Best bicycle to buy?

First off, I start by paying some visits to some LBSs (Local Bike Shops) and start discussing with them your intentions, etc. As brands go, all of the major brands are just fine...really it comes down more to fit and how the bike feels so you'll want to test ride just as you would a car. Even at the same size, different brands are going to feel different and ride different.

Also, where are you riding? Are you going to always be on the road? Multi terrain? Are you going to commute or otherwise ever need saddle bags, etc? Are you just going to be riding recreationally and at a recreational pace or do you have aspirations to participate in cycling events or race? Do you want or care about being able to go "fast"...how much performance do you want out of your bike...

If you just want to ride recreationally and cruis about, a comfort bike or hybrid would be find...but you'll likely be unhappy with performance if you ever want to participate in cycling events...and a lot of people I've known who started out with a hybrid type of bike quickly outgrew them and wanted more performance.

I ride a Specialized Roubaix which is an endurance road bike...geometry and a bit higher head tube make it a great bike to take out for general riding and longer rides...it's great on 1/2 century and century rides and it has enough performance to race, albeit I will never win with it...not that I would anyway. It's full carbon so out of your price range, but Specialized and other brands also make aluminum endurance bikes which may fit better with your budget...you also have to consider the component packages which will range from basic to comp and substantially effect the price.

If you're going to be doing multi terrain I would opt for an entry level cyclocross bike (I also ride a Giant CX bike) or something like the Specialized Diverge (yes...I am partial to Specialized...but there are many good bikes out there).

Start doing a lot of research...start visiting your LBSs.

Go test ride a lot of bikes and see what makes you smile.

Just going to Echo what the others have said.

Couple Questions you need to ask yourself :
1) What kind of trail/tarmac are you going to be riding. What's the road conditions like?
2) What do you want to do with the bike? Commute? Race? Fitness?

As far as branding go. There is little difference between the Bigger Brands. Giant, Specialized, Trek, Surly, Fuji ...... They're all very much the same. Different brands tweak geometry a little differently.

The reason why we ask about "plans for the bike" and Where you're going to be riding it. All Bike are not created equally. In the "Drop Bar" world you have Performance, Endurance, Gravel, Cyclocross. In Mountain you have Cross Country, All Mountain, Gravity. Then you have Straight Bar "Fitness" bikes, and Beach Cruisers/Comfort Bikes ..... And each of them have different characteristics.

And I will also echo going to a local bike shop. They will point you in the right direction depending what what you want, and how much you want to spend. And the bikes are far more serviceable than something from Wal-Mart/Target.....

Different angle: go used, and get the least expensive bike that fits you and does what you want.

If you like cycling, you're going to want something better than any first bike you'll buy, probably within a year. So you aren't out too much when you decide to upgrade. If you don't love cycling, you aren't out too much.

Hornsby wrote: »

If you don't buy a Bianchi Specialissima Super Record, there is really no point in buying a bike at all...

Kidding of course.

What about the Specialized Venge Vias Di2?

NorthCascades wrote: »

Different angle: go used, and get the least expensive bike that fits you and does what you want.

If you like cycling, you're going to want something better than any first bike you'll buy, probably within a year. So you aren't out too much when you decide to upgrade. If you don't love cycling, you aren't out too much.

This is a good idea. My first bike was my Giant CX bike and I bought it new for about $1200 because it seemed to fit best with what I had in my head in terms of the way I thought I would ride...lots of multi-terrain riding and some dabbling in cyclocross and maybe some commuting. Turns out I really love endurance road riding and while my CX bike is a great little bike, it's lacking in performance for what I actually like to do...so I ended up getting my Roubaix about 2 years later (I figured I needed to give it a couple of years to avoid the wrath of my wife).



I actually still use my CX bike...I have saddle bags and what not for it so I can commute but life only affords me that opportunity on occasion...I also use it when I'm out for recreational rides with my kids as I don't like hooking up the bike trailer to my road bike...I also dabble in a little cyclocross and do a couple of races every year in the fall...but yeah...I could have gone a cheaper route and been just as happy in the end.

If you end up enjoying cycling it is highly likely that your first bike is just going to be a stepping stone.

I'm very much trying to convince my wife that I also need a mountain bike this fall...

I'm not sure I'd recommend going used unless you have a friend who is knowledgeable about bikes who can help out but i do agree with the idea of keeping it fairly affordable as GuitarJerry pointed out your goals could change very quickly.

I probably ride a road bike 75% of the time but I also have a blast riding my mountain bike. They handle very differently and I suspect a mountain bike or hybrid would be better choices for a new rider (if you're riding on paved you can put a smoother tire on a mountain bike, it'll be more comfortable to ride on, last longer and handle better).

You can't really go wrong with any of the bigger brands (Giant, Trek, Cannondale, Specialized) Personally I've had a soft spot for Giant bikes the last few years, they're well made and offer good value. Something like the Escape 1 may be a good start for you, it's under $600 in the US and will give you years of service with routine maintenance. If you decide to go with a mountain bike consider a hard tail (no rear suspension - great for riding off road but adds a lot of weight).

Best bet is to head over to your local bike shop and ride a few, see which one you fall in love with.

Mountain bikes the way ahead, for the most fun. I have a Giant Hardtail MTB and use it for normal exercise and fitness. It handles on and off road easy.

Whatever bike you get make sure you get properly measured up for it.