Tips for bike commuting

[dongs]

Good day/afternoon/evening all
My motivation to reduce my carbon footprint has been growing, and with that comes the decision to try and drive less. I work full time and go to school part time. I'm about 4 miles from school and 15 miles from work. I've never been an avid biker but my hometown (Portland or) bills itself as being incredibly bike friendly, so I figure I live in a good place to start!
The ride to school is very easy, I live at about 500' and school is at ~100' or so. One hundred feet per mile to climb on a ride home doesn't sound too bad at all. Work on the other hand is a much greater distance, I've done some mapping and all the 'bike routes' send me way out of the way. The most direct route is along a major thoroughfare, it's the only diagonal street that breaks up the otherwise rigid grid system. A new bridge for public transit and bikes/pedestrians is opening soon, that would make for a much easier and safer crossing of the Willamette river.
Now on to the question. I don't currently own a bike. I've set a modest budget and intend to go to one of the many bike shops in town to see what's available used. I'm not sure if I should look for a street bike or a cruiser. My evening commute from work begins at 10pm and I'll most likely combine it with public transit to speed things along as well as increase my own personal safety. I work weekends and riding in the dark with possibly drunk drivers sharing the road with me isn't something I'm very interested in.
I'd like to get a bike that allows me to reach a reasonable speed with minimal effort. Road bikes look to be lighter but I suppose it all depends on the materials.
Thanks in advance!

[Sven7]

You say you don't have a bike but don't really talk about whether you have experience with them, so I'll just post a little primer based on my experience.

Get an 80's 10-speed for $100 from Craigslist and tune it yourself. You don't want to be doing 30 miles a day on a cruiser, and you'll get a better deal on CL if you know what you're looking for. Basically any lugged steel frame is going to be a pretty solid starting point, and semi-horizontal dropouts are something to think about if you ever want to go single speed or internal gear.

Buy a combo spoke wrench and give all the spokes a half turn. Buy a chain tool and replace the chain. Replace the tires if they look worn, and check the hub bearings. Check the cable housings, and replace if necessary. I'd recommend finding a bike with fenders, or putting some on yourself. Getting to work wet and grubby is no fun.

Carry a set of allen wrenches, a chain tool plus an extra link, a pocket knife and an energy bar and a couple quarters for a gas station air pump in a small bag on the bike at all times, because you never know. Get a good lock or two, depending on your area. I use a 5' long steel chain with a padlock on the end.

Don't worry about weight so much, but do make sure your rig is in good condition and fits you well. A good bike fit will extend your range and conserve your energy more than you might think.

Oh, and lighting. Spend as much on lighting as you do on your CL 10-spd. I use a Serfas 250 headlight and Bontrager Flare 2 tails. Lights, alongside brakes, are the best thing you can do to your bike to not get killed.

Check this out, too: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...les-32223.html

PS- When you graduate and go out into the work world, I would suggest looking for places closer to work.

[dongs]

Some good advice. CL is a bit of a crapshoot for bikes I've noticed. Well it's really a crapshoot on everything
Something like this?

And unfortunately I'm kind of stuck where I live; the rent is affordable and it's close to school for me and work for my girlfriend. I was at a closer job site until recently when I wanted to transfer. Things just got a little too dysfunctional at my old job site and I had to get out of there!

[Grant-53]

Either a city bike or a sturdy road bike is good. Even a yard sale 3 speed internal gear bike can work. Look for aluminum rims for reduced weight and better wet braking. Gearing will depend on hills and traffic signals. My city bike is a triple crank Jamis Arragon with aluminum frame. My Huffy 3 spd has a 40T chain ring and a 19T rear gear: it is great in traffic. Lots of great books are in the library.

[user removed]

Big expense is tires. I paid $10 for my 78 Schwinn Varsity at at Catholic Church rummage sale, then spent another $65 on tires, tubes, rim strips and a better seat.

If you can find one with those parts already replaced you would be ahead, most likely.

regards
mech

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by dongs

Some good advice. CL is a bit of a crapshoot for bikes I've noticed. Well it's really a crapshoot on everything
Something like this?

And unfortunately I'm kind of stuck where I live; the rent is affordable and it's close to school for me and work for my girlfriend. I was at a closer job site until recently when I wanted to transfer. Things just got a little too dysfunctional at my old job site and I had to get out of there!

Free Spirit roadies are not great, but would work for a while. There were so many companies making bikes back then I can't even scratch the surface, but Cannondale, Raleigh, Peugeot, Miyata, Nishiki, [lugged] Schwinn Approved, Panasonic, Trek and many more would be just fine. If you don't recognize a brand, just google it, and if all that comes up is complaining on Bike Forums, investigate further before considering.

I have owned three Schwinn Varsities and they are good bikes, but the brakes are annoying to adjust and the frames are just unnecessarily heavy (but beautiful). As stated above, chrome rims basically do not work for wet braking. You might think I'm kidding, but it's seriously scary. If you go with something a few years newer with aluminum rims you'll just get a better all-around bike.

I would recommend getting something for closer to $100, and look for something someone has put money into and recently ridden, as also said above. But yes. I like working on bikes and making sure stuff is up to par, but it would be smarter to buy one someone has maintained. Either way, budget for putting $30-50 into it no matter what, plus a saddle if you don't like the one on it.

As for your living situation, you can only do what you can do, and it looks like you're making the most out of it.

[Frank Lee]

Back in the college days I biked 16 miles one-way to work and four miles, several times a day, one-way to campus. Then more just for recreation. Yeah, pretty much a bike and exercise nut. I wonder how many thousands of miles are on it. Did it all on a steel 27" frame Fuji Sports 12, stripped of almost all that didn't make it go (kickstand, front derailleur, reflector, extension brake lever deletes).

Now I mainly just go about town and almost perversely have switched to a heavy, cheap full-suspension mountain bike. I like the cushy ride and the complete lack of pinch flats and really haven't noticed much penalty for the weight and worse ergos here in the flatland. But I just got a Super 32 and expect to switch to that after I reassemble it to my standards.

I wouldn't automatically recommend tightening spokes just because. The wheel might be fine the way it is.

[veloman]

Spend a few bucks more and get a 90s road bike with rack eyelets so you can put a rear rack on the frame. Old 10 speeds are just too outdated. I have a trek 1400 for sale, still has downtube.shifters but is noticeably faster that a steel ten speed with 27" tires. It should sell for about 200-240. Just an example, I am not in your state.

Get clipless pedals. Mtb style shoes are easy to walk. Clipless pedals greatly increase how much power you can apply to the bike. maybe wait till you are comfortable with the bike first.

Don't wear cotton if its warm or hot. Many nice collared shirts for golf that are moisture wicking. Or wear bike gear then change.

Fenders and good lights are a necessity. You don't need to spend $100 on lights though. Look at dx.com. I use an 18650 battery flashlight mounted on my bars. Crazy bright and $20. $5 superflash clone.
Backpacks get hot and sweaty. A pannier on a rear rack is much more comfy

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Sven7

Free Spirit roadies are not great...

+1 all this... those Free Spirit bikes weighed a ton and had fat tires. Spend a little more than the $25... go for the $100 range recommended. That sounds good.

Maybe this: http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/bik/5054425570.html

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by veloman

Spend a few bucks more and get a 90s road bike with rack eyelets so you can put a rear rack on the frame. Old 10 speeds are just too outdated.

Get clipless pedals. Mtb style shoes are easy to walk. Clipless pedals greatly increase how much power you can apply to the bike. maybe wait till you are comfortable with the bike first.

Don't wear cotton if its warm or hot. Many nice collared shirts for golf that are moisture wicking. Or wear bike gear then change.

I will say the cotton thing is true 100%.

IMO you don't need anything but a 10 speed with rat trap pedals to get around inexpensively with decent speed. They usually have fender & rack provisions, too.

CaliCivic, For sure. $100 is about the turning point where you can usually get a decent bike that needs one or two things, if you know where to look. Anything less than that, and you'll blow your budget trying to fix it!

What's your frame size/how tall are you?

Already has "workable" fenders, might need tires.
25" men's Peugeot road bike

This looks like it's missing a derailleur cable. Go, try to ride it, and talk him down to $75 or 80. Might need tires.
'79 Miyata Ten Speed Bicycle

Learn how to adjust the derailleur, and it already has a generator light if that's your style.
Vintage Trek 400 Road Bike