Any Bike riders??? What do you ride lookin to buy new bike

FrankWhite27330

Been riding my bike some rode 14 miles yesterday and 14 miles today.. thats the farthest I have ridden at one time...
I ride a walmart MTB on rode, but did ride 1.5 miles through woulds and a gravel path.. MUCH harder then the highway/streets..
what bikes do you guys ride. and where

decotterell

I ride a road bike, a Cannondale. They can be costly, but you can find them on Craig's List for 200.00 to 300.00. They ride great. We have a paved trail where I live, they call it the Greenway. When I ride the whole thing, it's about 14 miles.

FrankWhite27330

our greenway is short 3 miles I think maybe 2.5 So i ride to the greenway start through to end then to gym... thats 7 miles

today I rode someplace new to an old iron furnace (where they made cannon balls in Civil War) That offroad portion wore me out

jgnatca

If I were doing it again I wouldn't settle. I think a light frame helps. It sounds like you might benefit from mountain bike tyres.

queenliz99

I would go to your local bike store and talk to them. You may find a decent bike for a good price. Stay away from big box bikes.

runshellersrun123

I have a 16-year-old Trek that's served me well. I prefer my husbands Diamondback though. It rides smoothly and has good shock absorbers.

robertw486

The key is to figure out what type of riding you will be doing, then buy a bike that suits that type of riding, fits you properly, and is comfortable for your body and riding style. You can spend anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars depending on what you want.

Just keep in mind that money doesn't buy a better bike. The better bike it the one you ride more. And if that one happens to be reasonably priced, buy it.

tcaley4

robertw486 wrote: »

Just keep in mind that money doesn't buy a better bike. The better bike it the one you ride more. And if that one happens to be reasonably priced, buy it.

This is so true. I have a big box store big because it was all I could afford. I have put almost 5,000 miles on it. So buy something you can afford, and ride, ride, ride...

beemerphile1

I have a whole garage full of bikes, mostly Trek brand. They are mostly hybrids and road bikes and vary from steel frame, to aluminum frame and carbon fiber frame.

I don't do mountain bike rides but enjoy bike trails and road riding.

FrankWhite27330

beemerphile1 wrote: »

I have a whole garage full of bikes, mostly Trek brand. They are mostly hybrids and road bikes and vary from steel frame, to aluminum frame and carbon fiber frame.

I don't do mountain bike rides but enjoy bike trails and road riding.

beemerphile1 wrote: »

I have a whole garage full of bikes, mostly Trek brand. They are mostly hybrids and road bikes and vary from steel frame, to aluminum frame and carbon fiber frame.

I don't do mountain bike rides but enjoy bike trails and road riding.

Donations??

40mpw

I ride a Trek 7.1FX, an entry level lightweight hybrid. I ride primarily in the city and on paved trails. I have owned cooler bikes, but this one is a workhorse and I keep coming back to it.

mtbiker1069

robertw486 wrote: »

Just keep in mind that money doesn't buy a better bike. The better bike it the one you ride more. And if that one happens to be reasonably priced, buy it.

+100 to this. In My Opinion, The best bike in the world is the one you ride. Just get out and ride, and ride, and ride. Don't worry about weight, latest designs or purpose built bikes. Just get one that fits, and that you will ride.

As you ride you will start to learn what you really enjoy, then by the time you wear the walmart bike out, you'll know what you want.

Just make sure that the bike fits properly. This will help make it more comfortable and protect you agains over use injuries. There's plenty of bike fit help available on the web.

70chevellegsp

Some of this information is contrary. In all honesty you can't get a bike that fits you properly, has the appropriate quality, and is assembled properly from a big box store. I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't buy from a big box store, but if you do you, most likely, will outgrow it very quickly. That being said, I bought my first mountain bike in 1990 from K-Mart. I rode it for about 2 months before I bent the rear derallier beyond repair. Went to a Schwinn (when you could only get them at a bike shop) and rode it for about a year. Then I stepped up to a Cannondale which was about 7# lighter and had much better components. I still have the Cannondale and a Scott bike that I bought in 1995 and 1996 respectively and am still actively putting miles on them. Each bike was a step up in quality and enjoyment. The moral to the story is that a better bike, will be more reliable, safer, and keep your enjoyment high so you keep riding.

beemerphile1

70chevellegsp wrote: »

Some of this information is contrary. In all honesty you can't get a bike that fits you properly, has the appropriate quality, and is assembled properly from a big box store. I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't buy from a big box store, but if you do you, most likely, will outgrow it very quickly. That being said, I bought my first mountain bike in 1990 from K-Mart. I rode it for about 2 months before I bent the rear derallier beyond repair. Went to a Schwinn (when you could only get them at a bike shop) and rode it for about a year. Then I stepped up to a Cannondale which was about 7# lighter and had much better components. I still have the Cannondale and a Scott bike that I bought in 1995 and 1996 respectively and am still actively putting miles on them. Each bike was a step up in quality and enjoyment. The moral to the story is that a better bike, will be more reliable, safer, and keep your enjoyment high so you keep riding.

Absolutely, positively, YES!

Many homes have nearly new discount store bikes rusting away because they aren't ridden. The reasons are many, poor quality, poor assembly, improper fit, and malfunctioning systems. Do yourself a favor, go to a local bike shop and buy the bottom $$ level bike if you must, it will still be world's ahead of a discount store bike. I'm partial to Trek but there are many good brands.

FrankWhite27330

This isn't about brand vs brand. Or lbs vs kmart.

Barefoot115

Four years ago I bought my "gateway" bike, a Jamis comfort hybrid to kick start my exercise. I would ride it 10-15 miles 4x weekly. I loved riding so much, but began to get frustrated that I really couldn't ride faster than 14 mph as I became more fit. Two years ago I purchased a Fuji hybrid fitness bike, flat bar, road bike tires and started riding up to 20- 40 miles 3 x weekly at a pace of 16-18mph.. Loved that bike! Two weeks ago after much research, I purchased my first road bike off of eBay, a Bianchi Intenso and started clipping in, and my speed and rides have only become faster and more fun.. My point? Ride whatever makes your soul happy. Think about what your fitness and riding goals are. If you are happy with trail riding and you are not concerned with speed or increasing your distance than stick with a good mountain bike. I do honestly believe you will get a better bike if you avoid the big box stores and spend a little more for the quality and proper fitting of a bike purchased through a local bike shop.

robertw486

Barefoot115 wrote: »

Four years ago I bought my "gateway" bike, a Jamis comfort hybrid to kick start my exercise. I would ride it 10-15 miles 4x weekly. I loved riding so much, but began to get frustrated that I really couldn't ride faster than 14 mph as I became more fit. Two years ago I purchased a Fuji hybrid fitness bike, flat bar, road bike tires and started riding up to 20- 40 miles 3 x weekly at a pace of 16-18mph.. Loved that bike! Two weeks ago after much research, I purchased my first road bike off of eBay, a Bianchi Intenso and started clipping in, and my speed and rides have only become faster and more fun.. My point? Ride whatever makes your soul happy. Think about what your fitness and riding goals are. If you are happy with trail riding and you are not concerned with speed or increasing your distance than stick with a good mountain bike. I do honestly believe you will get a better bike if you avoid the big box stores and spend a little more for the quality and proper fitting of a bike purchased through a local bike shop.

My point exactly about buying what you will ride and enjoy being the most important part.

At some point over the winter or early spring I'll probably buy a mountain bike with a suspended front end. I've got some back issues, and protecting from the harder hits with a front suspension and absorbing seat post make sense rather than pounding my back more than I need. It will probably do the rims a favor as well, since at 185 I'm still no lightweight.

It seems decent road bikes can be readily had used in this area, and I've considered it. But traffic in this area dictates either taking the bike via rack/vehicle to a more suitable area, or rolling the dice with idiot drivers closer in to where I live. Being neither appeals to me (with time being a major factor in one, and living being a major factor in the other) I've decided to just stick to the mountain bike and stay on the bike greenways, paved trails, and be able to do some off road stuff when I want.

I know the riding position, weight, and fatter tires will reduce pace, but TBH around here you can't even come close to a decent pace due to traffic anyway. And for just burning calories and having fun, they all work. For fitness if anything the extra weight and resistance makes me work harder to keep the same speed, so when I knock out some 16-18 MPH miles it's more calorie burn.

For higher speeds and longer distances, it's really all relative. Though top speeds and distances will improve with bikes with better aerodynamic riding position, low rolling resistance, and more ratios, etc, the improvements can be made with any type of bike. With an old box store bike with only 21 ratios and fat knobby tires I can still knock out some quick miles when traffic allows, and have ridden it over 50 miles in a single event.

iloveamystery

I have a Trek Domane 4.3 road bike. It's a fantastic bike. Unfortunately I haven't ridden as much this year as last, but I did do my first metric century this year. I'll keep it until it starts falling apart. I started riding with a Specialized Crosstrail. It was a good bike for beginning since it had been a long time since I had ridden a bike and the fatter, knobbier tires helped me be more comfortable going at speed downhill.

I normally ride the county roads on the outskirts of town. Less traffic to deal with.

Hornsby

I ride road and single track. I have a Giant Propel Advanced for the road and a Giant Trance full squishy for the trails.

dtsbrown

I love my specialized road bike. I highly recommend going to a real bike shop and test riding the bikes. Most bike shops will allow you to take the bike out for several hours to test ride it. Getting properly fitted for a bike is a must and you simply cannot get quality or fitted properly at Walmart.

70chevellegsp

FrankWhite27330 wrote: »

This isn't about brand vs brand. Or lbs vs kmart.

Correct, it's about buying a new bike. Important factors include proper assembly, proper fit, and ride enjoyment. This likely won't be the case buying from a box store. They don't have the staff knowledgeable enough to provide those factors. Now, if you have the ability yourself to do these things, you can also buy online from places like Bikesdirect.com or Airborne.com which are great values if you have the knowledge to assemble and maintain on your own, or have a local bikeshop that is willing to do the work.

beemerphile1

FrankWhite27330 wrote: »

This isn't about brand vs brand. Or lbs vs kmart.

If we haven't provided the information you seek, maybe you should rephrase the question?

mrron2u

I ride a Cannondale Trail 7 29er. It was not ultra expensive (about $500) but felt way expensive to my budget. I love the 29er (I'm almost 6'4") as it fits my taller frame well. I've ridden over 1000 miles on it so far. I try to ride several times a week. I mostly do paved or hard packed trails. I have done Mountain Bike trails twice and had a blast but those trails are a ways away so it's not something I can do frequently.

I started riding last summer and don't see myself ever wanting to stop. Each ride is like an adventure, and I love having an exercise that is actually fun!

tcaley4

While I agree with everything said about buying a bike from a lbs, for some people the low end bike shop bike might still be too expensive. The cheaper box store big might be what it takes for someone to be able to get started in this great hobby of ours. It would get them started, they are off of the couch and out doing something, and burning calories. If they find out that they really like it after a year or so, and have a better idea of what they want a bike to do, then I say go to the bike shop and look at upgrading. I wouldn't want someone to not be able to ride, just because that we said that they couldn't ride anything that didn't come from a bike shop. Lost cost bikes are a viable option for some people is all I'm saying.

TheBeachgod

I have an Electra Cruiser 1. It is a low cost, basic town cruiser. They list at $275.00 but I got mine used in excellent shape for $80.00 and love it. Definitely not a long distance or BMX-type bike!

CarlydogsMom

I had a Trek 800 mountain bike, probably about 20 years old, when I started mountain biking seriously when I lost weight a few years ago. I biked with a group, and was always lagging behind. It was a good bike for its time (no suspension at all, even front), and I thought it was me and my level of fitness that kept me WAY behind the rest of the group (like they'd wait for me for 5 minutes to catch up; time it--that's a long time). It got to where I was almost too embarrassed to go with this group, and I wasn't enjoying the riding itself. But I then picked up a new Giant 29er, and--literally--the next group ride, I was keeping up with the middle of the pack without a problem. leaving some of the people who were way ahead of me the prior ride behind. I have used that bike for three years and hundreds of miles, and I am in love with mountain biking.

Point being that yes, the best bike is one that you'll ride. And perhaps starting out, you may not be able to afford, or want to invest in, a better bike. That's fine. But knowing the level of bike you get, just be aware that if you are NOT enjoying the ride, it may not necessarily mean that "biking isn't for me;" it may mean that a better bike might make the difference. Personally, I think the overall weight of the bike is a more important factor than just about anything. A heavy bike means you're working harder; a lighter bike makes your ride much more enjoyable (IMHO).

Our local bike store offers daily bike rentals, and the money you spend on the rental gets put towards a bike if you buy from them (so you rent a bike for $50 for a day, you'll get $50 off any bike you buy). Maybe your LBS will let you rent a bike or two to try some out to allow you to figure out the best bike, within your price range, for you.

FrankWhite27330

Rode some trek and fuji bikes.. hybrids man they are a blast and much easier to roll then my current ride
Rode 36 miles total 3 rides this week. Time to upgrade

FrankWhite27330

Test rode at some bike shops.. I mean

0BrienMB

Bianchi road bike (circa 1999). Love it. Also have a specialized Hard Rock mtn bike, which I ride much less. Mostly for short hops.

davidf1t

Motobekane road bike c1997 and a Saracen hardtail MTB 2012 - love them both and ride whenever I can.