Commuter bikes for beginners!!
#1
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Commuter bikes for beginners!!
Hello guys
I am looking for bikes to commute to work and for fitness, I haven’t used any bike before. I was wondering if you guys could suggest which would be good bike for beginners. I live in Bangor Maine. My work commute is less than 10 miles to and fro.
Thank you
Vb.
I am looking for bikes to commute to work and for fitness, I haven’t used any bike before. I was wondering if you guys could suggest which would be good bike for beginners. I live in Bangor Maine. My work commute is less than 10 miles to and fro.
Thank you
Vb.
#2
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You ride your bike to work, and at the end of the work day you ride it home , that's about it.
Accessorize as you see a need for it.. every one is different.
you have a local bike shop in Bangor ME , pay them a visit..
...
Accessorize as you see a need for it.. every one is different.
you have a local bike shop in Bangor ME , pay them a visit..
...
#3
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Bangor Maine! Mike Rowe (Dirty Job's) turned me onto the Bangor Maine Police facebook page. What a hoot! Visiting the Duck of Justice is on my list should I end up in your neck of the woods!
#4
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I started with a cheap mountain bike, my advice is to pick one on condition to start with.
Check the brakes work and check tyres are pumped up regularly, carry a spare tube and a tyre repair kit and practise removing the wheel at home to fix a flat.
Then get on and enjoy it, buy clothing as you need to to suit weather conditions, allow about an hour or so for ten miles at first, the time will decrease as you get fitter
Above all make it comfy (seats can be changed and make a huge difference to the ride) and the rest will follow
Edited to add, a cheap no suspension mountain bike, fairly upright, easy to maintain!
Check the brakes work and check tyres are pumped up regularly, carry a spare tube and a tyre repair kit and practise removing the wheel at home to fix a flat.
Then get on and enjoy it, buy clothing as you need to to suit weather conditions, allow about an hour or so for ten miles at first, the time will decrease as you get fitter
Above all make it comfy (seats can be changed and make a huge difference to the ride) and the rest will follow
Edited to add, a cheap no suspension mountain bike, fairly upright, easy to maintain!
Last edited by cambiker71; 07-29-18 at 04:44 AM.
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Well...
Unless your commute is on logging roads or worse, stay away from mountain bikes in particular and bikes with suspension parts in general. You don’t need it and it adds cost, weight, complexity and upkeep.
Drop bar (road) bikes offer the most speed for a set amount of effort.
But they may be limited in the tire width/fenders/racks department and not all can ever make friends with the riding position.
For utility-minded riding, get a utility-minded bicycle.
To me, that means fenders, rack and some gears.
How many can be endlessly debated.
To me, it takes at least five to allow the bike to hum along nicely in varying conditions.
Unless your commute is on logging roads or worse, stay away from mountain bikes in particular and bikes with suspension parts in general. You don’t need it and it adds cost, weight, complexity and upkeep.
Drop bar (road) bikes offer the most speed for a set amount of effort.
But they may be limited in the tire width/fenders/racks department and not all can ever make friends with the riding position.
For utility-minded riding, get a utility-minded bicycle.
To me, that means fenders, rack and some gears.
How many can be endlessly debated.
To me, it takes at least five to allow the bike to hum along nicely in varying conditions.
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Does anyone you know have one you can use for a bit? This would be a great way to get started, and help you better decide what you want before you buy something.
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+1
Congratulations and welcome to wonderful world of bike commuting, Visit your local bike shop and try different style bicycles, see if you like upright position riding bicycles like a hybrid bicycle with a straight handle bar or hunched over position riding like Road bicycle with drop bars and skinny tires etc, a hybrid bicycle might be a better choice for riding in the fresh snow if you ever decide to do so in way up there in Bangor Main snow country.
Congratulations and welcome to wonderful world of bike commuting, Visit your local bike shop and try different style bicycles, see if you like upright position riding bicycles like a hybrid bicycle with a straight handle bar or hunched over position riding like Road bicycle with drop bars and skinny tires etc, a hybrid bicycle might be a better choice for riding in the fresh snow if you ever decide to do so in way up there in Bangor Main snow country.
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Is that 10 miles round trip, or 10 miles each way? It does make a bit of a difference.
At 5 miles each way, you could do it on any bike.
At 10 miles each way... you may start looking for a bit more efficiency in the ride.
What do you mean by:
Never? You haven't learned to ride? Or, since a child?
If you absolutely have never ridden, perhaps start with some kind of a feet forward bike like some of the Electra bikes which work better with lower seats (and thus easier to get the feet to the ground).
If you've ridden some, but just not recently, then maybe a good hybrid for shorter rides, or a good road bike for longer rides.
Also extreme weight would play a role in the decision.
At 5 miles each way, you could do it on any bike.
At 10 miles each way... you may start looking for a bit more efficiency in the ride.
What do you mean by:
Never? You haven't learned to ride? Or, since a child?
If you absolutely have never ridden, perhaps start with some kind of a feet forward bike like some of the Electra bikes which work better with lower seats (and thus easier to get the feet to the ground).
If you've ridden some, but just not recently, then maybe a good hybrid for shorter rides, or a good road bike for longer rides.
Also extreme weight would play a role in the decision.
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+100
You need to learn to ride a bike steadily and safely before you can set out on daily 5-10mi trips! It shouldn't take long to learn and for your body to adapt itself, but you don't want to be wobbling and maybe falling into traffic!
I don't know Maine, but this would be a great option (if it fits you and it's nearby!) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/t...650943526.html
This type of bike would also be a good option (old mountain bike with rigid fork) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/g...650007065.html, although personally I think that price should be more like $75-100. For a bike like that you would want to replace the tires with something city/urban/slick so you don't burn a ton of your power input on the road buzz of those knobby tires.
You need to learn to ride a bike steadily and safely before you can set out on daily 5-10mi trips! It shouldn't take long to learn and for your body to adapt itself, but you don't want to be wobbling and maybe falling into traffic!
I don't know Maine, but this would be a great option (if it fits you and it's nearby!) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/t...650943526.html
This type of bike would also be a good option (old mountain bike with rigid fork) https://maine.craigslist.org/bik/d/g...650007065.html, although personally I think that price should be more like $75-100. For a bike like that you would want to replace the tires with something city/urban/slick so you don't burn a ton of your power input on the road buzz of those knobby tires.
Last edited by RubeRad; 07-30-18 at 12:40 PM.