I bought a bike. What next?
Yeah, I bought an ebike from Costco. It was a pretty good deal and it exceeded my expectation in just about every way, at least so far. The only thing that's bugging me right now is that the seat is supposedly super comfortable but my butt is sore after relatively short rides, but I've read that that will go away after a while.
I haven't owned a bike for decades and I was wondering if there was any less obvious things I should look out for. I already figured out that I put on the front wheel off-center because the disc was rubbing against the brake pad, but that was an easy fix. The manual for my bike is painfully lacking in details; half of covers how to use the controller, and the other half is assembly, and even that part wasn't terribly detailed. There were two parts that came in the box that it didn't even mention (a reflector for the handlebars and the derailleur protector - the latter of which I only figured out what it was after I did a reverse image search for it). It appears that it was written for people who already know a lot about bikes. The fork has shocks on it that appear to be adjustable but I don't know how or even why you would want to adjust them. Is there a website or a book that I can find with more detailed info on bikes generally?
Finally, accessories. I already bought two simple things just on impulse: a simple cheap cable lock and a bell (which seems like a strange omission for a bike, but what do I know?). I figure that I should have probably invested in a better lock, though, since it's a fairly expensive machine, so I thought I'd ask what people would recommend. Also are there any other accessories I might consider? I want to get a bottle holder, but I'm looking for a design to 3D print if anyone has any recommendations. It'd be nice to finally bust out my roll of ASA for it.
A Kryptonite U lock will be a big upgrade in terms of security; it's not unbeatable, but it resists the bolt cutters that could go right through the cable lock. Especially if you have a quick release on your front wheel the cable lock is a decent thing to run through your wheel and the U lock in order to keep your wheel from walking away. All in all, security is about making it inconvenient for someone to steal your bike. All security is beatable, but the more inconvenient it is to steal the more likely it is to be fine.
A bottle holder is an excellent thought. Having water on you at all times when cycling goes a long way to making it a pleasant endeavor.
Is there any specific reason to go with Kryptonite over any other brand?
My bike does have a quick release on the front wheel, and I'm not entirely sure why. I suppose it would make it easy to repair a busted tire, but why isn't it also on the rear wheel? In any case, it's nice to know that the cheap cable lock I got would still be useful.
I managed to cut off the end of my post earlier; I had meant to ask if anyone had any recommendations for 3D printable designs for the bottle holder.
Other reputable brands are fine too. It's hard to tell whether a u-lock is good or bad without destructively testing it, so it's probably worth getting one that's well reviewed and from a company with a reputation for quality (not Masterlock, not "BIKEGOOD" on amazon)
I'd be surprised if there was a good design here. This situation requires high strength on all 3 axes and impact resistance. I don't really think it's possible to do cheaper and better than the classic bent-wire design.
Yeah, but the problem with reputable brands is that I have no idea who is reputable and who is not. And I have the tendency to go for the cheapest options....
All of the commercial bottle holders I've seen so far have been plastic. Should I look out for a wire one instead? My bike has an accessory mount area on the inside frame that seems purpose-made for bottle holders, so I would think that it wouldn't get beat up much if at all.
I use the Kryptonite evolution series 4 chain lock. it's consistently one of the best rated bike locks and came with the highest praise from TheLockPickingLawyer https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SpVOTEOMRuE
It comes in three lengths. I use the middle length and it's heavy but certainly feels secure. Kryptonite has anti-theft protection offer. I've never used it but it might be good to look into in your situation.
Cheers!
These reviews seem pretty decent: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/biking/best-bike-lock. I've read some reviews from this site before for other topics and they seem well-researched & not just ai spam
Plastic bottle holders are probably great! I like a more classic aesthetic so I've never had one, but this is one place where you just pick something you think looks nice. I over-research my buying decisions too, but this one should be easy.
I'm just thinking about the layer line weaknesses with 3d prints, and how the bike gets jostled while going over potholes. Just my opinion, I've never tried printing anything for my bike, although I've been both printing & biking for a long time.
Kryptonite is the established best-in-class for bike locks. E-bikes are a higher target for thieves due to their higher price point (at a minimum don’t leave the battery unattended), so you’re not going to want to make a theft easy. Often thieves will initially disengage the bike by stealing a front tire, saddle, or the battery so that they can return later with better tools to remove the lock itself. You could consider hex locks if you’re paranoid, but that is dependent upon your environment and use cases. Kryptonite sells a hardened version of their locks the Fahgettaboudit) due to the prominence of bike thefts in my city. That being said, common thieves typically use leverage to pop off a U-lock before resorting to bolt cutters or portable circular saws, so where and how you lock your bike is more important than the type of lock.
The front wheel is detachable because it’s easier for servicing and for stowing a bike jn smaller spaces (e.g. back of a car). Also, the rear wheel is fundamentally attached to the gears in a way that there’s no easy way to remove without requiring separate tools and getting your hands dirty (and requiring a tune up afterwards).
I would advise against using 3D printed materials for the water bottle cage. The flexion it would regularly endure would make it easy to snap parts off. A simple steel cage is cheap and effective to the extent that you should probably spend more time figuring out what bottle you want (CamelBak Podium is a solid choice). That being said, if you’re committed to a 3D print, then I would suggest using ABS in your print to make it more sturdy.
Another thing to consider is a saddle bag to contain any roadside maintenance necessities: Tire repair kit at a minimum, likely requiring a hand-pump or CO2 canister, and a bike key/tool. None of these are strictly necessary, just good to have in the event of a popped tire (which is when you’ll appreciate the front tire quick release!). I’m also the weirdo who over-optimizes and got the Aeroclam, but you can pack as much or as little as you want in the bag. Just commuting? Probably don’t need much. Extended rides? Best to be prepared for a tire popping miles from a city. Bike camping? Gonna want some panniers.
Removing the wheel to put on a bike rack. Removing the wheel and taking it with you (harder to steal a bike you can't ride away on). Removing the wheel so it doesn't scuff the car when you take it somewhere.
Generally, it's easier to stabilize a bike on a roof rack with a thru axle mount. I've got a pair on my roof basket that I can just throw the bikes on and tighten them down.
It's not entirely about repair but you can't have a quick release on the back because that's where your gears and stuff are. Removing the rear tire means removing the cassette and chain.
Just for clarity, this isn't the case. You just take the wheel out of the chain, the cassette comes with it and the chain stays where it is. It only takes a few seconds more effort to take off a rear wheel than a front one, and putting it back is the same.
All my bikes have QR front and rear. Front wheels come off more often though, usually for fitting bike into the car reasons.
Their locks are of decent quality for the price. There's a lot of variation in lock placement, type, and other minor features, and Kryptonite has never let me down. Quick releases are good for a couple of reasons; you're more likely to get a flat on the front wheel, so you're more likely to want to take it off to repair it, and if you want to fit your bike into a smaller space like the back seat of a car the front wheel coming off makes it a lot more compact. There are keyed spokes that are more secure and are pretty easy to install, but you then have to keep the key around.
Some bikes also have quick release on the rear, but it's less useful / more expensive. The front tire is usually the one to hit things first/hardest so having it be quick release does make repairs/fixes easier. But mostly the rear has the chain and all that attached to it, which is more to deal with and at that point you tend to need more tools anyway.
This is old, but I doubt he buys a new one each year. Lockpicking lawyer: Why I Use this Lock on my Bicycle
I just purchased a Kryptonite Kryptolok Standard with cord set.
Honestly, I think I should have waited on it. I'm going to need to really work on my conditioning before I'm able to get to the point where I can run errands on the bike, and right now I'm limited on how much I can work on that from my rump getting sore from the saddle.
Sadly I seem to have lost the receipt for the bike so I can't sign up for Kryptonite's protection offer. I think I may have thrown it away by accident. I'm going to have to see if I can go to Costco and see if they can print me a copy of it.
When I was a kid we only used a cheap locking cord for bikes, so this lock seems like total overkill to me. But given this bike cost a literal order of magnitude more than any bike I've owned in the past, I do think it was a good investment.
You may just need a new seat honestly. Your but hurting IS going to be a bit of a thing, but getting a seat meant more for your specific sex can make a difference vs the unisex seat.
How do you deal with the stress of leaving it alone in high traffic areas? I wanted to use mine for grocery shopping before it was stolen but could never get over that.
Security is all about inconvenience to potential thieves. In a high traffic area, no one's going to bring out the tools to break through multiple locks. My e-bike has a "cafe lock" that immobilizes the front wheel and locks it to the frame and a u-lock to lock it to an immovable object. If someone had a truck to carry it away with and time and privacy to use an angle grinder, they could absolutely steal it, but in a high traffic area the thefts that happen are the easiest ones, where a pair of bolt cutters and a few seconds will let them grab the bike.
Depends on the city. I've seen (and called the cops on, to no avail) thieves whip out an angle grinder in a busy downtown. Unfortunately, I'm not about to confront them personally!
High traffic is actually better because people will see if they pull out bolt cutters and other tools to manually remove locks. Plus you're more likely to have another bike that's less well-secured for thieves to pick over yours in areas with more bikes. But I'm biased bc my wife's bike was stolen from our own parking garage.
Unrelated to buying more stuff, e-bikes are different from regular bikes.
They will be harder on the chain and sprockets. The chain will stretch. The sprockets will wear. Get handy, or get to know your local bike shop.
They move faster than regular bikes. You are effectively riding a motorized cycle. Consider watching some safety training.
I'm surprised to not have seen this mentioned more, but always wear a helmet if you haven't been already. I bike daily and a concussion is more scary than any broken bone for me nowadays.
Seat discomfort can be caused by material and how the bike fits you. Spend some time adjusting seat position to see if that helps. Here's a basic guide you can follow: https://www.purecycles.com/blogs/bicycle-news/basic-bike-fit
If that doesn't work or you plan on going on long rides, look into buying chamois - there are some brands that fit under casual clothes if you don't want to look like a serious road biker.
Wearing a helmet was mentioned elsewhere, specifically a mips variant. Doesn't hurt to specifically mention it again, certainly for countries with less of a bike culture and infrastructure.
I wanted to reemphasize since OP didn't specifically say they bought a helmet and that comment was the only other mention of one. Several close friends (and myself) have had some bad concussions, so I'm overly vocal about it.
Virginia Tech has a pretty objective testing lab on bike (and other types of) helmets if anyone needs recommendations: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
Level 1 stuff
-helmet (preferably a mips one)
-bottle cage
Level 2
-mirror
-small handle bar or seat bags to carry a repair kit
-lights
-depending on the weather in your area you should also consider fenders to not get covered in mid.
That's everything you should ever need for very casual riding for short distances. Anything beyond that is for if you have specific use cases.
If you are trying to use the bike as a tool, or as a sort of car alternative you should consider additional storage on the bike. Handle bar baskets, rear tire racks, and panniers bags.
If you are trying to use the bike as a new form of fitness, you may want to get some cycling clothes. At the very least some shorts. Your butt will hurt less over time no matter what, but the combination of proper shorts, a comfy seat, and a maybe a suspension seat post will keep you in the saddle a lot longer. There's no nobility in suffering here. If fitness is the goal I'd also recommend getting properly fitted at a bike shop, as proper seat and handlebar height are actually really important for bike ergonomics. I'd also recommend getting Strava or some other ride tracking app.
The last thing I would recommend is a safety feature, but it is a lot more expensive than everything else, so I don't know how badly you'd want it. It's the Garmin Varia which is a taillight that has a built in radar that will notify you (either by phone or by on bike computer) if cars are approaching from behind. It's like an insane game changer for your peace of mind and overall safety.
Lights are level 1 as far as I am concerned. Even in the Netherlands I practically always have at least my front light on as it greatly increases me being seen by cars. Do not use a red blinking back light, not only does it hugely annoy everyone approaching from the back (including other cyclists) it also makes it more difficult for people to actually judge distance to you and generally serves as distraction. You should have a solid, bright and non obscured light on the back.
As far as mirrors go on bikes, studies have shown mixed results on those. From what I remember, people with mirrors tend to look less behind them and miss things they would otherwise have seen.
Where I am, it's the law to have lights after sunset so glad you suggested that as level 1.
Funny enough, I had (mis)remembered that blinking lights made it easier to judge distance, but looks like you're correct, they're harder to judge distance though can catch attention!
I'll have to adjust my own behaviour and switch to a solid red rear light (or possibly both solid + blinking. I live in a place with mediocre bike adoption, so attention-catching is probably good).
They can, but also be a distraction because of that. Over here, they are even illegal, although that is rarely enforced.
The idea of combining them might work.
My bike does have a front and rear light on it. But the rear light blinks when I pump on the brakes. Should I see if there's a setting to disable that feature?
Brake lights I don't have a strong opinion on, it might make sense to have them blink at that time? I honestly don't know.
I do know that blinking lights here (the Netherlands) are technically illegal. And from personal experience being stuck behind someone with them, I know it is more difficult to judge distance to them and generally that it sort of blinds me for surrounding stuff. Certainly in areas with sparse streetlights.
As a driver, blinking lights on cars drives me nuts, so I don't necessarily like it on the bike. But on the other hand, if the light is always on then it's nice to have an indicator that I'm slowing down, so I'm a bit torn. I think I'll just leave it as it is for the time being.
You forgot a bell, absolute necessity as far as I'm concerned.
OP said they already bought a bell.
Whoops, didn't see that bit.
I'm in a town where bike thieves show up with an angle grinder, which will defeat all but the most toughened locks, chains, and cables. It may be overkill for your needs, but I got one of these. Others have mentioned security skewers (hex-heads) for the wheels, and that's another good investment as long as you make sure to keep the tool with you.
I also suggest registering your new ride at bikeindex.com, and following their bike protection suggestions here.
Since your bike has a fork suspension, you may want to add a shock pump for maintenance. My bike's shocks came from the manufacturer somewhat under-pressured, and inflating them to the correct spec helped considerably with comfort.
One of the best comfort purchases I made was a good set of gel-cushioned riding gloves. I had an old pair of cheap ones, but Terry women's gloves were a great improvement in fit and padding for me and I'm not looking back.
Others have suggested bike computers. If you're not into competitive training, your cellphone can do most of the work with an app like AllTrails. All you need is a good mount.
As someone who's also in a city like that, also be careful what you lock your bike to (you probably know this already but just to give general Tildes advice). My wife's old bike was stolen from inside our apartment's parking garage by cutting the chain lock, but a few feet over the thieves just cut through the bike rack itself.
I bike for regular exercise. My needs may be different than yours. But I’d consider good front and rear lights to be essential. Your bike might have them included. Also a bike computer - again, maybe that’s a part of your bike. That will track distance and display grade, cadence, etc.
You can never have enough locks. I have 4 locks on my electric bike. When at home, I have two chains, one ulock (all kryptonite) and a foldable abus lock. When I am out I take the ulock and foldable lock. If you ever sell the bike, the locks can be used for other things.
I actually bought an electric pump when I bought the bike. I figured I'd need one and Costco also had a really good deal on one which seemed pretty close to what a traditional hand-operated pump would cost.
So what exactly is a bike liner? Just something that goes between the tube and the tire?
Correct. It’s supposed to reduce pointy things piercing your tube.
Some people use slime instead, but it looks messy.
I used Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and slime tubes. Managed to never have a puncture that I needed wheel off during a ride to fix. I did still take all the tools though :-|
Those pedals, what a great idea!
They are amazing, with multiple light settings and the colors auto flip to make sure white is always facing front and red faces back. The lights slide in and out with a magnet from the pedals, so charging is easy.
Speaking of locks: depending on how prevelant bike thefts are where you live, you might want to augment a good bike lock with a Dutch bike lock (link is to a random English-speaking website that sells them, just look for AXA locks). I am Dutch (as you might have guessed from my username) and found out from some people from the UK that these types of locks are not really used outside of the Netherlands, but they are really useful when you are in a relatively safe area and you want to pop in and out of a shop, for example. If you want to leave the bike for longer, it works nicely as a second line of defence.
Other piece of advice: learn some basic maintainance, like cleaning the chains and putting wax on them (do not use grease, that stuff only attracts more dirt). You should also get a bike pump with a pressure reader and keep the bike tires at the right pressure (it says on the tire what that is). Many people forget that easy step, but if you ride with low pressure for too long, it can damage your wheels (but we are talking really low here).
Waxing chains is optimal for efficiency, but a pretty insane and arduous process for the average rider.
Wax-based lubes allegedly have some of the advantages of wax (less stuff sticking) while being applied much more easily. Definitely give one a try if you aren't sure which lube to buy, OP!
My mistake, I actually meant wax lubes. Thanks for the correction.
I was actually hoping to use the machine lube I use on my printers, Mobilux EP-1. After watching a few videos I see it's a bit thicker than your typical chain lube, but I didn't think that would be a big issue.
@adutchman are wax lubes really necessary if it's only going to travel on paved roads?
You'd be surprised at how much grit and grime comes off of paved roads. Honestly, my off-road bikes are a lot cleaner than the bikes I ride on the road! Because everything that gets near the road winds up covered in black sooty grit that's presumably a mixture of tire offal and exhaust solids. The off-road stuff just gets dirt and mud.
That being said: honestly, that lube is probably fine. It won't be ideal, but it won't destroy your bike either :)
Great question, I don't know. Only thing I know is that cheap lube is sticky so it makes dirt stick on the chain, while wax doesn't have that. It makes maintainance easier.
To add to this. These locks are part of your bike and go through the wheel, most of them come with an extra slot where you can insert a chain so you can easily lock your bike to something as well. Most people will just have the chain on the bike with them like this
Have your bike checked by a local shop as well, from what I have seen from YouTube videos on US supermarket bikes is that they really aren't that well tuned to begin with. From what I understand you had to assemble it yourself, which is fine, but if you are not familiar with it, you can easily miss some basic stuff.
While true, bike seats are also a bit tricky to get right. For example, the softer the seat, the more sore you actually will be for longer rides. It also differs per person what they find comfortable, something to keep in mind in the future if it remains uncomfortable.
Other than that, most stuff I feel like has been covered by other people. I did add a few notes to some of the advice you have been given.
This is great advice @Akir! For me I have a very comfy seat, a suspension seat post, and I still get sore after 20~ miles on most trails. I find its worse after I haven't ridden for a while, and it usually gets better if I ride a lot, so its just something that I wouldn't fret too much over as long as its not debilitating!
Personally, I never got a tougher butt riding a bike. I can cushion myself just fine with knees and arms, but it's much nicer to have squishy parts on the bike absorb the bumps in the road.
Biggest improvement in ride quality for me and my family was buying suspension seat-posts like this: https://redshiftsports.com/products/shockstop-suspension-seatpost
I'd also recommend getting a more cushioned saddle, but that's less necessary than a suspension seat-post if bumps are your problem. If it's chafing or softness, something like a sprung or cushioned saddle is a good idea: https://cloud-9.bike/collections/cloud-9-saddles-and-covers
Nice! Which model did you get? I'm suspicious of quality based on how cheap they are, but if they're actually good, that would be great news.
It's the Magnum Low Rider 2.0. The parts seemed to be fairly high quality, but not high end. At least to my understanding.
Someone I know just got an e-trike recently. It was emphasized during the purchase process that you should never leave the battery in direct sunlight when not using it; always bring it inside with you when done. Also they said a lithium-ion battery is most dangerous when charging, so be sure to make a safe space for that. I'm not sure how paranoid that is, but consider that it's an especially big battery that might get a lot of bumps and wear on it, and that you'll be carrying around by hand, so it could potentially have a greater chance of being dangerous than other batteries we use in our life. So just keep in mind a healthy respect for it, I'd say.
I'm not too worried about the battery. Those warnings are the kind we like to say "they're written by lawyers" and for the most part I would expect to see them no matter what the battery chemistry was. In any case, I'm storing the bike in a garage.
Late to the party, but since it's the least addressed question I'll focus on the front fork suspension. I tried finding more information on the fork (an RST E-Bike 30) and turned up surprisingly hard to find the actual product on their website. The short is, if you're just riding around town then you'll be fine leaving it with factory settings. It has 2 features: lockout and preload adjustment. Lockout means you can turn the switch on the top to lock out the shock so that it makes the fork rigid (effectively stopping the fork from compressing). Lockout is functional because suspension can absorb some of your power so that instead of it all driving through the pedals, some of it is lost through absorption into the shock. This is a much bigger problem with full suspension and for a daily rider - especially on an e-bike - I wouldn't worry about the nominal loss. Preload helps adjust the suspension to your weight and is often factory preset to sit at the middle of the weight suggestion on the size guide. If you can figure out how to add or remove pressure with a shock pump you can dial it in to be in an optimal range with little hits and minimal bottom out, but it's probably overkill.
Thanks, this was super helpful! I realized that the fork actually had the model written right on it but when I tried to navigate RST’s website I just got more and more confused. I was thinking I would need to make it stiffer because of my weight but after taking it onto the turf at the local park it didn’t seem like it was bottoming out so I will probably leave it as it is for the time being.