# Any knowledgeable bicyclists here? I want to buy a reasonable bike. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847 "2017-07-21T23:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/61 "2017-08-08T17:13:04Z")
He who start helmet argument from false premise in danger of becoming invalid. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/62 "2017-08-08T17:24:50Z")
I see you already got something, but for anyone else, Fuji makes some pretty decent bikes as well. For the most part, what determines whether the bike is good is the weight of the bike, and the components. Those will mostly be Shimano or SRAM on a mountain bike or hybrid. I would be happy with either of those. It’s a good idea to get some tire levers and tubes, and carry them with you. I would practice changing the tubes a few times so that when you have to do it, you can do it well. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/63 "2017-08-08T20:38:37Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Oddly, the number of pre and post law injuries in each group are roughly the same. (Teens go up a bit over roughly even) > Could it be that rather than helmets being directly at fault but relative risk taking in each group hasn’t been affected? > > Really what’s needed is a breakdown of injury _type._ I don’t see a comparison of head injury rates before and after. > > There’s also nothing about cycling safety education. [Here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23071369) [Here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10796827) One of the most common things I see is the idea that cycling education make a bigger difference than merely using a helmet. This argument is, to put it mildly, stupid on the grandest scale possible. As a motorist, defensive driving and education is going to prevent more accidents than every airbag and seat belt on the planet, but it doesn’t stop the government from telling us to buckle up. To say it’s either/or is ridiculous. I’ve been riding city streets for over 35 years and I wear a helmet. I also don’t wear earbuds riding ever, assume every other person on the road is a maniacal moron out to kill me (and keep an eye on them appropriately) and maintain situational awareness. That still didn’t help when I accelerated away from a stop, had my chain snap and send me ass over heels onto the roadway. I came away with a broken helmet and sunglasses and some scuffs on my hands and knees. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/64 "2017-08-08T20:49:01Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I’ve been riding city streets for over 35 years and I wear a helmet. I also don’t wear earbuds riding ever, assume every other person on the road is a maniacal moron out to kill me (and keep an eye on them appropriately) and maintain situational awareness. That still didn’t help when I accelerated away from a stop, had my chain snap and send me ass over heels onto the roadway. I came away with a broken helmet and sunglasses and some scuffs on my hands and knees. YMMV. Better a broken helmet than a broken skull. Which _some_ people are intent on ignoring. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/65 "2017-08-08T21:05:42Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > [Here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23071369) > > [Here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10796827) > > **One of the most common things I see is the idea that cycling education make a bigger difference than merely using a helmet.** This argument is, to put it mildly, stupid on the grandest scale possible. As a motorist, defensive driving and education is going to prevent more accidents than every airbag and seat belt on the planet, but it doesn’t stop the government from telling us to buckle up. To say it’s either/or is ridiculous. > > I’ve been riding city streets for over 35 years and I wear a helmet. I also don’t wear earbuds riding ever, assume every other person on the road is a maniacal moron out to kill me (and keep an eye on them appropriately) and maintain situational awareness. That still didn’t help when I accelerated away from a stop, had my chain snap and send me ass over heels onto the roadway. I came away with a broken helmet and sunglasses and some scuffs on my hands and knees. YMMV. Never said either way. But it’s a factor to consider when comparing statistics. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/66 "2017-08-08T21:18:32Z")
**@swampspruce** Since the Cochrane paper in your second link always shows up in helmet discussions I included a link to a discussion of some of the problems with that paper way back in post #18 of this thread. The Cochrane review has been so thoroughly discredited for so long that: > [@](#): > > In June 2013, US federal agencies The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) decided that they could no longer justify citing the claim by this research that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 85%. The agencies had been challenged under the Data Quality Act to show why they ignored later research, none of which had produced such convincing results. > > Research for the UK Department for Transport had previously decided that the claims made by this research could not be justified. [http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1068.html](http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1068.html) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/67 "2017-08-08T21:21:30Z")
For anyone wondering about me specifically, I do plan on getting a helmet. Although I’m not sure what to do with it if I’m locking the bike up somewhere. I suppose people must carry them around? Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/68 "2017-08-08T21:24:51Z")
Go with a Trek Cruiser, new, aluminum. Get baskets, lights, & a bell. Use the bell. It will make people smile. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/69 "2017-08-08T21:29:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > For anyone wondering about me specifically, I do plan on getting a helmet. Although I’m not sure what to do with it if I’m locking the bike up somewhere. > I suppose people must carry them around? > > Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk That’s what I do. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/70 "2017-08-08T21:33:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > For anyone wondering about me specifically, I do plan on getting a helmet. Although I’m not sure what to do with it if I’m locking the bike up somewhere. > I suppose people must carry them around? > > Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk For some cable locks, you can just run it through one of the vents on the helmet. I often do that. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/71 "2017-08-08T21:52:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > For some cable locks, you can just run it through one of the vents on the helmet. I often do that. I’ve even run u-bolt locks through the strap. Even in sketchier areas, nobody is that interested to steal a used 20 buck helmet with a cut strap. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/72 "2017-08-08T21:59:05Z")
About three weeks ago I was in Keystone Colorado and decided to go downhill mountain biking with my sons, who are 16 and 20. This is the kind of biking where you take the ski lift up and ride down, mostly through the trees but cris-crossing the ski runs. We were getting the full-face bike helmets and body armor (chest, back, shins, and arms). I told my boys that there is research that bike helmets don’t actually help with bike safety, and the thought about why is that people with helmets tend to take more risks. Therefore the way to fight this is to be aware of this tendency so you don’t fall prey to it, while wearing a helmet. Same thing with the body armor - be aware that people see protective gear as making them more invulnerable, and don’t take risks that you wouldn’t take without the gear. Anyway, we came out unscathed. My younger son (who has more bike skills than the older one) and I did several of the black diamond runs, although none of us had ever done downhill before. I think at 56, I was the oldest guy up there. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/73 "2017-08-09T00:59:42Z")
I don’t have any bike buying advice; I bought mine on an utter whim with money I’d not spent on cigarettes. I ride for pleasure in fair weather. Then I got myself a transfer to working closer to home, and I can commute by bike. It is such fun. Buy your bike! Ride it! Wear your geeky helmet with pride! ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/74 "2017-08-09T02:56:12Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > I think Jamis makes a fine bicycle at good price points and used they are bargains. > > The most important thing is to get it sized properly. Even a cm or two of difference can make a drastic change in the comfort of the bike. I came in to mention I’ve got a Jamis and it’s a fine bike. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/75 "2017-08-09T04:03:33Z")
There isn’t a big difference between bike brands. Whatever brand you buy, you get a frame made in Taiwan with standard interfaces for wheels and other parts. Drivetrain components (derailleurs, shifters, cassettes, cranks, etc) are generally made by SRAM or Shimano, and both brands are pretty good. There are more manufacturers for brakes, hubs, rims, handlebars, saddles, seatposts, etc but they are largely interchangeable. So don’t get hung up on the brand name on the frame. If anything, pay more attention to the brand name and the grade for various components. E.g. for Shimano parts for road bikes, Dura Ace \> Ultegra \> 105 \> Tiagra \> Sora. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/76 "2017-08-09T13:14:18Z")
**Turble** , there certainly is room for debate about the effectiveness of bicycle helmets and helmet laws. But you have to grant us that when a new rider is asking for advice, the near ubiquitous recommendation from people is to get and wear a helmet right out of the gate. The same debate is taking place with regards to [helmets for skiing and snowboarding](http://www.npr.org/2014/02/26/282836515/researchers-debate-effectiveness-of-snow-helmets). The trend there is more positive for helmet use: data there is suggesting that speed is more of a factor than the helmet when it comes to serious injury, but helmets help avoid injury to an extent for other accidents. The sad story of [Natasha Richardson](http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/story?id=7119825&page=1), where speed was not an issue and she was not wearing a helmet, is another data point. Cross-country skiers do not wear helmets because the speeds they typically see are about the same as walking or running. I think for the OP, he states he wants a bike for running errands and riding to the pub, etc. I will grant that sort of use a helmet may not be necessary for safety. However, if the OP decides to start cycling for fitness, where increased speeds and longer distances and exposure may be encountered, then a helmet starts to make more sense. For example, if you are riding fast enough to blow a baseball cap off your head, it’s probably better to be wearing a helmet. I fully agree bicycle handling skills, situational awareness, etc. are more likely to increase rider safety than simply wearing a helmet. Anyway, we should not derail this thread with the helmet debate since the OP states he has one anyway. Perhaps a new thread is in order, or maybe **Turble** can submit the question about bicycling helmet effectiveness to the Great Master, Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/77 "2017-08-09T17:09:48Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I’ve even run u-bolt locks through the strap. Even in sketchier areas, nobody is that interested to steal a used 20 buck helmet with a cut strap. Agreed, just run it through the strap - I’ve been locking my helmet that way for 20 years and have never lost one. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/78 "2017-08-09T21:31:57Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > Many states repealed mandatory helmet laws for motorcyclists because 20 to 30 years of insurance statistics showed no clear overall benefit. The insurance companies have no horse in this race. That’s a false statement. States repealed motorcycle helmet laws because of heavy lobbying by the AMA. States that repeal mandatory helmet laws immediately see an increase in deaths as helmet use drops – and that’s been demonstrated time and time again. [https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/calculator/factsheet/mchelmet.html](https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/calculator/factsheet/mchelmet.html) > **[Mich. motorcyclist deaths up after helmet law’s repeal](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2016/06/07/motorcycle-deaths-helmet-law/85581388/)** > > The number of helmetless deaths has climbed 460 percent since 2012 Look, the AMA is a political organization. It gets money from motorcycle riders, many of whom are unaware of exactly what it lobbies for. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847/79 "2017-08-09T21:38:53Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > States that repeal mandatory helmet laws immediately see an increase in deaths as helmet use drops – and that’s been demonstrated time and time again. I linked a cite for Michigan up in post #58. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-knowledgeable-bicyclists-here-i-want-to-buy-a-reasonable-bike/791847.md?page=3)