Commuter bikes for beginners!!
07-28-18, 01:08 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Commuter bikes for beginners!!
Hello guys
I am looking for bikes to commute to work and for fitness, I haven’t used any bike before. I was wondering if you guys could suggest which would be good bike for beginners. I live in Bangor Maine. My work commute is less than 10 miles to and fro.
Thank you
Vb.
I am looking for bikes to commute to work and for fitness, I haven’t used any bike before. I was wondering if you guys could suggest which would be good bike for beginners. I live in Bangor Maine. My work commute is less than 10 miles to and fro.
Thank you
Vb.
07-28-18, 01:35 PM
#2
Banned
You ride your bike to work, and at the end of the work day you ride it home , that's about it.
Accessorize as you see a need for it.. every one is different.
you have a local bike shop in Bangor ME , pay them a visit..
...
Accessorize as you see a need for it.. every one is different.
you have a local bike shop in Bangor ME , pay them a visit..
...
07-28-18, 01:40 PM
#3
Junior Member
07-28-18, 02:27 PM
#4
Senior Member
I started with a cheap mountain bike, my advice is to pick one on condition to start with.
Check the brakes work and check tyres are pumped up regularly, carry a spare tube and a tyre repair kit and practise removing the wheel at home to fix a flat.
Then get on and enjoy it, buy clothing as you need to to suit weather conditions, allow about an hour or so for ten miles at first, the time will decrease as you get fitter
Above all make it comfy (seats can be changed and make a huge difference to the ride) and the rest will follow
Edited to add, a cheap no suspension mountain bike, fairly upright, easy to maintain!
Check the brakes work and check tyres are pumped up regularly, carry a spare tube and a tyre repair kit and practise removing the wheel at home to fix a flat.
Then get on and enjoy it, buy clothing as you need to to suit weather conditions, allow about an hour or so for ten miles at first, the time will decrease as you get fitter
Above all make it comfy (seats can be changed and make a huge difference to the ride) and the rest will follow
Edited to add, a cheap no suspension mountain bike, fairly upright, easy to maintain!
Last edited by cambiker71; 07-29-18 at 04:44 AM.
07-28-18, 03:38 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times
in
222 Posts
Well...
Unless your commute is on logging roads or worse, stay away from mountain bikes in particular and bikes with suspension parts in general. You don’t need it and it adds cost, weight, complexity and upkeep.
Drop bar (road) bikes offer the most speed for a set amount of effort.
But they may be limited in the tire width/fenders/racks department and not all can ever make friends with the riding position.
For utility-minded riding, get a utility-minded bicycle.
To me, that means fenders, rack and some gears.
How many can be endlessly debated.
To me, it takes at least five to allow the bike to hum along nicely in varying conditions.
Unless your commute is on logging roads or worse, stay away from mountain bikes in particular and bikes with suspension parts in general. You don’t need it and it adds cost, weight, complexity and upkeep.
Drop bar (road) bikes offer the most speed for a set amount of effort.
But they may be limited in the tire width/fenders/racks department and not all can ever make friends with the riding position.
For utility-minded riding, get a utility-minded bicycle.
To me, that means fenders, rack and some gears.
How many can be endlessly debated.
To me, it takes at least five to allow the bike to hum along nicely in varying conditions.
07-28-18, 05:46 PM
#7
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Looney Tunes, IL
Posts: 7,398
Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1549 Post(s)
Liked 941 Times
in
504 Posts
Does anyone you know have one you can use for a bit? This would be a great way to get started, and help you better decide what you want before you buy something.
07-29-18, 12:24 AM
#8
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Spokane Area
Posts: 312
Bikes: 2021 Salsa Warbird, (Specially Love my) 2021 Salsa Cutthroat, 2012 Surly LHT, 2015 Surly Cross-Check, 2008 Giant OCR A1, 2005 Leader 735R, 2005 Gary Fisher Montare, 1991 Nishiki Pueblo,
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 84 Post(s)
Liked 56 Times
in
37 Posts
+1
Congratulations and welcome to wonderful world of bike commuting, Visit your local bike shop and try different style bicycles, see if you like upright position riding bicycles like a hybrid bicycle with a straight handle bar or hunched over position riding like Road bicycle with drop bars and skinny tires etc, a hybrid bicycle might be a better choice for riding in the fresh snow if you ever decide to do so in way up there in Bangor Main snow country.
Congratulations and welcome to wonderful world of bike commuting, Visit your local bike shop and try different style bicycles, see if you like upright position riding bicycles like a hybrid bicycle with a straight handle bar or hunched over position riding like Road bicycle with drop bars and skinny tires etc, a hybrid bicycle might be a better choice for riding in the fresh snow if you ever decide to do so in way up there in Bangor Main snow country.
07-29-18, 01:45 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18349 Post(s)
Liked 4,502 Times
in
3,346 Posts
Is that 10 miles round trip, or 10 miles each way? It does make a bit of a difference.
At 5 miles each way, you could do it on any bike.
At 10 miles each way... you may start looking for a bit more efficiency in the ride.
What do you mean by:
Never? You haven't learned to ride? Or, since a child?
If you absolutely have never ridden, perhaps start with some kind of a feet forward bike like some of the Electra bikes which work better with lower seats (and thus easier to get the feet to the ground).
If you've ridden some, but just not recently, then maybe a good hybrid for shorter rides, or a good road bike for longer rides.
Also extreme weight would play a role in the decision.
At 5 miles each way, you could do it on any bike.
At 10 miles each way... you may start looking for a bit more efficiency in the ride.
What do you mean by:
Never? You haven't learned to ride? Or, since a child?
If you absolutely have never ridden, perhaps start with some kind of a feet forward bike like some of the Electra bikes which work better with lower seats (and thus easier to get the feet to the ground).
If you've ridden some, but just not recently, then maybe a good hybrid for shorter rides, or a good road bike for longer rides.
Also extreme weight would play a role in the decision.
07-30-18, 12:35 PM
#10
Keepin it Wheel
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: San Diego
Posts: 10,243
Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 3,417 Times
in
2,526 Posts
+100
You need to learn to ride a bike steadily and safely before you can set out on daily 5-10mi trips! It shouldn't take long to learn and for your body to adapt itself, but you don't want to be wobbling and maybe falling into traffic!
I don't know Maine, but this would be a great option (if it fits you and it's nearby!) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/t...650943526.html
This type of bike would also be a good option (old mountain bike with rigid fork) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/g...650007065.html, although personally I think that price should be more like $75-100. For a bike like that you would want to replace the tires with something city/urban/slick so you don't burn a ton of your power input on the road buzz of those knobby tires.
You need to learn to ride a bike steadily and safely before you can set out on daily 5-10mi trips! It shouldn't take long to learn and for your body to adapt itself, but you don't want to be wobbling and maybe falling into traffic!
I don't know Maine, but this would be a great option (if it fits you and it's nearby!) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/t...650943526.html
This type of bike would also be a good option (old mountain bike with rigid fork) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/g...650007065.html, although personally I think that price should be more like $75-100. For a bike like that you would want to replace the tires with something city/urban/slick so you don't burn a ton of your power input on the road buzz of those knobby tires.
Last edited by RubeRad; 07-30-18 at 12:40 PM.
