I'm having a hard time finding a decent used bike for a reasonable price. ($150ish if you're wondering) However this town is just lousy with crapped out Wal-Mart bikes and super expensive new stuff.
Anyone else have this trouble?
Anyone else buying a bike for the spring?
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jacob
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Might be geography. With a bit of patience, I can usually find a Giant cruiser or and old Trek. I can definitely find ancient Schwinns for that price; good bikes, but around here they're inflated due to the fixie-craze. You gotta act fast for these [underpriced] deals, that is, check craigslist every hour for a few days or set up an RSS alert.
I really enjoy my mountain bikes, which are typically a bit more expensive than cruisers or hybrids (disc brakes, etc..)
That said, I have two bikes that I love (Giant and Gary Fisher) that I got off Craigslist for 350$ and 375$ New they're two to two and a half times that.
I also suggest perusing Craigslist in college towns/areas in about another month or so. Lots of college kids get nice bikes from mummy or daddy and sell them at end of term to have some spending/drinking cash. That's how I got the Giant.
That said, I have two bikes that I love (Giant and Gary Fisher) that I got off Craigslist for 350$ and 375$ New they're two to two and a half times that.
I also suggest perusing Craigslist in college towns/areas in about another month or so. Lots of college kids get nice bikes from mummy or daddy and sell them at end of term to have some spending/drinking cash. That's how I got the Giant.
I'm on the fence. On one hand I want to buy a cheap bike and "prove to myself" that I will ride it so that I can justify buying a quality bike I can use to commute. On the other hand, I should probably just commit to using a quality bike in the first place and save my money for that (instead of buying a junk bike first). Either way, I want to get into cycling this year.
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borisborisboris
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I just bought one last weekend, and did my first commute today (15 miles). I had plenty of options on craigslist as I was in the market for an old road bike, but I am in a large east coast metro area with lots of bike riders.
It seemed like the best deals were on road bikes from the 70s which come with fairly good steel frames. My ~1977 Motobecane cost $180, was in excellent condition, and I know I overpaid for it (which I am okay with as it was purchased from a charity for a fundraiser).
Edit: Also note that depreciation is virtually nothing on a 35 year old bike.
It seemed like the best deals were on road bikes from the 70s which come with fairly good steel frames. My ~1977 Motobecane cost $180, was in excellent condition, and I know I overpaid for it (which I am okay with as it was purchased from a charity for a fundraiser).
Edit: Also note that depreciation is virtually nothing on a 35 year old bike.
A good bike to have for commuting is a mountain bike with smooth tires. The smooth tires will help it feel easier to ride like a regular road bike. Being a mountain bike, it will draw attention to thieves than a fancy bike. It will also take more abuse than a fancy bike, and commuting generally is better on a bike that isn't fussy about abuse.
Since it's a commuter, you may have to leave it unattended sometimes and so you don't want an expensive or desirable bike. If you really do want a fancy bike, then a trick is to turn it into an ugly bike. A good way to do that is to put bumper stickers all over it and then spray paint it with silver or neon paint. It'll look so bad even desperate thieves won't give it the time of day.
Since it's a commuter, you may have to leave it unattended sometimes and so you don't want an expensive or desirable bike. If you really do want a fancy bike, then a trick is to turn it into an ugly bike. A good way to do that is to put bumper stickers all over it and then spray paint it with silver or neon paint. It'll look so bad even desperate thieves won't give it the time of day.
I suspect it's a location issue. Some places you can find decent vintage road bikes (my preferred commuter) for the $100 range no problem. Try a mediumish city where enough people would be selling bikes, but they aren't in demand for actual transportation by many. DH has had two $100ish road bikes that were great for just doing errands around town (the first got destroyed by falling off our friend's car roof rack... twice). I got a really nice early 90s steel bike with campagnolo parts and fancy lugs for $400 which is like a rocket. It rides about the same as a new $2000 carbon bike except for the downtube shifters. Maybe it looks semi-appealing to steal, but I have a u-lock and make sure to always loop it through the back wheel and the frame.
I'm not a fan of mountain bikes as commuters because they're usually heavier than a road bike and I often carry my bike up stairs or escalators (for instance to a friend's apartment or to take the subway). The weight problem is even worse if it has shocks you'll barely be using on city streets. It could be worth it if you want to go off-road occasionally.
I'm not a fan of mountain bikes as commuters because they're usually heavier than a road bike and I often carry my bike up stairs or escalators (for instance to a friend's apartment or to take the subway). The weight problem is even worse if it has shocks you'll barely be using on city streets. It could be worth it if you want to go off-road occasionally.
@Halcyon... you should go ahead and get a decent bike. Since you're buying used, you should be able to sell it for very nearly what you paid - assuming you get a decent price on a 10 yr old bike or so.
I like the mountain bike just for comfort because roads around where I live are terrible. Those narrow road tires and stiff frames are brutal. But S is right... they are indeed heavier and less efficient.
I like the mountain bike just for comfort because roads around where I live are terrible. Those narrow road tires and stiff frames are brutal. But S is right... they are indeed heavier and less efficient.
I don't see many bikes for sale in this area. It used to be that you could find a lot of older Schwinns for very little money, but no more.
My commuter is an old Schwinn 10 speed which I got for $2 at a garage sale, and put about $100 into fixing it up. I have used it for about 5 years and it just keeps rolling with very little maintenance.
I rode it to the store today, for the first time this season, since most of the snow is gone.
My commuter is an old Schwinn 10 speed which I got for $2 at a garage sale, and put about $100 into fixing it up. I have used it for about 5 years and it just keeps rolling with very little maintenance.
I rode it to the store today, for the first time this season, since most of the snow is gone.
In general I try to find things free or nearly free first, and if that fails, I do research and pay whatever it costs to get a durable classic. That goes for bikes. So my advice is, if you can't find something like sky's $2 Schwinn, invest in a high quality bike that fits properly. Quality and fit do make a significant difference that relates to the likelihood that you'll keep biking on an everyday basis.
I actually found a better deal on eBay than craigslist, so there's that.
My preference for an everyday do-all bike is a "road sport" bike, meaning a road bike with eyelets for racks and fenders. Their efficiency advantage over mountain bikes cannot be emphasized enough. Some "touring" bikes look good, though many use more mountain bike parts than I'd like. I'd avoid disc brakes and 10 speed cassettes due to their maintenance needs.
I actually found a better deal on eBay than craigslist, so there's that.
My preference for an everyday do-all bike is a "road sport" bike, meaning a road bike with eyelets for racks and fenders. Their efficiency advantage over mountain bikes cannot be emphasized enough. Some "touring" bikes look good, though many use more mountain bike parts than I'd like. I'd avoid disc brakes and 10 speed cassettes due to their maintenance needs.
Bicycles (and racing) is my one big expensive hobby, so I'm far towards the other extreme than the previous posters.
I bought a new frame this year to replace the frame on my spare racing bike. The old frame was too stiff in the wrong places and was too uncomfortable for long distances. The new frame was was $1,200, which is a reasonable price for buying a new and nearly high-end frame.
There are cheaper alternatives that would've worked as well. It's possible to buy a used Cannondale CAAD9 or 10 for half that (a frame the is nearly as good as any other racing frame), but I found myself spending more time than I wanted looking for one.
I did sell a different and mostly unused bike for $2,000 before buying the new frame.
I really need to total up my cycling-related receipts from last year and previous years, and calculate my hourly cycling cost. I spend a lot of money on cycling stuff, and also a lot of time riding/training. But I can't say for sure right now what my total cycling expenses were, or the hourly cost. I've recently started tracking my spending, so I don't have historical data. I have saved all receipts for the last few years though, and I have my training hours documented pretty well. Maybe I'll post the numbers for a reference of cycling costs for someone who buys new/expensive stuff ($ per mile or hour)
I certainly get a lot of enjoyment out of this hobby. It's also very good for my health, except for a concussion last year
. The countless hours I spend training do make it very unlikely that I spend money for any other hobbies or entertainment, although they do also prevent me from having that time to do activities that save money.
I bought a new frame this year to replace the frame on my spare racing bike. The old frame was too stiff in the wrong places and was too uncomfortable for long distances. The new frame was was $1,200, which is a reasonable price for buying a new and nearly high-end frame.
There are cheaper alternatives that would've worked as well. It's possible to buy a used Cannondale CAAD9 or 10 for half that (a frame the is nearly as good as any other racing frame), but I found myself spending more time than I wanted looking for one.
I did sell a different and mostly unused bike for $2,000 before buying the new frame.
I really need to total up my cycling-related receipts from last year and previous years, and calculate my hourly cycling cost. I spend a lot of money on cycling stuff, and also a lot of time riding/training. But I can't say for sure right now what my total cycling expenses were, or the hourly cost. I've recently started tracking my spending, so I don't have historical data. I have saved all receipts for the last few years though, and I have my training hours documented pretty well. Maybe I'll post the numbers for a reference of cycling costs for someone who buys new/expensive stuff ($ per mile or hour)
I certainly get a lot of enjoyment out of this hobby. It's also very good for my health, except for a concussion last year
. The countless hours I spend training do make it very unlikely that I spend money for any other hobbies or entertainment, although they do also prevent me from having that time to do activities that save money.I've been thinking for a month or two about taking up biking this spring. I'm retired, and so no where to commute to, and most of my daily travel is to/from golf courses, which is not feasible on a bike as I need to be hauling clubs, shoes etc. So I'm a little worried that I'll get a bike, helmet and whatever a minimum set of reasonable gear is (water bottle? panier or basket?), use it a few times and have it clutter up my garage thereafter.
Perhaps some of you more experienced bikers can help me figure out how to give this a proper go? I haven't been on a bike for almost 30 years (42 years old now), so I don't even know what to really look for. Unfortunately I live in a small town, and no one in my circle of friends rides a bike, so no one to go to for advice. It'd be great to buy a used bike, but cheap stuff irritates me, and I'm worried about getting something that doesn't fit and makes my little experiment less likely to succeed. A mid-term goal would be able to bike out to the lake, which is about 15 miles as the Google Earth flies. This is along a combination of (busy) paved and gravel country roads - our region is very flat overall tho. I'm in decent shape for walking golf (about 5 miles per round with a 20+ lb bag over shoulder 2-3 times/week) but crap for cardio, so I'd prob be working up to this a bit.
So, what type of bike should I be looking for? After reading some web sites, I've been thinking of something like the KHS TR101 (http://www.khscanada.com/roadtracktouring/tr101.html) since KHS bikes are sold by our local full-service bike shop. This should be about $1200 or so I'm guessing - don't know how much pedals and such add, and my local bike store is likely to be a fair bit more expensive than anything on the net, but I'm happy to pay the premium if they're able to offer good advice on fitting etc, since I have no clue what I'm doing. Even though I'm unlikely to take off bike-camping, I like the idea of a rack or two to carry lunch out to the lake, maybe some stuff for painting etc.
I checked the Chatham-Kent version of Kijiji.ca (kind of like our hicksville version of Craigslist) and see a few used bikes, but I have no idea how to tell if they will fit well and what measurements can be adjusted and what I'd be stuck with. No touring bikes (not surprising).
Any advice for someone just getting into biking would be appreciated. I've been slowly reading thru some things on the web, and have Effective Cycling coming in my next Amazon order, but I've always been a sponge for advice, so fire away. For instance, what will I need in addition to the bike? I figure a decent helmet and not to buy bike shoes/pedals but instead wear my normal joggers with less efficient pedals to begin with.
Perhaps some of you more experienced bikers can help me figure out how to give this a proper go? I haven't been on a bike for almost 30 years (42 years old now), so I don't even know what to really look for. Unfortunately I live in a small town, and no one in my circle of friends rides a bike, so no one to go to for advice. It'd be great to buy a used bike, but cheap stuff irritates me, and I'm worried about getting something that doesn't fit and makes my little experiment less likely to succeed. A mid-term goal would be able to bike out to the lake, which is about 15 miles as the Google Earth flies. This is along a combination of (busy) paved and gravel country roads - our region is very flat overall tho. I'm in decent shape for walking golf (about 5 miles per round with a 20+ lb bag over shoulder 2-3 times/week) but crap for cardio, so I'd prob be working up to this a bit.
So, what type of bike should I be looking for? After reading some web sites, I've been thinking of something like the KHS TR101 (http://www.khscanada.com/roadtracktouring/tr101.html) since KHS bikes are sold by our local full-service bike shop. This should be about $1200 or so I'm guessing - don't know how much pedals and such add, and my local bike store is likely to be a fair bit more expensive than anything on the net, but I'm happy to pay the premium if they're able to offer good advice on fitting etc, since I have no clue what I'm doing. Even though I'm unlikely to take off bike-camping, I like the idea of a rack or two to carry lunch out to the lake, maybe some stuff for painting etc.
I checked the Chatham-Kent version of Kijiji.ca (kind of like our hicksville version of Craigslist) and see a few used bikes, but I have no idea how to tell if they will fit well and what measurements can be adjusted and what I'd be stuck with. No touring bikes (not surprising).
Any advice for someone just getting into biking would be appreciated. I've been slowly reading thru some things on the web, and have Effective Cycling coming in my next Amazon order, but I've always been a sponge for advice, so fire away. For instance, what will I need in addition to the bike? I figure a decent helmet and not to buy bike shoes/pedals but instead wear my normal joggers with less efficient pedals to begin with.
A good way to find a free bike is to go around residential city neighborhoods on a Sunday afternoon. You'd be surprised how many people try to sell bikes in garage sales, fail to sell them and just resort to leaving them leaning against poles and trees. I have found 4 bikes that way--3 classic 3-speeds and one crappy mountain bike. My neighborhood is a wealth of free stuff left on curbs.
bbbrisco - There are many answers to your questions. I might live in a similar environment as yours, so I can give you my take.
For you, I would look for a 3+ speed internal hub, "comfort" bike. The internal hub is so you don't have to deal with transmission problems. Since you're a non-racing flatlander, you probably won't need the hill climbing depth of a 20 or 30 speed bike.
The KHS you listed above has drop bars. This is great for going fast and for long distances, but many newcomers and older folks don't like them since you need to bend into a more committed stance. This is somewhat adjustable, so if you're sure you want drops long term, a local shop might be able to adjust it to be more comfortable. But consider the stance before you go for drop bars.
I think a lot of people might like bicycling more if they used something along the lines of the Pashly brand. That is, something with less aggressive bars, a nice soft steel frame, internal hub, and sprung seat.
But if you want something used and easy to find just to get started, I'd look for an 80s or 90s mountain bike, ideally with a steel frame without a suspension, but a hardtail could be OK.
For you, I would look for a 3+ speed internal hub, "comfort" bike. The internal hub is so you don't have to deal with transmission problems. Since you're a non-racing flatlander, you probably won't need the hill climbing depth of a 20 or 30 speed bike.
The KHS you listed above has drop bars. This is great for going fast and for long distances, but many newcomers and older folks don't like them since you need to bend into a more committed stance. This is somewhat adjustable, so if you're sure you want drops long term, a local shop might be able to adjust it to be more comfortable. But consider the stance before you go for drop bars.
I think a lot of people might like bicycling more if they used something along the lines of the Pashly brand. That is, something with less aggressive bars, a nice soft steel frame, internal hub, and sprung seat.
But if you want something used and easy to find just to get started, I'd look for an 80s or 90s mountain bike, ideally with a steel frame without a suspension, but a hardtail could be OK.
I've been looking for bikes on craigslist off and on for more than two years, with no luck.
To be fair, I'm like tmiller9909. I like the feel of a quality bike. And I'm probably between one and two sigma from normal in terms of size. So that limits the selection. (Is every bike on craigslist really a medium?)
ebay is a little better, but the prices aren't much better than new, especially considering the work these bikes sometimes need, and the risk of cracked frames on high end bikes.
Maybe all those 5 year old, high end, unusual sized bikes are rotting away in basements somewhere.
Surely someone must be selling a nice, lightly used, 15 pound, carbon frame XC bike out there on craigslist?
To be fair, I'm like tmiller9909. I like the feel of a quality bike. And I'm probably between one and two sigma from normal in terms of size. So that limits the selection. (Is every bike on craigslist really a medium?)
ebay is a little better, but the prices aren't much better than new, especially considering the work these bikes sometimes need, and the risk of cracked frames on high end bikes.
Maybe all those 5 year old, high end, unusual sized bikes are rotting away in basements somewhere.
Surely someone must be selling a nice, lightly used, 15 pound, carbon frame XC bike out there on craigslist?
Thanks for the advice SF Apprentice. I've been reading a ton of stuff on bikes lately, and was all over the place. For a while I did consider a comfort bike, then a lower-end carbon/alu-mix road bike, then back to touring bikes. Today I bit the bullet and placed an order for the KHS TR-101. It was about the cheapest reasonable Touring bike I could find, and my local shop was able to order it, so while I'll pay a bit more I'm happy to do that for my first bike since I needed the fitting advice.
I didn't want to stick with a comfort bike since I really want to be able to get out to the lake for a day trip (lunch, reading on the beach, swimming etc) with a bit of cargo, and that's about a 50 mile round trip, or two 25 mile trips with a long break in between. Not sure how long it will take me to work up to that.
The idea of touring with camping gear really appeals to me - I've been reading a lot of the trip blogs on Crazyguyonabike and will do some short several day camping trips this summer. Luckily, when I was buying my camping gear years ago I went for light-weight backpacking type stuff so most of it should be pretty suitable.
I did keep an eye on the local kijiji.com and craigslist.org, but all the used bikes I saw were either really low-end or else priced quite high (ie 15 years old frames with midrange group sets were going for $700-800). They are out there - The VWVagabonds got their bikes for $30 and $20, but I don't think we have any decent sized 2nd hand markets around here. I will keep my eyes out for cheapo project bikes to screw up as I learn to work on bikes tho.
Now I'm trying to figure out what I need to buy for my initial daily bike training/rides and what I can delay on. I plan on the following so far:
1 helmet
2 water bottles and frame mounts
1 pair of bike shorts (dont want to inflict image of me in these on people but I hear it makes a huge difference in comfort - may wear normal shorts over em)
1 pump and flat fixing kit
1 handle-bar bag (for trips around neighbourhood to hold tools, wallet, phone etc)
1 bag to go on rear rack top (for carring lunch, swim trunks, towel, books and extra water out to lake)
1 pair of cheap flat pedals - bike comes with clipless but I want to stick to normal shoes to begin with
1 light of some sort - LED or something with generator? just in case I mistime ride and get caught coming back in the dusk
1 bike lock - any recommendations?
I figure I'll delay on tools other than the flat fixing kit until I need them. Or should I get spare spokes, spoke wrench, chain tool and lube right away as well?
I think a cycling computer would probably really help me get up to speed and work on that 80 rep cadence, but ones that can do cadence seem quite a bit more money. Anyone had any luck with accessories for an iPhone, or is a dedicated computer the way to go? I'll probably put that off until later this summer once I have some miles under my belt and know exactly what I'm looking for.
I didn't want to stick with a comfort bike since I really want to be able to get out to the lake for a day trip (lunch, reading on the beach, swimming etc) with a bit of cargo, and that's about a 50 mile round trip, or two 25 mile trips with a long break in between. Not sure how long it will take me to work up to that.
The idea of touring with camping gear really appeals to me - I've been reading a lot of the trip blogs on Crazyguyonabike and will do some short several day camping trips this summer. Luckily, when I was buying my camping gear years ago I went for light-weight backpacking type stuff so most of it should be pretty suitable.
I did keep an eye on the local kijiji.com and craigslist.org, but all the used bikes I saw were either really low-end or else priced quite high (ie 15 years old frames with midrange group sets were going for $700-800). They are out there - The VWVagabonds got their bikes for $30 and $20, but I don't think we have any decent sized 2nd hand markets around here. I will keep my eyes out for cheapo project bikes to screw up as I learn to work on bikes tho.
Now I'm trying to figure out what I need to buy for my initial daily bike training/rides and what I can delay on. I plan on the following so far:
1 helmet
2 water bottles and frame mounts
1 pair of bike shorts (dont want to inflict image of me in these on people but I hear it makes a huge difference in comfort - may wear normal shorts over em)
1 pump and flat fixing kit
1 handle-bar bag (for trips around neighbourhood to hold tools, wallet, phone etc)
1 bag to go on rear rack top (for carring lunch, swim trunks, towel, books and extra water out to lake)
1 pair of cheap flat pedals - bike comes with clipless but I want to stick to normal shoes to begin with
1 light of some sort - LED or something with generator? just in case I mistime ride and get caught coming back in the dusk
1 bike lock - any recommendations?
I figure I'll delay on tools other than the flat fixing kit until I need them. Or should I get spare spokes, spoke wrench, chain tool and lube right away as well?
I think a cycling computer would probably really help me get up to speed and work on that 80 rep cadence, but ones that can do cadence seem quite a bit more money. Anyone had any luck with accessories for an iPhone, or is a dedicated computer the way to go? I'll probably put that off until later this summer once I have some miles under my belt and know exactly what I'm looking for.
I'm thinking about investing in a nice bike, but I'm paralyzed by not knowing enough about bikes to make an educated, quality purchase.
Last year I rode a bike found in a dumpster seven days a week, all spring/summer/fall. But the front wheel of this bike was stolen, and it's heavy and slow, and now I'm thinking that rather than fix it up I will take the plunge and get a nice bike. I know I will use it now, and I can store it inside. My budget is maybe $1000, but I would pay up for a quality bike, and I'd be happy to spend less as well.
The bike will be used for commuting and utility stuff like grocery shopping. I will never race on it, and I will rarely take long pleasure rides. I definitely need a rack and fenders.
Where I live (Chicago) is very flat, so I don't need many gears. 1-3 would be fine, but more is okay too. There's lots of stoplights. Chicago is a windy place, but there's a lot of building coverage usually.
My work commute is only 4 miles each way. I don't want to wear bike shoes. I also kind of prefer being upright, and don't really like drop handlebars in the city.
Anyone have some suggestions for my situation? I'd rather buy new, and preferably something pretty mainstream, that I could get fitted for and try out at a bike shop in the city (I'm a normal height, but have a very strange ratio of torso/legs).
For example, if I were looking at a laptop, I'd be looking at Apple/IBM thinkpads. If I were looking at a rice cooker, I'd be sorting the amazon rice cooker category by best sellers and reading reviews. But I have no idea how to start figuring out the best brands/models of commuter bikes...
I like the KHS TR-101 that bbbrisco found, except for the clipless pedals and the drop handlebars.
Last year I rode a bike found in a dumpster seven days a week, all spring/summer/fall. But the front wheel of this bike was stolen, and it's heavy and slow, and now I'm thinking that rather than fix it up I will take the plunge and get a nice bike. I know I will use it now, and I can store it inside. My budget is maybe $1000, but I would pay up for a quality bike, and I'd be happy to spend less as well.
The bike will be used for commuting and utility stuff like grocery shopping. I will never race on it, and I will rarely take long pleasure rides. I definitely need a rack and fenders.
Where I live (Chicago) is very flat, so I don't need many gears. 1-3 would be fine, but more is okay too. There's lots of stoplights. Chicago is a windy place, but there's a lot of building coverage usually.
My work commute is only 4 miles each way. I don't want to wear bike shoes. I also kind of prefer being upright, and don't really like drop handlebars in the city.
Anyone have some suggestions for my situation? I'd rather buy new, and preferably something pretty mainstream, that I could get fitted for and try out at a bike shop in the city (I'm a normal height, but have a very strange ratio of torso/legs).
For example, if I were looking at a laptop, I'd be looking at Apple/IBM thinkpads. If I were looking at a rice cooker, I'd be sorting the amazon rice cooker category by best sellers and reading reviews. But I have no idea how to start figuring out the best brands/models of commuter bikes...
I like the KHS TR-101 that bbbrisco found, except for the clipless pedals and the drop handlebars.
@bbbrisco
Your list looks good, except I would get a set of two lights, front and back, for safety. Keep in mind that some headlights are running lights that are only meant to let people know where you are, while others are strong enough to actually illuminate the road. The magnetos I've seen are built into hubs, so you have to build a whole wheel around them; batteries may be more convenient.
@akratic
IMO fundamentally there are three kinds of bikes: road bikes, mountain bikes, and cruisers. Every other niche is some compromise between those three poles. In general I find multipurpose tools do several things poorly, and focused designs work better, so my advice is:
if you ride...
...on roads: get a road bike
...on mountains/offroad: get a mountain bike
...at a leisurely pace on flat surfaces: get a cruiser
...in multiple ways: buy multiple bikes, they're affordable and compact enough
So if I were you I'd get a road/touring bike, and if the drop handles really annoy you, swap them for flat handlebars.
Actually there aren't very many new, mainstream, road/touring bikes with 105-or-better group sets. The only ones I know of are made by Jamis. One of the latest compromise niches is "urban transit" bikes, e.g. Trek Portland. They aren't to my purist tastes but you might like them. You might also look at Civia, Surly, and Salsa, although they aren't exactly mainstream.
Your list looks good, except I would get a set of two lights, front and back, for safety. Keep in mind that some headlights are running lights that are only meant to let people know where you are, while others are strong enough to actually illuminate the road. The magnetos I've seen are built into hubs, so you have to build a whole wheel around them; batteries may be more convenient.
@akratic
IMO fundamentally there are three kinds of bikes: road bikes, mountain bikes, and cruisers. Every other niche is some compromise between those three poles. In general I find multipurpose tools do several things poorly, and focused designs work better, so my advice is:
if you ride...
...on roads: get a road bike
...on mountains/offroad: get a mountain bike
...at a leisurely pace on flat surfaces: get a cruiser
...in multiple ways: buy multiple bikes, they're affordable and compact enough
So if I were you I'd get a road/touring bike, and if the drop handles really annoy you, swap them for flat handlebars.
Actually there aren't very many new, mainstream, road/touring bikes with 105-or-better group sets. The only ones I know of are made by Jamis. One of the latest compromise niches is "urban transit" bikes, e.g. Trek Portland. They aren't to my purist tastes but you might like them. You might also look at Civia, Surly, and Salsa, although they aren't exactly mainstream.
@KevinW no respect for the BMX riders??
@akratic the benefit of buying a new bike is just like a buying a new car: all new parts for much less than the sum of the individual parts.
You should find a bike that fits your legs (inseam). You can compensate for your torso with varying length stems. Your LBS (Local Bike Shop) should fit you as part of buying a new bike.
It's easy to swap out handlebars and pedals, so don't get hung up on that. Since you want a rack, make sure your frame (rear) and/or fork (front) have eyelets (threaded holes to mount the rack).
There's no one brand for frames. KevinW has a good list. Try out steel and aluminum. I'm pretty sure you don't want carbon fiber. I prefer steel. Check out a bunch of shops and ride a bunch of bikes. Get one that feels fun. I'd recommend avoiding road bikes because it seems like you would rather have sturdy/slower over fast/delicate.
Cyclo-cross frames might interest you too.
@akratic the benefit of buying a new bike is just like a buying a new car: all new parts for much less than the sum of the individual parts.
You should find a bike that fits your legs (inseam). You can compensate for your torso with varying length stems. Your LBS (Local Bike Shop) should fit you as part of buying a new bike.
It's easy to swap out handlebars and pedals, so don't get hung up on that. Since you want a rack, make sure your frame (rear) and/or fork (front) have eyelets (threaded holes to mount the rack).
There's no one brand for frames. KevinW has a good list. Try out steel and aluminum. I'm pretty sure you don't want carbon fiber. I prefer steel. Check out a bunch of shops and ride a bunch of bikes. Get one that feels fun. I'd recommend avoiding road bikes because it seems like you would rather have sturdy/slower over fast/delicate.
Cyclo-cross frames might interest you too.