I'm looking to get some information on ideas and things to look for when purchasing a bike. I will most likely buy from REI or a local bike shop.

I was looking at drop wing handlebars, shimano 105 group set, disk brake, carbon fiber fork. I'm kind of lost though but I'm doing more research. Any ideas for a good commuter bike? Our streets in San Antonio are rather rough in certain areas so I'm looking for something like a gravel/pavement hybrid.

no, i enjoy my balls

Just got a Giant Cypress that rides great. Its a nice hybrid bike. Definitely want a hybrid bike in that instance where streets can get iffy.

This post was edited by MrBobMarley on Oct 3 2014 09:50am

I wish we had euro streets. America's infrastructure is one big fucking patch on top of a giant fuck up. QQ

The bike I was looking at had marathon tires that were way too think. I'll need to keep looking or buy in parts.

Also aluminum fork. Erk. Need that carbon.

This post was edited by NinjaSushi2 on Oct 3 2014 12:10pm

Get Schwalbe tires. Best bike tires you can buy. Will not get punctured and extremely durable.

Idk not all of america is like that. City I just moved from in MI has beautiful roads and bike paths on every street, along with multiple trails in biking distance. I can imagine Texas has low taxes and hence less money to spend on road repairs and stuff though.

Why are you set on Carbon? They are usually 2x-3x more than an aluminum bike, and the differences are hardly noticeable. I have a size 23 mountain bike, so it's huge and aluminum and it's really light tbh. But if you don't mind spending over $1k on a bike, by all means. My buddy just got a super nice carbon for $2k and he loves it though, but he has been riding for years and is all about bikes. But whatever.

Look on facebook groups as well and craigslist. I got a ~$450 bike for $50 off a biking fb group. Spent an hour tuning it up with the friend i mentioned above, and it's like new.

This post was edited by MrBobMarley on Oct 3 2014 02:10pm

Hey bud. Good to see you again. The bike I was looking at had Schwalbe Marathon tires. Not sure the exact model, etc. Though I do distinctly remember that name.



Texas has idiots in charge of their roads. Colorado has amazing roads. What you said is true too. There are many biker friendly cities but not too many here in Texas. Austin for sure is biker friendly however. I used to live in Pittsburgh and they even had laws protecting bicyclers, etc.

Just a carbon fork to reduce the impact on rough roads, etc. I'm not looking to spend money on a full carbon bike. The aluminum framed bikes I road that didn't have a shock absorber were very rough and it transferred all the force of a speed bump, crack, whatever into the handlebars. I've read gel pad gloves help a lot. Our streets in San Antonio are really embarrassing now that I think about it. (our city is also a billion dollars in debt *facepalm*)

I used to love riding bikes and would go for twenty miles. I want to get back into it so I can lose weight if anything.

Schwalbe marathon tires are excellent

misleading title

How so? I also ride motorcycles if that's what you thought.