What is the best bike/your favorite bike for riding around the city?

etienne: What is the best bike/your favorite bike for riding around the city?
I live in London and I want to buy a nice bicycle for riding around the city, to the gym, etc. What is a good brand/type of bike to buy? What features should I look for? And does anyone have any good anti-theft ideas?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Rose P
Any bike that fits you well is good for commuting in town. All brands such as Giant, Trek, Cannondale, Jamis, Specialized, Electra, have well built bikes for city riding. Check out the bikeforums.net and look for the commuter section. They give great advice on what to look for according to your style. They will ask about how fast, how much experience, any previously owned bikes, your budget, type of road conditions, parking on street or in an office, etc. Good for you for wanting to bike rather than drive.

Answer by Beatchanter
I personally like mountain bikes for biking around the city. I know this is opposite to conventional wisdom, but here in Pittsburgh, I sometimes cut through Frick Park, which is a wooded, hilly area. I ride a Specialized Hardrock, which is a tolerable price, with few parts that go bad, and well built.

Answer by Kristy
EXACTLY like Rose said: any bike that fits you well! Go to the local bike shop, get fitted and then check out your options. If you buy a dealer-recommended bike in your size for your geometry it will be an awesome bike for tooling around the city ( =