just for daily exercise/trail riding
what features are recommended?
what brands to look for/stay away from in a used bike?
looking for economy and sturdiness. nothing fancy. weight not a big concern.
I haven't been in the market for 20 years, so any help getting started would be great. Thanks.
2007-02-24 08:28:10 · 4 answers · asked by farmer 4 in Sports ➔ Cycling
I am well aware of the cheap materials in some discount bikes..broke a crank right off once...just not aware of the brand names these days.
2007-02-24 09:36:00 · update #1
My advice is to stay away from Walmart as it is hit more miss whether or not you'll get a bike that lasts. Remember that the Walmart staff is building up the bike and if they miss a piece or forget to tighten a screw enough it could be dangerous. This means stay away from Mongoose, and some Schwinn's and Walmart brands like NEXT.
Definitely look into mountain bike brands like Trek, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant, GT to get a feel for a quality made mountain bike. You don't have to look at their high end stuff, just the entry level stuff.
You'll want to look into a sturdy hybrid or an entry level mountain bike to be able to safely use on the trails. Hybrids are basically a mix between a road bike and comfort bike and are good for things like commuting, but aren't great for heavy trail riding.
Brands and types aside, the main important thing about a bike is the weight and frame. Most of the good brands will have lighter frames than what you'd be used to (if you've been out of the market for 20 years). You'll want to look into steel / cromoly frames for long lasting frames, or aluminum frames for light ones (they can be made quite sturdy as well). I won't get into other materials as they only appear on more expensive bikes, but that should give you an idea.
2007-02-24 09:26:28 · answer #1 · answered by d s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to check the name of the components not the frame manufacturer. Example a Trek bike can go from $200 to $10,000. In bikesdirect.com the carbon fiber frames of Motobecane were made by the same factory as frames going for thousands more. Also try rscycle.com All are free shipping and no sales tax.
2007-02-24 10:35:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless you got money to burn, go to WalMart, they have several styles and sizes, get on them, feel the seat, handle bars, etc. I got a real good deal on one for myself a couple years ago at Target, I only paid $70. It's not how much you spend unless you're going to be very serious about the sport.
2007-02-24 08:37:51 · answer #3 · answered by boxersgirlbunny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Canadian Tire, Supercycle SC-1800, basic 18 speed mountian bike with 20 inch frame, $ 99.00 retail new. Comes with lifetime frame warranty, one year components warranty, free assembly and 30 day tune-up. http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442155457&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672214&bmUID=1172408518197
2007-02-25 00:03:58 · answer #4 · answered by bike-fixer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋