<p>We have lots of stolen bikes in our area.
Across the street from the Safeway is a vacant lot with quite a few car campers and some high end bikes tied to the chain link fence. Not a big priority for the police, as virtually everyday you see a new crop of bikes. I dont know if they sell them on Craigslist or to bike shops, but it makes me hesitant to spend much on a bike even if it is locked in my backyard.
But Im planning on putting stickers all over it to personalize it and make it look attractive only to me.
:)</p>
<p>emeraldkity, that’s what the wide tires are for. Suspensions on bikes are for tricks, and crazy fast downhills on dirt, stuff like that. I’ve ridden my touring bike, with its wide tires, all over the US, on plenty of bad roads, and on gravel roads too, and trails, and I’ve been fine. Wide tires are going to be adequate suspension for people who are not doing adrenaline-inducing mountain biking. I don’t even have a suspension on my mountain bike (because I have no interest in crazy technical stuff).</p>
<p>Well i guess thats what test drives are for.
I have fibro & arthritis, I dont wanna bounce my body around if I dont have to.</p>
<p>Bike lock?
Not trying a bike at REI.
But they are having a sale.
At least I know I don’t want a mens or unisex bike.
How are bike helmets supposed to fit?
Close?</p>
<p>REI has their brand bike -3speed belt drive that’s pretty comfortable.</p>
<p>But most of their bikes are too big.</p>
<p>When you test drive, make sure that the tires on your selected bike are kinda soft. A lot of people pump their tires up to the maximum pressure. That’s a bad idea. It’s not faster, and it’s a whole lot more uncomfortable. There’s a sweet spot between too soft and too hard. Too soft, you bottom out and get pinch flats. Too hard, you get jolted around.</p>
<p>Bike helmets are supposed to fit close. If you can put it on your head, it’s not too small.</p>
<p>Good to know. The bike helmet. I got at Costco is too big.
Btw- for those who are following my saga with my oldest, I texted her this afternoon with a bike question.
( she commutes by bike across the Columbia river)
She texted me back extensively with advice.
I must have found the sweet spot!
:D</p>
<p>The idea is if you crash, the helmet stays on your head instead of slipping off and not protecting your head.</p>
<p>Also, helmets should be worn so they are level. A lot of times you see kids with their helmets pushed back off their foreheads. The helmet is for protecting the forehead, so make sure it’s level.</p>
<p>Guess what sorts of ads are appearing at the top of my page now? That’s right. Bicycles. How can this be? </p>
<p>At any rate, I’m off to look at another bike store. I had to take a break, but now back to this project of getting myself a bicycle. I saw some folding bikes in a store the other day. I don’t plan to get one of those, but am curious, have any of you tried the folding bikes? </p>
<p>I have a folding bike. It’s great for taking on planes, because it folds up to fit into a suitcase, and the suitcase turns into a trailer. I took it to Colorado, put it together when I got off the plane, and then rode right into Denver. On the way home, I could ride right up to the ticket desk.</p>
<p>CF, could you tell what your bike model is, please? I think I would love to have one to travel between my stops downtown! </p>
<p>I have a Bike Friday: <a href=“http://www.bikefriday.com/”>http://www.bikefriday.com/</a></p>
<p>Here are some other companies that make folders:
<a href=“http://www.nycewheels.com/folding-bike.html”>http://www.nycewheels.com/folding-bike.html</a></p>
<p>(I have no recommendation about nycewheels, the shop that sells those brands. I’m just supplying a list of folding bikes.)</p>
<p>I had a DaHon for a while. It was OK, and quite inexpensive. For a bike to take on public transportation, a DaHon could be a good choice.</p>
<p>I have a feeling this is gonna take a while.
But on the plus side, my hip feels really good after riding even though my knee is complaining.
But the shops carry fewer bikes to fit me than I hoped.
However we have lots of shops, & memorial day weekend is good time to buy them, but not necessarily to try them out, because there are swarms of families to swerve around on the sidewalk.
I just yell"i havent riden a bike in 30 years!" And they jump out of the way pretty fast though.</p>
<p>Thanks, CF! I need something I can carry on the bus instead of putting on the bus bike rack which is always a gamble (will there be space on the rack?).</p>
<p>EK, Gregg’s really is a good place to shop. The guys there will help identify some options suitable for your budget and body. When you take the bikes for a test drive, don’t go around Green Lake. Instead, head back into the neighborhood northeast of the shop and try going up a hill. Get off the sidewalk and onto the fairly quiet residential streets. Most bikes are easy to ride when it’s flat, but if you plan to go anywhere else it’s helpful to see how the bikes work for you on hills.</p>
<p>Some accessories that I really enjoy on my bike include a handlebar cup-holder so I can make an iced tea or iced latte and take it to work or volunteer job with me (Starbucks’ insulated cold drink cup fits perfectly; bought the cup-holder on Amazon); a front basket that will hold a standard size grocery bag and a bungee cord to hold everything securely in the basket; a rear red blinking light and two front lights (one aimed at the ground, the other aimed a bit to the right and set to blink to alert drivers pulling out from parking spaces of my approach), a women’s comfort seat that doesn’t leave me with a numb rear, though the huge wide seats are too sofa-like even for my larger rear; and my favorite item, women’s comfort grips, that alleviate pressure on my hands and avoid carpal tunnel. Oh, and a bell with a nice little “ding” that lets me alert people I’m about to pass. If shopping, I wear a lightweight string backpack to hold the heavier items since putting them in the front basket throws off the steering.</p>
<p>Bike shopping can be overwhelming. It’s helpful to identify your needs before you go. For me: sitting upright, tires ok on gravel but not so wide that they slow me down on pavement, a frame that I can manage (not a boy’s bike!), not too heavy, and larger rather than smaller wheels. I test-rode some Townies and Treks last fall but decided to stick with my current “hybrid” bike since the new models were comparable to my 15+ year old bike. A technician at Gregg’s, when I asked, suggested that he’d probably put another $100 into my bike as repairs arise and them move on to a new bike. I was ready to buy a new one and really appreciated his honest advice.</p>
<p>By the way, my hip problems disappeared when I started riding my bike.</p>
<p>I love my bike and am surprisingly happy being an oddball kind-of-an-old-lady-rider-who’s not wearing-neon-spandex-but-is-still-going-at-a-decent-clip on the Burke-Gilman Trail. I’m also glad to have 21 gears so I can go fast on the flats but still deal with some fairly substantial hills.</p>
<p>I did go to Gregg’s, but it was pretty busy today. Although I did manage to find a place in their parking lot.
I’m gonna go back during the week, now that I remembered the name of my favorite clerk. ( he’s been there for two decades).</p>
<p>I (54) just bought myself a Specialized Expedition traditional frame. My wife (55) took it for a spin and had no problems whatsoever, she absolutely loved it. They do have the step-thru (euphemism for women’s bicycle?) frame on the Expedition also… Fairly light, very solid, and very well built. Pricy tho, around $430 if you were looking for a Costco priced. </p>
<p>Neither of us had been on a bicycle for 35 years and it came right back. </p>
<p>For others in this thread, be aware that $430 is not pricey for a bike. It’s rare to get a new bike of reasonable quality for less than that, though used bargains are around but you need to know what you are buying.</p>
<p>Pricey, for a bike, is over $2500. </p>
<p>I was expecting to pay $600-$800 after adding racks, fenders & kickstand and 10% tax.</p>
<p>That sounds like a reasonable budget, emeraldkity. Some bikes come with racks and fenders, so you could see if one of those might suit you.</p>