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16...es-361-Locks/Sette-Titan-Keyed-Cable-Lock.htm

Chain/Derailleur Lube - Dupont Dry Wax Lube (available at Lowes)

I also suggest you get some chain quick links. PP only has sram, and I'm not sure if they are compatible with 8sp kmc chains. I believe Kmc's quick link is compatible with all brands, but I'm not 100%.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Park Tool has a checklist for building a new bike. Theirs assumes building up a bare frame, so it's overkill for you, but it doesn't hurt to at least check that things were done correctly at the warehouse.

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/new-bike-assembly

I do almost everything with a multi tool. I think a membership in a bike coop is incredibly useful, if you have one you can join in your area. There are a lot of bike-specific tools that do one task, like removing a cassette lockring. They're almost essential for that task but do nothing else, so if you have an alternative to owning one, I don't think it makes sense to buy one. If I need to do something more advanced, like truing wheels or changing out a crankset, I used to do it in my sponsoring shop and now plan to do them at the coop I joined several weeks ago.

 

[CarolinaLL6]

Both of my Motos from BD arrived with the front wheel detached and the rotor and caliper needing to be installed; the bar had all the levers and grips already installed, just needed to be attached to the stem; and the seat was packed separately. The tires needed to be aired up, too.

Depending on model you may or may not have pedals, but they will be separate if the bike comes with them. The reflectors will be loose too, so you can donate them to the circular file rather than install them. There will be a few plastic ties for securing the brake line running down the fork to the front wheel.

With my Fly I only used my multi-tool to assemble it and a 15mm for the pedals. The hardest part (which wasn't hard) was to evenly torque the rotor to the front wheel and to center the calipers over the front rotor. Neither bike needed any drivetrain adjustment.

 

[bayoutoad]

Any pics of these bikes?? I'm interested to see the Cliff 4500 in white.

 

[gemini9]

I've seen some of these bikes for $3000 - $5000! Seriously? My car isn't even worth that much lol I mean, what kinda work could possibly go into a bike that would total 5k? It's aluminum. Rubber. Plastic. I just don't get it. How can a bike possibly be worth 5 thousand bucks. Can get a dirt bike... with a motor... cheaper than that. wow. I guess if your rich and not poor like me.

 

[CarolinaLL6]

I've seen some of these bikes for $3000 - $5000! Seriously? My car isn't even worth that much lol I mean, what kinda work could possibly go into a bike that would total 5k? It's aluminum. Rubber. Plastic. I just don't get it. How can a bike possibly be worth 5 thousand bucks. Can get a dirt bike... with a motor... cheaper than that. wow. I guess if your rich and not poor like me.

eh
Move our decimal place over one. The Cliff 4500 is a $300 bike.

 

[JonathanGennick]

I've seen some of these bikes for $3000 - $5000! Seriously?

Probably you should begin a different thread for this discussion.

I can shed some light from the publishing industry that probably applies to biking as well. When we publish a book, we have to look at audience size. Harry Potter sells in millions (billions?) of copies. A publisher can afford a thin margin while still making a profit. Volume drives down pricing.

But take the very specialized book I looked at yesterday on the topic of grounding in electrical circuit design. The cover price is $149.99. Why? It's because the topic is very niched and specialized. The audience is small--so far sales are only bit over 100 units. The publisher must price high enough to make a profit. The publisher can do that, because even though the audience is small, their demand for the information is high. The high price makes it possible for the publisher to service the audience with the information the audience very much wants. Everybody wins--author, publisher, reader.

Take away the high price and you don't have the book, the audience doesn't get their information, the author gets no exposure, and everybody loses. The same scenario probably applies to bicycles.

The prices we pay are what enable us to ride the fancy bikes that we enjoy so much.

 

[gsever]

Any pics of these bikes?? I'm interested to see the Cliff 4500 in white.

Here are two pics. All I needed to assemble the bike was a multi-tool and an adjustable wrench for attaching the pedals. Instead of waiting for the shipment I got them from local mechanics and bike shop --which in the end cost me about the same if I were to buy them via online. The gears still need a bit adjustment since they switch one up/down under a little heavier stress. So far, I have smooth rides and feel comfortable on the bike. I will yet to buy a helmet and pump later on.

 

[JonathanGennick]

Hey, the bike looks great. And your bike shop can help with the gears.

Heh. Still snow on the ground where I live.

 

[getagrip]

Hey, would you mind posting one of your photos (preferably the top one) in the Motobecane section of the forum? I created a thread for the Windsor 4500 I just purchased - mine will be black, and I intend to post a photo of it when it arrives, but it would also be cool if someone posted a photo of the white one in that same thread. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Here is the link: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=699026

 

[fattybikejones]

Nice looking bike!!! I almost went for one of those for a knock around utility ride..

I may still do that after seeing these pix!

 

[bayoutoad]

Very nice. I really like the white. I'm thinking of getting this bike and immediately adding the Panaracer Fire tires with the red sidewall. I am looking for a basic starter bike. How does the front fork act?? My Trek 820 I just sold had the Suntour M-2025 63mm travel fork and it sucked big time.

 

[roxnroots]

Nice bike, gsever. :thumbsup: Don't forget to dereflectorize at your earliest convenience, though.

 

[fattybikejones]

Nice bike, gsever. :thumbsup: Don't forget to dereflectorize at your earliest convenience, though.

Always solid advice! De-reflectorization is mandatory! :idea:

 

[jpeters]

Congrats !! Great deal on those bikes and welcome to the sport enjoy!!

 

[gsever]

Whaaat why no reflectors? You don't want me to be seen well at night rides? :eekster: