Talk to me About "Commuter"/"Urban" Bicycles.

[warwick.hoy]

~Budget $400-$500 needs to include helmet (fascists) and I want rear-view mirrors . Lights and fenders added later.

~3 mile round trip (work and back) City. Slight 6 block long grade starting out down"hill" and ending the return trip up"hill".

~Recreational use on paved trails

~A Mountain Bike would honestly be too much bike for my purposes

New "Urban" Bikes I've been looking at:

~Marin Kentfield

~Marin Bridgeway

~Breezer Villager

~Breezer Uptown

~Cannondale Quick 6

I'm pulling most of these off the REI Website as I can source these local and they have the best prices,...I could go to one of the 12 or 13 mom and pop stores but am not familiar with their inventory, but I will definitely be shopping there. I'd also consider purchasing from the internet but am not sure what a comfortable size (5'10" 165lbs) is for me and think I should probably try a bike out before committing.

I would consider used but I don't want someone else' junk or a stolen bike.

Any opinions or other suggestions for brands etc is greatly appreciated.

[warwick.hoy]

Anybody?

[MJ5150]

Try the sledgehammer. You can get like three feet of air on it.

-Mike

[warwick.hoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK8byQsugFw

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

~Budget $400-$500 needs to include helmet (fascists)

Nope, you don't need a helmet, just tight jeans and a fixie.

[knumbskull]

i would recommend you get a cheap old roadie and fixify it, but you say there are hills on your commute, so prob best not.

i don't really know commuter type bikes - Marin are supposed to be good. i don't know if you guys have Specialized over there but they do some pretty serviceable cheapish bikes.

is there a local shop that will let you test ride?

also 3 miles = not a proper commute ...you could actually walk that. i'm already missing my old 8 miles-each-way run *flexes leg muscles*

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by spade2you

Nope, you don't need a helmet, just tight jeans and a fixie.

Not sure if this is a stab or not,...but I don't wear tight jeans (to uncomfortable in the crotch area) and I'd prefer a bike with a few gears. I'll wear a helmet because its the law and with the drivers in this town I'm not surprised.

I'm not trying to buy a status symbol,...just a comfortable and reliable bike that isn't a piece of **** from walmart. I figure if I make a decent investment on a bike and keep it maintained it will last long enough that the savings in gas and parking will make up for the expense of the bike itself.

Originally Posted by knumbskull

i would recommend you get a cheap old roadie and fixify it, but you say there are hills on your commute, so prob best not.

i don't really know commuter type bikes - Marin are supposed to be good. i don't know if you guys have Specialized over there but they do some pretty serviceable cheapish bikes.

is there a local shop that will let you test ride?

also 3 miles = not a proper commute ...you could actually walk that. i'm already missing my old 8 miles-each-way run *flexes leg muscles*

I've seen some used Specialized specimens but they were mostly road bikes which I'm not very comfortable on.

I could walk it and have in the past but it takes about 20 minutes and 3 minutes to drive. I figure about ten minutes to bike which is a good compromise on the sleeping in till the absolute last minute. Plus I'd like to get some recreational use out of it as well which is part of my justification of buying a bike.

[username n/a]

I have a Trek T30. It's pretty badass. Get one.

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by username n/a

I have a Trek T30. It's pretty badass. Get one.

That looks promising

[becker4567]

Originally Posted by knumbskull

i would recommend you get a cheap old roadie and fixify it, but you say there are hills on your commute, so prob best not.

i don't really know commuter type bikes - Marin are supposed to be good. i don't know if you guys have Specialized over there but they do some pretty serviceable cheapish bikes.

is there a local shop that will let you test ride?

also 3 miles = not a proper commute ...you could actually walk that. i'm already missing my old 8 miles-each-way run *flexes leg muscles*

Gotta agree with this! You can do a 3 mile round trip on a $100 beach cruiser.

[L-A]

I've had great experiences with a Kona Dew as an entry bike. With a Trek 820 as well.

[knumbskull]

oh and http://www.bikeforums.net/ are good, they have a commuter section

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by L-A

I've had great experiences with a Kona Dew as an entry bike. With a Trek 820 as well.

Thanks,...I look into those as well

Originally Posted by knumbskull

oh and http://www.bikeforums.net/ are good, they have a commuter section

Good info in the stickies,...thanks.

[baalroo]

Originally Posted by becker4567

Gotta agree with this! You can do a 3 mile round trip on a $100 beach cruiser.

yeah, I do a 3 mile round trip to work on a 3-speed from the 80s that I pulled out of my grandfather's garage without even breaking a sweat (and I'm overweight and lazy). For that short of a commute you might as well just hit up craigslist and buy something cheap and put the money you save into something more useful. I'm not saying that to be condescending either, it just sounds like you might be over thinking this one.

[warwick.hoy]

I hear what you are saying and I could feasibly buy a cheap bike off of CL and then invest a bunch of money into getting it fixed up and comfortably rideable or I could just buy a new bike and put all the miles on it myself. Don't get me wrong, I've certainly been looking on CL for an inexpensive but decent bike, but so far I'm not seeing anything that I'm interested in.

Keep in mind that I'm looking for a bike that has some recreational and exercise value as well. Here we have a 37 mile paved trail that I'd like to get some use out of as well. I'm not looking to break any non motorized land speed records,...but I'd certainly don't want to get stuck with some creaky, squeaky clunker and that seems to be the fare on CL.

Consider me a fool with some money to burn (actually I'll be saving up for one).

[fdeck]

I commute 8 miles round trip, daily for about 9 months out of the year, on moderately hilly terrain. I also use the bike for quick trips to the store, riding with the kids, etc.

I ride an old road bike that has been adapted for commuting: Fenders, 3-speed enclosed hub, chain guard, rack, side basket, upright handlebars, etc. I carry rain gear, and everything I need to fix a flat. You don't have to do the same thing. What I want is a bike that doesn't require any thought or effort to hop on and ride. I prefer a basket over a backpack, so I don't get all sweaty.

In my view, it's important to make sure that the frame geometry of newer bikes can accommodate accessories such as racks and fenders. A dealer can show you this, and maybe offer to install those parts for free / cheap as an incentive. (They have huge mark-ups on accessories).

I own a mountain bike that I never ride. For me, the rolling resistance of the fat, low pressure tires, slows me down too much on pavement. I've been riding on road tires since I was a kid, over streets that were full of pot holes and loose gravel. I think that if you're going to adapt a bike, a road bike is closer than a mountain bike to commuting use.

The Breezer looks like the closest to what I am riding. Enclosed gear hubs are a joy.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by baalroo

yeah, I do a 3 mile round trip to work on a 3-speed from the 80s that I pulled out of my grandfather's garage without even breaking a sweat (and I'm overweight and lazy). For that short of a commute you might as well just hit up craigslist and buy something cheap and put the money you save into something more useful. I'm not saying that to be condescending either, it just sounds like you might be over thinking this one.

Over-thinking gear? On TalkBass? Perish the thought!

[warwick.hoy]

I had a set of road tires similar to these on a cheapo wally world bike that made a big difference in the efficiency of the bike,...of course the crappy derailleur, shot gears and bent rims pretty much negated any benefit of those tires.

[fdeck]

By the way, I agree with you about buying a new bike, unless fixing old bikes is a hobby that you want to pursue. The bikes I have seen on CL fall into three categories: Worthless heaps of crap, normal bikes that people are trying to sell for a profit, and worthless heaps of crap that people are trying to sell for a profit.

[P. Aaron]

Here's the exact model I just bought here: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/cruiser/

Having ridden 10 speeds since the 70's and owning a hard charging mountain bike for the last 20 years, I decided on something more relaxing.

It is lightweight aluminum frame, a decent look, and very comfortable but easy to ride.