How Do I Get A Bicycle? (part 2 of 2)

(Alex Thompson writes about cycling over, under, around, and sideways of LA)

Last week I began writing about how you can get a bicycle.  I wrote about what one's goals should be in buying their first bicycle as an adult, briefly explained the types of bicycles, and shared my opinion on budgeting for a new bicycle.  In this entry I'll explain the basic options for where one can buy a bicycle in LA, share my opinions as to which are best, and I'll briefly discuss helmets, locks, and lights.

If you've figured out the right size and type of bike, and decided about how much to spend, then you're ready to look for a bicycle.  In LA there are five basic options:

Craigslist: Local and used is the greenest option!  There are a ton of inexpensive bikes available on Craigslist, and most bikes are priced fairly.  However, buyer beware, some of them are a bit run down.  I think this a good option if you don't have a lot of time to invest, and you're looking for something functional and used.  Find a few bikes in the right size and type, and then contact those sellers.

eBay: eBay sellers have a reputation for overpricing their bikes.  On the other hand, the quality of merchandise is very high, high enough that you don't need to worry about being unable to test ride the bike.  However, if you get a bike on eBay it will arrive in a box, so you're going to have to assemble it somehow.  We'll talk about that later.

A local bike shop: Your local bike shop offers instant gratification, at a price.  At most bike shops the lowest priced model will be $250 or $300, so it's easy to blow your budget.  Still, you'll end up with a finished product, all new, and someone to hold responsible if something goes wrong.  If you're cash flow is healthy, and you're short on time, this is a good option.

The Bike Kitchen, Bike Oven, or Bikerowave: There are three organizations in LA known as bike repair collectives.  These are non-profit, all volunteer organizations which teach people how to fix bicycles, and provide them the equipment to do so.  They also usually have "project bikes" which you can buy cheaply, but you will need to do some work on them.  That's ok, depending on which collective you visit you can pay between $5 and $7 an hour to have a volunteer walk you through the repairs.  The Bike Kitchen is in East Hollywood, the Bike Oven is in Highland Park, and Bikerowave is in East Santa Monica.  All three organizations have late evening hours on most weekdays, and daytime hours on the weekend, so you should be able to make it sometime.

Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or garage sales: These are labor intensive options for finding a bike.  However, it's your best chance at finding an insanely cheap bicycle, and the money spent goes to an excellent cause.  The trouble is, while most thrift shops will have at least bicycle for sale, the odds that the bicycle is your size or type of bike you're looking for are low.  So it is almost certain that you will need to go to multiple stores to find a bicycle that works for you.

When you're buying a bicycle it is good to test ride the bike if possible.  If you have a friend who rides bikes, see if they'll come along to inspect the bike.  If you don't, then you should try to inspect it yourself.  Now, I can look at a bike with problems and assess accurately how much work needs to be done, so I'm sometimes willing to take on such a bike.  However, it took me a year of volunteering at Bikerowave to get to that point.  Unless you're bike mechanic (why would you be reading this if you were?) you should not buy a bike with obvious mechanical problems.  There are plenty of used bikes without mechanical problems, so just skip the ones that clearly have issues.

Some mechanical problems should cause you to move on.  Rubbing brakes or a wobbly wheel could mean only a minor repair, but might need a major overhaul.  Find a bike without those.  Lots of rust on any part of the bike other than the chain is a bad sign.  A rusty chain is no big deal, you can easily replace it for $10.  Flat tires are a sign that either the tires are damaged, or that the seller is just too lazy to pump them up.  Either way I'd avoid a bike with flat tires if I was you.

If you don't spot anything obviously wrong, the bike feels ok when you ride it, and it fits your budget and goals, go for it!  No sense being a perfectionist because your goal is to get out and ride it.

Once you have your bike you probably will want to tune it up, or if you bought a bike from eBay you'll need to assemble it.  When you're ready, here are your two options for tune ups or assembly:

Local bike shop: You can go to a bike shop to get your bike tuned up.  This is a good option for people who don't have much free time and can afford to delegate responsibility.  On the Westside the waits to get your bike fixed are sometimes as much as a week.  So, if you plan to ride a lot, like to be self sufficient, or don't have much money, I recommend visiting one of the:

Bike Kitchen, Bike Oven, Bikerowave:  Most of us wouldn't even attempt to do all the maintenance on our cars.  However, this is totally reasonable for bicycles.  With about 10 hours instruction a normal person can learn how to maintain every aspect of their own bike.  That means when you're 10 miles from home on a bike ride and something goes wrong, you have a good chance of being able to fix it.  The Bike Repair Collectives will help you do a tune up or assemble a bike by having a volunteer walk you through the process.  Afterward you'll be much closer to being able to maintain your own machine.  Empowering, and it's all not for profit!

There's three other basics I want to mention.  You should wear a helmet, use a lock, and if you ride at night, ride with lights.  When buying a helmet don't spend more than $40.  Some helmets are displayed as $140, and for some reason people buy them!  Those helmets are for racers who are way too inclined to cut 10 oz of weight by spending money rather than pushing back from the dinner table.  You don't need that - aim for $30, it will still protect your brain just as well.

There are also a wide variety of locks available.  I recommend a U-lock, and I don't recommend spending a lot.  Even U-locks can be broken, but with the low end bike I hope you went for, the lock should offer sufficient disincentive to prevent theft.  Some U-locks come with a cable to help you lock up your wheels as well.  That can be useful, but the best way to prevent wheel theft, or plain old bike theft, on a low end bike is to always lock your bike in a place which is well lit where there are people.

With lights, as with the bike, I recommend getting something affordable that you plan to replace if you enjoy biking.  Lights break, fail, and fall off bikes, so you'll replace them anyway.  However, it's important to have them, since the California Vehicle Code says you must have a front light after dusk, and you should have a rear light to be safe riding at night.  Motorists know just how invisible pedestrians crossing dark streets can be.  Cyclists are the same, so get lit up.  You should be able to get an adequate set of lights, front and rear, for under $40 at most shops, and if you're lucky they'll carry a set for $20-$30.

I hope this is beneficial advice.  Ride safe!

Comments

[jrb]

Alex, I have a question re the bicycle collectives.

After reading the post about hybrid mountain bikes I'm thinking about trading in my Nishiki. Are these bicycle collectives a good place to do this?

Besides getting a moutain bike outfitted for street riding, I'd like to make sure my Nishiki finds a good home.

[skd]

Thanks Alex for these wonderfully informative series of articles on bicycling.

Indeed the idea of spending $1200 or more on a new bicycle should give some pause after watching these videos on bike lock vulnerabilities.

No bike lock is impervious to a well-trained thief. My advice is to lock up your bike close to the entrance of stores, handicapped sign posts are ideal. Demand that businesses install good quality bike racks, especially with the increased gas prices and the emphasis on alternative transportation options. Businesses want your money, regardless of whether you use a car or a bike, make them cater to your needs as a bicycling consumer.

Keep your bike safe!

[Alex Thompson]

jrb,

Most of the riders I know ride road bike, as do I. I just don't recommend them to beginners because it's hard to learn how to handle the bike and learn about LA drivers/streets. If you already have a decent road bike though . . .

Anyhow, trade ins. I know Bikerowave does not do trade ins. I do not know about the Bike Kitchen or Bike Oven, but my guess is they don't.

You could probably sell that Nishiki in an instant on Craigslist.

[jrb]

" If you already have a decent road bike though . . ."

The Nishiki's great. I was thinking about the larger tires a mountain bike has though, and how much better they prolly handle on these poorly maintained streets.

I have to confess that my bike has been sittling idle for a couple of years. I got really paranoid about riding after getting knocked off of it. But I'm starting to miss riding more than my fear of cars, plus I've started gaining too much wieght. Besides, I need get back on it and conquer that fear.

Thanks for the info on the collectives. I didn't know about them until I read your posts. I think it's time I dusted my baby off, greased up the chain, air up the tires, and go check out the Bike Kitchen.

That's the closest one to where I live.

[KateNonymous]

It's probably a good idea to take a look at the streets you're likely to commute on and decide about road v. hybrid/mountain based on conditions. My husband commuted via road bike for years, but when we got married and moved to a new apartment, he decided rather quickly that one of his mountain bikes was better suited to the new route, and he's a very experienced cyclist--recreational, competitive, commuting, mountain, road, you name it. I agree that the hybrid makes more sense for any newbie, but experience will help you determine which tool is best for the specific task.

[Katherine]

Hi Siel,

I started biking to exercise with my dogs (they run alongside me as I pedal furiously to keep up--all of us get tired and they no longer wake me up at 2am!).

Anyway--a major component for me is the seat. I got a nice little bike from Kmart for $75--but it has the worst seat EVER! Not only is it too narrow (bringing to mind that old joke about the nuns and the bicycles!) but it is flat out uncomfortable. After every ride, even on smooth, flat surfaces, and even when I hook my dogs up so they tow me (LOL), I still come out with saddle sores in places not fit to mention in a family newspaper.

Any suggestions? (PS I'm on the East Coast--so getting over to LA to one of your bike shops might be a long commute. Anything online I can check out to prevent future saddle sores?)

Thanks mucho and keep up the great, informative work! I love your blogs! :-)

[Alex Thompson]

Katherine,

It's Siel's blog, but I'm the author of the above.

Re:saddle sores - over time you'll adjust. Whenever I start running again after a long time I get blisters in certain places, which eventually go away and are replaced by calluses.

Same with saddle sores. Eventually the skin gets a little thicker and you're comfortable again. Another thing that helps, which I do for long rides, is spandex. If I'm going out for a long night of social riding I'll wear street clothes but spandex underneath.

Anyhow, if that doesn't help . . . I'm out. Google would be a starting place. Bikeforums.net might also be a good place to go.