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heartcream -> RE: Any bike riders out there? Advice pls? (3/23/2010 6:58:13 PM)
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Yay Bikes! I am an avid bike rider and have used my bike as my car for a billion years. I would make sure you get one that makes you feel really safe. Mine has wide tires. They dont get trapped in the streetcar rails and if that has ever happened to anyone you know how crazy dangerous and frightening that is.
I dont know how much money you have but the newer Cruiser types, Beach Cruisers, City Cruisers are now made of aluminum and weigh almost nothing which is good if you are needing hoist your bike up and down stairs. Be aware though of horrid bike thieves who could alleviate you of your precious bike in no time. I dont leave mine out overnight and when I bring it somewhere where I will be for many hours, like work, I put it where I can see it out of a window so I can keep my eye on it. Around these parts a new no-speed cruiser, pedal backwards to brake are about 300$ I have one of those u-shaped krypto locks and so far my bike has been safe.
Mine is a no-speed but they can be more dangerous because at times you dont have the amount of control you would have otherwise, when going down hills for example. I had a single front brake put on mine last year but that was after 15 years of riding my girl and the pedal backwards brake was wearing out so that was the least expensive option. I really am glad to have that additional brake now. I think that was about 45$, well worth it.
If you live in a hilly area you may want to get a bike with gears because otherwise it is brute strength getting you up hills. Or getting off and walking beside your bike. I dont have gears which was a problem when I lived 7 miles up the mountain in New Mexivo, I borrowed my friends 12 speed to make the climb. I would suggest investing in the ergonomic bike seat. New bikes might already be equipped with that sort of seat. They have ones for women and ones for men. They are designed to not pinch the nerve in the perineum. If you plan to do any amount of time on your bike it makes a huge difference to have that sort of seat, you can sit comfortably. Mine was about 40$ and I totally love it.
Being 39 aint a thing. Maybe you are out of shape and want to go slow, not ride too far too fast. You can get a really great work out from walking so any exercise you can get will build your strength.
I am 51 and last week my 20 year old friend came on a walk with me, about 8 miles altogether and she told me today she is still sore and I have done the walk again and another shorter one so dont let age keep you back.
You may want to wear a helmet and learn how to put it on properly. I would suggest not buying your helmet at Walmart and going to a bike store instead and have them fit it for you and show you the proper way to wear it. My helmet was about 40$ which I think you can find them for about 30$ at Walmart but the differences are vast and worth every penny.
I had a bad accident last year and that is when I got a helmet. Granted I still rarely wear it but I ought to. If I am going ot be out at night I am more incline to get it.
Buy a bell, you will need it to let people know you are there. I got mine at the dollar store.
Lights, you need lights. I am not sure about where you are but here they are required or you could get a ticket. People steal lights too so make sure you buy one that pops off or is very secure. I have had a light stolen off my bike and that sucks.
I have a rack on the back of my bike, and a basket on that so I can be hands free with nothing encumbering me as I ride. My bike is a Schwinn Beach Cruiser made in Hungary and bought in MPLS in 92 and my bike is still great, working well. I paid less than 200 new and it is a beautiful bike.
Be really careful of driving in traffic and people opening doors it is so frightening and dangerous. Be on your proverbial toes all the time because it is just you and your flesh. If you get too scared ride on the sidewalk even though that is illegal, I would explain to the cop the traffic was nuts and not worth getting killed.
The good thing about getting a city bike is that there is so very little that could go wrong with them. Nice for city riding. My bike has come with me to Australia, New York and MPLS and it has been a great bike to have. No gears and pedal back brake is plenty enough for me. It is nice to have a few gears but if you vibe the city style bikes I am here to say they are awesome! I cant tell you how much I love my bike. And riding it.
Mine is something like this. I admit I took off all the stickers and the paint on mine is only black but I do have white wall tires! The original paint was sparkle black, which I went mental for, but after all these years I have covered up the bumps and nicks and to prevent rust with plain black enamel, I havent been able to find black sparkle paint anywhere. I even tried to lay a tind coat of sparkle nail polish over th eblack paint but that ended up looking lumpy and nasty so I took it off and went with the plain black paint.
[image]http://www.in.gov/whiteriver/bikein/Schwinn_beach_cruiser_sm.jpg[/image]
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