Don't even know what kind of bike to buy...

[readk]

I'm sure this gets posted all the time.

I'd like some advice about buying a bike, based on who I am and what I'm looking to do. I asked a friend of mine who is super into road bike racing and of course he said buy the best racing bike I can afford, road bike all the way, etc.

But I'd like honest answers based on my lifestyle. If I don't like the bike I'm sure it will end up sitting in my garage, even if it's a sweet bike, right? I went to the bike shop but it was hopeless because I don't even know what I want and they had a ton of bikes and generally unhelpful pushy staff. I'd rather go back knowing what I'm looking for.

About me:

I haven't ridden a bike in a dozen years or more.
I'm not in great shape (want it for fitness)
Worried that if it kills my back I won't ride it.
Initially will ride it evenings and weekends: putzing around on bike paths with my girlfriend or brother
GF and Brother have road bikes, drop bars, 700c wheels, etc.
Eventually would like to commute to work on it (wearing a backpack)
Don't want a bike rack on the bike.
Don't want special shoes or outfit - plan to ride with casual summer clothes.
Roads here are quite bad (potholes, tons of gravel).
There is a huge hill by my house that I will have to ride up every time I ride.
It will never see offroad use.
Don't want to worry excessively about where I leave it (if it looks too awesome it's a thief magnet?)
Budget is only < $900.00
If I turn out to love it I don't mind selling/upgrading to a more serious bike.
Confused about labels like "Commuter bike" "Cyclocross" "Hybrid Bike" "Touring" etc

I should mention that I'm the kind of person that compares specs on paper a lot and enjoys that kind of shopping I'm up in Canada and so a lot of stuff is more expensive by the time it gets here!!!

Can/should I order online if I don't find the bike I want locally? Most things > $500 I buy, I buy online.

 

[Froze]

Wow, there's a lot of do and don't wants.

Probably overall you want a cross bike. It's more upright then a road race bike so your back won't hurt as much if at all. They come with 700c tires but their a bit wider then the road bikes your relatives have which means you can go places they can't, but wider tires also give a slightly softer ride which is again better for the back plus they can handle rougher roads better. You can commute and or tour on a cross bike which is something your limited too on a road bike. Bike racks are optional, but again if you decide to tour sometime in the future it has the eyelets to connect one but only on the rear, they also have fender eyelets. See this for deals on Cross, but they ship free to the lower 48 states not sure what Canada rates are: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/cross_bikes.htm

Touring bikes are even a bit more upright riding position then Cross bikes so again the back is more at ease. The tires generally slightly wider then cross. Touring bikes come with eyelets on the rear just as Cross but they also have eyelets on the front for racks and fenders. Some touring bikes come with the rear rack, if you don't like it just remove it. Touring bikes are a bit heavier then Cross because their design to carry heavier loads thus the frames are beefed up.
See: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/gran_turismo.htm

You can click on the road tab and scan more touring bikes or more other bikes, as well as other tabs that may interest you.

Click on the Hybrid tab and those will even get you more upright on a bike, but their handlebars are flat and limited the amount of different places to put your hands.

Pedals come with the bike but their not designed to be using with just street shoes; therefore you will need to buy a set of platform pedals, their cheap at under $40. MKS RMX pedal is designed to be used with tennis shoes and cost less then $30. But don't throw away or sell the pedals that come with a bike because someday you may want to try clipping in, their more efficient and thus you'll be faster.

 

[readk]

Wow thank you so much for replying! I've already learned more from your post than visiting 3 LBS's and talking to salespeople.

Looks like bikesdirect won't ship to Canada, any other websites like that? Those look like amazing deals compared to my LBS. Like less than half price.

So far the other most helpful person (sales guy) also recommended a cyclocross bike for me. Said it would be more stable at slower speed casual riding, and would handle better for how I will likely ride it.

Couple questions:

I'm a little hesitant to get the wider knobby tires on a bike like this though since I won't be offroading it. Will I notice it on the road in a negative way? Have this phobia that it will feel like riding a MTB.

Should I look to a chromoly steel frame? Everything I read says smoother ride, better for touring style ride, better for heavier folks (I'm 210lb), better for rough roads, less vibration, etc. Plus generally seem cheaper and more durable. Was thinking like a Jamis bike etc.

 

[BHOFM]

Don't worry about the tires that come on the bike, it is a minor thing. You need to learn how to
change them anyway! Flats are part of the game. The knobbies roll a bit harder, you can get
slicks or a road tread with much less resistance and less noise.

Any shop that wants a sale will change out the tires for you at the time of sale.

You might look around for a nice used bike as well.

At 210lbs you shouldn't have any problems as long as you stay away from the super
light wheels, 36 spoke is the way to go.

 

[CrossMike]

Got back into biking on the road/bike path last year and I opted for a Cross bike. I have mountain biked for a long time, but had little experience with drop bar bikes. I went with the cross bike because of the more comfy riding position over a pure road bike, but still much faster on the road than my mountain bike with slicks. I have two sets of wheels for mine, one with road slicks and the other with a knobby cross tire. That way I can change wheels depending on what I want to ride on.

Another good option for you would be the hybrid type bike or flat bar road bike. Again a much more comfy riding position than a drop bar bike.

Mike

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by readk .

Wow thank you so much for replying! I've already learned more from your post than visiting 3 LBS's and talking to salespeople.

Looks like bikesdirect won't ship to Canada, any other websites like that? Those look like amazing deals compared to my LBS. Like less than half price.

So far the other most helpful person (sales guy) also recommended a cyclocross bike for me. Said it would be more stable at slower speed casual riding, and would handle better for how I will likely ride it.

Couple questions:

I'm a little hesitant to get the wider knobby tires on a bike like this though since I won't be offroading it. Will I notice it on the road in a negative way? Have this phobia that it will feel like riding a MTB.

Should I look to a chromoly steel frame? Everything I read says smoother ride, better for touring style ride, better for heavier folks (I'm 210lb), better for rough roads, less vibration, etc. Plus generally seem cheaper and more durable. Was thinking like a Jamis bike etc.

My understanding is that Bikes Direct will ship to Canada but it's not free like it is to the lower 48. But depending on the bike it may be worth the cost of shipping. OR, let me repeat that, OR, if you have a friend or relative living in one of the 48's have it shipped there then pay them to ship it to you if Bikes Direct will not ship at all to Canada regardless if you pay.

 

[samspade73]

Also, bike fitting is huge. You're not going to be racing or spending a ton of money but you might be longer legged with short torso or short legs/long torso, etc. for someone you're height. To give you a better idea, use this bike measurement system and have someone help measure you. It won't be as close as a professional level fitting but it will get you closer than taking a stab in the dark. Once you get it, make sure it's adjusted properly or you can and will have knee pain or not get as much power or comfort as you could. Enjoy!

https://www.wrenchscience.com/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/Secure/Fit/Height.aspx

 

[doctorold]

When I started riding, all I had was an old mountain bike. I quickly graduated to a Hybrid/Fitness bike. I still have it. It's Trek 7.3 FX. Think I paid $600 for it back in '07. (of course this year a graduated to a road bike) I'm not endorsing that particular bike but there are plenty that are comparable. Find an LBS that will work with you. A good shop will fit you with the right bike, the right size and one that fits your budget. I am a big fan of adopting little-used bikes off Craig'slist but in your case I would go get fit and get a brand new machine. You'll be happy you did. (skip ordering anything online)

 

[nuliajuk]

Is there a reason that you don't want a rack on the bike? They are very useful and the aluminum racks don't weigh much at all. On hot days, it's far more comfortable to have the bike carrying the load. The center of gravity is much lower which gives better handling on hills.
Most hybrid bikes would suit your needs. They are like a touring or cyclocross bike, but with flat bars.

 

[jpr95]

I'd also reconsider the "casual summer clothes". At the very least get a good pair of padded cycling shorts--you can get cargo-style shorts that look like a loose fit but have an inner liner if you don't want to wear the skin-tight lycra offerings. Your privates will thank you...

Jason

 

[vspa]

correction

 

[nuliajuk]

Originally Posted by vspa .




forget it, try running or other sport,

Why on earth would you tell him that??? He wants a bike for transportation, not sport. Did you even read his post before quoting the entire thing?

ReadK, there are lots of bikes out there in your price range. You don't have to buy online. Some are even Canadian, makes such as Opus, Devinci, Rocky Mountain. A bike shop and some test rides might narrow down your choices a bit. Sounds like either cyclocross or hybrid for you. Traditional touring bikes are also very versatile, although a little heavier and harder to find.

 

[vspa]

yes a commuter could be ok, for sport he doesn't seem to have enough motivation,

 

[samspade73]

I'm a self admitted "gear *****" but I do have two bikes and want a third: one 11 year old trek road bike for commuting and putzing around. A TT bike for tris and want a new road bike for training. Professional bike fitting is the way to go and will save you wear and tear on your body. just yesterday I was looking at a TT bike, asked a sales person a casual question about a new brand of TT bike and told him it was a shame I have a short/torso and long legs because it's a great bike and he tried to talk me into buying it even though I told him it was, literally, the exact opposite of an idea bike fit for me: super long top tube. He still said "you can make it work." Know the facts before you walk in and shop. He might have meant well or he might just have wanted to make a sale regardless of if it was best for me.

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by samspade73 .

I'm a self admitted "gear *****"
Professional bike fitting is the way to go and will save you wear and tear on your body.

I'm too a gear ***** and usually find good deals, but I bought a bike yesterday that kind of pushed my limit as to what a good deal was but it was only ridden 5 miles since 86, in great condition but not mint, and I liked the color scheme, and I'm a sucker for lugs.

Pro bike fitting is a neutral thing whether it will work for you or not, I'm not keen on it. A pro fit will only cost you additional money for something that may or may not work. A true pro fit is really only necessary, and that's debatable, for ordering a custom built bike. Debatable because there are a lot of custom frame builders like Rivendell, Richard Sachs, etc, etc, that make bikes all the time without a pro fit! I've know over a dozen people who have had a pro fit done and about 1/2 came out worse then they did going into it, and just had a friend get one done and spent around $600 for the fitting and the suggestions and ended up worse off then before he went in!! And this sort of thing is not rare. And I know guys who ordered bikes over the phone from Rivendell and got a perfect fit just by answering their fit questions. And really all a pro fit is is an excuse to bring a customer into the store, charge $250 for the fitting and sell you a bunch of stuff that may or may not work. In fact when a marketing rep for a pro fit bike tool comes into a LBS, the selling point isn't: "it will make customers fit on their bikes better", the selling point is that it brings additional profits to the LBS in the form of selling additional and expensive parts. It's pure profit for the LBS.

[SIZE=10.0pt]There are places that can help you fit the bike to you such as: http://cherry.dcwi.com/cherry/info/fitting.htmlhttp://cherry.dcwi.com/cherry/info/fitting.html and: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm[/SIZE]

In addition there are these methods:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport/a/bikefit.htm
http://www.caree.org/bike101bikefit.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c_5Pkimb64 (for tri bike fit, but there are other films)
http://www.jacksbikes.com/contents/en-us/d40.html

And you can find even more on the internet, but they all say and do basically the same thing, The best gauge of whether or not something works is you the rider. Look at those sites and they explain what to do if you have an issue. Fortunately I have a weird body that I can ride either a 55, 56 or a 57 size road bike and with just minor mods I feel great on them. I been riding bikes for over 40 years, raced cat 3 for 10 years, been touring for the last 3 years, and never ever had a pro fit done, I just changed whatever I need to do to get the comfort I'm accustomed too. The only bike I ever bought that was custom fitted to me was a 07 Mercian Vincitore I got while in England, and the sales rep in Derby measured me, does it fit any better then my other rides? Not really! I'm just as comfortable on it as I am with my off the shelf bikes, but it's a beautiful bike and very well made.

If you want to get a fitting done and don't care about the expense and the outcome of it then do it.

 

[samspade73]

Originally Posted by Froze .

I'm too a gear ***** and usually find good deals, but I bought a bike yesterday that kind of pushed my limit as to what a good deal was but it was only ridden 5 miles since 86, in great condition but not mint, and I liked the color scheme, and I'm a sucker for lugs.

Pro bike fitting is a neutral thing whether it will work for you or not......

You're totally right on the bike fitting being just as much a **** shoot. You could be buying false security. paying $600 for a "pro fitting" and coming out the other end worse off is a prime example. Considering my budget is $1400-1800 for the road bike total, $200-$300 means holding off another month. Thanks for sharing your experience and the links too. There's some good resources there.