If you’re thinking about living a carfree lifestyle or driving less, you’ll need a rockstar bike.
My Surly
There are plenty of places to buy bikes. You can start out at your local bike store, Craig’s list or eBay. Also, EcoVelo wrote an excellent post on a practical bike buyers guide. Be sure to check it out.
Buying a bike isn’t hard and it doesn’t have to be expensive. For me, buying a good bike comes down to 3 key concepts: fit, quality and versatility. What exactly do those terms mean? Let’s talk about it…
1. Fit
Making sure your bike fits well is extremely important. If your bike doesn’t fit, you probably won’t ride it. If you decide to purchase a bike from your local bike shop, they usually do fitting for free. Or you can pay for a fitting and purchase a bike online.
2. Quality
A number of folks have balked at the price of my bike. It cost about $1,500, but then again I don’t have a car and it’s my primary mode of transportation. Buying a quality bike, with top notch components is a good option because it will last for 20 to 30 years.
If you end up buying a bike from Wal Mart or Target, the bike will probably have a shorter lifespan. Quality is a good thing.
3. Versatility
A versatile bike is a bike you feel confident doing anything on, including commuting, touring, and tootling around town. I recently sold my racing bike because it wasn’t versatile or durable. The racing bike rocked, but it was meant to be fast and light. It wasn’t a bike that could stand the weight of groceries or touring.
My new bike is a Surly and has a steel frame. If I crash on the bike, it won’t break and I can carry a lot of groceries. Plus, it still goes fast! 
I feel comfortable and confident on my Surly and that is SO important. Especially, since my bike is my primary mode of transit.
Rockin' the bike
Closing Thoughts…
This list isn’t all inclusive, but a good starting point if you are going to buy a bike. A number of you are big time bike riders and I’d love to get your feedback on this post.
Would you add anything to the list?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t say ENOUGH about hybrids as a commuter bike! Many people who aren’t cyclists find the full forward posture of most bikes uncomfortable and intimidating. Hybrids tend to keep you in a more relaxed and upright position.
Also, what you say about “fit” is on the money! I think it’s even more important than “quality”. As long as you aren’t buying a steel frame bike, you’ll probably be ok if you keep up with maintenance. The thing I always focus on for a commuter bike is weight…am I going to want to haul this thing up 3 flights of stairs?
A rookie mistake some people make is buying a dual suspension mountain bike for commuting. They think that having the springs on the front and back of the bike will make it more comfortable. Really it just absorbs so much of your forward momentum that you have to work twice as hard to get where you are going!
Great article, Tammy!
Thanks Hayden! I didn’t even think about weight issues. My Surly is an awesome bike, but it’s heavy. On the plus side my arms have gotten stronger from lugging the bike up and down our apartment stairs.
Right on the money.
There are things that can be done to adjust fit, but an ill fitting bicycle ridden daily will make you hurt, and will rob you of the joy that riding a bicycle is.
Things will break. The more complex the machine, the more parts there are to break. It’s good to understand what makes your bike work and be able to do some simple repairs. It could save you from a long walk home. Bicycles are really quite simple machines, so don’t be intimidated.
Fast can be a good thing. A fast bike is an efficient bike. An efficient bike will take you the same distance in less time with less effort than an inefficient one. Drop handle bars (see the Surly above), although many find them uncomfortable, can be quite practical and are comfortable when positioned correctly. Don’t underestimate the effect of tucking down to avoid a headwind.
Light weight and fast is nice, but not if durability is compromised. Riding daily, in all weather, on pot-holed streets, carrying loads is hard on a bike. Breaking spokes, and struggling to keep wheels true is no fun. Reliability is the true test of a practical bicycle. That is why my speedy sport bike is leaning against the basement wall at home and my mountain bike gets ridden daily.
My experience riding for daily transportation has lead me to look for the same characteristics in a bike as Tammy’s Surly. In fact the “Long Haul Trucker” happens to be at the top of my wish list. Truckaccino is even my favorite color.
Nice Machine.
@Cafn8 – Thanks for leaving a comment and reading the blog!
The Surly is an amazing bike and the price is very reasonable. I’m incredibly happy that we purchased it. It’s fast and sturdy – a perfect combination.