This piece brought to you by friends of Katie, known cyclist and queer lady, in honor of her birthday.
You never thought this would happen to you, did you? I mean, it’s not like you have anything against it, you just never though you’d be the kind of person who rolls that way. But lately, it seems like the harder you look away, the more you see them everywhere – hanging around on your way to work, leaning nonchalantly outside cafes, zipping past you through downtown traffic…
I mean bicycles. Why, what were you thinking of?
Just like the gay bar, entering your first bike shop can be an intimidating experience. No amount of online research can quite prepare you for the sight of multiple grown men in neon spandex, but knowing what you’re looking for can help you walk out satisfied (or at least not in tears.) First, I’ll give a quick primer on styles of bikes and cycling, then I’ll discuss tips for buying new vs. used, and finally, talk about fitting a new bike to your proportions.
Despite being a relatively simple machine, bikes have become remarkably specialized in the 200 years since their invention. There’s a specific bike for every conceivable type of terrain and application, but for our purposes, there are 5-6 basic categories that your new bike could fall into.
Mountain bike (abbr. MTB): Although it’s what most people (and department stores) call their generic geared bikes, “mountain” actually refers to bikes specifically designed for mountain and trail riding. They have wide, mud-shedding tires, heavier frames and can have suspension in just the front, or throughout the bike. Good for: mountains & trails, casual riding, winter riding.
29er: A mountain bike with 29-inch wheels. These are relatively new, but have quickly become standard, as they’re easier to control on tough terrain. 29ers tend to be more expensive and have more technical features. The bigger wheels may be helpful in sloppy or icy conditions, but road salt is going to wear out your bike fast. Good for: mountains & trails, weekend warriors, rich winter riders.
Road Bike: This is what Lance Armstrong rides. They are expensive and uncomfortable, meant to go as fast as possible and weigh less than the rider. Unless you’re the type of person who runs marathons for fun, you probably don’t want one of these. Good for: racing, crazy workouts, spandex enthusiasts.
Hybrid: This is the correct term for your generic geared bike. Hybrids range from grandmotherly comfort frames to almost-MTBs, and are meant for casual city riders. They’re more concerned with comfort and utility than weight or performance, but most can handle getting a bit muddy. This category isn’t entirely strict and sometimes overlaps with city bikes and the lowest-end MTBs. Good for: casual riding, commuting, some winter riding.
Commuter/City Bike: Sometimes lumped into hybrids, commuters and city bikes are intended for a frequent city rider who’s usually on pavement. These are styled after road bikes, so they often have skinnier wheels with low clearance, and aren’t great in mud or snow. Commuters tend to be lighter and more utilitarian, while city bikes go for classic looks and comfort, but this is definitely not a universal distinction. Most single-speeds and fixies fall into this category. Good for: commuting, casual riding, hipstering.
Cruiser: These steel behemoths are designed to look stylish and retro, and not much else. They’re heavy and slow, but they can be really inexpensive. Good for: very casual riding, pin up modelling, old-school greasers.
BMX: Don’t get a BMX, you are not a monster-chugging 15 year old.
No matter what type of bike you choose, the quality of your bike is going to make a significant difference in how pleasant your ride is. If you end up with a totally rusted-out piece of shit with busted shifting and sloppy brakes, you’ll spend the whole ride compensating, adjusting and generally being frustrated. A good bike feels natural and comfortable to ride, like an extension of your body. When I have a good ride, I feel directly connected to the road and my body’s power – like I’m actively experiencing my city in a way that driving a car can never show me. This is partly because I’m a nerd, but also because my bike the opposite of a total piece of shit.
The best way to ensure that your bike is not a total piece of shit is, buy one that is new. It should cost more than $400 and be purchased from a reputable local shop. If you’re not sure where to go, find a hipster coffee place and ask the cute barista. She’ll know, and now you’re having a conversation with a cute barista. (You’re welcome.) New bikes are expensive, but if you take proper care of one, it can last for years with only minor part replacements. The best time to go buy a new bike is anytime, but if you’re looking for a deal, go between Christmas and the first major thaw. In my part of the world, this means mid-April, but I’ve been told there are many places where it never snows at all. I’m skeptical of that, but it’s still generally true that manufacturers make their major shipments in early spring. Post-Christmas, shops are selling off their old inventory to make room for next year’s models, so take advantage of it and get yourself something nice.
If you’re broke, the best way to make sure your bike is not a total piece of shit is by being somewhat informed. Don’t even bother with Sportcheck or Canadian Tire, a new bike from a department store will often end up costing you more in the long run. Large retailers buy cheap and mass-produced, and as a result the components they use are sometimes not industry-standard, meaning you’ll have to replace incompatible parts in clusters instead of individually. They also don’t employ professional bike builders in their stores, so the quality out of the box is extremely variable. If you absolutely must buy that $100 fixie, take it to a shop immediately and get them to tune it before you even think about riding that deathtrap. A better bet is buying used. Police auctions and internet classifieds are great resources for finding a cheap bike, but you’re going to have to do some sifting in order to find something good. If you’re really, truly broke, many community bike shops will give you parts and frames for free if you DIY, but that’s a topic for another day. In the meantime, here’s how to buy a used bike.
When you’re looking online, try searching by brand. Most people trying to sell a bike online have no idea what information is relevant, but most people can read the label on the frame. Search something like “Giant” or “Kona,” and then google the resulting model names for specs, reviews and reports of thefts in your area. This will help you weed out scams, department store crap, and people who are selling large lots of stolen bikes. If you have a particular style in mind, try that too. You’ll mostly find these results are bike nerds downsizing their collection, so the descriptions will be more useful and the bikes will probably be in better shape.
Never, ever buy anything sight unseen. I hope this would be obvious, but you need to make sure the bike actually exists, it fits you, and that it hasn’t been rusting out in an unheated garage for the last 20 years. First, have a look at the frame for rust and obvious damage, like warping, cracks and dents. Even a small crack in the frame could lead to it shearing apart suddenly under stress, so the initial inspection is really important for your safety.
While you’re inspecting the frame, check for the serial number. It’s usually stamped on the underside, on or near the bottom bracket (see above.) Very old or custom frames may not have them, but if it’s been filed off, the bike is stolen and you shouldn’t buy it. You should also make sure that the seatpost is moveable. If it’s seized, nothing short of a blow torch and a lucky dice roll will get it moving again, and it’s pretty likely that the bike has other problems too. Unless it fits you perfectly and it’s a crazy good deal, it’s probably not worth fixing.
Next, have a look at the components – you will likely need to replace dried-out tires, cracked or worn brake pads, or fraying cables, but if it’s just one thing it’s not too expensive. Check out the gear assemblies, and make sure they’re not worn out or missing teeth. No matter how many gears there are, the teeth should be more trapezoidal than triangular. Gear teeth and chains wear at the same rate, so a new chain often won’t work on very old gears, meaning you’d need to replace the whole drive train if something broke.
(these are worn gears)
(these are new gears)
Also, try to wiggle the wheels, handlebars, and crankset back and forth. They should spin or turn easily, but not rattle or move laterally. Getting the rattle out of a wheel or handlebar* is fairly cheap ($10-20 for minor adjustments), but if everything is crazy stiff or totally wiggly, there’s certainly bigger issues. You should NOT ride a bike where everything is super loose, or if the crankset wiggles at all. If a part breaks or the bolts were not tightened correctly, you could lose control and get hurt.
*It’s actually the hubs and headset that get adjusted, respectively.
On a similar note, don’t buy anything with a cotter pin crankset! COTTER PINS ARE THE WORST!!!
(this is a cotter pin)
First, they mean your bike is too old to be anything other than terrible. Second, you have to pay for new ones anytime your crankset comes off, because the only way to remove them is to destroy them with a hammer. Mechanics hate cotter pin cranks, don’t make us work on them!
In the same vein, center-pull brakes are also THE WORST. They are awful to work on, awful to replace, and make removing wheels a complete pain in the ass. Additionally, if you’re not a serious bike nerd, and not planning to go downhill at unreasonable speed, disc brakes are probably overkill. While they do have more stopping power and perform better in sloppy weather, they’re also much more expensive and intimidating to adjust than rim brakes. Aside from center-pull, rim brakes come in three main styles. I’d recommend V-brakes or caliper brakes for ease of service, but cantilevers will also do the job.
(these are centre-pull brakes, you don’t want that)
(these are disc brakes, you don’t want that)
(these are V-brakes, you want these)
(these are caliper brakes, these are good too)
(these are cantilever breaks, these are…meh)
Looks good so far? Ok, now it’s time to go for a test ride. This goes for new bikes too- any good shop will let you test out a few bikes, with your ID as collateral. Ideally, you should test it for 10-15 minutes in the same conditions you’ll use it in, but most people get a little antsy if you take their bike around the block without paying first. Make sure you do a few hard accelerations and hard stops – if you’re on a used bike be conservative with the braking until you’re sure it actually works – and do some tight turns to get a feel for the handling. If you’re on a geared bike, make sure it shifts smoothly and doesn’t skip or change randomly. If you’re on a used bike, the shifting may not be perfect, but it should be pretty close. Minor adjustments are inexpensive and easy to do yourself, just avoid anything with major issues.
While riding, take note of the fit. Ultimately it’s about whats comfortable for you, but there are some general guidelines. While standing over the bike, the top of a normal frame should be 1-2 inches below your crotch.
Your leg should be straight but not locked at the bottom of each pedal stroke when you ride, and you should comfortably be able to reach the handlebars without overflexing your wrist or stretching.
Seat height can be adjusted easily, and if you find the handlebars are slightly off in any direction, you can swap out the stem or bars, but that’s about it. Very small and very wide people might find that a “Women specific” frame fits better – these are proportioned for people with shorter arms and torsos, and lower centers of gravity. The top tubes are often lowered too, so that riding in a skirt doesn’t turn into a peep show. If you’re very, very short, you can probably score an awesome kid’s 24-inch bike for cheap, just stick to higher-end brands, like Specialized and Giant. You can find these online for less than $200 and they’re often as good as a cheap hybrid if you can ride them comfortably.
A note about seats: it is generally worth it to splurge an anatomy-specific saddle, particularly if you are a vagina-having human, or are planning on riding in a forward-leaning position. A badly fitted seat hurts, and it can also mess up your sexual sensitivity over time, since aggressive riding can put your weight directly on the fun bits. Find your local specialized dealer, and go get your butt measured – they market their seats with a measuring tool for an exact fit. You don’t need to buy their anatomical saddles, just take note of the number and bring a tape measure with you when you go looking. The Specialized saddles are measured at the widest part in millimeters, so just make sure the seat you pick is wider than your butt measurement. Oh, and while you’re there? Pick up some chain lube, tubes, tire levers and a multi-tool, because the next installment is all about fixing bikes!
Tags: bike curious, bikes, cycling, dana burkett, sports
How short is short enough for a 24″ kid’s bike? Asking for a short person who is also cheap: aka myself.
Same here. At 5’0″, not much fits.
I have the opposite problem! Try finding a ladies’ bike if you’re 6′.
I had this problem and then I moved to Holland and all of the bikes are for 6′ ladies. Easy solution, right?
My first year, I rode a kid’s bike and was kind of fine because Dutch children are the size of American adults. (Then I decided to get a more adult bike because everyone was making fun of me.)
Are you specifically looking for step-through frames? If not, just get a 58″ of whatever variety you prefer, and then paint if if the color is cruddy.
If it feels comfortable and fits per the sizing guidelines above, go for it. However, many mass-produced kids bikes are made with the idea that kids will outgrow them – i.e. aren’t built to last. At the point that you’re getting a quality bike, a kids’ bike is probably as expensive as an adult one.
5’1″ is probably the threshold for it. The nice thing about more expensive kids bikes is that because kids grow out of them, there are also a lot of used ones. I found a bunch of older-model 24″ that were of decent quality while reesearching this article – The Giant Revel JR 24 and certain Ghost models hold up pretty well, can’t speak for other brands.
Because I am pretty uncoordinated and fall down more than usual while walking on dry, level sidewalks, I am afraid of bikes. (I vividly imagine falling over and having a car drive over my head, instantly.) Because I am also highly susceptible to hipster peer pressure and Anthropologie ads, I have spent literally years casually shopping for bikes and reading things on bike forums. One day, I will acquire my own retro Dutch-style upright bike, I will ride exclusively on the flat, car-free beach path, and all “real” bike people will make fun of me.
I love my Dutch upright bike. Unless you are literally racing or mountain biking or something, upright is the way to go.
As another faller-downer on flat surfaces, I can offer you the perspective that I find it MUCH easier to stay balanced on a bike than on my own two feet (once you get past the learning stages, of course).
I feel you. I have hip dysplasia and it took me about five years to be able to ride a bike at all as a kid (toppled right over when I tried to pedal), and stayed pretty scared of them well into adulthood. It wasn’t until I moved to Tempe and really when I moved Santa Barbara (safe, off road paths) that I started riding regularly.
Besides what you mentioned (quiet place to ride, upright bike), it helped me to have a seat I could adjust quickly, so I could switch between a height that was low (= being able to put feet quickly on ground when terrified), and one that was higher (= more comfortable to pedal).
And now I live in LA, where I am once again scared of cycling.
I have a Batavus Old Dutch omafiets with pedal breaks. I think they pulled it out of a canal before it ended up at the used bike store. For all it’s kind of a beater, it’s also the best bike. (It’s very flat here so the fancy stuff is mostly unnecessary and will get your bike stolen.)
Ugh how are the pedal breaks? I didn’t realize they had them on adult bikes until I moved to the Netherlands. And re: flatness yesss. I was initially concerned about my single gear until I realized how completely and utterly flat it is.
I like them! I mean, it’s Holland and I’m in a city, so there’s not a lot a lot of “serious” braking I ever have to do, but they work well and now that I’m used to them it’s very much second nature to brake that way. I like not having to worry about them- they won’t get cut, they don’t really get out of alignment or otherwise messed with. And they’re very comfortable, nice and smooth. I mean, if it wasn’t a single-speed bike in a flat urban environment it might be different, but as it stands, it’s nice.
OMIGOD, the bikes in Holland. IT IS AMAZING. I was in Amsterdam in the fall, and I couldn’t believe the bikes. So cool. We have hills where I am, so I can never have a Dutch bike. But they are SO MUCH RAD.
Also, I rode one of the blue/yellow rentals around one day. So fun!!!
Heart you Holland and your bikes.
Yes yes yes to dutch bikes!
I managed to get a japanese one (meaning that it has all the features but is appropriate for someone who is super not dutch-sized). Currently trying to talk myself out of upgrading to a batvus and trying to bring it back to the state. The airline people would probably laugh and then refuse.
Ahhh awesome. I would have loved this when I bought my bike back in November, but I’m glad I didn’t screw it up too badly (I went to River City Bikes in Portland and they were so nice and patient with me.) Also, I did get disc brakes, but I live in Portland and it is gross and wet a lot.
WHY ARE PEOPLE WHO SELL BIKES SUCH ASSHOLES? Thank you for protecting us from them, Dana!
Oh man, it depends so much on the place! The two places I went to in Portland (well, three if you count the outlet store of River City Bikes separately) were all really nice. The outlet guy especially knew a lot and told me cool things about bike geometry. But maybe I’m just a massive nerd?
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS TOO. The bike/ski shop in town is so bad I hate going in there. They’re just so snooty!
It’s reassuring to the snooty high-end customers we make all out money from. They fully expect us to act like we’re better than them because we know more, and if we’re not dicks they get antsy.
Seriously.
That, and a lot of mechanics are mainsplaining dickweeds, but we knew that.
That makes a depressing amount of sense. The skiing/biking community here is pretty clique-y in general.
Oh man, SUCH DICKWEEDS. I hadn’t thought about it in awhile, but I went to the big used/consignment/also rad new bike shop in Portland (yay Sellwood Cycle Repair) and was floored when a mechanic talked to me like I knew what the hell I was talking about, boobs be damned.
And then that just made me kind of sad, because it was not my typical experience as a boob-possessing-person.
Oh my god no.
I am so so glad this is not true of the local bike shops here in my part of Massachusetts. I learned to bike as an adult and still have to concentrate at it, not so much around cars but around other bikers who can behave very badly and really shave close to you. So when I bought my first bike, I explained to the shop guy that I had recently learned and needed the most stable bike they had with big tires, upright, and they totally delivered and helped me in a respectful and kind, non-condescending way. It was really the best. Some Americans can be so judgmental about people not having learned to bike as a child, and make weird assumptions about you because they think it is so “normal,” so I was just so very very grateful to the bike shop guys for not being like that. Here many bike shop employees seem to be usually working there to make money while they are in a band or doing studio art, so it is not their entire life interest, and many of the bike shops are cooperatives that offer health insurance to their workers once they’ve been there long enough and just are generally incredibly civilized and not what you describe at all, and actually are even clearer in answering questions than this article for those of us like me who need a little more context about where on the bike these various items are if I am going to actually use the information. (I am 100% sure I am not your target audience, so that is probably not a problem for you, but that is my feedback if you would like feedback — the final pictures with the person made much more sense than the line-up of different brakes which look like all sorts of other possible bike parts, zoomed in so there is no identifying context for those of us to whom this stuff is not obvious).
YES WHY? I went to a (normal looking!) bike shop, and wanted a bike for less than £500. You’d think I’d shot his dog, the look he gave me. I bought a bike off the internet in the end, not wanting to speak to a Bike Man in person again.
IDK. I sold bikes once. I was not an asshole. But it is a thing!!! I used to race. I’d go into a shop where I wasn’t a regular and I would get ALL THE MANSPLAIN. It’s fortunate no one was injured during these encounters.
On the bright side, the big brands – and by big brands I mean people like Trek, Giant (Liv/giant on the women’s side), Specailized – they are really working with retailers to make shops more welcoming to women. Because they’ve all realized, holy shit, women have money and want to buy bikes. So maybe we should make that easier and more pleasant for them. It’s slow, but it is changing.
PIcking a shop that carries a major brand with a big women’s line – like Trek, Giant, Specialized – will give you a better chance of encountering normal, friendly humans when you go to the shop. But it’s no guarantee, unfortunately.
Just like with buying computers, or cars, the salesmen (often/usually men) are pretty damn condescending at most places unless you walk in with swagger and an encyclopedic knowledge of the product that you pull out at every conceivable instance. It stinks. But, yea, this article helps avoid that for sure.
Aw yiss. I love cycling to work (although, in London, shit’s dangerous yo). I heartily recommend my velocipede of choice, the Pashley Princess, which is more twee than Zooey Deschanel baked into a cupcake and crumbled over a Peter Pan collar. It infuriates middle-aged white-guy taxi drivers too, which is a bonus.
I bike to work too (though I wimp out most days and ride literally one stop on the light rail in Portland because stupid hills). I ride a Jamis Aurora Elite now; it’s a bit on the spendy side but it came with a rack and fenders already installed, and it’s comfortable even on longer (30 mile) rides. I can’t wait to do a really long distance trip with it.
If it makes you feel better, the west hills are actually the Tualitan Mountain Range. I mean, it’s a sort of Socal mountain range, but still! MOUNTAINS.
Yeah they’re fucking nuts! I biked from basically Willow Creek Transit Center to Sunset TC and then over the hills past the zoo, and then along the Springwater Corridor trail on my last 30 mile ride. And my legs kind of DIED. I usually just skip the hills that are on 185th and Cornell in Aloha because I’m lazy in the mornings. In the summer I’m better about doing it.
While we’re talking about bikes: does anyone have sane advice RE: flying with a bike? Should I just call that a dumb idea and rent one when I land?
I’ve seen people do it, but they were people who were serious racers or going on intense mountain bike tours. On a hunch I’d say that unless your personal bicycle is very important to your trip you should probably rent.
Bike flight boxes involve disassembling a lot of the bike and paying oversize luggage fees.
I love my bike a lot, but I probably don’t love disassembling it. Thanks!
I mean, don’t make a decision based on me…I’ve never actually seen inside a bike box,but they are a lot closer to a square than a bicycle.
I might be doing a Portland-to-Bend trip sometime this summer, and I’d probably fly back from that. But when I’m in Boston in a few months, way cheaper to just rent, because for some reason their bike rentals are way cheaper than other places. (Looking at you, Minneapolis. Angrily.)
This Minneapolitan is hanging her head in shame and apologizes profusely. If you ever visit again and need a bike, I could probably find one for you to borrow!
It was weird, I couldn’t find one that cost lest than $50/day. The ones in Boston are apparently more like $25-$35/day. I borrowed my cousin’s bike, but that was a terrible idea because it was way too small for me. STILL BIKED AROUND A LAKE THOUGH (you guys have a lot of lakes!)
You can get a day pass for the Nice Ride bikes now! They’re pretty heavy but if you just want to bike around the lakes it’s a good bet.
I would have loved to, but I was there over Thanksgiving and they were all shut down.
I’m doing a Crescent City to San Francisco trip! In August, I think. Except I’m going to rent a car to drive back to Ashland rather than dealing with the whole bike box nonsense.
If you’re going to the North Shore, I can recommend a good bike rental place too. $150 (I think) for a Specialized for a week.
I know only a medium amount about bikes, and I have disassembled and reassembled my bike enough to fit in a bike box a few times! You just need tools and a couple of rags. (But overall, probably not worth it unless you’re going like, bicycle touring.)
If you fly with it, you would have to assemble/disassemble some, yes. Ideally, you’d want a hard case or a “coffin” to ensure that your bike actually arrived undamaged.
One alternative – find a shop in your town, and have your bike boxed and shipped to a shop in the town where you’re going. You’ll have to pay for the labor of packing and the shipping costs, so maybe not worth it unless you’re going to be somewhere for a while and really need your bikey.
There are also frames (probably too expensive for this trip) that are made to disassemble. They usually come apart into two pieces, and make a shape that is roughly the same size as the rims of a 700cc bike.
CNC-couplers are the coolest thing ever. If I had piles of money I would totally have a bike made like that. A friend of mine had Mosaic, a custom builder in Boulder, make a travel bike that splits in half. It’s fancy-shmancy and gorgeous. WANT.
You can pay a bike shop to disassemble your bike for you for about $40, and you can probably get it assembled for the same price at your destination, depending on where. So, if renting costs more than $80 plus airline fees, then boxing it is the best choice. Although, DIYing it is not actually difficult. all you need to do is remove the handlbars and front wheel, then styrofoam the shit out of it.
You can either buy cases or cardboard shipping boxes – there will be extra fees, but I *think* flying with it in cargo is cheaper than shipping it.
Update! I just asked my cousin, who is a crazy mountain biker (his seat post costs more than my bicycle) and he said Air Canada only charged an extra $50 each way to take a bike from Vancouver to Chile. So that’s promising!
According to him the most expensive part was the box. Some airlines require a plastic bike box, others let you use cardboard which is much cheaper!
Oh also you can probably get a used cardboard bike box from a bike shop fo’ free.
I just flew with my bike from Toronto to Cuba and back, and it was surprisingly painless. My bike required only very minimal disassembly (front wheel off, pedals off, saddle lowered, handlebars turned sideways) because I am short and my bike is correspondingly tiny. My boyfriend’s, however, was another story.
Just make sure you secure all tiny pieces that could potentially fall off! A rather essential part of my front brake went missing en route – but all was well after a creative Cuban repair job that surprisingly held for two weeks of touring.
PTSD flashback to when my bike-crazy friend convinced me to go biking with him (which involved at least an hour of actual bike-riding lessons even though I am a grown-ass woman because it IS possible to forget how to ride a bike) that ended with me riding straight into a bush.
Also I didn’t know the angle of the seat could be adjusted, so I rode his stupid boy bike that got all up in my lady parts, painful-like. </grumpus>
Masi makes a really nice single-speed city bike for ladies called, unfortunately, the Chixed, and Cinelli makes a hideously overpriced variant of same that includes fenders and a front rack, and I love this series already.
Do you have any specific road bike buying advice?
i have a sexy darling of a commuter bike but I’ve been wanting to go further and faster and wear spandex and hunch over my handlebars like a Serious Athlete. Soo, road bike! Probably as a birthday present, which happily is in April. I have no idea what I’m doing.
Tell us your budget 🙂
Also, tell us your favorite colors.
definitely less than $1000. Maybe $800? which still feels extravagant,but I spent $700 on my darling commuter once I’d added racks and baskets and doodads…
Not picky about colours but if I have a choice make it shiny and red. Pretty gets bonus points but is not required.
Well, if you are trying to spend less than $1000, it will be a little more difficult. If you know people who know a lot about bikes, you could get a used road bike. Otherwise, look at the Lexa series from Trek, which is a women’s specific line of road bikes. Retail starts at about $800. If you can spend a little more (about $1200), the Surly Crosscheck is great. It’s less race specific, but is good for rough roads. Also, if you get a low-end road bike and fall in love with road biking, you should be able to sell it and upgrade without losing too much money. The most important thing is getting a bike that fits you correctly, as it will make riding SO much more comfortable. My road bike isn’t perfect (I’m eventually going to get a carbon fiber road bike), but I’ve had adjustments made to make the fit better and it makes a big difference. Happy cycling!
I know $1000 is on the low end for a road bike but I really have no idea if I’m going to love it or not and I can’t convince myself that’s a reasonable number for a thing I will probably love but might not.
My lovely comfy commuter bike is a Trek and the staff there were lovely to me so I will definitely look into them when I start shopping for real.
Thanks for the input 🙂
Bikes are the best! Also, know that if you ride your bike hard, things will need to be replaced. Found out my cassette/chain should have been switched out 500 miles ago – oops!
For the WTF (women trans femme folk): Dude-bro bike culture can be intimidating, but many times lady-bikers also tend to be a fiercely supportive group. Look around on facebook/the webs for open shops and lady-focused bike groups in your city. (In Minneapolis Grease Rag hosts open shops 2x a month or more).
Also, congrats Dana on writing a straightforward article. When people ask me about bike things I generally just devolve into YOU SHOULD RIDE A BIKE, RIDE A BIKE WITH ME!
From a fellow Canadian volunteer mechanic, LOVE THIS! Also, for newbies: your city likely (hopefully!) has a cycling advocacy organization, REI or MEC, and/or bike repair co-ops. These kinds of places often offer classes on safely cycling in city traffic or basic mechanics classes–attending a mechanics class even if you don’t have your own bike yet will teach you a lot about what to look for when you do buy, especially if you’re buying used. Bike repair co-ops also sometimes fix up and sell donated bikes, which guarantees a used bike that will be in better shape and less sketchy than a Craigslist buy, and the ‘bike people’ at places like that are the friendliest, most helpful ever, especially towards beginners. Related: don’t be afraid to ask that one friend/relative of yours who is really into biking for advice or to accompany you to look at a bike, bike nerds love to beget more bike nerds!
And girlfriends of bike nerds love when someone else listens to the bike talk for a while. Just saying. (Probably boyfriends of bike nerds, too. All bike nerd partners.)
Haha community bike shops are actually going to be he focus of the next post, so yeah, definitely check ’em out. Most have queer mechanic nights, and I actually run one. So if you’re in Winnipeg, come to the UWSA Queerlab and say hi!
Nice! I’m in Vancouver, but anyone else here should come by Kickstand, we hold a (self-identified) women’s night twice a month as well as being very friendly the rest of the time as well. The lady who is currently organizing said night is actually moving to Winnipeg later this year and I would bet my bottom bracket that she’ll get involved there as well, so you’ve got a rad one coming your way!
DIY bike co-ops represent! For people in Toronto, Bike Pirates has women & trans* days every Sunday, and if it wasn’t for them I never would have worked up the courage to go in and repair my own bike. Now, I volunteer.
(Also, I’m so late to this thread! But it’s because I was on a bike tour, so it’s ok. I am adding my late comments anyway because the combination of bikes + Toast makes me happy.)
Woo bikes! I got rid of my car in August, because I stopped driving in favor of my bicycle. Saves me so much money, and burns so man calories, and makes me look so badass. So to the bi(ke)-curious: give in to your physical desires, once you start riding you won’t look back (except to check for cars).
Can I advertise here? For something that I’m not involved with? And for something that The Toast will love?
Chicago is getting a female-oriented bike shop! The first one in the midwest!
http://www.bffbikes.com/
They are having an IndiGoGo campaign and there’s three days left. One of the prizes is a PARTY, so that’s exciting.
This sounds like the most awesome thing! And congrats on going car-free!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat female-bike shop YES. Well, that just resolved my “but which bike shop should I go to” wobbling. Pretty sure I’m going to get a bike this spring (I was a long-time bike-only person but then I moved from the West Coast and have been living in fear of Chicago traffic. 2014, this is it.)
I THINK that BFF Bikes is mostly going to be selling Public bikes (and if you want one, I strongly suggest the IndyGoGo campaign contribution to get it; it’s an awesome price), so if you are wanting for bike selection, you won’t really get it (I think?).
If you are wanting to check out a woman-owned Chicago bike shop, check out this thread on The Chainlink! http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/what-are…
Also, till then, check out Divvy! Even if you have your own bike, the yearly subscription ends up being worth it. And it can be a good way to test out the Chicago streets.
If a future column could talk about how frequently you need to get your bike … tuned up? maintenanced? checked out by a professional? whatever you call it, that would be really useful.
Or if someone could just tell me that.
I get mine done every spring before I start riding, but then also grease it and pump tires and so forth myself in the interim.
I get mine done yearly, because I ride through winter, and one of the Chicago bike shops offers a “winter tune up special.” I pay an absurd amount of money ($180) for a nice tune-up, but then for MONTHS I get free cleanings and adjustments, and any accessories I buy from them they will install for free. So I’m free to roll through the slushy, salty streets of Chicago, safe in the knowledge that later in the week I can just go get it cleaned up.
And so, I have no idea how often you are really supposed to get it tuned up. I think you are supposed to get a really good one every two years at least? And you are also supposed to do adjustments of brakes and such when it feels necessary.
Most shops do free safety inspections, so pop into one of those and ask them to tell you what’s up. I give my bikes a good going-over twice a year, in early spring and late fall, plus I work on them all year. If you’re not noticing any new weird noises, you’re probably ok.
Dana is already working on maintenance-based follow-up!
Bikes are the best. I feel like every time I go in a bike shop and need any help some brochanic starts explaining cruisers to me, which means I pretend I know exactly what I’m doing and never ask for help. This article will be helpful in ACTUALLY knowing what the heck I’m doing, no brochanic necessary.
My friend has road bikes and they are fucking TERRIFYING to ride if you’re not used to them. We started riding them around Denver, but then I gave up and made him rent B-Cycle with me. I felt like such a jerk because it was like I didn’t know how to ride a bike.
I plan to start road biking in the spring and I am so looking forward to the terror. It will be great fun!
My favorite thing about road bikes is how you go down a tiny hill and are suddenly doing 25mph without even trying, and then you make it to the top of the next hill without pedaling!
I LOVE this series.
Touring bike buying advice?! I’m thinking about springing for a Surly in April.
Surly makes a great product – everyone I know who has a Surly cross-check is in love with it.
SURLY IS THE BEST AHHH
My Jamis Aurora Elite is pretty bitching as a touring bike, but I test rode a few Surly’s (they were nice, but didn’t seem to suit my body type or were a hideous color.)
YES SURLY. I’ve got a Pacer and I did some monkeying around to make it tour-ready, and it was a dream on my pacific coast highway ride. I have also heard nothing but good things about the Long Haul Trucker.
Pacific Coast highway ride?! Where’d you go?!
Do you know that Montreal, because Montreal is amazing, has an actual queer bike shop called Bikurious? And on a sort-of-slightly-related note, I have always thought that since bisexuals are always getting shit on by everyone and would benefit from a catchy non-clinical-sounding equivalent term like “gay” or “lesbian”, that term should be “byke”.
Bikurious! I haven’t been in a while but they used to have a resident cat and offer lesbian haircuts for everyone, 15$. The best.
omg i want a $15 lesbian haircut!
(actually I probably don’t, but the concept is the best)
I know there used to be an anarchist bike shop in montreal by that name. If it’s the same Bikurious I’m thinking of, I actually know one of the founders (which insipred the name for this column)
My mom works for one of the super-fancy high-end MTB manufacturers, and a couple of the warehouse guys built me a neat Frankenbike with their frame, some of their other bits (mainly the SUPER FANCY wheels), and the rest what they had lying around in various homes. It’s a really cool bike.
Buuuuuuut, it’s a super-fancy mountain bike, for super-fancy mountain bike racing, and I really just want to bop around a relatively flat town. And I don’t really want to leave it unattended anywhere because of the fanciness. Even with locks. (not sure of retail price due to the frankensteining, but the frames are $2000-$4000 wholesale level of fancy.) I have mountains near me, but I rarely go into them. But it’s a REALLY cool bike. That I rarely use.
Would it be better to try and see if I can do some sort of trade-in thing at a shop for an upright (are trade-ins even a thing? I’ve never actually been on the retail side) or just save up for a straight up purchase and keep my cool bike for bragging rights/the offchance I’ll actually use it more than once a year?
Go find a decent;y stocked community bike shop, grab a craptastic frame from the internet, and build yourself something!
Maybe ask the dudes at the bike company to help you build a townie or fix up a thrift shop bike for cruising town and parking at the coffee shop. Most fancy bike people have townie bikes. Because, parking.
Road bikes are good for at least one thing other than going really fast: I bought a low-end Specialized road bike for bicycle touring a few years back. It worked great. I haven’t been riding for the last couple of years, but as I recall it can be tough to find something suitable for touring. The model I bought ended up being ideal for long rides carrying lots of stuff. Also it is great to be able to pick up your bike easily.
This is so much rad. I can’t believe how much info is packed into this small space.
But who the hell is Lance Armstrong? 😀 😀 May I suggest Evie Stevens as an alternative? She’s way more fun and she rides a road bike. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkqN-10EBnw&fe…
One thing on the road bike front: The industry is making road bikes in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days. That means, you can ride all aero like Evie Stevens (or the Queen of Women’s Cycling, Marianne Vos), but you can also ride a more relaxed position that gives you the adventages of a road bike without having to be super bent over and flexible.
Advantages of a road bike? Very efficient. Easy to pedal, especially uphill. Get you places quickly.
Bikes branded for women are evolving all the time, but finally (!) the offerings for women are reaching point where the quality is super fab. Generally, women’s bikes will have a number of features – narrower bars, women-friendly saddles, and whatnot. Typically they will fit women’s proportionately longer legs and shorter torsos better than the main product line offerings. The size range will typically go smaller for all you lovely girls in the 5’0″ range who used not to be able to find bikes to fit.
And yes, someday we will no longer gender bikes, I’m hoping. Because due to my mutant freak nature, I typically fit the main (or men’s) product line bikes better than the women’s line. Go figure.
Yay bikes!!!!
Road bikes are the best. I commuted on a hybrid for years and then got a road bike for longer rides, and now my hybrid is sad and dusty and alone in the garage. It is a nice hybrid but it can’t compete.
“nd now you’re having a conversation with a cute barista. (You’re welcome.)”
This bike guide gets me.
me and my chronic knee injury caused by riding a too-small bike will just sit here all like
Yeah, I haven’t bothered to fix my winter bike, so I’ve had that expression at the bus stop for about 3 weeks. DISC BRAKES, UGH
ALSO. I love the bicycle men in neon spandex.
…anyone else?!
I feel like 12 years on a swim team prepared me very well for men in spandex.
Yes. As a lady with plenty of fluorescent lycra of my own, I find neon spandex charming. However I do not and never will wear matching spandex to ride my bike with my dude.
Now I finally know the name for the kind of brakes I have!!! Such a relief. Also now I can ask how to adjust cantilever brakes, because sometimes I pop the front wheel off to fit the bike in my car and when I put it back on the brake is like crooked so it drags on one side of the wheel? So I guess…how to center the brake? Probably I should just invest in a bike rack for my car.
My father and I once built an entire bike out of parts. I called it FrankenBike, and I loved it, right up until one of the wheels sproinged into a kidney bean shape while going over a small bump and turned out to be a fancy, old, unavailable size >_<
For wet places, hub brakes at the BEST! It’s been raining here for what feels like the past month, meaning that the caliper brake on the front is not functional, but the hub brake continues to function perfectly.
This may also mean I need to replace my brake pads. But I’m choosing to ignore that.
You def. need to replace your brake pads.
RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS!
Okay, now I’ll go back to reading so I can embrace my true path as “fat lady on a bicycle.”
As a fellow fatty on a bike, I welcome you!
I feel I must point out that cottered cranks are not always evil. I would happily buy a bike with cottered cranks if (and only if) I was buying it because it is old and lovely and I don’t plan to swap out the chainring.
One of my bicycles is a 1961 Lady’s Raleigh Sports, aka an old British 3–speed. It has cottered cranks. It also has a chainring in the shape of herons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanadventureleague…
I still ride that bike, it’s comfy and beautiful.
Oh my god no.
I am so so glad this is not true of the local bike shops here in my part of Massachusetts. I learned to bike as an adult and still have to concentrate at it, not so much around cars but around other bikers who can behave very badly and really shave close to you. So when I bought my first bike, I explained to the shop guy that I had recently learned and needed the most stable bike they had with big tires, upright, and they totally delivered and helped me in a respectful and kind, non-condescending way. It was really the best. Some Americans can be so judgmental about people not having learned to bike as a child, and make weird assumptions about you because they think it is so "normal," so I was just so very very grateful to the bike shop guys for not being like that. Here many bike shop employees seem to be usually working there to make money while they are in a band or doing studio art, so it is not their entire life interest, and many of the bike shops are cooperatives that offer health insurance to their workers once they've been there long enough and just are generally incredibly civilized and not what you describe at all, and actually are even clearer in answering questions than this article for those of us like me who need a little more context about where on the bike these various items are if I am going to actually use the information. (I am 100% sure I am not your target audience, so that is probably not a problem for you, but that is my feedback if you would like feedback — the final pictures with the person made much more sense than the line-up of different brakes which look like all sorts of other possible bike parts, zoomed in so there is no identifying context for those of us to whom this stuff is not obvious).
Oh man, thank you for this. I’ve been bike curious for years now. Any tips for riding in the city? I know reading can’t really prepare you, but some sage advice is never misplaced.
My #1 tip is to project confidence. You want to signal to drivers that you know they’re there and you aren’t scared. A common tip I have read, too, is don’t feel like you have to be *right* on the curb. You don’t, and it’s good to give yourself some breathing room. Most biking organizations publish advice for beginners, a little google should help you find one.
Oh, also, what no one will tell you is that, everyone’s first time riding in traffic is nerve-wracking. I grew up with a dad who commuted by bike, I rode allll over Pittsburgh, and I was still nervous the first time I rode in NYC.
It will probably be terrifying for a while, but just go with it. Don’t be afraid to get out in the lane and claim your space. Make sure cars can’t miss the fact that you exist.
The mistake people (by which I mean me) make when they start is to try to take up as little space as possible and avoid being in the way of the cars. Drivers will not hit you on purpose because you are in their way. They will hit you by accident when they don’t know you’re there.
Carry your u lock and threaten to dent cars with it.
Kidding.
But be assertive and make sure they see you. Eye contact is key. Many people hate “cyclists” but will not run over another fucking human being, once they’ve seen your humanity. Basically, read up on ape behaviour and act as entitled, alpha and unafraid as possible on the road.
If your even more bike curious people, go to my bro’s (actual blood bro’s) website! He has a good beginners or moderately advanced buyers guide.
http://www.bikebro.com
I think this is one of the most in-depth articles I’ve read in a while. I recently got a 29er and I’m loving it, it’s definitely the best bike I’ve ever owned. Thanks for the tips!
Bikes riding is really enjoyable for me. This is such an article where a bike lovers get some valuable idea about bikes and biker”s experience about their tours.Thanks for sharing this type of beneficial post.