Beginner after some advice

[Moodyman]

How would I check for a crack in the frame?

See the bike in person. or ask the seller if you can view it beforehand.

A crack in the frame is repairable (material depending), but it's best avoiding.

 

[scubarnsta]

Thanks for your advice. I got myself a giant scr3 which i love (£150, Bargain). I did my first century yesterday, 107miles around kent in the rain. it took me 6.5 hours which i was happy about.
My butt is feeling bruised, so may have to rethink my saddle.
thanks again, im sure ill need your help agin soon.

 

[ColinJ]

30[/B] years is to deny the truth. Obviously there isn't exactly much in a fixed gear bike so the differences won't really be so obvious there. Compare a 30 year old geared steel-framed bike with a modern geared carbon fibre-framed bike, and they are.

I actually ride a fairly heavy 853 framed hardtail mountain bike offroad and usually a pretty heavy steel-framed Basso on the road so I'm not exactly going around on state-of-the-art technology myself but it doesn't mean that I can't see the advantages of brakes that work really well, very light bikes which are stiff, comfortable and responsive, a huge range of gears which are still closely-spaced, gear shifters which are immediately to hand, lightweight comfortable saddles, clipless pedals, clincher tyres which are almost as good as tubulars...

If you like old stuff, fair enough - I don't. I know people who have been happy to ride 1,200 km and 1,400 km audaxes on old steel-framed bikes. If I had the money, I'd always choose a nice titanium or carbon fibre-framed modern bike.

Yes, a good rider on an old bike would thrash me on any modern bike, but if they were riding a modern bike and I was on an old heavy one they would thrash me even harder!

Enough, already...