Tell me about your bike! Especially if you ride with a babe.

[wellyes]

It's Spring and I want to try cycling! But I'm not in the best shape, and I'd need to bring along my 13-month-old. I'd love advice on what kind of bike to get and where....

- I'm planning on spending closer to $100 than $400. Any tips on whether Walmart, Target, TRU or another store stocks decent-quality bargain bikes?
- Cruisers and comfort bikes look nice, but should I go for something with more gears to help go up hills?
- Do you use a child seat in the front or rear of the bike, and do you like it?
- Any tips on good places to get a deal on accessories - helmets, seats, baskets, etc?

TIA!

[bubbaray]

I gave up my mountain bike a few years back for a hybrid. Has as many gears as my mountain bike did, but a higher headset and handlebars, so I didn't have to crouch down so low....

We use a trailer for the girls -- DH pulls them! I carried them for 9m each, the least he can do is pull them in the trailer, LOL.

I would get a bike at a bike specialty shop, in the end it will save you money.

[elizabethkott]

ITA with getting the bike at an actual bike shop. I got a super cute PINK cruiser at Target last year, and the amount of money I wound up paying an actual bike shop to tune it up, attach the toddler seat, etc. I think I would have been better off just buying directly from them to begin with.

[KrisM]

I have a comfort bike, which is similar to a hybrid. The handle bars are higher and I sit more upright. It's really comfy and I used to be able to go 30 miles easily. I am excited to get out the bike trailer and ride again this summer. DS1 can ride with me and I'll have the others in the trailer. I imagine once DD can ride with us, I'll get a seat for the bike instead of using the trailer.

[MontrealMum]

I would get a bike at a bike specialty shop, in the end it will save you money.

:yeahthat:
Right now, DH does all the pulling too, but I expect that I will be taking DS out of daycare 1 or 2x a week since I'm no longer in school or working ft at this point, and I will be pulling him on my bike. Stay tuned for the b$%ching post on the first time out-of-shape me tries that one!

My advice would be: get gears, they help with hills or even slight inclines, get a comfy seat (saddle) as in, consider switching the seat that the bike comes with out for something else; and even though mountain bikes or hybrids are popular...changing their usual knobbly tires out for slicks can gain you a few K less resistance ;)

Nashbar.com is a cyclist's website, and they have sales all.the.time - check it out for shorts, gloves etc. Their store brand is nice for recreational cyclists. LLB has some stuff too. For myself, I would probably get a helmet at Nashbar only because I know what fits me, but if you are not used to cycling, I would probably get a helmet in person because trying it on might be very important. My mom,, for example, has a super-small head and would really need to try something on in person. There are lots of good brands though, some that come to mind are: Bell, Specialized, Louis Garneau...

[tylersmama]

I have a road bike (I do triathlons) so I can't really help with that, but I recommend trying to get a trailer over a child seat. The trailer is just so much safer, especially with a helmet for your DC. The child seats can be distracting and upset your balance. Not to mention that if you DO happen to crash, if DC is in a trailer, they're fine, whereas if they're in a child seat, they crash with you.

If you check your local craigslist, you can probably find a good deal on a used trailer. You can spend a lot of money on a really nice one, but you don't have to. A cheaper Schwinn trailer will do the trick just as well as the more expensive Chariots (which I have and love) and Burleys.

Giro makes an adjustable infant-sized helmet. DS has been wearing his for two years now (since he was not-quite-one) and still hasn't outgrown it.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I would get a gently used bike-shop quality bike on CL over a $100 Target bike any day. SO much more comfy and convenient. I'd get fitted and do some test riding to see what you like. I LOVE my Cannondale, but I've been pg or recovering so much lately it hasn't gotten much action, and DH usually pulls/carries DC on his bike for that reason.

[o_mom]

I have a Specialized mountain bike that I've had for 10 years and still going strong. Like a PP said, swap out the knobbys for some road tires to lower the resistance. There are some lower end bike shop brands that are still a step up from Target, etc. but don't cost and arm and a leg. Specialized and Giant both make lower priced models, for example. Shop for previous model year and some places have trade-ins that can be a great value.

We have a CoPilot Limo child seat and an Instep trailer. The seat vs. trailer debate is a long one. For most people, on suburban roads and bike trails, the trailer is going to be a better choice. In urban areas or if you share the road with a lot of traffic, the seat can be better for visibility and space reasons. Most women also prefer the trailer because the seat requires some upper body strength to balance. When we take all three I pull the trailer and DH has the seat.

[SASM]

We bought the LL Bean Acadia Cruiser last year during a sale. Yesterday was the first time that I actually rode it. I liked it although it shifted a little slow (I think that it has about 21 gears). I prefer my Cannondale, which was stolen about 14 years ago...still mourning. :( We have a bike trailer on the back for both DDs and it worked GREAT! Good luck and have fun picking it out.

[JdrKuhnert]

I also recommend checking out a bike specialty shop first to see what fits and what you like. They may even have a quality used bike. Growing up, that is how my parents bought us bikes. Gears are important if you live in a hilly environment. Bicycle weight can also be an issue. My bike is heavy, which makes it difficult to carry up the stairs from the cellar where it is stored.
We use bike seats for our boys. My husband and I each have a seat attached to our bikes. I have the Britax Roemer Comfort and my husband has the Kettler Teddy bike seat. The Teddy is nice because it has storage room and the Britax reclines. DS1 always seems to fall asleep on the bike. Each of my boys wears a helmet. I haven't had problems balancing the bike even with a fully loaded basket in front and heavy toddler in back.
A front basket is also good for carrying little things. DS2 does not like it when I wear a backpack with him in the seat. He hits me and the bag the entire time. I can't use the saddle bags on the back because they interfere with the bicycle seat.
With number 3 on the way we are looking for a Dutch bike (bakfiets) so that I can transport all 3.

[KBecks]

I am thinking of sending DH to Jim the bike guy who has a lot of bike listings on CL for under $100. I think he's a guy who tinkers and fixes up bikes, and I think it's kind of cool.

[Jen841]

Mountain Bike #1 I just bought b/c of price.... rode it by hated it for years.
Mountain Bike #2 I love... bought a Trek at a bike store that was made for women. They really grilled me on what I wanted to do with it (ride around Chicago and some rails to trails)

Gear... helmets we bought and got fitted at Performance
We have a co-pilot seat - opted for the seat when we were living in the city b/c it would be a smoother ride we expected b/c we would be going on some sidewalks and trails. We we did the burbs we got a used trailer at a garage sale. I perfer that for smooth surfaces and I think it is more comfortable. IMO the trailer has the longer life.

We also got a co-rider

Items to think about...
Storage (do you have room for a trailer)
Transportation (if you need to can you transport a bike and trailer)

[trales]

We took our bikes out yesterday with DD. Mine is now a single speed since the gear shifters no longer work. I did 5 miles including hills with no shifting.

I am debating spending money to fix it up and get new road tires, shifters ect or getting a new bike. It is old and heavy, it was my high school grad present, but it is a really good bike. I think it will run about 150-200 to fix.

I carried DD around in a Co-pilot on the back. She loved it.

[ladysoapmaker]

I've using the same bike I've had since 9th grade. It's a Schwinn from before the changes the way they make their bikes. for riding with the baby I would recommend a trailer or a seat that fits over the cross bar/handlebars. I would not get a seat that goes over the back tire, it causes the bikes center of gravity to shift and it's harder to control the bike. And it's harder to get onto the bike.

I would like to replace my trailer and the bike seat with a new seat that's in front and one of the kid's bikes that attach to the parent's bikes. that way I can go on longer trips with my kids and the 5yr doesn't have to do as much work. Besides she petals to slow. *grin*