<p>did you guys purchase your bikes or preordered them from stanford? i'm looking for a bike...should i purchase brand new or old and where can i get good deals? does anyone know whether stanford offers free assembly on orientation date.</p>
<p>i pre purchased a really cheap bike $50 from home and drove it up to stanford. i would but the cheapest one you can find. it's not worth it to buy and expensive bike simply b/c it might get stolen or undergo natural damage from wear and tear and weather. target and walmart, both which are near the stanford campus, sell pretty cheap bikes. there's a bike store on campus too. <a href="http://campusbikeshop.com/index.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://campusbikeshop.com/index.cfm</a> but i here they rip you off.</p>
<p>all bikes at the campus bike shop are used - and they start at $200. So yeah, it's a rip off. I got mine from Target today for $80. Both the Target & Walmart at the San Antonio Shopping Center were sold out where bikes are concerned. I got one of the last bikes there.</p>
<p>^yeah i heard they were sold out when people tried to get them last year. so if you're driving and can fit it, i would buy one at home and drive it up.</p>
<p>if not, you can always wait until target and walmart restock and then taek the marguarite, buy one, and take it back with you on the marguarite. bikes are very helpful, but i have friends that walked all year, so a week or two of walking (esp if it's NSO, which you'll be walking in groups a lot anyway) won't be to bad.</p>
<p>^ I very much agree. Don't get a used, expensive one from the bike shop unless you're not concerned about money and being ripped off. Just wait until you can find something at Walmart or Target. The link for the Marguerite schedule: <a href="http://transportation.stanford.edu/marguerite/schedules/Shopping_9-18-2006.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://transportation.stanford.edu/marguerite/schedules/Shopping_9-18-2006.pdf</a></p>
<p>I can't believe some people are already at Stanford =] I'm getting so excited. I go back on Thursday.</p>
<p>i can't believe we start in a week. i'm gonna cry....haha.</p>
<p>I know this is a weird question, but how do you know you are getting a good bike? (how do you pick one out?)
I don't know how to ride a bike, but I want to learn because I plan for that to be my main mode of transportation</p>
<p>Um...</p>
<p>Ask someone at the store to help you pick the right size. Or, look up online how to find the right size (ie when you stand over the bike, how far is your groin from the horizontal bar).</p>
<p>Other than that... I would probably not pick the cheapest model. I am no bike expert. I just wanted a functional bike, and I think the cheapest one will not last that long... other than that, I just went with looks and price. As long as the brakes work, the chain is oiled, and it is the right size, I think any bike is fine.</p>
<p>^i taught a few friends how to ride a bike. haha. not the most fun thing to do. i'm not sure if there are lessons or stuff on campus. you can ask the bike shop.</p>
<p>as far as getting a "good" bike...i don't know. i wasn't aiming for "good. i was looking more for "cheap". as long as the bike moves, i'm fine with it. i wasn't going mountain biking or cycling with it so... just make sure if you get a used one that the breaks aren't completely worn out, the tires aren't blown, it's a comfortable height, and the chain isn't too rusty.</p>
<p>yea, agreed. </p>
<p>just get the cheapest one.</p>
<p>did u guys buy helmets and such.?</p>
<p>To be honest, about 5% of students wear a helmet. Most of them are grad students who have to bike from far away to get to class. Very few undergrads wear helmets... which I realize is bad. /me sighs</p>
<p>By no means am I saying don't buy a helmet. You totally could.</p>
<p>Definitely get a bike lock. And lights.</p>
<p>^yeah, i only knew of one undergrad w/ a helmet. and although it's college, there's still that helmet stigma...not gonna lie. i don't use one b/c, well, really? haha. but no one will really think you're complete nerd or anything. ok maybe.</p>
<p>but you get a free light when you register your bike. and get a U lock for your bike, not a cable one.</p>