Finding a bike to ride

myfitnessnmhoy

Another vote for a Hybrid. I got a Specialized Sirrus in 2008 (2007 model year clearance) for about $400, added a rack and more road-worthy tires, and I have something vaguely approaching road-bike efficiency (I can do my 14-mile-each-way commute in hilly terrain on it!) while still being able to carry clothing to work or the results of a modest bout of grocery shopping home. After 4 seasons and well over 2,000 miles of riding in rain, sun, gravel, and even a bit of snow, I'm finally having to replace components (brakes, cables, chain, sprockets, well, pretty much everything, but $250 will see it all done!). I'd have needed a lot fewer repairs if I had checked the chain 1,000 miles ago when it apparently started wearing out and chewing up the sprockets on me (word to the wise).

It's rigged for pavement, but does reasonably well in hard gravel (I have a 1/4 mile gravel driveway), and I could put grippier tires on it if I wanted to go on packed trails more frequently. It'd be fairly useless on a dirt/soft trail, but I have an Acadia Cruiser for when I want to get more dirty and/or have a more leisurely ride.

But go to a local bike shop and get fitted properly for a bike that works for you. It'll cost extra, but you'll want to ride it more. Wal-Mart and bog box bikes are usually low-end junk, and even the major-branded ones they carry generally have really low-end derailleurs, tires, etc. Plus there's no one qualified to fit it for you, and you'll probably have to pay someone to get it set up properly unless you have the tools and skills to adjust the gearing and stuff yourself. Wal-Mart usually assembles the bike, but rarely do they set it up properly. It's really disheartening when the gears don't work or the brake rubs.

myfitnessnmhoy

Wow!Thank you so much for all the great advice!! It helped me make a decision and that was....That I purchased a Fuji Absolute 4.0 Hybrid bike in the small size(I am only 5 foot).It is PERFECT!! I went riding already and It is AWESOME! I got a helmet ,kickstand ,and water bottle holder put in.I biked six miles yesterday and I am aiming on riding 6 days a week! Oh and I did go to Advanced Cycles here in Orlando.They were very helpful and I can bring it in once a month for service!!So glad I did this instead of buying from Walmart.Thanks so much all my MFP friends! Christine

Congrats!

One thing I would add for sure is a mirror if you plan on any sort of road riding. I have one that sticks out of the end of my handlebar. Seeing the cars approaching me is really useful. Turning my head around to look can cost valuable response time for hazards in front of me.

Another thing you'll want if you ride any great distance is a frame pump and a "trunk" with repair gear. You at least want to be able to field-repair a flat tire. A lot of local bike shops hold informational clinics on tire repair/replacement that are free or very inexpensive. I generally avoid the CO2 cartridge type inflaters, because once the cartridge runs out you're out of luck. A frame pump is more work, but I have plenty of air available to me - as much as my arms can pump.

I added a steel rack that I can attach dry-bag panniers to, and cheap polycarbonate fenders to mine, but it's a commuter and I ride in the rain and need to carry a change of clothes and lunch.

I also put 125PSI 700x25 road tires on it, since I ride on the road. I currently run a type called "Armadillo" (I think it's from Specialized), and It's been 1500 miles since my last flat tire, riding through glass on a frequent basis - I used to have at least one flat a week when I rode 150 miles a week.

JamCubeChi

I am not a big rider but do enjoy it when I go (it's been quite a while)- I bought a mountain bike a Walmart about 2 years ago and have bene so disappointed -I've only been on it about 2 times so far. I main complaint is the seat. OMG- pain-- my daugher was in town lasst week and rode it and had the same complaints. I think after reading some of the responses you have received from others, that I will also go to a "bike shop" to get fitted and maybe see if I can pick up one someplace (Amazon or craigslist) as I know they can get pretty expensive at the bike shops and I am working wtih a limited budget now.

myfitnessnmhoy

I am not a big rider but do enjoy it when I go (it's been quite a while)- I bought a mountain bike a Walmart about 2 years ago and have bene so disappointed -I've only been on it about 2 times so far. I main complaint is the seat. OMG- pain-- my daugher was in town lasst week and rode it and had the same complaints. I think after reading some of the responses you have received from others, that I will also go to a "bike shop" to get fitted and maybe see if I can pick up one someplace (Amazon or craigslist) as I know they can get pretty expensive at the bike shops and I am working wtih a limited budget now.

Most bike shops will (for reasonable money) get the bike properly adjusted and set up for you. Prepare for some comments about the quality of the bike, but understand that bike shops run into Wally World specials all the time and they are experienced at making a bike fit you properly (even if you have one of the wrong size, which is common, they can help you make the most of it by adjusting the seat and getting the gears and brakes set up and the wheels trued properly).

Cheap box store bikes will at the very least generally use standard equipment, so your local bike shop probably has a wall of replacement seats available for sale. Talk to them and tell them what kind of riding you do, and chances are you can get that seat replaced with something nicer (that can move with you to a better bike if you ever get the funds to upgrade).

If you want to do any sort of distance riding - BUY BIKE SHORTS. Seriously - I have over 2,000 miles on a pair of cutoff jeans and resisted bike shorts for years, thinking I'd have to look like a Lance Armstrong wannabe with square bits of foam sticking out of my *kitten*. I now have a pair of shorts with about 350 miles on them and what a difference! I got a $60 pair from L L Bean that has compression shorts with a bike-seat-shaped cushion then a pair of regular-looking shorts that go on over them. I'm in so much less pain now, and I can rest a lot more weight on the seat. Best $60 I've spent in my cycling career.

If your point is exercise, once you have the bike adjusted to you, it'll probably work just fine. You won't get great efficiency or a very nice ride, but it sure beats sitting inside on a stationary bike looking out at the sunny day!

g0tr00t

I am not a big rider but do enjoy it when I go (it's been quite a while)- I bought a mountain bike a Walmart about 2 years ago and have bene so disappointed -I've only been on it about 2 times so far. I main complaint is the seat. OMG- pain-- my daugher was in town lasst week and rode it and had the same complaints. I think after reading some of the responses you have received from others, that I will also go to a "bike shop" to get fitted and maybe see if I can pick up one someplace (Amazon or craigslist) as I know they can get pretty expensive at the bike shops and I am working wtih a limited budget now.

With Craigslist, I would be careful. Honestly, if I wanted to buy online, I would avoid craigslist all together. Those bikes are a hit or miss, I don't like to gamble with something that is going to put me within 3 feet of a car only to find out the frame has cracks or who knows what else.

Try this place for online bikes. From the bike forums, they have a great reputation.
http://bikesdirect.com/

KBGirts

In theory, big box store bikes aren't bad.
they just:
- have very heavy frames (slower, harder to move)
- unskilled workers assembling them
- proprietary components (when something breaks, you can't fix it)
- poor quality bearings (harder to move, breaks quicker)
- poor quality tires (harder to move, more flats)

For what you describe, anything will work. A mountain or BMX bike would be least efficient and a road bike would be most efficient.

And the big box bikes only come in one-size-fits-few. I keep seeing photos of bikes with the fork on backwards, too...at least 3 of my friends have bought bikes for their kids with dangerous reversed forks.

I used to work in a pro shop that did repairs on any brand. We saw this ALL THE TIME..... along with pedals that were misthreaded and would snap off at any moment!