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Sorry about that, I just wanted to shot one across your bow to see if you were still with us. And it appears that you are.
No worries. I'm still here. It's just been an incredibly busy week so I haven't had much time to read through the comments.
I'm leaning towards a road or hybrid bike. I need to read and spend the weekend doing some research before I really can say more. My one question is... if I was just riding a bike for 5-6 miles a day to get to and from work, mostly while its dry and sunny and very occasionally at night or during the rain, would I still find the improvements of a $500 versus say a $400 road bike or hybrid bike worthwhile?
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If you've had half as much fun reading this post as I've had writing it, well then, I've had twice as much fun writing this post as you've had reading it.
A really sad day. Today there was a big rally, close to 500 cyclists rode about 14 blocks and congregated at the crash site to mourn the victim.
It is prudent we remind ourselves of the harsh realities that we bicyclists face when we are on the road. We need to be over cautious and not depend on other motorists to follow rules.
i wish something like this were in place in the US transport system.
Ride safe folks.
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$500 versus say a $400 road bike or hybrid bike worthwhile?
Enough talk, time to ride. Take your license down to Missing Link, Mike's Bike or the Pedaler and start trying them out (most places will just hold you driver's license while your roaming about on their bikes). Too late to do it now, plus your probably at the Cal game anyway (28 - 31, tough way to lose, rookie mistake).
But they're open tomorrrow, Sunday. I know it may be hard on a post game hangover, the fresh air will do ya good.
BTW, would you by chance work for Wilson, Ihrig & Assoc? If so, the ride up Broadway may be tougher than you think. So you might want to think light weight, which of course, translates to more $$.
A really sad day. Today there was a big rally, close to 500 cyclists rode about 14 blocks and congregated at the crash site to mourn the victim.
It is prudent we remind ourselves of the harsh realities that we bicyclists face when we are on the road. We need to be over cautious and not depend on other motorists to follow rules.
i wish something like this were in place in the US transport system.
Ride safe folks.
Tragic in such a bike friendly (comparatively) city as Portland. Down here a drunk mows down four, kills two and get 6-months probation.
Enough talk, time to ride. Take your license down to Missing Link, Mike's Bike or the Pedaler and start trying them out (most places will just hold you driver's license while your roaming about on their bikes). Too late to do it now, plus your probably at the Cal game anyway (right now it's 24 -20 Cal).
I agree. There are many good bike shops in Berkeley, and you should just go check out a few of them to get an idea of what's out there. You might also want to head down to REI and Performance on San Pablo to see what those chains have to offer.
You're probably not going to find a new road bike on your budget, but you should be able to pick up a good, basic MTB or hybrid, either of which will serve you well as a commute bike.
I also agree with what others have told you regarding the gearedness of the bike: even if your commute is pretty flat, odds are that someday you'll want to venture off and explore, and in the Bay Area you'll want a multi-geared bike that can get you up the hills without too much trauma. Fixed gears are all the rage among the young hipsters these days, but if you only have one bike, it's much more practical to have one that lets you change gears and coast.
You're probably not going to find a new road bike on your budget, but you should be able to pick up a good, basic MTB or hybrid, either of which will serve you well as a commute bike.
You could probably get a Trek 1000 roadbike on your budget. That thing looks flimsy, though.
__________________ I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world, and fool enough to think thats what Ill find. The Carpenters
I'm leaning towards a road or hybrid bike...would I still find the improvements of a $500 versus say a $400 road bike or hybrid bike worthwhile?
there isnt much to research about. the main thing about ROAD bikes, which i think you should get, are (1) frame material and (2) components.
since you are just starting out, aluminum should do the trick.
as for components, i'm familiar with shimano. it goes from lowest to highest in terms of quality and price: sora, tiagara, 105, ultegra, dura-ace. there are also two other brands: campagnolo and sram. they also have their own lineup similar to shimano.
so if you arent sure whether you'll get into cycling but know for sure that you'll ride it to work. just buy an aluminum bike with sora components.
trek 1000, giant ocr3, specialized allez sport - these bikes are carried by the cycling shops in berkeley. you could probably get them for around 600 or less. i would recommend cannondale caad9 but it's out of what you want to pay.
i like mike's bike just because the people there are really friendly. i just went there last week and they were pretty helpful. they carry specialized and cannondale.
as for you question about $400 vs. $500: road bikes cost alot more than your audio gears, so 100 is nothing. to go up one level of component cost several hundreds. and to go up one level of frame material is usually thousands. all depends on the mix.
as for you question about $400 vs. $500: road bikes cost alot more than your audio gears, so 100 is nothing. to go up one level of component cost several hundreds. and to go up one level of frame material is usually thousands. all depends on the mix.
To be honest, the difference really isn't all that drastic. It's kinda like audiophilia in that respect.
__________________ I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world, and fool enough to think thats what Ill find. The Carpenters
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