Bicycle questions

[gerti]

With a little luck I might be getting a job that will allow me to ride a bicycle to work. It isn't far, 3-4 miles mostly on trails :-)

I am looking for a comfortable bike that rolls easy. The local bike store is recommending a 10-speed cruiser, relatively light weight. With fenders (as I'll probably be driving in weather too) and tax it would run in the lower $400. Sorry, did not retain the brand, as I was just getting an idea for the ballpark.

What should I look for or avoid? Is that price in the ballpark?

Thanks

Gerd

[sacherjj]

Well I can't recommend bike styles, ever since I went to recumbents. I'll never go back. It is just too comfortable. I rode one from Yorktown, VA to Yellowstone Park.

10-speed is kind of old school and usually means lower quality components. Most good drive trains are now 8-speed in the rear, so a 16-speed with the two chainrings. 7-speed is a little older, but it depends on the level of the components. The nice thing about a bike is if you buy the frame right, you can upgrade the cheaper components with better, as they wear out.

If you have to skimp on the bike to afford a good light system, DO IT! It is amazing how many cyclists get close to getting killed because they think reflectors are all you need. You WILL get caught out after dark, if you ride much at all. Get a rear flashing LED light and a halfway decent headlight.

[Tom Slick]

"Comfort bikes" are exactly what you are looking for and it sounds like what you were shown. they are designed for comfort and are resonably priced. they have a more upright seating position and a larger seat. a $400 bike is going to be a $400 bike, the only difference will be the frame, they will all have similar components. as long as it is a known brand then it will be fine

[rg32]

I recently purchased a bike and a few accessories from these folks online.
They are great to do business with, have very fair prices, a great tech Dept. for fitting other questions and ship fast- reasonably.

Link supplied to me originally by another member

http://www.performancebike.com/index.cfm

Thanks again Mike, AKA Russian Wolf

[JR]

A 3-4 mile bike commute! How cool is that!?

Yes, a comfort bike is a good idea. You might also use the term "hybrid", which is meant to indicate a bike that's fairly lightweight, but with enough tire to be used on light-duty dirt roads.

Unlike rg32 I would not recommend buying a bike on-line. I do business with Performance and they have good prices, but getting a bike that fits properly is the business of your local bike store. If the bike is setup for your personal geometry you'll be much happier riding it - fewer aches and pains, more power.

$400 is a modest price in today's market. Bikes in this category can cost over $750 and cheap ones can be had for $150. You may want to budget for some accessories, which CAN be bought on-line at a bit of a savings, and will not come with the bike:

• One or two water bottle holders
• Spare tube, tire irons, repair kit
• Small seat pack to hold tools and tube
• Pump (or co2 cartridge pump)
• Rack for the back to hold your lunch or sundries
• Lights, as mentioned above, are a good idea on a commuter. The rear "flasher" can be quite inexpensive. The front "illuminator" will cost way more than you think it should.

Be sure to take your candidate bike for a test ride. It should brake smoothly, with no shuddering or squealing. It should shift precisely with no "chatter" as if it was between gears. If you don't know how exactly how to operate the gears, ask the salesperson before the test ride. Everything is "click shift" nowadays, but there are nuances such as grip shift vs lever shift, two chain rings vs three, etc.

Oh, and one last thing. GET A HELMET! It's not a point of discussion. It's not optional. It's mandatory. Learn to like it.

Have fun!
JR

[LarryG]

JR just covered virtually everything I was going to say, and more.

I agree that $400 is pretty modest in today's market. It's arguably too much to risk on an experiment that may fail, but not enough to get a bike that'll serve you well if the experiment succeeds. You might consider buying a low-bucks non-suspended mountain bike from a department store, fit it with slick tires, and ride that for at least the first year. Obviously any accessories you buy will have the same cost regardless of how much you spend on the bike, and just as obviously will remain usable if/when you get a better bike.

Another option is a used bike (of whatever type). A lot of people buy bikes with good intentions to ride them and get in shape but either because of the effort involved, the time it takes, or both, the bike ends up collecting dust in the garage. It's not unusual to find a bike that is, say, five years old on the calendar but is virtually new in terms of usage, and be able to buy it for well under half of what it cost new.

The potential gotcha with either of these options is fit: as JR says, you need to make sure the frame is the right size, the saddle is positioned correctly, the stem is the right length, etc. It's not rocket science but it IS important. If you know any experienced riders, they should be able to help you with this.

[sacherjj]

The other thing that I forgot to mention. GET A REAR VIEW MIRROR! I prefer the glass or helmet mounted one, because you can turn your neck and see all behind you. When you are riding with traffic (the only safe way to ride) you need to be able to see vehicles soming up on you. This has saved me from serious injury more than a couple times. I can't stand the bike mounted ones, because it isn't in the same place every time. I can just look up and to the left a little and see everything behind me.

A local bike club was on a ride when I was crossing the Kansas border on my Trans-Am. We had to ride a decent 2 lane highway. It amazed me that no-one had mirrors. They spent half their time, rubber necking to check for traffic. Pretty soon, they only looked back after my "Car Back" calls. I convinced them to invest in eyeglass mirrors after that. I can't imagine riding without it.

[darrellcraig]

I'd recommend you find a local bike expert to help you shop or go with a knowledgeable bike shop and be willing to pay a bit extra for expertise. Fit and a proper match for your needs are more important than price over the long run. If you can spend a bit more, consider a bike like this from REI: http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4502048. REI recently sent out their annual dividend notices with 20% discount on a full price item - might have excluded Novara (house brand) bikes, maybe not. This one is nice because it comes with rear rack, lights, fenders and has the Shimano Nexus internal hub (low maintenance). $600 but the add-ons close the gap. Performance service and expertise is spotty depending on the store. You might be better off finding a well-regarded LBS (local bike shop).

I live in Seattle and our local bike club (Cascade) is the largest in the country. There is an active commuter bulletin board and I'm sure you could find lots of commuter bike reccommendations and general commuting tips posted or ask for reccomendations in your price range. Go to Cascade.org and look for the message boards.

[JR]

If you can spend a bit more, consider a bike like this from REI: http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4502048.

Good suggestion, darrellcraig. That internal 7-speed rear hub is exactly the right thing for 3-4 mile commute. With the lights, fenders, and rack that rig is nicely set up.

JR

[mschrank]

Another option is a used bike (of whatever type). A lot of people buy bikes with good intentions to ride them and get in shape but either because of the effort involved, the time it takes, or both, the bike ends up collecting dust in the garage. It's not unusual to find a bike that is, say, five years old on the calendar but is virtually new in terms of usage, and be able to buy it for well under half of what it cost new.

Good point...when I first met my wife she decided she wanted a mountain bike so she could ride with me. 6 years later, there is a really nice dust covered Cannondale in the garage with (maybe) 10 miles on it. Cost nearly $800, and comes in handy when I need to convince her that I need a new tool that I will actually use!

[LarryG]

When you are riding with traffic (the only safe way to ride)

The only legal way, too, on the public roadways.

One thing I always stress to anyone taking up cycling is that if you intend to ride on the road, with cars, you MUST, from Day One, commit to acting exactly like any other vehicle, which is what the Uniform Traffic Code stipulates a bicycle is.

[Kristofor]

The only legal way, too, on the public roadways.

One thing I always stress to anyone taking up cycling is that if you intend to ride on the road, with cars, you MUST, from Day One, commit to acting exactly like any other vehicle, which is what the Uniform Traffic Code stipulates a bicycle is.

Roger that, lots of speeding, swerving and failing to signal. I think I've got that biking thing down!

Anyhow, Many of the trails in Minnetonka are paved, but lots are also crushed limestone on old train beds. Does that have any impact on selection?

Thanks,
Kristofor.

[rg32]

A 3-4 mile bike commute! How cool is that!?

Unlike rg32 I would not recommend buying a bike on-line. I do business with Performance and they have good prices, but getting a bike that fits properly is the business of your local bike store. If the bike is setup for your personal geometry you'll be much happier riding it - fewer aches and pains, more power.

$400 is a modest price in today's market. Bikes in this category can cost over $750 and cheap ones can be had for $150. You may want to budget for some accessories, which CAN be bought on-line at a bit of a savings, and will not come with the bike:
[

Have fun!
JR

Jr
As a life long cyclist to include competition events in both mountain and cross, it was certainly not my intention to advise on making an online purchase without being measured /fitted first by a competent professional. The only reason I posted the link was because I was able to purchase a much better bike for the money than I would have a local retailer. Just figured I'd pass my good fortune along!

[JR]

The only reason I posted the link was because I was able to purchase a much better bike for the money than I would have a local retailer. Just figured I'd pass my good fortune along!

You make a good point, the savings would be nice. But as an experienced cyclist you also have a better flavor of what you want/need. I sort of guessed gerti was less knowlegeable and would therefore benefit from the advice of the LBS.

It's probably just me, but I always feel a bit funny about getting the advice of an expert then buying a product at cut rate on-line. Notice that I'm not religious about it, because I did recommend that gerti get his high-margin accessories on-line! YMMV.

JR

[gerti]

Thanks everyone for all that helpful information! I grew up with bicycles in Germany, where they are much more common place. But the market is quite a bit different there, hence my question.

I find it astonishing that items I considered mandatory (and in fact required by law in Germany) are missing on basic bikes here, like lights, bell and 2 brakes (saw a bike with just 1 here). Also in Germany any bike comes with a seat pack containing tools and repair kit to be able to fix a flat on the road, and a pump. And other than mountain bikes or racers all bikes have fenders and a rack.

I prefer to support local businesses if reasonable. Our LBS is a bit tucked away and doesn't advertise much but still has a lot of business, so I am guessing they have a good reputation. The sales people seem very knowledgeable and helpful. All accessories purchased with the bike are 10% off, so I'll be having a list with desired accessories and their online cost so I know which is reasonable and which not.

When driving I'd be keeping to the trails and side roads. I don't think I'd be confortable sharing a main road with cars, SUVs and trucks where half the drivers are on a cell phone and most can't be bothered to use their signals.

One question about the gears though: When I grew up internal 3-speed rear hubs were the most used and reliable, external gears were considered troublesome and fault prone and reserved for racing bikes. Has that changed and these are more reliable now, or should I be looking for internal X-speed rear hubs? I want the bike to be relatively low maintenance, but a smooth and easy ride is of higher importance.

Gerd