AKICO, bike edition

[oyceter]

So! I have a new (used) bike and would like to start biking for faster transportation and exercise.

Any recommendations? I haven't biked in the US ever except for maybe a few blocks on the sidewalk in the suburbs when I was 12.

No tips too obvious! Like, I know to get a helmet. And that sometimes your pants get stuck in the gears. That's about it. I will probably be biking in an urban-ish environment or in parks around there and almost certainly not mountain biking. Any recommended locks/helmets/other paraphernelia?

Also, I was thinking of getting a stationary trainer for the rainy months... any tips or thoughts? I will probably not be a super biker, so something fairly basic would be good.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

You may want a removable headlight (snaps onto fixed ring on handlebars) and taillight in case your outings occur near dusk. State law requires lights when visibility is reduced, IIRC.

I found it useful to look for helmets at a place with a wide selection--not a huge one, necessarily, but multiple manufacturers. And then I went home with the one helmet that fit my round head and wasn't $200. :P

[oyceter]

Sweet! (Also omg helmets can be $200? That is more than my bike!)

[starlady]

You can buy little velcro straps to cuff your pants against your leg and avoid the gear thing, but honestly since I stopped wearing flared jeans I haven't had a problem with pants getting caught in gears.

You need to get at least two locks--a U lock, like a Kryptonite, and then a loop lock. When you lock up the bike, make sure to put the U lock around part of the bike frame as well as the wheel (and whatever you're locking the bike to) and then put the loop lock end through the prong of the U lock so that it's all locked up together, otherwise you'll come back and be missing a bike wheel. (I can demonstrate this in person at some point if you like). Some people also like to use a chain and padlock or a loop lock to lock the bike seat to the frame.

Also, bike lights! One for front and one for the back, though take them with you when you go inside somewhere. You may also want to get a light that you can attach to the back of your helmet.

I use my bike for groceries and stuff, which requires having a bike rack and a pannier to go on it.

[torachan]

I use my bike for shopping, too, but I just tie bags to the handlebars and/or wear a backpack. (But I also have never worn a helmet or use a light in my life, and only use a chain lock, so I guess I am not the best person to ask for tips!)

[starlady]

Yeah, bike theft is pretty rampant up by us. >:(

[torachan]

It doesn't seem to be that much of a problem down here. While I see some people using D-locks as opposed to chains, I have never seen anyone use both, and everyone just locks it through the main bar.

[oyceter]

Advice thank you!! I think I will come by some time for an in-person lock demonstration, since I think I can picture it but am not exactly sure...

[lenora_rose]

Also, you want both because sometimes there's no conceivable way to actually get a U lock around the post or rack you're trying to lock the bike to. (I deliberately bought a longer U lock and still had to also pick up a cable just to have more than one often-already-occupied spot at work.

[littlebutfierce]

I've always been told 2 locks -- a d-lock for the main one (through the front wheel & frame) & then a cable lock to secure the back wheel & seat. But I've always lived over here in v. bike theft-prone areas, so. ^^;;;

Are you nervous about traffic? I don't know if this is nearly as common over there as here, but I've had a number of free cycling lessons funded by the city (not that they have transformed me, but they helped, a little). If you're not nervous, then don't worry about them, natch! :D

Also, depending on your head size you might be able to get a kid's or teen's helmet that might be cheaper &/or cuter (mine has pink flowers on it \o/ ).

[oyceter]

I AM VERY NERVOUS ABOUT TRAFFIC! I will definitely have to look up free cycling lessons and how to bike around cars, thanks!

[dorothean]

When biking past parked cars, watch out for people opening the doors of said cars.

I spent a summer biking for transportation in a smallish city (Louisville, KY) and got more punctures than I was used to, from broken glass and other debris in the road. So it's good to learn how to take the tire on and off.

Paraphernalia: I try not to bike without lights, even if I'm not planning to be out after dark (white headlamp on the front; blinking red light on the back; you can get ones that detach from a fixed mount so that you can put the lamps in your bag if you lock up and leave your bike somewhere) and a water bottle. It's good to have a water bottle mounted on the frame of your bike in such a way that, after practice, you can grab it out, drink, and replace it while still biking. Panniers are nicer to bike with than a backpack, but my panniers are annoying to carry by hand and I wish I'd bought some that could convert into a backpack or shoulderbag, if such things exist. When I was biking a lot in the summer, I'd keep deodorant and a spare shirt in my pannier.

These are probably a bit obvious but I suspect that many of the less obvious tips out there are really optional or for people who bike dozens of miles every day. You can make biking into a really fancy and expensive hobby or sport, but I think the basic thing that is accessible to everyone is pretty simple.

[littlebutfierce]

that could convert into a backpack or shoulderbag

Mine convert into shoulder bags, but they're really annoying used that way -- so I end up just locking the panniers to the bike & carrying in tote bags for my shopping or whatever.

[dorothean]

Good to know those exist! I don't think mine have anywhere sturdy to pass the lock through, but really that never occurred to me before.

[littlebutfierce]

Well... someone could snip through the handles of my panniers if they wanted to. ^^;;; Though at least where I've lived (Bristol/London), people leave their panniers around locked up fairly regularly. I used to do it for a few hours of shopping in a semi-dodgy area & never got them nicked, although I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. (I, uh, also put the cable lock through my helmet & keep it inside the pannier while I'm shopping.)

[lnhammer]

Helmet, check.

Get clips for pants legs unless you always wear tapered legs -- getting caught in the gears is not as much of an issue as getting grease/lubricant on them, and that happens with just a brush against. Clips come in metal or velcroed cloth versions -- for extra safety, make sure they're reflective.

Get head- and tail lights, for nightwork. State laws vary, but most of them require bikes wear lights when out after the streetlights come on/before they turn off.

Get front and rear fenders for rainy days.

I currently do not have a rack or baskets, because I bike mostly for commuting and wear a courier bag. But if you have shoulder issues or want to use it for shopping, baskets are very helpful. Try to get the sort that fold up: they generally hold more and collapse nicely out of the way.

---L.

[(Anonymous)]

I can't stress enough having an under seat gear bag with extra inner tube, tools to take your tire off and a bike pump. Also, if you want to go riding, let me know. I need to get back on my bike (and change my back tire before that).

[ladyjax]

Aaand this is what I get with not signing in at first.

[oyceter]

Will definitely let you know! Probably will try it out once a) I get a helmet and b) the rain stops, and oooo, need to learn how to change my tire.

Ooh ooh biking!

[daedala]

Agreed with all lnhammer says. I have panniers that I lock to the rack by the handles with little hardware-store locks; the collapsible wire baskets are also nice and don't need locks, but they didn't hold as much as my panniers will (panniers vary a lot), and I wanted something I could stuff my backpack in. Locks work here; they may or may not be enough for your area, since it'd be easy to cut through the handle. The locks were also nice because the first time I went out with my panniers, one fell off and escaped into the wild. It's probably now living in sin with some hussy totebag in Duluth or something.

I have two panniers, one with an open top and one with a cover flap. Both collapse and are made to fit grocery bags. Try to get the panniers with the rack and check that you can adjust them so your heel doesn't hit them.

This cargo net was really great when I had just a rack but hadn't got panniers yet.

The little plastic rooster-tail type fender I had was almost completely useless; I got the bike shop to put on real fenders, which was a pain because my bike wasn't really set up for them and had smaller wheels than usual. 26" planet bike fenders can be made to work with 24" wheels, by the way.

By stationary trainer, do you mean "stationary bike" or "thing to make your bike stationary"? Either way, Craigslist is your friend. If you're looking for the latter, be careful of CycleOps fluid trainers -- there was a change in how they manufactured them, and older ones leaked. I can't remember what the bike shop guy told me about how to tell the difference. I got a kurt kinetic road machine, which was not a basic model, but cost about what one would since I got it used.

A good women's saddle can be extremely helpful. It's normal for your butt to hurt some when you're just starting, but if it keeps hurting, find a different seat. "Women's specific design" (wsd) for saddles is mostly based on the fact that women's sitz bones are usually spaced more widely than men's; this may or may not be the case with you. Some bike shops will have a thing you can sit on to find the right spacing. Also, don't try to solve saddle problems by adding extra padding; find something that fits. It's probably worth buying a saddle new from a local bike shop that has a good return policy. (I can pontificate more if needed. I spent a lot of time researching fit, because I am as one friend said "aggressively"girl-shaped." I need wsd everything.)

...I can talk about this a lot. :)

Re: Ooh ooh biking!

[oyceter]

Definitely thing to make my bike stationary! What did you look for in one? I see a few on CL, but I have no idea how to pick and choose...

Re: Ooh ooh biking!

[daedala]

My answer might be less than useful, but here goes! I talked to the bike shop guy who fitted my bike, and he liked the kurt kinetic road machine -- it's what they use in the shop. I checked out used prices and knew I could afford it if I could find it, and I was starting early enough that I could just wait till it showed up. When someone offered one on Craigslist for an acceptable price, I bought it. (Actually, I think it was the 2nd or 3rd, because they got snapped up fast.)

Overall, I know that fluid trainers are better but more expensive. The older CycleOps fluid trainers had a leaking issue; you can tell the difference because the part that touches the rear wheel is shiny vs. brushed metal, but I don't remember which the good one was and which the bad one was!

The fluid (more expensive) and magnetic (cheaper) trainers use the quick release skewer on your rear wheel to hold the bike. This is very easy to do, but your own bike skewer might not fit well -- you can buy one for like $15 from Amazon, though (that's what I did). Rollers are another kind of stationary trainer, where you balance yourself. From everything I've read, this is really hard and you fall a lot at first, but it's very good if you're racing and need to ensure all your momentum is forward. Because they're so difficult, they can sometimes be found quite cheaply, but they're probably not what you want. I thought they'd make me cry, to be honest.

If you're not sure if you'll use it, a cheap/free trainer to try out might be best, but try not to get something so cheap it discourages use. I'm not exactly sure where that line is, but the bike shop peeps may know. Borrowing from a friend during the summer might also be possible, just to find out. They're generally pretty sturdy, so I don't know that there's any good reason to buy new. I was pretty sure I would use it, and at the time had the money, so I got the good one. (I have not used it that much. I still believe I will next winter -- I was slow assembling the bike, getting the tv, getting the computer, etc. Delusional or not, you decide...)

You may also want a mat to protect your floor and a towel -- spinning is sweaty. And definitely get a bike computer so you have some idea of the effort you're expending. (There are also trainer computers that are more precise about power but you probably don't need that.) The bike computer should have cadence (rpm) as well as speed/distance/etc. One of the reasons to use an indoor trainer is to work on your cadence, or how quickly and smoothly you spin.

All that said? Indoor cycling by oneself is really boring. Park it in front of the tv if you can. There are spinning dvds that give you an imaginary course and stuff; a couple actually came with mine, but I haven't tried them yet.

/braindump

Re: Ooh ooh biking!

[oyceter]

Got it, thanks! I have mostly been thinking of doing indoor biking when it is the rainy season and doing it while I watch tv, yay!

[ursamajor]

YAY BIKING! ... I don't think I have a biking icon. I really need to rectify this.

Panniers of some sort are lifesaving. I tried doing the front basket thing but I found that with my bike, that caused steering problems if I put anything of more substantial weight than a book; YMMV. But as a result, I much prefer panniers on my back rack. I have these that I generally leave strapped to the back of my bike, and a single-handbag version of this one for days when I'm going to be locking my bike up away from home and leaving it for a long time.

I have been meaning to take a "city riding" class for a couple of years now but just haven't had the time. Things to watch out for that I do know about: avoid sidewalk riding whenever possible; when riding on the street, you are a vehicle and you have the right to Take The Lane; look out for people getting out of their cars; expect the unexpected.

Also, I've actually found that my pants have more of a tendency to get caught on my pedals than in my gears, so I end up wearing skirts (with either bike shorts or leggings underneath) more often than pants when biking.

[via_ostiense]

If you plan on biking part of your work commute (e.g. to BART, then BARTing into the city and walking at the other end), check out BikeLink. It's a system of very cheap bike lockers located at various BART stations.

[oyceter]

I saw that! Definitely want to look into it, thanks.

[grrlpup]

I recommend an LED headlamp instead of the regular-bulb(s) type-- batteries will last much longer, and in an urban area the headlamp's function is more to be seen than to cast a beam to see by.

In Portland anyway, carrying a plastic bag to cover the seat while away from the bike in rainy weather makes a world of difference in comfort, and takes up almost no room or weight.

I love having a rear-view mirror, either attached to the handlebars or my helmet. I can monitor where the cars are without craning my head around or telegraphing my movements.

[lnhammer]

Yes, to LED lights -- I meant to say that.

---L.

[copracat]

Join your local/state bike organisation, if you have one. They usually have advice, resources and info about fun bike things to do and will keep you up to date on bike-related policy news. Also great for a heads up on closed/changed bike paths. Mine provides a good theft and accident insurance as part of membership.

[jinian]

Pretty much everything I wanted to say has been covered. U-lock alone has served me just fine in a fairly high-theft area, as thieves usually go for the low-hanging fruit and there's always someone with nothing or a cable only. Definitely get LED head and taillights. There may be a bike organization in your area with biking maps; one of the ones in Seattle used to put out a contour biking map showing the hills, which would be oh so useful for your area too if you can find one! Fenders are your friend, as are spare inner tubes, and you'll probably want your own tire pump as well.

[grrlpup]

+1 on bike maps-- finding a stress-free route makes all the difference!

[heresluck]

Okay, my biking environment is about as different from yours as it is possible to be, so take with as many grains of salt as necessary, but my indispensable accessories (some of which have already been mentioned) are, in order of importance:

1) a good lock
2) a helmet
3) front and back lights
4) biking gloves -- fingerless with padded palms
5) a good bike pump (my first one was a piece of crap, and I regretted it)
6) bike rack for over the back wheel
7) folding baskets that attach to the rack (for groceries, backpack, etc.)
8) reflective velcro straps for pant legs

[veejane]

Most of the advice I would give has been covered! Except to say that a bike with groceries in panniers is heavier than a bike with nothing in panniers. Which I was not really clear on till it was like, do I really need to buy a gallon of that?

I also intentionally went out to buy a bike with a tin frame over the bike chain, so the oil-on-the-pant-leg issue is moot for me. You might be able to find one of those as an accessory. My long-frame bike (which I need for my back; the length allows the rider to sit completely upright) came with super-wide handlebars and a really wide seat, so it's very comfortable.

One other note: if you have an atypical bike, you will have to buy atypical (usually more expensive) accessories. My bike really requires fenders, especially front ones (or else the mud spews up into your face). A lot of accessories won't fit a long-frame bike, which has a really wide frame to support its length. So in addition to accessories (front and rear lights, e.g.), I bought a can of 600 zip ties ($6 at Target). So things stay attached!

[daedala]

My understanding is that chain guards are usually best to get with the bike. If you have a front derailleur, finding something that works is...not terribly likely. There are reports of aftermarket stuff working, but they often included "and then I tried the other size, and then I got out the dremel tool..." and maybe it can never be made to fit at all. I think the SKS chainboards" and the ogk chain guard are the only things that will work.

Internally geared hubs, or bikes that only have a single chainring in front, are much easier to fit an aftermarket chain guard for, so if that's what you have, you may be in luck.

I just have a couple of those little velcro straps that live in my panniers.

[veejane]

You have a PhD in Bike and I am in elementary school. But yes, my bike chain, which... I did not know you could have more than one chain in front? Or more than one gear doohickey in front! My bike chain, which might have been swiped off a 1982 Huffy (I can even backpedal to brake!), came with its own little house already installed.

It was one of the things that sold me on it, truthfully.

[daedala]

No, no, really, it's just I really wanted one for my bike! But it has a front derailleur! So the local bike shop told me I'd have to replace the front chain ring and it would be very expensive. (My bike has gears in both the front and the back, and the derailleur is the thingy that moves the chain from one chain ring to the other. That's about as technical as I get!)

If I ride my bikes enough this summer, I may go to the local bike shop and ask them to please do that, will one of these things I found work, and yes I will pay through the nose on labor for it, I really want a chain guard.

[ex_lionpyh573]

>> When biking past parked cars, watch out for people opening the doors of said cars.

THIS. THIS. also THIS. I've gotten doored twice - both at night, and when people mysteriously sitting in their turned-off, darkened cars suddenly sprang out of them - and obviously I survived both times but the second time was pretty awful - I got knocked off my bike into oncoming traffic that managed to stop literally about four inches from running me over. This is not to terrify you out of ever bicycling, but to point out that you should always try to keep outside parked-car door-reach. Which correlates nicely with my next point: I think the most important thing I've learned in my years of biking is - act like a car, you are as important as a car! Stay properly in the flow of traffic and don't weave and dither and loiter along the edge. That is how you get doored! Most urban traffic is not going to go faster than you can go on your bicycle - be in it, be visible.

Also you cannot ever have too many lights on your bicycle! They are cheap and they are fun - spoke lights are great. Pretend your bicycle is in a nocturnal pride parade, all night every night.

[daedala]

THIS THIS THIS

I'm surprisingly comfortable biking in traffic (you know, considering I'm too scared to DRIVE), and "act like a car" is the best advice ever.

ALSO OYCE WHAT KIND OF BICYCLE DID YOU GET?????????

[oyceter]

...

eh heh heh, I actually have to go look! I basically just took whatever CB's friend had b/c she was moving, and it seemed to fit....

[daedala]

Hee.

I have Strong Opinions on bike fit, too. :)