NbyNW
04-02-2013, 04:39 PM
Shopping for a new bike ... and the possibilities are dizzying.
So, I've mentioned elsewhere that I wasn't able to bring a bike with me when we moved to London. Well, the daffodils are pushing up and I think I've found someone to take care of the dog for a day a week, which means I might be able to carve out an afternoon a week to ride a bike! But I don't have one ....
But before I run out and plunk down money on that dreamy Pashley I saw in the window, I need to be practical. Would I be limiting myself if I want to do a different kind of riding while we are here? Maybe I should be looking at a hybrid, or a mixte?
We are committed to being here for at least 2+ years. Probably not more than 4, as we feel strongly that we want NBaby to go to school in the US. Right now the kind of riding I think I can expect to do would be leisurely, 5-10 mile rides, with NBaby either in a trailer or in a child seat. I'm leaning towards a child seat because a) a trailer might be tough to maneuver in tight spaces, like at the market, and b) there are a few busy streets we can't avoid, and I worry that a trailer might not be visible to drivers. And a Pashley is attractive because it's heavy, stable, and yes, I'm a sucker for those classic lines. And once I'm no longer porting NBaby everywhere with me, it will make a great errand bike.
Other considerations: we have no garage. Just 5 really tall steps up to our front door, or about a dozen (haven't counted) down a weird, twisty, steep set of steps down our sidewalk access well. So while a heavier bike like the Pashley might be a good idea if I'm going to put a child seat on it, I still need to be able to lift it in and out of the house. Also, there is a hill nearby that I might want to ascend from time to time. It's not terribly steep, but it's about 1/4 mile long. But the reward is a cute little village and high street that has nice bakeries and cafes. Anyway I'm not sure if the Pashley is geared for it. Otherwise cycling around here seems to be pretty much flat. I asked about a test ride at the shop today and they said they don't do test rides anymore because they've had too many bikes stolen. Sad. The guy at the shop actually suggested I test ride elsewhere and then come back to buy from them because they have the best prices. Can you believe it? I told him straight up I didn't think that would be fair to the other shop.
I don't see a lot of people around here on cruisers or town bikes. I see a lot of road bikes and hybrids. But I would bet that most of the cyclists I see are commuters or students. I haven't seen many people at all with a child seat or trailer.
Am I totally off the mark with my thinking? Would I be better served to be looking at a hybrid or mixte?
So, I've mentioned elsewhere that I wasn't able to bring a bike with me when we moved to London. Well, the daffodils are pushing up and I think I've found someone to take care of the dog for a day a week, which means I might be able to carve out an afternoon a week to ride a bike! But I don't have one ....
But before I run out and plunk down money on that dreamy Pashley I saw in the window, I need to be practical. Would I be limiting myself if I want to do a different kind of riding while we are here? Maybe I should be looking at a hybrid, or a mixte?
We are committed to being here for at least 2+ years. Probably not more than 4, as we feel strongly that we want NBaby to go to school in the US. Right now the kind of riding I think I can expect to do would be leisurely, 5-10 mile rides, with NBaby either in a trailer or in a child seat. I'm leaning towards a child seat because a) a trailer might be tough to maneuver in tight spaces, like at the market, and b) there are a few busy streets we can't avoid, and I worry that a trailer might not be visible to drivers. And a Pashley is attractive because it's heavy, stable, and yes, I'm a sucker for those classic lines. And once I'm no longer porting NBaby everywhere with me, it will make a great errand bike.
Other considerations: we have no garage. Just 5 really tall steps up to our front door, or about a dozen (haven't counted) down a weird, twisty, steep set of steps down our sidewalk access well. So while a heavier bike like the Pashley might be a good idea if I'm going to put a child seat on it, I still need to be able to lift it in and out of the house. Also, there is a hill nearby that I might want to ascend from time to time. It's not terribly steep, but it's about 1/4 mile long. But the reward is a cute little village and high street that has nice bakeries and cafes. Anyway I'm not sure if the Pashley is geared for it. Otherwise cycling around here seems to be pretty much flat. I asked about a test ride at the shop today and they said they don't do test rides anymore because they've had too many bikes stolen. Sad. The guy at the shop actually suggested I test ride elsewhere and then come back to buy from them because they have the best prices. Can you believe it? I told him straight up I didn't think that would be fair to the other shop.
I don't see a lot of people around here on cruisers or town bikes. I see a lot of road bikes and hybrids. But I would bet that most of the cyclists I see are commuters or students. I haven't seen many people at all with a child seat or trailer.
Am I totally off the mark with my thinking? Would I be better served to be looking at a hybrid or mixte?