On the cycling message boards I frequent, the consensus is that kevlar does reduce the risk of flats. But it doesn’t eliminiate the risk so you should still be prepared to fix a flat.
An alternative is the Airfree Tire which is filled with urethane foam rather than air. It’s heavier and slower than regular tires but according to the reviews I’ve read, this particular brand is far better than other solid tyres marketed in the past. The extra weight is offset by the fact that you don’t have to carry a repair kit and pump.
A few more tools can come in handy. My standard kit for bike riding consists of: spare tube, tire patch kit (including tire levers), Topeak Road Morph pump, a Topeak Alien multi-tool, and a cell phone. I’m very impressed by these two Topeak products. The Alien has everything you can ever need, including nipple wrenches and chain tool. It’s well thought out - for example, the tool separates into two halves, and each half is held together by a different type of bolt. The tool needed to tighten each bolt is on the other half. The Road Morph has a short foot peg and air hose so it can be used as a mini floor pump. It can easily pump to 120 psi. For a long time it was the only pump I owned, and used it at home as well as on the road.
I have to disagree with Joe K’s advice of “If you can only have one light, make it a rear one.” I say don’t ride at all unless you have both front and rear lights.
Someone mentioned recumbents. I don’t advocate it for everyone but for some people it results in a more comfortable and fun trip. I talked about them in more detail on the Ask the Recumbent Rider if you are curious.
Well I finally did it and bought a bike! On Saturday, I went for this nice-looking model which seemed to fit the bil, but also went for the following goodies:
Rear rack
Fenders/muguards
Kevlar tire-liners
front and rear lights
combination lock
Under-seat pack
bottle cage
mini-pump
wedge-pack
punture repair kit
spare inner tube
tyre levers
multi-tool
All of the above cost me £325 total, and the bike looks totally sexy. I feel I got a pretty good deal, and I’ve been out riding for short stints over the past few days. Man, is my ass sore! I’d considered getting a more comfortable gel-filled saddle, but thought it would be best to wait and see if I got used to this one first…
I seriously uderestimated just how out of shape I am, so I’ll definitely have to work my way up to that big commute. I haven’t bought any panniers yet, but will definitely be doing so before I take any big trips. All I have to do now is keep at it and build up my fitness. And learn how to fix a flat…
Thanks for all the advice guys, I’ll keep you all updated on “The on-going adventures of a novice cyclist” in a future thread. Watch this space! Finaly, any of you know any good Cycling related sites I can check out?
Congrats!! Bibliovore, that’s a good looking steed, and you’ve kitted it out well. Welcome to the cycling/commuter 'hood! Here’s a few sites to help you out:
Good on you for doing something so positive, Bibliovore. It definitely should improve your romantic prospects - if only you were female and gay…
Where will you be commuting to? I have ridden to London a few times, 20 miles from here, and it was quite easy. I stuck to the b-roads, so it was flat, roomy, smooth, with few stops, and only took about an hour and fifteen minutes, even on my old clunky bike. The city is pretty easy to cycle through too, but the West End is madness. If you haven’t got any gloves yet, do so, because even at this time of year the winds as you speed along can freeze those exposed fingers.
I’d considered getting a more comfortable gel-filled saddle, but thought it would be best to wait and see if I got used to this one first…