Need help choosing a bicycle

Nicoleo1

I have decided to buy a bicycle. I haven't ridden since high school which is too long ago to mention.
I have no idea what to buy. All I know is that I don't want a super cheap bike -I've been told not to buy something that's too cheap because if I don't like it I won't ride it and I can see that happening.
So what I'm looking for is a mode of transportation. I don't have a car during the day but I want to be able to pop out and go to a gym or the store and get there relatively quickly so I can get back to my home office. I don't want to spend over $1000, actually I prefer to stay way under that. (Otherwise I could just go buy a cheap car)
I live in a fairly flat area and 95% of my riding will be on the street. The only time I may off road is with my kids when we're camping. Maybe.
Thoughts? Suggestions?

chefkev

I am picking up a Trek 7.3 tomorrow!!!!!!!

LOVE IT!!

johnlatv

i would say your best bet is a hybrid, it's a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. Perfect for what you are talking about. Tough to say which one, cause i don't know what the bike store near you would have. They won't carry every bike brand. I am sure Trek has some decent hybrids, for about 500-700.

What ever you do make sure you get fitted for the bike, it's like buying a pair of shoes.

bjfrezell

Go try them out and sit on them. I'm short (5 feet 3 inches) and realized by trying them out that I a smaller bike worked better for me. I also looked at comfort bikes, which are basically on road bikes. Hybrids are good too.

Nicoleo1

Very cool!

jrusso28

Hybrid would be the way to go if you plan to go off road and wanted a more relaxed riding position.
They are heavier than your traditional road bike but will have shocks and some grippier tires in case you do go off road.

Regardless of Hybrid or Road you must get it from a reputable local bike shop.
DO NOT buy from walmart or target or ****s sporting goods.
Those places sell very cheap, heavy bikes, with horribly cheap components.

You can go to a few bike shops and see what you like, and then once you know your size and the type of bike you like you can search craigslist and ebay for bargains. I bought my bike from a local bike shop but then bought my second bike from ebay.

Good luck

katarama99

I have the Cannondale Quick 5. It's a hybrid and cost about $630. It's been great so far.

taso42

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/bicycle.html

goosepappa

Go ta bike shop and ride several. The one near us hooked me up with a hybrid/comfort bike and it's a lot nicer than what I originally would have picked.

junyr

Any bikeshop would be able to answer any questions you have on waht type of bike would be best based on what you want to do.

A good bike shop will always allow a test ride too, if they don't find another shop.

Hellbent_Heidi

I have a Gary Fischer...LOVE it (over 700 miles and not one complaint). My advice is to find a good bike shop in your area (recommendation from someone who has bought there)..talk to someone there and tell them exactly what you need it for, and if they're good, they won't try to oversell to you! I invested in the odometer and a few extras (like a little bell for warning when you come up behind people, etc).

Good luck and have fun!

RichEiler

CRAIGSLIST.... lots of good deals there on used ones......


Rich

Bexx435

I bought a Trek Skye (women's specific design) and absolutely love it! But like everyone else said, get fitted first. The bike shop I bought mine from let me test ride several different styles until I found the best fit for me.

WickedMouse

go to a Pro-Bike shop that is well known for its bikes, has knowledgeable staff. I think one of the most important thing no matter what bike you decide, the key is having it professionally "fitted".
I Love my Marin Terra Linda.

TheBigYin

just another +1 for finding a good bike shop - if they're not prepared to talk over your requirements, and spend a decent amount of time LISTENING to you, rather than suggesting options straight away - go try somewhere else.

love2cycle

I think a hybrid also, mine is a Trek, and it is awesome! I got a different seat for it, though, there are some seats you can buy for women.

rydn4h2o

i would say your best bet is a hybrid, it's a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. Perfect for what you are talking about. Tough to say which one, cause i don't know what the bike store near you would have. They won't carry every bike brand. I am sure Trek has some decent hybrids, for about 500-700.

What ever you do make sure you get fitted for the bike, it's like buying a pair of shoes.

Yeah, what he said

George1567

I fully agree with going to a bike shop over a sporting goods store. I spent a gread deal of time with my wife picking out her bike to go on her first RAGBRAI trip last year. We did go to several shops and ended up with a Gary Fisher/Trek hybrid. Other than RAGBRAI we ride mostly on converted railroad right aways whick are packed gravel. The one thing that turned me around the quickest was how long it took the sales person to ask "how much do you want to spend". If they asked that early on, sometimes even before they even asked what kind of riding she was going to do, I was walking the other way. The level of attention and focus from the places that asked price range early on was minimal at best. The store we bought from had nearly an hour and several different test rides offered on different models before $$$$ was ever brought up. A quality store will have bikes from entry level pricing on up. But if price is factored in early you may not get to see all the options. Doesn't mean your going to spend more than you intended, just means you have a full range of options to make sure your range gets you what is right.

oh_mg

If there's a bike shop near you, I'd go in and explain your price range and what you're looking for to the clerk. That's what I did, and they knew a ton about bikes and helped me find the perfect one, a Raleigh Venture - lovely little black hybrid bike. It only cost about $300 (plus $50 for thicker tires because there are a lot of thorny trees on the local bike paths). It was a mens bike, so they swapped a ladies seat on it for no extra charge!

MattGetsMad

I agree with the other posters about not going to Wal-Mart.

However, I'd go a step further and tell you to ride 3 different bikes and decided after.

1. Ride a road bike. They look like spaceships and are light and super fast. Really no better bike for riding on the street. Terrible for anything else.

2. Ride a hybrid. Previous poster said it, but it should be a combo road and mountain. It may be more of a comfort style of bike which is really nice for strolls, not so good for really cranking. So long as it a true mtn/road hybrid make sure you take it off road!

3. Ride a mountain bike. Pick a good one that has a front suspension fork and a hard tail. You will not need a full suspension. If you can afford it, pick one that has a "lockout" feature on the front fork. You'll want to lock out the front fork on hard surfaces and leave it open on off-road. Make sure you ride it off-road too.

If I could afford it, I'd own one of each! As it stands I'm a mountain bike guy. I highly recommend GT.

minnesota_deere

i have a gary fischer okoeko hardtail since 1998 paid $800.00 over the years may have well over $4000.00 in it with my upgrades and broken parts, but i did race competively with it for 5 years so it has been beat to hell and back but it still works, love it.