For quite a long time, I’ve wanted to buy a three-speed or ten-speed bicycle. I have a coaster, but it’s no use for what I want to do: take long rides along the canal. Salt River Project has built a long, narrow park along the Arizona canal, with underpasses running under the main drags so people can go for mile after mile after mile safely. I live within walking distance of this convenient source of exercise and sightseeing entertainment. While I really do need the exercise, hauling my heavy coaster up from the bottom of those underpasses is not quite what I have in mind. I have to get off my bike and walk it out of the underground tunnels, a major pain in the tuchus. I love bicycling, though, and have thought that if I had a bike with gears, I could use it every day or two to get out of the house and also get some good exercise.
Wrong.
Yesterday I paid a visit to the bicycle store that, in years past, has sold me other bikes. Prices for multispeed bicycles range from $450 to $700!!! An ordinary cruiser with no gears and pedal brakes costs $350. Three-speed bikes cost more than 24-speed numbers. I don’t want 24 speeds—I’d never be able to figure out how to operate such an array.
I looked on Craig’s List and found the prices comparable for anything that appeared to be in decent condition. The rate of bicycle theft around here is phenomenal—at one point, a ring used to go onto college campuses in trucks and take bolt-cutters to the locks and just load the things up. So I’m kind of afraid to buy one second-hand, for fear of getting stolen property. Besides, the newer bikes are so involved and complicated, I would have no way of knowing what I was getting or if anything was wrong with it.
How disappointing. I guess I won’t be losing any weight that way. {sigh} It was probably a bad idea, anyway. What on earth would I do if I blew a tire ten miles from home? I wouldn’t have a clue how to fix it, and I sure don’t want to have to push a bike eight or ten miles.
🙁
Don’t give up; bikes may be more expensive than they used to be, but they are also better, and will last for twenty years or at least. Even if you spent $500 on a bike, over the course of 20 years that works out to be only $25 a year! (I’m going to post on this shortly.)
Here are some responses and advice. A few years ago Frugal Son bought a road bike from chicabike on Ebay for $200, and has been very satisfied. In fact, when we mentioned that the wheel was not in true (probably due to shipping), she refunded $10 very quickly. Right now she has a brand new Motobecane flat bar hybrid (sort of all-purpose bike) for $298. But there are other internet sources (bikesdirect.com) that are well established, and shipping bikes is no problem, although you might have to do a little bit of assembly.
Don’t let the number of gears on multi-gear bikes bother you. There’s usually a triple crank (three chainrings) and then seven or eight gears on the rear, but all you do is leave the front shifter on the middle chainring, and just use the seven options this gives you, which is more than enough for almost all riding. Shifting is easy–for the kind of bike you want there’s just a numbered lever on the right (1-7), and you pick the gear you want. That’s just as easy–perhaps easier, than the typical three speed. These shifters are very reliable; I’ve put more than 13,000 miles on my bike, which has the more complicated STI shifters, without any problems (and I bought the bike used).
Flat tires can be a problem. However, there are self-sealing inner tubes (Walmart carries them), and you can buy tires with a Kevlar band (that’s what’s in bullet-proof vests) that helps prevent flats. Finally, bike riders are a very friendly bunch. Every time I’ve had a flat, fellow riders have stopped to offer help. So I wouldn’t let that keep you from riding.
Feel free ask me any questions.
I second the notion of not giving up on getting a bike. To see if this idea is really for you – why not find out how much it is to rent a bike for a month and check it out? I would also recommend asking around – lots of people have bikes that they have no desire to use anymore or kids who have moved away and left them in their parents’ garages. One last idea – check with a local biking club for used bike leads…you might make someone’s day by buying his/her used bike. True bike enthusiasts often have several bikes and LOVE buying new ones, so you might get lucky on a used one. Yes, it won’t be a brand new shiny bike, but it will be a bike.
I asked my DH, a certified cycling instructor with the League of American Bicylists for advice for you He said…
She could look up an League Cycling Instructor in her area…. to
learn how to be more comfortable on other/flatter places to ride…
or just to get some advice. I counted about seven LCI listed for Phoenix.
http://www.Bikeleague.org – Programs – Bike Education – Courses or
instructors by state
http://www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resources/findit/?courses=1&instructors=1&state=A
Z&submit.x=23&submit.y=12
She could find out what it would cost for someone/a bike shop to
modify her bike have a lower gear – by replacing the rear sprocket
with one with a greater number of teeth on the rear wheel and adding
a few links to the chain. Same bike – lower gear.
She could look for used bikes – craigslist.org or yard sales or
classified adverts? – for old three-speed/internal geared bikes
usually available for way less than $100… or other bikes – hybrids,
etc. – with lower gear choices.
And there’s always the “just get stronger” advice…
Hope this helps.
I agree that you should keep looking. I purchased a
$700 Giant Hybrid bike for 1/2 price at the end of the season a few years ago. It has lots of gears I sometimes forget to use, but I manage to get up hill anyhoo. Right now it is set up on a trainer in my basement, since I am not hardcore enough to cycle here in PA in the winter! Good luck in your search.