JaclynMcKewan

I've recently posted in a few other forums here, so I'm sure like I come across like an idiot who made a rash purchase without thinking about what I really want. And I guess that's correct. Here is my long drawn-out story, because I couldn't find a way to make this concise.

When I was a kid, my first adult bike was a hand-me-down 10-speed with drop handlebars. I didn't really like being so hunched over, but I wasn't aware of what different types were available, and I rode it a lot. Before I got my first car, I got a lot of use out of it. Most of my trips were within a few miles, although I did sometimes do rides that were about 10 miles round-trip. Once I got a car, I didn't use it as much for transport, but for fun riding around the neighborhood.

3 years ago I rented a bike on vacation and was surprised to find out that they do make adult bikes without drop handlebars. As soon as I got home I did some research and found that cruisers were what I wanted - comfortable, upright, good for short trips. Again, the only use I had in mind was fun rides around the neighborhood, and maybe short errands. I bought a Giant Simple Seven. I really loved the comfort and seating position. I put my road bike out by the curb and let someone take it - it was over 30 years old and I didn't feel right selling it because I didn't think it would be worth much.

Just before buying the cruiser I had started a new job. When I realized that it was only 2.7 miles away, I thought it would be fun to ride to work occasionally. And it was. But I started noticing that I would need some other things if I wanted to use it as a commuter. I bought a rack and panniers, and then thought about getting lights and fenders too.

Then I heard about the Electra Amsterdam, which seemed like it had all those features, plus a chainguard and internal gearing, and still upright and comfortable. That's where I heard about Dutch bikes in general, and decided I wanted a Workcycles Oma - mainly because I'd heard it was higher quality. So I think a lot of this was the "snob appeal" of having an expensive high-quality bike. In fact, when I posted a question about the Oma on here last year, someone suggested that I could just put fenders and lights on my cruiser. And I could have, but I wanted a fancy bike, dammit.

Around this time I also started thinking about going car-free, or at least car light. Not only was I really enjoying all the cycling, but it would save money, give me more exercise, and be good for the earth. I live in Buffalo, which of course gets a lot of snow in the winter, and I figured the Oma would be good for riding to work when it's snowy because of the roller brakes, internal gears and chain guard. My cruiser had none of that, so I figured that one way or another, I would need to get another bike. I had heard that the weight of the Oma was an issue for some, but I read conflicting reports on its weight (anywhere from 45-65 pounds) and I also read some comments on how weight wasn't really that important. Besides, cruisers weren't exactly light either, and I handled my bike fine.

I waited a year until I had an opportunity to try an Oma in person. Riding around the block, with no cargo and no hills, it seemed fine. Plus I was still a snob and wanted a fancy expensive bike. So I plunked down the money and bought it. (I'm not rich, but I don't have kids, and my car is all paid for. Plus I justified the cost by thinking about how I'll be able to use my car less, and possibly not buy a new car when this one bites the dust.)

When it arrived, I started riding to work 3 times a week. My plan was to get used to riding it and then work up to riding every day, now that I had no excuse because of bad weather or whatever. On the second week I started getting sore after each ride, and even sore in between rides. Around that time I had overdone some leg workouts at the gym, so at this point I'm still not sure if that was the cause of the soreness, and the fact that I kept riding afterward just prevented me from recovering. Right now I'm taking a week off from both the gym and the bike, and then will try riding again next week to see how it goes.

But I started being worried that maybe this bike was too heavy for me after all (I do have 2 hills on my commute, although I didn't think they were too high - I was able to go up in a low gear). So I pulled out my bathroom scale and took it into the garage, and I stood on it with each of my bikes to see what they weighed. The cruiser was 36 pounds. The Oma was 62. WTF?

[By the way, Todd at Clever Cycles, if you happen to read this, please do not be offended. All you guys at the shop were terrific, and I do believe that the Oma is really a great bike. I'm just not sure if it's the right bike for me, and if that's the case, I have only myself to blame. I have nothing bad to say about Clever Cycles the shop, or Workcycles the manufacturer.]

Then I started really feeling like I hadn't thought this through. Why did I need such a heavy bike? Because I liked the idea of "quality." And because it was supposed to be able to haul heavy loads. I had liked the fact that the rear rack could hold so much, and that it had a heavy-duty front rack too. But how often do I need them? So far I had done okay with my cruiser and panniers, although I can think of 2 occasions where I had a hard time carrying heavy things in them and could have used a front rack - 2 occasions in the past year. So now I feel as if I just bought a U-haul when I only needed a smart car. After all, if someone said, "I bought a U-haul because I need to carry big things twice a year," you'd think they were dumb for not just renting one when needed.

And this bike certainly isn't good for long distances. If I wanted to truly not use my car as much, I would need a practical way to go long distances by bike. For example, I recently had an event to go to that was 7 miles away. I drove because I couldn't imagine wanting to go that distance on either of my bikes. If only I had something lighter and faster, I could have ridden. So I don't think I can ever go car free or car light until I have something for distances.

Not only that, but I bought an Abus lock for the bike which weighs 7 pounds alone (although I don't take it to work because I can keep the bike in my office). So that means I'm pedaling almost 70 pounds before I've even loaded it up with all this hypothetical heavy cargo I imagined I'd be carrying. And I guess it's true that I could get used to the weight over time, but now I'm starting to think, why should I make this more difficult than it has to be? Why not just get a less-heavy bike so there's nothing to "get used to"?

Also, even if I get rid of my car, my husband would never get rid of his, so it's not like I would have such a need to carry really heavy stuff. If I had no car and had a big load to transport, I could borrow my husband's car. Or I could buy a Bob trailer to just use as needed.

So at the end of this big, long rambling story, I guess what I want to ask is, what bike(s) do I need if I want to be car-free or at least car-light? Maybe no one bike will do it all, and I need to really think about this before rushing into anything. Maybe I was also too hasty in getting rid of my road bike. Now I'm starting to see the practicality of a lightweight bike with skinny tires that will get me places fast. For the past 3 years I've been obsessed with riding bolt upright and slowly, but I think if I wanted to ride 10 miles, I would get tired and/or bored and probably want something faster. In thinking about the 10 mile rides I did on my road bike as a teenager, I don't think I'd want to do them on this bike. As I mentioned, when I initially bought the cruiser, it was for fun neighborhood rides and truly short errands. Now that I need to actually get places, maybe these slow bikes aren't as practical. Even a couple of months ago, I was starting to think about the fact that I was riding so much slower than the other cyclists I see on the road, and that it might be nicer to go faster. For a while, I had to change my commute route because of construction, going from 2.7 miles one way to 4 miles - it seemed noticeably longer, and I really started to think about my slowness, because this longer ride wasn't as much fun and seemed more of an effort. I was really glad that this was just a temporary route. But I put it out of my mind because I really wanted the Oma, and (at the time) I wasn't willing to sacrifice my upright position.

I think I will keep my cruiser for fun, short rides in good weather, but am considering selling my Oma (I have no idea how much I would get). So in order to go car light, I guess the things I would need to do on a bike are:

-Ride to work (2.7 miles each way, 2 hills) in all weather
-Do errands (mostly within 3 miles), possibly carrying heavy loads on occasion, in all weather
-Longer rides, but still able to carry some things, up to about 10 miles one-way (which I realize isn't that long for some). For trips longer than that I would probably take my husband's car.
-Be able to ride in regular clothes at all times.
-I strongly prefer sitting upright (or somewhat upright) when possible, but I recognize that this may not be possible. If there's a way to go at a good pace while still sitting up, I'd be very interested.
-Would like a bike that looks nice, although I know that can't be my primary consideration. That's partly what got me in my current situation.
-Prefer step-through frames

I know that I will need lights, racks, fenders, etc for this (which I could buy separately if necessary), and likely an internal gear hub, roller or disc brakes, and chainguard in order to ride in all weather and regular clothes, right?

I was thinking perhaps some kind of utility bike might be good for the shopping errands (something strong but not weighing 62 pounds) and then get a lighter faster bike for longer trips, where I understand bending a bit is necessary, although preferably not something with drop handlebars. Or on the other hand, maybe only need the light, fast bike, and don't need a utility bike at all since I will still have access to my husband's car, and could get a trailer for the bike. I think that as long as I still have my cruiser for fun rides, I could deal with a slightly bent road bike as my only other bike.

As you can see, I'm very confused. Can anyone provide any advice on how many/what types of bikes I should be considering? Recommended bicycle types, or even recommended brands/models?

I_like_cereal

Surley long haul trucker or other touring bike. It would allow you to get lighter, have the ability to use panniers front and rear and get you in a better riding position.

JaclynMcKewan

Oops, forgot to mention. I do want something with a step-through frame. Edited to add that.

dcrowell

For your short commute, you can really do it on any bike. Your Oma fits the bill nicely. Have you had a "fit" done on it to make sure everything is adjusted properly? If your saddle is too low (or too high) it can lead to knee pain.

Seriously, with a short commute and your husband's car for heavy-hauling and/or long distance, you already have two serviceable bikes.

If you want a new, lighter bike, that's a totally different issue.

mulliganvi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTYfG48CKJQ

JaclynMcKewan

I did raise the seat a bit, although I haven't ridden the bike yet since then - I'm still giving my legs a chance to recover from the time I overdid my workout at the gym. I will try the bike again on Monday to see how it goes. But I think somehow, within the last day or two, I had a revelation that I want to be able to ride faster. I was thinking about all the places I've gone lately where I theoretically could have ridden a bike, but didn't want to take something so heavy because it would be tiring and take forever. I started remembering all the other times I was passed by other cyclists on my commute, and I thought, "Oh well, I'm not trying to race. Let them be like Lance Armstrong if they want." But now I'm thinking, it would be nice to go a bit faster. It takes me about 20-25 minutes to go 2.7 miles.

Yes, true - but I wouldn't really want to depend on my husband's car for everything. I want to be somewhat self-sufficient. Plus, there may be times I'd want to do errands on the way home from work, etc. before he gets home, and I'd need to do them on a bike.

I would like to be able to at least go up to 10 miles away under my own steam. And I think the 2 bikes I have are kind of overlapping - 2 slow, heavy bikes. The only reason I had kept the cruiser up to this point is because I use it on fun rides with my husband on the nearby bike path - I wouldn't trust his car rack to hold the Oma, and plus I think I would get tired on a longer ride.

I think part of it is that I've had a sudden rash of sticker shock/buyer's remorse about this bike. Thinking about the amount of money I've spent on it has been bugging me. I'm willing to admit I probably made a mistake. Hopefully I can get at least some money back on Craigslist or ebay (specifying local pickup). I saw an Opa on ebay, still for sale, with an asking price of $1599 (it's very new, like mine). I'm watching that item to see if it ends up selling at that price.

At the time, I did think it was the right bike for me. Now, having had it for an admittedly short while, I'm thinking that my needs for a slow, short, comfy ride were already met by my cruiser, and for actually going places, I may need something else entirely.

Torrilin

My "going places" bike is a Breezer Villager step through. It is similar in many ways to the Oma, but it weighs in at about 35lbs, not 62.

Still internally geared (mine's an older model with a Shimano Nexus 7 hub, the current Villager is a bit different). Still has a good sturdy rear rack. Still has a chain guard so your pants don't get eaten. Still has sturdy wheels that can handle heavy cargo loads. Still pretty upright positioning. The components were mostly chosen with weight in mind tho, and it would be *very* difficult and very expensive to get as capable a bike with a step through frame and get the weight to be lower. (possible. but expensive.)

The biggest difference tho is the engine. Me. I've got a lot of physical problems that mean a step through isn't so much a nice to have as a flat out requirement. Biking is one of the forms of exercise I can do without hurting. And so I bike a lot, and do things with my beloved bike that a lot of people would say you can't do. After all, it's not a touring bike, so surely it can't go on tour. And it's a little city bike. Surely it is unable to go longer than maybe 5 miles? But I'm the engine, and what I say goes.

Turns out, with me powering it, my Breezer will happily go on 40-50 mile rides, and it will happily haul 55lb loads. The only reason it hasn't gone further? I'm not ready to do a century just yet. And the only reason it doesn't haul more weight? I can't manhandle it on the ground with more than 55lbs on the bike. I'm not strong enough. The bike is a stable and sturdy beastie and could handle more cargo, but the rider... not so much.

Most bikes are like my Breezer. The bike is plenty capable. The engine is another story.

JaclynMcKewan

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess my question needs some clarification. When I had bought the Oma, I was thinking it would be able to do everything I want in a bike, but it looks like that's not the case. While the ride is smooth and it has been working okay for short trips (aside from the issue with those 2 hills), I think I was doing just as well on my $400 Giant cruiser - its fat tires gave it a smooth ride too, and the speed was about the same. If I move, or get a different job farther from home, I feel like I wouldn't have much use for the Oma. So again, it's my fault because I bought this bike with the idea that it would be one of those "lasts forever" bikes, but maybe I didn't need a forever bike because circumstances change.

As someone who wants to go car-light, I am wondering what "assortment" of bikes would I need, since I guess there is no "do everything" bike. I want to ride >3 miles to work, or <10 miles to my parents' house, be able to carry items, be kinda sorta upright, and be able to ride in all weather, and be able to go faster than 8mph. I guess I need a sturdy bike for the all-weather part, and carrying things, and then a lighter faster bike for the long trips - and then use either of them for my work commute? Or just get a bike that's good for longer trips ang use a trailer for the occasions where I have big loads? Or is there a "do everything" bike? What do you all use in your car-free lifestyle?

UberGeek

Well, I'm actually thinking, if you are not all-rave on the drop-style handlebars, then a Trek Alant would fit the bill for your commuting, and short quick errands. Handlebars and Bert's are the only local vendors I know for sure carry Trek's, however. However, there's no chain guard.

Another one I've seen that I like riding is the Giant Cypress. I borrowed one, and it's a nice, comfy, light ride. Northstar carries them.

But, unless you really desire to be brand-snobbish (Nothing wrong with it), Rick's Cycle Shop has a large assortment of used and new bikes, which open a whole new world. They have some really nice vintage stuff in there which could fit your bill.

I would most certainly stop in at Rick's and Bert's; to see what direction they'd point you at.

JaclynMcKewan

Thanks, I will look into those. I think part of my problem is that, despite knowing almost nothing about bicycles, I somehow turned into a "bike snob" and was mainly looking at WorkCycles, Pashley, Gazelle, etc. for a bike. Maybe it was from reading too many blogs about stylish women wearing fancy clothes on expensive bikes. It does break my heart a bit that I can't be one of those stylish women, but I guess practicality is the more important concern. My clothes can still be stylish, even if my bicycle isn't.

UberGeek, since you live in the area, I'll ask: do you have any recommendations about how to go about selling this bike in an area that's not really into Dutch bikes? Is there any avenue other than the obvious like ebay (with local pickup) or Craigslist? Do you think any of those shops you mentioned would be willing to buy it and sell it themselves?

UberGeek

Them Treks and Giants are pretty snazzy looking to me And both are very well respected lines, very "stylish" IMO.

I know Rick's will, and since you have a new-ish rig, they'll offer a fair price. Caveat emptor, I've never sold a bike there. You can always give them a call too, before hand. Rick's are some nice folks

But, I think Rick's and Dick's (Not the Big Box store) on River road buys used ones. But they are more vintage folks, but can't hurt to try.

And, go in and talk to some of the shops, when you take the plunge to buy. Visit all of them if you can, let them know you want something stylish, yet able to knock out the tasks at hand. They'll all give you their own best idea, and with the multiple shops, you'll have a huge pick

xtrajack

Personally, I couldn't imagine being car-free or car lite without my Xtracycle. It may or may not be viable in your situation.
My commute is six miles one way. I ride year round in the rain, snow, whatever.
The freeradical only adds a few pounds to whatever the weight of the donor bike is. It adds cargo capacity, stability, due to the longer wheelbase, and a nice cool factor.

I have six other bikes, but the Xtracycle is the one I ride 99.99% of the time because it is so much fun.

Of course, I have to admit I drank the Xtracycle Kool-aid hard---I ordered my Freeradical before I had a donor bike to attach it to.

JaclynMcKewan

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm thinking I may want to just keep using my cruiser for the time being (just adding fenders, a basket, and lights) and take more time to think about this and buy something in the spring.

Although, I have to say I like the Public Bikes M8: https://publicbikes.com/p/PUBLIC-M8

What do you think? They have front & rear racks to buy, although I'd still have to add lights. But still, it's lightweight yet still steel, looks nice, and I could carry things on the front & back. From the handlebar positioning it looks like it would be more bent than my cruiser but not as far as a road bike. Could this be something that would be suitable for a 10-mile (one way) ride? I guess I don't need to go super fast - right now on my cruiser and Oma, I average about 8mph. If I could just get that up to 12mph I would be perfectly happy.

There is a shop in Toronto that carries them, and it's only 2 hours away. I may head up there to have a look.

UberGeek

Getting your current bike to 12mph is only a matter of a daily dose of riding. You'll get there eventually, no matter the machine. It's 70% engine, 30% machine

gerv 

Doing 2.5 miles in 25 minutes is a little slow. But if you have only 2.5 miles to go, 25 minutes isn't much out of your day. You are getting some exercise, getting some fresh air. I bet 95% of the Dutch commuting population doesn't go much faster than you. So... congratulate yourself.

For myself, I have typical distance of 5 to 7 miles, so I need to increase the speed to about 14mph. I discovered, as UberGeek says, it more about you than the bike.

But if you really want to go faster, just about any bike at your bike shop will work, as long as it fits your needs and you like to ride it.

I ride a touring bike and an old steel road bike in the summer. In winter, I use a hybrid. The hybrid is much slower, of course, but that's OK with me.

Roody

I would not buy this bike in white--it looks like a ghost bike and that can't be good luck! At 32 pounds it will be a better riding experienc than the Oma, IMO. I wonder if you could find a racier bike with a step-thru frame if you keep looking around? My sister has a Raleigh road bike with step-thru frame that she can move pretty quick.*

But do you really need a step-thru? With more experience you might want to get a standard frame as it gives you a better selection of bike features. I'm probably a fuddy-duddy, but I think of step-thrus as being girlie bikes.

Also, a lighter bike will help some with speed. But if you want to go faster, you will have to ride a lot more miles than you do now.

*edit: On second thought, the Raleigh doesn't have a step-thru frame. It is supplsedly designed to be a woman's bike with special geometry or whatever.

wahoonc

Roody,

That is probably a mixte frame which in Europe is considered a unisex frame. For some reason in the US it was sold as a "girls" bike.

FWIW I have one in my shop. They were designed to be stronger than a regular step through frame, but still have a lower step over height than the conventional diamond frame.

Aaron

wphamilton

When I was car-free I had a "do everything" bike - whatever bike I had. Fortunately it was a old Mongoose touring bike (from before Mongoose switched to play bikes).

You are going to face difficulties due to your assumptions which, to me, are a little skewed with respect to your goals. Your mileage may vary, but from where I sit:

1) comfort bikes and cruisers are not comfortable for more than 3 miles
2) sitting upright is not more comfortable than leaning forward
3) you have a lot more choices between sitting upright and hunched over drop bars on a racing bike.
4) you don't need any special bicycle design to handle the loads you're likely to be carrying.

My advice is simply to cross off your list: racing bikes, comfort bikes, cruisers, mountain bikes, and anything more exotic. What is left is suitable for your purposes.

Roody

Why would you cross off mountain bikes? They have a leaned over posture but flat bars, and are lighter than cruisers and many hybrids. The right MTB, properly equipped, will make a fantastic city bike.

Granted, a MTB is not right for the OP's sense of "style," but it probalby would fit many of her other requirements. What do you think about a flat-bar road bike for her? Or a touring bike, possibly refitted with flat or low-drop bars?

Artkansas 

wphamilton

I like both of those ideas.

I cross off mountain bikes because they're designed more for bouncing over tree roots and rocks, which she doesn't much need. Suspension forks, wrong tires, that sort of thing.

wahoonc

I don't agree with crossing anything off of a list. People are comfortable with different types of bikes. FWIW I routinely ride 40 miles on my Raleigh Twenty which is a folder with an upright riding position, it is also a 3 speed!

Aaron

wphamilton

I wouldn't venture that same advice to you Aaron. I can recall what it was like though, back when 2.7 miles to work seemed like a potential challenge, and I doubt it will really help Jaclyn to think that 40 miles is a piece of cake on an folding upright bike. Naturally, there's no disputing tastes and I could be completely wrong about it all ... but I'm not

wahoonc

Everybody has different wants and needs. I see a guy that rides his 5 speed Schwinn cruiser all over the area where I live. He is in no hurry but covers a lot of territory in a single day. I know another lady that rides about 25 miles a day between work, grocery store and home on a single speed Schwinn from the 1970's. It is the only bike that she has that hasn't crapped out on her. She walks the hills, but on flat ground will move along at a solid 8-10 mph. Yet another lady I knew back in the 1970's (now dead) was in her late 60's and used ride her Raleigh Super Tourer (upright handle bars, similar to the current hybrid/comfort bikes) on 35-50 mile club rides. She would be spinning along at 80 rpm 15-18mph for hours on end. The go fast guys would blow past her at the beginning of the ride, then would be taking a break and she would roll past, then they would have to huff and puff to catch back up to her. Her overall times on regular rides were very respectable.

My point being that any bicycle can be used for purposes other than what it was intended and will quite often be suitable for that person. I have no inclination to ride a suspension bike of any sort, in fact I am in the process of getting rid of the suspension fork from my city bike. Does it have it's place? Absolutely, for the right person in the what they determine is the right place.

In this case Jaclyn needs to determine what is going to work best for her, from the sounds of it, it may turn out to be her MTB with some modification. I have commuted on a variety of bikes over the years; Raleigh Sports, Motobecane Nomade, Giant Iguana, Giant Excursion and a Schwinn Heavy Duty. About all they have in common is that they have wheels and are chain driven. Most of my commutes have been in the 6-7 mile range.

IMHO she needs to A) find a bike she is comfortable with and B) work on her riding strength for that given bike.

Aaron

JaclynMcKewan

Thanks for all the replies. I guess the thing to do is just try out a lot of bikes and see what feels good. I found that there is a bike shop in my area that sells used bikes, so maybe that would be a good place to start. Pick up something cheap, ride it around for a while, and then in the spring I can think about whether the bike is working for me or if I want to get something different/spend more money on a new one. My legs are unfortunately still recovering from the soreness I mentioned earlier, but once that clears up, I will try to visit that shop.

I realize I wasn't considering all the facts when I bought my Oma. I thought it would truly be my "do everything" bike, until I realized that it wouldn't do long distances - which are kind of required if you want to get by without using your car. I think I'm just not comfortable with having a bike so heavy and slow, and since I already have my cruiser for fun rides, I should look for something zippier for transportation. I guess I was fearing that I would need a different bike for everything - a heavy bike for carrying lots of things, a lighter bike for distances, a special bike for riding in winter, etc.

Oma is, I admit, a good bike for riding in winter, because of the covered chain, therefore less damage/maintenance from snow. But seeing how many people on this site just use an old beater, maybe that's the way I should go instead.

Also, I hope it's okay to mention this, but my Oma is for sale in the "For Sale" forum.