So, since I arrived, I have thought of getting a bicycle (for commuting), esp. since I live about 3 miles away from the base.

Sure thing.  I regularly commute to Yoko via bike.  I used to do the same in the States as well.  While the traffic is vastly more dense here than where I was stationed, I actually feel more comfortable riding to-from work here in Japan.

Awesome.

Now just to make sure (because of your avatar) - we are talking about bicycle-bicycle, not motorcycle, right?

i'm "avid" bycicler . I know good bike shop around yokohama/yokosuka

how much can you spend for bike ?

Well since I'll only be using it here as far as I can tell, I really don't want to spent that much money on one (I've seen online where they can sell for more than $450).

I was hoping for under $200. I wouldn't feel comfortable paying more than that knowing I wasn't going to use it for a significant amount of time.

I live on base and I ride my bike all the time, I could definitely come and help you get one. They have ones at HOMES that are nice for around 200.

Posted By cdt1334 on 10-15-2011 8:55 PM
Awesome.

Now just to make sure (because of your avatar) - we are talking about bicycle-bicycle, not motorcycle, right?

Yup.

I am a man of many forms of transportation.  One of my favorites is an older Cannondale Mountain bike with fat and wide semi-slick tires.  Your preferred choice of rig will differ. 

Have you rented a bike from the Outdoor Rec Center for a few days to just try out commuting by bike?  They are fully outfitted, and while used and abused like you would expect for rental, they are kept in pretty damned good mechanical shape by the wizard bike mechanic they keep chained up in the backroom.  They also have helmets there for rental so you don't have to buy your own, try bike commuting 4 times, find you hate it, and then have this waste of a brain bucket cluttering up your place.

Thanks FTC - I didn't even know that the bikes could be rented and taken off base. For whatever reason, I thought they couldn't be taken off base.

Think I'm gonna go that route for a few days and see how I like it. One of my main concerns was getting the bike "fitted" to me (I'm pretty tall and have long legs) - I've read some articles where if the bike isn't fitted to the riders body proportions, they can cause soreness and injury - and I definitely don't need anything else adding to what age has been dealing me (muscle aches and all). I'm hoping someone at the outdoor rec center can help me with that.

Now I just have to figure out the logistical issue of getting the bike from base to my home - it won't fit in my car . . . my have to get a coworker give me a ride one day so I can pick up the bike and ride it home. . .

Thanks again for your input! We'll see how this goes!

...You could ride the bicycle home...

Yep - but then how would I get my car home

Closest train station to me is over a mile away - hence the logistical nightmare.

What I'm gonna do is see if they have any bicycles and rent one but pick it up the next day, that way I can ask one of my coworkers to pick me up in the morning, then after work, I'll pick up the bike and ride it home. That way I have both the bike and car at home.

Posted By cdt1334 on 10-17-2011 8:38 AM
Yep - but then how would I get my car home

OK, good point.

They do have some Diamondback bikes at Fleet Rec. Their inventory is hit or miss, but sometimes they have some decent bikes in there. Since you are only commuting 3 miles, you don't need anything fancy or exotic. My husband is 6'2" and was able to find a decent "commuting bike" @ Fleet Rec. His racing bike on the other hand we had shipped from the states.

The bike mechanic at Outdoor Rec is awesome and very inexpensive. I have taken a few of our bikes to him.