where should i get a bike?

you'll be totally fine riding anywhere in new york on "racing tires". i ride throughout the year - sun, rain, and snow - on vittoria rubino pro 23s. slick and thin and i've never had a problem. it might be a bit intimidating if you're just starting out riding, so go with something thicker first if ya want, but once you ride thin, slick tires you'll realize how much power you've been wasting on anything bigger or with treads.

so how many bikes does everyone here have? i currently have 3 (a Reminton track for the track, a Circle A track for the road, and a Blue cyclocross) and have had 7 over the last 4 years. now that i'm moving to prospect heights and will have extra space i can rebuild my collection!

doctorj - they just built some trails inside the city at highbridge park up at 200th st in manhattan. i haven't had a chance to hit em yet, but i hear they're pretty nice.

ooooo, a landshark! does it have an insane paint job? i hope so.

i like the blue. i've only had it for 3 months and my time on it so far has been pretty limited. it's my first aluminum frame so that's an adjustment, but i like the geometry and it's a smooth ride. i bought it second hand and need to get some better components on it though.

yeah, i think they're still a pretty small company with pretty limited distribution. i picked mine up second hand off of a guy in park slope and hadn't heard of the company until i saw that one for sale on craiglist and did some research.

mine is from wal-mart. target also carries them. no reason to spend a lot of money on a helmet as long as it meets safety standards:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/bike-helmets-606/overview/index.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=6&searchTerm=bicycle helmet

also, if you can wait for mail order, campmor has a good selection and good prices:

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=40000000226&storeId=226&categoryId=48958&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=227

izisharp wrote: now that i've gotten a bike, I need a helmet. WHERE'S A PLACE WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF HELMETS TO CHOOSE FROM???? Bicycle Shop and small stores like it seem to only have a few to choose from. Any tips, my bike mentors?

(city-riding helmet is what I'd like...for commuting. No racing, no off-roading)

nashbar or performance bike are cheapest---just measure your head and you should be fine. The more you spend, the more ventilation you get. Remember that if you get into a accident, no matter how small it may be, you need to get a new one. I was rear ended last summer and hit the pavement (not too badly) and it was enough to crack the plastic, rendering the helmet inefficient if I got hit again.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/sub_cat.cfm?subcategory_id=4210
http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=91&subcategory=1045&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename=Category: Helmets

New addition to the collection as of this weekend: DeBernardi track. It's real nice.

filmlover44 wrote: You can buy a beater (used, cheap road bike) on Prospect Ave between 6th and 7th near 6th Avenue most weekends from a group of nice guys who pick usable bikes up at police auctions and other locations, fix them up a little. I got a decent one for $85 and once I get it tuned up, it should be a good bike that I can afford to have stolen the way that all of my bikes eventually are....

Hey, can you give a few more details about this? I am intrigued. Looking for a cheapie women's cruiser. Are they just out on the corner, or what?

Dixon's and Mr. C's sells Raleigh. Assembled I believe.