i want a bike

[Hockey4mnhs]

there has been a lot of talk around here about bike rideing. my school comute is 18 miles over pretty hilly land but i think i might be able to do it at least once a week. i would need a real deal bike tho to do this do any of you guys know of a good bike that could do this? how much am i looking for it? also i was thinking i could drive half way there and bike the rest if that is to long.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

What's the route like in terms of pot holes, dirt, etc? Do you have goat heads? For the best all around commuter I'd look for an older hardtail mountain bike from a reputable company and drop some slicks, maybe a better seat on it. The shorter gearing of the mtb will help out a ton with hills, and as long as you don't have much in the way of winds you should be golden. Always have a cell phone, spare inner tubes, and a patch kit on you (including rubbing alcohol, since some inner tubes have talcum powder on 'em to keep from sticking to the tire and patches won't work w/o cleaning this off), as well as a few small tools. Spin, don't stomp.

[Hockey4mnhs]

pot holes arnt to bad. but how long of a trip is to much. im in pretty good shape. 17 years old not over weight so im hopeing i can do it. it is 18 miles one way not 9 each

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Just start out a few days a week and you'll be fine. I used to clock ~15-20 miles a day every day, and it wore on me, but each individual ride wasn't too bad. You'll get trim fast if you end up riding ~40 miles per day! If the route is real nice, go grab a touring bike and get skinny 100+ psi tires for the fastest standard design. If you really wanna get your hands dirty, you could probably build yourself a low-racer that'd average 5-10mph faster than anything else you could get.

[Hockey4mnhs]

niiice i really want to do it! how much do you think it would cost me to get into it. Being slim isnt a problem i only weigh 130 lbs

[Snax]

Definately get a hard tail frame. Rear suspension equals wasted energy on a road going bike.

Just know that it will take you about an hour and 15 minutes or so if you can average 15 mph. (Newer riders tend to average 12-13 mph to start out with.) A mountain bike with knobbies would be a good workout to maintain that speed, whereas a good road style frame could easily carry you a good 2-3 mph (and 15 minutes) faster.

My commute is relatively short at 2.5 miles one way, but I'm lazy and got Continental slicks for my Trek anyway. They let me run a good 2-3 mph faster than the knobbies do without overworking too much, so maintaining 15-16 mph is relatively easy. I have to work my *** off to maintain 14-15 with the studded tires though.

[Hockey4mnhs]

i might drive some of it tho to cut the time maybe half of it. how much was your bike tho thats a big part of it

[Snax]

The 4300D that I ride is $499 with disc brakes. I believe there is a non-disc version that shaves $100 off the price. I think the Continentals ran me another $50 or so.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by Hockey4mnhs

niiice i really want to do it! how much do you think it would cost me to get into it. Being slim isnt a problem i only weigh 130 lbs

I got into it by buying an older trek hardtail in good condition for $80, then got tires, etc from nashbar/performance bike. You can do it for far less if you're thrifty, especially since there may not be a lot of demand for bikes in Nebraska. I recommend getting the $50 basic tool kit from performance/nashbar (great deal imo) and start looking for cheap'ish bikes. Use this as your buying guide.

[kickflipjr]

I you can pick up an old 10-speed in good running condition then use that. The old road bikes are actually quite comfortable once you get used to them.

If you wand something newer get a hybrid type bike (they usually have fatter 700c wheels and a front shock) and a generally cheaper then an all out road bike.

If you get a mountain bike make shore to put some slick or semi-slick tires on it. It will make a difference on the road.