newbie looking for bike advice (warning: long!)

[echo]

Thanks for the info! I haven't heard of those but will have to look into them. I'm willing to give pretty much anything a shot, if it gets me up on two wheels

[mimitabby]

Echo, if you really want a bike, I think you need to hop on that bus or BART
and go to a bike shop. Think of it as an adventure, a field trip.
Once there, you can see and touch the bikes.
And keep asking questions. Another good way to get an inexpensive bike
is looking on Craigslist.

and here's a whole thread about bikes we found for shorter women

[echo]

Thank you for the thread link, Mimitabby! That's actually exactly what I'm looking for. There are so many bicycle manufacturers out there, I'm completely overwhelmed right now. Narrowing things down a little should help (I hope!).

Thanks!
~e

[Torrilin]

I'm a lot taller than you, so I can't help on bike size.

If you're looking for a car replacement, pretty much any kind of bike that isn't a super-light racing only bike will work. You will want fenders and a rain jacket, so that if it rains your wheels won't get you all muddy and you won't get soaked. You will want a headlight and taillight, so riding in the dark or fog won't be as dangerous. You'll also want reflective tape (for your fenders and helmet), and maybe some more reflectors. You may want a messenger bag, backpack, bike rack, a front basket, a rear basket, or wire or cloth panniers for carrying things.

Helmet and gloves are safety features. A cracked head or roadburned hands are not good. Glasses too, eyeballs are expensive.

If you plan to ride for more than about 20 minutes, you'll want a water bottle and a way to carry it. I keep mine in my backpack.

A lock (or two) so people can't walk off with your bike. A kickstand if your bike didn't come with one. A pump and spare inner tube so that when you get a flat, it's not the end of the world. A mirror can help in traffic.

Most bikes do not come with anywhere *near* what they need to be an effective car replacement. Plan for this in your budget. Depending on the bike you find, you may need to add nearly all these accessories right away.

I'm finding that a backpack I already had is doing fine for grocery duty. It's a bit hot on my back, but livable. I wear glasses, so I didn't need to buy special ones (and if I get tired of blowing dust, I'll start carrying my lab goggles with me). Cheap helmets are just as good as expensive ones at keeping your head intact. A lock is worth a bit of a splurge. Lights and reflectors are also worth a bit of a splurge. Don't go nuts, but a light with lots of LEDs tends to be easier for drivers to see and easier for you to see with.

[Jolt]

I wouldn't necessarily count out the hybrids with step-through frames (but then, maybe I'm a bit biased since I happen to ride one). For riding around town, especially if you do what I've done and attach a plastic crate on top of your rear rack to carry things, it is very practical. (I'm sure that if I had the standard horizontal top tube and had to mount by throwing a leg over the seat, I'd constantly be kicking that crate!!) Ditto to the craigslist suggestions--some quite decent bikes can be found there for good prices; just make sure you've done your research and figured out what you want and what size you need. I got my bike on craigslist after determining that I wanted a hybrid (for around-town riding as well as some riding just for fun and exercise) and educating myself as to what were decent brands as opposed to department-store clunkers. I didn't do as much research on sizing as would probably be recommended, but once I found a bike I was interested in I emailed the seller, told him my height and asked if he thought that bike would fit. Once I got a reply saying that it would probably fit, I went and did a short test ride, and came home with that bike. The fit seems pretty good, now that I've been riding around on it (it's a 15-inch frame, top tube length would be about 49 cm if it were horizontal; I'm 5'2" with a 30-inch inseam). I did have to get a longer seat post to get the proper saddle height, and now the saddle is at about the same height as the handlebars or maybe half an inch lower. Maybe a similar bike would work for you, as it sounds like our height difference is all in the legs which would just be a matter of not jacking up the saddle as high (although if your arms are shorter the reach could still end up being an issue). This bike is a Giant Nutra from I'd say about the mid-90's, in case you happen to find one on craigslist or somewhere else and want to see if it would work for you.