Utility Cycling - Returning to Biking-advice sought.

I used to ride all the time when i was a kid, i haven't been near a bike now for probably fifteen/twenty years. Come the new year i will be getting myself a bike again and i thought here would be the best place to get some advice, my post probably fits in many categories but Utility feels more like where i am.

This bike will be my sole transportation and will be ridden year round, so needs to be reasonably solid (would like to keep it for a while) and easy(ish) to maintain as i'd like to do as much as possible myself, i will probably ride to town 4 miles away (not too hilly) two or three times a week and maybe once a month ride 11 miles (22 miles round trip).

I did think of buying the parts and building it myself, but don't feel to confident about buying on craigslist or ebay and couldn't be sure if i'd paid a fair price or whether i'd bought a lemon.

So i sat down the other day and made a list of what i would like my bike to have and this is what i came up with.
Singlespeed with a flip flop hub or internal 3 speed
Rack-would prefer rear as i saw a very nice seven bar front rack that may be in future plans
The ability to have ice/studded tyres-so i'm guessing it rules out racing type bikes.
Would prefer steel-weight is not really too much of an issue.
Oh and i was wondering if they made dynamo lights anymore-i don't plan on doing much (if any) night riding so not sure if some modern light(s) is really worth the outlay.

Yesterday i started looking, the budget is somewhere between $350 and $500 though having to buy a lock or two and a helmet i would like to be nearer the bottom of the price range, the most important factor for me though is value for money.

So far i have bookmarked the following (pages of) bicycles.
The Worksman-however with options it pushes the price over $550 and appears not to have a front brake.
The Africabike-the stepover part (or lack thereof) is kinda strange but it does have iirc those puncture resistant tyres and Kona will also donate one free bike for every two bought so i guess i'd be contributing half a bike to Africa.
The Schwinn Coffee-has a rear rack as standard and i'm guessing a dealer isn't too far away.
The Biria Classic Dutch-another with the rear rack and has a front light as standard

I've also looked at some by Raleigh-they don't seem to have a three speed and the Bianchi Milano which has no rear rack and is near the top of my price range. There has to be more out there than just those six, if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. I'd also consider buying used, i just finished reading the thread on English three speeds, but again wouldn't/couldn't be sure i was buying a good bike.

Talking of buying brings me onto my next question, where do i buy it from i'd like to buy from a local bike shop but ones that stock the brands above all appear to be a fair distance away. Could they (my LBS) order it for me from somewhere, how much would they mark it up by or could i order it and get it delivered to my local shop? What about internet buying are there any recommendations as to where to buy, also i'd be concerned with it getting damaged en-route.

Lastly what would i need to carry with me, i'm guessing some type of multitool and a spare tube and a pump, has bicycling really changed that much since i've been away-it does feel like it at times.

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have, it is greatly appreciated.

your budget is tight for what you want. i think your choices are to go used if you live in a city big enough to have a good sized pool to choose from: look for an old 3-speed raleigh or schwinn in good condition. among new bikes, electra amsterdam comes closest: 3-speeds with generator lights and fenders and racks, very comfy, steel (mostly) but not very heavy duty. 2008 models were $550 as described, prices gone up, but in a good way: they now have front brakes.

look at pake too. this is really cheap, good value: http://www.pakebikes.com/nunubatmobile.html

any particular reason you are shying away from a rear derailer? If not the Kona Smoke with the addtion of a rear rack might work.

http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=85&parentid=182

If you're just getting back into cycling, the best advice is probably not to try to find the "perfect bike" the first time around. You'll know much more about what you want in a few months' time. Definitely buy from an LBS, and one that you like, but don't spend too much money. You'll want money later to buy accessories and/or make changes once you've spent some time in the saddle.

Why not find something second hand for a start? Lots of good 80 and 90`s MTB bikes out there. Put swept back (North road style) bars on it. Yard sales, second hand stores and so on. around here I find tomms of good bikes in the dumpsters for free.

for your budget it seems a used rigid mtb converted to a single speed would be the way to go.

You might consider a Flying Pigeon roadster. Everything you want except the 3-speed hub (you can retrofit that) for about $300 + shipping. Yes the Flying Pigeon is made in China, but then so are most of the name brand bike you can buy today. Google will give you several FP hits.

You did not give your location so it is hard to tell if you are in an area where used three speeds are readily available, if you go that route figuer you may need new tires, tubes, chain, cables, brake pads, and a tune up to put it in first class working condition; DIY would be about $100, maybe $175 at the LBS (local bike shop) but many of them know nothing about older bikes.

Motobecane fantom cross Uno from bikesdirect.com

I did the same in July, after a 15 year break.

As for specific bikes, I don't know. I got a Giant Boulder SE at the LBS in town and have been very happy with it. It handles well and shifts so much better and easier than the high-end bikes I had back in the 80's. I've ridden in snow and ice daily (commuting) for a month now, and its no big deal. As long as you enjoy fresh and take the time to dress according to the temperature.

My bike cost $300, which I think is ridiculously cheap. Its held up well, though, and I decided early that I was happy to have gotten a cheap but competent daily rider. I have been enjoying it so much, though, that I have been putting some extra money into building a nice road bike up for longer rides for next summer. Building from scratch is definitely not a money saver, though if you are very patient you can come out about even over buying from a shop.

Needless to say, if you plan to ride regularly avoid the *marts. The list of things that will fail is long and expensive, and centers around the use of worthless bearings throughout.

So far I just carry a backpack when I get groceries, but I am working on a trailer idea. For a headlight I got a $6 9-LED flashlight and electrical-taped it to the handlebars. A month of use and I haven't had to change the batteries, and it gives off a good strong light.

I hope you wind up with a setup you like. I rode 2700 miles from July to December last year, and have nothing but positives to say.

I had a 15 year gap in my riding too. I would suggest a used mtn bike. No shocks. You can put racks on it, put whatever tires on it, change the handlebars, etc. It gives you an all around bike that allows you to upgrade it. If you like upgrading then you may consider building up a bike for your next bike. You don't have to shift if you don't want to or you can just use three gears. There are now some nice choices in internal gear hubs besides 3 speeds but I would still suggest a used mtn bike to start with. Get a decent name and spend the rest of your money on racks, lights, etc.

Something to know -- different LBS's are different. So if one LBS says they aren't cool with ordering an Africabike for example and assembling it, check around.

Dynamo lights are pretty expensive, so there's no particular reason to get one if you don't know you really want it.

Dynamo lights are pretty expensive, so there's no particular reason to get one if you don't know you really want it.

I've seen them in a wide range of prices from top of the line Schmidt Son dynamo hub (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp) with Edelux front light down to this $32 package (http://www.velo-orange.com/sphalikit.html) from Velo Orange. Yellow Jersey also sells a couple of el cheapo dynamos. I wouldn't recommend that for daily commuting or frequent night riding, but for once in a blue moon, they may be fine.

Rather than a cheap dynamo, an LED flashlight (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=493600) might make more sense.

Yeah, I have one of those, actually. It's pretty solid.

I used to ride all the time when i was a kid, i haven't been near a bike now for probably fifteen/twenty years. Come the new year i will be getting myself a bike again and i thought here would be the best place to get some advice, my post probably fits in many categories but Utility feels more like where i am.

This bike will be my sole transportation and will be ridden year round, so needs to be reasonably solid (would like to keep it for a while) and easy(ish) to maintain as i'd like to do as much as possible myself, i will probably ride to town 4 miles away (not too hilly) two or three times a week and maybe once a month ride 11 miles (22 miles round trip).

I did think of buying the parts and building it myself, but don't feel to confident about buying on craigslist or ebay and couldn't be sure if i'd paid a fair price or whether i'd bought a lemon.

So i sat down the other day and made a list of what i would like my bike to have and this is what i came up with.
Singlespeed with a flip flop hub or internal 3 speed
Rack-would prefer rear as i saw a very nice seven bar front rack that may be in future plans
The ability to have ice/studded tyres-so i'm guessing it rules out racing type bikes.
Would prefer steel-weight is not really too much of an issue.
Oh and i was wondering if they made dynamo lights anymore-i don't plan on doing much (if any) night riding so not sure if some modern light(s) is really worth the outlay.

Yesterday i started looking, the budget is somewhere between $350 and $500 though having to buy a lock or two and a helmet i would like to be nearer the bottom of the price range, the most important factor for me though is value for money.

So far i have bookmarked the following (pages of) bicycles.
The Worksman-however with options it pushes the price over $550 and appears not to have a front brake.
The Africabike-the stepover part (or lack thereof) is kinda strange but it does have iirc those puncture resistant tyres and Kona will also donate one free bike for every two bought so i guess i'd be contributing half a bike to Africa.
The Schwinn Coffee-has a rear rack as standard and i'm guessing a dealer isn't too far away.
The Biria Classic Dutch-another with the rear rack and has a front light as standard

I've also looked at some by Raleigh-they don't seem to have a three speed and the Bianchi Milano which has no rear rack and is near the top of my price range. There has to be more out there than just those six, if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. I'd also consider buying used, i just finished reading the thread on English three speeds, but again wouldn't/couldn't be sure i was buying a good bike.

Talking of buying brings me onto my next question, where do i buy it from i'd like to buy from a local bike shop but ones that stock the brands above all appear to be a fair distance away. Could they (my LBS) order it for me from somewhere, how much would they mark it up by or could i order it and get it delivered to my local shop? What about internet buying are there any recommendations as to where to buy, also i'd be concerned with it getting damaged en-route.

Lastly what would i need to carry with me, i'm guessing some type of multitool and a spare tube and a pump, has bicycling really changed that much since i've been away-it does feel like it at times.

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have, it is greatly appreciated.

My suggestion is to find a used bike. A couple flavors come to mind in light of what you've found interesting thus far. A '60s to '80s Raliegh Sports, a late '80's to early '90s MTB hardtail that has been hybridized all which you could find on e-bay or craiglist for not much money (Free to $300ish on the upper end.) The main thing is you buy and ride this first bike awhile, catalog your likes and dislikes about it then when you have more budget you'll have a clear idea as to what you want on your next bike.

People who ride with extremes of climate often have 2 bikes. The advantages are that you can optimise them for summer or winter. If one is broken you can ride the other.
For low milleage, easy riding, just about any kind of utility bike will work. Utility here means sufficient tyres clearance and rack/fender braze-ons.
Any std hybrid will do. Some of the older-style MTBs make good winter rides. Touring bikes are excellent all-rounders. A good used bike is a cheap way to get started, depending on your local market for used. I wouldn't get too fussed about steel vs Al. I ride both and like both. Al is not doing to suddenly break in half, the hybrid-grade Al bikes have tubing which is quite thick enough to be strong.
If you are thinking about a porteur style front rack (eg CETMA), consider a fork with pannier-mount braze-ons. Some hybrids have this. You can attach porteur racks without them but its easier with.

Make sure you get a good fit, budget for accessories you need (rack, fenders, kevlar tyres etc)
Modern dynamo lights are really good but the good ones are not cheap. Ive been running a Shimano dynohub this winter and like most dynohub converts, I cant think of a better way to light the road.
I have used a sidewall dynamo on another bike. The secret of efficient performance is a solid mounting, in this case, a brazed-on mount.