bikes in BA

[tangobob]

You'll probably die if you bring a bike, so I would reconsider if I were you.

You will die whether or not you bring a bike, unless your name is Russel Nash, but then "Who Wants to Live Forever?",

 

[tangobob]

Sorry, that link did not work, try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOE_b4aYD0&feature=related

 

[darmanad]

I bike in BA quite a bit and have biked in New York, Rio and Seattle. BA is now instituting a program to expand its ciclovias. There are some new ones appearing in odd places, but that may be more because I lack any sense of direction than the locations are themselves odd.

It is crucial to exercise extreme caution on streets shared with vehicular traffic. I can't decide who is more inconsiderate: bus drivers, taxis, or motorcyclists. For the first time I will soon attach a rear view mirror to my helmet. When you are travelling in a relatively straight line drivers will pass leaving extraordinarily little space between you and them - should you come upon a hole in the road or some other obstacle requiring you to veer out of your line, you run a serious risk of veering into the path of an overtaking car or bus.
Don't even think about going the wrong way on a one way street. Oncoming drivers take that as a personal insult and will seek to punish you by driving directing at you and leaving as little room as possible ...even if there is no need to.
It is generally wiser to ride on the left hand side of the street to avoid buses and slow moving taxis that merge toward the righthand side of the curb. They will ignor their turn indicator and you both.
Have fun.

 

[steveinbsas]

Riding a bike where I live is very safe. So is riding a horse.

(The only real danger is falling off.)

 

[Julia2]

It depends what you want. High Quality Mountainbikes cost much more here! But you can find everything. I could only imagine driving by bike on Sundays ore somewhere outside the city. Driving in that traffic and breathing the air behind the buses doesn’t seem very attractive to me.

 

[Sizemomo]

Hello all,

My boyfriend and I are moving and selling our bikes.

His is a vintage racing bike, really light $AR 500.

Mine is a girl´s vintage Musetta bike, $AR 500.

They are used, but we have put a lot of work into them so they are completely functionable and ready to be used. We are looking to sell them soon so we are open to any reasonable price negotiation.

Here are the Craigslist ads for the bikes:

http://buenosaires.es.craigslist.org/bik/2178954068.html

http://buenosaires.es.craigslist.org/bik/2166602164.html

If you are interested, contact me via Craigslist or PM.

 

[Mattea]

Buy a cheap bike on Craigslist and bring it; even with the $50 for baggage charges, it will be cheaper. Most of BA is very flat, so extreme gears aren't necessary. The trails in the Reserva Ecologica are a treat and a nice retreat from the city. Watch out for people opening doors unexpectedly in a taxi.

 

[sam3g]

Although you can usually get away without paying import taxes at the Ezeiza airport, they may stop you if you have a box big enough for an entire bike frame. Also, most airlines will charge you a good $160 extra if they know you´re packing a bike. The savings dry up quickly..

I bought my Dahon folding bike in the US and brought it here in a normal suitcase. Best decision ever (and much cheaper than buying one here in Buenos Aires). You can get a Argentine-made version of the folding bikes but they are about $400US and in my opinion far inferior quality than my Dahon which was a similar price.

Check out these brands:
Citizenbike
Dahon
Brompton
Bike Friday (If you´re rich)