New to Biking

edup1975

Hello. I would like to begin biking on a regular basis and work towards riding in a MS ride. Any info on what type of bike and equipment ? I know this will keep me fit as well.
Thank you !

Machka9

If it were me, I'd look for a road bicycle ... something along the lines of "light touring", "sport touring", "audax", "randonneuring" "sportivo" ...
Look for words like that.


For example, I have an older version of a bicycle something like this ...
http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/Sportivo.html

Mine was called a "sport touring" bicycle at the time. It's sort of in between a racing bicycle and a touring bicycle. Lighter than a touring bicycle ... not as light as a racing bicycle. More relaxed geometry than a racing bicycle ... not quite as relaxed as a touring bicycle.

Great for long distance cycling, light touring, and just riding.

rileysowner

Probably the best approach would be go to a good bike shop and talk with them. Some even have bikes you can try out.

edup1975

Thank you for the info and the good start on finding the right equipment.

Joanna2012B

Bike shop for sure!! They will fit you with the right size and for the type of riding you do. I have a Hybrid which is a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. Mine is a Giant....I love it!! I bought last years model, it was still brand new....just a little cheaper. How long is the ride for MS and when is it?

edup1975

Ms ride is in October . Race begins in Hammond la and ends in McConnell Mississippi. I won't make the ride this year however wil volunteer at this years ride. Will train to participate the following year. Just looking for a bike that will help me with this goal but not break the bank.

Thank you for the info.

NorthCascades

edup1975 wrote: »

Any info on what type of bike and equipment ?

If you're going to ride it on the roads, get a road bike. If you're going to ride on trails, get a mountain bike.

After you figure out what basic type of bike you want, the most important thing is that it fits you properly. It has to be the right size for you. You might want to adjust things to make that happen.

If you have a friend who's a cyclist, you'll get a much better deal on a used bike. They depreciate like cars, but a good bike is also very reliable and will last forever, so a used one isn't a problem. Also, we have no idea what your budget is, but it's probably what most avid cyclists would think of as pretty low. One of two things is going to happen: you're going to enjoy cycling a lot, and probably want to upgrade down the line, or you won't fall in love with it. Either way, it makes sense to have a low-ish budget right now.

Budget for a helmet, lights, and a kit to fix a flat while you're out (especially for road).

If you have a smart phone, get a handlebar mount and run Strava. Use it as a speedometer while you ride, and use Google Maps if you want to navigate.

edup1975

Thank you for your input.

rsclause

I went to the bike shop and told them I want a bike that I can ride into town and get supplies or just ride for fun and exercise. They came up with what I call a campus bike and I put pannier bags on it. They did a great job and I have fun exercise now.

meritage4

Yopu can do a MS bike ride on almost any bike. I have done many (often with my kids and sometimes my Dad). It is easiest if you have smoother tires. Easiest on road bike. Doable on a hybrid-just swap on tires for smoother ones.
I prefer to do it on my road bike with my clip in shoes. Can do it on my 21 year old bike with cages to hold my feet in place.

Using something to attach your feet to the pedal means you can use your quads (big muscles) to pull your feet up as well as push down.

CincyNeid

Go to a LBS {Local Bike Shop} and talk to them. They do make Endurance Frames which are typically more relaxed and easier on the neck and lower back that all out race machines.

As far as budgeting into the cost. Get a saddle pack, one big enough to fit a multi tool, tube, patch kit in. Then decide if you want a CO2 Inflation device or a pump to mount on the water bottle mounts. I would also recommend a rear light and a front light. The better you are at being seen the safer you'll be over all. And get a helmet. All helmets must meet some sort of standard set by the local government. So the more expensive ones will just be lighter and allow more air to flow through the helmet keeping you cooler.

Personally I love doing Sportive style rides. I do the Ride Cincinnati for Breast Cancer, and the Sunflower Revolution every year here..... hope you enjoy it.

mmteixeira

Where you plan to ride will determine what you end up getting... off road will require something different that all road riding.

I went through this exact process about 4 months ago - I started looking at a fitness bike and rode the Trek f2 and the Cannondale Quick. I liked them both - and they were around $600. I then tested out some road bikes like the Specialized Allez and Cannondale CAAD - around $800-$900 - in the end I ended up with the Specialized Diverge at $1100 - an endurance bike - it's a road geometry with tires just a bit thicker than traditional road tires so that I could handle packed gravel if I chose to (we have riding trails around here like that). I've had mine now for almost 3 months and I am over 100 miles on it - I love it.

You will also need a helmet - required. I suggest a small under the seat bag for your bike with a spare tube, multi tool and tire levers, a water bottle cage (may not come with the bike), water bottle that fits the cage, a light for the back of the bike - none of these items are required.

Definiely spend some time riding some of these these bikes before buying anything... enjoy riding!!!

gimmieonemore

Get thee to a bike shop!

edup1975

Thank you all for the great information.

NorthCascades

You're going to come back and post photos of your new bike (when you have it), right?

mitch16

Also, most bike shops will have previous years' models at a huge discount (especially if you are an uncommon size). By all means, go that route if it means you can get a better bike with better components for less money.

edup1975

Thanks to everyone ! I will post pics when I get the bike!

lodro

ride on! would love to see your bike when you are done selecting. don't forget that you can upgrade any bike with better components. I replaced the entire drivetrain (had the LBS do that) and this afternoon I installed a pair of cable actuated hydraulic disc brakes from TRP

chrisg676

Like they said, go to a bike shop. If you can get a bike fit there, they may give you a small discount off a new bike. And do your research. A good bike shop will sort you out. I thought I went to a good shop to get my first bike. It was a Dawes Giro 300. Not bad to start off. A little heavy. The shop didn't mention anything about a bike fit. Didn't do a proper measurement. I went on to suffer knee pain after doing 50 mile rides. I couldn't get up or down the stairs. The first time I did the Tour of Pembrokeshire someone asked me I'd had back pain or knee pain while riding. I said knee pain. He told me to get myself down to Pembrokeshire Bikes for a bike fit. Since then, I've upgraded my bike, i've done a few 70m+ rides. And the following day it feels like it never happened. I've lost weight, my average speed is going up, my lung capacity is going up. I feel great. Cycling is addictive. A great stress reliever.

edup1975

Thank you. There is a bike shop next to my home do I'll visit soon. That's to all for the input!

canadianlbs

idk . . . i mean, yeah bike shop. and you'll need a real bike, as opposed to just finding something at k-mart that 'seems okay'.

but my initial experiences of trying to buy a 'real' bike were quite challenging. i'd been commuting 20km daily for at least a year, and i still found it extremely hard to get people to understand what my requirements were. i finally came across a place that introduced the word hybrid to me, but i had to visit literally every bike shop in my city in order to find that one place. i've bought two or three replacement bikes since then and at least i know the names of the types of bike i don't want.

so it may vary depending on where you live. and maybe also depending on who you are. but in my area, bike shops seem to have frustratingly rigid-minded people. they slot you hard - dutch-citizen bike, armstrong groupie, 'commuter' tank. so if you try to find something outside of the categories that they're familiar with it can take some time and some stubbornness. don't buy anything you feel uncertain about, is my point. it's a whole lot like shoes: any little niggle that seems trivial at the time can become a great big deal when you're riding a lot every day.

fwiw, i was a diehard jamis person until it became (apparently) impossible to buy codas in any actual store. now i own a louis garneau aluminum bike as well, which i still don't really want to admit i may like even more.

lodro

I went the other route, I had a proper bike fitting done first, and then narrowed down my choice of bike by riding preference (long distance audaxing and racing) and searched for the geometry nearest my bikefit and bought a bike online (a Kona Rove Al in my case), then upgraded that in a number of steps. Remember though, a frame that's too large can't be adapted to fit a smaller size, but a smaller size frame relative to your ideal geometry can be adapted with longer stems, saddle position etc.

canadianlbs

lodro wrote: »

Remember though, a frame that's too large can't be adapted to fit a smaller size

so much this. that first coda of mine was 19.5". i'm 5'4" on a tall day, so only love could have kept me riding it for two years.

love and not knowing any better back then.

KDar1988

Make sure the fitting is right. My husband and I spent money on Trek bikes and after some rides I feel like my bike is too small. I have to put the seat up quite high to get the leg extension I want. I kept telling the bike shop I wanted the same size as my husbands but they insisted on the size I ended up with. It's not horrible to ride, but I like my husbands better.

edup1975

Thank you !

mitch16

KDar1988 wrote: »

Make sure the fitting is right. My husband and I spent money on Trek bikes and after some rides I feel like my bike is too small. I have to put the seat up quite high to get the leg extension I want. I kept telling the bike shop I wanted the same size as my husbands but they insisted on the size I ended up with. It's not horrible to ride, but I like my husbands better.

Bike sizing isn't so much about leg length (seat height is adjustable on nearly any bike) but more about upper body length and reach to the handlebars.

canadianlbs

^^^ that. a bike that has you stretched all the time can make you pretty uncomfortable in the long term.

gojaqs

Whatever you get, get a bike fit done. It's worth the money. They adjust your pedals so your knees are pointing forward, not in or out, the seat height and angle, the length of the post from the handlebars ( you should have a slight elbow bend), etc.

kcjchang

Before dropping $200-$300 on a bike fit, talk to a few season cyclists in your area (local bike/race club) and/or LBS. A general fit will get you in the ball park. Once you are serious about the sport, get a true fit done. For novice, a true bike fit may not be that beneficial as one's body is not accustomed to the demand of the sport. Subtle difference in the body's alignment can make a big change in how you feel on the bike. It's a delicate balancing act between comfort and power delivery, and is subject to change. See https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/01/bike-fitting-philosophy-basic-premise/. If you are luck to be in the same continent, get the fit from Steve Hogg.

Timothyh27

I've got a Giant Hardtail MTB, its as comfortable on road as off road. It was last years model but new. The accessories were more expensive than I had anticipated though. ie, pump, puncture repair kit, water bottle + holder, helmet and cycling clothes.

Best bet is to visit a couple of different bike stores/shops. Independent bike shops (in the uk anyway) are really helpful and knowledgeable. Get measured up too, or work out what size bike you need through leg and arm measurements and height.

edup1975

Bike being delivered tomorrow. Once I get it , I have scheduled a bike fit. Then it's on!!