By Lou Carlozo, Green Dad columnist for dealnewsYou may not be aware of this, but May 12 marked the 17th annual Bike To Work Day. I must admit I missed it, because in Chicago, May 12 still translated to the equivalent of February 12 weather-wise, and I don't bike anywhere when the temperature falls below 60. Brrrr!
But with June upon us, there hardly seems any excuse left not to two-wheel it so long as the roads remain dry and skies clear. And if you’re to believe as reliable a resource as Consumer Reports, you can save more than $1,600 a year in commuting costs, just as the Consumer Reports veteran Kari Weisburgh does (her savings were the basis of that savings estimate). As CR notes, that’s enough money to buy a luxury bike tour for two in Tuscany, airfare included.
As part of my investigation to help you discover the wallet-and-eco friendly benefits of biking, I turned to none other than Evan Holmes (pictured above), a veteran employee of Chicago’s esteemed Village Cycle Center and an avid cyclist himself. Having just finished a 3-hour ride to the Indiana border and back when I collared him, Holmes eagerly dispensed some of his best tips for bike shopping and making the most of your summer riding.
Here’s what he shared, supplemented by my own Green Dad bargain research on bicycle deals, guaranteed to make you feel like the Lance Armstrong of wheel deals.
1) Know your Price Point
In the bike world, prices fluctuate as wildly as anything you’ll see in a product category. You could pay $30 for a used bike at a garage sale, or close to $6,000 for a 2011 carbon-frame Trek Speed Concept 9.5, which doesn’t include pedals, by the way.
"My rule of thumb as a bike salesman and an everyday commuter is to start looking around the $500 price point for a combination of solid frame and durable, lightweight components," Holmes says. "It’ll certainly be worth it in the long run to spend an extra $100 for a bike that will last for 10-15 years with minimal maintenance or replacement parts."
One such deal available now is the Marin Belvadere Hybrid Road Bike from the REI-Outlet for just $420, with $74 shipping (or use site-to-store).
2) Match the Bike to the Terrain
Mountain bikes have big knobby tires ideally suited for negotiating rugged terrain. Racing bikes will sport much slimmer wheels that hug fast, smooth surfaces. Somewhere between the two, and great for many city commuters, hybrid bikes can negotiate the odd pothole with ease.
"Tell a salesperson exactly how you see yourself using your purchase, and you can usually narrow your choices down to two or three solid options," Holmes says. If you can arrange shipping to a store, here’s a great buy on a Diamondback men’s Overdrive 29er mountain bike that will run you $480.
3) Beware the Big-Box Stores
Like purchasing a guitar at Walmart, buying a bike at a big-box store won’t turn out nearly as cheap as it looks because there’s no after-sales maintenance. One secret to making a great bike purchase lies in how the sales team outfits it for you.
"Buying from a bike shop means that even an entry-level bicycle will be professionally assembled, and will come with free tune-ups or service packages," Holmes says. You can find deals from outdoor stores like REI and also local shops, like, well, Village Cycle.
4) Know the Frame Game
Aluminum is lightweight, but notoriously rigid and needs help with shock absorption. Chromoly or steel frames sacrifice lightness but provide a much smoother ride. Then there’s the allure of the sleek carbon frame. "They have more vibration-damping ability than steel and are a fraction of the weight of aluminum frames," Holmes points out.
That said, they’re expensive: "Generally we won’t see a stock carbon bicycle at under $2,000," he says.
Carbon can also be more delicate, so it won’t represent the best choice for a beater bike. But is it fast? Let’s put it this way: How about Tour de France fast?
5) Know (and Compare) your Components
When deciding between two bikes you love equally, forget the paint color for a second and look at the components. A bike that looks cheap in price may also harbor cheapo components, such as shoddy shifters and flimsy wheels.
Shifters are especially key; "For hybrids or mountain bikes, Shimano Deore or SRAM X-5 components are great benchmarks for performance-level, low-maintenance shifting," Holmes says. "For road bikes, Shimano 105 or SRAM Apex is the place to start looking for competition-worthy performance."
Keep in mind that big brands like Trek, Cannondale and Giant can give you the best of price and quality because parts suppliers give them massive discounts. Here’s a dealnews lead to a Cannondale that runs $229 below the lowest price we could find. Did I mention that my last two commuter bikes (including the one I now ride) have been Cannondales? Zip, zip, zip…
6) Learn to Lock
Whether you live in New York City or the sticks, bike theft is, was and always will be a problem. Yet it’s shocking how many people can’t quite match the lock they need to the environment they ride in. For urban areas, choose a secure U-lock, "which most shops will mount onto your frame at no additional charge," Holmes says. In relatively crime-free or quiet environs, a flexible cable lock might do the trick, though no one will scoff at you for using a U-lock there, too.
"Lock to bike racks, parking meters, or other posts that are actually cemented rather than bolted into the ground," Holmes cautions. "Last summer, Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood saw an ingenious string of bike thefts by a group of thieves disguised as city workers in orange vests. They drove a white van from sign post to sign post, unbolted posts from the ground, packed the bikes locked around them into their van, and drove off into the sunset." Boooooooooo!
7) Score some Special Services
Many bike shops stand poised to make the sale by offering you gobs of special services worth hundreds of dollars. These might include tune-ups and flat-tire insurance, and some shops will even offer you a week-long "test drive" if you're gutsy enough to ask.
But that’s the key, Holmes says; If you don’t ask, the salesperson might forget to offer these perks, especially a seasonal employee who’s home from college and new to the job.
8) Don’t Forget the Accessories
Green Dad was taught to ride by his dad (a.k.a. Dad of Green Dad) … but as an adult I had to learn how to ride all over again to brave city traffic and stay out of sand traps. My Jedi Master was then-competitive cyclist (and now ace Reuters reporter) Ross Kerber, who taught me his two rules of riding: "Always use a helmet and always use a helmet."
I’m glad I remembered that imperative when a car sideswiped me in city traffic two years ago and sent me flying 10 feet to the pavement. My helmet got dinged real good, but my skull was just fine. Check out our rundown of bike helmets in the $40 range.
Lights will typically run $30-$60, and a nice rear-mounted rack for hauling your goodies might set you back $50. Of course, some people would also mention the kind of clothing that you can use to ride in cold weather. But as a winter wimp, or maybe even a fall wallflower… well, you know: I can’t enjoy riding once it gets below 60 degrees, no matter how many layers I wear. Shiver...
From the bottom of my bike-riding heart, thank goodness it’s summer.
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