Ex bike repair professional here. It's definitely possible for your bike to need way less maintenance than a car and to provide very few headaches. In your ca

Ex bike repair professional here. It's definitely possible for your bike to need way less maintenance than a car and to provide very few headaches. In your case, I recommend that you buy very good tires. Most bikes have cheap tires, which dry rot. Some of my bikes have tires that are 6-10 years old and still working fine. They also cost $40 apiece back then. In general, most bikes are designed for the recreational "joe 6 pack" market and are of poor quality. If you expect a bike to work well and last a long time, you have to pay extra.