Sorry. I’m fortunate enough to have several bike trails close to where I live. So I’n just going to be riding for fun and exercise.
Thanks for all the responses guys. I’m taking down notes.
- Sports glasses.
Bugs and road debris seems to aim right for your eyeballs when you’re on a bike.
:smack::smack::smack:
And I even have a pair of Rx cycling glasses.
I say again::smack::smack::smack:
You chose very well – a versatile hybrid bike in the $400 range from a local bike shop is the way to go.
I wouldn’t bring it up unless the “mandatory helmet” crowd had already pounced – a helmet is not mandatory. In fact, there is no actual evidence that cycling helmets provide any benefit at all. There is much debate. If you don’t want to wear a helmet, just don’t. Riding a bicycle is not a dangerous activity.
A quick, easy read:
What’s wrong with bicycle helmets?
Tons of depth and links to research, if that’s your style:
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/
I don’t wear any bike specific clothing – I dress for the weather and can jump on the bike at a moment’s notice without any special preparation or costume. I never count cadence or push to cut seconds off my time. I ride because it is fun; exercise is a side benefit.
When choosing lights, be aware that in much of Europe flashing / blinking lights are illegal on a bike because people tend to steer toward distractions and plow into what they are looking at.
Glasses of some sort are definitely a good idea – bugs and falling debris are common.
I agree, but it’s not necessary to buy the expensive “sports glasses.” Safety glasses (the kind you find at Home Depot) work just as well. Except when you need sunglasses, in which case regular sunglasses work fine.
If you already wear eyeglasses, that’s sufficient.
Personally I just wear my eyeglasses which has Transitions lenses, and don’t bother with anything else.
I know this is a debate for another thread, but tell that to Richard Branson.
Huh? Did the helmet even hit the ground?
I just got myself a new bike, too. 
I liked pretty much every bike I rode and got a Trek Shift 2 mostly because the customer service was better at that shop.
is there a lock I can buy that can’t be stolen too easily but doesn’t cost a huge amount? 
I’d like to ask about bike lights.
Went to the bike shop, and the cheapest set they had were like $65. Shopped on Amazon, and the most EXPENSIVE set they had were around $30.
I get that brick and mortar stores have to upscale there prices. But damn, a 850 lumens for $27 on Amazon compared to the $149 price tag I saw at the bike shop seemed like a rather large gap. The Amazon deal sounds almost too good to be true. Should I go that route?
That $30 set is most likely Chinese made, the light output is wildly exaggerated and the build quality is poor to dangerously shoddy. There have been house fires and electrocutions caused by such lights. Many more that the charger simply melted.
You will find if you order one, it will almost certainly come in an unmarked package with no indication as to the manufacturer.
Cygolite, Niterider, Light and Motion, Blackburn, Cateye, Planet Bike, Serfas are quality brands with warranties.
These will cost well over $30 but will last for years, put out the advertised brightness and won’t cut out in the middle of a dark ride.
Cygolite Metro 400 Hot Shot USB Combo Light $62
Both lights have multiple light levels and flashing patterns and are plenty bright enough to be seen in daylight.
Which lights to use depends greatly on why you want lights on your bike. Do you want them “to be seen” or do want “to see”?
The brands running coach mentioned all have somewhat inexpensive (but still more expensive than cheap Chinese crap) lights that will work to be seen in traffic.
If you ride at night in areas without street lights it gets a lot more expensive for a good headlight.
I started out with pretty cheap CatEye lights from the bike shop but the headlight turned out to be all but useless for night rides outside of town. After a lot of research I bought a Philips SafeRide (Don’t know how often they go on sale but it was $93 when I bought it three years ago.). It lights up the road about like the headlight on a moped or motor scooter.
I still use the the cheap rear light, but I follow the European style and never set it to blinking – having to relearn how to not steer off course when looking over my shoulder on the bike, as well as a bunch of youtube videos of cars slamming into police cars with lights flashing convinced me that people do indeed tend to steer toward what they are looking at.
The link above to the Branson crash has changed; yesterday it said he was riding after dark and didn’t see the hump in the road that he hit. I suggest he likely wouldn’t have crashed had he had a good headlight.
I live in the land of the perpetually dark and commute to work by bicycle. I typically use two rear red lights: One flashing and one not. Are you saying flashing/blinking red is more dangerous than steady? I always figured it stands out so much so you’ll be seen. I also use two headlights: One steady, one flashing. Any thoughts on that?
Luckily, my morning commute is before most people are awake so there are very few cars on the road…but it only takes one.
It’s been several years since I looked into this so I no longer have links to all the sources I read. I did read extensively on the subject and decided to go with “no blinking”.
Personally, I have been blinded / disoriented by bright flashing headlights on the bike trail. I have felt disoriented and uncertain of what I was seeing (or exactly where it was) when encountering bright flashing bicycle lights on the road while I was driving a car. I am aware of the need to purposefully concentrate on “where I want to go” rather than “what I want to miss” when encountering distractions during any activity that requires steering. Rapidly flashing lights sometimes make me feel queasy and cause me to look away.
There is a lot of dispute regarding flashing lights on bicycles. Did a quick search and found this article which gives a pretty good overview of some of the factors. It also supports my personal choice:
Turble’s article brings-up some good points on lights. I agree the flashing headlights are usually un-necessary in the least, and irritating at worst (especially on a bike trail).
I am not sure about rear flashing (red) lights. I usually keep my red light flashing, but it has me thinking. Why, then, would emergency vehicles have flashing lights (usually red or blue), if they did not somehow aid in visibility?
Anyway, I think the OP is taking the right approach to invest in a decent set of lights.
The crappy Chinese made lights are fine; marketing by high end brands notwithstanding. I’ve never used anything else and ride to work every day. The stuff about fires etc is scaremongering, and is probably little if any more likely to happen with one brand than another. Besides which if you pull these things apart, very often they are on the inside the same internal brand of battery or charger anyway.
A recent test by our independent consumer magazine over here found that the $30 lights were very close to as effective and waterproof as the $150 lights, and in no way were the latter worth it. You could have 3 of the former for $90 and have a working and a spare and another spare at home for the same money.
I’ve been cycling to school, then college, then work for close to 35 years. And I sport ride on the weekends. The amount of high end brand bullshit in cycling is beyond belief. Some LBS do a reasonable job, but a lot are the equivalent of high end fashion stores. You’re paying mucho dinero for a label.
On the path remember to yell out “On your left!” before passing on the left. Otherwise stay to your right.
Careful of gravel or scree or wet pavement on curves. Slow down. The skinnier the wheels the more potential for losing traction there.
If you have not ridden a lighter weight bike before and you try going fast be aware that they really can stop pretty fast if you slam on the brakes … you however may still have some forward velocity. Give yourself some room to stop more slowly.
If wearing clipless shoes (i.e. bike shoes that snap in) practice clipping in and out.
On streets be aware that every parked car potentially could have the driver’s side doors open right in front of you and that drivers are usually looking out for other cars, trucks, and maybe pedestrians. They are not looking for us and therefore often do not see us no matter how much high viz our clothing is and how well we are lit up. Ride defensively and responsibly enough that yo are not one of “those” cyclists that give the rest of us a bad rep.
They aid in drawing attention, and signaling an alarm. That’s useful in emergency situations, but not so good otherwise.
My feeling is that bicyclists should act like, and wish to be treated as, vehicles. So look like a (non-emergency) vehicle. Steady white headlight, tilted slightly down to illuminate the road surface, and steady red tail light. No flashers of any kind.
FWIW I think that article is dang silly. Worrying about triggering a seizure? Really?
Yes if you have a high power mega lumen set of lights then you should be using it to see with and not to be seen by. Aim those suckers down at the road in front of you and flashing defeats the purpose. No need for those on most commuter routes - you can see the road usually fine.
Lower lumen lights, like the more standard up to 100 lumen output front (mine have usually been 40) and much much less on the back, are to be seen by much more than to see with. Flashing IS noticed more (basic psychophysiology - we notice change more than a static stimulus) and extends battery/charge life.
Motorists have a hard time telling where you are with a flashing light? That’s absurd. Once they are aware of you their headlight is on you and unless you are one of those idiots biking in ninja wear on a pitch black road they can see all of you. The job of the light is to make them aware that you are even there (which many are clueless of no matter what).
I wouldn’t. go to an actual bike store, and get a decent brand. It’ll cost you a few hundred (at least) but it won’t be a piece of shit.
years ago, I bought a floor model mountain bike from a chain for $80. I might as well have just set fire to the $80. I couldn’t ride it for more than 15 minutes before the pedal cranks loosened and were flopping around. I went to a bike store and got a Giant, and I’ve beaten the shit out of it for over a decade now and it’s still going.
You might want to read post #7.