not worth riding, walk it

+1 2.5 miles makes for a lovely brisk walk 2x per day - free exercise and no equipment required. I've had a similar walking commute, and I quite enjoyed it. You can't really get much exercise biking that, though it is faster.

If you do decide to ride instead, I second the idea of a single speed "cruiser" type bike. Big balloon tires, comfy seat and position. Hard to go wrong with something like that. These bikes are also about as mechanically simple as they get, and are stylish to boot.

If you find the need to get something more versatile later on, then you can have some money tucked away for it.

I stumbled across some great offerings from the folks at Bikesdirect, which may be worth considering.

Single speed, coaster brake, with or without fenders and rack: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/essex.htm
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...sex_deluxe.htm

3-speed: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/oxford.htm
3-speed with rack and other goodies: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ord_deluxe.htm

For 2.5 miles why not this one?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ack_xi_300.jpg

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/city_bikes.htm

I definitely wouldn't feel too bad locking it up for long periods as long as you got a decent u-lock.

oop, canyoneagle beat me to it...shouldn't have stayed on "reply to thread page" for so long

Many bike shops have used for sale. You can sometimes get a higher quality bike that way for less money, and have someone help you fit it.

Also, many places have community bike organizations or co-ops that sell used bikes and have knowledgeable people to help choose size and fit.

For commuting, I recommend adding fenders, lights, spare tube, tire levers, mini-pump, patch kit, and a multitool. Of course, you aren't going that far, so you can always walk it if you get a flat tire or break down.

What are the road conditions? Regardless I would attach a mirror to it and keep an eye out for cars coming up your ass. However a mirror can also be a distraction, you gotta teach yourself to do quick glances, do NOT get sidetracked by trying to figure out what you're looking at in your mirror. It's a tool like any other tool, in the right hands very helpful, in the wrong hands can be very dangerous.

You've been driving 2.5 miles to work...?
You can walk 2.5 miles. You can ride any bike for 2.5 miles.

Introduction to bicycle commuting.
Types of commuter bikes.
Preparing for your first bike commute.

To be fair, a 2.5 mile walk would chew up a lot of time. I would guess 40 minutes.

I have a 2 mile ride to work, and I've walked it a few times. I don't like it. I prefer riding. It's not the time so much as I get bored walking.

Go to a bike shop, get a wind blocking jacket with sleeves. Ride that on rainy days. Your legs will get a bit wet, and the jacket will start to soak through. But in 2.5 miles (maybe 15 minutes) you'll just be damp when you arrive at work.

That same jacket will work as a wind break layer in the winter, and you'll really appreciate it then.


If you're buying a bike, ask for something with mounts for fenders and a rack (fenders will do as much to keep you dry as rain gear will). You don't have to buy either right away, but I'd recommend fenders. Probably use a backpack for a while, assuming you have one. They're inexpensive (compared to bike specific stuff) and it will work. Eventually you might get yourself a nice bag and a rack.

You might also ask that the bike have enough clearance for wide knobby tires. You won't need them until winter, but if you do want to ride in the winter they're something you'll want.


Don't overthink it. Afterall, if you were really dedicated you could walk 2.5 miles to work :).

40 minutes is a fair assessment.
Depends on how you do it. I had a 2.5 mile walking commute for a while and would treat it as my daily exercise. I'd typically do it in about 30 minutes or so, which is a pretty brisk walking pace.

Unless there are intersections with other vehicles at them... There's a good reason the modern bicycle is called the "safety bicycle."

It takes me 20 minutes to walk to the train station by my house, and maybe 5 to bike it. To me, it's almost always worth riding. Also, carrying stuff is easier on a bike with racks; carrying more than a few pounds in a heavy backpack or a shoulder bag is no fun for more than a few minutes.

Oh yeah, totally agree with that. 10-20lbs on a bike is nothing, 10-20lbs on your back will tire you in a major way.

I'm not exactly in great shape and have been doing 3-5 mile rides almost every day with my trek classic cruiser. This is with a 12lb dachshund in front basket too.

I think you could do a 2.5 mile ride with just about anything and be ok.

Gotta disagree on that one. I'm 6' , 175lb and carry a 14-20lb backpack regularly on my 4-mile commute. Isn't really an issue... :innocent:

It really depends on the "hug" quality of your backpack. I use tactical / military spec backpacks that are designed to load 50lb of gear, the pack evenly distribute the weight, and they 'hug' to your back really, really comfortably :p
To be honest, I don't even FEEL the pack unless I go to grocery trips and load it to ~40lb.

I live only 2 miles from work, but because I'm on my feet for 8-10 hours there, I really don't plan on ever walking it. Getting there would be easy, coming home would definitely be rough.
I rode my Trek 7300 for years and always had to lock it outdoors and kept it outside even at my home, never considered the elements hurting it and the elements never did, so don't get to spooked about bad things happening to your ride because of the weather.
A local pawn shop had a Trek 7500 that was about 3 years newer than my 7300, it was barely used and only 60 bucks. I had just dropped 300 bucks on a closeout ride when I saw that and kicked myself for not looking at the pawn shop first. Anyway you can find great deals for used.
Good Luck with whatever you get and then let us know how it goes. You might want something with gears as once you start commuting to work you are going to want to check out more scenic routes to get home. The other day I rode 20 miles to get home, just out for a ride.

Do it! It's fun, even riding for a little bit. I ride about 5 miles daily. Some say that's walking distance but my bike helps alot with time.

Prepare yourself; get a decent bike; have good bike maintenance; stay dry... or else. http://www.failfunnies.com/12/pages/...ella-fail.html

And the strength and age of your back :D

When hiking I use the waist support so weight isn't as much of a problem as a lot of it rest on my hips. On a bike that doesn't work. No matter how good the backpack is the weight is entirely supported by your back. You just happen to be stronger :D

For 2.5 miles I would walk there on my hands. Be sure to wear rubber bands around your cuffs though, otherwise rain water will run down your pant legs.

Most Americans consider 2.5 miles to be driving distance. Just sayin'.

Any bike will do. A practical, wet-weather utility bike will have fenders and a rear luggage rack, or at least the threaded eyelets on the frame to fit them.
If you fit a rack and get some pannier bags you can carry a lot of shopping on the bike, much more than you can carry.
The most common kind of basic bike is probably a "hybrid" style. Basic MTB is also good.
One upgrade to make is puncture-resistant tyres. The most common is Schwalbe Marathon, the best is Schwalbe Marathon Plus. They are not cheap but cyclists tend to get less leeway from bosses regarding late arrival than do their driving co-workers.

Useful accesories: Lock, lights, helmet, cycling mitts, trouser clips , spare inner tube, pump, tyre levers, wheel wrench, puncture kit, oil/lube.

:thumb: Now, do you know how to: properly lock up a bike, pump tires, properly clean and oil/lube parts? Things you need to figure out or go to you LBS.

Sad, but true.

Yeah - I knew several co-workers (nationality withheld, but they fall in line with "American" -i.e. convenience obsessed- thinking) who would drive 5-6 blocks from their downtown apartments to the office.

*sigh*

follow this advice. also, look at craigslist for anything used and decent. You can always sell it for the same price if you decide you like bicycle commuting and want to upgrade to something better. Don't worry about panniers. You can just use a backpack to carry your stuff. If back sweat is a problem, then you can invest in a rack and panniers. Just start off basic and upgrade as you see fit. It's all about experimenting.

Yeah, man. 2.5 is simple. I do about 22, round trip. Get something you really like because you will want to start running errands on that bike too! :)

for 2.5 miles any tires will do. If one go for long distance - one needs have 15-20 min reserve to fix the tire. For 2.5 miles - you will just walk to work and fix your tire at lunch.
$70 wallmart bike will work. any old cruiser, old mountain , old hybrid will do. (i am doing each day 32 miles). If you buying bike that you can not return (not a wallmart one) make sure - it right size frame, and you can adjust saddle height.
Buy new helmet in wallmart, target etc - no more than $15 , if you need helmet - depends on your state laws and your road. Any rain jacket will do. You can use shower cap over helmet and plastic bag inside your shoes for heavy rain.
Keep your tire pump up and oil/clean chain at least once a month.
good luck.

Commute by bike for any reason you want. :rolleyes:

This shows my newness. I consider biking more than a mile or so a long way. But we all have to start somewhere. I wanted to add that Craig's List actually has a lot of FREE bikes.Angie's List also reviews local companies. The internet is a wonderful thing, right?

I just started commuting 3 miles one way to work by bicycle a few weeks ago. At 5am in the morning I wouldn't think about walking to work. It's all downhill to work therefore all uphill home so biking only makes sense.
I started with a 20 year old Kona mountain bike outfitted with fenders and slicks. Worked well until I discovered the hubs were wasted, the cassette was toast, the chain was stretched, etc. I have it dissassembled in the garage to repair now. I did get enough rides into to firmly convince myself I am a dedicated bike commuter now, and that made it easier for me to drop the cash on a brand new Specialized Rockhopper Comp. I found that by lengthening my commute by about a mile I can travel by trails 1/2 of the trip. I far prefer mountain biking to road biking and with the new bike it's an absolute blast. Good luck on getting started with your commute by bike! You'll get hooked!