It's Time To Buy a New Bicycle...

[Roxlimn]

I think a nice hardtail hybrid offers you the best of what you want, while also being flexibile enough to ride on a moderate downhill or uphill gravel trail, if you ever need to do something like that in a fix. Also forgives you for holding onto your handlebars if you ever happen to hit an unexpected pothole.

At least 10 gears would be my minimum recommendation, with generous ranges. If you don't expect a great deal of hyper-fast pedaling over logs and stuff, getting a granny gear may be a waste of money. Better to have some of that 54/11 range for rapid downhill paved roads.

I highly recommend getting an aluminum frame. Hybrid frames don't offer much to commuters for the cost, and carbon frames last far less. With the shocks on the front fork, you won't need the additional flex, and the stiffness on the rear is nice to have for stability and power.

The most money you should spend for your bike is on brakes and transmission. It's not good to skimp on these, as they impact safety immensely on a commute, and also can reflect on reliability. You shouldn't compromise safety on the frame, by any means, but the premiums you pay for in more expensive frames don't impact safety appreciably anyway.

Never get generic brakes and transmission. You will surely regret it. Shimano is cheap, reliable, and offers great performance for money. It's been offering some really annoyingly subpar transmissions groups of late, so you want to be staying away from the lower grade Shimano models. Deore is really the least you should settle for. You can probably get a nice deal on 2003 and 2002 2nd tier models.

I'd also pay attention to handlebar grips and lights, if I were you. You may need to bike in the dark, whether you want to or not, and lights are the minimum safety precaution you should have. Don't bother with reflectors. A nice bright largish set of bike lights is what you want.

Always get bikes from bike shops. It's a little more expensive, but the free assembly and advice you get is well worth the cost. Listen to their advice carefully, especially from shops with a healthy number of pro enthusiasts in the wings. Bike mechanics take pride in their work, and will usually not stoop to overblowing a point such that they'll sell you a part you don't really need. They're not into that. Lots better ways to make money than selling bike parts. They're more into getting you into a bike which won't endanger you beyond the capability of their consciences to take, and of course, performance and enjoyment of the ride.

 

[Pbartender]

Also, consider visiting a local REI (there are two in the Chicago area - Oakbrook Terrace and Niles). They have a pretty good selection and generally knowledgable staff on "urban outfitting". Check out the 26" and 700c comfort/urban bike entries:

REI Bikes

Hurmph... We ran over to the Oakbrook Terrance store today, for lack of anything better to do. Frankly, knowing the bike shops that are within miles of my house and having once visited the flagship REI store in Seattle, I was sorely dissapointed not only in the selection but also the prices at this store. I won't bother going back there.

I'd also pay attention to handlebar grips and lights, if I were you. You may need to bike in the dark, whether you want to or not, and lights are the minimum safety precaution you should have. Don't bother with reflectors. A nice bright largish set of bike lights is what you want.

Hurr-hurr... I've got a homemade set of two 20 Watt halogen lamps. Battery and charger aside, the setup cost me less than $25 in materials and a about an afternoon to build. I've got to remember to post directions on how to build them on my website sometime.

Right now I work a rotating shift, so I often have to ride to or from work in the middle of the night on an unlit Bicycle trail.

Always get bikes from bike shops...

That was my first inclination, and I think I'll stick with it. I live in Batavia in Illinois, and have about a half dozen good bike shops within a 10-mile radius from my house. I'll probably end up going to Pedal & Spoke or Mill Race Cyclery.

Anyway, thanks everybody for the advice... You all pretty much confirmed my original thoughts.

My best bet will be a Hybrid or a Mountain Bike with a road tire substitution. Having a mountain bike with two sets of wheels... one smooth narrow set for the warm, dry summer season, and one wide, slightly knobby set set for the setter muddier winter season... might be nice.

Any other gadets I want, I can always add on... I've got my own lights. I want a rack and a set of panniers (I currently use a backpack, and it turns the back of my shirt into a sweaty mess, even on the coldest winter days). If I can find a set of fenders that will fit, I want those too (I hate getting streaks up my back when the weather's a little wet). An aluminum frame would be nice to avoid rust. No grip shifters!... I've been using them for 6 years, and I can't stand them. No suspension, if I can avoid it... I don't need it, and I don't really like it.

 

[Davelozzi]

I've been very happy with the Marin Novato that I bought last summer. I used it to commute 16 miles each way across Boston and a couple suburbs through the late summer and fall (until I got laid off) and have recently started breaking it out again for the 13 mile commute to my new job*. It's hybrid, fairly lightweight, and handles well. I like hybrids because I don't need a full mountain bike (I do 99% of my riding on roads) but I think road bikes are too fragile. With the hybrid, I don't have to worry about hopping curbs, cutting across fields and the like. Though the Marin site lists the price at $620, you can certainly get them cheaper -- I got mine new for $450.

*Incedentally, said new job is managing luxury bike trips. At my company (Bike Riders) we also use (and recommend hybrids), though we use a different model, the Cannondale H500. I haven't been on any of the tours yet and can't say from experience how it rides but from what I hear, everyone seems happy with it.

 

[DaveStebbins]

Oh, man! I can't wait for warmer weather. I can't bike to work anymore because my new position has me travelling frequently between my company's main campus and one of our manufacturing plants across town. However, there's a beautiful peninsula just a couple of mile away - six miles out along the bay and six miles back next to the beaches.

Well, at least the ice on the lake side is starting to break up. :\

-Dave

 

[Roxlimn]

Pbartender:

On grip shifters: Ugh. I never understood why these things ever got on the market. They annoy the heck out of me. I don't think Deore's exclusively grip shifting because I definitely know that the top 2 models of Deore for 2004 were click shifters.

On lights: You need to run a brightish red lamp under your seat just above rear fender, facing backwards. Rearends take up a major chunk of bike accidents. If the car is coming up straight behind you, your silhouette can mask your forward lightbeams. Ultrabright halogen lamps facing backwards are rude, and you might blind the driver, too.

If you're getting 2 sets of wheels, strongly suggest quick-release hubs. They're usually the default set offered, but you never know.

On front suspension: I think you should try out a set of "light" fork suspensions before ruling them out. Some people still prefer rigids, of course, but a rigid aluminum fork is not something for the faint-hearted, or the concussion-prone! The stiffness of aluminum works against you here, delivering the shocks up your arms like you fell in the pothole yourself. If you rode a steel bike before, you'll definitely notice the "flex" steel offers after you've ridden an aluminum fork over a few bumps. On the other hand, not having to worry about rust is really a load off. So the best compromise is an aluminum fork with suspension to cushion the rigidity. Alternatively, you can get a carbon fiber or steel fork.

On backpacks: Suggest real backpacks (the ones with stiff backings and redundant suspension systems). Or some of those arched Camelbak packs. Leaves air to circulate between the pack and your back.

 

[Pbartender]

On grip shifters: Ugh. I never understood why these things ever got on the market. They annoy the heck out of me. I don't think Deore's exclusively grip shifting because I definitely know that the top 2 models of Deore for 2004 were click shifters.

Right. After six years, I'd gotten used to the grip shifters, but I still don't like them. This time, I won't buy anything but index shifters.

On lights: You need to run a brightish red lamp under your seat just above rear fender, facing backwards. Rearends take up a major chunk of bike accidents. If the car is coming up straight behind you, your silhouette can mask your forward lightbeams. Ultrabright halogen lamps facing backwards are rude, and you might blind the driver, too.

Yup... It's not so much a problem for me, since 90% of my commute is on a bicycle trail, without the worry of motorized traffic. Still, I have to replace my rear flasher, since it broke the last time I crashed my bike.

If you're getting 2 sets of wheels, strongly suggest quick-release hubs. They're usually the default set offered, but you never know.

That's not a bad idea, and they're usually the standard anyway. I don't think I'd be changing them out more than every couple of months, so it's not a real big deal. If anything, I'd rather skip the quick releases... I've had two quick release failures within the last year (seat post and front tire - Oi!).

On front suspension: I think you should try out a set of "light" fork suspensions before ruling them out. Some people still prefer rigids, of course, but a rigid aluminum fork is not something for the faint-hearted, or the concussion-prone! The stiffness of aluminum works against you here, delivering the shocks up your arms like you fell in the pothole yourself. If you rode a steel bike before, you'll definitely notice the "flex" steel offers after you've ridden an aluminum fork over a few bumps. On the other hand, not having to worry about rust is really a load off. So the best compromise is an aluminum fork with suspension to cushion the rigidity. Alternatively, you can get a carbon fiber or steel fork.

No-rust aluminum would be a big deal for me. They use a lot of salt of the roads and side walks around here in the winter, and the weather stays uniformly damp from October until April.

But I'll take your advice and give shocks a test-drive before I rule them out.

On backpacks: Suggest real backpacks (the ones with stiff backings and redundant suspension systems). Or some of those arched Camelbak packs. Leaves air to circulate between the pack and your back.

I've tried a frame backpack (I've got one for camping), and it really didn't make a difference. It's just the way my metabolism works... I'm geared for cool/cold weather and good ventilation. Anything less than that, and I start over-heating. Even during Chicago winter riding, I have a harder time staying cool enough, than warm enough.

I just need to get my cargo load off my back and onto my bike.

 

[Roxlimn]

On crashing the bike: Now see, I would've tried to stop the minute I saw the rabbit. Got that from the School of Hard Knocks.

On quick release failures: That's funny. I've never had any. You need to check 2 things:
1) Brand. Don't skimp on quick releases, if you're going to get them. Personally, I don't bother with quick release on the seat post. I value my groin very highly and I change my seat height extremely rarely. Not worth the risk.

Hubs, on the other hand, are another matter entirely. Quick releases make changing tires on flats a lot less of a chore, and make rebalancing and brake cleaning a snap. Moreover, many quick release systems have fail safes, especially on front hubs, that require the screw to loosely considerably before releasing. Like 8 or 9 turns after you release the quick release. Check out whether you can get quick releases of this sort.

2) Maintenance. Checking all the nuts and bolts every morning is a necessary chore, just as checking oil, brake fluid, and air are necessary for cars. For that matter, lubrication and air are key concerns for bikes, too. I always check all the easy removables, and most of the easy to reach nonremovables. I once detected a loosening on the headset this way, and I'm glad I did. Losing the handlebar at 20 mph would be really bad.

Remember: an moment of inspection prevents a world of hurt.

On shocks: try to get the "light" ones. You don't need a lot of travel and you're not cushioning 5 foot leaps. You just need to remove the rigidity problem.

 

[Pbartender]

Incidentally...

It's a beautiful day today in Chicago. The first day this year I wore shorts riding my bicycle to work. That means the temperature out the door this morning was above 40F, and today's high is 70F.

Spring has sprung, I think.

 

[frankthedm]

I am happy enough with the bikes i buy from wal mart most of the time. I ride them good and hard for a week and if anything goes wrong, the bike goes back.

 

[IronWolf]

I am happy enough with the bikes i buy from wal mart most of the time. I ride them good and hard for a week and if anything goes wrong, the bike goes back.

Despite this I would still avoid the WalMart bikes for any daily use bicycle. In most cases a cheap bike from the bike shop will be better than one of the expensive bikes at WalMart. With the bike shop bike you are certain to bet a well put together bike and end up with at least decent components. The bike shops will often offer a few free tune-ups which is important as the cables stretch quickly in those early days and need re-adjusted. On top of that the department store bikes tend to be quite heavy and to top it off coupled with cheap components (leading to longer stopping times).