Should I get a bike?

newcs

Environmental and physical fitness motivators aside, is it worth it for me to get a bike to avoid driving to the train station? I spend $1.75/day on gas but could bike to a closer station and leave the house at the same time. If I bike 4x/week for 6 months of the year (New England weather makes that sound about right to me), I figure I would save $181/year. I'm way out of the loop on how much a decent (not fancy, just not junk) bike costs, how much annual maintenance costs and how long I should expect a bike to last. My last bike was $100 at Target and was kind of junk but got me to and from work every day for a year.

I'm looking at bikes other than the fast, thin tired street bikes. I tend to wreck those on potholes or curbs. Looking for a mountain bike or something in between.

heartsherps

You can find a half decent bike at Walmart for $150 or so. Go for the better known brands such as schwinn. I personally like the hybrid type bikes. They have big wheels like a road bike but thick tires like a mountain bike, and they're built for comfort so you can sit upright. They look like the old school cruisers but they have a nice gearset for adjusting speed on hills.

I recently bought a bike and it was a great investment. I now use my car maybe once every week or two. Plus it's just fun to pedal around like a kid.

5pmsomewherenow

Look on Craigs List, or ask around for a used bike, first -- get one on the cheap, and use it for a while before putting down any real $$. My main question would be: Once you get to the train station, are you parking/locking the bike, or taking it with you to work?

What's the locking situation at the train station? Will the bike be a lure to thieves if it's new and kinda nice?

gregr072

I'm certainly not a cycling expert but I wanted to put in a plug for visiting a local bike shop. I was shopping around for a bike, looking on craigslist, reading a lot online, and talking to some coworkers who are avid cyclists. One coworker in particular really sold me on a new bike rather than used. His point was if you get one that fits you correctly, and doesn't have issues, you're going to ride it more. If there is something you don't like about it, you're not as likely to use it.

So, I went to a family owned bike shop in my neighborhood and they were a big help. They showed me several but really recommended the lowest priced one for the amount of riding I am planning on doing. I ended up buying a new bike for about what I wanted to pay for a used one. Its not as high end as the used ones I was looking at, but I know exactly the condition its in. I think I'm going to be happier with the bike that fits me and I won't be taking it to the shop anytime soon for adjustments. Although if I do need any adjustments, they'll do free repairs for 12 months. It seems like a lot of bike shops do this too, after you buy a bike.

Even if you end up going the Craigslist route, it might be helpful for you to see just what quality new bikes are going for, it would also allow you to see several styles all at once.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

newcs

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

My issue with buying used is that I'm not familiar with what to look for in bikes and neither is anyone I know. I previously bought a used bike on craigslist and the pedal came off on my way to work while biking on a busy main road. Not only was that dangerous but it left me having to walk my bike which made me late. I got a refund and the guy felt terrible but I'm reluctant to go that route again.

I'm slightly leaning toward the cheap department store bikes, which is what I had last time but I do appreciate the fit and professional knowledge of the local store (plus I'm all about shopping local and supporting small business). My last bike was not a great fit for me but it served its purpose. I definitely wasn't cruising around for fun though. I think my plan is to hit up a couple local shops (luckily there are several close to me) and see if they have some low end but decent quality bikes and try some out. I think local shops are more likely to let you take a spin around the block than Target/Walmart/etc too.

As for the locking situation, I live in the suburbs and we have a very low crime rate. I have a good lock from when I previously biked and there isn't much of an issue with theft in that area. It's the commuter rail so it's a little less sketchy than the T. I know some people have folding bikes, including a guy on my train but I'm not a fan of Boston biking since I almost get hit by cars when I'm using the crosswalk DURING a walk signal about once per week so biking in that traffic scares me. So I'm really just looking for something to get me to/from the train and be locked to the rack (they have plenty of space) at the station. They also have little bike pods that you can rent which are more secure and protected from the weather but not sure how much those cost and it would negate some of the savings.

Spatialized

I second the idea for visiting the local shop. They may know some folks looking to sell bikes or may have used ones in stock. Some community cycling groups (kind of like a bike co-op, although this may be an Oregon thing) have cheap used bikes that have been tuned to be totally functional. The biggest issue I have with Target/Walmart bikes is the untrained folks putting the bikes together. Have heard plenty of horror stories about department store bikes falling apart due to shoddy assembly. That said, if you're not looking for the latest and greatest, and will be locking it in a public area, they're a cheap way to decide if you like riding. (you could get it looked over by your local shop too.)

Just because you live in the suburbs don't think a poorly secured bike will be OK, bike thieves look for the easy bike to steal and a cable lock trakes all of about 10 seconds to snip and be gone. Good luck!

newcs

I second the idea for visiting the local shop. They may know some folks looking to sell bikes or may have used ones in stock. Some community cycling groups (kind of like a bike co-op, although this may be an Oregon thing) have cheap used bikes that have been tuned to be totally functional. The biggest issue I have with Target/Walmart bikes is the untrained folks putting the bikes together. Have heard plenty of horror stories about department store bikes falling apart due to shoddy assembly. That said, if you're not looking for the latest and greatest, and will be locking it in a public area, they're a cheap way to decide if you like riding. (you could get it looked over by your local shop too.)

Just because you live in the suburbs don't think a poorly secured bike will be OK, bike thieves look for the easy bike to steal and a cable lock trakes all of about 10 seconds to snip and be gone. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! We have a super low crime rate so I'm not terribly worried...plus I'm sure there will be nicer, less securely locked bikes than mine which makes mine slightly less likely to get taken I have a heavy duty lock that they'd have to have some serious tools to cut through. At that point, they'd probably nab my bike regardless of what I had on it.