Looking for a new bike

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  • megsi886
    megsi886 Posts: 27 Member
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    Bikesdirect and Performance bike are other good online sources. Performance bike has the sort of thing you'd find at a large LBS.
  • columbus2015
    columbus2015 Posts: 51 Member
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    One suggestion if you're thinking about buying used on Craig's list, etc. Ask your LBS if they will do a pre-purchase inspection for you. They may want a little bit of money for it, but it will save you buying a mistake! They might even be able to give you some recommendations on what size, etc you should be looking for ( and a lot of the LBS employees I know watch the used market pretty closely)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    megsi886 wrote: »
    Bikesdirect and Performance bike are other good online sources. Performance bike has the sort of thing you'd find at a large LBS.

    Do you really save any money buying on-line after taking into account the added values services most LBSs provide (assembly, adjustments, tuneups)?
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    _MistahJ_ wrote: »
    Of the two, I'd go with the Merax. No matter which one you get, please don't let Walmart assemble the bike for you. If you don't have somebody who knows what they are doing in the household, take it to a bike shop. Walmart, Target, Toys-R-Us, etc., pay the kids by the number of bikes they assemble. They end up getting thrown together and often at the expense of your--or your child's--safety.

    For what it's worth. No local bike shop in my area will touch a walmart, etc bike to assemble or repair. The quality of thr parts used won't let them stand behind their work.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I'm with the LBS crowd here. A LBS should have a fairly wide variety of quality bikes...for a little more than you'll pay at Wal-mart you can get a solid entry level bike. There is a world of difference in how a "real" bike feels and rides vs something you would get at Wal-mart or other big box stores...and trust me, the more you actually enjoy the bike the more you will be inclined to get out there and ride.

    I've made this mistake in the past and just went with a cheapy bike...I really didn't like riding it all that much...it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. At the time I just thought I wasn't all that into cycling...but nah...it was really just the bike.

    Most of the LBSs in my area also sell used bikes which they have inspected and fixed up as well. You can get good deals on CL as well, but really I'd only recommend that to someone who is fairly seasoned and knows what they're actually looking at.

    As far as a hybrid vs a road bike...well, it's just a personal preference and you have to consider how you're going to ride...and also consider how you may possibly ride in the future...when I upgraded my bike I went into it with the idea that I may or may not participate in cycling events or races but I wanted something that was at least capable in the event that I did end up doing those things (which I do and they're tons of fun). In my experience, many people who go with a hybrid outgrow it in pretty short order as it simply doesn't perform how they would like...other people do just fine...but if it were me, I'd opt for an entry level road bike.
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
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    _MistahJ_ wrote: »
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    I settled for buying a bike on CL and 650 miles later it is falling apart. It's a Schwinn Hyrbid which probably came from a wal-mart like store. I just cannot afford another bike right now. I wish I could because it's a struggle to ride this bike 20 miles a day.

    This is why I'm hesitant to recommend a second hand bike unless you know the previous owner. You have no idea how the bike was used or abused, maintained or not. Anybody can clean up a bike and make it look nice to sell it for a few bucks.

    Not to mention, I know nothing about bicycles! :( Sucks.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    abitofbliss wrote: »
    _MistahJ_ wrote: »
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    I settled for buying a bike on CL and 650 miles later it is falling apart. It's a Schwinn Hyrbid which probably came from a wal-mart like store. I just cannot afford another bike right now. I wish I could because it's a struggle to ride this bike 20 miles a day.

    This is why I'm hesitant to recommend a second hand bike unless you know the previous owner. You have no idea how the bike was used or abused, maintained or not. Anybody can clean up a bike and make it look nice to sell it for a few bucks.

    Not to mention, I know nothing about bicycles! :( Sucks.

    well, learn!

    http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners.html

    This site looks like a potato, but it's one of the greatest resources of information for cyclists.

    And of course, there is a plethora of information and you can ask questions/get opinions here:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
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    Thank you!
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,370 Member
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    I bought my hybrid from an LBS 25+ years ago and I am still using the same bike - granted, I have had to replace some of the components from wear and tear, but the basic frame/headset/bottom-bracket are still original and I would ride that bike anytime and anywhere. We bought my daughter a big-box bike a year ago (my wife was adamant about not spending TOO much on her bike) and the first thing I had to do was take the brakes apart and put them together correctly AND replace both tubes since the peeps who installed them pinched BOTH tubes when putting the bike together... basically, you get what you pay for.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I bought my hybrid from an LBS 25+ years ago and I am still using the same bike - granted, I have had to replace some of the components from wear and tear, but the basic frame/headset/bottom-bracket are still original and I would ride that bike anytime and anywhere. We bought my daughter a big-box bike a year ago (my wife was adamant about not spending TOO much on her bike) and the first thing I had to do was take the brakes apart and put them together correctly AND replace both tubes since the peeps who installed them pinched BOTH tubes when putting the bike together... basically, you get what you pay for.

    And i just want to mention, depending on the tire size... that replacing the tube can be an infuriating process. :pensive:
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
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    Thanks for all the inputs. You folks have me convinced to go to an LBS.

    As far as mechanical I'm not bad. I replaced 2 inner tubes on my bike before I could take it out. I hadn't replaced tubes in 30 years. So I still have it.
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
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    I have been catching up on some old postings today. I ended up buying Giant Crossover bike and I bought from a local shop. So I took so many of yours advice. However, I haven't rode it for a year but I'm getting ready to once again. I fell and all but broke my arm. It took months to heal and then I've had some life matters happen. But now I'm ready.

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