Conference noted::bicycle

	The main difference between a "Mountain" bike ans a "City" bike
	would be the tires and the gearing.  A "Mountain" bike tire would 
	have a very knobby tread for traction on loose soil and rocks.  A 
	"City" bike would have road tires.  Unless you live in a very hilly 
	area you would not need the wide gear range of a "Mountain" bike.

	Perhaps a classic english 3-speed is close to what you want.  It
	would have fenders and perhaps a rack.  Adding baskets would be easy.

    I've heard of "city bikes".  There's probably a note
    about them somewhere.

    Beware of categorizations.  The same bike could be sold as a
    city bike, a hybrid, or a retiree's tourist bike, depending on
    what's fashionable this year.  It's much better to look at
    what the bike has got, not what the tag says.

    One major criterion that appears with a city bike is that
    it not be theft bait.  Depending on which city this is for,
    you might want to stick to an entry level bike to limit your
    losses.  Clean the chain, but let the frame stay dirty.

    When you go looking for a city bike, get one that's
    good enough to have aluminum rims.  If you are using it for
    urban commuting this is very important, since steel rims
    don't brake in the rain.  A headlight would be good too.

    -Jeff

    
    I thought "city bikes" were just cheapo versions of mountain
    bikes for the city.
    

    From what I've been able to gather, that's how they originated, but
    seem to have evolved into something more respectable.  I suppose that
    the frames will still be generally lighter than a top quality mountain
    bike, but you're probably likely to find decent quality components on
    it.  

    
>    I thought "city bikes" were just cheapo versions of mountain
>    bikes for the city.
    

	And very expensive mountain bikes of course evolved from cheapo 
	city bikes :-)

    
>    I thought "city bikes" were just cheapo versions of mountain
>    bikes for the city.
    

At one time this was true. Now there are a bunch of bikes hitting the market
geared towards the casual rider. They are now marketed under the name "hybird"
bikes, and are a touring style road frame and wheels (lighter than MT-Bike
though not as strong) and MT-bike style upright handle bars. These features
along with this years push button shifting make them one of the easiest riding
bikes to get. There are also some top of the line hybirds that are more like 
dual purpose/on-off road bikes, these are marketed towards people that need to
be different ;-)

    > need to be different . . .
    
    	When I was about 15, growing up in Brooklyn NY, I remember taking a
    perfectly good, brand new, 20" "stingray" bike, and installing a 26"
    fork and front tire on it.  Since the headset didn't match up with the
    new fork, I simply omitted it, and the whole front end would just sort
    of rock back and forth when you pushed or pulled on the bars.  For pars
    I had these ape-hangers that sort of went up, and then bent forward,
    down, under and back in a curly-cue - kinda like a 3' high, uopside
    down drop bar.  Of course, they were connected to the front hub with
    struts covered with reflectors.  On the back - what else but a gold
    sparkle bannana seat with a 3' high sissy-bar, also covered with
    reflectors.  Oh yes, it was a 5-speed with a
    right-in-front-of-your-crotch stick shift.  Wadda bike!  Wish I had it
    now!  hey, I bet there could be a market for something like this -
    just make it OVERSIZE!

    Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll go down to my trusty bike shop and
    ask for a city bike.
    
    - Hoyt

>    Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll go down to my trusty bike shop and
>    ask for a city bike.

    Let us know how they define "city bike".

    -Jeff

    
    Sorry if this topic has been covered before, but...
    
    Has anyone bought an extra set of rims & skinny tires for their ATBs,
    so that they be better equipped for long rides on pavement?  The standard
    rims & knobbies would then be used only off-road.  Might this be a low-
    budget way to be equipped for both worlds?
    
    	

	re -.1

	I haven't bought any, but according to Bike Nashbar the price
	of wheels, tires and another freewheel would be about $250.00.
	
	Gee for a little more I could buy another ATB .... But you	
	have to decide what's right..

				~Mike~

    "Serpa" CroMo ATB frame with 18 speed SUNTOUR.  24-36-48 alloy rings
    with 12-24 rear.   Tioga "City Slicker" 1.9 tires on alloy rims.  Mtn
    Rack with bags, 5 degree CroMo bars with Onza bold ends.  
    
    BRIGHT Yellow to let traffic see it, even a horn...
    
    

>    Has anyone bought an extra set of rims & skinny tires for their ATBs...

    Keep in mind that there will be other dimensions to worry about than
    just the tire width.

    The rear hubs will be a different width.  ATBs are 130mm, 5 cog hubs
    are 120mm and 6-7 is 126mm (I think).  You might have to change axles
    if you start out with road hubs.

    The freewheel might be in a different place, so you should check
    the rear derailleur adjustment.  In fact, it might be a good idea
    to have both sets of wheels use identical hubs and freewheels.

    Most ATB wheels are 26".  You'll have to look a little harder to
    find narrow good quality 26" rims.

    Don't forget to adjust the brakes when you switch.

 -Jeff

    	Dude,
    
    	   Like, the only obvious "urban assault vehicle", is one that's
    	fully equipped for battle.  I mean a bike that's ready for TOTAL
    	shred. Full bore - hard core shred. We be talkin', wheelie-ready
    	fire-power-capable assault vehicles from, well, New York city...
    
    	   Abuse is the name of the game. Blistering, blazing, bountiful
    	boisterous abuse.  Full-shred wheelies while flying off of eight
    	inch curbs... Trudging through potholes (found only in the after-
    	math of a war)  whilst pounding the skull of some rabid malamute
    	hot on your tail...  Dodging skate-board encrusted skin-heads on
    	crack (myth...) like you're in some kind of slalom contest...
    
    	   If this is any help, good.
    
    	   If it ain't, SO WHAT. True urban-dwellers don't care what you
    	or anyone else be thinkin' PAL. All that matters is shred, dude.
    
    	(I know, I know, harsh & uncalled for, sheesh! I apologize!)
    
    						Sorry about this one,
    						I'm just anti-social, Face

    I was half way through .14 and my thought was "face musta writ this."
    
    ed

    
    	Hey Face,
    
    		That eight inch curb stuff sounds a little limp at the
    wrist. Were out in the woods pounding over 2 foot logs and stone
    walls at spin speed. Also good air time.
    	You're right abusive treatment. You find out in the first 30
    minutes which components will last because the others just don't.
    My first day out I had to pound back my chainring with a big hammer
    and seriously broke in my pedals as in removal of reflectors and excess
    material. AAAnd the back wheel had to be retrued.
    	I'm having a radical time. Everybodies wearing elbow pads, goggles,
    helmets and hip pads.
    
    	Shred
    		Roger

    	Re -.1
    
    	Like, you be somewhat insightful...
    	I'm just glad no one was overly offended by "that" reply.
    
    	I was of course merely relating one small element of "urban"
    	riding.  And I didn't want to begin an analogy with radical
    	trail blazing, as I believe the two are related, yet some-
    	how should remain individual.
    
    	Eight inch curbs do not compare to tree trunks, I agree.
    
    	Yet, negotiating a busy thoroughfare with several LARGE
    	vehicles breathing down your back, somehow places trunk-
    	hopping in an entirely different category.
    
    	I personally have never been run-down in an urban area,
    	but I have lost ALL control of my specialized stumper
    	whilst "skiing" down some seriously rad downhills.
    
    	After experiencing both urban, & trail abuses, I would
    	much rather prefer tumbling down a trail, over being
    	pillaged by some large multi-wheeled vehicle.
    
    	That one single observation, to me, weighs the comparison
    	quite dutifully. But I do NOT want to start any wars here.
    	Notes conferences should be a pleasurable venue for the
    	intelligent exchange of knowledge, should they not?
    
    	So sh** ** (Oops! I let that ridiculous mentality slip
    	through again!) Sorry about that...
    	I must learn to control that...
    							Regards,
    							 Face

    
    	War? As in Ninja turtle battles or as in breakin' showdowns.
    Yeah that's it, a ATB street shootout-no rules.
    	Did you catch that flick Miraculous Cube or Shining Cube or
    whatever? It was a street skate movie, the hero was on the freeway
    hitching a ride on a vette @80 and let go went under the trailer of a
    semi in a crouch, hit the berm, caught air for like 30 feet and landed
    on top of the bad guy holding the gun.
    
    	Roger

    		AWESOME...
    
    	That's rad dude...
    	The best depiction of urban cycling I've heard yet...
    
    	I guess I'm going to have to admit, that is RAD.
    
    	That answers the question then, urban bike technology
    	can be viewed in two different lights.
    
    	Whatever stands up to the abuse, and feels comfortable to
    	you, is the best solution. Of course, I had to trash two
    	bikes to discover what was best for me. Too much wheelie
    	practice, destroyed the head-tube joints on the cheesier
    	bikes, all that slamming & hammering...
    
    	Yo Rog, didja ever sell that "urban" mountain bike you listed
    	in the FOR SALE note? That was you, were it not?
    
    							Face

    
    	RE:-1
    		There seems to be a problem getting that bike out from the
    hands of the present user my buddy Joe White. He agrees to sell it
    and then fails to follow thru?????
    
    	Roger

    
    	We should get something going on ATB street tires and rims.
    I don't know from what I hear or read in catalogues. If someone
    does maybe it could go in the tire note or here. I'm interested
    to get a wheel setup with street tires or maybe rip the off-roads off 
    and install the street tires as the situation demands.
    
    	Roger

    re .-1
    I'd like to do something like that also. Unfortunately all but the
    most recent rims offered for ATBs are too wide to accept 1 inch or
    so street tires. So do you go to the bother of getting a set of
    narrow rims that can accomodate narrow and wide tires, or get a
    set of wheels built with basic road rims/tires, or?
    
    John