s5fskzfv

Hi,

I just sent my car off to the junk yard yesterday. I need a bicycle to ride 5.4 miles round trip to the grocery store once or twice a week. Can someone recommend an inexpensive bicycle that would be appropriate for this?


There are no hills on the way to the grocery store. Would a cheap cruiser ($80 huffy at walmart, 1 speed) be okay? Would a bike that inexpensive fall apart under heavy use? It's considerd a "Men's" bike so I hope it would be sturdy.

There are traffic lights on the way so I wonder if it would be safer to have a five or ten speed just to have a low gear to get started quickly? Also, would the lack of high gears keep my speed annoyingly slow?

I plan to try riding in the snow this winter - we can get a lot of snow several inches a week for extended periods in bad winters.

My ideal bike would be inexpensive, have a five speeds with gears internal to the rear hub so they wouldn't freeze up in winter. Also front and rear fenders and chain guard. Front basket and rear panniers. Are there any inexpensive bikes like that?

I noticed most bikes don't have fenders. Should I just get a cheap road bike and add fenders, etc.

Are there any web stores have the good prices for bikes, parts, and accessories? I would want to get a front basket, reare panniers, maybe a rear rack. Do any inexpensive bikes come with those? Looking on the internet it seems like it would be cheaper to add them separately rather than looking for a package... is that right?




Thanks

poormanbiking

I would check craigslist in your area for bikes. Since you plan on riding all winter I would look at a mountain bike. Nashbar.com and Planetbike.com should have the parts you need.

Roody

Hey, congrats on ditching the car. It sounds like this was a sudden development?

If you could answer a couple additional questions, it might make it easier for us to give you some good advice.

Is riding 5.4 miles, twice a week, the ONLY cycling you will be doing? How large a load of groceries will you be hauling? Are the streets cleared of snow regularly?

s5fskzfv

The car was old, and I knew I wasn't going to replace it, and it started requiring more maintenance than in the past and then "unexpectedly" needed some repairs that I thought would be too expensive to justify. I hardly drove the car - mostly just for groceries. I often drove the long way around to the grocery store just to keep the battery charged.

That would probably be the only cycling.

The groceries would be a weeks worth of food for one person - if there is capacity I'd get bottled water, now that I'm walking to the store I'll be drinking tap water. I'm not sure how to estimate weight but I'd probably fill the panniers, front basket and a knapsack.

The streets are plowed of snow regularly. Actually, the route would be mostly on an "emergency snow artery" which tends to be well plowed and salted, but there would be a few side streets that might be packed snow some of the time.


Thanks

Roody

For that amount of riding, you could probably use just about any bike. A hybrid bike, comfort bike, or cruiser type bike would be readily available. I just bought a nice adult size hybrid for may grandson at a pawn shop. I paid $70. Make sure you take the bike on a good long test ride before you buy it. Make sure the brakes and gears work (if it has gears) and inspect it visually. Don't buy it if it has rust on the frame, worn tires, or any bent parts in the wheels or frame. And make sure it feels comfrtable to you, and you can lift its full weight and carry it.

When I lived alone, I carried all my groceres in a largish backpack. But I went shopping more than once a week. But if you want to make weekly trips only, you can get the panniers. I wouldn't buy the trailer until I tried the panniers for a while. why spend the money on simething you might not even need?

gerv 

Try your local bike co-op for a good used hybrid or mountain bike. That would be a great start and shouldn't cost a lot. Personally, I would avoid Walmart bikes, since I've worked on many of them and know how prone they are to failure. Even an old (pretty much indestructible) Schwinn Varsity from the 1970s would serve you better than a new Walmart bike.

I'd make sure this bike could handle a rack.

I'd probably go for wider tires. But if possible avoiding knobbies.

bragi

An old mountain bike with no suspension and road tires may work very well for you. They're very cheap to buy used, they're hard to break, and they take racks easily.

Just out of curiosity: How are you getting around when you're not going to buy groceries?

s5fskzfv

I can walk most places I need to get to.

Newspaperguy

I'm not a fan of Huffy, simply because their bikes are not built to last. You can do much better if you stay away from department store bikes. For the distances you've described, you'll get a lot of use out of your bike. You need to be able to depend on your bike if you're car-free.

Others have suggested going to Craigslist or the pawn shops to find a proper bike. Also, check the bike shops in your area. Some will have used bikes on consignment, so you can pick up a good deal. Others will offer end-of-season discounts around this time of the year or a little later. You might also choose to go with a new entry-level bike from a bike shop. It won't be fancy, but it will be reliable. Most bike shops will work hard to ensure they are not selling junk.

If you're in a flat area without much wind, a single speed bike is okay, although a multi-speed bike will probably be much easier to find.

Since you're planning to ride through the year, an older mountain bike without suspension will be great. A good hybrid will also do well. For winter, knobby tires or studded tires are good. So far, I've managed nicely without the studded tires, but I also slow down a bit in winter, especially if there's fresh snow.

s5fskzfv

Can you (and others) suggest some entry level brands and models that would be of reasonable quality?




Thanks,

Newspaperguy

Look around and ask a lot of questions at the bike shops. A lot of companies manufacture a wide range of bikes.

For example, Norco, a Canadian company, has everything from the inexpensive to the high-end. The Katmandu, a mountain bike, costs $599 Cdn. The VFR and the Indie, both advertised as urban performance bikes, start at less than $450. The Yorkville, a hybrid, has a price of $369. (I don't own a Norco, but I have ridden some of their bikes and I've been impressed with what I've seen.)

SurlyLaika

if you're going to be using it enough, you should just save some money and buy a nicer bike. Quality really shows its worth over time. You might buy a few junkers before finding anything decent, or be stuck with a bike that you end up putting more into in repairs than you originally spent. Just my opinion. What's the most you could spend? BTW, biking is addicting and a nice bike will just make it even more so.

lverhagen

What is your budget? If you are seeking to buy new, one bike that may be a good place to start is the Torker Graduate. It comes equipped with fenders and a 5 speed IGH and is available in a variety of sizes for around $500 USD. All you would need to add is a chain guard, front basket, and rear rack with panniers.

Of course, if your budget is a little tighter I would go with the others' suggestion of finding a local bike co-op to build up a usable bike for a reasonable price. Good luck!

Cheer
lverhagen

Tony N.

From my experience, you will probably ride it more than you think and really need to go to a bike shop to get one that fits. If it don't fit, it will be a real pain.
For the kind of ridin you are talking about, a towner/cruiser with internal gearing is what you seem to be describing imo. Also there is a wealth of info on the Utility Forum.
Good luck and do let us know what you decide.
Great that you are going the carfree life.

Nightshade

As others have noted for a 5.4 mile ride any bike that rolls with air in the ties will do.

robbyrocks12345

Buy an old 18 speed road bike on cragislist and put some panniers on it, don't buy anything "vintage" thats another word for overpriced. For winter put studded tires on it, I live in Copper Harbor Michigan and 3 foot of snow in one week is not uncommon for us, I've been doing this for the last 5 years for winter, (same bike of course).