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Advice on buying new bike?

edited April 2011 in Everything Else
I am looking to buy a bike to go to work but I know nothing about bikes at all. The only bikes I've had are the cheap 60$ ones from Walmart as a kid that always got stolen. The path to work is about 5 miles flat land so I dont think I need anything fancy. Is there anything I'm suppose to look for when buying a bike? I'm not sure I even know how to ride a real ones since I've never had a bike that had different gears on it.

Would I be missing something if I just bought a generic walmart bike or do I really need to get an expensive one? Are there certain features I should be looking at? Are there online vendors I should buy from? If anypony has any advice I'd appreciate it.
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Comments

  • edited April 2011
    The most important thing is that you get a bike that is comfortable and the correct size for your body. If you are riding 10 miles a day, you can hurt yourself with a bike that is the wrong size.

    Also, learn to use gears.

    Go to a real bike shop, an they will take care of you as long as it isn't a sleazy guy trying to rip you off.

    Lastly, http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Sizing aside, answer one important question: what to you plan to do with the bike? You've already answered that, but consider if you plan to use the bike for anything else.

    Do you plan to use it for anything other than your commute? Is this a sidewalk/asphalt/smooth dirt path, or is there any grass/terrain involved?

    If you only ever plan to take it on bike paths and streets, get a hybrid (unless you want to spend a lot of money: then get a "performance" hybrid). They ride like a "normal" bicycle: you don't have to take the extreme posture that you see in "street" or racing bikes, and can simply sit up mostly straight. They have narrow tires and typically no shocks.

    If you want to ride on anything rougher than an extremely well-groomed packed earth path, get a low-end mountain bike or a hybrid with a front shock. The tires will be a bit wider and more nubbly, and this combined with the shock will slow you down a bit, but the comfort and maneuverability will more than make up for that. (Shocks generally increase your top speed on rough terrain, but decrease it on smooth terrain).

    Personally, I recommend a low-end mountain bike (front shocks only) for anyone who isn't biking almost entirely in the confines of a major city.
  • Step 1) Get a Hybrid.
    Step 2) Go to local bike shop and ask what size frame would be good for you (bike frames are measured in the length of the saddle tube, i.e. ~ distance from your butt to the pedals).
    Step 3) Chain Reaction Cycles
  • Make sure it has two wheels.
  • Get some streamers for the handlebars so all the kids know that you so fly.
  • Do not buy a folding bike.

    Back in 2009, I was in the market for a new bike. I got a racing bike made of carbon-whatever-mix -- about 10 or so pounds -- for easy transport (disclaimer: I bike every day, including during the snow in the winter).

    But while talking to people about getting a bike that's easy to transport, many bike repair dudes recommended against folding bikes, because they're structurally unstable and don't last as long as other bikes.

    Also, if the trip is seriously flat (and you don't plan on riding anywhere else), I'd recommend a single speed, because they're so much easier to take care of and clean (read: single speed ≠ fixie).
  • Also, if the trip is seriously flat (and you don't plan on riding anywhere else), I'd recommend a single speed, because they're so much easier to take care of and clean (read: single speed ≠ fixie).
    I wouldn't. Even on completely flat terrain, having real gears teaches better habits and allows for much faster accelleration and a higher top speed.
  • Also, if the trip is seriously flat (and you don't plan on riding anywhere else), I'd recommend a single speed, because they're so much easier to take care of and clean (read: single speed ≠ fixie).
    I wouldn't. Even on completely flat terrain, having real gears teaches better habits and allows for much faster accelleration and a higher top speed.
    Also, if you start liking cycling enough that you eventually want to do a long-range trip (50+ miles), having a touring cassette and the proper gearing on your daily is going to save you the price of a touring bike when you actually take the trip. You might have to change the seat and add paniers, but that'd be about it.
  • allows for much faster accelleration and a higher top speed.
    Good technique and strong leg muscles achieve the same -- if not better -- results.

    The one thing I'd say in agreement with Rym is that multiple gears will help you figure out what gear you can/want to ride on. In that case, I'd say buy a working used bike until you get used to it, and then get a high-quality one when you get comfortable and know what you want.
  • edited April 2011
    Good technique and strong leg muscles achieve the same -- if not better -- results.
    Nope. They contribute, but sequential gearing will ALWAYS be more effective at adapting to terrain, acceleration, and maintaining a high top speed.

    There's a reason car manufacturers use transmissions instead of just building ever-bigger engines, and it's the same reason tourers don't ride single-speeds.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Good cycling includes pedaling at a nearly constant rate at all speeds. This is patently impossible with a fixie.
  • Is it better to get a new bike or is used bike the same? Its not like a car so it's 100% as good right?
  • Is it better to get a new bike or is used bike the same? Its not like a car so it's 100% as good right?
    Depends. Several city blocks daily, a 1970s Trek will hold up fine. 10 miles a day, though? You want a new bike.
  • Step 1) Get a Hybrid.
    Step 2) Go to local bike shop and ask what size frame would be good for you (bike frames are measured in the length of the saddle tube, i.e. ~ distance from your butt to the pedals).
    Step 3) Chain Reaction Cycles
    Wow, the ranges for these bikes are 250-3k+$. The differences are like different tires and frames and stuff. Does it really matter? Will I be fine with just the lower end ones or is there some sweet spot of price vs performance?
  • edited April 2011
    Does it really matter?
    Always. Riding road and never rough terrain? Racing slicks. Need to move really fast and be able to carry the bike easily? CroMoly frame. Need to stop on a dime in the pouring rain in a city covered in potholes? Front suspension fork, hybrid tires, maybe disc brakes.

    Look, the hard answer here is that the need for these things depends entirely on your situation. Only you know what you're doing, so unless you tell us about terrain, traffic, climate, etc., we can't help you all that much. I've been looking at Specialized Crosstrail Pro Disc for when I come back to the States. I ride street and occasionally trail in Chicago and Wisconsin. That bike will probably keep me going strong even if I move to NY or CA. It's the perfect thing for me. Is it the perfect thing for you? Probably not. You almost definitely don't need anything CroMo, for instance, and you probably don't need discs.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Is it better to get a new bike or is used bike the same? Its not like a car so it's 100% as good right?
    Depends. Several city blocks daily, a 1970s Trek will hold up fine. 10 miles a day, though? You want a new bike.
    I kinda disagree, the only major problems you'll have with a well maintained older bike is that the frame will likely be heavier than a newer model. The key is of course is that it's well maintained. If you get an old bike you may need to replace a lot of things, if you get someones newer used bike, probably not. If this isn't a sure thing that you're going to be biking frequently I'd suggest that you get a used bike. Look for someone who tried commuting for a few months and gave up. Generally you're just going to have a somewhat harder time getting a well fitting bike, and you'll have to pay attention to condition, which may be hard since it sounds like you don't know bikes. Even if you don't go for a used bike you can probably get a ~$100 bike (or less) that will suit your purposes just fine until you decide that you have an urgent need to do something more or go faster with it.
    Aside from that, I'd parrot most of what everyone else here has said. Get a road/hybrid bike, make sure it's close to the right size, and is comfortable for what you intend to do. Your best bet is going to be finding a good bike shop and talking to someone who can show you everything.
  • edited April 2011
    Step 1) Get a Hybrid.
    Step 2) Go to local bike shop and ask what size frame would be good for you (bike frames are measured in the length of the saddle tube, i.e. ~ distance from your butt to the pedals).
    Step 3) Chain Reaction Cycles
    Wow, the ranges for these bikes are 250-3k+$. The differences are like different tires and frames and stuff. Does it really matter? Will I be fine with just the lower end ones or is there some sweet spot of price vs performance?
    You will be perfectly fine buying one of the cheaper bikes. The main reason I linked that site is that it is the Amazon.com of bike shops, I have several bike fanatics in my social circle and they swear by that site. Even the local bike shop grudgingly agrees that it is a very good place to buy bikes. When the frame in my previous bike broke I just bought a $200 aluminum frame from there and payed the local bike shop for transferring all my gear from the old bike to the new one. Last autumn I bought a $400 hybrid for my wife and it is excellent. CRC often has good deals on last year's models, and since bike technology has been pretty much stagnant for a century, you will not be missing out by buying last year's models at a discount.

    There is one caveat: the bikes need minimal assembly (like attaching the wheels, tightening bolts, etc) which you can probably get taken care of at a local bike shop for less than a $100 if you don't feel confident to do it yourself.

    Finally, there is mountainbikereviews.com (which, despite it's name, also reviews street / hybrid bikes). So once you find some bikes on CRC, you can look up the review / user comments and get an idea of whether there are serious faults with them.

    That is pretty much all the objective advice I can give you. Remember that a good bike is a bike that is good for You.

    Non-objective advice:
    1) DON'T get a fixie.
    2) Don't pay attention to the brand of the bike. You are essentially buying the bike for the gear that is attached to the frame.
    3) The rear derailleur MUST be Shimano Deore LX or better. In general get the cheapest bike with Deore parts throughout.
    4) Front suspension is NOT worth it in terms of loss of steering control (at least in the price range you are looking at)
    5) Full suspension is worth it in terms of comfort (even at a cheap price point).
    6) Suspension MUST be serviced approximately once a year, lest it become useless / dangerous.
    7) You do NOT want to service the suspension yourself and it not cheap to have it done.
    8) If you get disc brakes, don't get mechanical ones since they tend to be soft and you're better of having V-brakes for that.
    Post edited by Dr. Timo on
  • Front suspension is NOT worth it in terms of loss of steering control (at least in the price range you are looking at)
    It isif you're going to ride on grass or worse I'd say, partly too because most people won't reach high enough speeds for the loss to matter, and by the time they're capable of doing so, they're likely a proficient biker. Full suspensions, though, are silly unless you have crazy money to burn or are actually mountain biking.
    1) DON'T get a fixie.
    A thousand times this. Fixies objectively limit you in pointless ways, and provide no substantial benefits. Maintenance on a real bike's gearing is ludicrously cheap.

    Expensive components are useless to you unless you can articulate why you need them. While I have an expensive and fancy performance hybrid for distance biking, I also have a 15 year old Schwinn hardtail (with a mostly shot but still serviceable front suspension) with original gears that is just fine for trail riding and even commuting (since I can't leave my expensive bike chained up anywhere).
  • Full suspensions, though, are silly unless you have crazy money to burn or are actually mountain biking.
    I think there is a case to be made for cheap(ish) full suspension if you put comfort ahead of ride efficiency and are willing to pay the annual service premium.
  • RymRym
    edited April 2011
    Full suspensions, though, are silly unless you have crazy money to burn or are actually mountain biking.
    I think there is a case to be made for cheap(ish) full suspension if you put comfort ahead of ride efficiency and are willing to pay the annual service premium.
    I'll agree with you there. Personally, I find hardtails to be more comfortable than full suspension bikes on anything but rough mountain terrain. I like the firm bite I get from the rear around corners, and I tend to not have my butt on the seat most of the time anyway. But, I'm fully aware that this type of "comfort" is a minority opinion.

    Super expensive full suspensions are pretty amazing. I test-ride one with an inertial dampener that minimized the performance impact. Basically, it would hold the suspension rigid if the shock came from above and didn't coincide with downward absolute movement. It was a complicated little doohickey, and I'm not entirely sure how it functioned. But, it stayed rigid through any pedal cycle, even stomping, yet compressed perfectly on drops or terrain.

    (That bike was well into five figures).
    Post edited by Rym on
  • Personally, I find hardtails to be more comfortable than full suspension bikes on anything but rough mountain terrain. I like the firm bite I get from the rear around corners, and I tend to not have my butt on the seat most of the time anyway. But, I'm fully aware that this type of "comfort" is a minority opinion.
    I used to swing both ways until the service costs of a suspension bike became (subjectively) too much to bear. Now I ride without any suspension (I like to get the bite from my front wheel as well ;-) ).

    I'm slowly converting my bike from a mountain bike to a hybrid setup when parts fail / wear out, and, even though I previously stated that the frame doesn't matter, I'm dreaming of one day finding an early nineties Marin Palisades Trail frame. That was a fucking brilliant frame.
  • edited May 2011
    Alright, so I got my new bike, rode it a few times all is great. Except one thing. The seat is ridiculously uncomfortable. It hurts sitting on it. So painful. What to do??
    Post edited by iruul on
  • The seat is ridiculously uncomfortable. It hurts sitting on it. So painful. What to do??
    What kind of seat is it? Take a picture.

    If it sits between your tailbones, it's too narrow. If your tailbones are on it, but they hurt, you're likely sitting too upright: many bikeseats are designed for a forward position. If your junk hurts, or feels under pressure, replace it with a slotted seat, i.e., one with a depression down the middle. If you have pain that coincides with any seams in your pants or underwear, welcome to biking: buy seamless or offset-seam pants and underwear.
  • Alright, so I got my new bike, rode it a few times all is great. Except one thing. The seat is ridiculously uncomfortable. It hurts sitting on it. So painful. What to do??
    Put a different seat on it.
  • edited May 2011
    If you don't like it, put a different seat on it.
    All the single bikers!
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • The pain is coming from the pressure of my junk on the tongue of the seat. It does have grooves but they dont seem to help. Should I get one of those round seats without a tongue?
  • Take a picture of your seat please.
  • How is the seat angled? IF you can adjust the angle on the seat, angle it more forward. If that doesn't help at all get a new seat.
  • edited May 2011
    image
    The horn of it presses against my perineum and the seat cushion is hard and there is discomfort on my tailbones. I dont think there is a way to angle the seat, though that might help.
    Post edited by iruul on
  • You need a seat that is actually slotted, like this one. There should be a hole through the seat.
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