My bike got stolen.
My insurance on my condo has a $500 deductible, so no joy there. :mad:
So, a new bike is needed, & advice is called for.
[ul]
[li]Single speed is a must.[/li][li]Rear mounted basket. Large[/li][li]No racing stuff.[/li][li]Wasn’t there something called a hybrid bike?[/li][li]Suggestions, with links & pictures, are welcome.[/li][/ul]
Going to move this over to IMHO.
Do you live on the flats? What kind of riding do you do? How far?
I’m a huge fan of recycling old touring ten-speeds and mountain bikes. Buy an old Trek, Specialized or Diamondback no-suspension bike ($60 around here). Non-vertical dropouts will allow you to adjust chain tension without a derailleur. Find a reasonable gear to fix it in. The chain should be roughly aligned with the chain ring and sprocket. Remove links in chain to fit the gearing. Remove derailleurs and associated hardware. Toss on some narrow slicks if you are entirely on pavement.
Buy a big Wald steel basket.
I’ve got an old touring ten-speed that I’m converting to an around town bike. I’m putting on mountain bike bars, brake levers and shift levers, plus the all important basket! It’s all Campagnolo and looks like hell, but it will be super fast around town. I live on a hill so I’m keeping the gears.
Get a good lock and use it. People will steal anything so don’t take your eye off of it. The type of bike you want is so simple that you don’t need much advice. Find something that fits your size and can be adjusted properly.
Single- speed only.
Rebuilding & mechanical stuff is not fun.
Had a lock.
Didn’t matter.
I’m looking for a bike that is both street-friendly, & good on rough ground, as needed.
What kind of lock were you using? Kryptonite locks are very difficult to break (either the chain or a U-lock). I would avoid using a cable lock.
I ride a basic Raleigh road bike- it came with gears, but it’s very simple to have everything removed- my bike shop did it for free. It’s a tough bike for a road bike. I am able to go over plenty of potholes and crappy streets, have successfully made it over a grassy lawn area- even snow, although that’s not recommended.
My model is from 1981, but presumably they still make similar ones.
My sincere condolences regarding the loss of your bike.
Are you looking for something like a “beach cruiser”? I’m sure any of these could be fitted with rear baskets.
Hey I have a Beach Cruiser the I got from Sun and Ski, it was less than $300, is giant, comfy and a three speed. Just go to any of the bicycle chain stores and look for the orphan last years model or the one with a few scratches. good luck
I actually thought Darryl Lict had a good idea there. I’ve been thinking about getting a single-speed bike, and buying a cheap touring or mountain bike and converting it to single-speed wouldn’t have occurred to me. I’m not mechanically inclined either, but I have a friend who knows about bikes, or I could pay someone to do the tinkering for me.
Just curious, why are you so hard line on single speed?
Used pizza delivery bike? I hear a lot of bike couriers like single speeds for their ease of maintenance.
Are you wanting a motor bike or a pedal bike?
Pedal bike (rarely hear that phrase) Single speed is a bike without multiple chain rings or a derailleur.
Had to push a 10-speed 15 miles once.
Never again.
Update
Ordered a steel-framed Trek cruiser, in silver.
Never had a U lock. Just ordered one for the first time.
Get another lock just in case. See YouTube for videos of Kryptonite locks being opened with a Bic pen.
Yeah ok. That’s why I carry a minimum of a phone and a credit card with me, though I’ve never had a failure like that. Still if you’re not going to be pushing up any hills there’s no need for gears.
Kryptonite. I have 3 of them: a U-lock, an 11-pound chain and a 16-pound chain. I lock the rear wheel and frame to whatever stable thing I’m using with the 16-pounder, the front wheel to the frame with the 11-pounder, and the ulock secures my seat to the frame.
I’m committed to keeping my bike safe from theft because it is my only transportation, I sold my car. I figure 30 pounds of locks and chains and 10 minutes of locking and unlocking are a small price to pay to prevent ever having the horrifying feeling of coming out to find my bike gone. Even so, I still have a little sick feeling every time I look for it where I left it in case it isn’t there.
How does THIS LOOK?