Originally Posted by
eugene_b
Yeah, I'll be able to figure it out. When I say mud, I usually don't imagine that much of it so that it starts clogging the bicycle
If that will be the case, I'll try to avoid that region of road or something like that. And yeah, I can always take separate work clothes with me. I am still not sure what the climate is like in NY but it doesn't apper to be raining constantly so those paths should be quite usable (I hope)
Yeah, that is one of my concerns. I was once riding a cheap mountain bike (which had flat bars though) down the hill, then bumped something and completely flew off the seat, rolling the remaining part of the road on the ground. It was magic that I didn't break anything then. Even though I definitely learnt things after that, I am still kind of scared of assuming aerodynamic positions and prefer more upright ones which also feel slightly more comfortable for my back. However I've never rode a normal bike so may be things are not that bad, I'll need to test how that thing feels.
Well, it's not price only but also availability of bikes. I am not sure there are huge bike shops here so I might just end up test driving individual features of bicycles (e.g. flat vs non-flat handlebars) and then ordering the actual bike model online because the shop won't simply have that bike. However the price is unfortunately a parameter for me too. If the difference is not huge, I of course would be more than happy to order locally and get my bike right away. However if it is hundreds of dollars, I'll probably have to go online.
You'd be amazed at how even a little mud will clog up a bike with fenders. There are fenders for mountain bikes which don't fit as close to the wheel as road bike fenders. Their coverage isn't as good because they are further away from the tires and knobby mountain bike tires tend to grab and fling mud with wild abandon. On the plus side most of the mountain bike fenders around clip on and off very quickly so if you don't need them, you don't have to use them or if they get clogged, they come off easily to clean.
It sounds like you could use some basic skill instruction. Find a local bike club and start riding with them. Ask questions. Riding a bike is easy but being proficient at it takes time and skill.