Hello. As the title suggests, i am looking for a bike that would be most appropriate for me to commute to and from work. Right now, I have an 70s super cycle 6 speed, but the frame I find super heavy. I’m a big girl already, so it’s hard to gain momentum as it is, and I don’t think the heavy frame is doing me any favours. I like sitting upright while biking and being comfortable that way, but I wish I could go a little bit faster. I live in a relatively flat city so major hills aren’t an issue. The photo I’ve attached is not my exact bike but very similar. What do you recommend?
by VickyVacuum
6 Comments
Weight and height? Budget?
It’s likely that your saddle is too low.
For upright position, a hybrid with flat or even backswept handlebars is probably what you are looking for. Do you have any local bike shops you could go talk to? Do you have a budget in mind?
Upright position and fast are mutually exclusive.
If it’s a flat city, the frame weight won’t make as much of a difference as tire rolling resistance. What tires are you currently using? If they have big knobs like MTB tires, switching to a slick will make you much faster than a lighter frame will.
Find a bike you are comfortable on! This will make you ride it more and biking often makes you better trained and thus faster. After that the right tires for the right surface makes the biggest difference: gravel tires in the city slow you down a lot for example. I would recommend going to a local bike shop that sells second hand bikes and test riding a few different models and styles and see what is most comfortable for you and your riding style and go from there.
I’d reach out to a local Bike Co-Op if you’ve got one. They refurb bikes, may have something affordable to get you started on, and can help you get an idea of what you want/need if you decide to hit up a larger retailer.