Ok - given the whole biking on the sidewalk thread *I know this is dangerous...

I am considering buying a bike - I live reasonably near the sckukil river bike path and want to ride it there and up the river when the weather gets nicer.. not that its not nice now.

This is a purely pleasure ride. Not a mountain bike or racing... am not able to spend huge amount.

several of my freinds and I are using biking to get in shape. some of them are quite large.

So - what kind of bike do you recommend (something with comfortable seats hopefully)

where is a good place to purchase it - boutique store (which I have found usually cater to racers and professionals...). k-mart type store???

also - as a kid we never knew about helmets so I never wore one. is it illegal not to? or just stupid.

What's the best chain to use to store it when out an about - I have a place in my apt.

are back wheel baskets good for carrying things?

and lastly - is it safe for a lady to ride the bike path alone during the day?

Anyway - this is bike 101 - I passed the bike tests as a kid and remember the hand signals and rules of the road and plan on walking the bike up chestnut to the bike path - then riding so don't worry about me running you down.

Just want to do it for fun and some exercise... you would never see me in a mountain dew (or any extreme sport) commercial!

__________________
Beware of KILLER PONIES!!!
see (my opinion) best of PB thread 2007 "center-city-unsafe-hellish"
favorite daily show vid. http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/in...piscolypse-now

Great idea! Biking is great way to get outside and add some activity to your life, and Philadelphia has some great parks to take advantage of.

It sounds like you're probably looking for a "comfort/hybrid" bike. These bikes tend to have a more upright seating position (similar to a mountain bike) but are really made for the street. Keep in mind that things like seats can be easily replaced, so if you find a bike you like but don't like the seat, you can just get a different seat.

I just did a quick search and found this page that looks like it might have a lot of good info for you:

http://pedalpowerct.com/page.cfm?pageID=80

A good cycling "boutique" should have a wide range of bikes for all riders. I would have recommended the shop we got our bikes from, but they closed. Hopefully other will chime in with their recommendations.

I think kids under a certain age are required to wear them, but for adults, it's just stupid not to. Keep in mind that a fall from a stand-still position could be enough to kill you. I'd rather wear a helmet and not need it than need one and not have it. When it comes to brain injuries, you generally don't get "do-overs". But, it's personal preference, so you decide.

Skip the chain and get a u-lock, like this one:
http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Produc...=1000&pid=1205

Be careful if you get a bike with "quick release" wheels and/or seat post. If you lock a bike like that up somewhere, you need to make sure that the quick-release items are also secure so they don't walk away.

Sure. Or, you could use something like a messenger bag when you carry stuff if you don't want to attach stuff to your bike.

I'm not a lady, but based on my experiences, if you ride the bike path during the day, you'll rarely be alone. There are usually lots of people out there using the paths.

Once you get used to the bike, you might find yourself riding it more and more around town. Its a fun, convenient, and relatively fast way to get from point A to point B in the city.

And once the weather gets better this spring, be sure to join up with us on one of the Phillyblog bike rides! There are extremely "non-threatening" leisurely rides, and all are welcomed!

__Jason

__________________

Thanks for the info Jason!!!

I will put all of it to good use!!!!

S.

__________________
Beware of KILLER PONIES!!!
see (my opinion) best of PB thread 2007 "center-city-unsafe-hellish"
favorite daily show vid. http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/in...piscolypse-now

Bicycle Club of Philadelphia has a great website -- lots of rides that leave from the Art Museum. They even have a slower ride that you might enjoy. Nice people, fun group. They also used to have an annual swap meet where you could get some good deals. There's also a big swap at Trexlertown velodrome 2x yearly. You can also pick up some good deals on clothes and accessories at the bike race in early June near the Art Museum (I think one of the cheaper vendors was Beacon).

I recently went through this decision and decided on a comfort/hybrid. To me, the most important piece of information is where you are going to store your bike. If you are parking it on the street, then get a really good lock (kryptonite u-locks are pretty easy to pop off with a crowbar) or buy a cheaper bike used. If you are carrying it up stairs, then get a lighter bike.

Stores...
Bicycle Therapy (~23rd & South St)- Sell the Specialized Globe for about $400. It's a very good bike. They, however, are always very busy so I could never get attention at the store when I needed it.

Frankenstein Bikeworks (~15th&Spruce) - Sells Diamondbacks & IronHorse. Bought my wife's bike here for less than ~$250. The owner is off-putting to some but I find him colorful. He is not very good at listening to what you want so make sure you know what you want. Very reasonable prices.

Breakaway (21st & Chestnut) - Sells Fuji Crosstown. I bought a bike here (Crosstown for $300)...it got stolen so I bought the same bike here again (has a slightly used one for $250). They are pretty cool and your bike comes with service for ten years or something like that.

There is a store up around the Reading Terminal Market that sells Trek bicycles. Trophy bikes, around Walnut & 31st (?), sells some high-end comfort bikes like Breezer and also Jamis. I didn't like their less expensive bikes and can't recall the brand now (maybe Jamis too).

I just bought a bike for the boyfriend for christmas. it's an overwhelming prospect, and I didn't really learn much about bikes. I ended up spending $180 at Sports Authority (happened to be in NJ) on a Columbia Comfort Bike. It is good for people who might want to commute on it or take it on basic trails. The thing has shocks on the front wheel and a really nicely padded seat. It's great! Also, you can take the front wheel off to more easily transport it. You might want to keep in mind the height of the frame, but when you try the bikes out you will be able to tell what fits and what doesn't

Before I decided on this one, Target had some decent ones for about $120. I think between $100 and $200 is probably a decent range for a recreational rider like you will be. I feel that a helmet is work the money and dorkiness for the safety. I have a friend who fell off her bike on the AC boardwalk and had her arm broken...even going at a slow speed, what if she had hit her head?

Don't let the fast riders in their speedy road bikes and tight bike shorts run you off the road. Man, they can be jerks sometimes (especially to runners like me!) I don't think you'll have much of a prob. on the schuylkill river trail, but when you get up to kelly drive just be careful, stay to the right, and watch behind you before you try to go around the walkers and runners. It's usually common courtesy to let people know if you are coming up on their left or right to prevent accidents.

Good luck!

I have Treks and a Canondale, both good brands and made in the US. A few friends who ride casually bought Trek 7200's and are very happy with them. It's a comfortable hybrid that gives pretty good value for the $$. I like the fact that you can position the handlebar at lots of different angles. Both wheels as well as the seat all have quick-releases. Bike Line (numerous shops), D&Q in Cherry Hill and the place in Manayunk all carry them, among others. Trek makes a lot of different models, from inexpensive ones all the way up to the ones Lance Armstrong rode.

Regarding the basket, I don't like the front baskets because they affect steering. I put a rack over my back tire ($30-$40) and affixed a milk crate to the top of the rack with some zip ties. This works very well for carrying groceries, bags, etc. On the negative side, it makes the bike wider.

I avoided stores like target...a lot of bike shops won't even touch those bikes if you need a repair as they have low quality components and are meant to be disposable. And a good tuneup makes all the difference for speed, which can be useful when you are trying to get up hills on the trail. That said, if you are short on money and want to see if you'll enjoy biking, then Target isn't a bad choice. Another option is to rent a bike for the day. Breakaway Bicycles rents bikes for the trail.

Guy's Bikes in Feasterville will sell you exactly what you need. Riding the bike trail has never been a problem for me and I am a lady!

Good Luck!

PS: As for Bob or Suzanne at Guy's.

If you want to get the most for your money check out:

http://www.performancebike.com

the best place by far to buy a bike and if you want to talk to someone or want to purchase in a store. They have a store in Paoli check the website for store locations.

__________________
http://dgoakill.zenfolio.com