After some research, I know what the initial responses will be. However, I'd still like some input. I am tired of paying $3.50/gallon for gas and I need to get in shape anyway. So, I'm thinking of getting a bike and commuting to work. 35 miles. My plan is to drive with the bike on a rack at first...maybe about 20-25 miles. Park the car and bike the rest and bike back to the car in the evening and drive home. Eventually building up to maybe 30 miles. I don't think I'll ever do the entire 35 as there are 2 OUTRAGEOUS hills within the 5 miles closest to my house.

That being said, I need a bike. As with my treadmill and bowflex, there is unfortunately a good chance it will become a dust collector. I don't want to spend too much just yet. If I keep with it, I'll be saving about $50/week in gas. After a very short time I can upgrade to a better bike. I am looking at "comfort bikes". So here comes the "I know, I know" part...

I am trying to stay around $200-250. I've seen some Schwinns, Huffys, Mongooses, and a Columbia. Other than buying none of them, which is my best bet of the four? There are several Schwinns, a Mongoose Sycamore, and a Columbia Northway. Most are aluminum, have Shimano shifters, similar brakes, etc.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

This is a joke, right?

If you think the "I know" part is the part about the price, then you're wrong. It's the idea of riding 30 miles (one way or round trip?) on a "comfort bike". For these kind of distance, it just won't cut it.

If 30 miles is a round trip, you could build up to it eventually if you got a road0-oriented bike, were willing to exert yourself and to spend two-three hours every day on your commute (less if you're on flat country roads, more if you're in a city with lots of traffic, lights, stop signs etc).

If 30 miles is one way... forget it! You have to be a real biking junkie to do it. Partial commute is still possible though, of course.

I'd get a used (road) bike, as long as you can test-ride it before you buy it of course.

Uh oh.... Dude, get ready for the flood....

First STAY AWAY FROM BIG BOX STORE BIKES!!!!! (sorry, had to make that VERY clear)

Where do you live? If you live near a major city, I would look on Craigs List and try to find a good used bike ( I just got a very nice TREK 750 for $120 (just tuned and new tires).

As for the drive then ride thing... I have NO problems with it. Does it get you on the bike? YES. Does it get your car/truck off the road, even a little bit? YES. Sounds WIN/WIN to me.

Oh, and if you can do 30miles in one stretch, two little ole' hills aint nuttin! (They have these amazing things now, called gears... You can adjust them and make pedaling easier! Sorry I had to )

JMHO
Billy

Let me start off by saying that my full commute is 50 miles round trip, but on some days, mostly in the winter, I split it, driving 15 and riding 10. My previous commute was 90 miles round trip, so I did a 30/15 split most of the time.

First...don't get some cheap wallyworld bike or it will definitely end up collecting dust. You'd be better off buying a higher quality used bike in that price range. Most important, make sure the bike fits you.

Second, find a bike that you'll enjoy riding, not something that makes it feel like work. A comfort bike isn't going to be very comfortable for over 10 miles, and not very fast at any distance. You might want to consider a hybrid with flat bars and a rigid fork. You can find them brand new in the $400 range. Most will accept larger tires, racks and fenders, if you opt for them later based on your commuting experience. Trek's 7.2FX is one example. I'm sure others with chime in with others.

Once you start increasing your distance, you'll probably find that a dropped-bar road/xcross/touring bike is better suited, but the hybrid is a good place to start and can be retained when you upgrade as a bad weather bike.

30 miles one way or round trip ? A few miles on bike everyday is a different story. Even with 30 miles roundtrip, you are talking about serious time (2-3 hours or more) on your bike.

I would STRONGLY recommend go to LBS and get a properly fitted bike. But then looking at your price range, I think even comfort bikes are in the range of around 5-600 dollars. (If it is 30 miles one way, forget comfort bike. You WILL NEED a decent road bike) Might be able to get a used one, and then take that to LBS and get it fitted may be ? ... I am a new commuter myself so thats all I can think of.

Also if you have money as your only motivation to bike such a long distance, I dont know if that will be enough !!!! You really need to be into bicycling and like bicycling and enjoy bicycling. I believe thats the only way you will keep doing it. Otherwise, like you said yourself, it will be collecting dust in garage !

O and dont forget to spare a few bucks for accessories like racks, lights (might get dark at or by the time you leave to or from work), panniers (dont want to carry a bag on your back for such long distances) etc. depending on your needs.

My 2 cents !

First-Buy a decent used bike instead of a "department store" bike.

Second-Do you have public transportation (a bus or train) you can take, instead of your car, to lessen your mileage?

It is 35 miles one way. The reason I was looking at a comfort bike is that I know there is one road in particular that the pavement is pretty bumpy and figured it would be too much for a road bike. If that's not the case, I would definitely consider that option. The particular "comfort bikes" I listed actually look more like hybrids than cruisers. So, other than "don't buy any of those bikes", if I had to choose, which is the best of the worst?

And, I do enjoy biking...although I haven't biked much since I was young. Other than swimming, this would be my next choice for exercise.

Ooh Ooh Ooh! GET A MILKCRATE! Best thing in the world for hauling everything back and forth.

Road bikes... meh. I commute 40 miles RT on a mountain bike. It works well if you haul a lot of stuff.

Whatever you get, make sure it has eyelets for a rack. Too many road bikes skimp on this.

All you posted were brands...which are all pretty much the same per price point. Perhaps if you provided us with some of the specific models you are considering?

A cyclocross or touring bike can handle bad roads just fine.

Fixed that for ya.

jjboods:

where are you? Geographically, climate-wise? What city is closest to you?
we might be able to help you find something more appropriate. You're really limiting yourself in that price range, especially for a long ride.

and if I may... why do you live 35 miles from work?

Where are you located? That would probably help. If you are near Chicago, there is a bike co-op where you can get a good used bike.
DARN!!!!! KUDZU beat me to it!

Sell the treadmill and bowflex and put the money towards a bike at the LBS or a good used bike. 35 miles on a bike with a suspension fork would suuuuck.

It might help if the OP posted a route. bikely and mapmyride seem to be the most popular choices for this.

FWIW, my bike (an entry-level hybrid) cost under $300 new, and is a Trek. You can get a decent bike without spending a lot of money, but I agree that you should be very wary about using a department-store bike for long-distance commuting.

ABSOLUTELY.

Sounds like the OP probably knows they don't have the will power to do it. So really, spending anything is likely a waste of money. That being said and OP is willing to give it the old college try, maybe that $110 WalMart Mongoose that keeps popping up is a good option. Before you know it, those two really hard hills will look like ant hills.

Just so you know jjboods, if you should choose to start commuting by bike for 35 RTfor real, that this bike will have to be retired for a better steed.



https://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8399245

Here is an interesting entry level bike from Performance. Its $279 which makes it just a little over your budget and only has a 38T front ring. But its got eyelets.

Good advice given so far! Exhaust the used bike market first. If you are tall chances are slim on finding a bike that will fit you. They are few and are not long on the market.

For the distances you are considering, get something with drop bars. A headwind will make you cry for mommy on a comfort bike. I know headwind.

Have a plan for disaster mid ride. This means a nearby access to buses that can carry bicycles. Or, have someone reliable committed to picking you up. Cellphone.

My commuting bike is a cyclocross frame and fork with 32mm tires, tireliners, discbrake and rack. I had to order all the parts and assemble it myself. I could never find a decent used road/touring etc. bike for someone my size. I looked. Get the biggest tires that will fit.

Ok, I did a 40 mile RT for awhile and as the time went on I got faster. I think I got it down to just over 2 hours. It will take you about a year to hit anywhere near what you will ultimately be able to reach in terms of speeds. With the kind of mileage you are looking at eventually moving into I would scratch the wally world bikes right off the list. You are going to be chalking 6000+ miles a year on this thing and you need something that will be dependable. I would look at something more in the range of $600-800 new or $200-300 used. Your needs are completely out of what the x-mart bikes are designed for. If you have heartburn on the price add up $50 a week for the next year plus $30 a month Gym membership (since you will be getting your excersize during travel). That adds up to quite a sum. Your plan to increment the distance is a good one. A road bike with 25c or 28c size tires would likely be able to handle some pretty rough pavement and that is what I would recommend for the distances you will be travelling.

(My current commute is 28 miles RT from the area I park at)

+1 on finding a good used bike. And, I commend you on wanting to start commuting - regardless of the basic reasoning, whether it is the price of gas or for health. A couple of points for you to consider:

It doesn't matter what style/type of bike you get, spend a few bucks at an LBS and have it fitted. You'll like the ride much better since it will be more comfortable.

Once you have the bike set up, start slowly. Don't try and kill yourself thinking you have to increase your mileage by 5 miles a week or something. You'll get discouraged and stop riding.

If you have pain - STOP riding until you get it checked out and find out why. Most pain issues can be 'cured' by adjustments to the bike or how you ride. Some can't - I now ride a recumbent because I have to much shoulder and neck pain from a DF bike.

If you can make it fun, you'll keep riding. Try some 'fun' rides on the weekend to keep it fresh. You won't have to be some place by a certain time. So if you're a little slow or tired, so what. Just a mile or two to keep you loose.

10 years ago I was commuting 20 miles a day and then 50-75 mile rides on Sat and Sun. Then I got a job where it was impossible to ride - an over-the-road truck driver. Now I'm back to commuting 3-4 days a week but, I had to start slowly again - that 7 mile one-way ride kicked my butt for quite a while.

I recommend getting something with wide range gearing (esp. very low gearing) - triple crank with alpine (aka MTB) rear derailer and cassette. You may think you can't ride up those hills, and maybe you can't now, but with a little fitness gain and the right gearing, I'll bet that you can. The least expensive bikes that come with very low gearing are mountain bikes - they often have 42-32-22 cranks and 11-34 cassettes. Some cross and comfort bikes are also geared really low but not all.

If your bowflex and treadmill are gathering dust you may want to get a gym membership and be in there everyday doing something. I work out a lot harder with other people around me.