Started riding

[razor244]

i used to ride bmx and mtb's as my only for of travel till i was 17. im new to road bikes. now what my question is i see people talking about spending $2000 on a bike to get started. im just wondering the drawbacks or whats wrong with the gravity ave b for 279$(i think it was that much). i ride around 15 to 20 miles a day for exercise and to beat my own times . im just wondering because some people say down the road you will wish u just spend more to start . i know my buddy bought a gary fisher to start and that was a pretty penny.

 

[64Paramount]

Razor, you just need to ride the bike that you like and can afford. The most important element of cycling is the rider themself, not the bike.

If you are thinking of buying a new bike, the first thing I would do is ride as many different bikes as you can to see what they are like.

Then narrow down the bikes you have ridden by your budget, how well they are equiped, and how well you like them. Don't worry about getting a super fancy bike just because someone else did, but get the best bike you can for the money you have to spend.

 

[Froze]

Problem is with buying a expensive bike to start is that good intentions go bad for most people, and then their $2000 good intention bike hangs in their garage as art for the next 40 years or so then they sell it in a garage sale for pennies on the dollar. The same is true with folks buying gym equipment for their house and they use it for 2 to 6 months and the equipment sets collecting dust for the next 40 years.

So I recommend to anyone who is starting to ride is to buy something a little modest at under $500. However you said you ride 15 to 20 per day, that's not really starting out, you've been riding a little while to work up to that, how long was that little while? And what bike were you riding? Was that the MTB? Why can't you continue to ride that bike for another year just change to narrower smooth thread tires to pedal a tad faster? Then by doing that you will find out at the end of a year if your still interested in riding.

How old are you now? If your only 18 to 21 your interest may change especially if you get more interested in women and need a better car. Most girls have no interest a man with a $2000 bike and a $500 car!

Not trying to pop your bubble, just trying to get you to see a longer time picture first before spending 2 grand for a bike.

 

[razor244]

i didnt realize in my first post i was not clear to the fact i had already bought a gravity ave B online.

im 24 yrs old ,in the military, im an infantry solider so physical fitness is a huge part of my job. i ride everyday after work for exercise as well as going for long rides lets me unwind . i bought my gravity avenue b about a month ago. i would go for a ride here and there until about 2weeks ago. i started riding everyday 10 mile minimum and just get increasing the distance . im just wondering why ive heard some people say you need to spend so much money to get started.

some questions i have are
1 what are the drawbacks of at cheap bike like i got?
2 what makes the expensive bike cost so much ?
3 is that cost really worth the performance gains if your not in competitions?

 

[PhilipP]

Bike sizing is important, as long as it fits you, I'd ride it and enjoy it, great price for a bike.

Just for a point of reference, see if you can test ride a more high end bike at a local shop.

 

[Resistorlead]

You don't need to spend much to get started. There are all sorts of decent used bikes and probably some ok new ones for a few hundred bucks. I haven't been riding in quite a few years and just started up again. I was amazed at how much new bikes cost. It seems the high end hasn't changed that much, but the low end has gone up a lot. As long as the bike fits, the frame is some decent name brand steel, or aluminum, and the component group halfway decent, you're good to go. I had an ok road bike but wanted something better. I found a used Cannondale at a lawn sale for next to nothing. You just have to keep you eyes open. A lot of used bikes were barely ridden, so they just need cleanup and adjustment.

 

[Froze]

You don't "need" to spend $2000 just to get started. I've never heard of the Gravity bike so had to look it up, this appears to be a great starter bike. I would ride that one till you outgrew the bike, in other words it starts to have mechanical problems, or your just wanting a faster, ie lighter bike. If your already at that point and have the $2000 to spend then look into some bikes in that price range between 1000 to 1700 and leave about $300 for accessories if needed. There's a ton of bikes in that price range, and as a starting place here's a site that can help you with tech info with just a few priced a tad over $1000: Road Bike Reviews for New Riders And if you want more of an upscale bike then those just click onto the Road-Recreational section and look around. Quite a few of these bikes listed in both sections are usually available at your LBS's in town so select some and go find them and test ride.

By the way if you wait till September LBS's will have clearance sales on their 2010 bikes, and in some rare cases you could find a new 09 or even a 08 that never sold and you can get great deals on those.

 

[BeginnerCycling]

some questions i have are
1 what are the drawbacks of at cheap bike like i got?
2 what makes the expensive bike cost so much ?
3 is that cost really worth the performance gains if your not in competitions?

I'm not one who believes you need to spend $2,000 on a bike to get started. However, I have come to realize that with bikes you often really get what you pay for. To specifically answer your 3 questions:

1. If it works fine and you are comfortable on it, there are no drawbacks. Generally, cheap bikes break soon and often because of cheap components, poor workmanship/assembly, etc. But that is not always the case -- so at this point don't worry about it and have fun riding!

2. A combination of more expensive (often higher quality) frame and components, Local Bike Store (LBS) service -- and marketing! Expensive frames tend to weigh less, expensive components tend to weigh less and shift smoother, and you truly can get some valuable service from your LBS (especially getting a good fit for a novice). That said, there certainly is some amount of appeal to vanity and ambition in the marketing.

3. If you aren't in competitions then the weight issues don't really matter that much. At some point you may become more conscious of weight issues and shifting issues -- or may want a smoother ride. But as long as your bike is a comfortable fit for you and functions properly, it will be great for your 15-20 mile exercise rides.

Have fun!

 

[razor244]

hey thanks alot for answering my questions it has really helped me out.

 

[nroose]

hey thanks alot for answering my questions it has really helped me out.

hey razor - was just about to buy the gravity avenue b bike and stumbled across this blog...sounds like you've been happy with it so far? If there's any reason you've been unhappy with it think you could drop me a line? Thanks