I don't mean to brag, but I taught Matt Yglesias everything he knows about the bike commute from U Street to the Watergate. Now Tom Lee weighs in with advice. The bike maintenance people are always really nice to me. But I presume that that's because I have no idea what they're talking about, and they charge me accordingly.
Meanwhile, I am contemplating a few bikes.
Reader thoughts? Yes, I know, they're all unbearably twee, but I'm not planning to bike to Mount Everest, just the grocery store. Also, has anyone ever heard of a woman's bike for someone over six feet tall?
"a woman's bike for someone over six feet tall?"
A unicycle?
Or a unicycle with the seat removed?
Not being a woman I'm not sure what the point of the woman's bike is? Why should a woman have a harder time than a man with the classic triangle frame. It is for riding while wearing a skirt?
Re: Not being a woman I'm not sure what the point of the woman's bike is? Why should a woman have a harder time than a man with the classic triangle frame. It is for riding while wearing a skirt?
The skirt if part of it for city bikes I'm sure. For non-city bikes, other part is proportions. Women's bikes are made with one of two assumptions (or both): a) that women have shorter torsos than men of the same height, or b) even if the woman has the same size torso as the man of the same height, she won't have the upper body strength to lean over as much as a man and support herself. At least, this is my understanding.
They also come in smaller sizes than mens bikes, though Megan luckily doesn't need those.
I'm with mightypuck on this one: unless you have a need to mount and dismount the machine in traditional women's apparel at knee-length or longer (and if you were wearing that, why would you risk getting street splash on it, or catching a breeze and giving DC a free show?), buy the men's-style bike and get the correct frame size. If the frame is too short, your knees will not bend in the optimum range and the result is a lot of unnecessary muscle and joint stress. Given that you're out of your twenties AND female, that's not something you want to provoke.
A men's-style bike is actually the more optimum design, because it produces a stronger frame with less vibration. Many bikes don't have a strictly horizontal crossbar these days anyway, it tends to come down at a 30ish-degree angle to make the design more unisex.
I noticed that the Gary Fisher Simple City can cost around a thousand dollars. It has been a few decades since I last rode a bike, and the prices have steeply risen. Talk about sticker shock!
Speaking of unbearably twee, you should check out the Schwinn cruiser line.
James
I had a Light Roadster custom built a while back by http://www.antbikemike.com/. Really like it a lot!!
None of these bikes have lights, a must for commuting, but then light prefernces are so personal. Me, I like generator lights.
I applaud the fact that they all have fenders.
I'm not a proponent of the recent single speed craze. I'm older, and not fit enough to be able to vary my cadence AND my torgue output to get good point-to-point speed in a single speed bike, so that cuts out the Kona Africa Bike. And I'm not big on phancy sheight from Shimano, creator of planned obsolence, bicycle style, so no Lime for me.
I like the 3 speed coaster brake version of the Simple City for you, but look also to Joe Breezer's city bike (comes stock with lights!), and Specialized has been trying to sell various incarnations of the Globe for at least a decade now - I've owned several, although the latest versions are pretty dumbed down - no fenders or lights, both of which the earlier versions had.
I had a Light Roadster custom built a while back by http://www.antbikemike.com/. Really like it a lot!!
I like the Lime, speaking strictly from link observation. I like the "stuff in seat" gimmick and the splash of different colors.
If you're really stylin' and have excess wealth you need to get rid of from those huge journalist salaries, you could get a bamboo bike:
http://www.calfeedesign.com/bamboo.htm
The fixed gear craze is dumb for everyday commuting. Especially the brakeless type. Unless you want some first-hand research experience with health care economics.
Depending on how hilly the commute is, you could get an internal gear hub. Look for fenders and a chain cover as well. It looks like Bianchi has something in a step-through frame you might like:
http://bianchiusa.com/08_milano_citta.html
Though the women's frame may be too small for you.
Why not buy used? Might help make it less attractive to thieves. My experience is that clunky fenders and a goofy bell are a great theft deterrent.
Here's a happy 6'8" cyclist:
http://pereiracycles.blogspot.com/2007/12/happy-customer.html
I can't say 'never buy products with unavoidable flash introductions' like the Lime whatsit but it's certainly my own practice. Don't reward horrid introductions!
Well at least you won't have to worry about erectile dysfunction. Something I didn't worry about until I went link happy.
"One would not expect that every bicyclist would suffer from erectile dysfunction, any more than one would expect every smoker would get lung cancer,"
Now we (men) can breath a sigh of relief.
'Stuff White People Like' has an appropriate entry, with a special mention of women's city bikes:
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/61-bicycles/
You really want a bike with a generator, light, fenders, chain guard, and a skirt guard.
The key is the *full* chain guard. You really don't want to have to deal with those velcro trouser ties every time you hop on your bike.
By the way, the Breezer Citizen is another good choice.
Regarding the Lime, it might be a great bike, but why get a bike that shifts itself? Shifting isn't that big a deal and eventually you know it will break and require specialized knowledge/equipment to fix. Also, if you're just "going to the grocery store" like you said, why spend so much? Get something cheaper and then you won't care when it's stolen.
It's not your ignorance that makes the bike shop people nice to you. In my experience, bike people can be terrible snobs, particularly to people who aren't part of their little tribe. Almost as if only they have any business being on a bicycle.
They're nice to you because you're an attractive single woman. My wife and I repeatedly find that she gets vastly better service in the bike shop, even though I'm a lot more polite, though she experiences the same snobbery from female employees.
Honestly, if you can be swayed to invest in a cool bike, you should just go for an old, used roadbike. Perfect for somebody tall, looks sporty but not too pretentious (since it's old), and doesn't make you look like an old Dutch woman (Hint: all three of your bikes have this sit up staight, old person shape to them, typically found in Dutch bikes). Plus, a used roadbike comes relatively cheap and you won't be too upset when it gets stolen. Good luck.
Also, a used roadbike has a lot more character than a flashy new bike. Just think of brandnew, white, running shoes versus your old, well weathered pair and you'll know what I mean (hopefully). If you need to transport a lot, just wear a backpack, though some older roadbikes even come with a rack.
The Lime "shifts for you"? That's a ridiculous gimmick.
Pay no attention to the macho guys explaining how a step-through ("woman's") frame is a bad idea. It's a great idea for a commuter bike. Unfortunately for you, there probably aren't any of those frames available in your size.
I agree with the people suggesting the Breezer Citizen. That would be perfect for you, and since it has a built-in generator light, you wouldn't have to buy a battery light.
I just started a city commute (8mi each way) mostly bike trail though. I opted for the Specialized Globe, and threw lights, rack, and fenders on it. It's not as upright as a cruiser, but it is much more comfortable than most hybrids. They make some women's models, so that could be an option.
Here
One tip I do have though, is I have been commuting with a backpack for my laptop, and the sweaty back is terrible. I orderd the Arkel Commuter Pannier (order yesterday) Here which people rave about on bikeforums.net. I should get it next week.
Mouse, you don't have to be wearing knee-length skirts to appreciate the women's bike. Sure, in a shorter or fuller skirt, it's easy to get on a men's bike, but try doing it in a way that prevents any passersby from getting a glimpse of London, or, God forbid, France...stepping into, as opposed to over, the frame is pretty useful for the lady work commuter.
That said, I stumbled across my next bike on the interweb today:
http://www.bamboobike.org/Home.html
If you're looking for twee, Megan, I can't imagine topping it.
It depends on the length of the commute. Once you are going to ride far enough that you will start to sweat and pant, then I can't see why you wouldn't want a proper road bike, which (even if you aren't going for speed) is designed to cover the most distance for the given amount of effort.
But don't skimp TOO much when you are getting a 2nd hand road bike. This morning I had ANOTHER wheel bearing disintergrate on me. My wife just said "it's because you buy on ebay".
And, Cardinal Fang, just what is the attraction of a step through frame if you aren't wearing a skirt? Forgetting the need to look "Macho", could you explain why a step through helps at all?
Of the three you've listed, I'd get the simple city, with the eight speed nexus hub. If you want the woman's bike with the step through frame, thats fine, but the regular diamond frame will be stiffer and ride better at higher speeds, but maybe that isn't a concern.
The eight speeds will be handy if you have to tackle a hill or go against the wind, or just go a little faster on the flats.
I don't like the lime because of its annoying flash website, when all I want to know is what is the bike about. Auto transmission for bikes have never taken off, they have been unreliable in the past, but with Shimano it will probably work okay.
I don't know why you'd want it, shifting with the nexus hub, as on the fisher is good (I have nexus on my breezer) but not as good as a Rohloff.
The africa bike looks cool, but I would recommend more than single speed, multi-speed is just more versatile.
If you want lights there are lots of good cheap battery lights available now, you don't have to fiddle with a generator. The generator on my Breezer packed in, and I just put a battery light on it. Much simpler.
Make sure you get a bike that is big enough for you. Most bike shops will try and sell you one that is too small.
And beware of advice from people on the internet,especially about bikes.
Good luck and have fun!
I'm aware of the "old Dutch woman problem", but I have back problems that make an upright bike pretty much a necessity . . .
Thanks for all the advice, guys; it's really helpful.
My wife and I repeatedly find that she gets vastly better service in the bike shop
Who are you people that can't do your own bike maintenance? Not being able to work on a car is one thing, but all the stuff on a bike is out in the open. The mechanical paradigms, here, are not difficult - brakes squeeze rubber shoes against the wheel's rim, shifters pull on cables to make derailers move the chain. Get a wrench and some WD-40 and stop complaining about being condescended to by the bike guys. If you came to me because you couldn't change an inner tube or whatever, I'd think you were an idiot too.
Tip for cheap bikes - your local university's surplus auctions. Every couple of months they take bolt cutters to the bicycles left abandoned in the racks, and you can score some adequate bikes on the super-cheap. My 5-dollar bicycle was dramatically improved with a new seat and some handlebar foam, it rides like a dream, and it looks like a piece of shit, thus discouraging thievery.
I second the Breezer Citizen recommendation -- my wife and I both use them.
By the way, if bike problems are preventing you from using a road bike, consider trying a shop where someone is trained (and certified) to fit you. It takes about an hour, but it makes a huge difference in riding comfort when in an aerodynamic tuck.
heh, Lady, I thought you had already got this sorted... but I'm still going to push the custom frame. I just don't think you will find something the right size, OR importantly the right geometry without working with a frame builder... It sounds like you can park it inside now, so think of it this way:
if you find the right bike, you will never buy another. This is long term, so think about the price spread over years for a good bike. It's pretty cheap if you look at it that way. My Bianchi Campion del Mondo is at $16 per year and falling... I can live with that.
Step through bikes are easier to get on. If you're wearing snug-fitting clothes, or if you're doing errands and hopping off the bike every few doors, or if you're wearing a skirt, or if your back hurts, a step through is better.
Road bikes are fine, but Megan doesn't need the bike Lance used on Ventoux. She needs a nice city bike.
There are good battery lights available, but batteries run down and generators don't.
Oh, one more useful add-on that the Breezer has, and that is terrific: a kickstand.
i'd get gears, and i'd stick with steel or aluminum (or carbon or titanium but let's be realistic), get a front and a back light and a helmet. As a roadie it pains me to say it but if the DC streets are anything like nyc's you may want a mountain bike without the knobby tires.
lastly when that cab stops to let some one off take my advice, its actually safer to go around on the left.
Geez Chet, what crawled up your ass and died? Who am I that I "can't" do bike repair? Busy, that's who.
And yes, I can handle an inner-tube...wouldn't make it home lots of times if I didn't. But for things like truing a wheel, it's a better use of my time to hire an expert. Preferably one who doesn't think part of his job description is being an a-hole to the guy who pays him.
So you're looking for a bike with a place to store your lipstick.
Sorry, can't help.
Get a wrench and some WD-40
Then use the wrench to hit yourself.
Unless you're a mechanic who really knows his shit, there's absolutely nothing on a bike that WD-40 can do anything but slowly wreck. It's not a lubricant. It's exactly what its name means: a water displacer. Any good it seems to do when misused is a fleeting illusion.
In fact, there's never a time in any normal person's life when WD-40 is the right goo for the job. But everyone has it and sprays it all over everything. It's baffling. There oughta be an economics paper. The company's refusal to say what the stuff is for is a fantastic marketing strategy. WD-40 is real-life zombo.
Really Cranky - I hear ya.
WD40 is good for;
- getting gunk off your chain (better results with kerosene)
- keeping water (and therefore rust) out of pits in your chrome and chips in your paintwork (obviously this is a steel-only problem)
WD40 can actually liquefy bearing grease, which is as bad as it sounds.
Apparently transmission fluid is good for chain lubrication, as it doesn't pick up as much grit as regular oil. I've heard others say dipping in paraffin wax, but I draw the line at pulling out a chain-breaker every week.
Anyway, getting off topic...
I read somewhere about a bar in NYC that sprays WD40 on the top of its toilet tanks to prevent patrons from doing lines of coke off of them. Ah the glamor of drugs...
Here's another vote for the Breezer Citizen. My wife commutes on one and loves it. She's 5'10", with really long legs and a short upper-body, so she got the diamond-frame model and had the bike shop install a tall, narrow-front-to-back handlebar stem so it fits properly.
I've always been tempted to get a folding bike, to easily combine biking and public transit, but that's never been my commuting situation...
Every adult bicycle needs a brake on the front wheel. No rear wheel brake is nearly as effective as a front wheel brake.
That leaves the Fisher as the only choice among the three.
Megan, there are three reasons for the "bent over" position on the bicycle; you can develop more power, you can go faster because you're more aerodynamic, and you can go farther because you spread your weight between your butt and your hands. I regularly ride in excess of fifty miles at a time in wind, flat terrain, and hilly terrain, and the first and last reasons are important to me, the second not so much. The last is probably most important, because the butt always gives out before the legs do. If you're riding short distances, and can gear down for any hills you normally encounter, there's no reason to not sit upright. Your butt will tell you how far you can go. And if a three speed hub gives you the gearing you need for your daily commute, you can still get off and walk the bike if you go joy-riding and encounter something really steep. And don't worry about lost time, you'll make it up going down the other side!
I second Simon - WD-40 is a decent solvent, while being less nasty on your skin and surroundings than kerosene or gasoline or a serious degreaser.
It is not a lubricant or a grease replacement.
(Megan - you might look here for sizing information and notes about position and bike setup. Their bikes are crazy-expensive, but the advice seems good and is free.)
I think back on Asymmetrical Information you asked this same question. At that time I believe I posted (or thought about posting - ?) my high regard for Kona. I own a Kona Smoke, and like it a lot. I'm not a real bike tweaker, so I have no great reasoning behind my sentiment - but the bike has been real good to me, and I think Kona has some stylin' shapes.
A few thoughts for adult commuter bikes, without getting into any specific bike model details.
1) Internal gear hubs are fabulous for around town. Even if your area is flat, you will appreciate having more than one speed, and the gear hubs are as close to maintenance free as you can get.
2) As an adult, you need a front hand brake. I would vote for hand brakes both front and rear, but learn to brake primarily on the front.
3) You want fenders. They can be added to most bikes without much trouble if the specific bike you buy doesn't come with them.
4) You want wide, smooth tires. By wide, I mean in the 1.5-2.25 inch range. By smooth, I mean no mountain bike like "knobbies". Preferably absolutely smooth. Tire tread does absolutely nothing for bike traction on pavement.
5) Chain guards are nice, and not always easy to retrofit onto a bike that doesn't come with one.
6) While pound for pound a "traditional" diamond frame (aka, a men's bike) is stronger and stiffer than a step through design (a women's bike), there is nothing wrong with a step though if it makes mounting easier or you like to ride in skirts. Just don't get one because you think they are cute.
7) Bike fit matters far more than who manufactured the bike. The manufacturers have access to the same parts, and build their frames in similar ways, but some bikes lines will fit you better than others - kind of like shoes. Some bike sellers will do a good job of fitting you to a bike (starting with the right bike and adjusting it properly), and some won't. Buy your bike from one that does. The bike shop is more important than the bike manufacturer.
8) I love used bikes, but I wouldn't recommend one unless you either are a decent bike mechanic, or are good friends with one. Getting a good deal on a used bike is helped a great deal by being a knowledgeable bike person. It is also helped by being able to buy a fixer-upper and doing the fixing yourself.
Have you considered a Giant?
Ba-dum-bum! I'll be here all week...
Honestly you might just find a reader in China and have them custom MAKE a bike for you. I almost bought a "truck bike" when I was in Beijing just so I could ride a trike again and haul a decent amount of groceries.
Take a look at the Bianchi San Jose and the Raleigh One Way. Both great, cheap single speed commuter bikes.
if you want the real, classic commuter look, go here;
http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/dutch-city-bikes.html
Take a look at the Bianchi San Jose and the Raleigh One Way. Both great, cheap single speed commuter bikes.
if you want the real, classic commuter look, go here;
http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/dutch-city-bikes.html
Naturally, different bicycles suit different people and different circumstances.
Therefore, before giving a recommendation, it is important to know how the bicycle is going to be used.
Presumably, this bicycle will be used for short commutes in city traffic, and there is a significant threat of theft. In such a case, I would stick to a simple and cheap option - of the three listed, the Africa Bike looks best. Simple = less maintenance. Cheap = less interesting to thieves, and less tears if it is stolen.
Gears are important if there are significant hills, but I don't think there should be too much of that in D.C. or New York.
At the other end of the spectrum - long trips on the open road, I would recommend a recumbent. I was very happy with my Ryan Vanguard with underseat steering. I could travel in comfort for hours without so much as slowing down. Its low profile and the difficulty in looking over one's shoulder make it less useful for city traffic, however. On the other hand, it does deter theft by thieves who most likely won't know how to ride it.
As others have noted, however, a cheap, used bicycle is probably the best option.
I used to live near the Courthouse Metro and bike daily to the Capitol (hands down the best commute I will ever have). I’d like to second everything Mark Muller said (especially that you definitely will want gears) and add that you should try to get a bike with 700c wheels, as opposed to 26” mountain bike wheels. It makes a big difference in efficiency. Definitely get fenders and a chain guard, but don’t pay too much extra for included lights and such, you can buy a front and rear light set online for under $20.
You should definitely check out Performance Bike (there are locations at Bailey’s Crossroads and in Rockville) before you buy. I was looking around for a new bike a few months ago and found a Fuji Crosstown on clearance at Performance for about $200. I’m 6’2” and the 23” frame works really well for me. They also offer a women’s version (http://fujibikes.com/2008/bikes.asp?id=482) in frames up to 19”.
Performance periodically has pretty great clearance sales. . .
I worked in bike shops for about ten years, so I have some thoughts on this...
On women's frames... Standard (double-triangle) frames in women's proportions are a great idea. The step-through style aren't, unless you're intending to wear a skirt, for the following reasons:
1. They typically result in totally worthless places for water bottle cages. Water bottle cages are nice things to have, even if you only end up using them to mount something like a pump or a battery for a powerful lighting system.
2. They result in awful cable routing schemes. If you can't run cables along the top tube, you're forced to either route them along the downtube (where they get a ton of junk in them that results in terrible friction when shifting or braking) or run the rear brake cable with a bunch of loops in it (also creating nasty friction).
3. They're just not necessary. You have long legs and can lift them, I'm sure.
4. They're a lot less likely to come in your size, restricting your choices.
On lights... Lights are important for safety, you should have them. I disagree with the commenter recommending generator lights. They're heavier and more complicated than battery-powered LED lights, they wear on other components, they slow you down, and they stop working when you stop pedaling. LED ones are simple, their batteries last forever, and they meet the basic requirements of most riders (a blinking red light on back and blinking white one on the front just to let people know you're there). Also, don't expect to get a lighting system that will actually light your way effectively without spending over a hundred dollars. At any decent rate of speed, you need a lot more light than your average flashlight to have any chance of responding to something that you pick up in your headlight... fortunately, in the city, you really don't need something like this-- just get the cheap LED things to let drivers know that you're there and would appreciate not being run over.
Bikes that shift themselves... a giant pain, especially when repair time rolls around. Also, different people have different pedal cadences (RPMs) that they prefer, and if the bike's transmission is spending its time trying to keep you at a particular cadence that isn't what you prefer, that gets annoying.
Hans is right-- front brakes are far more powerful than rear brakes in terms of their ability to decelerate you (a lot of people don't understand this, thinking that because they can lock up their rear brake easily, it is de facto more powerful... for those people, I recommend that they compute the angular momentum component of the system, or pick up a copy of Bicycling Science, 3rd edition, MIT Press)
On dealing with repair shops... if at all possible, don't? I haven't found any in this city that aren't awful. That doesn't mean that they're not out there, but... the trial and error required to find one might not be worth it. Learn to do as much as possible yourself, and you can save yourself a lot of money and frustration (and it's empowering).
get the Gary
Unless you're a mechanic who really knows his shit, there's absolutely nothing on a bike that WD-40 can do anything but slowly wreck. It's not a lubricant.
Well, it is a lubricant - it contains mineral oil - and better yet, it's a penetrating lubricant (unlike grease.) The problem in most cases is that it's mostly highly volatile Stoddard solvent, so it's really easy to spray some, have the solvent dissolve some thick gunky grease inside a bearing, have the whole thing seem to spin freely, and then stop applying it - long before you've sprayed in enough actual oil to keep lubricating it. Eventually the solvent evaporates and the gunk hardens again, and you're back where you started.
In other words your problems with WD-40 are clearly caused by not using enough.
Hans is right-- front brakes are far more powerful than rear brakes in terms of their ability to decelerate you (a lot of people don't understand this
Count me as one of them, who has no reason to doubt you on this, but is interested in why this would be so, and unfortunately doesn't know how to calculate angular momentum, or how to make that relevant to the linear deceleration of a bicycle.
Front brakes have more stopping power because when you brake, the weight shifts to the front wheel. (Or wheels, this is true of cars, too.) The friction of tires to the road is proportional to the weight on the tire, so in hard braking you easily get the rear wheels locked and skidding, without doing much to stop you. The front wheel gives you a lot more traction for braking.
The bad part of this is that if most of the braking is on the front, it can cause your vehicle to swap ends. Many things will cause the bike to veer slightly out of line, and that braking force on the front then acts to increase the veer. With 4 wheels, this is nearly always controllable (except on ice), with 2 wheels, not so much. It seems to be worse with motorcycles than bicycles, but maybe that's because motorcycles usually have good disk brakes on the front while bikes generally have just those things that pinch the rims, same as the rear brake.
At any rate, on a bicycle, the brakes are for ordinary stopping and slowing down, when there shouldn't be any question of skidding either wheel. For a panic stop, get both heels on the ground and skid on them. It will stop you faster than the bike brakes (but squeeze those too), and it keeps you upright and in control. Don't do that with a motorcycle, with the usual speed and weight of these bikes your legs could snap, but if your legs were strong enough to peddle the bicycle they ought to be strong enough to stop it.
As for the head-down biking position, it may be great on a race track or when you're riding 50 miles out in the country, but in my experience it's to be avoided in a city commute. It puts my shoulders in the way of seeing what's going on to the side and the rear. I want to be more or less upright where I can swivel my head and have a chance of seeing and dodging the nitwits before they intrude on my space with 3,000 lbs of metal at a speed differential of 20 or 30 mph. If you trust all those cars to avoid running into you, IMO you're working on a Darwin award.
Also, traffic lights and stop signs with cross-traffic require frequent dismounts, and they seem to go easier when I'm riding upright.
Megan:
In my opinion, you're looking in the wrong category for a sport-utility vehicle. I'd recommend what used to be called a hybrid, but here seems to be an "urban" cycle. You get the upright posture of a mountain bike but without the high-drag wheels.
Looking at the same websites, consider
Gary Fisher: Cronus or Artemis
Trek: SU or Soho
Kona: Dew (And possibly others in the "Asphalt" category, but that website is a pain to navigate.)
For lights, I wouldn't recommend a generator unless you're going to routinely make hour-long trips in the dark. Modern LED lights are so efficient that the battery charge lasts for days of commuting.
Thank you Chet for a little bit of reason regarding WD-40.
Just to let you know, Megan, when folks start arguing the absolutist position on WD-40, you're in the company of religious bike geeks. Avoid that bottomless pit of Godwin-level declarations in bicycle faith, and you'll be OK.
I just got the Simple City 3 and it is awesome; styling in a love it or hate it kind of way. I put a big freaking wire basket contraption from Wald on the back and am ready to get groceries. The bike shop said it is hard to get, but they did manage to get one in within a week.