But I’m going to do it. I’ve been putting it off for years, but I’m finally going to do it.
But first, I have to buy a bicycle. Since I’ll be parking it around the downtown area, I was advised not to spend too much on my ride. About 400 bucks should do it. However, I think I’ll spend at least 50 bucks on a lock. And an ice pick for those times the cars get too close… Heh heh…
I’m looking around for a good bike. A mountain bike looks like a necessity (sorry Howie), considering the condition of downtown streets.
I like these bikes. I think. I haven’t bought a bike since junior high.
I’m looking forward to it. I just hope none of this stuff happens to me…
Do you have any advice? Any insights? Discounts on funeral services? Let me know in the comments.
Will:
As a longtime bike commuter, let me suggest some steps:
1. As you seem to have already figured out, expensive bikes are likely to get stolen if you leave them out downtown. A good bike is OK if you can take it inside for security, but mostly you’re better off getting a cheap bike for commute purposes.
2. You can find a good cheap bike through the used ads, etc. Look for something in the sub-$500 range.
3. Do lock it, regardless. But you have a better chance of being unmolested if it is not an inviting target.
4. It may get stolen anyway. Be prepared for this.
5. See if you can get your employer to provide showers and a locker at work. Believe me, if you ride to work and can’t clean up when you get there, your workmates will notice.
6. Enjoy yourself. Bike commuting is indeed the best way to get to work, if for no other reason than that the exercise will get your mind working by the time you get there. You’ll enjoy the air, the people, the sense of well-being.
7. Get some rain gear just in case.
— Hope to see you out there, big guy!
— Dave
Phantom GDP
“The … official statistics have been miscounting the impact of offshoring … cost gains and productivity improvements in the global supply chain are being credited to the U.S. economy — in effect, creating ‘phantom GDP.’ In reality, both domestic GDP and domestic productivity have been growing slower than the official statistics show, and manufacturing is in much worse shape.”
http://www.businessweek.com/ma.....han=search
This is a big story. It was broken this week by Business Week, a conservative business-oriented publication.
In essence, because of a statistical anomoly, official figures count tens of billions of dollars worth of imported goods as though they were made in American factories by American workers — which they weren’t.
It means economic growth is less than official figures say — and offshoring U.S. jobs is hurting the domestic economy far more than official figures indicate it is.
Read the BW story here. http://www.businessweek.com/ma.....han=search
Sweet! Biking to work rocks. I’m doing it tomorrow.
You can get bikes with 700MM wheels (road bike) that have upright riding positions, are geared pretty low and have fat enough tires. The 700’s roll faster, are more efficient and have a lower angle of attack than 26” (Mt bike) wheels so they roll more smoothly over bumps and some come with shocks. Checkout hybrid/cross bikes, they’re good commuters. A 32-35mm wide tire should do just fine, but you will have more of a learning curve than you would on a Mt. bike. I commute (in the ‘burbs) on one of Treks FX bikes.
REI makes some good commuter bikes. If I were in the market for a new bike I’d try out the Forza and the Corsa from REI.
You might want to ask around if someone has a bike they’re not using so you can give it a try for free before shelling out a bunch of cash.
What ever you do, please don’t make your first ride a ride through down town Seattle.
I’ll add my two cents. You can certainly get something just fine for under $500. I don’t know how far you’re traveling but I think a crossbike will get you there faster than a mountainbike. Besides the rain gear, absolutely get some lights for the bike. I hate riding downtown because I always think I’m going to get run over by the idiotic drivers, but if you must then make sure you’re equipped with enough safety stuff so they can SEE you. And for any of the extra acoutrements, check out Recycled Cycles on Boat Street. I got a really nice tire pump and a lock there for about half price.
Welcome!
I used to bike and will do so again when I get down another 50 pounds!
The Montlake bike shop is very honest and usually has used bikes. Look for one with good shocks of the front fork.
Jeez a fat guy giving bike advice!
SeattleJew
REI sells an interesting commuter bike whith a geared hub (low maintenance) which has had praise heaped upon it.
http://www.rei.com/product/744802. It comes already fitted out with a bunch of the stuff you’ll want anyway so don’t let the $600 price tag chase you away.
I would advise getting kevlar (aramid) belted tires for puncture resistance. I and my riding pal run them on our combination on/off road setup. Between us we’ve gone 3000 miles with zero flats. Specialized makes them as does Schwalbe (wallbike.com to get them).
I run a Gary Fisher 29 inch wheel mountain bike (Gary Fisher Paragon) with 700c Shwalbe Marathon tires on it. I use it for hard pack rail trails and pavement in that config. It would be a great commuter (a bit too nice maybe). My 40+ year old body likes the front suspension. I just put the fat tires back on for softer ground.
More advice for commuting:
1) Most important rule: Always assume that, at any particular instant, a vehicle will do the most dangerous thing possible to you. Imagine it’s an elephant and you are a lone caveman. This attitude has saved my ass many a time.
2) 9 times out of 10, the above dangerous thing is because they can’t see you. Bikes are a visual blank spot for car drivers. So, a) don’t ride in vehicle blind spots, and b) Lots of lights. At a minimum a rear and front red/yellow flashing light, next is a helmet red flasher, next is a helmet or handlebar white light. You should try to look like a circus ride.
3) Plan your route. You’ll learn that bike lanes are really the ticket. Even if it’s a busy road, I think bike lanes are safer than side streets, because people will expect you to be there. Also avoid busy, multilane streets. This will either get you hit eventually (on pupose or not!)
4) Raingear, a definite must, otherwise your routine is spoiled and you can’t get into a daily groove. Being it’s Seattle, it’s gonna rain, suck up and deal.
5) 2nd the cross (i.e. cyclo-cross) bike suggestion.
Another data point. Performance Bike offers free lifetime tuneups if you buy from them at their brick/mortar store. The have a big store in the U district.
Hopefully it goes without saying, but judging the number of cyclists I see running red lights, please remember that those and other traffic laws, apply to you as well.
http://www.bikeworks.org
These guys are truly amazing — professional service & a broad vision. They sell lots of well-tuned used bikes.
Unless you have a bike lane, don’t ride along side cars waiting at a red light. That makes them have to pass you repeatedly in a narrow space. Instead, stop behind the car in front as you would when driving. I’ve found this helps win a smidge of respect from drivers. But just a smidge.
Roger@2
Pretty subtle tie-in with biking, Rog…almost eluded me:>
Oh yeah, Helmets and stuff.
Don’t bother with the Lance Armstrong uber fast aero special. Get one that has good coverage for your head and a visor on the front. Make sure it is comfortable. It is your head in there….do not be a cheapskate. http://www.bellbikehelmets.com.....p?prodID=9
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/He.....2775.shtml
I have a xen and love it.
If you wear glasses you might want to invest in some of these with prescription inserts. http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/.....es/rb3.htm I have them and love them. They are great driving glasses too. Flip them up for tunnels, and they are perfect for those days when it’s doing the rain/sun thing.
I would highly advise wearing some sort of eye protection anyway while riding. You wouldn’t believe how mush stuff hits you in the face. If I had a nickel for every bug I’ve swallowed……..
This is all quality advice (except from the Rabbit – who we all know hates bikes, and as charming as he is, can’t stay on-topic to save his fuzzy little tail.)
If you’re trying this in June, you can probably hold off on the lights – daytime running lights for bikes aren’t nearly as visible as their battery-burning lovers must believe. For an eventual helmet light, you can get a cheap headlamp and doing some tricky topology affix the elastic band though the vents. Clear or amber lensed glasses keep the bugs and grit out of your eyes. Geeky bright colors keep you visible to other road users
Avoid the 2nd Ave bike lane on the wrong side of the street. It’s a deathtrap. In fact bike lanes generally provide a lot less protection than city planners and blithely optimistic cyclists must believe. Take your rightful place on the right side of the road (but stay out of the door-zone), be predictable and signal your intentions (right arm out to turn right, left arm out to turn left) and if you need to, don’t be afraid to take the middle of the lane if that’s the safest choice for you. We all have to submit to the road choices of the drivers in front of us. Some drivers may forget this when the driver in front of them is pedaling, but you have to choose your own line.
Having said that, I think Downtown is safer than people give it credit for; people expect to see bikes there less than they do in the suburbs.
I totally agree about stopping behind the car ahead of you at a stop light rather than running up the side. Nobody wants to pass you twice.
I’ve been an every day bike commuter for about 9 years (from Leschi to Issaquah; from Ballard to downtown and UW) and can say that it’s great for the environment, and great for your body and mind. However, getting hit is a very real possibility (4 times for me) so I can also say that you shouldn’t do it unless you’re willing to be a complete safety dork.
First, obey the traffic laws. Wait at red lights, make legal turns, use hand signals — all those behaviors that can be painful to us hipsters.
Second, make sure that cars can see you. Get a brightly colored vest or jacket and just wear it every time you ride. That hideous lime green color is provably the most visible, but I have taken the risk of wearing the next best, which is bright yellow. Don’t get a black helmet, but get a hideous lime green one, or do like I did, which is to buy the third or fourth best color, which is white. Lights, blinkers and reflectors are obvious for night riding. I think the light should be almost as bright as a car headlight, so I have either used 10 watt halogen models (with bulky external batteries) or a very expensive LED headlight ($150) with a 4W Luxeon LED.
You obey the law like a good citizen, you wear all this offensively uncool crap, and what do cars do? They will still aim their radiators at your kneecaps. After my latest accident — bright sunny day, me in bright yellow, flying over the hood of a car piloted by a very old guy who just didn’t see me — I made a hard study of how to simply not give cars the opportunity. I got the freely distributed Seattle bicycling map and switched my routes to roads with low traffic and separate bike lanes. I also now go out of my way to take the Burke Gilman, even when other routes would be faster.
Still, Seattle ain’t Copenhagen. We’ve got far, far fewer bike lanes and trails than more advanced cities, so you will inevitably ride on dangerous roads. Keep your eyes open, be paranoid, and ride as predictably as possible so that a driver dialing his cellphone doesn’t look up and find you somewhere he didn’t expect.
In the event of the inevitable close call, it will help to have a maneuverable bike. For this purpose, a true mountain bike will not serve. Knobby tires not only make you ride slower but they are nastily slippery on turns and stops; you are much better off with a smooth tires. The hybrid bikes others have mentioned are certainly good, but I prefer an old road or touring bike with fatter-than-usual tires.
Hopefully, I haven’t scared you off. Supposedly, studies have shown that if there are a lot of bikes on the road, drivers eventually learn to look for them, and then the accident rate drops; if you ride right now, you’re definitely taking a risk, but maybe you are also helping to make riding safer sometime in the future.
My advice is:
1) Don’t run over pedestrians in crosswalks. This pisses off pedestrians, and motivates people to agitate against bike lanes.
2) Signal your intentions before swerving out into the car traffic.
3) Don’t assume car drivers can see you. The average driver’s eye is accustomed to looking for larger objects — vehicles — and tends not to overlook bike (and motorcycle) riders.
4) Don’t go flying around blind turns at high speed.
5) Make sure your organ donor card is up to date.
Today is the day Karl Rove and his henchlackeys dreaded — SUBPOENA DAY. Congress has issued subpoenaes to squeeze the truth about Rove’s illegal “caging list” scheme out of the perps. Next up: Prison jump suits for GOP operatives.
FOUR HUNDRED BUCKS???? I have a perfectly nice 15-speed mountain bike that I bought for $40.00 from a kid down the block who was giving up on his paper route.
I bought this (http://www.greggscycles.com/ca.....#038;cid=2) at Gregg’s, and it’s fantastic.
Mountain bikes are not the way to go – a nice cross bike is great for getting around.
I loved the way Joel Connelly wrote an entire column about Ted Stevens sneaking a bill prohibiting use of the word “olympic” in any signage or other promotion without registering it with the US Olympic committee–and somehow avoided mention of the obvious: that Stevens undoubtedly did this specifically as a swipe at Maria Cantwell and any of us who voted for her.
The fact that this Congress allowed such a thing to pass, along with giving Smirk just about everything he wanted to, shows just how ineffectual the Democratic leadership has become.
Yeah, Artfart I hear that all the time.
Yugos are cheap too.
Willis, This wil do what your cross will do AND survive the Seattle streets AND be able to ride off pavement. Same diameter wheels. On weekends you put fat tires on ait and hit the trail!!!
http://fisherbikes.com/bikes/b.....ike=Kaitai
It’s a 29er frame set up as a cross/hybrid…or you can just get a 29er and put skinny tires on it like I did.
This is fucking hilarious… idiot fucking algore in 1992 criticizing Bush 41 for not taking on saddam and cleaning up the fucking mess in iraq.
wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?v=9JE48XHKG64
Watch the whole fucking thing you fucking assholes. Your own gawd lays out a full catalog of reasons why we had to take him out.
LMAO….
On the bike:
Mountain bike gearing is good for hills and beginners, but lose the mtn bike tires and get commuters, you lose a lot of effort turning knobby tires.
Comfort is KEY, if the bike hurts to ride (beyond sore muscles) you won’t ride it don’t buy a bike because it is cheap if it does not fit.
The big difference between a mtn bike and a hybrid (broad generalization) is that hybrid will have 700 size wheels (mtn 26) bigger wheels are somewhat faster, they have closer to road gearing so they can be faster – it mostly depends on you – if you are out of shape and wheezing going up inclines, get the mtn bike (you can upgrade the gears later), if you are young and burly but not quite ready for a road bike, get the hybrid style.
I personally find that suspension just adds weight and does not do that much for you, so don’t be afraid of a bike without it.
There are lots of bikes for sale on craigslist, and you can get good bikes for much below $500, and it gives you a chance to try things out.
You should (seperate from the lock) budget $300 or so on accessories. Fenders are very nice, lights, helmets, a rack & panniers or a backpack, a mirror, a bell, can you resist the bike computer?, water bottle, pump, breakdown kit (tire irons, patch kit, spare tubes, spare battery for lights, a couple of asprin & bandaids, emergency money), the visible bike clothing, chain lube & cleaner (very important for winter commute months – and you are going to do this year round, aren’t you?)
On the lock
NO CABLE LOCK, unless it is a secondary lock.
$50 is a bare minimum, a $100 lock is cheap if it saves you having to spend $3 -400 to replace the bike when it is stolen.
Lock the bike up at home (even on the porch or the garage)
On the ride
one word: VISIBILITY, it is unbelievable the number of idiots I see at night riding a dark bike, wearing a black hoodie & pants and no lights. These riders are a drivers lawful prey. Passive reflectors such as retro reflective tape and standard reflectors are not out of style. Lights are a must have, even for during the day travel, buy for brightness. Dark clothes just make no sense at all, get a yellow rainjacket, a yellow bike jersy and a bright colored helmet.
Did I say helmet? Get one, wear it.
Cascade bike club has information about bike commuting (www.cascade.org) and information about bike commuting classes, as does the bicycle alliance of washington (http://www.bicyclealliance.org). The BAW also has a commute buddy program to pair peole with experienced commuters. There are also sites listing the bike laws of Seattle (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikecode.htm).
When riding, the key besides being visible is to be predictable. Dodging in and out of traffic is begging to get hit. Riding in traffic in a predictable manner is as safe as being in a car mostly (cars hit other cars too), and by riding in a legal manner you will be predictable to cars.
Remember that as visible as you might make yourself, you are invisible. Don’t anticipate that a driver has seen you so attend to your own safety, take new routes slow until you know what to expect.
When bike commuting, and the day turns to crap, it is not illegal to throw the bike on a bus rack and ride home that way.
Will,
Lots of good advice here. Just a couple of things to add:
1. As others have noted, don’t forget to budget for the accessories. And don’t hesitate to pester the bike shop folks with every question you can think of. They have the expertise to set you up right; use them.
2. I’ll second (eighth? ninth?) the point about predictability. It’s the foundation of good driving, and it’s even more important when you’re riding because you’re the one who will suffer the consequences of a collision. The first thing to learn: holding your line.
One way to get used to riding in traffic is to try out a few routes to your work on the weekends when traffic is lighter. You’ll get a little practice without the stress of the higher traffic volume and the need to be at work on time.
3. At your price point, you’re going to find a good selection of reliable bikes. As others have pointed out, look for comfort first. If you find riding uncomfortable, you won’t keep doing it. Again, hybrids are a good way to go for many people, but decide what’s best for you.
GWickward,
Once again, you can get mountain bikes with big wheels (29ers) see my previous posts. You can put road tires on them. They are the same diameter as road wheels.
Regarding gearing, the speed limit on trails is 15 mph. My 29er will run along all day at that speed on the middle chain ring. Top speed is well into the 20s…about as fast as an upright seating position will allow.
My 40+ year old body loves the suspension.
On the bus:
Metro policy is that you can only load bikes outside of (or at the first or last stop within) the ride free area. They claim it’s a safety provision though they don’t impose these restrictions in other high bus density / traffic such as regional transit centers and park and ride lots. It’s arbitrary and a disincentive to multi-modal bike commuting. Booo!!!
Anyway, you need to know this before you decide to bail on a bike day turned rainy.
Just thought I’d echo the, “get lit” comments. I use two rear lights, one on the seat post and one mounted low on the um… seat stays??? The part of the frame that goes from the seat tube to the rear wheel. I’ve noticed while driving that this set up is really visible.
Oh, and biking boxer shorts are cool.
http://www.rei.com/product/732.....YCLING_TOC
WILL LET ME SAY I HOPE YOUR RUN OVER BY A MACK TRUCK