Living Car Free - The best bike for carlessness

http://www.catoregon.org/hpm/longhaul.htm

That's from the craigslist post, seems reasonably real to me...


PRICE: $1700 with alum. rack or call for quote on fiberglass container version.

Actually seems like a real steal for 500, and I do wish I had somewhere to put it, and the money to buy it. And no, I have no idea who's it is, I just saw it listed today, and thought of this thread...

I imagine the steering is by some sort of cable or rod mechanism linking the bars to the front fork...

I agree with those that have suggested more than one bike. I wiped out on ice on my Trek 520, during slow speed braking at a stop sign. As I posted at the time, that type of fall happens faster than falling over on dry pavement, since the bike skids out from under you and you drop more directly to the ground rather than arcing sideways and then down. The Trek is a 1984 vintage with 27" by 1 1/8" tires (approx 28 mm, so a bit wider than racing tires). But a mountain bike with fatter tires is too slow and heavy for commuting on hot days, so at a minimum you need a winter bike with fatter tires and a summer bike with skinnier tires.
Of course you can just change tires instead of the whole bike. I use fat studded knobbies in the winter and fairly skinny (1.5 to 1.75 inch) slicks in warm weather. Of course my MTB is not as fast as a road bike, but it does work well as an urban transportation bike.

Of course you can just change tires instead of the whole bike. I use fat studded knobbies in the winter and fairly skinny (1.5 to 1.75 inch) slicks in warm weather. Of course my MTB is not as fast as a road bike, but it does work well as an urban transportation bike.


That's true but it's also nice to have a backup if there is a breakdown of some kind.

bike and bag, not much else needed

indeed.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/gregtheripper/P1010033-1.jpg

i do have a diff bike for the winter though. its being rebuilt currently..

I wish I-Like-To-Bike were here to hijack the thread by making ad hominem attacks.

Careful what you wish for.

Able to attach a Trail-A-Bike or trailer for carrying a child.

Why a trailer instead of a child seat?

I wish I-Like-To-Bike were here to hijack the thread by making ad hominem attacks.
It already has been jacked, Jack.

indeed.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/gregtheripper/P1010033-1.jpg

i do have a diff bike for the winter though. its being rebuilt currently..

Does that bike really only have one gear and one set of brakes? Are hills a problem on that bike?

^^yep, same as mine

and no, hills arent a problem, you stand up and go up the hill

dunno what gear his bike is running but mine is a 47/16 at the moment

Thanks for that.

The Arkel looks like exactly what I need, my current saddle bags are getting too small and after years of trusty service are a bit battered and torn.

If you're carless, or sort of carless, what kind of bike do you use? What are the advantages/disadvantages of your particular bike choice? In your opinion, what kind of bike is a good replacement for a car?

In my case, I have a hybrid bike that I bought at a used bike store two years ago. It has a steel frame, very heavy, and clip pedals with the clips removed (I ride in traffic almost exclusively, and the clips were a real pain). It has road tires, but they're a bit wide. I put on a good rack, and use waterproof panniers if I need to haul anything. If I need to haul a lot, I use the panniers plus my old Army dufflebag, which has shoulder straps. ( I can actually haul over 100 lbs this way, so don't scoff.) It's not fast -I typically do about 20-25 mph over flat ground, and about 5 mph uphill- but I love that bike. I've been hit by a car that was going 25-30 mph, and the bike had less damage than the car. The advantages are its tank-like nature, ability to deal with potholes, lack of attractiveness to thieves, and reliability; the disadvantages are its lack of speed, and cheap bracket assembly and gears. (It makes a clicking noise uphill that kind of annoys me, and the gear transitions are clunky...)

Check out the touring section, they carry heavy stuff. Also, stop over in the commuter section, they do lights, clothing and fenders. Wait check out the fixed bike people, they are bombproof, and carry it on their backs.

I had the same problem, but the more I rode, the more I learned. If you spend a full year on a bike, all seasons, and read this forum- you'll understand a good compromise in a bike.

I personally have an Orbea racing bike, a coupled fixed gear (travel), a ratty touring/commuter, A folding bike, a 25 yr old steel Ultegra road bike, an ultimate tourer Giant OCR w/ disc brakes, and parts for 2 more.
Having said that, I'm probably not the person to ask.

We're carless, but the bikes need improvement.

I plan to upgrade the stepthrough $99 big tube steel xmart to an xtracycle, and maybe even powerassist. Its currently set up with rack and paniers and is fine for groceries, but the xtracycle would tow special freight occasions, but more importantly lazy family members.

I think I'd also want my 15yr old mixtie racing bike (with adjustable dimensions - seatpost/stem to fit me 6' and 5'4" wife) for me to go fast with light to no load, and for my wife to ride unloaded touring.

Converted MTB commuter trekbar for distance/ beating/ outside locking and medium loads.

Why a trailer instead of a child seat?

The trailer has no effect on bike handling, as opposed to the instabillity I have found to be associated with a child seat. There's room for a backpack and other cargo assiciated with kids. It's warm in winter and dry when it rains.

Paul

Sweet bike, Paul.

If you don't mind, could you tell us about your experience
trying to import a Gazelle from Holland? I'd kill to get my
hands on a fully loaded Batavus or Gazelle three-speed, but
I haven't figured how.

If I were to import a bike now, it would probably be a German Utopia.
My conclusion was that the best route would be to take a trip to Holland buy one, and have it shipped back.

Paul

I am seriously tempted to get one of the Kettler bikes; Specifically the Nena (http://www.earthspirits.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cb_ketnen&Category_Code=&Store_Code=abs). But truth be known, I'm a little scared to buy a bike without first having a chance to ride it.

My other option is to go with a Breezer as I can at least get one locally and enjoy the service after the sale aspects.

What would ya'll do?