Choosing a Bike - Newbie Help

Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. He turned 49 recently and has
decided to start exercising. He's in very good health but has never been
much of an exerciser. Anyway, he lives out in the country and he started
riding a bike every other day and on weekends for the exercise and also for
the pure enjoyment. His current bike is a seven speed bike his wife bought
him off ebay or something. When he rides he does between six to fifteen
miles a day. Most of the terrain is flat/mostly flat with some small hills.
Typical roads you fine in the mid-west. No big mountains or anything.

So, he has now decided to get a new bike. He says he wants a touring
bike. He's been in two or three bike stores in our area and looked at
their bikes. He does not want or need a top of the line bike. He went into
one bike store a few days ago and one of the attendants tried to sale him a
bike for $1,400 The guy said by brother could easily do 100 miles a day if
he wanted to on this bike and yada yada yada. The guy pointed out the bike
had really thin tires which means less resistance which would result in my
brother being able to ride further for easily.

Anyway, I am no bike expert and neither is my brother. He wants
opinions on the type/brand of bike he should get and the price he can get a
good bike that will suit his needs.

He wants a good bike. He's willing to spend the money. But he does not
need anything fancy. Comfort is probably important than anything else. I
was not with him when he went to the bike store but I assume the sales
people there tried to up-sell my brother. No, my brother does not need a
Greg LeMond Tour de France bike. He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little nicer
than what he is riding now.

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

Much Thanks!

On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:30:53 GMT, "Von Fourche"
wrote:

He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little nicer
than what he is riding now.

Take the bike he has now to the shop and ask them for something
similar but newer --- smother running and perhaps more gears, more
convient shifting, etc. Same type of handlbars as he has now, similar
fit and same width tires. He should mention whatever he doesn't like
about his current bike as something that should be different on the
newer bike.


So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000?

Yes. That said, unless there is a specific problem with the current
bike, maybe he shouldn't get a new bike. And if the problem is small
on the current bike (worn out tires, for example), maybe he should
just change that.

Are there certain brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

The most important thing is to be in a shop that listens and responds
but doesn't push their own agenda. That's more important than bike
brand.

JT

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At 49 he probably wants to consider comfort and efficiency. A relaxed
mountain bike, more trail and street bike really with a tire change. Forget
rear suspension and IMHO front suspension too. Until he know s what type of
cyclist he'll become as the years go by (fingers crossed) get a general
purpose but quality bike. IMHO good steel frame is more comfortable than any
aluminum frame especially with out suspension. Try to go for durable and
lite whether "comfort frame", road or touring frame with drop bars, older
steel mountain frame (90's Bridgestone) or whaterever. Me, I just started
ridng a recumbent trike after years on a wide variety of uprights. The most
important thing is to ride whatever he has. After all, he started cycling
recently and there's a fair share of bikes that were only really used one
season. In western Canada, I figure 800 should buy a decent bike worthy of
being ridden and capable of instilling joy. Oh and tell to avoid the lycra.

Grolsch

"John Forrest Tomlinson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:30:53 GMT, "Von Fourche"
wrote:

He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little
nicer
than what he is riding now.

Take the bike he has now to the shop and ask them for something
similar but newer --- smother running and perhaps more gears, more
convient shifting, etc. Same type of handlbars as he has now, similar
fit and same width tires. He should mention whatever he doesn't like
about his current bike as something that should be different on the
newer bike.


So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000?

Yes. That said, unless there is a specific problem with the current
bike, maybe he shouldn't get a new bike. And if the problem is small
on the current bike (worn out tires, for example), maybe he should
just change that.

Are there certain brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

The most important thing is to be in a shop that listens and responds
but doesn't push their own agenda. That's more important than bike
brand.

JT

****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

Von Fourche wrote:
Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. He turned 49 recently and has
decided to start exercising. He's in very good health but has never been
much of an exerciser. Anyway, he lives out in the country and he started
riding a bike every other day and on weekends for the exercise and also for
the pure enjoyment. His current bike is a seven speed bike his wife bought
him off ebay or something. When he rides he does between six to fifteen
miles a day. Most of the terrain is flat/mostly flat with some small hills.

Sounds like he's doing fine. At this point, maybe he doesn't even need
a new bike. But without more details on his current bike, it's hard to
say. Features like indexed shifting are nice, but not essential. Does
he have/want drop style handlebars?

Is he comfortable on his bike? One key factor is fit. If the bike he
has is way too small or big for him, that's a good reason to switch.

Things he should have a Good wheels (strong and true, with aluminum
rims), good brakes, comfortable (but firm) saddle, and good tires of
about 1" to 1-1/4" width.

New brake and shifter cables, new brake pads, new tires, and a few
adjustments (especially to the saddle and handlebar position) can
breathe new life into an older bike.

Getting more gears probably isn't going to make much difference,
especially in flat to rolling terrain. The real skinny tires the LBS
suggested are the last thing he needs. And switching bikes certainly
isn't going to take him from 15 mile rides to 100 mile rides. If that
is his goal it can be attained fairly easily by continuing to ride
often while gradually increasing distances.

Some of the older sports touring bikes from the 1980s would be ideal
for the riding he's doing now. If that's what he's got, and the bike
feels comfortable, he should keep it.

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

People have different ideas about what a "touring" bike is. Some folks
load up a bike with front and rear panniers with camping equipment and
all sorts of supplies for month long trips. Others tour with racing
style bikes and stay in motels. Others just prefer a touring style bike
for day trips.

The Fuji Touring bike would be in your price range. The Trek 520 would
be just a bit
more.

http://www.fujibikes.com/2001/usa/ht...ad/touring.htm

http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.c...gId=39&id=5361

Or consider the Trek 1000 (not a true touring bike, but maybe a good
choice at $700).

http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.c...gId=39&id=5371


Art Harris

On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 05:36:37 GMT, "Grolch"
wrote:

At 49 he probably wants to consider comfort and efficiency.
I don't think 49 has anything to do with the desire for comfort and
efficency. I would want that at age 20 or at age 60. At 49, the OP,
providing he has no back or other physical conditions, should be able
to ride any style of bike, if it fits properly.

Oh and tell to avoid the lycra.
And why is that? If the OP wants to increase distances and ride a
touring [meaning varies] bike, then a good pair of bike specific
shorts will be an asset.

Grolsch


For the OP[original poster] you have already received advice about not
buying a new bike. I don't agree with that. Your brother needs to find
a bike shop that will help him choose a bike that fits properly, a
bike that inspires him to ride. This shop will let him test ride
various styles of bikes.

Stay away from the shop that gave the advice of being able to ride 100
miles, because of the bike. Yes, the bike matters, but it is the
engine that will be the determinning factor.There are regulars here
who could ride a 100 miles on a Wallymart mountain bike, others who
won't ever make a 100 miles in one day, even with the best equipment.

A new bike, to someone newly into riding, is a great tool for
inspiration. Your brother will ride further and want to ride more
often.

As some else mentioned a Trek 1000 would be a decent bike, providing
he wants drop bars. There are a lot of good quality bikes, within your
price range. Some to consider are Trek, Giant, Specialized, Bianchi,
and Felt. There are of course others.

The bike he wants, is the one that screams "RIDE ME". The right bike
will continue to do that. I hear mine calling from the other room. And
when I'm done here, I will do just that.

Looking at the big picture, bicycles aren't that big of an investment
and the return in exercise, fun, and pleasure, are priceless.

Good luck and happy riding.


Life is Good!
Jeff

Von Fourche says...

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

Much Thanks!

A specialized Sirrus Comp would fit the bill. It's a flat bar bike that
will fit racks for touring. $880 MSRP.

Von Fourche wrote:


So, he has now decided to get a new bike. He says he wants a touring
bike.

Is he planning on touring? What makes him say this? There is a lot of
difference between touring bicycles and others.

Actually, a touring bicycle is a good idea as it combines reasonable
comfort with some degree of speed. Fuji made good bikes of this sort
which are usually available used on eBay or Craigslist if you are in a
large metro area.

Anyway, what is he looking to DO with the bike?

"Paul Cassel" wrote in message
...
Von Fourche wrote:


So, he has now decided to get a new bike. He says he wants a touring
bike.

Is he planning on touring? What makes him say this? There is a lot of
difference between touring bicycles and others.

Actually, a touring bicycle is a good idea as it combines reasonable
comfort with some degree of speed. Fuji made good bikes of this sort which
are usually available used on eBay or Craigslist if you are in a large
metro area.

Anyway, what is he looking to DO with the bike?


Do with the bike? The same that he's doing now with his current bike -
doing six to ten miles a day on smooth roads. Perhaps doing ten to fifteen
miles a day. He does not want to do any back country dirt off road cycling.
Really, he just wants a new and current bike to keep doing what he's doing.
Something nice but nothing super fancy. Something with more than seven
gears.

I don't think he would be doing any camping or over night riding. Just
day trips. But I can see him easily doing more than fifteen miles.

He wants a good bike. He's willing to spend the money. But he does
not
need anything fancy. Comfort is probably important than anything else. I
was not with him when he went to the bike store but I assume the sales
people there tried to up-sell my brother. No, my brother does not need a
Greg LeMond Tour de France bike. He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little
nicer
than what he is riding now.

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain
brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

OK, so he might want to do six, ten, maybe twenty miles now. What does he
*dream* of doing? That's the important thing here. If he has no dreams or
aspirations of what he might like to do, beyond riding twenty miles, just
about any of the newer "comfort-style" road bikes might be the ticket,
including the very popular Trek 1200 (it just seems to hit a popular price
point with something people like). A bit higher handlebar positioning,
without turning it into a hybrid. Clearance for larger tires if desired.
Reasonably-light weight, certainly nothing that would keep someone from
riding a century if they desired.

BUT... you've also got to consider whether having a nicer bike might serve
as motivation for him to ride more. Yes, it's true, the differences in raw
efficiency etc aren't that great, but sometimes having something nicer, for
whatever it is that makes it nicer, causes people to want to do more with
it. So if spending $1400 means that he's going to spend more time riding it
and less time tripping over it in the garage, then the extra money is
well-spent.

But (and this is my final but), most important of all is that he finds a
shop that can connect with *his* dreams & aspirations, not their own. A shop
that makes sure that the bike is set up properly, including fit, and makes
it clear that if there's *anything* about the bike that's keeping him from
enjoying it, to bring it back in so it can be addressed. And a shop where
he'll feel comfortable, not intimidated, doing so.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Von Fourche" wrote in message
ink.net...
Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. He turned 49 recently and has
decided to start exercising. He's in very good health but has never been
much of an exerciser. Anyway, he lives out in the country and he started
riding a bike every other day and on weekends for the exercise and also
for
the pure enjoyment. His current bike is a seven speed bike his wife
bought
him off ebay or something. When he rides he does between six to fifteen
miles a day. Most of the terrain is flat/mostly flat with some small
hills.
Typical roads you fine in the mid-west. No big mountains or anything.

So, he has now decided to get a new bike. He says he wants a touring
bike. He's been in two or three bike stores in our area and looked at
their bikes. He does not want or need a top of the line bike. He went
into
one bike store a few days ago and one of the attendants tried to sale him
a
bike for $1,400 The guy said by brother could easily do 100 miles a day
if
he wanted to on this bike and yada yada yada. The guy pointed out the
bike
had really thin tires which means less resistance which would result in
my
brother being able to ride further for easily.

Anyway, I am no bike expert and neither is my brother. He wants
opinions on the type/brand of bike he should get and the price he can get
a
good bike that will suit his needs.

He wants a good bike. He's willing to spend the money. But he does
not
need anything fancy. Comfort is probably important than anything else. I
was not with him when he went to the bike store but I assume the sales
people there tried to up-sell my brother. No, my brother does not need a
Greg LeMond Tour de France bike. He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little
nicer
than what he is riding now.

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain
brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

Much Thanks!

I am in a similar situation except that I just turned 62. I traded in my 6
year old 21 speed Schwinn mountain bike (served me well) looking from
something solid and reliable. Also wanted to go with a thinner tire (not
racing size) for more street friendly use. I shopped around and saw a
number of good bikes in the $600-800 bracket and finally settled on a Trek
7500. It is a 27 speed hybrid with 700x35 tires on it. I have had it
several months so far and I put about 100-120 miles per week on it and I
really like it so far. It also has a suspension fork on the front which
makes it ride a lot smoother than my old bike. I also live in a area with
minimula hills but the 29 speed also gives me a lot more shifting options
that I really like. The components on my new bike are very good but not
"pro quality" but they also don't have "Pro pricing". If I wanted to
upgrade something specific, it would be easy with my basic setup. I did add
a rear rack and some bags so I can run errands. Find a good bike shop that
is honest with him...it will pay dividends.
Good luck.

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
ink.net...
Ok, I'm posting this for my brother. He turned 49 recently and has
decided to start exercising. He's in very good health but has never been
much of an exerciser. Anyway, he lives out in the country and he started
riding a bike every other day and on weekends for the exercise and also
for
the pure enjoyment. His current bike is a seven speed bike his wife
bought
him off ebay or something. When he rides he does between six to fifteen
miles a day. Most of the terrain is flat/mostly flat with some small
hills.
Typical roads you fine in the mid-west. No big mountains or anything.

So, he has now decided to get a new bike. He says he wants a touring
bike. He's been in two or three bike stores in our area and looked at
their bikes. He does not want or need a top of the line bike. He went
into
one bike store a few days ago and one of the attendants tried to sale him
a
bike for $1,400 The guy said by brother could easily do 100 miles a day
if
he wanted to on this bike and yada yada yada. The guy pointed out the
bike
had really thin tires which means less resistance which would result in
my
brother being able to ride further for easily.

Anyway, I am no bike expert and neither is my brother. He wants
opinions on the type/brand of bike he should get and the price he can get
a
good bike that will suit his needs.

He wants a good bike. He's willing to spend the money. But he does
not
need anything fancy. Comfort is probably important than anything else. I
was not with him when he went to the bike store but I assume the sales
people there tried to up-sell my brother. No, my brother does not need a
Greg LeMond Tour de France bike. He wants a very nice touring bike that
will let him do his six, ten, maybe twenty miles on something a little
nicer
than what he is riding now.

So, any recommendations I can give him? How about a price range? Can
he get a good touring bike for $800.00 or $1,000? Are there certain
brands
he should look at and ones he should avoid?

Much Thanks!