Any Bikers!????!!

llpaq

I plan on starting to bike in the Spring (I am in Minnesota :indifferent: ...) But can anyone tell me what kind of bike to look for- some look like granny bikes, some look like Lance Armstrong bikes.... I plan to bike on some trails because we have a gizzillion but on the streets alot too. Any suggestions would be great!
thanks ya!

omma_to_3

Well, you'll need to decide the type of bike first. I would say a hybrid, that leans towards mountain bike, would be a good bet if you'll be riding both trails and roads. But that depends on what the trails looks like. Decently groomed, not a lot of hills? Hybrid. Hill, ruts, not well groomed? Straight mountain bike.

I have a Specialized Vita that I LOVE, but it's a hybrid that leans towards a road bike (mainly because the tires are pretty smooth) so I would recommend it for trail riding much. I use paved bike trails so I wanted something that could just handle cutting across the grass occasionally. They had another model at the store (also a Specialized) that was a hybrid with beefier tires that would probably suit your needs better. The prices ranged from $400 to $500 for the entry level ones I was looking at. And that is worth it - the cheaper bikes are just not the same.

omma_to_3

Here's my Vita (It was 20% off when I bought it): http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/multi-use/vita/vita

And this is the one that would be better for your use: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/multi-use/ariel/ariel

wellbert

The Hybrid.

The hybrid bike has a fairly relaxed style frame, and offers sort of a middle ground between a mountain bike and road bike. For these purposes, I'm also including: Comfort, Fitness, Commuter type bicycles. The hybrid offers a mostly or completely upright seating position, which offers an easier view and is more compatible with inflexible people than a road bike. The handlebars are typically riser style, or simply flat.

Why you should by this bike:

The hybrid bike rides just fine on the road. It offers more resistance than a road bike (read: slightly slower), and usually includes an extra chainring(geary looking thing up front) for easier climbing. It's perfectly competent on a dirt path, provided you don't stray too far from it. They are often built for convenience, and have all the appropriate holes to attach accessories, baskets, or racks to.

Why you should not buy this bike:

This bike is a jack of all trades, master of none. It's heavier and a bit slower than a road bike, but at the same time, not as capable off road as a mountain bike. It also provides only a single way to place your hands on the handlebars, which can become tiresome on long trips. (Though you can get a handly little thing called bar ends to help.)

Additional considerations:

Hybrids with suspension front forks may seem appealing, but keep in mind that inexpensive suspension forks are not always top quality. If you spend most your time on the road, the suspension doesn't contribute greatly to ride quality, but does absorb some of your pedaling effort. Especially climbing. I would suggest AVOID suspension fork, unless you really feel like you need it for your offroad forays. Some, you can lock completely solid.

The CycloCross.

Not much selection in the sub $800 range. The cyclocross has a frame and handlebar setup which is extremely similar to a road bike's. It also often has eyelets for connecting baskets and accessories. The other distinguishing feature which sets it apart from road bikes is the greater clearances and heavier construction, allowing use of larger diameter tires and some off road use.

Why you should by this bike:

These do great on the road, especially if you swap in a set of smooth and narrow road bike tires. They can hop off road and do pathways and access roads fairly well. It's better on the road and off than a Hybrid. They share a handlebar configuration with road bikes, and offer many hand positions.

Why you should not buy this bike:

There aren't a lot out there. Cost would be my primary concern. Aside from that, if you need a sport-specific bike, road or mountain, it's still not -quite- as good as eitehr.

Considerations:

Only some have eyelets and places for screw-in accessories.

The Mountain Bike:

The mountain bike is a wide-tired sure-footed choice that is very much at home on both trails and barely-cut trails. It's often heavy, sturdy, and ready to roll. It also has a flat, wide handlebar setup.

Why you should by this bike:

You like to ride off road. The taste of dirt and nature beats a caramel latte at Starbucks. Paved roads are only a short obstacle to your jaunt into nature. You want to go places where you cell-phone doesn't work, and you need a reliable workhorse to pedal you there.

Why you should not buy this bike:

If you primarily ride on paved roads, consider a hybrid or cyclocross first. Mountain bikes are not really apt performers on the road. (But are serviceable, with the right tires.)

Considerations:

Knobbly tires suck on pavement. I suggest going with a 'hardtail' version. At this price point, you will usually end up with a better bike. Inexpensive rear suspension forks tend to not be the greatest, and may end up costing you down the line.
Disc brakes are neat, but many inexpensive ones are low quality. Brakes that grab the rim are fine, but are more susceptible to water. Keep that in mind if you want to ride in puddles.

The Road Bike:

Zoom zoom! This narrow-wheeled speedster usually comes in 'touring' and 'racing' frame configurations. Touring is more for the long-distance or casual rider and offers a more relaxed posture. Racing is more aggressive, and if you're flexible enough, makes for a fun bike. It has a curled handlebar, allowing for many rider positions.

Why you should by this bike:

You ride only on paved roads. You want a light, snappy bike whose speed is limited more by your legs than by knobbly tires or many pounds of baskets and bags.

Why you should not buy this bike:
Do you want to ride your bike to the grocery store? Take it on a nice unpaved trail? Leave the roadbike at home.

Considerations:

Consider touring vs racing geometry. Ride both! These also come with either a 'double' or 'triple' set. The triple has a hill-climbing gear which may help out absolute beginners. A double is fine for many people.


Okay! Next, slightly less fun question.
Where should you buy your bike?

Easy one. Your locally owned and operated bicyle store. Known as an LBS. (local bike shop.) These guys tend to be more helpful and interested in making a life-long customer. They'll help you find the right bike, and often include some maintenance or other services free with purchase.

National bike chains are all right too!

Sometimes sporting good stores, but I'd go there last.

What about department stores?

Ah, the $100-200 bike. Yes, it's cheap. It can be somewhat reliable if you know how to work on a bike - and have it checked for safety before riding - but - they are usually disposable bikes. Spend $200 now, and have to buy a better bike later down the road anyway?

That brings us to...

What should you spend on a bike?

Expect $300 as the bottom amount for a bike of reasonable quality. Buying "last year's model" is usually a good deal. Sometimes the current model has LESSER components than last years! So keep that in mind. $500-600 should buy you a pretty solid first bike, if you're looking at a hybrid. Mountain tends to gravitate to $600-700, and Road bikes above $700 (cyclocross too.)

What else should I buy?

Helmet: Please wear one, but I won't argue with you about it.
Glasses: 25mph bugs smashing into the pupil suck. Trust me.
Rear view mirror: Popular, but don't let it distract you.
Bell or horn: There's a thing called an Airzound. Check local laws if you want one. Don't use it on pedestrians, please.
Spare tube, pump: And know how to change it before you ride!
Lights: Riding in the dark or late? Get a front and rear light. I like one blinkie + 1 solid on each side. Reflective gear doesn't hurt!

Final thought:
Adjustment and fit are huge. Most local stores will get you in the ballpark for free. You can also pay for a professional fit.
Big gel seats suck. You sit on your bones. Gel seats crush your fleshy squishy bits. This isn't good.

omma_to_3

Glasses: 25mph bugs smashing into the pupil suck. Trust me.

Fun time, fun times. Not fun at 15 mph either LOL. I just wear my sunglasses and it's fine.

scorpio516

If your planning on riding on pavement, get a road bike.

1 - it's the most efficient for traveling on paved surfaces
2 - as opposed to a flat bar bike, there are many hand positions - tucked on the drops, upright on the flat, in the middle on the hoods

Not knowing too much about MN, I'd suggest something with a compact double crank. 2x10 105 if you can afford it, but even Sora gearsets are fine - my Specialized has seen 5 years and the original Sora group works as good as mile 100.

llpaq

Awesome thank you all so much this helped a ton! Minnesota (well the part I'm from) is very "hilly" so there are a lot of hills but there are tons of paved trails beautiful trails. I worry about how heavy a bike is too because I'm not the strongest woman around (not YET anyway ) But you all have broken it down well and I love the look of the one picture so I'm keeping that in mind- I really wanted to know at least a little bit when I go to the bike shop so thank ya thank ya :flowerforyou:

successgal1

Quote:
What else should I buy?

Helmet: Please wear one, but I won't argue with you about it.
Glasses: 25mph bugs smashing into the pupil suck. Trust me.
Rear view mirror: Popular, but don't let it distract you.
Bell or horn: There's a thing called an Airzound. Check local laws if you want one. Don't use it on pedestrians, please.
Spare tube, pump: And know how to change it before you ride!
Lights: Riding in the dark or late? Get a front and rear light. I like one blinkie + 1 solid on each side. Reflective gear doesn't hurt!

Final thought:
Adjustment and fit are huge. Most local stores will get you in the ballpark for free. You can also pay for a professional fit.
Big gel seats suck. You sit on your bones. Gel seats crush your fleshy squishy bits. This isn't good.
[/quote]

This^^

I'm in south Florida, mostly flattish, low inclines, dirt roads and paved. I have bursitis in my shoulders and did NOT want to be leaning on my hands/arms/shoulders.

I found the Sun Drifter at a local Bike shop. Aluminum alloy frame, "foot forward" design. The pedals are in front of the seat, not under it, this leads to sitting tall with almost no weight on the handlebars. It also is an excellent workout for my butt and backs of thighs. I chose the one speed with gliding brakes. Its "me" powered. If I had more money I would have gotten the 3 speed, just for the off chance I'd take it somewhere and have a hill to deal with, but I didn't so I didn't. The drawback is that physically I can't go faster, I can only pedal so fast on flat terrain before I'm gliding and pedaling nothing. But I have dirt roads and can also move to grass for more of a workout. I bought a seat with a "crotchless" design, helmet, lights all over the place as I often ride at dusk. I have the cute spoke lights that change colors too, and a helmet with a light on the back of my head. Florida drivers are not to be trusted, the more lights the better!

http://www.sunbicycles.com/product_detail.php?short_code=Drifter+CB&cl1=BIKE+PATH Sun calls it a "bike path" bike. They have a wide variety of bikes, and all are made in Miami.

Fittreelol

Keep in mind you can get great deals on CL for bikes. Nearby cities with a well-to-do population are used bike jackpots. Then you can take it to a LBS (Local Bike Shop) and they'll fit you to your bike for a fee. If you buy your bike from a bike shop most will fit you for free. I have a fairly nice Trek hybrid that I've had for several years, and is a great commuter bike. If given the choice to do over I would get a road bike. I started cycling longer and longer distances on my days off a few years ago (30-40 miles.) I have straight handlebars, and the lack of hand positioning makes a longer ride pretty uncomfortable. The bikes geometry is such that even if I were to get different handlebars it would still be uncomfortable. So now I just want a road bike, a mountain bike, and a touring bike to keep my hybrid company. :laugh:

dmkoenig

For thhe type of riding you will be doing don't get too hung up on weight. You're probably talking about a weight difference of 10 pounds when in the scheme of things (including your body weight). 10 pounds is not going to make a difference in your riding experience. Now if you have to schlep your bike up a couple of flights of stairs every time you use it then weight may become an important consideration. Bikes are extremely efficient machines and even heavier ones do quite well (that's where having a nice range of gears comes in). The most important aspect of a bike will be fit so that you will be comfortable and enjoy riding. If you plan on being on the bike for more than an hour at a time, investing in bike clothing also becomes an important factor. You don't have to wear lycra; there are baggy shorts and skorts with padding that look more like regular street clothing.

omma_to_3

If you're looking for a deal, check your local Craigslist too - I've seen some great deals on expensive bikes there! May have to do with being in a college town though LOL.

llpaq

Less spending is always best for me - SO THANK YOU I will check out CL! I never thought about clothing etc...so thank you for that as well. I have rode in the past years ago just a little bit and hated it because my neck and shoulders we're uncomfortable. Could've been the bike I'm sure........or that I'm only 5'5" and wasn't fitted for it but I rode it just for like a week.
I plan on riding for about an hour or so a day- I can't see myself doing more then that just because my schedule doesn't allow for it as much.
thanks everyone! Wow I love MFP!

successgal1

I fully admit i bought my bike full price because it was a birthday present to me and i cant remember the last time a bought something new, for fun, just for me.

shadow3829

I like my 2010 HD Fatboy.

ModoVincere

whatever you get, make sure it's a proper fit .....riding a bike that's too big or too small isn't that fun and can be kind of dangerous.
If you can, go to a bike shop and get fitted for the proper size bike.
Also, if you want one bike to do it all....trails and road, a mtb can do both. Technically, a skinny tired road bike can too, but you'll wish you didn't try.

moustache_flavored_lube

When you say trails do you mean paved or hard packed bike paths, or do you mean mountain bike trails.

If the former I would go for a road bike, plan on spending around $1K

Road bikes are usually intimidating to someone new to cycling, and so they lean towards a hybrid or mountain bike. This is usually a limiting factor for how far / fast they can ride, and then they will be back to buy a road bike in a year or two.


I ride both mountain and road. LOVE them both for different reasons.

funkycamper

Wellbert's synopsis is great!

If you can, visit your local bike shop and tell them the type of riding you intend to do. A good shop can suggest the proper models for you and help you get fitted properly. In addition, and this is the best part, imho, they should let you take bikes out for test rides. It took me over a month to choose my new bike as I was having so much fun taking them out for test rides where I would do a hill, ride on flats, ride on a smooth trail, etc., to see how each bike performed on the various places I would be riding regularly. Also, to see how comfortable each was. I kept riding different bikes, narrowing down my choices, until I found a bike that has turned out to be a great choice for me.

Before I made my final choice, I explained to the bike shop owner what I liked and didn't like about the final three and we ended up throwing one of those out due to some gearing issues that he felt wouldn't be right for me. Of the final two, he made some adjustments before I took them both out for my final test rides. On one he put on a different stem that gave me about another inch of length from seat to handles which made a huge positive difference. Don't recall what he did to the other. But that extra inch made that one bike perfect for me.

Anyway, if you can afford it, I think there's nothing better than the personalized service and test rides you can do at a bike shop. And make sure you do a good test rides. I'm not talking 5 minutes around the parking lot. I took each bike out for 30-60 minutes depending on how long it took me to nix it or add it to my possibility list.

Good luck and have fun!

scorpio516

If you're looking for a deal, check your local Craigslist too - I've seen some great deals on expensive bikes there! May have to do with being in a college town though LOL.

A problem with using CL for a FIRST bike is it's pretty easy to buy the wrong size

If you can, scout out for last years models at LBSs. I've even seen 2 year NOS bikes. You can save a couple hundred on a road bike that way.

ModoVincere

I like my 2010 HD Fatboy.

I'll make the same bet with you I made with a guy in a work truck....let's race. Not for speed.
See who can go the farthest on $5 of fuel. BTW, I can get close to 50 miles on a burrito and can get those for just over a $1 at some stores. :glasses: