Bike Recommendations
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- Posts: 114
- Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:02 pm
- Location: Chicago
Bike Recommendations
Good morning all:
I've been riding my bike to work for about ten years, and last week, I took a spill that did some damage to the bike. There were no bodily injuries, but I'm planning to replace the bike because it was not a great bike for commuting in the first place. Can someone recommend a make/model that would be well-suited to the following:
1) 3-4 miles a day (commuting, trips to the grocery, etc.)
2) year-round use, including nasty Chicago winters
3) relatively flat terrain, all paved.
Thanks in advance,
jt
I've been riding my bike to work for about ten years, and last week, I took a spill that did some damage to the bike. There were no bodily injuries, but I'm planning to replace the bike because it was not a great bike for commuting in the first place. Can someone recommend a make/model that would be well-suited to the following:
1) 3-4 miles a day (commuting, trips to the grocery, etc.)
2) year-round use, including nasty Chicago winters
3) relatively flat terrain, all paved.
Thanks in advance,
jt
For your stated use, it sounds like you are a good candidate for a hybrid bike. Generally speaking, you can think of them as a mix between a road bike and a mountain bike, and are usually fitted with many 'comfort' features. Unlike a mountain bike, they ride very nicely on paved surfaces. But they have enough off-road qualities to do some light trails or devour through snow or mud. I'm no expert, but I speak from experience; I have a couple of hybrids, and about once or twice a year, we go down to the Florida Keys and cover the whole place throughout the course of a week or so, including the City of Key West. We can spend a day cruising and bar-hopping the entire city, and arrive at the hotel at night with our rears intact.
I don't know what your budget is, but if low-budget, I'd recommend the K2 line, such as the K2 Alturas 2.0. They start at around $400, and you get a lot of bike for the money. You can spend ten times that amount on a hybrid if you so desired, too.
For a little more, a Novara Fusion is another good low-budget choice:
I don't know what your budget is, but if low-budget, I'd recommend the K2 line, such as the K2 Alturas 2.0. They start at around $400, and you get a lot of bike for the money. You can spend ten times that amount on a hybrid if you so desired, too.
For a little more, a Novara Fusion is another good low-budget choice:
- Bargepole
- Beam me up Scotty
- Posts: 2350
- Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:07 pm
- Location: Cambridge, England
Nothing quite touches my Raleigh, >50 years old. Belonged to an uncle then I got it. Perfect. Comfort with idiosyncratic dignity. (Pashley make modern equivalents. Almost perfect.)
Here's mine:
Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch
Here's mine:
Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch
Michael
People say it's never too late. How wrong they are. --Felix Dennis
People say it's never too late. How wrong they are. --Felix Dennis
Personally, I am partial to road bikes - however, given your description of needs, a straight hybrid bike is probably your best bet. Get yourself a good brand -- e.g. Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc. Don't get a front fork with a shock - that's the biggest waste of money, and the worst energy expender when you are riding. Get a good seat, and invest in proper bike gear if you don't already have any. The best on-line overall prices I have found are at Bike Nashbar - great selection, and excellent prices.
One final thing - bike pedals - look for spd-compatible shoes and pedals - you will be amazed at the difference they make to your ride.
One final thing - bike pedals - look for spd-compatible shoes and pedals - you will be amazed at the difference they make to your ride.
- Trumperman
- Bill Extraordinaire
- Posts: 2893
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:17 pm
- Location: Charlotte, NC
Somehow I can envision Michael riding his bike to Bletchley Park in anticipation of cracking a German U-Boat code that will shorten the war by two years. And yes, he does have the one pants leg tucked into his sock.Bargepole wrote:Nothing quite touches my Raleigh, >50 years old. Belonged to an uncle then I got it. Perfect. Comfort with idiosyncratic dignity. (Pashley make modern equivalents. Almost perfect.)
Here's mine:
Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch
A smashing good looking bike!
Regards,
Bill
Don't think......shave.
- Scrapyard Ape
- Posts: 1866
- Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:20 am
- Location: Somewhere in Ohio
So are you recommending that the JT spend an inordinate amount of time (and possibly money as well) searching for a 50 year old collectible as his next bicycle?Bargepole wrote:Nothing quite touches my Raleigh, >50 years old. Belonged to an uncle then I got it. Perfect. Comfort with idiosyncratic dignity. (Pashley make modern equivalents. Almost perfect.)
Here's mine:
Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch
~Greg
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- Posts: 114
- Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:02 pm
- Location: Chicago
All good tips and thanks for the info, fellas! I will indeed look into the hybrids you mentioned. As for the Harley, despite having a relative who's a bigwig with them and gets nice breaks on price, my wife says no way. She's seen me come home from some nasty spills on my bicycle, so she doesn't trust me on anything with an engine. I have to say I like look of the vintage single-speeds, too.
Thanks again!
jt
Thanks again!
jt
- kaptain_zero
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:59 am
- Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Well, no need to go looking for a collectible.... True gents bikes are still available in NA though they are produced in the Netherlands. Check out Jorg & Olif. Nice people to deal with, I ordered a nice lock from them, the euro style... no it won't stop you from being ripped off NY style but for those 2 mins that you pop into a convenience store, those euro locks are great. In the old days when I lived in Norway, those locks had a combination release... now there's a key that stays in the lock until you park the bike and lock it, thus releasing the key... when you unlock, the key again stays in the lock until next time. No need to drag anything out of a bag, no getting your hands messy.Scrapyard Ape wrote: So are you recommending that the JT spend an inordinate amount of time (and possibly money as well) searching for a 50 year old collectible as his next bicycle?
Regards
Christian
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.
Electra
I own a custom-made road bike and a Gary Fischer Sugar 2 mountain bike. But the bike that has given me the greatest pleasure and that I find myself riding the most is the Electra Amsterdam. I'm surprised no one mentioned Electras, as they started the "cruiser" bike movement some years ago. The Amsterdam is modeled after the legendary Dutch bikes that people in Holland use year-round for their daily commute. These things are left outside in the endless rain, and have the bejesus kicked out of them carrying multiple people, groceries, and all of the above plus suitcases. They are also the epitome of "cool" and I get stopped every day by folks on uber-bikes asking me what "that" is and oohing and aahing all over the bike. Tremendously comfortable and built like a brick-sh^%house. Web site at:
http://www.electrabike.com/
About $600.
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http://www.electrabike.com/
About $600.
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jt - the only risk you run at the moment is available stock. I'd circulate through your local bike shops to see what stock they have in and what's available now. Bike manufacturers are kind of like ski manufacturers, they run the majority of their manufacturing on a seasonal basis and often run out their last shipments to retailers in late May/early June. The big advantage of a LBS is that they will let you take a bike out for a run before buying - which is pretty important, imo.
Good luck.
Good luck.
- fallingwickets
- Clive the Thumb
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- Bargepole
- Beam me up Scotty
- Posts: 2350
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- Location: Cambridge, England
Or if he happened to come across someone who happened to have one -- say, by seeing a picture on the global interweb or something -- he could make an irresistible offer...Scrapyard Ape wrote: So are you recommending that the JT spend an inordinate amount of time (and possibly money as well) searching for a 50 year old collectible as his next bicycle?
Michael
People say it's never too late. How wrong they are. --Felix Dennis
People say it's never too late. How wrong they are. --Felix Dennis
- fallingwickets
- Clive the Thumb
- Posts: 8813
- Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:59 am
They run for about $200 - 500 in European nations. They weigh roughly 50 lbs. and would cost an arm and a leg to ship here. $1500 is ridiculous I agree (might be cheaper to attempt shipping one from Europe??), but the quality/workmanship is phenomenal.fallingwickets wrote:Just curious....how much are these in Holland? $1500 for a bike seems incredibly high especially since its a measly street bike with a WHOLE three gears.....woooohooooooooo
Clive
_________________
The man upstairs is used to all of this noise...
I'm through with screaming and echoes nobody hears
The man upstairs is used to all of this noise...
I'm through with screaming and echoes nobody hears
For those of you maintaining an old English 3-speed:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html
- MadAussie
- Posts: 382
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:10 pm
- Location: Lexington, Virginia / Melbourne Australia
this is for when camping
but this is my ride to work;
my wife has a hybrid, seat like a tractors, geometry so ugh and turns like a semi-trailer/18wheeler... but hers pulls the baby wagon.. we swapped one day, well mine has sharp geometry and will turn 180 will little recourse... its very 'flicky'... its like night and day, well the small seat lasted all of a minute before she wanted to swap back
and yea for the sharp eyed it has _two_ bottom brackets...
I think for chicago streets you nead a real bike, none of this lycra riding stuff. ^_^
but this is my ride to work;
my wife has a hybrid, seat like a tractors, geometry so ugh and turns like a semi-trailer/18wheeler... but hers pulls the baby wagon.. we swapped one day, well mine has sharp geometry and will turn 180 will little recourse... its very 'flicky'... its like night and day, well the small seat lasted all of a minute before she wanted to swap back
and yea for the sharp eyed it has _two_ bottom brackets...
I think for chicago streets you nead a real bike, none of this lycra riding stuff. ^_^
-- Stu, the mad Australian living in Virginia :: Come on you Irons!! WHUFC --
- Honed on the grave stone of Bruce Lee -
- Honed on the grave stone of Bruce Lee -