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7 Posts
Hi all! Thanks in advance for reading this...I've done a bit of random article reading on the internet but nothing beats having my own personal questions answered by real people...
So here's the deal:
I learned how to ride a bike fairly late in my childhood, but have loved riding ever since. First owned a hand-me-down department store cruiser, then a department store MTB. Got to university and realized the campus was too big for my little legs to carry me to class on time. Got the only bike I could afford as a poor student, a second-hand Norco Hornet (that's a 24" wheel boys' MTB and I named her Little Miss Sunshine) -- solely for the purpose of getting around campus.
Now that I'm no longer going from class to class, I miss riding a bike and I'm interested in getting a new bike for the purpose of getting to work and/or around the city since LMS is now a real piece of junk and not an ideal bike for longer rides. So, here I am. I don't know what I need and I thought I might pop into a local bike store for help but first wanted to ask people who have opinions that are not based on sales commission
So, for the questions:
1. Should I be getting a road bike or a hybrid bike or ...? The ride to work is only 9km with several long stretches of low uphill gradients so I suppose I'll need something light and with low gears? I don't anticipate taking my bike out for really long rides or anything, and will for the meantime probably ride in fair conditions. The only good thing about my old MTB was the ease with which I could ride it over uneven terrain if I had to bypass some slow moving people/vehicles.
2. Is it even possible for me to find a well-fitting bike that isn't an MTB? I'm small -- as in, 4"10, 27.5" inseam, 95 lbs. A lot of road bike size charts seem to assume a minimum height of at least 5'1". Last time I bought a bike I deliberately sought a kids' MTB because it seemed like that's all they had for someone my size.
3. What can I expect to spend, or should I expect to spend given my inexperience/purpose? I was thinking maybe $400 including accessories. Is that realistic/too much/too little?
4. What kinds of accessories am I going to need? For sure a suitable helmet and lock, tail light and fenders perhaps? A good lock will be essential since I'm gonna have to leave my bike outside my building. Cable? U-lock?
5. My right arm is less steady than my left and therefore I've been using it for hand signals during my leisure rides across campus. Apparently I'm supposed to use my left. Is this annoying/confusing for other cyclists/drivers/pedestrians?
6. Anything else I should know?
Thank you!!
So here's the deal:
I learned how to ride a bike fairly late in my childhood, but have loved riding ever since. First owned a hand-me-down department store cruiser, then a department store MTB. Got to university and realized the campus was too big for my little legs to carry me to class on time. Got the only bike I could afford as a poor student, a second-hand Norco Hornet (that's a 24" wheel boys' MTB and I named her Little Miss Sunshine) -- solely for the purpose of getting around campus.
Now that I'm no longer going from class to class, I miss riding a bike and I'm interested in getting a new bike for the purpose of getting to work and/or around the city since LMS is now a real piece of junk and not an ideal bike for longer rides. So, here I am. I don't know what I need and I thought I might pop into a local bike store for help but first wanted to ask people who have opinions that are not based on sales commission
So, for the questions:
1. Should I be getting a road bike or a hybrid bike or ...? The ride to work is only 9km with several long stretches of low uphill gradients so I suppose I'll need something light and with low gears? I don't anticipate taking my bike out for really long rides or anything, and will for the meantime probably ride in fair conditions. The only good thing about my old MTB was the ease with which I could ride it over uneven terrain if I had to bypass some slow moving people/vehicles.
2. Is it even possible for me to find a well-fitting bike that isn't an MTB? I'm small -- as in, 4"10, 27.5" inseam, 95 lbs. A lot of road bike size charts seem to assume a minimum height of at least 5'1". Last time I bought a bike I deliberately sought a kids' MTB because it seemed like that's all they had for someone my size.
3. What can I expect to spend, or should I expect to spend given my inexperience/purpose? I was thinking maybe $400 including accessories. Is that realistic/too much/too little?
4. What kinds of accessories am I going to need? For sure a suitable helmet and lock, tail light and fenders perhaps? A good lock will be essential since I'm gonna have to leave my bike outside my building. Cable? U-lock?
5. My right arm is less steady than my left and therefore I've been using it for hand signals during my leisure rides across campus. Apparently I'm supposed to use my left. Is this annoying/confusing for other cyclists/drivers/pedestrians?
6. Anything else I should know?
Thank you!!