Thinking of getting a bike; tips?

[BlueNote]

Get a bike that nobody would want to steal relative to the other bikes locked to the bike rack.

See what you can get for free from free cycle in your area, my area is full of tight fisted Canadians so there was nothing but it doesn't hurt to try.

Next try used dealers (craigslist etc.) and see what's for sale. If you don't like the purchase you can always sell back to the market and get your money back unlike a new bike which will sell for used prices.

You'll definitely want fenders or mud flaps for that rainy Seattle weather.

[rfgh]

http://bikeworks.org/
http://www.recycledcycles.com/

[Toska2]

My opinion (for under 5 miles each way) is a mountain bike with smoother tires than an outright road bike. The wider tires provide a more comfortable ride if sidewalks or pea gravel trails are encountered.

Then again, we are talking about bikes cheaper than tires...