new to communting

[Lex]

I am like to start communting with a bike. The communte is 5 miles. Id like to spend $500 or less. I'll be riding mostly on pavement. I see some bikes have disc brakes. Are they worth the money for the upgrade? Whats the most important part of the bike? Im total new so any advice would be appreciated. Thank You

[Dennis]

If you are going to commute and spend 500 bucks or less on a bike then you will prolly need to think in terms of 150 or less on a bike and the rest for gear.

Rack, bag, lock, lights, fenders, tire repair kit, allen set, small crescent, helmet, water bottle, pump, slime for your tires-- do this ASAP. The good news is that for 150 bucks you can probably get a nice older used bike if you shop around. Make sure it has rear rack, front and rear fender eyelets, and will support 700x28c or 26x1.25 inch tires.

Get the bike, have them slime the tires, buy a cheap LED front/rear set and a helmet, then ride it for a week and see if you like it.

If you do then you can add things as you need em.

There's a place on yahoo shopping that sells breezer citizen for 450 shipped, that would also be a good buy-- comes with fenders, rack, and lights.

Good Luck
:)

[Peter]

1. Disk brakes work well in rain and snow and require less frequent maintenance (especially where roads are salted/sanded).

Lights are a "must have." If there is rain/snow, fenders are important. It is good to have a rack/panniers. As for the best bike, it depends. How are the hills? Will you wear biking togs or a suit and tie?

Not sure what the most important part of a bike is. That could be a good thread topic. I'd suggest the tires, since flats are the biggest reliability problem in my experience.