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What kind of bike should I buy?
Hi -
I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. I don't do a lot of exercise right now, because I really don't like going to the gym. However, I know I need to get in shape and I do like spending time outdoors. I think getting a bike will be a good option b/c it will combine something I like (being outdoors) with something I don't like (exercising). What factors should weigh into my decision? And, among these factors, how should I evaluate each one to find the best option for me. |
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#2
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What kind of bike should I buy?
A good quality used bike. I guess people are accustomed to "disposable"
WAL-MART bikes, so they will sell a bike a few years old that hasn't really been ridden - for less than half what they paid new. Most people are buying mountain bikes or bikes similar in dimensions. You can go pretty fast on a mountain bike on the road if you put high pressure smooth tires on it. As to suspension, front only. The right sized MTB should have about 2-3 inches of clearance when you stand flat footed. This means the frame will be about 12 inches less than your inseam. A road bike should clear by about an inch, or about your inseam minus 10 inches. Read up on bike safety. Many people think this means put on a helmet and you are set. John Forester's "Effective Cycling" is one good book. Get a good light set if you ride at night. I've commuted by bike for 15 years. I agree about not being able to exercise unless you are doing something besides sweating. "tgreen" wrote in message om... Hi - I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. I don't do a lot of exercise right now, because I really don't like going to the gym. However, I know I need to get in shape and I do like spending time outdoors. I think getting a bike will be a good option b/c it will combine something I like (being outdoors) with something I don't like (exercising). What factors should weigh into my decision? And, among these factors, how should I evaluate each one to find the best option for me. |
#3
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What kind of bike should I buy?
Tgreen [/i]
Hi - I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. I don't do a lot of exercise right now, because I really don't like going to the gym. However, I know I need to get in shape and I do like spending time outdoors. I think getting a bike will be a good option b/c it will combine something I like (being outdoors) with something I don't like (exercising). What factors should weigh into my decision? And, among these factors, how should I evaluate each one to find the best option for me. [/quote] [quote][i]Originally posted by Tgreen wrote: Hi - I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. I don't do a lot of exercise right now, because I really don't like going to the gym. However, I know I need to get in shape and I do like spending time outdoors. I think getting a bike will be a good option b/c it will combine something I like (being outdoors) with something I don't like (exercising). What factors should weigh into my decision? And, among these factors, how should I evaluate each one to find the best option for me. I guess your question depends on what you want to do. I'm going to assume you want to ride around town, country, maybe do a few trails, and that you are not going to be doing a lot of downhill trail riding. My disorganised thoughts are as follows. These are the things I wish I'd have known, but they're not comprehensive (perhaps others will fill in what I leave out) :-) - Make sure you buy a big enough frame (a bike shop will help you on this one). - Get a bike without suspension, or if you do, make sure you can either lock it so it doesn't move or tighten it up really hard. Suspension is a real pain in the ass for normal riding. The reason I say this, is that if you have a lot of travel, the motion of peddling bounces you up and down, and just wastes a lot of energy. - Check out the brakes. A lot of bikes sold in places like walmart have old style caliper brakes (sidepull), which, in my opinion stink to ride with, and stink to maintain. If you can, get V-brakes, but I ride with canti-levers and they work well. I'd say that if you're not doing downhill, disk brakes are an expensive overkill. - Check out the tyres. If you plan to ride mostly on pavement, don't get super knobblies: they'll only slow you down. On the other hand, if you get slicks (even the 1.5" slicks), you might kill yourself on the gravel. There are a lot of touring tyres that work well and stay in the middle giving you both options. I ride with really thin, hard tyres, and its hard on the ass. If you get 2" wide tyres, they give you a tiny bit of suspension, or if you don't mind, you can pump them up real hard to go faster. - And my most valuable advice is choose your saddle carefully. Everybody is different, but I highly recommend a split saddle. These look like they have a bit slit down the middle, and prevent, among other things, a lot of pain (some medical research has shown that certain kinds of saddles cause impotence: maybe true maybe not, but who's taking a chance?). Some bike shops let you try a saddle for two weeks, and exchange it if you don't like it. Wider saddles are good for short trips, thinner for long trips. Make sure your sit bones don't roll of it when you peddle. Of course, this is what works best for me. Everybody is different. Have fun riding. Joel -- -------------------------- Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com |
#4
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What kind of bike should I buy?
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#5
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What kind of bike should I buy?
In article ,
the robotic servitors of "Traveller v.116" rose up with the following chant: (tgreen) wrote in . com: Hi - I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. (snip) Here's what I ride in the wild suburbs of Houston, TX. A cromo cross-country (origionally rigid) MTB frame found in a dumpster. Suspension forks. Helps to tame badly surfaced, potholed streets, manhole covers, ect, and lets me go offroad on demand (like when some idiot with a big engine, four wheels, and no brain tries to make me a hood ornament.) Avoid rear suspension! Rear suspension adds unnessesary weight, and eats nearly half your pedaling power; worse than useless on a street bomber. (and so on) Perhaps a simpler answer is in order. For beginners, I (and most bike dealers) recommend a hybrid. That is to say, medium-width tires and straight horizontal crossbar handles. I recommend this because: * Wider tires add weight to your bike and make it slower, without giving benefit in most of the places you want to ride. * Narrow tires lose some benefit on rough roads. * Curved handles are pretty damned uncomfortable. I have a bike with such handles, and I practically always ride as though they were straight handles. If I had to do it over again, I'd never buy a bike with them... but that's just me. But by all means, ask your bike dealer. He knows better what works in your neighborhood. I'm doing that right now too, because (as witness the "Broken Glass" thread) I think I may not have the right bike for my neighborhood. -------- Scott Eiler B{D -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ -------- "It seemed an unlikely spot for a sensitive songwriter from Greenwich Village... She ordered the 20-ounce steak." -- Lin Brehmer, Chicago DJ, describing his meeting in a steakhouse with Suzanne Vega. |
#6
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What kind of bike should I buy?
tgreen wrote:
Hi - I am looking to purchase a bike and I don't know where to start. I don't do a lot of exercise right now, because I really don't like going to the gym. However, I know I need to get in shape and I do like spending time outdoors. I think getting a bike will be a good option b/c it will combine something I like (being outdoors) with something I don't like (exercising). What factors should weigh into my decision? And, among these factors, how should I evaluate each one to find the best option for me. Assuming you are not going into mountain biking (if you do, don't tell this newsgroup as you'd start another flame war) what you need is a good touring bike. Be prepared to fork out a considerable amount of money for a quality bike (600-800 USD), but those last a lifetime and, in the end, come cheaper than those 100 dollar discount thingies. Sometimes it is possible to get good used bikes much cheaper at auctions, but take somebody with you who knows bikes. When buying a bike, make sure it fits you. If necessary, get an oversized frame. The frame is the part of a bike where quality is most difficult to spot for a lay person. Both the alloys used and the care taken when welding influence the life expectancy. A good bike shop will advice you on this, or may be you have a friend who can help you. Make sure the bike is roadworthy (two independent brake systems, stand, chain guard, front and back lights and reflectors, pedal reflectors, spoke reflectors or reflecting tires). Here in Germany bikes without these accessories are illegal, but in some other countries bikes are sold 'naked' and you have to buy safety equipment separately. Lights can be either dynamo or battery operated. Dynamo is better for exercise, and you don't have to worry about empty bats. Realy good dynamo systems store some energy so the lights don't go out when you stop at a crossing. If you go for battery systems, you need to carry a spare set with you at all times. Gear shift is necessary unless you ride in totally flat terrain, but you don't need many gears, 5-7 should serve you well. Get those systems encapsulated in the hind weel hub, they are maintainance free. A good lock (titanium steel) is a must (lock it or loose it). Anything that can be cut with a bolt cutter will be (I am speaking from experience). Usefull is a small parcel with repair tools, tire patches, valves, spare lamp and the like, and a good tire pump. Paniers are nice for shopping and for picnics. Bike computers are useful for tour planning and not that expensive anymore. Schwalbe now manufactures tires with neoprene padding inside, they are almost puncture proof. Well worth the slightly higher price, at least for the hind weel. Saddles are a very personal issue, they come in male and female versions, each with hundreds of different combinations of material and shape. Gel-filled saddles last longer. In a good bike shop, you can try a saddle for a couple of days and return it if you have problems with it. Bring your bike back to the shop one month after you bought it, so they can retighten any nuts that may have become loose. This service should be free. After that, an annual inspection is a good idea. Happy biking! |
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