Which Bicycle for the XT?

Thinking of buying a bike for both the countryside and city during weekends looking for photo opportunity... I have no experience in bicycle gears but I do know how to cycle So I am seeking advice from forum members here for some useful info!

Questions:
1) What type of bike I should look for?
2) what are the essential accessories?
3) how do you carry the camera gears while cycling?
4) anything else I should know of?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated indeed!

--
Explore The Immortal Mind...
http://www.theteh.com/

TheTeh said:

Thinking of buying a bike for both the countryside and city during
weekends looking for photo opportunity... I have no experience in
bicycle gears but I do know how to cycle So I am seeking advice
from forum members here for some useful info!

Questions:
1) What type of bike I should look for?
2) what are the essential accessories?
3) how do you carry the camera gears while cycling?
4) anything else I should know of?

Click to expand...

I recommend getting what's called a "hybrid" bike. It's not a racing bike and not a mountain bike...but can function well on the road and some light dirt/gravel trails/roads. I use a hybrid as a commute bike.

Essential accessories are a bike rack...the kind that mount over the back wheel and act as a platform that you can either bungie-cord things too, or attach saddle bags to.

I use a Lowepro Micro trekker 200 backpack and carry the camera/lens on my back when I'm riding.

Here's something you should know: Don't fall down.

The answer to:

1. 1 depends on a lot about "you" and your riding style, etc. I race road bikes and the best advice is to visit a reputable dealer in your area. That would be the best start. There is also http://www.roadbikereview.com to check out for forum advice, bike & accessories reviews. There are likely a lot of bicycle touring web sites that would be helpful since touring riders carry a lot of baggage and I'm sure would have camera carrying advice... a mountain bike might also work for you though (?)

1. 3 would be a good (padded) LowePro or Tamrac backpack since these are specifically designed to carry photo gear.

Folks who have toured or carried camera equipment can add more info.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply!! Is there any particular brand/make of the hybrid bikes I should look at?

As with carrying the camera in the bag, I am wondering if one could carry the camera around the body (on the back perhaps) with somesort of strap that can be quickly fastened and unfasten for 'stop-n-shoot' action without having to take camera out from backpack or saddle bag?

jrynash said:

TheTeh said:

Thinking of buying a bike for both the countryside and city during
weekends looking for photo opportunity... I have no experience in
bicycle gears but I do know how to cycle So I am seeking advice
from forum members here for some useful info!

Questions:
1) What type of bike I should look for?
2) what are the essential accessories?
3) how do you carry the camera gears while cycling?
4) anything else I should know of?

Click to expand...

I recommend getting what's called a "hybrid" bike. It's not a
racing bike and not a mountain bike...but can function well on the
road and some light dirt/gravel trails/roads. I use a hybrid as a
commute bike.

Essential accessories are a bike rack...the kind that mount over
the back wheel and act as a platform that you can either
bungie-cord things too, or attach saddle bags to.

I use a Lowepro Micro trekker 200 backpack and carry the
camera/lens on my back when I'm riding.

Here's something you should know: Don't fall down.

Click to expand...

--
Explore The Immortal Mind...
http://www.theteh.com/

I would advise a tandem, get wife upfront pedaling which leaves you free to either take pics or have a beer whatever.

Drfogg

lol that's a good idea! However, one problem is that this may not take us very far from where we started.

.

DrFogg said:

I would advise a tandem, get wife upfront pedaling which leaves you
free to either take pics or have a beer whatever.

Drfogg

Click to expand...

--
Explore The Immortal Mind...
http://www.theteh.com/

I enjoy both cycling and photography. IMHO the purchase of a bicycle should be independent of your need to carry your camera. I have two bikes: a touring bike, Raleigh R300, which I use for commuting and a TREK carbon fiber road bike. The R300 is basically a hybrid with drop handle bars. It is quite servicable. I used it when I did a ride across NY State last summer, http://www.ptny.org/canaltour/index.shtml . I put my drebel in a pack on a rack in the back. I used a piece of foam rubber to shield the camera from shock. The whole thing worked fine. You can see the pictures at: http://www.pbase.com/jcassatt . The bike rides fairly well on pavement and hard packed gravel dust.

However, when I ride on the road, as I do most of the time, I prefer to get off the heavy monster and hit my TREK. This is a 17 pound beauty. It is so light that I can actually feel the five pounds a rack, pack and camera add. So I bought a pocket P&S for those occasions.

Jim

You know, my first take is that you are making fun of all the 'what kind of xxx should i get for the XT' posts.

I agree that a hybrid would probably suit most peoples general cycling needs. Road bikes are fast, but can be prone to punctures due to their tiny tyres, also they aren't suitable for riding "off road" unless you want to break the frame/buckle the rims.

Mountain bikes are good, except the chunky tread on the tyres makes you work a lot harder.

You can fit a pannier rack to any bike if you don't want to carry stuff on your back.

I ride a hybrid both recreationally and to commute (bananas are a lot cheaper than petrol - and sustainable). I have panniers on the bike but carry my camera gear in a tamrac backpack (expedition three, nice and small but fits everything I need).

The only thing I would avoid is cheap "twist-grip" gear change mechanisms. They tend to break/wear really quickly. The "trigger" type are much better.

good luck
--
gotta love the rainforest

TheTeh said:

Thinking of buying a bike for both the countryside and city during
weekends looking for photo opportunity... I have no experience in
bicycle gears but I do know how to cycle So I am seeking advice
from forum members here for some useful info!

Questions:
1) What type of bike I should look for?
2) what are the essential accessories?
3) how do you carry the camera gears while cycling?
4) anything else I should know of?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated indeed!

Click to expand...

You should get the most "invisible" bike you can, since the idea is to pay attention to what's around you, not the bike. "Invisible" is going to be different things to different people. For me, it's a light road bike. Nothing else becomes almost an extension of myself as does my Trek 5900. Carrying a Rebel 350XT with it... that's another matter. And yes, that's exactly what I often do. How?

If I'm just carrying the 350XT with my "walkaround" 17-85IS lens, it fits just about perfectly into a Topeak handelbar bag. This is the one I use- http://www.topeak.com/products/bag_017.html . It runs about $40, and connects very easily to just about any handlebar. It doesn't give you any extra room for anything beyond a spare battery and CF card though.

If I'm being silly and want to haul around extra lenses, then I've got a backpack that I put everything into. It's not as nice as having it in the handlebar bag, but there's no other way to carry a long lens (such as the 70-200 F2.8 L-series that I dragged up the Col d'Aubisque at this year's Tour de France).

The requirements posed by carrying a modest amount of camera gear aren't going to overtax any type of bike, so I really think the bike should be purchased on its own merits, not how well it might carry a camera. Or, to put it another way, if I can carry a 350XT with a whole lot of other stuff up the Col d'Aubisque on one of the lightest racing bikes made, the sky's the limit.

--Mike--
http://www.ChainReaction.com

As others have said you need to get advice from a good cylce shop, but from a personal view I would go for a Hybrid bike.

I use a Trek Navigator, being a 'mature' cyclist I find it extremely comforatable to ride, the upright position allows you to see whats going on and the seat is wide and soft to protect the nether regions.

I suggested a tandem to my wife as previousley mentioned, her response is censored!
I use a backpack and a quick release bag fitted to a rear pannier rack.

Best of luck
--
Chrisl
350D
Canon EF 50mm 1.8
Kit Lens
Sigma 55-200mm

Well thats the bike settled but what do other readers suggest he should take regarding food? Which foods would you advise with the 350D?

When i had a pentax spotmatic years ago it seemed in those heady exciting 60's and 70's that almost any food would do, Hell we were rebels and trendsetters. I would put on my bicicle clips grab a bacon sandwitch and hit that road.

Nowadays of course it requires more planning, The 350D is no bacon sandwitch baby oh no. I see musllea, pasta,brown wholemeal bread more in keeping.

What sandwitch boxes do you recommend? I have a fetching little scoobe=doo bag that fits nicely on my rear pannier rack.

Drfogg

You should probably ask this question on a bicycling forum. Many people here will have good and insightful opinions about a bike that's appropriate for you, but a cycling message board will be able to do a lot more for you.

I'm not trying to dismiss your question -- I just think you'll get better input overall by asking the right group of people. You wouldn't ask a bicycling forum which lens is best for shooting weddings, would you?

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Emgrandify your perpenverticles!
http://www.conglomoreum.com/

You are wrong

I've had perfectly acceptable experiences with bacon sandwiches and the 350D!

Thanks for all the reply!! Sorry that it may be slightly off topic here but I don't think a cycle forum would help with how to carry the camera...

As with carrying the camera in the bag, I am wondering if one could carry the camera around the body (on the back perhaps) with somesort of strap that can be quickly fastened and unfasten for 'stop-n-shoot' action without having to take camera out from backpack or saddle bag?

And, is there any particular brand/make of the hybrid bikes I should look at?

--
Explore The Immortal Mind...
http://www.theteh.com/

If you do not want to spend a lot on a bike I recommend getting a Kona Smoke:
http://www.konaworld.com

It lists at around $350, comes with fenders (if you need them, here in Seattle they are essential!), and has a real nice matte black paint job that does not attract attention. My wife and I both own one of these bikes. I commute on mine every day.

I purchased this rack:
http://www.rei.com/product/47611606.htm
and this bag to fit it:
http://www.rei.com/product/47802472.htm

The rack and bag combo is nice because the bag slides on and clips into place, no fiddling with bungee cords or velcro.

Jesse Ayers said:

If you do not want to spend a lot on a bike I recommend getting a
Kona Smoke:
http://www.konaworld.com

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion! I was considering the very same model 'Smoke' until I saw the Dahon Expresso!! I really like the latter bike after trying it out today in London. I like it because it is a full-size bike but yet foldable. Folding is essential for me as storage space is a problem. Another advantage for folding is that it could be put into the car boot too!

Jesse Ayers said:

It lists at around $350, comes with fenders (if you need them, here
in Seattle they are essential!), and has a real nice matte black
paint job that does not attract attention. My wife and I both own
one of these bikes. I commute on mine every day.

I purchased this rack:
http://www.rei.com/product/47611606.htm
and this bag to fit it:
http://www.rei.com/product/47802472.htm

The rack and bag combo is nice because the bag slides on and clips
into place, no fiddling with bungee cords or velcro.

Click to expand...

--
Explore The Immortal Mind...
http://www.theteh.com/

--
Surly

I first saw a Bike Friday folding bicycle in Illinois- it was being ridden by a guy in a Category 1 bicycle race, and he was winning! You don't need a racing bike, but the point is that these guys make very good folding bicycles. Even their cheapest model (which isn't really cheap) would be good: http://www.bikefriday.com/bikeMMI.cfm?bf=57&cat=4

If you don't want a folding bike, the best bicycles made for non-racers are Rivendells, IMO. You'll pay dearly for one, but it will be the last bike you ever need to buy.

http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/html/bikes_atlantisframes.html

I have a Giant Sedona - it's what they call a "comfort bike". It is a hybrid with a more mountain bike like tire. If you don't do any off-road - a hybrid with smoother 700cc tires would work well. The comforts give a more upright and comfortable position. Better for keeping an eye out than true mountains or road bikes. I like Giants, Cannondales, Specialized, Marins.

Packing gear isn't easy. I did 25 miles on a very rough road through Canyonlands Natl Park this spring. I had most of my gear in a padded bag on a rear rack. It was very tough on the gear, there's a lot more vibration involved in biking then you realize, even on a fairly smooth path and with bikes with shocks. I recommend using a backpack for sensitive gear, so your body absorbs some impact. I did carry the camera in a handlebar bar for a while. It worked okay, but vibration is again a concern and you can't carry a big lens up there. I've wanted to try one of those straps that pins the camera against your body, but I'm skeptical that it would work well. It would leave the camera exposed and could affect your balance.

I'm still looking for a good way to carry a tripod also. If I was more into combining my biking and photography, I'd look at customizing a pull behind trailer they use for kids. Might be interesting to try.