Bicycle suggestions

[deevergote]

I've been thinking about getting back into riding. It's been a long time, but if I'm going to do it, I want to do it right! (or at least somewhat right!)

When I was younger, I never took size into account. I figured a bike was a bike... and I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason why my knees and hips aren't in great shape!

I'm looking to ride on the road, or paved paths. I'm not looking to do any serious off-road riding. I want something comfortable and reliable, that I can take for a fair distance if I want to. I suppose a road bike is what I'm looking for, but I want to avoid the racing bikes with the big skinny wheels. I've seen a few road bikes that looked almost like the mountain bikes that I grew up riding, and that's the shape I'm most comfortable on.

So, I've done some research. I've learned that with my 32.5" inseam and 5'11 height, I'm looking at a traditional frame size of about 55cm. That's as far as I've gotten. I don't know what brands are good. I don't know where to look for a good bike.

I want to get something for under $500 (even less is better! $200-$300 if I can find a good used one!) I know there are entry level bikes that look pretty good starting around $800... and I just don't want to pay that much. A friend of mine that's pretty serious about riding said $500 is about as cheap as I'm going to find for anything worth owning.



I know we have a few guys on here that ride... hopefully someone can point me in a good direction!

[93blackcb7]

i would check out garry fisher they always have alot of good ones and the one that starts with a s but i cant spell it haha or even a haro road bikes

[owequitit]

Something with two round wheels would be a good place to start...

[deevergote]

Something with two round wheels would be a good place to start...

I've got 3 of those! I want something good... that isn't going to hurt me.

[4GAccordH22]

Pretty much anything you buy at a bike shop will be of decent quality. Avoid Target and WalMart for bikes.

Sounds like what you are looking for is a "comfort" bike. That's the one with the wider tires and more upright riding position. A beach cruiser would be good for cruising, but if you're looking to ride for fitness, I wouldnt get one of them.

You can actually get something pretty decent for $400-$500, especially if you look around for sales!

[deevergote]

Yeah, I'd be looking to ride for fitness, for the most part. Not hardcore, but not just something to roll leisurely around town.

I was looking at these: http://pscycles.com/product/fuji-cro....0-52892-1.htm
This one specifically: http://pscycles.com/product/fuji-cro....0-52892-1.htm

$262 is pretty cheap, so I'm a bit hesitant... I talked to my friend that knows bikes, and he's not familiar. However, it seems to fit my needs. 54cm is the largest they have in that model, it seems... which might be ok for me.

[WilliamW]

I'll give you some good advice. No matter what brand you get (yes even wall-mart) the entry stuff that they make will be crap, or close to crap. I went to my local bike shop and wanted something to go all around without the "extreme" and I got a Trek. I've had so many issues with that bike it's not funny. I spent around 400 dollars at the time and I wish I would have waited, searched Craigs list for something that was more expensive and better.

You need to look at what the bike has more than the price. If you want to do on road riding, you will want the skinny tires. The larger the tire, the more resistance you'll have when riding it. IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE! I have Drifters for my mountain bike and they are basically skinny-er tires than the big off road tires that come on all Mt. Bikes. They are no where near as skinny as a road bikes, but it helps. The other thing you'll need to look at is they components that the bike comes with; Shimano, Sram, etc. Each line will have their entry level components (what I mean by components is the shifters, the derailleurs, the crank, the hubs, and brakes. Basically anything on the bike that's not frame or tires.). Those better components will make your life much easier. You'll love the fact that riding your bike doesn't involve adjusting everything, every time you want to ride.

I've had my chain fall off in the middle of a power stroke. It threw me into the handle bars and I hurt myself pretty badly. This was day 9 after I got the bike. Don't cheap out on what it has. In road bikes for Shimano, Dura Ace is king. I'm not familiar enough with Sram to know what's good and what's not, but the company in whole is on par with Shimano. Some people like them more, so you should always ride what your looking at for at least 30 min to an hour.

Other than just looking for quality parts, you really can't go wrong with any brand. I've seen a Serotta Colorado II sell for 650 with the whole Dura Ace set up. hubs, seat post, shifters, brakes, everything. It weighs like 12 lb.s

Hope this helps.

[deevergote]

Thanks, that helps a lot!

The cheap bike I'm looking at has Shimano shifters, but probably low-end. My old mountain bike also had Shimano (used as a big selling point by the salesman), and they were never very good to me. I usually kept it on the highest gear and left it there.

[WilliamW]

Yeah, people who sell bikes will talk about Shimano shifters like their gold, even if it's the bottom of the bucket stuff. http://bike.shimano.com/

There's a lot of different setups out there. But it's the most important thing to look into when getting a reliable bike.

But I have to say, Wall-mart has had better customer service for my fiancee's bike than the bike shop for my name brand one. And I've had more problems.

[Nurega]

As a guy who ran 7 years of Track/Field and Cross Country in grade school, I know what having destroyed knees and joints feels like. I can no longer run up steep hills, so I've been stuck road bicycling my last three years in college.

I bought a used Trek 330 and have so far put close to 500 miles on it. It was made in 1987, yet the only problems I've had with it in the last 3 years involved me not maintaining the dérailleur and drivetrain. It still has a stiff frame, is damn fun to ride, has perfect brakes, and still has low friction in the drivetrain.


Which brings me to my point. Brand-name bikes are the way to go. There is no way in hell a department-store bicycle will last 23 years and still have a solid frame. WilliamW makes a good point, though, so I'll suggest a few bicycles to take a look at.

When I was originally bike shopping, I was looking over a few brand-new Trek "hybrid" bicycles. They promised higher comfort than road bikes for easy commuting, which is what I wanted at the time. The Trek 7200 was the best one I test-drove in the $500 price range. It has front shocks, so the ride was impeccable. The seat was nice and wide, very comfy. I highly recommend this model, but not the 7000 or 7100 (others in this series). WilliamW is correct; you get what you pay for.

If you don't mind a sportier bike, the Trek FX series is just beastly:
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/bike_path/fx/72fx/
I test drove this, and felt like I'd stepped in to a Porsche. Most precise shifting and steering I have ever felt, in any machine. For $530, this would be my choice. Used 7000-series or FX-series models can easily be had under your asking price.

EDIT:
I'd like to add that the low-end Cannondale road bikes, albeit at a price premium over the Treks, are also one of the better bikes I've test-driven.

[1990accordex-r]

A cross country hardtail is something I think you should look for. I say get large frame since your 5'11. If you want a new bike, check out the Norco Katmandu: http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/...re-x/katmandu/

and the Giant Yukon: http://edmonton.olx.ca/2010-giant-yu...0-iid-64970191

They are somewhat light and you could still take em off road.

You can get a much better 2nd hand bike, check out Pinkbike.com. Lots of good information on there! almost all bikes for sale there are quality brands, plus most of the community on there are biking enthusiasts.

Here are a few good quality road bikes: http://www.norco.com/bikes/urban/

[Ralphie]

Something with two round wheels would be a good place to start...

HA! I was just thinking about you the other day!

[WilliamW]

A really good option to look into is craigslist. Find the bike you like, meaning go out to the stores and ride exactly what you like despite the price. If the bike you like is 2300 dollars brand new, you can probably bet that last years model will be WAY cheaper. Plus being used it will be less than 1/2 the price of the latest model new bike.

Just for an example. If you really like the the 2010 Specialized Demo 8, try and find a 2009 or 2008 Demo 8 used on craigslist. It could take a lot of time, but I'm sure you'll find something that's TOP quality. The hardest part is the wait in finding something that's good and priced right.

[ChIoVnIdCa]

If you are going to ride on anything more aggressive then a nicely groomed dirt road do not get a hybrid..... Plus I don't think you are old enough for one yet.. Id look into a mountain bike.


Anything you get a bike store for 300-500 is a made in china "decent" bike nicer then a department store... I would worry to much about one brand vs the components at that price since they are all pretty much the same ...

Pick three and ride them and see what feels the best to you.

9+years of bike sales and mechanic experience... Haven't worked in the industry for two plus years at this point though

[rave93]

not sure if ne one suggested this,
but it seems like your looking into cross country style bikes.
Basically a light frame either hardtail or soft (front only, or a dualy)
and they are pretty good for normal terrain, and they can definitely be taken off road to your average trail.
Not really sure bout the prices, or exact brands, my buddy who bikes with me, has a santa cruz blur. Its a hella fast bike and can handle most harsh local trails

Hope this helps man