best commuter bike ~ $1000

[archaeopteryx]

Hello brains trust,

I'm looking for a commuter bike for around $1000. I'm not a cyclist, ie haven't ridden except the odd occasion since I was a kid. I've just started a new job, and the commute is a bit tricky - I have to drop off my two young kids at daycare, drive to the station, catch two trains and then walk 20 mins to my work. This takes an hour. As I'm not superfit, and don't have any experience riding on the road, I'd like to get a bike that is suitable to take on the train so I can gradually build up to riding all the way from the station to work (about 10km).

So my wishlist is -
- reasonably light weight
- sturdy enough for commuter use
- reasonably comfortable
- gears
- built in lights
- easy to get in and out of the car, given that I have 2 car seats and can't fold the back seat down.

Because I need to take it on the train, which is pretty busy, I've thought about getting a folding bike. So do you think it is better to get a folding bike, given they are generally heavier and more expensive, or should I get a lighter, non-folding bike that I can easily hoik up stairs?? I'm a 178cm female so I want something fairly light.

Any suggestions??
-

[DavidS]

I don't think you can get a bike in a car with the back seats up, no matter how big the car. I used to take my kid to childcare and leave the car there and ride the rest of the way. I had a bike carrier I could easily remove and dump in the back of the car. I suppose a folding bike would fit in the back of a car but there are a lot of trade offs, they're not light as far as I know.

Taking the bike on a train could be problematic too, they're pretty large and unwieldy in a crowded train.

Just thinking, is there a way to store the bike at the point where you start riding and is there somewhere at work you can park without dragging a bike up stairs? Could be a combination of solutions which would work.

DS

[Ivanerrol]

I.M.H.O.
I was in a very similar situation as yourself up to a year ago.
The most direct route from my house to work is 10K's.
When you get somewhat fit this is not very far on a bike.
It wont take you long to get somewhat fit.
You may even find that you eventually leave your car at the kids daycare and ride directly from there.

You can get clip on bike racks that go on the boot of a car. I don't have one of these but others may chime in and give you the practicality of these things.

I.M.H.O. get a Flat bar road bike with the ability to fit fenders and possibly a carrier rack on the rear.
There are plenty of good Flat bar roadies available at your local bike shops for under $1,000.00.
I started out with a hybrid bike - didn't take long to convert to a flat bar roadie.
If you have some mechanical aptitude and can work on the bike yourself there are plenty of second hand bikes on the usual sites.

I lost 15 kilos in the first three months of riding to work. The hills get smaller as you lose weight.

When I first started bike commuting it would take me 45 - 50 minutes to do the 10k's, now on a good day 25 -35 minutes depending on wind.

I live across the road from a rail station. The train stops 150 meters away from my office door. The bike is faster.
The bike is faster than the car except if there is zero traffic on the road and all the lights are green.

If you are less than fit, learn to breathe properly it makes an amazing difference.