conflicted, stressed, and making this too hard!

[Torrilin]

Accessories:

Are you going to ride in the rain? If yes, you need fenders. Also, a rain jacket.

Are you going to ride in the dark? If yes, you need lights. Also, reflectors and reflective tape. Go nuts.

Are you going to fall? If yes, you need a helmet and gloves. (Everyone falls btw). I'm stalling on gloves some while I figure out what I want out of them.

Are you going to ride for more than 20 minutes at a time? If yes, you need a water bottle and a way to carry it. (This doesn't mean you need to buy a water bottle cage right away... I refill a cheap 20 oz recloseable water bottle and carry it in my backpack)

Are you going to get flats? If yes (and everyone who rides will eventually answer yes) you need a spare inner tube and a way to inflate it.

I tend to forget about safety glasses. I wear regular ones and unless I'm doing serious metal shop or chemical lab stuff, they're usually ok. If you don't wear glasses, at least get *something* to protect your eyes.

All the rest of the accessories can wait til you know what you (and your bike) need.

[northstar]

Hi there!

I had an 05 Giant Cypress DX. It was my first "adult" bike. It was perfect for what I wanted: running errands, riding paved trails, tooling around comfortably. Sadly, some scummy bike thief stole it a couple of weeks ago.

I loved it and miss it. (That being said, I did go and spring for a road bike less than a year after I got the hybrid. But I think both bikes have their purpose. A hybrid will NOT end up being a waste of money if you wind up getting a roadie. The hybrid serves a lot of purposes, well!)

Good luck, and have fun! I hope you get hooked as fast as I did!

[xeney]

That orange Jamis Commuter they have at Bicycle Chef calls out to me every time I walk in the shop. I think that would be an excellent bike trail bike and general commuter. And Bicycle Chef is my favorite local bike shop so I think it is generally a good place to buy.

(The shop owner is giving me hand-me-down baby clothes so I am obligated to plug them, but they really are my favorite shop, they won't ever rip you off, and they seem to be pretty good about matching the bike to the customer. I've never bought a bike from them but my husband has, and they have been building a bike for me this summer using a frame I bought on eBay. They have been very patient with my many changes-of-mind, and it has been a lot of fun choosing components for that bike with them because they are tolerant of my wacky ideas and often make them wackier.)

[Jo-n-NY]

For what it is worth, over the years I went from a Hybrid to Sirrus to regular road bike.

The Sirrus is closer to a road bike and may be a good way to start. I now will use it as my commute and errand bike, so nothing lost.

~ JoAnn

[SactoGal]

That orange Jamis Commuter they have at Bicycle Chef calls out to me every time I walk in the shop. I think that would be an excellent bike trail bike and general commuter. And Bicycle Chef is my favorite local bike shop so I think it is generally a good place to buy.

Thanks for the feedback. It is one of my top contenders ...

I'm also trying to find a bike shop that will support me in my journey and not make me feel like a total spaz when I don't know something. I liked the vibe in the shop.

[SactoGal]

Accessories:

Are you going to ride in the rain? If yes, you need fenders. Also, a rain jacket.

I've got a good "shorter" coat that was too short for walking, so it'll probably work well for riding, it's even a bright yellowish color. I like the idea of fenders regardless ... I do have memories of that splat of mud up the center of my shirt back from riding in damp conditions.

Are you going to ride in the dark? If yes, you need lights. Also, reflectors and reflective tape. Go nuts.

Not sure about this one .. but I would think the reflective items could be good even at dawn and dusk (if I get out at that time ..LOL)

Are you going to fall? If yes, you need a helmet and gloves. (Everyone falls btw). I'm stalling on gloves some while I figure out what I want out of them.

I was planning on a helmet ... is there a brand that's better than others. I understand they all have to pass the same saftety standards, but all they all considered equal? Gloves ... sounds like it's something to learn more about.

Are you going to ride for more than 20 minutes at a time? If yes, you need a water bottle and a way to carry it. (This doesn't mean you need to buy a water bottle cage right away... I refill a cheap 20 oz recloseable water bottle and carry it in my backpack)

Ah ... got lots of bottles from my distance walking ..I think I'm covered, although I do need a way to put them on the bike.

Are you going to get flats? If yes (and everyone who rides will eventually answer yes) you need a spare inner tube and a way to inflate it.

Can I just skip the flat thing? LOL ...

I tend to forget about safety glasses. I wear regular ones and unless I'm doing serious metal shop or chemical lab stuff, they're usually ok. If you don't wear glasses, at least get *something* to protect your eyes.

I've got quite a few pairs of older, prescription sunglasses, I hope they'll do the trick.

All the rest of the accessories can wait til you know what you (and your bike) need.

Thanks for all the info, my husband is going to love the shopping list!

[Torrilin]

Glad I could help. I'd like to skip having more flats, but I know it's not in the cards .

One thing on the lights that may or may not be obvious. Just like on a car, they're not just there so you can see. They're also there so other people can see *you*. I figure if it's a bit rainy or a bit foggy, my bike lights should be on. Visible is good. Batteries are cheap. My life isn't.

I would like a rearview mirror (or two), a horn, and a bell as tools for riding in traffic. The mirror is the biggie, cause I'm finding I have a hard time looking over my shoulder far enough while maintaining a good line on the road. Horn for communicating with cars. "Hey, dude! No crashing into the bike!" Bell for communicating with pedestrians. "Look behind you!" I'm doing bike == car tho, and you might not be.

If you're scared of falling, go practice with a spotter or two. Find a big grassy field or an *empty* parking lot and just take some falls. A quiet cul-de-sac works well too. Try stopping too hard. Try swerving. Turn too tight. Do everything you can think of to lose your seat. Make sure you wear suitable clothes, like sturdy pants with good leg coverage and a long sleeved shirt. Wear your helmet. Wear gloves if you have them. Take breaks if you're scaring yourself silly. Eventually, the falls will stop being scary tho and you'll have learned how to fall.

I did this as a kid, and it has helped me in a lot of near misses. It may have saved my life when a car buzzed me as a teenager and scared me off the road... at a point where there was a 6" drop. I ended up still straddling my bike, with only a bruise to show for it. The other benefit to falling practice is you end up with a much better idea of your limits, and much better balance. You really really really don't want your first fall to happen by accident. It's a good way to get hurt.

[Jolt]

I would like a rearview mirror (or two), a horn, and a bell as tools for riding in traffic. The mirror is the biggie, cause I'm finding I have a hard time looking over my shoulder far enough while maintaining a good line on the road. Horn for communicating with cars. "Hey, dude! No crashing into the bike!" Bell for communicating with pedestrians. "Look behind you!" I'm doing bike == car tho, and you might not be.

With the mirror, make sure you get one that stays in the proper position so it's actually useful. My experience with a handlebar-mounted mirror was that it wasn't worth a hill of beans because it strapped around the bar right where my left hand was..consequently it never stayed put, so I ended up taking it off and have gotten good at doing a look-back so it's not an issue. This may be less of an issue on drop bars; on my group ride yesterday I saw quite a few of the road-bike folks with mirrors and on those bars, you're generally not holding the bar right where the mirror straps on.

[SactoGal]

One thing on the lights that may or may not be obvious. Just like on a car, they're not just there so you can see. They're also there so other people can see *you*. I figure if it's a bit rainy or a bit foggy, my bike lights should be on. Visible is good. Batteries are cheap. My life isn't.

Oh, hadn't thought about it from that perspective. Any lighting systems that are better than others?

I would like a rearview mirror (or two), a horn, and a bell as tools for riding in traffic. The mirror is the biggie, cause I'm finding I have a hard time looking over my shoulder far enough while maintaining a good line on the road. Horn for communicating with cars. "Hey, dude! No crashing into the bike!" Bell for communicating with pedestrians. "Look behind you!" I'm doing bike == car tho, and you might not be.

A woman at one of the bike shops told my husband she would ride around with a whistle in her mouth. It got the attention of drivers better for her than a horn. Sounded like an interesting concept.

If you're scared of falling, go practice with a spotter or two. Find a big grassy field or an *empty* parking lot and just take some falls. A quiet cul-de-sac works well too. Try stopping too hard. Try swerving. Turn too tight. Do everything you can think of to lose your seat. Make sure you wear suitable clothes, like sturdy pants with good leg coverage and a long sleeved shirt. Wear your helmet. Wear gloves if you have them. Take breaks if you're scaring yourself silly. Eventually, the falls will stop being scary tho and you'll have learned how to fall.

Well, I live on a nice quiet cul de sac, and I can see the value in doing what you describe, but it made my ankle with the plate and six screws start aching ... just thinking about falling on purpose. I was such a clutz as a kid, my family nicknamed me "grace".

The other benefit to falling practice is you end up with a much better idea of your limits, and much better balance. You really really really don't want your first fall to happen by accident. It's a good way to get hurt.

Thanks for providing more great info. I appreciate all that people share with me.