Help needed with buying bike!!

[caitlin]

Hi all! I'm new to this site and need some help with deciding on a bike. I already bought a Marin San Anselmo www.marinbikes.com a couple of days ago, but after reading through info on the net, think I may have made the wrong decision! I'm wanting a bike mainly for commuting, but thought I may like to do some mountain biking and touring (neither of which I've done before), but I'm not even sure about this! The Marin cost me $880 and I don't want to spend more than this. Some people have said it's best to get two bikes if you want to go mountain biking, but I thought if you were touring, you'd want to mountain bike as well. I know road bikes don't have suspension and are a rough ride, which aren't very comfortable long distance. They also have a rather bent over position, which I've heard isn't as comfortable. Mountain bikes can be good for commuting, touring and mountain biking, but aren't as good on the road. I've also heard getting a mountain bike 2nd hand or renting one is a good idea. Please help!! I'm so confused!! By the way, I'm a 5"2 female.

 

[Bikesoiler]

Hi all! I'm new to this site and need some help with deciding on a bike. I already bought a Marin San Anselmo www.marinbikes.com a couple of days ago, but after reading through info on the net, think I may have made the wrong decision! I'm wanting a bike mainly for commuting, but thought I may like to do some mountain biking and touring (neither of which I've done before), but I'm not even sure about this! The Marin cost me $880 and I don't want to spend more than this. Some people have said it's best to get two bikes if you want to go mountain biking, but I thought if you were touring, you'd want to mountain bike as well. I know road bikes don't have suspension and are a rough ride, which aren't very comfortable long distance. They also have a rather bent over position, which I've heard isn't as comfortable. Mountain bikes can be good for commuting, touring and mountain biking, but aren't as good on the road. I've also heard getting a mountain bike 2nd hand or renting one is a good idea. Please help!! I'm so confused!! By the way, I'm a 5"2 female.

Caitlin
Your new Marin will be fine for commuting & touring and can be ridden off-road with care. Often people won't know what type/s of riding they will end up doing most until they start. This makes it very hard to decide what type of bike to buy. If you stick with the Marin & after a while want to go faster & further on the road, look for a nice road bike & keep the Marin for commuting. Like wise if you try some off-road riding & like it, get a MTB for playing in the dirt & keep the Marin clean to get to work on Monday.

Do any of your friends ride? & what type of riding (road/commuting/touring/mountain biking)?

Before you know it you'll have a stable of bikes & all your shoes will have cleats on them.

B - "Five bikes & counting"

 

[Blundenb]

Catlin

There are a few easy things you can do to make your comute better on a MTB.

The first is to get rid of knobbly tyres and put on a set of road slicks, they make pedalling so much easier and your ride faster. You get what you pay for with more expensive ones (ie high ply rating, kevlar etc) being better for punctures (ie not getting as many). If you have some $, get a second pair of wheels and have slicks on one and knobblies on another for when you want to go off road.

Second - get a set of bar ends. Gives you more hand position options and is generally more comfy.

Third - get some clipless pedals and shoes.

You can spiff up any MTB to make it a decent comuter that doesnt reduce its capacity for a bit of off road fun on the weekends. Also, racks and panniers are good for daily comuting and touring. Ive riden a tarted up old CrMo MTB with these changes for years with no probs and I manage to get to work in the same time as my buddies with fancy road bikes (and others who drive the same distance in the car).

Apart from all this - just have fun on it

 

[caitlin]

Thanks for your help guys! So is it best to stick with the Marin or get a MTB?

 

[caitlin]

Thanks for your help guys! Bikesoiler, I have a friend with a bike, she uses it for commuting. Blundenb, a salesperson told me that slick tyres are quick slippery in wet conditions. I also forgot to add, I also tried an Avanti Explorer and Pioneer, both were cheaper and neither had as good componentry as the Marin. They did however have a more upright seating position. Does this matter?

 

[Marx SS]

I have 2x bikes, one full-on MTB ( Specialised Stumpjumper hardtail ) & the other, my old Apollo MTB from 1990 that & fixed up for commuting– only has one gear.

I can understand that you may feel that the Marin you purchased may not offer you the kind of riding experience you might be after, but I think you’ll find that in application, the Marin can take you pretty close to all the commuting & a bit of MTB as well.
I’m not sure now much time you’ve had on it yet, but as you have already bought it, you might as well use it & then make a decision after say spending a couple of months living with

 

[caitlin]

Thanks for the advice guys! Would I be better getting a mountain bike, this can be used for commuting (and touring?). Can a touring bike be used for commuting? Someone also suggested a recumbant, would this be suitable? Would either of these be better than the hybrid? I don't want to limit my options. I was also looking at the Avanti range of hybrids, called 'comfort' bikes (Explorer and Pioneer are the 2 in the series I think) www.avanti.co.nz would the Marin or Avanti be better for my purpose? The Marin has an adjustable stem and 'lock-out' suspension.

 

[caitlin]

I should have added, I haven't yet collected the bike, it's still at the shop as I have to decide whether or not to get it! The Avanti is also more upright.

 

[artemidorus]

Thanks for your help guys! Bikesoiler, I have a friend with a bike, she uses it for commuting. Blundenb, a salesperson told me that slick tyres are quick slippery in wet conditions. I also forgot to add, I also tried an Avanti Explorer and Pioneer, both were cheaper and neither had as good componentry as the Marin. They did however have a more upright seating position. Does this matter?

The only thing more slippery than a slick tyre on wet bitumen is any other kind of tyre! The salesperson was either an idiot or was talking about dirt roads or tracks.

 

[artemidorus]

I know road bikes don't have suspension and are a rough ride, which aren't very comfortable long distance. They also have a rather bent over position, which I've heard isn't as comfortable.

Somewhat counterintuitively, a bent-over position is more comfortable over long distances because it improves the way your bum bones sit on the seat and has been shown to take some load off one's perineum, the bit which in either gender particularly dislikes being crushed or chafed. The position also puts more weight on the pedals and handle bars, again sparing the bum. Drop bars give 4 or five different hand positions which again allow more comfort on a long ride. An upright position is also very frustrating in a headwind. I'm much happier on my road bike for a long ride than on my MTB.

 

[artemidorus]

Thanks for the advice guys! Would I be better getting a mountain bike, this can be used for commuting (and touring?). Can a touring bike be used for commuting? Someone also suggested a recumbant, would this be suitable? Would either of these be better than the hybrid? I don't want to limit my options. I was also looking at the Avanti range of hybrids, called 'comfort' bikes (Explorer and Pioneer are the 2 in the series I think) www.avanti.co.nz would the Marin or Avanti be better for my purpose? The Marin has an adjustable stem and 'lock-out' suspension.

A mountain bike can be used for anything, and typically is designed to allow a more bent-over position than a "comfort" (what a misnomer!) hybrid. Get slick tyres and lockout front suspension. Avoid rear suspension as this only works well on very expensive bikes. Many road hybrids are simply road bikes with flat handle bars, and hence best avoided as drop bars offer more comfort and the option of fast positions for downhill and headwinds.
A touring bike not only can be used for commuting but is probably the ideal bike for commuting.
A recumbent would be dangerous in the city as they are too low for good stand-out visibility. (My opinion and not universally accepted).
Avoid "comfort" bikes as the position is typically bolt upright, slow and uncomfortable after the first hour, with no option of altering one's posture.

 

[Wrightstuff]

Hi all! I'm new to this site and need some help with deciding on a bike. I already bought a Marin San Anselmo www.marinbikes.com a couple of days ago, but after reading through info on the net, think I may have made the wrong decision! I'm wanting a bike mainly for commuting, but thought I may like to do some mountain biking and touring (neither of which I've done before), but I'm not even sure about this! The Marin cost me $880 and I don't want to spend more than this. Some people have said it's best to get two bikes if you want to go mountain biking, but I thought if you were touring, you'd want to mountain bike as well. I know road bikes don't have suspension and are a rough ride, which aren't very comfortable long distance. They also have a rather bent over position, which I've heard isn't as comfortable. Mountain bikes can be good for commuting, touring and mountain biking, but aren't as good on the road. I've also heard getting a mountain bike 2nd hand or renting one is a good idea. Please help!! I'm so confused!! By the way, I'm a 5"2 female.

There are a new category which is proving popular, Flat bar road bikes where the rider sits in a more upright position, the ******* baby between a mountain and a road bike. These bikes also can have disc brakes and although usually have a ridgid fork, they have a suspension seat post. They may also be a lot lighter than a mountain bike, but slightly heavier than a road bike. There are lost of discussions about FBRB's. Have a look here.

 

[cycleski]

The marin looks fine for either trail or road, doubt there would be any locations the bike would prevent you getting to. And as Bundenb suggested a few well selected low cost mods would improve comfort and performance-
Semi slick tyres, the inverted tread type by Serfas or Conti have a smooth outer with indentations for grip on road or trail and are light where you feel it most, at the rim $30 - 45 each.
Clipless pedals are great but require the matching shoes, the cheapest combo would be $150, the 80% option would be toe clips to existing pedals for $20 pair and use your existing shoes.
Bar ends $10 - 15 are an essential for me getting up hills and resting the hands and wrists.
The alloy frame bikes are in the weight range of the old road bike of a decade ago and the quick thumb shift allow you to get the most out of the bike and stay in control.
Enjoy your riding and hold your cash, too many ways to spend on bikes

 

[caitlin]

Thank you guys for all your help! It really helped me make a decision. I collected the Marin a few days ago, but wish I'd asked for advice before I bought it! In some respects it's not as good as my old mountain bike. It is quicker however (although the mountain bike didn't have slick tyres). Anyway I'm going to do another post ("Advice needed with new bike"), so if you can help, please reply!

Thanks again.