no motor?

So have you realized there isn't just one way to do this yet? Most of us started with the try it without buying a lot of stuff and then figuring out what you'd do different from there. And just wait until people are commuting in the dark and cold, there are even more opinions on how do deal with the dark and cold!

Darth Lefty 

Another candidate
Vintage Trek 400 (made in USA)

wphamilton

I think that's what I said, twice? I've probably tried most of the variations since I started, and one or two of my own ...

DVC45

That's the best one so far. I'd jump on that one if it's local to me. ' hope you get it.

no motor?

I think so, sometimes being overly redundant helps to get to message across. Especially in the beginning.
I was getting ready to ride to work the other day and looking for a shirt to wear in warmer weather. I had to dig through the piles of clothes for cooler weather before I found them and then decide if it was warm enough for the pannier or still cool enough for a backpack. And then decide which backpack. There's no way I could easily describe how I got to that point if I went into great detail without missing something.

wphamilton

Don't forget, you have to decide which bike depending on the chances of rain, road conditions, anticipated route, how much cargo you're taking or bringing home.

Personally I've simplified it - after about 1,500 commutes on this route I pretty much know what to expect. May not work for everyone but I just wear the same things at 52° or 100°, and use the same bag regardless of how I carry it. Grab rain gear on the way out when needed.

bmthom.gis

I can usually figure out what to wear when I am walking the dogs in the morning. After a certain point of the year though, and usually it's at the beginning of May instead of towards the end, it's always warm enough to wear the summer bike clothes.

Th3Pr1de

Ok guys, a quick update. I ended up going and looking at the prelude last night and buying it. I do admit it's a little on the smaller side but I didn't feel that uncomfortable on it and for the price it was hard to pass up. I believe in the near future I will be looking for another bike more my size but I believe the prelude will get me started commuting, I'm hoping to ride in for the first time on Monday! Wish me luck and any other advice is greatly appreciated!

old's'cool

I did something similar when I needed a bike for a 6 month assignment in Switzerland and didn't want to tear down and ship any of my keeper bikes. I found a Miyata 312 on CL locally at a good price that was one size too small, but it worked just fine as a stopgap for commuting and working out for the 6 month stint. It helped a lot that the stem (longitudinally) and seatpost were long enough to nearly negate the undersize. These are things that you can also change on your Prelude, if necessary.

Th3Pr1de

Cool, glad to hear it worked for you as well. Thanks for the suggestions about the seatpost and stem, I'll try it out. I was going to go to a LBS and see what they suggest, I may try to make the changes myself first though.

baron von trail 

Same routine here--in fact, I suspect walking the dogs for 1/2 an hour in the morning is one reason I no longer need a jacket until temps fall below 50. I'm already warmed up.

bmthom.gis

Mine get a good mile in the morning. Sometimes another mile and a half in the evening. Really helps wake me up

baron von trail 

Some mornings, at first, I do not even feel like riding, but then I change my mind during/after the walk. It definitely wakes me up.

Darth Lefty 

Let us know how it goes!

San Pedro

One minute outside here in August and one is sweating like crazy. 8 miles is a work out on bike at 10, 15, or even 20mph. On a hot and humid day most people would be soaked no matter what. If I walk to to the train station anytime between July and the end of September it's better if I change my clothes.

Also, some people just don't like riding their bikes slowly...

baron von trail 

+1

I was thinking about that "riding in street clothes thing" last night as I rode up a hill. It was hot, humid and the hill was brutal, even in bike shorts and a quick-dry loose fitting T-shirt. I cannot even imagine the horror of trying that in a pair of jeans and cotton shirt. Why would anyone even want to do that?

wphamilton

I did last Sunday just to recalibrate how it felt. Blue jeans, cotton T, headband and running shoes, on my road bike for my regular hard ride. Only about 85° but I've got to say I was toasted after 20 miles. It makes a big difference unless you're just noodling around.

Jaywalk3r

Eight miles is easy at <13 mph, not a work out at all. It's like a slow 3 mile walk. A doctor would consider it exercise; a personal trainer probably wouldn't. When one doesn't ride fast, one does not require a long cool down period. Just going into the AC is enough to terminate the seating and begin the rapid evaporation that inevitably occurs in low humidity air conditioned environment.

True. I have that problem myself sometimes.

Jaywalk3r

Who said anything about riding in jeans? I know I've explicitly said they're not a good choice. (To be fair, I've read that the latest denim fabrics are nothing like the old cotton denim that I grew up with, but I've felt no desire to try riding with them, either.)

wphamilton

The Baron did, I did, and when you say street clothes or work clothes it might as easily be jeans as anything else. Either we're putting on something specific for the bike ride, or we're wearing whatever we'd wear regardless.

As a matter of fact I do commute in jeans for a change of pace, every two or three weeks. But that's taking a shaded flat route and at a pace that I can do with trivial effort. I wouldn't say that's possible for everyone on every route, or even for everyone on that route. One big hill in the summer sun will get most anyone sweating, so while it's possible to commute wearing just about anything, I'd never give that advice to a particular person without knowing something about his route, when he'll be riding, what gearing his bike has, and what his conditioning is.

Jaywalk3r

I ride in the clothes that I plan to wear all day. However, when shopping for clothes, I also take into consideration that I'll be riding in them, so I don't generally buy jeans or other apparel that doesn't allow me to pedal comfortably. Likewise, I don't buy any winter clothing made of cotton.

A little foresight prevents the need for extra clothes just for the commute. (To be fair, I know plenty of people who happily ride in jeans; it seems much more common than Lycra among commuters, but it's not my preference.) Fewer people will consider bicycle commuting if the think that they (unnecessarily) need a ton of special clothes and safety equipment to make it practical.

wphamilton

So your recommendation to OP is a new wardrobe, if he has jeans, tight slacks and cotton winter wear?

Cheaper to just get something to ride in, and change if necessary.

Jaywalk3r

Way to misrepresent my post! Woo Hoo! Go straw men!

wphamilton

You've been arguing that no one really needs cycling clothes, because you always ride more slowly. But you buy clothes which are easy to pedal in, quick drying, and avoid jeans, tight slacks and cotton winter clothes.

If you suggest he emulate you, yet you don't suggest he buy the right "street clothes" to ride in, then what? Suffer with what he's got?

Jaywalk3r

Yes, over a period of several years, as I replaced my clothes normally, I considered my commutes as I selected clothing. I've never worn special clothes for my commutes (nor would I ever advocate like the elitists on BF do), even when jeans were a staple of my wardrobe. Nor do I buy "quick drying" clothes. In AC, all clothes are quick drying, because air conditioning removes humidity from the air. Dry air results in rapid evaporation.