Are you new to bicycling or planning to buy a bike - Read this

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Nagendra Viswanath

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Mar 3, 2010, 11:04:46 AM3/3/10
to Bangalore Bikers Club, ggi-...@googlegroups.com
Dear All,

At the outset, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for helping me with truckloads of information before I bought my first bike. (though I rode a BSA-SLR for about 5 years when I was in school !!!).

I decided to share my experience of the various steps involved in narrowing down to a suitable bike. I am sure new-comers would find this handy !!!

Firstly, I decided to buy a bike since I strongly felt that it was the only way that each one of us could contribute to the environment and keep ourselves fit plus save on fuel.

Secondly, I dropped by to the CM held in January at the Press Club and rode the Trek and Rockrider. This is where one can get to see the hybrid as well as mountain bikes.

Thirdly, the Budget:

One of the first prerequisites for anyone who has decided to buy a bike is to freeze on the budget and the limit to which it can be extended. Based on this the next step of checking out bikes at various shops can be undertaken. My budget was 12K and I was ok stretching it to 14 or 15K.

The Fourth Step:

Visits to the various shops and my perceptions:


BOTS
: It was a surprise visit to the store two days prior to my actual appointment with Rohan Kini. I was amazed at the knowledge the BOTS personnel posses and their passion towards cycling. Anyone who has decided to buy a bike need to speak / visit BOTS before making any final decision. There is a limited space on the balcony where one can ride the bike/s for testing.

Tracks n Trail @ Koramangala:
It was a hot noon and a visit there was quite soothing. They have mainly stocked Cannondales and a couple of Schwinns' and the ACT 110. The space for test ride is limited here.

Jayant Cycles @ Jayanagar 4th T block: Reserve your visit to this shop towards the end as you will notice the exorbitant price on bikes and their accessories and also get a taste of the shop owners unfriendly attitude and arrogance!!! He behaves as though people who visit his shop are at his mercy when it comes to checking out bikes. One of the things good about Jayant is that he has a lot of Firefox variants and you can actually ride a bit in the shop. This apart its best not to buy anything from there. My gut feel / 6th sense told me to be wary of him. I followed up this exercise by posting an opinion poll about Jayant and lo !!! you guys told me the exact same thing. There is a little space for test drive around the island of bikes.

Gaurav Cycles @ Jayanagar 4th block opp to Jain Temple: Its a good place to check out bikes. He mostly sells LA Sovereigns, Hero and Hercules. I checked out the Hero all aluminum bike costing about 27K which is supposed to be super light. He has good variants of LA Sovereigns something which the other shops don't have. There is no scope for test rides.

RR Cycle @ Madiwala: I personally found Rakesh to be fairly reliable, customer friendly and a business man who gives sane suggestions about the bikes. One can find all brands of bikes here however, there is no scope for any test ride. However, you can ride on the special stand. He also advises on the ills of investing on too many accessories upfront, but to buy them as per one's need. I found this to be a good practice instead of trying to convince buyers with accessories with the sole intention of making profits.

There are other stores that one can visit but I confined my visit to Blore South.

The BIG DAY: After a month long R & D, I finally decided to buy a hybrid bike and narrowed down to the Schwinn Searcher at RR Madiwala. This is where your gut feel / 6th sense comes into the picture.

Speak to as many people as possible and take as many suggestions as you want but on the D day listen to your heart and go by it!!! I felt that a hybrid would do good keeping in mind my usage patterns like city driving.

About Schwinn Searcher: Very light and quick; 21 gears; Front shocks; I liked the bike as it was very appealing and it fit my budget.

Costing: Bike's Cost
: 14.5K(as on 15th February 2010); Helmet:550/-; Front LED lamp: 180/-; Rear LED Lamp: 250/-; Carrier:450/-; (I needed this to put my office bag as I pedal about 20 kms to work (to and fro); BTwin Spiral lock: 299/- )

Alternatives to Schwinn Searcher: Hercules ACT 110 (about 10.8K); Trek:19.5 - 21.5K; LA Sovereign: 10.3 K

As much as I would love to join you guys during the CM or other rides, I am unable to do so due to professional commitments (we work 6 days a week ) However, I am hopeful of joining you soon!!!!!

Last but not the least, I would like to personally thank the entire BBC, GGGC, & Bikezone.

My special thanks to all the people whom I called and mailed and some of them would be of course my childhood friend Lavanya (for giving me a patient hearing), Mr.Prabhakar Rao, Prashanth, Chetan Bhat, Ratheesh, Rohan Kini, Dr.Deepak Rao etc.

I am planning to start cycling to work from tomorrow.....wish me luck!!!
--
Regards
Nagendra.V
95355-52269

No worries..*There are more solutions than problems!*..
364.gif

Nalla P Konar

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Mar 3, 2010, 11:37:26 AM3/3/10
to Nagendra Viswanath, Bangalore Bikers Club, ggi-...@googlegroups.com
Congrats Nagendra, finally you bought a bike :)
Nice email, thanks for capturing the details.

One input from my side, when i was hunting for an upgrade, i was given a bike to take out for a long drive (as long as i want) at both BOTS, Track n Trail. Wonder why you said that space for trial was a constraint at these place.

Searcher is an awesome bike, we (bikers @ Cisco) enjoyed it when we organised the Byke Workshop in our company. Thanks to TnT folks for their support for such initiatives.

Rgds,
Nalla.


On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 9:34 PM, Nagendra Viswanath <nagendra....@gmail.com> wrote:

Deepa Mohan

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Mar 3, 2010, 11:38:38 AM3/3/10
to ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club
Excellent report, ratings and feedback...very scientific! Thanks Nagendra. My only grouse is that women cyclists never seem to have a choice of cycles to physically see and try out before buying...most of us have only one or two cycles in the shop, and even those may not suit us size-wise; we are forced to shell out of a lot of cash in the hope that the cycle MAY suit us!

Cheers, Deepa.

On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 9:34 PM, Nagendra Viswanath <nagendra....@gmail.com> wrote:

George Joseph

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Mar 3, 2010, 11:43:31 AM3/3/10
to Nagendra Viswanath, Bangalore Bikers Club, ggi-...@googlegroups.com
Awesome Nagendra! Congratulations on your new toy. I especially applaud the thought you put into making an environmental choice. 

Regards,

George Joseph

On Mar 3, 2010, at 10:04 AM, Nagendra Viswanath <nagendra....@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear All,

At the outset, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for helping me with truckloads of information before I bought my first bike. (though I rode a BSA-SLR for about 5 years when I was in school !!!).

I decided to share my experience of the various steps involved in narrowing down to a suitable bike. I am sure new-comers would find this handy !!!

Firstly, I decided to buy a bike since I strongly felt that it was the only way that each one of us could contribute to the environment and keep ourselves fit plus save on fuel.

Secondly, I dropped by to the CM held in January at the Press Club and rode the Trek and Rockrider. This is where one can get to see the hybrid as well as mountain bikes.

Thirdly, the Budget:

One of the first prerequisites for anyone who has decided to buy a bike is to freeze on the budget and the limit to which it can be extended. Based on this the next step of checking out bikes at various shops can be undertaken. My budget was 12K and I was ok stretching it to 14 or 15K.

The Fourth Step:

Visits to the various shops and my perceptions:


BOTS
: It was a surprise visit to the store two days prior to my actual appointment with Rohan Kini. I was amazed at the knowledge the BOTS personnel posses and their passion towards cycling. Anyone who has decided to buy a bike need to speak / visit BOTS before making any final decision. There is a limited space on the balcony where one can ride the bike/s for testing.

Tracks n Trail @ Koramangala:
It was a hot noon and a visit there was quite soothing. They have mainly stocked Cannondales and a couple of Schwinns' and the ACT 110. The space for test ride is limited here.

Jayant Cycles @ Jayanagar 4th T block: Reserve your visit to this shop towards the end as you will notice the exorbitant price on bikes and their accessories and also get a taste of the shop owners unfriendly attitude and arrogance!!! He behaves as though people who visit his shop are at his mercy when it comes to checking out bikes. One of the things good about Jayant is that he has a lot of Firefox variants and you can actually ride a bit in the shop. This apart its best not to buy anything from there. My gut feel / 6th sense told me to be wary of him. I followed up this exercise by posting an opinion poll about Jayant and lo !!! you guys told me the exact same thing. There is a little space for test drive around the island of bikes.

Gaurav Cycles @ Jayanagar 4th block opp to Jain Temple: Its a good place to check out bikes. He mostly sells LA Sovereigns, Hero and Hercules. I checked out the Hero all aluminum bike costing about 27K which is supposed to be super light. He has good variants of LA Sovereigns something which the other shops don't have. There is no scope for test rides.

RR Cycle @ Madiwala: I personally found Rakesh to be fairly reliable, customer friendly and a business man who gives sane suggestions about the bikes. One can find all brands of bikes here however, there is no scope for any test ride. However, you can ride on the special stand. He also advises on the ills of investing on too many accessories upfront, but to buy them as per one's need. I found this to be a good practice instead of trying to convince buyers with accessories with the sole intention of making profits.

There are other stores that one can visit but I confined my visit to Blore South.

The BIG DAY: After a month long R & D, I finally decided to buy a hybrid bike and narrowed down to the Schwinn Searcher at RR Madiwala. This is where your gut feel / 6th sense comes into the picture.

Speak to as many people as possible and take as many suggestions as you want but on the D day listen to your heart and go by it!!! I felt that a hybrid would do good keeping in mind my usage patterns like city driving.

About Schwinn Searcher: Very light and quick; 21 gears; Front shocks; I liked the bike as it was very appealing and it fit my budget.

Costing: Bike's Cost
: 14.5K(as on 15th February 2010); Helmet:550/-; Front LED lamp: 180/-; Rear LED Lamp: 250/-; Carrier:450/-; (I needed this to put my office bag as I pedal about 20 kms to work (to and fro); BTwin Spiral lock: 299/- )

Alternatives to Schwinn Searcher: Hercules ACT 110 (about 10.8K); Trek:19.5 - 21.5K; LA Sovereign: 10.3 K

As much as I would love to join you guys during the CM or other rides, I am unable to do so due to professional commitments (we work 6 days a week <364.gif>) However, I am hopeful of joining you soon!!!!!

Last but not the least, I would like to personally thank the entire BBC, GGGC, & Bikezone.

My special thanks to all the people whom I called and mailed and some of them would be of course my childhood friend Lavanya (for giving me a patient hearing), Mr.Prabhakar Rao, Prashanth, Chetan Bhat, Ratheesh, Rohan Kini, Dr.Deepak Rao etc.

I am planning to start cycling to work from tomorrow.....wish me luck!!!
--
Regards
Nagendra.V
95355-52269

No worries..*There are more solutions than problems!*..

--
biking conversations on the world famous "Bangalore Bikers Club" :)
 
are you a part of the bicycle racing scene?
Visit www.bangalorebicyclechampionships.com for more details

Nagendra Viswanath

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Mar 3, 2010, 12:03:45 PM3/3/10
to ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club
Dear Deepa,

Take courage...I was faced with a similar dilemma as I bought this bike for me and my wife.(She is exactly 5ft while I am 5.7ft). The bike is a Medium sized frame and I had to take off the original pipe (under the seat with small shocks) and got a different pipe fixed so that I can reduce the seat size for my wife to ride.

So everytime we ve to ride the seat goes up and down(but i dont see much of a problem, its her happiness that counts!!!!)

So, RR Madiwala told me that he will request for Small sized frames for the ladies and I guess this may fix the problem to a certain extent till which time we have be content with the Lady Birds and the LA Sovereign Hybrid..

Will keep you guys posted on any developments on this front.

Rgds
Nag

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Nagendra Viswanath

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Mar 3, 2010, 12:11:38 PM3/3/10
to Nalla P Konar, Bangalore Bikers Club, ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Shree
Hi Nalla,

Thanks for your wishes.

I mentioned about the space constraint since I did not get a chance for a test ride and had to make do with the little space available at the store. However, going by your experience, guess I stand corrected !!!

Future bikers please assert for a test drive at these places!!!

Cheers
Nag

Nagendra Viswanath

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Mar 3, 2010, 12:17:00 PM3/3/10
to priyanka sharma, Shree, Bangalore Bikers Club, ggi-...@googlegroups.com
Hi Priyanka,

The following qualities appealed to me Priya:

a.) Light weight for city usage (Office commuting, general outings in the city)
b.) Good Looks.
c.) Good Pricing (though it could come down by about 2 K!!!).
d.) I felt the maintenance would not be a problem.

Shops around commercial street / Ulsoor lake ??? Anyone in the forums, could you please throw some light on this point please ??

Please revert for any clarifications Priyanka....

Rgds
Nag


On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 9:42 PM, priyanka sharma <simmerin...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Nagendra

Thanks for posting that!

I am also looking to buy a new bike ..That was a really helpful post.

What qualities did u consider in the bike before buiying it?

Do u know of any bike shops around the commericial street / ulsoor lake area?


Thanks!!

abhishekmadan

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Mar 3, 2010, 10:51:04 PM3/3/10
to Bangalore Bikers Club
AFAIK about Ulsoor/Comm. street there's RR Ulsoor. I *think* the
Firefox on CMH has closed down, the closest one being on St. Mark's
road now. As many members have pointed out, RR is a good place for
buying stuff if you know how much it actually costs. Otherwise they
will try to swindle you!

On Mar 3, 10:17 pm, Nagendra Viswanath <nagendra.viswan...@gmail.com>
wrote:


> Hi Priyanka,
>
> The following qualities appealed to me Priya:
>
> a.) Light weight for city usage (Office commuting, general outings in the
> city)
> b.) Good Looks.
> c.) Good Pricing (though it could come down by about 2 K!!!).
> d.) I felt the maintenance would not be a problem.
>
> Shops around commercial street / Ulsoor lake ??? Anyone in the forums, could
> you please throw some light on this point please ??
>
> Please revert for any clarifications Priyanka....
>
> Rgds
> Nag
>

> On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 9:42 PM, priyanka sharma <simmeringetern...@gmail.com

priyanka sharma

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Mar 3, 2010, 11:21:22 PM3/3/10
to abhishekmadan, Bangalore Bikers Club
Thanks for the info..Will check it out!

All the Best with ur new  bike Nag!!!

Johnny Jacob

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Mar 4, 2010, 12:58:48 AM3/4/10
to abhishekmadan, Bangalore Bikers Club
Firefox on CMH has closed down.

- Johnny

> --
> biking conversations on the world famous "Bangalore Bikers Club" :)
>
> are you a part of the bicycle racing scene?
> Visit www.bangalorebicyclechampionships.com for more details

--
[johnnyjacob.org] "May you share freely, never taking more than you give "

Sanjeev Kumar

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Mar 28, 2010, 9:12:45 AM3/28/10
to ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club

Hi All,

 

Well after a month of research, am under little confusion before I buy my bike.

I visited Track&Trail, RR Cycles (Madivala & Yeshwantour) and FF@Matri.

 

I am closing on Hero Rekra, its 21 gears, Al frame, dual suspension, front disc brakes, looks very attractive deal!

 

I feel Hero cycles are economical & seems they supply to Adidas brand (Genius ~ 17K)

Wanted to know ur experiences on Hero cycles compared to Hercules ACT series, FF cycles & Schwinn series.

Please advise me on the life & durability of Hero compared to foreign brands..

 

Thanks a lot, Sanjeev

--

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Sampath Herga

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Mar 28, 2010, 9:18:29 AM3/28/10
to Sanjeev Kumar, ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club
avoid full suspension bikes in the lower price range.. They just make it heavier and reduce riding efficiency..

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are you a part of the bicycle racing scene?
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To unsubscribe from this group, send email to bangalore-bikers+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.

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Sampath Herga

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Mar 28, 2010, 9:21:55 AM3/28/10
to Sanjeev Kumar, ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club
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Sanjeev Kumar

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Apr 2, 2010, 11:38:32 AM4/2/10
to ggi-...@googlegroups.com, Bangalore Bikers Club

Good News!

After lot of inspection & window-shopping, finally I bought my 3rd bicycle in life (first 2 were in college days)

I think this was a good deal from Track & Trail in K’mangala.. incidentally they have some surplus bikes bought for some different purpose that they were planning to send back to the factory. So I managed to get my Hercules ACT 110 at almost 40% discount on MRP. Its 21 gears, Al frame, hybrid and no shocks. Did a test ride and felt its good for citi riding ..

So looking forward to join the group in an eligible way (with my bikeJ


I take this opportunity to thank all of you who advised & suggest me on various technicalities of cycles & specialties of riding tips in Bangaluru!

 

Cheers, & ride safe, sanjeev

 

From: Sanjeev Kumar [mailto:skm.t...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 6:43 PM
To: 'ggi-...@googlegroups.com'; 'Bangalore Bikers Club'
Subject: RE: {GGI-B'lore} Are you new to bicycling or planning to buy a bike - Read this

 

Hi All,

 

Well after a month of research, am under little confusion before I buy my bike.

I visited Track&Trail, RR Cycles (Madivala & Yeshwantour) and FF@Matri.

 

I am closing on Hero Rekra, its 21 gears, Al frame, dual suspension, front disc brakes, looks very attractive deal!

 

I feel Hero cycles are economical & seems they supply to Adidas brand (Genius ~ 17K)

Wanted to know ur experiences on Hero cycles compared to Hercules ACT series, FF cycles & Schwinn series.

Please advise me on the life & durability of Hero compared to foreign brands..

 

Thanks a lot, Sanjeev

 

 

 

From: ggi-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ggi-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Nagendra Viswanath
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 9:35 PM
To: Bangalore Bikers Club; ggi-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {GGI-B'lore} Are you new to bicycling or planning to buy a bike - Read this

 

Dear All,

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