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I started biking from Lincoln, MA to Watertown in the fall and biked a couple times a month through the winter.
Now I bike 3-4 times a week, depending on rain. Not geared up for rain yet.
I bought a used Jamis cyclocross bicycle that I found on Crai6-list for $700. Came equipped with fenders and a Topeak rear bike rack. I bought a Topeak bag that attaches to the rack, which includes fold down panniers, for about $60. It was perfect in the colder months when I was bringing more clothing to and from work but that got old and heavy.
Now I've shaved most of the weight off. The rack is off, the fenders off, and I got lighter weight wheels and tires. All of this has dramatically improved my ride comfort. When the winter comes again I'll likely add some stuff back on for convenience.
Now I plan ahead and bring a few changes of clothes to work (I have a locker there) and that way I can reduce the travel weight.
It's really a great way to commute. There's danger in everything you do, including driving to work. My route to work has many other bikers so I feel safer knowing that cars are noticing the bikes and sharing the road.
As for bike shops, there are a few excellent ones around;
Belmont Wheel Works,
Harris Cyclery in West Newton,
International Bike in Brighton.
Use these bike shops to find the proper bike size for your body. Then, with those measurements, you can either go online or wherever and get a bike that fits. This is important if you plan to ride several times a week... you'll feel a bad fit.
I'd spend a little extra on the bike and save money on the extras.
Get a bike with Shimano hardware of either 105, Durace or Ultegra. Don't go for Tiagra or lower. You'll end up having issues down the road with shift skipping and breaking.
For clothing and gear, check out REI (their website has great deals through their "outlet" and you can have everything shipped to the store for free)
Performancebike.com, and Nashbar.com. Also SierraTradingPost has good bike clothing deals sometimes.
Basics include helmet, tire changing kit, shoes with clipless pedals, and a few basic sets of clothes.
And most importantly, check this site out for all the information you'll need:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html
Sheldon Brown is where it's at...
posted by 71.233.247...
, Mon, 2 Jun 2008 14:47:15
, Mon, 2 Jun 2008 13:57:56
, Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:55:41
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