I’m a new cyclist + new to the forum

[rcannon100]

Saving money and saving time involves a lot of math.

For me, I dropped a $145 parking pass, and cost of operating the car over 14 miles round trip 4 times a week – for the bike.

As indicated, there are expenses and they are worth the investment (and they are more than spandex). Good lights. Replacing equipment (tires, brakes). Oil. Side bags. Bike shoes and cleats. And yes, spandex (good bike pants).

Where do I save a HUGE amount of money?? We went to a one car family, with me bike commuting. It is unbelievable what losing a car can do for a budget.

If you are going to bike commute, invest in a good bike. Hang around with us – look at what is on the street – come to a social event (this thursday in Shirlington happy hour) and see our rides. You dont ride the same bike 100 miles to Harpers Ferry as you do riding 14 miles every day in urban traffic – or that you might ride mountain biking through a park. And get a bike that fits you well. It will do wonders for your knees and back if you have the right bike. When you know what you want, there are lots of good used bikes available (Phoenix bikes, classified ads, yard sales, people in this forum getting ride of the 15th bike in the garage on threat of divorce). You can get a good bike at an affordable price.

And there are lots of good blogs that talk about all this. MG just started a series on the basics of bike commuting http://chasingmailboxes.com/2012/10/17/bike-commute-guide-part-1-the-essentials/

[DaveK]

@khanb1 33797 wrote:

Thanks for the tip – will check it out.

My friend bought one of their FX hybrids last year – it’s a great deal. You pay about half what they cost new, you get a rack and a u-lock, and a free tune-up.

[DismalScientist]

@rcannon100 33802 wrote:

You don’t ride the same bike 100 miles to Harpers Ferry as you do riding 14 miles every day in urban traffic

Sorry… does not compute.

[mstone]

@DismalScientist 33810 wrote:

Sorry… does not compute.

Likewise; I use the same bike for both. You can generally cover a couple of categories with one bike as long as they aren’t on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, like road racing and downhill mountain.

[vvill]

@mstone 33821 wrote:

Likewise; I use the same bike for both. You can generally cover a couple of categories with one bike as long as they aren’t on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, like road racing and downhill mountain.

Agreed. I think commuting is probably the most flexible kind of riding in terms of what type of bike you want to ride.

If you’re only looking to save money, a cheap bike will probably work fine for awhile.

[Arlingtonrider]

I’m pretty much a one bike person. I have a road-type Trek hybrid (no suspension) that I bought in 1998 for a little over $500 that has been my solo bike until recently, when I bought a used rental city bike as a guest bike for friends to use. I’ve ridden my Trek hybrid on 30-40 mile rides with friends who had road bikes, in a couple of 64 mile Seagull metric centuries, along the C&O towpath, and as my sole commuter bike ever since I started bike commuting about four years ago. I’ve considered and could afford other bikes, but I keep coming back to this one just because I really like it and it fits me well. In your shoes, I think I would checkout the used bike ‘n roll Trek FXs as a possible first choice. If that didn’t work out, I’d go next to Phoenix Bikes and/or Bikenetics.

p.s. Lots of good advice in this thread, especially the parts about being comfortable and having fun. Welcome to the forum and biking!

[Arlingtonrider]

Kahn,

The Bike ‘n Roll bikes may go quickly. I’d go to Bike n Roll at Union Station several days or weeks before the sale, and really check out the bikes, ask questions, and find out exactly when and where the sale starts. I’d even rent one for an hour just to see how it feels (have them adjust the seat for you). Find out what size you should get. Also find out the year of the bikes, and look them up online to get specs, just so you have them. These bikes should be pretty good multipurpose bikes, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about gear ratios etc. Whatever they are, they’ll be much, much better than what you currently have. The fact that they also come with a rack and good U lock, which retail for around $50 apiece, makes them an incredible deal. You’ll need those things.

When you get to the sale, be ready to buy quickly, but be sure you take a short test ride on whatever bike you purchase and ask if there is any work that needs to be done to it. Check to see if the wheel looks true, how the shifters and brakes work, etc. The bikes are usually sold “as is”, but sometimes they will fix a little something if you ask. The rental that I bought was basically in new condition. Because of liability issues, rental bikes are usually well maintained, so you shouldn’t expect to find issues in most cases. If possible, you might want to take along a friend who knows bikes. (The forum advice about not upgrading a dept store bike was good advice.)

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

Kathy

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