BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

go to thick. get a torker u-district or graduate. you will be happy.

with regards to the bike itself, your best bet is to go into a local bike store and browse. ride some bikes, talk to the sales staff and figure out what works best for your situation, and what fits correctly.

I will assume you are going to ride in the evening or morning, if so you should purchase a headlight and a tail light.

Also buy a helmet, and a U lock with a cable.

Clothing can be anything. Generally synthetic materials, or wool, do best if they get wet from sweat, etc.

You'll get some other suggestions here as well.

You should read Bike Pittsburgh's commuting guide....here http://bike-pgh.org/101/

Welcome.

In my opinion, others may vary

Not in any order

1) helmet

2) A very low lowest gear

3) A second lowest gear that is close to the lowest gear.

The gears appropriate for Pittsburgh tend to be "crazy mountain bike" gears.

4) Fenders. It rains here.

5) Rain gear - I use pants and jacket. Others recommend ponchoes.

6) Lights. Head light and tail light.

LEDs are worthwhile, although more expensive. I changed my batteries last year about this time, 300+ uses, 100 hours or so.

These are important to have even if you don't plan to ride at night.

7) A Bike rack. Why strain your back carrying things?

Tires. Relatively smooth. Flat resistant. I like fairly large tires. I use 700 X 38 currently. Those are almost the size of your classic American one-speed bike tires from when I was a kid. 700 X 35 or X 32 are OK too. Smaller will make speed differences that are marginal, but also increase flats and maintenence.

9) Flat fixer-uppers. A pump, tire irons (plastic "irons" muchly preferred.), patch kit and probably an extra innntertube, too.

10) You want to make sure the bike fits. I'm not sure which shop is best to go to for that. Fitting skills are a pretty good reason to pick a shop.

11) It's worth a few extra bucks to buy a bike from a shop close to your home.

12) U-lock.

13) EITHER pants fasteners (reflective!) or a chain guard on your largest front gear or both.

(This and rain gear. no other special clothesz needed, but sensible clothes are pretty mcuh required. A long bike journey in skin tight jeans is nothing I want to do again.)

14) A reference book on bike repairs is good to have, even if you don't plan on doing your won repairs.

Two life-saving skills worth practicing in an empty parking lot

1) Looking over your shoulder while progressing in a straight line. Mirrors are nice, but no substitute for this skill.

2) Panic stops. Practice braking hard enough that you know the feeling of your back tire coming off the road. Work up to it.

ride a lot of bikes. there's just no sub for getting a feel for a bike in person. make sure you test ride it up a hill if at all possible.

Get bike, helmet, lock. Worry about everything else as you find a need.

That Torker Graduate is SWEET! But from what I read I would be concerned about removing a wheel to change a simple flat.

If you go single speed, gear it lower. Whatever it's geared, change the sprocket ($25 thing+-).

+10 for trying it on a hill first.

Priority purchases:

A bike that fits you and your intended use (commuting). Go to a local bike shop and ask to be fitted. (See my last comment below, as well.)

A helmet. Get in the habit of wearing one from the start.

A lock. Spend $40 less on the bike, and use it to buy a stong lock. If you have secure bike storage at both ends (a locked garage at home, and the ability to bring you bike indoors downtown, you can skimp a little on the lock. But you can't skimp much.) The best lock will enable you to secure both wheels and the frame. That usually means a U-Lock with a cable (for the wheels).

Lights - front and rear. For your ride you shouldn't need to spend a fortune. But, you want a front (white) light and a rear (red) light. In my opinion, having a flash or blink mode on both is a help. A flashing light (front or rear) will make you visible to others. A steady on front light will enable you to see the path ahead of you. Both are important.

Fenders or rain gear. I got most of my rain gear at the local Thrift Store. I started with wind gear (the stuff runners wear) and worked my way up through water resistant to waterproof. You'd be amazed at what you can find for just a few bucks.

Something to carry your stuff in. Backpacks work fine, but may create a sweaty back. Messenger style bags (one strap) work well if you need to be in and out of it a lot. If you have a bike rack, you can bungee stuff to that.....lots of options.

Because you have a relatively short commute. I would not worry about special clothing - bike shorts, jerseys, etc (for now). I'd stay away from cotton, if you can, to be more comfortable when you sweat.

Since you are COMPLETELY new to the biking thing, AND will commute laregley by trail (I presume) I am going to go against the grain a little bit and suggest that you might want to borrow a bike for a week or so to see if you actually LIKE the bike commute enough to do this. If borrowing is not an option, consider buying a cheap (but good)used bike (that fits you) to use for a month to see if you will stick with this. There is absloutely NOTHING more annoying or disappointing than spending what to you is a LOT of money only to find out that you won't use it. If you KNOW you enjoy biking, then skip this step. If you haven't been on a bike in a decade, and didn't really enjoy it all that much then, invest a minimal amount of money in a beater bike, and make it work for a few weeks or months. If you enjoy it, and think this might work for you in the longer term, you can always upgrade (and you will.)

Best deal on ulock and cable:

http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Bulldog-5015TC-Bicycle-Security/dp/B000FL3E9I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1272373763&sr=8-2

I use this lock myself and so do many people on this board.

+1 on fenders, helmet, lights.

a $15 helmet at target/walmart offers the same protection as a $200 helmet. it may not be as light or stylish, but it will protect your knoggin.

Fenders will run you about $20-$30 depending on wheel and tire size, but are very very nice and their effectiveness shouldnt be underestimated.

Lights range from $15/set to hundreds. I would recommend LED (less dimming and longer battery life). If you arent going to be riding in the dead of night, just a set of blinkies should suffice, otherwise, you will also want something that can function as a headlight. I have a handlebar mount for a 6watt led flashlight.

If you step up to the $50 range for lights, you can get a headlight that is both a blinky and bright enough to ride dark trails by.

As for clothing, The only thing really bike related I would recommend is padded shorts. They can be worn under street clothes and make a big difference.

I agree that a decent water resistant windbreaker is a good first rain jacket that you can get cheap. I personally use a waterproof backpack for commuting. I can take all my work stuff plus a change of clothes, etc. They tend to be pretty expensive tho. I paid $70 for mine, but for most things, if you take just a nice backpack with a waist strap, and scotch guard it, it would work just fine.

$10-ish red blinky that you attach to your helmet. Two lights are always better than one, and if you have something on your rack or back, it might occlude others seeing the bike light. Another reason to have your helmet with you, esp. at night.

Bike, helmet, lock, and lights (front & rear) are what I'd consider mandatory.

Bike: I second what others say about test-riding, but I'd caution against falling in love with a more expensive bike and talking yourself into it at this point, especially if you're on a budget. Get something inexpensive for now. The bike that you want after you've been riding for a year or two is not necessarily the bike that you want now, anyway.

Helmet: I never ride without mine. Protect the dome.

Lock: If you're on a budget, you probably can't afford to buy two or three bikes.

Lights: Even if you don't plan to be riding at night, you might get caught out late sometime. On rainy/cloudy/foggy days, you'll want them for the same reason cars do: visibility.

Other things to consider, but not mandatory:

Water bottle: I almost consider this mandatory. For a short commute, it's not even so much about the hydration as it is washing dirt and dust out of your mouth.

Eye protection: A lot of people find that they really want sunglasses or goggles to protect their eyes. Others don't care.

Repair kit: I can already sense disagreement about this being optional. I carry some basics with me on my bike, and I have a bunch more stuff at home. Most of what I have I bought as-needed. I think that getting enough stuff (tools+spare tube) to fix a flat is the highest priority here, and you don't want to wait until you actually get a flat. OTOH, it's not like you can't ride at all without the repair kit. Consider your route, the times of day when you'll be riding, and how bad it would be to have a breakdown, and that'll give you an idea of how much to worry about this up-front.

Fenders: There's enough rain around here that if you're commuting, puddles and mud are a reality to deal with. Fenders can help keep your clothing clean. Some folks consider this mandatory. I personally don't use them, but I pack clean clothes so I can change.

Carriers/racks: Sooner or later, you'll find that you need or want to transport stuff. The simplest thing is to use a backpack. I did that for years until I got fed up with a sweaty back and got a rack. I love the rack, but it is extra $. A lot of folks like panniers as well. Another way to go is a messenger bag. I haven't tried that; when I need more stuff than fits on my rack, I still just use a backpack.

Comfy seat: There are those who dismiss this as extra weight, and say that you should toughen your butt up. If you haven't been riding, then nothing other than riding will get you used to the seat. However, there's a ton of seats out there for a reason. After you've been riding for a while, you should check them out. I wouldn't bother doing this before riding for a while, because at first, no matter what you do, you'll need to get used to being on a seat... any seat at all.

Clothing: There's no upper bound on how much you can spend on specialized bike clothing. It can definitely make rides more comfortable. I don't suggest spending here right out of the gate, though. Instead, ride for a while and figure out what you need.

Misc bike mods: bar ends, clipless pedals, etc: I'd advise any new biker to steer away from this stuff until after gaining some riding experience. The main reason that I say that is that different people have different desires, and until you've got some mileage in, you won't really know what you want. Personally, I switched to fancy shoes and pedals after I started realizing that the main problem I was having on long rides was foot cramps. Similarly bar ends - after a few hours riding, my fingers were getting numb. Better bar ends added a couple of hours to my ride time.

I guess a lot of this may be overwhelming. Also realize you can ease yourself into it. You coudl start by only commuting on good weather days to avoid the cost of fenders, etc initially.

As for tools, I carry a bike multi tool, set of tire levers, patch kit and spare tube inside a water bottle. makes it easy to carry and take with me.

I would say if possible, Budget at least a couple hundred dollars over the next 6-12 months to finish out your bike accessory purchases. You may get lucky and find some things cheaper at thrift stores, free ride, craigslist, etc.

Realize also, that these accessories, other than lock, helmet(imo), and lights, are not necessities. They are to make things more convenient, more comfortable, more reliable, etc.

When I started commuting by bike, All I had was a bike, a lock, and a helmet. I have now been commuting by bike for about a year and a half and it took about a year to get the accessories I use now. So just keep in mind you dont have to go all in on day one.

Leave it to this message board to completely over complicate something so simple as buying a cheap bike!

netviln is right. Just get a bike, helmet, u-lock and and a set of lights.

I have a bike with a Sturmey 5-speed with drum brakes, like the Torker Graduate. I don't think the gear range is as wide as a newbie would want, and taking off the rear wheel is a naaaasty process: I need to split the indicator cable, pull the cable pulley off the bolt, loosen the bolt holding the brake's torque arm, potentially loosen the fender, remove several washers, and move the chain out of the way. And then the same process in reverse with the tube fixed, after which I need to tension the chain and re-align the indicator cable.

It's a lot harder than a quick-release.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/bik/1712821027.html

This is a screamingly good deal if it's still around.

information overload! and i'm probably not going to do much better. here are the things that made the most difference in my ride:

bike. i commuted on a hybrid for about two years before i switched to a road bike with drop bars. i pretty much haven't ridden my hybrid since. if i had to buy a bike again, i would go with a road bike, either a commuting/touring bike, or a cross bike. the main idea is fat-ish tires and fender clearance, with drop bars so you have multiple hand positions.

besides the bike, i think the best thing i ever bought was an under-the-seat bag. when i first started commuting, i would just change into scrubs when i got to work, so i would only bring my keys, phone, wallet, watch, and a few allen wrenches. i could fit them all comfortably in this bag, and i still use it, even though i now roll with a rack and panniers.

fenders make a huge difference in ride comfort, if you're willing to ride in the rain. they make a huge difference in your willingness to ride in the rain, too. wear a white shirt while riding on wet roads and no fenders sometime.

i commuted for years with just those things, and no special clothing. now, as i say, i ride with a rack and panniers. i don't know how i went without them for so long, but i also do almost all my grocery shopping by bike now.

and i don't recommend going with them out of the gate, but toe clips/clipless pedals really made a difference in my ride comfort. i always seemed to waste a lot of mental energy trying to keep my feet optimally positioned on the pedals. i don't even think about it any more.

i think borrowing a bike or riding a bunch at local bike shops is a great idea. after you get an idea of what you want, you can price shop or snag one off of craigslist. a good helmet and u-lock are the next most important things. lights, especially front, come next. and maybe something to carry your stuff in. after that, you'll figure out what you need the more you ride.

Oi, I hope no one from Copenhagen stumbles onto this thread. I can hear the laughter.

Oi, I hope no one from Copenhagen stumbles onto this thread. I can hear the laughter

We'll just invite them to climb up Bates street or the Mur de Joncaire.

We'll just invite them to climb up Bates street or the Mur de Joncaire.

dont forget in 40 degree rain, in rush hour.