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Do you have a bike at the minute?

I'm sure you're aware that buying a bike from Amazon maybe isn't ideal for a few reasons, but if you're confident enough to assemble it and keep it maintained yourself then there are a few "not terrible" options. This is probably one of the better deals:

http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Insight-Flat-Road-Bike/dp/B017TEZORS/

Diamondback are a reasonably big name manufacturer, and they do make some good bikes. Disc brakes could come in useful, and the cr-mo fork should be good for comfort.

Or there's this, which is similar but with hi ten forks (generally a bit less comfortable) and V brakes:

http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Bicycles-Complete-Performance-Metallic/dp/B0132I8YQS/

Bit of a wildcard, I don't tend to like suggesting single speeds but a full cr-mo frame should be solid and comfortable, and the drop bars can help with comfort on longer rides:

http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Single-Speed-Cyclocross-Bike-49/dp/B00F52JWPC/

Whatever you get, I'd probably consider putting some wider tyres on it to start out with. Might need to see it first to check the tyre clearances, but most hybrids are pretty generous and can generally take somewhere around max 38-45c tyres. A wider tyre will have more air in it to support a heavier rider, helping to protect the rest of the bike, make it more comfortable and give it better performance off road.

First of all, know your bike size. I like Surly's rough guide, and they suggest you'd need about a 52 to 56 cm/medium sized bike as measured horizontally from the head tube (where the front wheel forks rotate) to the seat tube. Mountain bikes often measure the seat tube instead, so you'd be looking at a 17 to 19 inch mountain bike. This pretty much rules out the Fuji, which is too big, and the Trek, Giant OCR, and the Jamis, which are too small.

Since you're going to school, have you considered how you're going to carry your books or laptop? If you feel comfortable with a backpack, then great! but if not, a rack like the Trek has might be a good investment.

You'll also need to maintain this bike well, so get a nice chain cleaner and some dry lubricant. You don't want to one day find the chain falling off when your all the gear teeth are ground off!

Also, get a bike lock and learn how to lock up your bike! I'm not sure what is worse: losing your bike, or losing the wheels because you didn't lock it up right.

The front suspension on the Raleigh is cool, but a good "fitness hybrid" like the Jamis would be just as comfortable on the street and more fun to ride, too.

Do you ever plan on longer rides? In that case, the better aerodynamics of the Giant's drop bars would come in handy.

If you think you can handle the hills without changing gear, then a fixie like the Fuji would be the easiest to maintain and the lightest. No derailleurs or shifters to worry about!

You could certainly get the Giant Escape, but you can certainly find a better used bike. It's "Tourney" derailleurs are Shimano's light-duty components. For comparison, the Giant OCR has better "Sora" components for less money because it's used.

TL;DR: Keep looking. If you absolutely had to take one of these bikes, take the bike that would most likely fit, the Raleigh, and use the money saved to get a rack for your books, a cleaning kit, and a good bike lock.

Truth is that you can replace almost any component on a bike, they are relatively simple machines. With the right tools disassembling a bike is pretty straightforward. The issue is how much money would an upgrade cost vs the difference you notice.

On this level of bike I would primarily optimize for comfort. The saddle and grips should be comfortable for you for whatever type of riding you prefer. The tire size and tread should match the terrain you ride. For example knobby mountain tires will be noisy and inefficient for street riding, high pressure road tires would be uncomfortable on rough terrain.

For a commuter bike you'll want to accessorize. Get a rack to carry your bag, get lights for night riding, get fenders if it rains a lot where you live.

Performance wise the only thing I would change on a bike like the 7.1FX is the brake pads. At least with my hybrid the pads were miserable, especially in wet weather. They would gather aluminum dust in little holes and scratch my rim. I got these: http://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Bicycle-Threaded-Salmon/dp/B000BMT2GU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411934931&sr=8-1&keywords=kool+stop+salmon brakes and I never had to worry about cleaning out the pads again.

If you end up doing a lot of biking (like 500-1000 miles a year), you may want to consider clipless pedals and shoes. This is a pretty common upgrade that makes your pedaling more efficient and will transfer to any newer bike.

There are maintenance items that you will likely have to replace or repair based on wear such as chains (1000 miles, or have wear measured by a chain tool), rear cassettes (should be after like 4-6000 miles if you replaced your chains on time, wheels (whenever spokes start popping and it can't be trued anymore), crankset/chainrings (probably unlikely, but maybe after 10k miles?).

I like to upgrade as things break, replace it with a higher quality component. I feel like this makes more sense financially than repairing something that already functions well.

Sounds to me like you'll be after either a cyclocross/gravel grinder bike or a commuter. Both styles have clearance for wide 700c tires and (usually) mount points for racks and fenders, which are invaluable commuting accessories. The cyclocross/gravel bikes have drop (road style) bars, while the commuters have flat (mountain style) bars. Both are equally at home on pavement or gravel roads, but will struggle with true mountain biking.

Here are a bunch of new commuter bikes for ~$500:

• Kona Dew
  
  
• Trek 7.1 FX
  
  
• Scott Sub 40
  
  
• Giant Escape 2
  
  
• Specialized Sirrus
  
  
• Cannondale Quick 6
  
  
• GT Traffic 2.0
  
  
• Diamondback Insight 2
  
  Most of these can be had with better components for a few hundred more.
  
  Cyclocross/gravel bikes:
  
  
• Surly Cross-Check
  
  
• Surly Straggler
  
  
• Niner RLT 9
  
  
• Kona Jake/Jake the Snake
  
  
• Specialized Tricross Series
  
  
• Trek Crossrip Series
  
  Of all those, the one I'd be most likely to buy is the Straggler.
  
  Another thing I'd recommend investing in is clipless pedals. For rides of more than a few miles they make a huge difference. These are what I use on my commuter because they allow use with bike or street shoes.

Finally, something I can answer:

I have two books in my repertoire:

Bike Science 3rd Ed. - This breaks down the physics of what's happening. It goes in depth about materials, history, really everything bike related. It doesn't go into detail about makes and models though.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance - Where Bike Science is the why, Zinn gets down to brass tacks and gives you useful information on how to fix a bike (note that there is also a Zinn book for Mt. Bikes and triathlon bikes which I haven't read yet...). This is my go-to reference when something goes wrong with my bike.

BikeForums.net - So I don't know everything about anything but this is the place to do research. SRAM vs Ultegra? Trek vs Cannondale? Someone has already asked the question and it's on BikeForums somewhere. I trust people who've actually ridden/owned a bike I have a question about far more than some online review that was vetted by the manufacturer.

Hope it helps.

I go to Davis too! :D

I would highly suggest a road bike if you're comfortable with that. When I switched from a mountain bike to a road bike during freshman year, it made a huge difference. My first road bike was this cheap one for $160 that a lot of people have:

http://amazon.com/GMC-Denali-Medium-Frame-Yellow/dp/B002GNWPK2

It was a great first bike and it really got me into cycling. It's only available in two sizes though so you'd probably need to be 5' 7" or taller depending on your leg size.

What price range are you looking for?

Thanks for the recommendations. I have looked a little bit at craigslist for my area but most of the things in my price range are basically walmart bikes people want to get rid of. Why are you so against the walmart bikes? I also found the same bike listed on amazon if that makes any difference. https://www.amazon.com/Kent-Thruster-700C-Fixie-Black/dp/B071JYHJ79/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=fixed+gear+bike&qid=1554153742&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I also asked my local bike shop if they had anything, and they are fantastic so hopefully they have something.

...do you have a 34" inseam? Also, that makes the bike insanely huge. If it fits you well, you will like it more than your small hybrid, if it's too large, you will not like it as much.

This would probably be a better option in your area: http://gainesville.craigslist.org/bik/2633832789.html

This cheap bike is well reviewed, and about the same price point: http://www.amazon.com/GMC-Denali-Medium-Frame-Yellow/dp/B002GNWPK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1318016080&sr=1-1

Prices do seem reasonable at the shop assuming you get proper service and it's not like a big box store.

>I'm pretty sure I want a road bike (or hybrid?).

If you aren't sure on this (drop bars or flat bars) you are best off finding out which you prefer before you buy a bike, and while everyone has their preferences, there's no substitute for test riding bikes.

My advice would be to go to the shop and see if you can get a couple of demo rides to try flat bar vs drop bar - if they're a good shop they should have at least one each of flat bar and drop bar demo bike in your size that you pay a small amount to take a longer test ride on (that should be refunded if you buy a bike). A good shop should let you take a much shorter test ride on a particular bike you're considering buying too.

There aren't any bad bikes as long as you're spending enough to avoid them, and $800 is enough to avoid bad road bikes or hybrids unless you went looking at fake carbon bikes on Aliexpress or monstrosities like this (which you'd only ever see online).

For a hybrid $800 is probably overkill really unless you want disc brakes (make sure they're hydraulic if you do), otherwise the sweet spot is probably about $600. Recommend avoiding hybrids with suspension forks.

Road bikes are more expensive but $800 can still get you a decent entry level one like a Synapse or a Trek 1 series.

In other words you can't really go wrong unless you get the wrong type of bike, and the best way to avoid that is by test riding bikes.

Bikes you are asking is a bread-and-butter bike @ any LBS. I think you should visit your favorite LBS.

My current "go-to" bike is Momentum bikes (aka Giant.) It's designed for urban/suburban use, relatively inexpensive, and quite useful. Any LBS that sells Giant should be able to get one for you.

http://www.momentum-biking.com/us

http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/05/06/giants-spinoff-brand-momentum-wants-you-to-move-happy-with-their-new-cruiser-bikes/

If money/budget is not an issue -

http://www.rivbike.com/Rivendell-Atlantis-p/f-atlantis.htm



> Do I need anything extra if I want to mount the bike onto a car or a bus?

If the bike is step-through, you'd need a cross bar.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar/dp/B000ELSSZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458854492&sr=8-1&keywords=Adjustable+Bike+Frame+Adapter

Buy a nice quality U-lock, the price of the u-lock depends on the area you live.

In NYC where bike theft is very high, you need need need this lock Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit 18mm U-Lock

Here are some good videos about how to lock up your bikes:

Hal Ruzal Grades Your Bike Locking (1 of 3)

Hal Ruzal Grades Your Bike Locking (2 of 3)

Hal Ruzal Grades Your Bike Locking (3 of 3)

Hal Grades Your Bike Locking 2014 (Part IV)

Edit: added additional videos.

There are lots of cheap a$s single speed / fixed gear road bikes from China. Example: https://www.amazon.com/Kent-Thruster-700C-Fixie-Black/dp/B071JYHJ79/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=fixie+bike&qid=1570022805&sr=8-8

It's hard to tell what's going on with this bike. The way the fork legs have that flat area just under the head tube look like a vintage 70s bike. The rest of the parts look like they're off a cheap fixed gear. See how this fork has that flat area and then the fork legs curve out forward? https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/mint-1972-full-size-campus-green-schwinn-varsity-road-bike-serviced-beautiful-f-s.138742/
It could be recent, but it was more common in the 1970s.

But, to answer your question, no it's not worth it. And we can't tell you if it'll fit you just by looking at it. I would guess it's a 54 or 55cm, which would fit you, but it's just a guess without measuring.
Road Bike Sizing Guide:
https://www.evanscycles.com/help/bike-sizing-road

https://www.amazon.com/panaracer-GRAVELKING-650B-Aramid-Black/dp/B07QMTPLJH/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=panaracer%2Bgravelking%2B650b%2Bx%2B48&qid=1563755165&s=gateway&sprefix=panaracer%2Bgravelking%2B650&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

I think I'm gonna try these out. Thanks for the replies. My old tubes will work, yes?

>gravel pathways

You want wide tires for that (>=38mm?), not available on pure 'race'-bikes (very narrow forks to reduce air resistance), they do fit on a cyclo-cross bike.

City-/hybrid-/race-bike + "2 miles on busy city street in the middle of the commute":
A city-bike makes it very easy to look over your shoulder for other traffic, but the wind makes that a bad choice, a hybrid/mtb-model with flat handlebars gives enough 'forward lean' to not have to 'hang on' onto the handlebars, the race-y dropbars give the least wind resistance but are also the most difficult to look around (or further ahead if you get tired).

>Assume rain rain rain and dark dark dark for 2/3 of the year.

Disc brakes work well in rain and a (front-wheel) hub dynamo with fixed lights takes care of the dark.
On (very) dark streets and at high speeds you may want a battery powered 'searchlight intensity' headlight as backup to see where you are going.

>My right leg is about an inch shorter than my left

The 'angle' of your hip joint will be larger, some crank parts can be ordered with different lengths (either ask your LBS or search the web yourself), if you use platform pedals you can (silly but cheap) bolt on a piece of plywood of the correct thickness (on both sides of the same pedal for 'weight' balance), if you use 'clipless' pedals there are filler plates.
DO consult a bicycle knowledgeable sports physician.

>and (c) OMG expensive.

Yup, save your money and buy a cheap-ish sensible model for your all-weather commuting/shopping-bike.
(Some cyclists catch this sickness called "N+1 syndrome", after a few years working out all the problems and increasing your fitness you can always buy a $5000 '200 mile weekend-warrior' model.)

On my large size Giant Escape 3, I have a Topeak Explorer MTX: http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-63107030-Explorer-Bike-Rack/dp/B000FIE3WI
I didn't shop around much, though, that's just what the LBS had in stock.

I did the install myself and it was pretty straightforward. The only tricky part was that you have to bend the front rails of the rack down to meet up with the seatstay mounting bolts, and make sure the rails give clearance for the "noodle" part of the rear brake.

I bought this cheap road bike that should be big enough for you
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FGI99I/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's 63cm road bike. With me being 6'6" I keep the seat post almost all the way down so you should be able to raise it for your height. Hope that helps.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to find any bike that I would be willing to recommend. But I did find one. And one only. If you don't want to buy this bike, do not buy any other $400 bike from Amazon in order to do this trip. If you do buy this bike, do not buy any size other than the xl.

As this bike is going to come somewhat disassembled, keep in mind that you, or someone is going to have to finish assembling the bike.

http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Insight-Flat-Road-Bike/dp/B017TEZORS/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1462684459&sr=1-1&keywords=bicycle&refinements=p_36%3A-40000

I am recommending this with all due caution. Between it being a low end bike, and coming partially assembled, and the fact that it is a flat bar bike, which are not generally considered ideal for distance riding, it is difficult to enthusiastically recommend getting this bike. Some people have difficulty riding 10 miles on them without hand fatigue. There was a guy who posted recently who rode across the country on a flat bar bike. But you don't know if you will be able to do 60 mile days on a flat bar bike.

My suggestion would be to rent, or to buy a more expensive bike, and sell it afterwards, getting most or all your money back rather than buy a bike without getting a chance to even test ride it.

You could try these out before buying a new bike:https://www.amazon.com/Origin8-33617-Drop-Ends/dp/B0013G6PB8/

There is nothing wrong with buying a road specific bike, It will make quite a big different in geometry and weight. However, for commuting, thinner tires are a lot less comfortable, I switched from 25mm to 32mm to now 52mm. Never going back for commuting.

Most/any rack will likely be fine. I have a Topeak explorer tubular rack, it wasn't very costly and has held up well for the last four years or so I've been using it on my daily commutes.

Agree with this. I'd recommend two U-locks, Kryptonite, at least Evolution line but preferably one of them NY Fahgettaboutit. That'll cost you over $100 right there.

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Evolution-Mini-Bike-U-Lock/dp/B000AMPRG0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1372566802&sr=8-9&keywords=kryptonite+fahgettaboudit

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-997986-Black-Fahgettaboudit-U-Lock/dp/B000OZ9VLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372566802&sr=8-1&keywords=kryptonite+fahgettaboudit

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-NEW-YORK-FAHGETTABOUDIT-FahgettaBoudit/dp/B00629P4M2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1372566802&sr=8-8&keywords=kryptonite+fahgettaboudit

>The budget is about 350-450

Don't get any bike with a front shock. All of these hybrid/comfort bikes come with cheap shit shocks that will break within 200 miles or less.

That Mercier looks pretty good. It will be hard to balance that bike on a roller trainer, but I don't see an issue with putting it on a trainer that retains the rear wheel.

With bikes like the Fuji, if she's fat she will have problems with the lower hand position.

SHIMANO PD-A530 SPD Dual Platform Bike Pedal

Almost 2 years ago, and not much wear and tear (except for some falls while learning to clip in and out LOL)

What are your thoughts on This GMC bike or This Titan Fusion bike?

http://www.amazon.com/Zinn-Art-Road-Bike-Maintenance/dp/1934030422/ref=la_B001JP36Q0_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343795038&sr=1-2

Have a look at this beauty! Who says Amazon doesn't sell awesome bikes!?!!

(Just kidding!)

I'm looking into getting this lock. I've read that I should get those mini u-locks instead because there's less leverage a thief can use on it, but I also heard that they're sometimes too small to lock up onto things, so what do you think? I'l also probably get a dual cable lock from kryptonite also or maybe their new york chain.

First, see http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

My advice: Is the saddle actually painful, or does it just look small, relative to the size of your ass? If it is truly painful, how long can you ride before the pain starts? Like any new physical activity, there can initially be some discomfort as your body gets used to doing something it hasn't done before (or in years). Start with shorter rides and build up, and get off the bike and stretch for a minute if you feel discomfort.

I would caution you before running to the store and buying one of the gigantic gel "comfort" seats, something like this for example. I lost a lot of weight cycling (I was pushing 300 lbs. when I started), and I thought this type of seat was the only thing that could carry my wide load. Big mistake. It hurt my ass much worse than the "normal", lightly-padded stock seat that came with my bike. The fat nose can spread your legs further apart than ideal, destroying your form, and causing pain in your hips and knees.

Don't worry about your size: if you are riding casually on roads and bike paths, your saddle frame (the part that connects to the seat tube) isn't going to suddenly "snap" causing you to impale yourself. Padded bike shorts can also help (they aren't just spandex, they have sewn-in padding). Another fat cyclist pro-tip: bike shorts can be warn discretely under mesh athletic shorts until the point in time where you cease to give a fuck what others think about your ass.