Bicyclist need advice...what kind of bike is good for me?

[btcog82]

Well fellas here's the deal...I now live within a 15 mile radius of my work. I wanted to start biking to work instead of always driving since its soo short a distance, as well as to get back into shape.
So, whats a decent bike that's decently priced and wont fall apart on me? I don't want a 25 speed race bike or something crazy. I was thinking along the lines of a 10 speed DiamondBack Mountain bike. I don't know much about bikes, except what my friends and Dad rode growing up, and I remember DiamondBack being a big name that was reliable.
Our raods are choppy and some smooth, some rough, so definitely a mountain bike. I don't like to deal with 100 options when riding a bike, so I was thinking the less gears the better, but enough to compensate for the rough terrain.
Thanks in advance fellas.

 

[DocL]

There are some great hybrid bikes available made my many manufacturers. Riding a true mountian bike on the road can get exhausting due to the tires and gearing. Your best bet is to go to a bicycle shop and test out a few brands, and then pick the one that fits you the best. Don't forget the helmet!

 

[53heloFE]

I'm a big fan of Cannondale bikes, though they can get a little pricey. I think Specialized(SP?) makes a good bike too and are a little less expensive. If you go with a mountain bike you can always put road tires on it that are made for mountain bikes, that will make it easier to ride on the pavement. Not sure how much you want to spend but the more you can spend the lighter bike you can get and the lighter the bike the easier it is to pedal. You really don't want a low end one because it will be heavy. Last I can remember for a mid range mountain bike you can look to spend $400-$1K but it has been a while since I purchased my bike so I could be mistaken on current costs.

 

[0ctan3]

"felt" makes affordable, quality road bikes, which would be the easiest to commute on for 30 miles every day.

This F24 is $650

(but if you're going to ride alot, I'd drop at least $1k on just the bike)

 

[nsx20014me]

you can find some really good deals on craigslist.org. you can probably get something for $100 or less if you are not picky. stay away from Huffy brand. granted at this price you wont get a bike with any suspension and it would likey be a 5-10yr old bike. I would start with something cheap to see if you want/like to bike commute. since you are a beginning rider, it will probably take you over an hour to ride the 15 miles to work. you dont say what the terrain is like. if it is hilly, plan on a loooonger ride and a lighter bike would make the ride a little easier. I would definintely get a mt bike and put slick tires on it.

 

[morrow]

check out the bikes from specialized. The Hardrock and Rockhopper are great entry level mountain bikes. A good local boke shop can show you the many diefferent tire options that can make your commute require a little less effort! (mountian bike tires can be a little ruff on the road)http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=07Hardrock

I have rode Specialized bikes for years. I currently ride a Stumpjumper FSR Expert, the bike is way over kill for the average compute to work but it worth the $$$$ when you get on a good trail. :tongue:

 

[ekin95]

I just bought this one to get some good exercise and I love it. It is a comfort bike but still looks pretty good. I road my Bro's TRUE mountain bike and what a PITA! Uncomfortable and not easy to ride a long way. This bike is easy to use, plently of gears, and very comfortable.

http://www.harborcountrybike.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=g6timb

or same company on http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-GT-Timberline-Comfort-Hybrid-Mountain-Bike_W0QQitemZ190042911307QQihZ009QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[robr]

I used to bike to work 10 miles each way when I lived on Cape Cod. It was a nice ride along the canal from Sandwich to Bourne. I started with a $400 Schwinn mountain bike (I think it was a GSX?) with street tires but later "upgraded" to a Specialized Allez Elite Triple road bike ($1200ish) which I thought would speed things up, but it turns out it was far more uncomfortable than the Schwinn and my hands always fell asleep.

The Specialized is sitting here in my office and hasn't been ridden since this summer. I'm about 8 miles from work now and simply don't have the time anymore for the commute (and it's getting c-c-coooold out now).

I'd recommend the mountain bike with street tires simply from a comfort perspective.

 

[Hiroshima]

I have been a cyclist for 15 years and worked at a bike shop for 6. From my experience I can say that there are goods and bads to everything.

If you can, borrow a bike for a few weeks to make sure you even want to commit to riding to work. I ride to work twice a week and that is about all I can do. I basically drop off my work clothes and clean up stuff the day before I ride so I don't have to carry it. Mostly it is a planning thing. I ride 30 miles round trip which is about perfect for me.

From a general rule of thumb:

MTB bikes are more upright and generally more stable. If you are a new rider, these will feel the most comfortable. The downsides is weight. Nothing these days does NOT come with a suspension fork which adds a TON of weight and for a commute bike, they are about pointless.

I have never been a fan of hybrid bikes. They don't do anything well, but they ARE comfortable. They ride a bit faster than MTB bikes (mostly because of the 700C wheels) but if you end up getting into the sport, hybrid bikes are a complete waste since, again they do nothing well.

Road bikes are great for speed and manuverability. I can wind my way through traffic much better on a road bike than I can on an MTB. The down side is that they are not as comfortable, and the cost of entry for most road bikes are about $600. Generally I would not feel good about recommending a road bike for an "enthusiast" of less than $800. Very rideable MTB bikes can be had for $500.

That being said, you need to factor in a few other things before you pull the trigger.

You need a helmet. Good ones start at $50-60, ones that fit really well will cost you at least $100. Bike lights. At the very least you need a rear flasher $15 if you are going to be riding at dusk/night. With the sun setting early, I generally ride well after sunset so I have a genuine front bike light (NiteRider's are the best IMHO) and if you are riding after dark they are a necessity. You will also need a pump, extra tube, patch kit, tire levers, and a seat bag. Figure the "extras" will cost you another $100.

Don't want to scare you but most people who bike commute figure they **WILL** have some close calls with cars even WITH lights. If you ride at night, buy a light.

To put things in perspective:
I have 2 road bikes and 1 MTB bike. I NEVER ride my MTB bike to work. For me, it is about the exercise more than the comfort so road riding means a road bike.

The Craigslist rout is **THE** rout to go for bang for the buck. If you want, LMK where you live and I can cruise Craigslist in your arear and post things I think are worthwile.

PM, e-mail, or post if you need more help. Or if you want I can PM you my phone #

Good luck.

 

[NSXrunner]

I'd ride to work if my office had a shower. At my old job it did have a shower and I enjoyed riding my bike. Now my bike sits and gathers dust :frown:

 

[syam]

i agree with 'hiroshima'...i used to ride my roomate's mountain bike with road tires and it was a blast. mind you i'm in new york city. the bikes these days come with like 20 different shock absorbers, but on a road bike, they are not needed at all. i always locked out both front and rear shocks as they just bounce all over the place. mountain bikes are much more comfortable than road bikes, along with mroe stable, or at least that is what the new/average rider would observe. also note that my roomate's bike was a custom cannondale with the works that cost well into the thousands of $$, made almost completely of carbon fiber, and weighed close to nothing (i'm about 5'10" medium build and i was able to walk many blocks and carry it up 5 flights of stairs on my shoulder without breaking a sweat)

 

[btcog82]

Thank, keep it comin'

Thanks guys, keep it comin' I never knew how much there was to "biking." I stopped at a couple sports stores that have salesmen who just wanna' make a sale, and don't give a damn about where I end up in the long run.

My roads; hillly, curvy, some paved, some asphalt, some gravel, some awesome straightaways.

Safety; HELMET, HELMET, HELMET...I wanna' be able to be clearly seen though. On a couple of roads there are blind curves, I'm worried about getting hit. Do they make brake strobes for the back of a bike?

 

[DocL]

Come to think of it, if they only made these for adults I'd ride one to work every day. :biggrin:

 

[robr]

Come to think of it, if they only made these for adults I'd ride one to work every day. :biggrin:

Here you go, start riding!

http://www.uncrate.com/men/gear/toys/adult-big-wheel-000652.php
Relive the glory moments of your childhood with this Adult Size Original Big Wheel from Big Wheel Rally ($300). Reinforced for adult sized individuals — 175 lb max on this model, they make a model that accomodates more than 225 lbs — these puppies feature hardened steel rear axles, rubber front tires, and all the power slides you can handle.

and lots of choices here like the Green Machine:
http://www.bigwheelrally.com/store/adult.htm

 

[spartan2-3]

Guys keep in mind for what he is asking for. He also mentioned he will be riding on "choppy, smooth and rough" terrain :smile: .

Bikes are similar to cars.

Mt. Bikes = 4X4 - fun off road, excellent for rugged terrain but not a good commuter (due to tires, gearing, weight etc).

Road Bikes = Sports cars- light, fast, fun but can be uncomfortable (not designed for rough terrain).

Hybrids/ Cyclecross = think of it as a Camry that can tackle light rugged terrain like a small SUV :biggrin:

I think Docl made a good suggestion. (on the Hybrid)

Just stay away from Walmart, Sportsmart, Target, Toys r us etc :biggrin:

good luck :smile:

 

[DocL]

Here you go, start riding!

You are the man!!! I was ready to buy it but they've been discontinued.

http://www.bigwheelrally.com/store/adult.htm

 

[Hiroshima]

Re: Thank, keep it comin'

Thanks guys, keep it comin' I never knew how much there was to "biking." I stopped at a couple sports stores that have salesmen who just wanna' make a sale, and don't give a damn about where I end up in the long run.

My roads; hillly, curvy, some paved, some asphalt, some gravel, some awesome straightaways.

Safety; HELMET, HELMET, HELMET...I wanna' be able to be clearly seen though. On a couple of roads there are blind curves, I'm worried about getting hit. Do they make brake strobes for the back of a bike?

The roads you mention are no conducive for a road bike. Road bikes are great for everything but gravel. Skinny tires just sink into gravel and forget about turning or stopping in gravel. Sand and gravel = crash when taken at speed on a road bike. On a smooth paved road which is clear of debrit, nothing will corner like a fast road bike. But if your commute path leads you through loose materials, you should consider a MTB bike or if you must a *cough* hybrid.

One other consideration is the "new" breed of cycle-cross bikes. Basically a road bike that has extra clearance for wider hybrid-like tires, along with mtb style brakes. They 90% as fast as normal road bikes, but offer a much greater range of surfaces they work on. The bikes themselves are not new (cycle-cross has been around for as long as I have been in the sport), but it is mainstream enough to be sold by major bike retailers.

A back strobe (usually LED based) is an easy addition to the back of your bike. I use a cheap Cateye that works great. You don't have to spend a ton to get a decent rear flasher.

As far a blind curves, as long as you are comfortable on the bike, I generally feel much more confident when I ride in the middle of the lane in these kind of situations. It forces traffic to see you, and makes sure you don't get edged off onto the shoulder. It is a little unnerving if you are not used to it, but as long as you keep your speed up, and move over smartly after the corner passes, drivers don't seem to mind. They know you are just trying not to get hit by a car.

 

[Malibu Rapper]

Brandon, you should get a Huffy.

 

[robr]

You are the man!!! I was ready to buy it but they've been discontinued.

http://www.bigwheelrally.com/store/adult.htm

Damn, didn't notice that. Did you sign up for the 'secret project' email notification??

 

[DocL]

Damn, didn't notice that. Did you sign up for the 'secret project' email notification??

I didn't sign up for the email notification because I already get too many offers for Viagra. :biggrin:

 

[robr]

I didn't sign up for the email notification because I already get too many offers for Viagra. :biggrin:

Well, at least you can prescribe it . Use http://www.spamgourmet.com/ if you need to give out email addresses. You can create an email address on the fly good for X number of incoming email messages that get forwarded to your real email account. Once X is reached, the email address expires.

If you register as docl, then you'd just give out the email address [email protected]
Then the first email coming to that address would be forwarded to you and the email address would then be disabled.

 

[sam snead]

from my personal experience, the hardest part is not buying the bike, but sticking to the riding. that being said, buy a bike off craigslist that you will want to ride. if you want something different, buy another one off craig's and sell your's for little or no loss.

i agree, that cyclocross bikes are great commuters, (rain, snow) and can take some abuse (potholes, curbs, sticks), they're faster than mtn, and hybrids....and like hiro said, just a tad slower than road bikes.