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Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Also, for a quick education in how to safely ride a bike around car traffic I recommend attending one of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition's free safety classes. The full schedule can be found online here: www.ebbc.org/safety.
The objective of these classes is simply to help everyone feel more confident and safe while having fun on a bike, and to help people develop good biking habits through knowledge and shared experience.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Hey jamoline:
It is definitely worth it to get a nice bike from a local shop, as it will be more reliable and comfortable for you to ride. If you get a cheap bike that isn't fun to ride you will more likely give up on it sooner.
As for bike security, I haven't had a bike stolen in the Bay Area for 10 years, once I learned how to lock it properly and started taking some common sense precautions (don't leave the bike locked outside over night, don't leave anything on the bike that can be easily removed, only lock to good bike racks or other secure metal fixtures, etc). Around the East Bay there are also Bikelink secure bike lockers at most BART statons which only cost 3-5¢ per hour. You can get a key card at their website, and it is an amazing value.
For an excellent and hilarious primer in bike locking technique I recommend watching any of the Hal Ruzal videos on youtube. The basics: buy a good lock, write down your bike's serial number, when locking secure the frame and both wheels, and avoid "quick release" seat posts. For super security get a set of "locking skewers" for your bike wheels, and use a heavy duty u-lock to secure the bike frame to the rack.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
I too have been wanting to get back into bicycle commuting but am intimidated by living on an Oakland hill as well as hearing horror stories from bike riders about trying to share the roads with cars. Also, I want comfort, but the vintage cruiser I own ($25 on craigslist!) is too heavy and doesn't have gears. I've been recommended the Suede http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/… and the Simple http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/… by Giant, and retail price for those is around $450 -- significantly less than those models you were eyeing. I'm nervous about spending a lot on a bike when they're so often stolen in the Bay Area, but I hear investing in a good lock is worthwhile.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
wow - i've chatted about this article with many - and a general consensus seems to be that the boyfriend's a bad deal. He needs to put up - or shut up. You seem to have very specific needs and desires in a bike - which is all fine and dandy if you have
1. a whole lot of time and energy for (and the disposition to enjoy) a good old fashioned hunt for your bike, or
2. a decent budget for the bike you love.
If the boy toy wants to get you set up on your next wheels, well that's lovely indeed, but it sounds like he's more interested in critiquing than assisting your search.
Run the numbers in your head - and count how many $50/tanks of gas you've bought while you shopped for your bike. You might decide that a few hundred dollars is well spent if it gets you out riding, enjoying, and driving a whole lot less!
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
My Bike shop is http://www.facebook.com/Changinggearsbikes . I like the staff there and it has a nice DIY feel to it.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
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Re: “A Bike Rack on Every Corner”
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Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
I'm sure your boyfriend is a wonderful man, but don't let him convince you that $650 is too much to spend on a bike. Yes, like almost anything else, you can get a good deal on a used item if you are willing to search and wait. But why wait--go back and ride the Linus and Public bikes and similar and start riding today. For less than the cost of buying alloy wheels on a Honda Civic ( > $1000), you can roll out on a NEW bike today.
Re: “A Protest on Two Wheels”
I loved the Paul Vetter quote.
Hundreds of hours go into organizing this event; from the dozens and dozens of volunteers, the good food and beverages, the efforts to make registration as seemless as it is, to the amazing athletes who have been training for this ride for months.
If you can't ride this year, then please consider joining us at the Capitol.
-Cuts to Education Makes Us Bleed!
Amy Vaughan
Claremont PTA President
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
I had a similiar plight to yours. Shopped on and off over the course of 2 years while occasionally riding the old road bike I had that was very ill-fitting and made my back hurt. After a solid few months of test rides and research last summer, I ended up with a public bike. I'm small (under 5'2") and needed the smoother ride of a steel frame. It ended up being quite expensive, but was the only one I could find that fit my specs without a custom build, which I wasn't about to undertake. I got the M8 and am very happy with my purchase (except it's not the best for carrying up or down stairs). They had a monthly special free rear rack and lock when I got mine. Get on their e-mail list as I think they do a different such offer each month.
Re: “A Protest on Two Wheels”
great article! lots of heart in this group of riders and volunteers
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
p.s. Gotta give some props to the Spoke. The new owners have worked super hard to turn the shop around from a dingy rat's nest of steel and spokes. It's becoming a new community anchor for the dead zone between Temescal and UC Berkeley. They really are super duper and I love that they're right around the corner from my house!
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Go for the bike you fell in love with! The Linus or the Public will get you looks and get you places.
You might also check out the stylie Raleigh roadsters at Bay Area Bikes (http://bayareabikes.com/) on Webster. The Raleigh Superbe is a quality bike. Giv'em a call and see if they have last year's model on sale.
Don't forget to save some cash for a bike lock, a cute bell, a basket (and a helmet, if you're into that kind of thing). If you lock the bike right -- through the frame, cable the wheels or get a set of locking skewers -- and don't leave it in sketchy places like Ashby BART overnight, it's a 90% guarantee you won't lose it.
By the way, you are SO not a gas guzzling outcast. If there's one thing about bike people, it's that we're always on the lookout for our next perfect bike. And you're a gal on the lookout for a bike. That makes you part of the in-crowd, right there. Good luck and hope to see you on the road!
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Enjoyed the article - you are not alone in your plight! Getting into the bike scene via purchasing a bike at a (potentially snooty) bike shop is tough! You might enjoy an old Raleigh 3-speed or a similar Mixte - sorry but I don't know where to find such a thing in the bay area necessarily, but my friend got one in Philly that is awesome, vintage, smooth, and not too attractive to thieves.
Did you not like the Public bike your friend rode? Their frames are hi-ten steel (I think) like the Linus, so not the lightest or best ride but they are stylish and functional commuters, if not a bit expensive.
Here's a blog I made about converting an old steel racing frame into a commuter, along with other snapshots of bikes that might inspire you (and your helpful boyfriend, ahem, to build something suited to your exact needs!) - http://mceuro.blogspot.com/2011/05/jills-p…
Good luck!
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Its too bad you are such a sucker for following shallow fashion trends in your total life.. keep safe withing your hipster parameters and make sure you wear the right uniform.. If you really wanted something good to ride instead of a fashion accesory, you would just buy a Trek 7000 or something like that.. I feel sorry for you.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
Lesson learned? Too confusing/frustrating/difficult to find a bike? Hopefully not. Sundays are notoriously busy for most bike shops, assuming it's when EVERYONE wants to fix/buy a bike. Try a weekday, when someone has time to consult with you. Just as one wouldn't simply walk into a car lot and buy a car without a little research, a bicycle demands the same thoughtful attention. Fit, price point, and utility all needs consideration. Craigslist is extra hassle, trading time=$$. The folks at The Spoke have always been extremely helpful without an ounce of attitude when I've wanted to fix/sell/buy a bike. Heck, they will even sell your bike on consignment! Riding a bike is a thoroughly enjoyable experience well worth any time you invest into finding the right one. Dont despair, car driver, keep your chin up and have a little patience. It's worth it!
Re: “A Protest on Two Wheels”
Thanks for the great article. 2012 will be my third year riding with this group, and each year they become more effective and organized. Donations can be sent to the group as a whole on their website, or to individual riders like me (http://rideforareason.dojiggy.com/DESPERAT…). (sorry for the plug)
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
You should go back to Manifesto and ask about their used bikes. They sell some really excellent, low cost refurbished cycles that are just as good as the new ones but more character. There's also Street Level Cycles at Berkeley's Aquatic Park for cheap but cool used bikes, or Tip Top Bike Shop on Telegraph in Oakland for new bikes but A+++ service.
If you aren't planning on working on a bike yourself and don't have tools then definitely get one at shop. If anything needs fixing or adjusting you can just take it in and they are glad to help, often for free.
Re: “The Benefits of Pasture-Raised Meat”
BENEFITS OF PASTURE-RAISED MEAT:
Here is a list of some of the medical, scientific, and health 'benefits' of red, grassfed, processed, unprocessed, organic, free-range, and pasture-raised meat:
01. Eating Red And Processed Meat Associated With Increased Risk Of Death
"March 24, 2009 — Individuals who eat more red meat and processed meat appear to have a modestly increased risk of death from all causes and also from cancer."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/…
02. NEWS: Dietary Fat Linked To Pancreatic Cancer - SCIENCE DAILY
"June 27, 2009 — High intake of dietary fats from red meat and dairy products was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/…
04. Charred Meat May Increase Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer
"April 22, 2009 — Meat cooked at high temperatures to the point of burning and charring may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/…
05. NEWS: Diet Affects Diversity Of Microbes In Human Gut, And In Turn, Colon Cancer Risk
"April 2, 2009 — A typical Western diet, rich in meat and fats and low in complex carbohydrates, is a recipe for colon cancer"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/…
06. NEWS: Retail Meat Linked to Urinary Tract Infections: Strong New Evidence
January 21, 2010 — Chicken sold in supermarkets, restaurants and other outlets may place people at risk of urinary tract infections, researchers have discovered.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/…
07. NEWS: "Diet rich in red meat doubles breast cancer risk" - UK news
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/14/h…
08. BBC NEWS | Health | "Red meat cancer risk" -BBC
"Eating lots of red meat is linked with DNA damage which raises the risk of bowel cancer"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4662934.…
09. NEWS: Red meat increases risk of death from cancer" -The Globe and Mail
"In contrast, those who ate more white meat have a decreased risk of dying, and in particular of dying from cancer"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/eceRedirect…
11. ACS :: Eating Lots of Red Meat Linked to Colon Cancer" -AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
"People who eat a lot of red meat or processed meats may be raising their risk for colon cancer." -American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/…
12. Vegetable Diet May Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer
"June 4, 2009 — Certain modifications in diet have a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer. Results suggest that a diet low in fat and low in red meat but high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial"
There are more links available, however some site's comment systems dont accept them and thwart having too many links, even though they are all proper. However you can easily and freely google it in order to obtain and see any of these studies and news items yourself.
13. NEWS: RED MEAT SCIENTIFICALLY LINKED TO LIVER CANCER
"Red meat doesn’t have the best reputation, and that reputation may have just gotten worse. New research from the National Institutes of Health AARP Diet and Health study found those who consumed the most red meat and saturated fat were significantly more likely to die from chronic liver disease or develop liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)" -S. Robertson, RD, CDN
14. "Heme Iron From Red Meat may Increase Blood Pressure" - British Medical Journal
"Blood pressure may be affected by dietary iron intake, according to a recent study conducted by Ioanna Tzoulaki at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College London, and colleagues, published in the latest issue of British Medical Journal."
[ALERT! - Heme Iron is damaging, and it is present in ALL red meat. This includes pasture-raised beef. That includes grass-fed beef, it also contains dangerous heme iron. Note that you cannot get away from it, even Organic meat contains heme iron. There is no way to 'cook it out' or 'kill it by cooking it' or 'cutting it out of the meat' or 'buying a kind that doesn't have it' or 'avoiding it by eating raw meat'. It's in raw meat, cooked meat, grassfed meat, etc. Heme iron is an Oxidant. That means it destroys your body's cell DNA. Meat contains heme iron which is a damagin oxidant that can cause DNA damage to a man's cells, and a womans. It's the opposite of the beneficial "anti-oxidants" that you hear talked about being so important everywhere. When you eat meat, you're actually defeating much of the vitamins, berries, plant sources, citrus fruits, and anti-oxidants that extend life. In other words, if you are all concerned about your child's health, and you were feeling great that you were so attentive that you made sure they were eating lots of oranges and getting lots of vitamin C, and then you fed them a piece of grassfed meat (or any meat), you just un-did and negated a portion of the work you just did trying to make sure your child had plenty of anti-oxidants. You just gave them a dose of meat which contains heme-iron which is a potent Mutagenic substance which is now attacking your child's cell DNA, and shortening their potential lifespan. (As a simplified explanation of this, think in your mind of Iron rust. That's oxidation. If your car starts to rust, it corrodes and begins to destroy the very fabric of your car until it eventually adds up to substantial damage, and eventually becomes destroyed and unusable. - Vitamin C, would be like a coat of paint or rust-protectant which is constantly fighting to protect your cherished entity against being damaged, while the heme iron in red meat would be akin to corrosive rust and oxidation working to slowly cause its decay and destroy it. (Vitamin C is NOT found in any piece of meat by the way, meat contains NO Vitamin C, this is why sailors had to bring citrus fruits on ships because meat diets, even with fish, would end in disease and scurvy.) Dubious sites will constantly parrot the phrase heme iron in meat is 'more absorbable' than non-heme iron in plants, as if that is a benefit that makes it better, however that's exactly the problem. Non-heme iron in plants actually turns out to be absorbed at up to 25%, as opposed to merely a touch more 30% for meat, which is slighter than what you may be lead to believe by all these reports of being so much more absorbable, and it has now been confirmed that non-heme plant-based iron can supply huge amounts of iron and in the presence of Vitamin C, the absorbability skyrockets and may even exceed the bioavailability of that in meat, and it has now been shown that the ferritin pathway using plant-based iron is in fact better at preventing iron deficiency anemia as opposed to meat, and plant iron is now being looked at for solving and providing a majority of the world's population with proper amounts of healthy plant-based non-heme iron in fully required nutritional amounts. The iron in meat is mutagenic and causes cell DNA damage. Most people who thought meat was supposedly a good or 'rich' source of iron, don't know this. It's actually severely damaging.]
15. WOMEN WHO EAT MEAT POTENTIALLY RISK CANCER OF THE BREAST"
"In those with breast cancers showing positive hormone receptors there was a marked increase in cancer in those women consuming the most red meat."-Dr. Tim Harlan / Nurses Health Study
16. NEWS: "Red meat doubles rheumatoid arthritis risk"
"Results showed those eating the most red meat had twice the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Patients consuming red meat as well as other types of meat had similar higher risk factors"
-MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
17. British Journal of Cancer: "Vegetarians Less Likely To Develop Cancer Than Meat Eaters"
"In a study of more than 61,000 people, Cancer Research UK scientists from Oxford followed meat eaters and vegetarians for over 12 years, during which 3,350 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer. They found that the risk of being diagnosed with cancers of the stomach, bladder and blood* was lower in vegetarians than in meat eaters."
18. BBC NEWS UK: "Botulism risk sparks meat recall"
"Consumers are warned about the danger of botulism in vacuum-packed meat"
19. MEAT TRADE NEWS: UK - Sausage meat recall - Meat found infected with Bacteria
"18 Nov 2010 -The UK's Food Standards Agency has issued an updated Food Alert for Action. Listeria is a food poisoning bug that can cause serious illness"
THE WASHINGTON POST:
NEWS: "19 MILLION POUNDS OF INFECTED RED MEAT PULLED DUE TO THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH"
"Last month one of the largest food processors in the world, Con Agra, recalled nearly 19 million pounds of ground beef that had been processed at a single plant in Greeley, Colo. It did so at the suggestion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture." It is important to note, that one cannot rest assured that all meat is safe. And it is incorrect to assume that 'the government' has any power over it. Because as shhown in this prime example, the govt "could only suggest a recall because it doesn't have the power to order such a recall and won't until Congress gets the guts to face down the meat-packing industry."-THE WASHINGTON POST
"This particular outbreak of E. coli has stricken at least 47 people in 14 states, and one death in Ohio is listed by the Centers for Disease Control as possibly linked to the ConAgra contamination."
E. coli kills an average of 61 Americans every year and poisons 73,000. "Poisons" is a better word than the common euphemism "sickens." Even folks who survive E. coli have been a lot more than just "sick."
[NOTE: Ecoli comes from meat. Not plants. Ecoli is an 'enteric' bacteria. That means it originates in the gastro-enterological system. In other words, up the rear seat of an animal. Up inside the rectum in the feces. Plants do not generate it. This means that anyone who is tempted to pipe up with claims or reports about 'lettuce' or 'spinach' or 'sprouts' or whatnot, attempting to blame plants is going to be instantly refuted, because in virtually every instance, that ecoli or salmonella on those tomatoes or melons or whatnot has been traced back to animals. Such as pasture raised cattle. Those bacteria cannot generate in plants. So what happened was that some meat-farmer was raising pasture-raised or grassfed beef, and he stepped in it in his pasture, and then he tracked the fecal matter on his boots into the truck he then loaded up with the heads of lettuce or the tomatoes. The cattle farmer contaminated the plants. In another instance, a cattle farmer was using the runoff water filled with urine and fecal matter, from his pasture which was next to his spinach field to water and irrigate the spinach. That is how plants get contaminated with ecoli, it does not come from the plant, it came from animals, usually a meat and livestock farm which allowed feces to contaminate his equipment and got it on all his produce, which he then sold to you and you gave to your child. And remember, animals get sick, and organic means they haven't been even given any anti-biotics either, so that means the animals can now be teeming and rife with bacterial infestations. One of the 'benefits' of organic meat, it doesn't have anti-biotics, but that also means the bacteria have not been eradicated and organic meat can be diseased and contaminated with bacteria.]
THE WASHINGTON POST ALSO NOTED: "The greatest risk is to young children, who have weaker immune systems and who can suffer and die in the most horrible way: bloody diarrhea, [due to brain inflammation, holes often need to be medically drilled in the childrens skulls to relieve pressure on the brain], kidneys that shut down."-The Washington Post. -Some of the 'benefits' of feeding your child pasture-raised meats.
20. "Foot and mouth infected meat still entering UK"
"Infected meat is still smuggled in each year, according to estimates." -NEWSCIENTIST
21. "Excessive meat-eating 'kills 45000 each year' - Health News
"Oct 2010 ... Lowering meat consumption in the UK would prevent about 45000 premature deaths a year, according to a new study"
The impact on health and even potential death is what makes this fundamentally different than merely some trivial discussion of who won "Dancing with the Stars" and who didn't. As you can see, up to 45-THOUSAND actual people's lives were impacted, resulting in their human deaths. And that's just from 1 aspect, and that's only in just the UK. Now imagine the impact in the US, and for all-cause mortality. These are scientific and medical studies, not some wild opinion, these are data. So before one touts the latest 'fad' in some article professing benefits, one should be accountable for the potential impact and effects. There are potentially about 45,000 people out there right now, along with their families and children, who wish they hadn't read an article like this, well, at least they might be able to if they were still alive. These are the data.
Please take note of it. Be aware of the scientific studies and events shown in the News stories and citations above, before you automatically presume and jump on the latest 'fad' in the meat-world. Remember, not only yourself, but it's also your child's life that could depend on it. It's not just you, it's others as well.
Re: “How to Buy a Bike When You Don't Know Jack About Bikes”
My first bike as an adult was an old Schwinn, (steel-frame, 5-speed, 1970's vintage) that I basically inherited from a friend. I got lucky. I still have the bike and love it. It's a good commuter bike for my purposes. It is admittedly quite heavy, but is solid and rides well. I'm not trying to sell you my bike. The point is, don't neglect used bikes as a possibility. Actually, older bikes are often better made than their brand-new equivalents. I would highly recommend getting the bike from an actual shop rather than from Craigslist. And make sure you get a bike that "fits" you well in terms of actual size, as well as your intended use.
Let us all light a candle and have a moment of silence for the late Recycle Bicycle. Sorry that your experience there was not great... but they were a good working-class neighborhood shop. But towards the end of their tenure, there were not actually many bikes for sale there. Most of the bikes in that shop were actually customer bikes being worked on. One thing about bike mechanics is that they will often have a laser-like focus on whatever particular bike is their project of the moment- so if they aren't always outgoing and friendly, try not to take it personal. That laser-focus is good if it's YOUR bike they're working on. (Though, when you're looking to buy a bike, rather than just have one fixed, go to a shop where people have time to help you find the bike that works best for you... service is one of the many things that make shops better than Craigslist.)