Gas and how to save... yes I am going to do it and get a bike

[nadinbrzezinski]

anybody who has a bike can give me recommendations on brands?

I need an easy ride, slightly hilly terrain... and I think a hybrid would work, but .... opinions are welcomed

(and yes getting a helmet too... not that stupid to become an organ donor)

I also know that the exercise will be good for me

[DS1]

1. cannondale, specialized, trek, fuji

they all make "comfort" bikes

[pink-o]

2. I live in San Francisco...

And my Trek hybrid takes me everywhere! I have 27 gears and have never needed to use the lowest one--but of course I don't bike up some of those hills that are legendary! But O'Shaunessy Blvd is pretty steep and my little Trek is up to the task.

And before you think I'm some kind of buff athlete, just know I'm a 53-year old woman who runs a 9 minute mile and can't do more than 5 crunches on a slantboard!!! Seriously, having a low-geared bike and being able to climb the hills slowly works just fine.

But first thing I would recommend is changing out whatever seat comes with your bike. I got a gel seat made by Serfas, and it makes all the diff in the world!

Have fun--biking is my favourite form of transporation.

[uppityperson]

3. Try out several and don't go just by weight.

My local bike shop guy made me try to that weighed the same, but wouldn't tell me what the difference was until I returned. I could tell the difference quite easily.

One had heavier frame, lighter wheels, other was opposite. The second took a bit more power to get going, but was easier to maintain so better for distances. The first was better for stop and go traffic since it was easier to start moving often.

Try them out for comfort as that is very important.

[taterguy]

4. Go to a trusted local bike shop

The folks there will be able to give you much better advice than any idiot here.

I've been using a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation for over 20 years and will be happy to answer any other questions you have.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Thanks guys

there is a trek dealer in town, and of course a couple local stores. One on a somewhat walkable distance

I have not bought a bike in close to 20 years... so I wanted to know what was out there from people currently on the seat

[taterguy]

10. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what's available

Spring for the kickstand. It comes in much more handier than you can imagine.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. And a rear basket, bag, what have you

I want it to run errands too

[taterguy]

18. A standard backpack holds a 12 pack of beer and a carton of cigarettes

What else do you need?

Maybe baskets come in handy but I've never bothered using one.

Swallow your pride and bum a ride if you need to get a 20 pound bag of dog food.

I speak from experience.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Milk, and bread... maybe eggs, No

I am not that nuts...

:evilgrin:

Big shopping day go to the PX and get the stuff there... in car

Which reminds me, check what they have at base...

[taterguy]

21. Bicycles carried 400 pounds of supplies each during the battle of Dien Bien Phu

Sure they were customized bikes but you have no idea how much you can carry on a bike with a little ingenuity.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. i realize that....

for the moment got myself a SHWINN, last year's model

IT FITS!

And I took it to the coffee shop today. It rides nicely.

And I came home, and went to the shower...

Haven't ridden in many years. So this is a change

ANd I suspect that as the age of oil ends, we will be riding bikes or using horses

[taterguy]

34. The more you ride, the more you'll like it

Happy pedaling

[KelleyKramer]

24. Ha Ha! You got a voucher here! ...

Not sure if its something to be proud of.. but I can personally vouch for that.

Fits perfect, and its square on your back ... surprisingly it doesnt slow you down much at all

Just sayin

[Strelnikov_]

36. "much better advice than any idiot here"

You truly are a class act.

[taterguy]

37. Context is everything

It truly is idiotic to tell a stranger what kind of bike to get, due to all the variables involved in what makes an appropriate bike for someone.

Sorry if I came across as being overly harsh.

[Rick Myers]

6. I ride Cannondales, but Specialized and Trek are both GREAT too!

:kick:

[gatorboy]

7. I have a Trek which has been very reliable.

Please be careful though. It's extremely dangerous these days riding a bike with all the friggin SUV tanks on the road.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. You are starting to sound like me dad

:evilgrin:

I suspect though that a year from now you will see even MORE bikes on the road

[gatorboy]

9. Heh! And eat your veggies while you're at it!

I wouldn't mind it so much if we had some bike lanes. People on the road treat bikes like a nuisance and I hate biking on the highway. Who knows though. Maybe if there is a sharp decline in vehicle driving, they'll start creating those bike lanes we need. :)

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. We have bike lanes here on the road

but the major issue is that many bike riders do not realize the rules of the road apply to them too.... so here they run red lights ALL the time

Yep, I have to watch it before I merge into a bike lane, even if I have a green light

That I blame lack of rider education.

I will be getting a helmet too dad

:evilgrin:

[raouldukelives]

13. Pick up a some lights as well

I don't know if your planning any early morning or evening riding but a good blinking tail light and headlight are well worth the expense. I've found Planet Bike and Cateye to be good and reasonably priced brands.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Thanks, plan to do most of my riding during the day... but you

never know when you are caught in the dark or dusk

[wtmusic]

15. Cross-post in the Bicycle forum

and you will get lots of good advice.

My around-town bike is a Marin Kentfield with a rack and Townie bag in back -- lots of carrying room. Inexpensive and well built.

http://www.marinbikes.com/2008_html/us/spec_page.php?serialnum=199

[KansDem]

16. I'm thinking of buying one of these...

The Electra "Coaster 7"

Only with fenders...

[bhikkhu]

17. any decent mountain bike should do

I'd avoid the fancier models with the sprung rear wheel, and don't feel like you have to pay a lot for one that will do what you need it to.

Even a cheap mountain bike should have enough gearing to manage the hills, sturdy puncture resistant tires, and be solid enough to ride every day for reasonable distances.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Let me add something to this

I will be stuck with either a mountain bike... or a kid's bike

I am SHORT

So yesterday I went looking at bikes to get an idea how much I needed to put away.

And ONLY ONE bike in the adult range fit me.

I tried a hybrid and I felt I was going to fall down

So if I decide to go for the adult bike I am looking at about 500 when all is said and done with the usual safety crap and a rack. (and tax)

If I go for the kids bike... I am looking at about half of that...

And for the record, the last bike I bought was twenty years ago, and it was a really cheap kid's bike at Woolworth's (some of you may remember them... the place today is an Old Navy)

I wanted something a little sturdier, and chiefly lighter... that thing was a tank! But it did what I needed it to do.

And yes it is frustrating.

[Delphinus]

35. I am just the opposite - I'm tall.

Can't seem to find a bike that is really long enough in the leg stride for me.

[NNN0LHI]

22. Don't let the helmet give you a false sense of security

Had a good friend who fell while biking while wearing a helmet and broke his neck on impact. After a few months on life support he did become an organ donor.

Be careful.

Don

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. The helmet is only good enough if you only hit

your head... in certain situations, (a few, and I am sorry your friend was one of them) it makes matters worst

As a former medic (that at times got to play mountain rescue, firefighting and confined space) I know that the helmet will only reduce your chances of getting badly hurt.

And word to the wise... if you fall and it cracks, buy a new one

[bean fidhleir]

23. Okay, here're the opinions of a nearly-68yo F utility cyclist

1. Don't buy an offroad bike unless you plan to ride offroad over rocks and logs and similar *a lot*. If you're going to ride for utility on pavement, get a touring bike. They're no heavier, and they have more stable geometry. When you're carrying loaded panniers front and rear, stability is your friend.

2. Don't buy a department-store bike or any brand sold in one. Buy from a bike shop that sells nothing else.

3. Buy at least a mid-range model, because you want decent quality derailers, brakes, etc. so that they'll work smoothly and last a long time without constant readjusting. Frames and forks tend to be the same across models. Shimano Deore or the road equivalent (105?) is the lowest quality parts I'd go for. Consider getting disc brakes. They're heavier, but if you ride in all weathers as I do, they'll stop you even when you're going downhill in a downpour, a consummation devoutly to be wished. If you have the money, consider getting a geared hub instead of a derailer system - it's much less maintenance.

4. Be sure to test ride anything you're thinking of buying for at least 30 minutes without dismounting. The reason being, you want your bum and the seat to be a good match, especially for width. If the seat's not a good match to your bum, your girly bits get mashed and you won't ride.

5. All bikes are built for boys who fantasize that they're riding in the Tour de France or similar. That means they crouch over the top tube to be "aerodynamic" and other fantasies. Which means the damned top tubes are all too long. If you want to save your back, you'll ride as upright as possible, which means you have to figure out some way to virtually shorten the top tube. The way I did that on my winter bike (a 12yo Mongoose offroader from before Mongoose started selling through dept. stores) was riser bars mounted on a Kalloy adjustable stem tilted back toward me, stuck into a stem extender. It brings everything high enough and close enough so that I'm all set. So now I can load up my virtual packmule and pedal serenely along in comfort, enjoying every trip.

6. Don't get suckered into getting a "Woman-Specific Design". It's a lie and you'll regret it. They're not designed for women, they're designed for slightly smaller boys who fantasize that they're riding in the Tour de France or similar.

7. Get a GOOD lighting system. You *need* to be seen, especially in crappy weather, but you'll find you want to do your own seeing, too. I think you have technical skills, don't you? If so, you can make your own lights using some of the new high-power LEDs for much less money. They have a low power consumption and are very bright.

A safety vest like you used to wear at road accidents would be good too. Too many drivers are dimwits.

8. Get a good kickstand, not the standard cheap mid-body one. The kind that fastens to the chain and seat stays near the back axle is very stable. Also get full fenders (Planet Bike, SKS) unless you want a mud stripe up your back and front.

9. Get a good bell (Mirrycle or something like that make several very nice LOUD ones)

10. Get rain gear. Campmor sell a nice yellow and red rain cape designed specifically for cycling.

11. Consider buying a used steel bike (531 or so crome-moly tubing, not 1020 gas pipe) and retrofitting it rather than buying a new aluminum one. The feel is very different.

12. Consider buying a "mixte" frame. A mixte frame has no top tube. Instead it has two thin tubes that go straight back from the top of the head tube to the chainstay/seatstay junction. So a mixte frame appears to have 3 stays. There are also some variants on the mixte where the long stays are curved and so forth, but they're not true mixtes. Mixtes were made for about 50 years and are very graceful looking. They were considered "girl's bikes" in the US, but just very strong, easy-on-and-off bikes elsewhere. They're much stronger than the standard step-through "girl's bike", and some of them seemed to actually have been designed without boys uppermost in mind!

</opinionation>

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. After testing bikes at bike stores... specialized ones

I ended up going for a mountain bike... the reason... the hybrid or even the urban bikes didn't feel right to me.

As to the light, got it, and the vest will be gotten in two months or so. I don't want to ride at night, BUT... when the days shorten I know I will have to think of the time I am caught in the out at dusk

[bean fidhleir]

33. Well congratulations and good riding. It's a big step, but a good one.

I've bought 10 gallons of gas this year, and it's a very nice feeling. :evilgrin: If we had decent long-distance transport that would carry my bike, or even for Goddess's sake a bike highway, I'd get rid of the car altogether.

[helderheid]

25. Cannondale

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Didn't fit, I am that short, so I went for a MESA from SWHIN

last year's model, and it finally fit.

I took it out to the coffee shop today and I am happy with it

And yes, I tried, to get the Cannondale, but they were all TOO TALL

Damn I could rant!

:-)

[Edweird]

26. Do NOT "cheap out". Buy from professionals. Your bike needs to fit YOU.

Any money spent at a sporting goods store or department store is wasted. You will have a poorly made bicycle that doesn't fit you, ensuring your misery for it's abbreviated duration.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Got it at the bike store and it fit... like a glove

after much looking

[Edweird]

27. Check out Mtbr.com. There is a owner review section that covers many brands and types of bikes.

I have found it very useful in the past.