I would like to get a bicycle for short distance errands around town. Except I don't know too much about bicycles, so I have no clue what to look for. Can anyone help? Hobbes? I do know I want to have a good basket on it, for groceries and whatnot.
Also, I don't want to spend a lot of money on it. Is eBay a good source? I'm going to check local classifieds, too. If I get a used bike, is there anything in particular I should look out for? How do I tell the bike is in good shape?
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While we're getting bike advice, has anyone ever ridden one of the bikes with automatic transmission? Would they be suitable for someone with low riding skills who mostly rides on roads and mostly-paved trails for light recreation and transportation?
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Well I certainly can help! A bicycle used to carry things like gorcerys cuts down a lot on what you should get. You'll need a sturdy frame (almost certainly steel), and don't get a mountain bike, you pay money for things you wont be using, and they aren't designed for this type of thing (attaching things on becomes mroe difficult). There are three main options:
Cruisers Hybrids Road bike
The cruiser sounds like the absolute best option for you, some even come with baskets attached, they've got a very sturdy construction, they're designed for this type of riding, defaintly best bet.
The hybrid is a crtoss between mountain bike and road bike, basically it's cheaper than either and it doesn't have shocks. It will have very sturdy construction and should serve well. You'll have to rig something up for carrying things on, but there's a good chance you can buy (for a small cost) something to put on there.
The road bike option isn't to go out and tell a salesmen you're looking for a road bike, they'll lead you over to the section in which the cheapest bike is over $500 and can get over $6,000. Thsoe will be slim construction and not designed to carry anything but one person.
The raod bike I'm talking about will kind of be a slimmed down cruiser, something on the back of the bike to latch stuff onto. I suggest going to a bike store ot two and just looking. Ask the salesman about cheap bikes for transport and be sure to mention that you'd like to carry stuff on it, as well as the fact that you wont want to have to do too much work to carry stuff. Even if that's not true it should restrict them to the type of bikes that are already designed for it, instead of showing bike you'll have no intrest in that will have to be jury-rigged up to get something to stay on.
My suggestion on where to actually buy the thing? Go to a store and get it new, or find a store that sells and services used bikes. I know, it's more expensive, but it's a very good idea. There you can have someone who knows what they're doing talk you through the bikes, as well as help you pick out a bike that looks like it would actually work for you instead of just picking out the closest thing to what you want.
Also most stores offer lifetime tune-ups, this will add up if you stay in the smae place for just a couple of years. You should get it tuned up every 6 months really, but a lot of people do it less often. A tune-up is typically between 25 and 50 dollars (never seen one quite that high but that's about the range) and that makes a big difference. Also, if something breaks they'll fix it for free (if it's their fault of course), and they'll know what they're doing.
If you have any more info about the city, what type of gradient roads, road conditions, whatever you can think of that can help, but I suggest telling all this to salesman too even if you don't buy from the store, then you can look and see what all the different bikes are like.
Ohh, and be sure and take it out for a test ride before you buy it, you want it to feel right, if it doesn't, it can be uncomortable for years to come.
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Dag, never hear dof such a thing, but I wouldn't sugggest it at all. What gear you want to be in for your power output changes dramtically from minute to minute on a ride (especially for the less experience riders), not even talking about rider to rider. You should be in controll of how fast your legs are moving. But like I said I've never heard of this, I don't actually know what it does. Any links?
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I'd be sketchy with getting a road bike; their tires don't tend to be able to support a lot of weight. I can think of a trip ruined by consistently blowing tires due to all the crap I was carrying. Maybe the problem was too much crap?
Anyway, that's not the point I came here to make. Re: Tune-ups. My university offers free courses in bike maintenance for anyone in the community. Doing bike maintenance for a local store for free over a few weekends covers your fee. If there's something similar at a school nearby you might want to check it out.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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A typical road bike would be an awful choice for her, but they make road bikes that are really just cruisers with better handlebars, that's more what I was talking about. The wheels are pretty thick (not mountain bike thick but several times moreso than a normal road bike) and they're all steel construction.
I wouldn't suggest doing the tune-up yourself, it's good to know how, and to keep your bike in shape (lubricate, clean, things of this nature), but even if you can do everything that would be done a tune-up you might not notice a lot of problems that crop up that a mechanic would while doing the tune-up, and that can get you into trouble.
I haven't seen anything like this BtL, that's really interesting; is it only Canadian or is it school specific or what?
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I haven't really gone to any school other than Waterloo so I don't know. It may be Waterloo specific. Waterloo is a really, really stupid city and to get anywhere you need a car, a bike, or 2 hours of free time. As such Waterloo may be more bike friendly than normal. For example, you can also borrow bikes from the university with your student card. I don't know how typical any of it is but it's worth looking for, right?
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Thanks, Hobbes! Knew you would be able to help.
There is a good bicycle shop about two miles from my house. I'm pretty sure that's where my marathon coach went for her cycling needs. And I do like the idea of getting my bike from a shop that specializes in bicycles. It's just like getting my walking shoes from a speciality running shop. Man, what a difference that made!
My only concern is that the cost would still be beyond my means right now. But I suppose I won't know that for sure until I actually go.
My suburb is pretty much Chicago Lite, so it's mostly decently paved roads. Actually, our roads tend to be slightly better than the surrounding 'burbs and the city itself, so that will be a help. It's not an <i>entirely</i> bike-and-pedestrian-friendly town, but it's better than most. We have bicycle cops here.
Mostly I intend to use the bike for small grocery runs, and to get me to/from therapy on Tuesday evenings. Yeah, I could take a bus then, but it's only three miles max, so might as well get some exercise and save some money. It might also be put to use on longer trips. All of the buses here are equipped with bike racks, and you can bring a bike on the El for free, so that will increase my means of transportation. Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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For well paved roads any of those options is fine. To be honest I think you could probably get the best deal on one of those steel-construction road bikes. They're big, they're heavy, and they're really cheap. A new hybrid shouldn't cost you more than $100 new, I haven't looked at cruisers in a very long time so I don't really have any clue what type of price to expect, but you should go and look around. Also, pick your budget and what acessories you'll want (possibly none beyond a way to carry things) before you go and stick to it! If it looks like you can't get anything on your price go home and think about it before throwing your old range out of the window.
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You may also want to puruse around the local library and check out magazines (or possibly books if there are any good ones) that talk about bikes. Look specifically at ruisers and hybrids (none will mention road-bikes of the caliber I'm talking about).
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xnera let me check Costco. While I don't like their mtn bike brands, I seem to recall them having a surprisingly decent cruiser recently. Yeah you don't get the maintenance packages but the price break may be enough to make it worth it. Also if you want someone to go to a bike shop with you, I'd be more than willing.
What sort of price range, are you looking at, so I know when I check the Costco bikes?
Are you looking like $300 and under or just the cheaper the better?
I would like to get a bicycle for short distance errands around town. Except I don't know too much about bicycles, so I have no clue what to look for. Can anyone help? Hobbes? I do know I want to have a good basket on it, for groceries and whatnot.
Also, I don't want to spend a lot of money on it. Is eBay a good source? I'm going to check local classifieds, too. If I get a used bike, is there anything in particular I should look out for? How do I tell the bike is in good shape?
Generic bike.
For carrying things, I would suggest a backpack of some sort rather than a basket in the front. Basket plus lots of weight equal unsteady bike. Plus, stuff will fall out to and from places.
I've seen saddles for bikes, but have no experience with them. They didn't look like they held very much, but check them out.
You probably also want to look at getting a bike with a removable front rim. That makes it easier to lock the whole thing up with a good U lock around poles and the like.
Don't ride your bicycle hands free. Certain jackass cops will pull you over and ticket you. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Also, have the frame of your bike stamped with some kind of identifier. The cops in many university areas will do it, I think.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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If there's any bike rental place I would defaintly go there and look, often times these places will sell old or out-of-date bikes for bargin basement prices. They may also give you service for free (tune-ups) and they typically keep pretty good care of their bikes. They're also more likely to have a bottom-of-the line bike that would be more what you want (for what you're talking about you wouldn't really notice the difference between bottom of the line and top of the line except in your wallet).
If there's any hills on any of routes I suggest insiting on a low gear, it wont make a big difference in the time it takes to get somewhere within 3 miles, but not having a low gear on the bike can change an everyday to commute to a few minutes of pure Hell that you'll do anything to avoid (and thus wont ride the bike). ... Of course I'm thinking of myself litereally living on the steps of the mountains so that's probably not as much as an issue there but... hey, I don't know.
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Also, I would highly recommend getting the best, most durable tires you can buy. Even if you get a cheap bike, if you're doing a lot of city biking, you are going to have to drive through glass, tacs, etc. Having good tires can be a life saver. When I was bikinga lot, I had some liners that I put between the tube and the tire that helped, in my opinion, tremendously.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Get your bike registered, I think any police station will do this but I don't really know (any university police station certainly will). Somewhere on your bike is a serial number, if you give them that and the description of the bike (the model name) they should register it, and then if it gets stolen and returned they have proof that it belongs to you.
When it comes to locks remember that no matter what you buy a determined criminal can get through any of the them, so the question is how much work do you want them to do before they get your bike? I haven't seen your price range but it sounds like it's in the range where you can get locks that expensive. So I suggest going for a sturdy cable lock (Krypton makes good ones), this is also easier to carry around, maybe half an inch in diamter or there-abouts.
If you do get a U-Lock then remember that the way these are broken into (normally) is a car jack is place in the middle and pumped out until the lock breaks. So one of the best defences against that is get as much stuff as possible inside the U-Lock to make it hard to get the jack in there.
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About locking your bike: If you buy a new bike, you're gonna want to lock it very securely. My bike is about 12 years old, but it's nice so I got a Kryptonite lock. I _always_ lock both the frame and the front tire to something secure (street signs ar good; parking meters are not because the heads can be taken off; small trees are bad because they can be cut down, which is bad for the tree). A removable from tire is a great thing for another reason too: it makes it possible to put your bike in the back of a car, if you meet up with a friend of something.
The one easily-removable part of a bike that can't be locked up is the seat. Since it's a damn nuisance to carry your seat around with you whenever you lock up, I recommend you ask your bike store if they have any old, beat-up seats lying around, that you could buy. My seat has two cracks in it from age, and though I would love a softer, more comfortable seat, I'm sticking with this one because the only reason someone would walk off with it is if I piss them off first.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: May 1999
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I don't know how drivers are in your neck of the woods, but I'd recommend you get a reflective safety vest and make sure your bike is easily noticed.
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These are some really darn cool baskets and they really aren't that expensive either. It sounds like the one for large dogs can work just as well as a shopping basket. http://www.cynthiastwigs.com/
Also I think I'd check sports authority xnera. They seem to have some very inexpensive touring models.
It seems this thread is assuming that all road bikes are racing bikes. You don't want one. As has been pointed out: they're designed to be light, so they are inherently weak payload-wise, and of course, they are expensive. They also steer too quickly, so they take more work to ride in a straight line.
Hybrids (or cross bikes) are are a bad compromise in my book. In an attempt to make them off-road worthy, they lower the top tube and increase the tire diameter, which necessarily shortens the distance between the top and bottom fork headset bearings. This causes steering and braking problems, and excess wear on the bearing, not to mention weakening the frame and fork. They also have a tendency to be built like a mountain bike in the very places where you might want to add a bike rack or basket, but that depends on the model you're looking at.
Last I knew, a cruiser was a one-speed. We used to call them "beach bombers." They were adult sized coaster brake bikes. If you're riding short distances in a notoriously flat area, this can be ok. If they've added gears and caliper brakes to the things recently I guess they might be more useful than I'm thinking.
In response to the question originally asked, I'd recommend a touring (road) bike. The frame is built to have front and rear racks and panniers mounted, or baskets if you prefer. They're geared better for everyday use. The fork is raked for better stability. The tires are fatter than racing tires, and built for durability, but not as fat as mountain bike or hybrid tires. They generally have lower rolling resistance too.
If you're going to carry a payload with regularity, it's better to carry it on the bike, not in a backpack, since it puts the center of gravity lower for safety and takes the load off the rider. Personally I'd spend the bucks and get front and rear panniers, and divide the weight between them. Most panniers snap off the rack and go with you, so they're easier to carry your stuff after you get off the bike. But if money's limited, get rear baskets first, then a front one if necessary. Avoid putting weight on the front fork unless you've already loaded up the rear, since weight on the front makes the bike handle badly.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! No, it is flatter than flat around here.
quote: If you're going to carry a payload with regularity, it's better to carry it on the bike, not in a backpack, since it puts the center of gravity lower for safety and takes the load off the rider. Personally I'd spend the bucks and get front and rear panniers, and divide the weight between them. Most panniers snap off the rack and go with you, so they're easier to carry your stuff after you get off the bike. But if money's limited, get rear baskets first, then a front one if necessary. Avoid putting weight on the front fork unless you've already loaded up the rear, since weight on the front makes the bike handle badly.
Agreed. *still remembers the Popeye bicycle safety cartoon* I definitely plan on getting rear baskets before getting a basket for the front. I thought I would use a backpack for excess storage, but yeah, too worried about throwing off my balance.
AJ: the cheaper the better. I really don't have a lot of money to be spending. Does anyone know if Play it Again Sports sells bikes? I've just remembered there is one in my village.
And yes, a helmet and reflective gear are high on the list of accessories.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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See, I would get a mountain bike. They are good, sturdy, machines with nice big tires and cost very little. I think I paid $125 for mine. Putting some baskets on it would make it more convenient for carrying stuff, and I don't know how easy that would be, but you could ask at the bike shop.
Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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quote:See, I would get a mountain bike. They are good, sturdy, machines with nice big tires and cost very little. I think I paid $125 for mine. Putting some baskets on it would make it more convenient for carrying stuff, and I don't know how easy that would be, but you could ask at the bike shop.
Chances are what you got was a hybrid, they tend to be billed as mountain bikes, they can over rough terrain, but in reality, they're hybrids. Not a bad choice though.
quote:There was one that looked fairly respectable at Sports Authority for around $100. Want to schedule a bike shopping date for the weekend?
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Oh, yeah, I also meant to say that Hobbes knows a whole lot more about bicycles than I do, so you probably ought to ignore what I say and listen to him. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I went and looked at some bicycles today. I said I just wanted something simple for getting around town. For some reason the low-end mountain bikes were cheaper than the cruiser. At two of the bike shops, I wasn't able to find a cruiser type for less than $300, and at the third not for less then $200. On a whim, I went past Wal-Mart. They had quite a few bikes of that sort for $100 or less.
I am not a serious biker -- I just want to get out and be a little more active. Would those cheap ones be fine for me? If I get a cheap wal-mart bike, should I avoid anything, or for light use would any of them be fine?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I'm finding that cruisers are becoming pretty expensive. It sounds like a much better buy for you would be a hybrid/touring bike (tell that to a bike salesman and they'll know what you mean, especially if you say bother no shocks and no "dropped handlebars"). These should be less than the cruisers. They wont be WalMart cheap, but if you plan on using your bike as much as once a week, or possibly even less, you don't want WalMart cheap.
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Well the frame wont fall apart, materials and engineers are good enough that the whole thing staying together isn't the issue. And I doubt you'd notice the added weight from what you described. So here's why you don't want WalMart:
The components, they're cheaper and just plain worse. When you shift up after a climb the chain is more likely to not shift at all, or just fall off. When you're pedaling hard up a hill you'll try to switch into a lower gear, but it wont shift (or once again, the chain will come off).
Everything will get rusty faster, everything is leess efficent so that your chain's resistance will become a significant factor. Because you buy it from WalMart it wont be fitted right, they don't have people there who really know what they're doing, some may be able to get your seat to the right, outside chance, but no one will know the correct frame size or tilt, they'll just estimate. You'll have no service on your bike, and at $30 or so a pop on tune-ups (which you will need in the life-time of the bike) that will start to take serious effect on the cost-benefit. Not to mention that when you do have a poblem with your bike (which you will, like you'll have a problem with a car, no matter how nice the car, something will crop up after driving it enough) there's no one who knows how to fix it there.
If you can't find a bike you like anywhere else, go to WalMart, but I would be very careful before just checking out price-tags and going with the lowest number.
posted
Where do you live? Street luge sounds like a good way to go depending on the location. Fast, uncomforatble, and illegal; doesn't getmuch better
Posts: 1401 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I forgot to mention some other things you'll want to carry with you at all times when you're on your bike that I haven't seen mentioned yet. These are two wrenches to change your tire in the event of a flat, some kind of patch kit to patch your flat, and an extra tube, and something flat to pop your tire off to patch/change the tube, and to put your chain back in place when it pops off. These things are absolutely essential.
Oh, yes. You need a small pump to pump your tire back up, too.
quote: When you shift up after a climb the chain is more likely to not shift at all, or just fall off. When you're pedaling hard up a hill you'll try to switch into a lower gear, but it wont shift (or once again, the chain will come off).
That sounds like the majority of my bike experiences. Because of that, I was thinking about getting a 1 or 3 speed cheapo.
I think I'll call around to all the local bike shops to see 1) If they sell used bikes and 2) what their tune-up package is.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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There are also a lot of safety issues with department store bikes. The frame/fork is rarely true, which leads to high-speed wobble. That may not be an issue if the area you live in is TRULY flat. But most people are amazed to discover how often they approach 50 mph on a bike. The fastest I've ever gone was 68. There are several hills near me where I regularly reach 55 mph, and 45 can be just a quick shot down a short hill. I've gone 38 mph on a flat road.
These speeds are not trivial. The handlebars of my old department store bike wobbled violently anywhere above 40 mph. You wouldn't want to crash a car at that speed, you sure don't want to crash a bike.
Other problems that are typical from department stores: brakes are too weak, or unable to be adjusted correctly. Wheel rims are slick, and don't provide enough stopping power (I dunno, is anybody still stupid enough to make bikes with chrome rims?), or wheel rims that have a divot where they are welded together, so the brakes try to grab the weld each time the wheel goes around. That's a good way to find yourself over the handlebars. I've seen department store bikes where it was impossible to tighten the handlebars enough so that you couldn't rock them up and down while riding, or just plain pull the stem out of the fork tube while you're cranking on the pedals. Also I've seen frames where the dropouts were just crimped into the frame, and slid out while someone was riding (I assume they were supposed to be spot welded, but there was no evidence that they were).
It's one thing to say you don't want to spend too much money on a bike, but a bike is a vehicle. It really needs to be of good enough quality to be safe, and there just aren't any standards that apply to the industry, short of lawsuits. Too many people think of a bike as a sort of toy.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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As a general rule of thumb, I personally wouldn't spend less than about $300 on a bike, for safety reasons listed above.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:As a general rule of thumb, I personally wouldn't spend less than about $300 on a bike, for safety reasons listed above.
That is likely more than I can afford at the moment. I might just have to do without. Or talk to my parents and see if they'd be willing to go half with me.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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That's just for me. The point I'm making is simply that safety on a bike is too important to take the cheap way out and get a department store bike. The first thing I'd do is look for second hand bikes, from a bike store. There are good deals out there, and most bike stores are run by people that love bikes.
Another good place to get a bike is from a bike club. Look in the newspaper for local events, or check the bulletin board at a bike store. There's always someone trying to sell something, and they love to talk shop, so you can learn to tell what's good equipment and what is crap. The only catch is that sometimes you find a club that's all racers. You need to find a touring bike or some such.
And don't forget yard sales. A lot of very good bikes get sold cheap just because the owner doesn't know what they have. The trick here is that you have to be educated enough to know what you're buying, because the guy that's selling it isn't a bike expert. You have to feel free to walk away from the deal if you aren't sure. Ride the bike to see how it feels and fits (This is true of any bike, new or used). Take a notebook and write down the make and model of the bike, also any information from the brakes or derailleurs (like Shimano Deore XT or some such) and get the guy's phone number. Then post the information here or ask at the bike shop, and someone can tell you if it's worth buying.
One other thing: look at the frame right behind the fork and above the front wheel (this is called the "down tube") if there's a kink or dent in this tube, just below the lower fork bearing, the bike has been crashed, so forget it.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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That is likely more than I can afford at the moment. I might just have to do without. Or talk to my parents and see if they'd be willing to go half with me.
