Walter S

I prefer to get around on A bike too

cooker

Right now I'm on my second backup bike as we have been bogged down with home renos and my two "main" bike both need some work and both are buried behind masses of construction and packing and appliance paraphernalia in the garage. Now, admittedly, if I didn't have backup bikes, I suppose I would have done the repairs by now, but I might also have lost a day or two of cycling and the public transit alternative sucks.

Walter S

Everybody says you need a backup bike. I find a well maintained bicycle to be very reliable. I know a lot of people that have just one car. Seems like a similar thing. If you service your bottom bracket, keep a good chain on it, etc a bicycle is a very dependable ride I think.

The more bikes you have the more to maintain. I'd rather just ride.

cooker

I'm pretty sure most people will find cars are more reliable, unless they are beaters. Mind you, my bikes tend to be beaters, so maybe that's the problem! Certainly flats are a lot more common on bikes although usually quick and easy to fix. However if it is a slow overnight leak, I may not want to deal with it first thing in the AM and hopping on another bike is my preference.

baldilocks

I'm with you. I love the mountain bike. Planing on my next bike being a 29er single speed running a 3 speed IGH.

Ekdog

I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on all of my bikes, which allows me to ride for years without getting flats.

cooker

I'm limited by needing 27" x 1 1/4" tires for my old Trek 520.

Ekdog

Have you tried tire liners? That's what I used before I went over to the MPs.

cooker

Thanks I will look into that.

I-Like-To-Bike

I've been using Schwalbe Marathon (not Plus) tires for close to twenty years with the same results. Almost no on the road flats, and only rarely (once a year or so) getting overnight or during workday slow leakers.

I-Like-To-Bike

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Ekdog

Great tires. Some cyclists don't like the Pluses because they say they offer more roll resistance, but Schwalbe claim the ones that came out last year weigh less, last longer and have better rolling characteristics.

Schwalbe // flat-less

kickstart

My primary commuter is a Dutch Gazelle, a bike they have been building since the 20's for non enthusiast transportation cyclists. People who leave their bikes outdoors, do no maintenance, and yet can rely on them day in and day out for their transportation needs.

Bikes don't need to be fragile and finicky, but enthusiasts often want them to be that way.

kickstart

+1

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires remove a huge amount of hassle and worry from cycling.

Sticks, stones, glass, debris......whatever, no worries, just avoid the big stuff.

cooker

Thanks!

loky1179

That is my problem as well. My main commuter is a Bianchi Nyala, which, for reasons not ENTIRELY my fault, developed partially stripped threads on the fork. I used some red loctite on it over a year ago, and I thought I was home free, never to loosen that headset again. The last month or so, it started to loosen up again, and I dread pulling it apart to see the damage.

It would be easy enough to buy a new fork and head set, set me back maybe $80. But I doubt I could get $80 for the entire bike on CL, even if it was in pristine condition. So I continue to pursue low $$ solutions.

Walter S

If you patch together a car then it's more likely to break down too. Cars have more potential failure points than bikes.

Roody

I agree. Toward the end of my motoring career, I owned a succession of beater used cars. They were always breaking down! Repairs were often more than the value of the car itself. But my bikes have gone years without needing major repairs. And when a nice bike needs repairing, the cost usually seems worth it.

Siu Blue Wind

The less fancy, the less to break.

bikemig 

+ 1,000 on this.