The hunt for a bicyle

[olddots]

What could be difficult about buying a 2 wheeled non powered bike in 2013 ? first you narrow down price , type of bike , age of rider ,will there be steroids and or the desire to be a world champion mid life crisis goober on the cover of Rolling Stone .How much should you spend on bike garb ? what tire compound would suit your riding skills ? do you like gladiator movies ?
So one month I'm into this and frustrated as hell , all I want to do is peddle my ass around on something that doesn't look like a Pee Wee Herman cruiser or a ironman gym rat carbon fibered wet dream .

I am sixty fucking five years old , haven't ridden in 40 years ,don't want to ride in a pact of goobers wearing 800$ worth of bike bling pissing off the 80 thousand dollar car texters on their way to starbucks .......SOOOO what would you do if you had a few bucks saved up
( under 1000$ --way under ) looks like I have a few years left to live ( doctors said so ) want a road bike which were called a racing bike or ten speed decades ago .The thought of the foolish plastic make believe helmet irks me and damned if I ever wear those spandex shorts and drecky bike clothes ( some of the shoes cost a grand and you can't walk in them )

This would be so much easier in a part of the world that isn't based on materialism so I forge ahead hoping that instead of dying from throat cancer I can die by getting hit by a hip hop dweeb driving a Turbo Bently on Mulholland and stop with this obsession .

There are several bikes in question all very spiffy but nobody seems to know if any of them aren't just eye candy out sourced junk at a time when bike jocks are trendy .

[Wait Wut]

1. No clue.

The last bike I bought new was a Schwinn Ultralight that they don't make anymore. Probably about 20 years ago. Loved, loved, loved it, but needed to sell it to move to Arizona. Shoulda kept the bike and stayed put.

I'm still a die-hard loyalist to Schwinn. I checked their site and they had a couple under $1000 that looked like what you were looking for. You can still pick up good Schwinns used, too. Check local bike shops and see if they have used for sale.

[Xyzse]

2. Don't know much...

But I want to buy a unicycle for kicks and giggles.

Once you decide, tell me, since I might be inclined to do biking again one day.

[MichaelSoE]

3. 62 i am and I have been riding this trike for the last 8 years .... i love it

http://www.terratrike.com/tour.php

here's a viddy i made of me taking my puppy dexter out for a spin.

they are pricey but well made and a joy to ride. i bought mine because of advancing arthritis made my riding uncomfortable. they are sooo cool to boot.

[mrmpa]

5. I see how you have Dexter tethered........

but how about a seat belt vest for Dexter. I had a small dog years ago & a Jeep that I took the roof & doors off of for the summer. My dog loved riding with me & I found a seat belt vest for her. Once the vest was on, the seat belt (in your case a strap) was pulled through the handle which was atop her back, I then clicked it in. She was able to stand, sit or lie down and I didn't have to worry about her falling out.

http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-seat-belt-harness.html

I'm not worried about your driving, but it's the idiots out there that can hurt you and Dexter. By the way where's your helmet?? Please don't take as a knock, just worry about you & Dexter.

[MichaelSoE]

14. actually it's a cat walking vest he's wearing

http://www.metpet.com/

He's good to go ... can stand, sit, lie down and he can't get out of the basket. I ride on the paths in my development and only have to cross the streets or go on them for short distances ... ultra aware so i'm not too concerned about no helmet

I appreciate your concern about safety and do not take it as a knock ... happy cycling!!

[hunter]

8. That's cool.

I'd buy or build one of those if I lose my sense of balance or my arthritis gets too bad.

Thanks for the video. Dexter looks pleased!

[olddots]

9. I wanted a terra trike 700 for 5 years

trikes started new technology ,dreamed that my wife could ride on because of back and I fell in love a way to get around without waste and pollution --there day will come .

[Rhiannon12866]

26. Very cool and it looks like Dexter is having so much fun!

Adorable pup and so good! My dog is great in the car, is used to wearing a doggy seatbelt, but this looks like it would be so much more fun, with all the sights and the smells! Thanks for sharing!

[B Calm]

28. Dexter is a good little boy. You can tell he's ready to go

as soon as you got the bike out. Damn, how many little bridges are there in your neighborhood?

[OriginalGeek]

4. this is all I want

one speed Mango Macaw


In tangerine because that's my favorite citrus fruit and a good Led Zeppelin song. They have other colors too. For riding around the neighborhood to get some exercise outside. Not tryna dope my blood and win the Tour de France.

[B Calm]

29. I like it! The only thing I would change is the seat.

[OriginalGeek]

30. What would you recommend?

I wondered about that seat - since its online I can't really go touch one and I haven't ridden a bike in over 30 years. I do worry about how comfy my butt will be lol...I've seen some with gel and all kinds of other things in them but they had none of that the last time I rode (and back then I didn't care - I wasn't in the seat most of the time, I was jumping dirt hills and driving down giant dirt half-pipes) and I wonder how much is really useful and how much is gimmicky crap.

[B Calm]

33. This is what I have and I love it!

The worlds most comfortable bike seat.
http://www.thecomfortseat.com/index.htm
The comfortable and healthy bike seats recognized by the worlds leading Doctors of Urology and NIOSH (National Institute of safety and health)These no pressure seats ...

[OriginalGeek]

34. I like that!

putting that on the wishlist and bookmarking the page right now.

Thanks!

[B Calm]

35. I liked mine so much that I even put one on my Schwinn Airdyne exercise bike!

[hunter]

6. I've been riding the same bike more than forty years.

My dad gave it to me.

[mrmpa]

7. Check this site........

http://www.bikesdirect.com/

[OriginalGeek]

12. That's where i found my Mango Macaw

but they have all kinds of bikes there for good prices. I haven't ordered mine yet but when I do it will be from bikesdirect

[Arugula Latte]

10. I don't know if you are saying that you won't wear a helmet, but

I know of a 60+ year old guy, very successful, great person, great dad who rode his bike without a helmet, hit a pebble, and now has severe brain injury. So his family has had that nightmare to deal with for years. I also know of a boy, now thankfully a healthy teen, who was clipped by an SUV while on a bike. He fell off, hurt his arm a bit -- and his helmet was cracked and crushed. The boy's brain, however, was nicely intact, and he has been an A student for years now.

[handmade34]

11. that was me a couple of years ago...

lots of decent bikes out there and I did HOURS of research... I hadn't ridden a bicycle for about 50 years...

my first bike which was fine... Diamondback bought at Dicks for about $300 (very comfy and fun)... gave it to my daughter and bought a fold up bike (because I was traveling) which was very cool and cost about $200... finally sold my fold up bike and bought a TREK 7.3 Hybrid (when I wanted to get a little more serious about biking) for about $750... Love it!!!! look at reviews and take trial runs on the few you think you want...

my other daughter just bought a Raleigh for about $500 and it is working out well for her


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Trek...
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Raleigh...

[a la izquierda]

13. Please wear a helmet.

I am an experienced cyclist. I had a very bad wreck in which I hit head first going 20mph. I split my helmet from temple to behind the ear, but I got up, answered some medical questions, and finished the last 10 miles of my first century ride.

I found out two days later that I had a concussion and a fractured leg. I would've been dead had I not had my helmet on.

And you're not looking in the right shop. My first bike cost me $600 and was exactly what I needed then. I upgraded a few years later to a carbon frame because it's lighter for me.

[olddots]

15. yes I promiss to wear the dip shit plastic helmet

I wear a full formula one helmet in the car when lisa is driving with her knees while I scream at her to stop texting

I have narrowed down the search and now the quest for more money than I have ever spent on myself begins .

It's called a Specialized something or other Walter Mitty X 1200 SST BVD LOL end of life crisis model 666 .

No all I need is to sell blood and convince lisa I am mr. wonderful worthy of just under a grand $ grouchy old farty guy .

[ConcernedCanuk]

22. I'd buy something like this . . .

.
.
.



Then ya don't gotta worry about ur family jewels.

Slip once or twice getting on or off the seat on a "mans" bicycle,

you'll remember this post.

CC

[trof]

16. Slow Bike Movement: Buddy, this is for you!

"San Francisco is boomtown for bicycling. And with more riders comes more diversity. Among the growing population of bicyclists are those who eschew speed and spandex in favor of sitting upright and slowly making their way through town in whatever they happen to be wearing that day. It's a trend that some are calling the Slow Bike Movement.

"When I think about the Slow Bike Movement, I think of bikes that allow people to sit upright, see your surroundings, be more visible to your environment that you're riding," says Public Bikes' Dan Nguyen-Tan. "As a company, we're in the middle of this wave of growing numbers of people incorporating a bike into their daily lives."
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/bikeabouttown/article/Slow-Bike-Movement-Not-all-cyclists-in-a-hurry-2352991.php

I really, REALLY hate to say this, but go to Walmart.

[snagglepuss]

17. In my 50s and have commuted by cycling my entire life so for whatt's its worth

this is my advice. One, since you haven't cycled for years buy a used bike or a cheapo bike so you can see how much you like cycling. Some people who driven a car all their lives feel unsafe on a bike which destroys the pleasure of biking.

Two, I strongly recommend that this first bike be what's called either an urban bike or a commuter bike, essentially it's a bike that allows the rider a sit up fairly straight. I say this because it is way easier to ride safely on one of these than on a road bike as it's easier to do shoulder checks.

[politicat]

18. Oh, yeah. Just spent two years doing that for my bike, and am in the process with my spouse.

So actually, I have a sort of flow chart for figuring out good bike/bad bike for a given person. I have a thing against road bikes -- they don't go anywhere but on roads so even with exceptional wheels, they get the bends if they look at much of a hole and that means no trails, and the crouched over posture is both really crappy for anyone with any sort of arm/shoulder/neck repetitive stress injury, and it provokes a hind-brain reaction that makes a significant percentage of drivers more aggressive and thus, more dangerous. (The crouch imitates the posture of a lower ranked primate submitting to a higher ranked one, so the driver's hind-brain interprets a cyclist as both lower-ranked and encroaching on territory, which is a Bad Idea.) OTOH, I live in Colorado, and on top of a coal seam, so everywhere I wanna go is uphill and down a trail. Also, the roadie culture here is full of jackwagons, so that could be coloring my opinion.

It took me three bikes to get to the one I'm likely to ride for the rest of my life. I would strongly suggest looking at a KHS hybrid (Brentwood, Westwood or TC-150. http://khsbicycles.com/category/2013-khs-models/comfort-hybrid-213/)

They're reasonably priced -- $200-600 at my local shop -- and they're well built. Sturdy welds, good factory equipment, and they're bike-shop bikes, so they usually come with a level of service, unlike Big Box bike-shaped objects. Hybrids have wider tires than roadies, so they're less likely to blow a tire going over a concrete seam or taco while rolling over a grate. They usually use straight bar (mountain bike style) handlebars, so they have a more up-right posture, which makes for better visibility and better eye-contact on the road. They're slower than a roadie, but unless you're looking to race, speed doesn't equal fitness. They keep their resale value, so if you decide in two years that you want something faster/lighter/et cetera, you can peddle it and won't lose much money. They ain't Rivendell, but then again, nothing is. They also don't need much service -- I give mine a spring tune, take the wheels into the shop to be trued (which is mostly me being cautious -- they've been consistently fine) and check the brakes and cables when I change the batteries in my lights.

If you're not hauling up and down stairs, then a steel frame is a fine choice because you won't be picking it up and carrying it often. For non-competitive stuff, a few extra ounces is no big deal. If you anticipate having to pick it up a lot, aluminum is lighter, and equally sturdy.

1. Where will the bike live when your butt is not in the saddle? (Garage? Hanging on your wall like a Marcel DuChamp? Keeled over on the lawn? Cluttering up the laundry room? Shed?) if you have space, then it doesn't matter, but if you don't, then you might want to look at a foldie. (Dynamic shaft foldies are amazing, and near zero maintenance, but a bit pricey. Origami Crickets/Cranes and Citizen foldies are cheaper, slightly higher maintenance, and still both light and compact.)

2. What's your climate? Snow, rain, mud, dust storms? You might want to spring for disc brakes if you've got lots of water -- they're more reliable in the wet. A good local shop can always replace the stock brakes (a big box can't.)

3. What's your local driving culture? Do you have bike lanes, or are those just suggestions? How about bike paths? What's your paving like -- do you actually get potholes fixed within 6-8 weeks or do they eat whole intersections? I think that commuter roads are the worst place for a returning cyclist to get their bike legs back, especially after years in a car. Our brains develop a program for driving and cycling is a new program overlaid on the same geography. If you've got the option of trails and suburban streets for your first year, you'll be in better shape if you decide the roads are where you need to be.

4. Wear what you want. Closed toe shoes are smart, as are pants, because road rash sucks, but there is no law saying you have to wear lycra and clip-shoes if you have a roadie. Clips are a bad idea anyway anywhere besides a velodrome -- if you have to put your feet down, that extra fraction of a second disconnecting from the pedal could mean the difference between startled cyclist and cyclist pizza. There are some really good helmets on the market that are more hat-like. Also, if you'll be out at night, light that sucker up. When you're approaching Dekotora, you can stop. Lights are to cycling what decibels are to motorcycles -- a way of letting the drivers know where you are.

5. How do you feel about maintenance? If you like tinkering, then great -- cycling will happily eat your time and money. But if you don't, or don't have time, or just want to be able to ride when the mood takes you, look at hybrids. Roadies are like old Jaguars -- precision instruments that get out of whack easily. (Old ten speeds were far less precise, so had higher tolerance for grit and grime.) Hybrids have a wider tolerance, so tend to be more reliable.

Spouse is getting a Westwood with some upgrades (rear rack and fenders, upgraded to disc brakes and different gears because he's a pedal masher, so his low gear is 4th for most people). Since I'm a regular at the shop, they loaned us a used 2011 model for him to ride for two weeks as a trial. It turned out to be a great bike for him, and handled his 7 mile (mostly up and down-hill trail) commute perfectly. He's been on a 15 year old Big Box POS for about 15 years, avoiding riding whenever he could, which really meant all the time unless I said that's how I wanted to spend a weekend morning, or I required the car (and even then, about half the time, I dropped him off at work instead of him riding.) With the Westwood, he rode daily, and enjoyed it.

[Kali]

19. really great post

this is one of the things I just love about DU, thanks for taking the time to put that together!

[politicat]

23. Thanks!

I like bikes, and I really wish we had better resources for picking good bikes for casual/practical users. (It would have saved me money and several years of mild-to-severe frustration with my bikes.) There are some truly excellent cheap bikes out there, but there are a lot of Bike Shaped Objects that make people hate bicycling. And it's really tough being 5 feet tall, middle-aged soft, and female and trying to get good suggestions.

[NV Whino]

21. Thanks for this great post!

I have no intention or ever getting another bike, the information you posted is valuable for thos who will.

[politicat]

24. Never say never...

I quit biking years ago after getting run off the road by a farm truck (and blowing both ACLs and taking a lot of bruises). My helmet saved my brain, and being young and flexible saved my spine. I said I would never bike again, but since then, I've moved to a safer cycling county and gotten really damn tired of pouring money down the gas tank. Bikes, bikes with side cars (effective trike), Dutch omafeits and cargo bikes, trikes and recumbents mean that we can get a large percentage back on pedal power.... If we practical cyclists stand up and reclaim from the roadies.

[NV Whino]

25. Well,

Young doesn't enter into the equation any longer. My only option is up or down, and choosing one means I have to deal with the other coming back. And then there the "hint" of bike lanes.

Gave away my last bike several years ago. I did keep my bike helmet. Might co e in handy later on with a wheel chair or walker.

[politicat]

20. One other thing -- shops with a BMX focus that also sell other bikes

I'm not saying that BMX shops are without their jackwagons, but they tend to be more inclusive since they're already considered "outsiders" by the roadie-centric types. My preferred shop locally is all about practical biking, but it's two towns over. There are three in my town -- a mountain bike/ski/snowboarding shop (who are fine, but I am allergic to their favorite off-hours pastime), a roadie shop run by a roadie jerk, and the BMX shop that is great when it comes to commuting/practical cycling.

If you can find a BMX-oriented shop, they'll probably be nicer and less pushy of the eye-candy.

[hibbing]

27. Just Ride

Hi,
I too would strongly urge wearing a helmet. I commute and ride for fun. I like Trek FX models myself, kind of a hybrid type of bike. They have many different levels of models in terms of price. Like others have said, wear what you want to wear and what is comfortable. The bike racing culture has infiltrated recreational riding in a bad way imho.

I just finished this book that you may find interesting-
Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike by Grant Petersen

I also would find a local bike shop that has been in business for a long time if there is one in your community.

Good luck and stay safe.

Peace

[cliffordu]

31. Check the Surly line.

No kidding, Surly bikes are within your price range, they have several different kinds of bikes to choose from.

I own one. I have owned several, actually.

For the money, they are the best deal out there.

I have things to go do right now but can discuss this later.


I rode my Surly down the west coast this last year. They are indestructible, and as I said, the best deal out there.

As far as clothes go...I wear jeans and a fucking tee shirt daily.

On tour I wear padded bike shorts with cargo shorts over the them. NO one wants to see me in spandex.

Wool tee shirts from a company called Minus 33 are your friend.

They will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter and never stink. They feel like cotton shirts with NONE of the problems associated with cotton.

Trust me on all this. I have driven a car about 3 or 4 years out of the last 45. The rest has been by bicycle.

I've been cross country, down the west coast and will probably ride around the world beginning this year.

I know these things because I live with them. Daily.

[mysuzuki2]

32. I am in a similar situation and just bought a new bike.

I got a Trek 7.1. It is the basic Trek and at $400.00 was just about the cheapest bike in the store. It is working very well for me. I bought it for exercise mainly because due to a bad leg break last winter I can no longer walk or run far enough to do me any good. I like it. It is well made, made in Wisconsin! and rides real well. It was a lot of money, for me anyway, but you get what you pay for. If you buy a bike from a bike store it will be assembled correctly and will stay in adjustment. Dept store bikes are often put together by kids who have no idea what they are doing, the wheels are often out of true and the brakes and gears out of adjustment. The salespeople at your local bike store will be happy to advise you. Good luck!