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Bikes: I want to start riding to work
GnomeTank
What the what?Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
What the what?Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
So living in Portland Oregon, riding your bike to work is very much a thing here. it's something I'd like to start doing (at least on nicer days), but I am completely lost in the world of bikes. From the research I have done, I think I want a "commuter/urban" bike (versus a road or mountain bike)...but beyond that, I am lost. Some places say I want disc breaks because I live in a rainy place, other places say it doesn't matter much.
If you ride your bike to work, or at least regularly in an urban environment, what kind of bike do you have? I've searched for bikes in the "commuter/urban" category, but it's a pretty big list. How much should I look to spend on a starter bike? What other kind of equipment do I want? I see a lot of people wearing special shoes that lock in to their pedals ("clipless" pedals), but do I really need to go that far, or can i just get pedals with toe clips?
At this point I know I need a helmet, and a bike...but I am lost beyond that.
If you ride your bike to work, or at least regularly in an urban environment, what kind of bike do you have? I've searched for bikes in the "commuter/urban" category, but it's a pretty big list. How much should I look to spend on a starter bike? What other kind of equipment do I want? I see a lot of people wearing special shoes that lock in to their pedals ("clipless" pedals), but do I really need to go that far, or can i just get pedals with toe clips?
At this point I know I need a helmet, and a bike...but I am lost beyond that.
Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: BrainlingOh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
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http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/feather
That bike lets you flip the back wheel to be either fixed gear or free spinning. It's pretty freakin classy looking (to me). You can get it here for not too much: http://www.citygrounds.com/fuji/fuji-feather-fixed-gear-bike-2012-581?cvsfa=3915&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=33313133&gclid=CMKdgsjD5LcCFep7QgodaGAAvw
Now, if there are any hills between you and the office, I would recommend a bike with some gears. You don't want to work up a sweat on the way to the office.
I'd recommend you just look at road bikes. However, some road bikes have very aggressive posture/setups that aren't as comfortable for slower cruising. They're made for racing. It's important that you find a bike you're comfortable on. Going to bike shops and just trying out the bikes is definitely a must.
You could of course get a mountain bike if that's your thing, but if you're only staying on the streets, you should just get the lightest bike you can, and that's a road bike.
There's also a type of bike called exercise bikes which are halfway between a mountain bike and a road bike. Those work fine for an all-rounder.
Also, perhaps MOST importantly. There are crazy bike sales ALL the time. Never buy a new bike at full price.
I have showers at work, so breaking a sweat isn't a huge deal. I will likely have my work clothes packed in my bags and change when I get to work.
All the local bike shops around here close really early, so it's hard to make it to one after work. I'll see if I can make it to one this weekend.
There is a place near me that has the Trek Earl at a really fabulous price (like 400 bucks), so I am going to go look at it this weekend. It's one of Trek's hybrid utility/city/road bikes, with the non-ram horn handle bars and a less aggressive posture.
Similarly, you want an aluminum frame and not steel. Aluminum is stiffer, which lets more of your energy transfer to the bike instead of the frame. It's also lighter, so you'll need less power to get going and speed up (and you'll slow down easier as well by having less inertia). Same thing with shocks -- they seem good in principle but they suck for commuting, unless your commute takes you down boulders.
Just saying "hybrid" at a bike store can get you a lot of options, so you want to steer closer to a road bike. A full road bike may not be at your comfort level at this point, and that's OK. I commuted for a long time on a flat bar road bike "hybrid" that I got from REI, and it's still my main bike (I do not commute on it anymore, though).
Get some fenders for it though or else you'll be kicking up a shit ton of water on yourself. I also got a rack and a couple of clip on saddle bags for shopping.
EDIT: These are the bags I bought. They are really durable: http://villagecycle.com/product/bontrager-city-grocery-bag-179362-1.htm#.Ubuiovlwp8E
Pick up a nice expensive u-lock as well as a cable. Use the u lock to lock in the frame+front tire and the cable to wrap around the lock and the back tire. Portland is a bike thief's wet dream.
I picked up a Trek 7.5 just before Christmas and have put about 1000 miles on it, almost all of it commuting to/from work. It is a bit lighter than the 7.1, has narrower tires and a more aggressive gearing ratio at the top end which puts it more in the flat-bar road bike category than in the hybrid but it also quite a bit more expensive. It does a comfortable 15-18 mph on flat ground.
The only thing I have changed is to put some all alloy pedals on it to replace the nylon body pedals that it came with because I am a fatty and the nylon was deforming.
Whether you want to go with a straight road bike or some kind of hybrid is up to you, but personally I would go with a road bike. They're lighter (get an aluminum frame) and are going to be an easier ride in most situations. Fixed gears are popular but really more of an enthusiast thing than something you'd get as a commuter.
As far as equipment you really just need a good, comfortable helmet and a solid front wheel lock; I personally just use a u-lock when I'm not parking mine indoors. Any kind of chain lock is easily cut anyway, and there's no way to really secure stuff like your seat or handlebars. The 'clipless' lock-in pedals are really more of a racing/touring thing; as a commuter you have to start and stop a lot and they get annoying. I don't even use pedal loops anymore. You don't really need disc brakes either; the issue with rain isn't the brake stopping the tire, it's the tire sliding on the pavement and there isn't really enough debris on a city street that any kind of buildup should be a concern.
I don't know where you live in town, but bike gallery is a pretty solid shop and they have a couple of locations in the city. I've heard good stuff about sellwood cycles too but I'm on the other side of town so I've never actually shopped over there.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Aluminum versus steel is not going to be a noticeable distinction. You can get super lightweight steel, and the energy transfer thing is basically negligible when compared to things like your tire size/shape and how well maintained the bike is.
Right of the bat you want to think about what you need this bike to do.
Are there any unpaved sections on your commute? Are the paved sections mostly smooth or is it like cobblestone or super shitty cracked pavement? The more uneven/unpaved your commute, the wider/heavier/more durable you will want your wheels/tires to be. Also depending on how much weight you are carrying between you and other shit you need, you might need beefier wheels. The two things you want to look at here are how wide the tires are (28mm and below= faster/easier to ride, 32mm and above= slower/smoother) and how many spokes the wheel has (36 = heavier loads/more durable, 32 or less = lighter loads/less durable but weigh less). For road bikes anyway. Mountain bike style wheels will all be super wide and super beefy.
Also you have to decide how you are transporting things like clothes. Backpack? Bike Rack? Keep all weeks worth at work so you don't have to commute with them? Not only will this affect the previous weight issue, but if you want a rack that will limit the types of frames you should get, because you'll want one that has eyelets for proper rack installation. Basically you don't want a frame where your rack has to be clamped on.
How far/fast do you want to ride? The riding style is generally dictated by how high the seat is compared to the handle bars, and how far forward the handle bars are. If the seat is above the handle bars and the handlebars are far enough away that you feel like you need to lean forward to grab them, this is a more aggressive style. It will be better for shorter distances where you plan on riding fast without much resting. Shorter distance kind of depends on how in shape you are. Some people ride like this always for 100's of miles, but in this position it is difficult to take your weight off the pedals and relax. You can achieve either position with any frame really, but it makes more sense in some frames to go one way or the other. Just tell the sales person you want to be more or less upright/more or less aggressive and they will probably point you in the right direction.
Fenders are a must for the northwest. Hopefully you don't have to install them yourself because it sucks.
Chain guards typically only fit bikes with a smaller number of gears (double crankset versus triple) I think. So that may or may not be worth while for portland. I find that it's best to roll up/tie up your riding pants anyway as mine can still get caught on random parts of the bike.
Disk brakes are completely overkill unless you are slogging through mud, or topping 40mph in the rain.
Toe clips are perfectly fine with 2 exceptions. There is this thing called toe overlap where your foot can hit your front tire if you are pedaling while turning. Depending on the size of bike you get it may be unavoidable or it my be nowhere close, but if you are right on the border toe clips extend a little further and could push you over the edge. It's not a huge deal either way but it's nicer to not have to deal with that. Also, if you are really going full out toe clips are a little less secure and depending on how much you move around you can slip out occasionally. Most people never have that issue though. After saying all that, you are probably going to want a pair of shoes designated as riding shoes anyway, and if you are doing that, then why not get clipless pedals? You get used to them really quick.
In the same vein as riding shoes you probably want some riding pants/shorts. In that jeans/regular pants will wear out really quickly from all of the movement/friction, so you want to get some clothes that are made for riding and are more durable.
Save 50-100 dollars, and by a nice saddle/seat at some point. It's hard to say what is best until you've ridden a little bit and find out what isn't comfortable about the saddle you are using. Just be aware that no matter what it will take a few weeks to be comfortable on any saddle.
I'll probably think of more stuff later, but that's it for now.
edit - I like Sheldon brown a lot for specific bike info. There is a lot of technical information there, but this is the intro section and has a few nice articles on things like what type of saddle to get and whether or not to go clipless.
Major features you should get:
1. Steel or Alu with carbon stays - this is for ride quality. Steel is way more comfy than aluminum, though alu/carbon alleviates that. Carbon and titanium are super-comfy, but out of your price range. Steel will last forever and survive any number of crashes or mistakes.
2. Wheels/tires - get something like the armadillo (http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/road-tires/trainingall-season-road-tires/all-condition-armadillo) in the biggest size you can fit on the bike. You want the bigger tire so you get more shock absorbtion, thus a comfier ride
3. Other bits - fenders are good. Decent lights are also good. A high viz vest or jacket isn't a terrible idea. Over time, you'll probably want to get clipless pedals for comfort/ease.
I recommend getting fitted at a good bike shop to figure out sizing and whatnot, then picking up something off craigslist.
A few things: get some riding in before you start taking it to work or wherever so you can learn things about the bike and acclimate yourself to riding around your area (and also on the bike itself - the first few times you ride a sore butt is kinda common)
It's usually not a big deal - but at your job you're going to want to figure out exactly where you're going to park the thing during the day (preferably out of the rain if at all possible) ahead of time. And invest in a good lock.
I have a lot of hills where I am, it's Portland
Touring bikes are road bikes meant for long distance rides with heavy loads, which means that if you want to put a change of clothes (or lunch, or whatever) in panniers, the bike will both have the mounts to fit a rack, and also the geometry to handle well with a load on the back. Downside is that the handling is slower so in an actual race you'd have a harder time.
Or you could get a (cross-country) mountain bike and put skinnier slick tyres on it, and go that way -- that's what I commute on, and while it's not the theoretical best solution, it means I can just change back to knobby tires to hit the trails. Suspension isn't necessary for commuting, and it does suck up power a bit, but I like not having to steer clear of potholes / bumps as much as on a road bike.
(fixed-gears are loads of fun, but I wouldn't buy one as the way to get back into riding, or for hilly rides. Even if you did want to buy one, I'd just get an old road bike from a garage sale / thrift store and bodge it into a singlespeed/fixed-gear to see if you like it enough, and then step up to a "real" frame if you still want one that much. My $3 special has held up just fine so far, and is a great ride for short zippy trips, but for longer rides I still like the option of changing gears and coasting)
Even so, make sure you lock up both wheels (especially if you get a bike with easy-release wheels), and it couldn't hurt to get a bike seat you can easily pop off and take into work with you, just to make your bike less tempting for thieves.
Then again, I'm a former NYC bike messenger, so I might be overly paranoid about bike theft.
I mean, a couple of guys at work ride thousand dollar crazy road bikes to work and lock them up down there without going paranoid on it...so I think it's okay, but I'll definitely get a really good lock.
GnomeTank has already stated he doesn't want to ride a fixie or a race bike. Or compete in races.
What we're looking for here is first and foremost comfort, followed by reliability, low maintenance, and value.
I ride a DS downhill bike everywhere, and yet you won't see me recommending a Giant Defy.
However, what with Giant being one of the premier manufacturers in the world (that's not bias, either, I ride a Diamondback), it'd be hard to go past a bike like the Roam. It's light for what it is, has great brakes (I dunno about you guys, but when I'm dicing with traffic, I want to be able to stop on a fucking dime), has rugged tyres and front forks for dealing with kerbs and potholes, and isn't a theft magnet.
You spelled it tyres; post invalidated.
In all seriousness that's a perfectly fine bike, but it's probably outside what the OP wants to pay, and disk brakes/front suspension are just unnecessary for the OP's needs. They could easily get something better suited that was just as nice, for cheaper.
$650.
An MTB hybrid is going to outlast a racer hybrid up and down kerbs and such. Honestly, for steep hills and heavy traffic in Pacific Northwest weather, disk brakes are not just more powerful and lower maintenance, they're also much less affected by weather conditions.
That basically gives you a spectrum ranging from the type of "hardtail mountain bike with slick tyres" like the roam, through rigid (no suspension) hybrids with 700c (road bike size) wheels to the less racy end of road bikes (the likes of the Giant Defy or Specialized Allez).
I don't think you'll have trouble with any of those, provided they'll take mudguards.
Personally, I think front suspension is over the top as long as you're riding on paved roads, rigid bikes will cope fine with kerbs, potholes, and poor road surfaces. I really like disc brakes. It's not really a power thing, it's that the increased mechanical advantage means less effort at the lever and greater consistency and control. That said, they're a "nice to have" rather than an essential. Lastly don't be afraid of drop (road bike style) bars - they exist basically to give you multiple hand positions, and the ability to tuck low while grinding into a headwind can be a godsend on unpleasant days. Some 700c hybrids are functionally flat barred road bikes anyway, so if you find yourself drawn in that direction it's worth taking the drops over the flats, since you don't lose anything by doing so, even if you go on to use the hoods almost exclusively.
For the record I ride on road and off, and my commuting time is split between a giant defy or a rigid mountain bike with slicks, drop bars, and rim brakes
It also has disk brakes which might be nice if you do start riding in wet conditions
Do you really find this to be true? I have never heard of a frame going bad without some sort of spectacular crash. MTB wheels and a rear derailleurs will probably need less maintenance than their road counterparts, but I'm guessing most hybrids are sporting MTB wheels and derailleurs anyway. Really the most important thing is going to be proper upkeep. You have to inflate the tires and grease the chain every few weeks, and it's probably a good idea to go in for a full check up every few months. Nothing beats proper maintenance.
Which reminds me, the OP is going to want to get a good floor pump and a good frame pump (or whatever small size pump you want to put in your paniers/backpack), as well as tire levers and spare tubes. Flats happen, and it is invaluable to know how to and be able to fix them on the fly. I always try and have a small pump, tire levers, and whatever allen/crescent wrenches I need to fix a flat when I ride.
I started riding to work every day a few years back using a cheap, heavy, slow-ass mountain bike. The upgrade to a cheap hybrid was world changing, and the upgrade from that to a solid all round road bike was even better. I absolutely recommend starting with a decent hybrid bike.
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Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
1. Wal-Mart crap - heavy and will break.
2. Lowest end major market - Lighter, components will go out of tune fast-ish
3. Step above low end - Lighter still, solid component set that will last years - This is what we're targeting
4. Mid-grade - some exotic materials, options to trade durability for lightness
5. High grade - carbon, carbon everywhere.....
Someone could easily hate biking on a piece of shit, but if you get a decent setup, it will last you for years with minimal maintenance.
Hell if he times it right he could pick up a 4 or 5 for $100. But you have to wait until the kids are coming back from college, so that's probably right about now?
As a sample, this is the cost for a pair of shifter/brake levers at the high end:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1066586_-1_400910__400910
Around here the discount on a used bike is not THAT significant, and since you run the risk of a problem with the frame that you might not spot it's a risky proposition.
I never said not buy a decent bike. I said, if the OP is going to spend the money, spend the money on a better frame, rather than $500 shift/break levers. Go bare bones with everything else, and upgrade as needed along the way as you start identifying what you need. A good frame will contribute more towards the OP's biking pleasure than, say, quick-release wheels and clipless pedals right off the bat.
There are not actually all that many bikes available with high end frames built up with inexpensive components. That used to be much more of a thing, but it's kind of unusual for people to follow that upgrade path now, basically because you'll never beat the volume discount the manufacturers get on components. People do it, but only really at the super high end.
I'd question whether it's worth it for a utility bike, in particular if said person isn't into tinkering and wouldn't want to do their own maintenance for fun. It would save a tremendous amount of hassle just buying a bike that's fit for purpose in the first place.