From the mailbag (truly from the feedback on a publish):
Jacob Are you able to inform me what sort of bike you personal/value vary? I’m shoppng for a motorcycle which I hope to make use of for errands and not less than 3 days/ week to work. I’m 45 feminine and in honest/good bodily situation The sellers i spoke to all advocate completely different manufacturers. They weren’t useful. thanks JL
Though I already gave a solution, I’ve thought a bit extra about it, so right here is an expanded reply. It depends upon a number of issues. As an example, I journey a highway bike and I prefer to go quick. I virtually deal with my commute as a race (all inside the legal guidelines of visitors — sure, I’m the man who will stand and wait at a crimson mild at 3am when no one is round). After I cease at intersections, I race the vehicles to the opposite aspect (and usually win) and after I see one other bike owner, I’m pondering “his/her ass is mine” quite than “Aw, that’s good, a fellow bike owner out having fun with a journey/a commuter saving fuel/…” 
. I additionally do interval coaching on the bike and since I began I’ve added an inch to my legs, misplaced 5 kilos, and decrease my resting coronary heart price from 55 to 45. My bike has no room for fenders and no braze-ons for racks.
I purchased it new from the native bike store and paid $1300+taxes. They spent 1 hour becoming it to me adjusting the peak, size and angle of the saddle, handlebars. After I obtained a unfastened crank considerably later, they tightened it totally free.
Now, it’s possible you’ll suppose that is some huge cash for a bicycle, however simply how a lot did you spend in your automobile? Contemplating that is my main transport I assumed I might pay a little bit additional for high quality. The advantage of bikes is that it’s a lot simpler to purchase comparatively high-end tools(*). So whereas I’d by no means pay $25,000 for a mid-range automobile as I don’t derive any pleasure from driving, I’ll actually pay $1,300 for a mid-range bicycle.
(*) There are a number of different areas, the place it’s doable to purchase the very best of the very best (or practically so) with out being stupendously wealthy. You simply have to vary your purpose a bit. As a substitute of shopping for high-end sports activities vehicles, you purchase high-end “sports activities” bikes. As a substitute of accumulating uncommon work, you gather hand-made customized knives. As a substitute of shopping for retailer model soda, you purchase Coca Cola, by the way, I choose Sam’s Cola (the Walmart model) over Coca Cola.
I obtained my earlier commuter bike for $35. That was a $70 Walmart mountain bike purchased used from a professor that was leaving campus. Was that an inexpensive or a frugal buy? Effectively, it was actually low-cost, and the bike additionally sucked. The entrance brake was damaged so ultimately I needed to time stops upfront since my braking size was about 20 yards (my journey was principally off highway and flat so it was not a giant hazard). I obtained a gel-saddle for 25c at a yard sale. That saddle later obtained stolen. Realizing that I used to be surrounded by seemingly upstanding younger college students (I used to be at a quite well-known college well-known for its ethical values), I figured I might ditch the bike by parking it unlocked when the crank lastly failed. Positive sufficient, lower than a day later any individual stole it. Good riddance and downside solved. Was it frugal? Take into account this. It took half-hour to stroll and strolling was beforehand my fundamental mode of transportation. Driving the bike took 10 minutes, however I might run the gap in quarter-hour. Because the bike had no fenders, using was not an choice when it rained (which it did usually). From that perspective the bike was frugal in addition to it saved me 10-40 minutes a day on occasion and the one use for the bike was the off highway commute for the reason that drivers in that space apparently obtained factors for hitting cyclists.
Subsequently selecting the correct bike relies upon very a lot on the circumstances you’ll use it for. Are you going to make use of it day by day? Will there be exceptions comparable to rain or snow? Are you ever going off highway? Do it’s essential carry something like garments or groceries? How briskly do you prefer to go? How far do it’s essential go? And do you ever plan on doing one thing else with the bike?
Now being older, wiser, and likewise uh.. higher wanting, eh.. would I purchase a highway bike once more? No. I’d sacrifice a number of kilos (my bike weighs 18-19lbs, just some kilos greater than $15,000 Tour de France bikes, an inexpensive metal bike in all probability weighs round 25-30lbs) for extra braze-ons, the flexibility to make use of fatter tires and take it off highway (my present bike has a spoke depend of 16 entrance 24 learn.. if I hit a giant rock or drive off a curb, the wheel would exit of alignment). At the moment I’d get a touring bike as a result of it’s virtually as quick as a highway bike (for me), but it surely comes with the flexibility to mount cargo and it has added resilience (increased spoke counts, much less fancy gearing, and extra bosses for extra water bottles). It might work about as nicely for my commute and higher for my lengthy distance occasions. I’m pondering one thing just like the Surly Lengthy Haul Trucker (about $1000 with low-cost elements, I’d in all probability improve them to not less than 105, as a result of Tiagra shifters simply annoy me) or the Rivendell A Homer Hilsen (about $3000).
One other factor you need to take into account if you purchase a motorcycle is that using will in all probability change you. An untrained particular person will likely be fairly uncomfortable on a highway bike. The saddle is just too laborious, the handlebars are too far down so the butt and neck hurts, and many others. After a number of months, this can change. Should you purchase a extra “comfy” bike, then until you’re a “comfy” rider, the sluggish shifting, low gearing (spin-outs), and lack of aerodynamics will start to bother you as you get fitter.
Possibly one thought is to have a look at which automobile you like to drive. Should you might drive no matter you wished to (bear in mind value isn’t a lot an objection for a bicycle as it’s for a automobile), what sort would you be driving? The sports activities automobile? The SUV? The Jeep? A van? A sedan? Take into account the gap in your commute and multiply by 7. That is the consolation stage. As an example, in case your commute is 5 miles, think about driving 35 miles in a Jeep with knobby wheels(mountain bike), would that be enjoyable? Most likely not, until you like Jeeps. To derive the value stage, take the value stage of your imaginary automobile and divide by 25. That’s would a lot you’d spend on an identical stage bike, thereabouts.
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Initially posted 2008-09-17 00:27:47.