I'd recommend against T-Mobile, Sprint or any other PCS companies for cyclists. Their coverage is spotty to nonexistent out in the sticks where bicycles thrive. In fact, I insist on a phone with analog service, which is still available in a lot more remote areas than GSM or CDMA digital. That limited me to Verizon and the LG VX-5300.

I was actually a happy Cingular customer for years (pre-merger). Yes, their *611 customer service was atrocious at first, but they improved over time, and more to the point, if I had a problem all I really had to do was go to the local phone store, where the agents were helpful and knowledgeable. The only reason I switched to Verizon was because my phone was four years old, I really wanted a new one (it was that or a new battery, plus the infrared modem connection was pretty unwieldy) and Cingular no longer had analog phones.