I am currently 16 and am really starting to get into biking and take it more seriously. This last summer I've done several trips with the longest being 65 miles with me starting out late summer. Next year my goal is to be able to do 100 miles in a day. Anyway since starting out ive been using a basic Schwinn varsity for a training bike that I couldn't be happier with but am in need of a bike for racing in spring as my trainer has a flatbar setup. What would you recommend for someone who is at most able to spend $600? Ive been looking for the past few months pretty much everywhere and anywhere online with little luck except for the Schwinn CF-1000. Also for someone 5' 7" what would be the best bar height on the bike for me? Besides this over this past summer I've been using my tennis shoes for riding but have really grown to discomfort with them as they put direct pressure on the arcs of my feet and can cause some pain. I've been looking through shoes and really have liked the shimano's but am still confused on how the whole cleat/shoe/pedal setup works. Also I live in a city area where there can be plenty of streets to cross on the local trails. With having to clip and unclip the shoes it sounds like it would just be aggravating. Thank you in advance for your help.
Road Shoes/Pedals/cleats/bike frame sizing/entry level bike?????
- Thread starter Cerbin24
- Start date
You should visit some of the bike shops in your area and test ride some bikes to find out what size you need and what brand and type of bike you like the best.
For your budget I would recommend looking for a good used bike. If you do go to some bike shops, let them know you're looking for a used bike and leave them your contact info. If someone trades in a bike of the type you're looking for, they can give you a call...
There's lots of different pedal systems to choose from for a variety of different riding styles. I use Shimano SPD-SL clipless myself and I really like them, and you'll find a bunch of folks on the forums use different pedal systems with great success and enjoyment. You'll need to practice clipping/unclipping until you can do it automatically if you decide to use a clipless system, whatever brand and type you choose. It's not hard to learn, just takes practice.
Pure road style clipless setups like SPD-SL's are awkward to walk in, so if you plan on doing much walking in your biking shoes then you might prefer SPD type cleats which can be recessed into the shoe so you can walk easier.
There's also pedals that are platform on one side so you can use them with regular shoes and have a clipless setup for cleats on the other side for biking shoes. You'll just have to decide what best suits your riding style.
For your budget I would recommend looking for a good used bike. If you do go to some bike shops, let them know you're looking for a used bike and leave them your contact info. If someone trades in a bike of the type you're looking for, they can give you a call...
There's lots of different pedal systems to choose from for a variety of different riding styles. I use Shimano SPD-SL clipless myself and I really like them, and you'll find a bunch of folks on the forums use different pedal systems with great success and enjoyment. You'll need to practice clipping/unclipping until you can do it automatically if you decide to use a clipless system, whatever brand and type you choose. It's not hard to learn, just takes practice.
Pure road style clipless setups like SPD-SL's are awkward to walk in, so if you plan on doing much walking in your biking shoes then you might prefer SPD type cleats which can be recessed into the shoe so you can walk easier.
There's also pedals that are platform on one side so you can use them with regular shoes and have a clipless setup for cleats on the other side for biking shoes. You'll just have to decide what best suits your riding style.
