A little discouraged, newbie here

[G0ldengirl]

decided to buy a bike at walmart, only store in town except an expensive bike-shop. Took a look at measurement charts etc. but none covered the pedal crank (crank-shaft??). Anyway, on a 24 inch my knees came up too high, not to my chin, but close, lol! I'm exaggerating but I knew that wasn't right. Went back to "try on" a 26 inch, same darn thing.

So I find one semi-knowledgeable young man that pointed out the fact that pedal cranks come in different lengths. Long story short, the bikes that I can actually afford, and not assemble myself, don't give enough info, and I am lost

I searched for a "used" on Craigslist, but nothing in a town close enough to me. I could order from Amazon, and make payments, but again, not having a good description of every, important part of the bike is going to be lacking on a "mail order" bicycle.

Any feedback welcome. Btw, I would really like a hybrid. Not a trail-bike, but not a full-blown road bike. I am just starting out, I am 66 and in good shape, but I just want to get a bike that fits (as close as possible) so that I can see if I am going to keep up with this new interest.

Thanks in advance gals for any help.

PS One more thing, I have searched "a lot" for another bicycler that might ride with me, but first, just give me some pointers but haven't met any in the out-of-the-way town (Crescent City, CA) right on the coast and 101.

 

[jhuskey]

Walmart bikes are toys. Go to a local bike shop get fitted and try and find a similar used bike. Fit is very critical.

 

[Chuckabutty]

decided to buy a bike at walmart, only store in town except an expensive bike-shop. Took a look at measurement charts etc. but none covered the pedal crank (crank-shaft??). Anyway, on a 24 inch my knees came up too high, not to my chin, but close, lol! I'm exaggerating but I knew that wasn't right. Went back to "try on" a 26 inch, same darn thing.

It sounds to me like the saddles on the bikes you tried were too low. When Walmart sets the bikes up, the saddles are pretty low if not at the lowest point. It's not the wheel size that determines whether your knees will come up to your chin, but how high the saddle is. Saddle heights are adjustable on all bikes. There's quite a lot of adjustment so it's just a matter of slackening a nut or a lever-type clamp, pulling the saddle up, then locking it in place. Try the bike again, and that will show you whether you need to go higher or lower.

The general rule for saddle height is when you sit on the saddle, with your hips level. your heel should rest on the pedal. When you've got that bit right, then you ride with the ball of your foot on the pedal.

... Btw, I would really like a hybrid. Not a trail-bike, but not a full-blown road bike. I am just starting out, I am 66 and in good shape, but I just want to get a bike that fits (as close as possible) so that I can see if I am going to keep up with this new interest.

I have a fat bike and a hybrid. The hybrid is a Schwinn which I ordered through Amazon. I figured, when I ordered it, that it might need work despite being brand new. Price tells you a lot, so I knew that $199 for the Schwinn 3rd Avenue was cheap. Some assembly is required, and I'm okay with doing that. The tires and tubes were useless, unable to hold any air. They were pure garbage despite the number of great reviews the bike got. So I bought decent tubes and tires from a bike shop.

Warning: Don't trust the reviews as many of them are done by shills, to sell the bike. It's a shame that you can't trust them but generally speaking, if there are a lot of wonderful reviews, they're probably fake, as I found out.

So, once I got my Schwinn together and did a few other things to it, I now have a great bike. I'd say the bike is about the same general quality as the Walmart bikes but at least their tires stay inflated. Such bikes are made with the lowest quality components but I would not worry about that as they are usually quite serviceable for the kind of riding you may be doing. Obviously, a professional rider wouldn't be happy with them.

Go back to Walmart and ask to speak to their mechanic. He may not be there every day, so you'll need to find out when he is, and ask him to raise the saddle. Or if you know someone who is handy with tools, ask that person to help you adjust the saddle height. You might be surprised how easy it is if you have a few wrenches.

PS One more thing, I have searched "a lot" for another bicycler that might ride with me, but first, just give me some pointers but haven't met any in the out-of-the-way town (Crescent City, CA) right on the coast and 101.

Do an internet search for bicycling clubs in your area. Here's one to get you started, (click on the link below) and I know you'll find someone there to help you with questions and mechanical stuff. Don't give up. Cycling is a great life. Enjoy!


Crescent City Cyclists

 

[BrianNystrom]

I suggest that you check local shops to see if they sell used bikes. That way, you can get a good quality machine at an affordable price. The department store stuff is basically junk that's unreliable and will require constant repairs and upgrades. Ultimately, it will cost you as much as buying a better bike in the first place. You deserve better than that.

Definitely check out the local cycling club link above. You should be able to find knowledgeable riders to help you and you may find someone with a properly-sized bike that they're willing to sell. Cyclists tend to upgrade pretty often and you don't need the latest technology to get started. If you post your question on their site, I'll bet you'll get plenty of responses and helpful ideas.

 

[dabac]

decided to buy a bike..on a 24 inch my knees came up too high, not to my chin, but close, lol! I'm exaggerating but I knew that wasn't right. Went back to "try on" a 26 inch, same darn thing.

It sounds to me like the saddles on the bikes you tried were too low... It's not the wheel size that determines whether your knees will come up to your chin, but how high the saddle is.

+1
There's a wide spread belief in the US that you should be able to reach the ground flat-footed while in the saddle. That is usually NOT the case, unless you have a "crank-forward" AKA Semi-Recumbent bike.

The general rule for saddle height is when you sit on the saddle, with your hips level. your heel should rest on the pedal. When you've got that bit right, then you ride with the ball of your foot on the pedal.

+1

Saddle heights are adjustable on all bikes. There's quite a lot of adjustment so it's just a matter of slackening a nut or a lever-type clamp, pulling the saddle up, then locking it in place.

+1
A bit of safety advice: pull the post all the way out and look for a minimum insertion mark.
Once you've identified this, go ahead and find your appropriate saddle height - assuming you can get it on that bike w/o the minimum insertion mark showing. If the mark appears, you'll either have to replace the seat post with a longer one, or the bike for one with a bigger frame.
If there is no minimum insertion mark - still happens - make sure to have at least 3" of post in the frame.

..on a 24 inch my knees came up too high,..
So I find one semi-knowledgeable young man that pointed out the fact that pedal cranks come in different lengths. .

Semi-knowledgeable was a kind judgement.
Yes, he's right as such. But the common range of crank lengths only go between 165-175 mm.
That's less than 1/2".
If you feel like your knees are getting up to your chin, crank length is NOT where you start adjusting the fit of the bike.
Crank length is what you muck about with to get the fit of the bike "just right".
Or if you have anatomical/medical issues that have to be considered.
If bicycles were running shoes, going for another crank length would be similar to replacing the insole with the one of your choice instead of the factory supplied one.

decided to buy a bike at walmart..

The problem with department store bikes is that they're put together from the cheapest parts by the lowest paid.
And both parts quality and build quality tends to reflect that.
If you need to have something done to the bike, which is a sure thing if you end up riding regularly, almost all repairs will cost a considerable fraction of the purchase price of the bike.
If you're OK with that, go ahead.
If you can't find a used quality bike, bring the department store bike straight to a mechanic for inspection and adjustment.
Don't get me wrong, there's room in the world for inexpensive bikes too.
But they still need to be good enough to fulfil their purpose.
And the cheapest department store bikes don't always reach that goal.

This leaves you in a bind.
I understand the desire to limit your start-up investment, but you still need a bike that's good enough to be a reliable reference to what riding is like.
And the cheapest department store bikes don't always reach that goal.

Here's a link to a site with loads of useful info on bicycling in general: www.sheldonbrown.com

 

[Terry Morse]

A few thoughts:

1. Unless you plan to ride on rough, unpaved trails, you probably don't want a hybrid. They're heavy, especially the inexpensive ones. You'll get more enjoyment out of a "fitness" or "urban" bike.

2. As others have mentioned, crank length is not very relevant for sizing of a bike. Saddle height is the most important measure.

3. Do not buy a department store bike! They are terrible and will almost guarantee you will have a bad cycling experience. Go to a local bike shop that carries a major brand, like Back Country Bicycles in Crescent City.

4. If you tell me your height, I can recommend a frame size (I've fitted several thousand riders).

 

[Yojimbo_]

Don't listen to the guy above me telling you not to get a hybrid. A hybrid is the perfect bike for someone just starting out - I got one years ago. Since then I've also bought 3 carbon fibre road bikes because that's what I learned I like, but I still have my hybrid and it's perfect for commuting, errands, bike path rides and riding with people that don't like to go fast.

The other advice here about saddle height and avoiding department store bikes is good. As others have said, try to buy from a bike shop.

 

[Terry Morse]

Don't listen to the guy above me telling you not to get a hybrid. A hybrid is the perfect bike for someone just starting out - I got one years ago.

Please explain how a new rider benefits from the extra cost and weight and maintenance of a front fork with a shock, which comes standard on every hybrid.

 

[jhuskey]

Please explain how a new rider benefits from the extra cost and weight and maintenance of a front fork with a shock, which comes standard on every hybrid.

Every hard tail MTB but not Hybrids. The commonality with a hybrid is larger tires and straight bars as opposed to drops but not shocks.

 

[Terry Morse]

There seems to be a problem with terminology creep of bike categories. Trek, for example, uses “hybrid” and “fitness” inconsistently. A search for either a fitness or hybrid bike on their site brings up the FX 2, for example, which has a rigid fork.

To be clear, a bike with a fork shock—whatever category the bike gets placed in by the manufacturer—rarely serves a new rider (unless they plan to ride on rough paths).

 

[jhuskey]

There seems to be a problem with terminology creep of bike categories. Trek, for example, uses “hybrid” and “fitness” inconsistently. A search for either a fitness or hybrid bike on their site brings up the FX 2, for example, which has a rigid fork.

I would agree with this and also no need for rough tires unless you are going off pavement. Smoother , higher pressure tires are more effecient.

To be clear, a bike with a fork shock—whatever category the bike gets placed in by the manufacturer—rarely serves a new rider (unless they plan to ride on rough paths).

 

[Yojimbo_]

There seems to be a problem with terminology creep of bike categories. Trek, for example, uses “hybrid” and “fitness” inconsistently. A search for either a fitness or hybrid bike on their site brings up the FX 2, for example, which has a rigid fork.

To be clear, a bike with a fork shock—whatever category the bike gets placed in by the manufacturer—rarely serves a new rider (unless they plan to ride on rough paths).

Exactly.

 

[Houda Chahine]

I have a brand new brompton for sale if you interested pls

t l a l o a u i <AT> g m a i l <DOT> c o m

 

[SoukeCycling]

I am also new to biking, I decide to give myself more time to do research, and then decide what is the best for me.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

I think it has been cleared up, hybrids don't always have shocks and to me, are about the same as a fitness bike. I wouldn't know one from the other most times.

But hybrids can be good road bikes. I remember I had a Miyata Triple Cross hybrid back in the mid 90's. I did an organized MS ride, back to back 60 milers, Sat and Sunday. I've always been athletic and in pretty good shape so on the first day, I got to the finish line before most of the riders. When I arrived, I saw maybe 10 other riders after a mass start.

I sat at the lunch tables and waited for other riders to arrive. I was riding toe clips using sneakers. I rode in a tank top and a Walmart helmet ha ha ha! After many of the riders arrived, lunch was served.

A group of riders sat at the table and were chatting about the ride. I was listening in and enjoying the stories. One guy looked over at me and asked about my ride. I told him I felt good and pointed out my bike. He said on, no, you can't do well on a hybrid. He said I need to get a real road bike, better sunglasses, bike shoes, and ride in a group so I could increase my speed on rides.

Um OK! After all his tips on how to improve my ride, I asked him what time they arrived at the finish, it was a mass start. He said 2:15. Wow ha ha ha, I arrived at 1:05.

Then he started in with excuses of cramps etc. Yeah, I rode alone and beat them to the line without all the fancy equipment and by myself ha ha ha!

So don't believe that a hybrid won't suit you well at your level, or most levels. If you want to exercise, it's a good bike. If you want to race Lance, then yes, get a road bike but for now, a hybrid will suit most people fine if they are just looking to exercise.

 

[EzRock1523]

As others have suggested already, Walmart might not be the best choice when it comes to buying bikes. My suggestion like other people would be to go to a cycle shop nearby and find the best bike that suits your body and you feel comfortable riding. Don't be shy to take a test drive. Explain to the shop owner what problem you are having when you are riding the bike and he will suggest the changes accordingly. Good luck you and have loads of fun.

 

[BrianNystrom]

You do realize that this thread is nearly two years old, don't you?

 

[EzRock1523]

You do realize that this thread is nearly two years old, don't you?

I am sorry I didn't realise at the time of posting. I just wanted to post something on the forum as I find this forum awesome. I am currently exploring other sections of the forum. I apologize for what I did.

 

[BrianNystrom]

I am sorry I didn't realise at the time of posting. I just wanted to post something on the forum as I find this forum awesome. I am currently exploring other sections of the forum. I apologize for what I did.

No need to feel bad about it or apologize, it's just something to be aware of in the futures. All of us have done it at one point or another.

 

[Kaaya Dsouza]

Thanks for sharing this.