Buying a bike for AIDS/LifeCycle
The only thing you absolutely must have to complete AIDS/LifeCycle is a bike (well … except for a helmet which is also mandatory). Given this, I thought it worth posting some tips on how to make sure you get the right bike at the right price.
- New or used? Where should you get your bike from?
- Road, Mountain, Hybrid? Does the type of bike matter?
- Carbon, steel? What’s the difference between all the frame materials?
- Doubles and triples? What sort of components do you need?
- And finally, how much will this cost?
If you are not ready to spend money on a bike but want to try some training rides to see if you like it, why not rent one? I recently discovered that Blazing Saddles rents good quality road bikes from their Francisco/Columbus location. The rates are $48/$68 for aluminium/carbon frames respectively and you get the bike for 24 hrs. You can also try a local bike shop which often offer demo bikes for a fee.
Disclaimer: All tips are just my opinion and are posted in an effort to be helpful. They are not representative of either ALC, SFAF or LAGLC policy. Furthermore, if you follow any of these tips you should do so at your own discretion. I bear no responsibility if anything goes wrong.
