The Bike Life - Advice!

[Arete]

My first post.

I love the MMM advice on bikes and cars. My wife and I plan to sell our second car, as I work from home and we live in a new location in Denver where we could walk/bike to almost anywhere we wanted (restaurants, parks, Walmart...).

I already have a great bike - a Surly Midnight Special. I bought it before I was indoctrinated into mustashianism, and it cost a good amount ($2000). Should I keep the bike and use it to ride around town? It's great since it has bigger wheels (650b) than a typical road bike but is also very fast. It also fits me very well as it's huge. However, it's very expensive and I don't think I'd feel comfortable locking it to a bike rack outside, say, Walmart. Should I sell it and buy something less valuable? I've been looking on Craigslist, but pickings seem thin during Covid. I'm also scared of getting a cheap, used bike as I am a big guy (6'7") and totaled a cheap Schwinn bike in college (the fork completely broke on me), resulting in an ambulance ride and ER visit.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Tasse]

$2000 and it's not even an ebike? Wow. I see why you wouldn't be comfortable locking it outside walmart.

Why don't you get a GOOD lock, start looking for a cheaper bike, and sell the expensive one once you have it?

There is a long thread here for cycling newbies: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/start-biking-to-work-cycling-newbies-chat/

[draco44]

Switching to one car seems like a good move for your situation. As @Tass mentions, you don't have to sell your car and change your bike situation at exactly the same time. It sounds like selling your second car is a smart idea for you even if you decide to keep your current bike, so focus on selling the car first.

I don't know how tight your budget is, but having money from the car sale would give you the flexibility to look for a mid-tier bike you really like while still knowing you have your current bike to use, so there's minimal pressure to buy the first new bike you see.

Honestly, in your situation where you mention that as a "big guy" not every bike works well for you, I might sell your car, keep your current bike for fun outings where you plan to stay with the bike the whole time (park run, e.g.), and then also pick up a cheaper bike for Walmart trips. But I'm unclear how much fanciness you need in a bike, given your build. I feel like there must be some other bike out there that falls between "literally falls apart and injures me when I try to ride it" and "is so expensive I'm afraid to ever leave its side."

Also, does your wife already have a bike? You say that you live somewhere where "we could walk/bike" but only mention your own $2k bike. I would assume there'd be times when you'd want to bike together for fun, even if you choose not to run errands together by bike and wouldn't need a second ride for that purpose. Wanting to buy two vs. one new bike might affect your calculus.

[AccidentialMustache]

Honestly, in your situation where you mention that as a "big guy" not every bike works well for you, I might sell your car, keep your current bike for fun outings where you plan to stay with the bike the whole time (park run, e.g.), and then also pick up a cheaper bike for Walmart trips. But I'm unclear how much fanciness you need in a bike, given your build. I feel like there must be some other bike out there that falls between "literally falls apart and injures me when I try to ride it" and "is so expensive I'm afraid to ever leave its side."

Cargo bikes tend to have a more rugged frame and higher weight limits. They aren't cheap because they are specialized/lower volume/whatever, but it might be a thing to look at for the OP.

Of course many cargo bikes, even non-e-bike ones start at 1+k, so.... get a good lock. Actually most likely just get a lock and actually use it.

I can't speak to Denver, but in my mid-sized midwestern city (but not big city), I don't hear about properly locked bikes getting stolen. It is unlocked bikes that get stolen, much like it is the unlocked cars that get burgled (we don't get smash-and-grabs like, say, SF).

[GuitarStv]

A bike that you don't ride is worth 0$.  Learn to lock your bike correctly, with a U-Lock and a cable:


As long as you're doing 1 and 2, you should be pretty safe.

Because the Surley you've got is steel (while a nice bike) it doesn't immediately look like a super expensive bike.  A fancy carbon fiber machine with deep section wheels immediately draws lots of unwanted attention.  I'd be comfortable locking the Surley up and running errands.  Maybe don't leave it outside overnight . . . but you should be fine during the day.

[dodojojo]

I have a city bike so it's not fast and lightweight.  I have a front basket and a rear rack for panniers.  In other words, I have no problem carrying heavy locks.  Always a cable and a U-lock.  For certain parts of the city and if I'm going to be away for hours, I bring a 2nd U-Lock.  I know, the pros, if they really want your bike, they'll get it.  But I figure with 2 U-locks, it discounts 99% of the thieves.  And a pro may not bother if there's another bike that's only got one U-lock.  I don't clean my bikes, hoping the bad optics also serve as a deterrent.

If you like a bike, fits your well and you ride it enough--I would keep it.  Even if you paid 2K for it, it doesn't mean you can sell it for close to that amount.  Though Surly bikes probably hold their value well. I would get more/better locks and/or get a beater bike for high crime areas.

[MrThatsDifferent]

You found a bike you like that fits you. Don’t get rid of it! Follow the advice above and lock it well, or he’ll get two locks for it. I’d keep the bike as long as possible, get your money’s worth.

[ChpBstrd]

Doing a bad job spray painting it and acquiring a "Huffy" sticker would allow you to use the bike indefinitely, although it would be a crime against art.

[ericrugiero]

The $2000 is a sunk cost.  The question now is what the cost difference is between what you could sell the Surly for vs the replacement cost.  You are a big guy so finding a used bike is more difficult AND selling your current one is more difficult.  You don't want a junk Walmart bike if you are going to ride it a lot so unless you just happen to find a great deal the new one is going to be at least somewhat expensive.  Also, you are using this as transportation.  If it allows you to save the cost of a 2nd car, $2000 is a good deal compared to the cost of that 2nd car. 

In terms of leaving it outside stores, you can invest in a good lock and be careful where you leave it.  Using a lock that takes a while to cut and leaving the bike in high visibility places will reduce the chances of theft.  Nothing is risk free in life but you can reduce the risk.

If it was me, I might keep my eyes open for a cheap replacement bike but I wouldn't be in any big rush.  I also wouldn't feel bad about owning a $2000 bike IF it allowed me to get rid of a car AND I ride it regularly. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Congratulations of deciding to go car-lite!  We are a family of 4 adults (2 older parents, 2 young adult college students), and we share one car between us.  Over the years we've made choices to keep the car-lite lifestyle viable, such as choosing to live where we work, having the kids attend the local community college for their general education units (free bus pass), turning the kids into safe cyclists at a young age, having a trailer to carry groceries, etc., as well as buying a house close to our city's downtown (walk score of 82 "very walkable" and bike score of 93 "biker's paradise).

I used to have an e-bike.  My main lock was a heavy Abus chain lock (not a cable lock) that 5 years ago cost around $100.  I rarely went out by myself, so most of the time my bike was locked up with another bike, using my chain lock, a cable lock, and sometimes a u-lock.  It's harder to steal two bikes locked together.

Everyone else in my family has multiple bikes.  They don't use the fancy road and mountain bikes for errands -- they have commuter bikes but not "commuter" in the bike industry sense.  Their "commuter" bikes are older MTBs (as in from the mid-to-late 90s) and hold very little value.  They each have a lock, either a cable lock or u-lock, and they only use one lock.  Also, this is a biking town, so there are many places they just take their bikes inside.

I would keep the bike you have, but if you really want to replace it, I would look for a good, solid, used bike over a cheap bike from a big box store.

[Tasse]

Hey @GuitarStv, I lock my bike with 1 and 2 per your advice, but I have been looping the cable through the front wheel and around the frame. Is that wrong or fairly equivalent? 

[GuitarStv]

Hey @GuitarStv, I lock my bike with 1 and 2 per your advice, but I have been looping the cable through the front wheel and around the frame. Is that wrong or fairly equivalent?

Same deal.

The most expensive parts of a bike in order are:

- Frame
- Rear Wheel
- Front Wheel

So I try to to make sure the heavy U-Lock is securing the frame and rear wheel, and the cable is on the front wheel.  Adding the frame in with the front wheel doesn't harm anything (although it doesn't really provide extra security as the frame is already secured by the U-Lock anyway).

[windytrail]

As someone who has had four bikes stolen (the last two of which were locked with the same U-locks deemed "safe" by some of the above posters), my rule is never let out of sight a bike you couldn't handle being stolen. It sounds like your $2,000 bike fits that description. My latest bike is an early 90s specialized allez, picked up for about $375. I appreciate that it has scratches and grease stains on it, which makes it look less desirable without affecting usability. We have no car and I ride this thing everywhere.

My advice would be to sell it and find something in the ~$500 range, at most.

This is how fast an angle grinder gets through a U-lock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkowo5f7_Tk

[Tasse]

This is how fast an angle grinder gets through a U-lock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkowo5f7_Tk

Sure attracts attention, though. That isn't going to fly in a populated area.

[Morning Glory]

A bike that you don't ride is worth 0$.  Learn to lock your bike correctly, with a U-Lock and a cable:


As long as you're doing 1 and 2, you should be pretty safe.

Because the Surley you've got is steel (while a nice bike) it doesn't immediately look like a super expensive bike.  A fancy carbon fiber machine with deep section wheels immediately draws lots of unwanted attention.  I'd be comfortable locking the Surley up and running errands.  Maybe don't leave it outside overnight . . . but you should be fine during the day.

Good luck finding the right kind of rack to be able to do this. I can usually get the u-lock through the frame and. Sometimes all I can do is get it through the wheel. Never both. After having one bike stolen at work, I switched to a walmart special. But then my commute is only 4 miles (soon to be 2!!!), and I figure I'm burning more calories by riding a less efficient bike.

[GuitarStv]

Good luck finding the right kind of rack to be able to do this. I can usually get the u-lock through the frame and. Sometimes all I can do is get it through the wheel. Never both. After having one bike stolen at work, I switched to a walmart special. But then my commute is only 4 miles (soon to be 2!!!), and I figure I'm burning more calories by riding a less efficient bike.

That's maybe a confusing picture.  The cable is looped through the front wheel and secured by the U-lock, it doesn't matter if it's looped through a post.  All you need is a post for the U-lock.  You should be able to lock up this way to benches, railings, fences, some types of street furniture trash cans, and every type of bike rack I've seen.

This is how fast an angle grinder gets through a U-lock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkowo5f7_Tk

Sure attracts attention, though. That isn't going to fly in a populated area.

I'm sorry to hear about your bike.  It's possible to steal any locked bike given time and/or the right tools.  The goal of bike locks is to reduce theft by making things inconvenient and riskier for the thief.

Don't get me started on the office buildings we have in Toronto who have been caught cutting locks and stealing dozens of bikes - https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/toronto-cyclist-says-downtown-office-building-quietly-cut-lock-and-removed-her-bike-and-others-from-sidewalk.

[SimpleCycle]

If you’ve got a nice steel frame bike that fits you, I’d keep it and ride it.  My daily rider is a Surly LHT and I lock it like that picture and never leave it locked outside overnight.  I’d be sad if it was stolen but I love riding it and enjoy riding a beater a lot less.

If you do go the route of selling it and buying a cheaper bike, learn the used bike market and what you want in a bike.  And Surlys hold their value well, although it’s harder to sell very large and very small frame sizes.

[ChpBstrd]

Isn't it funny how solving a little problem like this seems harder than the alternative: earning the money to pay for car depreciation, insurance, maintenance, gas, tags/taxes, loan fees, etc. and also investing time at the dealer, the shop, the carwash, the gas station, and ironically the gym?

[UponStars]

I would certainly support the idea of keeping the Surly and eventually finding a cheap well used older mountain bike on craigslist.  The mountain bike would make a great bike for short around town errands where you'll need to lock it up outside.  You could easily mount a rear rack and have some quick-release panniers for small to medium size loads.  I assume you ride the Surly occasionally for pleasure and/or fitness and that's not going to happen on a cheap Walmart bike.  After a couple of years if you find that your lifestyle has evolved and you rarely ride the Surly then sure, go ahead and sell it.

[meghan88]

Doing a bad job spray painting it and acquiring a "Huffy" sticker would allow you to use the bike indefinitely, although it would be a crime against art.

I'd do that in a heartbeat if I had a newer bike.  The only reason to keep a bike pristine would be for resale value.  If you don't intend to sell it, then a spray job and/or stickers would be a great deterrent.  On my current well-used Trek, the ugly saddle and surface rust on non-critical components has kept it safe.

[Arete]

Thank you everyone for the great advice! Seems like a lot of you think I should keep it and also get a cheaper "beater" bike for when I lock it up at the store. Well, I went ahead and did this very thing! I got a good deal ($200) on a Craigslist bike (REI Co-OP bike in XL). It's in good condition and think it will be great for those times I don't want to lock my Surly up outside when going somewhere.

I also went ahead and got a Surly front rack + Wald basket for my Surly, so I can use it for a lot of various errands now.

Finally, we are selling our second car either tomorrow or Monday! Looking forward to having one less car to take care of (and pay for and take up space in our garage) and spending more time biking!

[PDXTabs]

Personally, I would get good renters/homeowners insurance, a good lock or two, and use that bike. That's what I do with my Surly Pacer and my Surly Straggler. I've been locking my Surly Pacer in public since 2004. But a second/beater bike is good for when one is down for repairs.

[Arbitrage]

Not all U-locks are created the same.  Some can be snipped with a big pair of bolt cutters.  Some will take a minute or more with an angle grinder.  Get an appropriate one - or two - for your desired level of security. 

I ride an e-bike full-time and do all of my errands with it.  I use a Kryptonite lock that is bolt cutter-proof but wouldn't stand up too long to an angle grinder.  Rather than adding the hassle of cables, I use HexLox to keep my front wheel, seat, seatpost safe.  Much more secure than a cable, anyway, though a bit more expensive.  I also have a heavy-duty noose chain that I use to allow me to lock up in nearly any situation, since many places don't have bike racks or other features that conveniently allow you to lock up your rear wheel and frame to a solid piece of steel.  I only bring the chain when necessary.  In the future, I'm going to add a bike alarm as well (SmartHalo 2), if they ever get around to finally making good on the Kickstarter campaign. 

By no means do I feel like those measures make me 100% safe, but I've had zero issues thus far over 2.5 years of bike life.  No attempted thefts, no accessories or bags taken, etc.  There are certainly situations and locations where I wouldn't feel safe leaving my bike for nearly any length of time, even locked up. 

As an aside, I finally prepped my car for sale with the aim of being a single-car family.  I've only driven the thing about 1000 miles over the past two years, and nearly all of those miles could've been accomplished with the remaining family car.  Unfortunately, fresh COVID lockdowns have put my sale on pause, but hopefully come January I can make that final plunge.

[Arete]

We sold the car and it feels great :-) Although we bought the car with cash, we calculated that it was costing us at least $200 a month (not counting gas, major repairs; considering we invest the money we made on the sell). It sat in the garage 95% of the time, and usually I just drove it because I felt like I should occasionally.

Really looking forward to biking a lot more. My bike front rack and basket are on the way :-)

[YYK]

Congrats on the sale!

[freedomfightergal]

I've seen people spray paint their bike really awful colors & to stand out & make it look less appealing to steal.  If you decide to keep it painting it say fluorescent pink might keep it safe.

I've a really old bike that's super comfy, handles well, that my dog chewed the seat & peddle, it looks like a clunker, but I love it & even though my kids keep telling me to buy a new one, I keep it going :)