So, anyone know a place where I can purchase a bike online fit for an HN reader? What gadgets would you put on it?
For your recommendations, I'd prefer to give my $ to a local shop (NYC) or a small shop with competitive prices. Seeking a bike for daily use with trail/road tyres.
Recommended gadgets: pump, patch kit, small tool kit, water bottle, and lights as required - weight just slows you down.
(A UK consumer advocate program once bought a bunch of cheap bikes online: universally they were either poorly put together or in some cases actively unsafe. One bike had the forks on backwards!)
Contrary to what has been suggested before, I would buy the lightest bike you can in your budget. A lighter bike will reduce the agony when you don't want to push yourself; and when you do want to push yourself, just go faster.
I'd go back to Metro Bicycles (http://www.metrobicycles.com/) if I needed another bike in NYC. I bought a Dahon Speed D7 (http://us.dahon.com/bikes/1728/speed-d7) folding bike from them a few years ago. Its cheap ($500 so I didn't worry about it getting stolen), adjustable (so I could easily change riding positions as necessary/sore) and fit easily in the apartment I was living in at the time.
As for accessories get this: http://www.strava.com/ for geeking out and a U-lock with cable like this: http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Standard-U-Lock-Cable-Lock/dp/B... for security. The cable makes the u-lock more useful and most lock companies will insure the bike theft if you are using their lock when its stolen up to a certion $ amount.
Don't worry about flats etc because there are enough shops around to fix them within an easy walking distance. All the gear you strap to the bike is just something you'll have to replace once it gets stolen (either the bike or just the stuff on it) or falls off while cruising through town.
Also JWZ has some solid recommendations here:
http://www.jwz.org/blog/2008/05/the-collected-jwz-bicycle-wi...
A heavier bike is slightly harder to push up hills and harder to accelerate, but if fitness is your concern, it's immaterial IMO. Spending a lot of money on a lighter bike strikes me as a waste of money. Actually, spending more than the equivalent of 200 USD on a new bike would strike me as foolish.
Of course, if your the sort of person who would only ride in a circle from your house, or your car after having driven your bicycle somewhere, then feel free to ignore all my words of wisdom.
I purchased a road bike from here and couldn't be happier. I paid $700 for one that would have cost me double that in Canada.
Everyone is correct that buying a bike from a physical store is better, but here's how I combined the two:
- Go to a local bike store and try out some bikes. Get someone there to help you and take some measurements. I found out I needed a 56cm frame thanks to this.
- Buy a bike online.
- You'll need to do some assembly on the bike. It's actually really easy. I did mine in about 30 mins and I've never done one before.
- Take it into a local bike shop and get them to fit you plus do a tune up. Some shops include this if you purchase a bike from them or just discount it. For me, I got such a good deal that it was still worth it.