woodybr

Hey guys,

I'm a Brazilian college student from Rio de Janeiro with close to no biking experience. I had a bike when I was little, I would ride it inside my building's playground. When I grew up to my final size 15/16yo (5'9) I bought another one, which I rode in first two years but then it's been abandoned for about 3 years. Lack of time, lack of opportunity, lack of need.

Well, things change. Next year I am going to the US for one year as an exchange student. I don't know where to yet, but most of the universities I've applied to are located in California and have relatively flat campuses.
It's likely that I'll live on campus or a few blocks away from campus, regardless to where I go, and I'm gonna need a vehicle to get from one building to another, or from whatever my housing is to class. I guess a bicycle would be the perfect choice. In the end of this year I'll probably have to sell the bike.

Wrapping up: I need your help to consider and find the best option that suits my needs. I don't really have a budget limit but, again, it's a college bike, so you know better than me it's not wise to have a truly expensive one.

If by any means I posted this thread in the wrong sub-forum, I apologize. If it's the case, please tell me so I can delete/ask some to move it. I don't know if it is really considered commuting, as the distances are going to be relatively small.

Thanks

WestPablo

IMO you have several options. Find a bicycle shop near campus and "buy" a used bike with the understanding that you'd like to return it before year's end. Of course, this will really be a long term bike rental. However, if you leave it open ended, you could possibly sell the bike for profit.

You could also wait until you arrive and buy a single speed online from Nashbar, Performance, or Bikesdirect and sell it at the year's end.

Lastly, you could simply buy a single speed from an Xmart and donate it afterwards.

acidfast7

my university rents bikes to students for the full academic term for a £30 deposit and a £10 fee (so it's only £10 for a new bike for a term).

included in that £30 are lights, helmet and a lock (in addition to a key to a local bicycle storage locker).

perhaps the university you're looking at has a similar program.

pic of bike:

fietsbob

But NB: AF7 is not in California , But EU/UK.

GeraldF

Whatever you do, make sure you get a good U-Lock. 90%+ stolen bikes are locked with cables or cheap chains. Thieves cut right through them in a matter of seconds. It doesn't matter how crappy the bike is btw.

dynaryder

When you find out where you're going to be,Google to see if there are any co-ops or bike kitchens nearby. They usually have used bikes for sale for cheap,and they can teach you how to work on it plus have a workshop you can use.

woodybr

Thanks
Considering these three options, which price point am I looking at?

When I find out where am I going to, I'll definitely look into these options. Thanks, guys.

Yeah, I've read about that, it's really a shame. What 'amazes' me is that a considered 'actually good' U-Lock is fairly expensive, when you consider the price I would pay for a used bike or a cheap bike from a xmart...

bengreen79

I like the X-Mart bike idea in your situation. Stick with a single-speed as suggested above and you should get lots of trouble-free miles out of it. Sure it will be a bit heavier but it will also be unattractive to thieves and inexpensive to replace if needed.

Stryver

Also suggest checking co-ops or similar. My last school had a group that would fix up bikes and make them available (long term - semester or year) to international students for a small deposit ($20 or so?) that was refunded on return. The town I'm currently in has a bike co-op that would set you up for free, some would have a small cost associated with them. This co-op also works with two small nearby colleges and makes bikes (and repair equipment) available to students.

Although not actually a bike, my last school also had a self-repair shop. After you took their introductory class on how to fix your bike (one evening, ~$15 fee) you could use the shop and tools for free.

Failing those options, I'd next recommend a used bike from a nearby bike shop.

What kind of bike is much more subjective, foremost it should be one you want to ride, and next it should be one that will do the tasks you want and be easy to maintain/repair.

KGood

Check out Craigslist.org for used bikes in the area your moving to. In my town there is always good bikes for around $200 listed.

treadtread

Which part of California? If you are in Stanford, for example, you will end up riding hills a bit - unless you stick very closely to the dorm-college-dorm route. And it if is any college in the SF Bay area, be warned - used bikes are not cheap (at least, not on craigslist). If the college has an international students office, try asking for their help.

woodybr

In the end, if it comes to buying a new bike, it really looks like the best option. Thank you.

I'll definitely look into that when I get my acceptance letter !

Thank you. This is a matter I'm not very familiar with. How do I know which ones are the good bikes, worth spending $200 on a used one?
I'm not asking for you to do my research for me. Just point me in the right direction
I love to read forums..

I still don't know. The exchange program I'm participating is a little different. I can rank 3 universities I would prefer to attend to, but they can place me wherever they want. I'm just assuming I'm gonna be accepted into my preferred schools.



I'd like to thank @Lacumo for the help via PM

Stryver

Some practice and lots of looking.

Generally speaking, they aren't brands currently available at Wal-mart or similar stores. They aren't brand new. They're probably from the 90's (hard tail mountain bikes) or before (steel road bikes). After that, it's a lot of what you want in a bike. I don't recommend buying off craigslist unless you are somewhat comfortable identifying value in the bike and can spot likely problems, or can bring a friend that will do both of these. If you want to shop yourself, then go find bikes near you now, and learn what you can about them. Some brands may change, but all the parts work about the same, and they'll have the same troublespots.

woodybr

One last question. While browsing this forum I stumbled upon a kind of bike I had never seed (or at least noticed) in my country/city before: The (beach) Cruisers. I must admit I liked they way it looks.

My question is: would one get the job done for me? (I know it's kind of a no-exact-answer question, but I'd like to hear your opinion, as you all have more experience than me)

KGood

Become familiar with bikes in your area and you can also test ride the bikes before you buy. Go to a local bike shop and test ride some of the mid-priced bikes. Good bikes just have a good feel to them.

Darth Lefty 

Probably. Depends if you are strong enough to go up the local hills. In any case I'd advise you to go inexpensive, durable, and anonymous, like that or a 21 speed mountain bike from the 1990's. Craigslist is glutted with them.

Also pretty common in the States to see adults on BMX / stunt bikes. Despite the seeming ridiculousness of it, they are very simple and durable.

Wherever you go around colleges there's a reasonable risk of bike theft. I had a nothing-special 21-speed and even it got the wheel stolen off the back once. And it's not something you're going to keep, so probably no call to get something cool / expensive. Unless you want to. In which case do so, being cool is important too.

curbtender

Probably should check out bikes when you know where you are going. Beach cruisers are good for short trip transport. I'd check out the old mountain bikes for best bang for the buck.

walrus1

Step away from the single speed bike friend! Unless you wear plaid tight cutoff jeans and say "yeah they used to be cool before they sold out." A single speed bike is less efficient than a bike with decent gears on it. Go to a LBS and see if you can't just buy a simple hybrid or road bike. While you can go anywhere on a cruiser they do tend to be heavier bikes and sigh tend to be single speed.

woodybr

Will do !

Thank you for your advice! If the place is relatively flat, though, should I do ok? And how 'hilly' does a place have to be so I have to do a considerably larger ammount of effort?

Thank you. Talking about bang for the buck, how much would I spend in a fair beach cruiser? Not too expensive to call attention, but not to crappy either.

Thank you for the advice

curbtender

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/4137435456.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/4149429362.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik/4149342498.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/4148441223.html

woodybr

Thank you guys. Next year, when I find out where I've been accepted to, I'll search for used bikes, bike co-ops, rental services on campus, local bike shops, etc.

If the campus is flat enough, though, I'll probably end up looking for a <$250 aluminum cruiser. (If I can find a decent one)

btw: I really liked the electra, @curbtender

curbtender

These are usually available on CL, so don't go trying to buy one and get it shipped...

woodybr

Thanks!

woodybr

Hey guys,

it's been a while, but now I've finally found out where I am going to be.
I'll be living in Isla Vista(Santa Barbara), very close to the UCSB campus.

Now that I know, I can start effectively looking for the right bike choice to cruise around campus.

schiiism

I've never been on the UCSB campus, but just a heads up that not all campuses are bike friendly. I go to CSULB and, while they are useful to get to and from there, most of the campus buildings are separated by huge staircases that don't have a path for bikes. They are also banned on certain parts of campus, and require a permit to ride anywhere within the campus limits.

But if there are a lot of stairs, you'll not only have super calves from biking, but super biceps from carrying it