first time buyer

[thilly]

ive been riding for a few years with some crappy SportChek bikes. this year i feel i should buy a more serious bike. i do 120 km rides mainly on the road, but i do want to try some dirt trails. from what ive read, i think should get a hybrid bicycle. something with shocks at the front fork, a light frame, and a comfortable handle bar and seat. im not quite sure how much i should spend. i was thinking about $1000 should get me an entry level bicycle for what i want to do. i live in Toronto and this shop http://www.dornellas.com/DOrnellasHome.asp seems to be a popular choice in my area, more specifically Scarborough.

any help is appreciated

 

[yishunbicycle]

Originally Posted by thilly .

a light frame, and a comfortable handle bar and seat. im not quite sure how much i should spend. i was thinking about $1000 should get me an entry level bicycle for what i want to do.

I want to know what do you plan to to buy a bike or DIY a bike

 

[thilly]

would it better to build a bike myself? or just buy a bike already built? id prefer to buy a bike already built.

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by thilly .

would it better to build a bike myself? or just buy a bike already built? id prefer to buy a bike already built.

Unless you have a bin full of spare parts that are compatible with the bike you intend to build, or you can purchase parts at wholesale prices, and you already know a lot about bike mechanics, and you want a new hobby for few days or months, it always makes more sense to buy a new or lightly used complete bike. The manufacturers buy the parts for a lot less than you ever will.

 

[thilly]

yeah that makes sense. i just dont know what type of bike to buy. ive been recommended to buy a mountain bike, then just buy a pair of road tires when im goin mainly on the road then switch to dirt tires when i go on trails.

 

[yishunbicycle]

Originally Posted by thilly .

yeah that makes sense. i just dont know what type of bike to buy. ive been recommended to buy a mountain bike, then just buy a pair of road tires when im goin mainly on the road then switch to dirt tires when i go on trails.

what about cyclecross

 

[alienator]

what about cyclecross

Certainly a cross bike should be considered. A cross bike can be perfectly appropriate for a lot of trails, so long as they aren't particularly extreme in nature. With a cross bike, you can switch back and forth easily between cross wheels/ tires and road wheels/tires. There should be some entry level cross bikes in or near your price range.

 

[yishunbicycle]

I also think cross bike is a fit for you

 

[thilly]

thanks for the feedback.

did some googling on cyclocross. one thing i noticed that there are no front fork suspensions. should i be worried about havin an uncomfortable ride? for example riding on sidewalks that arent smooth.

 

[alienator]

thanks for the feedback.
did some googling on cyclocross. one thing i noticed that there are no front fork suspensions. should i be worried about havin an uncomfortable ride? for example riding on sidewalks that arent smooth.

No. If you're going to ride on any pavement at all or even smooth gravel or dirt roads, active suspension is just an energy drain. Cyclocross bikes use tires that are significantly larger than road tires typically are. They're on the order of 30-34mm wide which means you can run them with much lower pressures, which will in turn make for a much smoother ride over bumps than road bike tires.

 

[thilly]

awesome, thats reassuring. i guess ill use the same tires for road and dirt.

how does this bike look?
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/cyclocross/steel_cross/

or even Giant's Roam series
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-ca/bike-finder/men/xroad/?level=sport

 

[thilly]

what do you guys think about Specialized bikes?

 

[64Paramount]

Specialized makes good bikes.

 

[thilly]

i guess there isnt much of a quality difference between the many brands that are out there

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by thilly .

i guess there isnt much of a quality difference between the many brands that are out there

Right. Especially when considering general-purpose bikes.

 

[thilly]

i went to the cyclopath at main street markham and he recommended that norco would be the best bang for my buck at around the $800 price range. he also said that the difference between a $850 cyclocross bike and a $1000+ would make the $1000+ bikes worth buying. the quality of the parts is a lot better, he said. should i invest towards a $1200 bike instead?