Thinking about buying a bicycle...

KateHubb
KateHubb Posts: 366 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been thinking about getting a bike because I am getting bored with walking and using my elliptical. Anyone have any suggestions of a good one under $100? I would eventually like to attach a child seat on it so I can take my 2 year old along with me. We have most of the big name stores here... Walmart, Target, Academy, etc... so finding one shouldn't be an issue - just not sure what brand is good and affordable. Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
    bump... i'd like to get one too but not spend alot of money. I'm interested in the input here
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
    I have a beach cruiser. It's perfect for going for simple bike rides and for the most part comfy. The seat is big (which I like) and the position of the handles keeps you mostly upright.

    I need a mountain bike though for the trails, not so easy on the cruiser lol.
  • RNewton4269
    RNewton4269 Posts: 663 Member
    I would go to a local bike shop and talk to them. They are the experts. I had a mountain bike for years..NEVER USED IT..so I sold it about 5 years ago. It is really hot here..and not great to exercise outdoors until it gets a lot cooler (suppose to be about 103 today)..unless it is in the pool. I love our gym because they have a variety of machines you can use for various things. Good luck in the bike search!
  • jesilva80
    jesilva80 Posts: 287 Member
    i bought a womens mongoose mountain bike 2 years ago at a kmart christmas special, it is a really nice bike with rear shocks, only bad thing is you cant attach one of those child seats to a rear suspension style bike. So that would be something to consider. Also i had to buy a seat for it, cause all those bikes have such small painful seats unless they are beach cruisers. Check the child seats on-line, customers will put their input into how they worked out with their bike. Thats where i saw the comment about the rear suspension and then discovered it was true.

    Bike 139 on sale for 100
    Seat 20
    ** edited for price
  • eichhorst
    eichhorst Posts: 35 Member
    Now is the perfect time to buy a bike from Walmart because they are starting to mark down the price- or at least in my area they've started. I just bought one last week, I honestly couldn't tell you the brand off hand but it's a mountain bike with like 15 or 20 different gears, it was marked down to like $89. I absolutely LOVE it!! I can set it for whatever mood I'm in that day- if I want a hard workout I put it on a higher gear, if I just want to take a relaxing ride I put it on a low gear. So I would deifinitely recommend a mountain bike. I don't think brand matters as much as comfort... make sure you sit on it & feel comfortable.
  • KateHubb
    KateHubb Posts: 366 Member
    Thanks for all the input so far everyone! I won't be using it on any rough terrain trails but do want to get a good workout when I ride so I'm thinking a mountain bike might be the way to go so far instead of a cruiser - so at least I can narrow it down a little bit.

    I am liking this one --- http://www.walmart.com/ip/NEXT-Amplifier-26-Women-s-Bike/14277828
  • gingerfoxxx
    gingerfoxxx Posts: 267 Member
    bump! I would like one for city use :)
  • princess_in_power
    princess_in_power Posts: 234 Member
    Buy the lightest bike you can afford!

    My husband and I are fairly serious amateur cyclists and the weight of the bike is SO crucial to your endurance and enjoyment,

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-Aluminum-Comp-26-Ladies-All-Terrain-Bike/15711179

    That is my current bike and it is only 2.5lbs heavier then my husbands "bike shop" bike (that cost him over $900+)

    It has smooth shifting and great ride!
  • Sandbug
    Sandbug Posts: 200 Member
    I alos wanted to do some bicycling several years ago. I bought my first bike at Walmart not really knowing anything about bikes. Eight years later I bought a Giant mountain bike at our local bike shop at the end of the season clearance and paid a tad over $100. It is well worth it and I really wish I had done it earlier for the WEIGHT of the bike.

    As said before the weight of the bike is SO crucial! Do consider you are wanting to add aditional weight when you put a child seat on and then your child.

    With my Walmart bike I had to get a new seat. After riding it a while I felt like I was sitting on a hard board! If you do purchase from Walmart ask to take it to the Garden section for a decent ride around. Shift those gears! You might think you won't use them much but you might be surprised when you have that extra childs weight on how much you will rely on them. You want them to shift smoothly from day one. A lot of time customers shift those gears and are not riding the bike and everything is not lined up as it should be.

    Whatever you decide to do invest in a helmet for you and your child and wear them! Happy cycling! :)
  • princess_in_power
    princess_in_power Posts: 234 Member
    Did you find a bike? :bigsmile:
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    Read this: http://www.cyclefleet.com/uploads/BSO Article.pdf

    Then consider if you still want to buy a cheap bike...

    By the way, BSO stands for 'Bike Shaped Object.' Which means it looks like a bike, but isn't fit to be a bike at all!
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