Need help determining what type of bike to buy

Hi everyone,

I was seasrching google and happened upon team estrogen, GREAT NAME!. I was hoping for a little guidance if possible:

I ride an Electra Cruiser with 2.125 width tires, I ride 8 mile RT to work and go over a couple of hilly areas, actually one area is only 1 block long but I need to get off the bike and walk it up otherwise I'm too sweaty for work.
What can I do to make the ride a lttle easier, should I replace the tires with 1.9 width , this is the thinnest the manufacturer suggest on my rim or just I buy a new bike? I like the look of a cruiser and the upright position is really comfortable. Any suggestions are appreciated"

Thanks!
Sydney Ann

Hi Sydney and welcome to TE. Your Electra cruiser sounds way cool and I bet it's a beauty! Since you are a commuter, you might want to check out the commuting section and see what tips and tricks the commuters can offer.

As for bikes, there are lighter "plush" road bikes as well as commuter bikes that you might want to review. I noticed that when I went from a 21 lb bike to a 17.5 lb bike, I picked up 3 mph more and didn't exert as much effort in acceleration. I also wasn't as pooped out after the ride.

There are TE'ers with much more experience with commuting and it will be interesting to see what they will suggest. :)

Hey Sydney, welcome to TE! I agree with what Sundial is saying, there are some great lighter weight bikes you could look into; but another possibility is to ride that bike more and build up your strength.
If you rode some hills on weekends, you would be surprised how much stronger you'd feel come monday facing that little hill.
I'm doing that very thing today. I went on a very hilly ride yesterday and am looking forward to my home commute hill SHRINKING a little bit. :)

ps yes, lighter weight tires would help; and they don't cost a lot.

Hi,

Thank you for the quick replies!. When I bought the bike last summer ,my husband tried to steer me toward a lighter more commuter friendly bike. I said, NAY, the heavy bike will give me a great workout and it does, but to my suprise I didn't feel like I was building any strength , the hills did not get much easier. I started in July and rode through October, I probably need to add a couple weight training sessions to work my lower body. This year I'll start riding in March after the time change.

Thank you for your suggestions and I'll also check out the commuter section.

Lots of folks clean up at work after a sweaty commute. The fortunate ones have showers at their offices; others clean up pretty nicely in the restroom with the sink and a hairdryer that they keep in their desk. I've done both successfully.

You can always sell your heavy bike and get a lighter one. It's a myth that a heavier bike will make you stronger. A lighter bike will make riding more enjoyable, and so you'll ride more, and then you'll get stronger. Be sure to get a bike that fits properly (a lot more on that throughout these forums--check out New Riders)

Take the time you think you need to spend weight training your lower body and use it to ride instead.
RIDE LOTS!!!

Putting skinnier tires on your cruiser isn't likely to get you much, especially going up hills. You'd definitely be better off with a lighter bike, and one with gears. You can certainly still stick with an upright bike - look for a hybrid style bike. If you like Electra, consider a Townie or an Amsterdam. They come in a variety of models with different gearing choices. Neither of those is going to be an ultra fast racer bike, but they will certainly be easier to get up hills than your cruiser.

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Originally Posted by Sydney

Hi,

Thank you for the quick replies!. When I bought the bike last summer ,my husband tried to steer me toward a lighter more commuter friendly bike. I said, NAY, the heavy bike will give me a great workout and it does......

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In theory it sounds great, but I can't help but wonder if it creates the same effect as wearing ankle weights to run or walk in. I seem to recall reading about a study that determined that people wearing ankle weights (or carrying hand weights) while running or walking did not in the end work out better than those who did not have them. The people without the weights tended to exercise faster and longer than those with the weights. In the end the net fitness effect was moot, but the weight users had more injuries.

Hi,

Interesting comment about the ankle weights, I remember a couple times my ankles getting a litle sore and I just repositioned my foot to take the strain off the ankle and was fine. I also remember the ankle weight study but just did not put it together. last night after work I stopped by the local bike shop and looked at the Amsterda, unfortunately its not much lighter than my Cruiser, but it is a beautiful bike. My eye caught the Trek Soho single speed, it was so light, I could pick it up and easily carry up a flight of stairs if I had to! I'm going back on Satuday to actually ride the bikes, and see which one feels the best.
Thank you for the great advice and I'll post again when I buy the new bike.

I have found that a great, relatively inexpensive but great quality starter bike is the Trek 7.2 FX. I have read of many women that started on this bike, and I keep mine at my parents' house so I can ride it when I visit them. I could totally imagine commuting on it. It is only slightly more aerodynamic compared to your current cruiser, and certainly a bit lighter (although you won't get in the 20-22 lbs range unless you get a road bike).

Good luck and keep on cycling!