Finding a bike to ride

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dancermom11
dancermom11 Posts: 13 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi fitness family! I am looking into purchasing a good bike for not only riding around in my neighborhood but also along long paths along the roadways.My husband things what I have now will not work.I have a inexpensive rusty mountain bike from walmart.He wants me to get a better for quality bike with the thinner tires.But I have no idea what would be good.Do any of you ride bikes ?.Thanks for any thoughts or ideas. Christine
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  • cb83580
    cb83580 Posts: 136 Member
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    Go to a biking store and get fitted properly. A perfectly sized bike makes a huge difference in how it feels and handles when you ride. You'll also find a much nicer quality bike in a bike shop than you will in department stores. A Schwinn you find in a bike shop is vastly different from a similar Schwinn at Walmart in terms of quality.

    If you figure out what you want and what will work for you, you may be able to find a nice used one on Craigslist or Ebay for cheaper :)

    If you're not planning on taking it on any major off-road trips, a hybrid might be a nice option. It's a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike.
  • smpreston
    smpreston Posts: 262 Member
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    If you are on paved or hard packed paths (stonedust, etc.), then I like the idea of a hybrid bike. Go to a bike store and see what they have to offer. It will cost more than a cheap one from a big box store, but you will be getting something better. Thinner tires offer lower rolling resistance making your raides faster with less effort. A hybrid bike has a comfortable upright riding postition, but enough gearing to allow you to get to a good speed. You can even get them with shock absorbing seat posts and comfy saddles for a smoother ride.

    A good bike shop will offer a tune-up after 30 days or so to make any final adjustments. They will also be there if you do run into a problem. You won't find support liket hat at a big box store.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    If I could only have one bike it would be a cyclocross bike. Similar to a road bike, but with a heavier-duty frame and clearance for either skinny road tires or somewhat wider tires with more tread (so almost a hybrid of a mountain bike and road bike). That's what I'm on in my profile photo and on the right in my ticker. My absolute dream bike would be a titanium CX bike with disc brakes...maybe someday...
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    If I could only have one bike it would be a cyclocross bike. Similar to a road bike, but with a heavier-duty frame and clearance for either skinny road tires or somewhat wider tires with more tread (so almost a hybrid of a mountain bike and road bike). That's what I'm on in my profile photo and on the right in my ticker. My absolute dream bike would be a titanium CX bike with disc brakes...maybe someday...

    very much this ^
  • shawnp80134
    shawnp80134 Posts: 86
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    Yea, the previous posts are right on. Go to a bike shop and get fitted. I use a road bike to commute to work everyday, it is head-n- shoulders above what you'd get at another store, plus once you do get the right bike, you will enjoy it so much more.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    Yea, the previous posts are right on. Go to a bike shop and get fitted. I use a road bike to commute to work everyday, it is head-n- shoulders above what you'd get at another store, plus once you do get the right bike, you will enjoy it so much more.

    Very true. Up until 2.5 years ago I'd always been on POS bikes that didn't fit me well and it was never much fun or comfortable. And then I got my first properly fitted road bike at a legitimate bike shop. I pedaled 3500 miles in my first year (in addition to running 1000) and last year pedaled over 4k miles. I've since discovered the fun of duathlons and cyclocross and mountain biking, too. Someday I may give up running almost entirely to see what I can do if I put all of my energies into cycling.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    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.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    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.
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    Hi fitness family! I am looking into purchasing a good bike for not only riding around in my neighborhood but also along long paths along the roadways.My husband things what I have now will not work.I have a inexpensive rusty mountain bike from walmart.He wants me to get a better for quality bike with the thinner tires.But I have no idea what would be good.Do any of you ride bikes ?.Thanks for any thoughts or ideas. Christine
    I found a used Cannondale H400 on Craigslist.
    It is a Hybred (hence the "H")
    Basically, it is a mountian bike frame but with skinier tiers but fatter thres then a full on road bike.
    In any case, check out Craigslist and then get it adjusted by a bike shop if needed.
  • dancermom11
    dancermom11 Posts: 13 Member
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    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
  • g0tr00t
    g0tr00t Posts: 192
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    Awesome, now make sure you get a bike computer and start tracking your miles, heart rate, speed, calories burned, etc... :happy:
  • dancermom11
    dancermom11 Posts: 13 Member
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    I was thinking about that! Do you know of any good ones you recommend ? Thanks! Christine
  • g0tr00t
    g0tr00t Posts: 192
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    I was thinking about that! Do you know of any good ones you recommend ? Thanks! Christine

    I have a Bontrager Trip 4 (http://bontrager.com/model/08862) that I bought when I first purchased the bike. I would NOT get it again. I like the fact that it tracks my miles (odometer), but when I replace the battery, it get deleted. I also bought a cheap one from Target, its actually better than the Bontrager,, but again limited in use.

    So, I was looking at getting a "nice" one to track my speed/cadence and heart rate. A friend of mine at work rides in and he has the Garmin 500. I needed something more mobile, so I went with the Motorola Motoactv which does my spin class, weight lifting, walking, running, etc..

    If you want just a bike computer, skip the Garmin 200 and go for the Garmin 500, its a really nice small size and is great for micro managing your cycling (like I do). You can usually find it for a pretty good deal on Amazon.
  • novatri
    novatri Posts: 262 Member
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    I like the Cateye line of bike computers. Corded computers will be the least expensive. The only features you need are distance and speed. Cadence is nice but that ups the price. The calorie counting function is total bs so skip anything with that and either log it into mfp or get a heart rate monitor if you want more accurate calorie counting.
  • dancermom11
    dancermom11 Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you.I will check out that model!
  • dancermom11
    dancermom11 Posts: 13 Member
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    Thanks! I will look at the Garmin 500.I already have a heart rate monitor watch with a chest strap so maybe all I really need is one that measures distance and speed but I will check it out.Oh and by the way,I watched that documentary you recommended called FAT,Sick and Nearly Dead. It was very good! I wonder if I could drink that stuff for a month!Thanks,Christine
  • g0tr00t
    g0tr00t Posts: 192
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    Thanks! I will look at the Garmin 500.I already have a heart rate monitor watch with a chest strap so maybe all I really need is one that measures distance and speed but I will check it out.Oh and by the way,I watched that documentary you recommended called FAT,Sick and Nearly Dead. It was very good! I wonder if I could drink that stuff for a month!Thanks,Christine

    Hey Christine, yeah that documentary is really good. The only thing I disagree with, and its just me being me, is I don't agree with the 30 day cycle. What I did is bought the Breville juicer and I replaced my lunch with a green drink (7 days a week) I pour it into 2 Polar bottles and throw it in the fridge. Some days I even make smoothies for the kids with it. I just don't agree with 30 day, 6 week, 8 week "diets". To me a diet is your eating habits. I changed my diet about 2 years ago and haven't looked back.

    If I went on 30 days juicing, I don't think I would survive with the biking/exercising I do. :happy: All I have ever seen and done (tried the "fad diets") was the weight came back after going back to my "normal diet". My doctor, a D.O., and his dietician have changed my life forever.

    Good luck to you!
  • forsettii
    forsettii Posts: 29
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    I use an application on my phone called MapMyRide.

    MapMyFitness.com

    But I use it when I walk and ride my bike to tell me how far I have gone.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    A hybrid is a great choice.

    However, what distances do you expect to travel?

    For me, anything regular, less than 20 Km. A hybrid is fine.

    If you plan to be a little more adventurous? Some version of a street bike (similar to the old fashioned 10 speeds) would be better.

    Also, check out bike shops! What ever bike you chose should have a frame that fits your body. Finding this at a box store is not always easy! For the very little extra a bike shop charges, you will most likely get a bike fit for you that will last much longer than a box store bike.
  • LesaDave
    LesaDave Posts: 1,480 Member
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    Well, you already have your bike; but I still have a comment. I have a Bianchi, and I absolutely LUV it. I bought my first REAL bike 3 yrs ago and I could not BELIEVE the diff! I enjoy going on the trails. People had said that you can tell the diff, but I didn't believe them. The initial cost kinda scared me, but I will NEVER go back to a "wanna be" bike. And now that I have two, the price means NUTHIN now.

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