Comments on: Buying a Bike? Here’s What You Should Know

By: CherylM

CherylM — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:11:11 +0000

Bike seats. Don’t think that the softest bike seat is the most comfortable. You want the pressure of supporting yourself on your bike to be on your sit bones, and not on your…er…softer areas. Some bike seats squish around when you sit on them, and put pressure where you don’t want it, esp for 30 min or an hour. Also, don’t think the wider seat is always comfortable. If the back of your leg is hitting the bike seat, it’s probably too wide. Once again, rubbing the back of your leg on a bike seat for 30 min or an hour will def take the interest out of cycling. You aren’t sitting on a couch, you’re moving when you bike. Don’t choose a bike seat the way you choose furniture.

By: Cosmo

Cosmo — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:42:38 +0000

I agree with Caitlin on the used bikes. Vintage bikes are built really well which is why they are still around and working. Many cities have bike co-ops where you can go in and get help with any maintenance that you want to do yourself and bike shop mechanics are awesome at making your used bike ride great. I love my vintage 1970 Raleigh Lady Sport and it rides just as well as my much newer Electra Townie.

You also left out a category of transportation bikes which are sturdy, with wider tires and an upright position and geometry, usually swept back bars, The good ones will come with fenders, chaincase, lights, and an O-lock on the rear wheel, and a bell. These are usually bikes made in Europe for people who ride everyday in all kinds of weather in their normal clothes so they cost a little more than your usual American style beginner bike. They are getting easier to find in the US now and most major cities have shops that specialize in these types of bikes.

I always like to think that bikes are transportation first, not “transportation too.” They are the same as a car but better.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:38:24 +0000

There’s some great advice here, though I wouldn’t write off the idea of buying a used bike, especially if money is tight. I understand that bike maintenance is not that complex – if you want to DIY you can buy a book on it or watch YouTube tutorials. If you don’t, bikes don’t generally need stacks of maintenance and simple tune-ups at a bike shop are not expensive, unlike car repairs.

You can get relatively new bikes secondhand. We got ours from a bike rental shop in San Francisco at the end of the summer season, and we are far from expert. There are always plenty for sale on Craigslist too.