Help me buy a new bike.

[Khamsin]

They've been doing a lot of work on the streets around here lately, adding asphalt pedestrian paths and such so you can actually walk or ride a bike without doing it in the middle of the traffic lane. Given that I live 10 minutes from work (by car), and it takes me 45 minutes to walk that distance, a bike should be a happy medium and a way to stay in shape.

So, that said... I know nothing about bikes. Educate me!

[Bunnykillah]

So, that said... I know nothing about bikes. Educate me!

They have pedals, usually two of them.

[Khamsin]

Interesting, go on...

[Saga]

They have pedals, usually two of them.

Yeah, and you know that little word "bi" in "bicycle?" Also stands for "two."

[nicholai]

What kind of place will you be parking the bike? Do you plan on riding this for more than just back and forth to work? Are you looking for just a road bike a hybrid or a mtn bike? I have a nice mtn bike that I use from time to time to ride to places that i have a set of road tires and trail tires for. Obviously thats a bit more money than most want to spend but I enjoy mtn biking and didnt want to get a new bike just to ride in town every few days, but i also didnt want to ruin my trail tires on roads.

[Khamsin]

Well, maybe I should clarify...

I did a little searching and found bikes that range from $300 at Target to $5000 at a bike shop.

I'm not sure what makes a bike better or more expensive, but as long as it's comfy on my butt and is easy on hills, I'm happy.

I plan on riding it on flat, paved surfaces in mildly hilly terrain.

[miokomioko]

Generally, the lighter the bike is, the more money you will pay.

Also:

Fixed-gear, brakeless track bicycles are for pompous hipster faggots. That is all.

[Norellicus]

You can get not-$5g bikes at bike shops too, and they're usually better quality than the Target/Walmart boat anchors.

I'd suggest finding out what the reputable bike shops are in your area and just going in and telling them what you're shooting for, they'll help you find what works best.

[Elesirdur]

Get a commuter bike from your local, independently-owned and operated, bike shop. Stay the hell away from big box stores like Target or Wal-Mart - their sporting hard goods are complete and utter shit.

Local bike shops are almost always staffed by people who live to ride bikes and can give some excellent advice. Of course they'll try and sell you on something you don't necessairly need but if you give them a budget estimate and let them know what kind of riding you'll be doing they can help you pick something out that fits your needs.

As I mentioned in a previous thread about bikes, make sure you get a frame that fits your body. The techs and sales staff at the shop should be able to measure you up and find a frame that work with your leg, torso, and arm lengths and help you adjust it so it fits right.

As for what you'll be looking for in a commuter bike: hard-tail frame (no rear suspension, that's for downhill racers only), mild front fork shocks, simple rim brakes (no disc brakes, those are expensive and for downhill racers or hardcore XC bikes), a chain guard is nice to prevent your pants from getting greasy and ripped up, and stick with road tyres that have a bit of tread on them. Full mountain bike tyres eat up a lot of pedalling energy on pavement and full slicks are really dangerous in the rain.

Stay away from those basket-style toe clips a lot of bike makes still insist on installing on their bikes. They're dangerous and a nuisance. If you're serious enough to need pedal support then get some clip-in pedals and shoes (like SPDs), but it's unlikely you'll get to that stage unless you've got a commute of over 10 or 15 miles each way.

But do check out the local shops, they've usually got great staff who are passionate about biking and want their customers to be happy and safe cyclists.

[Elesirdur]

Fixed-gear, brakeless track bicycles are for pompous hipster faggots. That is all.

Haha, so true. I've got a friend who works at one of the more prominent bike shops in town that has lots of mountain, downhill, road, and bike messenger clients. None of them can understand why anyone would want a fixed-gear bike for anything than track racing. These guys just laugh at hipsters with them.

[Gere]

DRIVE SHAFT!

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...7/IMG_2951.jpg

[nicholai]

rofl

[fantasticdan]

Haha, so true. I've got a friend who works at one of the more prominent bike shops in town that has lots of mountain, downhill, road, and bike messenger clients. None of them can understand why anyone would want a fixed-gear bike for anything than track racing. These guys just laugh at hipsters with them.

Exactly, you want something like this:

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/salwa002/arc...old%20bike.jpg

[shihei]

get one of those pimped out lowriders

[Talus]

The big debate for most people is whether to get a road bike, mountain bike or a hybrid. If you're using it predominantly for commuting, I'd get a road bike. Go to your local bike shop and ask though, tell them what you're going to use it for, and they should be able to help. They'll usually let you test ride it around for a while, i.e. they won't tell you to go out to the parking lot for a minute and come right back. See how it rides, is it something you can live with and ride on? How's the seat? You may want a softer one, a lot of the stock seats that come on bikes are pretty firm. I switched out the seat on my Trek for a softer gel one.

[Quixotic]

I've always had good experiences at Gregg's Cycle in either the Greenlake area or in downtown Bellevue down the street from Bellevue Square (The Greenlake one is a little better). They can help you out with sizing, and what kind of bike you want close to the price range you desire. Personally, I'd go for a cheap roadie which should be anywhere in between 500-1000 depending on the brand and model.

[Khamsin]

It'd primarily be used on paved surfaces, but bonus points if it doesn't become totally useless on dirt/gravel/grass.

[terranova]

I've ridden bikes all my life up until the year 2006.

Shock absorbers are great if you're a curb jumper(these come as a default for most mountain bikes obviously). I live in a city where there is no slop on the beginning of sidewalks, so I have to jump them all. Keeps the rims from getting all bent out of shape too fast.

SEAT. The most important part of a bike. If the seat is cheap you will NOT like riding the bike. It has to have a good cushion. Retail bikes aren't gonna have these :/. They are gonna have the kind of seats where it will feel like you're sitting on a rock, making for a hellish ride.

Never heard of a fixed gear bike.. I assume it's those bikes people call "trucks". Back paddling is the brake, and there is no gears. Going up a hill on a bike with no gears is stupid btw .

Personally I would get one from a bike shop. They are better quality and last longer.

[miokomioko]

What blows my mind is how fixed-gear bike cults are predominant in cities like San Francisco. Fixed-gear down a 45º downward sloped road there will get you killed right quick. My girlfriend started riding that shit when she was dating some weird hipster dude a couple years back and she has explained it's pretty much a "challenge" thing. It's like doing something the hard way just to say you can, and hassle people who have breaks on their bikes because they are "pussies." It's just retarded. I drive a wooden soap box derby car that I peddle around like the flinstones with just because it's more of a challenge than using an internal combusion engine to get around, you faggots.

[shihei]

It's just retarded. I drive a wooden soap box derby car that I peddle around like the flinstones with just because it's more of a challenge than using an internal combustion engine to get around, you faggots.

I found this funny because it is true. somthing somthing windower somthing somthing