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Best Sellers and Clearance Outlet:
Cheap Bikes are not Bargains!Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us and similar department stores sell plenty of bikes from brands such as Huffy, Mongoose, Roadmaster, and Schwinn for $100 to $200. They may, at first, seem like good deals -- but they aren't. Realistically, you should be prepared to spend at least $300 for decent-quality bike. Why?Because you get what you pay for. Mass-market -- Wal-Mart and Sears -- bikes have cheaper, less-rugged construction than higher-priced bikes and can weigh 7 or 8 pounds more. They come in only one size, so you're not likely to get a great fit. And mass merchants can't match bike shops for quality of assembly, expert advice, and service. Adults should consider cheaper department-store bikes only for the most casual use, and stick with a no-suspension or front-suspension model, which is likely to be better built at the price than a cheap full-suspension bike. You may want a mass-market bike for kids who'll outgrow a bike quickly or rough it up. Still, if your budget allows, we'd recommend that you buy one from a dedicated bicycle vendor such as PerformanceBike
Bicycling needs to be taken more seriously as an alternative form of transportation for many important reasons. Here are just a few:
I live in Los Angeles, California and prefer to get around town without using a motor vehicle. Outwardly, it may seem that I am severely limited with respect to accessibility. I moved to LA from Toledo, Ohio in February 2004. In Ohio, I had not just one car but two, and drove (and relied on them) everyday for virtually every task: from going to work and grocery shopping to visiting the local park (only 1 block away!). I wasn't lazy or overweight; I worked nearly everyday, and exercised at home on a cross-trainer. Ohio has some excellent bike paths. On a rare off-day, if the weather was good, I would attach my self-modified Gary Fisher hybrid to a bike rack, and drive to one of the local bike paths. None were farther than three or four miles away. The move to California was a career-changing event, and I now work out of my home. Regardless, one still needs to get around: shopping, errands and leisure. Southern California is, also, quite a bit more interesting than Northwest Ohio, so the urge to "get out of the house" is more significant than in an area which is hot and muggy in the summer, freezing cold in winter. I actually drove my car quite frequently for the first couple of months after my arrival in California. Driving here in traffic-congested So Cal is quite a bit different than in the relatively laid-back highways and streets of Toledo. In addition, the price of gasoline is higher here than in the Midwest. Getting a bit fed up with these annoyances, I decided to oil up my 10-year-old Gary Fisher bicycle and see what it was like biking to and from various locations. Up to this point, I had never cycled for more than 14 miles or so, and that was mostly on quiet streets and dedicated bike paths in Ohio. So, not only was there the physical challenge of traveling longer distances, there was also the challenge of riding a bike on the busy streets of Los Angeles county. The former took several weeks to become acclimated to; the latter became comfortable after experience, reading books and perusing web sites for how-to tips, and using the right equipment. top of page Biking vs. Driving -- the bottom line when it comes to non-recreational bicycle use:
The purpose of this web site is to promote bicycling as a serious and realistic alternative to automobile transportation. This web site is new and, currently, a bit sparse. The first issue that needs to be addressed is bicycle safety for commuters and "non-recreational" bike riders. Hence, I have developed an extensive section to address safety-related topics. It is not an exhaustive section, so please tell me (KHashmi316 AT fastmail DOT org) what I missed or what needs improvement. Also, tell me (KHashmi316 AT fastmail DOT org) what you want or what you expect from a commuting-bicycle site. The pictorial format of the Safety page is how future pages will be structured. Here's an example of an important topic that will be incorporated into a upcoming page: |
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When crossover gears are taken into account, this is no longer a 21-speed bike -- it is a 19-speed bike. If this example was helpful -- please tell me. Your comments will be used to design and improve future pages. Thank You! Our MissionBe it commuting, road, comfort, mountain biking or touring, we canhelp you choose the type of ride you crave, need or want, and will be there down the road to help keep your two-wheeled transporter in tip-top shape. We're your unabridged resource for demystifying all things "bicycle". |
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Last updated: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 6:40 PST
How-To's and DIY
