What is a good bicycle for a beginning cyclist?

Question

Currently in my early 40's. I haven't spent much time riding a bike since I was a kid, though I have used the Lifecycle at the gym many times. Now I have moved to a place where there are a lot of outdoor trails and I want to get into outdoor cycling. But I don't want to spend a lot of money for a fancy bike right away, since I'm still a beginner.

What is a good entry-level bike that I should look for. What price range are we talking? 300? 500?

Thanks.

Forgot to add, I'll be looking at men's bikes.
;-)

Answer 1

Avoid buying a bike at a place like Wal-Mart. Often the bikes are put together incorrectly, are unsafe, and they are so-o-o heavy and uncomfortable. In addition, they often have very few sizes, if any beyond child and adult, and fit is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING with any bicycle. While these bikes are cheap, the quality also absolutely sucks. (Try picking one of those babies up, then compare it to a bike from an actual bike shop!)

Next: what kind of riding do you want to do? All paved bike paths, on the road, on trails? If you want to do any trail riding, you want a mountain bike. If you are going to only ride on paved paths or roads, you will want a hybrid or road bike.

Find a local bike shop and talk to a sales person about the kind of riding you want to do and your budget. Actually, go to a few shops that sell different brands. Test ride a few different bikes and see what feels good. Different brands all have slightly different geometries. Some good brands to look for include Specialized, Trek, Giant, Gary Fisher (mountain bikes only), Jamis, Cannondale, Bianchi and Fuji. Schwinn is even back in the market making some decent stuff, but only if you buy it from a bike shop, not a big chain store! Jamis bikes are not as widely available as some of these other brands but are often the best priced for what you get.

For just starting out you can find a bike for under $500. Generally avoid anything under $350 unless it is on sale. If you buy after the 2007 models come out, you can probably get a 2006 model on sale this fall.

A road bike (with drop bars and everything) will probably be out of your price range--they generally start up around $600+ since they are not as popular with recreational cyclists. But if you are going to ride on pavement, you can find a 700c wheel hybrid, or "flat bar" road bike in the $500 range. If you are going to be riding off road, stick to the name brands, but you can get an entry level bike in the $400-$500 range.

Answer 2

You should be good to go with just about anything in the 300-500 dollar range. I highly encourage purchasing from a bike shop. They can help you get a proper fit and provide you with suggestions on what kind of bike to purchase based on your riding style. My first bike was a Raleigh M-80 for about $400. It held up to my riding style and was of high enough quality to make me want to ride more. I think that's what it comes down to. Buy a bike that you enjoy riding and one that will last for a while.
The bike shop that you purchase from should provide periodic tune-ups that keep your bike in top form. Additionally, I haven't been to any bike shops that don't offer a friendly atmosphere and a helping hand when needed. The department stores just can't offer that.

Answer 3

There are alot of bikes out there but I would suggest Trek Cannondle or Specialized. They have various styles of bikes to choose from depending on the type of riding you are going to do. I would suggest that you purchase your bike from a bike shop and not a big box store. Proper fit is very important and they will take the time to fit you to the proper frame size, adjust the seat hight and forward draft of the seat, and the pitch up and down of the seat. The proper handle bar stem and adjustment is also important. This may sound like alot but believe me it does make a differnce when it comes to comfort on long rides.Finally the most important thing is purchase a good quality helmet that fits properly. Your price range is good...Good luck and happy biking !

Answer 4

Several forms of outdoor cycling:

Road Touring (newly returned to the U.S.)
Road Racing (several categories, very fun)
Mountain XC Racing (Road and gravel road and forrest)
Mountain Technical (Hopping with a Full Suspension)
BMX (Like skateboarding, but on a bicycle)

These all have clubs.
Generally, the two road clubs are together and the two mountain clubs are together.

You should interview the board of the various clubs in your area so that you can enjoy this form of frequent weekend vacation.

There is one bike that immediately comes to mind:
The Diamondback Winwood or Edgewood series has the speed of a racer, the comfort of a cruiser and the front shocks of a mountain XC.
Think of the heavenly Avenir saddle. . .oh yes!
There's a caveat. For style, the top tube is sloping. Any attempt to fit by traditional and outdated "standover height" methods will result in a large, slow "ape hanger" (the actual term) fit.
SO, be sure to get at least one size small for decent areodynamics and good speeds.
*Extra length seatposts are available and they're usually on sale at nashbar.com and many other places because a smallish frame is extremely popular in mountain bike sports--its faster and more comfortable at the same time. ;)

That particular bike is an Americanized version of the Dutch bike. With 24 speeds, it is quite competititve to the $800 price range, despite its $350 price range.
The difference between this bike and a more expensive model is 1) racing wheels and 2) all-alloy crankset.

As with any bike, you can get a better deal on those parts seperately from the bike. Specifically, Sugino's XD600 crankset from aebike.com (MUCH faster speeds and lighter weight, easy plug-n-play install) and Neuvation's R28 SL2 from neuvationcycling.com--oh and some Michelin or Serfas flatproof race tires
This will bring the performance level up to the $1200 price range and. . .

This particular bike is similar in operation to the traditional cyclocross. One maintains a set of "mountain wheels" and a set of "road wheels" so that you can just clip on a "mountain bike" or clip on a "road bike" whenever you want.
*One would put an SRAM PG850 11-28 cassette onto the "road wheels" to facilitate this easy, instant swap, and 27 speed (9x) drivetrains would use a PG950 racing cassette of 11-26, but I don't think the Diamondback is available in 27 speed versions. The PG850 cassette is $22 at aebike.com

Handlebar options are plentiful. Instead of the dowdy and feature-free flat bars, the adjustable stem allows you to run any handlebar type, such as:
1) Mountain bike refit drop bars with the 25.4mm clamp, aebike.com and this makes a farther reach with a beautiful pro cyclocross appearance.
2) North Road alloy, upside down and wrapped up club racer style for enhanced distance, performance, and areo. Cheap version= Pyramid $12 bikepartsusa.com Pro version = Nitto (19" wide for areo) at speedgoat.com
*either of these mount the shifters and brake levers very close to the stem, cyclocross style. Selecting a bike with "trigger shift" is recommended.
*after adjusting and discovering your optimal blend of speed and comfort, the stem may be replaced with the beautiful and lightweight Nitto Technomic, available in every size.

Two last things to mention. . .

Whatever bike you select will probably come with rim brakes (ordinary). These usually make noises and chew through rims (eat up wheels). Replace the free pads at time of purchase with Kool Stop brake pads for trouble-free performance.

Test drive one heck of a lot. This will automatically insure proper fit if you get the bike that is 1) faster, 2) more-comfortable, and 3) simultaneously does both 1 and 2.

Accessories:
The following, I have found to be a blessing:
From Wal-Mart: the Bell under-seat bag, the red triangle LED rear blinkie and the plastic tire levers (you just need 1 of those). . .oh and the 99 cent Metric allen wrench set--just pull off whatever fits the bike and leave the rest at home.
From the bike store: a miniature tubular handlebar bag (for car keys, wallet, sunblock, kleenexes, phone, camera), a frame-mounted miniature air pump, 2 water bottles, and a couple of all-alloy water bottle holders. Now I'm spoiled, so I put a water bottle holder on the "dashboard" too. ;) I'd also special order a Serfas SL-400 8 led miniature waterproof long-lasting featherweight headlight. I have 3.
From performancebike.com:
Forte or store brand inner tubes--a small supply of at least 3. These don't leak out air like the cheaper inner tubes. What a blessing.

Think of the bike as a vehicle, as useful. . .
Test drive a lot. . .Compare. . .test drive some more

See you down the road!

I hope I've illustrated the multi-use bike and some nice, very effective, options as far as increasing your range of performance, participation, and fun. I particularly like weekend vacationing with the road touring club with 50 to 75 mile trips to different destinations, lots of companionship and. . .leaving the worries all behind for a day or two. Once a year, I do it for an entire week, crossing a state from border to border. Given a week, some support, and a comfy bike, it is a wonderful experience. So, get a bike that you enjoy. It and its many cousins will be fantastic new friends.

OH yes!! My newest purchase. . .a white Trek helmet. This was remarkably inexpensive. It was the "police" version, but that label comes right off. What a miracle device!! It makes your head COOLER, not warmer like my old helmet. Try the Trek dealer for a wonderful helmet!
Also try the Trek FX bike, the Specialized Sirrus, the Schwinn Super Sport, and I mention these just for comparison--which is exactly what you need to do--comparison test drive.
They don't have the Avenir saddle. I'm sure you'll notice which bike is the nicest. ;)

Answer 5

I have recently, last summer, bought a new bike and it is great! I got matching TREK bikes with my dad( different frame sizes, obviously) he likes his as well but he prefers his FUJI bike, that he purchased at a garage sale for $20 almost 10 years ago! He loves it. It is a sports bike, the Trek bikes are mountain bikes. By the way my dad is 49 now, and mainly rides his bike lesiurely but nonetheless prefers his sleek sports bike any day. The Trek bike cost $520 each but we got them at an end of the season sale in our local bike store for $250 i think. good luck!

Answer 6

It really depends on what type of cycling you want to get into and what feels most comfortable.

As far as brand, I like Trek. Giant and Specialized are good brands too. Each of them vary on fit so test ride different ones.

If you are just looking at outdoor cycling for enjoyment then a hybrid or comfort bicycle is good. If you are looking at getting into a specific type of cycling (road, mountain, etc) then get that type of cycle.

Doesn't matter what brand or type $300-$500 is a good range for an opener.

Answer 7

I think that going with a major company like Trek or Specialized, and bad as this may sound in our Starbucks culture, will give you the most bang for your buck.
One thing to keep in mind when you decide on your budget, though, is that you'll have to get a helmet, pump, and tubes. You might want to get appropriate clothing and even shoes that bind to the pedals. These things are usually overlooked when someone goes in to buy a $200 bike and leaves $350 lighter.
Good luck. I hope you love cycling as much as I do.

Answer 8

Try renting a different bikes. See what they can do. Ask them to fit you to the bike your testing. Get advise on seat heights etc..

Good luck with you choices! And have fun riding!

Answer 9

I bought Kent GMC Denali road bike for $147 from Wallmart. That's probably the cheapest road bike that you can find. It works well for me. Of course, if you want to participate in bike races, then it's probably not good enough.