Dr. Bikelove – Or How I Learned to Stop Driving and Love the Ride

Posted by Luke on Monday, September 14, 2009 · View Comments

[Ed. note: Intern David loves bikes. Here he shares his passion with you, fair reader.]

Bikes are awesome. Not only does riding a bike make you a healthier and all-around more attractive and environmentally conscious person, but it’s also ridiculously fun. Like having an expensive convertible, a bicycle allows you to feel the wind in your hair, let your tie flap over your shoulder, and enjoy life. It is not difficult at all to find an inexpensive bike that you can modify and maintain yourself. In this post, I’ll teach you the basics—and connect you with the experts—of how to find, modify and enjoy bikes.

Buy Used

Fig. 1: Fixie Tricks. (cc) Flickr user dustinj

If you’ve ever visited Craigslist and clicked on the “bikes” column, you probably know that there are countless used bikes for sale at any time. Used bikes are always your most price efficient move. With a little bit of vigilance, you should be able to find exactly what you’re looking for—or at the very least something that can be modified into your dream bike. Here are some questions to consider before you buy (or build) the perfect bike.

What kind of bike do I want?

There are a few different frame options that you should consider before you start looking for a bike.

Road Bikes
- Road bikes are the best choice if you’ll be riding long distances and on paved surfaces. With narrower, smoother wheels, your ride will glide like a slip’n’slide. (I came up with that cheesy rhyme all by myself.) With road bikes, you have a few gear options:
  - Geared: Road bikes with gears allow you to shift depending on the terrain. These bikes are ideal for especially hilly areas or for long distance rides. It’s also very easy (and fairly inexpensive) to convert a geared bike to single-speed or fixed gear.
  - Single-speed: For riding around town, single speed bikes are great. Not only is maintenance much easier on single speed bicycles, but because they have fewer components (gears, cables, etc.) your ride will weigh a little less.
  - Fixed Gear: Fixed gear means that your pedals are directly connected to your back wheel. If you pedal backwards, your wheel moves backwards. This means you can’t coast and always have to be pedaling. Many people like fixed gear bikes because they allow you to feel “oneness with the road” and have more precise maneuverability. These bikes will definitely give you a work out. You can also do pretty cool tricks on a fixie. (See: Fig. 1.)
Mountain Bikes
- Mountain bikes—as one would expect—are great for all-terrain riding. They’re built Ford™ tough. You can also put smoother road tires on a mountain bike to make your around-town riding a bit smoother. Mountain bikes are usually geared, but can be single-speed or fixed.
Cruisers
- You know those bikes with the wide handlebars and big cushy seats? Well, that’s a cruiser. Generally, cruisers are single speed bicycles. Due to their weight, cruisers aren’t ideal for long distances, but they provide a comfortable ride for scooting around campus or town.
BMX Bikes
- BMX bikes are for going off jumps and doing rad tricks. These aren’t ideal for riding around town, unless you have some mad skills you want to show off on the nearest stairset or ledge.

Once I have a bike, what kind of upgrades do I want or need?

Fig. 2: Pimp your bike. (cc) Flickr user tetedelacourse

It’s a good idea to take a used bike into your local bike shop. The bike pros there should be able to let you know if there are any safety issues that need immediate adjustment. Aside from safety issues, it’s best to get used to your bike before upgrading anything. After some time, you’ll get a feel for the kinds of adjustments you want to make. If you end up doing a good deal of riding, here are some upgrades worth thinking about. (Also see: Fig. 2.)

Wheelsets: A nice wheelset can make your ride quite a bit smoother. Depending on the kind of wheels you already have, a new set can significantly lower the weight of your bike.
Cranksets: Cranksets are the part of the bike that the pedals connect to. High quality cranksets can make pedaling much smoother.
Handlebars: There are many shapes and styles of handlebars available. It’s not difficult to replace your old handlebars with something you find a bit more comfortable.
Seat: A comfortable seat can make long rides more pleasurable. A quality seat will do much more for you than a jelly-filled seat cover from a big-box retailer.
Brakes: Quality hand brakes add a lot to the safety of a bike. For single-speed riders, coaster brakes are also an option. This means that the bike can still coast, but if you push the pedals backwards, a rear break will engage. One advantage of coaster breaks is that rain won’t reduce your breaking ability (aside from slick roads). Many riders like being able to slow down with their legs. Fixed gear bikes have this same capability. If you decide to go with coaster brakes or a fixed gear, though, it’s ALWAYS important to have a front hand brake. This should be your primary brake. A hand brake can also save your life if your chain breaks or falls off.

What extra stuff do I need?

These are a few accessories that you will end up needing if you ride often.

Headlight and taillight: Headlights and taillights will help cars to see you at night. Lights are a great deal more effective than reflectors. In some states, the law requires a headlight for nighttime use. You can generally find lights for under fifteen dollars. Check with your local bike shop.
Lock: There are a variety of locks available for your bike. Lock choice depends on where, when, and for how long you will be leaving your bike locked up. Basic cable locks are the easiest to cut through, but they are also the easiest to transport. These locks also make it easy to lock your bike to almost anything. U-locks are a bit more expensive, but provide excellent protection against theft. Another option is motorcycle cable locks, which require two different tools for a person to cut through. These locks are large and heavy but provide the best theft protection.
Cages: Toe-cages for your pedals make riding quite a bit easier. Because you can propel the bike by both pushing down and pulling up on the pedals, less energy is expended and climbing hills is much easier. Cages are especially necessary to keep your feet on the pedals if you ride fixed gear.
Pump: You need a way to put air in your tires. There two standard valve types on bicycle tires, so you’ll need to make sure your pump matches your tires (adaptors are available to do this). The narrower valves are called Presta valves and the wider ones are called Shrader. Some pumps have holes for both.

If I’m buying a bike, I’m going to learn maintenance skills!

(cc) Flickr user richardmasoner

Bicycle maintenance is not difficult. Generally, the folks at bike shops will be willing to show you how to maintain and replace various parts by yourself. There are also a number of websites full of great tips. Sheldon Brown’s bicycle repair page is a great start. Don’t have the tools necessary? Some bike shops even have a “community tool box” with tools that can be used free of charge. If you live in Nashville, check out Halcyon. They’re great about helping you work on your bike.

Taking it to the road.

Before taking your bike to the road, it’s important to learn your local bicycle laws. Generally, laws are similar to those for driving a car, but there will be some differences. Click here for a list of bicycle laws by state. In addition to learning the laws, make sure you know the hand signals for turning and stopping.

That should get you started. Now ride!

Ready to learn more? Here are a few more sites to get you rolling.