Happy birthday and GOOD for you! You seem to have the perfect setup to start bike-commuting--manageable distance, plus lockers, showers, rack at work--what else could you ask for? Oh yeah, a bike.
As someone who did NOT start out on a hybrid, I'd suggest seeing if you can find a touring bike to start on. Touring bikes are road bikes, not hybrids, but they generally offer greater durability and comfort than road bikes that are built more for speed. The glitch is that most bike manufacturers offer lots of fast bikes and hybrid bikes and mountain bikes, but usually only one or two touring models, if that. So this will take a little research, but I think will be worth it in the long run. A good tourer will take you through your commute on the weekdays, into fitness rides on the weekends, and even into beginning club rides.
Do some reading, research, and educate yourself so you can shop wisely. Make sure you go to a shop that will spend some time fitting you properly.
And definitely post back and let us know what you get and how you're doing. Welcome aboard!
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09-26-2006, 10:28 AM #1
Crone on Wheels
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- Aug 2005
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Bad JuJu: Team TE Bianchista
"The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress." -Roth
Read my blog: Works in Progress
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09-26-2006, 11:37 AM #2
Registered User
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- Jun 2006
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heavy duty wheels
Ive been meaning to ask the ladies of the forum this very same question myself, so I can only offer advice of the don't-do-what-I-did variety. I am not quite as tall as you are and am a bit heavier, and had experienced a problem with spokes breaking on my DiamondBack hybrid once I began consistently riding more than 75 miles per week. I'm guessing that means a road bike would be out of the question- in my case anyway. The first repair shop assured me that my weight was not an issue since it was a hybrid bike, and hybrid bikes are supposedly designed to withstand tremendous forces. Perhaps they were being diplomatic. The second time it happened, I limped back to a bike shop quite luckily located near the trail I was riding and was told that I needed a much more sturdy wheel, and they produced a nice hand built, double walled mountain bike wheel and popped that sucker on right then and there. I've ridden 500 miles on it with nary a problem. So definitely spend a little extra making sure your back wheel is nice and sturdy.
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