I want to buy a bike



OK, so this is a really random question. I have never bought a bike because of the brand, I advise you to go to a bike store, see what you like and can afford and ask advice to the people there. Do that and you'll get a good bike for you.
 
What bike you want and what type of cycling you want to do is far more important than the brand you choose.

The best advice is to go to a bike shop and look at the options that are available for you first and then pick a bike that suits you and your needs.
 
Well, I have thought about brands when I was buying my bike. It took me some time to choose the right one, but only with the help of some friends of mine. I am sure it is not the very famous brand of a bike, but it was the best on in my town. The best reviews from the users. I suggest you ask some friends, or just visit the stores, and talk with the sellers, consider the brands yourself, and that's how you will find the one that has the best price that you can afford, but also being a great quality.
 
Although the manufacturers try hard to invent major differences between brands and types of bikes the truth is that there is very little.

You have to ask yourself what sort of riding you want to do - simple exercise? A cheaper way to go to the local store? Hard core exercise? Easy or difficult off-road riding? Long or short touring? Just plain fun? The absolute LAST place to look for any advice anymore is in cycling magazines which have dipped to such lows that every "test" ends with "this is the best bicycle I have ever ridden."

They have no touring articles that aren't across Alaska in the winter or through the Peruvian Andes. Do you know the pure pleasure of an overnight ride to a 60 mile distant small town with a nice motel and a good restaurant and some friends for company? Apparently cycling magazines no longer do.

In October I did such a ride. We traveled out through the farmland and it was during harvest so we had trucks scurrying up and down the roads that had to dodge us and we them on the narrow back roads. Dinner in a little Basque restaurant and a walk through a Mission that had stood for over 200 years. A full moon in a spot where you could reach out and touch God.

A good nights rest in a motel that had rooms the size of the Taj Mahal. The return trip started on highways with traffic passing us at a frantic rate. 15 miles of that and FINALLY into the hills. We had a moderate climb for the next 30 miles. This kept the speed low but otherwise it was relatively easy. The final quarter mile to the top of the climb was pretty steep but not crippling especially since it was so short. I was the first to the top and there was another cyclist there in the hot late morning - wearing a complete Spiderman costume including face mask. You don't suppose that on that road where not even one single car had passed us in 16 miles that he was trying to keep his identity secret?

Most areas have cycling clubs and you can usually (USUALLY) get some good advice there though remember that everyone has their own preferences especially towards their own style of riding. Most bike shops offer VERY good advice if they are a general cycling store and not specialized.

But a word of advice - once you start you don't be able to stop. It's an addiction that can last an entire lifetime. And to make matters worse it can greatly extend that lifetime.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kimonochi
While I agree that cycling is an addiction and I've Bern riding nearly 20 years now, it's not for everyone.

When buying a first bike aswell as assessing what you want the bike for, I also wouldn't spend a lot on it. At the beginning it's all about getting used to it and there's a few people that after a couple of months decide it's not for them and never ride again.

If your one of those then you obviously don't want to have wasted to much money.
 
If you know pretty much what you're looking for and have gotten over the idea that one brand is better than another Craig's List can give you a good bike really cheaply. While there are advantages to a nice light carbon fiber bike they are very expensive and in all but the hardest climbs offer no real advantage over older steel bikes. And if you are touring, general riding or going to the store, steel or aluminum are far superior to my way of thinking.

I have a garage full of top name bikes and I REALLY like Redline cross bikes in aluminum despite the TINNGGGG when the cable hits the headtube on a pothole. Despite having a very nice Colnago C40 I prefer my Colnago Dream. On longer rides I like my old Look 247 carbon bike not because of the material but because of the longer wheelbase. Around Lake Tahoe or the Death Ride the C40 is good. A ride on a mountain bike trail with my Ridley cross or my Redline cross is both terrifying and actually safer than riding on the street these days. Of course you have to exercise good judgement.

I detest super-light bikes and components. Bicycles may not be fast but falling off a broken one hurts a lot. If you're a racer with an unlimited budget go ahead and buy super-light and replace it often. Otherwise a word to the wise; a 2x4 is more difficult to break than a toothpick regardless of high tech material.

My friends who are rather heavy though not exceptionally so have broken street carbon frames and light weight wheels. My cousin who is rather light has broken THREE carbon MTB full suspension frames and you cannot get better judgement than he has so it isn't the rider. With modern bikes costing almost as much as cheaper autos you have to wonder why steel bikes ever became so rare.
 
Wow, so they have broken the carbon frames? They have to be really overweight to do that. Well done to them for trying to ride a bike in those conditions.
 
Another mechanical engineer heard from. No they do not have to be "overweight". My cousin probably weighs 150. My large friend under 200. What's more you probably aren't swift enough to know how to spot a broken carbon fiber frame. As all those with brilliant comments you think "broken" means looking like a dropped drinking glass.

Most road bike carbon frames that break do so at the junction of the seat tube and down tube at the bottom bracket joint. It starts with a longitudinal crack and initially grows very slowly. But over time as the crack expands away from the reinforced BB area this crack begins to grow rapidly and only after some time - perhaps years - does it become a real hazard to ride. If left to grow it can get to the point that a tube fractures completely. Usually outside of the frame warranty period. Or after that brand has disappeared from the market. So it behooves you to know how they break and always watch for it and have the frame replaced before there is any serious problems.

MTB's usually fail more or less in the same manner but in several different areas that latitudinal stressing occurs.
 
OK, so it's not due to overweight, but they are not well made? That's strange because the lighter the materials the more fragile they are, but breaking a bike makes no sense!
 
OK, so it's not due to overweight, but they are not well made? That's strange because the lighter the materials the more fragile they are, but breaking a bike makes no sense!
Can we ask what sort of bike you have? I have a garage full of carbon, aluminum and steel bikes. The only one that has ever failed was a carbon fiber fork. The carbon bikes I've seen that failed were from major manufacturers who are now double and triple reinforcing the areas that fail. But you wouldn't buy them because they weigh 16 grams more than the competition.
 
There are no "best" brands, but they're are worst brands!

You gave no indication of how much money you want to spend nor any indication if this is a new sport for you? and if so do you do anything physical fitness related now like running or is new as well? If you're new to the sport and new to physical fitness I suggest you start out under $250 and get a decent used bike from Craigslist. Why under $250 you scream when you want to spend $1,200 for example? Because most people who come into this sport and the world of physical fitness discontinue it about 3 to 6 months after they start and then they have expensive garage art!! If you're not new to the sport and or physical fitness then come back and post how much you have budgeted for a new bike and let us take you from there.
 
There are no "best" brands, but they're are worst brands!

You gave no indication of how much money you want to spend nor any indication if this is a new sport for you? and if so do you do anything physical fitness related now like running or is new as well? If you're new to the sport and new to physical fitness I suggest you start out under $250 and get a decent used bike from Craigslist. Why under $250 you scream when you want to spend $1,200 for example? Because most people who come into this sport and the world of physical fitness discontinue it about 3 to 6 months after they start and then they have expensive garage art!! If you're not new to the sport and or physical fitness then come back and post how much you have budgeted for a new bike and let us take you from there.

While I agree with you in general terms $250 won't get you a bike that has good enough equipment on it to keep you riding. I would set an upper limit more like $500 or $600. Shimano or Campagnolo shift/brake levers and at least 9 speeds. 10 are better since most good spare parts for 8 or 9 speeds is rapidly disappearing off of the marketplace.

Steel bikes like DeRosa, Merckx, Colnago or Basso would fall into that range. And actually could last you the rest of your life.
 
While I agree with you in general terms $250 won't get you a bike that has good enough equipment on it to keep you riding. I would set an upper limit more like $500 or $600. Shimano or Campagnolo shift/brake levers and at least 9 speeds. 10 are better since most good spare parts for 8 or 9 speeds is rapidly disappearing off of the marketplace.

Steel bikes like DeRosa, Merckx, Colnago or Basso would fall into that range. And actually could last you the rest of your life.

I disagree with the $250 bit. I've bought used bikes for less than $250 with mid high level components that are extremely reliable and would keep anyone riding for a very long time, by very long time I mean for 10 years or more if they want to. I bought a used touring bike for $100 made in 1985 and I've been touring on it for 4 years now since I got it and never had a problem with and in fact will be my go to bike when I do a cross the US tour and won't give it a second thought about whether or not the bike will make it because I know it will. I commute on a used 1988 bike that I paid $50 for at a garage sale about 25 or so years ago and been commuting on it a lot and never had a breakdown nor worry about it breaking down; this bike I also take with me on my RV and I'll ride it 50 to 100 miles or so around the camp areas countryside..

So I think there are a lot of good used bikes in the $250 range a person can buy that will ride just fine for a long time...as long as the person buying the bike KNOWS what to look for in a bike and what to look for in components and condition of the bike, if they don't know then take someone who does with them or post here and we can help.
 
You might live in a section of the country where you can get good bikes cheaply. But I did look at Craig's List in three different areas of the country and found very little choices and the trouble with that is having to select a correct size out of that sparse offering. And if you ride an unpopular size you might not be able to find anything for a super-deal as you're talking about.

This leaves you with Ebay and you REALLY have to know what you're doing to get something worthwhile there. Although there are HUGE amounts of really great buys on Ebay, you have to absolutely know what you're looking for as well as what to expect after you receive such a bike in the delivery.

But with a $500 maximum all of the Craig's Lists have a pretty good selection and all you have to do is take someone with you that knows what is good from what is bad.

For instance - I'm presently selling a 58/62 cm Colnago Dream Reflux. There are a couple of minor dents in unimportant areas on the aluminum frame. Most beginners wouldn't know how to interpret that. It's a good bike with a good price considering the Campy group, the new wheels with an off-brand name that are made by the same company that makes Campy wheels and the generally great condition of the paint after some 15 years. It rides so well, that I used it as my everyday ride which is saying a lot. But after four months I haven't had a single reply and for the first three months of 2016 people will be dumping their older bikes at "bargain basement" prices meaning you can get some pretty good deals if you know what you're looking at.
 
I want to buy a bike but i don't understand which brand is best ?
There is no "best brand" just good quality and components. I am biased towards a bike that I can ride in comfort with speed and safety as high priorities. There are some comments about Carbon bikes here and the only advice I have about carbon is make sure the front forks are aluminium. Have you ever seen a broken carbon fork? I have seen far to many and yes they are strong and yes most do not break, but between the time they are strong and the time they snap can be a second or two. Being on the front end of your bike guess where that puts you when it snaps? Yes it sure is nice to have a nice light bike and glossy name attached but lets get real here , you are not being sponsored by the bike manufacturer . Take the decals off any bike on the market and you will find they basically look the same. So what you need to find out is what you want the bike for . Then do a Google search for a bike to fit your needs. I am amazed when I have gone to a bike store to find that the hybrid bike has the same gears , crank length, seat, and handlebars as the touring bike . All that seems to change is the name. Buy used ,as now that Christmas has passed there will be more newish bikes on the market bought by people who like the latest fad and there previous "wow bike" is now relegated to the Craigslist ad at substantial savings.
 
riding bicycle, swimming do not prevent osteoporosis
source :
1. 'The best exercise for your bones is the weight-bearing kind,
which forces you to work against gravity. Some examples of
weight-bearing exercises include weight training, walking,
hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, and dancing.
Examples of exercises that are not weight-bearing include
swimming and bicycling'
in http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/default.asp
2. 'weight-bearing is the amount of weight a patient puts on the leg'
in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight-bearing

bicycling increases testosterone level
source : 'While exercising, the serum TS level significantly increased by 20.8%'
in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1890772 from google 'cold water testosterone'

rowing decreases testosterone level
source :
'Three week heavy training period induced significant reductions in resting free
testosterone and free testosterone: cortisol ratio' in
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16208300

swimming decreases testosterone level
source :
'In women mean testosterone levels declined by 39.4% from baseline
values and in males, mean testosterone levels declined by 19.0%' in
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3582275
 
For a decent entry-level bike, I suggest looking at rental shops in your area, some rental shops sell their used bikes at the end of the season and buy new ones for the following season. The prices are usually very reasonable and if it's a rental it's likely to be well-maintained.
 

Similar threads