I need a bike!

[meatball]

I really want to get a bike but I'm not sure where to go or what to get. Any suggestions? I got one a few years ago from Target and it was a hunk of junk, and got stolen out of my garage after just a few rides. I'm not looking to spend much though, which is probably the problem...you get what you pay for.

[larryhead]

I've always been a fan of Schwinn bikes... but I haven't been on one in probably close to ten years. They are still known to make quality bikes I think.

[slam]

paul is the resident bike expert. drop him a pm, he'll have some good ideas for ya!

[cuscus]

I have had a Gary Fisher for like ten years now. I used to ride everywhere until I got hit by a car, now not so much, but the bike is still good.

[poofdogg]

i'm a fan of giant. they make very durable bikes. they aren't cheap, but as you said "you get what you pay for."

[meatball]

I have had a Gary Fisher for like ten years now. I used to ride everywhere until I got hit by a car, now not so much, but the bike is still good.

Ouch.

[paul]

Hey! Good to hear. I guess I've been called out, and have to give some advice. Here's my quick guide to buying a bike in Chicago. I guess probably there are other people thinking about this too, so maybe it's good that I got carried away writing this up...

BIKE TYPES:

There's pretty much two kinds of bikes. "Dept. store" bikes and "bike shop" bikes. Department store bikes are purchased at places like Target and Wal Mart, have name brands like Huffy, and are built with entirely different parts types and standards as "bike shop" bikes. They cost less than $200, are designed to be ridden less than a few hundred miles in their life, they will fall apart quickly. Don't buy one of these. Even though they cost half as much as many other bikes, they're still not a good deal because they'll last 1/10th as long.

I highly recommend getting a road bike if you're riding in the city. Even though the curved under bars are intimidating at first, they are way more fun, because you can go so fast.

Mountain bikes are fun, but as their name suggests, they are for a place other than the city. Many people have problems with knobby tires in the city, because the increased road drag slows you down, and they catch glass and get flats way more easily. One popular approach is to adapt mountain bikes for city use by getting slick tires, and adjusting the suspension to it's stiffest setting. Some people that use thier bikes for transportation like mountain bikes, because they can make it easy to add a rack for carrying stuff.

Some people ride fixed gear road bikes, or track bikes. Frame and handlebars are similar to a normal road bike, but they have only one gear and you can't coast. This makes them a little harder to ride, but an extended set of tricks, like trackstands, are possible with them. Some say that they're faster in heavy city traffic and more fun too.

Cruisers are cool. There are tons of Schwinn cruisers around Chicago, since the company headquarters, and some Schwinn factories, used to be here. They are super durable, cheap, and everyone thinks they look cool. If you get a rusty one, shine up the rims and chrome by gently polishing with steel wool or a green scrubby, and people will need sunglasses to look at your bike. Many cruisers are even ready for service with racks and baskets. The downside of cruisers is that they're heavy as hell, which makes them bad if you live upstairs and have to carry your bike up steps. They don't go fast, at all, either.

Then there are hybrid bikes. They combine some traits of road bikes, with straight bars like mountain bikes, and cushy seats like cruisers. These are popular with old people, slow pokes, and the type of person that complains "my butt hurts" after a short ride.

WHERE:

For getting a new bike: Boulevard Bikes in Logan Square, is an awesome bike shop. Uptown Bikes in Uptown, I've had ok times working with, and had friends recommend too. There are a lot of other decent neighborhood bike shops around. Bigger shops like Kozy's are ok, but you'll get less service, and not as good of a bike. There's this nice web site: http://www.chicagobikeshops.info/

For used bikes, Working Bikes Coop http://workingbikes.org, is the best place to go. You can get classic cool shit there, especially Schwinn cruisers, really cheap. Sometimes their bikes need a little extra fixing when you get them home, but they're good deals. Craigslist is also a good place to look for used stuff, but now that it's spring, prices will be high as people clamor for the good deals.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Fit: Make sure you ride the bike, and make sure it fits. Pay attention to whether you can fully stretch out your legs when peddling, and that your arms feel ok. Girls have an especially hard time getting bikes to fit sometimes, because bikes are mostly made for guys.

Frame: Ask about the frame. Steel frames are good, and durable, and cheap. Aluminum is also a popular frame material, but some say make for a less comfortable ride. Carbon fiber is the space-age new awesome shit, but it won't hold up well to getting banged around, against bike racks, curbs, accidents and stuff, thus is not suited for use in the city.

Components: Look at the brakes and gear system, both the control parts, and the mechanical parts, near the wheels, that make the bike run. The more these things are made out of metal, and not plastic, the better. This is also what makes them expensive. So, you're looking at a trade-off of expense vs. durability. Stickers showing name brands like Shimano or SRAM usually mean that they're at least decent.

Size: The basic size measurement of a bike is the seat tube length. Often this is shown on a little sticker on the inside of the rear triangle of the frame, under where the seat connects. Find a bike that fits you, and take note of the seat tube size, so you know what you're looking for, especially if you shop on-line.

Bike Brand: In my opinion, brand matters very little, unless you're buying an extremely high end bike. All brands use pretty much the same component sets (usually Shimano), and Shimano only makes a few models of each component type. And, look closely at the little sticker on the and they all buy their frames from the same Tiawaneese manufacturers.

Be sure to get a u-lock. Cable locks or chains are easily cut. Always lock the frame of your bike to something metal. I've followed this rule, and never had a bike stolen yet.

Also get a helmet, in case you hit your head on the ground. It happens to even the best of us.

[meatball]

Holy mother load of bike information :D - thanks so much! I'll read it when I get home tonight...stupid work interfering with my expanding my bike knowledge!

[notorious]

Then there are hybrid bikes. They combine some traits of road bikes, with straight bars like mountain bikes, and cushy seats like cruisers. These are popular with old people, slow pokes, and the type of person that complains "my butt hurts" after a short ride.


i'm one of these slow pokes. thanks paul. lol.

so far i've enjoyed my hybrid.

[matty]

I am thoroughly impressed with Paul's knowledge of bikes. And a little turned on.