<p>CF: I think we’ll have to talk about frames for long-distance cycling another time. I’m a huge steel frame fan (because steel can be welded and I gather aluminum does not weld well). I agree an Al frame would be fine for the OP’s purposes… but he asked for opinions on the suitability of a cheaper bike for longer distance touring, and my opinion is: get a good steel bike from the beginning, because you’ll ride more and enjoy it more. I had a cheap Al bike for my first year back on the bike; I wanted something better almost instantly. I <em>love</em> my Surly Long Haul Truckers.</p>
<p>dmd-- I’m with you there. I tour on a Rivendell Atlantis, but the Surly Long Haul Trucker (which is very similar to the Atlantis) is popular for touring. If you meet a group of touring cyclists, chances are you’ll see a Surly LHT. They’re great bikes, and inexpensive as well, though not inexpensive enough for the OP.</p>
<p>Wow - this is really getting interesting. So many knowledgeable posters. I will research “European city bikes,” and the Trek 7100 hybrid and forget about Performance Bikes. I live in a Maryland suburb - Rockville. Lololu, could your son recommend any shops in Montgomery County? If not, Arlington is convenient and I can try his suggestion.</p>
<p>Okay I just read Wikipedia on European City Bikes. It seems it could be too heavy because living in the suburbs I will need to take it with me to parks and all. Perhaps a hybrid bike is still the best choice?</p>
<p>journey919, My son is studying for his last final tonight (He graduates in a week YEAH!!), but I will ask him as soon as he pops up on Ichat.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the way to get your bike to a park is by riding it. But if you’re planning to put the bike in the car, a European city bike would not be a good choice.</p>
<p>BIKE SHIPPING HINTS? My son wants a bike at college next year. He has two in the garage, and one would work very well for his needs next year. So I though I’d sneak in a question about shipping bikes from CO to the east coast… not sure if it would be cost prohibitive.</p>
<p>This is one way to ship bikes: [url=<a href=“http://www.shipbikes.com/]ShipBikes[/url”>http://www.shipbikes.com/]ShipBikes[/url</a>]. If you use their “AirCaddy” box, it costs about $100, <em>plus</em> the AirCaddy case (but you can reuse the case), and you don’t have to break down the bike. If you use their big cardboard box, you have to break down the bike more, but the shipping is around $50.</p>
<p>Lololu - no rush at all! </p>
<p>Cardinalfang - Yes, ideally, but in this area that would be a bit impractical, especially with a 9 year old.</p>
<p>Bike shipping: the easiest, cheapest way to do it is to have your local bike shop pack it for you into a bike box (one that they have from an incoming bike), ship it using UPS ground, and then have your new local bike shop unpack it and reassemble it. Or you can buy a box and do the dis/assembly yourself, it’s not that hard. Usually you just need to take off the wheels, pedals, and turn the handlebars.</p>
<p>But there is scant economic justification for shipping a “beater” or old bike. And theft of decent looking bikes is notorious at college campuses. My choice for a freshman arriving to college from a time zone away would be to purchase a used bike once I arrived on campus.</p>
<p>I don’t know how much your local bike shop charges to disassemble and pack a bike, but mine charges over $100. Then it’s another $50 to ship the bike. As LakeWashington says, better to buy a beater locally.</p>
<p>I love all of the suggestions for buying from a local bike shop. do not buy from a mass merchant / box store in order to save a few bucks. You will get much more support pre-and post purchase and have peace of mind that someone didn’t slap it together because they were paid for " piece work "
just like farming , buy local 
( this is our family business , so I take it to heart )</p>
<p>CF: wow! We paid $25 plus shipping to have my D’s bike shipped from Virginia after her cross-country ride. And shipping was only about $40.</p>
<p>It’s a great idea to buy a beater locally, but then you may have the costs of replacing tires, tuning, etc. And keep in mind, please, that many Craigslist bikes are stolen bikes. If it seems too good to be true… it’s stolen.</p>
<p>But Dmd, a wise parent wouldn’t be shopping for an expensive bike, used or new, for use around the campus. The risk of theft is just too high. Just like you wouldn’t give your freshman a $5,000 laptop computer. Anything that’s easily mobile and that could be out of your sight or out of your reach for a moment is too valuable to have at a college campus.</p>
<p>A Hybrid is what you would want if you plan to go on unpaved paths as well as roads. However for roads, I strongly prefer the thinner smooth tires of a road bike along with an upright position. It’s much less tiring on hills and faster if you want to be. The Trek FX series is one example but probably outside your budget unless used. I’m sure there are other similar bikes from other manufacturers. I switched from a hybrid for the FX7.3 and I’m really glad I did.</p>
<p>LakeWashington: My point was not that you should buy an expensive bike off Craigslist, it’s that a $200 bike on CL might well be a stolen $1000 bike. My son did not have a bike at college in Boston, but my D had a nice $125 refurbished used bike bought in her college town at a store that specializes in used bikes (and has the permit to do so).</p>
<p>Journey, my son just checked in. He says he doesn’t do much up in Maryland, but he has used Silver Cycles in Silver Springs, which he says is “a decent shop”. He also says there is a Revolution Cycle in Rockville. It is a local chain (MD, VA and DC). He has not been in that one, but from his experience with other branches, it wouldn’t be a bad choice. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>In general I like Craigslist for a lot of things including bikes. </p>
<p>For our college son, not sure it would work. He will outside of Boston, without a car and a few miles from commuter rail. So logistics not so easy. His original mountain bike (more of a hybrid) would be a great match and is taking up room in the garage. But due to shipping costs we may just hit up the Cape Cod relatives for help.</p>
<p>Lololu - Revolution Cycle would work well for me. Many thanks to your son.</p>