Discussion
@gbargoud asks:
Q6. Is there something that may not usually come standard on a bike that all of your bikes have in common or that you would basically require on any new bike that you buy?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes #BikeNite46_2026 cc @bikenite
@ai6yr @ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite y'know of all of these answers ... yeah, this one
at least in hilly or mountainous areas
@moira @ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite I mean, I am only buying vintage bikes, but the bikes from the 80's and 90's MOSTLY apparently designed for going very fast on flat ground. 😬 I need to see if I can get an even lower gearing on one of my road bikes, as it's just marginal for me to get up the hills here home on the lowest gear, and I don't imagine I'm going to get much stronger or fitter as I age....
@ai6yr @moira @ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite touring bikes from this era had nice low gearing, often a triple chainring. But yeah all the road bikes had a 52/42 chainring and a 14-28 rear, ideal if you live in Nebraska. (Or if you fancied yourself a racer, in which case you had a 12-19.)
FWIW non-indexed shifters usually fit a triple. You'll need a long travel derailleur, though, but a mountain bike derailleur would work fine with a non-index shifter.
@smellsofbikes @moira @ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite That's why I end up riding the touring bike with triple everywhere (plus, it has racks, lol)
@ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite A6. Used to be standard and it's awful that it's not - a kickstand. Except for the quad and trike and Brompton (built-in through rack) that didn't need one.
Should be standard equipment. I blame weight weenies that it's not.
Second would be a rear rack (except for cargo bikes or types of cycles that have it built in).
@ml @ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite A6: I'm on Team Kickstand but I have actually seen people be medium-key mad about a kickstand coming with their bike. I was like "just take it off?" but they were I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO and I'm like "'k"
@ascentale @gbargoud @bikenite #BikeNite A6. VERY LOW GEARING FOR HILLS. Most bikes do not have low enough gear for where I live!!!!! Now that I know how to change these, I have changed some of my gearing... GRANNY GEAR FTW!!!