Bike for casual rider

[CarolV]

Hey guys! I want to buy a bike but I was looking for some advice since I don't know much about bikes at all. I would use it mainly to drive to university everyday (road path), but at the same time, I would like to have a bike that would allow me to comfortably ride on trails in the woods during the weekends.
I am a college student so I can not reay afford an expensive bike.
All suggestions are more than welcome

 

[cyclintom]

I think that what you would be looking for is commonly referred to as a boulevard cruiser. It has flat bars and probably 8 speed rear and two or three on the front. The tires are about 30 mm wide and smooth or the tread is NOT raised. These are available from most manufacturers but I always recommend you look first to Specialized or Trek because they stand behind their products. A bike of this sort is not something you would ride forever as your tastes will change but the bike itself could last more than a lifetime.

 

[CarolV]

Thank you so much for your advice! Do you know if a bike like this requires a lot of maintenance?
And an approximate price range?
I am sorry, these are probably very stupid questions.

 

[cyclintom]

Thank you so much for your advice! Do you know if a bike like this requires a lot of maintenance?
And an approximate price range?
I am sorry, these are probably very stupid questions.

No, they aren't stupid. Too many people don't ask and don't know.

If you are using the bike as a daily rider every three or four weeks you wash the chain off with a strong detergent and let it dry completely and then apply a "wet" chain lube. If you purchase the bike new they will generally include one or two maintenance calls since the cables generally will stretch a little with initial use. This can cause the shifting to jump or make noise.

All the new bikes have sealed bearings everywhere and except for the chain no maintenance. ALWAYS buy a chain stretch indicator. It's a simple little tool that a shop mechanic can explain to you in a minute. If you clean and lube the chain religiously you will get 1500 miles or more on a chain depending on how heavy you are and how hard you get to riding with experience. If you change the chain on schedule you won't have rapid wear on the sprockets or cassettes.

 

[byhu]

Great topic, @CarolV! I never realized how little I knew about basic bike care, @cyclintom. Glad I stopped in here tonight. I wish I'd seen this ten years ago when I was commuting to my day job as a substitute teacher. I had bought a standard women's bike new at WM. My experience would have been much improved with this info.

 

[erook7878]

Plenty of cheap mountain bike options out there. You could go to target and pick up a decent mountain bike for under $200. Avoid some of the internet fixies that have been really popular. I bought one and the wheels were super flimsy. They would be alright for just riding around on pavement, but for trail riding, they would not last very long.