Originally Posted by
alyxmahal
Hello. I'm looking to start commuting. I currently don't have a bike and don't have a lot of money to spend mainly because i have to buy two. With that being said. I looked at a few reviews and seen some people recommend Schwinn Hybrid bikes and GMC Denali. I am not too sure where to start. I need a little help. I will be commuting 9.0 miles.The ride has an elevation of 223 ft increase on the way back with a 95 increase on the way to. It will only be Monday and Wednesdays for now so two days out of the week for just a start. Any tips and help you can offer?
Just curious. Why do you need two bikes?
If you have a budget in mind that will help narrow down the choices. Is there a lot of stuff you would need to bring along with on your commute or is it just you pretty much? Is there a particular type of bike that you're interested in or ones that you'd feel more comfortable on?
I'm assuming 9 miles is one way. If so then it's a medium/longish commute. Not too long by any means but you could be spending 40 minutes to an hour on the bike depending on how many intersections there are, how fast you ride, etc. The longer the commute, the more bike choice makes a difference. It's still short enough that you could ride pretty much anything but you might be happier on a bike designed more for longer distances.
Either of the bikes you mentioned would probably be fine. I'm assuming the Schwinns you mentioned are something you'd find at a Walmart or Target, correct? If so you should know that there's a certain bias against bikes sold at big box stores on these forums. They tend to be cheaply made and sometimes poorly assembled. That said, they do the job just fine for a lot of people.