I will be switching jobs in August to one that I can ride my bike to - reading this blog and forum allowed me to see to virtue in such a shift, so first and foremost: thank you! One thing I noticed at my local bike shop, however, is that bicycles and bicycle-related stuff does not come cheap. For a culture that I've often associated with college-aged hipsters or the working poor, it seems that materialism/consumerism/American-Dreamism is rampant in the industry. I want to hear some opinions on a few matters:
To fix? I own a beater Schwinn that was mine in High School. It was a $100ish at a Walmart (or similar) and is now 12+ years old. The tires are bald and the chain is beyond WD-40. My initial thought was new tires and chain with a cable tuning for good measure. A bit of sticker shock when I realized tires were $30 a pop (with tubes, thank goodness!), and the tune-up would cost me a bit as well. Do I put $100+ and some elbow grease into a 12+ year old bike that is heavy and beat up? Thoughts?
To buy? My next thought is that my auto expenses in total last year were $2400, of which $1400 is gasoline cost (Thanks, Personal Capital!). I posted about this in my case study, but I'll reiterate here that I expect to save $1200/year in gas costs after switching jobs. So, If I *do* buy a new (or slightly used) bike, it will pay itself off within sixish months as I won't be dropping a grand on a bike. MMM reccommended a $500ish new bike in a blog article, but my local shop does not have much in that range. They can order anything, however, and are a Trek/Surly/Moots/Salsa authorized dealer. The guys who work there seem great, but their suggestions seem pricey. So if the MMM consensus is "go new," do any of these makes seem like one I should really consider from a FIRE perspective?
Fatbikes? I live in Northern Illinois and our winters are not very cold, but a foot of snow can drop overnight. The shop guys recommended a fatbike - which is like a hardtail mountain bike with really fat tires. I'm not sold from a price perspective, but from a utility perspective... perhaps? Does anyone have experience?
Keeping costs down? It seems bike commuting will be pricey no matter how I slice it. MMM mentioned REI riding gear and getting a trailer, and I've seen what tires and other bits an pieces cost. Any tips on keeping the costs down?
Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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Edit-
My commute will look like this:
5 miles to work at about 6:00 AM
5 miles to the local university for night classes at about 6:00 PM (I may go home first)
7 miles back home at about 9:00 PM
So minimum 17 miles per day, up to 24 if I go home mid-day. Since we are talking multiple short trips, expensive clothing may be unnecessary but the right gear to haul my lunch, dinner, textbooks, laptop, and possibly groceries on the way home will be. My bike needs to be maneuverable under (what I consider) a heavy load.