I'm moving to L.A. in a month. I will be living and working on the Westside (Santa Monica/Venice). What kind of commuter bike should I get? I was thinking about a steel single speed like a Salsa Casseroll. Do you need gears in L.A.???

i ride ss everywhere, so i'm biased.

when i lived in the north hollywood area, i rode all the time, all over the place. if you are going to stay in the basin or the valley, ss is no problem at all. if you plan on going from one to the other, gears could help. those hills are pretty big and pretty steep. but, the basin that los angeles, hollywood, santamonica, etc sit in is flat to gently rolling. ss would be good from a simplicity standpoint. aluminum might resist corosion better. gotta remember you're right next to the ocean. there's a large homeless community down there that ride up and down the coast on their bikes.

remember that LA is one of the few cities where it is not only legal to ride on the sidewalk, it's actually recommended. everyone has a car there, and the roads can get pretty hectic during the day.

also, i think it depends on commute length. i live in Huntington and commute to brea (22 miles) ss was not cutting it, not because it was too dificult but because it was too slow.

hey ill be working/living in the same area. im interning at boeing in el segundo over the summer and will be living in marina del rey. i was hoping to commute too. the thing i am worried about is getting all sweaty on the way to work. what do you all do about this?

Who doesn't like a sweaty intern? MDR to El Seg is a short ride with LAX in between. Plus the temps by the beach stay nice. Some of June may be cool and overcast.