Bicycle recommendations needed

[p.m.a.]

Greetings Gents,

My work is just 3 miles from home, and I feel like such a schlub driving my car to and from every day. I know nothing about bicycles, but am ready to start my education. I'm looking for:

1. All-around bike - something I can ride both on the road and on the trails. Not for sport, but just for getting around and for fun on the weekends.

2. Low-maintenance (do all bikes have gears these days? I don't even know).

3. Budget-friendly - I'm on a slim budget, and I realize you get what you pay for, so I'm going to say my price range is $300-$500.

Once I know what I'm looking for, maybe I'll look for something used. What do you think?

 

[Dewaine]

Greetings Gents,

My work is just 3 miles from home, and I feel like such a schlub driving my car to and from every day. I know nothing about bicycles, but am ready to start my education. I'm looking for:

1. All-around bike - something I can ride both on the road and on the trails. Not for sport, but just for getting around and for fun on the weekends.

2. Low-maintenance (do all bikes have gears these days? I don't even know).

3. Budget-friendly - I'm on a slim budget, and I realize you get what you pay for, so I'm going to say my price range is $300-$500.

Once I know what I'm looking for, maybe I'll look for something used. What do you think?

Look at Gary Fisher and Trek bikes -- at an actual bicycle store (not a Wal-Mart or K-Mart). GF and Trek makes bikes from the $300 to the $8,000 range. But their lowest-priced bikes are much better made and more reliable than what you will find at the big-box stores.

I have a 2006 Gary Fisher Marlin that I am very happy with, and I got it for much the same reason you are looking for a bike. I use mine both on- and off-road and generally to ride around my neighborhood.

 

[Poodle Soup]

Greetings Gents,

My work is just 3 miles from home, and I feel like such a schlub driving my car to and from every day. I know nothing about bicycles, but am ready to start my education. I'm looking for:

1. All-around bike - something I can ride both on the road and on the trails. Not for sport, but just for getting around and for fun on the weekends.

2. Low-maintenance (do all bikes have gears these days? I don't even know).

3. Budget-friendly - I'm on a slim budget, and I realize you get what you pay for, so I'm going to say my price range is $300-$500.

Once I know what I'm looking for, maybe I'll look for something used. What do you think?

If you have paved trails I would highly recommend a road bike. you can find Trek road bikes for about $500.
Maintenance on bikes is simple as putting air in the tires and oiling the chain. (and of course knowing how to change a tire)

Used bikes can be as good as new if the person took care of them. I ride RAGBRAI on a old used road bike and have had 0 problems. And thats riding 80 miles every day for a week. Go in and talk to the people at your local bike shop about what your looking for and they can at least point you in a better direction.

 

[kg0mz]

The problem with hybrid or dual purpose bikes is they are not particularly good at either, but they are okay for commuting, I guess. SWMBO has a fat tire Fisher and loves it. Treks and Specialized bikes are great. I have an old Klein Pinnacle and a Cannondale road bike that I will never part with. I agree, go to a bike store unless you want a bike that weighs 40 pounds and refuses to shift smoothly after the first week.

Maybe a commuter would suit you.

 

[muskokabrian]

I have an Electra Bike, which is a cruiser style. I think the name might be misleading because it's got nothing to do with electric bikes Anyways, they are very stylish, comfortable and combine modern gear technology with older styling, sort of like the modern DE's.

Take a look at the "Amersterdam" models. Very nice and a friend of mine has one and swears by it. My wife and I have "Townie" models and love them.

https://www.electrabike.com/store/

 

[Poodle Soup]

One thing to remember if your not a "bike rider" is stay away from giant gel seats. They might feel nice to the touch, but they put your legs to sleep and rub in bad places

 

[wilsonent]

The problem with hybrid or dual purpose bikes is they are not particularly good at either, but they are okay for commuting, I guess. SWMBO has a fat tire Fisher and loves it. Treks and Specialized bikes are great. I have an old Klein Pinnacle and a Cannondale road bike that I will never part with. I agree, go to a bike store unless you want a bike that weighs 40 pounds and refuses to shift smoothly after the first week.

Maybe a commuter would suit you.

Can't agree more about hybrid bikes. If you know you will never do anything but ride up and down your street, they are OK, but they are bad road bikes, and unsuitable for riding trails. I suggest a local bike shop and ask lots of questions. Once you have an idea what you want, a used bike can be a great deal. I used to have beautiful Fuji touring bike, black with gold inlay. Unfortunately, I wrecked it and bent the frame many years ago.

Jeff

 

[Jake]

Go to a good bike store in your area and tell them what your riding style will be like -- miles/day, days/week, etc. They will ask your price range & then give you some models to try out. You can ride them in the area for 10-30 minutes -- some shops will let you take them out even longer. Then you can decide -- upright, down bars, hybrid, steel, aluminum, etc.

You can then buy the bike from your local store, Craigslist, Ebay. or whatever strikes your fancy. But it is good to get a professional opinion 1st.

 

[TimmyBoston]

It's only three miles go with a mountain bike, hybrid, fixed gear or single speed. With that short of a commute any of those will be fine. I would also look into a respectable company as opposed to a bike from Walmart, etc. Also look at Craig's List.

 

[p.m.a.]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! We have a few bike shops in the area, and an awful lot of bike riders. I'll go speak with the professionals and will keep all of your tips in mind.

 

[urkel]

bikes are all good. used or new. a 6k bike is of no use to you if you won't use it. sit on a bike and see if it's comfortable and then ride it. met a man on a bike he bought at sears who was touring the west coast carrying a lawn chair with him. just get out and ride you'll do fine. good luck

 

[Groat]

I'll echo everybody else with the 'go to a bike store' sentiment. Aside from getting a higher-quality bike, it will actually be put together correctly. I believe we probably all had wal-mart or sears bikes as a child and can probably remember the relative lack of quality. I remember getting a Wal-Mart bike for Christmas as a kid and having the handlebars fall out on the first ride due to the negligence of the guy who put it together. It's almost shameful that they let such poorly put together bikes out the door. Eleven years ago, I went into a bike shop and bought a GT mountain bike for a mere $250. It's still going dang strong today with just a teeny bit of maintenance. There's a slight bit of rust on the handlebars, but all of the important bits are made of aluminum so it's far more weather resistant than something you'd find in a big box store.

When you do get your bike, I'd do a little bit of reading up on some basic bike maintenance. Seems like cleaning and oiling your chain every once in a while is one of the easiest and best things you can do for the life of your bike. You will also learn that making small adjustments with your brakes and shifters are exceptionally easy.

 

[urkel]

i mentioned this post to a friend and she suggested you spending more money than you expected and thus it would motivate you to ride more. truth be told that always worked for me as well too. but i never needed much of an excuse to ride

 

[VTRC]

I'm a big fan of the Kona Dew series for basic commuting needs, but I bought one so I'm biased. But I really stuck with it because I know and trust the shop.

There's a new movement for bikes with internally geared rear hubs, which I love the hell out of. My wife got a Trek Bellville wich had a 3 speed internally geared rear hub, the latest power generating front hub (It is awesome beyond belief), fenders and racks. $600. That's a lot of bike but great for around town.

Drops or no. I have them and like them with a 5 mile commute, I was commuting on a MTB and I loved flat bars too. Drops give you more hand positions and let you get out of the wind more, flats put you in a more upright position which is really really nice in an urban setting.

 

[OBXBBS]

Electra Townie

 

[wintermute2]

Go to more than one bike store. What one "professional" thinks is best for you might be entirely different than another's opinion. Some will try to sell you the most expensive bike possible, some will try to push old stock, some will be actually helpful. I have to agree that the Kona Dews are great all-around bikes for the buck, as well as Redlines. The Redline 925 and Metros are no-nonsense commuting bikes. Stay away from mountain bikes (generally too specialized and heavy) and hybrids (trying to do too much with too little). Most reputable manufacturers have "commuting" or "urban" bikes - those are what you want to stick to.

I know it's hard to rationalize as a non-biker, but a couple hundred bucks more would give you a quantum increase in performance. You could then look into tourer/cyclocross bikes like my beloved Bianchi Volpe, the Redline Conquest Classic, Kona Jakes, Kona Sutra, Surly Crosscheck, Trek 520. These will likely make your rides more enjoyable, and between that and your larger investment, make it more likely you'll stick with the pastime.

 

[p.m.a.]

Thanks for all the additional information, fellows! I am enjoying my education here.

 

[Kenno]

trek 3700 disk or cannondale trial 5 should be within your budget and great bikes. if ya gonna do trails, dirt, go up and down gutters, bumps and road then you need something like these.

 

[Stubblefield]

Mountain bike.

Road tires.

More upright riding position = commute success!

But I'd go with a rigid fork. Most of the forks on the lower-end MTBs are junk.


Another option would be a cross bike. Many have frame eyelets which allow for the attaching of fenders and racks.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I second the Trek Bellville if it's within your budget..