My son will be next door studying music but their forum isn’t active. I’m looking for tips on the best place to buy an inexpensive used bike that isn’t hot. I worry about craigslist for that but maybe I shouldn’t. Unlike our city of origin, I’m assuming that one doesn’t need a million gears due to the flatness (if you need any extra at all).
Also, are you allowed to take bikes on street cars or are there bike racks on the buses? He will have a bit of a trip for his lessons and it seems like it would just be handy for tooling around the uptown neighborhoods.
Thanks!
There are bike racks on the buses. My D did that going from Tulane to City Park. Not sure about the streetcar, but I don’t think he should need it for that. The ride from Loyola to anywhere the streetcar goes is not very long and I think they have put in bike lanes along a lot of St. Charles.
As far as where to get one, my D got one just like you are talking about very cheap at a bike shop that I think was on South Carrollton near Camelia Grill. I will ask her if she remembers where that was more exactly.
thanks! He needs to go up Bienville a bit northwest of Carrollton. I’ve been checking out bus routes and assume one would bus or street car then bus up Carrollton then walk or ride from there. Also, it just seems like it would be handy.
I just texted with her and she confirmed it was within a block or two of South Carollton and Zimple. She doesn’t remember the name of the shop.
Wonderful, I appreciate it! That should be easy enough to find.
Is there a style of lock that is favored there? Our D attends one of those schools where people just leave stuff around unattended and it’s still there next week, so that part is new for me. 
That I don’t know. The folks at the bike shop should. Of course they will try and sell him an expensive one, but that might not be a bad idea if it really is a good one. Bike theft is pretty common around there.
Just wanted to say congratulations @saintfan ! Now you’ll get to go back and eat at all the places you didn’t have time for on your visit!
Do not even waste the money on the lock unless it is a “U” lock, Kryptonite U locks are the most popular. I bike a lot, and I’ve had a lot of bikes stolen. Invest the money in a good U lock and remember to always lock the frame, not just the front or rear wheel.
Great - we have a Kryptonite U lock - so if I can only find the key we’ll be set!
My D bought a really cheap one speed at Walmart, rode it back to campus, and eventually sold it to a friend for about half what she paid for it when she graduated. It got her where she needed to go, but didn’t seem to be very enticing to bike thieves.
Local bike store? They might know of used bikes for sale or of an exchange for bikes.
Do police sell abandoned property?
I have a kid at UT with a bike. The campus police say bike theft is very common and recommend using two different kinds of locks on the theory that the thief will 1) be slowed by having to crack two locks and 2) not be likely to have the tools to get through two locks. Also know the bike’s serial number or engrave your name on the bike.
Try The Bike Shop on Freret. Or a cheap bike from Walmart. Lots of Tulane kids sell bikes at the end of spring semester so they are very easy to get if you have a way of taking possession and storing it over the summer. Nola is flat enough that a one speed bike is do-able, although a few gears is better.
One U-lock through the back wheel (google Sheldon Brown style) is more than enough on campus. You don’t need your bike to be totally un-stealable; you just need to make it somewhat harder to steal than the other bikes nearby. Many kids use cable locks which can be snipped off in seconds, so those would typically be the ones that get stolen.
My kid’s cruiser bike has largely eliminated the need for a car in Nola.
Buses have bike racks but streetcars don’t. But since a kid on a bike would be able to travel about travel about twice as fast as the streetcar, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Thanks, all! No way to buy an end of year bike and store it as we are also “northwesty” so it’s a long haul as it is.