My goal for buying a bicycle was simple: Use transportation for exercise. I wanted to run errands and even occasionally commute the 8 miles (one way) to my office. The requirements were:
- Something comfortable to ride. My other bike, a mid-1990's Specialized Hard Rock Ultra mountain bike, is fun to ride but not comfortable for more than a few miles. I didn't want something that would put too much pressure on my wrists and shoulders. If it was painful, I wouldn't ride.
- Something durable and able to handle some trails and rough city streets. I don't ride down mountains or through forests, but I envisioned myself on the occasional dirt path (and have since I got the bike). Chicago city streets are pretty rough so the tires shouldn't be too thin or high pressure. Some suspension would be nice for comfort.
- Price sensitive. I didn't want an expensive piece of equipment sitting unused if I didn't ride as often as I planned to. Bike theft is a also risk of living in the city so I wanted something I could afford to have stolen.
I knew cycling could be comfortable after renting a comfort bike on Mackinac Island after the 2011 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac (read about the race on my Sail Donnybrook blog). I read about ways to make a mountain bike more like a hybrid so I took it to Uptown Bikes to see if they could raise the handle bars or do something else to make it more like a hybrid.
They gave it a quick check-up--it was in good shape--and estimated $180 to raise the handlebars to where I wanted them. It was so expensive because I needed new cables and other parts to move the handlebars. They then told me they did not recommend having the work done because I most likely wouldn't be happy with how it would handle. The bike fit me as a mountain bike (19.5 inches) but because of my size (I'm 6'4") I needed a much larger road/hybrid bike. They showed me some of the hybrids they carry, starting at around $500, but didn't try to sell me something I was not ready to buy.
Thank you, Uptown Bikes, for looking out for the customer!
My sailor's frugality kicked in next. As much as I wanted a new bicycle, I didn't want to spend $500+ on something that might end up collecting dust or in the hands of a bike thief. I shopped around, did a lot of internet research, checked Craig's list and eBay, but didn't find something that I thought would make me happy for the price. Finally, a colleague suggested I look at some of the bike rental shops and their end of year sales.
I went to Bike Chicago's web page and researched all the bikes available on the 2011 Bike Sale list. I took my short list to the Millennium Park location after work and rode home with a used 2011 22.5" (XL) Trek 7100 for $211. The price included bell, kick-stand, and a complete tune-up.
I was so excited! I commuted home by bicycle for the first time, ever! I've since put around 400 miles on her and, last week, commuted round trip 3 days!
Pros: Meets all of the requirements above.
Cons: Heavy, but not a factor in Chicago where it is very flat.
Other: I can see growing into more of a road/touring bike, but for the price and how I use it, the Trek is perfect for today.
I have other observations about the bike and equipment I'll write about in future posts, but I'm completely satisfied with my current bike.
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