All,

I haven't owned a bike in over 10 years, but for health reasons am looking to buy one.

I will be mainly riding it on the road (to get some fresh air and exercise) - mainly at night (once the kids are in bed). It will be casual riding - not racing or anything like that. Bike tracks are not a priority - it is fairly unlikely I will be riding on anything other than suburban roads / footpaths.

Being a cheap bastard, my first instinct was to buy a cheapie from KMart etc. But mates and http://sponsored.uwa.edu.au/bug/welcome/buying_a_bike have convinced me that that might not be a good idea.

So, this morning I went into my local bike shop to get some advice and information. But the guy there seemed more interested in getting my money than actually giving me any advice or information. And that is where you come in.

So, I would love some advice. Very specific advice would be great - particular brands and models would be more helpful than 'buy a mountain bike' for example.

My parameters / requirements are below:

• I am 30 years old, weighing 52 kg (yes, I am light). I am not 100% sure of my height - about 160cm I think.
• I will be mainly riding on suburban roads. Probably 1-3 hours a week of riding all up.
• I don't have a garage, but am hoping to store the bike out the front (I have a carport with brick pylons) because my backyard is very small. I will therefore need some kind of locking and storage system. Do things like BBQ covers exist for bikes (to protect them from the weather)? Any thoughts on weather and theft protection?
• I need everything. Bike, helmet, spare tyres, patch kits, lights etc. Anything else?
• My budget is a little fluid. I am hoping to spend as little as possible (surprise, surprise) but I am willing to spend up to $1000 (this would include everything except storage system for the bike) if need be. I would be interested in options at different price points. What does $1000 get that $500 doesn't or $700 doesn't. And what does $1200 get that $1000 doesn't (if you think $1000 isn't sufficient).
• I live in Panania, NSW (south west Sydney - near Hurstville and Bankstown). I would prefer to buy somewhat locally.
• From the research on the internet I have done this morning, it looks like a hybrid might be the best style of bike for me. But I am very new to this, so I am open to more information and suggestions.

Thanks
Matthew

To be clear, I live in Australia. Thus, all the figures I quote are in AUD (Australian dollars).

A hybrid is fine. For $1000, you can get a fairly decent bike.

However, I note that your $1000 budget includes all your accessories, eg. helmet, lights, locks, etc... except bike cover. So let's work backwards to see what you'll have left.

Buy accessories online - they're much cheaper than the LBS. Try either torpedo7.com.au or probikekit.com or somewhere else I haven't discovered.

Helmet - anywhere from $60-unlimited in price. Avg I would say maybe $100
Lights F&R - $30 for a cheapie pair
Tube - $7 each
Lock - Again, depending on how much you value your bike will be from $15-60.

So all these accessories might set you back $200-250. If you're going clipless pedals suck back another $150 at least for some shoes.

Let's assume then you have $700 to spend on a bike. For this price, I wouldn't know where to even begin. Too many to consider. You have Meridas, Giants, Avanti, Treks, Raceline, etc... making some pretty decent bikes. My general rule - buy the bike with the best groupset you can find. Make sure it has a comfy saddle as well otherwise you'll be discouraged early on with the pain.

I started out like you as well a few months back and did my research on bikes. The conclusion I came to is to get a good second hand bike. I would say with my budget of $1000, I totally scored a great bike (full ultegra groupset, carbon forks, etc.. with less than 500kms on it). To buy the equivalent new would have cost me literally double. If you're game, look around some classifieds for second hand.

Good luck... especially on Sydney roads.

I brought a Auzzuri 7000 for about $800. Ive got over 2000klm on it now & it hasnt missed a beat. I got mine through Paul at Smith Cycles in Canberra.
Absolulty fantastic service.

I had a look at a GIANT Farrago today, and it looked OK.

Does anyone know if you can disable (is that the right word?) the suspension on the front wheel, given I will be riding it almost exclusively on the road?

If you're buying it new, you may be able to request a swap out to non-suspension forks. Otherwise, depending on the suspension forks you can stiffen the tension to not make it 'bounce' much, but this is limited.

If you really want to 'disable' it, swap it out with non suspension forks.

I had a test ride on the 07 giant farrago today and found it to ge a good ride, you don't really notice the suspension in the forks all that much. I also managed to get a great deal in it, $595.00 AUD.
Good luck in your search I hope you find something that your happy with.

That is a good price, cheaper than what I paid.

I am enjoying the Farrago.

Consider a folding bike: 20" wheel Dahon or 18" wheel Birdy or others.

http://www.advancetraders.com.au/

http://www.bikefriday.com/clubs/australia

at some LBS'S they let you try the bike before you decide one, try to pick out the ones you like and try them out, i am only 13 but i got a specialized HR sport disc for 470$ hopefully you can get something cheaper

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