Hey DUers, I need some help in buying a bicycle.
Last edited Tue Oct 9, 2012, 05:27 PM - Edit history (2)
Yes, I can't afford to drive my car anymore, so I'm looking to buy a bicycle but don't know where to start. My last bike was a single gear Schwinn with foot brakes back in the fifties. I need something that can climb hills, but I don't need anything fancy or expensive. I am an old lady, but I am strong cuz I work out with weights regularly. Basically, I spend a lot of time at the gym doing cardio on various equipment including stationary bikes so I thought why not do my cardio in the fresh air while getting my chores done. I can jog places but I wouldn't be able to transport groceries, hence the need for some wheels.
Also, I can't spend more than $300 and it would go on a credit card cuz I'm pretty broke, however, with gas between $4 and $5 a gallon, what I spend on gas I could use to pay off the bike.
Any suggestions?
I hope it's okay to post this in GD. I posted in the lounge but am not getting any replies. It is somewhat related to our economic situation and gas prices in California.
UPDATE: See my post #89. I got a bike a Raleigh Venture 3.0 from the local bike shop. I'll get it in a couple of weeks as the bike shop guy had to order it special so it would fit me. I am a small person.
= new reply since forum marked as read
And its easier to use and more stable than anything attached to the bike - which can catch the wind and make handling sketchy in various ways.
A messenger bag is just like a regular shoulder bag or laptop bag, but it has an extra strap that clips to bottom of one corner to the main strap. Its hard to describe, but you swing the mainstrap over your head, shift the bag behind you, then bring the second strap up and clip it on, and it works great; very stable and comfortable. Looks like this from the front:
...your town. They will let you try out one the same way as buying a car.
Stay away from certain brands. (look on the web)
Others here will have much more... 
but IMO should be for everyone. Cyclists should also use a mirror while riding on public streets:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VTQNVO/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15466388859&hvpos=1o1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18181121371774366397&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_B001VTQNVO
It fits on your sunglasses ( wear those too, even if they're just with clear lenses...if you've been hit by a bee in your eye you understand).
I'm the VP of a bike club with 500 members near L.A. and probably 1/2 of our riders wear this mirror. Once you get used to it you won't want to ride without it.
I like the "Cruiser" model. Made right here in USA. A California-based company, actually!
But this geezer likes those breezers!
and I guess only old farts like me ride what used to be known as "mountain bikes".
'Course, in my day we wouldn't be caught dead drinking pabst blue ribbon out of a can, at least not on purpose.
...it's sort of like skinny pants versus baggy pants. I lose track. 
Get a helmet for sure.
Do not, under any circumstances, buy a "yuppie" bike. It will cost you twice as much at least, and could even run you five times as much, and it will be much more popular with thieves. Get a bike that no self-respecting thief would be caught dead riding. In other words, get a "granny bike" not a "sporty bike".
At one time I had a bike I bought at a garage sale for $25 and rode it for at least ten or fifteen years. I finally tossed it out last year since it had been sitting out in the rain, un-used for about ten years.
Bikes have changed a lot since the last time you rode one, and for the better. You'll feel awesome after a few months. I have a hybrid bike that I use for grocery runs, and have about 250 feet of up-and-down on a three mile route. My wife sends me out for something just about every day.
There are any number of good hybrid bikes (sort of a cross between a racing bike and that cruiser you had in the 50's) well under $300 and certainly very good used ones on Craigslist etc. Hybrid bikes have an upright riding posture, flat bars, and typically comfortable seats like this aluminum frame Northwoods Ladies Hybrid, which you can find online for $180:
But, really, get thee to a bike shop or two, as they will typically have different lines they carry, to get an idea of what these things are like. There is something of a fuzzy line between bikes that are called "hybrid bikes" and other ones called "comfort bikes" with the difference usually being a matter of how fat are the tires and how plush are the seats and suspension. Fat tires and lots of springy gimmicks in the suspension rob you of efficiency, so where you make the tradeoff is a function of your ass, your legs and your anticipated route. If you get a really cushy "comfort" bike, and start riding regularly, it is virtually guaranteed you are going to be preferring that you had purchased something a little more efficient initially. On some models, swapping out the wide knobby tires for narrower tires makes a world of difference.
People who work in bike shops are, in general, friendly informative folks who would love to match you to a bike. Most folks in bike shops are there because they are bike enthusiasts/evangelists, and would love to match an old lady to a bike.
How much up and down do you have, and how far were you thinking of going?
Also, do you have a street-level garage, or do you anticipate taking the bike up and down stairs? The biggest differences in price tiers are the frame and fork materials, with the lightest bikes being outstandingly expensive. From all-carbon frames that go into several thousands of dollars, to special alloy frames with carbon forks, alloy frames, aluminum and steel. If you are not planning to qualify for grand tour racing, then the marginal weight differences are not all that big a deal, unless you are planning to carry the bike up and down stairs. Go pick up a few steel, aluminum and carbon bikes, and you'll see what I mean.
For carrying groceries, I use a pair of wire folding baskets which mount on the rear rack like so:
...where you can see on in the open position and one in the closed position. They are coincidentally just about the size of a standard reusuable grocery bag. With a bungee net over the top, everything stays inside.
If you are not planning to wear a hoop skirt, you don't need one.
That said, some "women's bikes" have straight-bar frames that provide a lower clearance.
In other words, something that looks like this:
...has that bent bar which isn't doing much for the integrity of the frame, whereas something that looks like this:
is marginally better.
But the assumption is that you don't want your skirt riding up on the top bar of a "men's" bike. Solution: wear pants. (and if you don't have pants with small or elastic cuffs, get a loose rubber band or a pantleg clip to keep your right pant leg out of the works (if your bike doesn't have a chain guard)).
all the time. But they seem to be serious athletes. Don't know if they want granny joining them.
ask them to go poke around at yard sales and thrift shops in expensive neighborhoods with you, or have them look on CL for you. Your height will make it a bit tough but not impossible- I'm the same size, I'd know.
Ignore any serious cyclists 
who insist you need something that costs more than your first car did. Even if you need to buy a few minor parts and a tune up for a good used bike you'll still be ahead of the price of an entry level bike of good quality.
Don't buy any bike sold at a store that sells toys or TP. The components are crap and the assembly is worse, plus they're so badly packed they usually arrive damaged. Also, they're HEAVY and while you don't need to sweat every fraction of an ounce a lighter bike will make life a lot easier when you're bringing your stuff back uphill.
edit: DO NOT get a bike that almost fits. Hold out for one that really fits.
Not a serious suggestion!
So I went to the local bike shop in our village and the young man who owns it was very helpful. Since the bike that was best for me isn't in stock, he is ordering it for me. The price is right too. It will be here in two weeks. 
He has a repair and maintenance contract with it for a year and said if anything isn't satisfactory, he will work with me to change or fix it.
Thank you, everyone of you who replied to this thread with your suggestions. They were all very helpful.
They generally do a great job to make sure their customers are taken care of!
