Any one on here ride pedal bikes??

[doogie]

Looking for a way other than running to get some outdoor exercise and think I am going to pick up a bike. Although my wife thinks we should just grab some cheap ones from a department store, I am not going deal a POS that always requires tinkering (been there, done that).

Mainly plan to ride on the country roads and or riding trails, and want something comfortable to ride. I may try to swing by REI tomorrow at lunch to check out some of their comfort bikes as I really like the more upright seating position of this style.

Any recommendations on brands, what to look for, etc as I have never shopped for a "good" bike?? I would like to keep it in the $400-500 range.

 

[Slowstang305]

I bought a Specialized Rockhopper and love it to death. It takes trails with ease and a great roadbike as well. I have ridden it 25+ miles a bunch of times with no issues. For $400 I would look into a Specialized hard rock, they MSRP at $520 but you can find them quite a bit cheaper at your bike store.

Also, REI is having a 20% off sale on one single item if you are a member. If you arent a member its $20 to join but still worth it on a $400 purchase. Deal ends on the 27th.

EDIT: Just checked, coupon not valid on bikes!

 

[Slowstang305]

If you are shopping at REI I would recommend
http://www.rei.com/product/850590/gt-avalanche-30-bike-2013
http://www.rei.com/product/844667/cannondale-trail-5-bike-2013

and if I had to choose from REI only at a cheaper price I would go with the one below, but the 3.0 model is more hardcore.
http://www.rei.com/product/850591/gt-avalanche-40-bike-2013

 

[doogie]

Long time customer of REI, which is why I looked there first. Thanks for the suggestions as I definitely need to swing by their store this afternoon.

 

[TenSpeed]

Definitely avoid the department store bikes. Stay clear of Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, or anything along those lines. The price is appealing, but the quality of the bike always suffers.

If you can afford that Specialized HardRock or Rockhopper, that will be a solid bike for you to ride. Bike shops will sometimes have last years models on clearance, especially this time of year. REI sells decent bikes, like that GT listed above. There is also a place called Performance Bike, not sure if there is one near you or not, but they are similar to REI, but are bike related only.

I suggest a bike shop more though, since you will get better service through the purchase, and after. They should properly fit you to a bike, and make the necessary adjustments to the bike before you leave the shop, so that it fits, is comfortable, and is ready to ride. Doing business with a local shop is much like finding a good shop to take your car to, or a mechanic. You get a good reputation going, and maybe the next time you go to buy a bike, you get a little discount here, or they throw some accessories in there....

 

[Slowstang305]

Well said. I almost forgot to mention that glad you brought it up. Make sure the bike you choose is the size for you. I'm 6'3 and ride a 21 frame. You don't want to end up with a 17 frame etc. Also, look into finding a used bike on craigslist. There are a lot of deals to be had as most people purchase expensive bikes and ride them 2-3 times and they end up sitting in the garage for the rest of the time never to be ridden again.

 

[TenSpeed]

I would also suggest Craigslist, but there is a lot of bullshit to sift through, and if you have a friend or colleague or anyone, hell post it here, that can help you, it will be easier.

Fit is the number one thing to go for. Don't worry about the color or the brand or whatever. If the bike fits, you will ride it more. If it doesn't fit, you will know, because it will just sit in the garage and collect dust.

I have taken almost 4 hours dialing my mountain bike in so that everything is comfortable for me. I am going to replace the handlebars though, as the rise is not right. The fit is super important. Frame size and the cockpit make or break the bike. Try not to get a bike that requires you to swap out parts to make it fit, i.e. setback seatpost or longer stem. I did that before, and it is a hassle.

 

[psfracer]

You are on the right track--the department store bikes are just junk and VERY HEAVY.

Specialized Hardrock is a great bike. What you need will be dictated on what you plan to ride. Riding is great exercise--I do that now because I had knee surgery -- so I no longer run, but I do walk on the treadmill at 10% grade to train for when I hike (just did Alta Peak last weekend).

But as we get older, running is just so hard on the body, biking is the way to go in my opinion.

My only thoughts are: don't go with the cheapest out there--think ahead when you buy. You don't want to buy a bike that you will grow out of after only a couple months.

 

[19COBRA93]

I mountain bike through the summers. I picked up my bike off Craigslist practically brand new and only a fraction of what it would have cost through a retailer. Mine is more of a downhill/freeride bike, so it's heavy and built like a tank. I still ride it like any other cross country bike though. It's just more work.

 

[psfracer]

^^^ Nice. I had two Kona Stinky(s), a Santa Cruz Heckler, and now I have calmed down a bit and have a Giant dual suspension (only 5 inch travel) front/rear, but its a good all around bike for aggressive cross country at about 28lbs.

I used to do the chairlifts up and go downhill at Big Mtn in Mt and Big Bear in CA. I will still do the chairlift thing with my current Giant bike, but just the intermediate runs.

My current ride:

 

[Slowstang305]

Some of you guys are serious riders! I just take mine to trails and mostly street ride for 20-30 miles. The tires are holding up even on the street! Went through a mud run a month ago, that was a whole different experience haha

 

[doogie]

Some great advice. We are taking next week off for a "stay-cation", so I am going look up a couple local bike shops and at least find out what size is right for me and go from there.

 

[Wingspan]

You've gotten some great advice so far. I bought a mountain bike last summer and started riding some local trails. Then this spring I added a road bike and have really found a new love. Best part is I'm 70 pounds lighter than I was this time last year.

Here are my current rides, Specialized Carve and Roubaix:

 

[ridenfish39]

I ride 8 to 10 thousand miles a year. Used to race Cat 1 mtb and endurance races, now I just do time trials on the road. Any of you guys on Strava by any chance???

My 5.0 draws a lot of attention when I go to races

 

[psfracer]

8,000 miles a year? As in 22 miles every day of the year? Fuck that LOL.

We are riding 40 miles this weekend. If I ride during the week, they are much shorter.

 

[NotaHybrid]

I barely DRIVE 8000 miles a year. Damn.

Sent from my helicopter

 

[2012yote]

I ride a Specialized Rockhopper. As one of the other members mentioned in your price range the Hardrock is good. When I first starting riding(all trails though) I started with a department store bike to make sure I was going to stick with it before dishing out a lot of money. Never had any problems with the cheapo other then making a few adjustment to the Derailleur. Going to a bike shop is always the way to go though, you want to make sure you get the correct size and usually they will take care of you when something goes wrong.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[TenSpeed]

2011 Titus Racer X 29er. Pic taken before the rear brake line was shortened. Was a new build by my friend and I a few months ago. Quite a few nice parts on there and I love the ride.

And how I get to and from the trail. Pic taken by my buddies son. Looks like I am parked, but I am actually doing about 80mph on the highway.

 

[doogie]

Took the car for a cruise today and stopped in a bike shop to check out some options. And funny enough, my wife was pushing me to go cheap until we were "sure" about actually riding bikes. But a quick test ride today convinced her it was worth it to just get a better one to start with... Which was also the advice of the bike shop, because if you like how a bike rides, you are more inclined to actually use it.

After getting fitted and checking out several styles and models we both test rode a Trek Verve 2 hybrid. I like some of the features on the Verve 3, but for how I will use the bike not sure the extra $100 is worth it. Pretty sure we found a winner and unless we stumble onto a good deal on CL in the next couple days, I am going back to pick up the pair along with a hitch style carrier for the car. Although $1.3k OTD seems a bit high for a couple bikes and a rack, I have blown that many times over on the car and this will be something we will use for years to come.

 

[TenSpeed]

That's not bad at all for two bikes and a hitch rack? I spent $2100 OTD in 2011 on my Specialized Stumpjumper FSR. One bike. No rack. No accessories.