you must be an idiot... where is there such thing as no spending for future upgrade... how bike shops survive like that?

he say like that so that you can kena poison later and want a set of SRAM Red LTEs and a new set of ZIPPs : )

this is how bike buyers kena conned...

actually sizing doesn't really matter nowadays as those sizes are usually measured along the seat tube... as long as you don't buy a frame too big... saddle height can be adjusted via seatpost.

what matters is the effective top tube length, that would be a more accurate measurement as that can affects your reach points... most importantly is that you feel comfortable when you are on the bike and it also depends on whether you are doing road or off-road, there will be different requirements for the different riding that you will do.

if you are not 100% sure, take your friend's bike for a ride as bike shops will never ever let you ride their bikes out especially the pricy ones... make sure it is a fairly long one and not just 1 round around the block... be sure to ride different sizes and you will get a feel what you are looking for...

that way you know what size to roughly aim for when you go shop...

a lot of factors has to be taken into account for the perfect fit, minor adjustments to positioning can be made with different stems and saddle positioning or even crank arm lengths.

i can say so far that i have never found my perfect fit as our physique changes over time, partly due to a reduction in the donuts surrounding your mid section (road cyclist will understand) and the increase in our fitness levels and sometimes just your mind playing tricks on you or you have a bad day on the bike.

all i can say from a non bike shop point of view.

if you find yourself excessively tinkering with your position over time, all the above doesn't matter and i wish you good luck and godspeed, no joke.


most does nowadays but limited to certain CCs and most of the time not very long periods, if you are looking to buy a 10k bike and strip it down to 5 years...

you are better off starting to save money as those up front administrative charges can buy you a nice set of wheels probably.

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Added on January 3, 2012, 3:08 pmWhat happens is that shops rarely bring in all sizes and if they do, they might not stock them up to the ceiling.. so they will try to convince you to buy a certain size that is possibly 1 size too big or too small or even a totally different model which has the size right you even though when evidently some chart or their calculation say that you should be riding a particular size.

Well, all i can say is that it's business for them and rarely you will find them saying come back in 3 months time when we have that size available. They would rather milk you of your money before they let you leave the shop and buy another bike from their competitors.

I think this applies to most if not all shops. When have you heard a salesperson saying, "why not you go try brand x over at that xyz shop. They will have it?"

i am afraid that 1 size smaller if it is your first bike is really the better way to go unless you already know your fit points and size that you have tried... a frame too big will be a road of no return if you get uncomfortable on it.

basically if you are not a bike geek or weight weenie, workhorse groupsets are good enough for eveyday use and back in the days of mountain biking when you constantly rip parts off the bike.. you will opt to buy the parts that least hurts your wallet..

i think 10 years ago 3 LX RDs for 1 XTR, you be the judge if you are constantly bombing down terrains with huge rocks and massive drop offs that threatens to tear the RD off your hanger.

I personally would think to stay away from electronic groupsets for now for the sole reasons that they have yet to standardize it.

When you see that DA Di2 and Ultegra Di2 has interchangeable harness or even parts, then it will be time.

Not to mention frame battery mount and cabling compatibility now that campy EPS is coming in. Still too rich for my blood.

There aren't anywhere that has no cars frankly. Putrajaya on weekends maybe, but far from where you stay.

You can ride the motorcycle lanes from summit subang to sri petaling which don't have a lot of traffic at night. Just make sure you can keep a straight line when you are in the motor lane,

Alternatives if you like short climbs, would be kiara / gasing hills in the PJ region.

Genting Sempah, further out, no cars except for the occasional toll skipping lorries.

Hulu Langat and the likes would have reduced traffic on weekends.

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Added on January 3, 2012, 3:40 pmwhen someone needs to buy something they want.. they have 9531 reasons to justify it...

jus sayin.

buying bikes be it a road or a MTB is like subscribing astro packages... you will always find that if you pay a bit more, you get this and that.. and you end up with many things that you might not find a need for.

most important to spend wisely...and not kena poisoned by evil friends, no cure for that.

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 03:40 PM

i am going to give you a very vague answer... in some ways yes...

you have to know yourself very well... if you have very very good self control.. then you might as well get everything right upon buying your bike even if it means to spend a bit more than you planned... like RM500 more for hydraulic disc or RM500 more from Tiagra to 105, very little now but a lot when you plan to upgrade later not counting the additional parts that you have left behind.

you will still spend some over the year if i am to be frank, for maintaining worn out parts and you can afford to splurge on it a bit then... when the chance comes (see, i am the evil one )

if you are the type where you have evil friends that spawns from hell and always tempts you to buy useless junk and you have next to no control over your impulsiveness to buy things... then you are better off worrying later as you are bound to succumb to their evil temptations sooner or later.

Bikes are unlike cars where a jump from a Proton Inspira to a Mitsubishi Evo X is not within many people's reach.

A price jump from an entry level carbon to a high end carbon bike can be easily acquired by anyone with a plastic card. Therefore, control is first and knowledge of what you want is second. Or you can substitute control with your "wife", the best finance controller the world has ever known.

Wish i had one...

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 04:19 PM

Yes, the ol' don't fix it if it ain't broken.

Sometimes we are too easily suckered into having to own what the professionals do. But in reality, those are not affordable in the first place and a high chance that it is not very reliable in a long run not to mention the ability for mere mortals to maintain them. Never to overspend what you cannot afford is what i say.

My mother from day 1 has always told me how her old steel bike from x + y number of years ago that costs 20 bucks is still and most probably surviving today while i have gone through 3 bikes in 5 years.

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Added on January 3, 2012, 5:02 pmthere one funny article i read where it says the only place to see grown man cry is at a crit... 1st corner pile up and you will see dudes of different age in tears holding their broken high end carbon frame or wheels...

not to say you should race an el cheapo bike... but if you ain't winning or getting a million dollar pro contract what gives in owning a RM20k carbon rig other than you have the psychological edge against your opponents.

the best alternative is to have a willing friend that will loan you a bike or spare bike that he or she has.... for an indefinite period of time until you decide to get your own one...

commuting is a great thing if your work does not mind you arriving at the office a bit sweaty and whatever that comes with cycling, good for everything especially for the environment... can't say that much bout your lungs in a heavily polluted industrial place

what's the point of buying an insight with low emission when you can have no emission at all right?

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Added on January 3, 2012, 5:11 pmyou can, but not easy unless you have a really long thumb...

i sort of like Sora because the brake lever does not swing like most of the other shimano shift levers..very very disturbing on descents when you pull the lever and it moves....

that is until i used SRAM never looked back since then...

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 05:11 PM

i am just a "pengacau antarabangsa"...i come here and make pointless comments...

just thought of finding better use of my fingers than planting them in my nose to dig around...

the force isn't really with you... it is just like how the dark side clouded master yoda in Star Wars 3 : Revenge of The Sith...they think they had control of anakin but they didn't. ( drifting further and further away from cycling )

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 05:35 PM

They have their merits... some like them, some don't

For me, it is just value for money i guess.

Their functions aren't that poor as well. They broke into the shimano road cycling stronghold much like shimano did to campy back in the 90s. They just reminded shimano they have to continue innovating to stay on top of the game.

That'll be until some xyz brand comes to topple sram.

he is quite right... reviews are the most poisonous...

you don't even need Dom Cobb to plant an idea in your head while you are dreaming...just reading them would plant and indestructible, un-rootable idea that cannot be removed until you cannot resist the urge to buy it....

you can take a look at the PCC gang...

http://www.pccmalaysia.com/

they ride a lot at what i think is guthrie and then into the bkt jelutong area...

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 05:56 PM

don't know where silk is but becareful if you are heading into expressways...

police have the rights to stop you in expressways as no bicycles are actually allowed...

many years ago i liked to sneak into north south expressway from KL end and ride to Damansara exit... got some hills and a long descent down to damansara exit... got stopped by coppers a couple of times... got bored of it since then...

no prob... baik bike has listed a couple of clubs...

http://www.baikbike.com/cycling-clubs-malaysia/

one of my favs not within KL or PJ area is knights of the round table which is in penang.

http://www.kotrt.com.my/kotrtpit.html

just read their rides and you will get some ideas where to go.

i think any of them who have a beloved ride would not risk leaving it outside exposed to the elements...

unless you are willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money for one that is made for bikes...

just put a huge piece of tarp over it and make sure it is covered properly and won't contain and store water if it ever drips through...

get it checked over and greased regularly by shops... well taken care ones shouldn't be afraid of a bit of moisture...

you are not living by the sea are you?

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 06:40 PM

sponge bob lives under water.. doesn't matter what he gets...it's destined for epic failure...

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 3 2012, 07:24 PM

don't mind me being frank... but that will look like those alam flora dumpster on your porch when you close it up... and the size of that thing is not small too...

don't your condo or apartment have a small store closet you can stick the bike inside or hang it on the wall be it inside the closet or indoors?

i think there is also 1.4s and the lowest for a usual rim that will fit a 2.2 would be a 26 x 1.25 if i am not wrong. have to swap tubes though.

any lower would be 26 x 1.1 but that will have to change to a wheelset with narrower rims i believe.. not cost efficient.

Don't think you will have a lot of models available in that size.

But call up the shops before you go


KSH SS2 - 03 7877 0450 Yeap (merida / acor titanium i've seen they carry frames only)
KSH TTDI - 03 7727 5173 Leong (BH and a couple of other MTB brans i am not to familliar with)
Bike Pro - 03 7805 1989 Mr. Tan (scott and YETI and a recent titanium brand)
Joo Ngan Son - 03 7727 8743 Mr. Edwin Ng (can't really remember but i think they have raleigh?)
KH Cycle - 03 7722 2999 Jackie (KHS and a couple of other brands i think)
GH Speebikes - 03 6142 9303 Too many people there, can't remember who to call best (specialized)

More nearer accessible from N9 i think,

in Sri Petaling

Greenbike
Joo Ngan
Pedalspot

don't have contact number for those and i think can't be found on net also or i might be wrong... never been there as well.. just passed by once to cari makan and saw those shops.

look up here... there is even more shops and you might find one nearer to you...

http://www.baikbike.com/biking-stores/

This post has been edited by butthead: Jan 4 2012, 09:48 AM

lets jus hope your family ain't those door kicking type or your bike will get door banged all the time... dinged up frame and stuff...

i do remember 1.1 will require a narrower rim if you are capable of running 2.5s..

if memory serves me well which it doesn't most often. 1.75 and 1.5 are the same tube and 1.25 will be a totally different tube...

what can i rabbit do to your bike... hump your tires?

if you say a dog, i'd be scared.. heard of multiple cases where bike owners tyres explode at home because the dog bit the tires...

god, buy them a chewy toy man... much cheaper than your expensive set of rubber...

at least you won't be another statistic for pet induced tire blowups...

it'd be one thing to say the dog ate your tire.. but a furry bunny...is unacceptable...

talking of lube... it is shit hard to find good lubes in malaysia.. it is just the standard orgy of finish line, interflon, pedros, motorex and the stuff...

have tried most of them and they are never good with dirt no matter how i drip the lube, drain, leave it overnight, wipe and all the usual drills that they teach, or maybe particularly the dirt here is different from the dirt in the european countries

would be interested to try both of this... claims to not attract dirt which is most probably a 95% lie... and rock n roll lube even claims to wash the chain for you... hard to acquire in malaysia and both online... never ship to malaysia.

http://www.rocklube.com/
http://bikes.progoldmfr.com/products/

another is sapim race oil.. can't even find they list them as an individual product.
http://www.sapim.be/index.php?st=products&sub=racetools

i was interested as the oil looks quite light by comparison.

most of the time 1.9 shares the same tube as 2.1.

but best to check what is said on the box before you buy...

as an example you can see here..
http://www.kendausa.com/en/home/bicycle/bi...ycle-tubes.aspx

they will write like 26x1.9/2.125 for both 1.9 and 2.1.

hope you find a suitable one...

20" i believe they rarely stock up on all model and ranges... but try to ask around before you go or you end up wasting petrol...

make sure you get the model down and a rough price estimation before you go so you can do your research online or run it through the sifus in the mountain biking heaven section.

thought they just hump each other when they're bored... not some metal skeleton...

the guai los must have done their testing in a green room where there is not a spec of dirt... that is where their assumption came from...

bet they'll go like


if they ever see our chains...

maxxis detonators?

in foldable bead form, should be at least RM75 per piece i think

what is the laughing about??

here is maxxis detonators for mtb hybrids
http://www.maxxis.com/Bicycle/Hybrid/Detonator.aspx

ask the laughing idiot what he thinks and the price... he has a pair of it... i think in 1.25...

the other options i saw available are panaracer and michelins i think, but can't recall the price.