[COLOR= #0000ff]Froze,[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]I would love to get a bike cheaper online at BIkes Direct. The problem is that I can't test-drive them first, and am really paranoid about getting one that fits good, since Frugal Hubby won't let me buy another one for at least 10 years, lol. I don't know if you can send them back, but even if you can, shipping can't be cheap, and it would add up quickly if it took more than one bike to get the right one. The bikes that I've seen at Bikes Direct that I like are mostly Motobecanes, and I've never seen one in a store to test-ride it. Couple that with the problem that NOBODY in Sacramento, after looking in 3 stores, seems to carry women's bikes big enough for my long legs, and I end up trying men's bikes, which of course don't fit the same so it's not a true test ride -- and y'alls saddles HURT! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif Which makes it difficult to even test one for very long, lol. I can't see making them switch out saddles just to test-ride a man's bike that I don't really want. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]This whole drama started when Hubby wanted me to order the Motobecane Cafe Express 8 and I asked online here if it was a good bike. Most people said the components weren't that good, I got freaked out about buying an inferior bike, and off to the races we went. I should have just ordered the darned bike, lol, and hoped it fit. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Hubby will pay up to $700 for my bike; anything over that has to come out of my private stash of cash that I've hoarded over the years. So I'm willing to take it up to $1,000 if I have to, or maybe a LITTLE more, but really would rather stay in the lower end of that range. Anybody who wants to suggest what I should buy in that price range is welcome to make a suggestion, keeping in mind my weight and my preference for non-drop-bars and IGHs. But it would seem that I am never going to get a consensus of opinion on which bikes are best (I should have known), and it has gotten so confusing on here that I'm more than ready for the buying process to be over and to just get a bike and start riding it, lol. I will probably just end up buying a bike with the handlebars and IGH that I like the looks of, and just do my best to check out the number of spokes, tire width, Shimano level, etc. I guess I can always upgrade the components later as needed, if they're really inferior and it affects my riding enjoyment, which is the most important think at this point. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]I truly don't mean to sound ungrateful after all the help people have given me on here. I love what y'all are teaching me, and look forward to learning more about HOW to bike well. I guess I'm just getting a little overwhelmed about what to bike ON. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]It's 1 a.m., I'm tired, and off to bed. I will feel all better in the morning, and will probably think of a jillion more questions to bug you with -- and then whine about how confused I'm getting, lol. If only my brain could keep up with my desire to learn.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]G'night, Froze. Thanks for putting up with me. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Sierra[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]I would love to get a bike cheaper online at BIkes Direct. The problem is that I can't test-drive them first, and am really paranoid about getting one that fits good, since Frugal Hubby won't let me buy another one for at least 10 years, lol. I don't know if you can send them back, but even if you can, shipping can't be cheap, and it would add up quickly if it took more than one bike to get the right one. The bikes that I've seen at Bikes Direct that I like are mostly Motobecanes, and I've never seen one in a store to test-ride it. Couple that with the problem that NOBODY in Sacramento, after looking in 3 stores, seems to carry women's bikes big enough for my long legs, and I end up trying men's bikes, which of course don't fit the same so it's not a true test ride -- and y'alls saddles HURT! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif Which makes it difficult to even test one for very long, lol. I can't see making them switch out saddles just to test-ride a man's bike that I don't really want. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]This whole drama started when Hubby wanted me to order the Motobecane Cafe Express 8 and I asked online here if it was a good bike. Most people said the components weren't that good, I got freaked out about buying an inferior bike, and off to the races we went. I should have just ordered the darned bike, lol, and hoped it fit. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Hubby will pay up to $700 for my bike; anything over that has to come out of my private stash of cash that I've hoarded over the years. So I'm willing to take it up to $1,000 if I have to, or maybe a LITTLE more, but really would rather stay in the lower end of that range. Anybody who wants to suggest what I should buy in that price range is welcome to make a suggestion, keeping in mind my weight and my preference for non-drop-bars and IGHs. But it would seem that I am never going to get a consensus of opinion on which bikes are best (I should have known), and it has gotten so confusing on here that I'm more than ready for the buying process to be over and to just get a bike and start riding it, lol. I will probably just end up buying a bike with the handlebars and IGH that I like the looks of, and just do my best to check out the number of spokes, tire width, Shimano level, etc. I guess I can always upgrade the components later as needed, if they're really inferior and it affects my riding enjoyment, which is the most important think at this point. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]I truly don't mean to sound ungrateful after all the help people have given me on here. I love what y'all are teaching me, and look forward to learning more about HOW to bike well. I guess I'm just getting a little overwhelmed about what to bike ON. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]It's 1 a.m., I'm tired, and off to bed. I will feel all better in the morning, and will probably think of a jillion more questions to bug you with -- and then whine about how confused I'm getting, lol. If only my brain could keep up with my desire to learn.[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]G'night, Froze. Thanks for putting up with me. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Sierra[/COLOR]