wrote in message . com...
Hi,


I am considering purchasing another bike for errands and commuting
(within a 7 mile radius usually, but the occasional longer ride is
possible).

what bike do you have already, if you want "another bike"?

My ride will be mostly on city sidewalks with the
occasional street, gravel trail, and grass/rock surface. I'm about
215 pounds and 6'2 and usually bike with a backpack with supplies.

Unless you're walking the bike, get off the sidewalk. Statistically
speaking, riding on the sidewalk is more dangerous than riding in the
roadway. On the sidewalk, it is far easier for you to be struck
broadside by cars entering the main roadway--they generally won't be
able to see you, and won't expect you. This gets even worse if you're
riding on the sidewalk opposite the normal flow of traffic--then a car
entering traffic looks left to see if there's anybody coming, and,
finding no-one, proceeds--mowing you down.

This is to say nothing of the danger your bicycle poses to
pedestrians, or the danger pedestrians pose to you. Or of the street
furniture that clutters sidewalks: cafe tables, trash cans,
mailboxes, streetlamps, fire hydrants, etc...

In the roadway, of course, no such problem exists. If the car
entering the roadway doesn't yield to you, it sure as hell will yield
to the car/SUV/Mack Truck right behind you. There are fewer
obstructions in the middle of the road, too. Consequently, you can go
faster, and more safely.

For the full story find _Effective Cycling_ by John Forrester.



For this I am considering a single speed cruiser bike with foot
brakes, with 26 x 2.125 road slick tires, which I may equip with solid
inner tubes later on.

So far I am leaning towards a cruiser for the following reasons:

1) Wide road slick tires make them more durable and better performing
for city riding.

These can be easily added to any other bicycle

2) Fenders mean my back won't get splashed with water when I go
through puddles.

Some older, rigid MTBs will allow the mounting of 'real' fenders.


3) Handlebar layout seems good for a basket should I use one, plus a
more comfortable ride.

4) Single speed and foot brakes means the bike is easy and forgiveable
to maintain. (eg: wobbly wheel won't interfere with braking, tire and
chain changes should be quicker, etc...)

Single-speed cruisers all have nutted wheels--you have to use a 15mm
wrench to remove the wheel. Other sorts of bikes have quick-release
wheels, which may be removed....er....quickly, with no tools.



What I would like to know is this: What are the disadvantages? What
kind of top speed can I expect with this bike vs a Mountain/All
Terrain Bike? Ditto for durability -- can I take those potholes and
broken glass without too much worry?

on any bicycle, your top speed is entirely determined by you.

You'll probably be faster on the mountain bike overall, since the
gears let you spin up hills and crank down while maintaining a good,
fast cadence.




I'm not looking to spend a lot -- from $100 - $250. Would you
recommend any brands? Any brands to stay away from? Any other tips?

The singlespeed cruiser will probably be the cheapest way to go.
Millions on millions of Chinese workers can't be wrong--the Peoples
Republic of China still runs on single-speed Flying Pigeon
roadsters... It is also much less appealing to thieves. This is
probably one case where Huffy is every bit as good as anybody else:
there's so little to go wrong on this sort of bike! Be aware though
that these bikes are heavy, wind-resistant, and slow.

If you're eventually going to do more than go a few miles at a time in
a relatively flat area, then I'd go for a rigid (unsuspended) mountain
bike. Swap the tires out for 1.5" slicks, mount real, full fenders
and a rear rack, and go. (you can keep the knobbies for when you want
to ride real mud--detach the fenders first, though) This route is
more expensive, however, and new, unsuspended mountain bikes are very
rare indeed these days. Rarer still are ones with the necessary rack
and fender mounting points.

Try and find a good-quality (ie not a department-store bike) used
rigid mountain bike and kit it out. That set-up will get you around
*and* take you whatever distance you should with to go, *and*, should
you wish it, take you out onto the trails.

-Luigi