Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Eventually I'll be moving back to a transit friendly area, where I can bike just under 2 miles to mass transit to Seattle. Being that it rains here more often than not, I was thinking of getting something with mud guards on the front and back tires. I already got some lights for the bike for safety. Anything else I should consider?

Will you be doing any off road biking? If so, see look into different tire types and shock absorption.

The only thing I advertise whenever someone asks for city commuter bike advice: Get a single speed! Not a fixed gear, just a single speed.

I've been riding single speeds for the last 8 years; I don't think I'll ever want to ride anything else again. Gears break, rattle, and slip out of alignment, chains don't.

Initially I had no idea how riding a single speed would work, I thought it would be tough to start or ride up hills; it's not. Just find the proper gear ratio.

You want simplicity? You want a single speed!

Answer these questions and we could tailor your advice a little better:

1.What do you need to transport, just yourself, you and your lunch, or a laptop and change of clothes? Will you want to take your bike on the transit systems, or leave locked up?
2. How far and how fast do want to go?
3. How much would you budget?
4. What terrain will you be riding on?
5. Will you use it for pleasure, or just commuting? If for pleasure too, does this alter the terrain you would be riding on?
6. How competent or willing are you to learn same basic mechanics?

I don't know how advanced a cyclist you are, though I've had success with following this advice from the forum: If you haven't biked a lot before, just get any old bike for cheap. Then see if you like biking everywhere, and get a posh superbicycle later. The used bike I just got will probably sell on in a year or two for about the same price I got it for. It has wheels, some metal tubes to hold it all together and a variety of cogs, and a steering interface up front. Great! This took all the thinking out of the equation, and to me there is no better equation than one without thinking.

I like hybrids with flat bar handles. You feel like it's kind of a road bike with some speed, but a little more rugged to handle bumps and holes.

SimpleLife wrote:Anything else I should consider?

You should consider proper clothing for rain, snow and cold weather - and have it ready before it rains, snows or gets cold - so that you keep on cycling through all seasons. Once a habit, you just take the bike no matter what.

Under two miles is key. Just get a bike. You won't need gears unless steep hills are on the route.
Fenders are nice. Rain suit is nice. Dry clothes are nice. depends on what level you work at. If you have to "spiff up" ?
A rack and panniers are nice.
1. Wire fold up Panniers: https://www.amazon.com/Wald-Folding-Rea ... B0073TQIOS $12 EACH. 2 REQ.

2. luggage rack https://www.amazon.com/Ventura-Universa ... ggage+rack $12 prox.


picture of my city bike:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGhkB3-LiSW/

I wouldn't think two miles are worth the extra hassles of a bike compared to just walking. Twice I have been wise enough to live within two miles of work and I generally walked. Easier to stay dry and comfortable that way, too.

I ride to and from the bus, but now it's 9 miles in the morning, and generally 18 miles after work except in the winter's darkness where I don't get as much out of the experience. I'm a scenery junky.

enigmaT120 Good Point.
30 to 40 minute walk versus 8 to 12 minutes cycling. And then locking up etc. Probably close to a wash. Using the "KISS" principle, Walk wins.

I would ride 2 miles, just for sheer enjoyment. That said, regularly maintaining and cleaning a bike for such a short distance could be annoying.

I have a 1-2 mile bike commute to work. Despite unlocking/locking it is much faster than walking. I find walking too dull.

I use an old road bike converted to single speed. I can't think of the last time it needed any maintenance.

Mud guards are a must.
But you must know that staying dry while riding in the rain is very difficult.
Also i ride a fixed gear since 3 years. I love it. But in my memories, seattle is quite hilly, so choose an adapted ratio, a go for a unfixed single speed.

Gilberto de Piento wrote:...
I use an old road bike converted to single speed. I can't think of the last time it needed any maintenance.

This!

If one can inflate tires and grease a chain, one can maintain a single speed.
And not only the maintenance itself, but there is no period of irritation either; you know, those weeks where the gears are out of alignment and the bike rattles and does 'flow' right, and you need to get your shit together and fix it. That's gone.

It. Just. Works!

Internally geared hubs (3 speed, 5 speed, etc.) give you most of the simplicity of a single speed but with more versatility.

I'm waiting to find a Rholoff hub equipped bike cheap at Goodwill or a garage sale.

enigmaT120 wrote:I'm waiting to find a Rholoff hub equipped bike cheap at Goodwill or a garage sale.

This is one of my dream finds as well. I saw a rear wheel with a Rholoff for $100 a few weeks ago but a guy had just bought it before I got there. Arrrrggghhh! Some day.

Oh the many ways a bicycle can be useful.

https://aeon.co/videos/the-curious-case ... hotel-room

Yeah it's just over 30 minutes to walk to the train station vs about 10 minutes on a bike. Plus I may need to use the bike from the train station in Seattle to the office.

So we're talking about at least one hour a day difference. The other option is to just use the car which takes about 8 minutes and keeps me dry. Considering such a short commute any 1K beater would suffice, and if it broke down I could walk temporarily until I get another one. I plan on having a car in retirement. I do want to become less reliant on one but it's not an absolute necessity, since where I live it's a lot harder to "live" without a car. I know because I had to do it for a few months and it sucked.

The thing that I like about a bike is that during rush hour I'd actually be better off on a bike than in a car, I get a good workout AND it's a relatively simple and cheap piece of equipment to maintain. I did it as a kid with my bike.

Very very few people have ever managed to have a car that cost less than $250 per month. A $1k bike cost less than $1k, a $1k car cost much much much more than $1k.