City Cycling

[PCabrelli]

I'm looking to pick up a cool bike - any suggestions?

P
--
http://gentrystyle.com

 

[Syl]

Ebay.

If it's for city commuting then that means you'll be locking it up outside often i.e. a matter of time before it's stolen.

 

[velobran]

+1 .... a beater bike is the way to go.

 

[Serg]

http://www.vandesselsports.com/crb.html get the one without disk breaks

 

[jpeirpont]

Be sure to avoid the police.

 

[Mentos]

If you're in a flat town and don't need to go fast, buy an old three-speed english bike (raleigh, triumph, etc.). You can usually get one for $150 off CL. They last forever, and no one would ever steal one. If someone did, who cares? I've been commuting on a bike that's older than I am for the past two years.

 

[Bunny]

a few quick answers can help us give you some actually useful advice

1) what's your budget limit?

2) Which country are you in?

3) Is theft an issue?

4) Do you have bikes for other purposes already? Do you need it for touring as well?

5) Can you do the maintenance or have a shop nearby?

 

[onion]

One things for sure: Don't believe ANYONE who tells you a fixed gear bike with no brakes is a good idea. These moron hipsters think they are the greatest things on Earth, but honestly they suck bad and are dangerous (especially for an inexperienced rider). You can't stop pedaling, which really sucks on its own (and is scary when you go down a big decline and your pedals are spinning fast as hell). Also if you are going really fast and need to turn hard, you will need to lean a good bit. If you do this on a FG bike you risk hitting your pedals on something, and crashing. Needless to say, if you had a car on your ass it could be very bad news. My suggestion is either a 3 speed or a single speed, assuming you only want to use it for the city. I would go to a local bike store and at least get fitted so you know your aprox size. It's sort of risky to buy a bike without riding it, especially when the store/ebay have no return policy.... Each bike company may have a slightly different ways of measuring the bike, so if you bought a 56cm in something it could really be more like a standard 54cm or 58cm frame. So on that try to buy in store, though lets be serious, eBay and other online stores often has some great, unmatched deals on very nice bikes.

 

[Byrd]

Originally Posted by onion

One things for sure: Don't believe ANYONE who tells you a fixed gear bike with no brakes is a good idea.


Couldn't agree more. I think riding a bike w/o a brake is down right irresponsible.

I recently got a specialized langster that I really enjoy. Relatively inexpensive, aluminum frame, so its really light. Its also a single speed with a pretty aggressive ratio so you should gain some leg strength fairly quickly.

 

[SUPER K]

city cycling:

 

[Serg]

i recommend a flip flop hub (single speed / fixed) with different ratios and yes for sure on brakes.

 

[Byrd]

Yea, flip flop hub is a great choice. I am still kicking myself for not going that route.

 

[andyw]

....folding bike, of course. Here's a couple of mine......8 speed GoBike in orange and a 5 speed Brompton.

 

[lost in va]

Originally Posted by Byrd

Couldn't agree more. I think riding a bike w/o a brake is down right irresponsible.
May I ask why? I can stop just as fast as you can on a bike with brakes, now how am I being irresponsible?

Originally Posted by onion

One things for sure: Don't believe ANYONE who tells you a fixed gear bike with no brakes is a good idea.

These moron hipsters think they are the greatest things on Earth, but honestly they suck bad and are dangerous (especially for an inexperienced rider). You can't stop pedaling, which really sucks on its own (and is scary when you go down a big decline and your pedals are spinning fast as hell). Also if you are going really fast and need to turn hard, you will need to lean a good bit. If you do this on a FG bike you risk hitting your pedals on something, and crashing. Needless to say, if you had a car on your ass it could be very bad news.

So what you're saying is that if you have no clue how to ride a bike you shouldn't ride one that's made for a experienced rider? WOW, that's a concept.

 

[Serg]

Originally Posted by lost in va

May I ask why? I can stop just as fast as you can on a bike with brakes, now how am I being irresponsible?


So what you're saying is that if you have no clue how to ride a bike you shouldn't ride one that's made for a experienced rider? WOW, that's a concept.

if your chain breaks you have no way of stopping.