In case you haven’t noticed, we here at AltDaily love bikes and bike culture.

Jesse's bike, looking like a super villain.

My auto-gear-changing Trek is my primary mode of transportation, and Hannah is hoping to get a tricycle by Spring. One of our goals with the site is to help facilitate making Norfolk and all of Hampton Roads more bike friendly.

We’d love to see a public bike program here in Norfolk, like they have in Paris, among other places. As you’ll read in this article they’ve had some trouble with vandals, but they should figure it out eventually.

Before that it would be great if their could be a public bike rental program, like they have in DC. For you entrepreneurs out there, once Light Rail is up and running, I’m guessing a bike rental biz could do pretty damn well.

Ultimately, it would be especially dope if we had bike superhighways like they have in Copenhagen. If there was a bike highway that went from ODU through Ghent to Downtown/The Mall, I bet yah tons of people would use it. And while we’re at it, why not have a bike czar?

To be quite honest, I’d be happy with some bike lanes here and there.

A bike culture won’t grow in Norfolk overnight. But a place to start is more people owning and riding bikes. But buying a bike–especially for someone else–can be tricky. I sat down with Mike Shipp, owner of East Coast Bicycles in Ghent (full disclosure: they’re an advertiser this month) about the ins-and-outs of buying the right bike for the job.

AltDaily: Who gave you your first bike?

Mike Shipp: I far as I can remember my first bicycle was a Huffy Pro Rider 20″. My parents gave it to me. I probably had other bikes before that, but this is the one I remember. It was white with red highlights. I was actually 7 years old when I learned to ride without training wheels. Much later than my kids, who learned at 5 and under. I had a blast riding it around the neighborhood. I think having a bicycle at an early age makes you feel like you can go anywhere, even if it is just a block or so down the street.

Not surprisingly, Lance Armstrong's bike is a best seller. (Photo: Daniel Norton)

Let’s start with the basics. What are the different types of bike to choose from?

The first thing you need to decide is what are you going to use the bicycle for? Riding around the neighborhood? Racing on the road? For off road use? Competition and the like?

If you are looking for a bicycle to use for racing on the road or even doing long distance riding then a road bicycle would be a great idea. One of our most popular high end bicycles is the Trek Madone. Lance Armstrong helped make the Madone the most popular selling road bicycle of the last decade after winning seven Tour’s. It is still a hand made carbon bicycle made in the USA in Wisconsin.

For shorter distances but still on the road a hybrid or comfort bicycle might do well.

If you are looking for something to cruise around the neighborhood then a beach cruiser or comfort bicycle would do fine.

What do we need to know about getting a starter bike for a kid?

For kids it really depends on the age. You have 16” wheeled bicycle that run from ages 3-5; 20” wheel bicycles that run from 5-8 (unless you are using a trick bike, the even adults would use that as a specialty choice); 24” wheeled bike are usually age 9-12.

Does it make a difference if it’s for a boy or a girl?

Yes and no. Girl’s frames were originally made for women who wore dresses while riding. Now if you get a female specific bicycle they are in general designed to fit a woman. For the most part girls have longer legs and a shorter torso, so women bicycles have a shorter top tube to accomadate for the shorter torso. They will also have brake levers that are easier to reach, since girls usually have shorter hands. Keep in mind that everyone is different and getting fit to a bicycle is important. Sometimes a traditional guy’s frame size might fit a specific woman better and vise versa.

Let’s talk husbands, fathers, boyfriends, and any other special fella you think would look better on two wheels. What should you know about them before you head to a bike shop to pick one out?

Well you need to know what they are going to use the bicycle for. Usually most of the bicycles that we sell as a surprise bicycle would be something that they would just use to ride around town.

Some guys like the look of a mountain bike and my get that and only ride on the street. Others prefer the cruiser look.

People say that gifts like roses represent passion, and giving kitchenware to a woman represents, well, something else. What does a bike represent as a gift?

The Allant.

If you have a girl that likes the outdoors, then a bicycle could be the ultimate gift. What girl would not want a cool bicycle to ride around on with her man?

Girls do like stylish bicycles if they are getting one just to ride around on. My wife has an Allant. That is one cool bicycle.

Is a bike something so personal that a gift certificate might be a better idea than an actual bike?

A gift certificate would good idea if you were buying a high end bicycle. If you are just getting a bicycle for them to ride around the neighborhood on then getting the bicycle as a surprise would be perfect. Our bicycle shop will let you take it home and then return it for a different model if they want to choose something else.

Let’s talk about cost. Are bikes one of those things where you get what you pay for? Or are there certain things–brand names, materials, etc.–that might have worth to the serious cyclist, but would be a waste for your average bike rider?

Certainly! Bicycles sold in IBD’s (independent bicycle dealers) are going to hold up much better. They are built by a professional mechanic and come with a warranty. We carry Trek bicycle. They have been rated number one in sales for over 15 years in IBS’s, mainly because of the quality and support they give their customers and dealers. I feel even for an average ride that a good bicycle is a great investment because it can last you a lifetime. The bicycles from department stores can sometimes be regarded as throwaway bicycles, in other words something that you might use for a year or two until it needs to be replaced or fixed by a professional mechanic.

Last question: I’m sure within the cycling subculture different bikes, add-ons, colors, or styles infer a certain reputation on the rider. What do different bikes and add-ons say about the rider, specifically here in Hampton Roads?

One of the biggest subculture locally you will find will be the fixie riders. They have bicycles that have only one gear and that gear for most of them is fixed, it pedals backwards and forward, sometimes they have no brakes. I have a front brake on mine. Some of the fixie riders get frames out of the trash and build them up to ride, it give you a sense of it being your bicycle and a bicycle that for the most part no one else will have. We stock parts for the fixed gear bicycles and sell them fairly often.

I know some of the locally in Norfolk will go out and play bike polo. Yep you heard me right: bike polo. They use pvc plastic sticks or old hockey sticks and play polo. The goalie has to do a track stand and defend his goal from being scored in. Sometimes playing that game results in buying a new front wheel.